Polo and Tango – Budapest Zeitung
This year, Christina and Uwe Zimmermann once again invited six international polo teams comprising players from ten countries to the highlights of the season at their polo club “La Estancia” in Itek.
Among them are famous “polo” faces such as the grandson of Patrick Hermès (yes, the owner of the cheap women’s handbags!), Lucien Guarende Hermès, who is competing with Maximilian and Philip Zimmermann as well as Davis Cooley for the “Polo” award. Defender Team (Wallis British Motors) got the start.
More than 500 invited guests
Polo was played to a high standard for three days in glorious midsummer weather. With teams and players from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Argentina, Poland, England, USA, Germany, Egypt and Hungary, this polo tournament is the most international in the entire region. More than 500 invited guests attended Sunday’s finals at the well-kept “La Estancia” polo facility in the wine village of Etyek outside Budapest.
The physical well-being of the guests was well taken care of. The Budapest Marriott’s fantastic food and Fishmonger’s oyster and ceviche bar left nothing to be desired. There were also the best wines from New Zealand and Etyek, coffee specialties from Nespresso and of course cocktails from main sponsor Unicum-Riserva.
Beautifully and elegantly decorated tents from partners and sponsors such as Hublot, CallAjet, E.ON-Ganz KK and Dr. Hazi Kosmetik, Equilor, Nespresso and Fishmonger Budaörs all invited invited visitors to stay and try things. Famous companies such as Turkish Airlines, Iceberg, Gold Horse, FaceUp, Fab, Remand Magazine, Diplomacy & Trade, Via Wasser, Garay, Haraszthy and Renault Alpine have introduced their products and services.
The tournament opened on Friday with qualifying matches and a special dinner at the Rókusfalvy restaurant in Etyek. After Saturday’s matches, all the players went to Liz&Chain Skybar at the Budapest Marriott Hotel for a polo cocktail. The evening concluded with dinner on the terrace of DNB Restaurant overlooking the Danube River and Budapest Castle.
25 years since the founding of the Polo Club “La Estancia”.
On Sunday, the last day of the Reserva Polo Cup, the guests were welcomed by the mayor of Itek, Tamás Šoliomi, and the club president, Uwe Zimmermann. The club also celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary on this day. He can look back on a very successful development.
The sporting portion of the event began with a parade of all the polo players on horseback, surrounded by Defender (Land Rovers) vehicles. The well-known violinist György Lakatos sang the Hungarian national anthem in front of the audience, which included 19 accredited ambassadors to Hungary.
Fast-paced polo games, a traveling volunteer show by the young talents of Elika von Habsburg, and a brilliant tango performance provided variety and the best entertainment, and were conducted by Jochen Reisel from Austria with lots of humour, charm and of course experience. Ending with champagne from Kreinbacher and cocktails from the Riserva bar, guests had the best opportunities for small talk and networking.
A colorful mix of Hungarian and international guests, including famous celebrities such as actor Béla Erne, Michelin-starred chef Jenny Racz, bodybuilder Michael Wagner and many representatives of politics and business, ensure a great atmosphere.
As a highlight of Hungary’s social and events calendar, the Polo Cup will be held again next year.
More pictures in our gallery.
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