N°1
magazine
#POLORIDERCUP
magazine Welcome to the POLO RIDER CUP, the new club competition under the umbrella of the Federation International of Polo (FIP), with the support of the French Federation of Polo (FFP) and the Chantilly Polo Club. Enjoy, watch, support your favorite team/club and we hope you will appreciate this new competition and the great sport of polo!
Game Polo
S U M M A R Y 5
Edito FIP President, Horacio Areco
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Edito FFP President, Jean-Edouard Mazery
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Edito Chantilly Polo Club, Arnaud de Chênevarin Edito Région Hauts de France Edito CCAC POLO RIDER CUP Introduction Gonzalo Quesada, POLO RIDER CUP Ambassador Programme The Teams POLO RIDER CUP Rules POLO RIDER CUP Trophy Fast Game Fast Facts TV & Digital Media Partners Thanks to our Partners
EDITO I FEDERATION OF INTERNATIONAL POLO
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P O L O R I D E R C U P, THE WORLD POLO CHAMPIONSHIP OF CLUBS The Federation of International Polo is delighted to endorse and be part of the POLO RIDER CUP 2021. The event’s first edition will be held this year thanks to the vision and determination of Olivier Godallier, GAME Polo, and Benoît Perrier, Chantilly Polo Club, which is providing these magnificent polo facilities, second to none in the world. Over 50 athletes representing 10 nationalities and 8 nations will compete and be accommodated for more than ten days in Chantilly. The Federation of International Polo will thus be achieving one of its principal missions of developing the sport worldwide while fostering an international exchange of cultures and camaraderie in polo. This is the first step in an ambitious and wonderful idea of establishing the POLO RIDER CUP as the World Polo Championship of Clubs in the World Polo calendar. It is the Federation of International Polo’s objective to continue to work very closely with GAME Polo, the Chantilly Polo Club and all the International Polo Clubs taking part in the POLO RIDER CUP to continue developing this concept of international polo competition at every level and at every age. We want to use quality, world class polo events such as this one to leave a lasting impression and give the people who will participate in it, from players to spectators, an unforgettable experience; we are well on our way to achieving this goal. The Federation of International Polo is extremely grateful to all the partners and sponsors who have helped in this enterprise. Thank you, Olivier and Benoît, for your vision, enthusiasm and support for the sport of polo; thank you, Chantilly Polo Club, for hosting the teams at this beautiful and well-managed facility; thank you, Polo Clubs from around the world for participating in this foundational step; thank you to the local operations team for your excellent work on the polo grounds, for taking care and maintaining the health and fitness of all the horses; and to all the Federation of International Polo Officials, Tournament Director and Umpires. I would also like to thank the Fédération Française de Polo for all the efforts dedicated to promoting and developing the sport in this region and across France. Thank you.
FIP President
Horacio Areco
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EDITO I FÉDÉRATION FRANÇAISE DE POLO
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L E T ’ S C R E AT E , B R I N G PEOPLE TOGETHER, I N N O V AT E , . . .
France is in the forefront with the creation of the first competition bringing together twelve international clubs, the POLO RIDER CUP. In these difficult times, we must continue to look to the future and to build the polo of tomorrow, with boldness and ambition, to make polo an ever more competitive sport with an ever more friendly spirit. While the future of our sport requires a global vision focused on several main areas (helping new talents to emerge, developing the sport at high level and at regional level, promoting horse breeding, structuring training and promoting the diversity of different types of polo), polo also needs new international competitions. This is why the POLO RIDER CUP comes at the right time, with the ambition of showcasing the sport on the international stage with a competition bringing together twelve international clubs in France for this first stage, under the aegis of the Federation of International Polo (FIP). It is thanks to great initiatives like this that the spirit of polo will continue to shine, that of fair play, team spirit, exceeding one’s limits, respect for both Man and Horse, and above all a spirit of warmth and friendliness. This is the spirit that originates in the clubs and on which we must build to create the foundations of tomorrow’s polo. 7
FFP President
Jean-Edouard Mazery
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WELCOME TO C H A N T I L LY POLO CLUB!
