Third Annual Lawyers Polo Cup

An afternoon soiree teeming with elegance, camaraderie and the regal game of polo lit up the beautiful countryside of Alliston, Ont. for the Third Annual Lawyers Polo Cup on July 24, 2010. Players and guests from Australia, Argentina, India and Slovakia surrounded the field, drinking the spirit of competition and sharing their love of polo.

Unifying their career in law and their passion for polo, Justin R.G. Fogarty and Eduardo L. Bérèterbide (Shearman & Sterling, Paris) made a one-of-a-kind connection when they created the Lawyers Polo Association in 2008. As partner of Davis LLP, a leading law firm with over 200 lawyers, Fogarty knows what it means to dream big. Together, these two visionaries created a polo tournament for lawyers that would soon make its way around the globe.

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At this year’s event, polo professionals joined lawyers on each team for three intense matches. Fogarty also brought his passion to the field, showing the crowd what drove him to co-found the Lawyers Polo Association. The first time he got on a horse and heard the sound of his ball hitting the mallet – he fell in love. “Once that happens and you feel the rush of the speed of the horses, the contact, and the excitement, it just gets in your blood.”

But it isn’t just the game that continues to inspire Fogarty. “Winston Churchill, one of the great leaders of our time said, ‘All you need in this world is a passport and a polo handicap,’ and I’ve seen that all through my life,” says Fogarty. “This tournament is bringing people from all over the world in fellowship, in friendship, and that’s part of the amazing thing about polo.”

As guests enjoyed appetizers under chic canopies, the Third Annual Lawyers Polo Cup raised funds for two great causes: True Patriot Love, an organization that supports members and families of the Canadian military, and Polo Canada, a national sports organization committed to promoting polo. In August 2011, a new team will compete in the world championships in Toronto.

The Lawyers Polo Cup first began in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2008; graced the fields of Madrid, Spain in 2009; and finally made its way to Toronto.

Enticing grand crowds, the Fourth Annual Lawyers Polo Cup will take centre stage in Dubai next year. For those of you who can’t join this adventure, another Toronto polo event is coming soon!  www.lawyerspolo.com polocanada.ca