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GOLD CUP FOR THE BRITISH OPEN Loro Piana win Gold Cup for third attempt
GOLD CUP FOR THE BRITISH OPEN The Gold Cup and its numbers
CORONATION CUP England Teamwork earns Coronation Cup rematch win
THE WARWICKSHIRE CUP Pride of Lions
DUKE OF WELLINGTON BHC defeat regular rivals in Wellington battle
BRITISH LADIES CHAMPIONSHIP The British Open Ladies Open Championship 2008
GCC CUP Culture and charity
ASIA CUP England sparkles on Ganjam Jaipur Trophy Day
THE ROYAL WINDSOR CUP Zacara Celebrated at Guards Polo Club
ARCHIE DAVID CUP Bears prove tougher than dogs in Archie David final
VARSITY POLO DAY Harvard wins on its debut in the Varsity polo Day at Guards
ART Breaking the Stranges hold
UK CHARITY MATCH World´s top polo stars play in IWC Laureus Cup
LONDON OLYMPIC CENTENARY Great Britain repeats Olympic success of 1908
Price £6
Autumn Issue 2008 | Nº 65
Guards CORONATION CUP 2008 Jamie Peel BRITISH OPEN 2008
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UK CHARITY MATCH Playing for the young
CHAKRAVARTY CUP All in a good cause
HERITAGE CUP The 3rd Habab Bank UK Heritage Cup
ROYAL ASCOT Royal Ascot Racecourse
HISTORY El Primer Jugador
BRYAN MORRISON A founding Father
TIPS Learning Polo
WPT The World Polo Tour Race Continues
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TRAVEL - ST TROPEZ St. Tropez, the Perfect Sunset
ARGENTINE SPRING SEASON Opinion
GONZALO PIERES The Man behind the organization
Pablo MacDonough SOTOGRANDE 2008
GSTAAD Gstaad enjoys a Polo atmoshphere
SOTOGRANDE Ahmibah took the Spanish Triple Crown
INTER REGIMENTAL Yeomanry team claims Army double
Contents
La Dolfina JOCKEY CLUB 2008
92 100 106 110 128
PQ Staff Publisher & Editor
PoloLine Inc. info@pololine.com
Contributing Editors
Major Iain Forbes-Cockell info@pqinternational.com Roger Chatterton-Newman info@pqinternational.com Olivia Johnson olivia@pqinternational.com Federico Levy federico@pololine.com
Beaty & Fashion Editor
Sally-Anne Shrimpton sally@pqinternational.com
Beauty & Fashion Contributor UK Contact
Tavy Mogridge Tony Ramirez tony@pqinternational.com
Design & Production
TomĂĄs M. Garbers tomas@pqinternational.com
Photographs
PoloLine Media Centaur Photographic Images of Polo
Contributors
Horace Laffaye Eduardo Amaya Y.A. Teitelbaum
PQ international
Sarah Wiseman
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Dara Williams
United Kingdom
Alejandra Ocampos
Tel./Fax: +44 (0) 1273 835449
Advertising Sales
www.pqinternational.com
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E-mail: polo@pqinternational.com
Printing
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FRONT COVER PHOTO - Luke Tomlinson - Coronation Cup - PoloLine Media Š POLOLINE INC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part strictly prohibited without the permission of the publisher. Although the publisher makes every effort to ensure accuracy, we cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions, or guarantee an advertising insertion, date, position or special position. Views expressed may not necessarily be those of the editor or the publisher.
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Welcome to the PQ Autumn Issue
A
nother British high-goal season is over and, all things considered, was remarkably successful. The use of the adverb is intentional, because the current financial malaise in Great Britain could well have resulted in a dramatic reduction in teams. Fortunately, the majority of patrons who arrived for the season were from overseas and, consequently, unaffected by the so-called ‘credit crunch’. No less than twenty squads competed in both the Queen’s Cup and the British Open Championship, on a par with last year which, in itself, was the best in terms of competitors since the early ‘nineties. The Warwickshire Cup, second stage of the British Triple Crown, saw only eight entries but was nevertheless an eagerly-fought tournament, for the Warwickshire is the oldest high-goal trophy in the kingdom. In an attempt to encourage more entries, and also to prolong the high-goal season, the Hurlingham Polo Association has decided to schedule the Warwickshire as the third and final Triple Crown tournament next year, with the final to be played in early August. In all the Triple Crown finals, scoring was close, with a single-goal margin every time. There were, thank goodness, none of the vast margins and disparities that so often make polo seem like a one-sided exercise. Ellerston won the Queen’s Cup for the sixth time, while Loro Piana and Les Lions were first-time victors in the British Open and Warwickshire Cup respectively. On the continent, too, it was interesting to see only a one-goal difference in the score of the Spanish Copa de Oro, at Santa María Polo Club, when Ahmibah rode out the winners. This is the leading European high-goal tournament outside Great Britain and is always well-supported. There was a similar result at the Coupe d’Or at Deauville, won by Emlor. Indeed, at every level of the game, European polo was highly competitive. It was only Britain that seemed to suffer from one of the wettest, summers for several years, and many games were postponed and schedules disrupted. Yet, the true British spirit saw the calendar completed, and grounds staff across the country are to be congratulated on the high standard of grounds maintenance at all levels. Also, the home team defeated Australia on International Day, capturing the King’s Coronation Cup for the fourteenth time. We now look forward to the high-goal season in Argentina – and hope that the weather gods are generous. 8
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Calendar October 3 Argentine Open under 21 years old
November 1
AAP Palermo, Argentina
5 Championnat de France de Polo
6
Polo Club Du Domaine de Chantilly, France
7 Texas Open Houston PC, USA
9 11 International Ladies Tournament
Winter2008 December
Hurlingham Open Hurlingham PC, Argentina
6 Argentine Open
Ellerstina Gold Cup Ellerstina PC, Argentina
7 Camara de Diputados Cup
Ladies International Estancia Don Manuel, Argentina
8 Potrillos Cup
Melbourne Cup Werribee Park, Australia
9 Provincia de Buenos Aires Cup
USA v Ireland Polo Wicklow, UK
14 Invitational High Goal Challenge
Argentario Polo Club, Italy
AAP Palermo, Argentina
Los Indios PC, Argentina
AAP Palermo, Argentina
Royal Selangor PC, Malasya
12 Tortugas Open
RCBPC, UK
Torutgas PCC, Argentina
23 Diamond Cup 22 USPA President Cup
20 World Snow Polo Championship
La Dolfina PC, Argentina
Aspen, Colorado, USA
Santa Barbara PC, USA
26 Charity 24 Goals
FCT Invitational High Goal Challenge RCBPC, UK
21 Chilean Open San Cristobal PC, Chile
Elyssian Fields, Australia
30 Metropolitan Trophy USPA Silver Cup Houston Polo Club, USA
28 High Goal Championship RCBPC, UK
RCBPC, UK
Wickenden Cup Santa Barabara PC, USA International Womans Polo Tournament Singapur PC, Singapur
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UK SEASON - GOLD CUP FOR THE BRITISH OPEN
Gold Cup for the British Open 2008 Loro Piana win Gold Cup at third attempt to prevent Ellerston 2008 season double By Iain Forbes-Cockell (“The Major”)
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Loro Piana and Ellerston ready for the big final of the year
L
oro Piana, in the team’s third year of competing in the Veuve Clicquot sponsored Gold Cup for the British Open Championship have avenged their 2007 defeat by winning in 2008. A bit of a trend is begin-
runners-up have gone on to win in 2008. The final score 11-10 has been the same in 3 of the last 4 years. The trend ends there. Last year there were 24 fouls in the final, this year a mere 16. This year we were treated to an ex-
GOLD CUP RUNNERS-UP IN 2004, DUBAI, WENT ON TO WIN IN 2005. BLACK BEARS, WHO WERE RUNNERS-UP IN 2005, WON IN 2006. LORO PIANA, 2007 RUNNERS-UP HAVE GONE ON TO WIN IN 2008. ning to appear. Gold Cup runners-up in 2004, Dubai, went on to win in 2005. Black Bears, who were runners-up in 2005, won in 2006. Loro Piana, 2007
citing, close-marking match in which there were moments of brilliance shown by all four of the highest handicapped players and flat out gallop runs
Juan Martin Nero and Gonzalo Pieres Jr at the final
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the length of the field resulting in well deserved field goals. The route to the finals had been quite different for both teams. Some feel that Loro Piana were fortunate with the teams they faced in their league, had an easier route qualifying and a comfortable semi-final win against Brittany Polo Club, in which they didn’t have to push their ponies hard. Ellerston were in a tough qualifying league, had a close call in the quarterfinals against Cadenza, followed by a solid semi-final win against Sumaya. Loro Piana were quickly into the attack but the ball went wide of goal. Ellerston then ran the ball up field but the attack was turned and Juan
Martin Nero hit up to Pelon Stirling. Gonzalito Pieres marked him well and backhanded the ball to Facundo Pieres who raced towards the goal and then in typical Pieres fashion returned the ball to Gonzalito whose shot at goal but his shot went wide to the right. Juan Martin then hit the ball to Pelon who took the ball at speed towards the Ellerston goal, where a foul resulted in a Penalty 2 (30 yard) which Pelon duly hit to score the opening goal of the match. From the lineout Gonzalito attacked but he was fouled. Facundo took the Penalty 4 (60 yard) hit but the shot was just wide to the left. Loro Piana hit out and then were awarded a Penalty 5B. Their subsequent shot at goal was wide. Facundo then passed to Gonzalito who ran with the ball until fouled. Facundo scored from the resulting Penalty 2 to even the scores at 1-1. A couple more plays by both sides ending in one foul for each side saw the end of the first chukka. Clearly there were signs that both teams were slightly nervous, not yet settled into their game and trying to get their marking and playing strategy in place. It looked as though Jamie Peel was keeping Max Routledge under close watch as during the Queen’s Cup final Max had proved very effective at Above: David Stirling Jr and Hilario Ulloa - Below: Facundo Pieres
15
Above: Adolfo Cambiaso and Nachi Heguy - Below: John Paul Clarkin
restricting Milo’s control of the game and clearly Loro Piana didn’t want Max to negate Pelon or Juan Martin. Tom Barrack was trying to mark Alfio Marchini, who was proving a threat to both Gonzalo and Facundo as he was double marking with either Juan Martin or Pelon and hooking sticks or picking up the ball when one or other Pieres had been ridden off. This seemed to close down both Pieres brothers more than they would wish or are used to and forced them to hold the ball more than run it. A spot hit taken by Juan Martin started the second chukka. He passed to Pelon who ran the ball and passed back to Juan Martin who then took the ball past the face of the goal and scored with a fantastic under the neck shot, 21 to Loro Piana. Ellerston got the ball from the lineout and ran towards goal but tight marking meant that there was a more circuitous route to goal taken by Gonzalito but he eventually found a way through to even the score at 22. Juan Martin picked up the ball from the lineout and despite being closely marked made two good nearside forehand shots, the latter going past the left hand side of goal and then hit a fabulous high backhander through the goal to give his team the lead again at 16
Above: David Stirling Jr and Gonzalo Pieres Jr - Below: Ignus Du Plesis
3-2. Another quick run to goal by Juan Martin increased the score to 4-2. Ellerston replied with Facundo moving the ball to his brother who tapped through to close the gap to 4-3 at the end of the chukka. A run to goal followed by a Penalty 4 both hit through by Pelon provided a double hit for Loro Piana early in the third chukka, boosting the score to 63. An attack by Loro Piana was briefly diverted by a good Max Routledge backhander to the side of the ground, however an infringement occurred and a Penalty 3 (40 yard) was struck well by Pelon and despite hitting Facundo’s pony, went through the goal to increase Loro Piana’s lead. Things went from bad to worse for Ellerston as Pelon scored again making a 5 goal lead at 8-3. However, from the lineout Gonzalito made a run towards goal and passed to Facundo who scored closing the gap to 8-4. Gonzalito had another shot at goal that went just wide to the right. Loro Piana then pressed home another attack but the ball went over 17
Above: Alfio Marchini - Below: English patron Tony Pidgley
the back line off an Ellerston player’s stick, so Pelon took a safety 60 and the ball went behind off an Ellerston stick again! The second safety 60 by Pelon was struck wide and at half time the score was 8-4 in Loro Piana’s favour. The game seemed to be slipping away from Ellerston and Loro Piana had built up a very useful lead, well aware that in previous matches when Ellerston may have been behind they have come back strongly and eventually won. Loro Piana coach Carlos Gracida warned his team that Ellerston were likely to come out on their best ponies in the fourth chukka and score at least 3 goals and that at all costs they must retain the lead until the fifth chukka, when some of the best Loro Piana ponies were due to be repeated and they could hold onto their advantage. Well, Carlos got it right. An early goal from Max Routledge from a Facundo pass started the comeback process making the score 8-5. A quick run from the lineout by the Pieres brothers ended with Facundo scoring to make it 8-6. Some Ellerston fans who had been in a state of shock at half time were now becoming more vociferous and they felt that the comeback was well under way. The 18
League 1
Gold Cup for the British Open Championship 2008 Loro Piana
22
Cadenza
Alfio Marchini David Stirling Juan Martin Nero Jamie Peel
2 8 10 2
Tony Pidgley Alejandro Muzzio John-Paul Clarkin Sam Hopkinson
Atlantic Capital
22
Lechuza Caracas
Adrian Kirby Nicolás Pieres Lucas Criado Malcolm Borwick
League 2
Sumaya Ahmed Aboughazale Alberto Heguy Jr Milo Fernandez Araujo Hilario Ulloa
Brittany Polo Club
League 3
Jean Francois Decaux Julio Arellano Miguel Novillo Astrada Juan Ambroggio
League 4
23 0 8 8 7
22 0 8 9 5
1 8 8 5
Victor Vargas Guillermo Aguero Marcos di Paola Tomás Garcia del Rio
Lovelocks
Bucking Broncos Claire Milford Haven Cristian Laprida Jr Matias MacDonough Bautista Sorzana
Broncos
Ed Hitchman Mark Tomlinson Luke Tomlinson Tom Morley
3 7 7 5
George Milford Haven Santiago Chavanne Pablo MacDonough John Fisher
Talandracas
22 0 7 8 7
22 1 7 8 6
22
Charlie Hanbury Jaime Garcia Huidobro Bartolomé Castagnola Mario Gomez
Apes Hill Club Barbados 22
Edouard Carmignac Guillermo Terrera Alejandro Agote Ignacio Toccalino
League 5
1 6 9 6
22
2 8 9 3
21 0 7 8 6
22
Yindarra
1 8 9 4
22
Spencer Young Francisco Bensadon Gonzalo von Wernich Nicolás Espain
Ellerston
22
Les Lions
Max Routledge Gonzalo Pieres Jr Facundo Pieres James Packer / Tom Barrack
2 9 10 1
Derreck Bratley Ignacio Heguy Eduardo Heguy Joe Gottschalk
Dubai
22
Geebung
Tariq Albwardy Fabio Lavignia Adolfo Cambiaso Alejandro Diaz Alberdi
1 3 10 8
Jason Stowe Lucas Monteverde Bautista Heguy Gareth Evans
Azzurra
22
Grayshurst
22
0 6 9 7
Martyn Ratcliffe Rookie Baillieu Agustin Merlos James Beim
0 7 9 6
Stefano Marsaglia Lucas James Marcos Heguy Gaston Laulhe
Les Lions II Ignus du Plessis Ignacio Novillo Astrada Mariano Gonzalez Max Gottschalk
22 5 8 8 1
Bautista Heguy
0 8 7 7
22 4 9 9 0
22 0 8 9 5
Zacara
22
Lyndon Lea Eduardo Novillo Astrada Jr. José Donoso Juan Gris Zavaleta
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0 9 7 6
Facundo Pieres
next goal was a contender, along with Juan Martin’s earlier backhander shot through goal, for goal of the match. Gonzalito had a great run down the field and had been forced well right of the goal but then struck a brilliant under the neck shot from 80 yards away from goal and halfway out to the side of the field to bring Ellerston back to within one goal of Loro Piana at 8-7. However, Pelon Stirling then had a good run to goal and scored to make it 9-7 at the end of the fourth chukka. They had achieved what Carlos had wanted and kept ahead of Ellerston. Early in the fifth chukka Ellerston were awarded a Penalty 2, which Facundo scored to bring the score back to only one goal apart at 9-8. The rest of the chukka saw very tough marking, with evenly matched ponies and players trying to get the next important goal – for Ellerston it would be the equaliser, for Loro Piana it would push the lead out to two goals again and allow a bit of breathing space. As luck Above: Milo Fernandez Araujo and Facundo Pieres - Below: Pelon Stirling (playing for injured Jaime Garcia Huidobro) and Miguel Novillo Astrada
would have it, Loro Piana were awarded a Penalty 2, which Pelon duly scored and thus a two-goal gap at 10-8 had been established. Ellerston struck back and on their next attack were awarded a spot hit in the goalmouth, which was duly scored to push them back to 109. Loro Piana then launched an attack to try to re-establish the two-goal lead during which they were awarded a Penalty 4. Unfortunately, Pelon missed and his shot went just right of the goal, so the score at the end of the penultimate chukka was 10-9 in Loro Piana’s favour. An Ellerston attack ended with the ball going wide of goal and Juan Martin then hit in quickly from the back line and ran the length of the field to score (11-9). Nerves were beginning to show and time was ticking by. Facundo and Gonzalito both combined for a run to goal but were fouled. Facundo scored from the Penalty 3 that was given, which brought Ellerston back to within one goal at 11-10. Some tight marking ensued and then suddenly Facundo made a break with the ball and headed down towards Loro Piana’s goal at the scoreboard end of the ground. One shot popped the ball high in the air 20
Above: Francisco Bensadon and Luke Tomlinson - Below: Spencer Young
Gold Cup 2008 Final Match Loro Piana Ellerston
11 10
MVP: Juan Martin Nero (Loro Piana) BPP: Noche (Juan Martin Nero)
and as it dropped to the ground everyone thought that Facundo would slot an under the neck shot through the goal to equalise and force the extra chukka but it bounced awkwardly and didn’t have much momentum, so he made the decision to tap the ball towards the back line with a view to running it along the goal line and tapping it through but, unfortunately for Facundo and Ellerston the ball just went too far out of reach and over the back line. Just then the hooter went for the end of the match with Loro Piana winning 11-10 after some great display of skills from all the players. Loro Piana’s Pelon Stirling could hardly believe it when the hooter sounded to end the match – there was a mixture of joy and relief to have survived a great comeback and beaten a great team, a just reward for him and Alfio’s team proving that third time lucky is something that happens! 21
UK SEASON - GOLD CUP FOR THE BRITISH OPEN
The Gold Cup and its Numbers By Federico Levy
I
n this 14th year of Veuve Clicquot’s sponsorship of the Gold Cup Tournament for the British Open, several teams were on course to obtaining the cup, though some of them were candidates and others were not. Of course, there is always subjectivity in each person’s tastes, but in polo there are also true facts which are reflected in numbers. If we add 620 goals scored in 30 games played during the qualifying stage plus four matches played in the quarter-finals, where 85 goals were scored, and we then add on two semifinals with 49 goals, and 21 were scored between Ellerston and Loro Piana in the tournament final, this produces the following result: 775 goals scored throughout 37 games, reaching an average of 20.9 goals per match. A very interesting number if we take into account tournaments played in other parts of the world, since these goals were scored at an approximate rate of
3.5 per chukker, and this implies a motivation for all spectators who come to watch a polo game. As regards the Gold Cup, the most amount of goals were scored in games played during the qualifying stage; and one of these matches was played by the champions, Loro Piana, where they beat 2007’s winning team, Lechuza Caracas, 18-8. That afternoon, 26 goals were scored again with Lovelocks 14-12 victory against Bucking Broncos. Oddly enough, once again the champions, Loro Piana, made their appearance but this time in a game against Cadenza where the least number of goals were scored. Alfio Marchini’s team won 7-6, which adds up to a total of 13 goals. And talking about Stirling, Marchini, Nero and Peel’s team, they achieved an average of 11.5 goals per game, since they scored 69 goals throughout six matches. On the other hand, they had an average of 7.5 goals scored
against them per match because it added up to a total of 45 goals after the same number of games were played. In spite of the fact that they took over a 10-goal lead in the semi-final match against Brittany, the game they won in which they achieved the highest goal difference was played in the third qualifying round when they beat Atlantic Capital 15-4, taking an 11-goal lead. However, on two occasions they won by a mere 1-goal difference: in their second performance in the tournament against Cadenza, having won 7-6 with their last goal scored by Juan Martín Nero, and by the same 1-goal difference they won the final 11-10 though, in that case, the last goal was scored by Jamie Peel. On four occasions, Loro Piana managed to surpass the 10-goal barrier: in the first game against Lechuza Caracas, in their victory against Atlantic, in the semi-final against Brittany and in the fi-
Juan Martin Nero and Marcos Heguy (who replaced injured Miguel Novillo Astrada at the last game)
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Above: Loro Piana group at the final picture with the most important british polo trophy - Below: Loro Piana, 2008 Gold Cup winners
nal against Ellerston. Notwithstanding, on two occasions, in the second match of the tournament against Cadenza and in the quarter-finals against Les Lions II, although they won they did not reach a 10-goal difference. Numbers do not lie, and Loro Piana played the match with the highest number of goals as well as the game with the lowest number. And, out of an average of 20.9 goals per match for the Gold Cup, Alfio Marchini’s team scored at rate of 11.5 goals per game, which is more than half of the total number of goals scored and, therefore, from a statistical point of view, this is how they became champions.
