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Under the high Patronage of HIs Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco Under the auspices of the Royal Moroccan Polo Federation THe British Polo Day Morocco presented by
In aid of
Hosted By
Welcome Note 4
Welcome to The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Marrakech Surrounded by the lush expanse of a world class polo field and featuring a modern, fully equipped clubhouse, The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Marrakech are a ground-breaking retreat for modern times – a visionary collection of villas with views of the polo field, a five-star hotel, a rejuvenating spa, world-class restaurants and equestrian facilities. All within a 500,000 square meter space; a beautiful oasis of calm set against the Atlas Mountains. The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Marrakech Coming Soon
European Enquiries: James.Price@knightfrank.com T: +44 20 7861 5033 Middle East Enquiries: Sarah.May-Brown@knightfrank.com T: +971 4451 2000
The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Marrakech are not owned, developed or sold by The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. or any of its affiliates (“Ritz-Carlton�). The Developer uses The Ritz-Carlton marks under a license from an affiliate of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. Ritz-Carlton has not confirmed the accuracy of any of the statements or representations made herein, and is not part of, or an agent for, the Developer and has not acted as broker, finder or agent in connection with the sale of The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Marrakech. This advertisment and the information provided are subject to change without prior notice. CGI renders are subject to change without prior notice.
Jnan amar welcome note 8
Š Jack Brockway
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Dear Guests, It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to the second annual charity polo event hosted by The Jnan Amar Polo Club Marrakech for the benefit of The Eve Branson Foundation in the country that both I and Eve love, Morocco. It has truly been a privilage working closely with Eve on making her dream come to reality, The Jnan Amar Polo Challenge that we held last year was a tremendous success and the funds that were raised made a big difference in the lives of the women and children that need it the most. I feel proud and honored to have played a role in making this happen. I certainly look forward to a successful repeat this year and to a long partnership between The Jnan Amar Polo Club Marrakech and The Eve Branson Foundation. I would like to sincerely thank His Majesty King Mohammad VI for his gracious patronage of this charity polo event, his support means the world to us. The Moroccan Royal Guard and The Moroccan Polo Federation have also given us their continued support and encouragement for which we are grateful. My appreciation goes to Patrick Hermes for his valuable advise since the early stages of the development and for his generous contribution to today’s event. This year The British Polo Day team have truly brought our vision to life with their vast knowledge and expertise in organizing successful polo events around the world, we’re lucky to have them as our partners for this year’s event. I’m happy to announce that the construction will soon start of The RitzCarlton Hotel and The Ritz-Carlton Private Residences around the Jnan Amar Polo fields, at completion I hope that it will be a great addition to the beautiful, vibrant and culturally rich city of Marrakech. You are always welcome with warm greetings at our upcoming polo resort. I wish you all a delightful day with us at the charity polo day and the gala diner later tonight, and for many years to come - enjoy! Amar Abdelhadi President Jnan Amar Polo Resort Marrakech
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Welcome Note 12
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Welcome to the British Polo Day Morocco, presented by Land Rover! We are delighted to be partnering with the stunning Jnan Amar Polo Club and we hope you agree that this is one of the most picturesque settings for a polo club in the World. We have fallen for Morocco’s people and culture in the same way that Eve Branson and her family did many years ago. We are extremely enthusiastic about raising as much money as possible for The Eve Branson Foundation, which is doing such great work here to improve the lives of the villagers. We are honoured that this event enjoys the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco and is held under the auspices of the Royal Moroccan Federation. Morocco has long-standing equestrian traditions, and we are pleased to be part of the growth of polo here / in this region. The day will feature the Hackett British Army Polo Team playing against the Moroccan Royal Guard. Modern polo was reinvented by the British Army in India in the nineteenth century and spread overseas as a way of training cavalries – we celebrate the heritage and traditions of the sport in this competitive fixture. However, to begin with, will be The Eve Branson Commonwealth team playing against the Jnan Amar Rest of the World Team. The former captained by Guy Schwarzenbach, and the latter by Amr Zedan, these two polo patrons have assembled two great teams that will showcase some thrilling polo. We would like to thank Patrick Guerrand-Hermès, former President of The Federation of International Polo, who has kindly lent his ponies to ensure that we can watch two great matches today. We would also like to thank all our partners who are supporting this event. We hope you have a wonderful day!
