Press Kit - Polo Club Chantilly

PRESS KIT

POLO CLUB DU DOMAINE DE CHANTILLY

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SUMMARY

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Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly: a tale of passion

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Polo at Chantilly : a story

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Highlights of the season

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The magic of the Open de France

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The polo Nations Cup, spring’s gem tournament, is born in 2023!

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Program 2024

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The polo school

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Privatizations

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The history of polo

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The polo «pony»: a sport horse

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The polo dictionary

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Practical information

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04 POLO CLUB DU DOMAINE DE CHANTILLY: A TALE OF PASSION This adventure began with the story of Patrick GuerrandHermès, a man who was passionate about everything he did involving horses and who wanted to transform a 220-hectare farm into one of the world’s largest polo clubs. It’s an adventure and an ambition he couldn’t manage on his own, and one in which he enlisted the help of another enthusiast, Philippe Perrier, who has polo and horses right down to his fingertips. The story began in 1995, and almost thirty years later, Philippe Perrier is still at the helm of this great club, which is now world-famous, with just as much passion.

Since those pioneering days, Ferme d’Apremont has built up quite a reputation, having welcomed the world’s greatest players to its nine grass fields, the men and women who host or have won the world’s benchmark tournament, the Argentine Open.

These are the men and women who competed in the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly’s

flagship tournaments, notably the Polo Nations Cup in June and the now emblematic Open de France in September, an intense time when the club welcomes almost fifteen hundred horses to its grounds for this Open and the three other tournaments held in parallel.

In its short history, the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly has also organized a World Championship (in 2004), World Championship play-offs, and European Championships for men and women. It is also home to a highly reputed polo school, which has already trained some of today’s French champions. It is also the headquarters of the French Polo Federation, notably the federal center where the French teams train prior to major events such as the arena world championship that Les Bleus won in 2023.

In short, it’s a world polo Mecca, but also a genuine little corner of Argentina, with its equestrian and gaucho traditions, that’s well worth discovering from May to September.

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Arnaud de Chênevarin President of the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly

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A Polo School, a Club House Restaurant, the Estancia, and the number-one Polo Center in France

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Sand fields for non-stop polo

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Grass fields for all levels of polo

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Tournaments

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Stalls available (expandable to 700 in September)

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Hectares in total

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Members

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Matchs disputés à l’année, tous niveaux

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POLO AT CHANTILLY : A STORY The Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly is one of the largest Polo Clubs in Europe. It stretches over the 220 hectares of the Ferme d’Apremont (dating from the 17th century) and revels in an exceptional site, on the edge of the forest of Chantilly, the princely capital of horses, 45 minutes from Paris.

The Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly organizes numerous international competitions.

The Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly, directed by Philippe Perrier since its inception, is a center for leisure, training, competitions, receptions and meetings between clubs, a warm welcoming place where all polo lovers can meet.

Apremont, ideal grounds for polo fields and pastures, was chosen

by Baron Robert de Rothschild who, as early as 1920, brought together the world’s polo leagues into the capital of thoroughbreds.

In 1995, as the grounds of the

Ferme d’Apremont became available, a group of friends who dreamed of opening a large space dedicated to polo in France obtained a 50-year lease from the Institut de France to create Polo of Chantilly.

The number and quality of the “boarders” have continued to increase since 1995 and soon the pastures were no longer spacious enough to house the horses.

The neighboring farmers thus participated in the economic development of the Polo Club.

Since then, the sporting level has been improving year after year, thanks to the world’s greatest players, attracted by the competitions which serve as a model and an example, and allow the Club to participate in the progress and development of French polo. The French team, some of whose players come from the Oise department, comes to train regularly at the Ferme d’Apremont.

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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SEASON

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010 THE MAGIC OF THE OPEN DE FRANCE The Open* de France - or rather “the Opens” since there is now a women’s version - is the highlight of the French season.

Created at the beginning of this century, the French Open Mixed is now a title that the great French and Argentinean professionals want to add to their prize list.

After the health crisis, the twentieth-anniversary edition of the «Open de France» Championship took on a new dimension with exceptional participation: since its creation, the competition has seen many of the greatest players to grace the Argentine Open.