UK Gold Cup Place: Midhurst, West Sussex. GU29 OAQ, UK Club: Cowdray Park Polo Club Date: June 28-July 20, 2008 Level: 22 hcp Tournament type: Open Tournament Director: Chris Bethell WPT Category Ranking: Grand Slam Winner Points: 150 Finalist Points: 70
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UK SEASON - CORONATION CUP
England Teamwork earns Coronation Cup rematch win By Iain Forbes-Cockell (“The Major”)
Luke Tomlinson, Malcom Borwick, Mark Tomlinson and James Beim with the Coronation Cup
25
I
n 2005 a “golden goal� in overtime by Rookie Baillieu gave Australia victory in the Coronation Cup. Three years on, England, under a new management structure of Andrew Hine as team manager and Javier Novillo Astrada as team coach, were very keen to redress the balance with a victory. Both England and Australia retained three of the players from 2005.
based in England this season and have ponies that are acclimatised and have played in the high goal tournaments. The Australians had a good win in the Argentine Cup 26 Goal tournament at Beaufort and this served as a very useful warm-up for the Coronation Cup. The England team had managed three practices with varied 26 goal opposition and had forged a useful team
England played well together as a team and this showed on the field and they ran out 10-9 winners to get revenge for their 2005 defeat by the Australians. The fourth players this year were James Beim for England and Rob Archibald for Australia. Damien Johnston arrived from Australia around a month ago and has been settling in and playing a few practice matches. The remaining three Australian players have been
spirit and confidence in each other’s abilities. On a very hot day, which took its toll on both the spectators and the ponies, we witnessed a fantastic open fast running game in which all the goals scored were field goals and every play-
Drumming lads
26
er on the field scored at least one goal. England played well together as a team and this showed on the field and they ran out 10-9 winners to get revenge for their 2005 defeat by the Australians. The first chukka saw a number of attacks on goal by both teams come to nought. Some tactical sparring ensued with very evenly matched plays by both sides. It was at least 5 minutes into the chukka before a missed shot by Malcolm Borwick was picked up by Ruki Baillieu, who passed to Damien Johnston (known as DJ) who scored the first goal of the match. A spot hit to England after an infringement in the lineout saw Luke Tomlinson hit a massive long shot towards goal, which his brother Mark scored with a simple tap in to level the scores at 1-1. James Beim then got the ball in the lineout and raced down the ground and after three shots cut the ball neatly through
Mark Tomlinson
to score England’s second goal just as the chukka ended. England 2-1 up. Early in the second chukka Luke Tomlinson passed the ball to Mark who ran towards goal but his shot was wide. Subsequently, a further attack was well defended but Ruki missed a backhander and Luke pounced and took the ball to goal scoring England’s third goal. DJ broke free of his marker and ran to goal but put his shot wide. Luke’s hit out to the left of the field reached Mark who then ran the ball down the left side of the ground, past the Royal Box, where HRH The Prince of Wales was watching with interest, on down the side and then cut the ball through the goal to score England’s fourth goal. Ruki then had a shot at goal that was wide but in the next attack he made sure his shot went through to score and narrow the gap to England 4, Australia 2 at the end of
the second chukka. The third chukka saw some close marking and great runs by both sides. The heat was taking its toll on the ponies and Ruki Baillieu said after the match that ponies were lasting around 3 minutes because of the
Play to the whistle might be a useful tip for the coach to pass on to the team! Luke was so upset by this incident he got really fired up and had a great run down field to score. At half time the score was thus England 5, Australia 3.
The pace of the game was significantly faster than in the normal 22 goal that they had been playing, heat. The pace of the game was significantly faster than in the normal 22 goal that they had been playing, which, despite the one tap rule, was still slower than the 26 goal game we witnessed. During this chukka Mark Tomlinson was fouled and he (and the rest of the England team) pulled up expecting the whistle to be blown but it wasn’t blown and Ruki just walked in a goal with the England team looking aghast at the umpires. 27
Australia’s team talk at half time clearly worked because they came out in the forth chukka on fire. Glen Gilmore, a superb tactician and very experienced player at this level, ensured his side kept possession of the ball and after a substantial period of possession he scored a goal to bring Australia back to within one goal of England. Then in the next attack he hit the ball to Ruki, who scored to bring Australia level at 5-5. In the next play, Luke kept hold
of the ball and then timed his release to Beimy perfectly so that he ran onto the ball flat out and hit a great shot to score, putting England back into a one goal lead. In the next play, an England player fouled and the penalty strike by Glen Gilmore reached Ruki Baillieu, who took the ball and, despite being closely marked, managed several shots, eventually scoring with a great nearside under the neck shot to level the scores at 6-6 at the end of the forth chukka. A Mark Tomlinson shot from the halfway line headed straight for goal and just require a little tap in from Beimy to regain the lead for England early in the fifth chukka. A spot hit to England saw Luke run with the ball, pass it to Malcolm Borwick , who then passed it up to Beimy to score, thus regaining the two goal cushion for England that they had last enjoyed at halftime. A quick run from the lineout found Mark Tomlinson scoring to put England into a three goal lead at 9-6. England then mounted a further attack with Malcolm Borwick being ridden off attempting a nearside under the neck shot but he was just wide. Ruki then had a shot at goal but was Above: Rookie Baillieu - Below: Mark Tomlinson and Glen Gilmore
28
Australian team formation
Coronation Cup England James Beim Mark Tomlinson Luke Tomlinson (c) Malcolm Borwick Reserve: Henry Brett (6) Coach: Javier Novillo Astrada
26 6 7 7 6
Australia
26
Glen Gilmore (c) 6 Rookie Baillieu 7 Damien Johnston 7 Rob Archibald 6 Reserves: Dirk Gould, Jock Mackay, Ed Goold Coach: Milo Fernรกndez Araujo
Golden Jubilee Trophy Hurlingham Polo Association 22
The Prince of Wales Team
Johnny Good Jamie Lee Hardy Henry Brett (c) Chris Hyde
Santham Dhillon 5 James Harper 5 Tom Morley 6 Nacho Gonzalez (c) 6 Reserves: Roddy Williams, Oliver Hipwood
5 5 6 6
The Coronation Cup
22
Coronation Cup Result: England 10 - Australia 9 Score: 2-1; 4-2; 5-3; 6-6; 9-7; 10-9. MVP: Luke Tomlinson BPP: Nona (Rookie Baillieu) Golden Jubilee Trophy Result: Hurlingham Polo Association 7,5 The Prince of Wales Team 7 HPA Young Player award: Max Routledge
James Harper
29
Coronation Cup Place: Smith´s Lawn, Windsor Great Park, Egham, Surrey TW20 0HP Club: Guards Polo Club Date: July 27, 2008 Level: 26 hcp Tournament type: Open Tournament Director: Oliver Ellis
wide of the mark. However, in the next passage of play he got the ball near the left hand side of the ground about 80 yards from the goal line and took the ball towards the centre of the ground and unleashed an astonishingly good under the neck shot which went through the goal, to bring the score back to England 9, Australia 7 at the end of the fifth chukka. As we had seen earlier in the match, a two goal lead can be lost, so with everything to play for the teams started the last chukka. Malcolm Borwick picked up the ball in a defensive position and then with very clever striking of the ball, pushed it up field so it was just behind an Australian player, then ran at speed past him and took the ball to score England’s tenth goal. Surely Above: Luke Tomlinson - Below: Luke Tomlinson and Glen Gilmore
this was sufficient lead to ensure a victory? Or was it? Australia came back quickly, well aware that the clock was ticking by and they had to score three to level and get the overtime chukka. An attack was saved by Luke just before the ball crossed the goal line but the ball went over the back line. A safety 60 was taken by DJ which was low and stopped by an England player. The whistle went for a foul but the third man ruled no foul and the ball was thrown into a lineout. Rob Archibald escaped with the ball and scored to get Australia back to 10-8. Australia were pressing hard now and Glen Gilmore passed the ball to Ruki whose shot went wide of goal. Luke’s hit out struck Rob Archibald’s pony and bounced back slightly. The England team could do nothing as Glen Gilmore quickly picked the ball up and scored to bring the score to England 10, Australia 9. Nerves creeping in as time was running out and less than 30 seconds later the hooter sounded to end the match, England getting that revenge with a 10-9 win. 30
OFF THE FIELD - CORONATION CUP
E
Glam Luncheons
ngland is a country rich in tradition, from the Royal Family to its monuments, from its music to its theatres, and this undoubtedly applies to most of its sports. Polo tournaments, which are abundant during the English high goal season, are surrounded by those joyful luncheons assembled in-between chukkas. Taking food to set up a well known
picnic whenever polo games are played has already become a tradition. The opportunity of being alongside an open field covering 300 yards, always very green and shortly mown, allows us all to enjoy a different type of experience in the area surrounding a polo field. It is one of the preferred pastimes among the English. The opportunity
of eating a meal out in the open air draws much attention and this is why, year after year, it continues to attract increasing numbers of people and, as if this were not enough, it additionally gains more style and sophistication as the seasons go by. All food accompanying these polo luncheons is highly varied and depends on each person’s taste. What
Half time - Queen’s Ground - Guards PC - Coronation Cup
31
can be guaranteed is that these picnics are anything but randomly arranged. In fact, everything is tidily prepared to set up a grand luncheon. In some cases, a well-known sandwich becomes an ideal companion at these open-air luncheons, though during the English high goal season, you barely need to take a walk around the fields to come across important platters such as those found in London restaurants. A basket containing plates, cutlery and glasses becomes an infallible ally for those polo luncheon lovers because you merely need to open it and place the tablecloth on the ground to ensure that the table is set.
32
Drinks served at these “picnics� almost deserve a separate chapter. The enormous variety of drinks you come across is amazing, although the most famous of all is the summer drink par excellence in England known as Pimm’s, with its sweet and refreshing taste. Polo is an overall celebration in England and, without a doubt, one of the main reasons why some people join the event in the defining stages of the most important tournaments in the country, is related to the fact that they are the ones that most enjoy these picnics or polo luncheons.
33
UK SEASON - THE WARWICKSHIRE CUP
PRIDE OF LIONS A single-goal margin decided the latest name to be inscribed on the historic Warwickshire Cup by Roger Chatterton-Newman
O
ne of the few days of bright sunshine this summer greeted Warwickshire Cup finalists at Cirencester Park at the end of June. The unusual, if much awaited, warmth boded well for a local team, Charlie Hanbury’s Lovelocks, who had got through to the final of this, the oldest high-goal trophy in the kingdom. They met Max Gottschalk’s Les Lions II, who were equally determined to
capture the cup for the first time, and for most of the game it seemed that they would do so with ease. Les Lions dominated the game from the first chukka and Lovelocks’ chances seemed fated when their pivot, the 8-goal Chilean maestro Jaime Garcia Huidobro, fell from his pony three times during the first and second chukkas. At half-time he was taken to hospital, suffering from suspected
Ignus Du Plessis
34
concussion, and his place was taken by Marcos Di Paola. No matter how well Di Paola played, Lovelocks were simply unable to hold back Les Lions, who were based around the superb combination of the ‘two Ignacios’. These were Novillo Astrada, who needs no introduction, and du Plessis, a nineteen-year-old South African who, already rated at 5goals, is a fast-rising star.
Craig Wilson from Black Bears (team that only played the Warwickshire Cup as part of his high goal season 2008)
Going into the final chukka, Les Lions had an 8-4 lead. Lovelocks seemed destined to lose by a wide margin but, suddenly, came back into the game brilliantly, with a penalty conversion and two goals from the stick of Lolo Castagnola. On the final bell, Les Lions rode out the winners 8-7, Lovelocks having whittled away at their advantage with a venegeance. Lovelocks did not go away empty handed. They won Best Playing Pony with Pom Pom, played by Castagnola in the final chukka; and Best Retrained Racehorse was Hanbury’s Irish mare, Paprika. The Warwickshire Cup was first played at the old Warwickshire Polo Club, Leamington Spa, in 1894, by coincidence the year in which Cirencester Park Polo Club was also founded. When the Warwickshire club failed to revive in 1919, the cup was taken to Roehampton Polo Club, London, by Frank
The Warwickshire Cup Beaufort Embryo Transfer 22
Longdole
Emma Tomlinson Michel del Carril Carlos Gracida Santham Dhillon
2 6 8 6
George Hanbury Manuel Fernandez Llorente Jose Donoso Marcos di Paola
Black Bears
22
Guy Schwarzenbach Simon Keyte John-Paul Clarkin Craig Wilson
Enigma
1 7 8 6
20
Jerome Wirth Rookie Baillieu Glen Gilmore Malcolm Borwick
Laird Nick Britten-Long Henry Brett Santiago Gaztambide Pablo Jauretche
35
Les Lions II Ignus du Plessis Ignacio Novillo Astrada Mariano Gonzalez Max Gottschalk
Red Dogs
22 1 6 7 8
22 5 8 8 1
19
0 7 7 6
Evelyn Williams Gaston Moore Andrea Viannini Kevin Johnson
1 7 7 4
22
Lovelocks
22
2 7 7 6
Charlie Hanbury Jaime Garcia Huidobro Bartolome Castagnola Matt Loder
2 8 9 3
Charlie Hanbury
The Warwickshire Cup Place: Gloucestershire, GL7 1UR, United Kingdom Club: Cirencester Park Polo Club Date: June 17-29, 2008 Level: 22 hcp Tournament type: Open WPT Category Ranking: WPT Cup Winner Points: 60 Finalist Points: 30 Semifinalist Points: 15
Past Winners 2007
Elysian Fields Michael King, James Beim, Jose Donoso & Marcos di Paola
2006
Oaklands Park Martyn Ratcliffe, Gaston Laulhe, Alberto Heguy & Glen Gilmore
2005
Black Bears Urs Schwarzenbach, Eduardo Novillo Astrada, Javier Novillo Astrada & Nicolas Antinori
2004
Black Bears Urs Schwarzenbach, Eduardo Novillo Astrada, Javier Novillo Astrada & Sebastian Dawnay
2003
FCT Roger Carlsson, Jack Baillieu, Henry Brett & Jaime G. Huidobro
2002
Foxcote Tamara Vestey, Rookie Ballieu, Simon Keyte & Glen Gilmore
2001
Dubai Ali Albwardi, Bartolome Castagnola, Adolfo Cambiaso & Ryan Pemble
36
Hargreaves, whose team had won it in the last pre-war final. It was played at Roehampton, as the Hargreaves Cup, until the club closed in 1956. The HPA awarded the trophy to Cirencester Park in 1960, since when it has joined the Queen’s Cup and the Gold Cup for the British Open as part of the British Triple Crown. Only eight teams entered the Warwickshire Cup this year, and next season it will move to a new slot, as the third – rather than customary second – element in the Triple Crown. The final will be played in early August, and the HPA hopes that this will encourage more entries and extend the British high-goal season.
The Warwickshire Cup - Final Lovelocks
22
Charlie Hanbury Jaime Garcia Huidobro Bartolome Castagnola Matt Loder
2 8 9 3
Final Result: Les Lions 8 - 7 MVP: Ignacio Novillo Astrada
Les Lions II Ignus du Plessis Ignacio Novillo Astrada Mariano Gonzalez Max Gottschalk
22 5 8 8 1
BPP: Pom Pom (B. Castagnola) Best Retrained Racehorse: Paprika (Charlie Hanbury)
Bathurst Cup - Final 22
Longdole George Hanbury Manuel Fernandez Llorente Jose Donoso Marcos di Paola Final Result: Longdale 12 - 9
1 6 7 8
Red Dogs Evelyn Williams Gaston Moore Andrea Viannini Kevin Johnson
19 1 7 7 4
Malcom Borwick trying to hook Mariano Gonzalez
37
DUKE OF WELLINGTON
BHC defeat regular rivals in Wellington battle By Diana Butler
B
erkeley Health Care (BHC) put up a strong performance to win the Duke of Wellington Trophy on The Queen’s Ground at Guards Polo Club in the middle of August. They defeated Clarita 9-7 in a close game in this 6-12-goal competition. This was the first time that this competition has been played off this
handicap – it was formerly played off a high-goal (16-goals) rating in the past. However the change in rating proved popular though for this time of the season and nine teams entered this newlook competition. These two teams have been regular foes this year and this was the second time in less than 24 hours that they
Santos Juracy and Howard Hipwood
38
had met in a final at Smith’s Lawn. The previous day Mo Sheikh’s team had defeated a Mathias’ line-up to win the 4-8goal Town and County Cup. Again that was a tight game, with BHC winning by just one goal – 8-7. In the Duke of Wellington final itself, BHC were trailing at the start of the second chukka. However, some
Duke of Wellington Final Clarita Chris Mathias Clare Mathias Santiago de Estrada Howard Hipwood
Berkeley Health Care Momin Sheikh Ben Turner Roddy Williams Juracy Santos Final Result: Berkeley 9 - 7 BPP: Kenny (Ben Turner) MVP: Roddy Williams
12 1 0 6 5
12 0 4 5 3
Subsidiary Final Regal
12
Pedro De Lamare Martin French Blake Tarquin Southwell Rapahel Singh
3 4 4 1
Asprey London
12
Simon Holley Johnny Good Eric Asker Chris Hyde Final Result: Asprey London 8 - 7
0 5 1 6
Above: Santiago de Estrada - Below: Berkeley Health Care Team
39
Momin Sheikh and Ben Turner
Berkeley Health Care Team with the Duke of Wellington himself and the trophy
strong play from Juracy Santos, including a confident penalty, saw them have a two-goal advantage by half time. Clarita battled hard in the second half with Clare Mathias scoring a great goal just before the end of the third chukka to keep her team’s hopes alive. Santiago d’Estrada, who teamed up so well with Howard Hipwood in this match, was also playing well and continued to
keep Clarita’s hopes alive until the final whistle. However, a goal from the stick of Roddy Williams in the final minutes of this game assured another victory for BHC. Mo Sheikh received the trophy from its namesake, The Duke of Wellington himself, a founder member and a Vice President of Guards Polo Club. Ben Turner, an invaluable member of the 40
BHC team, received the Best Playing Pony prize for Kenny, an 11-year-old, New Zealand-bred mare. The scores were close in the subsidiary too, which was played immediately after the final on The Queen’s Ground. Simon Holley’s Asprey London defeated Regal 8-7.
41
UK SEASON - BRITISH OPEN LADIES CHAMPIONSHIP
The British Open Ladies Championship 2008 By Sarah Wiseman
P
rior to the final of the British Open Ladies Championship, the weather had been hot and humid, allowing the quarterfinals and semi finals to be played in superb conditions. Alas, this was not to last and the final was greeted with rather more sombre and wet conditions, which seemed to typify the English summer of 2008. Due to concerns that the ladies
match would ruin the ground for the International Test Match which was to follow on Lawns 2, the Ladies final was moved to Lawns 1 at the last minute. With the unpleasant conditions and the change to another pitch, it was great to see so many spectators turn out to watch the final of this converted ladies trophy. This I think is a mark that the calibre and quality of ladies polo has certainly improved.
Sara Wiseman chasing Nina Clarkin during the final game
42
This ladies tournament is somewhat unique and has been hotly contested for the last few years. It is run as an open tournament meaning that any team can enter at any handicap, but they will not receive any handicap advantage. This year six teams entered ranging from 0 goals to 3 goals. Four teams met in the quarter finals with both Audi and Stanford Financial Group receiving byes into the semi finals.
Above: Audi and Stanford Bank at the final podium - Below: Marianela Castagnola and Nina Clarkin, the best players of the tournament
The two finalists were Audi and Stanford Financial Group, the two highest handicapped teams in the tournament. Audi were keen to take back the title that they had lost last year. Stanford Financial Group had three members of the winning Cadenza side from last year and were equally keen to take the spoils. Both teams’ semi final matches were competitive, but Audi and Stanford Financial Group entered into the finals with 6-2 and 6-1 victories respectively. As a surprisingly large crowd gathered alongside Lawns 1, under umbrellas and trench coats, the ladies took to the field with the Cowdray ruins surrounded in mist as a beautiful if not rather damp backdrop. The first chukka was quick and exciting and despite the wet conditions, was at a surprisingly fast pace. Nina Clarkin scored the first goal for Audi within a minute of the ball being thrown in. Stanford knew they had their work cut out as Audi clearly meant business and had a game plan. The chukka ended 2-1 to Audi. 43
In the second chukka, the Audi game plan came into force as Nina took control of the ball, Clare Milford-Haven, Vanessa Taylor and Teresa Beresford went to work taking out the ladies on the Stanford side. This allowed Nina to run the length of the field three times, scoring with decisive and superb accuracy in tricky conditions. Stanford were working and playing hard, but clearly found it difficult to penetrate the Audi defence and to keep up with an inspired Nina Clarkin. The half time bell sounded and the girls leaving the field were coated in mud, and the field looking like it had contested a ploughing match. Audi looked comfortable and confident, while Stanford clearly needed to change their tactics to get back into the game. The large number of people treading in at half time mended the field and the ladies came back on to resume their muddy battle. Stanford came back fighting with some great team plays and clever passing between Castagnola and Wiseman they were able to penetrate the Audi defence and seizing any opportunity quickly and effectively with Gipps and Mathias running up front. This took the score to 5-4 heading into the last chukka. The play went back and forth with both teams having to defend hard. It was with 3 minutes left that Audi capitalised on a penalty giving them a bit more breathing room with a 2 goal lead. With seconds left on the clock Clarkin finished off the Audi victory in style with another superb goal. As a player in the final it was a real privilege and honour to play in such a high quality level of women’s polo and to play against Nina Clarkin who displayed great sportsmanship, superior skills and is a true ambassador for women players.
Stanford is a fairly new corporate face in polo sponsorship in the UK. Having sponsored a few events in the UK at Sandhurst and the title sponsors of the US Open in Palm Beach, the sponsorship of a ladies team in this highly competitive tournament is a first for the US based financial group. They have been eager to become more involved in polo internationally, and it is evidential that polo as a growing sport has a much wider and greater appeal to corporations with a similar client base and philosophy to Stanford. Stanford is a company who’s name is synonymous with professional sport worldwide and it is exciting for polo that such a global giant are keen to support and develop the future of the game.
Alice Gipps
British Open Ladies Place: Midhurst, West Sussex, United Kingdom Club: Cowdray Park Date: August 27-31, 2008 Level: 3 hcp Tournament type: Open
44
British Open Ladies Championship 2008 Sweet Feet Shoes
1
The Pussy Girls
0
Windsmoor
0
Kristen Ladeback de la Beck Kristy Craig Sophie Heaton Ellis Rosie Ross
-2 1 1 1
Aurora Eastwood Claire MacNamara Heloise Lorentzen Diana Jack
0 0 0 0
Charlotte Sweeney Lisa Forster Sehr Ahmad Hett Wright
0 0 0 0
Stanford Financial Group
3
WRP Executive.com
1
Audi
2
Sarah Wiseman Claire Mathias Marianela Castagnola Alice Gipps
1 0 2 0
Felicity Baker Lucy Taylor Sherry Lynn Hensman BĂĄrbara MenĂŠndez
-2 1 2 0
Teresa Beresford Clare Milford Haven Nina Clarkin Vanessa Taylor
-1 0 3 0
Final Match: Audi vs Stanford (7-4)
MVP: Clare Milford Haven Marianela Castagnola leading the action
45
GCC CUP
CULTURE AND CHARITY The 12th Gulf Co-operation Council tournament at Guards saw victory for the visitors, as Dara Williams reports
D
esigned to promote and strengthen cultural links between the UK and the Middle East, the annual Gulf Co-operation Council Day at Guards also raise a considerable amount for charities at home and in the UAE. The twelth edition, which saw a home side line up against a GCC squad, took place on the immaculate Queen’s Ground in June. That the future of polo in the Middle East is secured was obvious from two rising young players, Salman Alhamrani – whose father, Sheikh Mohamed Alhamrani, is patron of the Palermo team – and Rashid Albwardy, son of Dubai patron Ali Saeed Albwardy.