The Committee of The British Polo Day
Eve Branson Foundation note 14
Š Jack Brockway
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You must be somewhat perplexed as to what part Polo plays in the Eve Branson Foundation? It started in 2006, when I persuaded my son Richard to buy a magnificent Kasbah in the Moroccan Atlas Mountains. He consented, but only on one condition; that I look after all the poverty-stricken surrounding villages. Most of the villages in the higher Atlas Mountains are without water and electricity, with high rates of illiteracy. Girls leave school at 13 with few job or life prospects. The Berber villages set great store by self-reliance, so we decided to teach them to make crafts that we could sell, then gradually they would not only become independent, but also be able to pass their skills on for generations to come. The three girls who first started quickly turned into thirty and the Foundation has continued to flourish ever since. To date, we have taken on other villages and more enterprises, but it all needs money. During this period, ex polo player, Roy de Lisser invited me to ‘The Gold Cup’ at Cowdray. I was fascinated and glad to have my friend and member of Windsor Guards, Denzil Fernandez, explain the intricacies of the game! Hence I found myself watching a polo match. How wonderful on that hot May Day to witness this dangerous, extravagant sport and what better than to organise one to raise money for the Foundation? In April 2013 that dream became a reality, having brazenly contacted Amar Abdelhadi of the Jnan Amar Polo Resort. We met in his empty polo field and when discussing my mad idea to make money for the Foundation, I said ‘But Amar, can I trust you?’ Amar looked me in the eye and said ‘But Eve, can I trust you?’ We shook hands on it and we’ve been working together ever since. That first polo tournament made £30,000 for the Eve Branson Foundation. This year we’ve partnered with British Polo Day, who operate polo events worldwide, although never before have they worked in Morocco. We’re hoping that the proceeds of this year’s auction will enable us to continue the good work of the Foundation for at least another year, hopefully longer, whilst all of our guests thoroughly enjoy this incredible weekend! Love, Eve Branson
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Welcome Note - Sir Richard Branson 18
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Welcome to Morocco! This is a country that means a great deal to my family and I. We came here many years ago when I was undertaking a hot air balloon challenge and immediately fell in love with the people and the culture. As a result, my mother persuaded me to buy Kasbah Tamadot, a stunning retreat in the Atlas mountains that I hope you will have a chance to visit. It was while we were there that Eve came across the ancient local Berber villages that inspired her to set up The Eve Branson Foundation with the aim of supporting education, employment and healthcare initiatives in these villages. Last year she came up with the idea of the first polo match in Marrakech at the new Jnan Amar polo club! This was very well received and we are delighted that the event will form part of the British Polo Day series. British Polo Day bridges cultures and celebrate the heritage and traditions of the sport, partnering with some of the World’s best luxury brands, such as Land Rover and Hackett while raising significant money for good causes. I was pleased to meet the British Polo Day team recently in the UAE and they will be bringing a British Army team to Marrakech to play the Moroccan Royal Guard including the top Commonwealth player as part of the team that will play a talented side drawn from The Rest of the World. We will be in for some thrilling matches! My mother is a very impressive woman, serving with the Royal Navy in World War II among other feats and those that know her know that she is a real force to be reckoned with! I would like to thank her and everyone involved with arranging what will be a wonderful weekend. I hope that your enjoyment of will be matched by the amount that you can generously give to support The Eve Branson Foundation. Look forward to seeing you.
