"Polo in Barbados has always attracted a lot of attention on the international circuit," was the way Rob McChlery, the BTA's Senior Business Development Manager for the north-eastern region of the United States put it. "And the development of polo fields gives us an added advantage, making Barbados the polo destination of choice."

With polo fields, first at Holder's in St James and more recently at Waterhall, also in

St James, and Clifton and Lion's Castle in St Thomas, Barbados is promoting itself as having "unparalleled polo facilities".

And to help get the word out that Barbados is "an ideal training destination" for the polo set, a Barbados polo team led by Captain Kent Cole, and including Philip Tempro, Richard Deane, Harry Manning and Luis Venezi saddled up and competed in the International Polo Challenge at the Oakbrook Polo Club, just outside of Chicago, and in the Newport International series in Rhode Island.

For the record, Barbados won its first game in Chicago and drew the second. In Rhode Island where an estimated 1 500 spectators watched Barbados and a select United States team compete, the Bajans went down to defeat at the hands of the Newport polo club.

While it wasn't the first time that polo players from Barbados competed on United States soil, it was the inaugural effort by the Tourism Authority to use the sport in that way to attract visitors to the country.

"We see this as just one part of the overall marketing campaign around Barbados as a destination that appeals to various segments of the travel market," said Ryan Blackette, Business Development Manager based in New York.

"Polo is played by tens of thousands of people across the United States and Barbados can offer many of them an interesting holiday experience while they enjoy their favorite sport." < Read more >