Sports | Friday 3 April, 2015 2:23 pm |

British Polo Day, presented by Land Rover, marked the second leg of its annual UAE Series with British Polo Day Dubai. Hosts, the Habtoor Family, welcomed over 700 VIPs and guests to the magnificent Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club, heralding the start of Dubai’s landmark 20th Anniversary World Cup weekend.

Arriving in chauffeur-driven Land Rovers, VIPs such as: HH Sheikha Maitha bint Mohammed Al Maktoum, plus members of the Jordanian royal family along with, His Grace The Duke of Argyll, Prince Alexei Cantacuzene Count Speransky, Her Majesty's Consul General to Dubai Edward Hobart, Major General Carew Wilks, Jim and Fitri Hay including Dubai socialites Hugo Taylor and Lina AlSamman, and top polo player Pablo MacDonough raised a glass to the historical and cultural ties that bind Great Britain to Dubai, and the ability of the international language of the horse to bridge cultural divides and bring people together.

Celebrating these long-standing traditions, elite members of the Cavalry & Guards regiments of the British Army coaxed their camels onto the pitch for the Hackett Thesiger Trophy, beautifully modelled on a photo that Sir Wilfred Thesiger took of HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan over 60 years ago. The match went the way of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Cavalry team who – over the course of three chukkas - found the flags three times. The Gaucho Guards made a valiant effort to come back in the fourth chukka, but it was too little too late.

Equally entertaining for the pitch-side crowds was the Brompton Bicycle Polo Match – a rather amusing and unsteady example of pedal proficiency between Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club and Rest of the World. Rest of World put pedal to the metal and scored four triumphant goals, with no return from their Dubai contemporaries, resulting in a 4 – 0 win.

Suitably amused by the spectacle, guests then sat down to a delicious al-fresco lunch - on the Club’s picturesque terrace. Following lunch, an afternoon of exhilarating and fast-paced polo began with The Falcon Plate – a hotly-contested battle between The Royal Salute Oxbridge and Sofitel Gulf Polo teams. After Pablo MacDonough injured himself the previous day, teams were considerably altered but Stuart Wrigley and Jacqueline Hooper played out of their skins for the Royal Salute Oxbridge team and stemmed the tide of the Sofitel Gulf Polo team. However when families get together – such as the Monteverdes – and when father is a nine-goaler, there’s only going to be one result. Ultimately, the Sofitel Gulf Polo team took the Falcon Plate by 7 goals to 6.

Not to be out-shone, the Hackett British Exiles took to the pitch against home side, Habtoor Polo for the final match of the day – the British Polo Day Dubai Cup. Habtoor Polo - who have had a most successful season in the Gulf – proved stiff competition, although the Hackett British Exiles threatened their lead, up until the third chukka with some great play particularly by Jamie Morrison. The game was one of great spirit and good manners but the Habtoor ‘powerhouse’ saw off a brief challenge by the Exiles and a flurry of goals in the fourth chukka and won by 8 goals to 5. A score which belied the pace and play of the game.

While players swung polo mallets, guests took up their croquet sets in the pitch-side Harrods Garden Party, complete with a crowd-pulling caricaturist and a wonderful gallery of images by polo artist Mike Rumsby. British Polo Day’s resident Harrods Green Man kept order while guests enjoyed an afternoon of quintessential British charm, with an Emirati twist. Meanwhile, the Hackett and Taylor Morris ‘pop-ups’ added a dash of style and panache to the event.

As the sun set on a day of top polo, guests gathered for the official British Polo Day Dubai prize-giving.
Mr Ghazi Al Madani, the Manager of Sports Tourism for the Dubai Sports Council and Her Majesty's Consul General to Dubai, Edward Hobart presented the outstanding British Silverware bespoke-designed Falcon Plate to a proud Sofitel Gulf Polo team. Land Rover’s Lorraine Toolan and British Silverware’s James Houghton then presented the British Polo Day Cup to Habtoor Polo.

