The 2011 Dream Team

 

Chief "Eighteen" Wheeler - Captain

 

What can we say about the Chief? Well, he is Founder and Captain of The Pukka Chukkas - he is also the coach, master tactician (his words not ours!) and team travel coordinator. With 4 WEPA World Championships under his belt and an Olympic Silver Medal, he knows that he is by no means an elephant polo expert but hopes that 2012 will be "fifth time lucky"! In his mis-spent youth he played a bit of rugby, although life in the front row has changed over the years (there was a lot less running around back then, which is fortunate 'cos the Chief is rubbish at running around!). The Chief lists his hobbies as elephant polo, curry & beer (not necessarily in that order).

 

Simon "Boris" Race - Vice Captain

 

Simon, our beloved vice captain, has been with the Pukkas from the very beginning.  Originally from England, he now calls Perth, Australia home and proudly wears the green and gold when supporting his other sporting passion, Rugby. 

2012 will be Simon's 4th WEPA and the third year that he will be sharing the World Cup adventures with his partner Gwenni.  The only thing more precious to him then the WEPA World Cup are his two beautiful daughters who no doubt will one day travel to Tiger Tops as part of their wordly exploits, just as he did in his teens when travelling through Northern Asia.

 

His skills on the polo field have been known to include a whopping goal from the other teams half and are surpassed only by his skills in the bar, where he can often be found around the fireplace with his Pukka team mates in the wee (and sometimes not so wee!) hours of the morning.

 

Melanie "Snorty Pukka" Wheeler

 

Melanie, a.k.a. "Snorty Pukka" was the 2011 Oscar winner for best off-field performance at WEPA and she is the beating heart of the Team (our words, not hers) and her heart is beating particularly fast at the moment because she started knitting scarves for The Pukka Chukkas in 2008. Given we have already started packing for the 2012 tournament, this could be a tall order (or a short and narrow scarf!).

 

Melanie has done her share of travelling, and when out and about on the town she especially enjoys eating chocolate and is a huge fan of The Chief's curries!

 

 

Alex "The Flying Doctor" Hamilton

 

 

 

Michael Eaton

Back for his second tournament 2011, Michael played a blinder in attack and scored the Pukka's first ever goal in a WEPA final.

 

He was born and raised in the tundra of Canada, Michael has grown up on a diet primarily of bacon and maple syrup.  An avid outdoorsman, he has survived in the wild with just poutine and beer alone! Despite that, its fair to say his most significant and unforgettable contribution to WEPA over the past couple of years was taking over the kitchen at Kathmandu airport and cooking the team cheese and ham toasties while we waited for Yeti Airlines to get their act together - pure class! Always meeting new people and making alliances around the world, there is no place he doesn't call home and rarely has to pay for a hotel room - a truly international houseguest.  

 

 

Gwenni Barrett

Born and bred in sunny Perth, Australia, this is Gwenni's second World Championship and she isreturning with her partner and Pukka's 'vice captain' Simon.
As well as her sporting interest's of kayaking, boxing and whippet racing, Gwenni is studying Paramedicine and developing her culinary skills at

home with the family and three very spoilt dogs.
After demonstrating her natural 'spotting' skills culminating in the first 'team' close encounter sighting of an elusive Royal Bengal tiger on the way back from the polo field, Gwenni is attentioning her focus this year to spot the even more elusive Giant Man-eating Sloth bear!

Never far from 'Snorty Pukka' the two girls look forward once again to providing the necessary balance to this most 'pukka' of teams!

 

 

Tom Fontaine

WTF! Woke up with a hangover, and a commitment to play Elephant Polo. What the hell was I thinking? OK, OK, how hard can it be?? I lived in Canada for 15 years, so I can swing a hockey stick. That's like a polo mallet right? And I lived in the UK for 5 years so I can speak the language of the Pukka Chukkas. Plus I've been in Australia for 15 years so I have my 'pint lifting' skills perfected. Maybe I can do this. Hey, I've raised over half a dozen kids without getting trampled, I should be able to manage a little elephant polo....help!!!

 

 

Zina Cordery