Ballito’s SA Veteran Polo Crosse player scores

SA Veteran Polo Crosse player and former Zimbabwean captain of ten years Henry Harris competed in the SA National Champs this July in a division made up mainly of players in their 20’s. The SA Veteran team placed second overall with Harris winning ‘Best number three’ (defender and ‘ball getter’).

This Ballito athlete has managed to keep his handicap on par with the top players for many years sitting with a current handicap of seven. Ten is the highest handicap you can achieve (his highest handicap was nine handicap back in the 90s).

When he was Zimbabwean Polo Crosse team captain his team won the first ‘unofficial’ world cup in 1997 and he was voted most valuable player of the tournament.

Since moving to South Africa Harris played in the KZN men’s team and then the SA veterans team.

Harris has been training in the discipline since he was nine years old, with a career now spanning 40 years.

“I used to play Polo Crosse with my father when I was a boy on our farm. Now that I have the opportunity to compete with my two sons and daughter and now I appreciate how special it is to share this sport with them.”

Polo Crosse is a team sport, which combines Polo with La Crosse. Riders carry a fibreglass stick with a net on the end for carrying the ball.

Each team is made up of six players that are divided into two with three on the field at a time for six minutes each, which are called chukkas.

To rob your opponent of the ball the players are only allowed to hit the ball out of the opposing teams nets in an upward direction.

“This is an intense sport – fast and physical. Polo is more free flowing where as Polo Crosse is explosive and filled with adrenaline.”

Not only does Harris have to focus on keeping his own fitness level and ball skills in top form he also needs to find time to train up his horses.

“This is a one horse sport but if something were to happen like the horse goes lame you will need a spare. I have five members of my family competing so all the horses need to be finely tuned and extremely fit to compete at a high level.”

Next up for Harris is the Umhlali Polo Crosse Tournament to be held at the French Club next week on August 23 to 24. The French Club is situated 10 kms down the Glendale road from Shakaskraal.

Play will start each day at 8am till 5pm on Saturday and finals will take place on Sunday finishing around 3pm

There will be a full bar and food for sale, entry is free and there will be some of South Africa’s top players including our South African ladies team playing.