Yass Polo Club wraps up 2018

Yass ran a coaching weekend by some of the best players in Australia. Lucy and Jim Grills, who are both in the World Cup side. The weekend was a huge success, with training in everything from racquet skills through to horsemanship and game play. 

Our own Yass carnival was well supported, with over 40 teams. 

Due to the dry weather conditions there was a number of ‘multi-horse’ carnivals. It gave us the opportunity to give green horses game time without too much pressure. 

We were pleased to welcome a raft of new players: Darren and Jonty Hassall, BJ and Misty Mitchell, Tori and Chris Carter, Prue Bucknell, Milly Visser, Isabelle Frean, and Jess and Lucinda Foster to the field. And our best Club dad, NZ native, Daryel Mouat, finally decided to take to the field in Oz after spending a year on the sidelines minding the kids. We also had Irish travellers Dayna Moran and Conor Doyle join us following their season in NZ.

But our younger players again stole the spotlight this year. We had six subbies (Under 12 years) and one junior (Under 16) participating in the Junior Coaching at Albury during the April school holidays. Riley Clark and Olivia Erland were selected to play in the NSW Subbies sides with Riley’s team NSW 1 winning Division One and Riley being named the Best No. Two.

Olivia’s team NSW 2 were runners-up in Division Two. While in her first year of competition, Prue Bucknell won the inaugural “Harriet Nixon” Intermediate Women’s award at the Burradoo carnival.

In April, Michael Gorman travelled to Barastoc where he and “Bengoran Epeli” won Champion Horse and Rider Combination in the Masters Men’s. Darren Hassall also had a great season, back to some brilliant form on the field, and demonstrating his coaching skills by taking the Southern Highlands Senior Women’s Team through to the Zone Championship final as well as coaching the winning NSW 1 side at the Junior Classic.

The end of the season saw Darren Hassall, Michael Gorman and Cathy Bennett travelling to Perth to play in the Australian Nationals. With Darren and Michael’s NSW Masters Men team coming out, once again convincing winners over QLD.

On a sad note we farewell President Peter, Vicki and Alex Grant as they made the move to the far north coast. Whilst we are sure they will enjoy the warmer climate.

The end of year presentation and Christmas Party will be held on December 1, with practice commencing early in the new year.