Above: Salman Alhamrani - Below: Rashid Albwardy (future best player of UAE)
46
United Arab Emirates at the podium together with HM Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Sultan Bin Salman Abdulaziz and Basil Ghalatini
Traditional luxury way to get to a top polo event like the GCC at guards polo club
GCC Day GCC Amr Al Zedan Salman Alhamrani Rashid Albwardy Saeed Bin Drai
-2 -1 0 1
Guards Tony Pidgley Clive Reid Martin Young Edward Horswell
1 0 0 2
GCC received a 2½-goal advantage on handicap, although does not always mean victory, even though such a game cannot go into extra time. Young Alhamrani opened the account for GCC at the end of the first chukka, while Tony Pidgley send in the first goal for Guards, 3½-1. The second chukka saw Clive Reid and Edward Horswell take Guards ahead with a half-goal advantage. GCC scored again in the penultimate chukka, and as they rode back onto the field 47
for the last chukka they led 4½-4. In the event, there was no further score and GCC rode out victorious. The cup was presented to the winners by The Queen, accompanied by guest of honour Prince Sultan Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz, together with Basil Ghalayini, chief executive officer of the BMG Financial Group. Clive Reid’s Chloe, ridden by him in the second chukka, was the Best Playing Pony.
ASIA CUP
England sparkles on Ganjam Jaipur Trophy Day By Diana Butler
E
ngland, led by Chris Hyde, had a convincing 9-4 win over India in the Asia Cup at Guards Polo Club on the last Saturday of June. This match, which was played as part of the Ganjam Jaipur Trophy Day, saw the visiting Indian team lead after the first chukka. However the home side got into their stride in the second and never looked back. They were 4-2 up at half-time and added a further four goals to their tally in the fourth and final chukka alone, ensuring them a popular victory. This was the second match of the day for the numerous visitors, including the many guests who had flown in especially for this event at the invite of the day’s sponsor, Ganjam, India’s Above: England Team with the Cup - Below: Chris Hyde and Dhruvpal Godera
48
Above: The Asia Cup podium - Below Left: Shamseer Ali and James Harper - Right: Shamseer Ali winning against James Harper
oldest jewellers. Because of the day’s ties with Ganjam, the polo was not the only attraction on The Dukes’ Ground. There were several beautiful displays of elegant jewellery which the guests had the opportunity to try on. And with plenty of unexpected, but most welcome hot, bright sunshine – a rare sight this summer - it was not just the ponies that sparkled at Smith’s Lawn. The Jaipur Trophy itself was the first match on the card at this year’s event and was played as a league match for the 12-goal Phoenician Cup. The honours went to Grayshurst, who narrowly defeated Black Cats 9-8. Grayshurst patron Martyn Ratcliffe went forward to receive the magnificent Jaipur Trophy from Maharaja Singh, stepson of the Rajamata of Jaipur who presented the cup to Guards Polo Club in memory of her late husband many years ago, and Umesh Ganjam, Managing Director of Ganjam. Grayshurst were the deserved winners of this game as they dominated the early chukkas of the game and were
leading 8-4 at the start of the fourth. However the Black Cats came back into the match in the latter stages, thanks to some great play from Nacho Gonzalez and he opened up the possibility of this match going into extra time. However an under the neck shot from Ratcliffe assured a Grayshurst victory with just a minute left on the clock. The event was also part of the international Celebrasian Festival, an annual Asian heritage festival that is held in
India and the UK every year. Therefore a dinner was held at the polo club after the matches so that guests and players could continue celebrating. During the evening an auction raised funds for Mark Shand’s elephant family charity. To inspire guests to support this good cause, several beautiful models of elephants, made from foliage, were dotted around The Duke’s Ground throughout the day, giving an authentic feel to the day.
Asia Cup
Phoenician Cup
England Edward Magor Max Charlton Chris Hyde James Harper
India Simran Shergill Dhruvpal Godera Shamseer Ali Lt Col Navjit Sandhu Final Result: England 9-4
49
16
Grayhurst
12
2 2 6 6
Martyn Ratcliffe Roddy Mathews Oliver Hipwood Corin Gibbs
0 4 5 3
16
Black Cats
11
Sphie Kyriazi Hernan Muzzio Nacho Gonzalez Nick Brister Final Result: Grayhurst 9-8
-1 4 6 2
3 4 6 3
UK SEASON - THE ROYAL WINDSOR CUP
Zacara Celebrated at Guards Polo Club The Queen’s Ground at Guards Polo Club welcomed Zacara and Geebung for the Al Habtoor Royal Windsor Cup final, one of the most competitive tournaments worldwide. Played since 1955, it is the oldest tournament played at this club, where over 20 of the best English teams are entered to participate every year.
A
fter winning every game they played, and Geebung did so as from the qualifying stage, when they won three matches and later beat Laird and Lamrei in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively, they made it through to the last game of the tournament. On the other side of the field, Zacara, who defeated Black Bears in the quarter-finals and beat Lovelocks by a clear 10-5 in the following round and, thus, achieved their pass to the final.
There they were, on The Queen’s Ground. Both teams awaiting the moment the ball touched the ground for a new final of this traditional tournament to begin. From the very first minute, Zacara took the lead after an amazing run performed by Rookie Baillieu, who took possession of the ball after the initial throw-in and scored the first goal on the scoreboard. Geebung took their time to readjust their half of the field led by Gareth
James Beim against Southafrican Gareth Evans
50
Evans and Pepe Araya. However, the team attacked well as from the end of the second chukker when they started getting closer on the scoreboard. Notwithstanding, Zacara reacted rapidly and increased their lead to 4-2 halfway through the third chukker. And later, another two good attacks on the part of Zacara, scored by Jack Baillieu and James Beim, allowed their team to take a 6-3 lead at half-time. The public were still making themselves comfortable in the stands at
Above: Johny Good, Will Lucas and Manuel Fernandez Llorente - Below: James Beim, player of the year 2007, receiving the trophy from HM Queen Elizabeth II
The Royal Windsor Cup Place: Smith’s Lawn, Windsor Great Park, Egham, Surrey TW20 0HP, UK Club: Guards Polo Club Date: June 2-22, 2008 Level: 12-15 hcp Tournament type: Open Tournament Director: Oliver Ellis WPT Category Ranking: Polo Challenge Winner Points: 50 Finalist Points: 25 Semi Finalist Points: 10
Guards Polo Club. They were honoured by the presence of Queen Elizabeth II who watched the game from the Royal Box. JosĂŠ Ignacio Araya scored a goal for Geebung at the beginning of the second half. However, Jack Baillieu made sure that his team continued to be ahead of their opponents by scoring a goal after a backhand under-the-neck shot, which placed their 7-4 lead on the scoreboard. In the fifth and last chukker, first through a penalty shot and later follow51
Rookie Baillieu
ing James Beim’s high-speed run while dominating the ball, the scoreboard showed a 9-4 lead in favour of Zacara. Subsequently, the team’s back scored the tenth goal for this foursome. Right near the end, “Pepe” Araya scored the last goals through penalty shots, allowing Geebung to reduce the difference. The game ended with Zacara’s 10-7 victory. They were superior on the field and won The Al Habtoor Royal Windsor Cup 2008. The cup was presented by Queen Elizabeth II. Concurrently, the Asprey London Team played on The Duke’s Ground and beat La Clarita 10-9. Thus, they obtained the Subsidiary Cup, also presented by the Queen of England.
Habtoor Polo The Habtoor family experience at Guards Polo Club Previously, at the beginning of the Habtoor Windsor Cup final at Guards Polo Club, an exhibition game was played between two teams belonging to the Habtoor Polo Club from Dubai. There, Rashid and Mohammed Al Habtoor’s teams met. The latter played together with Habtoor Al Habtoor, Charlie Mayon and Rodolfo Ducos, and the
among these teams. Dressed in blue and white, Mohammed’s team was winning the match 4-3 when halfway through the fourth chukker, Justo del Carril (the yellow team’s number 3) appeared and achieved a partial tie. A few seconds later, Charlie Mayon scored a goal taking a 5-4 lead, and right near the
former played with Gordon Wallace, Justo del Carril and Pancho Marín Moreno. It was an even match in which no significant differences were achieved
end, Rashid Al Habtoor’s team tied the match. The game ended 5-5, and after lunch the players attended The Royal Windsor Cup final 2008.
52
The Royal Windsor Cup Mad Dogs
15
Alan Fall Will Hine Andrea Vianini Oliver Taylor
0 4 7 4
Max Gottschalk Ignus du Plessis Eduardo Heguy Joe Gottschalk
1 5 9 0
Bruce Merivale Austin Max Charlton José Donoso Andrew Hine
0 2 7 6
14
Lambourne
15
Asprey London
15
Clarita Chris Mathias Mario Gomez Santiago de Estrada Sam Gairdner
Aravali Karim Thapar Howard Hipwood Charlie Mayon Gaston Devrient
0 3 6 5
14 0 5 5 4
Les Lions
15
Andrew Blake Thomas Roddy Williams Tommy Wilson John Seabrook
Black Bears Guy Schwarzenbach Jean Du Plessis Dirk Gould Simon Keyte
15
3 5 7 0
Simon Holley Johnny Good Chris Hyde Robert Thame
0 5 6 4
15
Black Cats
15
1 5 6 3
Hernan Muzzio Peter Webb Agustin Nero Mark Wadhwa
4 5 6 0
Geebung
15
Jason Stowe Gareth Evans
0 5
Emma Tomlinson Lucas di Paola
2 6
Roger Carlsson Michel del Carril
0 6
Jose Araya Anthony Fanshawe
6 4
Tomas Lalor Simon Tomlinson
6 1
Guillermo Cuitino Henry Fisher
6 3
Zacara Lyndon Lea James Beim Jack Baillieu Oliver Cudmore
Lamrei Max Routledge Pascual Sainz de Vicuña Santiago Gaztambide Charlie McCowen
Lost Boys Stefen Sund Richard Le Poer Alejandro Muzzio Tomas Ruiz Guiñazu
15 0 6 7 2
15 2 4 7 2
15
Beaufort
Thai Caballus Polo
15
Williamson Tea Ed Magor Ryan Pemble James Harper Tom Beim
15 2 5 6 2
Laird
15
L. Britten Long Oliver Hipwood Henry Brett Alan Kent
0 5 6 4
Zacara with the Royal Winsor Cup
0 3 8 4
Billingbear Park
Emlor Spencer MacCarthy Eden Ormerod Joaquin Pittaluga Nacho Gonzalez
Grayhurst Martyn Ratcliffe Roddy Matthews Gaston Moore Antonio Manzorro
Lovelocks George Hanbury Charlie Hanbury Manuel Fernández Llorente Will Lucas
53
15
15 1 2 6 6
15 0 4 6 5
15 1 2 6 6
UK SEASON - ARCHIE DAVID CUP
Bears prove tougher than dogs in Archie David final By Diana Butler
Above: Farnborough British Legion Band - Below: Guy Schwarzenbach receiving the Archie David Cup from Martin Young
I
t was Guy Schwarzenbach who stepped forward to receive the Meyado Archie David Cup from Martin Young on the last Sunday of June at Guards Polo Club after his Black Bears team had subdued the Mad Dogs 9-4. Despite this final tally, Alan Fall’s team remained in contention for much of the game and it was only due to some strong play from the Bears’ number three, Dirk Gould, in the third chukka that the Bears were able to take advantage. Gould was especially delighted to win this trophy as it was “the first year that I have played in this competition, but my father won this trophy with Ellerston Pink in 1991. “ It must also be put on record that the Mad Dogs had a change of line up coming into this final which altered 54
their gamelan somewhat. Will Hine, captain of the Dogs, admitted that “the chemistry was missing this afternoon for us. We had to change our team to enable Mario Gomez to play in the final of the Warwickshire and that obviously made a difference.” Andrew Blake Thomas had the hard task of filling Gomez’s boots which he did with confidence and plenty of style. He played a great game, but was happy to pay tribute to the opposition after the presentations. “They outplayed us here this afternoon but the game
flowed and there was a great atmosphere,” he said. The subsidiary final for the Caterham Cup was much less clear cut. Pizza Hut led going into the fourth chukka, but El Nino decided that this was their moment to step up a gear. With one minute left, Tito Ruiz Guinazu converted a penalty to level the scores 55. Many of the spectators were certain that a sudden death extra chukka was on the cards, but not Guinazu, who scored again in the final 30 secs of the game to ensure that it was El Nino’s
name on the trophy for 2008. A unique element of the Meyado Archie David Cup is that the Guards’ own teams have another opportunity to win some silver if they fail to go through to the final stages of the Archie David or Caterham Cups. They play for the Claude Pert Cup. This year it was won by The Pirates, who overwhelmed Great Oaks 12-5. The Pirates were 5-2 up at half-time and dominated the rest of the game.
Archie David Cup Final Black Bears
8
Jean Du Plessis Guy Schwarzenbach Dirk Gould David Baxter
3 1 4 0
Mad Dogs
8
Alistair Walker Alan Fall Will Hine Andrew Blake Thomas Final Result: Black Bears 9 - 4 MVP: Jean Du Plessis BPP: Curry (Jean Du Plessis)
1 0 4 3
Subsidiary Cup Final
Above: Jean Du Plessis - Below: Black Bears winner of the Archie David Cup 2008
El Nino
8
Paul Monahan Francisco Vizmara Tito Ruiz Guiñazu Richard Le Poer
-1 2 4 3
Pizza Hut
8
Jamie Dundas Matthew Cudmore Tom Hunt Tom Beim Final Result: El Nino 6 - 5
1 2 3 2
Claude Pert Cup Final
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Pirates
8
Ben Pincus Oliver Hipwood Juan Jose Diaz Alberdi Edward Caffey
0 5 4 -1
Great Oaks
8
Ricardo Massu Louis Bacon Gonzalo Garcia del Rio Marcos Garcia del Rio Final Result: Pirates 12 - 5
0 0 5 3
UK SEASON - VARSITY POLO DAY
Harvard wins on its debut in the Varsity Polo Day at Guards
Harvard Team
H
arvard made its first appearance in the Jack Wills Varsity Polo Day at Guards Polo Club in early June a winning one. This Ivy League American College defeated its fellow institution, Yale, 6-5 in the last match on the card of this annual exhibition of school and university polo. Thanks to some strong play by Nick Snow, brother of 10-goaler Adam Snow, and Alex Levin, Harvard were able to
claim victory on The Duke’s Ground. Alex went on to receive the Most Valuable Player Award for his contribution to his team’s success in this match. By the half-time break, it had looked as if Harvard had this match in the bag as the scoreboard was reading 5-0 in their favour. However Cirencester’s David Ashby brought Yale back into contention in the latter stages of the game and by the final whistle Yale were only 56
one goal adrift from taking the game to a sudden death extra chukka. This was a great achievement by David who had come into the game as a late substitute for Robert Burke who was unable to play following a car accident. In the schools’ game, Harrow retained the Trophy after defeating their traditional rivals, Eton, 4-3 in this annual contest. Both schools put up a sterling performance, which can
John Sleeman (Eton) and Salmam Alhamrani (Harrow)
only bode well for British polo -there is obviously plenty of talent in schools’ polo. Jack Richardson, the son of Kim Richardson of Knepp Castle Polo Club, and a key player for Harrow, received the Best Playing Pony (BPP) award for the nine-year-old chestnut mare Melody. Last year Richardson received the Most Valuable Player Award (MVP), but this year that honour went to the light blue shirts of Eton in the guise of John Sleeman.
Oxford had an easier time than both Harrow and Harvard in their Varsity game against Cambridge. They overwhelmed Cambridge 4-0. Although the Most Valuable Player came from the Cambridge line-up – the impressive Toby Edun – the light blues struggled to find their rhythm. Unfortunately for them too, both Tarquin Wethered and Alex Glesson were on flying form for the dark blues and were able to retain the dark blues’ dominance throughout
the four chukkas. Wethered received the Best Playing Pony Award for Mescal, whom he had played in the first chukka. After the action on the field, many players, guests and spectators, which numbered more than 3,000, headed across The Dukes’ Ground to the Jack Wills Party Marquee, where they were able to reflect on the games until long into the evening.
Match 1
Match 2
Match 3
Harrow
-2
Oxford
Kimoi Moi Salman Alhamrani Jack Richardson Edward Gall
-2 -1 1 0
Alex Glesson Tarquin Wethered Magdy Fawzy Alex Piltz
Eton
1
Cambridge
John Sleeman
0
Liam Gamble
Henry Jennings Jose Entrecanales Felipe Massu Final Result: Harrow 4 - 3 MVP: John Sleeman BPP: Melody (Jack Richardson)
0 1 0
Harriet Pepper Toby Edun Max Kirchoff Final Result: Oxford 4 - 0 MVP: Toby Edun BPP: Mescal (Tarquin Wethered)
-2
Harvard
-2
0 0 -2 0
Pablo Botero Roy Willey Alex Levin Nick Snow
-2 -2 -1 3
-2 1
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0 -2 -1
Yale
-3
Graham Radman
-2
Adam Nelson Michael Losak David Ashby Final Result: Harvard 6 - 5 MVP: Alex Levin BPP: Chino (Alex Levin)
-2 -2 3
ART
Breaking the Stranges hold A distinguished photographer has produced a new calendar in aid of a vital equine campaign
L
ast year, the Animal Health Trust (AHT) and the British Horse Society (BHS) launched an international campaign to raise awareness of Strangles, an equine plague and the most commonly diagnosed infectious disease in horses around the world. The campaign was launched by the AHT president, the Princess Royal and has two main aims. The first is to raise awareness of the disease in horse owners, riders and everyone involved in the health and welfare of horses. The second is to raise funds to support their new research programme – something in which the Household Cavalry has already played a part. Strangles is caused by the bacterium Streptococcus equi and can prove fatal. Clinical signs include fever, profuse nasal discharge and abscessed lymph nodes of the head and neck. The swelling of these lymph nodes may, in severe cases, restrict the airway, hence the name. The ‘Breaking the Strangles Hold’ campaign has a goal of £250,000. The £100,000 mark has already been broken, and thanks to this, AHT bacteriologists have now been able to develop a new diagnostic test. This can be used to identify horses that have been recently exposed to Strangles during an outbreak, or screen them prior to movement, competition or sales. Further work now includes exciting research into the development of an effective vaccine against the disease for intramuscular administration. Dr Peter Webbon, chief executive of the AHT said: “Strangles must be beaten. We believe a solution can be found 58
through our research programme. We urge everyone to help us and the BHS to end the suffering caused by Strangles in horses and ponies.” There are many ways to support the Strangles campaign and one of them is to buy the Passion for Horses 2009 calendar. This beautiful year planner features exclusive artwork by renowned equine photographer Marie Bushill, including shots of the Household Cavalry riding through the waves on Holkham Beach, North Norfolk. There is also a photograph of the Princess Royal with her horse, French Willow, who was
stricken with Strangles in 2004, while in foal. As a result, the mare lost part of her ear, and scars from the abscesses can still be seen on her body. Also featured are leading international rider, William Fox-Pitt,and two Turf legends, jockey Lester Piggott riding Desert Orchid. The AHT and BHS hope to reach their £250,000 goal by early next year. The calendar costs £9.99. plus £1.50 postage, and can be ordered through website www.strangles.org or by telephone on (+44) (0) 1638 555 648.
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UK CHARITY MATCH
World’s top polo stars play in IWC Laureus Cup Funds raised to help Argentinian children
L
ondon, June 22 2008 – One of the best polo players in the world, Eduardo Heguy, was among the many stars taking part in the highly successful IWC Laureus Polo Cup held at Ham Polo Club, which raised substantial funds for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation Argentina. The event, sponsored by Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen, attracted an enthusiastic celebrity audience including Laureus World Sports Academy members Boris Becker, Ian Botham, Sean Fitzpatrick, Edwin Moses, Martina Navratilova, Hugo Porta and Daley Thompson. Other attendees who showed their support included Tim and Malin Jefferies, Saffron Aldridge and Annabelle Bond. The annual IWC Laureus Polo Cup, one of the highlights of the English sporting summer, was won by the Laureus Team, who beat the Julius Baer Team 8-7 in a thrilling climax with Eduardo Heguy scoring the winning goal in the last few minutes of the game. The highlights of the game were goals scored by Miquel Novillo Astrada (Team Laureus) and Adamu Atta (Team Julius Baer) which were hammered in from 80 yards. After the game, Eduardo Heguy said: “I am so happy that my team won, but more importantly I feel so lucky that I am able to help people through playing polo. I would like to thank all the players here today who have made this event possible. Every year it gets bigger and bigger, and most importantly we are able to raise money to help children around the world – that is the reason for us being here today. I had a good game and I had fun – it is fun to play against the people you normally play in a team with.”
