The last few months have been exciting for Power of Polo, with new programmes and partnerships agreed, and some wonderful achievements from our participants and alumni. Here’s a round-up of what we’ve been up to.

Bringing the Power of Polo to more Veterans

We’re delighted to announce that we have been successful in our recent application to the Veterans Foundation and have been awarded a grant to deliver three new programmes for ALABARÉ Veterans.

This will start in December, when ten veterans will join us for a residential week at Beaufort Polo Club, and we’re particularly excited to be partnering with the Beaufort for the first time. The programme will give military veterans living in ALABARÉ’s supportive housing the opportunity to spend time outdoors, develop new skills and experience the unique combination of horses, polo and teamwork that lies at the heart of what we do.

Andrew Lord MBE, Chief Executive of ALABARÉ, said: "By working with partners old and new, we can create more opportunities for veterans to improve their mental and physical wellbeing, build confidence, and reconnect with their communities. ALABARÉ's partnership with Power of Polo has been a great example of this and we're looking forward to continuing to make a positive impact together in the years to come.”

As a VALOUR-recognised centre for the South West, homelessness charity ALABARÉ is committed to strengthening support for veterans across the region and the Beaufort’s position in Gloucestershire means it is a perfect fit for this Power of Polo programme. VALOUR is the UK Government's new nationwide veteran support system, backed by £50 million of funding.

Below - ALABARÉ Veterans on a previous Power of Polo residential, delivered in partnership with Tedworth Park Polo Club and the Armed Forces Equine Charity.

Our Pilot School Programme is a go!

Our CEO and Founder, Katy Hayward, has dreamed about a school programme since she started Power of Polo 11 years ago, and we couldn’t be more excited to announce that we are finally going ahead with a pilot this winter.

Thanks to a generous private donor, who is committed to creating opportunities for young people facing challenges, we are partnering with Druids Lodge Polo Club and a state-funded secondary school in the region to create what we hope will be the first of many Power of Polo School Programmes.

Starting in November, ten students will take part in a course running once a week for six weeks, combining polo, horsemanship and classroom-based learning focused on building confidence, teamwork and resilience. Watch this space for full details in a few weeks’ time!

A brilliant day with Oxford Community Action

In August, we welcomed young people from Oxford Community Action to Cool Hooves Polo and the Royal Berkshire Polo Club for a fantastic one-day development programme. Most had been on our residential course in May, but we were thrilled to be joined by a couple of new faces as well.

The ten teenagers enjoyed a polo lesson followed by a fascinating horsemanship session with Roddy Matthews, where they learnt more about how to communicate and interact with these incredible animals.

We are hugely grateful to USPolo Assn, whose donation in July enabled us to put on this special day, and we’d also like to thank the Pony Club for their additional support and the Cool Hooves and Royal Berkshire teams for partnering with us once again.

“It's shaped the way I think, taught me resilience, responsibility and teamwork, and given me goals that I never had before. Every time I get around horses, I learn something new and feel myself becoming a better rider and a more confident person.”
Oxford Community Action Participant, August 2026

Success for Harry

Back in June, Power of Polo alumnus Harry Wolfe was awarded the inaugural ‘Change Your Line Award’ at our Guards Day – the added bonus being that it was presented by the one and only Adolfo Cambiaso! Since then, Harry has been working hard as a groom at Cool Hooves Polo; an amazing learning experience for him.

We’re incredibly proud to announce that Harry has now been awarded a place on The National Stud’s Level 3 Stud Management and Sales Consignment Course – a fantastic next step in his journey and a wonderful example of where the opportunities created through Power of Polo can lead.

This 26-week residential course touches on all aspects of stud work from preparing thoroughbreds for auction, foaling mares and handling youngstock, and caring for the National Stud’s roster of stallions including seven-times Grade One winner, Stradivarius.

A huge thank you to Cool Hooves Polo for their support of Harry, and to our friends at Ebony Horse Club for helping to make this next step happen. We can’t wait to see how Harry gets on.

A Summer of Polo

We’ve enjoyed several other activities over the summer with Power of Polo participants and friends. These have included visits to the International and Indian Polo Day, helping out with the wooden horses at the Berkshire Festival, and even watching a Heroes exhibition match between Power of Polo and SAFECT on Rundle Cup Day at Tedworth Park Polo Club, featuring veterans from previous programmes.

Offering our participants the chance to develop their own networks and to build life skills in different environments is very important to us, and we are extremely grateful to those in the polo community who enable us to do this

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2027

With two new programmes to plan we’re as busy as ever this Autumn, but our focus is also turning towards development and planning for next year.

Funding remains a challenge for us, but we are determined to keep building and growing Power of Polo. We want to create more opportunities for those in need to benefit from the incredible combination of horses, sport and the polo community.

We’d like to thank all the funders, donors, partner organisations, polo clubs, volunteers and supporters who make our work possible.

There is lots to look forward to!

Power of Polo – Autumn Newsletter