140 SIDELINES FEBRUARY 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
but none of us knew where or when,” said Fabien, who learned of
the game afterward. “It’s not so difficult to do a polo demonstration;
you just need to have an international meeting and then organize
it. It’s really about communication – you have to get people there.”
That should be easy in Deauville, an upscale tourist area, where
the polo field is a 10-minute walk to the beach. Choosing Deauville
for the Games demonstration was an easy decision, according to
Fabien. “The history of Deauville is built around polo. It’s one of
the most prestigious places in the world to play polo. We want to
show the world the culture of polo and portray the sport as more
democratic,” he said.
Some renowned polo clubs in the vicinity of the Games, among
them Deauville and the Chantilly Polo Club, are already helping
with that effort. Officials from both clubs are involved in planning
the Games exhibition. Deauville has also come up with a number
of innovations that will be attractive to tourists, including snacks
at affordable prices and introductory polo workshops for children
will take place during matches. Philippe said it will make for an
atmosphere that is “convivial and fun.”
Benoit Perrier, event manager at Chantilly, also encourages
Games attendees to try their hand at polo, adding that the club’s
rental program is even open to those who have never sat on a
polo pony. “The spirit and vision of our club is to be a place for
everybody to play polo,” he said. “We are open to anyone. We like
to practice and play and share the passion of the sport with people
from all over the world. We encourage everyone to come take a
lesson or play a practice match with us.”
Chantilly has an extensive lesson program and a large string of
rental horses for the public. Some weekends, said Benoit, there
are as many as 160 rentals. With nine meticulously groomed polo
fields, he added, “Chantilly is like a little Argentina in France.
People from all over the world take lessons here,” he said.
Chantilly hosted the 2004 FIP (International Polo Federation)
World Championship, which was a 20-goal match. Every year it
hosts the French Open (championship), which draws a crowd of
25,000.
The sport’s popularity continues to grow, said FFP president
J.L. Chartier. “As a little blueprint of polo in France, the French
championship has increased to 63 teams. That is seven more
teams than we had in 2001. And the numbers go up every year,”
he said.
Just a 45-minute drive from Paris and the Charles de Gaulle
The action heats up at the Chantilly Polo Club.
International Airport, the convenience of Chantilly is a plus. Those
who arrive for the Games by a different route than Paris can make
a day or weekend trip of it, as Chantilly is an easy two-and-a-half
hour drive from Deauville.
Summer is definitely the time to see some of the best international
polo in France. If you arrive there shortly before the Games, the
entire month of August features some legendary tournaments.
The 2014 season at Deauville IPC will begin Sunday, August
3 with an exhibition match by the French team. Then it continues
with the two 16-goal tournaments, the Silver Cup from August 4
to 17 and the Gold Cup from August 18 to 31. The finals, which
are always the most exciting, take place on the last day of each
tournament. In Chantilly, the 2014 French Open starts September
5 (a day before the polo demonstration at the Games) and
continues through September 21.
For more information about the Alltech FEI World Equestrian
Games 2014 in Normandy (including the polo demonstration,
tickets and lodging) visit
To learn more about polo in France:
. For
information on the Deauville International Polo Club, visit www.
deauvillepoloclub.com and for information about the Chantilly
Polo Club visit
About the writer: Darlene Ricker is CEO and Editorial Director
of Equestrian Authors, LLC, which produces books and articles on
equestrian sports (equestrianauthors.com). She was Executive
Editor for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 and for
many years covered polo as a staff writer at the Los Angeles
Times and the Boston Globe.
Trophies shine in Chantilly.
