Polo fundraiser outstanding success

Frocks on Friday’s Jo McLean (front left) with East Coast MP Dana Kirkpatrick (centre) and Krissy Mackintosh (Hear4U) with the polo teams involved in the Friday fundraiser. The players are, from left, Amelia Shotter, Laura Gavin, Cody Clark, Scott McNeil, Burne McNeil, Rob Telfer, Angus Kelly and Philip Thompson. Picture by Tink Lockett

A balmy summer evening set the scene at the Poverty Bay Polo Club in Bushmere Road for an inaugural evening polo match with invited guests from Frocks On Friday (FOF) and supporters from Hear4U watching from the stands.

The “frock star” guests were invited to dress up with “race day vibes”, to bring their blokes and families, along with a koha for a barbecue dinner; or bring their own picnic and sit in the shade of the trees lining the carpark,  to relax and enjoy the event. With a small on-site licensed bar guests were able to sit, sup, socialise and watch the entertaining and skilful game of polo.

Frock Stars flocked to the occasion with more than 150 people in attendance, taking the organisers by surprise, yet endorsing the need for such events to promote inclusion and connectivity for the health and wellbeing of people living in Tairāwhiti.

“I had been watching the happenings of Frocks on Friday and the support they show for Hear4U via social media, so I took it to our committee and said ‘what do you reckon’,” said Jo Kirkpatrick, one of the organisers, and committee member, and  rider for the Poverty Bay Polo Club.

“We have an amazing venue we want to share with the community and support the kaupapa of breaking the stigma around mental health with events that promote connectivity, so let’s do this.

“The polo season runs from November to March with matches usually held on Saturdays, sometimes Sundays throughout the season. Tournaments are also held here against other regional clubs. Entry is always free, and we welcome spectators.

“There are approximately 30 people in the Poverty Bay Polo Club with around 16 active riders and everyone is on the committee, so everyone gets a job.”

Friday’s event was sponsored by rural real estate agent Tom Lane from Property Brokers, a keen polo enthusiast who used to also play; and Wisewool Gisborne and Kaharau Angus who also supplied the beef for the barbecue dinner.

Polo involves four periods of play called chukkas with a bell rung at seven minutes then again 30 seconds later to finish the chukka. Paul Kirkpatrick (Jo’s husband) gave a gripping commentary throughout the game to keep the spectators up to with the play.

The competing teams were Wisewool FOF and Kaharau Angus #Hear4U. Riders use their mallets to hit a plastic ball to try to score through the goalposts at each end of the field. In polo, teams change field direction every time a goal is scored.  Jo describes polo as “like playing hockey on a horse”.

“It’s a real thrill and an addiction.”

The tradition of “divot stomping” was observed at halftime with spectators invited to walk on to the field to stamp down the mounds of earth (divots) that are torn up by the horses’ hooves during the game. Divot stomping serves not only as a practical activity but also provides the opportunity for spectators to socialise.

Halftime also gave guests the opportunity to have a go at polo by standing on a half-metre tall box, provided by John Larsen at Larsen Saw Milling. Participants were given a lesson on the correct way to swing the mallet and hit the plastic ball towards a bottle of bubbly, which was also the prize for whoever got closest to the bottle.

Winner Eugenie Dervin turned out to be a natural.

A “cork hunt” was also part of the halftime activities, where a champagne cork had been randomly tossed on the field for divot stompers to find. Coincidentally, Eugenie’s 10-year-old daughter Amelie Poulter found the missing cork. The prize, a coveted bottle of Veuve Clicquot — a French Brut Champagne — was also taken home by Eugenie.

The score at halftime was 1-1, with Amelia Shotter scoring a goal for Wisewool FOF and Rob Telfer for Kaharau #Hear4u. The second half of the fast-paced game stepped up a notch when rider Scott McNeil had a clear run of the field to score a second goal for Wisewool FOF, taking the score to 2-1. Commentator Paul Kirkpatrick, called it “the best goal of the season”.

Cody Clark, Wisewool FOF, scored the winning goal of the game, taking the final match score to 3-1.

The Kirkpatrick family have been associated with the 134-year-old Poverty Bay Polo Club for many years and are also strong supporters of #Hear4U.

Dana Kirkpatrick, East Coast National MP and mental health advocate said,  “This evening’s event is just awesome. It has brought the community together in a new way to raise awareness and funds for mental health and it’s a great way to bring new people to polo. It’s fantastic to celebrate Frocks on Friday, #Hear4U and polo all together in one place.”

Hear4U founder Krissy McIntosh said, “Paul and Jo Kirkpatrick, Jo McLean (founder of FOF) and I were left speechless because of the huge turnout. People needed this event more that we realised. A huge thank you to all our sponsors for making this happen.”

All proceeds from the event will go to Frocks on Friday who are raising awareness, support and funds for #Hear4U. The “frock season”, which began in November, ends in March 2024, where all money raised from the season will be presented to #Hear4U at a final special event which is yet to be announced.

■ Further information about the Poverty Bay Polo Club, Frocks on Friday and #Hear4U can be found on their respective Facebook pages.