Compiled by Siobhan Watson—2026
Polocrosse is a family sport - mum, dad, the kids, aunties, uncles and even grannies and grandpas can play! If you love horses and are happy to go faster than a trot while chasing a ball, this is the game for you! It is also very social and good fun on and off the horse!
Back in the 1970’s Nick O Conor, the Fishers, Eric Bianci and a few others tried to get polocrosse started at Cherry Farm in Ndola, on Rick Brown’s lawn. Unfortunately, as much as they tried it did not take off.
Polocrosse literally took off in 1993 in Zambia with the Choma folk dabbling in the game. It then started in Livingstone when Doug and Craig Evans returned home from playing under the Vic Falls colours (on the Zim side of Victoria Falls) in 1993. From there polocrosse in Zambia snowballed.
With Choma (Beckett Farm) and Livingstone (Evans Farm) there were a number of clubs that subsequently started —Leopard’s Hill Polocrosse Club (Jellis Lazy J Farm), Trotover (Guy Scott’s Farm), Lusaka West (Cartwright Farm), Copperbelt Polocrosse, Chisamba (Fringilla farm), Mazabuka (Lubombo Polo Club and the Mazabuka Turf clubs) and Lusaka South (at Lusaka South Country Club) and of course, our Zambian Police play! Paul Snart and Ginty Melville also started clearing a polocrosse field at the Gymkhana Club but in the meantime they were offered to host a tournament on the B field at the Lusaka Polo Club close to the showgrounds in 2000. All the clubs came to play and (not knowing the sport very well) Paul and Ian’s team pitched up with very nice t-shirts sponsored by Mobicom with nos 1—6 on their backs! There was also an exhibition polocrosse game played at the Lusaka Showgrounds main arena during the Agricultural Show where the Zambian Police were introduced to Polocrosse. Riders from the Gymkhana Club and Leopard’s Hill gave them a few shallow netted sticks and they quickly grasped the rudiments of the game. The field surface was rather churned up from the Ride & Drive race before, (where “donuts” took place on the field) leaving the polocrosse players struggling to pick up the ball, however it was a great success with the huge crowd supporting the Mounted Police. Police men Killian Siambizi & James being the most popular!
All these tournaments helped promote the sport to a wider audience and gain newcomers to the equestrian world. The Gymkhana Club polocrosse never took off unfortunately, and most of their keen players joined Trotover.
Copperbelt put together a club once and played in bright yellow but sadly they only managed to play one tournament at Leopard’s Hill before their Guru and founder of their club, Mark Leaver, passed away.
Unfortunately Polocrosse has reduced in numbers with only the Leopard’s Hill Polocrosse Club, Lusaka South Polocrosse Club and Zambia Police still playing. Sadly, this is primarily due to the shortage of livery and available horses in Zambia. The people who play now have their own space for their horses, or live on farms.
Our mission in 2025 and from here on is to grow polocrosse once again by getting the juniors on the go and hopefully organising more stable facilities and horses. Zambia is planning development tours to South Africa this season in an effort to grow the sport and have more regular competition for the players.
Even though Zambia has a relatively small ‘pool’ of players, our Zambian polocrosse team has done extremely well being placed amongst the top 4 countries in the world at the most recent Polocrosse World Cup Tournaments. Adrian Friend with his top hat, megaphone and coat of many (Zambian) colours, his brilliant Zarmy Army and life size eagles have kept us all together in great spirits. Zambian Polocrosse Supporters are the noisiest and the most entertaining—Faka Malasha!
We look forward to the next World Cup being held in Harare, Zimbabwe in 2027. Being closer to home, we plan a drive to improve horse power in the region and envisage an even bigger Zarmy Army of supporters to keep the spirit of comradery strong & fly our flag high.
Zambian Juniors have also played a great deal of international tests in the past against South Africa with great results. We look forward to seeing much more of our juniors growing this year!
POLOCROSSE WORLD CUPS
There are 8 countries that currently qualify to play in the Polocrosse World Cup—Ireland, England, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. South Africa and Australia are the countries that have taken first place in the last 4 World Cups Zambia has entered.
Clubs : lhill -Leopard’s Hill. lscc-Lusaka South. liv—Livingstone. ch -Choma
2011 ENGLAND
Men — Captain Anthony Barker (lscc) Murray Evans (liv) Henry Beckett (ch) James Rae (lhpcc)
Ladies — Vicky Sharp - Now Evans (lhill) Lauren Watson— Now Summers (lhill) Jo Cocker (lhill) Kirsten Michelson -Now Le Roux (lhill))
We came last in our first world cup but our good-natured Zambian players showed their high spirits by diving into the mud-torn fields after their final game much to the amusement of the crowd! Champions were South Africa and runners up Zimbabwe.
2015 SOUTH AFRICA
Men — Captain Damien Harris (lhill) Mikey Krynauw (lhill) James Rae (lhill) Murray Evans (liv)
Ladies—Lauren Watson -Now Summers (lhill) Candice Michelson -Now Kassier (lhill) Audrey Logan (lhill) Kelly Krynauw (lhill)
We beat South Africa (the reigning world champions) in the opening match but eventually lost to them in the final and Lauren Watson was nominated lady player of the tournament, Dozy, the horse she rode belonging to Celicia Jacobs also won ladies best horse, and Mikey Krynauw won best men’s horse of the tournament for King (Belonging to Jannie Steenkamp) Once again South Africa were the champions.
2019 AUSTRALIA
Men — Mikey Krynauw (lhill) Captain Damien Harris (lhill) John Rae & Gordon Rae (lhill)
Ladies—Kelly Krynauw (lhill) Lauren Summers—nee Watson (lhill) Vicky Evans—nee Sharp (Liv) Audrey Logan (lhill)
Australia beat South Africa in the final.
