Beach polo comes to Jersey this September

Jersey will host its first international beach polo tournament this autumn.

Organisers hope that the competition, which will take place on 19 September at St Brelades Bay, will follow in the footsteps of other established beach polo tournaments such as those held at Sandbanks, Dorset and Watergate Bay in Cornwall.

The Jersey Polo Club had to apply for special permission to allow horses on the beach, as they are banned from the sand between 10.30am and 6pm at this time of year.

The club’s Julie Settle said: “Having got permission, we can now start planning.

We only have a small window with the tides, so timing will be crucial.”

There will be four teams taking part, including one from Zimbabwe, and Britain will be sending two teams from the mainland.

Because Jersey does not have sufficient polo ponies, the club is enlisting the help of Andrew Hine of Guards Polo Academy to ship 28 ponies to the island.

Ms Settle said she expects 600 corporate guests.

“There will be plenty of entertainment, including a champagne bar, on the beach,” she told H&H.

The tournament will raise money for Riding for the Disabled Jersey and the Game and Wildlife Conservation Society.

For tickets, contact jsettle@jerseymail.co.uk.

This news story was first published in the current issue of H&H (26 July 2012)

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