18 minute read
Talk
England expects
Two years ago the HPA launched a new look for the England team. Herbert Spencer considers the situation today
Above Audi UK’s Head of PR Jon Zammett at the start of the Cartier International 2007 with the English team: (from left) Nacho Gonzalez, Luke Tomlinson, Henry Brett and James Beim. Three weeks before the start of the Europe zone play-offs for the FIP World Cup at Sotogrande earlier this year,the England national team and their entourage were already in Spain preparing for the competition.The four-man squad was there along with alternates,chef d’equipe,coach, some players’ partners for moral support and 30 ponies brought down from the UK. The group lived and worked together in a rented villa and practiced at a club near where the play-offs were scheduled.
This was no different from the England football team arriving early at a foreign venue to acclimatise and train before a big match.It was an illustration of the big-sport professionalism that pervades the HPA’s current approach to international competitions,and England teams that play in them.
No other polo association spends more time,effort and money on competitions between nations and on its national team than the HPA.Chief Executive David Woodd estimates that in 2007 the association will have spent £160,000 on internationals and the England teams.The whole of English polo benefits in terms of national pride,a higher profile for the sport and profits to fund the game at lower echelons.
‘Thanks to sponsorship,’ says Woodd, ‘none of the membership fees paid by our members goes into financing the England team and,overall,the internationals generate profit that we can use on such things as our youth programmes.’
National teams from the British Isles have been playing in internationals since 1886 when the Americans donated the Westchester Cup as a perpetual trophy to be played for between the United States and Great Britain.Great Britain has not fared well in the series,having won only five of the 15 meetings with the United States.
The HPA’s International Day (now Cartier International) began in 1971 and since then England teams have played visiting national sides or composite teams from more than a dozen countries for the Coronation Cup.As in the Westchester Cup,England’s win-loss record has not been good,with the home team winning only 13 of the 35 Coronation Cup one-day tests.
England teams also compete in the FIP’s three-yearly World Championships.They have yet to win the gold,but did take silver in Berlin,1989;Santa Barbara,1998;and Chantilly,2004.At Sotogrande earlier this year,England qualified for the 2008 World Cup scheduled for Mexico City next April.
Over the past five years or so there has been a significant increase in the number of internationals played between two countries.England teams playing at home or abroad have met national sides of Argentina,Chile,Mexico,Brazil,South Africa,Kenya,Australia,New Zealand, Pakistan and India,mainly at a higher
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The HPA decided it needed to invest more in its teams, providing the kind of professional organisation that national teams in other sports have
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1 Trainer Winston Squires works on Henry Brett’s arm 2 Andrew Tucker, the team’s first ever chef d’equipe 3 Coach Claire Tomlinson and FIP president Patrick GuerrandHermes at Sotogrande in April 2007 4 The HPA’s Chief Executive David Woodd with his ever-present binoculars following the play
handicap level (around 26 goals) than the pro-am tournaments in the UK.Countries playing in other internationals have included Brazil,Uruguay,Canada and Spain.
Given England’s less than impressive record in the big internationals,the HPA decided in 2004 that it needed to invest more money in its teams,providing the kind of professional organisation that national teams in other sports have.One stimulus for this,according to Woodd,was the country’s euphoria over the England rugby team winning the World Cup for the first time the year before.
The HPA started by hiring a chef d’equipe for the team,its first ever.Andrew Tucker,a salaried employee,albeit part-time,is more than just a ‘team manager’.‘Tuck’ is also involved in such things as looking for sponsorship,liaising with sponsors and handling promotion and publicity for the team.He is part of a core management group together with Woodd and the HPA’s events co-ordinator Lucy Lewis and John Tinsley, HPA chairman until 2005 and now chairman of the association’s international committee.
Funding for England teams had in the past been problematic,despite long-time financial support from the Pidgley family’s firms – first Berkeley Homes then Cadenza –who have sponsored England at the Cartier International.In 2005 Audi UK signed on as the main England sponsor for at-home internationals – a three-year contract providing £100,000 annually to help finance the team.Cadenza has also continued its support and other sponsors now include Crew Clothing Co,Lutwyche Bespoke and Hayley Conference Centres.
With solid funding in place,Tucker was able to bring in ancillary personnel like Bristol University sports psychologist Bob Reeves,who has held senior coaching positions in rugby and cricket,and Dave Alred,guru to rugby’s great Jonny Wilkinson, to serve as performance coaches for the England team.Trainer Winston Squires advises the team on fitness and diet.Fees are paid to head coach John Horswell and some coaches,like Claire Tomlinson and Will Lucas,volunteer their services.
