Exciting News – Collaborating With Hurlingham Polo 1875

Where it all started.

Polo is said to be the oldest team sport in the world, with records of a game similar to how we know polo today, dating back to 500 BC in Persia. From Persia, the game migrated to Arabia and Tibet and then onto India and China. The British caught on to the amazing sport in Manipur, India in the 1850’s. The Calcutta Polo Club is known to be the oldest polo club in the world, which still is in function today.

Drawing of polo in ancient Persia- Photo from the Polo Museum Website.

However, it wasn’t until 1875 that official rules to the game of polo were written. This was done by the Hurlingham Polo Association based out of London in the Hurlingham Park.

• Fun fact: that same year settlers organized the very first polo match in Argentina, a country that now is synonymous with polo and one of the biggest producers of top players and top horses for the sport of polo.

Polo played in the Cathedral of polo, the Palermo Polo Fields in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Polo is now played in over 77 countries (I have watched polo in 7, so I have some catching up to do) and 38 of those countries still play under the Hurlingham Polo Association rules. The HPA as it is commonly known in the polo world, works closely with the US Polo Association, the Asociacion Argentina de Polo and the Federation of International Polo to unify rules and promote the sport worldwide.

Me, during a polo match in Argentina at the La Tarde Polo Club, wearing my Hurlingham Polo 1875 whites and gloves

“The HPA, as it’s known in the polo world, is registered as a non-profit company, which as well as governing the game, is also responsible for English national teams at all levels and the development of young players from the age of nine.”¹ The income the organization gets, goes back into polo, to promoting the sport, to helping injured players, to support up and coming players and for the welfare of polo ponies.

“Authentically British. Absolutely International.”

The Hurlingham Polo 1875 clothing brand came to be an extension of the HPA, with the end goal of promoting the sport, creating more funds to improve and support the sport. Simon Hawkins, CEO of King of Games Ltd. sponsor and guiding partner of the Hurlingham Polo 1875 brand says: “This project allows us to reinvest back into the sport of polo, we invest more money into polo than any other party.”

The Hurlingham Polo 1875 and the HPA together do a great deal for the sport of polo and the players in it, from brand ambassadorships to tournament sponsorships, they help keep the game alive and relevant. In 2017 Hurlingham Polo 1875 announced their support of 8 “young guns” British up and coming polo players. Read more about these talented young people here.

HPA- young guns – young ambassadors of the Hurlingham Polo 1875 – Photo from the Hurlingham Polo 1875 website

I personally think it is great to have the association expand the brand and create a lifestyle element in the form of clothing and fashion. I started collaborating with Hurlingham Polo 1875 last summer when I met up with their global brand ambassador Fred Mannix for a chat about the #PoloLife, which you can see here.

Meeting up with Fred Mannix in England before his semifinal match of the Gold Cup with team Sommelier

In the spirit of “Authentically British. Absolutely International” I do fit the second part of that saying, and actually, I also have British blood in me, as my grandmother was from England.

During stick and ball practice in England wearing my HPActive mid-layer top and the puffy vest

The Hurlingham Polo 1875 products are great, especially the hoodies and the caps which are my favourites, but as you guys may have noticed, I like to wear all of my Hurlingham Polo 1875 polo shirts, tops, puffy vest, whites and gloves. They are good quality, have a nice fit and are comfortable on the horse and on the sidelines. So I am very happy to announce that Hurlingham Polo 1875 and PoloPeoplePlaces have joined forces, with a mini co-branded collection launching soon! Stay tuned and meanwhile check out some of my favourite pieces in the webshop. Sign up to my newsletter (the sign up box top right corner if you are viewing this on a computer, scroll further down is viewing on mobile) to be the first to see the co-branded collection.

*Disclaimer: PoloPeoplePlaces is proud to support the Hurlingham Polo 1875 clothing brand. For more information click here