Page 63 - RADC Bulletin 2019

Maj’s Bunyan and Harper heading for a ride off
Maj Christoph Harper RADC
The AMS polo club has enjoyed meteoric success since its formation in 2015 under the guidance of Capt Paul Erhahiemen QARANC, AMS polo club secretary. It
is made up of a diverse mix of all AMS cap badges and ranks, an amazing
feat considering the niche nature of the sport. The key intent is to provide Service Personnel the opportunity to demonstrate determination, will and fearlessness; factors required when hitting a small white ball with a stick whilst at full speed on a pony.
The opportunity was taken to organise
a polo tour to enable a group of AMS polo players to develop their skills and build camaraderie and cohesion. South Africa (SA) was the most cost-effective location
to undertake the training required due to
the exchange rate and value for money
of polo in the country. The team flew into Johannesburg and transferred south to Underberg which sits in the shadows of Lesotho; a high-altitude landlocked kingdom encircled by South Africa. We stayed on
a working farm with Brett Watson and his family who also own the Absolute Polo club where we trained throughout this period. We arrived and within minutes were straight into a refresher of the rules and tactics including breakdown of swing phases
and on field positioning in preparation
for an early start the following day. The
daily routine involved individual stick and
ball practice (playing polo on your own)
Capt Sumption leading the charge
and then instruction from the coach to improve individual technique. We would subsequently have small break out chukkas (games) against each other. The sessions started quickly on the following days having settled on our ponies during the initial day and the coaches started to get involved with identifying areas for improvement. Each person was filmed on camera during the sessions and these videos were critically analysed on an individual basis, and feedback given on swing and positioning along with comments on any rule breaches and fouling. It was obvious that the coaches had watched and critiqued the footage prior to the reviews with us which provided us with an enormous benefit.
We were privileged to test our improved skills against local SA polo teams who we mixed in with and gained experience from. The occasional rain shower allowed us
to take a tour of the local area to see the wildlife, get a feel for the local way of life
and buy some souvenirs to take back to the UK. South Africa is a beautiful country and the opportunity to play polo surrounded by mountains in the background was wonderful and genuinely the most stunning setting
the team have ever played polo in. Brett our host is an amazing polo player and coach who has represented South Africa and comes from a family of high goal polo players. He kindly took us out for dinner every evening and put on a traditional Braai with his family to allow us to experience
some wonderful local steaks and food. The polo tour allowed all of us to consolidate and build on our skills and we came away as better players, which was evident in our performance throughout the 2019 season.
The opportunity to undertake Individual Military Training, Adventurous Training or representative sport as part of the Military offer to Service Personnel is important.
It has significant benefits for individual development which can sometimes be difficult to quantify however the chance
to experience events which may not be possible or available outside of the Military are key to attracting and keeping our talented workforce. Whilst it may not always be possible to take part due to primary commitments, individuals are urged to seek out opportunities and strive to organise events which benefit the Service, themselves and others.
The AMS polo club has worked hard to add value and promote cohesion in the AMS through the establishment of the Margot Turner challenge, an exhibition match between the AMS and Sandhurst cadets
at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst provided at no cost to AMS colleagues, family and friends. This year was another resounding success and allowed us to showcase the skills we learnt from our pre- season tour. Please keep an eye out for the Margot Turner challenge in summer 2020 and encourage your families, friends and colleagues to attend for a fantastic day out.
Stunning views through the rain
Maj Harper on the attack
A polo “train” in action
RADC BULLETIN 2019 61