Report by Fleur Bartels

The ‘test matches’ between Norway and Holland took place last weekend in Rauland, Norway. The Dutch and Norwegian players stayed at the riding centre in Rauland, which is located in a beautiful scenery in the south of Norway. The riding centre also provided the horses for the Dutch players. The Norwegians rode on their own horses.

There were three test matches during the weekend; two on Saturday and one on Sunday morning. Sunday afternoon the Norwegian and Dutch players were mixed together by the Dutch coach Desmond Phelan and some fun chukkas where played.

Norwegian team:
Section 1: Amund Brede Svendsen on Goldsohn, Christian Henni on Velvet, Aimee Reichelt Johansen on Goliat
Section 2: Andrea Riise on Tinka, Christina Riise on Coriander, Susanne Neset on Odin

Dutch team:
Section 1: Marieke Smallegange on Calimero, Having Steenhuis on Molly’s Choice and Mijndert Heineke on Frøymin
Section 2: Maarten Luitse on Hector, Thomas Bakker on Erwin and Fleur Bartels on Aslan
Dutch reserve player: Bennie Meijerhof (who played a few chukkas in both sections on Hector or Frøymin)

Results

Saturday morning

Norwegian section 1 – Dutch section 1
Norwegian section 2 – Dutch section 2

Holland won 11-2

Saturday afternoon

Norwegian section 1 – Dutch section 2
Norwegian section 2 – Dutch section 1

Holland won 14-6

Sunday morning

Norwegian section 1 – Dutch section 2
Norwegian section 2 – Dutch section 1

Holland won 9-3

Best No. 1 – Thomas Bakker (Dutch)
Best No. 2 – Andrea Riise (Norway)
Best No. 3 – Amund Brede Svendsen (Norway)

Best Horse – Velvet (owner Katinka Henni, Norway)

Umpire Saturday: Anne Petterøe
Umpire Sunday: Desmond Phelan
Table: Lykke Bech Daugaard, Johan Fredrik Svendsen
Goal judges: Arild Neset / Paula Beers

To be honest the results are irrelevant. More important was that the atmosphere, for that is what polocrosse is all about, was there; fun with each other, fun with the horses, learning from each other and good laughs were had on the field and after the chukkas. For the Dutch players and their support team it was like a holiday, staying in a comfortable chalet in a beautiful scenery and there was even a sauna on Saturday evening!

It was very impressive to see the energy of the Norwegians to keep polocrosse going, as it is very hard for the Norwegians to play – keeping a horse and find a flat field is not easy in Norway! But Lykke, Amund and all the other Norwegian players keep on going and that is excellent, because as yet there are still only a reasonably small number of countries and people playing polocrosse in Europe.