The team operates a squad system –with most English players handicapped at 5 goals or more – currently around 18 strong,signed up to play for their country when called upon.Lower-rated players,with handicaps from 2 to 4 goals,are also available for the 14goal FIP championships that have a 5-goal cap on competitors.The England players,all professionals or semi-pros,do not receive fees to play for their country,but all their expenses are covered and they are paid for providing the ponies they ride.
The England selection committee is comprised of Tinsley,HPA vice-chairman Mark Vestey,and former England players Andrew Hine,Alan Kent,James Lucas,and after appointment,the England team captain.They decide team line-ups depending upon the handicap level of each international and what the opposition looks like.A team captain is chosen for each event: former captains have included Henry Brett, Luke Tomlinson,Malcolm Borwick,Oliver Hipwood and Tom Morley.
In 2005,the first year of the ‘new look’ England,the teams won only two of their six encounters at home and abroad – no improvement in the win-loss records prior to re-organisation.The phrase ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’ was heard.The following year the position was reversed,with England winning six of its eight internationals.In 2007 England has won two of its international encounters and lost two.
However professional an organisation the England teams have behind them,in the end it is down to available talent.Over the past three years Henry Brett has dropped from an 8 handicap to 6 and Nacho Gonzalez from 7 to 6.Luke Tomlinson has been stuck at 7, although his brother Mark,has gone up from 6 to 7.England can now only field a 26goal team.Argentina could put anything up to a 40-goal side into internationals and the USA up to 35,with countries like New Zealand,Australia and South Africa all improving.
According to Woodd,the HPA is now looking to invest money to send some leading players to Argentina for winter training and to play at a higher level than they do in England,where the cap on pro-am
aiming high
Polo enthusiast and club owner Tiago Gallego shares his plans for polo in Portugal
WORDS LUCY NORTHMORE
You don’t usually hear of people being introduced to polo by their wife and children,but then there is nothing usual about Dr Tiago Gallego and his ambitions.
Having spent five years as Portugal’s national squash champion,as well as being a water skiing champion and enjoying considerable success in motorcross,Tiago Gallego is an all-round sportsman.So when Tiago’s wife and sons asked him to join in their polo practice it wasn’t long before the sport took hold.
From that moment in 1999,Tiago has been busy breaking new ground and can now boast ownership of La Varzea Polo & Golf Resort,the only polo club in Portugal and the second largest in Southern Europe. He also has his own team,La Varzea,which has already won the first Portugal Open.
Not content with just playing polo, Tiago is also committed to developing the sport in the country. As a chartered accountant,Tiago has held a number of senior executive positions in international banking and finance and also has business interests in the real estate sector.This combination of business talent and a passion for polo has led to exciting new developments in the polo world.
‘I am a born entrepreneur and therefore I have the courage to break new ground in my own business ventures and what I have in mind for polo,’ he says.‘I intend to build something very special for polo in Europe.’
Tiago’s immediate priority is to ensure that polo remains established in Portugal, with the challenge of creating Europe’s premier polo and equestrian destination. He became the sole owner of La Varzea Polo & Golf Resort in December 2006, whereupon he laid out the road map for exciting developments over the next five to eight years.
Not content with creating Europe’s premier polo destination,Tiago has introduced new concepts into polo,like the introduction of prize money (the first Portugal Polo Open attracted a total of 75,000 in prize money). Tiago also wants more people to take up the sport,making it more competitive and rewarding for players and patrons.
The club is based within Herdade do Zambujeiro,a partly-developed residential and country estate covering 1,000 hectares. Located less than 30 miles from Lisbon International Airport,the club operates allyear-round and provides complete facility hire.It caters for all polo players from beginners to professionals,and currently provides three polo grounds and stabling for 300 horses,in addition to numerous clubhouse facilities.
On completion,La Varzea will offer nine polo grounds and 1,500 loose boxes.A golf academy,tennis courts,squash courts and an 800-person capacity conference centre
Portugal’s polo family: (from left) Diogo Gallego, Kika Gallego, Tiago Gallego and Tiago (Junior) Gallego. and commercial centre are also being built.Forthcoming developments include a boutique hotel,a resort hotel,one and two-bedroom sporting lodges,luxury villas,townhouses,apartments and residential units.
Based in natural parkland,La Varzea is less than a three-hour flight from any UK airport.It’s perfect for those with a passion for polo,golf,field sports and every conceivable equestrian discipline –with the added bonus of 300 days of sunshine a year.
Tiago has also introduced shared freehold memberships (fractional ownerships) into the polo market,a comparatively new concept to the UK. Finance for the purchase of shares is available for UK residents,and members also get three months’ use each year on a rotational basis as well as valuable income when not using the polo lodge.
