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hurlinghampolo.com
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A B I H A N C O C K / T H E A R T O F P O LO
G A M E C H A N G E R S
APPL founder Javier Tanoira has had a huge influence on the game,
but now is a time for reflection – so what’s next, asks Carolina Beresford
Love it or hate it, the All Pro Polo League
(APPL) has certainly shaken things up in the
polo world over the past few years. Whether
recruiting young, up-and-coming players,
10-goal superstars or high-goal veterans,
Javier Tanoira has proven that a different
type of polo model exists. After a successful
2018 World Tour – the highlight of which was
hosting the first ever 40-goal match played
at Cowdray Park Polo Club (supported by
Hurlingham 1875, the APPL’s first official
sponsor) – the league finds itself at a very
interesting junction. Up to this point, no
player or club has been paid for their
involvement in the league; all parties have
supported the project because of their
willingness to improve the sport as a whole.
Now the APPL has shown that a more
entertaining, dynamic version of polo is
possible, it is time to figure out what’s next
on the agenda for the organisation.
The APPL did not have any specific
objectives when it started hosting matches
in 2015, but one thing was clear: polo needed
a reboot.‘Our biggest achievement has been
T H E A P P L H A S P R O V E N T H AT A MO R E
D Y N A M I C V E R S I O N O F P O L O I S P O S S I B L E