Outside The Boards

OTB Podcast | Season 5
Episode 41 - Benoît Perrier: Where Heritage Meets Innovation

Just minutes from Paris, Chantilly Polo Club stands as Europe’s premier polo destination, a place where elegance, accessibility, and innovation unite.

In this episode, Managing Director Benoît Perrier takes us behind the scenes of this extraordinary club, revealing how a bold vision transformed a 30-year-old institution into an international powerhouse.

What makes Chantilly remarkable:
• 9 world-class fields & 400 permanent stables
• Capacity to host over 1,400 horses during peak events
• Free spectator access — making polo open to everyone who loves horses
• Innovative player pathways like Paddock Polo and Pony Polo for kids as young as six
• Repurposing retired racehorses into new polo careers

From the French Open to the Paris Games Polo Challenge, Chantilly continues to set the standard for global polo while honoring its roots in the historic equestrian heart of France.

Tune in as Perrier shares insights on sustainability, player development, and the marketing strategies driving polo’s future in Europe and beyond.

🎧 Listen now — link in comments

OTB Podcast | Season 5
Episode 40 - Javier Herrera: Connecting Polo’s Global Community

What happens when a career-ending rugby injury leads to a global sports media revolution?

When Javier Herrera broke his knee in Argentina, his doctor told him to either ride a bike or ride a horse. That choice introduced him to polo, and ultimately sparked the creation of PoloLine, polo’s first digital media platform.

From selling VHS tapes and scanning photos in the late ‘90s to pioneering livestreaming years before it was mainstream, Javier’s journey is a masterclass in vision, persistence, and entrepreneurship. Along the way, he built the World Polo Tour ranking system, gave structure to a global sport, and is now helping Global Polo TV bring polo to audiences worldwide through partnerships with ESPN and beyond.

In this candid conversation, Javier shares how PoloLine transformed how polo is covered, consumed, and connected across continents, and why his story is about more than sport.

Whether you’re into sports, media, or entrepreneurship, this one’s packed with inspiration.

🎧 Listen now: [link in comments]

🌟 New Episode Alert:
Cindy Halle: Championing Polo’s Next Generation
SEASON 5 | EPISODE 37

Discover the inspiring journey of Cindy Hale, a four-decade polo pioneer whose path took her from playing at UC Davis, where she helped secure four National Women’s Intercollegiate Championship titles—to building and leading the Garrison Forest School polo program in Maryland. Tune in as she shares:

✨ How Interscholastic & Intercollegiate II polo teaches adaptability through a unique “split string” system where horses play for both teams

✨ Why II polo is revolutionizing access to this traditionally exclusive sport, students manage everything from horses to fundraising

✨ The life-skills at the heart of polo: teamwork, responsibility, horsemanship, community, and leadership

This episode isn’t just for polo fans, it’s for anyone who believes in the transformative power of sport. Swipe up (link in bio) to dive into an hour 20 of incredible stories and big dreams, or check out the episode on Spotify!

Tag a friend who loves sports, leadership, or equestrian culture. Let’s ride into the future—together.