Serina, r, Sophia, center, and their friend, Kylara, enjoyed petting the horses at TVPC Tournament.
My oldest daughter is horse crazy. Serina, 9, rides at River Pine Farm every week, learning how to properly tack, untack, walk, canter and trot. But she’s also a horse “reader,” mentally consuming every horse-related book, fiction or nonfiction, she can get her hands on.
Sophia, 7, is following in her sister’s footsteps, admiring these amazing animals that are strong, yet graceful and have personalities as unique as humans.
So when my friends, Barb Fisk and Marianne Kearns, told me about the Tennessee Valley Polocrosse Club tournament scheduled this past weekend in Harvest, my husband, David, and I knew our family had to attend.
This “Fall Finale” gave us an opportunity to check out a sport none of us had ever seen, while giving our girls the opportunity to meet a lot of their favorite animals.
Polocrosse is best described as lacrosse on horses. When the more seasoned players take to the field, it’s suspenseful and fast-paced, and clearly requires serious skill and extensive training. The horses and the players move together, seamlessly, trying to catch the ball, pass the ball, scoop up the ball or shoot it into the goal.
The horses’ manes are typically shaved and the tails are plaited and/or folded over so they don’t get tangled during the matches. According to Polocrosse International, the sport was invented by Mr & Mrs Edward Hirst from Sydney, Australia. After visiting England, where they witnessed an indoor horse exercise used to help young riders take better charge of their horses, they created the exciting horse sport now played on fields across the country and around the globe.
On Saturday, we learned that a team consists of six players, divided into two sections of three who play alternate chukkas of a maximum of eight minutes each. Six or eight chukkas comprise a full match.
We not only watched the matches, but let the girls meet the horses that lived on the beautiful farm. They made many new friends. A horse-lover myself, so did I. We met many of the riders, as well, who hailed from different parts of the U.S., including one young man from our native Minnesota. There were tournaments for all ages — some as young as 7.
As we headed home, I asked Serina and Sophia if this was something they’d like to try. Ultimately, both want to stick to traditional riding and work toward their goals of becoming competitive jumpers. But both said they would sure like to watch again. More than anything, they want to make a return visit to the farm — and the beautiful horses living there.
Sophia, ready to ride at River Pine.
Serina, in her element at River Pine.
minndixiemom 