Sir Richard Branson
E m b a s s ay N o t e 20
timetable 22
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Thursday 17th April 7pm : Launch Party at Royal Mansour
Friday 18th April 9am : Land Rover Driving Experience 7:30pm – Medina Party at Riad El Fenn by kind permission of Vanessa Branson
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timetable
9pm : Gala Dinner, Fashion Showcase & Auction at La Mamounia
Sunday 20th April 12.30pm : Philanthropists Lunch at Kasbah Tamadot (NB: Only for the 10 Auction Lot Winners with a Guest Each) or 1pm : Easter Sunday Lunch at The Capaldi
Š Jack Brockway
26
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Testimonial - The Hon MW Vestey
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The Hon MW Vestey, President of WheelPower & Chairman of The Hurlingham Polo Association from 1995 - 2000 Six times winner of The Queen’s Cup at Guards Polo Club & Four times winner of The British Open Gold Cup at Cowdray Park Polo Club
To be invited by the Co-Founders of British Polo Day during the course of this event Morocco was an honour that I was delighted to accept. It has been quite remarkable to witness the sea-change that has taken in the polo landscape since I was first introduced to, and rapidly hooked on, the sport with my Regiment, The Scot’s Guards when posted to Kenya back in 1963. My brother and I then went on to plant many happy and successful years of highgoal together in The UK and this period was quickly followed by the beginnings of the professional era that we know today. In any transition from one approach to another, certain aspects are lost and others are gained. It is therefore encouraging to see that British Polo Day have both rekindled the best amateur traditions of the game as well as bringing young talent on the rise to the attention of an international audience. . Polo has been – and indeed continues to be – a dominant passion in my life and the arrival of the first global polo network can only be a good thing for the game and the various Charities for whom funds are raised around the world. As a result of this spectacular new Club, with its peerless location under The Atlas Mountains, I wish The Eve Branson Foundation every success from the inaugural British Polo Day Morocco.
Although the ancient sport of polo began in Persia and China many centuries ago, the British reinvented the modern game in the Nineteenth Century. Sir Winston Churchill, one of the greatest proponents of the game, once famously said “a polo handicap is a passport to the world� and polo is still thriving everywhere it is played, from Argentina to New Zealand. British Polo Day carries on the tradition of the British playing polo against friends in a host of different countries around the world.
www.britishpoloday.com
Rules of polo 34
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The green player has the line, and at fair speed the white player would be crossing the line without sufficient safety margin, resulting in a penalty against white.
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When two players are approaching a ball in the open from different directions, the player (white), with the line of the ball on his offside, right hand side, has right of way.
Testimonial - Philip Treacy 36
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A r t E x h i b i t i o n - “ I n v i s i b l e L i g h t ” by Ya h ya & Q o t b i 40
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“ I n v i s i b l e L i g h t ” by Ya h ya & Q o t b i A testament to Moroccan craftsmanship itself, and in keeping with its philosophy and commitment to promoting the national arts, the Royal Mansour Marrakech is proud to announce its very own exhibition from worldrenowned artists Yahya and Qotbi, running from 18th April – 15th September 2014. Following their recent “Invisible Light” exhibition at the Parisian Arab World Institute, Royal Mansour will host 22 works by the formidable duo – all of which will be for sale – over five months, open to all free of charge. For Yahya, whose show-stopping lantern takes pride of place in the hotel lobby, it will be a return to partnership with the iconic property. Kenza Zizi, Marketing Manager at Royal Mansour comments: “We are truly delighted to be able to welcome the works of Yahya & Qotbi to the Royal Mansour. The exquisite Yahya pieces we have at the hotel are always much admired by our guests, so it is a real honour and excitement to present a full exhibition by such impressive and thought-provoking artists.” In turn, Yahya & Qotbi are delighted to be furthering the success of their “Invisible Light” exhibition with a show at the Royal Mansour. According to Yahya, “As a Moroccan artist, it is the greatest honour to bring my works back to Marrakech and the palatial surroundings of Royal Mansour. It is the perfect backdrop for our exhibition exploring the cultural legacy of our calligraphic art form.” Sculptor and art-object designer, Yahya, and script painter Mehdi Qotbi join forces in oil and bronze to create awe-inspiring works, incarnations of dialogue through three dimensions and a manipulation of light and shadow, to express the beauty and abstract calligraphic tradition of Islamic art. Following the Royal Mansour exhibition, the precious works are likely to be moved to a leading European museum for display in 2016.
