Take a polo lesson with Evrard de Spa
In Deauville, the world of polo meets up every August at the center of the Deauville-La Touques racecourse for the Barrière Deauville Polo Cup. With matches on the beach, parades around town and young hopefuls on Shetland ponies, the Deauville International Polo Club has been enthusiastically introducing the general public to the sport for over a hundred years. The spirit of the polistas (polo players) has been firmly anchored in Deauville since the creation of the only polo school in Normandy, on the initiative of the Pôle International du Cheval Longines - Deauville and Evrard de Spa.
Polo in Deauville is a true love story. It's over a hundred years of polo and a world-renowned tournament that every player dreams of winning at least once in their life.
Evrard de Spa has been immersed in the equestrian world since childhood, and was first introduced to classical disciplines before turning to polo, which seemed an obvious choice. A DEJEPS (Diplôme d'Etat de la Jeunesse, de l'Education Populaire et du Sport) polo* graduate, polo instructor and director of the polo school, he teaches this Argentinian sport in several formats, all year round in the Olympic arena of the Pôle International du Cheval Longines - Deauville and from May to September on the grass of the field located in the center of the Deauville-La Touques racecourse.
*State diploma issued by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, created on the initiative of the French Polo Federation with the support of the National Riding School.
An introduction to polo for beginners
Contrary to popular belief, polo isn't as difficult as it looks, which is why Evrard de Spa has included beginners' introductions in its teaching program to make polo accessible to all. Armed with a helmet and the indispensable mallet, participants spend two hours learning the basic rules of polo on a wooden horse: how to handle the mallet, how to approach the ball, and the gestures and actions involved in playing on foot. At the end of the session, it's time to play on the horses and experience training under real match conditions. And for players who don't want to get in the saddle, there's the option of staying on foot.
A polo course to perfect your skills
In this course, Evrard de Spa brings his expertise to riders in search of the perfect gesture. Working on your movements, accompanying the ball, clarifying your forehand or backhand shot with blind confidence in your horse, it's all about finding the right detail, but above all the right timing. The rider's performance is mainly based on dexterity and speed; to achieve this, it is necessary to have a good command of horsemanship and be certified with at least a galop 4.
In pictures, meet Evrard de Spa in the field
Polo rules
But first, how is polo played? On a pitch 275m long and 145m wide, two teams of four riders try to send a plastic ball into the opponent's goal, using a mallet made of a hard wooden head placed at the end of a long bamboo stick. In a match, there are 4 or 6 periods (chukkas) of 7 minutes 30 each, interspersed with 3-minute breaks during which the rider changes horses. After each goal, the teams change sides on the field and play resumes with a ball toss to the center of the field. When can you start playing polo? As soon as you're old enough to hold a mallet and hit a ball," laughs Evrard.