Zürich International Polo Ladies Cup

Polo News

11. July 2024

The weather was perfect for celebrating our 25th anniversary in style. Despite a high number of accidents earlier in the season, leading to fewer participants, we were able to have games both days with two teams in each section, and the competition was intense.

On Saturday morning, the weather was dry as we kicked off with the high goal game, where Ursi Bettio and Ann-Kathrin Brändle made their debut at this level. The local team Los Lobos dominated the game against Polo Club Zug, with players covering each other and Ann-Kathrin Brändle making some impressive plays. In the challenge league, Hato St. Moritz, led by the Strub sisters, established dominance early on and maintained their lead against the team captained by Janique Spillmann.

It rained the entire Saturday afternoon, part of Sunday night, and at sunrise, drops were still falling from the sky. We knew we would play. We all had faith. We knew the field could handle it and let us play the final games just as they should, with strength and power.

45 minutes before the first game, the rain stopped. We gave an extra 30 minutes for the field to absorb the rain, and the challenge league got on their saddles, ready for the final.

In a much more disputed game, team Aegerter Wines, featuring two ladies with just a few months of polo experience, heartfully defended its ground, pushing the ball forward. Unfortunately, they couldn’t score enough goals and had to concede to the better-organized team HATO St. Moritz. Polo is a complete sport, and some lessons are harsh – and this may be why the after polo party is even better!

Time for the women of the Super League to mount up and get onto the polo field. The party has already started at the clubhouse, with many friends and family coming to watch and cheer for their favorite players. The teams in red and blue are facing off, ready to compete. The game starts with the throw-in, which ends up in the mallet of Sammy-Joe Strub. Her horse knows exactly what to do, and Sammy-Joe flies to score the first goal of the game, leaving Los Lobos completely surprised. The red team regains their fighting spirit, and despite a slow and disorganized first chukka, they manage to score 2 more goals. Fast runs and beautiful backhanders from Lucie Venot in defense, along with Katja Grauwiler‘s quick movements, keep the game moving forward. In the second chukka, Ursi Bettio grabs the ball and runs for the goal, hitting a long and transversal shot that impresses even her opponents.

However, the score continues to tilt in favor of Los Lobos, with Polo Club Zug suffering a bit of bad luck. Katja Grauwiler and Ann-Kathrin Brändle score one after the other, sealing the victory for their team. It was ultimately the teamwork that led Los Lobos to their win – an impeccable job executed with mastery, everyone holding their position and playing strong, physically and mentally. Although Polo Club Zug lost, their game was swift and the horses performed excellently. Aline Haerry‘s mare Cheta, 7 years old, won the award for Best Playing Pony. While Anja Gutbrot scored the last goal of the game with an impossible angle.

After 3 years, the trophy has returned to the local team, allowing all players to celebrate together the 25th anniversary of empowering women in polo.

Text by Polo Park Zürich
Pictures by Nati Levi

The weather was perfect for celebrating our 25th anniversary in style. Despite a high number of accidents earlier in the season, leading to fewer participants, we were able to have…

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25th Zürich International Polo Ladies Cup

4. April 2024

Polo Park & Country Club Zurich is celebrating 25 years of Ladies Polo this season, making it the oldest Ladies Cup in the world. Since 2017, the club has implemented ladies‘ handicap in Switzerland, offering one of the largest ladies-only tournaments in Europe, providing polo games from 12 to 0 goals. All levels and ages are welcome to participate in the tournament. Since its start, the club has had the pleasure of welcoming players from over 35 countries, united in their love for the sport and driven by their competitive spirit.

It’s hard to believe that it has already been 25 years since Polo Park Zurich began organizing a dedicated tournament for women’s polo. Even before the rise of female-only competitions, the former owner, Markus Gräff, had the brilliant idea of creating a ladies-only tournament, as the club had always had women players.

Every year, the level of the game fluctuated depending on the number of guests, players, and locals participating. However, there was always a minimum of two teams and a maximum of eight.

In 2016, the tournament organization reached a milestone. Sébastien Le Page invited Sunny Hale to speak and support the players, but little did he know that this would take the tournament to the next level. It was a unique and precious occasion to spend three days with Sunny, who constantly coached the players and encouraged them. She pointed out their weaknesses and gave them advice on how to improve, as well as how to take advantage of their strengths.

Sunny’s vibrant lecture about her journey from starting at a lower level to being chosen by Adolfo Cambiaso and winning the US Open with him, was an unforgettable experience for all attending members.
Her speech inspired many and still resonates in the hearts of many today.

In 2017, Morgan Van Overbroek made a significant change by introducing two different levels for the Ladies Cup – a low goal accessible to all players and a medium goal with a level of 8 to 12 goals. This allowed the Ladies Cup to be included in the Women’s Polo Tour rankings, allowing higher-ranked players to earn more international points. This was also the first season where players could use their ladies’ handicaps to play. Switzerland was one of the pioneering countries in Europe to officially implement this change. On the same weekend, Hazel Jackson, who was playing the 10 goals mixed was also a guest and motivational speaker for the ladies players. Her powerful playing style left a strong impression on all players.

And since 2017, the medium goal was launched and became an almost inevitable stop in the Ladies European circuit.

While at the club, they had the opportunity to witness several players transitioning from low to medium goal, enjoying the game at a different pace. These players had the opportunity to play alongside experienced international players and learned that not only having great polo skills was important, but also fitness and mental strength. It was a significant enhancement for the club to host such players, as it gave the local players the chance to interact with the guest players. The Ladies’ Cup is an incredible weekend where polo friendship transcends all borders, and the polo family grows even larger.

The Ladies Cup provides an opportunity for many players to experience the game of polo with all its challenges. They suddenly have to make decisions such as who will shoot penalties, quickly organize their teams, and adjust to a slower pace and shorter shots compared to mixed polo matches. This can make the game much more demanding for each player. Many players also come to realize the importance of maintaining good fitness levels for all levels of polo as every player’s contributions count at every moment of the game.

Morgan von Overbroek: „The Ladies Cup tournament is typically held on the first weekend of July. If one is available that weekend and enjoys playing with enthusiastic players of all skill levels, they are invited to join. A fun and competitive experience on the field is guaranteed.”

By PPZ
Photography Guadalupe Aizaga, Evelina Jakovlevskaja, Luca Mortari