Wanna Be the Centaur of Attention?

Picture yourself catching a ball in a net on the end of a long stick. While riding a horse. Now imagine passing that ball to a teammate’s stick-net as other people, riding horses mere inches from you, wave their stick-nets in your face. Yeah, we can’t see it either. But Kat Liner can. She’s a member of the Pinehurst-based Carolina Polocrosse Club and has been playing for 16 years. 

“What you see is pretty much what happens,” she laughs. “It’s a constant rush of pure intensity. You’ve got so much to worry about — you’re riding with one hand on an animal that doesn’t quite understand what you want, but is trying its best. You’re using all this equipment. You’re listening to your teammates and, basically, trying to get the equivalent of a softball through some PVC poles.”

The 24-year-old grew up competing in eventing and dressage, but polocrosse added the team aspect (and the adrenaline) she was craving. It also brought her into the fold of a tight-knit global community, where a single phone call will land you at a guest house, on a guest horse, on the other side of the world. 

Kat and fellow club member Ally Kimbrough just competed in the U25 Polocrosse International in South Africa. In July 2024, Kat will return to South Africa to compete in the 2024 Polocrosse World Cup alongside club members Sarah Desai and Rahul Desai. They are among eight players in the United States selected by the American Polocrosse Association to participate.

• Saturday, Sept. 16, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Join the club for Polocrosse in the Pines, an event at the Pinehurst Harness Track that will help raise money for the (self-funded) USA World Cup Polocrosse Team. There will be tailgating, a pony kissing booth, drinks from James Creek Cider House, and prizes for best tailgate and best hat. Get more info or join the herd on Facebook.