Most polocrosse activities concentrated around the usual annual fixtures. A weekend indoor training at Rauland early in March was the kick-off of the “season†in Norway. Jason Webb, Simon Shearing and Lizzie Wright-Roberts came over to coach a mixed lot of some of the old hands and some beginners. However, some weekend practices had already been organised locally. Norway’s “state of the art†equestrian centre, Epona, had been host to two full weekend introduction courses in January and February. Again at Rauland, we had a one-day practice combined with a one-day tournament in June. Five sections played, the Asker team of Kristian, Hilde and Lykke coming out undefeated with a total of 26 goals scored and 2 against in 4 games. Was this just a dress rehearsal for the 4th Norwegian Polocrosse Challenge, our “Nationalsâ€, due to run in August every year? Was the Asker team, who had been runners-up in the two editions they had played in, at last going to win the national championship?
That was not to be. Among the other contenders were Lommedalen. They had won the 2005 edition, but had not done do too well in the June tournament. The Norwegian Amateur Racing Club’s own ladies team (nom de guerre: Gallop Girls) had played at the first European International in Doncaster in 2006, and also in France in October 2006 and again in July 2007. They had won the 2006 Nationals, and were determined to hang on to the travelling cup. A local U21 team was a bit of an unknown, as was a team of mounted games riders playing their first polocrosse tournament and having had just a few practices. The final saw Lommedalen comfortably prevail over the Asker team. In July, Norway had a section playing the 2nd European Challenge in Doncaster. They played horses provided by Jason Webb and Kent members (thank you!), and did not fare too badly. At the end of the 2007 season we hosted a section of young players from the Kent Target Polocrosse Club, who played three Norwegian teams. The guest beat all the opposition and went home with the Anglo-Norse cup. The young Kent players impressed all the Norwegians with their horsemanship and fair play. Looking back at 2007, we would also mention that at the International Polocrosse Council meeting in Warwick in April, the Norwegian polocrosse organising body was welcomed as an associate member of the IPC. This makes us even more a part of the international polocrosse community.
An extraordinary AGM of the Norwegian Club in June adopted a new constitution, transforming the club into Norges Polocrosseforbund (the Polocrosse Association of Norway). Two local clubs that will be affiliated to the association are now in the process of being established.