Feature
Ciren’s call impossible to resist for Kuldip Dhillon
This photograph brings back memories for Dhillon and his new colleague Tim Keyte, with the two going head to head at Cirencester Park in the late 1990s: Dhillon teamed up Stewart Copeland, Andrew Parrott and Adrian Laplacette (front row) to face JP Smail, Simon Keyte, Tim Keyte and Prince Charles (wearing Cirencester Park’s traditional colours behind)
Photographs by Bryan Berkeley and David Lominska
u was in serious crisis, he responded with equal and extreme diplomacy: “These reports were based mainly on unfortunate rumours. We have had problems, but we, the directors, hope that all our members will now pull together to solve them. “The fact is,” he said, “we are sorting out the club’s finances, we will be playing more polo at all handicap levels this season and we hope to attract more entries to our 20-goal Warwickshire Cup. We want to bring on the next generation at the club. The HPA has agreed that we can inaugurate a 26-goal tournament in August, an initiative of our former chairman Christopher Hanbury. If we don’t have enough teams for a full tournament, we’ll start this year with a single match between teams fielded by two of the families that have been great long-standing supporters Right: Satnam Dhillon, having just played for Robert Hanson’s Bulldogs, pictured with his father in 1991
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of the club – the Hanburys and the Vesteys.” Meanwhile, the club and Lord Bathurst are awaiting probate of the late earl’s estate to complete negotiations with the two trusts that control Cirencester Park. “We hope the trustees will grant the club longer licensees for our seven grounds in the park – not just yearly,” Kuldip said. “This
would give us more flexibility in advance planning. We also hope the trustees will give permission, previously refused, to irrigate the grounds.” Currently only the club’s two grounds outside the park, at nearby Aston Downs, are irrigated. Kuldip Singh Dhillon is not your typical orthodox Sikh with uncut hair wrapped in a turban. He only wears a turban for religious observances and a dagger broach to represent the kirpan, the ceremonial sword or dagger meant to be worn by every devout Sikh. He does, however, consider himself “spiritual”, ascribing to Sikh religious precepts of family, work ethics and honesty. Not bad traits for upholding the traditions of England’s oldest polo club. F w What should be at the top of Kuldip’s agenda for change at Cirencester Park this season? Tell us at letters@polotimes.co.uk www.polotimes.co.uk
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