Polo Quarterly Autumn 2016 Issue 93

INTERNATIONAL

POLO Quarterly The magazine for Players, Patrons and Polo Enthusiasts • AUTUMN 2016 £5

RELAUNCH ISSUE Para polo - how the game is Helping Heroes Cash vs. cachet: FIP’s President on polo’s money problem

Season Highlights

Ride that pony...

George Meyrick meets Panda

ISSN 1361-3243

9 771361 324005

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OUR SIGHTS ARE SET HIGHER B U S I N E S SAI RCR A F T. B O M BA R D I E R .CO M

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EDITORIAL The magazine for Players, Patrons and Polo Enthusiasts

Looking back & to the future

I

know – you’ve missed PQ! Since deciding

original feature content will keep you occupied for a few

to relaunch the oldest surviving polo

evenings every quarter, and make us worth the meagre

magazine, it’s been heartening to hear

£5 cover price!

from so many polo people that PQ has

been much missed in its three-year break.

Rosamond, who brings to PQ an entire career’s worth of

Well, despite Brexit and the internet, the

knowledge of the publishing industry, and just a season’s

magazine is back in print. I hope that you’ll find room

worth of knowledge of polo. He brings a fresh pair of

for it on your coffee table, and that with your support the

eyes to the game we love so much, and is ideally placed

magazine will be here to stay!

to question the status quo. His first contribution is an

interview with Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers, which you

The legacy we’re building on is Heinz Dorler’s, who

I also want to introduce my publishing partner Chris

founded PQ almost 25 years ago. The world of publishing

can see on page 30.

is quite different now, but I hope Heinz would appreciate

our aim to re-establish PQ as the most engaging and

read. We hope you enjoy our ‘first’ issue, and do please

But enough about us, you have a new magazine to

widely-read magazine for the polo community.

let us hear your feedback via

Facebook or email.

Of course we are going to report on the most

significant polo tournaments around the world, and plenty of grassroots polo too. But if you want detailed play-byplay analysis you should probably be spending lunchtimes with our friends at PoloLine.com.

Meanwhile, I hope PQ’s mix of fascinating and

POLO Quarterly

INTERNATIONAL

Aurora Eastwood

Editor-in-chief: Aurora Eastwood (aurora@pqinternational.com) Executive editor: Chris Rosamond (chris@pqinternational.com) Advertising sales: Lucy Boorman (ads@pqinternational.com) Editorial enquiries +44 (0)1962 888569 Advertising enquiries +44 (0)207 117 2924 Creative direction: Paul Harpin (www.paulharpin.com) Designer: Jo Evernden (www.joevernden.com) Polo Quarterly International is published by: Blue Pony Media, South Wonston Farm, SO21 3HL, UK Follow PQ at: www.facebook.com/pqinternational Thank you: for supporting PQ magazine!

Autumn 2016 • PQ

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www.astonmartin.com/DB11

Official government fuel consumption figures in mpg (litres per 100km) for the Aston Martin DB9 GT: Urban 13.4 (21.1): Extra-urban 28.8 (9.8): Combined 20.2 (14.0). CO2 emissions 325g/km The mpg/fuel economy figures quoted are sourced from official regulated test results obtained through laboratory testing. They are for comparability purposes only and may not reflect your real driving experience, which may vary depending on factors including road conditions, weather, vehicle load, and driving style. Vehicle shown for illustrational purposes only.

POLO QUARTERLY INTERNATIONAL

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pony kit Do my hindquarters look big in this?

20

Nosey parka Winter is here (but you may not be!)

PQ PQ Gallery Polo pictures Four of our favourite images – just as big as we can make them!

08

PQ Kit bag Playing kit What a well-dressed rider should be wearing...

16 Pony Kit What a well-dressed pony should be wearing...

18 PQ STYLE What everybody else should be wearing.

(Keep up!)

20

PQ FEATURES PQ PONY TEST George Meyrick takes Panda for a ride.

We just take some pictures.

24

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Hi, I’m George... you must be Panda!

30 show us the money, says FIP

PQ Panel: HUGO LEWIS Our pundits pontificate...

26 PQ Interview FIP President Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers on the game’s unique financial status 30 PARA POLO How Polo is giving something back via Help For Heroes 34 PQ EATS Proving Buenos Aires isn’t all about the BBQ 44

PQ CARS ROLLS-ROYCE DAWN The nice man said we could, so we did!

48 LAND ROVER Discovery A new look, and new skills 52

44

yum YUM PQ eats BA

PQ FEATURES Unsung Hero Let’s hear it for... the one and only La Indiana team manager Lou Thomas!

56

62

the action starts here...

a family affair Profile of an impressive polo playing dynasty 58 do we have a weight problem?

Hands up if you’ve heard of the 20 percent rule 60

ON THE PITCH season highlights Pictures and results from this season’s biggest games in England, France and Spain 62

PQ FEATURES Get yer oats!

Highclere Feeds give us the Grand Tour 88

PQ PROPERTY working from home?

Dream homes for polo pros and patrons 92

PQ tailgate And the LAST word goes to...

Cowdray Park manager Chris Bethell (Almost.)

98

Cover image: Tom Shaxson www.tomshaxson.com

92

living the dream in the UK and abroad

88 who knew Downton Abbey had a robot of its own?

GALLERY

Ponies at full gallop in Cowdray Park... ...as Nic Roldan for La Indiana fights for line of play against a committed La Bamba attack. This glorious image by photographer Dominic James brilliantly captures polo at its gladiatorial best. www.dominic-james.com

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PQ • Autumn 2016

GALLERY

Facundo Pieres lunges to pick the ball out of the air... ...and is hooked by Tincho Merlos in front of the Gold Cup crowds at Cowdray Park. All four ponies match stride in this beautifully timed shot. www.dominic-james.com

Âť

For more, see page 66

Autumn 2016 • PQ

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GALLERY

Argentina Action: The Tortugas Open Sand flies up from the Tifton grass as Pelon Stirling streaks down the field – so closely followed that the defender (who thinks he’s been fouled) can barely be seen in this thrilling moment caught by photographer Matias Callejo. www.matiascallejo.com

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PQ • Autumn 2016

GALLERY

Argentina Action: The Tortugas Open Nico Pieres demonstrating serious stickability for Ellerstina as he reaches for the ball – only a good seat and well-positioned knee keeping him in the plate.

Pic: www.matiascallejo.com

Want to see more Argentine images? Subscribe to PQ now!

See page 33 for details

»

Autumn 2016 • PQ

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P Q ki t b a g

Look cool, stay dry, keep warm...(ish!)

Now you can wear what you play, thanks to the all-new Hurlingham Polo 1875 brand.

You can feel smug too, as a percentage of profits go back to the sport. The HPA branding is tasteful, quality is high, and prices for the ‘on field’ range are reasonable – this over-head hoodie with logo is £55. www.hurlinghampolo1875.com

This blouson from Harry Hall is lightweight, warm (fleece-lined) and fully waterproof.

It also lends itself brilliantly to customised embroidering if you want to put a team/yard name across the back.

It has taped seams, a storm flap over the

front zip and two lower zip pockets. £40. Buy or find stockists at www.harryhall.co.uk

These Caldene Westfield Wellingtons are really smart, warm and should look the part in any countryside setting.

The unisex boots have a 3mm neoprene lining and

a textured, embossed matt finish. There’s a steel shank for durability and support.

Available in four colours: Burgundy, Chocolate,

Green or Navy, with sizes from 3 to 12. £70.

Buy or find stockists at www.caldene.co.uk

Our pick of the best gear to keep the

Keep the sun (rain, or snow...) out of your eyes with a smart new Hurlingham polo cap. £15 from www. hurlinghampolo1875.com

Wet reins and slippery mallets….fear these no longer with Climatec Mac Wet gloves, with long cuffs to keep everything dry. Fleece backed for warmth but with thin palms for feel and grip, plus Aquatec waterproofing.

Fed up of getting rubbed by your denim

£29.99 at www.macwet.com

whites? Had it to the teeth with soggy pants after playing in the rain? The solution has arrived! These high tech, breathable, windproof and moisture resistant softshell whites from Ona Polo are treated with Polygiene which means they will stay fresher for longer, needing less washing.

They are supremely comfortable and flattering on both sexes. Not only that, but when they finally reach the end of their working life Yard work in the winter can be miserable, and

they can be recycled. £200 from

if cold toes are the enemy, insulated footwear

www.onapolo.com

is your friend! These offerings from Bogs are insulated and funky to boot (pardon the pun) They also have rebound technology, making those lengthy walks to check ponies a lot, well, springier. The extra bounce might even make the ponies easier to catch. But it might not. £90. Buy from www.hirstfootwear.co.uk

There’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing. Sort of...

Keep the elements at bay with the Caldene Nova – a waterproof, breathable padded jacket with zip-off

Look stylish and keep your feet dry with these Buckland

faux fur hood. Articulated sleeves with

long waxed leather and suede zip-up boots, made

sleek stretch storm cuffs really keep

from waxed nubuck leather and butter-soft suede in a

the cold out. There’s even an internal

gorgeous brown and tan colour. There’s a plain waxed

zipped pocket with a headphone port,

leather version too. The lower boot has a Sympatex

so you can drown out the howling

waterproof membrane with taped seams, while an

wind with some banging tunes.

elasticated knee gaiter, plus rubber soles mean no

£115 at www.caldene.co.uk

slipping and no sogginess! You can ride in them, too. £220 from www.caldene.co.uk

worst weather at bay, on the field or in the yard...

Autumn 2016 • PQ

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High-tech boots, blankets, bridles and bits

Photograph: Events Through a Lens

P Q ki t b a g

Cool your Boots Excessive heat in tendons causes cell death, leading to injury – even with no hyperextension or blunt force trauma. Fleece bandages are a major culprit, especially when used with plastic tendon boots over the top. Solution? These revolutionary thermoregulation boots from The Husk. Already being used by Pablo MacDonough and George Meyrick (above), the boots not only prevent the legs heating, they have been shown to actively cool them. In addition, the unique cushioned weave protects the leg from the usual knocks and bumps. These boots really are an all-round solution, and there’s research to back up the claims. A game changer.

Set from £96 www.thehusk.co.uk

Mend your Pony If despite all your best efforts your pony gets injured, maybe Arc Equine can help. It’s said to use tiny, sub-sensory sequences of electrical current to Thermoregulate with lightweight rugs

provide drug-free, non-invasive, safe treatment to

The heavy canvas rugs of the past are gone – and you don’t need three rugs to cope with all

promote healing in muscles, tendons and more in

seasons, you just need the Buster Trio from Premier Equine. It can be used as a 100g rug for

a short space of time. You don’t need to be a vet to

summer, or add liners to make it anything up to 450g in winter. With a 1680D rip-stop ballistic

use it either – and you can even try it on yourself!

nylon outer it should stand up to other ponies biting it, too. £309.99 www.premierequine.co.uk

It costs £540 at www.arcequine.com

Old school isn’t necessarily cool – the gear on these 18

PQ • Autumn 2016

Where’s the tech?

Polo has lagged behind other equine sports when it comes to technological advances, with heavy traditional kit still prevalent. With ergonomic design and modern materials, the pony’s lot can be much improved – these products are all looking to the future.

Comfortable bridles Bridle design hasn’t changed in hundreds of years, but research has shown the traditional shape is uncomfortable for many horses, putting pressure on sensitive facial nerves and exerting too much poll pressure. Here is an alternative - with biomechanical analysis behind it.

The Fairfax Performance Bridle has

been proven to reduce pressure by 84%, and to improve the range of movement in the front legs as well as hock and knee action.

