behind the floats issue 1

BEHIND THE FLOATS The Adelaide Hills Equestrian centre monthly.

ISSUE 1 January 2013

Matt Prior on his way helping to win the A grade final at Casterton 2011, team mates Richard Iles and Tony Astbury.

BEHIND THE FLOATS page 2

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

What’s on 2013 pg 2

Creation of the AHEC pg 3

A snap shot of the year so far pg 3

Social Pages pg 4

The Adelaide polocrosse club page pg 5

Under the spotlight pg 8

Kids Corner pg 9

This months health spot - Colic pg 10-11

Tom Galbraith eulogy pg 13

Lobethal Christmas Pageant pg 14

Polocrosse dates for 2013 pg 16

Adelaide Royal Show pg 17

Polocrosse the game pg 18-19

Memories 2011 (photo’s) pg 20

Sponsors page pg 21

Quick tips on fitness for polocrosse

horse and rider. pg 23

Coaching tip’s for players pg 24

Looking back older pictures. pg 25

FROM THE EDITOR Hello, I hope you all had a restful

and enjoyable Christmas and New

Years, and didn’t indulge too much.

The Adelaide Hills Equestrian

Centre would like to bring you this

monthly magazine, our goal is to

keep people informed of all events

held at the centre, as well as

providing advertising and

communication between club

members, different disciplines,

sports and the community.

We hope that you enjoy and support

the monthly magazine, we would

appreciate and help with articles,

photos, information from individuals

and or your sport club that you wish

to enter.

Advertising will also be available at

a small cost.

Thankyou, until next time.

Hayley Prior

Editor Hayley Prior

DATE EVENT

JANUARY 6TH Polocrosse practice.

January 20th Grounds Hired

February 2nd Working bee

February 9th & 10th Adelaide Polocrosse

Tournament

March 9th & 10th Adelaide Polocrosse

Tournament

WHAT’S ON AT THE

ADELAIDE HILLS EQUESTRIAN CENTRE


Adelaide Hills Equestrian Centre

It all started way back in 1997 when ‘Wally

Havriluk’ took Dave Prior (then president of the

Adelaide Polocrosse Club) to show him a bare

piece of land that he thought might suit

polocrosse.

Dave then had a vision of what he would like for

the Adelaide Polocrosse Club, this vision took 9

years and is still ongoing, a lot of meetings,

sponsorship, lost hours from work, many many

weekends and hard work to realise and WOW

what a result.

There are numerous people to acknowledge first

and foremost Dave Prior with out him there would

be no grounds. Matt prior for being there every

weekend for many years, we also owe a great

deal to Justin Lucey, Craig Tremellen, Mandie

young, Don Pike, Pam Prior and every other

member who rock picked(lots and lots of

weekends), built yards, fenced, welded, gathered

sponsorship, acquired grants and basically worked

hard to make this happen.

A huge thanks to our sponsors, for with out them

we would not have this beautiful centre, including

The Lobethal recreation Grounds, Mark

Goldsworthy, Adelaide Hills Council (Dave Paske,

Michael O’Connell and the rest of the team),

Department of sport and Recreation, Ashford

Constructions, Colin weinert, Hunter Bro’s,

Aldgate Pump, Allan Todd, Adelaide Hills

Vineyard, Charles Roseback, Ian Fitzner, Andrew

Bampton, Jim Rigby, and countless others who

worked behind the scene to make it happen.

However that is just the start, since then members

have worked tirelessly on the up keep and still

more improvements such as watering the lawn 2-3

times a week, mowing, more seeding, finishing

field 3, building field 4, an arena, fitting out the

club rooms, fundraising, up keep of the horse

yards, Showers and toilets, etc.. As you can see a

great deal of work has gone in to this fantastic

centre and there is a lot more still to do.

Thankyou to everyone who has helped and will

continue to help in the future.

SNAP SHOT

Preparation for the 2013 season started early

last year, with several young horse practices

and 3 well-attended Come and Try days. There

were many enthusiastic riders who enjoyed

some racquet and ball skills, tactics and a few

chukkas. Special thanks to the members who

assisted welcoming the newcomers into our

polocrosse family.

There was a comprehensive working bee in

November, in preparation for the Adelaide Hills

Family Fun Day. Yards were cleared and

mowed, the fields were manicured and pony

yards were installed in each block of yards. The

Family Fun Day was held on the 17th of

November, and was a great success. Locals

and visitors alike enjoyed the beautiful weather

and snacked on local produce while checking

out the various activities and displays. There

was a ute muster, a petting zoo, and many

games including a gumboot throw and yabby

races. In the main arena there was a

horsemanship exhibition, youth steer riding,

barrel racing, team roping, steer wrestling, and

plenty of bull and bronco riding. Following these

events, there was live entertainment late into

the night.