• Laureus Academy members Boris Becker, Ian Botham, Sean Fitzpatrick, Edwin Moses, Martina Navratilova, Hugo Porta and Daley Thompson attend • Celebrity guests include Tim Jefferies, Saffron Aldridge and Annabelle Bond • Almost £80,000 raised for Laureus Sport for Good Foundation Argentina
Eduardo Heguy
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Rugby legend Hugo Porta, the President of Fundacion Laureus Argentina, said: “This has become a great annual event. The people who came to Ham have not only had a great day out, but they have contributed to an important humanitarian cause. I would like to thank all the great polo players who took part and to thank all the individuals and companies who have made this important fundraiser such a great success.” Georges Kern, Chief Executive Officer of IWC Schaffhausen, said: “We are delighted to be able to support this excellent sporting event which provides great competition and atmosphere and which also raises funds for the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation in Argentina. The major strength of the Laureus Foundation is its ability to combine charity and sport at the very highest level. We as a company have a social responsibility to do what we can to help those who are socially, physically or economically disadvantaged. I would like to thank all the players and guests who were at Ham to support such a good cause.” VIP guest arriving to the event
Eduardo Heguy, Miguel Novillo Astrada, Hugo Porta, Ignacio Novillo Astrada and Ignacio Heguy
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Funds for Laureus were raised through an auction, one item of which was the exclusive IWC Da Vinci Chronograph Edition Laureus Sport for Good Foundation watch, only 1,000 of which are being manufactured. Other prizes included the opportunity for three people to play tennis with Laureus Academy member and tennis
Baer (Team Sponsor) and Official Suppliers La Dolfina, Park Hyatt Buenos Aires, Fairhills and Pommery. The mission of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation is to fund and promote the power of sport to effect positive social change in communities around the world. Since its inception, Laureus has raised â‚Ź15 million for
LAUREUS ACADEMY MEMBERS BORIS BECKER, IAN BOTHAM, SEAN FITZPATRICK, EDWIN MOSES, MARTINA NAVRATILOVA, HUGO PORTA AND DALEY THOMPSON ATTEND. legend Boris Becker, an amazing golf package at Loch Lomond Scotland, as well as trips to Dubai and Argentina to see World-class sports events. In total almost ÂŁ80,000 was raised for the Fundacion Laureus Argentina. The Laureus Foundation are extremely grateful to all sponsors and supporters without who this event would not have been possible - IWC Schaffhausen (Title Sponsor), Julius
projects which have helped improve the lives of over 750,000 children. The Foundation supports over 60 humanitarian projects worldwide through its global foundation and a growing network of eight subsidiary foundations in Argentina, France, Germany, Italy, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and the United States. The Foundation addresses issues in particular involving, but not limited to, young people
Polo Players together with organicers, contributors and Laureus Academy Members
62
impacted by social exclusion, gun and gang violence, discrimination, community integration, peace and reconciliation, and education. Fundacion Laureus Argentina supports four projects: Club Deportivo Barracas in General LaMadrid, Buenos Aires, which uses sport as well as a traditional Argentinian dance, the murga, to reinforce the importance of education, community, and values; the San Isidro Project in Buenos Aires, which has set up sports activity sessions and educational workshops in an area where crime, drugs, alcohol, violence and firearms use is prevalent; the West City Project in Mendoza, which uses football and hockey to address crime, delinquency and drug abuse; and Club Platense in Laprida which aims to a holistic development of its participants by offering a space with clear rules, solidarity amongst its members and a sense of community providing educational workshops, using football, rollerblading and chess.
UK SEASON - LONDON OLYMPIC CENTENARY
Great Britain repeats Olympic success of 1908
T
he Great Britain team dominated the Irish on The Queen’s Ground in May in the recreation of the British Olympic Association’s 1908 Centenary Game. Great Britain’s captain, Malcolm Borwick was on flying form for the home side and was instrumental in keeping the British flag flying in polo. It looked at one point as if the home side would emulate their predecessors’ 8-1 scoreline. However the Irish, led by Charles Beresford, came into the game in the final chukka and mana-ged to close the gap to 6-3 on the final whistle. There were plenty of Olympic connections from the players too. Borwick was repeating the success of his great great uncle, Pat Nickels, who had played for the victorious Roehampton team in that Olympic final in 1908. In the post match press conference Borwick admitted that he had not known about his relative’s exploits until he was 18. “I only discovered that I had a relative who had played when my grandmother gave me an album full of the information on him. “ Sebastian Dawnay, a member of the Irish team, later revealed that his grandfather had played polo at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, in front of Hitler. The British Olympic Association Cup was presented by Patrick Guerrand Hermes, President of the Federation of International Polo and Simon Clegg, Chief Executive of the British Olympic Association.
1908 Match Great Britain Roehamton Charles Darley Miller George Arthur Miller Patterson Nickels Herbert Haydon Wilson
2008 Match 14 2 5 6 1
14
Ireland John Hardress Lloyd John Paul McCann Percy O´Reilly Auston Rotherham Final Result: Great Britain 8 - 1
London Olympic Centenary Place: Smith’s Lawn, Windsor Great Park, Egham, Surrey TW20 0HP, UK Club: Guards Polo Club Date: May 29th, 2008 Level: 14 hcp Tournament type: Open Tournament Director: Oliver Ellis
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2 3 5 4
Great Britain Edward Magor Johnny Good Malcolm Borwick Jack Richardson
Ireland Stephen Hutchinson Lucas Lalor Charles Beresford Sebastian Dawnay Final Result: Great Britain 6 - 3
14 2 5 6 1
14 2 3 5 4
UK SEASON - INTER REGIMENTAL
Yeomanry team claims Army double By Diana Butler
Trophies ready for the InterRegimental Prize giving
T
he Royal Wessex Yeomanry won the Inter- Regimental Trophy, sponsored by Hackett, for the second successive year. The only armoured Territorial Army regiment in the south west of England, this team defeated the King’s Royal Hussars (rec1.5) 6-4.5. The latter included David Woodd, Chief Executive of the Hurlingham Polo Association, in their line up. For many years Woodd was a regular player for the Army and at the height of his polo career played
off four goals. He also has victories in the Harrison and County Cups to his name. This military final concluded three days of Army polo across the country, including the Rundle Cup at Tidworth and an army game at the polo club at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in Surrey. In the Inter-Regimental itself, one of the oldest military polo fixtures in the country, the Yeomanry dominated the first half of the game. Thanks to some good team work at the 64
end of the second chukka though, the Hussars were able to celebrate their first “live” goal. The pace of the match improved in the second half with some strong play from both teams. Capt Phillip Kaye, who later received the Pringle Cup for the player who played most to his handicap, closed the gap early in the fourth to 5-4.5. The Yeomanry though always seemed to have command of the game and produced another goal before the final whistle to ensure their victory.
Inter Regimental Trophy Match 1 BFF
5
CSPA
6
Pedro Lopez-Valido Hon Tristan Phillimore Capt Ben Vestey Major Mark Cann
1 1 3 0
Capt Tim Brown Major Tom Moon Capt Martin French Blake Comodore Richard Mason
0 2 4 0
Match 2 Royal Wessex Yeomanry
4
King´s Royal Hussars
2
Capt Piers Heelis Lt Leon Allen Capt Tim Verdon Capt Robert Gourlay
0 1 2 1
Lt Paddy Boulter Capt Philip Kaye Capt Quentin Hicks Col David Woodd
-1 1 1 1
The Best Playing Pony Award went to Chino, an eight-year-old Chilean mare, which is in fact owned by the Royal Navy, but was played by Kaye of the King’s Royal Hussars in the third chukka. The first game of the day featured The British Forces Foundation (BFF) in action against the Combined Services Polo Association for the United Services Cup. The BFF won the trophy 10-6 after a faster paced game on The Duke’s Ground. Ben Vestey who has been a talented stalwart of Army polo for many years and was starring for the BFF team this year, received the Best Playing Pony Award for his sister Tamara’s Cilla. This striking, 15-year-old coloured horse was played by Ben in the first and third chukkas.
Inter Regimental Trophy Place: Smith’s Lawn, Windsor Great Park, Egham, Surrey TW20 0HP, UK Club: Guards Polo Club Date: July 13th, 2008 Level: 6 hcp Match 1: BFF10-6 Match 2: Royal Wessex Yeomanry 6-4.5 David Wood
The annual contest between the best players in the Armed Forces. The Household Cavalry currently dominate this area of polo - thanks to their talented squad which includes Ben Vestey and Harry Wales. Before the main game for the United Services Inter Regimental Cup, the Combined Services Polo Association - the organisers of military polo in the UK - play a visiting team for the United Services Cup.
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UK CHARITY MATCH
PLAYING FOR THE YOUNG The 2nd Jaeger-LeCoultre Polo Charity Cup was held this summer at Ham, London’s last remaining polo club, as Dara Williams reports
Jaeger Le Coultre Black Team with Guillain Maspetiol of Jaeger le coultre and Gabriela Galaretto of Ideas del sur foundation
P
OLO has always been a major supporter of charities but excelled itself in June this year, when no less than £77,000 was raised at the 2nd Jaeger-LeCoultre Polo Charity Day, held at Ham Polo Club. It was played in aid of Fundacion Ideas del Sur, an Argentine-based charity which is dedicated to improving the lives and prospects of underprivileged children. One of the foundation’s directors is the 10-goal Adolfo Cambiaso, widely regarded as the best player in the world; and he led the Jaeger-LeCoultre White
squad onto the field this year. On the other side, Jaeger-LeCoultre Blacks were led by another polo ‘great’, former 10-goaler Piky Diaz Alberdi. It was a close fought match, Blacks having been awarded a half-goal advantage on handicap, and in the end Blacks rode out the winners 6½-4. Most Valuable Player was named as 16-year-old Rashid Albwardy, a promising polo star of the not too distant future. He is the son of Ali Albwardy, the well-known patron of the Dubai highgoal team and a past president of Ham Polo Club. Rashid played for Blacks 66
while Tal Raksriaksorn, son of current club president Vichai Raksriaksorn, was at No 2 for the Whites. He, too, shows great promise. Another feature of the day, which was attended by celebtrities including England football manager Fabio Capello and Jaeger-LeCoultre UK brand ambassador the Marchioness of Milford Haven, was a charity auction. Prizes, all of which were battled over eagerly, included a unique Reverso Grande Taille watch, engraved with Adolfo Cambiaso’s signature; one of his personal hand-made helmets; one
Jaeger-LeCoultre Polo Charity Day Black Clare Milford Haven/Clare Mathias Rashid Albwardy Piky Diaz Alberdi Martin Valent
12 0 0 8 4
White
13
Paul Barry Tal Raksriaksorn Adolfo Cambiaso Adolfo Casabal
-1 0 10 4
of his well-known string of polo ponies, to be chosen at his estancia in Argentina; and a private lesson and lunch with the maestro. The event was organized by Pete McCormack, of Equus Etiquette, a well-known figure on the international polo scene, and Dorothee Eloy of Jaeger-LeCoultre; and players received their prizes from Guillain Maspetiol, brand director of Jaeger-LeCoultre, and Gabriela Galaretto, director of Ideas del Sur.
Above: Adolfo Cambiaso signing a PQ to a fan - Below: Adolfo Cambiaso vs Rashid Albwardy
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UK SEASON - CHAKRAVARTY CUP
All in a good cause The Chakravarty Cup has now raised well over one million pounds for charity, as Dara Williams reports HRH Prince of Wales showing his polo skills at Ham Polo Club - Right: Polo Club marquee ready for the event
D
uring the course of the last twelve seasons, the Chakravarty Cup at Ham Polo Club has become an important event in the sporting calendar. Not only that, however, for it is also a major fundraiser for charity, with more than £1million donated over those dozen years, £170,000 this year alone. The tournament is the brainchild of the much-loved Saroj Chakravarty, who this year welcomed guests including the Canadian High Commissioner, James Wright; the Indian High Commissioner, S.S. Mukherjee; the Economic Minister of the US Embassy in London, Mark Kotola; and the Economic Minister of the German Embassy, Herbert Quelle. The principal donors were a group of fifty Virginians from the USA; King Power, Thailand; Wilden Services, Robert Parker, Hannover Executives and Ruby Palmer of PWC. The Virginian group included executives from Messy Cancer Hospital and the International Children’s Hospital of Virginia. They met executives from the London-based Royal Marsden Hospital and Wellchild Children’s 68
Chakravarty Cup La Dolfina
13
Paul Barry Vichai Raskriaksorn Adolfo Cambiaso Martin Valent
-1 0 10 4
Umbogu
15
Bo Goodman Satnam Dhillon Alejandro ¨Piky¨ Diaz Alberdi HRH The Prince of Wales
La Dolfina Team in the picture with Prince William
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0 6 8 1
Hospital, and the outcome was most productive. Teams lining up this time round were La Dolfina, based around the world’s top player, Adolfo Cambiaso, and Umbogu, which included veteran international Piky Diaz Alberdi. Umbogu had also recruited Prince William, whose public polo appearances nowadays are for charity only; while Ham Polo Club president Vichai Raksriaksorn was in the La Dolfina colours. La Dolfina received a goal and a half on handicap, although this does not always mean certain victory, simply that there can be no extra time. The first chukka, indeed, saw Umbogu take the lead, with two goals from Alberdi and one from Satnam Dhillon, who is one of Britain’s finest young players. Cambiaso opened the account for La Dolfina and there was good defensive work from Prince William, so that at the end of the first chukka Umbogu’s advantage had been cut to 3-2½. Cambiaso and his team-mate Martin Valent – who manages Desert Palms Polo Club in Dubai – really got into the swing of the game in the second chukka, taking the lead 5½-3. In the third, Prince William scored from a long shot, followed by Alberdi. Raksriaksorn replied and, going into the final chukka the gap narrowed to 6½-5 in La Dolfina’s favour. Dhillon scored again for Umbogu but then time ran out and La Dolfina were victorious by the closest of margins, 6½-6. They received the cup from Saroj Chakravarty. Umpires for the match were Pete McCormack and Adolfo Casabal, while Freddie Ventura was third man. A good commentary was provided by Chris Graham.
UK SEASON - HERITAGE CUP
The 3rd Habab Bank UK Heritage Cup by Graham Dennis
T
he tournament was played as a weekend fixture with four teams participating in a four nations cup at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. The teams were the British Army Officers, the Highbury Finance Helvetica Team, the HABIB Pakistani Invitational side and the U.S. team from Washington D.C. The HABIB Heritage Cup was won by Highbury Finance beating the Pakistani side 8.5 to 6 goals. The best player award at the presentation was given to Thomas Hunt whose mare Gata also won the Best Playing Pony award. The Swiss team of Gilles Leraille, Marcel Gesner, Bert Poekes and Thomas Hunt played in national colours with red shirts provided by T.M.Lewin. The British Army Officers held up well against a very strong U.S. team. The Americans were led by Juan Salinas Bentley as captain, Doug Barnes, Michael Smith Liss, and Roy Perry de-
feated the hosting Army team. The British officer cadets who substituted an extra player comprised Messrs Holtrum, Hopkinson, Morley and Kuku with 2Lt Nicolas Wills from the Coldstream Guards. All played in support of the charity Help For Heroes. The presentation was conducted by the Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Major General Rutherford Jones who presented the prizes
Marcel Gesner receiving the Habib Heritage Cup
Habib Heritage Cup The British Army Officers 1 OCdt Morley / Hopkinson 2 OCdt Richard Holtum
-5
3 Maj Cameron Humphries/Lt Kuku 4 Lt Nicholas Wills
-2 -1 0 -2
Highbury Finance Helvetica
-1
1 Marcel Gesner 2 Bert Poekes 3 Thomas Hunt 4 Gilles Leraille
-1 0 -1 1
Habib Bank UK
7
1 Muhamad Saquib Khakawni 2 Capt Shaukhat Malik 3 Col Talha Saeed 4 Khan Agha Murtaza Ali
2 2 1 2
United States of America
4
1 Rory Perry 2 Michael Smith Liss 3 Doug Barnes 4 Juan Salinas-Bently
0 0 2 2
with the Pakistani envoy Wajid Shamsul Hasan and the CEO of HABIB Bank U.K. Mr Naumar Dar. A large party of the Bank’s guests enjoyed a wonderful day of polo. Among them were Aamir Raja, Malik Asif Yar Tiwana and Agah Murtaza Ali. The day had been made possible by the hard work and dedication of Barbara Zingg the Polo Manager at Sandhurst who has created the idea of Heri-
70
Above and Below: Action from the game between Hilghbury Finance Helvetica and The British Army Officers
tage Polo both as a recreation of the traditions of polo from a bygone age as well as a modern brand. The prizes for the competition came from the Heritage range that Barbara has built up. Silver trophies were awarded to the Swiss players while the runners up received framed antique prints provided by Blacklocks Bookshop. The Americans received Whiskey glasses on special wooden stands made for the occasion. Finally, the polo balls given to the officers were made from wood by Andy Burgess. Perhaps the most memorable sight was the marvellous Bedouin tent created by Seamless Events. Other sponsors on the day were Penny Hill Park and Spa, Castle Forbes Perfuners and clothing manufacturers T.M.Lewin, Kashkets and Partners, Patey Hats and O.H.Hewett without whom the event would not have been possible. 71
ROYAL ASCOT
Royal Ascot by Federico Levy
L
ocated in the County of Berkshire, Ascot Racecourse is one of the world’s most traditional racetracks. Every year, the Royal Meeting is celebrated there between June 16th and 20th, a week when nobody wants to get left out of this exclusive event, and which is honoured by the
presence of Her Majesty the Queen and other members of the Royal Family. The racecourse was founded by Queen Anne in 1711, and from its creation until 1945, the only race that took place at Ascot was a four-day racing event known as the Royal Meeting.
72
On September 26th, 2004, the racecourse closed for eighteen months of restructuring and development, which required a 185 million pounds investment. It was one of the biggest projects in Europe. Ascot Racecourse was reopened in May 2006 with a trial race day prior to the Royal Meeting.
Its new stands and modern facade received some criticism on the part of the public. However, as time went by and races were run, the amount of eating and entertainment facilities and, above all, a good view of the track allowed everyone to be satisfied with the new stadium, after some further modifications were made between the end of 2006 and 2007. Royal Ascot is one of the main events on the British social calendar and is visited by over 300.000 people during the five days this meeting takes place. Among its many peculiarities, the strict dress code maintains the tradition of this race week, which, without a doubt, is the world’s most famous racing event.
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UK SEASON - BEACH POLO
Watergate Bay hosts Veuve Clicquot Polo on the Beach
W
ell known for hosting top flight surfing and kite surfing competitions, Watergate Bay was the venue for the Veuve Clicquot Polo on the Beach match on 9th September. The event captured the imagination of people throughout the country and attracted over two thousand spectators to this beautiful Cornish area.
With players drawn from the ranks of professional polo teams, the exhibition match provided spectators with a demonstration of just how exciting - and heated - the sport can get, as the teams sponsored by Knight Frank and Kier Western repeatedly traded the lead throughout the four chukka match. When the final hooter sounded
Ride off: Barbara Zingg and Andy Burgess
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it was the Kier Western team of Tim Vaux, Paddy Selfe and Ed Olof, of Somerset’s Vaux Park Polo Club, who rode out winners by a margin of just half a goal. But for former England international player Richard Blake Thomas, the experience of playing polo on a beach for the first time was memorable, despite finishing on the losing Knight Frank team. “That was exhilarating! It was tough, really tough; the surface was quite hard to get the hang of, and it made it almost impossible to do things individually, it really required working as a team to put things together,” said the 28 year old, who plays professionally for the Meyado team based at Guards Polo Club, Windsor. The Knight Frank team of Richard Blake Thomas, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Polo Manager Barbara Zingg, and Wadebridge resident Andrew Burgess started the match with a half goal handicap advantage over their opponents. Kier Western took the lead in the opening minute of the first chukka with an easy goal from team captain Tim Vaux. Knight Frank twice came close to regaining their initial advantage through Richard Blake Thomas, who first hit just wide of the goalpost, and then tried a long ambitious strike from down field. Young professional Ed Olof from Kier Western then scored again to lead 2 goals to 1/2 at the end of the first chukka. Following a brief pause to change ponies, Knight Frank worked their way back in to the match in the second chukka. Andrew Burgess won and subsequently scored a penalty early on in the quarter, and went on to score a second goal to give Knight Frank the lead, tapping the ball between the posts after
Barbara Zingg under the watchful eye of Ed Olof
Barbara Zingg over-ran her strong approach play. Kier Western pushed for another goal, and following a missed penalty the goal eventually came from a spectacular shot looped in from the sidelines by Ed Olof, making the half time score Kier Western 3, Knight Frank 2 1/2. At half time the crowd took to the pitch to tread in the playing surface, which, following two periods of fastpaced play, had changed from a hard packed beach to a mass of churned sand. Kier Western built on their advantage in the second half, with 19-year-old aspiring professional Paddy Selfe scoring to take his team’s tally to four goals. They continued to dominate the run of play and twice came close to scoring again. However, an amazing solo goal
came from Richard Blake Thomas, who carried the ball the length of the pitch from the hit-in on his own goal line, around the chasing pack, and through the goalposts. Both teams then scored again to set up a finely poised final chukka, with the score Kier Western 5, Knight Frank 4 1/2. With the sun sinking towards the sea, Tim Vaux scored a great backhand goal from mid field. Kier Western then pushed play up to their opponents’ end again, only for Richard Blake Thomas to send Andrew Burgess chasing a big hit - Andrew scoring with a difficult cut shot which scraped past the inside of the goalpost, drawing cheers from crowd. Ed Olof scored again to restore Kier Western’s 1 1/2 goal lead, but a second scintillating goal by Andrew Burgess pulled the margin back to 75
half a goal after another big goal line hit by Richard Blake Thomas, leaving the final score: Kier Western 7 - Knight Frank 6 1/2. “It was end to end stuff!”, said an energised Andrew Burgess. “That was a very competitive match - there was lots of hooking sticks, a lot of riding off, some quite aggressive play - we meant it out there! Knight Frank were the lower handicap team, we started with a half goal advantage and lost by half a goal, so it worked out about right.” Ed Olof was named Most Valuable Player and received the Chukka Trophy. The Woof Wear Trophy for the Best Playing Pony was awarded to ‘Negro’, a black gelding played by Richard Blake Thomas and Andy Burgess.