Jnan Amar POlo Team - Previous events
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The Jnan Amar Polo Team at The Westbury competing against Prince William’s team for the benefit of his charity, Tusk Foundation.
Jnan Amar POlo Team - Previous events
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The Jnan Amar Polo Team celebrating winning The Saint-Tropez Polo Trophy
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in aid of the eve branson foundation
Trophies & prizes
The Jnan Amar Challenge, in Aid of The Eve Branson Foundation The Eve Branson Commonwealth vs Jnan Amar Rest of The World Presented By Sir Richard & Eve Branson Best Dressed Presented By Zaeem Jamal
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The Land Rover Cup The Hackett British Army vs Moroccan Royal Guard Presented By H.E. Clive Alderton & Patrick Hermes The Holland & Holland “Shot of The Day” Presented By John Stevenson
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THe Brompton cycle polo exhibition match 50 1
The Brompton Cycle Polo Exhibition Match
This year at the British Polo Day Morocco we are pleased to showcase Cycle Polo in partnership with Brompton bicycles. All Bromptons are designed and built in their factory in West London, England. Brompton is one of only two major frame manufacturers still based in the UK, and have been in full production since 1988. The company remains in private hands and is now led by Will Butler-Adams, though the Brompton’s inventor, Andrew Ritchie, continues to act as Technical Director. Today, Bromptons are sold in 42 export markets. Cycle Polo was invented in County Wicklow, Ireland, in 1891 by retired cyclist, Richard J. Mecredy. That same year the first cycle polo match was played between The Scalp and the Ohne Hast C.C.. Towards the end of the 19th century the game reached Great Britain, France, and the United States where the American Star Bicycle was a popular mount. The first international match was played between Ireland and England in 1901. Cycle polo was a demonstration sport at the 1908 London Olympics with Ireland winning the gold, beating Germany. The sport reached its peak of popularity in Great Britain during the 1930s with the introduction of the regional leagues. Cycle polo also flourished in France during this period with the establishment of the French league. Internationals between France and Great Britain were held regularly. However the Second World War marked the beginning of the demise of cycle polo in Britain. The sport managed to hang on in France though, with league championships held regularly till today. The 1980s saw the rise of two new powers in cycle polo, India and USA. The Cycle Polo Association of India was officially created in 1966 and the Bicycle Polo Association of America was created in 1994. International cycle polo matches staged a comeback in the 1990s with the first world championship organized in 1996 in the USA. Today there is organized cycle polo being played in Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland and USA. Cycle polo was officially recognized by the International Cycling Union in 2001.
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The Eve Branson Commonwealth
Jnan Amar Rest of The World
Royal Salute
Oxford Group Holdings
1. Stuart Wrigley
(0)
1. Amr Zedan
(0)
2. Guy Schwarzenbach
(2)
2. Nacho Tejerina
(3)
3. John Paul Clarkin
(8)
3. Rudolfo Ducos
(4)
Bk. Reda Shetty
(0)
Bk. Lucas Tarditto
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TOTAL 10
TOTAL 10 Moroccan Royal Guard
The Hackett British Army
Hackett 1. Capt Mathew Blakiston
(0)
1. Sidi Mohamed El Mhamdi
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2. Capt Robert Freeman-Kerr
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2. Ahmed Mounkachi
(1)
3. Capt Ben Vestey
(3)
3. Ahmed Bentaibi
(1)
Bk. Capt The Lord Wrottesley
(0)
Bk. Abdennasser Hassi
(1)
TOTAL 4
TOTAL 4
Red & Green collar Umpires 56
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Prior to the mid nineties players umpired matched at all levels which was accepted as part of the game. However at the higher levels as more money was poured into polo, and the top professionals became disenchanted with the idea of umpiring, a small group of professional umpires were selected by the then Chief Umpire, Martin Trotter, to run matches. At the same time a professional umpire from the Argentine was employed by the HPA to give further weight to the programme at the high goal level only. In general this was successfully aided by the employment of an umpire/assessor from the United States. As time passed our homegrown umpires became more experienced and for the most part concentrated on umpiring at the expense of their playing career. The scheme was expanded to pick up all the Victor Ludorum matches at 15 goal and above and the semi finals and finals at he lower levels. Management of the PP Group, now 8 strong, remains with the Chief Umpire, Robert Graham, who allocates umpires to matches as required independent of the club running the tournament. They are entitled to wear a red collar on their umpire shirt and they are expected to achieve a high standard of fairness, control and discipline. They are paid a proper wage on a per game basis for which the teams are charged by the HPA. The success of the scheme may be measured by the fact that our top professional umpires are invited to stand in tournaments around the world though as not yet in the USA or Argentina.