The grounds were rested after the rodeo, and

are looking great. Another working bee was

held, this time for the clubrooms. Repairs were

carried out, and a general spring clean, to

prepare for the upcoming season.

Practices were held almost every weekend up

until Christmas, with most members ready and

rearing for tournaments starting this month.

Adelaide Polocrosse Club will be holding its first

tournament on the 9th-10th of February, 2013.

By: Maddie Iles

THE CREATION OF THE AHEC


SOCIAL PAGES

FUN WITH

FRIENDS


HIRING THE ADELAIDE HILLS

EQUESTRIAN CENTRE If you have an event and wish to hire the grounds,

or you would like to know more information about

costing, camping, use of club rooms, canteen, PA

system please contact Craig Tremellen he will be

able to help you with any enquires.

The ground are not just for horse events we do hire

to other clubs or groups for more information.

Booking Officer

Craig Tremellen

Ph.: 0408226162

Email: [email protected]

Postal: P.O. box 91 Woodside 5244 SA

THE ADELAIDE POLOCROSSE

CLUB Welcome everyone to our grounds and hope

people get to know we are here and come and

enjoy the grounds.

We only ask if you are attending a polocrosse

event that the following directives are adhered to:

1. NO DOGS be present at any time.

2. No Stallions be present.

3. Any persons on horse back at any time

wear Australian approved helmet.

4. All gates are closed at ALL times.

5. No yards be made up, horses only to be

in permanent yards.

6. Make sure you are aware of children and

prams near horses and fields.

THE COMMITTEE: President: Richard Illes - 0432538814

Vice President: Matt Prior - 0412895482

Secretary: Jo-Anne Tremellen - 0414862240

Treasurer: Craig Tremellen - 0408226162

Head Coach: Tony Astbury - 0419353151

Sponsorship Co-ordinator: Shane Pike - 0498034799

Booking Officer: Craig Tremellen - 0408226162

ALL CORRESPONDENCE:

[email protected]

P.O. box 91 Woodside 5244 SA

THE ADELAIDE POLOCROSSE CLUB

Adelaide Hills Equestrian Centre

Behind The Floats Advertising

Behind the floats will be published every month

with the aim to keep people informed of what's

going on at the grounds. We have advertising

available to all readers at a small cost.

• $5.00 for anything under 1/4 pg. (text only)

• $8.00 for ¼ pg. (photo optional)

• $10 for 1/2 pg. (photo optional)

• $20 for a full pg. (photo optional)

• If you would like to advertise every month we

have a special offer of $200.

If you have a business or a sale item you would

like to place in the Magazine please don't hesitate

to contact Hayley Prior.

Anyone who would like to write an article for your

sport or have any funny tales, photos, Births,

deaths, Marriages, or achievements. We are after

new and interesting pieces, so please forward

them to the editor no later than 10th of each

month.

You can forward the information to Hayley Prior

email: [email protected]

If you would like a copy of the magazine I can

email to you every month just send your email

address, or look out for copies in all good stores.

mailto:[email protected]




DAVE PRIOR Life member

Adelaide Polocrosse club Let us go back to the beginning of Dave’s

polocrosse life. Dave started coming to polocrosse

in 1991 when his eldest son Matthew decided he

might try this sport of polocrosse.

Dave with his and wife Pam and three children

Matthew, Clint and Megan packed their camping

equipment, loaded Matt’s horse onto the float and

went for the weekend to experience this game.

They had a fantastic time and little did they know

that this would become a huge part of their life.

Over the next few years, Dave drove his family in

their little blue truck and float all over the state

through the summer months to polocrosse

tournaments. Clint also started to play, followed by

Megan and Dave’s enthusiasm for the game grew.

With all his children involved his involvement in the

Adelaide Club developed and Polocrosse became

an integral part of his leisure time.

Always the handyman Dave invested in a

gooseneck in 1996, which with the help of the boys

he rebuilt to make life more comfortable for the

ever-increasing travel for this game, polocrosse

truly is a family sport.

In 1997, Dave became president of Adelaide

Polocrosse Club and at this time, he was shown a

vacant piece of land in Lobethal by a friend. Dave

thought this ground could become the site for new

grounds for the club.

At this point in time the Adelaide Polocrosse Club

grounds were at Mt Crawford and for any one who

has ever been to these grounds, you will know they

were dry, dusty, and with very few amenities which

created a lot of hard work to run a tournament.

The prospect of new grounds in Lobethal sounded

wonderful and Dave set out straight away to

acquire these grounds for the club.

This was not a straight forward task. Over the next

nine years he attended, many meetings with the

Adelaide Hills council, monthly meetings with the

Lobethal Recreation Grounds, liaised with the EPA

and the Office for Recreation and Sport to get

project approved and obtain funding.

He encountered many interesting obstacles along

the way but never lost sight of his goal. Finally, in

2003, the fields could commence construction and

with the help of an enthusiastic club and many of

Dave’s contacts throughout the building world, work

began. Once again this took many hours both in

leisure and work time, coordinating earthworks,

building club rooms, horse yards, rock picking and

seeding fields just to mention a few.

