The APOLOA has a dedicated and experienced association committee who look after the interests of all players, teams, commercial sponsors and events.
General Sir Redmond Watt KCB – President Army Polo Association
General Sir Redmond Watt was commissioned into the Welsh Guards in 1972. He passed through the Staff College, Camberley in 1982, and also completed the Higher Command and Staff Course. Promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel on 30 June 1988, he became commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards in 1990. He was promoted to Brigadier 30 June 1993 and served as commanding officer of the 3rd Infantry Brigade from 1994 to 1995, and was then appointed Director of Studies and Deputy Commandant (Land) of the Joint Service Command and Staff College in 1997. On 17 August 1998 he was promoted to Major-General and became General Officer Commanding the 1st (UK) Armoured Division which deloyed to Bosnia as Headquarters Multi-National Division. Watt became Major-General commanding the Household Division and General Officer Commanding London District in 2000 in which capacity he had a significant role in the funeral of HM the Queen Mother in 2002. In 2003 he became Commander Field Army. In 2005 he was appointed General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland: in this role he advocated long-term planning and indicated that such lessons might be applied to Iraq. From 2006 to 2008 he was Commander-in-Chief, Land Command. Governor, Royal Hospital Chelsea. General Sir Redmond Watt is a former +5 polo player and is seen as one of the British Army’s best ever players.
Colonel Nick Hunter - Chairman Army Polo Association
Colonel Nick Hunter is a King’s Royal Hussar and a tank soldier by background. He has completed operational service in Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Bosnia and Commanded tank squadrons in Kosovo and Iraq. While prosecuting his military career he has maintained his link with his cavalry roots keeping polo ponies and playing wherever he has been posted and been the mainstay of Army polo for numerous years. He has played for the Army and Combined services from the year he was commissioned and taken part in tours to numerous parts of the world and has played polo in 17 countries to date. He now works in the world of procurement and specifically is involved in the development of the next Armoured Cavalry vehicle. He continues to play at Taunton Vale Polo Club off a +2 handicap and has a new lease of life having had both his hips re-surfaced 2 years ago.
Colonel Justin Stanhope-White - Deputy Chairman Army Polo Association
Justin Stanhope-White was Commissioned in 1985 and has served in Germany, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. He has been a logistician throughout his career serving in the Royal Corps of Transport, The Gurkha Transport Regiment and the Royal Logistic Corps. He has spent most of his military career on Operations in Northern Ireland, The Balkans, The Gulf Region and Afghanistan and now finds himself heading up the Operations Room for Defence Equipment and Support. He has been playing polo for the Army at 1 goals for most of his military career and runs his ponies from Somerset where he is the Chairman of Taunton Vale Polo Club. He sits on Committees within the HPA, Chairman of the Coaching Committee, and the Pony Club and spends any spare time coaching polo – none of this possible without the unwavering support of his wife Katrina, who also oversees the match schedules of his polo mad daughters!Lt
Col Simon Ledger - Director of Army Polo Association
Simon Ledger is a retired Lt Col in the British Cavalry regiment, The Light Dragoons. He joined the Army in 1975 and has served all over the world including Northern Ireland, UK, Germany, Norway, Cyprus, the Middle East and Kosovo. His last appointment was the Deputy Garrison Commander at Tidworth. Playing polo since 1976, he has run the Tidworth PC as well as the Cyprus Polo Association and the CSPA. He began commentating in 1987 (polo, eventing and race calling) and since 1994 has commentated for all the major polo tours at Tidworth PC, Guards PC and Sandhurst. Director of the Army Polo Association since 2003; he organises all Army Polo activity. He has commentated abroad in Florence, the USA at Virginia Beach and Great Meadow and for the European High Goal series in Sotogrande, Spain as well as most polo clubs in UK.
Major Matt Eyre-Brook - Secretary Army Polo Association
Major Matt Eyre-Brook is currently a 1 goal Army player and the Secretary of the Army Polo Association. Having ridden all his life, his polo career / addiction started at RMA Sandhurst in 2000 and then continued with the 9th/12th Lancers in Germany, practising on the pitch next to the Mess and playing for the Rhine Army Polo Association on the civilian net. By 2003, Matt was playing off a 0 handicap and was invited to play for the Army Development team back in the UK. A key aspect to his progress was investing in ponies whilst in Germany, as well as picking up UK thoroughbreds to bring on. As a 1 goaler in 2007, Matt played Polo for the Army in India and later in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and is now a regular Army and Combined Services player with 6 of his own, self-made, ponies. For the 2014 polo season, Matt will be playing at Tidworth PC as well as Lytchett Matravers PC on the South Coast.
