They've got their World Cup horses now, the 48 or so players from eight international teams contesting the Ridley Polocrosse World Cup 2007 at Warwick, south west of Brisbane. The complex business of drawing individual team's horses from the more than 200 - mostly registered Australian Stock Horses lent by the Australia-wide polocrosse fraternity - took place this morning.

Competing teams (in ranking order) come from current World Cup holder Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe, USA, Ireland, United Kingdom and Canada.

Fourteen horses left Western Australia on March 21 to arrive at the Morgan Park, Warwick polocrosse complex in time for today's draw, along with eight from South Australia, 32 from Victoria, 47 from NSW and one from the Northern Territory. Home state Queensland provided 78 horses and members of the Australian squad 23. Each owner will receive a numbered, limited edition Barastoc horse rug from naming rights sponsor Ridley AgriProducts.

The Australia-wide quest for horses of World Cup standard started in June 2006. Selectors scoured the country and the World Cup horse management team rode and rated each horse before allocating them to eight pools of balanced ability.

Since the inaugural Polocrosse World Cup held at Warwick in 2003, $500,000 has been invested in infrastructure at Morgan Park, including a mega-electronic score board, 120 new stables - bringing the number of covered stables to 300 - extension of the grounds by three hectares and development of two new playing fields, bringing the total to seven turf fields. A state-of-the-art communications centre has been established, relaying results and breaking news via links with national news outlets and online streaming.

The Governor-General, His Excellency Major General Michael Jeffery AC CVO MC (Rtd), patron of the Polocrosse Association of Australia, will officially open the Ridley Polocrosse World Cup 2007 at 9 am on Monday, April 23.

Twenty international matches will be played over the week - with the teams having a rest day on April 25. Semi-finals will be played on Friday and Saturday, April 27 and 28, and the World Cup final at 2.30 pm on Sunday, April 29.

From left captains of South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Zimbabwe, UK, Ireland and USA.

Image courtesy www.sportingimages.com.au