Brigadier Arthur Douglas-Nugent, Deputy Chief Umpire, Hurlingham Polo Association
Oli Ellis
David Allen
PGI:Protection Group Internat i o n a l
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CAPABILITY : PGI specialises globally in the secure protection of our client’s assets; human, physical, legal, intellectual property, financial and operational and provide our services, products and support to a number of key industry sectors including Shipping, Legal, Financial Services, Transport and Oil and Gas. Our key service capabilities lie in: • Corporate Intelligence and Risk Analysis • Maritime Security • Cyber Security and Forensics • Human Behavioural Analysis • Security Training and Consultancy We are delighted to sponsor British Polo Day and believe there is enormous synergy between our two brands. PGI, like British Polo Day, values and has great pride in the British brand. We believe that the combination of the philanthropic ethos behind their creation and the global reach of these events, is a strong fit for PGI and will prove to be a long and valuable partnership.
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TEAMS - The Hackett British Army 610
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Captain Robert Stewart and Major General Joe Sherer were responsible for introducing the West to Polo. They saw a match while stationed in Manipur, and in 1859 held the inaugural meeting of the first polo club, the Silchar Polo Club. In England, the first polo match was organized by Captain Edward “Chicken” Hartopp, of the British Cavalry 10th Hussars, on Hounslow Heath in 1869. Today’s players represent the finest Cavalry and Guards Regiments of the British Army, who have ridden since the 17th Century and expounded the merits of polo since the 19th Century.
ARMY
1. Capt Mathew Blakiston
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3. Capt Ben Vestey
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Bk. Capt The Lord Wrottesley
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TEAMS - Jnan Amar rest of the world 62 1
Š Jack Brockway
Š Jack Brockway
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The founder of Jnan Amar Polo Club, Ammar Abdelhadi, is a Saudi Arabian national, and so it is fitting that his team today is captained by the best Saudi polo player – Amr Zedan. Outside of the Commonwealth, the best polo playing country is without doubt, Argentina, which is where the remaining three players are from, but who play all over the World. This is a truly international team and the stage is set for a great contest.
JNAN AMAR
1. Amr Zedan
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2. Nacho Tejerina
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3. Rudolfo Ducos
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Bk. Lucas Tarditto
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TOTAL
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Join the british polo day around the world As British Cavalry Officers travelled the four corners of the earth, they learnt to play and love polo, spreading the game from Argentina to Australia. Polo is thriving everywhere it is played. British Polo Day celebrates the heritage of the game in each country, reviving some of the old rivalries whilst bridging cultures in a quintessentially British Day. www.britishpoloday.com British Polo Day USA, 31st May 2014 British Polo Day United Kingdom, 28th June 2014 British Polo Day Russia, 26th July 2014 British Polo Day China, 14th September 2014 British Polo Day Australia, 26th October 2014 British Polo Day Mexico, 22nd November 2014 British Polo Day India, 12th, 13th & 14th December 2014 British Polo Day Abu Dhabi, March 2015 British Polo Day Dubai, March 2015 British Polo Day Morocco, April 2015 Brazil, South Africa and South Korea to be added in 2015/16 If you would like to attend a British Polo Day, please email: britishpoloday@abercrombiekent.co.uk
T E A M S - T h e E v e B r a n s o n c o m m o n w e a lt h 66 1
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The Commonwealth of Nations is an intergovernmental organisation of 53 member states that were mostly territories of the former British Empire. Polo thrived in these countries, and as a result many of these countries remain the leading global polo hubs and sources of some great talent. Today’s Commonwealth team features four players representing Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and India.
