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Life Members

Ron Bates

First Started Playing Polo	1976 (with Serpentine Polo Club)
Last Played Polo	2006 (Charles Cup Tournament)
Highest Handicap	3 goals
Favourite Horse	A horse named Freda, who really taught me how good a great horse can be.
Favourite Team/Team mates	I played with many teams and wonderful players over the years and enjoyed playing with all of them and thank them heartily for putting up with me.
Career Highlight	Being in teams that won the Charles Cup and defeated Laurie Connell’s team in their defence of the Australasian Gold Cup here in Perth.

Ron's Advice to New Players
Always buy the very best horses you can find and afford, as your horse power affects your enjoyment as well as being crucial to your success in the game.

Geoff Fisher

Club	Broomehill, Kojonup
First Season	1949/50
Highest Handicap	6 goals
Best Ponies	Wyndetta, The Crooner (NZ), Ching(NZ), Lindy, Winsome
Best Team	Gold Cup 1956 E House, H R Hardie, R N Russell, G W Fisher
Career Highlights	Charles Cup 1954 first time ever for Kojonup G W Fisher, S W Haggerty, R N Russell, D P Reid Gaining selection in 1956 Gold Cup team

Stan Haggerty

Club	Kojonup
First Season	1951
Highest Handicap	6 goals
Best Ponies	Chief, Sapling, Chocpal, Santa
Best Team	1981 Gold Cup : Rodney Ludgate, John Mariott, Ivan Haggerty, Stan Haggerty
Career Highlights	Charles Cup Champion Pony 1962 awarded to Chief, presented by Sir Charles Gairdner who said at the presentation "by the way Stan I noticed you played him (Chief) in 3 chukkas" Charles Cup win 1954 by Kojonup Tan, Geoff Fisher, Stan Haggerty, Bob Russell, Des Reid. This was the first of 13 wins for Stan.

Leonard Hamersley

Club	Minninooka, Walkaway
First Season	1953
Highest Handicap	5 goals
Best Ponies	Bobo
Best Team	Walkaway Blue and White Rodney Ludgate, Laurie Bain, Leonard Hamersley, Evan Hamersley (14 goals)
Career Highlights	Winning A, B & C grade Association cups including Campbell Trophy and AA Hardie Champion Pony in one year at WAPA Showground Tournament with self built Walkaway Polo Club

Leonard’s Advice for Young Players
1. First and foremost it is imperative you go and learn to ride a horse correctly, with full knowledge of the aids, flexions, collection and how to ride a horse forward on a straight line and fill the bridle at your speed. This is why we see players plateau at various levels and the people wonder why.

2. Learn how to hold the stick so you never change the grip for any shot you may make.

3. Keep the ball away from the horse when playing shots, be out over the ball and hitting early.

4. Play the inside of the ground as the shortest way to the winning post is “up the rails”. Your opposition has 15% of the ground while you have 85%.

5. Don’t fiddle the ball in mid field, use the speed of the ball. (120kms/hr as to the speed of the horse 40kms/hr).

6. Learn to ark on the new line of the ball in the game as this gives you the right of way over your opponent at all times.

7. There are no exceptions to these rules.

Keith Kiely

First Started Playing Polo	in 1947 aged 15 when lent a horse by neighbour, Cliff Tidy played at the first Serpentine Polo Club practice. Played consistently from 1948.
Last Played Polo	in 1994 played in a family team with sons Wayne and Brett and daughter Deanne.
Highest Handicap	4 goals
Favourite Horse	"Gannon" Evan Hamersley’s father in law owned it and then I bought it off Adrian Gannon.
Favourite Team/Team mates	Enjoyed playing with Brian Parry, Bruce Lefroy and George Elliott.
Career Highlight	Playing a chukka of polo a the opening of the Murrayville Stud Polo Field (now Serpentine Polo Club ground 1).

Keith's Advice to New Players
Learn to ride well.

Des Reid

Club	Kojonup
First Season	1950 (15 years old)
Highest Handicap	5 goals
Best Ponies	Jimmy, Lily
Best Team	Charles Cup 1954 Geoff Fisher, Stan Haggerty, Bob Russell, Des Reid
Career Highlights	Numerous Charles Cup wins As WAPA President and Joyce as WAPA Secretary hosting Prince Charles Playing in polo team with his 3 sons Playing polo with mates at Wandecla and sitting amongst the Jarrah trees afterwards drinking beer