South Africa squashes the England side at City A.M.’s Polo in the Park match
While many well-heeled workers fled the City in favour of the Investec Derby at Epsom this weekend, those who stayed in the capital didn't miss out on equestrian sport.
Thousands of horsey sorts flocked to Fulham on Friday to catch a spot of polo at Hurlingham Park.
International Friday at Chestertons Polo in the Park saw three high-octane matches kick off the action as six cities from around the globe began their quest for the coveted trophy.
Read more: The City prepares for a very horsey weekend
Polo in the Park was the only place to be seen in west London on Friday, and the city's socialites were out in force. Made in Chelsea's Spencer Matthews and Hugo Taylor joined model Kimberly Garner and Surrey cricketer Tom Curran at the Mahiki bar to cheer on the British side as South Africa and England went head-to-head in the City A.M. International Match.
The international game was played in a similar format to the rest of the tournament, where each team is made up of three players (rather than the usual four) and they change ends only once at half-time. The simplified City rules meant anyone could follow the match without knowing anything about polo.
Read more: England match kicks off Polo in the Park
An expert opening chukka from AwakeConBal Team South Africa gave them a lead that they would never relinquish. The ICM Capital-sponsored England team did their best to catch up, but Derreck Bratley’s South African side held on for an 8:6 victory to lift the heralded Olympic trophy.
South African team captain Derreck Bratley said: "We are ecstatic to win the City AM International match especially against a quality opposition like ICM Capital Team England, the atmosphere was unbelievable!".