Hurlingham Polo Association

Instagram, Polo News

16. May 2024

May 14^th, 2024: The prestigious world of British polo last night witnessed the inauguration of the Standing Rock Fair Play Award, a distinguished accolade born out of the visionary initiative of Standing Rock Polo Team and their patron, Swiss polo player Philipp Mueller, in collaboration with the Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA).

Ojo Caliente Polo Team, renowned for their commitment to sportsmanship and fair play, has been honoured as the inaugural recipient of the Standing Rock Fair Play Award. This esteemed accolade was handed over yesterday evening at the HPA’s Victor Ludorum Dinner, marking an historic moment within the British polo community.

The inception of the Standing Rock Fair Play Award marks a significant milestone in the realm of sportsmanship and fair play within the polo community. Embodying the values of camaraderie, respect, and dedication to equine welfare, this award seeks to honour the team that exemplifies the highest standards of conduct both on and off the field.The award will be bestowed annually, this year during the Victor Ludorum awards dinner, a celebrated event within the British polo calendar. As part of the Victor Ludorum Series, umpires meticulously evaluate teams throughout the season based on a predefined set of criteria established collaboratively by the HPA and Standing Rock. These criteria encompass elements such as sportsmanship, respect for umpires and goal judges, friendliness, equine welfare, and disciplinary records.

The Standing Rock Fair Play Award recognises the team that not only excels in their athletic prowess but also exemplifies the values of fair play and integrity that are central to the ethos of polo.

Philipp Müller, along with his Standing Rock Polo Team, are committed to upholding the principles of fairness, honour, and camaraderie to serve as an inspiration to polo enthusiasts worldwide.

The Standing Rock Fair Play Award, a symbol of excellence and sportsmanship, will be commemorated through a unique and singular bronze sculpture crafted with utmost dedication by the renowned sculptor Emma Mac Dermott. This exclusive trophy, intended for perpetual circulation and engraving of winners’ names, represents a tangible embodiment of the values espoused by the Standing Rock Fair Play Award.

The Standing Rock Fair Play Award represents a beacon of excellence within the British polo community, setting a standard of sportsmanship that reverberates throughout the realm of equestrian sports.

https://hpa-polo.co.uk/2024/05/14/standing-rock-fair-play-award/

Images (2) © PoloLine International Ltd

Instagram: @standingrock.poloteam

May 14th, 2024: The prestigious world of British polo last night witnessed the inauguration of the Standing Rock Fair Play Award, a distinguished accolade born out of the visionary initiative…

Instagram, Polo News

England take two titles on Historic Coronation Cup Day

3. August 2023

It was a dream international day for England polo, with victories in both matches in the glorious surroundings of Guards Polo Club, Windsor.

The day opened with a 15-goal match between Young England and the Commonwealth for The Whitbread Trophy. Louis Hine (5) led Will Millard (2), Luke Wiles (4) and Will Harper (4) to a decisive victory over the opposing team of captain Hissam Ali Hyder (4) for Pakistan, Adebayo Karim (2) for Nigeria, Abby Pathak (4) for India, and Jake Daniels (5) for Australia.

By the second chukka, the Young England team had taken control of the play, and kept up a relentless pace that would prove too much for the Commonwealth side. Excellent coaching from Nacho Gonzalez saw the home team continue to draw away in the second half, and despite some fantastic rallying play from the Commonwealth in the final chukka, Hine and his team could not be caught, leaving the final score a resounding 11-4.

The wave of success continued into the afternoon, with the Guards crowds treated to a well-spirited clash between some of the world’s best players in the fight for the King’s Coronation Cup. The Commonwealth were keen to extend the 2-1 record against England in this match, while England captain Tommy Beresford left no doubt that his team were determined to even the score.

The Commonwealth team, down by 1 on the handicap, started with a goal on the board. Debutant Garvy Beh (5) for Malaysia, Chris MacKenzie (6) for South Africa, and JP Clarkin (6) for New Zealand were led by Canadian captain Fred Mannix (7). The home side fielded a 25-goal team of Max Charlton (6), Ollie Cudmore (6), and James Beim (6), captained by Tommy Beresford (7).

Beresford opened the card with a well-lofted penalty to equalise, before winning a big ride-off to swing the board into England’s favour. Another confident penalty followed, but Chris MacKenzie prevented a clean sweep by hammering home a goal for the Commonwealth in the final 30 seconds.

The second chukka opened with some missed early chances for the Commonwealth, while England’s Ollie Cudmore and Max Charlton used huge hits to up the England score, finding the ever-consistent James Beim ready and waiting on the receiving end to see the goals home. The Commonwealth team, coached by John Horswell, found their momentum in the third chukka, with a goal from captain Mannix keeping Commonwealth hopes high heading into half time.