Buyers can also increase,decrease, exchange or sell their level of investment. This opportunity has been created for genuine users who intend to participate in the club’s sporting activities,ensuring a year-round thriving resort.The option for outright freehold purchase is also offered as are plots for bespoke residential projects.
Tiago has also started developments in Argentina and is looking to expand into other countries,which may include Brazil,Uruguay and Chile.
Tiago is a man on a mission,to turn polo into a mass spectator sport in Portugal.‘There is an old Chinese proverb,’ he reflects.‘“Never place the last tile on your roof.” I look forward to achieving more than I have already achieved for polo,and trust that I have yet to accomplish my greatest achievement.’ www.lavarzeapolo.com
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bet your boots
Whether you’re seeking ready-to-wear or bespoke, boots by Parisbased Berluti are made to last, says Edwina Ings-Chambers
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Five thousand pounds may seem a lot to pay for a pair of polo boots,but that’s what Prince Albert Esiri paid for the handcrafted pair he bought from Olga Berluti. He considers it money well spent.
‘My Berluti polo boots – the first ones made by Madam Berluti – are stylish, hard-wearing and comfortable,’ he enthuses about a pair that today would cost closer to £7,000.‘Every care has been taken in its crafting – from the selection of the leather used to the cut,make up and fit,which after two years in the making has resulted in a pair of polo boots like no other and certainly the best that I have ever owned.Madam Berluti quite simply has made me the perfect boots for a demanding sport.’
Polo boots are made from vitello, known for its durability.Making a boot takes around a year and involves as many fittings as the master bootmaker deems necessary.The atelier is in Paris but the master bootmaker visits London,the USA,Russia,Japan and Italy as much as once a month to meet with clients.On the first appointment the master bootmaker takes 10 to 15 measurements and discusses the design.He then returns to the atelier for the carving of the ‘last’ – the wooden replica of the foot.A prototype shoe is made and then the first fitting takes place where the master bootmaker cuts the shoe apart to measure the insides against the foot.The prototype is then returned to the atelier where the shoe is finally made followed by the final fitting.The process involves 250 operations in all – or as Olga Berluti puts it, ‘as many as for building a cathedral’.
This particular cathedral-builder has been working for nearly half a century,having left Italy in 1959 and gone to work for her brother’s Paris-based bootmaker.Back then, few could have predicted the results.
When asked about her work,Olga Berluti is prone to such answers as:‘Berluti is not a style;it’s a state of being.’ Of her exceptional wares,she once said:‘The greatest tragedy that can happen to one of my shoes is to be left in a cupboard.I thank God when I see that the shoes have been used to the line. The cow didn’t die for nothing and a worker didn’t sweat for nothing.The shoes are made to last.’
Berluti’s success in ushering her brand into the higher echelons of luxury shouldn’t be surprising.Right from the start,she had to be extra-determined to pursue her craft of choice.Despite having learned shoe-making by the side of her cousin,she was not allowed to exercise her craft because making shoes was ‘no job for a woman’.So Berluti made her own way to her destination, concentrating on leather techniques and understanding and serving her customers.
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The company created the Swann Club where specially invited guests can polish their Berlutis with champagne
1 The Berluti team: (from left) Tom Flexner, Oakleigh Thorne, Donatien Langlois, Julio Ezcurra, Parker Thorne, John Klopp and Patrick Atamani at New York’s Mashomack Polo Club in July 2007 2 Olga Berluti says her brand is not a style but a state of being 3 Berluti’s London store 4 Prince Albert Esiri gets fitted for his handmade boots in the London store
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This approach has helped make the name Berluti synonymous with fancy footwear for men, and driven developments such as the now signature Venezia leather, which is both supple and specially tanned to create transparent colours.
‘My passion is for my customers,’ Berluti says about her clients, who both inspire and push her into the creative process. ‘It may be a new customer that has just walked into the Maison Berluti or an old friend. My customers are always exceptional men, from sportsmen to artists to businessmen: a man from any field with personality. My life and work is a tribute to them.’
The company has even created the Swann Club, named after the Proustian hero for his elegance, romance and distance from the ordinary world. The Club holds annual dinners where specially invited guests can polish their Berlutis with champagne.
Today, the brand’s ready-to-wear shoes are of course a large part of the business, but Berluti knows that a bespoke service is still vitally important.
‘Luxury is about being unique, about being comfortable,’ Berluti believes. ‘Our great ready-to-wear-range is very sophisticated and successfully completed. Everything is made by hand. Yet despite the wide variety of shapes and sizes, when we have a problem with sizes, tailormanufacturing is still a solution. When the client has a very specific and very sure taste, tailor-manufacturing is a luxury.’
