The Pony Club Polocrosse Championships made a hugely successful return after a three year gap (due to the COVID-19 pandemic and poor weather causing the cancellation of the 2019 Championships). Teams from around the UK gathered at Offchurch Bury in Warwickshire, a new venue for the Championships, for two days of fun and competition on Saturday the 14th and Sunday the 15th of August.
As well as a new venue, there were lots of members competing at Championships for the first time; hardly surprising after such a lengthy break. The Mini, Junior and Senior grades were split into Novice and Open levels based of the teams’ experience and there was some closely contested matches at all levels, with two matches going to golden goal over the weekend!
As well as some great polocrosse it was a good opportunity to remember how multi talented our members are, with some polocrosse playing members also competing in the Mounted Games and Show jumping competitions at the Championships.
In the polocrosse competition, North Warwickshire retained the Maldon Trophy, which is awarded to the Branch, Centre or Area that does best in both the Open Seniors and Open Juniors. They won both these grades, though their Junior section were pushed all the way by the Area 11 team, with the end result being decided by a goal difference of 1 goal! The combined United Pack and Flint and Denbigh team were in third place, after some hard fought matches including just losing to Area 11 on golden goal on Saturday.
A mixed team made up of Essex Farmers and North Northumberland won the Novice Seniors as they pushed Area 8 into second place. An Area 2 team (made up of South Northumberland and North Northumberland members) won the Novice Juniors, after they defeated a mixed team of West Warwickshire, Burghley and Essex Hunt North Members by golden goal in the final!
The Open Minis was won by Essex and Suffolk, who played brilliantly all weekend. Two of their players, Taryn Tinker and Olivia Kirkham, were in their final year for the Minis and they were clearly delighted to end with a win. A mixed team of North Warwickshire, Llangeinor and Enfield Chace were in second with United Pack in third.
The Novice Minis saw a win for the Burghley Hunt Branch as they overcame a team made up on North Down and North Warwickshire, who finished second, and then two Area 8 teams in third and fourth.
Full results
Full results of all the games are available here
Open Minis
Champions – Essex and Suffolk – Taryn Tinker, Eloise Kirkham and Olivia Kirkham
Runners up – North Llanfield – Isaac Flint (North Warwickshire), Mollie Palmer O’Donoghue (Enfield Chace) and Alife Anthony-Vollans (Llangeinor Hunt)
Third Place – United Pack (Maggie Clark, Grace Hockley and Charlotte Gee)
Novice Minis
Champions – Burghley Hunt (Perdy Gale, Clarry Gale and Ava Lambert)
Runners Up – North Down and Warwickshire – Isla Oliver Byrne (North Warwickshire), Eloise Keers (North Down) and Max Lewis (North Down)
Third Place – Area 8 Lions – Ollie Rowbotham (Essex Hunt North), Sam Potter (Essex and Suffolk) and Sammy Westerling (Essex and Suffolk)
Fourth Place – Area 8 Tigers – Lola Flower (Essex Hunt North), Maggie Flower (Essex Hunt North) and Chloe Pellen (Essex Hunt North)
Open Juniors
Champions – North Warwickshire (Harry Horton Barr, Jayda Williams and Keeley Rock)
Runners up – Area 11 – Alice Power (Ashford Valley), Ajay Howitt (Romney Marsh) and Rosie Webb (Romney Marsh)
Third place – Pack and Denbigh – Jess Clark (United Pack), Leia Lloyd Williams (Flint and Denbigh) and Alice Leeke (United Pack)
Novice Juniors
Champions – Area 2 Pink – Millie Da Costa Evans (South Northumberland), Sarah White (South Northumberland) and Grace Manners (North Northumberland)
Runners up – West Warks, Essex and Burghley – Harriet Wasdell (West Warwickshire), Zara Stafford (Burghley) and Kiki Flower (Essex Hunt North)
Third place – Area 2 Black – Tilly Threlfall (Percy Hunt), Ethan Campbell (Morpeth Hunt) and Katie Lowden King (North Northumberland)
Fourth Place – Area 2 Silver – Talula Mason (North Northumberland), Nina Lowden King (North Northumberland) and Jasmine Ford (North Northumberland)
Open Seniors
Champions – North Warwickshire (Katie Loutsiou, Tegan Bristow and Danny Woodward)
Novice Seniors
Champions – Essex and Northumberland – Jack Page (Essex Farmers), Katy Dixon (North Northumberland) and Amalie Mason (North Northumberland)
Runners ups – Area 8 – Stella Stearn (Suffolk Hunt), Kacey Brown (North Norfolk) and Collette Fray (East Essex)