Polo brings Brit horsepower out to play
There are horses, glamour and buckets of money but British Polo Day is not the sort of event to stop the nation - that would be vulgar.
In fact, the highly exclusive event, happening for the first time in Australia on Sunday, will only concern the 500 or so of the nation's great and good who secure an invitation.
The 35 British Polo Day events staged around the world over the past three years have hosted a dozen royal families, 100 billionaires and hordes of the world's business elite.
Now it's Australia's turn.
Founded by two former British Army cavalry officers - Edward Olver, a one-time banker turned CEO, and Tom Hudson, a former lawyer - British Polo Day is part fundraiser, part high-level networking opportunity and part trade mission to promote the finest luxury products Britain has to offer.
Land Rover and the Queen's own wine merchants Justerni & Brooks and royal riflemakers Holland & Holland are among the brands partnered with the event.
Helping run the show is managing director Ben Vestey - another former cavalry man, also a polo pal of Prince William and great-great-grandson of Australian opera great Dame Nellie Melba.
British Polo Day will be held at Garangula, the private polo club on the country estate of Swiss-born financier Urs Schwarzenbach.
Garangula, located northwest of Canberra, will host a match between two of Australia's top polo teams as the champagne flows - once the guests are flown in by helicopter or chauffeured in by luxury four-wheel-drive.
The guest list is private but James Packer, Australia's best-known polo fan, won't be present.
Whether he was invited isn't clear.
"I don't go into a market and get the Australian rich list," Mr Olver said.
Mr Olver can still drop plenty of big names though: Richard Branson, Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone and numerous sheikhs from the United Arab Emirates are among supporters of his venture, which has been held in 14 countries.
"We have 15,000 of the most influential people in the world on our database," he said.
Just being famous or rich isn't enough to secure an invitation.
Someone like pop star Taylor Swift, Mr Olver observes, can make or break a brand with a tweet.
"But whether she has influence, I'm not sure."
Mr Olver said the aim of British Polo Day is not just polo or just business.
Instead his team wants to create an alternate way of doing business "based on old values of genuine integrity, loyalty, trust and understanding".
The "international language of the horse" has a way of crossing language barriers, he said.
As well as the brand exposure, the events connect investors and businesspeople and raise money for charity - $US1.2 million to date.
