Land Rover NZ Polo Open bring in the choppers to dry out the field
Tomorrow for the first time in the history of New Zealand Polo, Open managers are taking the unprecedented step of
bringing in a helicopter to hover across Clevedon’s Fisher Field to assist in drying the ground so play can go on for
Sunday’s Land Rover NZ Polo Open.
After more than 90mm of rainfall in the last 48 hours, Open managers are taking all measures to stabilise the field for
the teams of professional polo players, to move and turn consistently at speed on their skilled polo ponies as they
compete for the coveted polo trophy.
With the twin engine squirrel scheduled to be hovering over the field for four hours tomorrow, Saturday, 18th February,
all steps are being taken to ensure the Land Rover NZ Polo Open is uncompromised and this Sunday’s event is the highest
standard of competitive polo and a fantastic experience for players and spectators.
“The Land Rover NZ Polo Open is Australasia’s premier Polo tournament. With a strong reputation on the global Polo
calendar and players from around the world here to participate, we are doing whatever it takes to ensure the competition
is a great one”, says Executive Director of the Land Rover NZ Polo Open, Hannah Marshall.
A helicopter is commonly used in the USA to dry football fields before high profile matches and this technique has also
been used twice at the renowned Argentine Polo Open, the world’s most illustrious polo tournament.
Land Rover NZ Polo Open 2017
Sunday 19th February 2017, Fisher Field, 102 Clevedon-Kawakawa Rd, Auckland, New Zealand
• The Land Rover NZ Polo Open 2017, held in Clevedon is Australasia’s Premier polo championship. Established in
1977, this prestigious sporting event showcases professional polo players from around the world competing for the
coveted title. 2017 marks the NZ Polo Open’s 40th year.
Info:
• The Land Rover NZ Polo Open 2017 includes four teams, Rodd & Gunn, Tiger Building, Knight Frank, PDL Semcocompeting throughout the week commencing 15th February with the final
match held on Sunday 19 February 2017 in the renowned Land Rover NZ Polo Open final
• Polo players in the teams for the event hail from New Zealand, Australia, Argentina and England
• The Land Rover NZ Polo Open comprises of six chukkas - A chukka is the number of periods of 7 1/2 minutes into
which a game of polo is divided
• Each chukka a player will use a different horse and most professional players use more than six horses during a
match
• A polo ground is larger than six rugby fields (almost 10 acres) with eight players and eight horses at a time
moving at over 35kph
• The polo ponies are extremely skilled with fast reflexes; they move and turn at high speed. New Zealand polo
ponies are very well regarded around the world for their bloodlines and breeding that has been well established over
time
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NZPoloOpen/
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• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poloopennz/
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• Website: www.aucklandpolo.co.nz
Land Rover NZ Polo Open 2017 Magazine
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