Royal Salute’s ‘Most Valuable Player’ - Jamie Morrison - was presented with a bottle of Diamond Tribute, while the Holland & Holland ‘Shot of The Day’ was awarded to nine-year-old Lucas Monteverde and ‘Best Playing Pony’ - sponsored and presented by Jaeger-LeCoultre, the Official Timekeeper for British Polo Day - went to Envedia, ridden by Sheikha Maitha. British Polo Day’s Harrods Green Man then presented the Harrods ‘Luck of the Draw’ to Nicholas Grigorieff from Fashion 1 TV, while Prince Alexei Cantacuzene Count Speransky won Hackett’s ‘Best Dressed Male’.

Celebrated womenswear designer, Fitriani Hay then set the tone for the evening’s celebration with a spectacular fashion show under the stars in the Club’s beautifully-lit courtyard, before guests headed off to Dubai’s hottest night-spot XL Beach Club.

Travelling with Abercrombie & Kent, guests, players and polo enthusiasts had spent the previous week at Sofitel Dubai the Palm Resort & Spa, enjoying volleyball competitions, private beach-front yoga, ‘Eco-Golf’ lessons and a spectacular Vintage Land Rover Desert Safari and Dinner in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, with Platinum Heritage.

Tom Hudson, Co-Founder of British Polo Day commented: “It's been amazing to see British Polo Day Dubai grow over the last six years. The British teams put on a great display, but our two captains HH Sheikha Maitha and Mohammed Habtoor, our host, came out on top‎ in thrilling matches - we are already looking forward to next year!”

Philip Parham CMG, HM Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates adds: “Style, speed, skill, dash, fun and excellence - the very British attributes of the very British Polo Day’s in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Polo, along with other equestrian sports, exemplifies the strong links between British and Emirati heritage past, present and - I am sure – future. The British Polo Days also exemplify the UAE’s role as an international sporting arena. So, many thanks to all our British and Emirati friends whose hard work makes the British Polo Day possible.”

British Polo Day Dubai followed its Abu Dhabi counterpart on Saturday 21st March in which guests including HH Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, HH Sheikh Sultan Bin Falah Al Nahyan, HH Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh of Jaipur and his father Maharaj Narendra Singh, His Grace the Duke of Argyll and HM Ambassador to the UAE Philip Parham CMG and attended a prestigious black-tie evening at Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club. British Polo Day Abu Dhabi raised US$35,000 for Women and Health Alliance (WAHA) and Help for Heroes.

All British Polo Day guests travelled through official travel partner, Abercrombie & Kent. Those wishing to apply for invitations should contact:
E: britishpoloday@abercrombiekent.co.uk
T: 0845 485 1544

The Official Timekeeper for both British Polo Day Abu Dhabi and British Polo Day Dubai is Jaeger-LeCoultre. No watch can claim to be closer to the world of polo than Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso. It was designed in 1931 at the request of British polo players in India and is therefore fitting to be partnered with British Polo Day.

The events are partnered with Land Rover, Hackett London, Royal Salute, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Champagne Taittinger, Abercrombie & Kent, Billionaire.com, Justerini & Brooks, Brompton, Global Partnership Family Office, Holland & Holland, Charles Russell Speechlys, Gavel&Grand, Great British Racing International, British Silverware, Taylor Morris, 3RD HOME, Nihiwatu, Jax Coco, Gaucho, Floris, Etihad, RMAL Hospitality, Paul A Young Fine Chocolates, The Grosvenor Stationery Company, D.R. Harris & Co, Bonas MacFarlane Education, InterContinental Hotel Abu Dhabi, Sofitel Luxury Hotels, Pullman Jumeirah Lakes Towers Hotel & Residence, Platinum Heritage, Walpole and Pendragon Productions.


For information on British Polo Day please visit www.britishpoloday.com

See http://www.britishpoloday.com/films/ for film footage of British Polo Day Abu Dhabi and Dubai 2014 and do also take a look at the new British Polo Day media room.




