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Polo in the park: An event at Dallas Burston Polo Club
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Highlights from the year in the West Midlands
The changing face of polo By John Lamb
You can be forgiven for thinking the business world of Greater Birmingham has little affinity with the sport of polo. But if you visit Dallas Burston
Polo Club, members of this Chamber, you will quickly have those ideas dispelled, especially when you meet the Major. Yes, the Major. And don’t be
fooled into believing he is your archetypical Major. Far from it. His boss, none other than Dallas Burston, insists that in the business he is not known by his real name of Richard Carney. Richard is a retired Major from
the Household Cavalry who served in several war zones, including Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. He is now managing director of
Dallas Burton Polo Club, near Southam in Warwickshire, which, again, holds a few surprises, rather like the man who owns the place. Dallas Burston, a passionate polo
fan, may sound like a Texan rancher but he was born in Scotland and is British through and through – one of the reasons why the 650-acre polo club site is adorned with great banks of Union Jacks flying over the perimeter fences. When Dr Burston, a former GP
who made his fortune out of pharmaceuticals, met Richard and offered the job of establishing the polo club, he insisted he was known as the Major. “He made it a condition of my
employment,” said the Major. They are overseeing a £122m, 12-
year investment plan on the Stoneythorpe estate and the first phase, now completed, is expected to become a major tourist attraction. Dr Burston made his fortune by building up and selling
“The Major”: Richard Carney at the club.
pharmaceutical operations. He sold two companies in 1999, netting more than £50m. He then sold Northampton-based Bartholomew- Rhodes for £19.8 m and his 51 per cent stake in Ashbourne Pharmaceuticals for £32m. Richard is a Brummie, born in
Northfield, and after leaving school with two CSEs he launched a career in the Army and became a Major in the Household Cavalry. He was awarded an MBE in 2006. The club at Southam includes a
pavilion, a Champagne bar, a royal suite, an all-weather equestrian arena and a 3,000-seat events centre. In an age when many pubs are
closing, the polo club has established its own thatched hostelry, the Millstone Hare, with traditional food, like sausage and mash. The name was agreed after a
broken millstone was discovered during the development and was incorporated into the building. The £1.5m building is state-of-
the-art but most of the materials have been recycled and much of the work, like thatching and roof tiling, has been carried out in traditional ways.
Passionate about polo: Dr Dallas Burston (left)
Many of the materials, including
interior wood and metal fittings has been sourced locally and even carpet rods were manufactured especially in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter by Firmin’s, who specialise in manufacturing military insignia. Said the Major: “We’re very proud
of opening our own pub in an area where many are closing. We have created a cosy local and kept our prices at a realistic level. “It marks completion of the first
phase of our ambitious plans to invest £122m in developing the 600-acre site over a 12-year period. Our plans also include an exclusive hotel with more than 100 bedrooms.” The Major is determined to
change the image of polo through the club in case you think of it as a Jilly Cooper-esque venue, attended by swish society, including the royals. “Anyone who has never ridden a
horse can come here and give polo a try. With a minimum of instruction anyone can do it and the horses are extremely intelligent and know what to do.” That might be just as well for we townies who might fancy a chukka…
• Across the West Midlands we have worked with 2,334 homeless people & delivered 40 different subjects.
• Our members have obtained 966 qualifications; 38% of these were obtained in the Basic Skills courses where we deliver Maths, English, ESOL and IT.
This year in the West Midlands:
143 people found a job
121 people improved their mental health & wellbeing
110 people found a home
216 people were given a warm welcome at Christmas
1014 people took part in a learning activity
433 people gained a qualification
Uzma Shaheen Regional Fundraising Manager – West Midlands
uzma.shaheen@
crisis.org.uk
February 2018 CHAMBERLINK 17
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