The Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic dream has become a wonderful reality and its organisational mechanisms have been working full steam ahead for some time.

There is also another ‘Five Rings’ project that has the outlines of a dream and has the entire equestrian world holding its breath, that of seeing snow polo added to the list of demonstration sports at the next Winter Games.

The proposal initiated by the Italian Equestrian Sports Federation (FISE), was presented three years ago at the General Assembly of the Federation of International Polo (FIP), which welcomed it with great enthusiasm.

In 2018, the then president of the FIP, Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers, and FIP Vice President Piero Dillier, accompanied by FISE’s Secretary General Simone Perillo and the Head of FISE’s Polo Department Alessandro Giachetti, presented the project in St. Moritz during the prestigious snow polo tournament. 

Snow polo is now included in the group of sports under consideration for being included in the 2026 Olympic programme.

The FIP’s current president, Argentina’s Horacio Areco, and FIP CEO Alex Taylor, have started intense talks with the IOC (International Olympic Committee), CONI (Italian National Olympic Committee), and the Milan-Cortina 2026 Organising Committee aimed at increasing even more the amazing excitement the Winter Games offer by including an equestrian sport.

A decision is awaited with great trepidation because it would return to the Olympics the game of polo, absent since the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games and would add further prestige to Cortina’s sporting excellence. 

So fingers crossed…

The Pearl of the Dolomites has a wonderful snow polo tradition that, together with St. Moritz, has confirmed the location as a real global icon of the spectacular sport. This is yet another good reason for keeping the Olympic dream alive and well-fuelled.

VIDEO CREDIT: Renato de Angelis.