HURLINGHAM POLO ASSOCIATION
Handicaps Changes Prev. New Hdc
Name
Club
MacDonough, Pablo Pieres, Gonzalo Jr
Cowdray Cowdray
9 9
10 10
Stirling, David Jr Merlos, Juan
Cowdray Cowdray
8 9
9 N/R
Bensandon, Francisco Roldan, Nicolas Criado, Lucas
Knepp Castle Guards Cowdray
(8) (8) 9
8 8 8
Beim, James
Cowdray
6
7
de Estrada, Santiago James, Lucas Riglos, Jose Mackenzie, Buster Araya, Santiago Aguero, Guillermo Laprida, Ignacio Arellano, Julio Agote, Alejandro
Guards Guards Cowdray Cowdray RCBPC Guards Cowdray RCBPC Cowdray
6 6 6 (6) (7) (7) (7) (8) 8
7 7 CF 7 7 7 7 7 7
Ambroggio, Juan Cavanagh, Diego du Plesis, Ignus Hopkinson, Samuel Le Hardy, Jamie Morley, Tom Rodriguez, Martin Figueras, Nacho Gonzalez Gracida, Roberto Zavaleta, Juan Tomlinson, Mark Wilson, Tommy
RCBPC Beaufort Guards Cirencester Burningfold Beaufort Northern Ireland Cowdray Ham Cowdray Beaufort Cowdray
5 5 5 5 5 5 5 (6) (6) (6) 7 7
6 6 6 6 CF 6 CF 6 N/R 6 6 6
Bratley, Derreck Devrient, Gaston McKelvie, Angus Meyrick, George Muzzio, Hernan Perdomo, Santiago Ruiz Guiñazu, Tomas Ruiz Guiñazu, Juan (Tito) Villela Rosa, Rafael
Cowdray Guards Cowdray Guards Guards Fifield Ascot Park Cowdray Guards
4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
5 5 CF CF CF CF CF 5 CF
Valent, Martin Tassara, Jorge Willans, Andrew Wilson, Craig
Ham Beaufort Burningfold Guards
(4) (5) (5) 6
5 CF CF 5
Prev. New Hdc
Name
Club
Amaya, Matias Blake-Thomas, Andrew Brooks, Christopher Corvalan, Lindor Hunt, Thomas Lavinia, Pablo Miller, David Santos, Juracy Gomez Duran, Mario Hitchman, Edward Lavinia, Fabio
Offchurch Bury Guards Cirencester Lacey Green Cirencester Cambridge Cirencester Guards Guards Beaufort Cambridge
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Le Poer, RichardName Elizalde, Francisco Valent, Martin Beresford, Charles Rodriguez, Martin
Cowdray Guards Ham Cowdray Nothern Ireland
3 (4) (4) 5 5
4 4 4 4 4
Club
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Baker, Philip Beim, Tom Coddington, Johnny Magor, Edward Olof, Edward Ormerod, Eden Palacios-Bacque, Thomas Pepper, Nicholas Stanning, Roderick Charlton, Max Hanbury, Charlie Marchini, Alfio Peel, Jamie Routledge, Max Jolly Araya, Matias Sheriff, Glen O´Sullivan, Matt Laprida, Horacio Loe, Daniel Petracchi, Nicholas Toccalino, Manuel Pizarro, Francisco Ballesteros, Matias Bown, Tim
Rugby Cirencester Beaufort Guards Guards Cowdray Fifield Cowdray Taunton Cowdray Longdale Cowdray Cowdray Cowdray Rugby Taunton Longdale Cirencester Chester Racecourse Cirencester Fifield Silver Leys RLS Fifield
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 (2) (2) (2) (3) (3) (3) (3) 3 4 4
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 (3) 3 3 3 CF N/R 3 3
Richardson, Jack
Knepp Castle
1
2
Rome, James Sheridan, Lanto Williams, Evelyn Allen, Leon Asker, Eric
Cowdray Sussex Polo Inglesham Druids Lodge Guards
1 1 1 1 1
2 CF 2 2 2
N/R: not rated (nº): in revision
Prev. New Hdc
Name
Club
Baker, David Bishop, Brook Blake-Thomas, William Clague, Nick Douglas, James Dundas, James Maitland, Ben Malasomma, Benajmin McCorkell, George Ross, Rosie Sheridan, Lanto
Rugby Cirencester Beaufort Sussex Polo Edinburgh Cirencester St Albans Sussex Polo Cowdray RCBPC Sussex Polo
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Suzuki, Hiro Mackenzie, Chris Zalazar, Carlos Arellano, Walter Carrozo, Gaston Gonzalez, Horatio Watson, Lance Watson, Brett Archibald, Jack Casero, Pablo Cudmore, Rob Wood, Roddy
Edinburgh Cowdray Edinburgh RCBPC Lacey Green Ascot Park Tidworth Tidworth Cirencester Beaufort Cirencester Coworth
1 (1) (1) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (1) (1) 1 1
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Aboughazale, Ahmad Lea, Lyndon Stowe, Jason White, Harry Wirth, Jerome Wooldridge, Charlie
Cowdray Guards Guards Cowdray Cowdray RCBPC
0 0 0 0 0 0
1 1 1 1 1 1
Almond, William Batchelor, Edward Bickford, Michael Bin Drain, Saeed Binnie, Anthony Browne, Oliver Bronwe, Henry Chai, Joe Ferro, Federico Fox, George Innes, Paul Instone, Freddie
Silver Leys Rugby Cowdray Cirencester RCBPC RCBPC Rutland Offchurch Bury Northern Ireland Edgeworth Inglesham Cowdray
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Keegan, Robert McCauley, Scott Meadows, Philip Nix, Alexander Patterson, Alistair
Cirencester New Forest RCBPC Ham Longdale
0 0 0 0 0
1 1 1 1 1
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New Hdc
Club
Perry, Matt Rosso Baldacchino, Farida Stephenson, James Tucker, Jack Ventura, Freddie Carrizo, Ariel Maidana, Telmo Martinez, Martin Percy, Glen Richardson, Matthew
Suffolk RCBPC Druids Lodge Edgeworth Ham Sussex Polo Sussex Polo Chesire Offchurch Bury Cirencester
Ferrero Pedro, Jose Laborde, Bautista Pontieri, Armando Roberts, Nicolas Rodriguez, Daniel Barrack, Tom Brizuela, Pablo Zavalia Paunero, Juan
Offchurch Bury Knepp Castle Silver Leys Wicklow Ascot Park Cowdray Suffolk Knepp Castle
Church, Colin Clover, Alex O´Connell, Joe Patterson, Simon Scott-Hopkins, James Williams, Charles Willoughby, Michael Di Gianvittorio, Adriano Freeman-Kerr, Robert Parodi, Bruno Sund, Stefan Berner, Jack Boyd, Creighton
Guards Suffolf Wicklow Tidworth Cirencester Beaufort New Forest Ascot Park Edgeworth Ham RCBPC Schools Polo Northern Island
Caffrey, Edward Cole, Rhys Gerrard, Tony Johnson, Nicholas Medina, Harry Monahan, Paul Muddle, Richard Nimmo, Angus Powell, Oliver Smorczewski, Jan Tobin, Williams Morris-Lowe, Jacqui Plant, Laura Spence, Peter Foley, Nicola
Prev. New Hdc 0 0 0 0 0 (0) (0) (0) (0) (0) (0)
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 (1)
(0) (0) (0) (0) (1) (2) (2)
(1) (1) (1) (1) 1 (1) (1)
All Ireland RCBPC Hurtwood Cowdray Cowdray Cowdray Burningfold Guards Inglesham Cowdray Cirencester
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 (0) (0) (0) (0) -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Haggis Farm Knepp Castle Knepp Castle Wicklow
0 0 0 (0)
-1 -1 -1 (-1)
HISTORY
El Primer Jugador Roger Chatterton-Newman traces the career of Johnny Traill, the first Argentine player to be rated at 10-goals Photographs by Asociación Argentina de Polo
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his year marks the half centenary of the death, at his home in Roehampton, London, of John Edmund Arthur Traill. Known affectionately throughout the polo world as Johnny – and merely in official Argentine documents as Juan – he was not only one of the greatest players and teachers in the recent annals of the galloping game but the first Argentine to reach the ultimate handicap of 10-goals. In a sense, Traill had triple nationality: by descent, a member of an old Anglo-Irish family; by birth, British, born on 8 December 1882 in a London suburb while his parents were on home leave; by upbringing, Argentine. Traill’s father, Robert, and his younger brother, Edmund, had abandoned their studies at Trinity College Dublin to ranch in Argentina in 1868. Land was for sale there at ridiculously low prices, the Argentine government being desperate to attract Europeans to cultivate the wilderness. Neither Robert nor Edmund had farming experience – Robert was reading civil engineering at Trinity, his brother medicine – while their father had been a clergyman in a remote and impoverished parish in West Cork. He had died during the Potato Famine of the 1840s and his large family had grown
up in reduced circumstances. Argentina offered adventure and the chance of making a fortune. The brothers purchased around 40,000 acres in North Santa Fé Province, creating the estancias Las Limpias and Chirú. They never looked back, and by the time Johnny was born his father and uncle were wealthy landowners, on a scale impossible in late Victorian Ireland. Johnny’s older brothers, Bob and Ned, were established players by the time he began to take an interest in the game. The trio, together with cousin Joe, honed their skills playing
In a sense, Traill had triple nationality: by descent, a member of an old Anglo-Irish family; by birth, British, born in a London suburb while his parents were on home leave; by upbringing, Argentine. as the family squad, North Santa Fé. Bob and Ned had won the Argentine Open with the Casuals in 1898, and in 1904 Johnny and Joe joined them to recapture the title. Johnny was to win the Open a total of eleven times, eight of them between 1904 and 1917 with the family team, with Las Rosas in 1910 and Hurlingham in 1918. Two other regular players for North Santa Fé were brothers John and David Miles, from La Porteña estancia, who were taught their game by Johnny. In later years, John Miles’s daughter, Nenia, was to marry Johnny Traill’s son and namesake.
The success of the Traills in polo owed much to their pioneering work in pony breeding. The success of the Traills in polo owned much to their pioneering work in pony breeding, as the old Polo Monthly was to recall: They were the first breeders in the Argentine to play ponies bred by themselves for polo, and their ponies by their stallion, Spring Jack, marked the change between the oldfashioned Argentine and the blood pony of today. Being very strong horsemen, they did a good deal of their own breaking in, and a number of the ponies they used to play would be considered only half-broken by many. In spite of this most of their ponies turned out very well and made a big name for themselves, but few men would have done as much with them as the Traills did when they were first entered to the game. The 1911 season was memorable. Again playing for North Santa Fé, Johnny took part in thirteen matches, winning ev78
the estancia El Injerto. By then he was rated at 10-goals, el primer jugador of Argentina, and much in demand. Three times he was to play for England in the Westchester Cup tournament against the USA, and indeed indifferent health in the 1920s saw him make England his principal home. The management of his Argentine estates was left in the capable hands of Tom Willans, who had married Bob Traill’s daughter, and Johnny settled down in Putney Lane, Roehampton, close to the Roehampton Polo Club. It was there, as a player and coach, that he became a
Johnny was rated at 7-goals at the time but the British sporting press declared him under-handicapped, and his rating went up to 9-goals, much to his annoyance. legend on the polo field. With his sons Jim and Jack, he formed the white-shirted Traillers squad, and the 1930s saw them capture a number of prestigious titles, including the Ranelagh and Roehampton Handicaps. The elder son, Jim, was killed at the age of twenty-one, with serving with the RAF during the second world war, and the post-war years brought disillusionment for Johnny. Although he was involved closely with Billy Walsh in establishing Ham Polo Club, the end of polo at Roehampton in 1956 caused him great sadness. He died two years later. Apart from his prime position in the annals of polo, Johnny Traill should be remembered for another reason. Among those who benefited from his riding lessons at Roehampton was Pat Smythe, who became the first lady of show jumping. Johnny lived to see her become the first woman to enter her particular discipline in the Olympic Games and the first woman medallist.
ery one, and helping to score a total of 175 goals to eleven. Later that year the Johnny and Joe went to Chile, playing in a series of internationals and scoring sixty goals to seven in only four matches. It was, however, the 1912 season that brought Johnny and Joe to prominence in England. Playing for Harold Schwind’s El Bagual – the ‘Wild Horses’ – they caused nothing short of a sensation, winning the Social Clubs Cup at Hurlingham
Johnny was to win the Open a total of eleven times, eight of them between 1904 and 1917 with the family team. as their debut and losing by only two goals to the Duke of Westminster’s Eaton team, then regarded as one of the bestmounted in England, in the Whitney Cup. Johnny was rated at 7-goals at the time, but the British sporting press declared him under-handicapped, and his rating went up to 9-goals, much to his annoyance. A cartoon appeared in Polo Monthly for September that year, depicting Johnny ‘handicapped’ with an appropriately numbered ball and chain. On 5 June 1912, Johnny and Joe were recuited to defend Ireland in the annual Patriotic Cup match against England. The game had nearly been cancelled with of wet weather and it was only when the cousins were found to be of Irish parentage that they were called in to play. As it happened, England won 10-4. The following year, Johnny married Rita Roberts from 79
OBITUARY
A FOUNDING FATHER The death of Bryan Morrison removes a familiar figure from the British polo scene
Bryan Morrison, founder of the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club and for many years a prominent figure on the British polo scene, has died at the age of 66. He had been in a coma for two years, following a fall while playing in a polo tournament. Born in Hackney, the son of an account, he enrolled at the Central School of Art in the 1960s, before start-
ing a successful furniture company. He also began to promote bands through the Bryan Morrison Agency, and after managing The Pretty Things took on Pink Floyd. He made his fortune publishing the music of Elton John, the Bee Gees and Wham. Morrison came to polo later in life than many of his contemporaries. He learned to ride and to play the game at
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Ham Polo Club, under the eagle eye of the late Billy Walsh, after whom he was to name a field at the Royal County of Berkshire. He started the club, based at a former racing stables, in the mid-1980s and built it up into one of the ‘Big Four’ of British high-goal clubs. The Prince of Wales Trophy, which he inaugurated in 1986, came to be regarded as the open-
ing tournament of the British season. Morrison was also for some time playing patron of Chopendoz – a name which, he explained, came from the Persian and signified the best player on the team. Victories included the County Cup, Mounbatten Cup and Eduardo Moore Trophy in England and, overseas, the Coup d’Or at Deauville, France’s most prestigious high-goal trophy. He was generous in helping young players to get into the game and a good host at the memorable parties that invariably followed any major tournaments at his club. Bryan Morrison is survived by Greta, his wife of thirty-five years, son Jamie and daughter Karina.
BLACKLOCKS Polo Books and Prints Antiquarian and leatherbound polo books All new titles from stock th th 19 & 20 Century polo prints and limited editions. Trophies, memorabilia and magazines.
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8 Victoria Street, Englefield Green, Surrey TW20 0QY
Tel: +44 (0)1784 438025
TIPS
LEARNING POLO By Eduardo Amaya, Polo Instructor
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s in any other sport, learning it by stages is indispensable, and even more so, in the case of polo due to its complexity. These stages should not be skipped taking into account the importance of their sequence. For example, it is essential not to play without having first learnt how to ride a horse properly. And when I say properly I mean real horsemanship applied to polo, since knowing how to ride a horse is not enough to be able to Horsemanship applied to polo requires: I. A good posture on the horse II. A proper use of the platform (stirrups) III. A proper and timely use of riding crops.
play at good level in the future. Once we adapt to this “horsebackriding” method, we start learning how to hit the ball. This involves a polished, easy, natural and non wearing-down style, basically stressing this last point, since a badly used tack will not only bring about problems when we hit the
ball but will also affect us physically. The next step is learning how to master the field and the game itself, with tactics and strategy being essential to make progress. Knowing how to read the game will help us anticipate the play and this will not only benefit us but also the horse. Thus, we must not become over demanding neither physically nor mentally. Someone said (and was very wise in saying so) that a good player moves around the field as calmly as a millionaire handles his business, unlike the player who is always in a hurry and reaching the play too late, and therefore, never manages to anticipate it. As a result of this as well as other factors, low goal polo becomes more dangerous than medium and high goal polo. Knowing how to play polo means that both the player and the horse must achieve a maximum efficiency with a minimum wearing down. Lastly, knowing the rules as well as the protocol of the game is highly im-
James Beim
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portant for this is a dangerous sport. However, if the rules are complied with, polo can be safe and enjoyable for all competitors and, in turn, a great show for the spectators. What usually happens to those who start playing this sport is that they are attracted to hitting the ball and neglect, as I mentioned before, something as fundamental as knowing how to control a horse perfectly. Controlling it implies everything, from the player’s posture on the horse, how to hold the reigns, how to adapt to the horse in order to carry out the steps that follow. Through not taking this into account, (not being comfortable) hitting the ball becomes difficult and lacks effectiveness. Let us imagine a tennis player who intends to reach the ball and hit correctly it without knowing how to run. This is how the player starts playing a fast game which is both absurd and dangerous not only for the beginner but also for the rest of the players. This affects the horse’s virtues (skilfulness) as well as it physically affects the player himself. Bad habits develop and once detected they are very hard to eliminate. Evidently, the speed at which a player learns will depend on the degree of horsemanship knowledge achieved and each individual’s sporting skills. From my own experience, I can assure you that children learn with great ease, as well as those adults who have great sporting skills.
WPT
The World Polo Tour Race Continues By Alejandra Ocampos
WORLD POLO TOUR
Gonzalo Pieres jr
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fter the tournament season in Europe, the World Polo Tour shows some interesting movements revolving around the first places, making the ranking race increasingly exciting at each step. Adolfo Cambiaso still maintains first place, though he did not have a good season in England. As regards rising Uruguayan player, David “Pelon” Stirling, he reached the Top Ten after winning the Gold Cup in England with Loro Piana and becoming a semi-finalist for the Sotogrande Gold Cup with Ayala Polo Team. However, the most important movements revolved around the runner-up position among professional players. And the protagonists are Pablo MacDonough and Gonzalo Pieres Jr, at present, two of the best players who have recently been raised to 10 goals in England. Pablo’s performance both in England and in Sotogrande was brilliant.
In UK, he obtained the Prince of Wales Trophy playing for Broncos and, subsequently he replaced Facundo Pieres in Ellerston and won the Queen’s Cup. Furthermore, in Sotogrande, with Ahmibah, he definitely established himself as the winner of the three tournaments of the 37th International Polo Season at Santa María Polo Club – The Bronze, Silver and Gold Cups which allowed him to reach second place. But Gonzalo Pieres Jr. was lying in wait. Queen’s Cup winner and Gold Cup finalist in England, playing for Ellerston in both cases, Gonzalo managed to climb into second place in the ranking, after winning the Pacific Coast Open with Audi, in Santa Barbara, United States. Eduardo Novillo Astrada Jr. in fourth place and Facundo Pieres in fifth place complete the professional players’ Top Five. As regards amateur players, Italian patron Alfio Marchini, Gold Cup 83
champion in England, playing with his usual team Loro Piana, continues to be at the top of the ranking, followed by Colombian patron Camilo Bautista and American patron George Rawlings.
Coming soon: The Masters Series Polo is now moving to Argentina, where a season predicted to be one of the best in history awaits; and wherein a new stage will begin for the competitive World Polo Tour, presenting the Masters Series for the first time, which is exclusively reserved for Argentine Triple Crown tournaments. The Masters Series will have a completely different scoring method whereby points will be taken into account team-wise and not for the general ranking, since the teams at stake are the best high goal foursomes in the world and, therefore, this will be exclusively reserved for professional polo players.
THE WORLD´S
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PQ lifestyle Beauty, Fashion, Food and more
POLO CHANNEL watch it on-line at www.pololine.tv
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TRAVEL
WINDSOR AND THE ROYAL BOROUGH Windsor is best known for its beautiful castle, polo fields and perhaps Legoland...but this very English Royal Borough has so much to offer not least of all the stylish hotels, restaurants and spa’s. Just short of thirty miles west of London, it combines history and heritage with a sophisticated lifestyle with outstanding countryside with over 1,000 acres of National Trust land in the north and 4,800 acres of Crown Estate to the south, and of course the River Thames runs through the heart of the region.
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here are many interesting places to visit away from the main towns such as Runnymede on the Banks of the Thames where King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215 and Dorney Court, a beautiful Elizabethan manor near Maidenhead where the first pineapple was grown in England and presented to Charles II in 1661. Savill Garden, a superb 35-acre woodland garden within Windsor Great Park, began life some seventy years ago
when Sir Eric Savill started developing a boggy area of Windsor Great Park. With encouragement by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother the tranquil landscaping took shape and it’s now considered to be one of the finest gardens of its type. www.theroyallandscape.co.uk Throughout history, the River Thames has also formed a focal part of daily life with people living on or near
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the water. Today visitors can take a relaxing river cruise with French Brothers passing by the famous historic sites; try their hand at rowing; navigate their own route in a motor launch or take a private boat hire. Windsor has long been associated with all things equestrian ranging from the glamorous Royal Ascot race meeting in June to a gentle Sunday afternoon’s hack along one of the many bridleways.
Several major equestrian events now take place within the Royal Borough such as the Royal Windsor Horse Show (May). Polo matches can be enjoyed every Sunday afternoon from April to September on Smiths Lawn, home to the Guards Polo Club in Windsor Great Park. At Windsor’s hub is the Royal Station pedestrian shopping centre with chic boutiques, designer outlets and street cafés. There’s also an undercover area with arts and craft stalls, coffee shops and bars; this is the place to meet, be seen and people watch. It has been created around Windsor Central mainline station which offers a regular service into London – there’s even a well polished Victorian engine as a reminder that Windsor was a popular escape from London over a hundred year’s ago – just as it is today. A short stroll across the Thames pedestrian bridge is Eton’s peaceful 15th century High Street. Here you won’t find countrywide chain stores, instead its full of small, fascinating independent outlets with antiques, galleries, skilled crafts people, bespoke tailors and the unusual along with historic pubs and restaurants. Dining out also has an important role to play in the Royal Borough ex-
perience. Windsor and Eton boast sixteen different types of cuisine all within a short walk from the Castle. Every taste is catered for from Mexican to Moroccan and South American to Turkish. Visitors can choose from traditional pubs, lively themed bars, continental style street cafés, family and oriental eateries while for that special occasion there are hotels and intimate restaurants offering the very best in fine dining such as Strok’s in the Sir Christopher Wren’s House Hotel. Outside of Windsor some of the finest
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food on the Thames can be sampled at the Waterside Inn at Bray, one of the few restaurants in Europe able to boast three Michelin stars. Windsor is perhaps best known for Royal Windsor Castle; associated with British monarchy for nearly 1,000 years and one of three official residences of HM The Queen, it is the largest inhabited castle in the world covering some thirteen acres. A visit includes the State Apartments; the Castle Exhibition, Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, the Drawings Gallery, St George’s Chapel and
Albert Memorial Chapel. Additional Semi-State rooms are also open from October to end March but the price remains the same. Set in the extensive Home Park of Windsor Castle is Frogmore House; a favourite retreat of Queen Victoria it opens to the public on limited days during May and August.
in Knights’ Kingdom; courageous firefighters at the Fire Academy or skilled construction workers at the Digger Challenge. Other top attractions include Eton College, which was founded by Henry VI in 1440 to provide accommodation for 70 poor scholars who would then go onto King’s College, Cambridge. Guided tours are available
SEVERAL MAJOR EQUESTRIAN EVENTS NOW TAKE PLACE WITHIN THE ROYAL BOROUGH SUCH AS THE ROYAL WINDSOR HORSE SHOW (MAY). POLO MATCHES CAN BE ENJOYED EVERY SUNDAY AFTERNOON FROM APRIL TO SEPTEMBER ON SMITHS LAWN, HOME TO THE GUARDS POLO CLUB IN WINDSOR GREAT PARK. For young families LEGOLAND Windsor offers a great day out with over fifty interactive rides, live shows and attractions all set in 150 acres of parkland. Their philosophy is totally geared to letting children be the heroes; youngsters aged 3-12 years can become brave knights, taming dragons
Easter - October. Whether visiting for a day or a long weekend there are several hotels and spas surrounded by manicured lawns and beauiful traditional English Victorian gardens. Stoke Park Club luxury 5 star hotel is set within 350 acres of historic parkland and gardens, Stoke
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Park Club combines sumptuous luxury and refined elegance with some of the finest sporting and leisure facilities in the country. The exterior splendour of the breathtaking Palladian mansion is mirrored by the individually decorated bedrooms and suites, where antiques, sumptuous fabrics, and beautiful marble bathrooms with under-floor heating render each a masterpiece of luxurious indulgence. Stoke Park also offers an award winning Spa dedicated to offering pampering, treatments and packages created to transcend you into a world of pure luxury escapism. Choose from Stoke Park Club’s newly introduced treatment and skin care range, SPC, which includes the Naturally Luxurious Range and it’s new Anti-ageing range ‘Defining Luxury’. Above and beyond the treatments for members and non-members, SPA SPC offers more than its comprehensive range of treatments such as: deep relaxation rooms, Italian marble steam rooms, an indoor pool complete with in-built hydro-seat Jacuzzi, Choose from
the many treatments available from hydrotherapy baths and effective sports massages, to innovative, newly introduced treatment and skin care range, SPC, and one of the world’s leading providers of hi-tech beauty technology and Skin Care Products Crystal Clear. Once you have relaxed and pampered yourself perhaps you will find time to polish up on your golf swing, at the Stoke Park Club Golf Academy. For more information please call membership sales on 01753 717 179 or email membership@stokeparkclub.co.uk Further details about the Royal Borough can be found on www.windsor. gov.uk; for a copy of the Official Visitor Guide email Windsor.tic@rbwm.gov. uk or call the Royal Windsor Information Centre on +44 (0) 1753 743900. Assistance with booking somewhere to stay is also available by telephoning the special Accommodation Hotline on +44 (0) 1753 743907, Fax +44 (0) 1753 743911 or email Windsor.accommodation@rbwm.gov.uk.
