Geard charges to victory in bruising encounter

By KRISTIN EDGETHE POLO - THE silverware glittered on the sideline as teams battled it out at the Northland Polo Club's tournament at Barge Showgrounds.
Spectators turned out to watch the riders and their charges gallop across the polo field on Saturday as three teams battled it out in a round robin competition for the Paddy Mason Trophy.
There were some bruising encounters as riders and horses collided.
But it was Whangarei's Bruce Geard who lead his team members Christine Nakat and Sarahlee Knight to victory by smashing home two goals in the final.
The opposition failed to fire the ball between the uprights leaving the final score at 2-0.
Geard, also a keen showjumper and eventer, showed he also has the skills for his latest equestrian endeavour by collecting the player of the tournament trophy.
Northland Polo Club president Paula McMillan has been the driving force behind re-establishing the sport in the region.
McMillan deemed the tournament a huge success and said it a was a great opportunity for new players in the sport to gain valuable match experience.
"Any of the riders who competed here could confidently go to tournaments down the line. The standard was excellent and had all the passion of bigger tournaments."
Former top Northland player John Taylor officiated on the day and was more than willing to dish out helpful hints to players during the matches.
He has also taken on the role as the Northland Club's official coach. Most of the players in the tournament rode horses from McMillan's Whangarei based stable, but she aims to get players riding their own string of polo ponies.
"The ultimate goal is getting people on their own horses so that we have a full team from Northland travelling to the national tournaments with a team of horses," McMillan said.
"It's always good to have one professional player from down the line or overseas to lift the goal rating of our team, but we need a base team from Northland."
Currently two players based in Auckland don the Northland colours for tournaments.
The club are aiming to compete in the Savile Cup at the end of February, which is considered to be the premier polo event in the country.
The young club is looking for sponsors to help out with tournament polo shirts and those worn for chukka nights. The club are developing a complex at Bream Bay and are hoping for some financial help.
Anyone interested in polo should contact 021 120 7215. Chukkas are held at Barge Showgrounds on Thursday nights starting at 6.30pm.