Polo and the Home Office Visa ruling

Has the Home Office Visa ruling on Polo grooms gone too far? BGA Member Tara Sleafer gives an insight into the happenings in polo, and what opportunites this now opens for grooms...

English polo was plunged into chaos in October 2016 when the Home Office proposed a cap on the number of migrant worker visas being issued to those from non-EU countries.  The ruling was implemented at the end of January 2017 with immediate effect. 

Polo as a whole can now only bring in a maximum of 500 grooms from non-EU countries this season, and they will only be allowed to work for a player of 4 goal handicap or above who is contracted to play in high or medium goal teams.  There is absolutely no provision for non-EU grooms to work in low goal or grassroots polo. 

For many years we have had an Argentine player/groom spend the summers here at our low goal club.  Because of the new ruling he will not be coming back.  He will no longer be working for the patron whose ponies tie up on the lines opposite mine. 

Our club members will no longer benefit from his knowledge and expertise of how to 'make' polo ponies.  His advice on helping them improve their game will no longer be available and his ability to help umpire weekend tournaments will be greatly missed.  Our weekends away 'on tour' will not be the same without him and his stories of Argentine adventures.  The patron who employed him is incredibly disappointed and frantically trying to find a solution so that he doesn't have to give up polo because he cannot find a groom.

Sadly, he is not alone.  Low goal polo in the UK looks likely to suffer from the shortage of experienced UK and EU grooms for the next few seasons at least.  Polo grooming is specialised, and in comparison to other equestrian sports in the UK, not many English grooms choose to do it.  Those of us who do have suddenly found ourselves in short supply and incredibly high demand! 

If you have ever considered grooming at polo then now is the time to get involved. You will have up to 8 ponies to get ready for the same match, but there's no changing tack on the same pony three times in one day, or waiting until 10pm for the jump off!  Polo ponies only need one stud in each hind shoe and will stand quietly while you do it. 

You will learn to take a set (4 or 5 ponies) on exercise at the same time and be taught how to change ponies mid-chukka;  your patron often jumping from one pony to another without getting off.  Chances are you'll get polo lessons as part of the deal, maybe even get to play in club chukkas. 

Polo really is terrific fun even if there's always too much poo to take out of the field and too many bandages to roll at the end of every day!