2024 SOUTH AFRICA
Men — Captain Mikey Krynauw (lhill) Damien Harris (lhill) Philip Chalcraft (lhill) Andrew Hall (lscc)
Ladies —Kelly Krynauw (lhill) Lauren Summers—Nee Watson (lhill) Audrey Logan (lhill) & Celicia Jacobs (lhill)
South Africa won the cup with Australia as runners up.
2027 ZIMBABWE Let’s see! Bring it on!
THE HISTORY OF CLUBS IN ZAMBIA
CHOMA POLOCROSSE 1993 —Mid way between Lusaka and Livingstone
Choma is a farming town known mainly for its beef, sheep & goats, tobacco & maize farming. They have also recently started growing fruit and nut trees. It boasts the most incredible historical museum which passers by should visit given the opportunity.
The Counsel and Beckett families first started playing polocrosse at Demo Farm in Choma in 1993. They were joined by the Danckwerts and Green Families and so it grew. They decided to move their club to Beckett’s Momba farm in 1994 and then gathered new members from surrounding towns like Kalomo. Whenever they held a tournament all the farmers from miles around would come and enjoy seeing each other and watch Zambia’s polocrosse players from all over the country on their steeds. There was always a great big party Saturday Nights and the fun and games would start. One night Doug Evans (Livingstone Club) mounted his horse in the dark, rode it into the club house bar and said “Give my horse a drink!” Just one of many hysterical polocrosse stories that was retold around campfires under the stars at Momba farm, renown for its rural hospitality.
Sadly, player numbers lessened in Choma and polocrosse has stopped there. Never say never though, we hope that the offspring may take it up again in the future.
LIVINGSTONE POLOCROSSE 1994 —South of Zambia sharing the Victoria Falls with Zimbabwe.
There is a beautiful and rustic lodge on the banks of the Zambezi River called Chundukwa River Lodge. It is tucked into the tree lined banks of the great Zambezi River and has unique stilted chalets that sit over the fast flowing water on it’s way to the mighty Victoria Falls.
This is the homestead of the Evans family and this is where the Livingstone Polocrosse Club started. Murray Evans senior retired from Zambia’s government service and bought the land starting with dairy farming, then moving onto wheat. When his older son Doug returned from National Service and National Parks in Zimbabwe, Doug built Chundukwa lodge.
Both Murray’s sons Doug and Craig used to play at Vic Falls Polocrosse Club over the border in Zimbabwe in 1993. They then decided to start their own club in Zambia on their property using their trail ponies and started with 12 players in 1994. They held their first memorial tournament in 1995 where polocrosse players from all over the country came and camped, played and partied. Initially they had no club house so it was under the trees with a big white water raft serving as their “bar fridge”. Many fun tournaments were had in Livingstone and quite often the elephants would pass by during the game or visit the horses during the night.
Sadly, as numbers dropped the polocrosse stopped and today the farm is known for it’s brilliant Zambian Horseback Safaris that runs on the Simalaha flood Plains. An experience of note! And of course, Livingstone is home to the famous Victoria Falls!
LEOPARD’S HILL POLOCROSSE CLUB —1994—Outskirts of Lusaka Town
Rachel Jellis and her brother Mark started LHPCC on their family home farm, Lazy J. It developed into the biggest polocrosse club there was, as Rachel had an Equestrian Centre so there were many ponies to ride. Many expats had the chance to play polocrosse as they could lease from Rachel.
The first that Rachel and Mark had heard of polocrosse was from the Fuller Family who had played in Zimbabwe. They had heard that Rachel and her friends wanted to learn the game and loaned them some of the old cane, shallow net sticks that they had used. They later came back to coach the riders as they heard that they were lining up facing each other as in polo. The club still has one of these original sticks enclosed in a glass case behind the bar. LHPCC was great fun. Rachel had a leopard suit that the horses used to shy away from. There were plenty of parties and fundraisers and of course, lots of polocrosse!
The club grew too big so finally it was decided it needed to move off the family farm and started up on 30 acres of land on Kyindu Ranch, kindly leased to us by Carl Irwin. In 2006 a few families—Watsons, Michelson's, Sharps, Daniels and others got to work and the club is still here today. Many kindly donated various assets—Omnia donated fertilizer for our fields, David Gale, roof sheets for our entire club house and more. We are very proud of our beautiful club and fields but so grateful for all the fun beginnings at Lazy J. Her Equestrian Centre still thrives today!
TROTOVER POLOCROSSE CLUB—1995— Leopard’s Hill Road, Lusaka
Info provided by Jane Snart & Sian Lillie
Once a pig farm, was leased to Lorraine Chalcraft by the Scott family and became a pretty Equestrian Centre surrounded by hills of Forest 27A with a small stream running through it. The pig stalls were converted to stables and so it began. Lorraine started gathered her troops of amiable horsey friends & past pupils - Heine Lillie, Iain Dunn, Dawn Sherriff (Nee Cantlay), Tim O’Riordan, Wayne Dietrichsen, Peter Kelly & Sian Lillie (NeeTaylor). They drew in the Broads of Australia, Peter Castle, Torbin Laugeson, Jane & Cally (Nee Taylor), & Kath (Nee Pinkney) Sherriff, the Van Aardts, Van Blerks and the Barkers to form Trotover Polocrosse Club. The polocrosse bug had really caught Zambia by this stage and this became a thriving club offering healthy rivalry to Leopard’s Hill and the out of town based clubs. We cannot be sure why Trotover stopped polocrosse but some members moved off and started up Lusaka South Country Club, & Lorraine’s lease on the Equestrian Centre eventually came to an end.
MKUSHI
There are rumours that something may be happening in Mkushi! Fingers crossed!