COMMONWEALTH
1. Stuart Wrigley
(0)
2. Guy Schwarzenbach
(2)
3. John Paul Clarkin
(8)
Bk. Reda Shetty
(0)
TOTAL
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T E A M S - M o r o c c a n r oya l g u a r d 70 1
© Jack Brockway
Š Jack Brockway
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The Moroccan Royal Guard is under the direct operational control of the Royal Military Household of His Majesty the King. The sole duty of the guard is to provide for the security and safety of the King and royal family of Morocco. The Royal Guard traces its origins to the prestigious Black Guard that was created in 1088 by the Almoravid ruler Yusuf ibn Tashfin as his personal guard. This recruitment tradition was continued by the Almohads through the 15th century. The Alaouite Sultan Moulay Ismail reorganized the Black Guard into permanent infantry and cavalry units at the beginning of the 18th century. In recent years, Morocco’s polo community has sought to revive the equestrian tradition that has long been enjoyed in the kingdom. One of its most prominent events, the King Mohammed VI International Polo Trophy, was established by the Moroccan Royal Guard in 2006 and hosted again in 2009. We look forward to continuing that tradition.
1. Sidi Mohamed El Mhamdi
(1)
2. Ahmed Mounkachi
(1)
3. Ahmed Bentaibi
(1)
Bk. Abdennasser Hassi
(1)
TOTAL
4
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Polo is perhaps the oldest game in the world – having been played over 2500 years ago - and is truly international. The name polo is said to have been derived from the Tibetan word “pulu”, meaning ball.
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n 600 BC the first recorded game of polo took place between the Turkomans and Persians. The Turkomans won. Polo began as a training game for cavalry units, usually the King’s Guard or other elite troops. To the warlike tribesmen, who played it with as many as 100 to a side, it was a miniature battle. Persian literature and art give us the richest accounts of polo in antiquity. Ferdowsi, the famed poet-historian, gives a number of accounts of royal polo tournaments in his 9th century epic, Shahnameh (the Epic of Kings). In the earliest account, Ferdowsi romanticises an international match between Turanian force and the followers of Siyâvash, a legendary prince from the earliest centuries of the Empire. The game spread into North India. In fact Sultan Qutb-ud-din Aibak, the first Muslim Emperor of North India, actually died accidentally in 1210 playing polo.
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From Persia, in medieval times polo spread after the Muslim conquests to the Ayyubid and Mameluke dynasties of Egypt and the Levant, whose elites favored it above all other sports. Notable sultans such as Saladin and Baybars were known to play it and encourage it in their court. Polo sticks were features on the Mameluke precursor to modern day playing cards. Polo was passed from Persia to other parts of Asia including the Indian subcontinent and China, where it was very popular during the Tang Dynasty and frequently depicted in paintings and statues. The Moguls were largely responsible for taking the game from Persia to the east and by the 16th century the Emperor Babur had established it in India. Polo was revived in Japan by the 8th Shogun, Tokugawa Yoshimune (1684-1751) and was played until early 20th century. It was the favourite sport of the last Shogun who surrendered power to the Emperor in 1868.
Sir Winston Churchill Old Harrovian
The Prince of Wales in Jodhpur 1922
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The modern game of polo, though formalised and popularised by the British, is derived from Manipur (now a state in India) when British tea planters discovered the game in Manipur (Munipoor) on the Burmese border with India and eåstablished the first polo club in the world at Silchar, west of Manipur in 1862. In 1869, Edward “Chicken” Hartopp, 10th Hussars, read an account of the game in The Field, while stationed at Aldershot, and, with brother officers, organised the first game known then as “hockey on horseback”- on a hastily-rolled Hounslow Heath against The 9th Lancers. The 1st Life Guards and the Royal Horse Guards were quick to follow suit on grounds at Hounslow and in Richmond Park; and then on a small ground near Earl’s Court known as Lillie Bridge. The first polo club in England was Monmouthshire, founded by Capt. Francis “Tip” Herbert, 7th Lancers, at his brother’s seat, Clytha Park, near Abergavenny in 1872.