“Between two waves”, the Domaine de Chantilly Polo Club successfully organized a great polo season in 2020 despite the difficult health conditions. The last French Open will remain an unforgettable event, giving the Club a new dimension by attracting strong attention from the media and international social networks. The first edition of the POLO RIDER CUP will officially open the French polo season. We are delighted to host this maiden event and to line up a team on behalf of the Club. A few kilometers from Paris, the Domaine de Chantilly Polo Club, with its nine grounds spread over 205 hectares bordered by forest, offers an ideal haven of peace to host a competition on this scale. This innovative event forms an integral part of our drive to organize more events in collaboration with the Federation of International Polo and to instill momentum into the French polo scene! Bringing together teams and players from all over the world, this first edition promises to be very competitive and to offer the public on site, as well as behind their screens, a great show with great polo games! All the elements will be in place to make this tournament a must-play event on the international circuit, like the French Open. Welcome everyone to the Domaine de Chantilly Polo Club!
Chantilly Polo Club President
Arnaud De Chenevarin
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The Hauts-de-France Region is honored to host the first international polo tournament to be held in our country. The Chantilly domain, with its heritage of equestrian tradition, is the ideal setting for this sport, very popular with our British friends, to meet the French public. For ten days, the best teams in the world will offer, through this high-level competition, a never-before-seen show in France. The “POLO RIDER CUP 2021” is part of a process to popularize this sport, which brings man and horse in perfect osmosis. Highly involved in the promotion of equestrian practices for all and more generally the culture of horsemanship in all its forms, the Hauts-de-France Region welcomes the teams and the many spectators expected to attend the competition. We also invite you, on the sidelines of the event, to discover the region’s treasures, its gastronomy, its natural beauties and the spirit of sharing and conviviality that makes its reputation. Happy POLO RIDER CUP and may the best team win!
Région Hauts-de-France
Region Hauts-de-France
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The Communauté de Communes de l’Aire Cantilienne is happy to support the organisation of the POLO RIDER CUP at the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly, at the Ferme d’Apremont. Each year, the equestrian events multiply, sign that our territory is attractive and dynamic, true LAND OF HORSE! Our wish is to make our territory radiate in France, in Europe and in the World, we have for that the heritage and the events like this one which welcomes 12 international teams. The Aire Cantilienne, 30 minutes north of Paris, is a place where history has taken shape over the ages, and where the natural setting gives it an exceptional value. What better place than this green setting to host such a competition? I would like to congratulate the President and the entire team of the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly for their dynamism and their commitment to democratize and make this sport known. I wish each one of you a great week of competition and hope to have the pleasure of meeting you again to discover, or rediscover, the Aire Cantilienne.
Communauté de Communes de l’Aire Cantilienne 13
P R É S E N TAT I O N I P O L O R I D E R C U P
P R C I N T R O D U C T I O N The POLO RIDER CUP will be the ultimate Polo club competition at the international level. There are currently a multitude of Polo com- petitions around the world, from the oldest and most prestigious to anonymous club competitions. These competitions bring together independent teams, financed by a patron, but there are no club competitions that are organized or formatted to offer a 10-day international competition playing with the same rules in a single club.
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Along the lines of many professional sports having successfully achieved their sporting and financial transition, the idea underpinning the creation of the POLO RIDER CUP is to initially bring together the best polo clubs in the world from 8 different countries through 12 clubs.
PA R R A I N I G O N Z A L O Q U E S A D A
G O N Z A L O Q U E S A D A P O L O R I D E R C U P A M B A S S A D O R
Gonzalo Quesada, born May 2, 1974 in Buenos Aires, is an Argentinian rugby union player and coach. He played mainly as half-fly, winning 39 caps for the Argentina national rugby team between 1996 and 2007, which included playing in two World Cups (1999 & 2003). He was best scorer and won the Golden Boot at the 1999 World Cups. As a player, Gonzalo Quesada started his career playing with the Hindù Club (ARG) where he played till 1999. He then moved to France from 1999 till 2007, and played for R.C. Narbonne, A.S. Béziers, Stade Français Paris, Section Paloise and R.C. Toulon. From 2007 till 2008, he returned to Argentina to end his career with his debut club, the Hindù Club. After a very successful career as a player, Gonzalo Quesada was appointed Assistant Coach of the French national rugby team (2008-2011). In such capacity, he won the 2010 Six Nations Grand Slam and was Finalist of the 2011 World Cup. He then moved on to become Head Coach of the French teams Racing Métro 92 (2011-2013), Stade Français Paris (2013-2017), and Biarritz Olympique (2017-2018). In 2015, he won the French Championship with Stade Français Paris and in 2017, with the same team, he won the European Rugby Challenge Cup, In 2019, he was appointed Head Coach for the Super Rugby team Jaguares, and brought the team to the final of the 2019 Super Rugby. In 2020, Gonzalo Quesada returned to Stade Français Paris to take up a new challenge. Gonzalo Quesada (polo handicap 0) has had a real passion for the sport of polo from a very young age on. He was taught by his father, also a rugby and polo player. Gonzalo Quesada put this passion for polo on hold during his rugby career, but in the last couple of years, he has resumed playing again and enjoy the game. “It’s an honour for me to become the Ambassador for the POLO RIDER CUP as I have a real passion for the game. As an Argentinian, polo is in our DNA. Also, the concept of the POLO RIDER CUP is similar to that of the Rugby Champions Cup, a club competition.”
