This Season's Polo Report.

Polo Wicklow is now in full swing for its third season. Located1 hour from Dublin Airport on the east coast 2 miles from Wicklowtown , we again had eight international tournaments. The winterseason starts on the weekend following the close of the summerseason 1. October and ends on the 1. May a 7 month arena season.

Matches are played every weekend and Chukkas during the weekdays. The stabling at the Arena have been increased to 70 whichmade play convenient for the Irish players and visitors. TheArena is a granite dust full sized outside arena and with theunique construction ,again this winter no day of play had to becancelled due to weather conditions. The flood light system allowedthe real horse fanatics to join the fox hunt before the Polomatch on the same day which was an additional attraction for ourforeign visitors. Credit Lyonnaise Woodchester sponsored generouslythe installation of a large electronic scoreboard and time clockand work is in progress for a new club house. Cup sponsors forthe season were again Mike Murphy, Woodchester Bank of Ireland,Liam Lacey, Alex McKay, Gouldings, Joe O''onnel, Paddy and EamonLaverty and Herbst Computer Systems.

The International Matches were visited by an English , Scottish,3 American Teams, South Africa, Germany and Northern Ireland.Polo Wicklow proved to be a Polo heaven for the international Polo circuit. All the cups proudly stayed for the third yearin Ireland whilst the competition became fiercer and fiercer andthe final goal difference was never more than 2 goals. The handicapof the matches were 4 to 8. The fear of some players that thehorses can not play both seasons proved wrong. With proper horsemanagement and the odd 10 day break it was our experience thatthe horses were going better than ever after the third year ofPolo. This gives the player and the horses great fun the wholeyear round. Hugh Dawney had again his Winter Polo Clinic atPolo Wicklow and the arena was also used for the training ofnew Irish Polo ponies by our Argentine and New Zealand Players these are now ready to the summer polo market. The benefitsof Winter Polo are enormous. There are reports that Polo Arenasare now under construction all over Europe and for certain wewill hear more and more about them in the near future. Whichreally makes sense when you consider that our summer season is at the most 5 month long and at that weather dependent andthe investment and organisation of our Polo is so high.