Cape of New Hope

If the inaugural presence of South Af rica’s highest handicapped player, 8-goaler Sugar Erskine, at December’s Kurland International wasn’t enough of an endorsement of how South Af rican polo has progressed, then I don’t know what is.

Hotfoot f rom Argentina, where he had been playing in the Open, sponsored by his Palm Beach patron, John Goodman of Isla Carroll, the 29-year-old f rom Natal rode onto Kurland’s Number 1 ground to captain the South Af rican team against England in a pair of white leather boots and knee pads handmade by Fagliano. It was a statement that spoke volumes (never mind not complying with the Blue Book’s stipulation of brown boots and knee pads).

It said: “Look at what I have achieved. Let’s show the world what the Springboks are made of ”. And, but for a fi nal goal by England captain, Henry Brett, they nearly pulled off a surprise win.

Although polo in South Af rica was introduced by regiments of the British cavalry stationed in the Eastern Cape in the late 19th century, it is really only in the last three years that it has found itself more fi rmly on the international map. Until recently, South Af rican polo was fi rmly rooted in Natal, the province with the most English infl uence. Wealthy farmers f rom the area dominated the game around the two major polo venues – the Durban Shongweni Club and the Inanda Polo club. South Af rican polo was a sport played almost entirely in Natal and East Griqualand. en, three years ago, the Natal farmers found that interest in the game was shifting towards the Western Cape, more specifi cally to Kurland, a few miles f rom Plettenberg Bay along the Garden Route. Kurland, a unique family owned luxury hotel is situated in a stunning 700-hectare estate at the foothills of the Outeniqua mountains. Established by the Behr family, the hotel has received countless awards for its style and comfort, but more recently has been inextricably linked with polo.

Keeping it in the family, Cliff ord Elphick, brother-in-law of Dianne Behr and coowner of Kurland, is a keen player and managing director of E. Oppenheimer & Sons. His dream was to establish a venue where people could enjoy the sport but also relax in style and comfort. is soon became a reality with the building of a stunning 160metre polo pavilion, fi ve polo fi elds, stabling for up to 300 horses and a tack and repair shop all in situ on the Kurland estate.

Buoyed by Elphick, other polo devotees are also keen to put their stamp on the game. Charles Cornwall bought the neighbouring farm to Kurland and established his team Kurland Park with its three fi elds; Bryan Myerson, patron of high goal team Shawford Park in the UK, created his own smaller club at Bitou, and more fi elds involving patrons Leo Baxter of Stonefi eld and Paul Main of Bateleur were played on for the fi rst time this spring. is enthusiasm by a small yet prolifi c group of patrons has raised the level of polo played in South Af rica and encouraged players f rom all over the world to fl ock there. Apart f rom the annual International between South Af rica and England, the Christmas and Easter 18-goal tournaments have encouraged the appearance of top international players such as Henry Brett, Luke and Mark Tomlinson, Alan Kent and Charles Beresford f rom the UK, Jose Donoso f rom Chile, JP Clarkin f rom New Zealand, ‘Gonchie’ von Wernich f rom Argentina, ‘Pelon’ Stirling f rom Sotogrande, Spain and Ruki Baillieu f rom Australia.

Luke Tomlinson has described Kurland as ‘an awesome place. Like Ellerston by the sea’ and Malcolm Borwick, named Most Valuable Player in December’s International, confi rmed that ‘the polo facilities are on a par with the best in the world and there are so many other things to do apart f rom just playing polo’. is could explain what is attracting foreign players to Kurland f rom midDecember to mid-April, a time which, more traditionally, was dead in the European polo calendar. is season saw 33 teams competing in a range of tournaments f rom 4-18 goal and comprising of 132 players and approximately 924 horses. For players with families, it is perfect. No more yawning on the sidelines for bored teenagers or eternally patient grandparents. If you’ve had enough of cheering on and off ering words of encouragement, there are a host of other activities to be enjoyed.

At Plettenberg Bay, or ‘Plett’ as it is universally known, a mere 15 minutes f rom Kurland, there are miles and miles of sweeping golden beaches where you can sunbathe or surf to your heart’s content. Just sitting in the sand watching the dolphins and seals playing is entertainment enough.

Charles Cornwall

Mark Tomlinson and Selby Williamson

A little further along the Garden Route towards Port Elizabeth is what professes to be ‘ e World’s Hightest Bungy’ at 214m. Not for the faint-hearted. And, for those who want a taste of real Af rica, within three hours you can fl y yourself into the heart of the famous Kruger Park where the Big Five abound. e fi rst time I set foot in South Af rica was Christmas three years ago. We fl ew to Cape Town and after a cup of coff ee in the Mount Nelson (where we bumped into f riends and polo players Mike and Angie Rutherford), our plan was to gently meander f rom Cape Town to Kurland, taking in all the sights along the famous Garden Route. Perhaps some wine-tasting in Stellenbosch, a dozen oysters in Knysna, a ref reshing swim in Plett… but news soon reached us that fellow-Cowdray cohort Alan Kent was playing in a fi nal later in the afternoon.

Suddenly, everything changed. e gentle drive turned into a race against time. In fact we drove so fast that we managed to collect two speeding tickets, and the vineyards of Stellenbosch and lagoons at Knysna were but a passing blur on the horizon. We have been back every year since but now we fl y f rom Cape Town. Why waste valuable time driving when we could be out there playing polo? ■

Clockwise from top: Henry Brett; Paul and Sue Main; Leo Baxter, groom for the South African team; George Morgan, Clifford Elphick, Gonchie Von Wernich with wife Luis