When I arrived at the Rutland Polo Club grounds with my two friends, Emma and Sophie, one of them joked that "maybe we should have brought the Landrover." This seems to be quite a common perception of polo, that it is the 'game of kings' and only for the rich and royal. But is it a game that can be enjoyed by anyone whatever their background? I went to find out… The Toby Speed Foundation Whilst my friends headed off to the bar tent, I went in search of the Club Secretary, Anna Hunt. She told me that today's event, Rutland vs. The Rest of the World, was in aid of the Rutland House School for Parents and the Toby Speed Foundation. Toby Speed is a young local boy with cerebral palsy, and the charity has been set up to help other children with severe disabilities. The club wanted to hold an exciting and unusual event, so they asked former club members, some of whom are now playing for bigger clubs in the South of England, if they'd come back to play in the match and represent Rutland.
 | | Marmite the dog |
They'd intended that players of different nationalities would play for The Rest of the World, but in the end all four players were from Argentina - a country where polo is very popular. The two teams were competing for 'The Marmite Cup' which is named after Marmite the dog. Toby gets a lot of pleasure from playing with Marmite, so the club decided to name the cup in his honour. And they're off… The game began and Rutland quickly took the lead. I was standing quite a way in front of the stands to try and take photographs of the match, and could really appreciate the skill involved in playing such a fast-paced sport. At one point I was standing just behind the boards (at the edge of the field) and all eight players rode past me at a gallop. I'll certainly admit that the thought of getting knocked out by a polo stick or mishit ball did cross my mind! The final score was 7-5 1/2 to Rutland, but the Argentinians weren't far behind. At the prize-giving each player was awarded a jar of Marmite, and the home team were given the coveted Marmite Cup. One tiny drawback
 | | James van Oppen with the Marmite cup |
Afterwards I had a chat to Rutland's back, James van Oppen. I asked him if he thought that polo's elitist reputation put many people off from watching the sport, and he said that it is a deterrent, but shouldn't be. He thinks that if you actually come and watch a match, you'll realise that it involves a lot of the same principles as other mainstream sports, and is just as exciting. But he did admit that there is one small factor holding a few people back from playing… You need a different horse for each chukka, and as polo matches usually consist of six chukkas, you'll need at least six horses! Tiny drawback there. Final thought After watching just one match, I'd have to agree with James. The closest I'd come to polo before this was reading about it in a Jilly Cooper novel, but I found it really exciting and aesthetically stunning. The players seemed to lean perilously far out of their saddles to hit the ball, meaning there was always an element of danger, and the sheer speed of play meant you couldn't really get bored. So I'd stomped the divots, I'd cheered on the home team and in true English fashion I'd hidden in a tent to escape from the rain! My first polo experience was complete, so I went with my friends, the players and the rest of the spectators to join the post-match celebrations… Take a look at the photographs of Rutland vs. The Rest of the World… More features on polo in Leicestershire and Rutland should be on this site in the near future, but if you've got an idea for a story, email leicester@bbc.co.uk | 
