The real passion of polo is found in its ordinary players

Polo of the popular imagination is all Champagne, beautiful women, fast cars and impossibly handsome Argentinians — a ritzy, wild world of Jilly Cooper-esque, high-octane fantasy. However, away from the prestigious tournaments that draw thousands of spectators, where super-wealthy patrons battle for bragging rights, there is a whole sub-culture of matches minus the crowds where love of the game is paramount.

There are some 70 polo clubs in England and the lower leagues still attract players who are competing professionally (most players on a team are usually paid by the playing patron). Even at the higher levels, there is no real prize money in polo and players must generally run their own string of ponies (or rather horses, which retain the ‘pony’ name from the 19th century, when they were much smaller); a lower handicap player might have 12 or so ponies in his or her string, with more needed further up. Professionals will have little left over once they have paid their grooms, lorry expenses and vet fees and it is hard for an English player to ascend the rankings sufficiently to earn enough through match fees alone. Many of them have sidelines producing horses, teaching and umpiring, so something as simple as an injured finger can threaten their earning potential, as the large overheads remain. Nevertheless, there is plenty of fun to be had, quietly going on all around the country.

All this is possible thanks to polo patrons and their love of the game. For a patron to play in a match of reasonable standard and to be competitive at the lower end, he or she (polo is a mixed sport) will need to hire professional players to make up the team. The professionals will be paid per match, but will nearly always be contracted for a whole tournament, if not the whole season. As well as providing a living for players, a patron’s munificence will support an entire ecosystem of grooms, farriers, feed merchants, lorry mechanics, horse masseurs (yes, really), vets, equipment suppliers, stick makers, groundsmen and caterers. Even at the lower levels, as many as 50 ponies may be involved in one match.

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Individual players are handicapped from -2 (the lowest) to 10 (the best). Low goal tournaments include 2-, 4-, 6- and 8-goal tournaments: the total handicaps of the four players cannot add up to more than the tournament handicap. For instance, an 8-goal tournament could have one 4-goal player, two 2-goal players and a 0 (patrons are often 0, or sometimes 1 goal). The King, incidentally, played off 4 goals and The Prince of Wales 2.

There are about 2,500 players across 70 clubs that vary greatly in size and membership. The majority of members are 0 goal or below and Pony Club polo is also thriving. As Anna Hall, CEO of the governing body, the Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA) explains: ‘Low-goal polo is competitive, fun, and above all, it embodies the camaraderie and community that sit at the heart of polo in this country.’

The director of polo

'Last year, 750 matches were played at Guards Polo Club in Windsor Great Park and 500 of these games were low-goal games,’ reveals Antony Fanshawe, director of polo at Guards Polo Club. ‘Most people start in the low goal. It’s an insanely fun sport to play — sometimes, there are 30 teams in a tournament and there can only be one winner.’ Fanshawe advises that budding players need ‘easy’ ponies, rather than a sizeable string. ‘Ideally, six horses that are easy to hit the ball off, easy to stop and turn and that are sound — if you have that, then you are a very lucky person.’

Running a string of ponies is expensive, but, for some, it is impossible to live without. Playing in the low-goal league is similar to playing club tennis; the club assesses the player’s skill level and puts the player in at a suitable level, ‘unless [he or she] makes millions and wants to step up the levels, but the main point is that it’s about enjoyment and self-improvement’. The value of good jockeys (as in all equestrian disciplines) is unparalleled and anyone who is good on a horse ‘should stick at it,’ as this is becoming an increasingly rare skill, and will only get ‘more valuable,’ believes Fanshawe. ‘People see a good player and think “wow I can do that, I want to do that,” yet have little understanding of how difficult it is to be even averagely good. The time and discipline required to get beyond 3 or 4 goals is huge.’ Finding where you fit in life is not easy for many people, but there is nothing like a soaking wet day and a needle match in the Archie David 8 Goal tournament, going into overtime, to test your mettle.

The young player

Rufus Uloth, 21, first played polo when he was asked to join the most junior team of his local Pony Club branch, aged nine, on his very small pony, Harry Potter. He grew up near Cowdray Park, West Sussex, one of the biggest clubs in the country, which enabled him to be ‘spotted’ in his early teenage years and he was asked to play in adult club teams.

With support from his school, which allowed him to play polo instead of cricket during the summer, and from the HPA, which gave him extra training and sent him on training camps in South Africa, Rufus was able to build up a string of ponies and has made himself available as a gun for hire. He has also played in Argentina, India and New Zealand, now off a handicap of 2. Some of his ponies were given to him by generous benefactors who saw his potential. Another came from Newmarket as a two-year-old colt after the trainer had advised the owner that ‘this horse needs another career’. He was turned away for a year, then it took three years to retrain him ready for matches. In his first season, Pudding won Best Playing Pony in the Park House Cup tournament.

Others were ponies that had been a problem for previous owners, which — ably assisted by his groom Leo — he was able to train up and improve. Rufus has represented his country and now plays regularly at Guards Polo Club and Cowdray Polo Club — the two biggest in the country — for different patrons in different tournaments. Last season, he played 63 matches in 4-, 6-, and 8-goal tournaments. ‘I know it is very difficult to make a living long term,’ he notes, ‘but while I am young and single and I have the time, and people want me to play for them, I can’t imagine a better way to fill my days.’