Whilst sitting as Adelaide's president Dave took on

a further role, that of South Australian State

president in 2001 and with the support of his

committee set a development plan for the state

enabling the acquisition of funding for coaching

clinics annually, an initiative to help the state grow.

Within these years, Dave also helped to run two

masters games Championships, one at Strathalbyn

and the other at The Lobethal Grounds.

In 2005 Dave brought a new gooseneck that he

fitted out with all modern comforts which has made

life travelling to polocrosse relaxing, a long way

from the more humble beginnings.

Dave retired as President of the Adelaide club in

2005. His vision realised, the fields are up and

running and we would like to thank Dave for the

hard work and dedication he has given to the

Adelaide Polocrosse club and to the sport itself.

Dave continued to help both at State and club level

sitting for a few more years as State president and

has helped the club out being our president last

year, he continues to help with the grounds and sits

on a few committee’s. Dave was awarded with a

life membership in recognition of all this work in

2006, of which we are still so grateful.

Once again, thankyou Dave for all you have done.

Dave Prior and Helen Iles.

UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT


KIDS CORNER

Down

1. Four times eight

2. 12 across minus 16 across

3. 1640 doubled

4. 6 down minus 5 across

6. Nine times nine

7. Five times 121

9. Half of 1450

11. 716 doubled

14. A third of sixty-three

15. Number of hours in two days

17. Half of 164

19. 100 divided by five

Across

2. 7 down minus 482

4. Number of weeks in a

year

5. Number of days in

four weeks

7. Seven times nine

8. 8617 re-arranged

10. 15 down plus forty-

two

12. Quarter of 100

13. Half of 10486

15. Half of 10 across

16. Quarter of 4 across

17. Four times twenty-

two

18. 82+62+78

Figure It Look at the clues and fill in answers.


Colic

What It Is A term used to describe a large range of abdominal

discomforts, colic can be anything from a twisted intestine to

an enterolith to worm infestations. Colic is the #1 natural killer

of horses.

Common Causes

Sand Colic: When horses ingest sand. Horses that are fed on

sandy ground or have access to it may eat small bits of sand.

Over time, the sand will build up in the intestines and

eventually cause discomfort.

Over feeding: If a horse breaks into the feed area and gorges

itself colic could result.

Parasitism: Worm infestations disrupt circulation in the

intestines, or blood clots and bits of dead worms may cause

blockages.

Irregular Feed Schedule: This may cause a horse to wolf feed

if he gets really hungry. Feeding right after work or if horse is

still hot also can cause horse to come down with colic.

Sudden Changes in Feed: When you change feeds, or

introduce new feed, be sure you do so slowly!

Bad Feed: Moldy or rotten feed may cause colic

Fine Grain: Sometimes it will pack together and cause

blockages in the intestine.

Poisons: Some poisons may cause colic. Moldy feed may

cause mold poisoning and colic.

Twisted Intestines: Very severe and life-threatening. There

are different types of twists in different areas.

Signs

The first signs you may see are uneasiness and a personality

change. The horse may be uninterested in food or drink, and

may act sleepy or dull. The temperature may be slightly

higher than normal, but the respiration and pulse will usually

be normal. Later on, the horse may swish its tail, stomp a hind

leg, turn and look at belly, or nip its sides. It may also roll its

eyes, snort, or groan. As the pain increases, the horse may

kick its belly and lie on the ground and stretch. It may also

stretch as if to urinate, or may make attempts to defecate with

no success or may have diarrhoea. It may roll lightly, get up

and walk in circles, then lie down and roll again. It may also

walk aimlessly into fences or walls. As the colic worsens, the

horse may bite its sides, kick and thrash, and may roll madly.

NEVER let a colicing horse roll, because it could twist an

intestine and cause serious injury! Try to get the horse up,

even if it means yelling at or hitting the horse. Be VERY

CAREFUL- a colicing horse in severe pain doesn't care what

or who you are, it may step on you or crush you accidentally.

During this time, the horse's only focus is trying to rid itself of

pain, and it won't be aware of its surroundings. It may walk

into walls or fences or step on things. You should catch it and,

if it is rolling, make it stand; then, proceed to walk it for about

15 minutes.

Symptoms of colic include...

Rolling excessively

Sweating

Pawing

Kicking at belly

Looking at or biting belly

Change in attitude, or depression

Lack of appetite

Unable to defecate

Little or no gut sounds

Sitting like a dog or lying down

Stretching out as if to urinate

Restlessness, or lying down, getting up, lying down again, etc.

