13/06/2026
๐๐ | ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐ โ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ | ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
One of the great things about polocrosse is the variety of people it brings together, and few stories are as unique as that of Jairaj Rajaram from the Moorooduc Polocrosse Club in Victoria.
Originally from India, Jairaj's horse journey began at just seven years of age. His early riding education came from officers of the Indian Army's prestigious 61st Cavalry Regiment and the historic Madras Riding Club, one of the oldest riding clubs dating back to British rule in India.
His equestrian background is incredibly diverse, with success in gymkhana events, showjumping, dressage, tent pe***ng and polo. He even rode endurance horses for the Sultan of Oman in the Royal Stables before later moving to New Zealand and eventually Australia.
Away from competition, Jairaj followed his passion for horses into a career as an equine dentist, becoming double qualified across Australia and New Zealand, ranking 8th nationally and among the top five in Victoria.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ ๐
๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐ฃ
Jairaj first discovered polocrosse in 2010 when he met Michael Semmens at Equitana Melbourne.
"I was given a horse called Bella to play. Coming from polo, I thought it would be very similar. I tried to score my first goal, not realising I had to pass it to Number 1 first!"
Like many players, one game was all it took.
What kept him coming back was the skill level, game awareness, affordability and camaraderie.
"It's the king of one-horse sports. You can travel with one horse, play multiple games across the weekend and make lifelong friends."
๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ช๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐
Being one of the few players of Indian heritage regularly competing in Australian polocrosse has certainly made Jairaj stand out.
"I always stand out like a buckskin in a game," he laughs.
But he believes the sport's greatest strength is its ability to bring people together from all walks of life.
"The polocrosse community is like an extended family. Everyone is willing to help, coach and encourage you to improve."
๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ
Jairaj is passionate about introducing new people to polocrosse and believes the sport has enormous appeal for riders from all backgrounds.
As a Level 1 Pony Club, RDA and Polocrosse coach, he regularly works with riders at pony clubs and Riding for the Disabled centres, encouraging them to give the sport a try.
His dream?
"One day I'd love to take polocrosse to India."
He has already seen riders from various cultural backgrounds become involved through Moorooduc, including visitors from Mongolia and Italy who have taken their experiences home with them.
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐?
When asked how he would describe the sport to someone who has never seen it before, Jairaj has a simple answer:
"It's a cross between lacrosse, netball, polo and rugby. The king of one-horse sports."
He also loves the unique family atmosphere that exists within the game.
"I've seen three generations of families playing together. There aren't many sports that can offer that."
๐๐จ๐จ๐ซ๐จ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐จ๐ง๐
Moorooduc Polocrosse Club has played a significant role in Jairaj's journey.
After spending time with other clubs, he eventually returned to help strengthen Moorooduc when player numbers were low.
"Moorooduc is a fantastic club and very welcoming. Helping build the club back up was important to me."
๐๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐
๐จ๐ซ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐
Having only started playing polocrosse at 38 years of age, Jairaj has no plans to slow down.
His goals are simple:
โ
Keep playing as long as possible
โ
Continue improving his game
โ
Travel and meet new people through the sport
โ
Play hard, play fair and play safe
And after making finals at nearly every tournament during his first two years in the sport, it's safe to say he's made quite an impact already.
From the cavalry grounds of India to polocrosse fields across Australia, Jairaj's story is a reminder that our sport can bring together people from all backgrounds, cultures and experiences.
๐Thanks for sharing your story Jairaj, and for being a great ambassador for both Moorooduc Polocrosse Club and the wider polocrosse community.