The pony

Bella is a very special mare,’ declares Nick Clague, who has played polo professionally for 20 years. Bred for racing, Bella enjoyed a brief career on the track before being retrained for polo by the talented young horse-maker Telmo Maidana. Clague bought her as a six year old and she is now 16. ‘She has been my standout horse for a decade,’ he says. ‘She combines extraordinary speed and power with a very good mouth, making her easy to ride and hit the ball on. I save her for the final chukka, when the game is won and lost. She has won many Best Playing Pony awards — recognition she so richly deserves. When she finally retires, I hope to breed from her as I think she will make an incredible broodmare.’

The groom

Martha Emeney, 32, has been a polo groom for eight years since graduating from the University of Plymouth, where she studied illustration. She has groomed for professional players in New Zealand and Australia, as well as England.

Life for a polo groom usually starts at 5.30am. Typically, a groom is responsible for five to 10 horses, but this can vary from job to job. ‘My love for horses is what initially attracted me to the job, but I also love the social life and team aspect of working in polo.’

At the games, grooms are responsible for preparing the ponies to play by bandaging their legs, tacking up, screwing studs into their shoes for grip and plaiting their tails. The ponies are then warmed up one by one before it’s their turn to take to the field. When a pony has finished playing, it is quickly stripped, washed down and walked to allow their bodies to recover. ‘It can be extremely hard work, but very rewarding when the ponies and games go well.

‘Patrons who play in the lower levels enjoy it a lot,’ says Emeney, ‘as they are able to contribute more during the game than they typically would in the high goal, although this varies on the level and skill of the patron. Those who play in the higher levels are motivated by the recognition and prestige of winning the big trophies, but the lower levels can be equally as fun and competitive, often with a much more enjoyable atmosphere.’

It’s true that ‘polo grooming is not for the faint hearted,’ she reveals, ‘but once you get the bug, it’s pretty hard to shake! It has taken me all over the world and I’ve had some incredible experiences and met special people. I’d recommend it to any young person who wants to combine their love of horses with travel and parties’.

The patron

Peter O’Rorke, 70, started playing polo in 1987, initially on bicycles. It was low key and low cost. He gradually assembled a string of ponies ‘of a sort’ and started to play low goal at clubs across the country: Ham, London, then Kirtlington, Oxfordshire, followed in succession by Inglesham in Wiltshire, Cirencester in Gloucestershire and now Cowdray in West Sussex.

‘Churchill said: “No hour of life is lost that is spent in the saddle,” notes O’Rorke. ‘To sit on a polo pony, on any of the beautiful grounds in the country, and to play the most demanding, complex and exhilarating game with honourable (mostly!) fellow players and team members is a unique privilege.’

As for playing low-goal polo, O’Rorke is very clear: ‘Working out what level one can play at is relatively easy because of the increase in cost as you go higher in low, medium or high goal. At each level, there are different demands on pony quantity and quality, professional fees, entry fees and so on. Most players in the UK play very low-goal polo and have the time of their life every weekend. I know because I did that for 20 years at least. Now, I play 8-,10- and 12-goal polo at Cowdray because that provides much of the competitive nature of medium or high goal, but remains a little more fun, grounded and achievable — and just a little less serious.

‘Winning trophies is fantastic, but what I really treasure is a competitive game, my ponies coming off sound, post-match banter and nonsense with team-mates, friends, wives, family and our wonderful grooms,’ he continues. ‘Generally, I drive home incandescent with happiness after polo. Lows are rare, but losing a pony, that just breaks everyone’s heart.’

O’Rorke confirms that polo is a ‘massive commitment,’ but remains incredibly rewarding nonetheless. This is also true of the cost implications: ‘I certainly wouldn’t be working still if I didn’t have polo to pay for. It is also true in terms of dedication to fitness — I would not go to the gym or drink less if I wasn’t scared of falling off or letting down my team.’

The photographer

'Many years ago, I watched The King play at Windsor, but it was only after the Covid lockdowns that I returned to polo, this time at Cowdray — and was instantly hooked. I quickly realised that low-goal polo, in particular, is a compelling sport to photograph,’ says Hampshire-based lensman Paul Grove, 56. ‘As a photographer working towards professional distinctions, I was struck not only by the speed and athleticism, but by the warmth of the welcome. Players, patrons, grooms and the Cowdray team create a community that is both dedicated and deeply supportive.’

Grove reflects on the levels of the sport and believes that low-goal polo has an immediacy and camaraderie that is wonderfully authentic — families get involved, young players develop, and friendships are forged through shared effort.

‘What draws me back is that human element: the concentration before the throw-in, the exchanges between chukkas, the pride of emerging players finding their stride,’ he reveals. ‘To capture those moments feels a privilege — and I hope the photographs will become lasting records of both sporting ambition and community spirit.

This feature originally appeared in the May 27, 2026, issue of Country Life. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.