Treatment:

If you suspect your horse has colic, record all the symptoms it

is showing, take the horse's vital signs, then call the vet

immediately and tell him what you've observed. Return to the

horse, walk him for about 15 minutes, then release him in a

safe area and watch his behaviour. A simple colic can quickly

turn deadly without prompt attention. If you horse is already

rolling on the ground, thrashing, and sweating, get him up as

soon as possible! A horse that is rolling may twist an intestine

or complicate an otherwise minor colic. Remember, a colicing

horse may be dangerous to be around since it is in pain.

Keep all food and water away from the horse until the vet

arrives. Try to keep the horse as calm as possible, and keep it

from rolling if possible. You may want to walk the horse for a

few minutes, then let the horse stand.

DO NOT CONTINUE TO WALK THE HORSE. Many people

will walk a horse for hours, until it is weak and exhausted.

Walking can do a bit of good, but over-walking can weaken

the horse and even lead to death if the colic turns severe. If

the horse isn't feeling better after 15 minutes of walking, then

3 more hours won't make a difference, either. Most likely, if a

little walking doesn't help, the horse will require surgery, and if

it's been over-walked, it is less likely to live through the

surgery and fully recover. If you do walk the horse too much,

it's nervous system may shut down, creating more problems.

There are many people that will walk a horse for hours, even

all night long, thinking that it will do some good. It won't.

Recovery

Only about 10% of horses die from colic, but it is still the

leading natural killer of horses. Colic's due to torsions and

intestinal twists are nearly 100% fatal unless promptly treated.

HEALTH SPOT

Disclaimer: The information and recommendations in this article have

been presented as a guideline based on veterinarian information given to

the editor. Whilst all care and diligence is taken in producing this

information, the editor accepts no responsibility or liability for unforseen

consequences resulting from the advise given in this article.

All information in this article is thanks to :

A.C. ASBURY, DVM

A.C. ASBURY, DVM, Retired to Versailles, Ky, after a practice and

academic career devoted to equine reproduction.


COLIC THE MYTHS

Colic has been recognized in horses for a long time, but

only recently have veterinarians been able to accurately

diagnosis, and effectively treat, colic cases. Nevertheless,

many myths about colic persist today – here’s to trying to

dispel some of them!

1. Horses do not colic because the weather changes.

That’s right. The weather changes all of the time.

Horses colic all of the time. One doesn’t have anything

to do with the other, but since they both occur often, it’s

easy to make an association. A couple of studies have

even shown this. But this durable myth persists.

2. Horses don’t twist their intestines when they roll.

Have you ever seen a horse lie down and roll, happily

scratching his back in the dirt? Have you ever seen a horse

develop a twisted intestine afterwards? Didn’t think so.

Horses that are uncomfortable from the pain of colic will

often lie down and roll. They are trying to find a way to get

comfortable, just like when you lie down on the couch after,

say, some bad restaurant food. That often means that they’ll

change positions, just trying to get comfortable. However,

the pain that occurs from a twisted intestine is extreme, and

horses with intestinal twists (volvulus, strangulation,

entrapment, and such) show that extreme pain by rolling

around. But it’s the twist that comes first, not the other way

around.

If a horse is beating himself up from rolling around

frantically in pain, there’s certainly ample reason to keep

him from doing so. However, if your horse rolls, the gut isn’t

in danger of twisting.

3. Walk your horse, no matter what. The idea that horses

need to be walked because they have a colic probably

comes from the concern over twisting a gut. Walking is not

directly therapeutic for colics, and if a horse is relatively

comfortable lying down, there’s no real reason to get him up

just so that he can walk. Imagine you, on the couch, feeling

bad after that restaurant food; if someone got you up and

made you walk, you probably wouldn’t appreciate it.

That said, there may be some slight benefit to walking a

horse with colic. It may help distract the horse with colic,

and help him forget about his pain. That’s at least humane.

It also gives the owner something to do until the veterinarian

arrives!

4. Banamine® (flunixin meglumine) is a potent pain

reliever if your horse has colic. Flunixin was heavily

advertised as the”drug to treat colic, when it was first

released a few decades ago. Since then, it seems that

horse owners have learned that the drug is a “must” for

treating horses with colic. In fact, some people even say

that it works within minutes of its administration, which,

given what we know about how the drug works, isn’t

possible. Some veterinarians even believe that it’s

something of a wonder drug when it comes to suppressing

pain, but there are others (including this one) that disagree.

In fact, experimental studies on the drug have shown that

it’s not very effective at all at treating the pain of colic. It is a

useful drug, but it’s not a miracle drug. That said, there’s no

reason at all to give any drug for any condition, without a

proper diagnosis. If you have flunixin in a medicine chest or

tack box, don’t give it to your horse with colic without

consulting with your veterinarian first.

5. Add “alternative” treatments to help your horse with

colic. Some people may add things such as acupuncture or

massage to their efforts to help a horse with colic. There’s

no evidence at all to indicate that such things are helpful,

and, in the case of acupuncture, there’s good evidence that

it doesn’t help at all. If your horse has a colic, focus on

getting quick and proper diagnosis and treatment, and don’t

look for any “alternatives” to that!

