High goal spectacle on the world's first snow polo field

Four teams with players from seven countries will compete in the St. Moritz Snow Polo World Cup from January 27 to 29, 2017. 12,000 visitors are once again expected to attend the games of the only high-goal polo tournament on snow. The host country is Azerbaijan, the motherland of polo sports. There are also three Swiss players.

Last year's winner Rommy Gianni (+1/ITA) has brought two more former tournament winners to his Cartier team with English superstar Chris Hyde (+6/ENG) and Dario Musso (+7/ARG). With Charlie Wooldridge (+2/ENG), another high-class veteran plays in Cartier red. The team is of course considered a favorite.

The sporting situation is still open, because the Cartier team learned painfully last year that the favorite role can also be a burden when Team Maserati secured the coveted Cartier Trophy.

The colors of the Maserati team this year are James Beh (+1/MAS) and his two sons Joevy (+4) and Garvy (+4), together with Felipe Viana (+6/URU). Although the Malaysians are in St. Moritz for the first time, they have gained experience on snow in Aspen.

The Badrutt's Palace Hotel team by Melissa Ganzi (+0/USA) should certainly also be considered. Ganzi lives in Florida in summer and Aspen (Colorado) in winter and has a lot of experience on snow. It performed well in the previous year. With Tito Gaudenzi (+2/SUI), she once again has the only local in her team, which is completed by the two world-class players Juan Bollini (+5/ARG) and Agustin Merlos (+9/ARG).

From a Swiss perspective, people are also excited about the Perrier-Jouët team's performance: The brothers Luca and Fabio Meier from the Zurich Polo Club (both +1) are competing together with Pablo Jaurenche (+7/ARG) and Fabion Bolaterio (+5/ARG). They are about to play the opening game against Team Cartier on Friday.

The world's first snow polo field

The St. Moritz Snow Polo World Cup is the only high-goal polo tournament on snow. It was founded in 1985 as the world's first snow polo tournament. The polo field on frozen Lake St. Moritz was therefore the first of its kind in the world. The top-class games of the St. Moritz Snow Polo World Cup attract up to 12,000 spectators every year.

But the St. Moritz Snow Polo World Cup is not just top-class: In the tent town on Lake St. Moritz and the hotels in the winter sports resort, guests from all over the world and locals meet. Every year, the polo weekend in January is considered one of the social highlights of the St. Moritz winter season.

Azerbaijan is the host country of the Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz in 2017. The country where polo began over 3,000 years ago has been running international tournaments since 2013 with St. Moritz's support. Last summer, St. Moritz and Badrutt's Palace Hotel were able to appear as tournament guests at the CBC Sport Arena Polo World Cup in Baku. Azerbaijan is now returning the St. Moritz visit and is the host country at the Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz 2017. The Snow Polo Night on Saturday at Badrutt's Palace Hotel will be the glamorous “Moritz-Baku Night”.

Tickets for the “Chukker Club” are being offered for the first time this year. The price of CHF 50.- includes a seat with a warm blanket on the Chukker Club stand, a glass of Perrier-Jouët champagne and a canapé. Tickets for the Chukker Club, VIP tickets for the tournament and for the “Moritz-Baku Night” are available at www.snowpolo-stmoritz.com/tickets available - the offer is limited