YOU could be forgiving for believing that was the case given the only time the sport seems to receive mainstream media coverage is when their royal highnesses are in the saddle. But one Cotswold couple are challenging the stereotype that polo is a “posh” sport purely for those with the cash to flash.

Guy and Charlotte Verdon have been running Lynt Polo Club in Inglesham, Wiltshire, for two-and-a-half years and have some 50 members on their books. Set in rolling Cotswold countryside, the site boasts acres of good grass and both indoor and outdoor arenas, allowing play to happen all year round. A friend and I were offered the chance to try the sport for ourselves and experience first hand why it is popular the world over.

Now, it’s been more than a decade since I last rode a horse, so I was a little apprehensive to say the least. Polo ponies are quite a different animal from the slow and steady steeds you would seat a beginner upon - they are incredibly responsive.

The reins are held in the left hand and use like a joystick to direct the horse forwards, left and right or to stop, keeping the right hand free to swing a long handed mallet.

But under the expert guidance of Mr Verdon, himself a professional polo player, it took an amazingly short time to grasp the basics.

Within our hour lesson, we were already starting to whack the ball some distance and fast realising how addictive the game can be.

Mrs Verdon said: “It’s one of the most rapidly growing sports in the country and it really is opening up to a wider market.

“We do it on a very grass roots basis, right through to hosting the gold cup team who flew in from Australia.

“It’s very easy to get into and it’s a very welcoming sport. You’ve just got to have an interest in the equine world and good hand-eye co-ordination.

“We really push people on to get them into a game position, which is much more fun. It’s really exciting and that’s we want to encourage.”

Lynt Polo Club also retrains racehorses into polo ponies and has a riding school license.

Private lessons cost £65, instructional chukkas are £45 and children’s lessons cost £35, all plus VAT. Corporate packages are also available.