Newcomer of the Year 2006
Julian Mills
Growing up on a dairy farm, most of my spare time as a child was spent riding my Grandmothers welsh mountain ponies, helping Dad round up the cows, daring my younger brother to jump the wooden gates and ditches around the farm to my Grandparents disapproval. Often resulting in one of us either falling off or breaking a gate and a loose pony bolting home. By my early 20’s I had hunted occasionally in the winter and competed at most equine sports at various levels, but it wasn’t until 22 that I was first bitten by polo.
Whilst travelling around the world I had a job in New Zealand breaking and schooling young racehorses, with the intention of spending the summer in Australia mustering cattle. However, my boss asked if I’d like to come back for the polo season and “do his young horses” an offer I immediately accepted. Not knowing what misfortune lay ahead. During my first game, I broke my left ankle at Hawkes Bay, trying to make a shot that defied gravity, but undeterred 10 weeks later I managed to play a whole tournament and stay in one piece On my return to England I was determined to have a proper go at it and I was going to become a ’10 goaler’. This idea was short lived. One of my two horses injured herself combined with travelling to Taunton (Somerset) from Lingfield (Surrey) taking 3hrs each way and money running out fast, reality set in, it wasn’t going to happen. I sold my horses and concentrated on farming.
Over the next 10 years my time was spent building my ewe numbers to over 1000 head and training young collies when time allowed. Horses were put on the back burner apart from having a few days hunting and a bit of teamchasing, until one sunny afternoon in August 05. Duane and Sallie Anne have been friends for a long time and hearing how well their new polo club was going; my wife Claire and I took our young son George to watch one Sunday. It was fatal. The adrenaline started to pump and the tiny flame I’d tried so hard to suppress turned into a raging fire! On the way home I discussed with Claire the idea of starting a new enterprise on the farm.”making polo ponies and playing a bit.”
By the following Spring I’d mustered up 10 horses and a young professional (Jimmy Mulligan) who I had known through my hunting days. Jim and I spent April getting fit, ready for our 1st outing in May. Hours were spent schooling horses and practising shots on the flattest field I have (which is on a slight hill and very bumpy) it proved a good training ground with a bouncing ball and grass an inch longer than it should have been. Turning up for the 1st tournament in my old cattle lorry new tack and shirts, Jim and I were really looking forward to playing on a smooth surface. All our practise payed off with the ball running true and fast on the immaculate pitch. The Black grim reaper shirts of Milligan’s notched up there first win and good fortune stayed with us for most of the season.
Over the Summer Sussex Polo has made us very welcome and I would like to thank the fellow members who put my name forward for the Newcomer of the Year Trophy. Also Duane and Sallie Anne for creating this great club and all those behind the scenes for their hard work, Jimmy for his advice and teaching me the technical side to the game. Also to Claire my patient wife for all her help and support. We look forward to seeing you all at the start of the 2007 season
