Polo on the Beach a prestigious exhibition match has made a fifth triumphant return to Watergate Bay in Cornwall.
The event saw teams picked from the ranks of professionals putting on a sporting display for an appreciative crowd of more than 2,500 people. The First Great Western team, captained by Andy Burgess snatched victory over their rivals The Joules, with the assistance of England squad player James Harper, to win Polo on the Beach by 8½ goals to 7.
Andy said: “We were really pleased, every single player played to their handicap and above. It wasn’t easy, but in the end we were lucky with the weather – it was so bad in the morning we thought we would never be able to play at all, and we ended up with an amazing sunset for the trophy presentation. And the fact that we won was a bonus.”
The Joules team – Tim Vaux, England squad player Jamie Le Hardy and Richard Blake Thomas – played an excellent match and dominated in the first two chukkas. However, when Richard Blake Thomas lost his mallet and dismounted to retrieve it, James Harper swooped in to score a goal and take the lead.
There was plenty of action as players competed in four six minute rounds in an open air arena. The Polo on the Beach teams competed for the coveted Watergate Bay Trophy during the event sponsored by Veuve Clicquot, and has seen scores of top UK players taking part over the last four years.
