England polo captain saddles up to be tournament’s first female player
A major London polo tournament was today set to welcome its first female player — as captain.
Hazel Jackson, 26, will lead England as it faces six teams from across the world at the eighth annual Chestertons Polo in the Park event at Hurlingham park in west London.
The England team has not been mixed in more than a decade. Today it will go up against India, which has royalty among its players — namely the maharaja of Jaipur — in a historic clash marking the first time the visitors have set foot in Hurlingham in 70 years.
Jackson told the Standard: “It is an honour to be part of the England Team and I can’t wait to play.
“I think the whole thing is absolutely incredible, having polo in the city and the large number of spectators. It’s very exciting to be there and it’s exciting to watch.”
Padmanabh Singh, the 18-year-old maharaja of Jaipur, is captaining the Indian team.
The Maharaja said: “I’m representing my country for the first time abroad and what better way to do so than in front of a huge London audience.
“It is a very special occasion for me personally as my family has had a long association with polo in the UK. My grandfather led the last great Indian polo team to many victories, winning every major trophy in the UK during the 1940s and 1950s.”
A close friend of Prince Charles, his late grandfather Maharaja Sawai Man Singhji Bahadur was a colourful character who went by the nickname ‘Bubbles’ in a nod to the copious champagne consumed celebrating his birth.
Though the origins of the sport date back 2,500 years to the ancient Persians, the modern game owes its form to early games played by British tea planters in Manipur, India, in the early 1800s.
Spectators can give it a go themselves this weekend at Hurlingham, where free lessons will be given on Saturday morning ahead of the matches. The Standard headed to HPC, the London Polo Club, and saddled up with the help of Argentine international Juan Cruz Guevara, who is also playing this weekend. Watch the video above to see how we got on.
Chestertons Polo in the Park runs from June 9-11 at Hurlingham Park, tickets at polointheparklondon.com
