Located along the southwestern coast of South America, Chile is 2,700 miles of endless South Pacific beaches, forests, and lakes. But beyond the country’s Andean peaks and picturesque landscapes is a thriving polo community with a long history that began in the 19th century.
After Chile fell under the power of Napolean, Great Britain became increasingly involved in providing aid to Chile’s fight for independence. After Chile succeeded in securing its independence, many of the British naval officers who had traveled to Chile carried polo with them. They began practicing the sport among other British immigrants working in the gold and silver mines and the greater Chilean public. With the country’s pre-existing horse culture and ample space for play and development, Chile quickly became an epicenter for the global spread of polo.
Later, Chile’s proximity to Argentina would become essential to their international development, as Chile began to host tournaments where the best of Argentina and Britain’s polo players could compete and influence the development of the up and coming Chilean polo scene.
After establishing more than a dozen prestigious clubs across the country, Chile created an impressive team that began to secure historic victories for the country internationally.
International Polo
Chile has won the third most gold medals in the FIP World Polo Championship and has the third most total medals behind Brazil and Argentina. Chile first asserted themselves as a threat in the international polo competition in 1992 when they hosted the FIP World Polo Championship and finished in second place.
In the 2008 competition held in Mexico City, Chile secured their first gold medal in the competition defeating Brazil 11-9. They won another gold medal in the 2015 tournament, which was held in Chile and played against the United States team. The final match was incredibly close with Chile defeating the U.S. by a single goal with a final score of 12-11. In addition to these impressive first place finishes, Chile also finished in second place again in 2017. Beyond the FIP World Polo Championship, Chile has also won one of England’s most prestigious competitions, the Cartier International Polo Coronation Cup in 2004 and 2007.
The Cartier Coronation Cup is a historic polo tournament that was first played in 1911. After two postwar revivals, the cup has been played at the Hurlingham Polo Association’s International Day with the final match hosted at the historic Guards Polo Club. After battling for a spot in the final match in both 2004 and 2007, Chile faced the favored team from England. In two incredible final matches, Chile was able to defeat England 9-8 in 2007 and 10-8 in 2004. With these incredible performances, Chile has proven to be a formidable opponent on the polo field, and everyone is excited to see what they accomplish next.
Written in collaboration with Lily Brennan