Polo: Kuru family fosters foreign polo talent

Players from Mongolia and international trainers at the new polo training facility in Porangahau. Nelly O'Dowd (left), a Porangahau local who has spent 15 years running polo stables in England, Mamuna, Altangadas, Cody Jones, from Hurtwood Polo Park, England, Moogie, Rentsen and Palam.

Porangahau is a polo mecca this summer, what with the upcoming international Beach Polo event at New Year, coupled with a new polo training facility in the area and the resurgence of the Kuru polo team.

The Kuru family has a long association with polo in Porangahau, and Wanstead Polo Club members, Hamish McLean, Harriet Kuru and Simon McDonald are spearheading a move to revive this tradition, but with an international flavour.

McLean said he used to play with Turoa and Harriet Kuru 20 years ago, and recently returned to Porangahau/Wanstead to play polo after a 10-year sabbatical working in Africa.

"We decided to get the ponies up and going again - there were three or four up the hill and we thought we would get them out for a season and that would be it."

But, during his travels through Mongolia last year, McLean came across the national Genghis Khan team patron, and Wanstead Polo Club ended up hosting a team of Mongolian players last year.

Some of those players, as well as new ones, are back in the country this year, but now there is a focus on helping them improve their polo, he said.

As a result, over winter, the Kuru property has become home to new facilities including corral, stalls, wash bays and about 35 horses supplied by the Kurus, McDonald and Ed White, which are being housed, schooled, exercised, stick and balled and played by eight players.

The idea is to provide the Mongolian players training in preparing the ponies, some of which are experienced and some novice, as well as gaining finesse on the field.

"Where they come from, a horse is just a horse - they are all expert riders but there's very little training with polo ponies," McLean said.

"They are also getting used to the horses, which are bigger than their small Mongolian ponies."

And there's been good results, with lots of comments made at the recent Hawke's Bay Wine Country Cup on how much the players who were here last year had improved.

"They used to just chase the ball but now they mark their man," McLean said.

The real test, however, will be next month when the team competes at a tournament in Bangkok, Thailand.

If that's successful, it bodes well for discussions underway to extend the development programme to Australian Aboriginal players in the future, as part of an initiative underway across the Tasman.

Beach Polo

excitement buildsNew Zealand's first and only beach polo tournament is promising to be a sporting spectacular organisers hope will become an annual tradition.

For the general public, the main action will be on New Year's Eve, starting at low tide about 10am. Three high-paced games, some featuring top New Zealand players will be played.

Spectators will be ringside of the playing area that's about 100m long and 50m wide.

To top off the day, a New Year's Eve party will be held at the Porangahau Country Club.

Tickets: $20 available from Rich 027 230 2333, Bo 855 5152 or email fish.man@xtra.co.nz