The 2023 local polo season came to a fitting climax last Saturday at the Apes Hill Polo Club as Barbados defeated visiting team Wascosa Switzerland 5-4 in their third and final match at the venue.
It was the Bajans’ second win in the three-match series against the Swiss after winning by a slim half-goal margin two Saturdays ago followed by a loss to the Swiss last Thursday.
Overall, the series was proclaimed a sporting success by Apes Hill Polo Club general manager James Dickson after a long and arduous season.
“It’s the first time Switzerland had visited Apes Hill Polo Club since Philip Mueller, who is the team owner contacted me about three years ago expressing an interest to visit,” Dickson told
MIDWEEK SPORT.
“He has played all over the world and wanted to come pre-COVID-19. The pandemic stopped it and so this was their first visit here to Barbados and he brought a very strong competitive team of professionals.”
“The Barbados team had a very good start. We were two and a half goals down in the last chukka of the first game and we scored three quick goals and won the first match by half a goal. In last Thursday’s match, the Swiss strategised very well against the Bajans and won by two goals after coming back strongly.”
Dickson also gave a passing grade to the just concluded season during which teams from across the globe travelled to Barbados all in the name of polo.
“We had a great season at Apes Hill and also at Holders,” Dickson said.”
“We had some Canadians from the Toronto Polo Club that have bought properties on the island on the back of polo and they are investing in the island through polo which has really taken off since COVID-19.”
“We had a team from Denmark at Apes Hill in January followed by a team from USA, another team from Cheshire, England and then Wascosa Switzerland in this last tour. It’s been a great season and we are lucky to have people in. Additionally, we have a polo school, Apes Hill Polo Club, and our school has never been busier. We have lessons six days a week and new players have come in and started to play. We also had repeat guests come back to us so really polo is a very attractive sport that we at Apes Hill try to expose and market on behalf of Barbados sports.”
