A second edition of the Sainte Mesme Polo Challenge is due to be played this summer, encouraged by the successful edition held in 2017. The tournament sees teams between 8-10 goals compete from July 3 – 8 at Sainte Mesme, just forty minutes from the center of Paris. The 2017 title went to La Pommeray (Derek Smith, Ernesto Trotz, Facundo F. Llorente, Jr .Smith), after their defeat of Real Club de Polo Xerez.

Sainte Mesme, one of the leading French polo organisations, boast a world class infrastructure, but this particular challenge focuses on activities both on and off the polo field. Among the planned activities, Sainte Mesme will host a polo clinic on Friday, July 6 and Saturday, July 7, lead by profesor Eduardo Amaya. An awesome end of tournament party will also be held on that Saturday.

Sainte Mesme stands out because of its polo tradition and it proximity to the City of Lights, but also because of the following:
-Nearby tourist attractions, like Chateau de Versailles, Cathedrale de Chartres, Chateau de Courson and Chateau de Dampierre, to name a few.
-Flea markets and antique fairs in nearby towns.
-Attractions for kids, like Euro Disney, Parc Astérix and the Thoiry Zoo.
-Sports: Golf at Rochefort; hikes and cycling opportunities, and riding at ‘Parc Naturel Regional de la Haute Vallee de Chevreuse’.

“The tournament was a lot of fun last year,” shares Facundo Fernández Llorente, winner of the 2017 edition. “A lot of local teams played, and there was also a Spanish team composed of five players who took turns playing. The tournament has a great atmosphere, and the field was great. I want to congratulate the Strom and Zavaleta family for the organisation; not only was there polo, but they also organised asados and a great party at the end of it. I had a fantastic time, and I hope to get the chance to play again.”

“It’s competitive, well organised, and overall, a lot of fun,” tell last year’s finalists Real Club de Polo Xerez. “We have been friend’s with Robert [Strom] for a long time, since he started playing in Spain, and we have also had a good relationship with Clemente [Zavaleta] for many years. In fact, most of us have shared a team with the Stroms and Zavaletas before. The place is amazing, and so is the atmosphere. The family work hard to make sure that we all have a great time. And we are just half and hour outside Paris! The idea of the tournament is to take polo back to what it was like before, and they have done that, creating a space for competitive polo that is based around family and friends. There is so much on offer during the tournament: dinners, asados, parties! We will definitely go back.”

For more information and to register for the tournament, please contact:
clementezn@msn.com