Chairman’s Foreword by Brian Stein

CHAIRMAN’S FOREWORD

Brian Stein looks ahead to an exciting season thanks to the Club’s generous Players, Members and Sponsors

The 2022 season is underway and our fixtures list has never looked better. A packed season of polo including the welcome return of the Hurlingham Polo Association’s Coronation Cup, featuring England v Uruguay. Guards Polo Club really is the home of world-class polo at every level.

Thanks to your loyal support over two unprecedented and difficult years, Guards Polo Club is in an unenviable position as it heads into its 67th season. The redeveloped Princes’ Ground impressed when played lightly last year and is expected to deliver some outstanding sport when brought fully into our polo schedule this summer.

Headed up by our Chief Operating Officer James Neighbour and Director of Polo Antony Fanshawe, work has started on the penultimate phase of our grounds project, the refurbishment of grounds six and eight into two full-size grounds. If the weather is kind, we expect this work to be completed by the end of the year.

In addition to your staunch support, our sponsors have been equally generous. Cartier continues as title sponsor of the prestigious Cartier Queen’s Cup until 2024, enabling us to deliver premier polo, on amazing grounds, for the world’s top players and ponies. John Collins has agreed to sponsor the Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup for another season, delivering 22-goal polo in mid-August. Last year’s competition offered plenty of memorable play, an array of stand-out prizes, including Cartier watches for the winners plus an elegant yet informal Clubhouse dinner for the players and their partners; an evening full of camaraderie and bonhomie before the serious business of match play got under way.

Our Ladies Charity Tournament sponsor Clé de Peau Beauté extended its support by providing luxury gifts to our members at several events. This included our recent Members’ Reception to herald the start of the season.

Travel restrictions may have stopped the Out-Sourcing team, headed by David Matsumoto, from travelling to the UK last year but that did not stop them from being 100% involved in life at Guards Polo Club. Out-Sourcing not only generously sponsored the Royal Windsor Cup but also took on the title sponsorship of HRH The Duke of Cambridge’s Royal Charity Polo Day at Flemish Farm. A hugely generous gesture considering the company knew they could not attend themselves. Such support also enabled this event to raise more than £500,000 for the TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s charities.

David Matsumoto has recently confirmed that Out-Sourcing Inc will sponsor the Royal Windsor Tournament for a further four years – until 2026. This commitment is, in part, the company’s unique way of honouring HM The Queen in her Platinum Jubilee. Out-Sourcing has also purchased 70 trees for the Queen’s Green Canopy charity, one tree for each of Her Majesty’s reign.

Access Bank remained a Partner of the Club during lockdown even though this private bank knew that they would be unable to host their charitable day due to the travel restrictions. We are indebted to them for their continued funding and look forward to welcoming their guests back to Smith’s Lawn this summer.

Our friends at La Martina, headed by Becky Simpson, continue to deliver stylish clothing and innovative polo kit from their elegant Store at Smith’s Lawn. In addition, as title sponsors of the Varsity Day they continue to help raise the standard of student polo. It is 143 years since the Varsity Trophy was first played for. Cambridge won that historic first event, who will take home the honours on Saturday 4 June?

Martin Collins remains part of our coveted stable of partners, with the all-weather experts continuing to manage the track at Flemish Farm. The newest member of our Corporate Partnership is Dorchester Collection’s Coworth Park. Generous discounts to Members when booking rooms or reserving tables, plus plenty of prizes for players throughout the summer.

I am delighted to write that after an absence of two years we will again be hosting our charity shoot in the Park later this summer. Teams will be competing for the Charlie Stisted Memorial Trophy on Wednesday 22 June and funds raised on the day will be distributed between military charities.

So it is very much business as usual at the Club in 2022. Philipp Mosimann and his team at Mosimann’s at Guards, including Tony Topi as the new Restaurant Manager and Nick Hebditch as Executive Chef will be delivering seasonal menus all summer. With Laurent-Perrier continuing as our official champagne partner we have all the ingredients to make this season a success on and off the field of play.

So I look forward to meeting many of you during the coming season and would like to thank you all for your continued support of this great Club.

Guards Polo Club is honoured to have HM The Queen attend the Club almost every year since the Club was founded. So this year we are delighted to honour Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, celebrating 70 years as our Monarch, on Sunday 5 June.

Brian Stein Chairman