boatinternational.com 08 2019POLO PARLANCE
Goal: When the ball
crosses, at any height,
the line between the
goal posts. Ends are
changed after each goal,
or at half time if the
game is still goalless.ST MORITZ
Switzerland
Credentials: OK, so it’s not accessible by superyacht (fair cop) but for
the Snow Polo World Cup it’s worth leaving the sea behind. It is the only
tournament in the world played on a frozen lake (the ice has to be more
than 50 centimetres deep to hold the ponies’ weight) and the only high-
goal tournament played on snow. VIP tents line the lake with the snow-
covered peaks of the Engadine Valley providing a dramatic backdrop.
Created in 1985, there are now copycat competitions worldwide –
including Aspen, Cortina and Tianjin – but you can’t beat the original.
Spectator sensation: The last weekend in January (24 to 26, 2020) will
once again see four high-goal teams do battle in the chocolate-box-pretty
Swiss ski resort. More than 18,000 fur-clad spectators are expected to
cheer from the sidelines and enjoy the social programme, which includes
an invite-only fondue night and gala dinner.
Cinderella steps: It’s not just the spectators who don their finest winter
gear for proceedings. All of the ponies are fitted with special shoes
with added studs to stop them slipping and pads to keep the snow
away from their inner hoofs.
Rest assured: When you have had your fill of the play (on and off the field)
make the short zig-zag drive up the hill to the fairy-tale charm of Suvretta
House. The château exudes old-school luxury and guests can make use of
its private ski school, outdoor ice-skating rink and curling field.
On the right track: If you are short on time, private jets can land at nearby
Samedan Airport or for a more scenic arrival take the Glacier Express
from Chur (an hour from Zurich Airport). Pass over iced lakes and through
towering pine forests before being greeted by a nattily dressed chauffeur
and Suvretta’s bottle-green vintage van. snowpolo-stmoritz.comPolo arrived in St Moritz around
1899 when English soldiers
created the first field of play.
Locals formed a club in 1959PHOTOGRAPHY: RICARDO MOTRAN; MELISSA MICHEL; MARIA RETES; GETTY IMAGES
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