RICHARD MILLE ALULA DESERT POLO: STAGE SET FOR SATURDAY SEMI-FINALS AFTER MORE THRILLING ACTION ON DAY TWO
– Two more riveting matches unfolded in AlUla this afternoon
– Bentley overcame Tayma 4-2 before Richard Mille beat Khaybar in a 7-6 epic
– Main and subsidiary semi-finals take place tomorrow
– Last few tickets on sale through experiencealula.com
Image: The tournament reaches its halfway mark; audience anticipation is high ahead of tomorrow’s semi-finals.
AlUla, Saudi Arabia – 18 January 2024:
Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo continued its thrilling journey alongside celebrity spectators and passionate sports fans this afternoon with more thrilling action on full display at AlFursan Equestrian Village.
Set against AlUla’s stunning desert backdrop, today’s action featured two outstanding matches as professional players, international patrons, and royal dignitaries provided elite polo competition in pursuit of victory.
In the first match, Tayma faced Bentley in an entertaining clash for a main draw semi-final berth. Argentina’s Lia Salvo opened the scoring for Tayma, supported by George Spencer Churchill and HRH Prince Abbas bin Ali. After an equalizer by Juan Martin Nero, Bentley seized control in the subsequent chukkas, clinching a 4-2 victory to secure a spot in tomorrow’s main semi-final.
A thrilling battle followed in the second match between Richard Mille and Khaybar with Pablo Mac Donough, David Paradise, and Yoanna Hanbury of Richard Mille securing a hard-fought 7-6 win.
As the tournament reaches its halfway mark, audience anticipation is high ahead of tomorrow’s semi-finals with another day of exhilarating polo action in store.
First up on Friday is the subsidiary semi-finals with SAB vs AlUla and Tayma vs Khaybar. The main semi-finals then see Saudia vs Dadan and Bentley vs Richard Mille with two finals locked in for the tournament’s conclusion on Saturday.
In partnership with the Saudi Polo Federation (SPF), Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo has become a beacon of sporting magnificence since its inception in 2020, blending the heritage of polo with the allure of AlUla’s majestic landscape. With each galloping stride, the event continues to redefine excellence in equestrian sports as a major event in the international equestrian calendar.
For more information and to book tickets, kindly visit experiencealula.com
About AlUla Moments:
AlUla Moments is AlUla’s new home for events. AlUla Moments calendar was launched at the end of 2021 and introduced new festivals and events to celebrate and unlock AlUla’s stories, uncover its secrets, and celebrate local and international cultures. With 7,000 years of civilisations and home to some of the most sophisticated ancient kingdoms of antiquity, AlUla is no stranger to social gatherings and cultural celebrations.
AlUla Moments calendar comprises of five festivals offering diverse experiences in art, culture, music, nature, wellness, equestrian activities, dining, and astronomy. The AlUla Wellness Festival featuring the latest practices to engage the mind, body and soul; Winter at Tantora, the original AlUla celebration of heritage, culture, fashion and music; the Ancient Kingdoms Festival offers immersive events acknowledging the ancient civilisations that lived in AlUla and its neighboring oases in Khaybar and Tayma; AlUla Skies Festival with the popular hot air balloons and stargazing experiences; and AlUla Arts Festival bringing together contemporary and ancient art events and experiences.
In addition to the festivals AlUla Moments calendar offers a number of marquee events, including AZIMUTH and Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo, along with the heritage sports events such as The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Endurance Cup, AlUla Camel Cup, AlUla Falcon Cup, the Tent Pegging World Championchip and Horseback Archery World Cup, a world-class fashion, adventure and sporting events.
For more information, please visit experiencealula.com
About AlUla:
Located 1,100 km from Riyadh, in North-West Saudi Arabia, AlUla is a place of extraordinary natural and human heritage. The vast area, covering 22,561km², includes a lush oasis valley, towering sandstone mountains and ancient cultural heritage sites dating back thousands of years to when the Lihyan and Nabataean kingdoms reigned.
The most well-known and recognised site in AlUla is Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. A 52-hectare ancient city, Hegra was the principal southern city of the Nabataean Kingdom and is comprised of 111 well-preserved tombs, many with elaborate facades cut out of the sandstone outcrops surrounding the walled urban settlement.
Current research also suggests Hegra was the most southern outpost of the Roman Empire after the Roman’s conquered the Nabataeans in 106 CE.
In addition to Hegra, AlUla is also home to ancient Dadan, the capital of the Dadan and Lihyan Kingdoms and considered to be one of the most developed 1st millennium BCE cities of the Arabian Peninsula, and Jabal Ikmah, an open air library of hundreds of inscriptions and writings in many different languages, which has been recently listed on the UNESCO’s memory of the World Register. Also AlUla Old Town Village, a labyrinth of more than 900 mudbrick homes developed from at least the 12th century, which has been selected as one of the World’s Best Tourism Villages in 2022 by the UNWTO. Additionally, Hijaz Railway and Hegra Fort, which are key sites in the story and conquests of Lawrence of Arabia.
For more information, please visit: experiencealula.com
