The Hawkesbury region is bustling with activity as the Spring polo season kicks off, welcoming more than 1000 polo ponies and their grooms and riders for a prestigious Hector King, Dudley and Sir Phillip Charley Cups.

The spring tournaments will significantly boost the local economy with hundreds of thousands of dollars pouring in over ten days of competition. Various private and public polo clubs in the area are collaborating to host the tournaments, which will attract top polo talent from across Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina and the UK. 

The Richmond Lowlands are once again a focal point for the sport, featuring all competition levels ranging from amateur to professional to matches.

The highlights of the season are the Hector King and Dudley Cup tournaments. These events, which include more than twelve 12 - goal teams, are widely regarded as Australia's largest and most competitive high-level polo competitions.

This season, polo fans will be treated to matches starring a string of elite players. Among them are Ellerston Team's Shane Finemore, a renowned investment banker and a highly respected figure in the polo community, and Peter Huston Troika, who is also Head of Corporate Legal & Strategy at Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. Other players include Ben Barnham, grandson of media mogul Kerry Packer, as well as world-class talent Alec White, an ex-Australian Captain who has played across the world, including the UK, Argentina, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain, Dubai, and whose presence is sure to bring the wow factor. Another Australian Captain and Australia's highest-ranked player to play this season will be Ruki Ballieu of Eynesbury Polo Club.

The exceptional quality of the players in this seasonal competition highlights the national significance of these Hawkesbury-based events in the polo calendar. Jeremy Bayard, Treasurer of NSW Polo, told the Post: "The record entries for Countess of Dudley Cup mean approximately 1,000 horses arrive in the Hawkesbury for a fortnight of polo. 

"With horses come more than 150 people directly employed for their care - all of whom inject thousands into the local economy. The pubs, cafes, hotels/ motels, produce stores, vets and farriers will all benefit from this festival of polo. The final is watched online by thousands around the world, further establishing the Hawkesbury's reputation as the centre of polo in Australia."

The Hawkesbury polo tournaments present a colossal organisational challenge. The event's scale is immense, with almost 40 teams registered, each scheduled for five matches. Adding to the complexity, individual players bring between 6 to 10 horses apiece, and some athletes compete across multiple skill levels. Recent rainfall has further complicated matters, forcing the closure of some fields. Consequently, organisers face the daunting task of revising the entire tournament schedule. This intricate web of logistics, coupled with unpredictable weather, has transformed the event management into a Herculean effort requiring constant adaptation and problem-solving by local company M Polo, Kim McDougal and Adam Mealy.

Tickets are free for the public to get along and enjoy a game or two. Games will be played at the Windsor Polo Club between 26 September and 6 October.