Corona

Europe, Polo News

5. October 2020

Upon careful consideration of the matter, attentively monitoring the course of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic and the figures published by the Swiss Office of Public Health (FOPH), whilst looking for ways to implement the protective measures and directives imposed, the Board of Directors has decided to postpone the Snow Polo World Cup 2021 by one year. The event that was to be held at the end of January 2021 will now take place from 28 to 30 January 2022.

Several factors all contributed to the decision to cancel the tournament. Above all, the organisers of the Snow Polo World Cup take their responsibility towards visitors, partners, players, their staff and volunteers very seriously, all the more so in these difficult times marked by the pandemic. The global uncertainty surrounding the freedom to travel adds to the complexity. Sound planning has become all but impossible given the ever-changing entry restrictions and quarantine regulations, which would have rendered it equally difficult for partners, sponsors and guests from around the world to travel to St. Moritz for the tournament. Shifting consumer patterns and a marked booking reluctancy combined with unprecedented planning insecurity make it impracticable for the organisers to stage this event.

Polo News

Newport Polo Hosts Davitt Classic: Father’s Day Polo Match

19. June 2020

The Davitt Classic replaces USA vs. Argentina this Saturday, June 20 at 5pm in the Newport International Polo Series, to the pleasure of a loyal and significantly reduced audience of spectators that will witness the only live sporting event in the Northeast since the pandemic lockdown.

The players are primed, the field is in mint condition and the forecast is ideal for a 6-chukker Father’s Day special. Nearly sold out, tickets are available online only at www.nptpolo.com.

Safety being a top priority, RI State approved COVID-19 safety measures are in effect at the polo grounds this season including online sales, masks required when not seated, social distancing and greatly reduced capacity. The full details can be found at https://bit.ly/2AZDTGi

On hand for the Official Coin Toss to start the match will be Dave Whitney, VP, General Manager of Davitt Inc – New England’s award-winning pioneer design/build firm and industry leader since the 1980’s, credited with the enhancements to the Pavilion & Patio Bar last season, and renown for hundreds of distinctive homes created or restored throughout the Northeast region.

During the match, beverage service will be offered for patrons seated within the Davitt Pavilion, and carry-out service will be available for patrons in Tailgates & Chalets from the Patio Bar. See Hospitality & Amenities for details and menus. Specialty vendors in the Vendor Village at the polo grounds include the Newport Polo Pro Shop. See Hospitality & Amenities for details and menus.

After 6 periods, called chukkers, the match will conclude with the Newport Polo Fan Salute around the perimeter (no hand slapping), a unique tradition originating at the Newport International Polo Series in 2003, and now emulated around the world, and the Veuve Clicquot Champagne Toast & Trophy Presentation of prizes shown on the Jumbotron.

Jumbotron messages can be requested through the online portal. Submit Now

Dating back to 1876, the polo matches are one of Newport’s grandest & most popular traditions, a living legacy from the Gilded Age, and open to the public. Spectator audiences enjoy the contests and festive atmosphere at the picturesque polo grounds, on the 140-year old, restored acreage of historic Glen Farm, where the home team – Newport/USA – meets challengers each season from around the world and as well as teams representing major US cities.

The Polo Series is scheduled to continue for the next 15 weeks, every Saturday in June through September. The schedule of teams is subject to change, per State mandates in effect on international travel and Adult Sports competition.

Newport Polo’s unique spectator experience involves Tailgating in a system of assigned seating at its exhibition venue that it developed several years ago on its proprietary website & box office, which provides online reservations for parking spaces around the polo field from which to observe the polo match. Those parking spaces are now separated by safe social distancing to a limited capacity which is a modest subset of its regular audience, to comply with COVID-19 safety measures that have been approved by the State of Rhode Island. The venue also has an outdoor seating Pavilion that has been revised to comply with the State’s guidelines for outdoor seating with wait service.

Minutes from downtown Newport, the International Polo Grounds are located at historic Glen Farm, 250 Linden Lane (off of Rte. 138) in Portsmouth, RI. This bucolic setting is the last 100 acres of what was once a 700-acre manorial farm whose settlement dates back to the 1600’s. Its classical stone barns from the Gilded Age and its park-like grounds were rehabilitated by polo series founder, Dan Keating, and thrive today as an equestrian & community recreational property, and home of the Polo Series.

