# Interview Swiss Polo Association Locher **Source:** https://en.poloclubascona.ch/nl/interview-swiss-polo-association-locher **Language:** English --- - Ascona Polo Cup - About us & History - APC TV & Photos - APC26 - APC newspaper - News and press - Contact & Crew - Become a sponsor - Ascona Polo Cup - About us & History - APC TV & Photos - APC26 - APC newspaper - News and press - Contact & Crew - Become a sponsor © Polo Club Ascona 2026 # «The horse is life» – Dr. Stefan A. Locher, President of the Swiss Polo Association APC Editorial Team - 4 August 2026 - 8:12 ## On trust, horsemanship and the gentlemen's sport of polo **Dr. Stefan A. Locher is president of the Swiss Polo Association and an active polo player. In this interview, he talks about what connects him to the Ascona Polo Cup, why polo is considered the sport of gentlemen, and why unconditional trust between rider and horse as well as horsemanship come first for him.** As president of the Swiss Polo Association, Dr. Stefan A. Locher knows the sport of polo from every perspective – as an official and as an active player. In this interview, he provides personal insights into his passion, his values, and his connection to the Ascona Polo Cup. ### What connects him to Ascona > «The friendship with Matteo Beffa and the entire organizing committee connects me to the Polo Club Ascona. Furthermore, you meet dear friends and polo players every year. In a sense, it is an annual meeting place for the Swiss and international polo scene. Ascona is also probably the most beautiful arena polo tournament you can play. The proximity to the public and the local population during the parade through Ascona on Saturday is unique.» ### The unique atmosphere > «The atmosphere on the field, in the tent, or even around the polo tournament is unique. The mountains of Ticino, the pleasant temperatures, and the mostly sunny weather also contribute to a great mood. And even though it is a competitive tournament, a good portion of fun, socializing, and partying is always on the agenda. You won't find such a varied atmosphere at any other polo tournament.» ### Trust between rider and horse > «The trust between rider and horse must be unconditional. As a rider, I must always be able to rely on my horse. At the same time, horsemanship and the well-being of the horse come first. It is a huge pleasure to start at this polo tournament with experienced players on the team. Especially through better-playing teammates, you are pulled along and encouraged to achieve top performances. That precision and speed play a role in this should, of course, not be forgotten. Moreover, a match can only be decided in the last second – so you have to keep your head in the game until the end.» ### *About the horse as the most important partner* > «Horse and polo game form a unit, with the horse certainly making up the largest part of this team. For me, a good polo horse must be easy to ride, have a beautiful gallop, and give me a safe feeling during the game or training. In polo, it is important that I can fully trust my horse – it is, as it were, my life insurance.» ### Respect, decency – the sport of gentlemen > «For me, respect and decency are the most important values in polo. It is not for nothing that polo is called the sport of gentlemen. I also find it very important that you can shake hands with each other at the end of a match, when you get off the horse.» ### Team spirit and communication > «The success of a good polo team is certainly based on good communication. Without clear and tactical agreements within the team, you are lost in this sport. At the beginning of a match, everyone is assigned a role that you must fulfill as well as possible in attack or defense. At the same time, every player also supports their teammates – as is appropriate for a team sport.» ### Unforgettable moments > «In my polo career, I have been able to experience countless unforgettable moments. This certainly includes the victory at the Ascona polo tournament last year. Likewise, the two victories at the polo picnic in Münster and at the German Polo Masters on Sylt remain in my best memory. Another highlight is certainly the victory at the Swiss Low Goal Championship last year. At all polo tournaments, you always meet fascinating and interesting people, so I don't want to single anyone out in particular.» ### The audience in Ascona > «The audience in Ascona is unique and it is as if they are breathing down your neck or symbolically sitting on the back of the pony. It brings joy when there is an audience on the sidelines cheering. The situation at the polo picnic in Münster is very impressive, when nearly 5000 spectators are present for the final match on Sunday afternoon. It is also always exciting when the spectators come up to you after a match to see the ponies up close and exchange a few words with the players. Those are always beautiful moments.» ### His advice to anyone who does not yet know polo > «For those who have only experienced polo from the outside until now, I would recommend sitting on a polo pony yourself. There are certainly prejudices that people have about the sport. Most of them, however, can be refuted very quickly. Polo is still considered the fastest team sport. A few years ago, I coined the phrase: ‹If you got infected, we aPOLOgize.› The chance of being infected by this polo virus is therefore enormous.» > «It is absolutely worth taking a close look at the sport of polo. There is something magical about sensing the smell of sweat, horses, and tension in the air. This experience and the proximity to the sport, as one can experience it in Ascona, cannot be experienced via television.» ### A final thought > «Whoever misses this unique tournament has only themselves to blame. See you in Ticino.» --- ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Who is Dr. Stefan A. Locher? Dr. Stefan A. Locher is the president of the Swiss Polo Association and an active polo player. He is committed to the sport of polo in Switzerland and is a regular attendee at the Ascona Polo Cup. ### What connects him to the Ascona Polo Cup? He is connected through his friendship with Matteo Beffa and the organizing committee, as well as the annual reunion with the Swiss and international polo scene. For him, Ascona is arguably the most beautiful arena polo tournament one can play. ### Why is polo called the sport of gentlemen? Because respect and decency are among the most important values in the sport of polo. For Dr. Locher, this also includes the players shaking hands at the end of a match. ### What makes a good polo pony? A good polo pony must be easy to ride, have a nice gallop, and provide a sense of safety both in the game and during training. For Dr. Locher, the horse makes up the largest part of the team – it is, so to speak, his life insurance. ### What does he recommend to people who are not yet familiar with polo? To sit on a polo pony yourself and experience the sport up close. Many prejudices can be quickly refuted – and the danger of being infected with the "polo virus" is enormous. ## In conversation: Dr. Stefan A. Locher, President of the Swiss Polo Association Previous post Next post © 2026 Polo Club Ascona. Made with ❤ WordPress and Kubio imunify-bot-check