86-летний фермер Джон Нэш попытается установить рекорд как самый старый игрок в поло

Farmer, 86, saddles up to become world’s oldest polo player An 86-year-old farmer is set to become the world’s oldest polo player when he takes part in a tournament this weekend. John Nash, a grandfather from near Driffield, East Yorkshire, will become the new world-record holder if he competes in the Toulston Open qualifier on Saturday for Toulston Polo Club. If he does play, he will be 237 days older than Armando Klabin, a Brazilian who was 85 years and 149 days old when he set the current record in 2017. Mr Nash’s attempt will be independently documented, with evidence gathered for Guinness World Records. The arable and pig farmer, who also keeps livery horses, attributed the longevity of his career to refusing to slow down in later life and eating well. “If you don’t use it, you lose it,” he said. “It keeps me going. And the social contact. It keeps me out of the chair.” Mr Nash added: “I don’t really think about my age when I’m playing. I just get on the horse and try to hit the ball, hopefully in the right direction.” The father-of-three stumbled across polo almost by accident more than half a century ago when he moved to Kenya, then a British colony, in the 1950s on a farming settlement scheme. Advertisement When he was growing up in Norfolk, rugby was his main sport, but that all changed when he moved to the east African country. A local polo club was short of players and went looking for new recruits who knew how to ride. Mr Nash agreed to give it a go, and learnt the game on an elderly pony, which helped show him the ropes. After returning to Britain with Caroline, his wife, in 1969, Mr Nash joined Toulston Polo Club in 1974. He has since played around the world, including in New Zealand and Nepal, while all three of his daughters have also played the sport. Mr Nash, known as “Nashie” to his friends, describes polo as “a cross between horse-riding, a ball game and car rally driving all rolled into one”. He said: “It’s been my life over the years. Chasing that little white ball in front of me was always a great challenge.” Mr Nash became a long-standing figure in Yorkshire polo, and served as president of the White Rose Polo Club. The veteran farmer admits he is enjoying the unexpected attention his record attempt has brought him. “I suppose it’s been an ego trip,” he said. “I’m getting some wonderful comments from friends; it’s put me in the limelight in my dimming years.” The Toulston Open takes place on Sept 5 and 6.