Obituaries

Obituary Annie Patricia Colquhoun-Denvers (née Alexander)

12 August 1955 – 17 December 2021

Annie was born on the `Glorious Twelfth’ 12 August 1955. An Army `brat’, she was the third child of Toby and Pat Alexander from Itchenor, West Sussex. Toby, an officer in the 3rd Carabiners (later amalgamated to become the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards), was the Instructor of Gunnery at Royal Armoured Corps at Bovington. Whilst stationed in India and Myanmar (Burma), Toby was a keen horseman and polo player, so polo was in Annie’s blood from the beginning.

After Finishing School in Switzerland, Annie met and married Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers, who had recently left the Royal Artillery in 1978. As Nicholas’s wife, Annie found her true niche at Ham Polo Club, when Nicholas took over as Chairman in 1995. Between them, they turned the Club from little more than a shack with a single ground, into the stylish Club it became. Annie was always the consummate hostess, renowned for her friendliness, inclusiveness and sense of fun; welcoming new Members and guests and putting them at ease immediately. Even after a long week working in the property sector, Annie gave up every summer weekend to ensure that everything at Ham ran smoothly and efficiently.

When Nicholas became Chairman of the Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA) from 2009 – 2012, and was later elected the President of the Federation International of Polo (FIP) 2014 – 2018, Annie travelled the world with him as a constant companion and support, charming the international polo community; players, royalty and grooms alike.

Annie was renowned for organising fabulous charity balls at Ham Polo Club, for good causes such as ChildLine with Esther Ransom over many years; helping to organise the annual Chakravarty Cup, which started in 1997 (initially attended by HRH Prince Charles for nine years, and latterly by his sons), and supported several of the charities of HRH The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and The Duke of Sussex. In total, over the period of 1995 – 2017, the Club’s charity endeavours raised somewhere in excess of £2 million pounds for both national and international charities.

Annie was also the distinctive voice behind the organising and editing of the annual Ham Polo Club brochure, which grew from a small half A4-size publication into a large glossy brochure. The brochure reflected on the previous season as well as promoting affiliated polo clubs around the world; effortlessly unifying the international polo scene.

Despite this high-octane lifestyle, Annie’s real love was having her feet firmly on the ground surrounded by friends and family. Her greatest pleasure was entertaining guests with Nicholas by her side, cooking up a storm in their West End home, and supporting friends and good causes.

Annie passed away after a short illness on 17 December 2021. Annie and Nicholas had 43 years of idyllic marriage and a very special relationship, and our deepest sympathies go out to Nicholas and both the families. Annie’s enchanting smile and her indomitable joy de vivre will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

A celebration of Annies life will be held at St Paul’s Knightsbridge at 12pm on 12 August 2022.

Obituary Robin Alexander Cyril Gaunt

Robin Alexander Cyril Gaunt, a big supporter of the polo community in Yorkshire, passed away peacefully in his sleep on 21 January 2022.

Obituary Helen Liddle

The New Zealand Polo Association (NZPA) announced that on Monday 21 February, Helen Liddle passed away. Helen was a prominent figure in the Hawkes Bay polo community and our thoughts are with her family at this difficult time. Details of her funeral will be shared by the NZPA in due course.

Obituary Frederic Roy

Frederic Roy, the founder of the US based polo newspaper, The Morning Line, passed away after a long battle with Covid-19 and pneumonia on Friday 11 February. David Lominska, a polo photographer and friend of Frederic’s commented, “Frederic was an institution, an indefatigable fan, and a long-standing member of the polo family and community. When I learned of his passing I began to get requests for photos of Frederic, it was then I realized that I really didn’t have many… me, a photographer, who worked with him for decades. Frederic, who had always featured my work, and I had very few pictures of him… it puzzled me why? And I realized that he was such a fixture, such a regular, that I thought he would always be there and there was no urgency, there was always tomorrow. Well tomorrow has come. After much searching I did find these photos of him handing out his “Morning Line” in the pouring rain, with his great smile and friendly greeting bringing light to a miserable day and I realized what a perfect tribute. Goodbye my friend, you’ve earned your rest. Rest In Peace. Thank you for all you brought to us.”