Polo and passion. The two go hand in hand.
It's always been like that for me when, as a young man, the game lured me from my accountancy and law studies at the University of Canterbury. I sold my MG sports car and bought some polo ponies. There was no turning back.
A lifelong involvement with horses gave me the confidence to set about training my own animals. These first polo ponies were exported to California in the early 80s. They were bought by Brookes Firestone, through polo professional Andy Smith.
The money from the sale paid for travel to the United States. It was make or break time, and I arrived in Santa Barbara on a wing and prayer. If I couldn't make it as a polo player, plan B was to hop on a Greyhound bus and tour America.
Andy helped me get a couple of games in a 12-goal competition. An injury to a top player gave me even more time on the field, and an invitation was forthcoming to return the following year to play in the same competition.
Experience counts
 New Zealand Open winner - three times
New Zealand Champion Pony - twice
NZ Open Player of the Tournament
South Island Classic winner - twice
SI Classic player of the tourn. - numerous
Ellerston 18-goal tournament winner
And many other High Goal Tournaments, Pony Prizes and Player of the Tournament Awards in the countries he has played in
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By the following season I had trained up a team of fine thoroughbreds, which accompanied me to the States. It was then off to Northern California to play polo, and to take up an appointment as polo manager at the Santa Rosa Polo Club.
Polo was now part of everyday life. I had tackled the sport head-on and made it my career. I put all my energy into the game, continuing to train my own ponies and building my skills. My determination paid dividends.
I have played professionally all over the world, and represented New Zealand at international level.
I sometimes cannot believe that this great game has taken me so many places, and allowed me to play with - and against - so many fantastic people.
Today, I like to think I am giving something back to the game that has given me so much. The final part of my polo dream has fallen into place.
My polo school, with its playing field, stables, and purpose-built facilities, welcomes players from all over the world, whether they are beginners, experienced players wanting to sharpen their game, or GAP-year students looking to broaden their horizons.
 Mark Harris |
The school is right beside our home, purpose-built with quality guest quarters to house the polo students.
The school's training programme has evolved over 12 years into one that not only gets results, but gets results quickly - not just for the aspiring professional, but also for novices intent on learning the game.
I also pride myself on the quality of my polo ponies, which, with the low New Zealand dollar, prove to be very competitively priced on the international market. My ponies have been exported all over the globe.
Thank you for visiting our website. It lays out everything you need to know about polo "Down Under".
Whatever you do, never lose sight of your dreams. If polo is your passion, I'd love to see you at the school.
Mark Harris
