Polo player Curly Thompson is still a legend at 77

Curly riding hard against Douglas Duncan, Rangitikei. Photo / Supplied / HB Polo Club

When you meet him in person he has a cheeky smile, but put him on a pony, he is a lean, mean polo machine who can give those younger players a run for their money. Kem Ormond meets Phillip “Curly” Thompson.

Phillip Thompson, or as most people know him, “Curly“, is still playing polo at the age of 77 - and in my books that is no mean feat!

He rides like he is glued to the saddle, using the reins and pressure of his legs to engage with his pony and manoeuvre it around the field. There is nothing he can’t make that pony do.

I ask Curly why he keeps playing and he says,” It keeps me fit, it keeps my ponies fit and I love it.”

Growing up in the Tuki Tuki Valley, at the back of Havelock North, Hawke’s Bay, Curly was taught to ride by both his dad Hughy and his grandmother whom he affectionately called Nana Larkin. She was well-known for breaking in horses.

He wasn’t interested in horses till the age of 9 and then did the usual pony club, hunting, show jumping, and come 16, it was polo to which he was drawn.

He joined the Tuki Tuki Polo Club and once a week he would practise on a flat paddock owned by the Small family.

Sometimes his father would bring a few extra horses on his truck, the local shepherds would turn up and it would be game on.

Having played for Tuki Tuki until it disbanded, he joined the Hawke’s Bay Polo Club, and in his heyday, he had a five-goal handicap.

He says he is quite happy now to be on a 0-goal handicap with a much quieter pace on the field.

Working like a well-oiled team. Curly and his pony work hard to keep his opponent from the ball.

Over the years he has managed to get his name engraved on just about every piece of silverware available in the polo circle, including the prestigious Savile Cup.

The only one that has eluded him is the South Island Open, mainly because the North Island has been where he has mostly competed.

Asking Curly what changes he has seen over the years with the game he says, ”More females are playing now so the game is more sedate, more controlled, rules are better, players temperament is better and animal welfare has also stepped up”.

When it comes to his ponies, they have all done him proud, no single one stands out over his polo career, and he has received many pony team prizes at tournaments.

When it comes to staying on his horse, Curly says over the years he has been lucky not to have endured any serious accidents on the field.

What does he do when he is not playing polo?

You will find him riding on one of the back blocks in Gisborne keeping his ponies fit, having a few chukkas at the Gisborne Polo Club, but if you think he must be considering retirement ... forget it, he has no time for that nonsense!