Hastings: UK polo player impressed by Birchleigh polo in schools programme

UK horse polo player Atticus Burnett, 18, has been blown away by polo in school programme. Photo / Paul Taylor

UK horse polo player Atticus Burnett, 18, has spent the summer in Hawke’s Bay helping out and playing polo at the Birchleigh Polo Club in Hastings.

Burnett headed over Hawke’s Bay after finishing up the summer polo season in the UK, trying to escape the “cold and miserable” British winter. A polo friend from Hawke’s Bay set Burnett up with Birchleigh Polo Club manager Richard Kettle, so he could get some work while enjoying the Kiwi summer.

While at Birchleigh, the teenager was introduced to the polo school programme and helped with running it. Burnett said he was impressed by the programme and what it offers the students from Flaxmere College.

UK polo player Atticus Burnett running a polo lesson for a group of Flaxmere College students. Photo / Paul Taylor

“I have never ever seen anything quite like that in polo in the whole world - I don’t think anything exists like this programme,” Burnett said.

Horse polo isn’t easiest sport to get into, however, Burnett said he has always been interested in horses and found normal horse riding “a bit boring”, then picked up polo through a family friend who taught him how to ride and has loved it since then.

The young Brit has been in New Zealand for three months now and has enjoyed his work with the school kids.

He said, “it’s been so rewarding to work with these kids and see their confidence grow, from never being on a horse before to really getting into the sport.”

Burnett has now finished his work in Hastings and has headed back home to play in the UK summer polo season.

He hasn’t ruled out coming back to New Zealand next summer, however, does have a full season to play in the UK and then will be off to a polo job he has lined up in Zimbabwe.

After falling in love with the “fun, fast and furious” sport of polo from a young age Burnett’s dream and goal is to become a professional polo player and with his busy year ahead, Birchleigh’s Kettle says he has enjoyed his help over the summer and believes he is well on his way towards this ambition.

Maddisyn Jeffares became the editor of the Hawke’s Bay community papers Hastings Leader and Napier Courier in 2023 after writing at the Hastings Leader for almost a year. She has been a reporter with NZME for almost three years and has a strong focus on what’s going on in communities, good and bad, big and small. Email news tips to her at: maddisyn.jeffarea@nzme.co.nz.