Up to eighteen teams, fifteen nations represented, and, above all, some of the world’s top players took to the French fields: the brothers Barto and Jeta Castagnola, young prodigies of the sport, now with ten handicaps and already two-time winners of the famous Argentine Open with their Natividad team.

Another multiple winner of this Open on the other side of the Atlantic, Nicolas Pieres, won at Chantilly in 2023.

Juan Matin Zubia, Rufino Bensadon, Guillermo Terrera, Bautista Bayugar, Alejandro Muzzio, Diego Cavanagh, Facundo Llorente, Facundo Sola, all of whom also played in the Argentine Open, also joined the already prestigious list of «French Open alumni» such as Juan-Martin Nero, Pablo McDonough, Lucas Monteverde (the latter three having won the Abierto aregentin on several occasions), Clemente Zavaletta, Kubi Toccalino, Polito Pieres, Pancho Bensadon or Mathias McDonough...

The Women’s Open, created in 2011, was due to a new phenomenon in polo: the rise of female players in the sport. Even though the doors are open to them in the Mixed Open (three women won in 2001 and 2011 and others were finalists), faced with the increase in the number of female players, a Women’s Open was vital. A competition that is not left behind in terms of big names of this sport bypassed to women: 10 handicap Nina Clarkin (GBR, multiple winner of the Women’s Argentine Open, two victories at Chantilly), Lia Salvo

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(ARG, also multiple winner of the Argentine Women’s Open and the French Open) as well as her teammate in Argentina, the British Hazel Jackson (GBR, several titles at Palermo and Chantillly) are the three headliners to have animated this major tournament of their circuit since 2011.

*The Open is the most coveted international title. Each country, under the patronage of its federation, organizes only one per year. The most famous ones are played in April for the US Open, then in July for the British Open before the French Open in September, then the Argentinian Open, where the ten best teams in the world meet, in December.

September, with the Open de France, is a month of dreams.

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13 THE POLO NATIONS CUP, SPRING’S GEM TOURNAMENT, IS BORN IN 2023!

In the world of equestrian sports, the Nations Cup is the flagship team event of a season and a federation for the Olympic disciplines (show jumping, dressage and eventing). The Nations Cup is the only team class in of this mainly individual sport with of course the European, World and Olympic Team Championships. Each year, a national federation can organize only one Nations’ Cup per country.

This concept, which is highly publicized, did not yet exist in polo, even though it is a team sport par excellence!

The prospect of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games has inspired the French Polo Federation (FFP) and the Chantilly Polo Club: The Polo Nations Cup was launched in 2023. It oppose, at a 12-goal level,

teams representing a nation and a region or a state.

Polo has always been part of the Olympic family and the FIP is a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Polo has been an official discipline of the Olympic Games five times.

First played at the 1900 Summer Olympics, it was dropped from the program after the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. It was an Anglo-American team that won the first gold medal in 1900, then Great Britain twice (1908 and 1920) before Argentina took over (1924 and 1936).

The Polo Nations Cup will perhaps allow a gradual return to this beautiful era of polo at the Olympic Games, but above all to attract the public around the fields to continue to develop polo in France!

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PROGRAM May 10 to 19 : Coupe PGH 10/12 Goals May 11 to 19 : Trophée du Bois Lieutenant 6/8 Goals May 24 to June 09 : Trophée Bourbon 10/12 Goals May 25 to June 02 : Trophée Champlatreux 6/8 Goals June 1 and 2 : Coupe des Écuyères 8/10 Goals féminin June 8 to 16 : Coupe des maillets d’argent 6/8 Goals June 13 to 23 : Polo Nations Cup 10/12 Goals June 22 to 30 : Trophée de la Haute Pommeraye 6/8 Goals June 26 to 30 : Charity Cup 10/12 Goals July 4 to 14 : Coquetier d’Or 8/10 Goals July 6 and 7 : FFP Championnat de France juniors July 13 and 14 : FFP Championnat de France féminin 8/10 Goals August 7 : Paris Games Polo Challenge – France/USA September 4 to 22 : Open de France 14/16 Goals September 6 to 22 : Trophée Castel 6/8 Goals September 17 to 22 : Open de France féminin 12/16 Goals September 27 to October 6 : Championnat France FFP 6/8 Goals September 27 to October 6 : Coupe De France FFP 2/4 Goals

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16 THE POLO SCHOOL It is possible and easy to learn the oldest of team sports at the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly. Nine certified coaches, most of whom are professional players, exist in the framework within the Polo Club to offer different training solutions, from initiation to improvement, forming a true world-renowned Polo School with unique know-how.