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PROGRAMME
P R O G R GROUP 1
GROUP 1 RANKING
ZONE A
ZONE B
1ER
A1
Hong Kong
Hamburger
B1
2
C1
A2
Chantilly
Dusseldorf
B2
3
C2
A3
Moscow
Zurich
B3
4
C3
5 6 TIME
THURSDAY 10 JUNE
FRIDAY 11 JUNE
SATURDAY 12 JUNE
SUNDAY 13 JUNE
MONDAY 14 JUNE
11:30 AM
Hong Kong vs Hamburger
Deauville vs Empire
HK vs Dusseldorf
Deauville vs Las Brisas
HK vs Zurich
Deauville vs St Moritz
03:00 PM
Chantilly vs Dusseldorf
La Aguada vs Las Brisas
Chantilly vs Zurich
La Aguada vs St Moritz
Chantilly vs Hamburger
La Aguada vs Empire
05:30 PM
Moscow vs Zurich
Dos Lunas vs St Moritz
Moscow vs Hamburger
Dos Lunas vs Empire
Moscow vs Dusseldorf
Dos Lunas vs Las Brisas
TUESDAY 15 JUNE
A M M E GROUP 2
GROUP 2 RANKING
ZONE C
ZONE D
1ER
Deauville
Empire
D1
2
La Aguada
Las Brisas
D2
3
Dos Lunas
St Moritz
D3
4 5 6
WEDNESDAY 16 JUNE
TIME
THRURSDAY 17 JUNE
Day Off
11:00 AM
Day Off
FRIDAY 18 JUNE
SATURDAY 19 JUNE
SUNDAY 20 JUNE
G1 5th vs G2 6th
Finale 11/12
Finale 3/4
01:00 AM
G2 5th vs G1 6th
Finale 9/10
Day Off
03:00 PM
G1 3rd vs G2 4th
G1 1st vs G2 2nd
Finale 7/8
Day Off
05:30 PM
G2 3rd vs G1 4th
G2 1st vs G1 2nd
Finale 5/6
Final 1/2
T H E
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T
E A M S
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CHANTILLY POLO CLUB I FOUNDED IN 1996
The Baron de Rothschild was a person fond of organising, in 1920, the first game of polo took place on the land where the Chantilly Polo Club was going to be created. The space in which you see, shows the Immensity of the farm. The polo fields and the meadows extend as far as the eye can see, only protected by a body of the 18th century Farm. Patrick GUERRAND HERMÈS, founder of the Polo Club, with his team, made use of this ocean of greenery in the heart of the Château de Chantilly state forest. The development of polo in France and the Chantilly Polo Club is a well-known story!
Chantilly Polo Team N°1 N°2 N°3 N°4
Sam Sztarkman Martin Joaquin Jota Chavanne Alex Sztarkman
Hand. Hand. Hand. Hand.
