The Meier brothers at last! Laplacette sweeps the honours in Gstaad

23 Aug 2026

It took four finals for the Meier brothers to finally lift the giant watch, the trophy of the Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad. Playing under the colours of Albinati Aeronautics, the two Swiss players defeated Kielder Agro Group (8–7) at the end of a final that remained undecided for much of the match. Alongside them, Adrian Laplacette did even more than win: Best Professional Player, leading scorer of the tournament and rider of the Best Playing Pony, the Argentine almost swept the board.

Good things come to those who wait: after four finals, brothers Fabio and Luca Meier can finally celebrate victory alongside Adrian Laplacette and Facundo Retamar, winners of the 2026 Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad with Albinati Aeronautics. © Der Rote Drache/ Kathrin Gralla

Il était temps !

C’est ce qu’en substance clamaient les frères Meier et Adrian Laplacette au terme d’une finale à l’image de l’ensemble du tournoi : disputée de bout en bout. Après deux demi-finales décidées samedi par un seul goal, dont l’une en prolongation, difficile d’imaginer que cette finale puisse échapper à la règle. Et elle n’y a pas échappé.

Albinati Aeronautics et Kielder Agro Group se sont longtemps neutralisés. 2-2 après le premier chukker, 3-3 à la mi-temps : personne ne parvenait réellement à prendre l’ascendant. Il fallut attendre la fin de la troisième période pour voir Albinati trouver l’ouverture et créer le premier véritable écart de la rencontre (6-4).

Kielder n’avait évidemment pas encore joué ses dernières cartes. Emmenés par un Juan Pepa très actif, dont les longues frappes depuis le milieu du terrain mettaient régulièrement la défense adverse sous pression, les vainqueurs de la demi-finale en mort subite revenaient encore menacer Albinati dans l’ultime période. Mais, cette fois, les hommes de Fabio et Luca Meier ne lâchaient plus leur avantage et conservaient jusqu’au bout ce petit goal qui vaut une Gold Cup : 8-7.

Une victoire qui récompense aussi la patience. Pour Adrian Laplacette, il s’agissait de sa troisième participation à Gstaad. L’Argentin avait déjà connu le goût amer d’une finale perdue ici il y a deux ans. Quant aux Meier, ils couraient après ce trophée depuis encore plus longtemps : « J’avais vraiment très envie de le gagner. Pour ma part, c’était la troisième fois que je jouais ici et j’avais déjà perdu une finale il y a deux ans. Alors réussir enfin à gagner, c’est incroyable. Et puis les gars avaient déjà disputé quatre finales : à la quatrième, c’est enfin passé ! Cela montre qu’il faut insister, continuer. » Une philosophie qui rappelle le célèbre adage attribué à Guillaume le Taciturne : « Il n’est pas besoin d’espérer pour entreprendre, ni de réussir pour persévérer. » Cette fois, la persévérance a payé.

About time!

That was essentially the feeling shared by the Meier brothers and Adrian Laplacette at the end of a final that reflected the tournament as a whole: fiercely contested from start to finish. After Saturday’s two semi-finals had both been decided by a single goal, one of them in overtime, it was difficult to imagine the final being any different. And it wasn’t.

Albinati Aeronautics and Kielder Agro Group remained locked together for much of the match. It was 2–2 after the first chukker and 3–3 at half-time, with neither side able to gain a real advantage. It was not until the end of the third period that Albinati finally found an opening and established the first significant gap of the match (6–4).

Kielder, of course, had not said their last word. Led by a very active Juan Pepa, whose long-range hitting from midfield regularly put the opposing defence under pressure, Saturday’s golden-goal semi-final winners came back to threaten Albinati once again in the final period. But this time Fabio and Luca Meier’s team held onto their advantage, preserving until the final whistle the slender one-goal margin worth a Gold Cup: 8–7.

It was also a victory that rewarded perseverance. For Adrian Laplacette, this was his third appearance in Gstaad. The Argentine had already experienced the bitter taste of losing a final here two years ago. The Meiers had been chasing this trophy for even longer.

“I really wanted to win it. For me, it was my third time playing here and I had already lost a final two years ago. So to finally win it is incredible. And the guys had already played four finals: at the fourth attempt, they finally did it! It shows that you have to keep trying, keep going.”

A philosophy reminiscent of the famous maxim attributed to William the Silent: “It is not necessary to hope in order to undertake, nor to succeed in order to persevere.” This time, perseverance paid off.