The second half started with an action-packed chukka that saw five goals added to the board, but it was the fifth chukka that demonstrated exactly why England have enjoyed a fantastic international season, with brilliant teamwork between the home side players proving the key. Beresford converted a penalty once again before Cudmore, fighting a ride-off from Mannix, found Beim at the goal to draw five goals ahead. Mannix kept his team in the hunt with a high, smooth penalty hit to head into the final chukka 11-7.

The Beim-Cudmore alliance swept through the field once again the start the final chukka, with Beim scoring through an open goal thanks to Cudmore’s strong riding seeing off the competition. Mannix scored again to bring the score to 12-8, but the England team proved too strong for the Commonwealth horsepower, and despite fighting all the way to the end, the visiting team could not see off the home side, who had kept their promise of keeping the King’s Coronation Cup on English soil. The team were presented with the coveted trophy by The Right Honourable Patricia Scotland KC, Baroness Scotland of Asthal, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, in an evening ceremony supported by family, friends, and spectators to finish a spectacular day.

It was Chris Mackenzie who took home the Most Valuable Player, having played a brilliant attacking game. The Best Playing ROR also went home with Mackenzie, awarded to his own Biento (racing name Badalona Breeze), who was formerly trained by Mick Appleby.

Best Playing Pony was awarded to Tommy Beresford’s own Teddy, with his groom Raul Mora picking up the cash prize. Tommy’s mother Teresa Beresford was on hand to present the Donoso Trophy, traditionally awarded to the captain of the opposing team, to Fred Mannix in memory of her late brother Gabriel Donoso, whose name appears twice on the Coronation Cup after wins in 1998 and 2004.

The sun was shining and the party continued with a performance from the Rick Parfitt Jnr Band, as the mood was high after two brilliant matches in the glorious Guards Polo Club grounds. An historic Coronation Cup year that left England’s hopes high for the future.

Images by The Art Of Polo/Hurlingham Polo Association

It was a dream international day for England polo, with victories in both matches in the glorious surroundings of Guards Polo Club, Windsor. The day opened with a 15-goal match…

Asia, Polo News

Active Polo autumn in Nine Dragons Hill Polo Club near Shanghai

5. November 2021

Dr. Cinderella von Dungern, 5. November 2021

Being the first international club in modern polo in China, the famous “Nine Dragon Hill Polo Club (NDH)” is well-known in international polo and among a wide range of domestic equestrians and celebrities. The club organized several medium and high goal tournaments in the past and players from all over the world came to the prestigious club around 90 minutes car-ride from Shanghai. Quite a few patrons of NDH went abroad to play in sophisticated international tournaments in Thailand, Argentina and even in Germany. Due to strict pandemic travel restrictions for foreign players and visitors, its cosmopolitan flair changed to more domestic classy events. Just recently another interesting polo tournament took place in the impressive club’s premises in Zhejiang province between Shanghai and Hangzhou. The club hosted the second part of the “Metropolitan & Nine Dragon Hill Polo Summit Score Tournament 2021”. The event was co-organized by “Polo Summit” and “Tianjin Metropolitan Polo Club” and followed a first round which was run in mid-October in Tianjin. The idea behind this circle event is to bring Chinese players from various cities, levels, and clubs together and improve their skills by rotating horses, teams and playing fields.

The external circumstances of “a whole country under pandemic zero case prevention” since almost two years, are affecting China’s modern polo development harshly. Again, also for this event, a high level of flexibility in team and horse staffing until the very last moment of the game start was required by Lilian Wang, general manager of NDH. Just a few days before the game was supposed to start, a comparatively marginal number of new Covid-cases occurred in some few parts of China which led to immediate traveling restrictions and obligatory quarantine isolation for many citizens, e.g., it involved a sudden total lock-down of Disneyland Shanghai and escort of full trains directly to quarantines. The constant fear of getting caught in an unexpected 14 days-isolated quarantine while traveling elsewhere prevented several players, sponsors, and visitors from joining the polo field.

With much passion and stamina, Chinese polo clubs and players successfully adjust to those restrictions and keep the ‘polo fire’ burning and the legacy high. The polo season in 2021 was actively orchestrated through these challenging Covid-times by various sportive and elegant club cups in Anping (Tang Polo Club), Tianjin (Metropolitan Polo Club) and Shanghai (Nine Dragon Hills Polo Club). In addition to active games and club chukkas, Chinese leading polo pioneers have also enacted a sophisticated national polo handicap rating system and are training the players according to the international rules by Hurlingham Polo Association. Just recently, the new “Green book of polo rules in Chinese” was issued by Jacky Wang and her mother, an impressive work for China’s polo & equestrian society. Equipping domestic players with theoretical and practical skills underlines the impressive transition from ancient polo in China towards a modern international polo equestrian discipline. While the North of China is facing now cold temperatures and moved chukkas and training indoor and arena polo, the South offers still warm sunshine and excellent conditions to play outdoors. Hence, NDH is organizing several more polo games until early December.