FRANCE
Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly Ferme d’Apremont SAS Route de Verneuil 60300 Apremont www.poloclubchantilly.com
1 5 5 1
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LAS BRISAS POLO CLUB I FOUNDED IN 2019
Established in 2019 as the only full-service Polo Club in the Chicagoland area, the facility that Las Brisas Farm and Polo Club calls home has a storied polo history with its roots dating back to the 1970’s. In 1999 the Wigdahl family acquired 60 acres from the Moody Bible Institute and worked for years to create the polo grounds that Las Brisas now calls home. The original grounds were designed by the Wigdahl family and their extensive polo history created a thoughtful facility design that acted as the foundation for a spectacular polo setting. The Wigdahl’s polo acumen culminated with David Wigdahl (7 goals) winning the US Open in 1978. Today the Las Brisas Farm and Polo Club is a premier luxury sporting destination in Elgin, IL, located on 60 perfectly manicured acres, including 2 grass polo fields, a stick and ball field, a regulation-size polo arena, a half-mile horse track, on-site stabling for 77 horses, a Player’s clubhouse and 12 large paddocks.
Las Brisas Polo Team N°1 N°2 N°3 N°4
Larry ASCHEBROOK Lukas SDRENKA Matias OBREGON Juan Martin OBREGON
USA
Las Brisas Farm and Polo Club 9N655 Kendall Road Elgin (Chicago) IL 60124 USA www.lasbrisaspolo.com
Hand. Hand. Hand. Hand.
0 2 4 6
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DEAUVILLE INTERNATIONAL I FOUNDED IN 1907
Deauville International Polo Club is located 2 hours from Paris. The mythical seaside resort on the Normandy coast shines with its exceptional setting: the ocean within sight, its beach, prestigious hotels, its Casino, its restaurants and its local airport only 8 km from the city centre. Unique in the world, in Deauville polo is played in the middle of the racecourse in the heart of the city. Players from all over the world meet up every year to compete in the prestigious “La Coupe d’Or” tournament, enjoying the beach in the morning with their horses and the charm of Deauville evenings.
Deauville Polo Team N°1 N°2 N°3 N°4
Ulysse Eisenchteter Patrick Eisenchteter Pierre-Henri NGoumou Juan Jose Storni
FRANCE
Deauville International Polo Club 25, Avenue de la République 14800 Deauville France www.deauvillepoloclub.com
Hand. Hand. Hand. Hand.
0 1 6 5
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POLO CLUB DÜSSELDORF I FOUNDED IN 1976
The Polo Club Düsseldorf plays an important role in the continuity and development of the “game of the kings”. Our greatest ambition was to make the fascinating sport of polo more vivid and unique for our visitors – and we have achieved this goal! Polo stands for precision, passion and absolute trust between human and animal. We from Polo Club Düsseldorf know what makes the oldest team sport in the world so special. After 44 years and extensive reconstruction, the club shines in new glory and offers the sport a unique platform north of Düsseldorf. We pay attention to the highest quality, whether it be in the care given to our horses, our equipment or the choice of our members: we do not go for less. Our attention to detail is noticeable, in our club and in our behavior. Our spacious connected area is unique in Germany. The beautiful landscape of Kalkum Forest is an invitation to discover and learn the many opportunities of polo.
Düsseldorf Polo Team N°1 N°2 N°3 N°4
Otto Blank Jesus Bordoni Adrian Laplacette Miguel Amieva
Hand. Hand. Hand. Hand.
GERMANY
Lünen’ sche Gasse 23 40489 Düsseldorf Germany www.polo-club-duesseldorf.com
0 2 6 4
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HAMBURGER POLO CLUB I FOUNDED IN 1898
The Hamburger Polo Club was launched on 3 January 1898. At first it was just an association of Hanseatic and Anglophile gentlemen who had heard of the relatively new sport of polo in England and were enthusiastic about it. Club life only picked up again in 1927/28. Around 40 polo players play numerous club chukkas and organize various tournaments on the polo field throughout the year. The harmonious, friendly club life is reflected in the numerous daily events at the club.
Hamburger Polo Team N°1 N°2 N°3 N°4
Caesar Crasemann Caspar Crasemann Heinrich Dumrath Daniel Crasemann
Hand. Hand. Hand. Hand.