The Newport International Polo Series is proud to present its 2020 sponsors including Gallo|Thomas Insurance, Davitt, Boston Common, Hotel Viking, The Chanler, The Newport Harbor Hotel & Marina, Vanderbilt International Properties, Veuve Clicquot, Clarke Cooke House, Stella Artois, ROCKSTAR Limo, Atria Senior Living, Goslings, McGrath Clambakes and Catering, and promotional partners including The Cocktail Guru, Newport Jaguar Tours, Newport Helicopter Tours, America’s Cup Charters, International Tennis Hall of Fame, Newport Mansions, Island Surf and Sport, Newport Sport Fishing Charters, Providence River Boat Company, and Newport Harbor Guide. Special thanks to Schultz Marketing Partnerships, Van Liew Trust, Tanglewood, and WCRI Classical Rhode Island. “Our sponsors have been with us since the beginning. Without their support, the Series would not be as extensive as it is,” explains Dan Keating, Polo Series founder.

For specific details about the players, concessions & amenities for this match, plus venue information and other details, sign up to receive the Game Day Briefing on Saturday, by private subscription (sign up). Stay current with all 2020 season announcements, latest news & event invitations, and more by subscription to our monthly eMagazine (sign up). Both subscriptions are private and spam-free.

RAIN DATE: If a regularly scheduled match is canceled prior to its start (due to weather/field conditions), the match will be postponed to the following day, Sunday at the same time. All original polo match tickets & seating reservations will be transferred to the rain date. For more details on our ticket policies, please follow this link. In inclement weather, always check the Match Status recording on our Info Hotline (401) 846-0200 x2 and for Alerts published on our website, both of which are updated with any status change for the impending match.

This is the 29th season of Newport International Polo Series, which has hosted teams from 34 nations including, Ireland, Germany, Spain, England, Argentina, France, Egypt, India, Australia, Costa Rica, Ghana, Canada, Chile, Jamaica, Nigeria, Portugal, New Zealand, Barbados, Scotland, South Africa, Hungary, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Kenya, Brazil, China, Italy, Mexico, Sweden, Singapore, Monaco, Morocco, Peru, and Poland.

Polo, since 600 b.c. Polo is, without doubt the oldest ball game in the world today. First recorded in the 6th century b.c. when the Turkomans beat the Persians in a diplomatic tournament, the alluring game caught on with equestrian royalty and cavalry, and took off with globalization, withstanding the tests of time. By the time Polo arrived on Newport’s shores during the Gilded Age, the sport was nearly 2500 years steeped in tradition, captivating newcomers like Newport’s summer sporting set who embraced the new pastime, establishing America’s first polo club in 1876. A charter member of the United States Polo Association the club today is still a trailblazing model polo club, hosting the Newport International Polo Series public exhibition matches, supporting philanthropic causes, organizing USPA tournaments, polo club member services and polo instruction year-round. Experience the king of games in its American landing at Newport Polo.

www.nptpolo.com

© Thomas Wirth

The Davitt Classic replaces USA vs. Argentina this Saturday, June 20 at 5pm in the Newport International Polo Series, to the pleasure of a loyal and significantly reduced audience of…

Europe, Personalities & Clubs, Polo News, South America

Polo Park Zürich 2020 season kicks off

9. June 2020

Polo Park Zürich is happy to share his polo program for Summer 2020. This season was delayed due to COVID19 in Europe and the closure of Buenos Aires airport. Since a few days, grooms, horses and all players are back and the club is now functioning at full speed. As most of majors events in Switzerland have been postponed or cancelled, PPZ may become this season the biggest polo hub in the center of Europe. And there will be much more than polo in the club, also available for private and companies events, starting art exhibition with some pictures from Irina Kazaridi, and organizing events such as wine tastings, test-drives, etc. “A very exciting season is awaiting us in the club !”

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Polo Park Zürich is happy to share his polo program for Summer 2020. This season was delayed due to COVID19 in Europe and the closure of Buenos Aires airport. Since…

Asia, Europe, North America, Polo News, South America

Polo is back!

8. June 2020

Guest article from Michael Husted, Performance Polo

Across Europe and North America, COVID-19 has imposed delays and restrictions in polo, but luckily, those restrictions are gradually being lifted and some countries has already seen a return to normal polo. In the UK, competitive polo (8 goals and up) launched this weekend, albeit without ride-offs, throw-ins and spectators, but it seems likely that these restrictions will also be lifted in the coming weeks, and we are only too happy to be back in the saddle and looking forward to some great high-goal polo.

