World Snow Polo
A snowy Aspen mountain could not have been a better backdrop for the Eleventh World Snow Polo Championships in Colorado, December 16-19. Event Director Barry Stout and his crew made sure to put on a spectacular show, which was covered by The New York Times and New York Post.
All players were mounted with a string of mountain-conditioned horses, raised and played at altitude (Aspen lies at 7,816 feet) and of course, shod and worked appropriately for this winter event.
Moscow Polo Club made their debut in Aspen, playing for title sponsor Beluga Noble Russian Vodka. But with snow falling hard on the Sunday, Wellington-based Team Audi sped to victory to retain their title for a second year. Although they have played and won on turf and sand, the team become seemingly unbeatable on snow.
With Teams Bombardier placing third and Team Harry Winston and Team Lucchese rounding out the tournament, the one thousand spectator-strong crowd were kept on the edge of their seats. Playing to win Lucchese watches and Tiffany trophies, the festive event, so close to Christmas, felt like one large luxury holiday gift.
In the final Alejandro Trava smacked his mallet into the Beluga Vodka sign creating a hole two feet wide, but it was Kampsen’s controlling play and adhesion to the ball that earned four goals in the final, and the MVP.
Featuring cocktail parties, dinner at the iconic Caribou Club and a huge party thrown by Aspen Peak Magazine, the event has become a firm marker on Aspen’s social calendar.