At this polo club, players can find not only excellent horses and facilities, but have the chance to meet with a range of experienced patrons and polo pioneers who support the club life and create a sophisticated level of polo. One pioneer of polo in China is Su Rong, who once introduced the sport to many Chinese players and led the first tours to Argentina. Being a director for basically all the movie scenes with horses in big movies, his horsemanship knowledge is superior. He imported many horses from Argentina, US, and UK and together with other pioneers, developed the Chinese modern polo scene from the scratch. Since many years, he is breeding young polo ponies (with imported sperm from UK and Argentina) on the club’s facilities and successfully trains them even into high goal horses. In this tournament he was the umpire and guided the ambitious players along the complex polo rules. The manager of the club, Lilian Wang, is most familiar with the polo scene in China and since modern polo started in 2008, has witnessed many developments in the market. She organized tournaments, sponsors, and several players with great success. She joined the NDH club as director a long time ago, when Mr Qinfu Li once founded the Nine Dragons Hill Estate in the surroundings of Zhapu and Pinghu in Zhejiang province. Mr Li had the ambitious plan to develop “the Venice of the East” with a large private tourism resort for high-end golf, polo, and yachting, combined with a supreme European-style villa & apartment resort. After some changes in shareholder structure and government regulations on land-use, the club had to relocate its main playing fields ten years ago from the ocean shore towards up-hill, still in the same magnificent park arena which is surrounded by beautiful mountains and offers a splendid view on the East China Sea. Since 2011, NDH is operating in new quite advanced training and playing facilities. The stables are state of the art and the club’s premises are exclusive and top-notch. It’s a premium private polo club with many social activities and a personal family atmosphere.

In the tournament, 12 players competed in three teams in a ‘round robin’ the first day and organized club chukkas for the second day. After intense and speedy polo fights on the fields, sun was already down and the scores were tight, the invited guests and players joined a cheerful barbeque club night. Being there feels very warm and charming, like a little polo family. Chinese national player Windson Rao (hcp 0) and patron of team ‘Fast Fish’ is passionate about polo. He has been playing in clubs all over the world for more than 10 years, sponsored several professional players and games and is chairman of a large fast fashion chain company. His team won the club tournament. Brian Xu, who joined Sunday chukkas, is another famous Chinese player. He is president of Axus, a wooden pencil and stationery manufacturer in Shanghai, and went several times also to polo clubs in the South of Germany. Both are Chinese patrons with a strong sense for high quality horses and have a thorough understanding of the strategy in playing the game. Their long-term commitment, excellent skills and network enabled the club in Shanghai to establish a promising solid and exclusive polo center. Of course, there are a few more patrons, all of them are promoting and enhancing polo in China and it’s very rewarding to get a glimpse of this dynamic and sportive development.

As Shanghai is a popular business hub among Western expatriates and executives, many of those who play polo know the NDH club and often come to join their activities. One of the distinguished guests is Dr. James Tong (USPA rating -1) who was born in Shanghai but went to the US for his education. He started his professional career on Wall Street. After becoming a venture capitalist, one of his funds invested in an equestrian breeding business named Rider Horse. He started acquiring polo ponies and equestrian properties in 2019 at St. Louis, MO and Indio, CA. He’s the owner of Thor LLC which is the home of 15 equestrian professionals and 70+ horses at various disciplines ranging from polo, dressage, hunter jumper, western reining, barrel racing and others. His view on Polo in China is reflected: “Polo is a burgeoning sport in China. Due to the relative significant costs in operation, there have been fluctuations in the number of players and games each year. Often it was portrayed as a luxurious discipline that were afforded only by the super-rich. This notion could have deterred a meaningful number of people who could have entered the sport and excelled while enticing another group of affluent individuals who would purchase horses yet scarcely play after knowing how much dedication is needed to improve and enjoy the sport. The costs of running the operation are another consideration. All polo clubs have endured hardship during pandemic across China as well as US. Even more so in China. Polo should gain strong momentum if the operation is carried out efficiently with methodical and inventive methods of training in place for China grown polo ponies.”

Shanghai Nine Dragons Hill Polo Club

Shanghai Nine Dragon Hill Polo Club was founded in 2008 and has a British and Argentinean background. It is the first international standard private polo club and among the three leading polo clubs in China. The club takes its’ name from a beautiful coastal parkland of Nine Dragons Hill resort where it is situated together with Golf and Marina clubs. The club is 90 minutes’ drive from Shanghai near Zhapu Town (Pinghu) in Zhejiang province. It is an exclusive, private members club and has around 600 members, of which only a few selected are active polo players. The club plays polo on a highest level and offers a wide range of services. In 2011, it had to relocate its polo field from the ocean shore up-hill to a new area, but still in the same scenic spot. The club, which is also famous for its horse care service and training team, has the only international standard turf horse racing track, over 300 stable blocks, outdoor arenas and fields for both polo and equestrian competitions. It offers excellent facilities and around 120 polo ponies. A few years ago, the club starting breading young polo ponies by themselves.

