The French Connection

Elégance Française

The cream of Parisian society turned out for the 111th Paris Open, one of Europe’s oldest tournaments. Competition was fi erce – and the hats were awesome

For most months of the year, the well-manicured turf in front of the elegant clubhouse at Polo de Paris is used for practice in that other, younger stick and ball game, golf. In June and July, however, the club’s historic ground echoes to the thunder of hooves, the crack of stick on polo ball, and cries of ‘leave it’, ‘take your man’ and other, less printable phrases in a variety of languages.

At tables under large white umbrellas on the clubhouse terraces, tout Paris – the crème de la crème of Parisian society – gather to sip champagne, engage in tittle-tattle and admire one another’s fi nery. A hard core of afi cionados amongst the members and guests take time out to concentrate on the polo action out on the ground. us it has been since 1892 when the Viscount de la Rochefoucauld and the Duke de Doudeville fi rst established a polo ground in a meadow known as Bagatelle in the Bois de Bologne. In the days of the belle époque, spectators arrived in fashionable carriages to watch

Madame Jean-Luc Chartier, Sophie de Charbonnière and Laurence de la Beraudière – and their hats. Below: Princess Nesrine Toussoun. Opposite: Prince Charles Emmanuel Bourbon Parme and his three daughters

polo. Today, Polo de Paris is less than a 15 minute drive from the Champs Elyséé and minutes from the Longchamp racecourse between the park and the River Seine. is summer saw the club hold its 111th Paris Open, Europe’s third oldest tournament after England’s Inter-Regimental and County Cup. Indeed, the dozen teams entered in the 12-14 goal Open competed on the same ground where France played Argentina in the 1924 Paris Olympics.

Most had just come down

from France’s ‘Capital of the Horse’. Just north of the city where they competed in the French Open Championship at Patrick Guerrand-Hermès’ Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly.

Italian Simone Chiarella’s Black Polo Team, defeated in the fi nal of the French Open, almost suff ered the same fate in the fi nal at Polo de Paris.

Frenchman Philippe Fatien’s Castel squad dominated for most of the match, until the last chukka when Black staged a comeback, scoring 2 goals to even the account. en, in the very last second of the match, Black’s Pablo Jauretche found the goal posts to give his team its 9-8 victory. e spectators at Polo de Paris also competed on the day. e champagne house Ruinart, sponsor of the Paris Open, had invited a plethora of princes and princesses, counts and countesses, foreign ambassadors. To entertain them between the polo, luncheon in the marquee and tea on the clubhouse terrace, the club staged a classic cars competition and a contest for the most impressive ladies’ hats. ■