Waves of eager spectators rolled in for this year's 'Polo by the Sea' despite the distinct threat of rain. In its second year, the event doubled in attendance, attracting a growing stable of local polo fans, as well as VIP guests from all across Australia, and some visiting international personalities including a Hollywood director taking a break from filming at the local Gold Coast film studio.

Even The Rock (Dwayne Johnson), who was in town filming Hercules, was rumored to make an appearance. A trailer was brought in especially to service his needs on the day, however, he either failed to attend, or never left his trailer, which is not unusual for Hollywood stars at social events.

The event, from Ruki Baillieu and Janek Gazecki, the creators of the hugely popular Australian 'Polo in the City' series, was conceived as a premium marketing and sponsorship platform as well as tourist attraction for seaside cities and locations. True to its objectives, it has a distinctly more laid back 'fun in the sun' vibe about it, complete with swimwear fashion parades. Like 'Polo in the City,' 'Polo by the Sea' is played on smaller polo fields to make the game faster and more spectator friendly. These events have acquired their own distinct following and constitute a variant of polo now commonly referred to as urban polo.

Despite several months of wonderful sunshine on the iconic Gold Coast, the event day itself was preceded by overnight rain. Although it injected some much needed moisture to the field, it constituted an unwelcome presence if it were to prevail. As every polo event organizer knows, the critical window between about 8-10 a.m., when decisions are made about what to wear, or whether to attend, requires good weather. A downpour at this time can put a dampener on the aspirations of many to attend an outdoor event. Fortune favored the polo community in this instance, as the weather held out during this critical period, with even glimmers of sunshine penetrating the foreboding clouds at times.

Polo fans filled the event grounds, albeit with umbrellas in hand, to witness the return of the much anticipated National Polo League match between the reigning champion Gold Coast and Melbourne, the latter of which was eager to claim the title following its loss the previous year. To the crowd's delight, there was plenty of entertainment and good polo to precede the feature match.

The day commenced at 11 a.m. with a quick introduction by senior event producer, Janek Gazecki, followed by his prophetic suggestion that everyone run for cover as in a few minutes they would all be hit by a fast moving storm cell.

We suggest you quickly find some cover somewhere, preferably huddled up next to someone you fancy. We expect to experience perfect English polo weather in about 10 minutes. The rain, however, will pass in a further 15 minutes," was the instruction. Like clockwork, the rain moved in on time, a tropical downpour pommeling the marquees and anyone who had ignored the earlier suggestion.

We are pleased to announce the rain will pass in another 15 minutes. Empty your glasses of rainwater and replace them with champagne in anticipation of the sunshine which will follow immediately thereafter …" the commentary continued.

With the aid of a smartphone weather app, the event organizers were able to monitor and predict the weather conditions almost to the minute. This knowledge enabled the manipulation of the event format to ensure the critical aspect—polo—was largely missed by the rain. Filled with the confidence that even the weather was totally under control, the spectators persevered throughout the day ensuring that attendance numbers were approximately double the previous year.

The first game, the Pro-Am Challenge, was played between Halifax, consisting of Jeff Worboys, patron and owner of Halifax Investment Services (0), Bill Taylor (0), Janek Gazecki (-1), and crowd favorite, professional Ric McCarthy (4), while CBA was comprised of Andrew Fraser Scott (0), Jesse Hunt (0), Chloe Hunt (0) and professional Drew Slacksmith (2). To those in the know, Jesse and Clare are the children of former Australian great Ian 'Ginger' Hunt.

The teams were fairly evenly matched and the game progressed as a close contest, however, McCarthy's expertise soon shone through as he led Halifax to a 10-8 victory.

Following various entertainment, inclusive of the traditional Men's and Women's Dashes as well as a swimwear and resort-wear fashion parade by Colin Heaney and TOGS, the National Polo League players took to the field. The home town was led by Ed Goold (4), Morgan Ruig (2), Neil Gilmore (1) and Robert Ross, while Melbourne's hopes were pinned on Mark Lillyman (4), Warwick Steen (2), Lucas Rogers (1) and Dean Caulfield (1).

The National Polo League proved as exciting as expected, with Ed Goold playing some magic polo with his trademark thundering forehand securing the majority of the goals for the Gold Coast. The players that shone for Melbourne included Warwick Steen and Dean Caulfield, with Mark Lillyman feeding plenty of balls to them for goal conversion. The duo of Goold and Ruig, however, proved too strong, taking Gold Coast to a riveting 11-10 win in extra time.

The 'Polo by the Sea' event was another success for Urban Polo and lauded by the local media as an event not to miss and the place to be seen. Polo by the Sea is extending to Palm Beach, Sydney in January 2015, and the organizers will be offering international patron packages inclusive of flights, accommodation, team position, horse lease and VIP access. You could do a lot worse than spend a northern winter playing polo in the Australian summer.

BY ANDREW BENKE
PHOTOS BY JOE MCINALLY