Website*: http://www.ndhpolo.com/

* Please be informed that due to other national major social media channels, in China websites are not the main platform for communication and hence not regularly updated or used.

Team “Fast Fish”
Will Yang (hcp 0)
Dr. Cinderella von Dungern (hcp 0)
James J. Tong (hcp -1)
Windson Rao (hcp 0)

Team “Nine Dragons Hill Polo Club” (NDH)
Yan Kangliang (hcp -2)
Jack Ji (hcp 0)
Alan Xing (hcp 0)
Da Hai (hcp -1)

Team „Tianjin Metropolitan Polo Club”
Eko Zheng Yin (hcp -2)
Zack Liang (hcp 0)
Biao Wang (hcp 0)
Jeff Su (hcp 0)

Umpire
Su Rong

Results
Game A: Fast Fish vs NDH 2:0
Game B: Fast Fish vs Tianjin 3:2
Game C: Tianjin vs NDH: 3:3
Ranking: 1st Fast Fish, 2nd Tianjin 3rd NDH

Photos: ©NDH, Lillian Wang, Cinderella v. Dungern

Dr. Cinderella von Dungern, 5. November 2021 Being the first international club in modern polo in China, the famous “Nine Dragon Hill Polo Club (NDH)” is well-known in international polo…

Europe, Polo News

Guards Polo Club launches The Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup New 22-goal tournament will be played from 1 – 22 August 2021

30. April 2021

Guards Polo Club is delighted to announce that a new 22-goal tournament – The Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup – will be played for the first time this season. HRH The Prince of Wales has offered his personal support for this high-goal competition as well as suggesting the name.

The Club’s Chairman Brian Stein said: “We are honoured to have the support of His Royal Highness with regard to this tournament. He played much of his polo, including the high-goal at Guards Polo Club, winning The Queen’s Cup in 1986 and it is wonderful that we can honour His Royal Highness in such an appropriate fashion.”

It will be the first time in the Club’s 66-year history that Guards Polo Club has hosted two Hurlingham Polo Association-approved, 22-goal tournaments concurrently. Brian Stein confirmed that the Club’s grounds development plan had been the key to enable the Club to launch this tournament. “The successful introduction of the redeveloped Princes’ Ground in 2020 signalled to the global polo community that Guards Polo Club was investing heavily in its grounds, focusing on creating the very best possible playing surfaces,” explained the Chairman.

The new tournament’s August dates also ensure that the world’s top players can comfortably compete in the UK’s other major high-goal competitions. Team entries will close on 1 July and the Club hopes that the August fixtures will enable non-playing members, their guests and additional spectators to watch these fast-paced matches if the covid regulations are relaxed as expected. The Club will publish more information about ticketing and hospitality after 17 May.

Guards Polo Club is delighted to announce that a new 22-goal tournament – The Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup – will be played for the first time this season. HRH…

Asia, Polo News

Ghantoot to meet Habtoor in HH President of UAE Polo Cup final

29. March 2021

ABU DHABI: With third straight victory, hosts Ghantoot stormed into the final 21st edition of the HH President of UAE Polo Cup and set up a mouthwatering clash with Habtoor.

The two most dominant teams of the UAE will go head-to-head in a highly anticipated final scheduled to take place at the Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club later.

The final scheduled for Friday has been cancelled after the death of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and the Minister of Finance, who passed away on Wednesday morning.

Zayed Khalifa Zayed Al Aboudi Al Zaabi, Executive Director of the Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club, expressed heartfelt condolences to Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and to Al Maktoum’s family, on the death of Sheikh Hamdan.

The showpiece event of the polo season is being held in the name of The President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and under the patronage of Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club.

Ghanoot will be gunning for the second biggest title of the season after clinching the prestigious IFZA Gold Cup earlier.

The hosts qualified for the final following a narrow 10-9 win over Habtoor in the last qualifying round of matches held on Tuesday.

Raja Abul Jubain’s field goal put Habtoor ahead in the fifth minute of the game. Ghantoot responded immediately with Marcos Araya converting a 30- yard penalty.

Facundo Sola put through the post to give Habtoor slim lead by the end of first chukker. Ghantoot star and inform Argentine Pablo Llorente scored three in the second chukker to make it 4-3.

Quick to catch up was Sola scoring 2 goals for the team that levelled the game. Both the teams tried hard to gain upper hand as forth chukker saw flurry of goals.

The determining chukker had Marcos Araya score three goals that sealed the win for Ghantoot. Despite defeat, Habtoor advanced to the final after finishing second in the points table as they posted two victories in the previous rounds.

