Best of my fun... Polo player Hazel Jackson

The professional polo player on dreaming big and falling asleep in the saddle

My secret weapon…

My groom — Emma Clitherow — she keeps my horses spotless.

The biggest mistake I’ve learnt from…

Not taking enough risks.

My tip for schooling…

I love schooling the horses without stirrups — doing fast turns, stops etc — it’s so good for your riding muscles.

My tip for saving time around the yard…

No coffee break until the job is done, plus early-morning starts and a solid routine are key.

My favourite restaurant…

The Gun Room in the White Buck, Burley, at home in the New Forest. I love coming home from tournaments abroad and catching up with my oldest friends.

Watching…

I love Pretty Woman — it’s a classic. I also secretly love Made in Chelsea and The Simpsons; they’re like home comforts for me.

Getting away from it all…

I love where my fiancé lives in Argentina [Hazel is engaged to Argentine polo player Ivan Gaona]. It’s south of Buenos

Aires, a place called Mar del Plata. He has a farm there and it’s the most tranquil place. The whole farm is self-sufficient so you very rarely need to go to town.

Listening in the lorry to…

I love music in a big way. I’m slightly obsessed with Drake and any chilled house music.

Most memorable win…

Winning against Zambia last year alongside my sister Hilary [Hazel played in the women’s England vs. Zambia international test match]. It was six chukkas long and an incredible game. It was tough but we pulled through.

‘Do what you love from a young age — dream it, believe it and achieve’

Settling down with…

I love the book The Secret, it’s all about attracting positivity into your life. If I want something a little lighter, then Polo Times or Cosmopolitan.

Earliest equestrian memory…

Falling asleep on my 12hh dun pony while out for a lead-rein ride with my mum in the middle of the New Forest.

My biggest indulgences are…

Chocolate, sushi, prosecco and yoga.

Favourite event…

In September we play in Chantilly, just outside Paris. The fields, atmosphere, level of polo and prizes are unreal.

What I would tell my 15-year-old self…

Do what you love from a young age — dream it, believe it and achieve. I never thought I would make it as a professional polo player.