Information from David Ramey, DVM

Disclaimer: The information and recommendations in this article have

been presented as a guideline based on veterinarian information given

to the editor. Whilst all care and diligence is taken in producing this

information, the editor accepts no responsibility or liability for unforseen

consequences resulting from the advise given in this article.

All information in this article is thanks to :

David Ramey, DVM

PHOTO OF THE MONTH


Shane and May pike

Congratulations

♥ Shane and May Pike who were married in

November 2012.

R.I.P - Tom Galbraith He was 69 and involved in

Polocrosse through his son in law who was an A

grade player in north Queensland. Unfortunately

Peter suffered a near fatal injury and is now in a

nursing home.

Tom was a sponsor of Adelaide Polocrosse Club.

He loved Polocrosse and described himself as a

POLOCROSSE TRAGIC, because he would have

loved to have played himself. Please see eulogy

next page. Thank you to Julie Morris for writing it.

Deanna and Aidan enjoying the Lobethal Pageant.

Polocrosse Victoria &

Portland Polocrosse club are hosting the Development Camp for Under 21's

and Under 16's at the Portland Polocrosse

Grounds,

January 23rd, afternoon, 24th all day, 25th all day,

followed by weekend playing in a team at the

weekend with an allocated coach.

Activities include:

- Racquet & Ball Skills

- Horsemanship (on horse)_

- Horsemanship (on ground)

- Activities and games

- Nightly activities

I have extended the Invitation date until 19th

January, Please let me know the names, ages &

grades of the participants.

Regards

Lee Kelly

LATEST NEWS

Adelaide Polocrosse club working bee 2nd Feb. Getting ready for our up coming carnival. Please all be there.


Tom Galbraith of Mt Barker Springs.

There were many sides to Tom

There was Tom the husband, Tom the father and

grand father, Tom the businessman.

But today I want to talk about Tom the horseman.

Toms passion for horses goes back a long, long

way.

He loved his tent pegging. The skill, the adrenalin,

the discipline of the sport, the camaraderie and all

the life long friends he made along the way.

He loved to talk about the run offs, who he

competed against, the scores, the judges, the good

and the bad and I’m sure many of his fellow tent

peggers who’ve made the journey here today

would have many more stories to tell.

But it was his horses he loved to talk about all the

good ones like Blondie, Chelaly The little quarter

horse Chuck, Flinders Blackcat and Blondie's foal

aptly known as Blondie2 who Tom rode at his last

Competition.

Then there was Tom the Huntsman.

We will always remember Tom and Penny

immaculately turned out on the Hunt field. Their

horses were always big They were beautiful.

Always plaited, Shiny brass buckles and highly

polished boots. They always looked as if they were

ready to go into The Royal Show not about to

gallop through muddy salt flats or clamber up over

rocky out crops.

Some of Toms horses could be a bit of handful.

After one such hairy ride I kidded Tom that I was

going to find him a hunter BUT I was going to make

sure it was the ugliest horses I could find. To which

Tom replied Oh but I do love a good looking

thoroughbred. That was Tom he loved them all.

There was Dear old Spider A gift rom Penny,

‘beautiful RED’ the gentle BEAU Warwick and

Harley the handsome black thoroughbred.

And not forgetting Trax..aka Hummer who almost

made it to the hunt field made a u turn and ended

up competing high level dressage with their good

friend Gerri. Tom loved to watch him compete so

proud to be part of him.

Then more recently Tom became a familiar face

among the Polocrosse fraternity.

Tom and penny always used to support Peter

Penny son who was an A Grade polocrosse player

in Queensland.

Tom generously supported South Australian

Polocrosse and would travel to tournament both

here and Victoria.

Tom would always introduce himself as A

Polocrosse Tragic because it was a sport he would

have loved to have played.

Tom would always make sure he had a good

possie for the finals, Beer in hand, Akubra hat on

so he could soak up the atmosphere and

excitement he admired the speed and agility of the

polocrosse ponies and marvel at the racquet skills

of the players.

Tom we will miss your generosity Your knowledge

Your wisdom your advise, all of which you gave so

freely.

But most of all we will miss that Scottish accent

your dry sense of humour and that wicked wicked

laugh that seemed to start deep down in your belly

and gurgle up out of your mouth.

Tom you will be missed by so many but never

forgotten.

RIP THOMAS

Written by Julie Morris.


EMAIL AND WEB ADDRESSES If you would like to have your email or business

web address featured on this page or you know

of a good website please let me know.