Delighted with the win and ticket for final, Llorente said: “Since we are the hosts of the tournament, so we want to lift President of UAE Polo Cup.

“Winning games in a row gives confidence to the team. We have really worked hard to reach here and looking forward to play in the finals where We have got to put our best foot forward and give our best out there,” he added.

Abu Dhabi Polo edged past Yas Holding Polo 11-10 in a thriller. They both will now play for subsidiary final of the event. Gonzalo Deltour scored six goals and played key role in their victory.

The governing partner for the HH President of the UAE Cup is Abu Dhabi Sports Council and it’s being held in association with the Emirates Polo Association. Event sponsors include Yas International Holding, Yas International Properties LLC, Al ittihad, Capex.com, Porsche Centre Abu Dhabi – Ali & Sons Co. LLC, Yas TV and Tack and Truck. Fans can catch the action live Yas Tv and at the official website of the tournament — www.presidentpolocup.ae

ABU DHABI: With third straight victory, hosts Ghantoot stormed into the final 21st edition of the HH President of UAE Polo Cup and set up a mouthwatering clash with Habtoor.…

Asia, Polo News

Dhs500,000 up for grabs as President of UAE Polo Cup begins on March 18.

9. March 2021

Celebrating 21 years of continuous success and providing a platform to emerging Emirati talents, the UAE’s only Royal Polo Club will open its doors for the biggest event of their calendar.

The country’s best players will be joined by professionals from across the globe as they compete in the 21st edition of HH President of UAE Polo Cup, being held from March 18-27. The event carries a prize purse of a whopping Dhs500,000.

The coveted competition will be held in the name of The President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and under the patronage of Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club.

HH President of UAE Polo Cup, considered to be one of the most prestigious tournaments in Asia and the Middle East, sees four 18-goal teams composed of top Emirati and international players compete on the magnificent green fields of the iconic Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club (GRPC).

Participating teams are Ghantoot Polo, Yas International Holding Polo, Habtoor Polo and Abu Dhabi Polo.

The 18-handicap tournament is a round-robin league with the two top teams qualifying for the grand finals.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic last year forced the organisers to postpone the previous edition of the event midway. Due to the ongoing global health implications of the coronavirus and precautionary measures being implemented by the UAE government, the current edition of the competition will be held behind closed doors.

“We are in high spirits about hosting our high-goal tournament after a long withdrawal from sporting events in the past year. We will be seeing new and returning faces on the polo field in the coming days,” said Sheikh Falah.

“This edition of the HH President of UAE Polo Cup is more special as we are marking the 21st anniversary of the event. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our patrons, partners and sponsors for being with us for the past two decades,” added Sheikh Falah.

All the matches will be played under the banner of the Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA), under strict international supervision according to the HPA rules and provision of its umpires.

“It gives me great pleasure to announce that Ghantoot is all set to host the historic 21st edition of the HH President of the UAE Polo Club,” said Zayed Khalifa Zayed Al Aboudi Al Zaabi, Executive Director of the Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club.

“This tournament is globally recognised and puts UAE at the forefront of the international polo circuit. We can all look forward to two weeks of high-quality action with some of the top polo players, together with some of the leading players from Argentina, and around the world competing for the honours. Good luck to all the teams participating,” he added.

Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE, established Ghantoot Polo Club in 1994 as the only Royal facility in the UAE. Today the patron of the Ghantoot Polo team, his son Sheikh Falah, continues his legacy through his love of the sport.

Desert Palm won the 2019 edition of the HH President of the UAE Cup after beating UAE Polo Team 10-8 in a thrilling final.

Ghantoot Polo team will be among the favourites this year as on Friday they lifted the IFZA Gold Cup 2021 following their victory over UAE Polo in the final at Al Habtoor Polo Resort and Club.

This was the second big title of the season for Ghantoot after they clinched the Emirates Polo Championship International in December 2020.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFJGO7UEDJQ[/embedyt]

Celebrating 21 years of continuous success and providing a platform to emerging Emirati talents, the UAE’s only Royal Polo Club will open its doors for the biggest event of their…

Asia, Polo News

Dubai Polo Gold Cup Announces the IFZA Silver Cup 2021 Tournament Fixture at the Press Conference

19. January 2021

• International Free Zone Authority (IFZA) onboard as the Title Sponsor of the tournament
• Al Shirawi Contracting LLC joined as Main Sponsor

18 January 2021, Dubai, UAE: The Dubai Polo Gold Cup (DPGC) organization officially kick-started its high-goal season with the Silver Cup’s annual launch during the customary press conference and live draw which took place on Monday, January 18th at the Al Habtoor Polo Resort.

On its 11th year, the Silver Cup is part of the DPGC Series held under the Patronage of HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai.

