Joy Countess du Lau d’Allemans was recently named President and Chief Operating Officer of the International Beach Polo Association.
The IBPA has a new president. After two years of working hand in hand with the International Beach Polo Association, Joy Countess du Lau d’Allemans has been named president and Chief Operational Officer, it was announced.
Initially enticed to join the international body in an effort to coordinate charitable efforts with global beach polo events and to assist in branding opportunities, the association decided to take advantage of a broader scope of talents offered by her.
“Joy has a long association with horses,” said IBPA Chairman Alex Webbe, “and has been fascinated by the game of polo since her childhood on her family ranch in Texas. It was only a matter of time before she found herself swinging a mallet from the back of a galloping thoroughbred,” he added.
“She’s enjoyed matches from St. Tropez to Buenos Aires to the Palm Beach,” Webbe said, “but it wasn’t until she saw her first beach polo event that she understood how powerfully the game could be presented to the general public.”
“It’s one thing to be racing down the field at a full gallop, feeling the wind in your face and the power of the horse underneath you while you chase the ball,” she said, “but the smaller arena-like setting of beach polo and the relaxed ocean-side setting make it an ideal vehicle with which to educate the general public about this great sport,” she said. “When you are literally yards away from the play you have the opportunity to see the expressions on the faces of the players as they struggle for control of the ball. You see every muscle of these powerful animals flexing as they carry riders into one play after another, stopping, turning and accelerating on the beach so close to the spectators that they could actually touch them as they race by.”
Joy will be focusing on coordinating assistance and support for emerging beach polo events around the world in an effort to grow the sport and introduce the game of polo to a larger audience.
“Our feeling is that the game will gather popularity as more people that are exposed to it,” she said. “The key is bringing the sport to populated areas that can accommodate the beach polo game, allowing larger audiences access to this great sport. The spectacle of beach polo serves as a vehicle to introduce the game to the masses in a relaxed but upscale setting. We have seen it work in England, Spain, Australia, Argentina, Uruguay, Germany, Italy, and so many other places, with the sport of polo being the ultimate winner,” she added.