Penny Farthing Polo Team GB success

Former Royal Marines Commando, record-breaking adventurer and entrepreneur, Neil Laughton C’82, has just returned from the US where he captained Team GB’s Penny Farthing Polo Tour, a sport he invented in 2013 when he founded The Penny Farthing Club.

Watched by fascinated - if not slightly bemused - spectators, the first match against the USA team was in El Paso, Texas, on 28th June, then on to Nashville, Tennessee, on 4th July  - the 250th anniversary of Independence - and finally Dayton, Ohio, on 12th July, and Team GB won them all!

The rules of penny farthing polo follow the traditions of horse polo. Matches are played on grass, four players per side who use the same mallets but the ball is a small sized football to avoid smashing the spokes. Neil says, "Collisions are discouraged but riders hit the dirt on a fairly regular basis but thankfully this rarely leads to the nearest A&E." 

There are other Penny Farthing Polo fixtures throughout the year, including ‘The Calcutta Cup’ between England and Scotland, which was played at Ham Polo Club in June with Scotland taking home the trophy.

If you’re interest in getting involved take a look at The Penny Farthing Club website.