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In 1875, the first official match in Argentina took place on 3rd September, where the game took place between English and Irish engineers and ranchers.
Prince Philip playing polo
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John Paul Clarkin Player - The Eve Branson Commonwealth John Paul, or JP as he is known, is New Zealand’s leading professional and plays off an 8 goal handicap. He is the captain of the New Zealand team and this year led his team to a narrow victory over South Africa. This summer he will join Black Bears in the UK to participate in the British high goal season competing in, among others, the prestigious Gold Cup and Queen’s Cup tournaments.
Patrick Hermes B r i t i s h P o l o D ay P e r s o n a l i t i e s
Horsepower Supporter Patrick is a former president of the Federation of International Polo. He is noted for his involvement with Morocco and redevelopment here, most notably the redevelopment of the Aïn Kassimou in Marrakech in the 1980s, a villa built for Leo Tolstoy’s daughter, Olga. He is also a notable art collector. Patrick graduated from Oxford University and his great-great-grandfather, Thierry Hermès, was of Norman origin, and founder of the renowned firm of Hermès. Patrick first went to Marrakech in 1954 as a cavalryman. His interest in polo prompted him to become deeply involved in the development of the polo grounds at Château de Chantilly in the early 1970s. The polo team sponsored by GuerrandHermès is known as La Palmerai.
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Guy Schwarzenbach Player - The Eve Branson Commonwonwealth Guy Schwarzenbach’s introduction to polo was at Eton College, where his team won the National Schools Championships in 99 & 2000. Having been exposed to Polo from a young age, with his father starting the Black Bears in the mid 80’s, it was certain that he would continue the tradition going won to win the Gold Cup scoring the winning goals in the semi’s and the finals. Since his focus is on improving his handicap and the progeny of his horses. Last year he returned to high goal polo. He has played in his native Switzerland, England, Australia, Argentina, Spain, France, Germany, Dubai, India and Mongolia. Guy is the Captain of the Swiss Team and the very successful Black Bears Polo Team in England.
Eve Branson Founder - The Eve Branson Foundation Evette Huntley Branson, mother of Richard, Lindy, and Vanessa and wife of the late Major Edward “Ted” Branson. Eve Branson has been writing since she was 6 years old. In addition to her memoir, she has written articles, essays, novels, plays, scripts, and children’s stories. She has also published travel articles and historical accounts and a children’s book. In 2005, Eve founded the Eve Branson Foundation that provides income-producing projects for girls in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. In 2008, at 84, she became the first mother in history with a private space travel namesake, the Virgin Mother Ship, VMS EVE that will launch the first Virgin Galactic astronauts to the edge of space.
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Amr Zedan Player - Jnan Amar Rest of The World Amr Zedan is one of The Middle East’s leading polo patrons and played in the inaugural Jnan Amar Polo Challenge last year. Since launching in 2010, Zedan polo has become an established, respected and leading team on the Middle East polo circuit, featuring every year in the Dubai Silver and Gold Cups. Amr is Chairman and CEO of the Zedan Group that focuses on engineering, procurement and construction in the infrastructure and energy sectors in Saudi Arabia.
Lt. Colonel Simon Ledger B r i t i s h P o l o D ay P e r s o n a l i t i e s
The Voice of British Polo Day Simon Ledger is a retired Lt. Col. in The British Cavalry Regiment, The Light Dragoons. He joined the Army in 1975 and has served all over the world including Northern Ireland, UK, Germany, Norway, Cyprus, the Middle East and Kosovo. His last appointment was the Deputy Garrison Commander at Tidworth. Playing polo since 1976, he has run the Tidworth Polo Club as well as the Cyprus Polo Association and the Combined Services Polo Association. He began commentating in 1987 at polo matches, eventing and races. Since 1994, he has commentated for all the major polo tours at Tidworth PC, Guards PC, Sandhurst and British Polo Days worldwide. As Chairman of the Army Polo Association since 2003, he organises all Army Polo activity.
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