Bespoke collections also provide her with most of her ready-to-wear inspiration: ‘Bespoke is the history of shoemaking and so the bespoke collection helps me to develop each collection.’
Her passion for treating cow skin in similar ways to human skin has resulted in a succession of ranges – including the Warrior line, which uses scarred cow leather and takes inspiration from the scars that mark the faces of tribal princes.
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The inspiration behind the Warrior range was a touching and memorable experience for Berluti: ‘I met the request of a young wife of a great African leader who offered her husband a pair of warrior shoes with the birth of their first child,’ she remembers. ‘But she kept insisting that I made them the same colour as her husband’s skin.’ It took six people to make the shoes.
Traditional craftsmanship is still at the heart of Berluti, with a bespoke workroom of ten souliers in Paris and a ready-to-wear workroom in Italy that employs around 60 skilled workers. Both bases still run on handheld tools. Bespoke orders take nine months to finish, with orders still recorded manually on paper (computers here are just for payment processing). Wooden lasts are carved for each bespoke customer, named, stored on shelves and re-used for any subsequent orders.
When asked about women customers, Berluti responds: ‘Women equals fashion. Berluti is not a fashion brand. Men’s shoes are more timeless and male customers are more loyal! Berluti used to make shoes for women in the 1940s and their shoes were designed to last for a lifetime. Unfortunately the fashion era was erratic even then and the shoes little worn.’
And for Berluti, an unworn shoe would be simply unthinkable.
Edwina Ings-Chambers is deputy fashion editor of the Financial Times
Left Getting the big picture Above Steve Katz
close-up
Blue Tuna’s Steve Katz shares his ambitions for broadcasting the game
INTERVIEWER ED BARRETT
What is Blue Tuna?
The TVproduction company I set up with Jon Howarth.We work on documentaries,bigbudget commercials and corporate work.My broadcasting background is in massive projects like Premier League football,World Cups and Olympic Games.
How did you get involved in polo?
In the mid-90s I directed some polo coverage for the Sultan of Brunei,then I got involved in televising polo through my friend Kenney Jones – we did the Polo Masters at Hurtwood Park for Sky in 1999.The model has remained the same since then:the sponsor funds the programme,we make it and Sky broadcast it. Eurosport have also come on board.
What’s your approach to filming polo?
Polo is a very technical game and I took advice from Simon and Claire Tomlinson, Kenney Jones,Beaufort and the HPA.I direct it like football:big close-ups,quick replays, quick cutting,while trying not to lose the ‘geography’ of the game.And we are always trying to introduce improvements.
A polo ground is different from a football
stadium:there’s no gantry,for example... We put in camera and scaffold platforms,and cranes to get the angles and high points needed to tell the story.Our ‘camera one’ is on a 22-metre crane around the half-way mark at the side of the pitch.We also have cameras at each end – about 30 metres behind the goal for safety reasons.We use big lenses for close-ups,and super-motion replays.You get dramatic head-on shots of ride-offs and you can see the fouls and goals. Most importantly,our team of operators know polo and are used to filming it.
The major difficulty is the sun’s glare –and losing sight of the ball.It’s such a big pitch and such a small ball.Camera one is your safety camera in this respect,because it will always have the horse and ball in shot.You can cut-in the other cameras as and when required.But obviously there are no second chances.
How do you rate polo as a TVsport?
Polo is an exciting sport,and if it’s covered properly then it’s actually better on television than live.If you’re a spectator at one end,you can’t see the play up the other end.As a TVviewer,you’ve got the replays,the angles,the analysis.
But polo is a hard sell for broadcasters. Its profile has risen,but unfortunately it’s seen as an elitist sport – and way down the broadcasters’ shopping list.
Yet with the right sponsors and package,polo will eventually get a terrestrial broadcaster.Then you’re looking at blue chip sponsors who get value for money.Satellite coverage is of course very welcome,and Veuve Clicquot love it.They sponsored two programmes on this year’s Gold Cup,and between them they went out 15 or 16 times on Sky.
What’s the future for televised polo?
Polo will never be a mainstream sport but there is a market for it.My ambition is to get polo on terrestrial TV.Another ambition is live coverage,and there has been some interest from broadcasters.
We’ve just done some coverage in Sotogrande.The Spanish scene is going to grow,and the plans at Santa Maria look phenomenal.
I have a good relationship with the HPA and David Woodd and also the clubs. I’ve always tried to promote the sport. We’re doing some work with FIP televising the world championships – it’s being produced by Antoine Serval,editor of the International Polo Guide.If all goes well you could see some big things happening for the finals in Mexico.Watch this space...