Between these two extremes, there are different offers allowing you to learn, discover your abilities, progress and assert yourself on the field in a good mood and without stress.

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INITIATION A two-hour program to discover and enjoy polo, the polo initiation proposes to immerse oneself in the discipline with one hour of theory and one hour on horseback at the end of which the student will be able to “hit” the ball at a walk, trot or gallop depending on their previous level of horsemanship. This is a group lesson for a maximum of six people, for which it is just fine to come only with your boots, as the school lends helmets and mallets. This introductory session can also be a perfect gift idea for a beginner rider or not, looking for their equestrian “way”!

And if this discovery pack appeals to the student, they will be able to move on to the next stage, a continuing education.

IMPROVING YOUR SKILLS There are several options for individual or group lessons, where the student will not only be trained in polo, but, especially for beginners, in polo riding as well as in the knowledge

necessary to know and respect their horse. From handling the horse to playing strategies and learning the four basic strokes and their spin offs, the three programs of ten sequences allow for a structured progression leading the student to effectively hold their place on the field regardless of their level.

THE POLO ACADEMY For “minims and cadets”, riders aged 12 to 15, who have already acquired a good level of polo with a little experience in tournaments, essentially from pony polo, the Chantilly Polo School offers its Academy. This is a series of intensive courses during school vacations, under the guidance of a professional who will lead their youngsters to participate in low-goal tournaments organized at the club, to guide their progress and to detect the most gifted ones to accompany them to a higher level.

The Chantilly Polo School

18 offers an experience for all polo enthusiasts, for all budgets, for all levels, for all ambitions.

The philosophy is not only to help each individual progress at their own pace, but also to pass on a way of life. Polo is an equestrian art of living, family and intergenerational, rich in its English and Argentinean culture!

Polo is a family sport, passed on and shared by excellence. More than any other equestrian sport, polo is mixed, with 75% male and 25% female players. The inexperienced can learn both horseback riding and polo with pony polo lessons. The more experienced players will be able to consolidate and structure their polo and prepare for their tournaments with the two high level professional player coaches.

Jérôme Anier, winner of the 2002 European Championships and other major tournaments such as the Coquetier d’Or (10-goals), is now in charge of the Polo School at the Domaine de Chantilly.

Since 2022, he has orchestrated the organization of courses in collaboration with several instructors: Stéphane Macaire ( previously hcp 8), Benoît Perrier (hcp 1), Sébastien Philippot (hcp 1), Julien Reynes (hcp 4), Brieuc Rigaux (hcp 6). The Polo Academy also offers youngsters the chance to train every week in practices supervised by one instructor per team, and will be presenting teams of different levels during the 2024 season.

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Jérôme Anier Polo School Director

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PRIVATIZATIONS Product launches, teambuilding, seminars, incentives, celebrations, sponsorships, etc.

The Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly offers a wide range of possibilities to companies and individuals wishing to take advantage of a prestigious site and sport, whatever their objective.

Magnificent tournaments every weekend from April to October, culminating in the French Open, the immense Orangerie, surrounded by glass panels overlooking two of the nine polo fields, a restaurant and garden, the Polo Barn (in the courtyard of the 17th century farmhouse), a foodtruck, a Polo School... all of these are potential opportunities that the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly offers for private use.

From this rich offer, one can put together the ideal program for any corporate or private event.

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Client operations and private celebrations Attending a high-level match or one specially designed for the client (with teams in the company’s colors, for example), comfortably seated on the terrace of the Orangerie’s prestigious event space, makes it possible to associate polo and its values with those of a company and to give it an exceptional prestige between the fields of Honor 1 and 2 fields. This space is the ideal context for launching a product, receiving important clients or concluding a day of seminars. The Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly is there to organize, with its customers, everything for their gathering: the catering service, the venue, the decoration, the animations, the sounds, and lights.

Designed for both private and professional events, the Orangerie offers top of the range services orchestrated by three partners recognized in the world of events.

