The Gentleman Magazine Issue 3 | June/July | Page 56

INTERNATIONAL FRIDAY AT CHESTERTONS
POLO IN THE PARK SET TO MAKE HISTORY
It is set to be an action packed opening day at Chestertons Polo in the Park as the first three matches are announced following
the official team draw held at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park,
London.
It was revealed that home side, MINT Team London will face
Whitley Neill Team Cape Town in the penultimate match of
the day, while Hazel Jackson will be making history as the first
ever female player to take part in the event. Jackson will be part
of the ICM Capital England team taking on Champions Polo
League India in the final clash of the day.   Following that clash, Argentex Team Dubai, led by George
Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford, will take on
Air Europa Team Buenos Aires. Speaking during the draw,
Spencer-Churchill, an experienced Chestertons Polo in the
Park city rules player, was reluctant to give out too many tips
to his less-practiced counterparts, however he promised a fast
and furious three-days of action.
The final teams to be drawn were MINT Team London and
Whitley Neill Team Cape Town who will line up as the third
match of the day, scheduled for 17.30pm on Friday 9 June.
A selection of the world’s top polo players, event sponsors and
media were invited to be part of this special occasion, which
took place on the evening of Tuesday 16 May. Guy Gittins,
Head of Sales, Chestertons, alongside Rory Heron, Managing
Director of Sportgate International Ltd, undertook the draw
to determine the fixtures that will kick off the three-day
tournament on Friday 9 June.   Having debuted in 2015, the International Match at Chestertons
Polo in the Park has become one of the sporting highlights of
the summer and will round off the action fuelled first day of
polo. Last year’s encounter between England and South Africa
broke Hurlingham Park attendance records and this year ICM
Capital Team England will once again grace the grounds of the
iconic Fulham location.
The opening match of Chestertons Polo in the Park 2017 will
see Mauritius Team Port Louis take on EFG Team Zurich, a
match that Mauritius Team Port Louis member Paco O’Dwyer
is expecting to be a great occasion, “Having the chance to play
at Chestertons Polo in the Park is a brilliant opportunity. It will
be a great thrill to have such a large crowd watching us play and
with the adapted rules in use at the event you can expect an
action-packed, competitive weekend of top-class polo!”   Taking them on will be a formidable Champions Polo League
India team, who are playing at the famous venue for the
first time in 70 years. The team will be led by HH Maharaja
Padmanabh Singh, part of the Royal family of Jaipur, who last
night said, “I’m really looking forward to it, it will be a great
game and I hope it’s fun for all. The rules that they follow at
Chestertons Polo in the Park makes it much more spectator
friendly, it’s faster and more fun to watch.”  
56 | The Gentleman Magazine