Emma Piltz: Holbrook product named in Australian U21 polocrosse squad

Piltz, who now lives near Toowoomba, is one of eight Queensland-based players in the group of 16, having impressed selectors with her performances throughout 2022.

The 20-year-old was thrilled to make the grade after moving interstate for greater opportunities in the sport which combines polo and lacrosse.

"It means a lot," Piltz said.

"It's a lot of hard work because the horses have to be ridden every day.

"I've always loved horses and I get a good kick out of horses going well and making those Australian squads.

"Hopefully I get picked in the team now.

"They normally do a competition every year for the squads and they pick a team out of that so to be picked in one of those teams would be pretty awesome."

Piltz provided a quick polocrosse explainer for those less familiar with the sport.

"There are six players on a team, three go on at a time and it's a very tough sport," she said.

"It's like rugby on horseback, that's how they describe it.

"Mum played when she was younger so I got into it that way.

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"I originally lived down in Holbrook but I moved for polocrosse - and my boyfriend.

"Now I'm living up in Queensland and loving it.

"It was a big move up here but it was good, there's a lot more polocrosse up here."

It's been a busy year on horseback for Piltz.

"At the start of the year, in March, we travelled all the way down to Ballarat from Queensland for the polocrosse nationals and then we had Barastoc, which is another Queensland thing, in May.

"Then we went over to America in August and played against the USA World Cup squad in Washington D.C.

"A South African coach put a team together, a Barbarian team, we had five Australians and one girl from the UK and he asked us to go over there and play against them.

"We went over there for two weeks and it was definitely different.

"The horses are different, the way they do everything is very different.

"The opportunities I've had this year have been great.

"I'm pretty lucky that I can afford to do it as it's a very expensive sport."

Piltz has also received an award for best ladies rookie horse in the South East Queensland zone.

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