Two squads of teenagers from England and France faced off on a Tianjin polofield last weekend. Mike Peters and Zhang Tao galloped along for the ride.
China's monarchy has been gone for a century, but the sport of kings took Tianjin by storm last weekend as the Metropolitan Polo Club hosted the first international under-18 game played in China. The Goldin Gold Cup 2011 actually began a day earlier, when two teams of professionals - Le Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly and Hong Kong Goldin-slogged it out on a slow field still waterlogged after a storm.
But the weather turned glorious, and by Sunday the teams of Young England and Young France were savoring a bright blue sky and fast, dry turf. That fed the competitive spirit of the teenagers who galloped under their nations' colors, and they battled for four chukkas, or periods, to a 7-3 win for the Brits.
"This is not a sport just for the riders - it's a social event," says Harvey Lee, Goldin's freshly recruited vice-chairman who presented the trophy to the winning English riders and consolation awards to their good-natured French opponents. Besides hosting its third Goldin Cup on the weekend, the club formally opened a luxury hotel with seven restaurants and seven bars and clubs. "And we just bought two wineries in Napa Valley," says Lee. "So your looking at a lifestyle concept: Food, wine, entertainment, sports - all in one package here in China."
Lee has high hopes for polo, eager for the day "down the road" when his club might host a top, internationally sanctioned tournament - with a national Chinese team to vie for the winner's cup.
This month the club is beginning a residential summer camp for regional teens, who will learn stable management, horse care, basic riding skills and how to handle a mallet.
Sunday's under-18 contest was a high-profile way to demystify polo, says Lee.
The captain of the Young England squad, Britain's William Batchelor couldn't agree more.
"We're here to show Chinese people that this isn't a game just for kings or old, rich guys," he says.