22 Team building and incentive To strengthen the bonds between employees, there is nothing like a polo initiation on horseback, consisting of workshops allowing people to discover polo, to become familiar with horses and to hit the ball for two or three hours, depending on the size of the group.

In half a day, one can sense the emotions and feel the fever of polo. Given during the week for groups, the initiations offer a participatory and progressive approach to the game to allow everyone to hit the ball while riding.

This activity is led by a certified instructoŕ and professional player.

And of course, end the day with a cocktail or dinner at the Orangerie, or around the famous Tacos Bar, by attending a polo match!

Sponsoring The Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly is one of the three biggest clubs in Europe, hosting all levels of competition

throughout the season, from the most prestigious international tournaments, such as a World Championship (as in 2004), a European Championship, or the Open de France, to club competitions. There are so many opportunities to associate a name, a brand and become a partner in an original sporting event.

Of course, the Open de France is the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly’s benchmark tournament, bringing together some of the greatest players on the international circuit and attracting the spotlight of the media and social networks.

Networking Every year, Chantilly welcomes up to 18 international teams for the French Open, which lasts three weeks and features prestigious international headliners, our top French players and over 1,400 horses on site. The Open de France - or rather «the» Opens, as there is also a women’s version - is the highlight of the French polo season. A three-week show not to be missed... especially as a partner!

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360 • VIP Guest 2000 • Visitors on the day of the final 30 • Partners all year round 750 • m village 2

100 • Players

Official sponsor of a polo match for one day!

The ideal event to strengthen professional relations and share a moment of relaxation and conviviality!

Invite clients, partners, service providers and friends to an unforgettable and original event at the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly, on one of the nine fields, a chic location in the heart

of a sumptuous setting.

Tacos Bar, announcer, photographer, prize-giving ceremony, social networks of the club... For the duration of a match, the “sponsor of the day” benefits from all the infrastructures and means of communication of the club to discover or rediscover this sport and to offer to the companies an original tool of communication and public relations!

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The winners of the Copa River Plate, ancestor of the Argentine Open, in 1893

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THE HISTORY OF POLO It is believed that polo originated about 2,500 years ago in the Steppes of Central Asia and is therefore considered by some historians to be the oldest team sport. The oldest traces of this sport, the sport of warriors, princes and kings, were however found in Persia. For two millennia, polo was only played in this part of the world (Persia, Arabia, China, Mongolia, India).

In the 19th century, polo spread widely in the English colonies and the British military founded the first polo clubs (the very first one was created in 1859 in Silchar). They brought the sport back from their missions and the first polo match in Europe was played in 1869, at Hounslow Heath. The rules were gradually fixed, and success gradually spread to other Western countries.

At first, it was the countries of the British Empire that adopted this “new” sport: New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, etc. Then in 1876, polo arrived in New York and the first international match was held a few years later, in 1886, between Great Britain and the United States.

Polo continued its conquest of the world, gradually moving southward, to meet the people who today are the greatest international players, the Argentineans who, caught up in their passion for polo, trained small, lively, and enduring horses, the “Criollos”, which are today the stock of the Argentina polo horse, which, crossed with thoroughbreds, are considered the best polo ponies in the world!

26 THE POLO «PONY»: A SPORT HORSE

No, the polo horse is not a bagual, a wild horse, caught by chance with a lasso in the middle of the pampas and thrown after a few brief training sessions on a field. It is the result of a thoughtful concept and rigorous selections undertaken over a century ago.

It is not at random that Argentine polo horses are the most sought after and most widely spread throughout the world. They do have a high concentration of all the qualities required for this sport: mental strength, maneuverability and suppleness, an easy mouth, quickness of response to the slightest request and a speed that approaches that of racehorses.

This golden character comes from their criollo ancestors, service horses of the estancias, descendants of the Iberian horses imported by the

conquistadors, judiciously crossed with the thoroughbred.

It also comes from an training without anthropomorphism, an education always done in group: a particularity maintained by the specificities of polo. A player needs a minimum of four horses, even six to eight for the Nations Cup level. These horses will be trained in groups or strings (lote in Castilian) at least when they do their endurance work on the track. Hence these beautiful images of petiseros going out on horseback with, on each side, two to four horses tied together by the halter. This collective method has the advantage that the horses live mostly among themselves, in a horse society and thus remain horses. The most temperamental are often the most pampered! A polo horse returns to its life as a herd horse after having done its work which makes it even less complicated.

