Polo to return to Fulham
by Hammersmith and Fulham Press Office
03/11/2008
Exciting plans to hold a world class polo extravaganza in Fulham have been announced.
Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F) Council has signed an agreement that will see the event, Polo in the Park, held at Hurlingham Park, the historic home of polo in this country, from Thursday June 4 to Saturday June 6, 2009.
The agreement has seen World Polo Ltd, the sport's first franchise based polo tour, make a £200,000 commitment to Hurlingham Park so that it is continued to be enjoyed by the community the whole year round. As well as being looked after by the council’s award-winning grounds maintenance contractor, Quadron, the grass area of the park will be renovated for the polo by the same people that look after Chelsea FC’s pitch.
Grandstands will be temporarily erected in Hurlingham Park for the event so that 5,000 spectators, including polo enthusiasts and those new to the sport, can watch the action each day. The event will feature a minimum of six teams, representing cities across the world such as London, Paris, New York, Sydney, Buenos Aries and Mumbai, in what is set to be an adrenaline-fuelled and action-packed contest. With the game being faster and more powerful than ever before, the event will celebrate everything that is great about polo.
Think hockey on horse-back, but with four chiselled jawed Adonis' per team, four quarters of play and horses thundering across the grass at speeds of over 40mph. The rules for Polo in the Park have been adapted to engage spectators and ensure that they are fully involved as the horses gallop across the pitch. These changes will ensure the game is faster and more gripping than ever before and that the game is improved for television viewing.
As part of the launch, H&F Council will be giving away 100 free tickets for local people and another 250 tickets at a discounted price of £15. Details on how you can claim you free or discounted tickets will be announced in the near future.
Residents who live close to Hurlingham Park have spoken of their excitement at the thought of such a prestigious event being held on their doorstep. The council will be holding two meeting so that people can learn more later on in the year.
These meetings will take place on Thursday 20 November and Wednesday 26 November, from 6pm to 7.30pm at the Hurlingham Park pavilion. People are invited to come along and find out about the event, talk to the organisers and ask questions. The meetings will be informal and people will be able to drop in throughout the evening. Information and fact sheets will be available to take away.
A special community event will also be held on Sunday June 7 where local people will be able to learn more about the sport of polo. More details on this will be announced soon.
Cllr Paul Bristow, Hammersmith & Fulham Council's Cabinet Member for Residents' Services, said: "This polo event is excellent news for Hammersmith & Fulham and I have already spoken to numerous residents who are looking forward to next June.”
"Polo, in this country, originated at Hurlingham, so it is only right that it is now returning to its home. Hammersmith & Fulham Council feels privileged to host such a prestigious event and we all look forward with great relish to next June. I am sure that this will be a wonderful occasion for the Fulham community and London as a whole."
Attendees are assured a fun-filled and action-packed day out at Polo in the Park. In addition to the exhilarating polo matches that will be played, there will also be a variety of entertainment for people to both watch and partake in, a retail village selling an assortment of goods to wander round and stalls selling a selection of delicious food for you to enjoy as you bask in the sun.
Hurlingham Park provides the ideal venue to stage this event, having been steeped in the history and tradition of the sport since 1874. The Park became renowned as the home to British polo, with matches being staged here for over 65 years (the last match being played in 1939).
Following the first event in London, World Polo Ltd’s professional polo league will roll out a series of additional tournaments. The tournaments will be played in iconic city locations around the world with the organisers aiming to host events in 10 different cities by 2012. Cities currently under consideration include Paris, New York, Sydney, Moscow and Dubai.
The Park will be fully reinstated both before and after the event so that residents will be able to enjoy Hurlingham Park for the rest of the year.
