BEACH on
POLO anyone ?
The BMW Singapore Beach Polo Championships drew in the crowds in its inaugural year
Sentosa Island .
By Lucy Wilson , Polo Times Photographs by Wilson Phang
Beach Polo Anyone ?
Isabelle Laurenadie on the move as the opposition W Hotel team apply the pressure .
How many of us polo players have stood on a beautiful beach over the years and wished we could play polo on it ; or sneaked a pony and trailer into a beach carpark , only to be caught , mallethanded by some dyspeptic park-keeper type ?
Over the years , a few countries have taken a less regimented approach to polo players enjoying beaches in their own inimitable manner ; as evidenced by eye-catching photos of animated ponies , beach-type balls and players in trunks on beaches from Australia to Uruguay .
The beach polo wave finally arrived on the shores of Singapore for the first time ever in June 2016 with the inaugural BMW Singapore Beach Polo Championships held on Tanjong Beach , Sentosa Island . It proved to be a truly international fusion of polo and entertainment . Singapore Polo Club and their title sponsor for the event BMW , were celebrating important birthdays this year and what better way to commemorate 130 years of polo and 100 years of BMW than with a glamorous combination of horsepower on the beach ? Managing Director of BMW Asia , Axel Pannes summed up the partnership saying ; “ The sport , the aesthetic and the power and beauty of the horses really fit our brand and our product .”
Professionals from Argentina , New Zealand and Australia flew in to combine forces with local players from Singapore Polo Club and form four three-man teams for the tournament . And it wasn ’ t just about the boys on the beach , Lynly Fong and Isabelle Larenaudie showed off some impressive skills , giving the guys a real run for their money .
The first round of games were played with some ferocity as both
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