Emails:

Editor Hayley prior: [email protected]

Classic Beauty for all you beauty needs. [email protected]

Websites:

If you a looking for good quality horse feed

please look no further and support our

sponsors - Currency Creek fine Fodder: www.lucernehayforsale.com.au

What ever you might be wanting for mans best

friend have a look at The Complete Canine

Company, they stock a huge range of product

for your dog www.completecanine.com.au

Australian Polocrosse website- www.polocrosse.org.au

If you are looking for stock whips or equipment

, training dvds etc. They have very reasonable

prices. www.murphywhips.com

Dressage club competition details http://www.dressageclubsa.com/competitionDetails.html

LOBETHAL CHRISTMAS PAGENT A HUGE thankyou to all that helped on the day it

was a lovely day spent with all the Rec ground

clubs as well. Special thanks to Dave and Pam

Prior for the hours of work scrubbing the

gooseneck ready for the occasion and spending

$50 on stop light lollies for us all to through out to

all the kiddies yelling for them.

Thankyou to Deanna, Don, Dave, Hayley, Matt,

Emma and Ashley for decorating the Gooseneck in

the simmering heat and Julie, Clint, Craig, Travis,

Laura and all the Prior kids for coming down and

walking the street with us, Julie and Dylan through

each other the ball all the way, Dylan had blisters

and Julie a sore arm but a great demonstration for

everyone to see. We all had a ball.



http://www.lucernehayforsale.com.au/

http://www.completecanine.com.au/

http://www.polocrosse.org.au/

http://www.murphywhips.com/

http://www.dressageclubsa.com/competitionDetails.html

http://www.dressageclubsa.com/competitionDetails.html


THE ROYAL ADEALIDE SHOW The royal Adelaide show competition was

held on the 14th and 15th of September.

Once again it was fantastic to see the

Adelaide Polocrosse club being well

represented at the show.

Well done Matt Prior, Shane Pike (returning

after 8 years of being out of the game),

Richard Stevens, Emma Shultz, joined by

Andrew Cameron, Drew Gurney (from

Naracoorte)made up the SA side. With Clint

Prior filing in for the Vics and Richard Illes

for umpiring both nights.

Friday night was bitterly cold but that didn’t

dampen the spirits of this team, Playing

against Victorian team Zac Gleeson, Bec

Burns, Matt Jarmain, Steve Boulton, Clint

Prior, Dean Crighton. The game was hard

fought with lots of heart pounding moments

for the crowd, unfortunately SA couldn’t hold

on losing to Victoria by 2 goals.

SA coming out to play on Saturday night the

underdogs after Friday nights defeat. To win

the crown SA were required to win by more

than 2 goals. The competition was hot and

fast, with the SA team implementing a few

improvements which helped them to work

well together to make a unstoppable team.

SA ended up winning by 10 goals making

them the overall winner of the Royal

Adelaide Show Competition 2012.

Well Done SA.


POLOCROSSE THE GAME As the name itself implies, Polocrosse is a

combination of polo, lacrosse and netball.

It is played on horseback, each rider using a cane

stick, made up of a polo stick shaft to which is

attached a squash racquet type head with a loose

twisted-thread net, in which the ball is carried. The

stick may be of any length, usually from 1.0m to

1.2m overall. The ball is made of thick- skinned

sponge rubber, 100mm-103mm in diameter, and

weighs 140-155grams.

Each player is permitted only one horse in each

match or tournament, except in the case of injury

when a substitute horse can be played. There is no

restriction on the height of horses.

PolocrosseThe Team

A team consists of six players, divided into two

sections of three who play alternate chukkas of a

maximum of eight minutes each, either six or eight

chukkas usually comprising a full match. The three

players in each section consist of a No. I or

"Attack", a No. 2 or "Centre", and No. 3 or

"Defense". The total aggregate of goals scored

by the two sections in each team constitutes the

final score.

PolocrosseThe Field

The field is 146.5m long and 55m wide, with goal-

posts 2.5m apart at each end. Infield, 27.5m from

each end there is a line extending the width of the

field which is called the "penalty line". The line

encloses what is known as the "Goal-scoring

area", in which only the No. 1 of the attacking team

and the No. 3 of the defending team are allowed to

play. Directly in front of each goal there is a semi-

circle of 10m radius, and the ball must be thrown at

goal from outside this semi-circle, and within the

goal-scoring area.

PolocrosseHow is it Played?

The No. I is the only player who can score a goal

for the team and the No. 1 can only do so whilst in

the "Goal-scoring area".

The No. 2 is usually the pivot of the team, can only

play in the center area.

The No. 3 is the only player who can defend a goal.

The game is commenced in centre field, the

players lining up side by side, one behind the other

with the No. 1 or Attack in front, and the ball is

thrown in by the umpire, over-arm, above the

players' heads.

The game recommences similarly after a goal has

been scored. Whenever an attempt at goal fails,

the No. 3 or defense throws the ball back into play

from just behind the penalty line, at a point directly

in front of the spot where the ball crossed the back

line. The umpire should indicate the spot from

which the throw is to be taken.