GERMANY
Hamburger Polo Club e. V. Jenischstr. 26 22609 Hamburg Germany www.hamburger-polo-club.de
4 4 4 0
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HONG KONG POLO ASSOCIATION I FOUNDED IN 1963
Hong Kong Polo Association was formed in 1963, and joined the great FIP fraternity in 2001. Members consisted mostly of officers of the British Garrison stationed in Hong Kong, and some civilians. The late Lord Mountbatten was the most famous personality ever to have played on our field. Memory trickled down over the ages has it that a pass from his teammate landed between the buttocks of His Lordship’s pony, which promptly carried it through the goalposts. The Association lost its playing field due to political changes in Hong Kong before the turn of the century. This however has not dampened the passion of our members, who have acted as our ambassadors as they continued to play in tournaments in countries around the world. Not only have our friendship and camaraderie with the international polo community remain unbroken, they have continued to strengthen with the passing of time. It therefore gives us great joy to see our banner flying in the 2021 POLO RIDER CUP against the beautiful background of Chantilly.
Hong Kong Polo Team N°1 N°2 N°3 N°4
Cyrille Costes Adrien Le Gallo Thierry Vetois Brieuc Rigaux
HONG KONG
Hong Kong Polo 21 Babington Path Hong Kong
Hand. 0 Hand. 3 Hand. 3 Hand. 6
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LA AGUADA POLO CLUB I FOUNDED IN 1963
La Aguada was born in 1959, at Embalse Rio Cuarto in Cordoba, founded by don Julio Novillo Astrada, known as “laio”, a huge fan of polo and horse breeding. La Aguada Polo Club was founded in 1963, making more than 50 years of history. In the early 70’s, laio bought lands in the Open-Door Area, around, 6 km from Lujan and 60km from the city of Buenos Aires, a place je also called La Aguada, where he continued his polo club and became a pioneer of polo in the area. La Aguada was featured for the first time in the Triple Crown back in 1979. In the meantime, the kids, laio’s grandsons were growing and playing at La Aguada, to continue the familiar tradition of horse breeding and polo. Today the family tradition continues to grow in anew generation. Laio’s dream is becoming bigger and bigger with La Aguada.
La Aguada Polo Team N°1 N°2 N°3 N°4
Sebastien Schneberger Max Bosch Valentin Novilla Astrada Moritz Gaedeke
Hand. 0 Hand. 3 Hand. 6 Hand. 3
ARGENTINA
La Aguada Polo Club Km 10.5, RP 192, B6708 Open Door Provincia de Buenos Aires Argentina www.laaguadapolo.com
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EMPIRE POLO CLUB I FOUNDED IN 1987
The Empire Polo Club is a 500-acre (202 ha) polo club in Indio, California in the Coachella Valley of Riverside County, near Palm Springs. Founded in 1987, it has seventeen polo fields and stabling and turnout for more than 700 horses making it one of the largest polo clubs on the West coast of the United States. It hosts local, national and international matches and tournaments. In 1990 Empire Polo Club hosts the first 40-Goal game in the US and the First USPA Women’s Open Tournament. In 2013, it hosted a match between the British Schools and Universities Polo Association (SUPA) and the USPA Intercollegiate/Interscholastic. It has also hosted events for the Gay Polo League. In 2011 & 2015, it hosted the USPA Townsend International Challenge Cup. The grounds are owned by Alex Haagen III. Since 1993, the Empire Polo Club has leased its polo grounds annually to Golden voice, a subsidiary of the Anschutz Entertainment Group., the organizers of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the Stagecoach Festival.
Empire Polo Team N°1 N°2 N°3 N°4
Clément Smith Guillermo Li Tito Ruiz Guiñazu Derek Smith
USA
Empire Polo Club 81-800 Ave 51 Indio CA 92201 USA www.empirepolo.com
Hand. 0 Hand. 4 Hand. 7 Hand. 1
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MOSCOW POLO CLUB I FOUNDED IN 2003
The Moscow Polo Club was founded in 2003 and since then has been on the forefront of promoting the sport of polo in Russia. Currently located near the village of Tseleevo, approximately 60 km north of the center of Moscow, the club has two beautiful regulation sized fields, a practice field, an arena and a 1 km track. The club has excellent horses imported from Argentina, Europe and the USA and has used this fine imported stock to be the first organization to breed horses specifically for polo in Russia. Russian horse breeds trained at the club have also proven themselves as excellent polo ponies such as the Akhal-Teke’s of Turkmenistan and Karachaevsky horses of the Caucuses. The club is home to over 60 polo ponies. Our mission is to develop the sport of polo, train new players and expand on the breeding and training of polo horses in Russia. Polo is a sport that can be enjoyed by anyone, as the speed, skill and courage that players demonstrate on the field makes for the most exciting past time in the world.
