Timber Polo Pitch Boards From WL West & Sons
W. L. West & Sons Ltd have been manufacturing and supplying boards for polo pitch edging for many years. From this experience, we developed a product that is so durable we inadvertently shot ourselves in the foot, because now the demand for replacements is in decline!
Our site is based in Petworth, situated very close to Cowdray Park—otherwise known worldwide as the home of British polo since the end of the Second World War through the efforts of John, 3rd Viscount Cowdray. The equestrian sport of polo has been played there competitively for over a century, and in recent years the pitch has featured our board around it.
Timber Polo Boards For UK Polo Clubs
To many, polo remains a rather perplexing sport. From pitches 300 yards long to mounted umpires and sessions called chukkas, you’d need binoculars and a dictionary to attend a match and enjoy it. To score goals, players have to hit the ball through or above the goal posts and have it approved by goal judges. That’s more or less it, before the vocabulary and dangerous tactics get in the way.
The season to re-build polo pitches is upon us once more while the pitches are quiet before the playing season. Polo field boards are crucial to the game of polo because though both the ball and the players are allowed to step outside the field, the boards delineate the field boundaries and keep the ball in play.
Why Timber Polo Boards?
Because polo is played on horses and is notorious for causing all sorts of creative injuries to both people and ponies, it’s essential to offer a product that is sustainable and as safe as possible. As a bonus, timber polo boards are far more stable and environmentally-friendly than recycled plastic versions.
Rather than plastic (which the world already has far too much of!) the boards are made of homegrown merchantable-grade Douglas Fir, a softwood that offers a higher impact resistance than Scandinavian whitewoods and will last years. Each board is partially dried to enable the treatment to work efficiently and increase its stability.
Douglas Fir Properties
Douglas fir is Britain’s strongest softwood, dense, stable and durable when to exposed to the elements, similar to Oak in its external uses.
Douglas Fir is a fantastic all-rounder, frequently featuring in sturdy framing for building in construction, but also for furniture and joinery work. Once air-dried, it also makes great external cladding and machines well to a smooth surface without splits or splinters.
Polo Pitch Size
Full-size polo pitches in the UK are 275m long and 146 metres wide. By comparison, football pitches are a maximum of 120 x 90m! For this reason, our polo boards come in sets of 156 that are 3.6m x 245mm x 45mm, planed all around and usually treated to ensure extra longevity. We also offer half-sets to fit into practice pitches.
Manufacture & Installation
Our polo boards were developed to be round-topped or chamfered to minimise injury to the horses. We also introduced an arris rail, to stop the ball going dead at the bottom of the board and instead be directed away from the board. The surface is planed to minimise chafing and allow for painting in club colours.
Installation is quick and painless. We drill recessed securing holes to anchor the board to the ground and ensure the steel pins are safely hidden. Pins can be supplied if required. We are also able to tongue and groove the ends for greater pitch stability, or groove both ends for steel securing plates.
W. L. West & Sons Ltd is a timber merchant and sawmill business with 150 years of experience. We provide a wide range of air-dried oak and kiln-dried oak timber products and supplies. We also build and install custom projects for our customers.
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For entirely finished products, timber supplies or woodworking tools, have a look at our Retail Shop (which is temporarily closed for lockdown but will re-open in due course).
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