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DESIGNER
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Edward Sexton
he notorious tailor Edward Sexton makes his comeback this season, presenting an ultra sophisticated collection for both men and women. Edward Sexton became infamous for dressing icons of the past, having designed Bianca Jagger’s wedding outfit, going onto dress Twiggy, Jackie Kennedy, John Lennon and Yoko, in his unique style. Like Lennon and McCartney, Edward Sexton’s name is inextricably linked with the late Tommy Nutter. Together they opened their shop Nutters, which revolutionised Savile Row, pathing the way for a new generation of tailors such as Timothy Everest, Mark Powell and Richard James. Edward Sexton still wears the crown and is now regarded as a living legend. AW08 saw Edward Sexton return to the fashion spotlight, almost 30 years after Nutter’s first opened, launching his collection at London Fashion Week. Sexton still finds time to encourage and inspire young apprentices throughout the trade. Today he works
from a dramatic show room in Knightsbridge and is the first port of call for young designers seeking to learn the tailoring craft. Stella McCartney did her apprenticeship with him, and it was from Sexton’s studio that they designed and made all the pieces from her incredible catwalk shows in Paris for Chloe. Their partnership was ultimately responsible for re-establishing the languishing house of Chloe, bringing it back to its former glory. Today Edward Sexton considers that his unique style is now complete, having extended his range to include bespoke shirts, five and seven-fold ties, hand rolled 18 inch pocket squares and silver cufflinks with enamel designs. Needless to say, the design details are exquisite, complementing and romancing Sexton’s bespoke tailored suits and jackets, which the media has labelled Sexton Appeal. As a refreshing alternative to fashions ever changing trends, Edward Sexton embodies timeless elegance and effortless cool.
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Join the elite, become a member
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www.pololine.com
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SOTOGRANDE
Ahmibah took the Spanish Triple Crown Undoubtedly, 2008 in Sotogrande has had a great protagonist, and that is Ahmibah. Each of the players on the team did their part and they gradually went improving game after game, and this is how they won the much longed-for Triple Crown.
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Pablo MacDonough, the Player of the Season
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eason 2008 will leave a mark at Santa María Polo Club as a result of two important matters. On the one hand, off the polo field the inauguration of the facilities in the Los Pinos area and, on the other hand, Ahmibah’s great performance and victories. Just as in 1965 the first polo field was built in Sotogrande, the mythical “La Playa” (Beach) field, where years later family-friendly polo tournaments began to take place among friends on the legendary Beach Field, which then led to the Gold Cup, played for the first time in 1971, this year, the new infrastructure surrounded by the four fields where the most important games are played for the Bronze and Silver Cups, as well as all the Gold Cup matches, was the club’s centre of entertainment. There, with the stands,
the children’s playground and the VIP boxes located on the first floor in the new 2500 squaremetre structure from where spectators watched all the final matches of the season. From the sporting point of view, Ahmibah was the name heard most throughout the club’s three most important tournaments. Ahmibah’s performance has gradually grown at Pablo MacDonough’s pace. In spite of him being the one who organised the team, he had the necessary support from his teammates to create a fast, dynamic and, above all, a precise game style. Valerio Zubiaurre helped a lot to regain control of the ball and respond to the team’s changes of pace. As regards Ignacio Laprida, he was very precise in defence and when he found gaps he was able to respond to the attacks which were determin94
ing factors in each match. Last but not least, and wearing the polo shirt bearing number 1, Bahar Jeffri’s, whose performance, undoubtedly, was very important. His help opening paths, blocking opponents and, above all, scoring at key moments, allowed Ahmibah to be a real team. Ahmibah began participating in the Spanish season with a 10-8 victory against La Varzea. In their second game they met Loro Piana, and they also won though on that occasion the result was 10-7. Thus, they qualified as finalists for the Bronze Cup, and that is when they played against Las Monjitas whom they beat 10-8 in an entertaining match which had Pablo MacDonough as the main figure of match playing for the winning team. With this triumph, Ahmibah, with Valerio Zubiaurre, Pablo MacDonough
and Iñaki Laprida playing together with Bahar Jeffri, won their second consecutive Bronze Cup (they also won in season 2007) when Gastón Urturi and George Meyrick played on the team accompanying an amateur player and the figure of the final.
In Search of the Precious Metal Despite their 12-11 defeat against Villa Real at the start of the Silver Cup, Ahmibah managed to qualify for the next round after beating Ayala 10-9 in a very tight match with the greatest number of goals in season 2008, 31 goals in six chukkas in their 16-15 victory against Las Monjitas. Thus, in the semi-finals, Ahmibah met Loro Piana once again for the second place in the final, since Las Monjitas awaited the winner of the game. And, yet again, Bahar Jeffri’s team was superior, and after winning 11-10 they made it through to the second final of the season. And with a 12-9 win they became the Silver Cup champions with an outstanding performance on the part of Pablo MacDonough, who scored eleven goals for his team out of a total of twelve.
a 13-10 win and, thus, secure a place in the semi-finals. Finally, it was time for the match everyone awaited. On the one hand, Ahmibah, the team which was the sensation of the season, and on the other hand, Loro Piana with Adolfo Cambiaso, who had travelled exclusively to play the Gold Cup and had reached this instance having been defeated only once in the game against Las Monjitas. After Ayala’s 10-5 victory against Camilo Bautista’s team in the semi-finals, the throw-in marked the start of the match. Ahmibah dominated the first part of the game against Loro Piana, and by half time they were win-
ning 7-3. However, Adolfo Cambiaso managed to level the score, but they invariably encountered Ahmibah’s good defensive game and Pablo MacDonough, who scored three goals in the third chukka and two in the fourth. After two goals scored by Alfio Marchini and Juan Ambroggio, that fifth period ended with Ahmibah taking a 12-7 lead. Unstoppable, Pablo MacDonough scored the last goal for his team in the sixth chukka, while Alfio Marchini scored another one for Loro Piana, and the match ended with a resounding 13-8 on the scoreboard and Ahmibah’s pass to the final.
Adolfo Cambiaso and Pablo Mora
The Road towards the Final Celebration At the start of the Gold Cup, just as it occurred with the Silver Cup, Ahmibah began with a defeat against Ayala, a team which was superior throughout the six chukkas and with Pelón Stirling’s speed, goals and strength, achieved a 9-7 win. Bahar Jeffri’s team needed a victory to continue having any possibilities in the most important tournament of the season, but by the end of the first chukka against La Varzea they had already taken a 4-0 lead. Although Sebastián Merlos managed to reduce the difference, a fast and effective Pablo MacDonough was the great protagonist in the third chukka, in which Ahmibah took control of the game until they sealed a defining 14-11 victory. Ahmibah wanted to be in the semifinals and for this reason they showed a good recovery against Scapa Valdeparras who had started off winning the game. A good job on the part of Valerio Zubiaurre and Pablo MacDonough, managed to open paths for Ahmibah to step forward and achieve 95
XXXVII International Polo Season - Sotogrande High Goal Juan Valdez Café Pablo Mora Juan Losada Tomas Fernandez Llorente Ernesto Fernandez Llorente
Ayala Polo Team Iñigo Zobel Gastón Urturi David Stirling Santiago Laborde
19 1 5 8 5
20
Loro Piana
Sotogrande 2008 High-Goal 20
Alfio Marchini 3 Juan Ambroggio (5) 5 Juan Martin Nero / Adolfo Cambiaso 10 Jamie Peel 2
Las Monjitas
20
2 5 8 5
Camilo Bautista Eduardo Novillo Astrada Jr. Alejandro Diaz Alberdi Pascual Sainz de Vicuña
0 9 8 3
Villa Real
20
Scapa Valdeparras
19
Roberto Villa Real Hilario Ulloa Agustín Merlos Caio Siquini
0 7 10 3
Michael Redding Alejandro Muzzio Marcos di Paola Jaime Espinosa de los Monteros
Ahmibah
20
La Varzea
20
B. Jeffri Bolkiah Valerio Zubiaurre Pablo MacDonough Ignacio Laprida
2 4 10 4
Tiago Gallego Diogo Gallego Sebastián Merlos Sebastián Harriott
1 2 10 7
All Ahmibah group for the final picture
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2 8 8 1
Place: Sotogrande, Spain Club: Santa Maria Polo Club Date: August 19-30, 2008 Level: 20 hcp Tournament type: Handicap (Bronze & Silver), Open (Gold) Tournament Director: Santiago Torreguitar WPT Category Ranking: WPT Cup Winner Points: 90 Finalist Points: 45 Semifinalist Points: 30 Winner Gold, Silver and Bronze Cup
Ahmibah Polo Team MVP: Pablo MacDonough BPP: Patagonia (David Stirling - Ayala)
David Stirling Jr chased by Eduardo Novillo Astrada Jr
La Varzea, Subsidiary High Goal winner team
After the match, Bahar Jeffri expressed, “I have dreamt about seasons like this but I didn’t know they could be real. This is incredible. This season is perfect. Having played and won against a team which had Cambiaso playing for them is something I still find hard to believe. We came to play this match feeling confident because we knew we had a good quartet, but playing against a team like Loro Piana is always very difficult. I was very nervous before the game began but, luckily, once it started we played well and managed to win”.
The Final Celebration
Woodchester, Medium Goal Gold Cup winner
Easy Polo Team, Low Goal Golden winner
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Ahmibah started attacking from the very beginning against Ayala Polo Team. It was foreseeable that Pablo MacDonough would be unstoppable. He scored the first goal of the match through a penalty shot. Subsequently, he scored another goal, after a good performance carried out by his teammates which allowed him to hit a 50-yarder. Ayala responded with two goals scored by Iñigo Zobel and Pelón Stirling. Thus, the first chukka ended in a 2-2 tie. Ahmibah stretched their lead in the second chukka, with two goals scored by Pablo MacDonough, one of which was exactly the same as the second one he scored in the first chukka. Iñaki Laprida scored another goal for Ahmibah, and later came a tremendous goal scored by Pelón Stirling which made the public rise to their feet. When he regained the
XXXVII International Polo Season - Sotogrande Medium Goal El Rosario Alejandro Peñafiel Diego Cobo Gastón Gassiebayle J. Peñafiel
12 1 2 6 3
Wodochester Zedan
12
Craig McKinney Jamie Peel Facundo Castagnola Gabriel Iglesias / Mario Gomez
1 2 6 3
Villa Real Roberto Villa Real Roberto Villa Real Jr. Joao Paulo Gannon Luis Carlos Figueira de Melo
La Varzea Santa Clara Francisco Escobar Esteban Iturrioz Horacio Echeverry Tiago Gallego Jr
12 0 0 7 5
12 0 4 6 2
Dr. A
12
Aberraman Abbar Salvador Ulloa Fernando Bourdieu Karim Abbar
0 6 6 0
Easy
11
Philip Maeder Francisco Fucci Bautista Ortiz de Urbina Mateo Velasco
Santa Quiteria Jose Manuel Entrecanales Pedro Soria Santiago Cernadas José Entrecanales
Real Club Andalucia Javier Benjumea Alfredo Benjumea Pablo Pieres Pedro Beca
0 5 4 2
12 1 5 5 1
12 2 2 6 2
Craig McKinney and Gerardo Mazzini
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Seguriber Alejandro Aznar Joao Novaes Fernando Pelosini Ricardo Mansur
Isola 1892 Esperanza Kevin Korst Juan Torroba Carlos Solari Lawrence Isola
Leones Gerardo Mazzini Petrus Fernandini Ignacio Domecq Luis Domecq
La Corchuela Luis Fernandez Ordas Alejo Taranco Patricio Cieza Pablo Roemmers
12 2 4 6 0
12 1 3 6 2
12 7 1 4 0
12 1 5 4 2
ball, he ran the whole length of the field straight towards the goal posts. Ahmibah continued to stretch their lead in the third chukka, once again through Pablo MacDonough who, by then, was the great protagonist of the match, and was responsible for scoring another three goals. The fourth chukka ended 10-5 in favour of Ahmibah, with more goals scored by Pablo. In spite of the difference, Ayala tried to get closer on the scoreboard with two goals scored by Pelón Stirling, allowing them to begin the sixth chukka with Ahmibah taking a 10-7 lead. But in the final chukka, once again a brilliant Pablo MacDonough threw Ayala’s intentions of getting closer to their score overboard, allowing his team to take an 11-7 lead. Ayala’s effort to reduce the difference as well as two goals scored by Gastón Urturi and Santiago Laborde were not enough to prevent Bahar Jeffri and his guys from becoming the owners of Sotogrande 2008. Winners Low Goal Gold Cup: Easy MH Bland Polo Team Silver Cup: Easy MH Bland Polo Team Bronze Cup: Kia El Corso
Jeffri Bahar: “This is incredible, and it is a dream come true, having won a season and played against Cambiaso, Pelon Stirling, Nero and so many other players. I still can’t believe it. And, besides, playing with Ayala, who are friends of ours… It was something special, because this is a sport and there is always a winner and a loser, but they also played a great match”. Pablo MacDonough: “If I had been told I was going to play a final before I even started, I would have been glad, but we played an incredible season. Winning this game means a lot to us, because after a good season, if you make it through to the Gold Cup final and you lose at this stage, you end up leaving the competition in a foul mood. Tonight we are having an “asado” with Ayala and, of course, we are going to be happier, but it was a great match”.
XXXVII International Polo Season - Sotogrande Low Goal Bisontes de Santander
6
Easy MH Bland
6
J. Carabasa E. Camacho S. Moyano B. Wesseling
0 1 4 1
S. Maeder W. Garbuglia B. Urbina M. Gaggero
0 2 4 0
La Isla
6
KIA El Corso
6
R. Beca R. Fagan S. Torreguitar / I.F. Llorente J. C. Gavira
0 0 3 3
C. Pallares C. Piñal A. M. Escassi R. Gimenez
0 1 1 4
Mata del Herrador
6
La Querencia
5
F. Fernandez J. Carrasco I. Maldonado D. Gariador
0 0 3 3
A. G. Melero A. Collado E. del Pino G. Gomez
0 1 2 2
Quebramar
6
Santa Quiteria
6
M. Aguilar A. Alvarez F. Rufino P. Berazadi
0 2 1 3
G. Entercanales J. Serra M. Tassara P. Wansbrough
0 2 4 0
99
Santiago Cernadas
100
GSTAAD GOLD CUP
Gstaad Enjoys a Polo Atmosphere PQ International visited the city of Gstaad where a new edition of the traditional Gold Cup Tournament took place. Four teams participated, and it turned out to be a weekend with lots of surprises and, above all, good polo.
101
I
n spite of the fact that Gstaad is one of the best known and most appealing tourist destinations in winter, as well as Sant-Moritz (St Moritz), Zermatt and Klosters, it is one of the most exclusive spots in Switzerland, and every summer the Gold Cup Tournament takes place at the Gstaad Polo Club. In mid-August and with excellent weather to watch polo games, four teams up to 18 goals took part in the tournament played on the traditional field located beside the city’s flying club. In typical Swiss style, the fine work carried out by the club allowed everything to be very organized, neat and tidy during the four-day competition. The full-fledged action began on Thursday when the teams met to define how the semi-finals would be played,
where those who won the first games would play against those who lost the others. That same night, after the matches, the club’s organization held a dinner party for the players and guests at Was-
event: the grand parade for the tournament’s official presentation, where players wearing their outfits and riding their horses greeted the public approaching the parade as they went by. This year there was a difference compared to pre-
IN MID-AUGUST AND WITH EXCELLENT WEATHER TO WATCH POLO GAMES, FOUR TEAMS UP TO 18 GOALS TOOK PART IN THE TOURNAMENT PLAYED ON THE TRADITIONAL FIELD LOCATED BESIDE THE CITY’S FLYING CLUB. serngrat, a cabin located over 1900 metres high which is accessed by chair lifts and where visitors can enjoy one of the best views of the city of Gstaad. As regards polo, Friday was a free day, since people gathered on the main streets in Gstaad for the most important
Eduardo Menendez and Martin Iturraspe
102
vious tournaments because down came the rain, and although it became lighter when the horses began their march, it will go down in history as the presentation under the rain. However, the sun reappeared on the day of the semi-finals, with games played
after a lunch party which took place in the club’s main tent. First of all, Gstaad Palace, Swiss players Fabien and Sasha Pictet’s team, met Hublot Polo Team and won 8 ½ - 7 in a very even game which included amazing goals. After this match and playing for the second semi-final, Land Rover, with their last goal scored by Frank Dubarry, beat El Mirasol 9 - 8 ½. Thus, everything was ready for the Gstaad Gold Cup final to be played on Sunday, but once the games were over a gala dinner party was held at the club, where tidiness and good taste accompanied guests throughout the evening. The music was so good that everybody felt encouraged to stay on and dance till the break of dawn. Sunday lunch conversations revolved around two main topics. Firstly, the splendid event held the night before and secondly, the final match which was about to begin. The ball touched the ground after the initial throw-in indicating that the fiAbove: Francisco Menendez and Juan Jose Brane - Below: Santiago Marambio and Eduardo Menendez
103
nal game had begun. At first, the match seemed to be awfully jammed, with Gstaad Palace taking a one-and-a-half-goal lead due to the handicap difference. Martín Pascual scored the first goal of the game for Land Rover, and the first chukker ended 1 ½ - 1, with Gstaad Palace ahead on the scoreboard. After a good play performed by Fabien Pictet, Alejandro Agote was in charge of scoring the goal for Gstaad Palace in the second chukker. For his part, Héctor Guerrero was the main protagonist in his team’s attack during the third chukker, in which Gstaad Palace took the lead, 3 ½ - 1. In the extra 30 seconds, Francisco Menéndez scored a goal for Land Rover.
Gstaad Gold Cup Hublot
18
Thomas Rinderknecht / Piero Dillier Martin Iturraspe Ignacio Tillous Lucas Labat
El Mirasol
0 4 7 7
17
Gstaad Palace
16
Final: Land Rover vs Gstaad Palace Winner: Gstaad Palace Polo Team MVP: Alejandro Agote (Gstaad Palace)
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18
Franck Dubarry Martin Pascual Francisco Menendez Eduardo Menendez
Robert Kofler Juan Marambio Juan José Brané Santiago Marambio
Ignacio Tillous and Eduardo Menendez
Land Rover
0 5 7 6
0 4 8 5
Fabien Pictet Sascha Pictet Alejandro Agote Hector Guerrero
1 0 8 7
Hublot Team during the Gstaad polo parade on Friday
Hublot Polo Gold Cup
Past Winners 2007
Land Rover Polo Team Tomas Ruiz Guiñazu, Francisco Irastorza, Santiago Chavanne & Stefano Marsaglia
2006
Land Rover Polo Team Sascha Pictet, Fabien Pictet, Hector Guerrero & Milo Fernandez Araujo
2005
Cadillac Black Simone Chiarella, Facundo Castagnola, Pablo Jauretche & Alejandro Muzzio
2004
Cadillac Black Simone Chiarella, Lucas James, Pablo Jauretche & Adolfo Cambiaso
2003
Land Rover Giovanni Marchiorello, Pablo Bertola, Eduardo Heguy & Juan Gonzalez
2002
Swissca The Emerging Fabien Pictet, Ricardo Sorsana, Alejandro Agote & Hector Guerrero
2001
Cartier Gualtiero Giori, Eduardo Menendez, Alberto Heguy & Ricardo Tattoni
Gstaad Palace’s defence did a good job preventing Land Rover from scoring any more goals. Therefore, the game ended and no goals were scored during the last chukker. Gstaad Palace achieved a 3 ½ - 2 victory and won the title. Thus, after the prize-giving, the 2008
Gold Cup Championship played in Gstaad came to an end in a city famous for being one of the places many European royal figures choose to spend their winter holidays but in which, without a doubt, polo is the main protagonist during summer. 105
Place: Gstaad, Switzerland Club: Gstaad Polo Club Date: August 14-17, 2008 Level: 18 hcp Tournament type: Open Tournament Director: Juan de Ezcurra WPT Category Ranking: Challenge Cup Winner Points: 60 Finalist Points: 30 Semifinalist Points: 18
INTERVIEW - GONZALO PIERES
The Man behind the Organization PQ International had the opportunity to talk with Gonzalo Pieres during the English season and he gave us his point of view as regards polo; from his first trip, his successes and how happy he is that Ellerston and his three sons are the main protagonists of English polo, to new horses and what he thinks polo will be like in the future.
T
he English high-goal season has come to an end, and during this summer lots of polo games were played allowing us to watch different types of matches. Some were fast, others not so much. There were good goals and, as always, most matches were very tight. Polo is changing worldwide and above
all in England where the atmosphere shows a good indication that this sport is growing rapidly, since year after year larger numbers of teams are entered to participate in these tournaments. As a result of this growth, each organization starts being better mount-ed and tries to seek the road that will lead to success.
Gonzalo Pieres
PQ International is here, at Ellerston, one of the most powerful organizations in the world. For years now, they have been doing an excellent job; firstly, from the point of view of their string of horses, which are always in good shape on the polo field and, secondly, to maintain the same work groups. There, near the main field at Cowdray Club, Gonzalo Pieres is ready to talk about polo. As always, he is cool, calm and collected, analysing each of his replies which make them even more interesting. It’s amazing how everything has changed since your first trip to England, don’t you think?