The development follows two years of research, with the results published by the highly respected Veterinary Journal. £400 at www.fairfaxsaddles.com

BR AluTech Cross-country Stirrups How much difference can a pair of stirrups make? Quite a lot, actually. Play in the old-fashioned, heavy, narrow steel ones and then try these out instead.

These flashy looking stirrups are big, very lightweight and

have a very grippy, deep footplate. Hitting the ball is easier than ever as the wide footplate allows excellent stability for any shot.

They hang very flat too, making the stirrup leather sit more comfortably against the leg. £99.95 at www.br.nl

Masta has come up with an innovative new articulated neck feature in the Turnoutmasta, designed to help prevent sore

Ergonomic Bits

withers and rubbed mane.

Bomber Bits are renowned the world over

And it’s cleverly nip-proof as

for good reason. The curved mouthpieces are

the 2500 denier smooth nylon

designed anatomically to fit the horse’s mouth

outer is hard for other horses

perfectly, and there is a solution for practically

to get hold of! One-click

every bitting problem. The unique blue metal

fastening and a 300g fill make

is said to improve salivation and softness in the

this a very useful winter rug.

hand. You can check the latest Bomber bits range

£180 at www.masta.co.uk

out at www.bombers.co.za

pages has benefitted from the appliance of science...

Autumn 2016 • PQ

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P Q S TY L E

For autumnal England or sunnier climes... pair THis fab Game

The Nosy parka will keep

Bird cartridge buckle (£50)

you warm and looking cool

with the Tiger belt (£80)

simultaneously. Yours for £480

for a stunning look from

at www.maudeandfox.com

www.peachybelts.co.uk

The London Military velvet double-breasted jacket from Moloh is pure decadence. It’s £525 from www.moloh.com

Sporting hares’ well-cut blazer is perfect for dressing up or down – and can be ironed on your travels. £155 at www.sportinghares.com

Regina blue SUEDE heeled boots with pink tassles are guaranteed show-stoppers, as well as comfortable and tall enough for the leggiest of women. £325 from www.fairfaxandfavor.com Chelsea boots always look good in town or country. £190 from www.fairfaxandfavor.com

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PQ • Autumn 2016

The nights are drawing-in at home, but...

Clifton Chrono Don’t be late for the game with this fabulous moonphase calendar watch with striking alligator strap. Just £3,750 at www.baume-et-mercier.co.uk

Timeless style means a classical linen shirt from Dundas London – a favourite of the savvy polo set and Prince Harry. £110 at www.dundaslondon.com

PeruviaN artisans craft Pitusa’s Inca-inspired beach cover-ups. Yours for £95 at www.ethicalcollection.com

Neon sandals look great and combine fashion with a conscience.

Each pair sold includes a donation to help fund clean water projects for kids in Guatemala. £79 at www.ethicalcollection.com

there’s always somewhere hot to play

Vert de fleur has hints of iris and hyacinth, and hits the right notes for both sexes. £148 at www.tomford.com

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Beach Club

PQ POnY TEST

George Meyrick puts Panda through her paces If you want to know what a pony’s like from the hot seat, why not ask a 6 goal star of English polo?

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PQ • Autumn 2016

pa n d a pow e r

W

ith a 6 goal handicap, Chris Mackenzie is one of South Africa’s best players. He’s also known for the quality of his string, and for the excellent results he gets from making horses at home. They’re mostly thoroughbreds, and many are ex-racehorses. His father Buster is something of a legend in the polo world too.

When we asked Chris which pony he’d like PQ’s inaugural guest ‘road tester’ George Meyrick to try out, we were delighted when he suggested Panda – not least because she’s so photogenic. We’ll leave it you to decide whether the same can be said of George.

Panda: Vital statistics 8yo 15.1hh South African TB mare

Chris on Panda: “She’s an ex racehorse, made by my father (Buster Mackenzie) and Pawel Kanigowski. I’ve had her since she was 4 ½ and this is her first season in the UK. She’s a sweet, easy mare who anyone can play, from a -2 patron to a 10 goaler. She’s what we all want, a patron pony with gas! She does have one quirk, she’s a pig to stick and ball in that she won’t let you hit the ball on the nearside, but when you play her she’s perfect!”

IMAGESOFPOLO.COM

George on Panda: “Chris always looks well mounted so I was expecting her to be nice, and she was. She looked like she’d be handy and when I rode her she literally did nothing wrong, was comfortable, good to the sides, good mouth – the complete package. I could tell she had power if asked but she was very sensible and easy.”

Conformation: “She is very correct and is a classic polo type despite not being bred for this job. She is nice and compact with everything in proportion. And pretty as well!”

Mouth: “She’s light in the hand, no pulling.”

0-60: “She accelerates smoothly and easily – I didn’t go flat out but it’s obvious she is very grunty!”

Brakes: “She came back really easily. No head tossing or trying to evade the bit.”

Sides: “She turned really quickly, staying nice and close to the ground, and I could tell she is really lateral.”

PQ Verdict: Think BMW M3. Easy when you want to pootle.

Dynamite if you want to hoon.

Events Through A Lens

Panda moves easily into canter, staying light in the hand

For being such a good sport, Panda wins a fab set of Thermoregulation Boots worth £96 from our friends at www.thehusk.co.uk.

See pages 18/19 for more info.

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r i s i n g s ta r

The PQ panel: Hugo Lewis PQ poses the questions to a 21-year-old on a mission, while our polo pundits offer words of wisdom!

Q A

So Hugo, how did you get your start in polo?

“I have always ridden, my dad used to play polo in the Army and all my cousins (who include George Meyrick and Jack Mesquita – Ed) had started playing. So my brother and I both thought we would give it a go with the Vine and Craven Pony Club. We started playing as we wanted to keep riding, but were bored of the usual horse activities!”

Q A

And what’s it like playing for King Power?

“Playing the high goal for the last three years has been amazing. I have learnt so much from a lot of the top players, training with Eduardo Heguy in the winter and then playing with the Pieres brothers in England. They are so helpful and always giving advice.”

Q A

What have been the highlights?

“The best thing about the high goal was getting to ride some of the best horses I will ever get to ride in my life. The pony power I had, and the team had as a whole, was on another level.

Q A

You’re still 21 years old, so what’s next?

“I’m doing a course in strength and conditioning and plan to have that as a back up, but want to give polo a go. I will play some arena and then go to Argentina in March and April. I will hopefully get some polo in other levels for next summer, and now I have to start to try and build a really good string. I’ve got six ponies and am looking for a few more.”

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PQ • Autumn 2016

THE PANEL: David Morley, HPA Development Committee: “It’s so nice to see an English player be given the opportunity to play as part of a team – not just as a blocker but really play in a positive manner, he was allowed to take the ball and go on and score. Hugo rides really well which will help him a lot. Whether he treats it as a career or whether he goes on to university will determine his next move – he will need to learn how to play in the middle of the field too – but it’s a hell of base to start from.”

David Wood, CEO of the HPA: “He’s been a very lucky boy! He has fitted in very well in the King Power team, he’s done the business for them and has been fully used and scored some great goals for them. Now he has to prove he’s got what it takes to perform as he has done in the high goal, outside of that environment.

Let’s see how he plays on less good grounds and on less good horses.”

Tom Morley, professional player and horseman: “He played really well in the Gold Cup – he’s tough, strong, good on the ball, good on the man.

It will be interesting to see the next stage, as the challenge for him will be to be well mounted to play a good three goals in the medium goal, and yet have the horses to play the high goal if he gets the call up.”

Photography: IMAGESOFPOLO.COM

playing high goal the pony power is on another level!

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P Q IN T ERVIEW

When cachet doesn’t pay...

As England fails to muster an entry for the European Championships, Chris Rosamond asks FIP President Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers to address whether more should be done to commercialise the sport

I

reland clinched this year’s European Championship title in a fast-flowing and entertaining game at the historic Maifeld grounds in Berlin in early September. If you watched it online, you’ll have noticed the scene of polo’s last Olympic contest in 1936 – in the shadow of the imposing architecture of the famous stadium – was not exactly buzzing with enthusiastic onlookers.

Or maybe you won’t have given the low spectator count much thought, as that’s so often the way polo is played. But given the passion, skill and thrill that polo at its best provides, isn’t there room for more excitement around such highlights in the polo calendar? Shortly before the European contest took place, we posed the question to Nicholas ColquhounDenvers, President of the Federation of International Polo (FIP) which runs the event.

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PQ • Autumn 2016

“England has always found this sort of thing difficult because when the HPA sends a team, it’s spending members’ money,” he told us wryly. “Playing on the Maifeld Olympic ground is pretty special and we’ve got eight teams, but sadly not England because they can’t afford it. The trouble is polo is not very commercial and it’s never known how to raise funds to do things. We looked for an English patron who wanted to take a team over to Berlin, but Spain seems to have taken a lot of our patrons out this season.”

With other successful sports putting up national teams supported by TV, corporate, or even lottery cash, it might seem strange to outsiders that polo relies on patrons even at the national level. So why can’t the game be like other sports, and raise the money itself?

“This is where polo has never kept up,” says FIP’s leading man. “You look at Formula One and every little advert on the side of a car is £2m or whatever. We’ve never got into

P Q IN T ERVIEW the corporate world or we never encouraged the corporate world into ours. Therefore, we rely on patrons, and patrons will run out at some stage.”

While Nicholas may be forthright about the economics of the English game, he’s frank about the lack of any core commercial promotion strategy at FIP too. So far under his leadership, the organisation recognised by the International Olympic Committee as the umbrella body for world polo, has been focused on getting an internationally agreed common set of rules in place.

“We’re now very close to having a set of rules endorsed by the ‘big three’ national federations, which will become the FIP international rules,” he says. “I’m hoping it could happen as soon as our general assembly in December, but maybe it will be next year instead.”

FIP was set up 35 years ago with the primary objective of getting polo back into the Olympics, a vanishingly small prospect these days as Nicholas agrees. So once the new rules agreement is hammered out between the HPA, AAP and USPA, could we see FIP move to support a more strategically commercial approach to the game in the interest of developing polo’s reach?

“FIP has somebody who deals with commercial relationships, but at the moment we don’t have a commercial rights manager as such,” says Nicholas. “There’s a gap between what we do, and someone who goes out and sells the game, but I don’t think polo as a sport really knows what we’ve got or how to sell it.”

The question, of course, is whether that’s a problem.

For many enthusiasts of the game, the idea that big money patrons hold so much sway is anathema, yet clubs and federations staging blue-chip events around the world are accustomed to relying on the privileged few who enjoy a status in the game that only bottomless pockets can sustain. Critics say unlimited budgets put top level polo out of reach of many aspiring players, and that the style of high goal play it encourages is potentially alienating – both for the grassroots playing community, and for a wider potential audience that could attract corporate cash.

“One of the problems is patrons who see themselves as high goal players, when they haven’t got the same level of talent as their professionals,” says Nicholas. “They need to have a love for the game, certainly, because the thrill and adrenaline of polo means it’s the great, great grand-daddy of all extreme sports. But it feels like fighting a war out there, and these guys are primarily people who like winning wars.”

“Take the Coronation Cup. It was open, fast, flowing polo. As a governing body, and as spectators, that’s what we want to see. Too often, what players at the highest level want is total control over the ball, with three crushers knocking people out of the way, so they can show off their skill and score for the patron. So you have this battle between the top players who need to win to keep their jobs, and the spectators and a lot of other players who want to see a beautiful game.”

