When the club first opened, former Chairman of the HPA Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers delighted at the arena facility. "Hickstead has created one of the most modern and impressive arenas in the country. Not only has it hosted very successful international matches but it has worked hard to encourage the young to play," he said.
USA 10-goaler Tommy Biddle, who came to Hickstead for the first time in 2014, instantly became one of Polo at Hickstead's biggest supporters: "This is the best surface I have ever played on. Hickstead has the best arena in the world!"
The difference between summer and winter Polo is akin to that of football and five-a-side football. Arena is played with three team members, using a larger and softer ball than traditional polo, and shots and angles can be played off the boarded sides of the arena.
It is an ideal way to bring on young horses or improve those that are too much of a handful on the bigger summer pitch. Another huge selling point of Arena is that it requires less horse power, thus eliminating the need for a large string of ponies. A club member could happily play with two ponies throughout the season, only having to rent an additional one or two for tournament days.
The best way to understand Arena Polo is to experience it, after which we guarantee you will stop thinking of it as just a 'winter fill in' and grow to love it as a sport in its own right.
So come and join the fun on one of our taster days, and see for yourself what all the fuss is about!