Growing clamour for polo forces George to provide indoor coaching

He wasn’t quite sure what the reaction would be when he decided to go freelance earlier in the year and start teaching newcomers, basing himself at the old established Toulston polo ground at Tadcaster.

“It’s gone mad, I’ve been booked up for lessons,” says George, who has spent the summer teaching at Toulston.

Now, as the polo ponies take a well-earned break, he is planning to continue teaching from next month at Ledston Equestrian Centre, near Garforth, and at Beverley Polo Club, where there are also indoor facilities.

An unlikely convert to this sport, which still has rather an upmarket image, George once worked as a lorry driver and then ran a body shop in Hull, painting cars.

He took up riding to keep his partner, Lorraine, company, began to compete and then tried a polo lesson at Beverley.

It didn’t take long before he found he was hooked on this fast and furious game and after taking a coaching course he began teaching at Beverley, last year working there full-time as coach and polo manager.

“It’s been hard work but it’s really taken off,” says George of his new venture, Genesis Polo.

Now based near York, he provides the ponies for the lessons which means spending a great deal of time transporting them over to Tadcaster and ideally he would like to find a permanent base where he could also teach.

“I wanted people to be able to keep going with the lessons over the winter and am planning on doing two days a week at Ledston and the same at Beverley,” added George.

Lessons will begin on October 10 and he also plans to do a clinic and demonstration at Ledston on the afternoon of November 5.

“I’ll be doing a demonstration but there will also be an opportunity for some people to sit on the horses and have a go,” said George.

For more information call him on 07971 200160 or email [email protected].

A team of eight vets who travelled around the country on their motorbikes this summer, stopping at different venues to give lectures for horse lovers, have raised more than £2,000 for the charity,

World Horse Welfare and a similar amount for the Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad.

The “vets with horsepower team”, led by Prof Derek Knottenbelt, held a series of lectures at four locations, including Bishop Burton College near Beverly.

As well as raising money, the aim was also to improve horse owners’ knowledge on a number of topics, including worming, colic, weight gain and wounds.

Future stars prepare to shine as old hand Staples returns

OSBERTON International Horse Trials at the end of this month will again be hosting the Lycetts British Eventing Young Horse Championships where eventing stars of the future are shown in-hand and under saddle in national and international classes.

Horse and rider combinations from around the country have been competing in British Eventing’s qualifiers for a place in the four and five-year-old championships, while six and seven-year-old horses will contest CIC one-star and CCI two-star international format classes respectively.

The mare and foal, yearling and two-year-old in-hand classes will celebrate the best of Britain’s sport horse breeding and the BEF Futurity finals will also be held on the Saturday of the event.

So far 56 four-year-old horses and 55 five-year-olds have qualified for the championships, including last year’s four-year-old champion, Doonaveragh O Six, ridden again by Brook Staples.

Osberton International Horse Trials, near Worksop, run from September 29 to October 2.

THE Pony Club has a new badge to add to its achievement badge scheme thanks to the NFU.

The five new NFU sponsored badges will help Pony Club members learn more about farming, wildlife, bird watching, trees and wild flowers. Identifying crops, telling the difference between breeds of cattle and finding out about different farming methods are among the subjects that will be covered.

Chance of joining Nicola for lessons

NICOLA WILSON is supporting a second indoor equestrian challenge at Richmond Equestrian Centre.

Riders jump a mixture of cross country and showjumping fences in a number of qualifying competitions, the first of which takes place tomorrow. The top 10-placed riders and all those achieving double clears will qualify for the Nicola Wilson Indoor Equestrian Challenge final on January 15. Prizes include individual lessons with Nicola in June, at Richmond Equestrian Centre.

Further qualifiers will be held on October 16 and December 4 and 11, all with five classes and different heights.

For more information go to: www.richmondequestriancentre.co.uk.