Yet while the high-goal patrons spend furiously in the quest for silverware, polo still seems occasionally ill at ease with the idea that a more commercial approach could provide an alternative economic model to move the game forward.

“When I was chairman at the HPA I’ve had to tell people look, frankly polo players are not interested. All they want to

I don’t think polo as a sport knows what we’ve got, or how to sell it... do is play,” says Nicholas. “One of the credit card companies approached us and said you’ll get 1.5% of what they spend, so we went out to members and nobody was interested.”

The HPA is certainly beginning to take the potential of its brand more seriously though, with the announcement at the Coronation Cup of the new Hurlingham Polo 1875 playing kit and leisure wear range. It’s been launched as a joint venture between the HPA and former Reebok chief Simon Hawkins, and follows a hard look at the HPA’s commercial prospects.

There are other commercial success stories in polo of course, including relative newcomer Polo in the Park at Hurlingham, which has made significant rule changes to improve the enjoyment and accessibility of the game for spectators. Nicholas thinks persistence with the concept is paying off.

“Polo in the Park is a good thing,” he says. “I think this year it actually made a profit for the first time, and Rory Heron who runs it understands the commercial side. He says that polo is the biggest sporting secret around. I’ve been going since the first days, when there was nobody sitting in the stands watching. It was like a country fête come to town and polo was thrown in. As of this year, those stands were absolutely chock-a-block and there were people standing five and six deep watching the games.”

Lovers of the classical game may grumble, but many agree more must be done to broaden and strengthen polo’s grassroots appeal. The challenges facing Nicholas and others at the top of our game are thorny, but the FIP president’s willingness to raise the issues is encouraging, and here at PQ we’ll definitely keep tabs on the ongoing debate. We don’t think it’s an issue the game can afford to ignore.

Nicholas has been a polo stalwart since his army days Autumn 2016 • PQ

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PQ RELAUNCH

SUBSCRIPTION

OFFER We’re celebrating the return of Polo’s most loved magazine, with a special relaunch offer.

Order your 2017 subscription before the end of November this year, and we’ll send you all four 2017 issues for the price of three!

To order your subscription and guarantee you never miss an issue, visit our online shop at www.poloquarterlymagazine.com

Subscription Prices Four issues in 2017 UK £28 offer price £21 Europe £38 offer price £28.50 Rest of the World £58 offer price £43.50 *Including postage

Reserve your 2017 copies of Polo Quarterly now at www.poloquarterlymagazine.com Autumn 2016 • PQ

33

Help for Heroes... ...funds a polo project for wounded warriors – and it’s a winning formula Words: Aurora Eastwood

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PQ • Autumn 2016

E

veryone who dedicates their life to military service deserves respect, but there’s a special kind of awe reserved for those whose selfless choice to put on uniform extracts the sort of price that most of us would be afraid even to contemplate.

Yet the good-humoured camaraderie on display when PQ joined Team H4H Phoenix for an instructional chukka at Tidworth wasn’t really surprising, as courage in the face of adversity is a part of the military job description. Still, even as we scratched the surface of some of the trials and terrors that have befallen team members while in service to the nation, the stories of what brought our heroes to their present lives would make the stoutest of souls tremble in their riding boots.

Scratching the surface is probably all anyone could

Photography: Antony Fraser

The Help for Heroes charity HQ is at Tidworth, too

ever do, without actually living with the day-to-day struggles of the Help for Heroes funded para-polo team.

The project based at Tidworth Polo Club is all about looking forward, though.

It’s already well known that riding has highly beneficial therapeutic effects – one only has to look Riding for the Disabled for evidence – but polo? Some might find it surprising that a high-speed contact sport could be a sensible, effective method of rehabilitation for Wounded Injured and Sick (WIS) service personnel.

Polo first became a Help for Heroes ‘Recovery Sport’ in summer 2013 when Phil Meadows (from Coolhooves Polo at RCBPC) offered up his ponies, instructors and equipment to the Help for Heroes charity. A few WIS personnel tried the new sport as part of their recovery, and the players soon proved to be more able than anyone had thought possible.

The link to Tidworth started when The Heroes Cup was organised as part of the Best of British Polo day in 2014 Autumn 2016 • PQ

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Elaine Corner Army Staff Sergeant, with tours of Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq over a 25 year REME career.

A motorbike accident resulted in back injuries and a leg amputation below the knee.

A keen rider prior to joiningup, she loves the challenge of being back participating in competitive sport, and has made fantastic new friends through polo while enjoying the laughs and banter.

Ange MasonMatthews

Not having a leg can be a bonus when riding someone off

Rebecca Foran-Coutts Medically discharged after 14 years in the AGC due to spinal problems, Rebecca started playing in 2015.

A keen rider all her life, owning and producing show jumpers, she says H4H has given back something that you lose when you leave the military.

It’s all about A lot of ‘can’t’ rediscovering the camaraderie, a in the army was sporting ethos and a lost sense of purpose post- demoralising. We’re injury, through proving we can playing exciting team sport, she reckons.

A lieutenant with 13 years in the Navy, Ange was injured on counter-narcotic operations, causing both knee and spinal damage. With reduced mobility, and periods of extreme pain, Ange started playing in 2015.

She previously evented but can no longer do so due to her injuries, and It’s great to get says playing polo is a way to be back the team fully involved in a high-octane, spirit that made service high-adrenaline sport with horses. life so unique

Cliff O’Farrell A Household Cavalry Regiment soldier, Cliff’s vehicle struck an IED which left him with multiple injuries, and five years of rehabilitation including countless surgeries to save his legs. He started polo to see if he could still enjoy a passion for horses post injury, and loves competing on a level playing after Overcoming field regardless of ability. The so much, I have physical injuries have improved realised limits are often massively, and he loves being back an illusion on a horse doing sport again.

Fran Townend

Vicky Adams

Enrolled in Bristol University Officer Training Corps, Fran was due to join the Medical Corps as a doctor. In 2014 she suffered horrific multiple injuries when assisting at an accident scene on the M4. One leg is virtually paralysed, and very few muscles work which makes riding very challenging. “Polo is helping my playing a fast balance, fitness and muscle sport HELps me condition, and each time I to prove This injury is play I feel and improvement.”

REME vehicle mechanic Vicky has done one tour of Afghanistan but injured her ankle playing army rugby.

Two surgeries in, with more to come, she started playing in 2015.

Before H4H she was faced with never playing in a team sport again.

Physically it has helped with the rehab. “Polo is good exercise It has done so with low impact to my ankle, and much for me it has helped with getting the mentally, just to be part movement back,” she says.

Lucinda Allaway

Andrew Jelinek

Formerly AGC, Lucinda has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and was bedridden, unable to do ‘normal stuff’.

On a horse, you can’t do anything else except focus on what you’re doing. The buzz of achievement stays with you, helping to maintain that positive mental state, she says.

“The team camaraderie means I didn’t want to let the others down, and had to haul myself to Tidworth. But it was so worth it, every time.”

Household Cavalry officer Andrew was injured in Afghanistan while pursuing an insurgent vehicle.

A fractured spine and multiple injuries meant two years of rehabilitation, and lasting neurological damage. Keen to get back on a horse, Andrew says polo has aided both his physical and It’s good psychological recovery, physiotherapy, improving confidence and but it’s also been so good recapturing the thrill of playing for the mind in a fast paced, aggressive sport.

not the end

PLAying polo exhausts me, but it’s worth every single second

of a team again

Military heritage in evidence

Tidworth Club ponies are quiet and easy, ideal for para polo

and 2015, giving team members the opportunity to experience playing in a match alongside members of the regular Army team. Team H4H Phoenix has also competed in fundraising matches at Fifield Polo Club for Polo for Heroes, and at in Women in Polo matches. In August 2015, training sessions moved to Tidworth Polo Club full time, and players were given the opportunity to play in instructional chukkas to improve their skills. Other WIS have joined the programme and there are now more than 10 regular participants, some just learning to play and ride, and others more experienced.

Injuries include amputation, restricted sight, spinal injuries and reduced functioning of limbs.

PQ gatecrashed a training session at Tidworth, on a rare day that the core contingent were all present, to see what it was all about. The banter was flowing, smiles were broad and it was evident to anyone watching that this weekly get together was hugely valued and enjoyed by all concerned.

As well as the Heroes Cup, H4H Phoenix entered the

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H4H helps out with kit

Para polo provides a level competitive playing field

Mounted; instant mood-enhancer

Tidworth grooms prepare the kit for the morning session

Resting in the pony lines before the action starts

Captains’ and Subalterns’ Tournament this season, where the team won their division against able bodied opponents.

This proves that illness and injury is no barrier to competing at polo on a level playing field – pardon the pun!

While credit for the project’s success is most evidently attributable to the courage and commitment of the playing participants, we also should pay homage to Tidworth Polo Club itself, whose management have been keen to support the Help for Heroes scheme with subsidised rates for the charity, combined with healthy measures of practical support and enthusiasm that help to keep the team fired up.

Both the club and Help for Heroes are keen for the project to expand, and there’s definitely room for more ‘heroes’ to pick up a stick and have a go – whether they’re experienced riders or completely new to horses and the sport. So if you think you know somebody who might enjoy the challenge, contact the team at Tidworth, or find out more at www.helpforheroes.com.

A minor tack adjustment

Jess Andrews... ...is Tidworth polo manager, and is full of admiration and praise for the team: “It’s so rewarding to see them out there – they never thought they’d be able to do it and yet here they are.

They are among the most determined people that I teach, and the camaraderie and banter is outstanding.

Playing in the Captains and Subalterns, the Jess Andrews leads the support was huge!” instructional chukkas

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P Q T r av e l

When ‘getting away from it all’ doesn’t include the polo...

The daddy of all destinations is still Argentina, land of ponies, expansive fields, smouldering ‘jugadores’, and bonkers driving!

The rest of the world has opened up to polo travel in a big way too, and you don’t have to play on grass, either....

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PQ • Autumn 2016

Plettenburg Polo Club welcomes visitors

BAY POLO – South Africa With little time difference from the UK, lovely weather, spectacular scenery (see previous page!), and amazing ponies – South Africa is a hot polo destination in the winter months. Alicia and Sean Brokensha run Bay Polo, next door to Plettenburg Polo Club. Tournaments can

be arranged, as can various day trips and excursions.

No polo widows (or widowers) here!

‘Uni’ polo tours start from £1500pp/pw, while ‘all the bells and whistles’ tours are from £3500pp/pw. www.poloinplett.com

Argentina OPTIONS No polo holiday roundup would be complete without mention of Argentina, and the season for overseas players generally runs from October to April, with a break over Christmas.

The options (and budgets) are endless. For the very serious player, go and play 20 goal-ish practices at La Quinta in Pilar with the Tomlinsons – recommended highly by PQ editor Aurora, who spent several happy seasons playing there. Or, for something a little less intense, try 6 to 16 goal at Puesto Viejo in Canuelas with British player Mat Lodder as your tour guide, instructor and general fixer.

La Quinta chukkas and ‘asada’ (top) Mat Lodder (above)

La Quinta: US $3,000 per week (approx.) excluding accommodation. Contact marcotomo@hotmail.com Puesto Viejo: From US $375 per day, includes your polo host Mat, full board accommodation, transfers, a lesson in the morning and four chukkas every afternoon.

Contact mat@matlodderpolo.co.uk

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P Q T r av e l

Play polo on tough mongolian ponies, go hacking all day, or relax with sword-fighting and archery...

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PQ • Autumn 2016

Snow Polo – EUROpe

Colombia – polo/beaches/jungle...

Snow Polo used to be for very deep pockets only, but now anyone (within reason!) can give it a go.

