Welcome to the Berkshire School of Polo
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About the Berkshire School of Polo
The Berkshire School of Polo is one of the country’s leading Polo Schools and, in association with the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club, offers Polo Lessons throughout the year and a truly memorable corporate experience. Our experienced, professional instructors can coach a complete novice to play Polo competently in a short space of time. For the more advanced player we can provide on-going coaching, tournament organisation and stabling facilities.
The Berkshire School of Polo is run by Mark Hayden-Kellard. Mark is an HPA coach and has been a professional Polo player at the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club for the past five years.
About Mark Hayden-Kellard - Director/owner of Berkshire school of polo
After leaving the army Mark Hayden-Kellard temporarily pursued a career in the motor industry. However, the lure of working outside and his love of horses precluded him from a life in an office wearing a suit. Mark has ridden all his life, loved his hunting and owned show-jumpers and eventers. He really caught the Polo bug in 1986 when watching his first Polo match, a Prince of Wales trophy high goal match sponsored by BMW at the Berkshire Polo Club, and then started the following year. He started playing at Silver Leys Polo Club in Saffron Walden and then moved up to Cambridge Polo Club for five happy years. He turned professional in 1996, training young horses for Polo, coaching private clients and playing in local teams. Mark then moved to Northampton to play and manage a low/medium goal team for a private patron.
Throughout his professional Polo-playing career, he has always coached and bought many new patrons into the sport, so he jumped at the opportunity to establish a really top class Polo School under the auspices of the Royal County of Berkshire.
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Mark has built up quite an impressive string of ponies and his love of horses is self-evident. Mark says “The reason I play Polo is because I love the horses, I really enjoy schooling young ponies and will talk endlessly for hours with other players about ponies we’ve known. There is nothing like playing a good chukka on a pony that you have trained yourself or improved.” The emphasis at the Polo school is naturally improving players riding ability. Mark, an accomplished horseman himself, places a huge emphasis on clients ability first before the capability to hit the ball well. Mark’s favourite players are great horse men and women like Carlos Gracida and Claire Tomlinson.
At the Berkshire School of Polo Mark’s team of instructors are experienced, professional and can coach a complete novice to play Polo competently within a short space of time. For the more advanced player we can provide on-going coaching, tournament organisation and stabling facilities. Mark’s innovative approach to Polo instruction is reflected in the style of coaching offered. For example, video analysis of riding and swing techniques, often used in other sporting activities and rarely used in Polo, can be arranged through the Polo School office.