O N E T O W A T C H
TONY RAMIREZ/IMAGESOFPOLO.COM
M A X K I R C H H O F F
9
P O N Y L I N E S
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Having grown up around the sport in
Germany and France, Max Kirchhoff caught
the polo bug at school, against his mother’s
wishes. Several rugby-related injuries
prevented him from playing more polo during
his teenage years, but a pre-university
trip to Argentina set him on the polo path
indefinitely. Here, he bought his first horses
and his team, Snake Bite, was founded.
‘Things have snowballed a little since,’
Kirchhoff admits.
Max Kirchhoff has taken
his Snake Bite organisation
from 2-goal to 18-goal
in under a decade
Based at Kirtlington, in England, Snake Bite
has progressed hugely over the last decade,
working its way up the ladder from 2-goal
to 18-goal, and 2018 marks the team’s 13th
competitive season. ‘This year’s highlight
must have been winning the Archie David,’
he says. ‘But personally I was extremely
proud to have reached the semi-finals of the
Royal Windsor, especially as we were the
only non-high-goal team to make it out of
the quarter-finals.’
Since quitting his job in the City, Kirchhoff
travels as much as possible, be it for polo
or shooting. But playing the last-ever World
Elephant Polo Championships in Nepal,
winning the Victor Ludorum at various levels,
and competing in the Argentine Polo Tour
might not be enough for the 32 year old.
‘Playing the 22-goal is every polo player’s
dream,’ he says. ‘I will never rule it out but
I would only enter if it was competitive.’ Watch
this space – Snake Bite is on the way up.
