BOSTON MA, CAMBRIDGE UK: July, 2007
It is getting to be a habit - BSG Team Ventures has introduced more hapless VCs, CEOs and advisors to the wonders of polo. And of course it proved to be a popular but challenging event yet again.

click here for the BSG Team Ventures polo Hall of Fame!

"It is hard to believe" said Paul Vickery of NESTA Ventures, "but somehow we didn't just learn the rudiments of the game, we actually ended the day competing in our first polo chukkas! A fantastic experience."

So how can this be? The basic idea is that a dozen individuals converge on Ascot Park Polo Club, West of London, for a nervous breakfast at 10:00am. Following introductions to APPC staff the group is separated into teams of 6 to receive instruction on:

 - the rules of polo: think cars on a UK road - stay left, don't overtake when someone is coming the other way and always keep an eye on your mirror
- the polo swing: right handed only, whilst standing on upturned beer crates
- the polo game: on foot, to help familiarise us with the way the rules work
- and of course ... the polo ponies.


Practicing the swing: Sunil Shah, Andy Small and Georg Buchner


Looks easy?


"Did he really say that we now have to do that on horseback?"
Paul Vickery, Andy Small and Sunil Shah. In shock.

Clearly the riding is the element that attendees fear most and only four of the 12 attendees had any riding experience (surprising to some to hear that this is the normal proportion for such an event at APPC). But all, to their own great surprise, were soon covering the all weather arena at some speed on a form of transport that they had not expected to experience. And not a single faller.


Learning to ride - first encounters with the amazing polo ponies

And before you know it the group has been split into four teams, each in distinctive BSG Team Ventures Polo Club Class of 2007 shirts, straws have been drawn for the chukkas, the players have lined up ... and we are off!

Now it is a little known fact that the sort of individual that accepts an invitation to go and play polo for the first time, when they have absolutely no idea how to ride, is generally a pretty outgoing individual - making for a noisy and effective networking environment for the day. And it is also little known that these individuals appear to be some of the most competitive professionals in the business! Chukkas are played hard, applying new-found skills with incredible energy and will to win.

Highlights included:
- William Bains of Delta-G (or Professor William Bains of the University of Cambridge if you prefer) chasing down any competitor who dared to take on the ball. Such a shame he appeared totally unable to actually hit the ball himself but his massive enthusiasm and man-to-man marking earned him the Man-of-The-Match award at the post Chukka celebrations.




Or Georg Buchner's energetic attacks from the front for the Yellow Team, dispelling earlier jibes about his suitability as a "solid defensive player".

Georg (right) beats Marcus Gibson to the ball, as the commentator looks on

Or the complete concentration of veteran Mark Docherty (veteran? he had attended last year's event) as he sought to command the field.


Or the extraordinary team building experience of competing immediately in such a technically demanding and exhilarating sport.

more pics

So after the Green Team had finally won the competition it was time for a champagne lunch (of course), traditional Argentinian Asado (of course) and presentation of the Man-of-the-Match award to a startled Prof Bains. Then it was back to ringside to watch how it should be done with a demonstration at extraordinary speed by two professional teams, before tea and home. 


Man-of-the-Match, William Bains, congratulated by
Simon Haworth of BSG Team Ventures

Of course most attendees thought that the event was all over at this point. Little did they know that they would feel the impact for at least three days afterwards ...

more pics

click here to see who else has already had a go

Any VC or VC-backed CEO interested in joining the squad at Ascot Park or to have a go at Haggis Farm Polo Club in Cambridge should contact Gayatri Shah of BSG Team Ventures

gayatri.shah@bsgteamventures.com

Click for more about our Partners at Ascot Park Polo Club

Since 1997 BSG Team Ventures principals have been engaged to fill more than 250 senior-management and Board positions at the VP level and above, for a slate of clients that includes venture capitalists and private investors, their portfolio companies, and public companies with a strong commitment to "intrapreneurship" and technology. The majority of these engagements have been in industries and with companies at the cutting edge of innovation -- in software, technology infrastructure and services, for-profit and not-for-profit education (and especially eLearning), life sciences and biotechnology, medical devices and digital information and media.