Picnic and Polo

Kings Meadow Polo Ground, April 2, 2006

Noon is a pleasant time to start a day out. By the time the R-R team took to the field in their green R-R jerseys, we had nineteen member cars assembled dating from 1927 to 1997, some parked perilously close to the playing field, and three or four marquees erected.

A Polo Club expert gave us an incisive rundown on the game: 4 chukkas of 7 and a half minutes. There are several intriguing ways of fouling and several different penalty lines. The ball, white, is some sort of resin and surprisingly light. It also rapidly develops a polyhedral effect after being clobbered hard by numerous wooden mallets.

The Club was gratified (and cheered enthusiastically) when the team wearing our jerseys - a "colts" team of up and coming talent - scored a sound victory over a bank-sponsored team. The weather was perfect, picnic lunches were washed down with wine and ale, and there were several matches played through the afternoon. After a couple of matches were were all herded onto the pitch to stomp down the divots raised by quarter-ton horseflesh performing handbrake turns at speed while chasing the elusive white ball.

Later in the afternoon the cars lined up in age order and cruised slowly past the spectators, with our own commentator calling the descriptions.

A late afternoon highlight was entertainer Max Kay, who happened to be at the polo, being re-united with his former Bentley S2, now with a new owner in the Club.

TOP LEFT: Lounging in comfort under the Club Marquee; TOP RIGHT: The Rolls-Royce colts team (green jerseys) vs Natbank colts - and the R-R team won. MIDDLE LEFT: Fast and furious, and highly skilled. And that's just the polo ponies. MIDDLE RIGHT: It's a large field, and sometimes the action was a long way away: binoculars are handy. BOTTOM LEFT: Nineteen cars lined up for the grand parade. This is the 1927 end. BOTTOM RIGHT: From the 1997 end of the lineup.

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