Dallas Burston Polo Club making strides with polo popularity as attendance figures continue to soar

Posted on Friday, June 15, 2018 by Sasha Melia

The 2018 Polo season may have only just begun, but Dallas Burston Polo Club in Southam have hit the ground running, smashing an annual tournament attendance record they previously broke last year.

Approximately 700 people attended the recent Victor Ludorum tournament finals at the Stoneythorpe Estate, significantly surpassing the previous record of under 200 visitors.

Victor Ludorum, meaning ‘overall champion of sports’, is a prestigious tournament played internationally. Six teams battled it out for the Stoneythorpe Cup last month, Dallas Burston Polo Club’s first 6 goal tournament of the season, with Stoneyhill crowned champions after defeating CANI in an exciting final by 9 goals to 7.

Major Richard Carney MBE, who presented the prizes to the victors on the day, said, “Exciting matches like these are raising the popularity of polo all over the country. There was a time when we would see under 50 people attending such an event, but this year we have welcomed 700 guests plus a further 120 people to our annual opening season party. We look forward to welcoming even more visitors in the future”.

There are several reasons why polo is seeing a current rise in popularity. The number of polo related lifestyle magazines has increased in recent times and the trend of polo-esque clothing has remained fashionable in the UK; but much can be attributed to the likes of Dallas Burston Polo Club thinking outside the box and tapping into the public’s desire to try new experiences.

Historically considered something of a symbol of affluence, polo days and polo lessons have become more accessible to the public and have increased in number as awareness of the sport is raised. Many UK businesses for example, now regularly take advantage of team bonding days to enjoy club facilities and take taster polo lessons. New attractions in recent times at Dallas Burston Polo Club have included camel polo, fun-fairs and university polo tournaments.

Polo has a proud and traditional social and networking history, which remains enjoyed by many today, but at clubs like Dallas Burston Polo Club, membership is offered but not essential; everyone is welcome and lots of events taking place over the course of the season are offered free for the public to attend.

Picnicking around the pitches can be as affordable or luxurious as a visitor desires, with many attendees visiting the grounds simply to enjoy the stunning 600 acres of scenery and first-class facilities on offer. The Millstone Hare for example – a £2.4m Olde English styled pub with state-of-the-art facilities and incredible views over the grounds – allows people to watch polo on summer evenings whilst enjoying a luxurious meal at the same time.

The educational (and often humorous) commentary, the tension and action taking place on the pitch and the buzzing crowd atmosphere, all contributes to making new fans out of visitors to the estate and is frequently what sees them return again and again.

The multiple award winning Dallas Burston Polo Club, Pride of Stratford Business of the Year 2018, features Europe’s largest all-weather SuperArena® for equestrian events, six polo grounds, a colonial Clubhouse, wedding venues, the IXL Events Centre and The Millstone Hare Pub.

To keep informed of the latest events coming up at Dallas Burston Polo Club, visit www.dbpoloclub.com