A FRENCH FIRST

Created in 1995 by Patrick GuerrandHermès, Chantilly Polo Club is – along with Deauville – the venue of the biggest and most prestigious polo tournaments in France. In the past 20 years, the French Open, established in 2000, has become a major tournament on the international circuit and has welcomed some of the greatest players in the world, including winners of the Argentine Open.

Indeed, the Ferme d’Apremont and its nine elds, well-known for their quality, has also held two European Mixed Championships, the rst European Women’s Championship, several World Championship play-offs and an unforgettable edition of the World Championships in 2004, which attracted more than 20,000 spectators and saw Brazil claim victory.

Chantilly is also where the greatest French players train and keep their horses, and where the French teams prepare for major world events. Each year from April to October, the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly organises 48 tournaments, from beginners’ level (-1/+1) to the 16-goal level of the French Open, not to mention the Arena tournaments from November to March. In Chantilly, polo never stops!

On top of this already busy and competitive programme, this year the club is planning a “Nations Cup” tournament – a rst in France – from 8-18 June. This innovative competition is open to teams representing a country, a region or a state of the world. Teams will be selected by their respective federations and may have up to two foreign players per team. The level of play will be 10-12 goals, which will guarantee a high level of entertainment for the public.

It is the prospect of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games that inspired the French Polo Federation (FFP) and the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly to create the Polo Nations Cup. Polo has always been part of the Olympic family, and the International Polo Federation (FIP) is a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

In 2024, the Polo Nations Cup will be part of a series of events outside of the of cial Paris Olympic Games programme. This new tournament will perhaps allow a gradual return to a time when polo was an Olympic discipline and will contribute to the continual expansion of polo in France. For spectators, the Polo Nations Cup is also a unique opportunity to discover polo and experience the most intense and poignant moments of the sport.

‘The Polo Nations Cup is a new event for French polo,’ says Arnaud de Chênevarin, president of the Chantilly Polo Club. ‘One of the ambitions passed on to us by Patrick Guerrand-Hermès is to open up polo to a wider public. We are succeeding with the French Open, which attracts more people every year. But we want to go even further. Sometimes the public has dif culty understanding the name and origin of the teams. With the Polo Nations Cup, where the teams will defend the colours of their nation or region, they will be able to identify with a particular team, so polo becomes a little more comprehensible. That is also why we are expecting an international audience.’

The Cup will also be an opportunity to discover the magni cent architecture of Château de Chantilly and that of the Grandes Écuries – the most beautiful in the world – and its French gardens. Chantilly has been an ambassador of the French art of living since the princes of Condé organised their sumptuous festivities there. And this spirit is still present, even on the polo elds!