As we move towards the Chinese New Year of the Horse on Friday 31 January, British Polo Day, presented by Land Rover, looks ahead to a busy and exciting calendar of events for 2014.
A global platform for the celebration of British luxury heritage, British Polo Day uses the international language of the horse to bridge cultures and bring people together in an international network of ten spectacular events.
Land Rover’s prestigious line up of the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Evoque will be available for guest experiences at all British Polo Day global events, allowing supporters to see at first hand why they are considered the world’s finest SUV. The Range Rover family sits firmly at the heart of the British Polo Day ethos of celebrating British luxury and heritage.
On Saturday 22 March, the British Polo Day 2014 Global Series, presented by Land Rover, begins in Abu Dhabi. Returning to the UAE for the fifth successive year, the Series kicks-off in style at Abu Dhabi’s Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club, one of the most exclusive in the world. Personally hosted by His Highness Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan al Nahyan, this prestigious event draws VIPs from across the region. The day begins with a traditional camel polo match between officers from the British Army’s Cavalry & Guards regiments, followed by an afternoon of fast-paced polo from some of Britain’s top young players. When night falls, a glittering dinner prepared by the experts at Gaucho grill – paired with fine wines from the acclaimed Justerini & Brooks – kicks off the evening’s celebrations and the afterparty that follows.
Then, on Friday 28 March, the magnificent British Polo Day Dubai returns to the Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club – the birthplace of British Polo Day and the setting for its very first event in 2009. A firm fixture on the sporting and social calendar, British Polo Day Dubai falls on the first day of the region’s biggest equine weekend (that of the Dubai World Cup Races) and is expected to attract some 500 VIP guests. Alongside matches featuring teams from Oxford, Cambridge, British Exiles and Habtoor Polo, will be traditional camel polo and the Middle East’s very first bicycle polo match!
Saturday 19 April marks the inaugural British Polo Day Morocco at the stunning Jnan Amar Polo Club, Marrakech. Under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco, some of the best British players will go head-to-head with their Middle Eastern and North African contemporaries in a gripping contest in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. Held in partnership with the Branson family, British Polo Day Morocco will raise money for the Eve Branson Foundation – part of British Polo Day’s extensive global fundraising efforts – at the evening’s gala dinner and charity auction.
Another first for 2014 is British Polo Day USA on Saturday 31 May. Hosted by Lord Fredrick Windsor at Los Angeles’ coveted Will Rogers Polo Club, guests will be treated to a delicious pitch-side Taittinger champagne reception and afternoon tea while teams from Eton, Oxbridge, The Ivy League and Will Rogers Polo Club go head-to-head in some exhilarating, high-level polo.
The home leg of the British Polo Day Global Series returns on Saturday 21 June with the British Polo Day Charity Cup 2014, at the picturesque Black Bears’ River Ground, Henley-on-Thames. Once again top British chef Theo Randall will be serving lunch to our VIPs, and teams from the British Exiles, Commonwealth, British Schools and Singapore Polo Club teams will be swinging their mallets during the afternoon’s polo.
On Saturday 26 July, British Polo Day returns to Russia and the stunning forest setting of the Tseleevo Golf & Polo Club – home of the Russian Open. One of the most glamorous events in the calendar, British Polo Day Russia is hosted by the Rodziankos – a family steeped in Russian equine history. Following a Taittinger champagne reception and opening ceremony, guests will be treated to the usual celebrated combination of excellent polo, fine dining, fun and frivolity – washed down the Russian way with Beluga, the noble Russian Vodka.
The first of British Polo Day’s autumn events takes place in China on Saturday 13 September. Last year’s British Polo Day China hosted large swathes of The Chinese Government and local, national and international press, alongside more than 1,000 global guests. Following Prime Minister David Cameron’s recent trade mission to China, British Polo Day China presents an unprecedented opportunity to further celebrate British luxury heritage in a country steeped in ancient history – and some say the birthplace of polo, many centuries ago.
2014 marks the inaugural British Polo Day Australia. On Sunday 26 October, the internationally-renowned, polo-playing Schwarzenbach family – will host guests at the superb Garangula Polo Club in New South Wales. The event will be held on the same afternoon as the culmination of the principle high-goal tournament of the Australian season.
British Polo Day Mexico will, this year, take place on Saturday 22 November bringing style, sophistication, fine dining and high-level polo to the prestigious Balvanera Polo & Country Club. The De Alba family – of distinguished equestrian fame – will once again host the who’s who of Mexican society, in a day of top rate polo between the British Exiles, Mexico, British Schools and the formidable Balvanera home side. With a Taittinger and Justerini & Brooks brunch on arrival, ‘Afternoon Tea & Tequila’ and incredible afterparty overlooking Balvanera’s beautiful lake, British Polo Day Mexico 2014 will be quite the spectacle.
Drawing the 2014 calendar to a close, as has become traditional, British Polo Day India returns to the majestic ‘Blue City’ of Jodhpur from 12 – 14 December 2014. Hosted by His Highness Gaj Singh II The Maharaja of Marwar-Jodhpur, British Polo Day comprises three days of fast-paced, exciting polo matches, played in the superb setting of Jodhpur Polo and Equestrian Institute. From the Mehrangarh Fort to the Umaid Bhawan Palace, guests will enjoy a privileged view of some of India’s most historic settings and experience the unique Rajasthani folk culture.