With this particular Snow Polo tour travelling across Europe from January to March there are plenty of opportunities to get involved. Polo is played in the late afternoon/early evening, giving plenty of time to enjoy the slopes or spa during the day, then party away the evening at the après-ski.

The jewel in the crown of South America, this country really does have it all. Play polo in the capital at one of their 3 polo clubs. The Bogota Polo Club has 5 perfectly manicured fields, 800 stables and one of the most beautiful clubhouses we have ever seen – complete a with hair salon for the girls! It’s invitation only, so another alternative is to play at the equally beautiful Los Pinos where polo is growing year on year. After a week of polo, hop on a flight to the coast and enjoy some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, or head up into the jungle.

MIXED TOUR DATES: 1. Kick-Off Event Seefeld: Jan 19-22, 2017 2. Bad Gastein: Feb 9-12, 2017 3. Winterberg: March 2-5, 2017 4. 4th Event: March 16-19, 2017 LADIES TOUR DATES: 1. Mariazell: January 5th – 8th or Jan 27 – 29, 2017 2. Teichalm: February 2nd – 5th, 2017 3. Bad Gastein: February 16th – 19th, 2017 Prices from £3250 to include: Four days, three games, pony hire, 3 nights accommodation in a 5* hotel, transportation, evening events.

DATES: January – March & July – September.

Prices from £2,000. Trips to the coasts and jungle available on request.

Mongolia – play like genghis!

In the depths of Mongolia, in the most beautiful landscape imaginable, is the Genghis Khan Polo Club.

Here you can play polo all day on the incredible tinybut-tough Mongolian horses, or go for day-long hacks galloping across the country. When not playing polo enjoy a massage, give sword fighting or archery a go, or simply sit back relax and enjoy the endless views of rolling mountains only interrupted by the odd yak.

DATES AVAILABLE: June – August.

Prices from £3,000 (excluding flights), with the Genghis Khan Polo Cup at the end of August.

Katriona Shrives at AdAstra Adventures runs all the tours on this page. Info: www.adastraadventures.com

At the top of the podium, and on top of the world?

Ibiza – Play, then Dance Now that Fabric is closed, get a clubbing and polo hit in one. With a red carpet leading up to the pitchside bar and DJ, plus giant bean bags to relax on while you watch the other teams – you know you’re in for a good time. It’s laid back polo with fantastic horses and beautiful pros (we’re promised!). Not to mention the clubs…

DATES AVAILABLE: April – November.

Prices from £2,000

Polo with your enemy’s head is no longer encouraged...

With the season underway in Argentina, we asked a few friends of PQ for their tips on Buenos Aires dining

‘Comer, beber y ser feliz...’

So if you’re heading off to this buzzing capital city for polo – or maybe just to party – then check out these hot tips for eateries from our seasoned B.A. regulars.

Fervor

SUSHI CLUB

www.fervorbrasas.com.ar Posadas 1519

www.sushiclub.com.ar Avenida 9 de Julio 1465, Recoleta

According to 7 goaler Max Charlton, it’s all about Sushi Club. “It’s the best sushi ever. It’s a bit different to normal sushi – I love it. I actually go about twice per week when I’m in BA!”

Fervor says The Marchioness of Milford Haven. “It’s great for good old-fashioned service with waiters in uniform fussing over you, and delicious bife de lomo, with creamed spinach and patatas fritas, washed down with some local Malbec.”

Yoko Sushi www.yokos.com.ar Panamericana, opposite the Sheraton, Pilar

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Fettucine mario www.fettuccinemario.com San Martin 299 with Ruta Nacional 8, Pilar

Fettucine Mario in Pilar says 6 goaler Tom Morley. “The best spaghetti bolognese. But you need to be playing lots to burn it off…”

Hazel Jackson (1 goal) is another sushi aficionado.

“Yoko Sushi in Pilar. Its got a cool vibe, usually with some chilled house music in the background,” she says. “Ivan and I make bets all the time about things – whoever loses buys sushi!”

P Q e at s

El Mirasol de la Recova

Chapa Bar

www.elmirasol.com.ar/en/branch/recova Pousadas 1032, Recoleta

Just off Ruta 8, Pilar to Grl Rodriguez

Mark Tomlinson, England squad member and 6 goal player spends probably half his life in Argentina, between the family farm in 25 de Mayo and La Quinta in Pilar. “El Mirasol de la Recova in Recoleta is my favourite. You get great matambre there.”

Lusitano www.restaurantlusitano.com J.A. Cabrera 5621

Chilean player Jamie Huidobro (8 goals, plays the Open, you know...) has his finger on the pulse when it comes to trendy eateries: “Lusitano in Palermo Viejo. It’s a really cool place with good food. I think it will be really fashionable this season.”

Lou Thomas, La Indiana team manager loves Chapa Bar, on the main road between all the clubs in Pilar, near the entrance to Centauros and Ellerstina. “You can eat and watch polo, and they stay open until you want to leave!”

BA S A Basement, Restaurant and Bar www.basabar.com.ar Basavilbaso 1328, Retiro

Local Lucrecia Melcior thinks that BASA Basement, Restaurant and Bar (see main pic) is the place to be. “It’s a classic in B.A., both in the daytime and at night, and it has struck the perfect balance of restaurant and bar.”

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E X P E R I E N C E T H E E X C E P T I O N A L® P R I N C E S S YA C H T S . C O M

Princess 40M – M/Y ANKA

The new age of

Aquarius

A Rolls-Royce Dawn brings beauty, harmony and joy to all (who can afford it‌) Photography Antony Fraser, Words Chris Rosamond

twenty miles in a rolls-royce dawn is as good for the soul as two weeks at your italian vigneto...

D

rifting into Cowdray to watch the polo on a sunny summer’s afternoon could hardly ever be considered an actual chore. But should the heat of the midday sun appear too enervating from the cool oasis of your drawing room, we think we’ve discovered just the tonic. Have your driver bring the latest Rolls-Royce Dawn to the front of the house, and surprise him with an afternoon off. Then slip off your coat, and settle into the supple hide-covered armchair from which this finest of motorcars is helmed. Drop the roof, point the silver wings of the Spirit of Ecstasy down the drive, and even as the gravel crunches beneath the deep sapphire blue of the hull, that heat-induced ennui will lift and dissipate as surely as the bubbles in a just-popped bottle of Prosecco.

You’ll arrive – wherever your destination – in a mood that’s perfectly frizzante.

Don’t believe us? We’re prepared to take the analogy further, and suggest twenty miles in a Rolls-Royce Dawn is

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as good for the soul as two weeks at your Italian vigneto.

And without the hangover… is there anything else you really need to know?

Beneath the Dawn’s stately bonnet lurks a smooth and powerful 560bhp+ V12 engine, which, together with a perfectly slurring eight-speed automatic gearbox conspires to remove any troublesome concern over revs or gear selection from the driving experience. The Dawn goes, stops and steers with such effortless ease that you really need do little but settle back to enjoy the sights, sounds and sense of occasion that convertible Rolls-Royce motoring delivers.

It will do its thing quickly too, should you wish to plunge the tip of a brogue deep into the sumptuous lambswool carpet. Thanks to running gear and chassis shared with the even more potent Rolls-Royce Wraith, 0-62mph takes just 5.2 seconds in extremis. But we are sure you are far more likely to want to indulge in the Dawn’s featherbed ride and luxurious loafing gait, than pick fights with hot hatchbacks at the traffic lights… aren’t you?

The cost of Rolls-Royce DAWN ownership is not inconsiderable – ours totted up to £270k before TAX...

what’s under the hood?

We’ve the Germans to thank for the R-R Dawn’s muscular performance, which comes courtesy of a big V12 engine shared with the BMW 7 Series. If you’re a typical owner you’ll probably never bother to lift the hood – so here’s a picture.

‘Our’ car came with sumptuous Midnight Sapphire coachwork, with a lustre so deep you might have toppled into it, and white full grain leather upholstery with contrasting Navy and Mandarin highlights. A little more Cowes than Cowdray perhaps, but helicoptering into Rolls-Royce HQ at Westhampnett to help the designers confect your bespoke Dawn’s décor would surely be a joy unbounded?

We brought the Dawn to Cowdray, only to discover it lacks Phantom’s bootlid-cum-grandstand seat. The Dawn’s boot is a little on the compact side too, due to the folding hood space, but there’s still bags of room for folding chairs, and a picnic for the car’s full complement of four passengers.

The cost of Dawn ownership is not inconsiderable, and our car with extras such as massaging seats, full camera system, driver assistance package and bespoke audio system, totted up to £270k before tax. Still, the factory assures us that schemes are in place to ensure buyers remain sufficiently liquid to finance the new season’s ponies… so really, you have no reasonable excuses.

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P Q Ca r s

This event seat is an optional extra...

...because the split tailgate is no more

Discovery, reinvented Out: Iconic boxy design. In: iPads and improved road manners

A

new Land Rover Discovery has arrived, and that classic boxy outline – so redolent of the previous models’ honest, goanywhere appeal – has been consigned to history. Before you run sobbing to a darkened room bemoaning the demise of another treasured British icon, remember there’s an all-new Land Rover Defender waiting in the wings. That one should deliver all the chunky, utilitarian goodness that traditionalists want from a country car, which is why the Discovery has been allowed to become more ‘lifestyle’ focused – yes, it really does have bespoke storage for four iPads. The Disco still has a reputation to uphold though, and we’re promised that performance off-road is even better than before. Only if you specify a version with a low-range transfer box though, because – shock horror – the standard version doesn’t get one. Land Rover says the basic single-range transmission saves weight, and ‘has been designed to deliver excellent onroad performance’. Which tells you all you need to know about competing in a 4x4 sector crammed with crossoverstyle SUVs that rarely tackle anything more taxing than a nasty speed bump.

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Tick the low-range ’box option, and the new Disco definitely means business – especially as all models come with impressive Terrain Response 2 electronics so the only off-road driving skill you’ll need is an ability to steer while admiring the view. Ground clearance has improved by 43mm to 283mm, wading depth by 200mm to 900mm, and towing capacity is a mighty 3,500kgs. Weight overall is down by 480kgs, thanks to new aluminium ‘monocoque’ construction. Previous Discos had a steel chassis frame, and driving manners on-road should improve as a result.

Team managers will appreciate seven full-size seats for trips from pony lines to presentation ceremonies, as well as the remote control motors to fold them flat if there are bales to shift. Polo spectators will be celebrating too, as although the split tailgate is no more, there’s an optional fold-out event seat and we’re told the new larger rear door makes a much better umbrella...

New Discovery notes Price: From £43,495 On sale: Spring 2017

Overfinch is the world’s leading creator of bespoke Range Rover vehicles. For four decades, Overfinch have been enhancing and redefining the iconic Range Rover, creating the most innovative, beautiful and spectacular vehicles.

Overfinch dedicate British craftsmanship to the pursuit of perfection, to meeting the bespoke requirements of a global clientele. The results are a groundbreaking blend of capability, individuality and luxury.

OVERFINCH.COM

UNSUNG HEROES

Team manager Lou Thomas keeps La Indiana’s show on the road W

ith over 20 years experience in the sport, Lou is well known to many in the polo world. She was first introduced to the game by her grandmother, who was a social member at Cowdray and used to take Lou along to watch. She has gone from pitch side at Cowdray as a keen spectator to pitch side at Cowdray as an even keener spectator – via most of the world’s polo playing nations, some 10 goalers, with two decades and a wealth of knowledge amassed in between.

