Victoria, aged 13 years old, played on the same team as King Charles at Guards Polo Club.
Victoria played with her father, Peter Grace OBE, and two players from the US, Dale Smicklas and Joe Muldoon. They played against HRH Prince of Wales for the Dorchester Trophy at the Guards Polo Club. Victoria’s team won and Princess Diana awarded the trophies.
Victoria and Peter coached and played with HRH Prince Talal of Jordan. In an event at Ascot Park, Victoria and Prince Talal played with Howard Hipwood (a former 9 goal player) and welcomed Queen Noor to the club.
Victoria and her three sisters were the only all-sisters polo team in the world when they played together and were known as the “Amazing Graces”.
Victoria’s father Peter Grace made history when he received the first ever honours awarded to a figurehead of polo. Peter was awarded an OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for services to polo and the investiture was done by fellow polo player, Prince Charles.
Peter was the author of the book “Polo”, with a foreword by King Charles who wrote that “Peter is generally regarded as one of the best instructors that there is in polo.
Victoria has been an ambassador for many brands across multiple industries including Maybach, Asprey, Harrods, Perrier-Jouet, Pommery, Piaget,Saab, and Jean Lassale to name a few.
Victoria has competed in polo events around the world, in both mixed and women’s polo at the highest level, and in charity, celebrity and exhibition events with players of all levels.
Victoria has coached and played with people from all walks of life. She has been instrumental in raising money and awareness for multiple charities throughout her polo career and has worked with the media for over the last 30 years.
Victoria, together with her father Peter and three sisters, accompanied Grand National winner, Bob Champion, on the final leg of his “Ride For Life”. Bob started his ride in Edinburgh and changing horses along the way, Bob rode to London to raise money for the Bob Champion Cancer Trust. Victoria and her family joined Bob, who was riding Aldaniti, in Regents Park, and together they rode around Piccadilly Circus, down The Mall to Buckingham Palace, where they met with Queen Elizabeth II in the Royal Mews.
Victoria has been coaching youngsters of all ages. She founded the Junior Polo Academy at Ascot Park Polo Club in 2006 and at one stage she had over 80 pupils attending coaching sessions from Wellington College.
Victoria founded the City Polo Championships in 2004 and it grew to become the largest polo event in Europe hosted for the City, with representatives from 27 companies, with 72 City players competing in 18 teams. TV coverage included 7 minutes on BBC 1 primetime as children’s program, with Blue Peter featured the event, attracting an audience of 2 million viewers.
As vice-chairman of the International Women’s Polo Association (IWPA), Victoria cofounded the UK National Women’s Tournament along with her sister Pippa Gillard. In it’s 18th year, in 2006, the event attracted 38 teams, 152 players, and was the world’s largest women’s polo event over a single weekend, with women competing from -8 goal to 2 goal polo (mixed handicap). Victoria hosted this event for a total of 24 years.
Victoria partnered with top event organizers to cofound the Toast Festival – a Food, Wine, Polo and Music Festival, which was staged over consecutive years at Syon Park and Clapham Common, London, UK. Victoria represented Great Britain and invited teams from South Africa, New Zealand and Australia to all compete against Great Britain over three days. Over 60,000 people enjoyed wine tasting theatres, the sports zones, traditional BBQs, dancers and music bands from 11am to 7pm each day.
Victoria assisted the management team of World Polo Ltd to stage the first “Polo in the Park” event at the Hurlingham Club, London in 2009. Three generations of Grace’s played on the polo ground at the same time in the ‘Battle of the Sexes’. The boys team included Peter Grace playing with his grandson Maxi Nastasti-Grace against the girls team with Victoria and her sisters Janey, Pippa and Katie. Victoria managed all the polo logistics for the “Battle of the Sexes” event, a “Learn to Play” day for the media and even hosted “Have a Go” polo sessions where the public could learn how to hit a polo ball from a wooden horse.
Victoria hosted the portable ‘Have-a-Go’ Polo event on Regent Street, London as part of their Summer Festival which attracted 250,000 people in the day. Victoria gave the public an opportunity to learn how to swing a polo stick on a polo pony simulator and also to ride a real polo pony in the heart of the city. With a national and international audience, it was voted in the Top 50 “Must-see” UK events by The Independent.
Victoria created this event for the Travel industry where employees of 12 companies were trained to play polo throughout the Summer and came together in the Fall for a Family Fun Day to compete for the title of Polo Champions. The day was in aid of the Rainbow Trust children’s charity and was a huge success within the GTMC.
The Equus Event was a unique event combining displays of the major equestrian disciplines together with a wide range of countryside exhibition stands, at the ExCel Centre in London. Attracting an estimated 24,000 visitors, Victoria staged a polo exhibition to include world famous show jumping duo, Robert and Louise Whitaker (son and daughter of John Whitaker), and who Victoria taught how to play polo for the occasion.