Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club Host The International Day

The Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club was privileged to be the host venue for the annual Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup which was hosted by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Over £1 million was raised to support the charities work with children and young people affected by HIV.
 
In a short turn around the world class venue prepares for The International Day polo which the club will be hosting for the first time after the Hurlingham Polo Association named the Club ‘the Home of English Polo’.
 
The International Day is the most prestigious annual polo spectacular and has always been one of the highest profile sporting events in the British summer calendar. This year’s world-class day promises to be one of the stand-out social events of the year, with the Flannels England team playing against the United States, to retain The Westchester Cup.
 
The Westchester Cup was created by Tiffany’s in 1876 and is always played for by teams from the USA and England. It has only been played four times since the Second World War and is currently held by England who won in 2013. Following on from last year, a Ladies International, featuring Flannels England Ladies will also be on the schedule, highlighting the importance of women's polo across the globe.
 
“We are delighted that this prestigious trophy will be competed for here at the new hub of English polo on our first International Day”, says Jamie Morrison, Chairman and CEO of the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club. “It is going to be a very exciting and truly an international day – we are thrilled to host these two World class matches”
 
The day will commence with a new addition, a Dressage Masterclass by Charlotte Dujardin CBE, three times Olympic Gold Medalist, European and World Champion in the sport of Dressage. Dujardin will be giving a rare UK masterclass as she demonstrates the training techniques that catapulted her onto the world stage, with a range of different horses. This move is part of a long-term strategy by the Club’s Chairman and former England Captain, Jamie Morrison, to bring the equestrian disciplines closer together and to encourage new audiences to immerse themselves in Polo.
 
The finale to the International Day will be marked with a spectacular display of one million poppies being dropped from the sky over the Polo ground – launching the Warhorse Memorial Charity’s first national appeal to remember the service and sacrifice of horses during the First World War. Acclaimed International Soprano Christina Johnston, singing A Million Tears, specially composed for the project, and the National Anthem will play as riders and horses dressed in uniforms of the Great War proudly ride through the spectacle, watched by thousands of spectators. 

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