Players pick up the ball from the ground, or catch it,

in the net of the racquet, and ride with it or throw it

from player to player until the No. I or Attack is in

possession of it in the goal scoring area so as to be

able to throw a goal. A player cannot carry the ball

over the penalty line, but must bounce it on the

ground, so that that player does not have

possession of it while actually crossing the penalty

line. However, a player may throw the ball to

another player across the line on the full.

A player carrying the ball in the racquet must carry

it on the racquet side, i.e., right-handed players

carry it on the off- side of the horse. A player

cannot carry it across the horse, but the player can

pick up or catch the ball on the non-racquet side

provided the player brings the racquet back to the

racquet side immediately.

Hitting at an opponent's racquet, either to dislodge

the ball or prevent the opponent gaining

possession of it, is allowed in an upward direction

only. Hitting down constitutes a foul. "Riding-off' is

allowed, but crossing, stopping over the ball, or

elbowing constitute fouls. The wedging or

sandwiching of one player between two players

"riding-off" simultaneously constitutes a foul and is

dangerous play. The penalty for such fouls is a free

throw to the offended side, or if the penalty needs

to be more severe a free goal may be awarded.


PolocrosseOrigin and History

The International Horse Sport of Polocrosse

derived from an equestrian exercise in England.

Just prior to visiting England in 1938, Mr. and Mrs.

Edward Hirst of Sydney read an article in an

English Horse Magazine on "Polo Crosse". As both

were keen on horse breeding and horse sports they

decided to find out more about it when they got to

England.

On arrival they visited the National School of

Equitation at Kingston Vale near London where two

riding instructors had developed an exercise to

supplement the work at the riding School and to

make the young riders take better charge of their

horses. The exercise was played with two a side,

indoors, and with markers on the wall from which

the ball bounced back into play. The goals were

elongated basketball nets hung at each end of the

arena. The sticks were old polo sticks that had the

polo mallet removed and replaced with a squash

racquet head. This had a shallow string net which

they used to scoop up the ball. The idea was to

scoop up the ball, which was a little larger than a

tennis ball, ride with it to the end of the arena and

drop it into the net to score.

Realizing the great possibilities of this exercise as

an outdoor horse sport, Mr and Mrs Hirst returned

to Australia with sticks, balls and rule books where

they sought the assistance of Mr Alf Pitty, a well

known and experienced horseman and polo player.

After many hours of discussion, practicing, much

trial and error and with constant revision of the

rules, they finally came up with a new and exciting

game, using only one horse and able to be played

by a person of any age. They called the new game

“POLOCROSSE”.

Over fifty years later despite numerous ideas on

improvements the same basic philosophy, size of

the field and team combination is still used to make

it “King of the One Horse Sports”. After all their

careful designing Mr Pitty then helped to give what

would appear to be the first polocrosse

demonstration at the Ingleburn Sports Ground near

Sydney in 1939. He showed those present how to

pick up the ball and the basic idea of the game.

Such was the immediate interest and enthusiasm

that it was not long before all the club members

were practicing this new game. A short time later in

1939 a meeting was called at Ingleburn to form the

first Polocrosse Club. At this meeting the first book

of Rules of the Game was established. During

World War II naturally the game suffered a set-

back, but a few keen enthusiasts mainly the

women of the Club kept it alive with charity days for

the war effort. In 1945 Australia’s second

Polocrosse Club, Burradoo, was formed near

Bowral, 120 km south of Sydney and in 1946 the

first inter-club game was held between the

Ingleburn and Burradoo Clubs at Ingleburn. The

game spread quickly with great interest being

shown which led Mrs Marjory Hirst to believe that

there should be an overall controlling body formed

consisting of representatives of all the existing

Clubs.

On the 17th October 1947, Mrs Marjory Hirst as

Ingleburn Club President convened a meeting at

which all representatives from the Ingleburn,

Burradoo, Nowra, Parrakeet and Wollongong Clubs

were present. At this meeting it was unanimously

agreed to form the Polocrosse Association of

Australia. From 1946 polocrosse spread to the New

South Wales country areas with some of the first

country Clubs forming in the west of the State at

Mudgee, Wellington and Dubbo, and in the south at

Wagga and Albury. By 1949 it had spread to

Queensland around Toowoomba and Bundaberg

and into Victoria around Hexham and Ballarat. It

then continued to spread to South Australia and

Western Australia and finally into the Northern

Territory and Tasmania. At present there are some

3,682 players, both male and female, of all ages

and from all walks of life registered in 197 clubs

participating in the sport throughout Australia.

THE POLOCROSSE FIELD


MEMORIES 2011

The Bunnies

Adelaide v’s The Bunnies

Runner’s up B Grade State Champs

Winners C Grade State Champs Watch out Tori she’s waiting for you!

Run Twist Run, winning the A grade final Casterton.

What a wood!

Back from battle


Deanna lining up the goals

The horse dance.

Clint nice off side pick up.

Velia on the go

Justin looking to intercept the pass.