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The majority of polo horses are mares. According to the great players, this is because they learn faster than the males while keeping their impulse.

A stallion also has this power, but is more difficult to manage among all these mares. As for the gelding, he loses a little of this temperament, this drive necessary to arrive on the ball quicker than the others!

The Argentinean polo horse is therefore recognized as the best in the world. However, the English, Uruguayan and Australian breeders also do well. At a lower level (not everyone needs a crack horse to play high-goal), it is probably possible to save the price of an Argentine-European plane ticket by judiciously searching for thoroughbreds or even prospecting in horse-ball where horses with similar qualities to polo are sought after. It takes

three years of training before a horse is able to play. A «schooling journey» that starts with the domador, (who «breaks in» the horse, i.e. rides it for the first time and teaches it the basics: handling, stops, starts...), then by the piloto, (who will make it do its first practices while continuing its training) before entering official games with the player. In a Polo Nations Cup level match, a horse plays between two and three minutes at a time, never more. During a chukker, the player takes advantage of a short break in play to quickly change horses, sometimes moving from one to the other without setting foot on the ground. This way, no horse is ever pushed beyond its limits, preserving these athletes is of utter importance. Moreover, between two seasons, the horses enjoy a long vacation, four to six months in the pasture and of course, in the herd.

28 MANE Shaved so that the manes do not get tangled in the rider’s hands or mallet.

CHARACTER Courageous, calm, responsive, sensitive and attentive.

BREED Thoroughbred or thoroughbred on old strains of Argentine criollos (studbook of the Argentine polo horse).

SPEED They go from 0 to 50km/h in a few seconds!

THE POLO HORSE

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SIZE Between 1m52 and 1m60 at withers (the ideal size, according to the Asociación Argentina de Criadores de Caballos de Polo being 1m56).

CROUP Powerful croup of quarter-horses that allows instant starts and very fast turning.

TAIL Braided at the time of the match to prevent the mallet from catching.

The quality of the horse determines at 70% the player’s performance.

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THE POLO DICTIONARY

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A ART OF LIVING Polo is present in several cultures: Argentinean, Asian, Iranian, Indian... This sport has been made more accessible for the last few years. It has been introduced to the Mongolian nomadic farmers. Polo is an invitation to travel. Polo is a big family that meets from one continent to another, often around a good “asado” (Argentinean barbecue) and always in solidarity through difficult moments.

B BALL The polo ball is white, made of wood (increasingly rare, except in Palermo - see «P») or plastic and should weigh between 120 and 130 grams. Its diameter is 76 to 89 mm.

C CAMBIASO First name, Adolfo. If you had to remember only one player’s name, it’s this one. An artist that you must see play once in your life. A 17-time winner of the mythical Argentina Open (the Holy Grail of polo players),

Adolfito is a phenomenon and a living God in his country. And as if that wasn’t enough, one of the next champions of the sport is named. Adolfo Cambiaso... his young son !

CHANGE With each goal scored, the teams change sides before resuming the game. At each chukker, the player changes horses, changes that occur during the game, and which is sometimes organized in the middle of the chukker.

CHILDREN Playful and based on sharing, polo appeals to children. This activity is becoming increasingly popular in French equestrian clubs, and can be practiced from the age of 7 upwards. Chantilly is home to France’s most dynamic polo pony club. The Copa Potrillo in Argentina is a major event where the talents of tomorrow are already being discovered.

CHUKKER A word used mainly by Argentinians, corresponding to one period of a match (7 minutes). A polo match has a minimum of four chukkers and a maximum of eight (in Palermo).

Also known as chukka or simply period.

32 CHURCHILL «No sport» said the former British Prime Minister. Yet Sir Winston Churchill was a very good polo player in the 1920s, having reached a 6 handicap. One of his most famous sayings about the sport: «a handicap of polo is a passport for the World». Nothing could be truer.

D DIVOT STUMPING IIt’s customary at a polo match for the audience to fill in the holes at half-time, a specific and unique ritual. Even the late Queen of England did it on Cartier International Day at the venerable Guards Polo Club.

