Polo on the Beach, Watergate Bay, Cornwall

4th April 2013

Back in 2006, as Watergate Bay prepared to host the first ever Polo on the Beach, there were raised eyebrows and incredulous looks. Beaches were for buckets and spades, paddling and surfing, not for a fast-paced game involving dozens of ponies. Many agreed that it would be a huge novelty but that it just wouldn’t work and nobody would come to watch. How wrong they were.

In September 2012, Watergate Bay put on the sixth polo event, before a crowd of thousands who’d had the date circled in their diaries for months. Polo on the Beach has become one of the hottest tickets in the Cornish calendar.

This event is a very rare opportunity to see the country’s best players showcase world-class polo with a backdrop of the sun setting over the waves on one side and dramatic cliffs on the other. The spectators get thrillingly close to the action – the thunder of hooves on sand is a sound like no other. It doesn’t matter if you know nothing about the sport – there’s great commentary that explains the play as it unfolds, and you’ll find yourself cheering at all the right moments like a seasoned fan.

Polo on the Beach has grown into a big, glamorous event – alongside the polo itself there’s always more to see. 2012 featured a demonstration by Olympic medallist Mary King, giving the crowd a real insight into the skills required to manage a pony, a mallet and the ball at breakneck pace. Historically a single evening event, from 2013 Polo on the Beach will be a full weekend of fun including demonstrations and beach-based races like you’ll never have seen before…

As is only right and proper at this kind of event, the refreshments available at Polo on the Beach are suitably stylish; don’t miss the champagne tent – there’s nothing like sipping a glass of fizz as the ponies roar past you. If you fancy making even more of an event of the weekend, VIP tickets are available and include a pre-match reception, canapés and champagne during the match and a chance to chat to the players at the chic after-polo party.

 

Explore further

Polo on the Beach
Watergate Bay, Cornwall, TR8 4AA, Tel. 01637 860543