Finally the Gold Cup… and almost everything else

And as this was very much Adrian Laplacette’s day, the individual honours were added to the trophy. The Argentine was named Best Professional Player of the tournament, while Ombucito El Padrino, whom he rode in the second half of the third chukker of the final, received the Best Playing Pony award as the outstanding horse of the final.

With 17 goals over the course of the tournament, Laplacette also finished as the leading scorer of this edition, ahead of Gonzalito Pieres with 16. A statistic that sums up his influence throughout the week and adds even greater significance to his first victory in Gstaad.

On the other side, Juan Pepa did not leave empty-handed. Outstanding throughout the tournament, particularly for his defensive work and long clearances from the back position, the Kielder Agro Group captain was named Best Amateur Player.

Pieres salvages third place

A few hours earlier, Gonzalito Pieres had ended his first appearance in Gstaad with a victory. Beaten by the narrowest of margins in Saturday’s semi-final by eventual winners Albinati after a remarkable 11–10 battle, the three-time Argentine Open winner led Hublot to third place with a 7–5 victory over Gstaad Palace.

Trailing 2–1 after the first chukker, Hublot gradually took control, moving 4–3 and then 6–4 ahead before maintaining their two-goal advantage until the final whistle. Once again, Pieres was the driving force behind his team, scoring five of Hublot’s seven goals, including one penalty.

Hublot thus repeated their opening-day victory over the same opponents and allowed their Argentine star to leave Gstaad on the podium. With 16 goals in three matches, Gonza more than lived up to expectations on his first appearance in the Saanenland.

A joy that says so much! At last! © Der Rote Drache/ Kathrin Gralla

Gstaad had even ordered the sunshine

The favourites fell, matches were decided by the finest of margins, the final by a single goal, and the identity of the tournament’s leading scorer remained undecided until the final day: the 2026 edition maintained the suspense right to the very end.

And around the cancha, the atmosphere matched the sporting spectacle. Bright sunshine, a large crowd and the green mountains of the Saanenland as a backdrop: after the concerns caused by occasionally capricious Alpine weather, tournament president Pierre Genecand could finally relax. The one major concern he had expressed before the event had disappeared when it mattered most.

And so the Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad 2026 comes to an end. Four days of sport, suspense, horses and encounters, with that special atmosphere that makes Gstaad a place people come to as much for the polo as for everything surrounding it.

The horses can now leave this unique cancha, set alongside Gstaad Airport. But the dates are already set for 19–22 August 2027, for an edition that is certain to be special: the 30th. Thirty editions of history — and already the promise of a new chapter waiting to be written.

STATISTICS

THIRD-PLACE PLAY-OFF

TEAM HUBLOT: Rupert KNAUF – GER, 0, Gonzalo PIERES – ARG, 7 (5 goals, including 1 penalty), Alfonso NERO – ARG, 1 and Bautista BEGUERIE – ARG, 6 (2 goals)

TEAM GSTAAD PALACE: Markus GRAEFF – CH, 0, Thommy GRAEFF – CH, 3 (2 goals), Santiago LOZA – ARG, 7 (3 goals, including 1 penalty) and Facundo KELLY – ARG, 4 (2 goals)

Score progression – Team Hublot: 1-2 / 4-3 / 6-4 / 7-5

FINAL

TEAM ALBINATI AERONAUTICS: Luca MEIER – CH, 1 (1 goal), Fabio MEIER – CH, 1 (1 goal), Adrian LAPLACETTE – ARG, 6 (5 goals, including 2 penalties) and Facundo RETAMAR – ARG, 6 (3 goals)

TEAM KIELDER AGRO GROUP: Juan PEPA – IT, 2 (1 goal), Antonio MANZANO – ARG, 0, Manuel FERNANDEZ LLORENTE – ARG, 6 (3 goals) and Horacio FERNANDEZ LLORENTE – ARG, 6 (3 goals)

Score progression – Albinati Aeronautics: 2-2 / 3-3 / 6-4 / 8-7

MVP AMATEUR : Juan Pepa

MVP PROFESSIONAL: Adrian Laplacette

BEST PLAYING PONY: Ombucito El Padrino – bay gelding, born 18 October 2015, bred by El Ombucito S.A. – Sire: Final Meeting; Dam: Ombucito Pasajera – played by Adrian Laplacette in the second half of the third chukker.

