POWER OF POLO CELEBRATES BEST 'CHANGE YOUR LINE CUP' YET WITH ADOLFO CAMBIASO!

Power of Polo welcomed participants, supporters and partners, as well as very special guest and polo legend Adolfo Cambiaso, to Guards Polo Club on Friday for the seventh annual Change Your Line Cup. Celebrating the charity's mission to use polo and horses as a catalyst for positive change, this event once again formed a key part of the Semi-Finals of the DMMI BREXA Royal Windsor Cup.

The event brought together a total of 21 participants who have attended Power of Polo residential camps this year, including young people from diverse backgrounds, military veterans and young people suffering from homelessness, as well as returning Youth Leaders. Representing charity partners Alabaré, Oxford Community Action and Ebony Horse Club, participants were joined on the field by Power of Polo Ambassadors Jack Hyde and Harry Earnshaw.

Guests from across the polo, business and charitable sectors attended in support, including a group of Youth Leaders from Riding for the Disabled Association’s Park Lane Stables and the Diamond Centre. Family members of players and Power of Polo alumni also joined the celebrations.

A particular highlight was the attendance of polo legend Adolfo Cambiaso, who generously spent time chatting with participants, learning about their journeys and offering encouragement and inspiration. Following the match, Cambiaso presented the prizes and awards, creating unforgettable memories for those involved.

The format saw four competitive chukkas played, with every participant taking to the field for at least one chukka. In a fitting reflection of the spirit of the day, the match finished with the score tied at 4-4.

Cambiaso presented the Most Valuable Player awards to two outstanding participants. The White Team MVP was awarded to Khafaya Shodunke from Oxford Community Action, who attended Power of Polo's residential camp in Oxford in May; the Blue Team MVP was awarded to Ben Murphy-Jephcott from Alabaré Youth, who attended the Offchurch Bury residential camp in April.

“This has been an amazing experience for me and I’m so proud of what I’ve achieved,” said Khafaya. “I’ve learnt so much about myself; building a relationship with horses and pushing myself to try something new has been life changing.”

This year also saw the introduction of a new accolade, the Change Your Line Award, also presented by Cambiaso. This award recognises a Power of Polo participant who has consistently worked hard to change the direction of their life and who embodies the charity's values of resilience, determination and perseverance. The inaugural recipient was Harry Thorpe, whose commitment and personal journey exemplify the spirit of Power of Polo and the ethos behind the Change Your Line programme.

Speaking after the event, Power of Polo CEO and Founder Katy Hayward said: “This event has evolved into something very special over our long-standing relationship with BREXA and David Matsumoto and we want to thank them, and Guards Polo Club, for their continued support. Today has been our best event yet and we are so proud of all our participants for playing so brilliantly and shining a light on what we do. I want to thank Adolfo for coming; having the greatest polo player of all time here to present prizes and chat to our participants was a truly special moment. I also want to mention Harry Thorpe, who has made us all so proud in the way that he has turned his life around and who is a fitting recipient of this new award. Thanks to the wonderful people at Cool Hooves for supporting him and offering him a chance.”

Charlie Bruin from BREXA, the outgoing sponsor of the Royal Windsor Cup of which this day is a key part, commented “The young people and veterans playing today prove the impact of Power of Polo’s programmes and we are delighted to have played such a strong part in the charity’s growth. We very much hope this special model continues with new sponsorship going forward.”

David Matsumoto of DMMI added: “We are proud to have worked with Outsourcing Inc. (currently BREXA) to support Power of Polo over many years, and happy that we were once again able to celebrate their participants here at Guards for this special day.”

The celebrations continued with a wonderful lunch following the prize-giving, giving participants, supporters and guests the opportunity to reflect on a memorable day and to relax in the beautiful Guards Clubhouse, before watching the semi-final of the Royal Windsor Cup, after which the participants got to meet the victorious Dubai Polo Team to round off a fantastic day.

Power of Polo would like to extend its sincere thanks to BREXA and DMMI for their generous support over many years; to the Guards Polo Club team for hosting; to Cool Hooves Polo for providing such exceptional ponies; to Adolfo Cambiaso for his generosity and encouragement; and to the many volunteers, supporters and team members whose hard work made the day possible.

The Change Your Line Cup continues to showcase the transformative nature of the charity’s programmes, which create opportunities for young people and veterans to build confidence, develop new skills and forge lasting connections through horses and sport.

Photos courtesy of @ImagesofPolo, @EventsThroughALens and @RobAddisPhotography