Chukka time in Winchester
An ‘‘exciting spectator sport’’ is set to be played out in Winchester.
The Picnic at the Polo event will be held for the second time at the South Canterbury Polo Club’s grounds in the Winchester township on Saturday.
Club vice-president and event manager Bridget O’Sullivan said about at least 200 people were expected to take in the thrills and spills of the game.
‘‘Whether you’re new to the sport or you know a bit about it, the game is a really exciting game to watch,’’ O’Sullivan.
‘‘It’s a very exciting spectator sport.’’
The South Island Polo Association (SIPA) organised a finals weekend each year and in the past the event had been run in conjunction with Ronald McDonald House as a fundraiser at the Port Hills Polo Club near Christchurch.
In 2016 SIPA decided to give another club the opportunity to host the event and the South Canterbury Polo Club stepped up and will now host it for a second time.
The semi-finals will be held on Saturday, with the finals the following day.
‘‘The semis are often the best games we find,’’ O’Sullivan said.
She said nine teams would compete in the tournament. Competing teams are from both the North and South Islands. Games run for about 90 minutes.
Many people had no idea about what the game was about, she said.
Polo is a team event played on horseback. Teams have four players each and each game will include four or five seven-and-a-half minute chukkas (periods of play). The aim of the game is to score goals against the opposing team. Players score by driving a small hard white ball into the opposing team’s goal using a long-handled wooden mallet.
‘‘Some people just think it’s ‘that sport on horses’.’’
She said the event would ‘‘something different’’ for people.
‘‘Many of the horses are retired race horses so people can see what happens to thoroughbreds after they finish racing.’’
Saturday’s event begins at 11am. be