DOMADOR The domador is the Argentinian polo horse trainer, from breaking-in (2 and a half years) to the first steps on a polo field.

DOLFINA (LA) In 1994, Adolfo Cambiaso won his first Argentine Open at the age of 19, playing for Ellerstina alongside Gonzalo Pieres Sr. In 1998, after a third victory, Cambiaso dropped a bombshell by leaving Ellerstina to set up his own team, La Dolfina, a name

created from his own first name, Adolfo. He was only 23 years old.

By 2000, La Dolfina had reached the final of the Argentine Open, and won their first title in 2002 against Indios Chapaleufú II. Since then, La Dolfina has won 15 titles and been a finalist 23 times. The greatest team of all time alongside Coronel Suarez (24 titles over 30 years) ... with the difference that Cambiaso was part of the team every time.

Today, his son Poroto takes up the torch with a first title (2022) and handicap 10 at 17! (cf.

Cambiaso)

G

GOALS A goal is a point obtained when the ball crosses the goal line between two wicker posts separated by 7.50 m. The posts are also called «the goals». Then, for handicaps (see H), we can also talk about goals. A team is said to have «16 goals» when the total of the players’ handicaps added together is 16 handicaps (or 16 goals).

H HANDICAP Corresponds to the level of the polo player (it varies between -2 and +10). The handicap evolves

33 according to the performance of the player during the matches and the progress recorded during the year, the quality of their horses. The highest handicap in France is 6 and in Europe 7 (England). A 10 handicap is currently held by eight Argentineans and one Uruguayan.

HOOKING A defensive gesture consisting of hooking the opponent’s mallet with one’s own mallet to prevent them from hitting the ball.

But be careful, only in certain circumstances, by staying on the right side for example. (cf. Taco)

I INTERNATIONAL Polo is probably the most international sport at all levels.

It is not uncommon, even at a low level, for players on the same team to have four different nationalities. (see Churchill)

K K.O When a match finishes in a tie, an extra chukker is played. The first team to score the «golden goal» wins the game by... K.O.

L LINE When a player hits the ball, the imaginary line they have created between themselves and the ball belongs to them. It is forbidden for the opponent to cross this line under penalty of punishment.

Moreover, the corridor created by this line between the two players is impenetrable. The fundamental fault of this sport, complicated to understand for the public, and sometimes for the players.

M MALLET The polo mallet is always held in the right hand. The size of the mallet is 50 to 54 inches or about 1.30m and must be adapted to the player and the size of the horse. The cane is made of rattan (and not bamboo, as we often hear) carefully selected

by Argentine manufacturers in Malaysia, while the tip with which the ball is struck, called the «cigar», is made of a hardwood typical of northern Argentina, the tipa blanca.

MATE Argentina’s national drink is a

34 concoction of herbs from the north of the country with the same virtues as coffee or tea, without the drawbacks. The players and “petiseros” drink it in a kind of calabash that they drop only to catch... the mallet!

important tournament and is a highly coveted trophy. The teams in the Open de France are 14 to 16 goals.

N

PETISERO

NATIVIDAD One of the best teams in the world made up of the new generation, with the two young Castagnola brothers, handicaps 10 and nephews of Cambiaso.

For the first time, after 13 years of clásico between Ellerstina and La Dolfina, La Natividad qualifies for the finals of the Argentine Open in 2021, the year it wins this tournament for the first time.

This feat was repeated in 2023 against La Dolfina.

O OPEN A tournament in which the difference in a team’s handicaps is not taken into account (in other tournaments, the difference in goals is transformed at the start by a scoring advantage for the weaker team).

The Open of a nation (US Open, British Open, Argentinean Open and French Open) is the most

P The “petisero” is to the polo horse what the groom is to the jumping horse. Their caretaker, their daily companion, their physical trainer and sometimes even their coach.

PRACTICE Training match. Practices are organized every Saturday and Sunday afternoon at the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly and during the week for professionals.

PALERMO The Cathedral of Polo! An 18,000 seat stadium in the heart of Buenos Aires, in the Palermo district, where the biggest tournaments in the world have been played since the beginning of the last century: the Argentina Open (often called «Palermo»), gathering the 10 best professional teams in the world.