Moscow Polo Team N°1 N°2 N°3 N°4
Gleb Fetisov Misha Rodzianko Edouard Pan Simon Zavaleta
Hand. 0 Hand. 2 Hand. 5 Hand. 5
RUSSIA
Tseleevo Golf and Polo Club Tseleevo Village. 56th Kilometer of Dmitrovskoe Shosse Dmitrovskij Area, Moscow Region, Russia www.moscowpolo.club
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DOS LUNAS POLO CLUB I FOUNDED IN 1920
Dos Lunas” Club is located in a valley with extraordinary views, made to suit all of those searching to match an exclusive environment for sport horses with nature at its very best. Dos Lunas is a club specializing in dressage and polo. It focuses its activity on preparing horses for top-level competition, fully dedicated to meet this goal. It is located 15 minutes from Sotogrande (Cádiz province), 30 minutes from Marbella (Málaga), 1 hour from Jerez and Malaga which have an airport and train station, 2 hours from Seville, which also has train and airport, and 30 minutes from Gibraltar airport. Located in a valley with extraordinary views and surrounded by 225 acres of country to ride, for those, looking for nature, tranquility and an exclusive and high-quality venue for both sports. The microclimate makes the valley of “Dos Lunas” a vast garden of luscious green suffused with delicate spots and touches of color. The southern Andalusian light has a perpetual presence over the orange trees full of fruit, the Aztec red colored houses, the blue skies and the green of the polo courts.
Dos Lunas Polo Team N°1 N°2 N°3 N°4
Juan Pepa Jorge Pepa Patricio Cieza Markus Cork
Hand. 1 Hand. 3 Hand. 6 Hand. 2
SPAIN
Dos Lunas Finca El Mezquiton 11340 San Martin del Tesorillo Sotogrande, Cadiz Espana www.doslunas.es/polo/
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EVVIVA POLO ST. MORITZ I FOUNDED IN 2014
The social and sporting highlight of St. Moritz. Every last weekend in January, St. Moritz turns into the world capital of polo: since 1985, when snow polo had its world premiere here, teams from around the world compete for the Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz on the frozen lake of St. Moritz. The Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz is the world’s first and best tournament on snow. The three days of the tournament stand for highclass polo played against the magnificent backdrop of the snow-capped mountains of the Engadin Valley and social events both on the lake and in the first-class hotels in St. Moritz. An unforgettable experience.
Evviva Polo St. Moritz Team N°1 N°2 N°3 N°4
Andy Bihrer / Piero Dillier Lucas Labat Martin Aguerre Hijo Tommy Rinderknecht
Hand. Hand. Hand. Hand.
0 5 7 0
SWITZERLAND
Via Mullin 4 7500 St. Moritz Switzerland www.spa-swisspolo.ch/members/evviva-polo-st.-moritz
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POLO PARK ZÜRICH I FOUNDED IN 1998
PPZ – Those three letters stand not only for Polo Park Zürich but also for entrepreneurial spirit, innovation and development. Since it was founded in 1998, Polo Park Zürich has become the club with the most members and the most significant polo training centre in the whole of Switzerland. The club is located at the edge of Zurich’s wine region, between Ohringen near Winterthur and Hettlingen (only a 20-minute drive from Zurich). Two full-size playing fields and one smaller training field are located on a flat area covering 15 hectares. These fields are used for polo every year from May until the end of September. Polo ponies are kept in the club’s own stables, as well as at nearby farms. The ponies are cared for and trained by mostly Argentinian grooms, properly trained to this purpose. Thanks to the club’s trainer and manager Francisco Podesta, a 3-goal player from Argentina, Polo Park Zürich has since the beginning received an excellent reputation as a leading polo training centre.