Two one-goal semi-finals set up an unpredictable Gstaad final

22 Aug 2026

Two semi-finals, two matches decided by a single goal and a final few would have dared to predict. Albinati Aeronautics first brought down Hublot and its star Gonzalo Pieres after a thrilling encounter (11–10), before Kielder Agro Group knocked out defending champions Gstaad Palace with a golden goal (6–5). Under returning sunshine and in front of a large crowd, Saturday confirmed one thing: rarely has the Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad featured four teams so evenly matched.

Adrian Laplacette, who scored six goals, played a major role in securing Albinati Aeronautics’ place in the final. © Pascal Renauldon – R&B Presse

Albinati bring down Hublot and Pieres in a thriller

It took strong nerves to claim the first ticket to the final of the Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad. At the end of a spectacular semi-final packed with goals and dramatic swings in momentum, Albinati Aeronautics caused the upset by defeating Hublot and Gonzalo Pieres Jr. 11–10.

The two teams initially traded blows (3–3), before Hublot appeared to take control in the second chukker, moving 6–4 ahead. But nothing in this match was settled for long. Four goals in the third period completely turned the situation around, allowing Albinati to enter the final chukker with a one-goal advantage (8–7).

The last period produced a superb mano a mano. With Hublot having drawn level, Adrian Laplacette struck a golazo to put Albinati back in front. Bautista Beguerie responded almost immediately with an equally spectacular goal: 10–10 with less than two minutes remaining. Facundo Retamar then delivered the decisive blow, scoring the goal that sent Albinati into the final.

Gonzalito Pieres certainly did not disappoint. The three-time Argentine Open winner scored seven of Hublot’s ten goals and imposed all his talent on the match. But Albinati countered with a collective effort that Fabio Meier believes ultimately made the difference: “Their team is very, very strong. We were behind, then ahead, then behind again… But in the end, we all worked together. I think that’s what made the difference.”

The Swiss player was equally generous in his praise of the man Albinati had just eliminated: “Gonza is one of the best players in the world. It was very difficult to play against him. But we are four, not just one player. We all fought together, and I think that’s where we made the difference.”

For Fabio Meier, tomorrow’s final will carry particular significance. A familiar face at Gstaad, he is still chasing his first victory here: “We’ve been coming here for many years now and have never managed to win the trophy. But I think this year… this is the one!”

The only question left was who Albinati would face on Sunday.

Manuel Fernandez Llorente celebrates after scoring the golden goal that sent Kielder Agro Group into the final. © Pascal Renauldon – R&B Presse

Kielder hold their nerve

After the 21 goals and multiple twists of the first semi-final, Kielder Agro Group and Gstaad Palace found another way to extend both the suspense and the pleasure: they needed a fifth chukker, the suplementario, and a golden goal to separate them.

Gstaad Palace made the better start (2–1), before Kielder gradually worked their way back into the match and appeared to take a significant step towards the final when they opened the first two-goal gap of the game in the third chukker (5–3).

But Gstaad Palace had no intention of surrendering their crown without a fight. After closing the gap to 5–4, they eventually drew level through Santiago Loza, who scored three goals in the match.

The Argentine even had victory at the end of his mallet in the closing minutes: a 60-yard penalty that could have sent Gstaad Palace straight into the final. But his shot flew wide to the right. With the score tied 5–5 after four chukkers, the match went into overtime and the unforgiving rule of the golden goal: first to score wins.

The fifth period proved every bit as fiercely contested as the previous four. The umpire’s whistle was kept busy until Kielder were awarded a 30-yard penalty. Manuel Fernandez Llorente held his nerve, sending the ball between the posts and sparking celebrations throughout the Pepa camp. With four goals, including two penalties, the Argentine finished as his team’s leading scorer, while his brother Horacio contributed the other two.

Juan Pepa also played a major role in the victory, albeit in a very different way. Playing at back, the Kielder captain produced a series of defensive interventions and long clearances that proved invaluable whenever Gstaad Palace applied the most pressure.

Horacio Fernandez Llorente, scorer of two goals, did not look for any complicated explanation for the victory: “I suffered! It was an incredible match, very difficult, on a challenging field after yesterday’s rain. At this level there was practically nothing between the two teams. We simply had a little more luck, and today that made all the difference.”

A final impossible to predict

Gonzalo Pieres is out. The defending champions are out. And after two semi-finals decided by a single goal, one of them in overtime, it would be a brave person who tried to pick a favourite for Sunday’s final between Albinati Aeronautics and Kielder Agro Group.

