FAST and furious, but still full of family fun, polocrosse will hit Bathurst Showground this weekend.
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Teams from across the state will converge on Bathurst for the two-day carnival, which will involve more than 100 riders.
Raglan and Oberon polocrosse clubs will host the event, and local players are hoping for success.
“We’ve got people coming from Marra, Braidwood, Maitland, Gulgong, Sydney and Orange,” Raglan club secretary/treasurer Tony Hagney said.
“It’s one of the smaller carnivals on the circuit, but it’s a big one for us.”
He has extended an invitation to the community to come along and watch the fast-paced competition.
“We often have people come down and have a look,” he said.
The sport features horses tearing up and down the 146 metre long by 55m wide field to score a goal.
The field is broken up into three sections and, as in netball, certain players can only play in certain sections of the field.
Each player holds a racquet with a net at the end and tries to scoop up a 100 millimetre wide rubber ball and flick it into the goal area.
There are six players in each polocrosse team, but only three from each side on the field.
For those who have never seen a polocrosse carnival, Mr Hagney likens it to lacrosse on a horse.
He and his family have competed in carnivals for 45 years.
Despite the game’s fast pace, he said anyone can compete.
“Sub-juniors play from five years old through to grandparents,” he said.
He said no matter the talents of the players, most of the skill comes down to the horse.
“The horse is 80 per cent of the game; a good horse means a good player,” he said.
Mr Hagney added that while polocrosse is a winter sport and this is the final carnival for the year, he welcomes new players who want to sign up when play begins in 2016.
For more information, contact 0428 376 501.
This weekend’s carnival will run from 8.30am until 4pm tomorrow and 8.30am until 2pm on Sunday.
Entry will be free.