NOTES TO EDITORS:
About British Polo Day
British Polo Day champions British luxury and heritage – in just four years the British Polo Day calendar has grown to encapsulate a network of 10 events annually. In 2015 British Polo Day will host events in Abu Dhabi, China, Dubai, Great Britain, India, Mexico, Morocco, Singapore, USA, and a unique Global Gathering at Nihiwatu, on Sumba Island.

The story of British Polo Day stems from a love of the ancient sport of polo and a recognition that the international language of the horse can bridge cultures, bringing together a like-minded community on a global scale.

Through polo, the British Polo Day Founders seek to celebrate British luxury heritage. Great Britain, and indeed many of our host countries, has a long history of polo. The aim of a British Polo Day is to continue the tradition of playing high-quality amateur polo against friends across the world, while also acting as a platform upon which to build a network of diplomatic and commercial opportunities.

British Polo Day showcases over 30 top British luxury brands and acts as a conduit for championing craftsmanship and heritage in emerging markets.

In countries all over the world, polo has a long history of raising significant funding for worthy causes. The British Polo Day team is entirely committed to bringing to bear the full weight of its partners, network and creative talent to this end. To date, British Polo Day has raised more than US$1.2 million for extremely worthy causes across the world.

Visit www.britishpoloday.com for more information. Follow us on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook for all the latest news and updates.

About Land Rover MENA
Land Rover is proud to support equestrian sport from grassroots all the way through to the elite, demonstrated at its elite level as Presenting Partner of British Polo Day.

Land Rover continues to build the world's most capable all-purpose vehicles - a blend of refinement, performance and unmatched all-terrain capability making Land Rover vehicles distinctive and unique.
Since the launch of the Series I in 1948, Land Rover has been there alongside the pioneering and visionary individuals who shaped the landscape of the Middle East. Today, owners and enthusiasts in the region continue to demonstrate an overwhelming loyalty and passion for Land Rover products, leading to an exceptional sales performance in 2013, up 49% YOY. The current Land Rover line-up comprises the flagship Range Rover, now the best-selling Land Rover vehicle in the region, the Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Evoque, complemented by the highly capable Land Rover Discovery/LR4, the iconic Defender and the new Discovery Sport, the world’s most versatile and capable premium compact SUV.

For more information please visit live.landrover-me.com

About Land Rover Al Tayer Motors
Al Tayer Motors is the dealer for Land Rover and Jaguar in Dubai and the Northern Emirates. The company was established in 1982 and represents a number of major European and American automobile manufacturers across the UAE. With a growing network of sales, service and parts centres across Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah the dedicated team of more than 2,500 professionals is committed to taking customer satisfaction to higher levels.

About Land Rover Premier Motors
Premier Motors is the dealer for Land Rover and Jaguar in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Premier Motors’ showrooms are located at Khalidiya and Mussafah in Abu Dhabi and Senayya in Al Ain, while service and parts centres are in Mussafah and Senayya in Al Ain.

About Jaeger-LeCoultre
Since its founding in 1833, the Manufacture has been an inventive protagonist in the field of Haute Horlogerie. The keyless watch, silent regulators for repeater watches, Calibre Jaeger-LeCoultre 101 weighing barely one gram, the iconic Reverso, as well as unprecedented concepts such as the Dual-Wing®, all contribute to the wealth of the Jaeger-LeCoultre heritage. The 1,249 mechanical calibres developed and the 413 registered patents illustrate the creative passion that continually drives the men and women of the Grande Maison. Heirs to the inventive spirit of the Manufacture’s founder, Antoine LeCoultre, our artisans pool their expertise so as to delight and enthrall devotees of beautiful objects. The unique story of each of our watches begins in the Vallée de Joux workshops and comes to vibrant life on the wrist of the men and women who wear it and make it their own.