La Indiana team patron Michael Bickford is full of praise for Lou: “A manager is key to any polo organization but a good manager is invaluable. Lou has the heart of a lion and knowledge about the horses, the sport and the players which is rare. Her loveable personality and loyalty are beyond words,” he says.

Q A

What is your background in the game?

“I’ve mostly worked in and around Berkshire, and it wasn’t until this year that I found myself back at Cowdray. In between I had worked at Ascot, for Les Lions, Geebung, Ahmibah and for Bauti Heguy, on and off, for eight years. I went all over the place with Bauti; England, France and Argentina. Working with him while he played in the Open was an amazing experience. I’ve also worked in South Africa, the USA, Dubai, Germany… you name it.”

Q A

How did you take the reins at La Indiana?

“I first met Michael about 15 years ago when I was working in the office at the Berkshire (Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club). We became friends, and when I finished working for Bauti he called me up as he needed someone to organise his team for St Moritz – that was in December 2011. I’ve been working for him ever since.”

Q A

What is it that you do?

“Everything! From organising the horses, the feed, the vets and physios, how to get them fit, everything. I have a really great team of grooms, based around Nico Avalos, who used to work for Marcos Heguy. I coordinate everything. I don’t get to ride much anymore unfortunately, but I get so much pride and satisfaction from what I do. I see both sides of the game as I have worked in so many different areas – from grooming to office jobs, to securing sponsorship and more. It all helps, as I often feel like I’m juggling cats!

It’s pretty intense, the ponies come in mid March and from then till the end of the season in September it’s full on – I always say to people to not die or get married in the polo season as I won’t be able to make it! Every day is different,

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you have to dedicate your life to it and really love it. It’s my passion and I give as much as I can.”

Q A

What makes you feel the most proud?

“Everything we have achieved has been incredible.

From all the best playing pony prizes, the results in the tournaments, it’s all been fantastic. It’s such a team effort and the chemistry we all have together, the ‘onda’ is just brilliant.

We have around 70 ponies and 14 to 15 grooms. Compare that to, say, King Power, who will have 60 grooms and many more ponies at a game. We are comparatively small and it’s nice and intimate – people must like working here as they keep coming back!”

Q A

How did this high goal season come about?

“It was quite an organic process. Michael is so dedicated to the sport, his fitness, and so on, and it just seemed like the next step. He had been playing the 15 goal, then the 18 goal, then entered the Gold Cup last season. We lost three out of the four games in extra time, which was a pretty good result, so we decided to enter both the main tournaments here this season.”

Q A

How do you find the ponies?

“Ruki helps us a lot and most of them come via him – he’s pretty good. I keep an eye out too. I’m always watching horses play, so if I see something I will make a recommendation. We are always on the lookout for a really good pony, but they are hard to find. We have some younger horses, five year olds and upwards, but we don’t do any breeding.”

Q A

What is your key horse management tip?

“Listen to your horse! Watch them, feel them when you ride them. Speak to your groom, ask them how the horse is. Prevention is better than cure. When we get the vet out I am at every trot up, watching every horse move.”

Q A

Final thoughts?

“My polo journey has been amazing. It has opened so many doors for me. I worked for Jodie Kidd for a while and even a stint at Ferrari. That would never have happened had it not been for polo. It just keeps getting better – this was certainly the most successful season of my life. I also think it’s important to mention that girls can get ahead in this game now. Look at Emma Levia at King Power and Ash Price at Polofix – if you prove yourself and work hard, you can make it. Don’t give up!”

Lou has the heart of a lion and knowledge about the horses, the sport and the players which is rare. Her loveable personality and loyalty are

La Indiana Results in 2016

Best Playing Pony prizes

Finalists: Cartier Queen’s Cup, Jaeger LeCoultre Gold Cup. Winners: St Tropez 18 goal tournaments: Cote D’Azur Polo Cup and Open du Soleil.

Trippetts Challenge: Miriam, played by Nic Roldan, owned by Michael Bickford.

Queen’s Cup semi final: Marisol, owned and played by Agustin Merlos.

Queen’s Cup final: Volcan, played by Julian Lussareta owned

by Bauti Heguy.

Gold Cup semi final: Bailerina, owned and played by Michael Bickford.

Côte D’Azur Polo Cup High Goal: Lana, played by Ruki Bailleau, owned by Michael Bickford.

Open du Soleil High Goal: Aran, played by Bautista Ortiz de Urbina, owned by Michael Bickford.

Lou Thomas celebrates with the La Indiana Team

Autumn 2016 • PQ

Photography Gillian Hughes

beyond words...

57

I want to leave a lifestyle and a legacy for the third generation

The ‘Beh’ necessities?

Polo and more polo is the glue that makes this family dynasty stronger

P

Words Aurora Eastwood, Photography IMAGESOFPOLO.COM

olo playing dynasties are nothing new but they’re a rare thing in Malaysia, a country with a fraction of the polo tradition of Argentina and England.

James Beh (above) has been nurturing his family polo dynasty there since the late 1980s, but the surname has been well recognised in the UK for a while, as his two sons have played here since school days. Garvy and Joevy both have 4 goal handicaps, unusual in amateur players these days, and they entered an almost Beh-only team in the Royal Windsor this year.

To find out more about Malaysia’s most happening polo family, we caught up with the Beh clan over lunch at Guards, when James’s enthusiasm for his family’s exploits on the field was palpable: “My son was the first foreigner to win

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the Potrillos in Argentina,” he proclaims, proudly. “When he was 14, and his brother has won it too!” This is indeed an achievement to be proud of, as the Potrillos is a hard fought tournament featuring the best young talent in Argentina, with the children and protégées of many 8, 9, and 10 goalers making up the teams.

James was bitten by the polo bug in the late 1980s, after playing at Ipoh Polo Club and taking lessons with daughter Loevy and son Chevy (then 12 and 10).

The following year he went to Argentina, to Cañuelas with Salvador Socas, and has returned every year since, playing in San Isidro, the Jockey Club and Centauros. “At my best, I got my handicap to 2,” he says. “It’s at 1 now, and I scored 5 goals in the Royal Windsor last week. How many patrons can say that?”

The boys (all of them 4 goalers) played schools polo at Wellington College before heading out to the USA and

a fa m ily a f fai r going to university at Virginia. Loevy (now 33), went to UCL in London and played a bit for her university.

Virginia is interesting as it has its own polo club, fields, stabling and ponies, and no British institution can boast the same. Students who want to play polo pay $1,000 per term and help look after the ponies themselves on a rota system, overseen by a permanent manager. They learn useful stable management skills and how to get horses fit. James was so impressed by this that he donated a building to the polo club – an accommodation block for the use of visiting players.

The ‘polo-anthropy’ continues with James offering support to youth polo in Argentina, and here in the UK too, in the form of a new stable block at Wellington College.

“Being able to play in a family environment is what makes polo special for us,” says Joevy, 27. “We treat it as a hobby, and even with the age differences we are all equals.

We are quite happy to shout ‘Choto!’ at one another on the field, and when we play with our sister we feed the ball to her and joke that she is the patron!

“We are hoping to share a team for the Camara in Argentina. It’s still very much in the planning stage at the moment though. We want to encourage people to play as a family and show that it can be done”

The family also plans to contest the 8 goal Archie David next season, and the South Asian Cup, and the St Moritz Snow Polo in January 2017 – but they do have other interests outside the game.

James Beh reaches for the ball

Garvy Beh vs a determined Will Emerson James likes running marathons in the middle of the night: “It’s hot in Malaysia, so you have to start running at midnight.” Joevy likes flying and has his private pilot licence, while Garvy (22) likes cars... in fact the whole family likes cars, with a collection including a Porsche Spyder, Lamborghini Aventador, Rolls-Royces, Aston Martin Rapide, Bentleys and the most recent purchase, a Maserati Ghibli. “I bought it this morning and told them it has to be delivered by Friday,” says James (today is Wednesday). “My wife and I are going on a road trip down to Paris and then on to Sotogrande”.

The final destination has a purpose, as James is going to play the 12 goal there.

The Beh’s list of polo destinations played as a family is impressive. Aside from the US, Argentina, Europe, China and Malaysia, there’s been Arena polo in the US, snow polo in Aspen, and polo on tiny horses in Mongolia. On one memorable day in 2014, Joevy played in three countries in three days – playing in Houston, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.

The whole family works full time. James runs the family business, combining healthcare with property interests – his wife too has a property company, renovating, among other things, Whiteleys shopping mall in London. Loevy runs a chain of pharmacies across Malaysia. Garvy has launched an Uber style app for Doctors, called Doctors2U. Chevy (31) has his own startup which is keeping him very busy (hence he wasn’t in the UK). Joevy says the whole family is incredibly tech savvy: “ You have to innovate. Disrupt the status quo.”

“I am doing it for the third generation” says James.

“I want to leave a lifestyle and a business legacy. It was difficult for me to get started in polo.

“The third generation will have an organisation at home and abroad – including Argentina.” Of course!

We are quite happy to shout ‘choto’ at one another Joevy Beh in the Royal Windsor at Guards

on the pitch!

Autumn 2016 • PQ

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pac k ponie s

Does polo have a weight problem?

As other equestrian disciplines get tougher on rider-to-horse weight ratios, where does polo stand on the 20% rule?

T

ales of mis-matched riders being ordered off horses at shows in the UK have made juicy headlines over the summer, and we’ve heard reports from Germany of riders being barred from showjumping events on welfare grounds. Now the Horse of the Year Show has let it be known that its stewards will be gunning for ‘overweight’ riders too.

Debate over rider-to-horse weight ratios has been ongoing for years, but if latest received wisdom is correct – that a rider should be no more than 20% of the weight of their mount – polo may have awkward questions to answer if the media spotlight lingers.

We’ve seen estimates that as many as two thirds of riders are too heavy for their horses, exceeding the commonly quoted guidelines that 10% of the horse’s weight is ideal, 15% OK, and 20% the upper welfare limit.

So what might this mean for polo, if a groundswell of public opinion leads to guidelines becoming enforced in other equine disciplines? Will clubs need weighbridges for horses, and weighing rooms for players? Will we all have to play polo on cobs? Joking apart, it’s not too hard to imagine the issue generating such a head of steam, that it creates genuine problems right across the polo industry.

Aside from adults riding ponies in showing classes, Polo is probably the sport that is sailing closest to the wind on this. Personal fitness isn’t always taken very seriously, and many think nothing of their own weight when jumping on a 15hh polo pony. Adding to the problem is saddlery

and kit that has changed little in design for decades on the basis ‘it needs to be tough for polo’, irrespective of materials advances in other sports.

How much should a polo pony be expected to carry?

George Meyrick uses lighter tack and boots

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How detrimental is it to exceed 20%?

Vets vary in opinion. “I’m not sure how much of a problem this is,” says Richard Vile, a highly-experienced Hampshire vet. “Do I see more injuries in horses ridden by people who are overweight? Not really. It’s more about how well you ride and how well your saddle fits. Poorly fitting tack will compound the problem. Polo ponies are certainly on the sharp end of this issue as they aren’t very big, the saddles aren’t great and they can be ridden by big people who aren’t always the best riders.”

Keith Chandler, previous president of the BEVA (British Equine Veterinary Association) thinks the maximum figure should be lower, at 15%. He also points out it is often the pairing that is the problem, not being overweight per se.

“Often the problem is not an overweight rider, but a rider on too small a horse.”

Mounting from another pony is better for their backs

Polo ponies are certainly on the sharp end of the issue

The truth is, though, nobody really knows. BEVA is supposed to be investigating the problem, but appears to be waiting on a report from the Animal Health Trust. Sam Dyson at the Trust told PQ there’s no timescale to start the investigation they want, because there’s no funding.

