Play polo in your gap year

Students who are taking a break from their studies, either before or after university, have a wide range of opportunities available to them when considering taking a gap year. Travelling is a popular choice, as is concentrating on improving competition performance for keen riders, and this new course is a perfect way to combine the two.

PoloSkool allows students to enjoy the benefits of travelling, learning a new language and improving their performance on the polo field, in a 10-week programme in South America. The students spend five weeks at the Punta del Este polo club in Uruguay, followed by five weeks at La Estrella polo farm in Buenos Aires province of Argentina.

Philip Purdie, director of SportsSkool, explains: “Polo is a sport that is gaining a lot of interest at the moment and PoloSkool gives students a chance to combine the gap year life experience with top class polo tuition.

“Polo is a very expensive sport to get into in the UK, but the PoloSkool course enables students to enjoy 100 hours of polo tuition, plus stick and ball and chukkas at the weekends, and flights, accommodation and meals, for one flat fee. We even offer free equipment to those taking part.”

Purdie anticipates some 30 to 40 people taking part in the first PoloSkool experience in 2007 at a cost of £5,550 per head. Their time will be shared between Punta del Este, one of South America’s most popular beach resorts, and la Estrella, a working stud farm 50min from Buenos Aires.

At both venues students will receive two hours tuition per day, five days per week, plus the opportunity to stick and ball in the evenings or play a few chukkas at the weekend. Students will also undertake a structured Spanish course with five hours of lessons per week from qualified tutors.

In addition to the 10-week PoloSkool experience, plans are in the pipeline for shorter courses for those who are busy pursuing a career.

“We have also got plans for shorter courses of two or three weeks for people who are working, and can’t take a 10-week break,” continues Purdie. “We intend to have these ready for Autumn 2006.”

For more details visit: www.poloskool.co.uk or contact (tel: 0871 223 0060)

Carol Phillips

H&H website editor

Carol is an experienced journalist and editor, who is also a passionate amateur rider and dedicated horse owner, having ridden since childhood. She has a particular interest in the emotional well-being and ethical training of horses, alongside veterinary matters, having garnered extensive first-hand experience of numerous equine health conditions through more than 30 years of horse ownership.