Why is the Open de France Barnes the number one French polo tournament?

Former Argentine Open winner Nico Pieres returns to Chantilly with Beltran Laulhe. Together, they are preparing for the Argentine Open 2024, where they will attempt to qualify under the Kazak colors. © Adèle Renauldon – R&B Presse

The Open de France Barnes and the Women’s Open de France are undoubtedly the two leading polo tournaments of the French international season, a double competition spread over three weeks (from 4 to 22 September) and not to be missed. Here are a few figures to explain why.

The level: 16 goals, the highest in France.This 16-goal level represents the total handicap of the players in a team and translates the value of the team (16 goals for the French Open). For the record, the handicap is the value of a player as determined by the handicap commission of his country. A beginner has a handicap of -2, while the best professionals in the world have a handicap of 10.

ùThere are currently 7 handicap 10 players – or 10-goalers – in the world. In Chantilly we will see several 8-goalers for the mixed competition and one female 10-goaler in the Women’s Open.Europe’s number 1 tournament in September. After the English and Spanish seasons, the Barnes Open de France is Europe’s premier September tournament. The same goes for the women. The most competitive tournament: 16 teams.And eight in the women’s category. Thanks to the nine grass grounds of the Chantilly Polo Club and the fields in the south-west of Paris (Sainte-Mesme and La Magdeleine), the Open de France can accommodate 16 teams over three weeks, making it one of the toughest tournaments to win. The same is true of the women’s event, where eight teams compete for the title over one week.

Fifteen of the world’s top forty.The world’s top forty are the players who compete at the Argentine Open in Buenos Aires in December, the Abierto, which is the sport’s ultimate tournament, the final of which is played in front of 18,000 spectators and is reserved for the ten best teams in the world (by total handicap, i.e. the forty best players in the world). Fifteen of them will be playing in Chantilly, including former winner Nico Pieres (with a handicap of 10), former finalists Alejandro Muzzio, Fran Elizalde and Diego Cavahagh, and semi-finalists Guillermo Terrera and Jero Del Carril. On the women’s side, three winners of the Abierto Feminino will be present: Hazel Jackson, Lia Salvo and Izzy Parsons.

More international than ever.This year, the sixteen teams taking part in the 24th Barnes Open come from seven different countries: the Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Italy, France, Great Britain and even Argentina. In the women’s category, the eight teams come from seven nations and, polo being an international sport: among the thirty-two female competitors, eleven nations will be represented, with players from Argentina, Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Hungary, Poland, the Netherlands, the United States and France!So why come to the French Opens? The numbers speak for themselves: this is the best opportunity to see the best polo in France.

There are games almost every day (general programme attached and on poloclubchantilly.com and daily programme on poloclubchantilly.com and on Instagram @polodechantilly). Admission is free, the grounds are magnificent (and large enough to organise picnics on the sides), even on the days of the finals and semi-finals (weekend of 20-22 September), when a village of exhibitors, polo lessons on wooden horses and food trucks will be open to the public. Not forgetting the vintage car rally. So there’s plenty to plan and organise for a fun and sporty weekend with friends!

Press release Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly