Although I had considered myself a fairly competent horsewoman in the past, my last equine experience was actually on a mechanised bucking bronco at a nightclub and the less said about that the better.

However, I soon realised that I had nothing to fear.

Under the calm and competent supervision of trainer Tony Wesche and his constant reassurances that 'not everybody hits it first time,' I found myself quickly getting into the swing of things.

Tony is quite a catch for the White Rose Polo Club. Raised on a farm in New Zealand, ponies he has trained have been bought by Jack Kidd, brother of supermodel Jodie Kidd.

After mastering the art of hitting the ball with my feet firmly on the ground (harder than it sounds) it was time to meet Woody, the club's wooden practice horse.

Tony gave measured advice and demonstrated how to shift bodyweight in the saddle to maximise swinging power, gave tips on stroke technique and how to avoid hitting the horse.

With the basics covered, it was time to put my skills into action.

A few laps around the arena on the very accomodating 'Biccy' proved that although I was far from competition standard, I had at least mastered the art of hitting the ball- without leaving the saddle and hitting the floor.

Polo is a fairly daunting sport to try for the first time, particularly for those not confident on horseback, but the genial atmosphere at the White Rose Club and the expert tution from Tony quickly calms any nerves.

After trying it for myself I would definitely reccommend giving polo a go, and who knows, if you have a flair for the sport you may find yourself literally rubbing shoulders with royalty next season.

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