""The first rule of polo is to keep the line of the ball," Borwick explains, kicking off the first lesson of our two-hour snow polo clinic. Using a mallet to strike a red, balloon-like ball across the snow-topped field, he demonstrates how to hold the "right of way," an imaginary pathway a polo player establishes to avoid collision with opponents."
""The second rule of polo..." Borwick adds, with dramatic flourish. "Is to look good." It's a beautifully bright day, and the snow is almost blinding as we look ahead at the frost-kissed Swiss Alps. The first tournament of the 41st annual Snow Polo World Cup kicks off later today, and over 26,000 visitors are flooding into Swiss resort town-nearly all of whom are taking the second rule of polo to heart."
"The horses are the true stars of the Snow Polo World Cup, which is hosted in St. Moritz each January atop the lake's 22-inch-thick ice sheet. The remote alpine town is perched 1,768 feet above sea level in Engadin Valley, an isolated address that is both strikingly beautiful and inconveniently difficult to reach. Visitors can take a three-hour train from Zurich or Milan or brave the winding mountain passes by car."
Players teach fundamentals like keeping the line of the ball and the 'right of way' during snow polo clinics on Lake St. Moritz's frozen surface. The 41st Snow Polo World Cup attracts over 26,000 visitors who ascend to the 1,768-foot Engadin Valley resort for January matches on 22-inch-thick ice. Spectators dress in luxury winter fashions while thoroughbred ponies wear pregame jackets and fleece leg warmers. The event requires travel by long train rides or mountain roads, creating an exclusive atmosphere that blends sport, spectacle, and alpine scenery.
Read at Conde Nast Traveler
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