Millfield Polo player wins prestigious competition

Millfield Polo player Jemima Heffron has won the presitigous Black Bears Black Ladies Diamond Polo tournament.

Year 11 student Jemima, who is sixteen, was selected off her handicap for the team which won the reputable tournament last month. She competed alongside the best female player in the world, Nina Clarkin, in the highest league of women’s polo.

The tournament was hosted by Black Bears Polo Club, in Shiplake, and featured six teams, of up to 18 goals (ladies handicap), split into two leagues competing for the sought-after title. Jemima played three teams in the tournament, competing against some of the best players in the industry.

Jemima, from Ireland, has boarded at Millfield since Year 9, attending Millfield for its exceptional equestrian provision. She hopes to continue her riding alongside her studies in Spanish, politics and music at Sixth Form. She says, “It was an incredible opportunity to be able to play this tournament and it was amazing to win it. Millfield has given me the opportunity to continue training whilst also studying in order to hopefully achieve good grades. I hope to carry on playing as much as I can whilst at Millfield in order to achieve my dream of winning the British Ladies Open (after losing the final this year) and the Argentine Ladies Open.”

Equestrian Sports Programme Manager, Mel Wilder says, “We are very proud of Jemima’s success at the Black Ladies Diamond tournament. Her commitment to her sport alongside her studies is commendable and this achievement is just testament and reward for all of her hard work.”

Millfield’s Equestrian programme is one of the best combined equestrian and academic school environments in Britain. Millfield Polo is one of only two institutions in the country to have its own polo field, based at Kingweston, with many past and present players featuring on both national and international teams.