Autumn 2021

FRIENDS FOREVER

Carolina Beresford explains how the Friend’s Polo venture enriches family time and builds a supportive community around a shared love of horses

Friend’s Polo landed on British soil for a second consecutive year, this time hosting a month of challenges where patrons and professionals came together to enjoy competitive, open polo. Chilean José Donoso, a former 8-goal player who has racked up many titles over his career, founded Friend’s Polo back in 2017. On noticing how opportunities to enjoy polo with friends and family were dwindling, Donoso decided to create a space where parents could play alongside their children, and friends could compete among each other – a style of playing where the score is secondary and quality time spent among horses and loved ones is paramount.

This year’s action took place at Great Trippetts Farm in West Sussex. Warm weather and impeccable fields meant the challenges

were the sporting and social event of the weekends. Friend’s Polo proved once again that the clubhouse camaraderie many players pine for can be revived – without sacrificing playing level. Professionals such as Donoso, Malcolm Borwick, Jack Richardson, Matt Perry, Lance and Callum Anderson, and Matt Evetts competed alongside Nick Clarke, Roderick Vere Nicoll, Serena Taylor, Ashok and Ravi Bhatia, Louisa Watt, Jo Stuart and Rico Richert, among others. Awards were

presented after each fixture, with competitors taking home prizes provided by Smythson and Weybourne Wines.

Friend’s Polo continues its international circuit in Argentina, with specialised polo weeks and tournaments, including their defining event, where two parent-child duos couple up to win the ultimate Friend’s Polo title. The polo school, for riders of all ages, will also be active throughout the Argentine spring season. Donoso’s stance on the game of polo is as alluring as it is admirable, with Friend’s Polo providing a version of the sport that enriches the family as a whole and builds a supportive community around a shared love of horses – a true gem of a venture. @friendspolo