It’s incredible! Here, polo has evolved a lot. I think it is one of the places where you can really play polo on good fields, and they have improved a great deal. Perhaps some of the clubs in the surrounding areas need to improve but, at Cowdray, the Gold Cup is played on four or five fields, which are at the level required to take part in good seasons. During this season, much has been said about the new rule change, as is the case of the Tap Rule. What do you think about these modifications to improve the game?
I am not against trying to improve polo. I think that many people approach a situation from the opposite side it should be approached. I think that the rules are clear, that a foul is a dangerous play, and danger is exactly what should be avoided. This question of the public not liking slow play or short taps, or hitting the ball backwards… I think this was the idea for the year, and it was a step forward because it became noticeable as regards the level of polo played by the teams. But, it seems 106
Gonzalo Pieres together with his three sons (Nicolas, Gonzalo and Facundo) at the Jockey Club Open 2006
to me that the fundamental question is that we are protecting the player in possession of the ball far too much, because his opponent, who intends to get hold of the ball, has to approach him on the opposite side to hit a backhander, and by then he is lacking strength and it is difficult getting the horse into position, and I think that this is basically the problem. But, all in all, I think it is a good idea to try to achieve a faster and more agile polo game.
end up being a two-on-two or two-onthree game. But this happens in every international polo match.
Analysing the last few years, besides the fact that there are more teams, the level of these organizations has gradually been growing‌
What do you think about the level of English horses and how are they doing with their organization?
Yes, of course, and this is a very good thing. And there is a very high and important level among organizations. Broncos, Loro Piana, Les Lions have two teams each, good fields and much better horses than they used to have years ago. Loro Piana is a great team and very well mounted and, in the long run, those are the teams that win; teams with good players but, above all, those that are well mounted, which is fundamental.
I think that the level of English horses continues to grow, and many of them, besides coming from Argentina, also come from the United States, Australia and New Zealand. In our case, at
LORO PIANA IS A GREAT TEAM AND VERY WELL MOUNTED AND, IN THE LONG RUN, THOSE ARE THE TEAMS THAT WIN... The game style used to be different. Was it a more open type of game?
Polo wasn’t much faster in the past due to the handicap limit, which has always been a reality, but it used to be a clearer game. Nowadays, players are so skilful that it is more complicated to interpret. But, mind you, when a 22-goal level is played with two 10-goalers, it will always
Ellerston, 95 percent of the horses that belong to our organization descend from very good bloodlines, which have achieved a very high level despite not being Argentine horses. I consider that the level of horses is extraordinary. And this is always the way it is, if you want to compete at the highest level, you must bring your very best horses from each place. 107
Leaving High Goal aside for a moment, what do you think about Medium Goal Tournaments in the UK and those players that are gradually growing?
They are not doing badly at the moment, but the problem they have is that there are too many obstacles on the road towards improvement, and when English players reach a certain level at which they have to compete with foreign players in order to improve, this is when the problem arises. It seems as if they were overprotected
up to a 4-goal handicap, but once they reach that level, they no longer have a chance to continue improving. There are new players who are playing very often and some of them are also well mounted, and those are the ones who will become competitive along with players from Argentina and the rest of the world, though I think they lack experience playing elsewhere. They should play a little in the United States, in Australia and in Argentina in tourna-
ments such as the Polo Tour, because there comes a point when the only way to continue growing is by playing polo at a good level. You were not present when the Queen’s Cup final was played in England. How did you find out about all the things that were going on?
I found out by phone, I was given a call and that is how I followed the game. Out of superstition, I did not want to
Gonzalo Pieres
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ring up so I waited till I received a call, but by then I was a bundle of nerves. I think they were needing to win, because Gonzalito would say they had made it through to another final and then they probably went and lost the match. However, the truth is that playing the final is a very important thing, but of course, if you lose, it really gets you, and this is only natural. They all put a lot of effort into reaching this far.
ever, just the same as we improve, there are other teams that are also improving, as is the case of a new line-up formed by Marcos Heguy, Santiago Chavanne and the Merlos brothers, as well as La Dolfina, who do not seem to want to give in at Palermo. It will be a very good season and I hope we manage to achieve our goals as soon as possible. But, in order to accomplish these objectives, not only do we need to play well, but we also need a little bit of luck.
Argentine Season 2008 We have great expectations. This year, there has been a change because Juan MartĂn Nero has become part of the team. He is one of the best players in the world at the moment. We will have to see how this new formula works out. There is every indication that all will be fine, but we must wait for the results; above all, with a team that is playing very well. If we continue to improve our organization, if Nero plays the way we think he will, it seems as though we will do fine. How-
What happened was a very good thing and it was very exciting. And these are the things that fill you with enthusiasm and drive in order to focus on what you must continue doing every year. Polo is growing worldwide. What do you think about the future of this sport?
There is a good thing at this moment,
and that is that polo has grown a lot. Players get a chance to take part in new tournaments and, thus, they are given the opportunity to start getting organized, and polo continues to grow. Perhaps, the United States is going through a slightly rough patch‌ and I think that besides having very long seasons in the US, none of their fields have been enhanced over the last years, although there are very
good private clubs. This is why it is different and much better in England. To begin with, due to the tradition and importance of the clubs organizing these tournaments, and also because their fields are at an Open Tournament level. All of the above make it possible for more and more teams to take part and this is how the sport will continue to grow and improve. Father and son: Gonzalo Jr and Gonzalo
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OPINION - ARGENTINE SPRING SEASON
Triple Crown: The only thing we know for sure is that no one knows what will happen With numerous changes in the main teams, the Tortugas-Hurlingham-Palermo triad looks unpredictable. La Dolfina will be making their 40-goal debut though enduring a certain demotivation on the part of Cambiaso; with Nero, Ellerstina will be aiming at a delayed conquest of La Catedral (The Cathedral); Chapaleufú II and La Aguada will endeavour to go back to what they used to be. As regards, Pilará and Black Watch, these new ones are an unknown quantity. Who are the favourites? The Pieres’ team.
L
ately, the number of teams that may win any of the three big Argentine tournaments has increased to six. And this has accentuated the unknown factor prior to each season. High goal has become less foreseeable in the country which has full control of this sport. After three years of almost total lineup stability ( although Lucas Criado replaced Milo Fernández Araujo playing for Chapaleufú II ), 2008 presents vari-
ous novelties, and with them, more uncertainties. Better the devil you know than the one you don’t seems to be the motto for the approaching Triple Crown Tournament. In this context of doubt, can we even start to perceive what the outcome will be as regards each of the six main teams? What will happen? It is impossible to know in advance, but it may be fairly similar to the outlook shown as follows:
Adolfo Cambiaso and Bautista Heguy
110
La Dolfina (40 goals) They will be making their ideal handicap debut, an honour no other line-up has had since the end of 1997, when Indios Chapaleufú ceased to hold a perfect handicap. Does this inspire a greater respect for them among their opponents? No. Each high goal polo player has his/her own opinion on how each opponent plays, whether collectively or individually. Many may think that the players from Cañuelas do not represent an optimal handicap on the field, whereas others do. But handicap is not the authority-instilling element at this level, which does become a possibility when the “Copa República Argentina” (Argentine Republic Cup) is played among quartets with very different potentials. Does this exert pressure on the three times Argentine champions? Absolutely not. The Dolfinos do not care much about their handicap, and least of all when the ball is rolling. They are interested in winning rather than what appears alongside their names on the board. If there is one thing that can worry Cambiaso and Company’s team, it is the motivation of their Number 1. For some time now, he has been admitting that he is not as enthusiastic as he used to be, that he used to like polo much more over a decade ago, that he is tired of the constant pressure and tired of travelling and he could do with a break and stop for a while. And there is one more thing: Adolfo is suffering from several injuries (intervertebral disc pressure, a fractured right wrist, recurring strains and thigh muscle tears) which have never completely cured. At age 33, he is still
young to be permanently prevented from playing, but they may affect him at any moment. In fact, it has already happened during previous seasons. The advantages of being the Argentine title-defending team are the following: they know how to win, every year they amaze us with some stunning new horse, and they have maintained their line-up. For the fourth time running, they will be presenting the exact same one; even when the team has had hardly any practice time, these men know each other by heart on the field. It is a shame: they will not be aiming at becoming triple-crowners; the Tortugas-Hurlingham-Palermo triad does not move them enough.
Ellerstina (39) This is the favourite quartet for the Argentine Open, according to the opinion of this columnist, in spite of a change in the team: Juan Martín Nero will be replacing Matías MacDonough. The player from Pehuajó was the second best “man in black” at La Catedral in 2007 (after Facundo Pieres). Howev-
er, his replacement from Trenque Lauquen is a poly-functional player who plays back better than any other position. An amazing player, who had his weakest season last year in his farewell performances playing for Chapa Uno, when he played as a forward, the position he likes the least, but who holds a 10-goal handicap in the United States and England, and will now incorporate help provided by the great equine supplier, the club in General Rodríguez, to his growing string of horses. The fact that they are well mounted is always one of Ellerstina’s strong points, in addition to the talent of these four young players and the great European performance of each and every one of them this year in their recent background. Gonzalo and Facu Pieres (with Pablito substituting for Facu in the final) won the Queen’s Cup in England; Pablito swept to victory in the Spanish Circuit, winning the Sotogrande Bronze, Silver and Gold Cups. And Nero conquered, with Loro Piana, in the British Open. The only blemish, which someday
Juan Martin Nero (Ellerstina) and Santiago Chavanne (Pilara)
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they will get rid of,perhaps in 2008, is that they did not perform at their level in the defining matches for Palermo. Thus, they have already accumulated two frustrating moments, during afternoons when they could have taken possession of the elusive Triple Crown.
Indios Chapaleufú II (37) They are the only team, not counting the previously mentioned, who have won trophies in the last ten competitions (Palermo 2004 and Tortugas 2006), though recently their performance has dropped, over and above the ups and downs of their line-up with Criado replacing Fernández Araujo and the former’s subsequent injury. It seems as though their horses were not on a par with those used by La Dolfina and Ellerstina, and this is why they have appealed to a far too prickly polo in their most recent performances. The big novelty is the incorporation of Juan Ignacio Merlos, a high-category number 3. He is not the most traditional game arranger, Miguel Novillo Astrada is the most old-fashioned, however, owing to the way he performs, he may fit in very well in a team that plays the classic type of polo. Pite, at age 40, joins a quartet with the highest age average (39.5), though this discipline allows extensive human longevity, since the horse makes the greatest effort. The main doubt has to do with something entirely different: what will the relationship be like between this Merlos brother and the Heguys, with whom he has fumed on the field in the near past, and whom he has accused of having “lost their pride” for that game played by La Dolfina 14 vs. Chapaleufú II 13 at Palermo, which eliminated El Paraíso producing waves of a pre-arranged result aroma. Particularly, we are intrigued by what his relationship will be like with Nachi Heguy, who used to drive good old Milo round the bend with instructions and insults, and who used to call his current team-mate “Píter” at some time, in an unfriendly manner. On the other hand, their drive and thirst for victory will surely remain intact since this is the essence of Indios Chapaleufú II. Not for nothing does Bartolomé Castagnola, La Dolfina’s back, consider him to be the top opponent of the year.
La Aguada (37)
Pilará (37)
After great enthusiasm for their Triple Crown 2003 and their four consecutive celebrations (they later won Tortugas 2004), the Novillo Astradas have played eleven tournaments without having their team engraved on a trophy. Partly through being relaxed, partly due to an insufficient string of horses plus a pinch of the fearsome reputation of Ellerstina and La Dolfina, the hopes of the only team formed by four brothers, who will soon be playing their sixth season, were dashed. Due to all of the above, the ambition to win in their country should be largely satisfied. The Novillo Astradas have enough material to mitigate their situation, with numerous successes abroad. But, in that sense, 2008 is not turning out to be a prolific year: none of them won big titles; the US Open final was the most important thing they achieved (Eduardo Jr., Javier and Ignacio). The only news regarding their team formation is that if El Paraíso qualifies for Hurlingham and the Argentine Open, Alejandro, the fifth brother, will not be La Aguada’s substitute player. A solid and brave team, good at defence though not technically endowed, which may take advantage of their stability during a year when there will be a vast majority of modifications.
Interesting. A very interesting lineup. An extremely high ceiling and a pretty low floor. Since they are technically magnificent, this allows them to have a very big potential. They are disciplinarily weak and, therefore, the danger of succumbing to recklessness is vast. And into the bargain, there is the unknown factor regarding the calibration among players who come from different branches: on the one hand, two Merlos brothers, and on the other hand, Marcos Heguy and his supportee Santiago Chavanne. Questions also arise due to Marcos’ motivation, since two or three years ago he showed signs of retirement, though this project should awaken a new spirit, now without the company of his brothers and holding the greatest responsibility in the team. The midfield duo is temperamental on Sebastián Merlos’ side and tactically undisciplined on Chavanne’s side. There is a real risk of excess fouls although Santiago’s last experience playing the Triple Crown was four years ago and he may have mended his ways. And, finally, it is Sebi’s great opportunity to perform as number 3, which was something he had been wanting after a long time rushing around the field as a self-sacrificing number 2. He was
David Stirling Jr and Eduardo Novillo Astrada Jr
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given a chance when they thrashed Miramar (26-8), owing to Pite’s absence in a match outside the race for the Argentine Open title 2004, and his most recent opportunity was Hurlingham 2007, though it lasted less than a game because he was expelled and suspended for three months. Pilará’s other team-member, Agustín Merlos, is all effectiveness and skill, but he is also an extremely warm-blooded player. It seems as though the evolution of the team will have a lot to do with the way its team-members get along as well as their first results. And, as regards Tortugas, when others are not one hundred percent focussed or physically fit, Pilará is a good candidate.
Black Watch (34) If the rest of the quartets generate unpredictability, this team is a huge question mark in itself. There are all sorts of unresolved matters. Black Watch is the first foreign club in the history of the Triple Crown to present four Argentine players, and perhaps the first hired team,one that hires all of its polo players, in the big Open Tournaments in Buenos Aires. This does not mean it will work better or worse, but the latter is a substantial piece of information.
What will affect the team positively or negatively on the field is the question of the player’s positions. And this line-up does not seem natural. Ignacio Figueras, who usually plays as number 2 or as a back abroad, where he develops the main aspects of his campaign, will also play number 2 here, though this is too crucial a position for a player with the lowest handicap on the team. Matías MacDonough, number 4 on every national high goal team he has played for, will now be number 3. Those who will stick to their usual positions are Bautista Heguy, number 1, though he bore number 2 on his polo shirt playing for Chapa Uno in 2007, and Francisco De Narváez (Jr.), the classic back. Nacho Figueras constitutes the greatest uncertainty. He is 31 years old and holds a 6-goal handicap, the minimum allowed to participate at Palermo. The last first-team player to hold a 6-goal handicap was Facundo Pieres, in 2003 and he will be making his debut in the three Open Tournaments. He is the promoter of the idea that a foreign patron may get involved in the big Argentine circus without stepping onto the polo field. He says he has taken on the challenge with great responsibility and has brought seven horses from the United States; that the team’s performance will depend a lot on him, because his team-mates are already “acclaimed” players. And he also says that fast polo played at this level will be on his side, because running is his thing and he is not the stick-twirling type. We will see. The truth is that the public’s magnifying glass will be focussed on him. For his part, Heguy surprised everybody when he accepted this proposal. In February, he had mentioned that he wanted to form a Chapa Uno with a wide scope, together with a couple of promising young players, as could be the case of Guillermo Caset (Jr.) and Cristian Laprida (Jr.), which would allow him to play for several more years, he is 37 years old, and aspire to conquer the Argentine Open once again a couple of seasons from now. But, he agreed to play with team-mates who are 31 (Figueras), 36 (Mac Donough) and 32 years old (De Narváez). Besides, Bauti, who used to be a symbol
Pite Merlos playing for Chapa II and Juan Martin Nero
of amateurism, he used to play a little abroad and by far preferred to win trophies in whichever country, decided to become a professional player in Buenos Aires; with a line-up that does not have many possibilities of winning, due to their 34 goals, and also because of other reasons.Talking about handicap, it is worth pointing out that these six teams reach an average of 37.3 goals, a very high handicap but at the same time, inflated by the Asociación Argentina de Polo (Argentine Polo Association) due to an upward tendency in this respect, and policies which are far too tolerant prior to deciding upon 113
lowering handicaps. The average is the same as that of the main first-team lineups in 2007, but changes in the current line-ups seem to play down their potential. They require a logical time to adapt, and according to the names at stake, they may suggest less time. Horacio S. Heguy and Lucas Criado are out of the circuit and Santiago Chavanne and Ignacio Figueras are in. But, none of this is final. There may be excellent polo spectacles and the least powerful may beat teams which are more qualified. All is unpredictable, and even more so than it usually is, in this Argentine Triple Crown 2008.
SPECIAL
The English Boom The word “boom”, incorporated into other languages, is more than ever an English word by Xavier Prieto Astigarraga
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hough holding 22 goals, they come third as regards handicap, after Argentina (40) and the United States (26). The high-goal UK season is experiencing this growth and seems to be ahead of Palm Beach, with 20 teams, excellent horse-strings and fantastic games. Ten factors corresponding to the past, present and future that now make, and seemingly will make, the major UK circuit the second best in the world. While during the grand Buenos Aires season, we still find opposing stances regarding what is better, an Argentine Open with six or with eight participating teams, the more teams participate in the most important high goal circuits abroad, the more significance and brilliance they acquire. A season is on the rise if over a period of two or three years more and more
teams come together and take part, and is considered to be declining when exactly the opposite happens. Over the past few years, Palm Beach’s best version brought together 17 line-ups, which is their record up to now; and not because the level of polo was higher, but because so many protagonists gave the tournament more life, more splendour; besides more earnings due to more entries which, of course, did not necessarily mean more sponsors or media. On one occasion, when Adolfo Cambiaso was asked whether he preferred the Queen’s Cup or the Gold Cup, the top two trophies in England and Europe, he replied: “They are very important and I want both cups, but I slightly prefer the Queen’s Cup. The tournament is nicer because it takes place in mid-season, when all teams and all players are present. By the time
Ahmed Aboughazale
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we reach the Gold Cup final almost no one is around, and the atmosphere is not the same”. So, if any of the main polo countries, excluding Argentina, is enjoying a good moment that would be England; a nation struggling between the second and third place of a virtual world polo ranking. Their competitor? The United States. And, if we take into consideration factors that may count towards their place in the ranking, we could mention the number of players, number of clubs, handicaps in each tournament and that of their best polo players. But the English gleam of this era is mainly supported by one element: their high goal circuit, in which around twenty line-ups are taking part. Indeed, a remarkable number, and yet slightly lower than that of 2007 (22). And, particularly on this occasion, they are playing very amusing matches. It would be far from bold if we talked about a boom within higher competitions, which by the way, are not necessarily experiencing the same type of present as those playing medium and low goal polo. At this precise moment, in high competitions within the UK season, eleven out of twelve Argentine players taking part hold a 10-goal handicap in their country (the twelfth player, Mariano Aguerre, is a constant entertainer in the United States, where he plays for White Birch during most of the year). Furthermore, protagonists from numerous parts of the world are also present. Several influential names consider that excellent horse-strings can be found there. And, as already mentioned: the spectacles are turning out to be very good and far more interesting than usual. There are several explanations for such overall prosperity. Some advantages are very typical of England, and invariable since these are geographic and economic benefits. Others are historical. And others have to do with the current situation. It is worthwhile breaking them down and analysing them.