What is the response from polo?

Aside from welfare, a horse carrying less weight can travel faster and turn more quickly - which is of course why racehorse trainers want their jockeys to be as light as possible.

The few players we quizzed hadn’t heard of a 20% guideline, and were mostly surprised at how much their tack and kit could weigh. Perhaps unsurprisingly, few seemed inclined to do anything about it.

George Meyrick is one player who takes weight very seriously, using lighter plastic stirrups, pared-back bridles, no breastplates and lightweight saddles, and who also controls his own weight. “I want the ponies to be comfortable and to perform well, so obviously the less weight they have to carry the better they will go,” he says.

Chairman of the HPA welfare committee, David Morley, illustrates the problem of arbitrary percentages, pointing out how horsemanship plays a huge part. “A lot has to be said for how you ride, and the type and conformation of horse is obviously vital. A spindly thoroughbred, no matter how fat you get it, can’t carry the same weight as a solid, partbred pony with good conformation. The ratios for those two types won’t be the same.”

So what happens next?

The HPA says it’s keeping tabs on the situation as you’d expect, but we get the sense that polo in general hopes this is an issue that will quietly disappear. Perhaps it will. In the meantime, it never hurts to try and to lose a few kilos!

Aurora Eastwood

Rider weights - the old rules of thumb: ⅙ for a hunter (16.6%) ⅕ for a cavalry charger (20%) ¼ for a quiet hack (25%) ⅓ for a tough native pony (33.3%)

Number crunching: The bottom line is that you don’t need to be overweight to exceed the 20% ratio – as our table shows, an average player may already over the limit: Average 15.2hh polo pony weight: 450kgs Average weight of tack, boots, hat and mallet: 21kgs Average male rider weight: 79 kgs Average female rider weight: 70 kgs Male rider to pony weight ratio: 22.2% Female rider to pony weight ratio: 20.2%

Autumn 2016 • PQ

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O N THE P ITCH

Photography: Matias Callejo

Lia Salvo scoring a goal in the Jockey Club Open, September 2016

Lia Salvo makes high goal history, and England Ladies beat Argentina Two ‘firsts’ to celebrate as Ladies polo goes from strength-to-strength

L

adies Polo is enjoying a boom at the moment, thanks in part to a significant boost from the newly created WIP (Women in Polo) league. With open-to-all tournaments held at almost all the major clubs including Cowdray, Cirencester, Sotogrande, Chantilly (come on Guards, we’re looking at you!), the showcase for the ladies game is widening considerably.

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Tamara Fox’s excellent initiative of staging a ladies international at Cirencester on the same day as the Warwickshire Cup saw Adolfo Cambiaso’s daughter Mia playing for Argentina. On the subject of Argentine ladies, special mention must go to Lia Salvo, a 3 goaler (mixed) who just made history by winning the Jockey Club Open alongside Cambiaso himself – the first time a lady has ever played in competition at the 30 goal level.

L adie s polo

Tamara Fox has her eye on the ball

Kings Head Ladies In ternational Organised by Tamara Fox and played after the final of the Warwickshire Cup, this historic England vs Argentina ladies game saw England – naturally accustomed to playing in the wet – beat Argentina, despite the latter having a Cambiaso both on the team and as coach! It’s the first time England Ladies have been pitted against an Argentine national side, but doubtless the visitors will be itching for an opportunity to even up the honours…

FINAL SCORE: England 5 Argentina 3 ½ England: 1 Hazel Jackson (7), 2 Tamara Fox (7), 3 Sarah Wiseman (7), 4 Claire Brougham (6) Total 27 Argentina: 1 Mia Cambiaso (2), 2 Maria Bellande (7), 3 Lia Salvo (9), 4 Paola Martinez (8) Total 26

Ci ty & Country Ladies British Championship

Cotswold Airport Cirencester Ladies Tournament

Six teams entered this prestigious tournament at Cowdray this year. Won by Cowdray Vikings, it’s the first in the ‘triple’ of the three major ladies tournaments of the UK season. Cowdray’s Hazel Jackson/Sarah Wiseman combo got the better of the Fox/Taylor duo and took the trophy home for patron Lila Pearson.

Coombe Place took the honours in a close game on a rather drizzly day, with the lead changing dramatically in the last chukka, when Coombe Place scored three goals to Prestmo’s none, despite Prestmo having the mighty Nina Clarkin as coach. Tamara Fox rallied her troops well, playing with long-time friend and team mate Lucy Taylor, but was pipped at the post.

FINAL SCORE: Cowdray VIkings 6 Huntington House/Apes Hill 2 ½ MVP: Hazel Jackson BPP: Hazel Jackson’s Peewee Cowdray Vikings: 1 Lila Pearson (2), 2 Hazel Jackson (7), 3 Sarah Wiseman (7), 4 Katie Vickery (1) Total 17 Huntington House/Apes Hill: 1 Camilla Williams (0), 2 Emma Boers (4), 3 Tamara Fox (7), 4 Lucy Taylor (5) Total 16

FINAL SCORE: Coombe Place 6 Prestmo 5 ½ MVP: Emma Boers Coombe Place: 1 Claire Brougham (6), 2 Daisy Hatfield (1), 3 Hazel Jackson (7), 4 Lottie Lamacraft (4) Total 18 Prestmo: 1 Siri Evjemo Nyvseen (1), 2 Emma Boers (4), 3 Tamara Fox (7), 4 Lucy Taylor (5) Total 17 Autumn 2016 • PQ

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L adie s polo

Ladies Open de France, Chantilly British girls were at the fore in France, with Huntington beating Maryland on the final day. Tamara Fox has really had a cracking season, appearing in every ladies final and ending the season with a major win here.

Mention must also go to Heloise Wilson Smith, who travelled out with two small children in tow, and played as hard as she ever has.

Lucy Taylor battling hard in the final

FINAL SCORE: Huntington 4 Maryland 2 MVP: Lucy Taylor BPP: Tamara Fox’s Puzzle Huntington House/Apes Hill: 1 Camilla Williams (0), 2 Emma Boers (4), 3 Tamara Fox (7), 4 Lucy Taylor (5) Total 16 Maryland: 1 Gabriella Turk (1), 2 Heloise Wilson-Smith (4), 3 Caroline Anier, (6), 4 Bryony Taylor (4) Total 16

Beaufort Ladies With such a busy schedule only three teams were fielded to compete for the Wood Cup at the Beaufort Ladies tournament – however these three were possibly some of the strongest seen this season in England. Prestmo and Coombe Place reached the final and effectively played a rematch of the Cirencester final, but this time Prestmo achieved the honours.

FINAL SCORE: Prestmo 3 Coombe Place 2 Prestmo: 1 Siri Evjemo Nyvseen (1), 2 Emma Wood (5), 3 Tamara Fox (7), 4 Lucy Taylor (5) Total 18 Coombe Place: 1 Claire Brougham (6), 2 Daisy Hatfield (1), 3 Hazel Jackson (7), 4 Emma Boers (4) Total 18

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Prestmo with the winner’s trophy

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O N THE P ITCH

Agustin (Tincho) Merlos hits a neck shot for La Indiana

Gonzalito Pieres and Negro di Lusaretta vie for the ball

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Nic Roldan keeping the ball on the end of his mallet

King P o w e r Fo x e s 9 v s L a I ndiana 5

The JaegerLeCoultre Gold Cup La Indiana’s early promise fades, as King Power go on to take their second Gold Cup win

O

n the 60th Anniversary of the JaegerLeCoultre sponsored Gold Cup at Cowdray Park, La Indiana made the second final of their season, cementing their success in having also reached the final of the Cartier Queen’s Cup. Ultimately outgunned by the King Power conglomerate, the final was close, exciting and fast paced, with the result only decided in the final chukkas. As a good high goal game should be.

King Power, taking to the winner’s podium once more (the team having won last year with Tal’s brother Top at the helm) each won an engraved Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso watch.

Final score: King Power Foxes 9 La Indiana 5 MVP: Facundo Pieres BPP: Sarmiento, played by Facundo Pieres and owned by Marcos di Paola King Power Foxes: 1 Tal Srivaddhanaprabha (0), 2 Hugo Lewis (2), 3 Gonzalito Pieres (10), 4 Facundo Pieres (10) Total 22 La Indiana: 1 Michael Bickford (1), 2 Julian (Negro) de Lusaretta (6), 3 Augustín (Tincho) Merlos 8, 4 Nic Roldan (7) Total 22

Best Playing Pony Sarmiento Autumn 2016 • PQ

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C o w d r ay G old C up

Facundo Pieres with JLC’s Zahra Kassim-Lakha

Eduardo Novillo-Astrada with Carolina Beresford

Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha watching his team play

Polo people off the pitch at Cowdray’s main event

Tania Richardson and Theresa Beresford

Jaeger-LeCoultre ambassadors mingled with the polo crowd and enjoyed the festivities, while Cowdray Park was alive with parties well into the evening

Brand ambassador and ex-England captain Luke Tomlinson

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Clare Milford-Haven and David Gandy

A fraction of the King Power posse – with matching BMW!

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O N THE P ITCH

Max Charlton and Chris Mackenzie in a horse race

Chris Mackenzie on his way to MVP

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HRH receiving the world’s rarest whisky from Royal Salute

T he C o m m on w ealth 1 2

v s E ngland 1 1

2016 Royal Salute Coronation Cup Commonwealth visitors pip England to victory in a thrilling game

A

lthough England didn’t win, this was the best international in years by a country mile. An entirely fresh England lineup did brilliantly against a hungry and well mounted Commonwealth team. Indeed, both teams were made up of highly popular players with tremendous crowd support – and the open, rapid and passing match that ensued held the attention of the spectators from start to finish, with a winning goal scored mere seconds from the end.

Final score: The Commonwealth 12 England 11 MVP: Chris Mackenzie BPP: Light Nights, an ex-racehorse owned and trained by Jack Richardson The Commonwealth: 1 Hissam (Namoo) Ali Hyder (6), 2 Chris Mackenzie (6), 3 John Paul Clarkin (7), 4 Fred Mannix (8) Total 27 England: 1 Jack Richardson (6), 2 Max Charlton (7), 3 James Beim (7), 4 James Harper (6) Total 26

Captains JP Clarkin and James Beim tussle for the ball Autumn 2016 • PQ

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Ro yal Salute C o r onation C up

Royal Salute VIP party adds a dash of glamour Sports stars and celebs were amongst the great and the good who sampled ‘the good stuff’ at Guards on Coronation Cup day, thanks to the event title sponsor

Naomie Harris pours Royal Salute for boyfriend Peter Legler

Malcolm Borwick

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Royal Salute Creative Advisor Barnabé Fillion and Royal floral artist Simon Lycett

Nina and JP Clarkin

Support for the hunt

Former rugby player and model Thom Evans

Model and actress Olivia Inge learns to play polo before the game

Olivia Inge attends the Royal Salute Coronation Cup

Aurora Eastwood, Alan Kent and Chris Rosamond

Coronation Cup floral clubhouse

Coronation Cup MVP Chris Mackenzie

Actor Chiké Okonkwo Autumn 2016 • PQ

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ON T H E P I T C H

Photography imagesofpolo.com

Which way did it go..?