Both in polo as well as in other equestrian sports, the conversation some times turn to the weight carried by our horses and, specifically, how much is a safe weight for them to carry. Of course, this is in part a function of the size and type of horse, its fitness and various other factors, but most articles and scientific papers hover around 20% of the horse‘s own weight and see deteriorating performance and potential back problems resulting from more than approx. 20% added to the horse‘s weight.

Of course, it‘s not just the rider‘s weight that matters. Polo requires a lot of gear that piles on the kilos / pounds. In fact, a full set of tack, stick and personal protection, may well add up to 20 kgs (44 lbs). So, if we assume – for simplicity – that polo ponies average 450 kg (1000 lbs), then placing 20% or 90 kgs on top of them should be reasonably safe. Subtracting 20 kgs (44 lbs) for tack and gear leaves just 70 kgs (155 lbs) for the player.

So, those of us hitting somewhere north of 70 kgs on the scale, what can we do? Well, there are diets and exercise, of course, and I certainly intend to shed a few covid-pounds. But in addition to diets and exercise, we should also consider trimming the weight of all the gear that our horses carry around. It‘s not unusual for a polo saddle to weigh in at 8-9 kgs (18-20 lbs), which is one reason why the Ainsley Saddlery has invested time and effort in creating the MVP that weighs in at just 5 kgs (11 lbs) (18“). Polo stirrupsgenerally weigh over 1 kg, but modern materials can reduce that weight by half. And what about the saddle pads? Some wool pads can easily weigh 1 kg (2 lbs) each. Exchange those for light weight pads, or if your saddle fits well, consider playing without any pads. Bandages get wet and heavy, and weight at the end of horses‘ legs produce twice the load of the same weight carried at the saddle. Another reason to switch to lightweight leg protection, like the HUSK la Irenita boots.

So, without too much effort, I can lose 4-5 kgs (9-11 lbs) by taking a closer look at all the stuff my horse needs to carry in addition to me. Let‘s say I also lose 5 kgs, and suddenly my horses carry up to 2% less total weight. This is on a scale that our horses will be able to run a little faster, stop a little quicker, and also recover quicker from exertion.

We can help you shed weight faster than any diet or exercise (for polo fitness, check out Chukka Wellness)! For lightweight polo gear, call us on +44-7487-548242 or email on info@performance-polo.com.

www.performance-polo.com

© Thomas Wirth

Guest article from Michael Husted, Performance Polo Across Europe and North America, COVID-19 has imposed delays and restrictions in polo, but luckily, those restrictions are gradually being lifted and some…

Beach Polo, Polo News, Tournaments

Julius Bär Beach Polo World Cup Sylt 2019

27. May 2020

Due to the Corona Pandemic, the popular Beach Polo tournament on Sylt had to be cancelled. A review of the last year in pictures.

Pictures: © Rolf Simon

© Thomas Wirth

Due to the Corona Pandemic, the popular Beach Polo tournament on Sylt had to be cancelled. A review of the last year in pictures. Pictures: © Rolf Simon …

Asia, Polo News

Urgent Annoucement – HH President of the UAE Polo Cup 2020 to be postponded

19. March 2020

Due to the ongoing global health implications of the coronavirus and precautionary measures being implemented by the UAE government, the Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club have announced to postpone the ongoing 20^th edition of the HH President of the UAE Polo Cup with effect from Thursday, March 19.

The Ghantoot Polo and Racing Club released a statement on Thursday evening saying following the directives of HH Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed al Nahyan, chairman of the Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club, it is decided to postpone HH President of the UAE Polo Cup of polo season 2019-2020 with immediate effect.

“As organiser of the prestigious HH President of the UAE Polo Cup, we have been in permanent contact with the government authorities in the UAE. The decision has been taken to ensure protection of all the participants,” said HE Zayed Khalifa Al Aboudi Al Zaabi – Executive Director, adding that “safety comes at the top of all priorities. The decision has been circulated to all concerned entities and participating polo teams”

Official website: www.presidentpolocup.ae
Official social media: www.instagram.com/ghantootpolo

© Thomas Wirth

Polo News

United States Polo Association Suspends Polo – COVID-19 Updates

18. March 2020

Due to rising health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the recommendations by the CDC and the White House to cease all gatherings of more than ten people, we have made the difficult decision to immediately suspend all USPA Tournaments and Events, including the ongoing GAUNTLET OF POLO and the U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship for the next 14 days.

