The BMW Polo Masters Megève celebrates 20 years of snow polo

The BMW Polo Masters Megève celebrates 20 years of snow polo, a hugely successful birthday !

22nd to 25th January 2015

20 years after the birth of the 3rd snow polo event at a world international level, all this experience has paid off. Matthew Delfosse (hcp 4) has participated in all editions and entered the finals every other year, and now for the 8th time he has brought his team to victory. At his side, Captain Laurent Dassault (hcp0) wins a 5th victory for his 18th participation.

Despite the snow’s late arrival, the 20th edition of the BMW Polo Masters Megève benefited from these indispensable conditions to provide a stupendous celebration: the snow and cold, sunshine and flawless involvement from our sponsors. Everything came together to honour this successful equestrian anniversary, which is unique in France.
 

The all out hard work from the Megeve technical services to provide an impeccable base for the polo pitch was compensation for the snow’s very late arrival. Their hard work was rewarded by the arrival of snow and cold conditions less than a week before the first game, finishing the pitch to exceptional standards according to all the players. If the Friday night fog gave phantasmagoric images, the Sunday sunshine for the finals allowed the public to enjoy this unique show to the full.
 

Victory for the BMW Polo Masters Megève’s most loyal players. 

6 international teams representing 5 nationalities (French, Swiss, English, Irish and Australian) were present to celebrate this anniversary with the French team’s youth players who were in training for the Snow Polo World Cup in Tianjin (China) next week.

After 3 days of selection, the points accumulated by each team (one win carries 2 points) enabled the teams to access their places in the finals.

Team BMW led by Gérard Bonvicini (hcp 0) and Alexandre Sztarkman (HCP1) won the Axa Enterprises cup against team Casino Barrière / Palo Alto, led by Baillot Alexander (hcp 0) by a final score of 7 to 5.

Team Fermes de Marie with the young player Edouard Costes (hcp 0) won the Lucien Barrière cup with a final score 6 to 4 opposite Richard Thomas’s (hcp 0) British team who were sporting the Edmond de Rothschild Group colours.

After a touching demonstration from the Kids Polo by our future champions, the finals pitted the best against the best. Indeed, under Matthew Delfosse’s (hcp 4) team, Fer à Cheval, accompanied by Laurent Dassault (hcp 0) and Patrick Paillol (hcp 4), he was in the final for the 11th time. And it was opposite the Team Stalis, with Claude Solarz’s (hcp 0), one of the major league players, that he carried off his 8th victory with a final score of 7 to 4. The Edmond de Rothschild Group’s Trophy, the famous Megève marble snowball was awarded for the 5th time to their captain, Laurent Dassault, by Catherine Jullien-Breche Mayor of Megève, Mr Bertrand Otto of the Edmond de Rothschild bank and the sculptor Pierre Margara.
 

Snow, sunshine and a supercharged atmosphere for the match! 

The finals were played on snow that sparkled from the reflecting sunshine, for this memorable 20th anniversary over 4 days, where events all over the village centre and around the polo pitch reunited in celebration. Medieval troops in the streets, pony rides for children, jousting tournaments, famous French acrobatic cavaliers in the evening and of course the 20th party celebrations through the night took place in the marquee tents on the edge of the pitch with more than 1000 people in attendance.

All previous and current event sponsors were present for this ultimate Polo Party: including Pommery champagne, Château d’Esclans wines and great chefs from Mont d’Arbois / Groupe Edmond de Rothschild, Maisons et Hôtels Sibuet, du Fer à Cheval et du Flocons de Sel who prepared the gastronomical delights for this exceptional evening. And it was the « le S de Megève » bar that brought an even more festive touch to the event with a DJ, dancer and saxophonist and with the help of the Folie Douce.
 

A very successful birthday for an event that has been supported all along by one man for 20 years, Jean Yves Delfosse, a polo enthusiast and with one desire, to share his passion with as many people as possible.