James Beim harrying JP Clarkin as he goes for a backhand shot

B l ac k B ea r s 8 vs

A delighted JP Clarkin cleaned up

El Remanso 7

Bears win Bledisloe Warwickshire Cup A late El Remanso goal is not enough to keep the Black Bears at bay

J

P Clarkin has previously contested this final on Cirencester Park’s beautiful Ivy Lodge ground six times – and he finally won it this year with Black Bears, to the delight of the crowd, his family and friends. With scores level in the last chukka, the prospect of extra time was tantalisingly close, and a late goal from James Beim drew gasps of agony from Black Bears supporters, but it was JP’s day. Not only did his team win the trophy, JP himself won MVP, his pony Beagle won the ROR Lycetts retrained racehorse prize, and his other pony Magpie won best playing pony. A hat-trick, plus one!

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Final score: Black Bears 8 El Remanso 7 MVP: JP Clarkin BPP: JP Clarkin’s Magpie Black Bears: 1 Guy Schwarzenbach (1), 2 Patrick O’Dwyer (6), 3 Max Charlton (7), 4 John Paul Clarkin (7) Total 21 El Remanso: 1 Charlie Hanbury (4), 2 Ollie Cudmore (5), James Beim (7), James Harper (6) Total 22

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ON T H E P I T C H

To the victors Roehampton, the spoils!

Teams were named for those playing in 1926

Roehampton 6

vs

Ham 4 ½

90th Ambassador’s Cup celebrates HPC’s 90th!

FIP global ambassadors play – and party – at the historic Ham Polo Club

H

am Polo Club celebrated its 90th anniversary this year, and as 2016 also heralded the 90th FIP Ambassador’s Cup (FIP runs two or three such events around the world each year), where better to stage the landmark event?

Six teams entered the 3 goal contest at the invitation of FIP President and HPC Chairman Nicholas ColquhounDenvers, who was instrumental in organising the ‘double 90th’ celebration. The FIP Ambassador’s Cup was supported by patrons Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, Omar Mangalji and Brian Stein, and local players and FIP ambassadors from around the world played as teams who were in existence when HPC was founded.

With the first rounds held at King Power’s Billingbear Park grounds, the finals at Ham saw a Roehampton team pip Ham 6 to 4 ½, while a Cowdray team beat Ranelagh 5 to 3 in the sub-final. An HPC-style clubhouse BBQ and party rounded things off, and the FIP visitors were guests of the HPA at the Coronation Cup the following day.

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Final score: Roehampton 6 Ham 4 ½ Roehampton: 1 Robert de By (-1), 2 Henri de By (-1), 3 Tommy Beresford (4), 4 Joe Meyer (1) Total 3 Ham: 1 Pat Nesbitt (0), 2 Omar Mangalji (0), Charlie Wood (3), Stephen O’Kane (-1) Total 2 The FIP Ambassadors Joe Meyer – Chairman USPA Bruce Colley – USA (FIP Council of Administration) Pat Nesbitt – USA Piero Dillier – Chairman St. Moritz Polo Club (FIP Executive Committee) Roderick Vere-Nicholl – UK (FIP Council of Administration) Robert de By – UK (FIP Legal Counsel) Ernesto Gutierrez – Argentina Michael Rattagan – Argentina Tal Srivaddhanaprabha – Thailand

ON T H E P I T C H D u ba i 1 2 vs

Aya l a 7

Sotogrande Gold Cup attracts a royal visitor

imagesofpolo.com

Cambiaso shows he’s still king of the game, as the King of Spain looks on

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Facundo Pieres and Alejo Taranco in full flight on Santa Maria’s pristine fields

Y

ou know you’ve got a coup when Felipe VI of Spain comes to your polo tournament, even though the Gold Cup – in the Spanish centre of excellent polo that is Santa Maria Polo Club in Sotogrande – only had five teams this year. Still, that might not have been a bad thing as there wasn’t space for many more yachts in the harbour, belonging to patrons and friends of patrons.

The final, between Dubai and Ayala, was convincingly won by the former in the final chukka or so – scores having been very level up until that point. Dubai featuring a superbly mounted (as usual) Cambiaso, who continues to prove that he is still the best 10 goaler our there, despite his age beginning with a very distinguished ‘4’. Mighty impressive stuff from the maestro, making this the second Gold Cup he has won in as many years. That must have been some consolation for a crashing fall that meant he had to be substituted by Juan Martin Nero late in the game.

Santi Stirling flies past the crowds

Final score: Dubai 12 Ayala 7 MVP: Adolfo Cambiaso BPP: Dolfina Primicia, owned and played by Adolfo Cambiaso Dubai: 1 Rashid Albwardy (2), 2 Santi Stirling (4), 3 Adolfo Cambiaso (10), 4 Alejo Taranco (6) Total 22 Ayala: 1 Inigo Zobel (0), 2 Tom Brodie (3), Facundo Pieres (10), 4 Nicolas Pieres (9) Total 22

Winning team Dubai with Ali Albwardy Autumn 2016 • PQ

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New York - Porto Montenegro

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SOTO G RAN D E G o l d C u p

Aprovechando the extras at Santa Maria Polo Club A display of classic Andalucian equitation

Pablo Macdonough and wife Mercedes

The shopping village next to the main field

There’s always something to see in Sotogrande, with excellent shopping, horsemanship displays, gorgeous weather... and beautiful people!

The de Ferranti family, Hernan Pieres and Hattie Harford

Maria Vasquez Autumn 2016 • PQ

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ON T H E P I T C H

IMAGESOFPOLO.COM

Beach polo up close and personal

The annual Sandbanks polo festival had a new look this year

Jets 9

vs

Jets – with Piper-Heidsieck – on the podium

Piper Heidsieck 7

British Beach Polo Championships puts the party back into polo Pitchside grandstand makes for immersive seaside spectating

T

he all new layout of the 9th British Beach Polo Championships, unveiled at Sandbanks over a sunny weekend in July, proved to be a hit with the crowds that soaked up the atmosphere over the two days of the event. The fact that there was a bevy of lithe girls playing volleyball at intervals in the temporary polo arena probably helped a bit too...

Lovely weather meant Sandbanks Beach attracted thousands of visitors and tourists on 8th and 9th July, and many of them took the opportunity to enjoy the spectacle of top international polo players competing against each other to win this year’stitle. As well as the aforementioned volleyball contingent, attractions included a Porsche vs Polo Pony race – which once again proved that there isn’t much out there that can run rings around a polo pony...

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Teams contesting the tournament this year included Clogau, Jets, Piper-Heidsieck and Saxe Coburg, with PiperHeidsieck finishing two goals adrift of Jets in the final.

With the glamorous party people determined to make a night of it, polo at Sandbanks is definitely a fun date in the calendar!

Final score: Jets 9 Piper Heidsieck 7 Jets: 1 Jamie Morrisson (4), Charlie Wooldridge (2), Royston Prisk (3) Total 9 Piper Heidsieck: Charlotte Sweeney (1), 2 Zac Hagendoorn (5), 3 Richard Blake Thomas (3) Total 9

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ON T H E P I T C H

Sun, sea, sand...

(and some exciting polo on the Cote D’Azur) The South of France makes a popular stopover for players en-route to South America

La Indiana (top) and Fern Park (above left) were winners and runners-up twice. Duck for the neck shot! (above right)

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S

t Tropez seems to have stolen a lot of the thunder from other clubs in the country. With the investment in the pitches and facilities, it’s not hard to see why more and more teams are choosing to come and play in this beautiful part of France after the British high goal season ends. The weather helps too. And the beaches.

And the yachts. And the….

Cote D’Azur Polo Cup Six teams entered this, the first of the two major 18 goal tournaments of the season.

It was La Indiana to face Ferne Park in the final, with a close, fierce game in which Ruki Baillieu was sidelined after a heavy fall, replaced by Frankie Menendez.

Despite this upset, La Indiana held on and won the trophy.

Brightly coloured helmets in action at St Tropez Polo Club

Final score: La Indiana 10 Ferne Park 9 Fair Play Award: Jonathan Rothermere MVP: Jamie Garcia Huidobro BPP: Lana, owned by Michael Bickford La Indiana: 1 Michael Bickford (1), 2 Ruki Baillieu (7), 3 Jaime Garcia Huidobro (7), 4 Jamie Morrison (3) Total 18 Ferne Park: 1 Rodrigo Rueda (6), 2 Joaquin Pittaluga (7), 3 Valentin Novillo Astrada (5), 4 Jonathan Rothermere (0) Total 18

Open Du Soleil 18 goal Six teams became two, and it was dejavu for Ferne Park’s patron Jonathan Rothermere as La Indiana triumphed over his Ferne Park side once more, by an agonisingly close ½ goal in a tight, even and hard fought match.

Lunging for a chance to hook...

Final score: La Indiana 7 ½ Ferne Park 7 Fair Play Award: Jonathan Rothermere MVP: Bautista Ortiz de Urbina BPP: Aran, owned by Michael Bickford La Indiana: 1 Michael Bickford (1), 2 Bautista Ortiz de Urbina (6), 3 Jaime Garcia Huidobro (7), 4 Jamie Morrison (3) Total 17 Ferne Park: 1 Rodrigo Rueda (6), 2 Joaquin Pittaluga (7), 3 Valentin Novillo Astrada (5), 4 Jonathan Rothermere (0) Total 18

Winding up for a backhand

Photography: Matias Callejo Autumn 2016 • PQ

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@RBPRESSE

ON T H E P I T C H

Chantilly drama on the boards!

The delighted winners and full supporting cast

M a r q ua r d M e d i a 1 0

v s M o c h i Ch i c 7

Open de France Paprec at Chantilly Martin Aguerre makes his mark, en-route to Argentina

M

arquard Media saw off Mochi Chic to win the title for the second year running. Chantilly’s lovely grounds, not far from Paris, are the scene of much activity at the end of the English season, with the final of the Open de France Paprec and the ladies tournaments. Then the Argentines bomb-burst back to the homeland with astonishing speed to prepare for the season there. But not before one of them, Martin Aguerre, was declared man of the match. And no wonder, after slotting-in seven of the team’s 10 goals himself, four of which were in one chukka.

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Final score: Marquard Media 10 Mochi Chic 7 MVP: Martin Aguerre BPP: Machito Gargantua Official Timekeeper: Richard Mille Marquard Media: 1 Tommy Rinderknecht (0), 2 Jota Chavanne (5), Martin Aguerre Jr (7), et Martin Joaquin (4) Total 16 Mochi Chic: 1 Nacho Kennedy (3), 2 Pierre-Henri Ngoumou (5), Dario Musso (7), Alexandre Sztarkman (1) Total 16

PQ p r o f i l e

Oat cuisine From Downton Abbey to high quality horse feed, Highclere knows a bit about cereals...

Photography Matthew Darwin, Words Aurora Eastwood

Lord Carnarvon’s horse Field Game winning at Newbury

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oat processing equipment bought from Scottish farmers who had been in the oat business, and started grading, clipping and polishing small quantities in the first few years, selling locally.

“My father had extensive contacts in the horse racing world, being a successful owner and breeder of thoroughbreds, and he approached Richard Hannon who was looking for a local supplier of quality oats. Highclere Estate oats have powered Richard’s very successful strings of racehorses for over 15 years, and many Group 1 & 2 winners have flown past the winning post having built up their strength on Highclere oats!”

Highclere also sells to large processors like Dodson & Horrell where the oats go into mixes that are exported to over 10 countries, as well as to Tally Ho, near Windsor who sell to a number of high, medium and low goal teams. A business that started out by selling just a few tons of oats in the first years, is now an industry that sells up to 2000 tons per year. Says Lord Carnarvon: “A few years ago we upgraded our production line with new powerful dust extraction and rollers, as well as installing an automatic bagging line where the bags are stacked on pallets by a robot which once built cars at Oxford!”