Ebony looking for her one.

Craig having a party. Matt being chased by all three players

After having 6 months off both horse and rider

need to think about getting fit so the following

might give a little help on how to accomplish this.

FITNESS TRAINING FOR POLOCROSSE

HORSES

Getting them back into good physical shape is

your first priority. However, it's probably going to

take longer than you first imagined. In fairness to

your horse, you're going to need a good plan, plus

some kindness and consideration. Now, imagine if

you had to do something extremely strenuous in

the same out-of-shape condition. You might pull a

muscle, get sick to your stomach, or something

even worse, because you do not have the muscle

strength or the air to perform at that level. A good

rule of thumb for coming back after a spelling

them, is to realise it takes just as many weeks to

get a horse back into shape as it did for him to get

out of shape, up to 12 weeks. In other words, if

he's off for eight weeks, it will take that long to get

him back in competition-ready condition. If he's off

for five months, it will still take three months to get

him back in shape.

At a minimum, you'll need to plan on four to six

weeks of consistent work before you can

reasonably expect your horse to be in condition to

compete. By consistent, we mean that he's getting exercise an average of five days a week. We start the first week of work with a simple

program of walking, trotting and loping. The

workout is likely about 40 to 45 minutes long, but

of that time, only a small portion is trotting and

loping, and there is a good deal of walking

sandwiched between the faster paces. That's

because if your horse has been turned out or kept

up in a stall, chances are he hasn't done much to

build his wind. Working him too much at this point

will make him sore and can adversely affect his

work ethic. Chances are that the horse will be a

little rusty and have some resistance. This is the

time for patience and repetition. You're asking for

a response, and he's thinking he'd still like to be

on vacation, so just correct, and ask again. Don't

get mad or frustrated; these behaviours will likely

be much less evident in about a week. Each day,

you'll increase the strenuous workout time by

adding a little more trotting or loping to his

workout. But keep one important thing in your

mind. You're working him "out" then cooling him

"down." If you're workout is "working your horse

up" and he's getting more excited, you're doing

too much fast work.

Match-fit ponies ought to be able to canter

reasonably fast for about 45 minutes! You don't

need to gallop them loads - cantering is the most

important pace. If they are fit enough to canter

round a field for 45 minutes, they are fit enough to

gallop in bursts during a match. You could do

some hill work or working around barrels or

cones to build up the driver muscles.

FITNESS TRAINING FOR POLOCROSSE

PLAYERS

From my experience with Polocrosse, I get the

impression that some players put lots of effort into

conditioning their horse, but forget about

themselves when preparing for competition. For

juniors, any sort of sporting activity will be

beneficial to their fitness. Participating in different

sports is encouraged for younger players because

it is a fun way to keep fit and prevents burn-out

from Polocrosse at a young age. Team sports are

good because they have a similar intermittent

stop-starting nature to Polocrosse.

If players want to train specifically for Polocrosse,

the best training would be a session which

involves a mixture of high and low intensity

efforts, commonly known as interval training. The

idea of interval training is to perform a series of

efforts that are at (or above) the highest intensity

reached in a game. Each effort is followed by a

low intensity recovery period. Interval sessions

should be fairly short and easy when introduced

into a training program and become progressively

harder each week. Intervals can be made harder

by either increasing the number of efforts

performed, increasing the duration of each effort,

or decreasing the recovery time between each

effort. All interval sessions should begin with a low

intensity warm-up for 15min and finish with a

warm-down for 10-15min (plus stretching).

Information: Equisearch website.

By Cheryl Magoteaux, Savannah Magoteaux


QUICK TIPS ON FITNESS FOR POLOCROSSE HORSE AND RIDER


LOOKING BACK

Shane @ 18 & Drew Gurney

The winning U21 side Werribee Nationals 1996

Matt @ 17, Don & Lindsay Woodford at Bordertown

umpiring

Below Tori & Ebony at The Warwick 2012

Polocrosse Nationals. For those who don’t know

they played in the U24 Women’s side,

unfortunately they didn’t end up winning any

games but came within 3 of Victoria! Tori played

a 3 all week and Ebony played a 2 & 1.

“We learnt a lot and are looking forward to putting

everything into practise with Adelaide next

Season!! “ Ebony Sherriff

Matt Prior was also representing our state in the

men’s side but unfortunately injured his knee and

was unable to play.

Well done Ebony and Tori you have done our

club proud.

Warwick Nationals 2011

Shane @16 & Mick Devit at Naracoorte


SPONSORS

ADELAIDE POLOCROSSE

CLUB

The Adelaide Polocrosse Club is looking for sponsors for our

2013 season. If you would like to sponsor our fantastic

sporting club. Please call Shane Pike on 0498034799 for a

sponsorship proposal.

THE ADELAIDE HILLS EQUESTRIAN CENTRE When it first began 2003

behind the floats issue 1

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