To stay informed on official updates and news, please visit uspolo.org.

For inquiries related to stadium tickets, please contact boxoffice@internationalpoloclub.com. For inquiries related to Pavilion brunch tables, please contact brunch@internationalpoloclub.com

While we are temporarily not playing polo, we will be showing original content so continue to follow us at Globalpolo.com.

The United States Polo Association, the International Polo Club Palm Beach, USPA Global Licensing Inc. and Global Polo Entertainment encourages everyone to take precautions recommended by the CDC and take care of your families and loved ones as we face these difficult times.

© Thomas Wirth

Due to rising health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the recommendations by the CDC and the White House to cease all gatherings of more than ten people, we…

Polo News

VIRUS PANDEMIC: THE MACRO ESSENTIALS

16. March 2020

by Dr. Holger Schmieding

An extreme global health emergency meets an unprecedented policy response

Europe as the new epicentre: In China, the number of active cases continues to fall, down from a peak of 58k on 18 February to 15k on 12 March. In Europe, however, the total number of con firmed infections has doubled within three days to 46k as of the morning of 15 March. From a much lower level, the US has followed with an increase by 2k to 3k during this period according to the daily WHO situation reports and the 15 March data from Johns Hopkins University.

Lockdown economics: Ever more countries are imposing and tightening lockdowns, including Italy (12 March), Spain (14 March) and Austria (15 March). France, Germany and the us are among those countries doing so in a still less severe form. Expect more of the same in more countries.

While these lockdowns last, they may well curtail economic activity by more than the Great Financial Crisis of late 2008 and early 2009. When the lockdowns are eased, activity may rebound significantly from such unusually depressed levels, though, even if pre-Corona levels will not be reached again for a quite a while. GDP data for the full year 2020 or – possibly – even for Q2 could still be less bad than the dismal dynamics of upcoming data for March and April will likely suggest. In any case, the risks to economic activity are skewed heavily to the downside.

Frontloading the response: Lockdowns take a heavy toll on everyday life and current economic activity. However, they probably help to slow down the spread of the virus and contain the hu man costs of the pandemic somewhat. In doing so, they may also reduce the aggregate economic damage.

The impact differs widely between sectors. Some services are being hit much more than manufacturing and construction. The impact in the advanced world is going far beyond the supply chain damage that was in focus when the pandemic was mostly confined to China.

Whatever it takes: Monetary, fiscal and regulatory policy responses are approaching “whatever it takes, whatever works” mode on both sides of the Atlantic. For our assessment of measures taken on both sides of the Atlantic by Friday, see the links at the bottom of this note.

Circuit breakers? Amid huge uncertainty about the medical outlook and the economic impact of containment measures, even unprecedented monetary/fiscaljregulatory responses are not obvious circuit breakers against the market panic. The Covid-19 pandemic is a severe shock to supply and demand in the real economy, not primarily a financial crisis that could be fixed by a financial boost. Markets may remain very unsettled until the outlook for the pandemic and the containment measures has become clearer.

Financial risks: The market reaction to the pandemic raises the risk that financial stresses may emerge. However, we expect an aggressive policy response to prevent such stresses from adding materially to the near-term recession. On both sides of the Atlantic, policy makers are on high alert.They have shown that they are ready to act forcefully.

After the selloff: Extreme uncertainty and self-reinforcing market dynamics can explain the cur rent market crash. However, we do not expect that, once the dust has settled, the productive capacity of the private economy in the Western world as measured by equity prices should be worth some 20-30% less than pre-Corona. That should hold even with a risk of some capital dilution. Near-term, however, this long-term fundamental view will probably not shape market dynamics yet, to put it mildly.

Debt migration:Due to “whatever it takes” policy responses, a significant part of the costs of the pandemic will likely turn into public debt over time, partly ending up on central bank balance sheets. Interest rates that will likely be much lower for much longer will make this bearable in most cases. Expect a degree of “Japanification” in this particular sense.

The political fallout is impossible to gauge.After an event of this scale, it could be significant. For now, the crisis seems to be stabilising coalition governments in Italy and Germany. In the US, President Donald Trump remains the favourite to win the election on 3 November although his probability of being re-elected has fallen over the last seven days by 4.6 points to 47.1% versus