Late January is usually the moment polo fans look towards the Engadine, where the Snow Polo World Cup is played on the frozen lake at St. Moritz. This year the lake stays quiet. The organisers announced back in early October 2020 that the 2021 tournament would be postponed by a full year, with the new dates set for 28 to 30 January 2022.
Why the organisers moved it
The reasoning was practical. Entry restrictions and quarantine rules were changing so often that planning an international event, with teams, ponies, grooms and guests travelling in from several countries, was becoming difficult or even impossible. The organisers said they had a responsibility towards visitors, partners, players, staff and helpers, and chose to take the decision early rather than cancel at the last minute.
What happens to tickets
People who had already bought VIP tickets were told they would either be refunded or could carry them over to the 2022 edition. Tournament founder and organiser Reto Gaudenzi also made clear that he saw no threat to the future of the event itself, only a pause.
A knock-on for the lake
The polo is not the only event that shares the lake. The White Turf horse racing meeting was also moved a year, to 6, 13 and 20 February 2022. The St. Moritz Racing Association shares the cost of building the tent city on the ice with the polo, so once the polo was postponed, the racing could not go ahead on its own.
What it means for the winter calendar
For those of us who follow the sport from London, the Alpine winter fixtures are always a highlight, a reminder that polo is a sport that adapts to almost any surface. With snow polo off the calendar, attention turns to the sun-soaked winter circuits instead, from Wellington in Florida to Dubai, where polo is continuing in the new year.
It is a disappointment, but a sensible one. A one-year delay keeps the event intact, protects the guests and the horses, and gives everyone a fixed date in the diary to work towards. We will be watching for news from St. Moritz as 2022 approaches.
Sources: Südostschweiz, Thoroughbred Daily News