Five tournaments fall under the umbrella of the prestigious DPGC Series:

• IFZA Silver Cup (18 goal handicap), which will run from January 22nd to February 5th
• Polo Masters Cup (6-8 goal handicap) on February 7th to 12th
• IFZA Gold Cup (18-goal handicap) from February 14th to March 5th
• Dubai Challenge Cup (8-10-goal handicap) from March 13th to 20th
• Dubai Cup (6-8 goal handicap) from March 31st to April 9th, 2021.

The DPGC Series in the UAE is one of only five tournaments worldwide played in the WPT Championship Cup category. It is on a par with world-class events held in Argentina, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. The DPGC series started in 2009 with tournaments carrying a handicap of 10-12 goals and has grown to host teams playing in 18-goal handicap matches.

Mohammed K. Al Habtoor, founder of the DPGC Series and patron of the Habtoor Polo team, said: “We are in high spirits about hosting our high-goal season after a long withdrawal from sporting events in the past year. We will be seeing new and returning faces on the polo field in the coming days. Top-ranking World Polo Tour players, including Facundo Sola (ranked no. 18 in the world), Alfredo Capella Barabucci

(ranked no. 27), who are both 9-goal handicap players; Alejandro Muzzio (ranked no. 30), and many others who have come directly from the Argentine Open will be playing on our fields,”He added: “We very grateful for the continued support of our sponsors, partners and the unbeatable enthusiasm of six polo teams participating in the Silver Cup 2021 tournament. I am particularly honoured to welcome International Free Zone Authority as the Title Sponsor of the Silver Cup 2021. Having the backing of one of the UAE’s leading Free Zone Authorities in our quest of delivering world class polo in the Middle East is a great testament to our tournament’s success.”

Martin G. Pedersen, Chairman of IFZA, states: “Both the Silver Cup and the Dubai Gold Cup bring a particular group of people together – people who have incredible skills and mastery of the sport – to Dubai’s dynamic landscape. In a similar manner, IFZA has a long-standing dedication to excellence in what we do, with skills and knowledge that continuously improve the way we and our customers to do business from the UAE. Our position as the Free Zone of choice for businesses here and abroad makes this collaboration with these world-class tournaments a win-win proposition.”

„A tournament that is globally recognised and that puts UAE at the forefront of the international polo circuit, Al Shirawi too, with its world-class services helps put UAE on the global stage, with respect to the construction and services industry. „A sport that exuberates strength and stability through its very form, needs support by a brand that mirrors the exact same values, which makes Al Shirawi Contracting Company L.L.C an apt fitment as the main sponsor for the esteemed event.

After having made a mark in the construction industry with our expert waterproofing services, we will now be playing a crucial role in the service industry with our excellent Futureproofing services. Our futureproofing services and our global partner MAXON Technologies‘ anti-corrosive coating together form a strong bond that helps preserve your built assets so that they stay as sturdy and magnificent as they are today. Being one of the leading players in the construction and service industry, our collaboration with such eminent events marks us on the global map and makes this event a grand success,” stated by Pramodh Idicheria, COO, Al Shirawi Group.

The final of the Silver Cup will be played on Friday, February 5th, 2021 at the grounds of Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club.

The list of six participating teams in the Silver Cup 2021 includes:

• UAE Polo Team (Patron: HH Sheikha Maitha Bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum)
• Bangash Polo Team (Patron: Haider Bangash)
• Dubai Wolves Polo Team by Cafu (Patron: Habtoor Al Habtoor)
• Habtoor Polo Team (Patron: Mohammed Al Habtoor)
• IFZA Polo Team (Patron: Rashid Al Habtoor)Zedan Polo Team (Patron: Amr Zedan)

The final of the Silver Cup will be played on Friday, February 5th, 2021 at the grounds of Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club.

The list of six participating teams in the Silver Cup 2021 includes:

The Silver Cup is played under the Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA) banner, with strict international supervision according to the HPA rules and provision of its umpires. The tournament falls under World Polo Tour’s WPT Cup Category. The Silver Cup winners are awarded 60 points, finalists with 30 points, semi-finalists with 15 points and the rest of the players with 8 points.

• International Free Zone Authority (IFZA) onboard as the Title Sponsor of the tournament • Al Shirawi Contracting LLC joined as Main Sponsor 18 January 2021, Dubai, UAE: The Dubai…

Asia, Polo News

Dubai Polo Gold Cup Welcomes Standard Chartered Bank as the Title Sponsor of the Prestigious Gold Cup 2020

13. January 2020

Standard Chartered Bank has been announced as the Title Sponsor of the Dubai Polo Gold Cup (Dubai Open) Tournament in 2020. The Dubai Open is the most coveted trophy of the five tournaments under the umbrella of the prestigious Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series.

The highly anticipated Standard Chartered Gold Cup 2020 will run from 16 February to 6 March, with participation from some of the world’s top teams and players, making it a stellar highlight on Dubai’s 2020 polo calendar.

The Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series tournaments, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, has grown to become the region’s premier set of polo competitions attracting VIPs, celebrities, society figures, corporate executives and members of the press from around the world.

The Dubai Open — now in its eleventh edition — is certified by the World Polo Tour (WPT) since 2012 and played under the banner of the Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA), adhering to its rules and provision of its umpires. It is also part of the WPT Championship Cup, considered the highest competition in terms of points and awards.

“We are honoured to welcome Standard Chartered Bank as our Title Sponsor of the Gold Cup 2020. Such a prominent partnership is aligned with our quest in keeping UAE at the forefront of the international polo playing scene over the past 10 years” said Mohammed K. Al Habtoor, Vice Chairman and CEO of Al Habtoor Group.

Commenting on the sponsorship, “At Standard Chartered Private Bank, we are very pleased to be the title sponsor of the Standard Chartered Gold Cup 2020.

This prestigious tournament perfectly matches with the DNA of our brand and our strategy to drive the acceleration of our business growth in the MENA region.” said Ali Hammad, Market Head, Private Banking, Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

“The partnership will contribute to develop and strengthen the presence of our brand in this region and especially in the UAE, one of our main markets.” He added.

Standard Chartered Private Bank
Standard Chartered Private Bank provides private banking services to clients across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe, through onshore booking centres in Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, India, London, and Jersey. We also offer global Trust and Fiduciary capabilities through our Singapore centre.

Our aspiration to be the private bank of choice among generations of entrepreneurs is built on Standard Chartered’s inherent strengths: a heritage of some 160 years in international banking, a presence in 60 of the world’s most dynamic markets, and a strong understanding of growth markets. Through our global team of around 1000 employees, our relationship managers, investment advisors and product specialists have a deep understanding of our footprint markets and client needs, enabling them to connect our clients to an extensive range of wealth opportunities across our network.

For more information, please visit: www.sc.com/privatebank

Dubai Polo Gold Cup
The Dubai Polo Gold Cup (DPGC) was founded in 2009 by Mohammed K. Al Habtoor, patron of Habtoor Polo team. Year on year, the tournament has reached new heights. In 2012, the Gold Cup was recognized by the World Polo Tour (WPT. In 2014, the Gold Cup tournament was credited the highest competition in terms of points within the WPT Challenge Cup category, elevating it to 50 points for the winner. 2015 saw the Gold Cup upgraded from ‘Challenge Cup’ to the highly coveted ‘WPT Cup’, resulting in winners receiving 60 points. In 2017, the tournament was moved up to WPT Championship Cup – the highest competition in terms of points, awarding its winners 80 points. The Silver Cup and the Dubai Challenge Cup are ranked under the ‘WPT Challenge Cup’ category – with winners receiving 50 and 20 points respectively. The DPGC is proud to be the only tournament series with this exclusive accreditation in the GCC and MENA Region, ranking it among the best polo tournaments worldwide.

For more information: http://dubaipologoldcup.com/

© Thomas Wirth

Standard Chartered Bank has been announced as the Title Sponsor of the Dubai Polo Gold Cup (Dubai Open) Tournament in 2020. The Dubai Open is the most coveted trophy of…

Europe, Polo News

POLO+10 Interview: HPA President Stephen Hutchinson

26. July 2019

The Hurlingham Polo Association is the governing body for polo in the UK, Ireland and many other countries throughout the world. In November Stephen Hutchinson will have completed his 4 years as Chairman of the HPA and will be putting forward Nick Wiles for election as his successor.

THE HPA IS THE OLDEST AND ONE THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT POLO ASSOCIATIONS IN THE WORLD. FOR HOW MANY POLO COUNTRIES IS THE HPA RESPONSIBLE AS THEIR GOVERNING BODY?

We have approx. 26 International associations affiliated to us as well as a handful of independent clubs.

HOW HAS THE HPA, ITS WORK AND PHILOSOPHY DEVELOPED SINCE THE INAUGURATION OF POLO IN THE UK 150 YEARS AGO?
It is difficult to cover the development of the game and its philosophy over 150 years. Up to the 1939 World War, polo was really a game played by amateurs and the military. Grounds and ponies were very different to today but it attracted large crowds for the major games. The HPA as the governing body was then as now focussed on handicapping, the rules, discipline and the fixtures list. Post the war with restart of polo it was not very different until the Falklands War when the Argentines were banned from playing here. Their arrangements for playing here were quite informal but their absence created a shortage of good players. Thus, the English season began to attract players from around the world and by the time the ban was lifted for Argentine players a market for professional players had been created. Polo grew at the same time and hence the balance there were more and more players starting to play who needed the services of professional players to make the game work for them.

HOW MANY POLO PLAYERS ARE ACTIVE IN THE WHOLE DRAW AREA OF THE HURLINGHAM POLO ASSOCIATION?
This is very difficult to tell as we do not collate that type of data on our oversees associations.

