Ups and Downs for the UK Arena Players
The new arena handicaps were announced on Monday 11 April and will come into effect on 1 May. A total of 88 players have had their handicaps changed at the close of the UK winter season with only five players’ handicaps being downgraded. Eden Ormerod, from Druids Lodge, has gone from 7 to 6 and Juan Leiva, from Emsworth, has gone from 4 to 3. Unsurprisingly, stars of the winter circuit Jack Richardson and Richard, the Earl of Tyrone have gone from 7 to 8, whilst Nico San Roman, Grant Collett and up-and-coming player Ed Banner-Eve, who was featured in the England line-up for the Bryan Morrison Trophy against America, have all gone from 4 to 5. A group of 10 players including Coolhooves Polo’s Phil Meadows and Rugby Polo Club’s Polo Manager Jeremy Pidgeon have all gone from 2 to 3 goals. However, there are a few names that have made considerable leaps in their handicaps. Sebastian Pudney, from Rugby Polo Club has gone from 0 to 2 and Jack Aldridge, Christopher Milton, George Hobbs and Hassan Usman have all gone from -1 to 1.
A few of the top players have also found themselves with brackets being added to their handicaps. Max Charlton remains on 9, but with brackets added, Ryan Pemble (8), Tom Morley and Pete Webb are now (7) and Tarquin Southwell (6). Brackets are added to handicaps in most cases when a player hasn’t been seen enough by members of the handicap committee to confirm their handicap. Brackets are also given to those being handicapped for the first time in instances when they have held a handicap in the past or in another country. Brackets also mean that their handicap can be changed at any time during the season.
For a full list of the handicap changes please click here.
Photograph: Richard, the Earl of Tyrone, Nico San Roman and Phil Meadows playing in the HPA New Year Nationals. By Gillian Hughes
http://www.polotimes.co.uk/index.php?pg=35&story=1895