El Remanso

by Ben de Rivaz

Half term weekend in February 2010 and there was much at stake. We were still mired in the depths of the biggest fi nancial crisis since the Great Depression, and Met Offi ce fi gures were showing the coldest winter in 31 years. Jeremy Clarkson as ever managed to succinctly capture the 2010 Zeitgeist: “It’s a lovely idea, to get out of this stupid, Fairtrade, Brown-stained, Mandelson- skewed, equal-opportunities, multicultural, carbon-neutral, trendily left, regionally assembled, big-government, trilingual, mosque-drenched, all-the-pigs- are-equal, property-is-theft hell-hole and set up shop somewhere else. But where?”

Where indeed, a perennial question for most Ham members in the dark winter months. With a hopeless and unpopular government

overseeing a crashing economy and totally desperate for an easy, quick war to turn its fortunes around the fi rst place that sprang to this Englishman’s mind was Argentina.

As it happens chance played into our hands in the shape of a “trusted source” who was on hand as ever to guide us in the right direction. We were pointed towards El Remanso, a purpose built estancia situated near Lobos, and 50 minutes from Buenos Aires airport. The farm is owned by Christopher and Bridget Hanbury, names familiar to many of you as the former Chairman of the HPA and also the owners of Longdole Polo Club. The decision to go was swiftly made, thus negating the normally tortuous trawling through websites that typically characterises the booking process. In fact, my research into where we were going

had extended as far as wistfully glancing at the homepage photos from my rain sodden offi ce in Central London. It was with great excitement then that we rolled up the gravelled drive and had our fi rst view of the immaculate palm tree lined number one ground and the grand architectural style of the buildings. We were greeted on arrival by the ever resourceful Euan, a manager working for the Hanburys both in Argentina and the UK, who helped us with our bags to our rooms.

From the off it was clear that El Remanso was quite unlike anywhere else I had stayed. It was set up in 2004, so everything was purpose built with polo in mind. Our sticks, boots and helmets were quickly taken into a beautifully organised kit room, with individual spaces to hang mallets, stow our helmets, and store all of our belongings. The rooms were pristine with large comfortable beds, spacious bathrooms and, thank God! baths to soak in after a long days play. There are even tennis courts, a gym and a fi ve a side football pitch on the grounds for those feeling that 3 hours of polo isn’t a enough for them.

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T H E L O N D O N P O L O C L U B

We quickly settled into the rhythm of life at the estancia. The day started with a delicious breakfast of fruit juices, yoghurt, coffee and toast which was served from 8.00, when the helpful staff were ready to prepare eggs and bacon to order. The grooms, many of whom would be familiar faces to Ham players, were ready and waiting to help us onto our mounts at 10.00 for an hour and a half stick and ball. A few hours of relaxation by the pool was followed by lunch with the Hanburys in the shade of the pool house. A quick siesta, and then back on the horses at 17:00 for chukkas. After the gentle stick and ball of the mornings the pace of play – whilst tame by the standard I expect is usually seen at El Remanso was, for an out of practice amateur, frenetic. All of the polo was overseen by the relaxed and friendly Tito, El Remanso’s 5 goal polo manager. He was a great help in gently encouraging the

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