King of Sports: Rules of the game (part I)

While the finals of the World Cup are currently held in Palermo, Buenos Aires, the Polo season in Europe is dead by now. It is amazing to observe the Kings of Polo (the top players with handicaps of 9 and 10) competing against each other. I heared that around 80% of the cream of the crop are Argentinians. This is one other thing – besides an instable economy – in which they are good in. Well, the latter is actually touring the world right now…

Anyhow, for those who need a little brush up for the upcoming Cartier Polo World Cup on Snow in St. Moritz (29.01.09 – 01.02.09), here are the main rules of the game!

(I took the illustrations from the actual St. Moritz Polo Magazine (page 92 & 93). Hope not to offend anybody with this)

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Cartier Polo World Cup on Snow 2009: Patrons and Teams

Cheering for which team?

Maybe this list of players can pull readers to their side

(Handcap starts at -2 and top players reach a max. of 10):

Team Cartier:

1 – Adriano Agosti (Patro)                                           CH    Hcp. 0

2 – Gston Laulhe                                                         AR    Hcp. 7

3 – Alejandro Diaz Alberdi                                          AR    Hcp. 8

4 – Glen Gilmore                                                         AU    Hcp. 7

Team Maybach:

1 – Philipp Maeder (Patron)                                        CH    Hcp. 0

2 – Federico Bachmann                                              AR    Hcp. 6

3 – Pablo Jauretche                                                    AR    Hcp. 7

4 – Ignacio Tillous                                                    AR    Hcp. 7

Team Brioni:

1 – Guy Schwarzenbach (Patron)                              AU/CH Hcp.1

2 – Nacho Gonzalez                                                UK        Hcp. 6

3 – John Paul Clarkin                                              NZ        Hcp. 8

4 – Johnny Good                                                     UK        Hcp. 5

Team Bank Julius Bär:

1 – George Milford Haven (Patron)                         UK        Hcp. 1

2 – Jose Donoso                                                    CL        Hcp. 7

3 – Pablo MacDonough                                         AR        Hcp. 9

4 – Richard Le Poer                                               UK        Hcp. 3

Cartier Polo World Cup on Snow: Games overview

The sponsoring teams Maybach, Brioni, Cartier and Bank Julius Bär will compete against each other. Here is the when and who:

Thursday, Januar 29th 2009

12.30am Dr. Berry Memorial Trophy: Maybach vs. Brioni

02.00pm Niarchos Trophy: Cartier vs. Julius Bär

Friday, January 30th 2009

11.30am Swiss International Air Lines Trophy: Maybach vs. Cartier

02.00pm Strellson Trophy: Brioni vs. Julius Bär

Saturday, Januaary 31st of 2009

11.30am ZwyerCaviar Trophy: Maybach vs. Julius Bär

02.00pm Nespresso Trophy: Brioni vs. Cartier

Sunday, February 1st 209

11.30am Mercedes AMG Cup: 3rd and 4th place

02.00pm Cartier Trophy / Final: 1st and 2nd place

The Mongols invade St. Moritz

It is debatable if the King of sports and the sport of Kings originates in Persia – or Mongolia. Sure is, that polo was populaar during the time of the great Genghis Khan and even before that. It is believed that the Mongols enjoy polo since 600 B.C.

Polo carries a similar weight of legends and prestige as does caviar. For the 25th anniversary of the Cartier Polo World Cup o Snow in St. Moritz, the events guest country will be Mongolia.Its culture will be presented in form of a VIP-tent (a so called ‘yurt’) with a traditionally decorated lounge, Mongolian music and vodka and the entire VIP-Marquee comes in a Mongolian style too. There will be traditionally dressed Mongolian ladies for the prize giving and before the games Mongolians dressed as warriors present the teams. Rumors has it, that the president himself or Prime Minister will attend the event.

Back in August 2008 a delegation of St. Moritz Polo AG visited Mongolia. During their stay members of the St. Moritz Polo Club competed against a native polo team – and won! The fruits of this undergoing is a new partnership between the St. Moritz Polo AG and the Mongolian Polo Federation with the objective to promote future cultural and polo events. Sure two countries with huge cultural differences, but united through the sport of polo!

ZwyerCaviar Trophy at the 25th Cartier Polo World Cup on Snow (2009)

ENJOY THE SPORT OF KINGS!

ZwyerCaviar goes Polo

WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT THE ZWYERCAVIAR TROPHY DURING THE NEXT CARTIER POLO WORLD CUP ON SNOW IN ST. MORITZ.

In January 2009 ZwyerCaviar will be co-sponsoring the world famous polo event in St. Moritz with a Bang.  Invited guests may feast in our eye-catching CaviarDome on ZwyerCaviar and sipping at a glas of bubbly while tattling with other polo enthusiasts or caviarists.  

Cross fingers with us when polo team Maybach competes against team Julius Bär! We of ZwyerCaviar look forward to this highlight with pleasant anticipation!

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The untold story of Polo & Caviar

Nowadays Polo is usually associated with royal England but its origins came from far away east, somewhere along the line between Asia and Europe. Some of the major sources of historical information are derived from the Persian literature and art. Polo dates back in the 6th Century BC, originally created by some of the Central Asia tribes. Undoubtedly, the game was quickly adopted as a training method for the cavalry of ancient Shahs, Khans, and Caliphs. Polo game takes a special place in the history of Asia, and by the Middle Ages it has been played from Constantinople to Japan.  Through the centuries, in the times of conquering this part of the world, Polo became the most noble game, proof of the exceptional qualities and strength of the kings. Historical evidence of its royal transformation is a famous verse, etched on a stone, next to a polo filed in Pakistan, on the road of silk, between China and Europe.  

Turning sight to caviar’s history it is more than noticeable that it has the same origin: Caspian Sea, along the coast of Iran and Russia, the most significant producers of high- class caviar in the world. Initially, used as the food of the masses, sanctioned by the Orthodox Church during religious feasts, caviar was later on introduced to the West world, to become the most desirable, extravagant and rare food of the modern times.

The developments in Polo & Caviar in the Middle to Late 18th Century outlined their brilliant and glamorous future.  The first touch of the western people to the game was by British tea planters, who witnessed a polo match in India and took with them the idea of the most difficult equestrian game in England. Around 1850-1870, the polo was officially established in England. Few years later, ironically polo was introduced to Argentina and U.S.A, the countries together with U.K that happen to be polo’s most developed and passionate nations. What was happening with the caviar during the Middle of 18th Century? In the 1860, Russia developed a technology to fertilize sturgeon eggs. Already introduced in Europe, in 18th century caviar was in its apogee during the Belle Époque. The demand for the tiny, delicious, elegant black beads in the royalty courts of Italy, France, and England increased drastically. The international trade of the most superior caviar started with the dealership of the German company Dieckmann & Hansen.

Modern fishery was established by the Lianazov Family along the coast of the Iranian Caspian Sea tracing out the high quality production of the future’s most scarce gourmet delicacy.

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