AND HOW MANY ARE THERE IN ENGLAND?
Including university students we have about 3,000 players within the UK.

IS THE NUMBER OF PLAYERS AND YOUNG TALENTS CONTINUOUSLY GROWING?
The number of players generally reflects the financial climate so for the last few years the membership has been fairly static. The number of talented players tends to go in batches as a group of talented players tends to raise the standards of their peer group and whilst they flourish the group just behind tend to struggle to break through.

ENGLAND HAS THE BEST REPUTATION FOR THE SUCCESSFUL PONY CLUB – WHEN WAS IT SET UP AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
The Pony Club has been a great ‘nursery’ for polo. It was established 90 years ago with polo introduced as a Pony Club sport 60 years ago in 1959. With the very rare exception every member of the England team has played Pony Club polo and that is certainly the case this year.

HOW HARD IS IT TO ENSURE COMMON RULES AND REGULATIONS INTERNATIONALLY?
The rules of polo are probably overly complicated but some are not easy to write and more difficult to umpire; and not many players ever read them. There has been a lot of work done recently to unify the rules which is important as the professional players move around the world and it is not clever if the rules vary in the different countries. Most sports have adapted their rules to attract more spectators or to make it easier to understand or to put on television. Polo has been slow on this front but is now trying to catch up. With Argentina so dominant in polo changes in the rules need their support and this is now more forthcoming than it has been in the past and several new rules have been or are being tried, and some have already been introduced.

HOW FAR IS THIS ALSO A QUESTION OF UMPIRING AND THE
EDUCATION OF UMPIRES?
It is a very difficult game to umpire and the importance of winning for the pros has increased with sometimes significant financial implications. This has not only changed the attitude to losing but also that of the players towards the umpires. Umpires can improve but a lot of the umpiring is down to a judgement of extent of the danger and who created it and the players involved will often disagree and genuinely believe that it was the other player. It is improving but umpires are often badly treated, even when they are doing it for free, so that is not helpful and in many ways the umpiring is in the hands of the players. Abusing an umpire is unlikely to improve him.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE APPROACH OF JAVIER TANOIRA AND HIS CRITICS ON PATRON POLO AS IT IS PLAYED ON THE HIGH GOAL LEVEL TODAY?
Polo is a wonderful game to play and it is sometimes wonderful to watch, but like many sports and other activities it is not always great for the spectators whoever is playing. The filming of it is getting better but it is on a big field and fast so it is difficult to pick up the tactics television. A tennis court, rugby and football filed fit a tv screen so perfectly and in golf the ball can be followed in slow motion as nothing else is happening. The patrons fund polo at the moment and although there have been and will continue to be moves to professionalise the sport entirely, the total input from patrons across the board is a significant sum which will always be hard to replace.

WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ABOUT EMBRYO TRANSFER AND THE NEW BREEDING ECONOMICS?
Embryo transfer has certainly been a bonus for the supply of good ponies. I am instinctively against cloning but do not have good reason for being so.

WHICH SUBJECT IS THE HPA FOCUSSING ON MAINLY IN ITS
WORK 2019?
Umpiring is a focus for 2019 and has been for a few years now. That includes behaviour on the field. The game has got very expensive, especially at the top end and we would like to try to make it cheaper and more fun. It is a wonderful game to play and those who play are more focussed on playing it rather than watching it. Handicapping is always an issue and that has to be fair but with so many players there is not a lot of flexibility with the majority of players below 2 goals. Inevitably some feel that their handicap should not be the same as the opposing player who has just beaten them but is on the same handicap. We have been looking for the solution to that since 1909 or thereabouts.

WHAT WILL BE THE POLO HIGHLIGHTS IN ENGLAND AND IN THE WHOLE UK TERRITORY IN 2019?
We are half way through the season but the highlights are the finals of the Queens and Gold cup and the Hurlingham Polo International when England faces Argentina led by Facundo Pieres. Both are 27 goals but Facundo will be supported by 3 very talented Argentine players, all improving fast. We have to be realistic but we have a good team and being the underdog is sometimes a help. Whatever the result, it will be the highpoint of the season and it is a real privilege to play against Argentina and Facundo who for many is the best player to watch in the world.

WHAT DO YOU THINK SHOULD DEFINITELY IMPROVED IN THE
INTERNATIONAL SPORT OF POLO?
International games are important to promote the sport. There are no countries that can compete with Argentina and it is excellent to see Argentina fielding teams in other countries. An international tournament is very difficult to organise due to the number of horses required. Australia did an amazing job for the 14 Goal World Championships in Sydney two years ago but there are very few countries that can do that and perhaps we need to look at how we can make an international league or world cup more manageable.

www.hpa-polo.co.uk

The Hurlingham Polo Association is the governing body for polo in the UK, Ireland and many other countries throughout the world. In November Stephen Hutchinson will have completed his 4…