The grass polo season is underway again in Chantilly. Activity is already in full swing with more than 600 horses at work and 17 teams entered across the different levels from this weekend. High goal polo returns on Friday May 8 with the Coupe PGH, opening the 12-goal season with teams from France, Belgium and Italy.
This return to grass also means the Argentinians are back, players and entire entourages, bringing with them a distinct atmosphere where the castilian of the Pampa, quick, direct, sometimes blunt, blends with the galloping across the immaculate canchas¹ of the Ferme d’Apremont. On the fields as in the stables, polo finds its tempo again, built on the bond between riders and horses, controlled intensity and a shared energy that defines the game, all set to the background of latin music drifting through the barns. Argentina settles into Picardy as it looks ahead to the first major event of the season, the Polo Nations Cup from June 12 to 27, along with its younger sister, the OniriQ Ladies Polo Nations Cup starting June 22.
This return to grass marks a special year. In 2026, the club celebrates its 30th anniversary.
Founded in 1996 by Patrick Guerrand-Hermès (PGH), the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly has, over the years, established itself as one of the key venues on the international polo circuit. Here, everything starts with the horses. Hundreds of polo ponies, prepared with precision by the petiseros², make full use of the outstanding facilities at the Ferme d’Apremont, which has built a reputation that reaches far beyond France.
But the essence lies elsewhere. In the ability to bring together different levels, to welcome seasoned players and newcomers alike, to pass on both a sport and a culture. Here, for thirty years, polo is as much lived as it is played.
Ten nations over 15 days of competition
Following an initial celebration at the other club founded by Patrick Guerrand-Hermès, at La Palmeraie on the Moroccan Atlantic coast in late April, the anniversary will continue in June with the Polo Nations Cup. This first major event of the season will run from June 12 to 27, marking the fourth edition of a tournament that has quickly secured its place on the calendar. Ten nations and regions are already confirmed³.
France Occitanie will return to defend its title with Isabelle Larenaudie, joined by Simon Zavaleta and Ramiro Zavaleta, as well as young French prospect Elouan Badarello. They will notably face again their opponents from the 2025 final, the Argentine team from Córdoba led by Matias Torres Zavaleta.
Elouan Badarello still recalls that first encounter with one of Argentina’s top players: “Defending him is extremely difficult. You need to be more than one. Alone, he makes your life impossible. But it’s exceptional to face a player of that level, and a real chance to have someone like that in Chantilly.”
The women’s competition continues to gain ground. Four teams are currently entered, including Hauts-de-France, the defending champions led by Bianca Verneuil. They will face France Normandie, Israel and the Netherlands, the only fully amateur team, led by Sophie Rakic and made up entirely of club players. This reflects a clear trend, with women’s polo growing steadily, both in numbers and in level of play.
The finals, played on Saturday June 27, will be accompanied by a public village with entertainment, food and a relaxed atmosphere in keeping with the Chantilly spirit, open, lively and family-friendly.
But the weekend will not end there. It will continue with the club’s 30th anniversary celebrations. Among the highlights, the Legends Tournament will bring together former captains and key figures from Chantilly, with its final played the following day. Some will pick up a mallet again, including André Fabre, the renowned racehorse trainer, while former Argentine professionals such as Tomas Goti and Diego Zavaleta will return to the field, still driven by the same desire to play and compete once more.
Thirty years on, Chantilly remains true to what built its reputation, demanding polo, open to all, where the game, the horses and the people move forward together.
