All Change

Left: Front Anthony Fanshawe playing as Bentley/Elegant Resorts; Front (navy shirt) Richard Thomas playing as David McLean; Back (navy shirt) Malcolm Borwick; Back (white shirt) Oliver Taylor

Chester Racecourse was transformed for the inaugural Flame Estates International 12-goal polo tournament, heralding the return of polo for the first time in more than 100 years.

All change at Chester

Left to right: Richard Thomas, Mario Gomez, Jamie Le Hardy, Oliver Taylor

The two-day polo tournament on June 3-4, comprising of four invited teams playing for £10,000 of prize money, began with typical aplomb as players dropped in by helicopter and numerous Bentleys rolled onto the hallowed turf.

The opening match saw spectators enthralled by Breitling’s Kelvin Johnson’s domination of play, ably supported by teamate James Harper, resulting in the trouncing of the Bentley/Elegant Resorts team. The next match resulted in heavy defeat for the David McLean team (Richard Thomas, Hamilton Ashworth, Malcolm Borwick, Jamie Le Hardy) by the Heathcotes (Mark Hulbert, Guillermo Cuitino, Tarquin Southwell, Daniel Otamendi).

The evening polo black-tie ball was a spectacular affair: beautiful women, bronzed polo players, flowing champagne. A kilted Borwick proved to be a big female crowd puller, Le Hardy was at his down-toearth and charming best, Oliver Taylor looked tanned and sultry, and Anthony Fanshawe dark and brooding.

The first game on the second day saw David Mclean undergo a second beating, this time by the Bentley/Elegant Resorts team. In turn, Breitling couldn’t match the Heathcotes team’s ability. The delighted Mark Hulbert and his merry men were awarded £7,500 of the prize money and Nigel Warr, patron of the Breitling team, pocketed the runners-up prize of £2,500. ■