Polo Park Zürich Team N°1 N°2 N°3 N°4
Richard Harris Elena Venot Min Podesta Carlos Solari
Hand. 0 Hand. 1 Hand. 7 Hand. 4
SWITZERLAND
Polo Park & Country Club Zürich Rietstrasse 12 8472 Unterhoringen Switzerland www.polopark.ch/accueil/?lang=en
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P R C B BALL The polo ball is white, made of wood (increasingly rare) or plastic and should weigh between 120 and 130 grams. Its diameter is 76 to 89 C CHUKKER Word used mainly by Argentinians corresponds to a period of a match (7 minutes). A polo match has a minimum of four chukkers and a maxi- mum of eight (in Palermo). G GOAL A goal is a point obtained when the ball crosses the goal line between two wicker posts separated by 7.50 m. The posts are also called «the goals». Then, for handicaps (see H), we can also talk about goals. A team is said to have «16 goals» when the total of the players’ handicaps added together is 16 handicaps (or 16 goals). H HANDICAP Corresponds to the level of the polo player (it varies between -2 and +10). The handicap evolves according to the performance of the player during the matches and the progress recorded during the year, the quality of their horses. The highest handicap in France is 6 and in Europe 7 (England). A 10 handicap is currently held by eight Argentineans and one Uruguayan. HOOKING A defensive gesture consisting of hooking the opponent’s mallet with one’s own mallet to prevent them from hitting the ball. But be careful, only in cer-
R U L E S tain circumstances, by staying on the right side for example. (cf. Taco) K K.O. When a match finishes in a tie, an extra chukker is played. The first team to score the «golden goal» wins the game by... K.O. L LINE When a player hits the ball, the imaginary line they have created between themselves and the ball belongs to them. It is forbidden for the opponent to cross this line under penalty of punishment. Moreover, the corridor created by this line between the two players is impenetrable. The fundamental fault of this sport, complicated to understand for the public, and sometimes for the players’
P PETISERO The “petisero” is to the polo horse what the groom is to the jumping horse. Their caretaker, their daily companion, their physical trainer and sometimes even their coach. PLAYERS A polo team consists of four players: No. 1: stands in front of his teammates. Their mission is to recover the balls passed to them by their partners, and to score goals. N°2: particularly active, always on the move, they must do everything to steal the ball from their opponents in order to get it to the goal, either by their own action or by passing it to n°1. No. 3: They are the pillars of the group. Their main function is to
get hold of the ball to pass it forward. They also have a great responsibility in defense. N°4: main defender. They execute the exits at the ends of the field. S SPORT The oldest team sport, the fastest too with actions going up to 60 km/h. Polo requires a meticulous physical preparation for men and horses, but also a precise organization: choice and training of horses, places, and roles of players on the field T THIRDMAN In polo, there are three referees: two on the field on horseback, who follow the game closely and intervene at any time, and one on the outside called the «third man». They are the one who decides when the two referees do not agree. Discussions are made via radio given the size of the field (270 m X 145 m). Y YARDS Distance is measured in yards in polo. Penalties, depending on the location and severity of the fouls committed, are taken at 60, 40 or 30 yards. A corner kick (side of the field) is taken as a penalty, 60 yards in front of where the ball went out. On a throw-in, the first attacker must be at least 30 yards away from the opposing back (defender) who is clearing the ball.
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P R C T R O P H Y The POLO RIDER CUP trophy is a Medicis vase with two gryphon-shaped handles. Made in the early 2000s by master goldsmith Eric Mellerio, creator of prestigious trophies such as the Ballon d’Or, Roland Garros and the Cravache d’Or. Who will be the first club to lift the POLO RIDER CUP trophy on June 20, 2021?
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FAST GAME FAST FACTS
WATCH THE ACTION LIVE POLORIDERCUP.COM
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CHUKKERS OR PERIODS IN A MATCH
COUNTRIES
PLAYERS PER TEAM
GAMES
KMH
KMHTOP SPEED OF A POLO PONY
THE SIZE OF REGULATION POLO FIELD EQUIVALENT TO FIVE FOOTBALL FIELDS
KMH
SPEED A POLO BALL CAN REACH DURING PLAY
POLO PLAYERS
MINUTES DURING HALF-TIME WHEN CAN WALK THE FIELD AND HELP REPLACE THE DIVOTS CREATED DURING PLAY
POLO PONIES
INTERNATIONAL CLUBS
M E D I A I T V & D I G I TA L M E D I A PA R T N E R S
T V & D I G I TA L M E D I A PA R T N E R S
60
PA RT N E R S
T H A N K S T O O U R PA R T N E R S INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS
MAIN PARTNERS
OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS 62
POLO RIDER CUP