C H I E F E X E C U T I V E
This season has been one of two halves, a very
wet start followed by a prolonged dry spell
with unusually high temperatures for
England. As a result, clubs without irrigation
struggled, but a lot of polo was played and
it was good to see considerable success for
English players. The Queen’s Cup was lifted
by Michael Bickford and his La Indiana
team, and the Gold Cup by Christopher
Hanbury and his all-English El Remanso team.
A week after the Gold Cup,
International Day was played for the first
time at the Royal County Berkshire Polo
Club and it was great to see the Flannels
England team accept the Westchester Cup
from Zara Tindall after a convincing win
against the USA. Congratulations also to
the Flannels England Ladies who achieved a
comfortable win over the Rest of the World
for the Thai Polo Diamond Jubilee Leopard
Trophy. The only sad part of the day was that
it was to be the last public appearance of
Greta Morrison, who made a huge effort
to be there, but passed away 10 days later.
There has been much support for the ‘no
blocking’ rule and for the replacement of
the ‘throw in’ with a ‘hit in’. These changes
helped to speed up the game considerably
and improved the watching experience.
Unfortunately no England team has
headed south for the FIP European 8-Goal
Championships, but Ireland will be
defending their title from Berlin in 2016
and we wish them the very best of luck.
10
P O N Y L I N E S
RIZZOLI, ALICE GIPPS
hurlinghampolo.com
E Q U E S T R I A N L I F E P H O T O G R A P H Y B O O K
Inspired by Lord Patrick Beresford, new photographic book
Equestrian Life: From
Riding Houses to Country Estates
is an ode to a lifestyle revolving around the bond
between man and horse. With photography by Mark Roskams and words by Lavinia
Branca Snyder, the book puts the beauty, strength and prowess of the horse pride of
place, from the beamed interior of Combe Court stables – unchanged since they were
built in 1860 – to the wood-panelled rooms of Bolsover Castle, the home to the father
of modern dressage, and finally to the Royal Mews at Windsor. A highlight is
Curraghmore House (pictured below) and its 2,500 acres of formal gardens, woodland
and grazing fields in County Waterford, Ireland – the beloved family home of Lord
Patrick Beresford.
Available now, published by Rizzoli International Publications
S E B A S T I A N D A W N A Y A R T
From gifts to dramatic equine art and quality polo equipment, Sebastian Dawnay’s
new venture, The Country House and Stables is well worth a visit. Located at the
Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club, the gallery presents sculptures by Amy
Goodman, pencil drawings and oil paintings by Eddie Kennedy and alluring fine
art equine images by Alice Gipps (pictured below), as well as an array of Argentine
trinkets and handmade polo-themed jewellery by Nicci Bethel. Hand-picked polo
mallets and Dawnay’s own design polo saddles are also in stock.