That uncertainty perhaps sums up the 2026 edition perfectly: four remarkably evenly matched teams and games capable of turning on a golazo, a converted or missed penalty : sometimes on a matter of centimetres.

Gstaad 2026 can already be called a great vintage: sunshine – with more forecast for tomorrow – a large crowd, a wonderful atmosphere and the mountains as a backdrop. After Friday’s weather caprices, even the Alpine skies chose their side on Saturday: the side of the party.

All that remains is to discover which quartet will have luck on their side on Sunday and leave Gstaad with the trophy… and a Hublot on each player’s wrist.

PROGRAM

1:30 p.m.: Team Hublot vs. Team Gstaad Palace
3:00 p.m. – Final: Team Kielder Agro Group vs. Team Kielder Agro Group

STATISTIQUES

Semifinal 1

TEAM HUBLOT
Rupert KNAUF – GER, 0; Gonzalo PIERES – ARG, 7 (7 goals, including 5 penalty shots); Alfonso NERO – ARG, 1 (1 goal); and Bautista BEGUERIE – ARG, 6 (2 goals, including 1 penalty shot)

TEAM ALBINATI AERONAUTICS
Luca MEIER – CH, 1 (1 goal), Fabio MEIER – CH, 1 (1 goal), Adrian LAPLACETTE – ARG, 6 (6 goals, including 3 penalty shots), and Facundo RETAMAR – ARG, 6 (3 goals)

Albinati Aeronautics’ Record: 3/3 – 6/4 – 7/8 – 10/11

Semifinal 2

TEAM KIELDER AGRO GROUP
Juan PEPA – IT, 2, Antonio MANZANO – ARG, 0, Manuel FERNANDEZ LLORENTE – ARG, 6 (4 goals, including 2 penalty shots), and Horacio FERNANDEZ LLORENTE – ARG, 6 (2 goals)

TEAM GSTAAD PALACE
Markus GRAEFF – CH, 0, Thommy GRAEFF – CH, 3 (2 goals), Santiago LOZA – ARG, 7 (3 goals), and Facundo KELLY – ARG, 4

Kielder Agro Group’s progress: 1/2 – 2/3 – 5/4 – 5/5 – 6/5 (golden goal)

In Gstaad, Polo Is Seeing Green!

20 Aug 2026

After a scorching summer, what a pleasure to rediscover green fields and fresh mountain air! The Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad got under way on Thursday in its spectacular Alpine setting, with Kielder Agro Group claiming the opening win over Albinati Aeronautics (11–8). Then, on his Gstaad debut, Gonzalito Pieres lived up to expectations, leading Hublot to victory over defending champions Gstaad Palace (8–5).

One hundred and twenty horses, sixteen players, four teams and, all around them, the mountains of the Saanenland. After weeks of playing on grounds often scorched yellow by an exceptionally hot and dry summer, the European polo community has found a welcome change of scenery. In Gstaad, the horses are back on lush green grass, the players are enjoying cooler air, while their families have the lakes and long walks in the Alps.

On the field, however, this is no holiday. In the opening match, Albinati Aeronautics caught Kielder Agro Group cold, taking a 3–1 lead after the first chukker. Kielder’s response was immediate: four goals in the second period put them 5–4 ahead at half-time. The margin remained narrow after the third chukker (7–6), before Juan Pepa and his teammates finally pulled clear in the last to seal an 11–8 victory.

Manuel Fernandez Llorente played a major role in the comeback, scoring six goals. But his Argentine counterpart Adrian Laplacette almost matched him shot for shot, also scoring six for Albinati. Between them, the two 6-goalers accounted for twelve of the nineteen goals scored in the opening match.

After the Battle, the Asado

Juan Pepa (Kielder Agro Group), victorious in his debut at Gstaad: polo among friends, but with victory as the goal. © Kathrin Gralla – Der Rote Drache

Ask Juan Pepa to analyse the match, however, and the Kielder captain would rather smile.

“I can’t talk about tactics, I have no clue! What I can say is that the Meier brothers are wonderful people and very good friends. And for me, being able to play alongside my brother-in-law Antonio makes it a family affair. We were both just happy to be here.”

Antonio Manzano plays alongside Juan Pepa for Kielder, while Luca and Fabio Meier wear the colours of Albinati. Friends before they are opponents, they will all be back together just a few hours after battling it out on the field.

