Sad Passing of Former HPA Chairman
It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Brigadier John Wright CBE, who died peacefully in his sleep at 5am this morning, Wednesday 4 May 2016, after a short battle with cancer.
With a strong passion for polo, John’s life was filled with the sport that he loved for 43 years. His involvement in polo first began in 1973 when posted to Cyprus, John decided to ‘have a go’ in the small military polo club out there. This interest in polo would continue long after his military career, with John going on to successfully run his beloved Tidworth Polo Club, following his retirement from the Army in 1995, where he had been the Director of The Joint Planning Staff at Headquarters Land in Wilton.
When John took over Tidworth Polo Club, the Club membership was at 65 with almost half of those members made up of military personnel. In 2012, the Club boasted 160 members of which 65 were military. Having handed over the running of the now hugely popular Club in 2012, John went on to become Chairman of the HPA, a position he took seriously and performed dutifully until he retired from his post in 2015. Never forgetting the roots of polo, John was a fierce advocate of the low goal. John’s other polo posts included elected Steward, Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee and Chairman of Pony Club Polo from 1990 – 1998.
Having led a full and busy life, John is survived by his wife, Christiane, and his three children Claudia, Peter and Alicia, as well as many friends, both from polo and the Army.
There will be a private funeral taking place in Germany, with a memorial service to celebrate John’s life to take place in England later this summer.
A full obituary will follow in the June issue of Polo Times, together with confirmation of the memorial service details.
We send our condolences to Christiane, Claudia, Peter and Alicia at this sad time.
Photograph: Brigadier John Wright CBE former Chairman of the HPA. By ©www.imagesofpolo.com
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