Mystery Creek Polo Christmas charity evening and matches 2020

Mystery Creek Polo Club's Dean Fullerton (right) and Chris Watkins from DeLaval, one of the main sponsors of the Mystery Creek Polo Club Christmas charity evening. Photo / Jesse Wood

The annual Mystery Creek Polo Christmas charity evening is back on December 18.

Nestled on Kaipaki Rd within the triangle of Te Awamutu, Cambridge and Hamilton, the sport of kings can be observed at the Mystery Creek Polo grounds.

Gates open at 4pm and the curtainraiser match is due to start between 4.30-4.45pm.

The main match will start at around 6pm.

"People that are coming from work have got ample time to get out here to watch the main match and the finish of the curtainraiser," says Mystery Creek Polo Club president David Fullerton.

A ladies' champagne race and few other festivities will take place between the matches. New Zealand's world-class polo players will be on display.

"It's one way for us to invite the best players in New Zealand. It's very rare that you can play a game of this calibre outside Paul Kay's test matches at Kihikihi.

"It's very rare outside of Argentina to see over 20-goal handicap polo players.

"The players enjoy it. The curtainraiser is a little bit the same, we've got past New Zealand players and up and coming players."

New Zealand's star player and Australasia's best player of the past decade, John Paul Clarkin, will take the field in the main match while wife Nina will also play after several years off.

"Nina's the best female player that the world has seen and she's still the highest ranked female player."

Last year's player of the match and international marquee player, Simon Keyte, will add to the star-studded field and well-known international player Thomas Hunt will also saddle up.

"Those three players will head up the main game. They're ones to keep an eye on," says David.

The teams for the curtainraiser match will be captained by Te Awamutu's Paul Kay and Auckland's Steve van den Brink.

New Zealand based Australian brothers Ross and Kel Ainsley will show off their polo skills from the Bombay Polo Club in Pukekohe.

Sadly, regular players Dean Fullerton, Stephen Kay and Nick Keyte are all out with injuries.

The Mystery Creek charity Christmas polo is a great social event for an end of year work function or to bring your friends and family to.

Mystery Creek Polo Club's Dean Fullerton. Photo / Jesse Wood

"The weather forecast looks absolutely tremendous for the long range so we just invite people to come along and have a casual evening after a fairly unusual year where events have been cancelled. They can just roll-in and enjoy the evening," says David.

"Usually if it's a lovely day you get a massive amount of drive-in traffic.

"Everybody's welcome and they just need to say at the gate if they want a picnic site or a car site. Both sides of the grounds are available."

The north side is a families' picnic area and public while the nearside of the ground is for sponsors with a few public sites.

The main event sponsors are HUS - Cambridge, DeLaval and the Fullerton family.

"I'd never been to one before. I think this is year four and it's an awesome experience," says DeLaval commercial manager for Oceania, Chris Watkins.

"It's great standing on the sidelines and having people explain the rules."

Cambridge's Matt Hicks will MC the event before getting behind the DJ decks post-match.

After the presentations and pony prizes, everyone is welcome to join in at the sponsor's marquee where there will be live music till late.

"It is a wonderful exhibition," says David.

Entry is $15 per person or $50 a carload. Children are free.

This year proceeds are going to a child welfare foundation with the recipient yet to be decided.

Funds raised in the past have gone to the likes of the fire brigade, riding for the disabled, the Child Cancer Foundation and the Ōhaupō Community, Sport and Recreation Centre.

Mystery Creek Polo grounds are at 419 Kaipaki Rd, Ōhaupō.

Car sites are available on the day while marquee sites are limited.

Contact David Fullerton on 021 686 430 if interested in a marquee or car boot site.

For more information head to the Facebook page Mystery Creek Polo Club.