“I don’t know who deserved to win today or what exactly allowed us to win, but tonight we’re all going to share a beautiful asado together. That’s the atmosphere Pierre wants us to have here.”

Perhaps that says more about Gstaad than any long explanation could. The polo is played at a high level and everyone wants to win, but the tournament is also a late-summer interlude where players, families and friends spend a few days together in an extraordinary environment.

For Juan Pepa, it has even become a family tradition: “We come with the whole family. My wife Juana and I have two young children. We spend part of the summer in the south of France and, before the kids go back to school and I go back to the office to make some money, we love coming here for a week: the mountains, the green, the lakes, the long walks…and being around beautiful people.”

Gonzalito Pieres Quickly Finds His Feet

Debut in Gstaad and first victory for Gonzalo “Gonza” Pieres Jr., who scored five goals and put on a display of top-notch skill while playing for Hublot. © Pascal Renauldon – R&B Presse

Before sitting down to that much anticipated asado, however, there was still a second match to play. And not just any match: it marked the first appearance of the headline player of this year’s tournament, three-time Argentine Open winner Gonzalo Pieres Jr.

And “Gonza” did not disappoint. He scored five of Hublot’s eight goals, including two genuine golazos – one struck from almost midfield – as the Argentine played a major part in his team’s 8–5 victory over defending champions Gstaad Palace.

Hublot made a flying start to lead 3–0, only for Gstaad Palace to fight their way back to 5–5 at half-time. Pieres and his teammates then regained control and never relinquished it, giving the Argentine champion a winning start on his Gstaad debut.

For his first appearance here, the elder of the Pieres brothers had made sure he arrived well equipped: “I decided to come here with my best horses from England. I think I made the right choice, don’t you?”

And Gstaad itself already seems to have won him over: “A lot of great players have played this Gold Cup before me. I’d never had the opportunity to come to Gstaad, so I’m very happy to finally be here. My brother told me what a great time he had here last year, and now here I am! After such a dry summer, especially in Spain, it’s quite impressive to arrive here and see so much green. The air is good, the weather is nice… it makes you want to do things. It’s really exciting to be here.”

On Saturday, however, it will be back to business.

“Against Albinati, we’ll be facing some very good players. We need to focus on ourselves and play good polo. If we do that, we’ll have a chance.”

The public had already turned out in good numbers around the polo ground at Saanen Airport for Thursday’s opening day. Between top-level polo, reunions, families, and fresh mountain air, Gstaad immediately rediscovered the atmosphere that sets this tournament apart: on the field, everyone comes to win; beyond it, they also come to enjoy a week unlike any other.

After Friday’s team parade through the streets of Gstaad, competition resumes on Saturday, with Sunday’s final already firmly in everyone’s sights.

STATISTICS

TEAM KIELDER AGRO GROUP

Juan PEPA – IT, 2 (2 goals), Antonio MANZANO – ARG, 0 (1 goal), Manuel FERNANDEZ LLORENTE – ARG, 6 (6 goals) et Horacio FERNANDEZ LLORENTE – ARG, 6 (2 goals)

TEAM ALBINATI AERONAUTICS

Luca MEIER – CH, 1, Fabio MEIER – CH, 1 (1 goal), Adrian LAPLACETTE – ARG, 6 (6 goals) et Facundo RETAMAR – ARG, 6 (1 goal)

Progression Kielder : 1/3 – 5/4 – 7/6 et 11/8

TEAM HUBLOT

Rupert KNAUF – GER, 0, Gonzalo PIERES – ARG, 7 ( goals), Alfonso NERO – ARG, 1 (1 goal) et Bautista BEGUERIE – ARG, 6 (2 goals)

TEAM GSTAAD PALACE

Markus GRAEFF – CH, 0, Thommy GRAEFF – CH, 3 (1 goal), Santiago LOZA – ARG, 7 (1 goal) et Facundo KELLY – ARG, 4 (3 goals)

Progression Hublot : 3/0 – 5/5 – 7/5 et 8/5

For Four Days, Gstaad Breaks into a Gallop

12 Aug 2026

From 20 to 23 August, polo takes over the Saanenland for one of the most distinctive events of the Swiss summer, and of the international polo calendar. Great players, horses, elegance and a certain art of living come together against a backdrop that could have been lifted straight from a postcard. Exactly one week from now, the Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad gets under way. Everything is ready for the first throw-in*, on Thursday at 1.30 pm.

