Six days of top-class polo are scheduled for the Archer’s Hall Diamonds International 2015 Barbados Open, the island’s most prestigious annual tournament. The Barbados Polo Club’s much-anticipated eight-goal competition, being staged for the 13th time, brings together seven teams featuring leading local and international players from as far afield as Argentina, New Zealand and the UK.
Since the Barbados Open was first staged in 2003, within a year of new fields being developed at Clifton and Apes Hill, shortly followed by Lion Castle, there has been huge growth in the popularity of polo in the island; with extensive marketing and sponsorship support from both corporate Barbados and the public sector, it has grown into a major player in the country’s vital sports-tourism portfolio.
Co-sponsor Monique Archer says: "Archer’s Hall is extremely proud and excited to rejoin the Barbados Polo Club in supporting polo. We are thrilled to share title sponsorship for the most prestigious event on the calendar with our long-standing friends, Diamonds International.
“Horse sport means so much to me and my family and we fully enjoy participating in any way we can, whether it is polo, show jumping, dressage, or by helping neglected horses through the HORSE charity. The various equestrian associations need support from corporate Barbados to offer these sports locally and this all contributes to making our island very special. We are honoured to be a part of that.”
Jacob Hassid, Managing Director, Diamonds International, adds: "We have had a good season thus far, as we reintroduced ourselves to polo after a few years’ absence. We’ve been so pleased with the success of the last two tours and the overall entertainment value that the Barbados Polo Club has delivered, that the ‘soft entry' which we planned with just one tour this season has now turned into three!
“The game and the excitement are certainly addictive. It’s an expensive sport, but the dedication is intense and I think it is a great contribution to the island, not just from a tourism aspect but also as an employer and general all-round support for the economy. I think our friends at the Barbados Polo Club should be recognized for this.
“So we are pleased to be partnering with Archer’s Hall and thank all the other supporting sponsors, who come together to put on a really enjoyable event for the public and players. We hope to see a lot of people on the side lines cheering on the teams.”
The draw for the preliminary stage of seven League Games was made last Sunday after the presentation of awards for the UNNA/ICBL Cheshire Tour. The opening matches were played on Wednesday (March 11) at Lion Castle; both were closely-fought, Apes Hill beating CGI Clifton 7-6 and Chester Polo defeating Mango Bay 5-4.
Today’s scheduled matches at Holders have been postponed, with the next League Games scheduled for Apes Hill on Sunday (March 15). In a change to last year’s format, Quarter-Finals have been introduced, meaning that most teams will play at least three games – points scored during the League Games will determine which teams progress immediately to the Semi-Finals and which will compete in the Quarter-Finals.
The Quarter-Finals will be played at Lion Castle next Tuesday (March 17), with the last two days returning to the home of the Barbados Polo Club at Holders: the Semi-Finals will be played on Thursday (March 19), ahead of Archer’s Hall Diamonds International 2015 Barbados Open Finals Day, at which the Sub-Final will be followed by the Final.
At Finals Day, there will be delights aplenty in store for local patrons and international visitors, if their can tear themselves away from the action on the field, with exciting giveaways from Archer’s Hall, Burberry and other tournament partners; Scott Ames Scott’s Catering will be in charge of the special food station, offering sushi and smoked gourmet treats, also collaborating with Lobster Alive to create some new dishes.
The Barbados Polo Club’s Principal Tour and Season Sponsors for 2015 are Archer’s Hall Diamonds International, UNNA Luxury Resorts & Residences, Digicel, ICBL and Virgin Atlantic Airways, supported by Banks Beer, Bvlgari, Piper Heidsieck, Platinum Motors, Select Rentals, Voss Water, Cockpur, Stoli and Y103.
For further media information: e-mail – barbadospoloclub@gmail.com
Web site: www.barbadospoloclub.com (soon to be launched)
