Farewell of Major Hugh Dawnay

On the 28th of May 2012 the legendary polo coach Major Hugh Dawnay died after a serious disease. An obituary by Wolfgang Kailing, organizer of the European Polo Championship 2012 at Maspe/Hanover and president of the Lower-Saxony Polo Club e.V.
Wolfgang Kailing: „The major was an distinctive personality as development aid for German Polo. His abode in Germany as officer of the Royal Hussars, his clinics, his books „Polo Vision“ and „Playmaker“, his instructional film, his outstanding seminars at Whitfield Court/Waterford, Ireland and nonetheless his commitment for the German team at the European Championship at Aspern is unforgotten.

In the last 30 years Hugh Dawnay concentrated himself intensively on the education of sports and its team structure. His most significant inventions are „the rope“, which is used to illustrate the route of the ball for the players and the „diamond configuration“ at the felling. The last time I played against the Major was in the arena at Wicklow at Micky Herbst. In the sauna afterwards I recognized what a tough and humorous guy he is. Responding to my questioning look on the two scars on his thighs he just said „Since I have these two artificial hips I´m riding so much better“.
As coach Hugh attended the biggest polo matches worldwide, he knew all the top players and every bar. We never want to forget him and his all around vision. He had a filled life with and through polo. he leaves his argentine wife Maria Ines and his sons David and Sebastian who is Irelands best polo player. Our sympathy is with them.“
„Major Hugh Dawnay is not only known in many places because of his famous book „Polo Vision“ and his instructional film, but also because of his coaching at the International Polo School. On travels he made himself a name for thousands of grown-ups and youngsters. He visited 40 countries and gave hundreds of clinics at Palm Beach, Florida. Ten of his annual travels led him to Coasta Careyes, Mexiko.“ (Passage from the book „Polomaker Polo“ by Major Hugh Dawnay)