Four days of top-level polo, August 20–23, in one of the most spectacular settings on the international circuit. © Dylan Jason

Most sports seem made for stadiums, and stadiums were built for sport. Polo is different. Born around 600 BC on the great plains of Asia, it has always needed space: a polo field can cover the equivalent of up to five football pitches. And somehow, the game takes on another dimension when played amid an extraordinary landscape.

In Gstaad, nature provides one of polo’s most spectacular stages. Wooden chalets overflowing with flowers, almost impossibly green meadows and mountain peaks rising in the background: just minutes from the famous resort, the Saanenland could be the setting for a chic, contemporary version of Heidi. It is here, on a polo field laid out alongside the runway at Gstaad Airport, that horses will take over from 20 to 23 August for four days of top-level polo.

The contrast has long been part of the event’s charm. For a few days, Gstaad – one of the Alps’ most exclusive resorts – gives way to horses, mallets and polo boots. Just a few kilometres from its grand hotels, luxury boutiques and picturesque streets, where the teams will parade on Friday (August 21 at 4:00 p.m.), polo is played here surrounded by mountains, in an atmosphere that manages to be both elegant and remarkably relaxed.

A cinematic backdrop

The landscape has already enjoyed a screen career of its own. In Saanen, the small stone bridge crossed on the way to the polo ground was made famous by Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, the hugely popular Indian cinema classic starring Bollywood icons Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. More than thirty years after the film’s release, fans still come to see it.

Perhaps a small detail, but one that says a great deal about the magnetic appeal of this valley: in the Saanenland, even a simple stone bridge can become an icon.

For four days, another scene will unfold just a few hundred metres away. Four 14-goal teams, 120 horses, sixteen players from Argentina, Switzerland and beyond, and among them one of the defining figures of contemporary polo: Gonzalo Pieres Jr.

Still one of polo’s biggest stars

A three-time Argentine Open winner and a finalist at Palermo again last December, the former 10-goaler, the highest possible rating in polo. Gstaad, however, will be a first.

His record gives some idea of the calibre of player making his debut in the Swiss Alps: 21 victories across the three tournaments of the Argentine Triple Crown and 34 major titles won in Argentina, the United States, France and England.

“It will be my first time playing in Gstaad and I’m really looking forward to discovering it. We have a very competitive team and the goal is clear: to win.”

And he is not coming to Switzerland simply to admire the mountains. At 43, “Gonza” Pieres remains as ambitious as ever. After Gstaad, he will reunite with his brother Facundo and cousins Antonio and Cruz Heguy for another assault on Palermo. A finalist last year, he makes no secret of the goal:

“We want to win the Argentine Open. That would be another dream come true.”

The luxury of keeping things simple

Perhaps this is where Gstaad best expresses its difference. The tournament attracts champions, international partners and guests from around the world. While all 1,342 VIP hospitality places have long been booked, admission for the general public remains free. Anyone can come and watch some of the world’s finest players, grab lunch from the food trucks, wander among the stands or enjoy the children’s activities, without buying a ticket.

It is a blend of exclusivity and simplicity that polo, the oldest team sport in the world, perhaps manages better than any other. Around the field, petiseros – the devoted horsemen who care for the ponies, many from gaucho families – mingle naturally with great players, many of whom also breed their own horses; team captains with captains of industry; regular guests of Gstaad’s grand hotels with the occasional celebrity; and families who have simply come along to enjoy the spectacle.

These are worlds that rarely meet elsewhere. Here, polo brings them together around one shared passion: the horse.

For twenty-one years, Pierre Genecand has presided over this unusual machinery. A former president of the CHI Geneva, a show jumper for forty years and, at 76, still a polo player whenever he is in Argentina, his second equestrian passion led him to take charge of the Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad with the same energy that helped establish Geneva as one of the world’s leading riders’ favourite indoor shows.

Behind the event’s highly polished image lies a surprisingly small-scale organisation: the committee numbers just thirteen people, many of them local residents.

One week before the first throw-in, everything is ready. Only the unpredictable Alpine weather remains beyond anyone’s control. Pierre Genecand prefers to smile and repeat one of his favourite observations: “The mountains are beautiful in summer too.”

And from 20 to 23 August, they may look more beautiful still, enhanced by one of the finest spectacles horses can offer: polo in Gstaad.

* Throw-in: the start or restart of play in polo. The two teams line up opposite one another and the umpire bowls the ball down the channel between them.