Accident claims the life of polo champion who coached King Charles

Sinclair Hill AM OBE, who coached King Charles when he was a young prince and introduced media magnate Kerry Packer to polo, died on Sunday at the age of 92, following an accident while mustering cattle at his Sky Farm property at Meroo Meadow in NSW.

At his peak in the 50s and 60s, Mr Hill had no peer as a polo player, according to Polo NSW president Jeremy Bayard.

"He was one of only two Australians to ever reach a 10-goal handicap, and that's the highest you can reach," Mr Bayard said as he likened the handicap level of playing golf off scratch or below.

Mr Bayard said Mr Hill was "one of only a handful of players around the world" to ever reach that handicap.

Mr Hill was also an inaugural inductee to Australian Polo Hall of Fame, and was one of two in the sport to be considered immortals.

He represented Australia and the Commonwealth many times all over the world, and "had an enormous presence in polo in Australia for the best part of 70 years," according to Mr Bayard.

His skill on a horse and with a polo mallet led to the late Prince Phillip asking Mr Hill to coach a young Prince Charles in polo.

The pair became firm friends, and Mr Hill and wife Wendy were guests at Prince Charles' wedding to Lady Diana in London in 1981.

Charles had stayed with the couple at their Moree property in April of that year. and when King Charles and Queen Camilla visited Australia last year they again caught up.

King Charles was not the only high-profile friend Mr Hill enjoyed.

"He had an incredible network of friends because he was such a gregarious fellow, that he just accumulated an enormous array of friends from all walks of life," Mr Bayard said.

They included political and business leaders, royalty and maharajas, all drawn to the man described as "an enormous force of nature" and "the life of every party".

Beyond polo Mr Hill also had a successful career in agriculture, with several properties in NSW and Queensland where he ran cattle for many years.

Mr Bayard said in recent years he had moved away from farming cattle but still had some at Meroo Meadow.

Being out mustering cattle at the age of 92 was typical of Mr Hill's character, according to Mr Bayard.

"He gave it 100 per cent every day, and he was doing that the day he died," Mr Bayard said.