Highclere Castle Horse Feeds offer two

Photography: GJ Multi Media

S

ee a photo of Highclere Castle and you will no doubt think of Downton Abbey. You’d be forgiven for doing so; after all, the spectacular building has been the setting for one of Britain’s most successful TV exports of all time. But unlike the hordes of Downton fans who trample the Highclere corridors, PQ visited the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon’s stately pile for an insight into another famous Highclere cereal.

Oats have been the mainstay of most polo pony diets for donkey’s years... but there are oats, and there are Highclere oats. The current Highclere incumbents both have a love of horses flowing through their veins, and Lord Carnarvon was happy to indulge PQ’s desire to find out more about the feed business.

“It goes back some 18 years when my father, myself and James (the previous farm manager) were dealing with low wheat prices,” he says.

“We wanted to find a way to create a premium product and sell direct to customers, rather than just the commodity markets. So we invested in

Highclere has been a high quality feed producer for almost two decades

Bags are stacked on pallets by a robot which once built cars at Oxford

standards of oats. The Superior Grade are clipped and polished and only the largest oats are used, guaranteeing a minimum of 60kg/hl bushel weight. These can be supplied as whole, bruised or rolled. The Standard grade oats are also clipped, polished and graded to remove the smallest grain and are the popular type for Polo Ponies.

Some 600 acres of the estate’s arable land is given over to the production of what Lady Carnarvon boldly asserts are the finest oats in the land – given the painstaking production process and machinery used, she is probably right. Combining was underway as PQ arrived, only to be halted suddenly when a key part on the combine failed, a familiar scenario to many a farmer, necessitating a rapid drive to the nearest dealer in order to resume work and capitalise on the good weather.

Having a look at the processing at the farm in Crux Easton was fascinating. From a huge mound of ‘raw’ product in the huge storage shed, through a Willy Wonka-esque cat’s cradle of pipes and machines that turn the oats into a feed fit for champions, the oats are poured into bags by yet more machines, said bags are stitched, nudged off the conveyor onto another conveyor, where a huge white robot spins and stacks, spins and stacks until a pallet is full. The only human input is the forklift driver who moves the full pallet away and places an empty one down.

What happens next? Pallets get loaded onto trucks, and unloaded at the various yards, and into the mouths of hungry ponies. From farm to fork. As it were!

Oat notes Clipping: This takes off the outer shell and the feathery edges of the husk.

It makes the oat more digestible and improves the bushel weight, so you get more oat for your buck.

Polishing: As the name suggests, polishing cleans the grain, removing any dust residue not already taken care off.

This also improves digestibility and helps cut down on harmful particles entering the horse’s lungs.

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Premium properties for the polo set PQ casts an eye over some stunning homes on offer in the UK and abroad

Park House is Georgian style with all the mod-cons you’d expect in a new build, so you should be able to focus on your string...

PQ P r o p e r t y Longmans Barn Farm: Walnuts roasting on an open fire, anyone?

W

hen it’s time to get serious about your polo, proper facilities are what you need. A living and working environment where you can focus on your game and your string, and practice, practice, practice, away from the distractions of everyday life.

Success isn’t going to come easy, but it never does. Ask the New Zealand Olympic Equestrian team, who prepared for 2012 at Park House at Chiddingfold on the West Sussex/ Surrey borders – and netted their country’s first medal of the games. You could soon be gearing up for your assault on the top polo tournaments in 2017, from the very same location. £6.5m is the figure being asked for this ‘Georgian’ mansion built in 2007, and located just outside Haslemere.

The accommodation runs to 7,553 square feet with six bedrooms, and as you might expect features such necessities as a gym, swimming pool and cinema room. The house is a few yards from a walled garden, which now contains a tennis court, a manège and the property’s extensive equestrian facilities. ‘Extensive’ means stabling with 10 boxes, a wash bay and solarium, rug rooms, feed rooms, laundry and tack rooms, a 40’ x 60’ outdoor school, and a pair of grooms’ cottages.

Park House sits in a beautiful parkland setting, one part of which the agents – Hamptons International – suggest would be ideal for conversion into a polo pitch, surrounded by 9 paddocks adding up to around 28 acres.

More serious still – half a million pounds more serious in fact – is Waverley Court Farm. It’s a hilltop estate on the edge of Farnham in Surrey, and this time you’re buying an expansive 6,833sq ft bungalow with tennis court and indoor pool. The house brings its own opportunities for development perhaps, but it’s the 66 acres of post and rail paddocks, yard and extensive stabling that caught our eye, along with the four self-contained cottages for live-in staff.

Less than an hour from London on the train, and midway between Heathrow and Gatwick airports, it’s a perfect base from which to establish a top-flight polo operation.

Hamptons International is the agent who would love to show you around.

So that’s the serious polo patrons sorted. Now let’s imagine for a moment, that the truly competitive days are behind you, and your career is on that winding-down-easy path. You don’t need to be in London more than once or twice a week, and you want to feel a little cosier in your country retreat.

Savills are listing the wonderfully evocative Longmans Barn Farm, a pretty Cotswold stone construction in the heart of Gloucestershire near Tetbury, which comes with 90 acres of good grazing thrown in.

With six bedrooms, there’s plenty of room for visiting family, and the vaulted barn already includes a couple of stables, but has potential for further development. The £2.25m guide valuation is not insignificant, but what price your quintessential slice of the English countryside? Speak to Savills, and you could be feet up on your favourite chair in the kitchen with your riding boots steaming gently up on the range, while cracking home-grown walnuts from the magnificent walled tree in the garden by Christmas. Perfect!

£7m still buys a sizeable chunk of Surrey – Waverley Farm

Autumn 2016 • PQ

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PQ P r o p e r t y

La Felicita Polo Estate comes with a brand new house and a Polo Club...

Hot properties in Spain and Argentina Fed up with playing your polo in the English drizzle?

Then sunnier climes beckon…

B

e careful if you’re planning a polo break abroad, as a couple of weeks on a South American estancia have been known to change lives forever. Indeed, you may be so hard-bitten by the Argentine polo bug that life isn’t worth living until six months of every year can be spent there… at which point, you’ll be needing a house.

Of all the Argentine polo properties currently on the market, a couple of the most eye-catching are listed by Christies International, including a gorgeous 10,763sq ft country polo estate in Cardales, which isn’t much more than 10 miles from Pilar, the epicentre of polo in Buenos Aires, and a stone’s throw from Ellerstina.

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Advertised as ‘price on application’ the estate runs to 185 acres of fenced farm land, and there’s stabling for eight horses with all the yard facilities you’d expect at this level, such as saddle rooms, store rooms, and an arena.

The house has a traditional feel, with seven bedroom suites and spacious accommodation for the owner’s family and guests, with a couple of houses for staff on site too.

Perhaps that little lot isn’t spectacular enough, in which case La Felicita Polo Estate in Pilar itself may be more your bag. It’s another 185-acre spread, but the house is brand new and extends to 30,000 sq ft. That’s quite a lot per head, with just five bedrooms, although there’s dining space for 20 and a great hall for entertaining 200. The best bits? That would be the attached polo club, with stabling for 44 horses, saddle house (you only have a saddle room?), vet clinic, large covered arena, clubhouse and six polo fields…

Christies’ Cardales property has a traditional Argentine feel, with 185 acres and stabling for a modest string of eight ponies... POA! Alhaurin El Grande is an equine-friendly Finca, close to Malaga airprt

Traditional Andalusian style at Castilblanco de Los Arroyos

The Argentine polo lifestyle is a dream only a few will contemplate, but you can still enjoy polo in the sunshine with our Spanish property picks from Savills. First up is a traditional Andalusian style estate at Castilblanco de Los Arroyos just north of Seville, complete with 2,471-acre estate, that breeds has a large stable block and two vet clinics on the inventory. The house is built around two courtyards, and runs to 32,000 sq ft. with separate guest accommodation, a hunting gallery and staff apartments.

You’ll need to talk to the agent for a price, but if it’s out of reach you could spend £1.5m on a lovely refurbished finca at Alhaurin El Grande, also in Andalucia. Complete with paddocks and magnificent views, the 5,500 sq ft property boasts delightful rustic interiors and the all-important pool on the terrace… not to mention cheap flights from Gatwick, as it’s located just 20 minutes from Malaga airport!

Autumn 2016 • PQ

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PQ • Autumn 2016

HIGHCLERE CASTLE HORSE FEEDS

SUPERIOR QUALITY HORSE FEEDS

PRODUCED ON THE FARMS OF THE HIGHCLERE ESTATE The Highclere Estate farms just over 3,000 acres in Hampshire and crops include oats for horse feed, milling and feed wheat, barley, haylage, linseed and wild flowers.

Highclere Castle Horse Feeds has been established for over ten years and has developed a business and reputation around producing and supplying superior quality oats and haylage to top racehorse trainers, event yards, polo yards and liveries.

Haylage

• Higher quality than hay.

• Moist feed with no dust.

• High digestibility.

• Vitamins are not sun-blocked.

• Highest fibre content.

Wholegrain Oats

• Clipped, polished & graded.

• Dust removed.

• Superior (60kg/hl) racehorses/ high performance.

• Standard grade also much used by polo teams.

• High palatability for all types of horses.

T: 01635 250 600 | M: 07950 010 692 | enquiries@highclerecastlehorsefeeds.co.uk | www.highclerecastlehorsefeeds.co.uk

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WWW.SARAHSTAFFORD.CO.UK Autumn 2016 • PQ

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Photography: Antony Fraser

TAILGA T E

‘What’s up, Chris Bethell?’

C

hris is a legend in the sport. Manager of Cowdray Park Polo Club for the last 14 years, he’s had a lifetime in the game, taking up polo in the footsteps of his father, who played for Lord Cowdray.

Always rushing around while the rest of us idle on the Cowdray touchline, we reckoned Chris deserved a few minutes off his feet. Would a Rolls-Royce tailgate picnic invite prove enough of a distraction? It was, and though PQ editor Aurora shockingly scoffed all the picnic goodies before Chris turned up, he even agreed to stay for a chat...

diluted. There are fewer people coming in at each level, then some move or play abroad. The 8 goal in particular seems to have gone down a bit, I’m not really sure why. The patrons seem to have stopped. We seem to be in a transitional period at the moment, the sexiness has gone out of the game. People don’t hang around and socialise after games any more.

PQ What do you think the issues are facing the sport?

CB Well, the HPA have sorted the umpiring, so games are more open, with less fouls, and more people are watching.

Handicaps are contentious and have been for decades. Again things have been improved by putting some people down, making teams stronger for next year. In High Goal we can see that King Power and Dubai are beatable. There was some jealousy around – people thinking you buy a win.

PQ Who has been your biggest influence?

CB There have been a few. Hector Barrantes, Gonzalo Pieres, Carlos Gracida, David Morley, my father. Both in polo and in life, Hector was a great teacher. I have learnt and taken things forward in my life from all of them.

PQ And the low goal..?

CB There’s a shortage of money. There are fewer patrons and finding new people isn’t easy. People are busier, there are more clubs, so time and money are being stretched and

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PQ If you had a magic wand…?

CB I’d create more good grounds. I think we have the two best grounds in England here with Lawns 1 and 2, but we could do with more.

PQ Names to look out for?

CB There are lot of young kids playing who show real promise. Like Wiles, Ned Hine, Jack Taylor to name a few.

They are all teenagers and are looking good so far.

PQ And what do you think of our fabulous Rolls?

CB Dunno. When is lunch? (OK, we made that one up. Ed.)