THE St David's Polo Club will for the first time host an international polo day in Powys in a series of summer events across south Wales.

The charity event which raises money for The Prince's Trust Cymru will take up residence at the Glanusk Estate in Crickhowell on the 18th July. The polo is also set to return to Fonmon Castle in the Vale of Glamorgan on the 28th June, and also take up residence in Swansea Bay for beach polo on the 8th August.

This is the 11th year that the St David's Polo Club has hosted a charity polo match in south Wales, and the event has now firmly established itself as one of the annual highlights of the Welsh social calendar.

In the series of matches this year, the Welsh polo team will take on teams from England, Spain and South America and it is hoped that by taking the event further afield it will attract a new audience of polo lovers.

Geoff Lloyd, Chairman of St David's Polo, says: "Traditionally, a day at the 'sport of kings' has been viewed as an exclusive occasion for a mostly English audience, but year on year we are proving that this is not the case. We have built up a solid reputation and following for the matches we have put on in Wales at Fonmon Castle, and before that Pontcanna Fields in Cardiff, attracting up to 2,000 people each time.

"This year we're extending the offering to Powys in a bid to broaden its appeal, attract a much wider audience than usual and develop a national passion for the game. I'm confident that first time polo spectators will enjoy the day, people absolutely fall in love with it once they see it, and what's more the matches raise money for a very worthwhile cause."

The event, which has previously attracted celebrities with the likes of Charlotte Church, Amanda Protheroe Thomas, Sian Lloyd, Stephanie Powers, George Lazenby, Jodie Kidd and rugby star Tom Shanklin, has over the years become as much about the glamour and entertainment on the day as the polo itself.

Continues Geoff, "In the past our polo events have attracted a vast array of Welsh stars and high profile business people who come to experience the spectacle of polo and for many the days has been as much about dressing up and unwinding as it is about the match itself. I'd encourage those interested in the day of polo, glamour and top-quality entertainment to book a ticket as soon as possible to avoid disappointment."