Introduction by: Nacho Figueras
Photographs by: Aline Coquelle
View at eu.assouline.com or tobiasoliverinteriors.com
About the book
Polo Heritage, which is a coffee table book, guides the reader on a journey across the world and inside the most prestigious tournaments. It is a window into the high society of British polo and Argentinian polo culture that has produced some of the best polo families in the world.
Review
“I see polo as a sport that connects a groom from Argentina to the Queen of England – and the total opposite of elitist,” writes Nacho Figueras in this truly glorious polo tome.
Polo may indeed have participants in every stratum of society, but the book itself shouts out luxurious quality. Weighing in at nearly 3kg, this faux leather-bound collection of large full-page photos embodies the colour, glamour and fun of this “sport of kings”. This is an asset to any horse lover’s coffee table – the horse is the undoubted star.
At the heart of this book is the series of stunning professional photos by Aline Coquelle, which illustrate the history and heritage of the sport. The reader travels through Mongolia to Mexico, from Barbados to Pakistan, and inside some of the most prestigious tournaments on grass, sand or snow.
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There are also scrapbook-style pages featuring the likes of Cambiaso, or diverse polo communities, as though the reader is taking a private peek inside a top player’s family album.
But it’s not all about the photos. Potted histories of top players, tournaments and polo cultures are brought to life with short chunks of prose, and quotes from stars of the game, royal fans and even Winston Churchill.
Legendary player Nacho Figueras writes a long introduction, with a fascinating insight into his love of the horses that power the sport.
“Horses are the most amazing thing about polo,” he says. “They are why we stay awake for hours when one is not feeling well or a mare is about to give birth. We know how they move, what they eat, how much they need to be ridden the day before a game to be at their best. We know their mother, their father, sister, uncle. We care about them greatly, and they are the only reason we can all enjoy this sport as much as we do. They become the centre of attention and conversation at every asado (barbecue), where we’ll talk for hours about that horse that runs or turns, or a play of a foul. Horses are simply a huge part of our lives.”
Verdict
This beautiful book encapsulates the modern and authentic spirit of polo, while also highlighting the horsemanship that underpins the giants of the game.
Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.