Land Rover, the British automaker, announced its association with British Polo Day as partner and sponsor for the second consecutive year. British Polo Day India, presented by Land Rover was hosted at the Jodhpur Polo and Equestrian Institute from 13th to 15th December 2013.
Through the international language of the horse, British Polo Day India brought together a like-minded community on an international scale, bridging culture through a shared affinity for polo. Through partnership with Land Rover, British Polo Day India champions quintessential British luxury heritage.
At one of the most colourful British Polo Day prizegivings to date – beautifully decorated camels and elephants, the historic surrounds of Jodhpur and traditional music playing to an excited crowd – the winning sides were presented with their cups and prizes before all headed to the Umaid Bhawan Palace for a most memorable evening reception.
The opening match of British Polo Day India was a first for polo – the inaugural match between Oxford and Jodhpur which, following fierce competition between the two and some strong runs on both sides, resulted in a 8 – 5 win for Jodhpur, over His Highness’ alma mater.
Day two saw Eton College take on its Indian contemporary, Mayo College for the Land Rover Trophy. This was a dramatic and technical game of great skill but Eton clinched the cup with some excellent linking, marking and hitting, and a brilliant performance by, ‘hero of the day’, Will Ramsay.Before the polo commenced on the final day of competition, there was time for some light-hearted camel polo. The Cavalry against Guards melee resulted in a single goal in favour of The Guards team. The Ladies camel polo match was most noteworthy for Claire Tomlinson’s animated gestures but it was nothing if not entertaining.
In the end, the last encounter was the perfect culmination of three days of tightly contested polo and the two sides playing for the Hackett Cup – The British Army and The President’s Bodyguard – did not disappoint. As befitting the Army, both charged from end to end with some fine strikes and great shots by all players. With a draw looking likely, a foul towards the Indians resulted in a 60-yard penalty. The final shot of the match was a textbook lofted strike between the flags, resulting in a 3-2 win for the Indians – The President’s Bodyguard.
Hosted by His Highness Gaj Singh II The Maharaja of Marwar-Jodhpur, this year’s guest list included Indian actress Sangeeta Ghosh and her polo-playing husband Shailendra Singh Raj; business moguls Zavary Poonawalla, Neil Stafford, Nikki Mehta, David Lepenn, Vinod Kumar and Mohit Burman; polo’s most influential female player Claire Tomlinson and a host of other high-profile guests.
During this occasion, Land Rover customers and prospects saw an exquisite display of the New Range Rover Sport, its latest best-in-class premium SUV, which has reached great heights in design, technology, driving dynamics and interior luxury, taking the offering to another level. Land Rover India also showcased its Range Rover Autobiography which epitomises sophisticated design with immaculate attention to detail.
