If you are missing the polo season already, why not head to one of these incredible venues to watch snow polo? The variant of the traditional game, which is usually played on a smaller pitch, started in St Moritz in the 1980s, but is now spreading worldwide. Here is H&H’s guide to some of the best places to catch the action this winter.
1. France
The Polo Masters Tour will be visiting three French venues more commonly known for skiing — Val d’Isere (4-7 January), Megève (22-25 January) and Courchevel (29 January-1 February). The competition in Courchevel claims to be the highest polo tournament in the world — played at 2,007m altitude.
2. China
If you are more into skyscrapers than alpine landscapes then head for the FIP Snow Polo World Cup at the Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club in Tianjin, China (28 January-8 February). The tournament, which is often played on artificial snow, will see 12 nations compete to take the coveted title. England try to defend the title this year.
3. Switzerland
If glitz and glamour are your thing then St Moritz, Switzerland could be the venue for you. The Snow Polo World Cup (29 January-1 February) is played on the town’s frozen lake. Every year more than 12,000 private jets land in the resort which a large proportion touching down for the tournament. The prestigious event attracts 15,000 spectators including European royalty and some of Hollywood’s biggest names. So grab your fur coat and blend in with the “locals”.
4. Austria
Snow polo will return to Kitzbuhel in Austria for a 13th time this new year (15-18 January). The tournament offers free admission across the weekend and hosts a VIP party on the Saturday night for 700 guests. One of Germany’s best known polo players, Thomas Winter, is a fan of the tournament. “The Kitzbuehel Snow Polo World Cup is for me the best polo tournament on snow,” he said. “I love this event, it is well organized and the atmosphere is awesome!”
This article was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (13 November 2014)
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