PLAYERS A polo team consists of four

35 players: No. 1: stands in front of his teammates. Their mission is to recover the balls passed to them by their partners, and to score goals.

N°2: particularly active, always on the move, they must do everything to steal the ball from their opponents in order to get it to the goal, either by their own action or by passing it to n°1.

No. 3: They are the pillars of the group. Their main function is to get hold of the ball to pass it forward. They also have a great responsibility in defense.

N°4: main defender. They execute the exits at the ends of the field.

R REVERSE There are four main strokes: the forward forehand, the swing (to the right of the horse), the back (stroke to the rear), the forward backhand (to the left of the horse) and the backhand to the rear. Other strokes are also possible to give the ball a precise direction: open back, back under the tail, under the neck, etc.

S SNOW Polo can also be played on

snow. The most famous tournaments are those in St. Moritz, Switzerland and Cortina d’Ampezzo, end of January.

SPORT The oldest team sport, the fastest too with actions going up to 60 km/h. Polo requires a meticulous physical preparation for men and horses, but also a precise organization: choice and training of horses, places and roles of players on the field.

But also an entourage of vets, physical trainers, pilotos (these drivers play their boss’s horses in practice), petiseros of course, toplevel coaches and so on.

T THREW-IN Throw made by the referee to start a game (in the middle of the field).

TACO Mallet in Spanish. When you hear a player yell «taco, taco» to another player, it means to go and hook the mallet of their opponent with their own taco (see hooking)

U UMPIRE

36 In polo, there are three referees: two on the field on horseback, who follow the game closely and intervene at any time, and one on the outside called the «third man». They are the one who decides when the two referees do not agree. Discussions are made via radio given the size of the field (270 m X 145 m).

W WELLINGTON The equestrian capital of the United States, the Mecca of polo, jumping and the jet set in North America, where celebrities and other people from all over the world flock to watch the US Open, the third round of the US triple crown, which is played at 22 goals.

WINNING Winning a tournament is more about prestige than anything else. The winning team gets a cup that they will often be able to keep for a year before passing it on to the next winners. The players also get some “goodies” and a bottle of champagne but there is no prize money to be won.

WOMEN A sport for men and women!

Women are just as fascinated as men by this... virile sport. The 2004 British Open was won by a woman, Nina Vestey (now Nina Clarkin, the world’s best player).

Dutchwoman Karen Brinck won the 2006 Silver Cup in Deauville, while her compatriot Nicky Sens was a finalist at the 2023 French Open, while two women, Céline Charloux and Caroline Anier, were part of the first team to win the French Open. Today, women’s polo is becoming more professional. Since 2011, a women’s Open de France has been held every year in Chantilly, while the women’s Argentine Open has only existed since 2016.

X XL A polo field (la cancha in Argentina) is 270 meters long and 145 meters wide. It is the largest sports arena that can practically hold five soccer fields

Y YARDS Distance is measured in yards in polo. Penalties, depending on the location and severity of the fouls committed, are taken at 60, 40 or 30 yards. A corner kick (side of the field) is taken as a penalty, 60

37 yards in front of where the ball went out. On a throw-in, the first attacker must be at least 30 yards away from the opposing back (defender) who is clearing the ball.

Z ZETA ELLERSTINA The jerseys of one of the world’s best teams, five-time champions of Argentina (the Abierto), that of the father and then the Pieres sons, feature a giant Z, the hallmark of the family’s breeding operation, the Zeta.

The sons’ team made its mark at the beginning of this century, but often came up against La Dolfina in the final: 13 finals, then known as the clasico, and 3 victories between 2005 and 2020. After three «difficult» years, the siblings had a blast in three different teams.

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POLO CLUB DU DOMAINE DE CHANTILLY Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly La Ferme d’Apremont S.A. 60300 Apremont – France www.poloclubchantilly.com

@polodechantilly

ACCESS From Chantilly : From the church rue du Connétable, take direction Senlis turn right at the 1st crossroad after the bridge D924, after 500 m bear left onto D606,1 km from the Ferme d’Apremont.

MEDIA CONTACTS R&B Presse Pascal Renauldon, Adèle Renauldon poloclubchantilly@rbpresse.com +33 (0)3 44 620 621 www.rb-presse.com

Download the press kit here

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