HISTORICAL REASONS • Location. As Fito Páez (an Argentine musician) says about his hometown (Rosario), “England has always been near”. Near the rest of Europe, and not that far from the Middle East. And this counts in their favour as an appealing feature to patrons from other countries within the continent and, in fact, from other parts of the world. The United States and Argentina itself are far more distant. America is not the geographic centre of the universe; the old and yet booming Europe continues to be so. “Patrons settle in England, and everything is near from here.” (Javier Novillo Astrada)
• The financial capital. Amazing London is one of the financial centres within the continent. This is where many of the big businesses can be found. Those transactions wherein powerful businessmen (whose hobby is polo) take part. And Cowdray, Windsor, Cirencester and other polo localities are generally situated within 100 kilometres from the British capital. Alternating polo and work, that is playing polo one day and working the next, is not at all bad. Or playing polo before or after a day’s work. This is very different to the situation in Palm Beach, which is located around 1.500 kilometres from New York, the major financial centre in the United States. Jason Stowe
“For all Europeans, England is near, and for the rest it represents a place to do business. You can play polo and work in London.” (Miguel Novillo Astrada) • Tradition. It is not a determining factor, but it helps towards forming an identity. The names of clubs, competitions and trophies and in fact, in some cases, team names, remain unaltered. And this increases the value of each competition, each cup, and even each team. “[This is] one of the oldest seasons outside Argentina, without any changes in tournament or club names; very traditional and renowned worldwide.” (Agustín Merlos) • Social events. In Argentina, polo is clearly linked to the countryside and has a distinct sporting feature; the glamour surrounding the highest level of polo is very attractive to spectators abroad and even so for patrons themselves. A photograph with Queen Elizabeth II presenting the cup to the team owner may be invaluable to some people. “The glamour surrounding polo in this country is another factor which attracts patrons from all over the world. In addition, it is summer in Europe and many social and sporting events take place at this time of the year.” (Javier. Novillo Astrada) • Septentrional summer. This is the time of the year that offers the best weather in a country where the climate is mostly inclement. This is the reason why there are more social and sporting events. It is not only a pleasure attending a polo game as a spectator, but it also represents a point in favour of Argentine professional players themselves, who find it tougher leaving the countryside during their local summer, but who are more inclined to emigrate in winter. “For us, Argentines, who are a bit tired of travelling, leaving the country in winter (when there is nothing to do) is much more pleasant, than having to start in the US in January or February, at the best time of year to enjoy the countryside.” (Alberto Heguy –Jr.–)
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Jean Francois Decaux
PRESENT CAUSES • “Argentinity”. A high number of Argentine polo players imply quality in a tournament. In England, there have been an incredible number of them: there were 41 and 43 in the top two championships, for the Queen’s Cup and the Gold Cup. It is an extremely high proportion: 51.25% and 53.75% out of 80 players, respectively. Thus, the spectacle is guaranteed. And, furthermore, the category improves with these players. “The game level on the field has improved over the past three years. And so have the fields. They all have a chance of winning, and this is all due to Argentine players who improve the level.” (Agustín Merlos) • Internationality. But not everything is Argentinity. And, in England, many other foreign players take part as in no other place in the world. And the more varied the origin of participants, the more relevance a competition tends to acquire (the Buenos Aires season is the exception to the rule), and the more defying the sporting commitment becomes to all participants. In UK’s top circuit 2008, professional players from seven nations took part: Argentina, Australia, Spain, England, New Zealand, Uruguay and Chile. And
patrons from nine countries: Canada, United Arab Emirates, France, England, Italy, Jordan, South Africa, Switzerland and Venezuela. The US season has a clear local accent among its protagonists. “Here, patrons have always been from all over the world. London is a highly cosmopolitan city and, therefore, so is their polo. Besides, they have a 5-month season during which a great deal of low and medium goal polo is played, allowing players from all over the world to participate.” (Javier Novillo Astrada) • Horse-strings. Competitiveness generates more competitiveness. And nowadays, the best horse-strings within the polo world can be found in the United Kingdom, after those found in Argentina. And not only due to quality but also owing to the quantity. Meeting powerful organizations is a challenge and an incentive for opposing patrons. Ellerston is the most extreme case: their organization is admired by others and, as an example to be imitated, they have driven the rest to improve themselves, to make an effort in order to hold a struggle with certain ambition. “I believe that after Argentina, England is the most important place for 116
polo. The game level improves as you come across better horses. Here, out 20 teams that play high goal, I calculate that 12 have amazing organizations.” (Santiago Chavanne) • The economic situation. It is a well-known fact that polo is an exciting and superfluous luxury. When things go well money-wise, this sport grows; when the horizon is hazy, polo slows down or even declines. Europe in general and England in particular, have very strong currencies nowadays. Far stronger than the US dollar, which is trying to keep its balance whilst the real estate crisis and the war in Iraq affect the financial situation. A firm euro and pound sterling allow the purchase of polo ponies to be more affordable. Moreover, internationality mentioned above allows players participating in UK polo to be less subject to the ups and downs of a particular national economy. “There is a lot of money in Europe, and during these last few years the euro and the pound have been very strong, which has allowed a great deal of polo to be played around here and not that much in the United States, since it is known that they are going through a recession.” (Gastón Laulhé)
GASTÓN LAULHÉ (Azzurra)
“Last year, 22 teams played for the Queen’s Cup; nevertheless, this year there is an important boom in high goal polo. The Ellerston organization is worthy of admiration. I believe I can confirm that it is among the top 3 worldwide. This is one of the reasons why everyone had to start improving the horse-strings in order to compete and win. Here, in the United Kingdom, there are very well mounted teams; those who have the economic support of patrons as regards polo ponies and organizations have gradually grown. Such is the case of Dubai, Loro Piana, Azzurra and La Lechuza, among others... Here, I think that teams that make it –there may be a few exceptions– are those that get support to buy horses and/or those teams in which the patron plays well... With regard to the level of UK polo, I think that their 22 goals are equivalent to 24 or 26 goals in other countries. Here, there are only four 10-goal players and, this year, there are several teams that have a 22-goal handicap in UK and, for example, a 24 or 25-goal handicap in Argentina... Some horses are amazing but I would say that in Argentina there are a greater number of them. When they travel to Sotogrande [Spain], they take their horses from here, and some of the good ones from Palm Beach end up playing in Argentina... I would say that, in a lower number, there is a very high level of horses in the United Kingdom and, in this sense, the euro and the pound sterling have strengthened in comparison to the dollar. In any case, I think that this year in England, a significant decrease is beginning to show in medium and low goal tournaments, owing to a slight drop in national economy (above all as regards real estate). Polo is a hobby, a luxury. So, when there is more than enough money, lots of times it is spent on this sort of thing which, in turn, is the first thing to be cut out at a critical time.” AGUSTÍN MERLOS (Grayshurst)
“Here, there are patrons from many different nationalities because they come to participate in one of the oldest seasons outside Argentina, without any names changes as regards clubs or tournaments, all very traditional and renowned worldwide. Their horse-string is at a top level; one of the best I have seen outside Argentina, owing to the same reasons I mentioned before. The game level on the field has improved over the past three years. And so have the fields. They all have a chance of winning, and this is entirely due to Argentine players since we improve the level at all times. We do not know whether this fine present is only temporary or not. It is subject to world economy, just as any other thing”. JOACHIM GOTTSCHALK (Switzerland; patron of Les Lions)
“It has been many years since I last played in the United States, but I think that there is where you can find the same game, the same players, the same spirit. I consider that outside Argentina, UK polo is the most competitive and here there are people from all over the world; whereas, in the United States, only local teams participate. The UK season is highly international and everybody likes coming and playing here.” SANTIAGO CHAVANNE (Broncos)
“I think that, after Argentina, England is the most important polo place in the world. The game level gradually increases as you come across better horses. Here, out of 20 teams playing high goal polo, I calculate that around 12 of them have amazing organizations. I think there are so many patrons from different nationalities because London must be their business operations centre. In my opinion, Palm Beach is the third most important season. I think that it has declined quite a lot. I don’t know the reason why; perhaps, the crisis (in England, the crisis is imperceptible), or probably the type of polo played there isn’t as much fun. And, as for the people working there, as regards comfort, I don’t think this is the best place, not only in high goal polo. There is little to be seen in medium goal polo. 117
THE FUTURE REASON • Good polo. Throughout the years, the UK has not played better than the US. In point of fact, they have a 22-goal limit, 4 goals less than Palm Beach. And due to the dampness of their polo fields, these are far more easily broken and, thus, make them less likely to enable a pleasant match. However, a 2008 novelty changed the outlook in that sense and represents a real hope: the impossibility of forming the unsightly train and moving ahead only tapping the ball brings about fast-paced and team-work polo. It is nicer to watch. In the next few years, this may also contribute towards the UK polo boom. “This boom will depend on the ups and downs, but I think it is pretty solid. In fact, some very good matches were played, such as the Queen’s Cup final, which was very nice, an open game. The level rises...” (Miguel Novillo Astrada) It is true that this sport is spreading worldwide, though in some places more than in others. But we can talk about a high goal boom in England. If in time this turns into a big bang, it is yet to be seen...
Let the players speak
Above: Alfio Marchini - Below: Memo Gracida, Jose Donoso and Tom Barrack
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In England, medium goal polo is also amazing. And Spain is a much more relaxed place. I think that the only top-level organization there is Loro Piana’s; in my opinion, the rest cannot be compared to top-level organizations”. TOM BARRACK (United States; Ellerston)
“I think that we cannot compare UK and US polo. The organizations, the horses, the quality of their players, the energy and preparation in England have achieved an incomparable level”. JAVIER NOVILLO ASTRADA (Zacara)
“For quite a few years now, the UK season has been growing. This is the third consecutive year with twenty-odd teams. In 2006, when we won playing for Black Bears, there already were 20 teams. The level of polo has been improving just as it has in the rest of the world, since players in different levels have been improving. Here, you can also find better horse-strings than in the United States, some of which are very close category-wise to those used by Argentine Open teams. Here, patrons have always been from all over the world. London is a highly cosmopolitan city and, therefore, so is their polo. Besides, they have a 5-month season during which a great deal of low and medium goal polo is played, allowing players from all over the world to participate. And London is the financial capital of Europe, so above and beyond polo, patrons do business here. Besides, the glamour surrounding polo in this country is another factor that attracts patrons from all over the world. In addition, it is summer in Europe and many of the social and sporting events take place at this time of the year. Patrons settle in England and, from there, everything is near. Horses also come from other places; mainly from Argentina, and also from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, etc.” ALBERTO HEGUY Jr. (Sumaya)
“The UK season has grown a lot as regards players and even more regarding horse-strings. In my opinion, UK is highly superior horse-wise in comparison to Palm Beach and others. I think that one of the reasons is that European economy is better than American economy at this time. Another reason is that for us, Argentines, who are a bit tired of travelling, it is far more pleasant leaving the country in winter when there is nothing to do, than having to start in the US in January or February, at the best time of year to enjoy the countryside.” MIGUEL NOVILLO ASTRADA (Brittany)
“This boom comes as a consequence of the growth of polo worldwide. England is a financial world centre, where people from different countries come together, and this allows more teams to play. And the economic growth over the last years has also helped. A crisis here does not affect as much because there are people from different countries during the season. In the United States, seemingly due to the recession, there are fewer teams because they are all American and they depend on their economy, whereas, in England, there are four or five local teams. It is a highly international season: lots of Arabs, lots of Europeans from different countries, Italians... And this is where the top level is played in Europe. For Europeans, England is near, and for the rest, it represents a place to do business. You can play polo and work in London. This boom will depend on the ups and downs, but I think it is pretty solid. In fact, some very good matches have been played, such as the Queen’s Cup final, which was a very nice match, an open game. The level rises and the horses are amazing. The thing is, as it is so competitive, this requires being well mounted. And Ellerston marks a difference as regards horses and this drives the rest to raise their level. I would say that, as regards horses in the world order, Argentina comes first, then England (very good), the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Spain? No, because horses are only there during August and then they leave again.”
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INTERVIEW - CLAIRE MILFORD HAVEN
The Lady of Polo Among the team line-ups for the UK season, a woman’s name on one of the teams attracted everyone’s attention. Bucking Broncos have shown their enthusiasm towards further improving their level, just like their team captain Clare Milford Haven, who spoke to PQ International.
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er smile, her hair and her delicate manners make her a true lady, but her passion for polo makes her undergo a transformation on the polo field, since this same lady plays the game, surrounded by men, with the necessary speed and strength required to participate in the most important tournaments of the UK season. Clare Milford Haven mentions that she began playing thanks to her hus-
band George Milford Haven, Broncos Polo Team captain. “I started playing polo around eight or nine years ago when George encouraged me to get some stick-and-ball practice and play a little. As from that moment, I began to play and, of course, once you start, it is impossible to stop”. In spite of having suffered an accident and breaking an arm at Cowdray Park Polo Club when she was playing polo in September 2004, Clare never
thought about quitting this sport. Instead, she underwent her recovery and was happy to participate during last season and be part of a team in the Club’s most important tournament, the Gold Cup. “Taking part in the Gold Cup Tournament is very important. Playing at Cowdray is fascinating and, of course, it’s always a great experience. This was our first year and perhaps we did not have great aspirations,
Clare Milford Haven at the Gold Cup for the British Open
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Above: Bucking Broncos with the Cup - Below: Clare at the Final of the Subsidiary Gold Cup
but we certainly did our best on the field. Before the tournament started, we already knew we slightly lacked application and this is what we need to improve. Perhaps we played some games better than we expected and others not as well as we should have. But, all the same, I am very happy to play with Bucking Broncos”. The name of the team already shows a similarity with her husband’s line-up, and he is number one on the Broncos Polo Team. Clare mentions that “Bucking Broncos came to be because we wanted to make up a team and George thought about naming it Broncos II or Broncos ‘B’ but, the truth is that I did not like the idea of being under another team. So, I said, ‘the team will be called Bucking Broncos’, and I think it is a very nice name”. The relationship between the Milford Haven family and the MacDonough brothers, Matías and Pablo, dates back many years, and this is why there was a division which leaves one brother on each team. George plays for Broncos with the youngest, and Bucking Broncos play with the eldest. “Matías MacDonough was already with us because we played together last year, so he came to play with me. And Bautista Sorzana has been playing with us for seven years now so we have a very good relationship. Finally, I think that Magoo Laprida is the best seven-goal 122
Above: Clare playing High Goal Polo with and against men - Below: Clare receiving the Subsidiary Gold Cup
player you can find and this is why we decided to call him to be part of the team. And we were very happy to have him with us and we were also glad because it was a very good experience for us playing on a team like this”. As regards last season, Clare mentions, “I honestly enjoyed my high goal experience very much. It was a very good moment and I would like to play again. I still have to decide what to do next year. I am not sure about playing high goal. We may take part in some medium goal tournaments, surely with Jaeger LeCoultre. I think I have learnt more during this season than I have over the many years I’ve been playing polo, ever since I began. Julian Hipwood helped me a great deal. He is an excellent coach and he has really helped me improve my game”. Polo is an aggressive sport and even more so as the game level increases due to its high speed. Therefore, despite being accustomed to playing with men, Clare Milford Haven found she needed to adapt to the pace of the game while playing the most important tournaments in the country. “Participating in high goal tournaments is very different from the type of game I was accustomed to playing, 8 to 12goal matches. In high goal, everything is much faster and you need to be very
alert because they are always anticipating the play, so it requires far more concentration. But the truth is that I really enjoyed taking part, and I know we have to appreciate the opportunity to play at this level of polo. And thus, we must gradually learn and improve”. When she talks about improving, she mentions, “I like playing polo at this speed, but I think what I should start doing is becoming more involved in 123
the game in order to participate more and help the team”. Throughout the entire season, the Lady of Polo has shown us that she always moves ahead and goes out onto the field to win. Clare Milford Haven also dares to assure that “I like playing on men’s teams but when I play with my husband I always prefer playing against him, that way it is a lot more fun”.
ARGENTINE SEASON - 44th JOCKEY CLUB OPEN
The Perfect Start Cambiaso and Castagnola’s team, which on this occasion participated together with David Stirling and Juan Chavanne, conquered the Jockey Club Open 2008 after winning every single game and showing an excellent level in the final.
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he rain was entirely to blame for the cancellation of the Jockey Club Open 2007. After only two games, the tournament could not continue. This year, eleven teams up to 34 goals took part in the tournament with the purpose of getting into gear to play the Triple Crown. Some players such as those belonging to La Dolfina (Cambiaso and Castagnola), Chapa Uno (Bautista Heguy and Francisco de Narváez), Villa Real (the three Merlos brothers) and Los Indios (Eduardo and Alberto Heguy), tried out their horses in order to use them in the next tournaments
throughout the season. In the meantime, La Baronesa, Coronel Suárez, Trenque Lauquen, Alegría, El Paraíso and Santa María de Lobos did their best to improve their game to face the qualifying matches for Hurlingham and Palermo. With seven qualifying games, the semi-finalists chart was assembled as follows: one match between Chapa Uno and Santa María de Lobos, and the other played by La Dolfina vs. El Paraíso. On the one hand, the team from Lobos was superior in the first semi-final match and obtained their pass to
La Dolfina winner of Jockey Club Open 2008
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the final after winning 13-7. On the other hand, La Dolfina was the team which continued to be in the running towards becoming the finalist after beating El Paraíso 13-6. The San Isidro Final The sun came out at The Jockey Club at the exact moment the initial throw-in took place indicating the game had begun. La Dolfina started off playing with greater strength and precision than Santa María de Lobos, and had taken a 4-1 lead by the end of the first chukka. This goal-scoring tendency showed by the team from Cañuelas continued throughout the next
two chukkas, during which they managed to increase that difference to 6-2 by the end of the second period and climbed to 9-2 in the third chukka. In the second half of the game, Santa María de Lobos began to reduce the difference while La Dolfina slightly reduced their speed of play simply because the idea of participating in this tournament was to reach the Triple Crown in good shape. When the game ended, Lolo Castagnola maintained that La Dolfina played very well and that “these tournaments
are always useful in order to try out our horses, and luckily our new ones performed very well”, so he expects they will have a great season. For his part, Adolfo Cambiaso did the same with some of his polo ponies. “We tried out lots of horses we will be using during the season and, besides, two of them won prizes so I am very glad about that”, he said when the match ended, and stressed that Dolfina Margarita and Vino Tinto were awarded prizes at the end of the tournament.
44th Jockey Club Open Place: San Isidro, Buenos Aires, Argentina Club: Jockey Club Date: September 8-21, 2008 Level: 34 hcp Tournament type: Open Tournament Director: G. Alvarez Fourcade WPT Catefory Ranking: WPT Cup Winner Points: 70 Finalist Points: 35 Semi Finalist Points: 20
Bautista Heguy
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With 9 goals scored by Adolfo Cambiaso, Juan Chavanne is putting all his strength and enthusiasm towards gaining more experience. Uruguayan player David “Pelón” Stirling was introduced to the Argentine season. He is La Dolfina’s substitute player and replaced Lucas Monteverde in the first games at Tortugas. And, last but not least, Lolo Castagnola, who is always very sure of himself playing at back, and who also scored 5 goals. La Dolfina showed us why they are always a candidate when they play any tournament. The game ended with La Dolfina’s 17-8 victory. The winning team received the cup in the middle of field number 1 at San Isidro Jockey Club, and so the 2008 tournament concluded successfully.
Past Winners 2007
NOT PLAYED DUE TO RAINS
2006
Ellerstina Nicolas Pieres, Gonzalo Pieres, Gonzalo Pieres Jr & Facundo Pieres
2005
La Aguada Javier Novillo Astrada, Lucas Criado, Mariano Aguerre & Eduardo Heguy
2004
La Mariana Agustin Merlos, Sebastian Merlos, Juan I. Merlos & Francisco de Narvaez Jr
2003
La Dolfina Adolfo Cambiaso, Lucas Monteverde, Francisco Bensandon & Bartolome Castagnola
2002
CANCELED DUE TO RAINS
2001
CANCELED DUE TO RAINS
2000
CANCELED DUE TO RAINS
Juan Ignacio Merlos and Santiago Araya
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44th Jockey Club Open Chapa Uno
34
La Dolfina
32
La Baronesa
29
Bautista Heguy Francisco de Narvaez Jr. Santiago Araya Horacio S. Heguy
10 9 7 8
David Stirling Jr. Juan Chavanne Adolfo Cambiaso Bartolomé Castagnola
7 5 10 10
Nicolás Pieres Cristian Laprida Jr. Marcos di Paola Alejandro Agote
6 7 8 8
Alegria
31
Santa Maria de Lobos
31
Villa Real
28
Roberto Villa Real Agustin Merlos Sebastián Merlos Juan Ignacio Merlos
0 10 9 9
El Paraiso
29
Fred Mannix Jack Baillieu Francisco Bensadon Luke Tomlinson
Washington
7 8 8 8
29
Facundo Sola Rubén Sola Ignacio Novillo Astrada Hernán Tasso
6 7 9 7
Coronel Suarez
28
Guillermo Caset Jr. Gerardo Collardin Mariano Gonzalez Diego Araya
8 7 8 8
Trenque Lauquen Jaime Garcia Huidobro Agustin Garcia Grossi Pablo Jauretche Hilario Ulloa
Los Indios
30 8 7 8 7
29
Julio Novillo Astrada Ignacio Toccalino Alejandro Novillo Astrada Guillermo Willington
Sebastián Harriott Juan Harriott
7 7
Alberto Heguy Jr. Ignus du Plessis
9 5
Winner: La Dolfina Finalist: Santa Maria de Lobos MVP: Adolfo Cambiaso
Gastón Laulhé Sugar Erskine
7 7
Mariano Uranga Eduardo Heguy
6 9
BPP: Dolfina Margarina and Vino Tinto (Adolfo Cambiaso)
8 7 7 7
Guillermo Caset Jr.
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TRAVEL - ST. TROPEZ
St. Tropez, the Perfect Sunset Its port is one of the most well recognised postcards of southern France. A place where expensive cars, good restaurants and, above all, exclusive boats come together and bring life to one of the most important centres of the Côte d’Azur.
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aint Tropez is a privileged spot in Provence, located 100 km away from Nice which, in the past, was populated by Phoenicians and Romans. After repeated invasions, it was rebuilt and fortified in the 13th century and some of the structures still remain standing today. As regards visitors, this charming place may be seen from two points of view. If you are seeking a relaxed lifestyle on the beach, surrounded by nature and wanting to enjoy some nightlife outings, this city has it all. Its beaches and blue waters allow you to rest on the beach and enjoy the sun. In the evening, when it is starting to get dark, if you go for a walk down its serene narrow town roads, the mansions and palaces as well as the stone roads will make you feel as if you were living in the past, though always surrounded by luxury. From the other point of view, it is one of the world’s best known places since the Jet Set is in Saint Tropez. The legend about not rising before midday, spending all afternoon until nightfall at the beach enjoying good drinks and music, going out for dinner and dancing until the sun rises once again, is also one of the possibilities within reach. These are two very different options. However, all people, those who choose a relaxed lifestyle and those who go for the nightlife, will surely come together at the port area which boasts all types of restaurants and leisure spots where tables set up on balconies are the choice of most visitors. On the waterfront, anchored yachts are also used as if they were some sort of private bars where owners invite their friends to enjoy a pleasant moment, while tourists gaze at them and usually have photos taken 128
at the entrance of these highly modern boats in marked contrast to the facades of the ochre-coloured houses in Saint Tropez. Polo is played all over the world, and if you care to watch a few chukkas, the Saint Tropez Polo Club holds several tournaments throughout the year. And you can plan to visit a nearby village in the mountains called Ramatuelle with the overall charm of a small town of yesteryear, where besides taking lots of photographs of every single spot, you may dine and wait till nightfall to retire to bed or get ready to go out dancing till the next day, according to your choice. Saint Tropez is a city where slightly over 5000 people live and daily coexist with the sea, nature and glamour of its tourist areas. Whether we refer to its inhabitants or its visitors who travel there to enjoy a relaxed lifestyle or the nightlife, they are all privileged to have the opportunity to experience a perfect sunset in Saint Tropez.
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TRAVEL - PORTUGAL
Cascais and its Colourful Magic By PQ international Located only twenty kilometres away from Lisbon, Cascais is one of the cities most visited by those seeking a perfect combination of history and time to relax by the sea.
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ince the mid-19th century, the city began to re-emerge owing to the construction of important communication paths and, above all, in the year 1870, with King Louis I’s decision to build the monarchy’s summer residence there. Consequently, they began to build beautiful small summer palaces in this area. Nowadays, Cascais has become a first class tourist centre within Portugal due to its somewhat aristocratic air. The beaches are its main attraction and it still preserves the charm of the past with a small fishing town where, every afternoon, the catch of the day is auctioned on the colourful boats moored at the port. Over five hundred sailing boats can be seen moored at the city marina offering Cascais’ classic postcard a particularly colourful atmosphere. Sea air is present in every corner of the city where, owing to its constant growth, a large variety of restaurants are now located alongside the beach. The old main streets also contain shops covering a vast majority of the world’s leading brands. As happens along the entire Portuguese coast, when the time comes to have lunch or dinner, fresh fish platters are the most coveted by all tourists visiting Cascais. Water sports lovers also have their own spot in the city, since the famous “playa de Guincho” (Guincho beach) is located very close to this area, attracting surfers, windsurfers and those who prefer kitesurf, with its Atlantic Ocean waves. Its vast beaches of fine sand along with the low water temperature make this an ideal spot for sportsmen and women from all over the world
Central Park of Cascais, next to the coast
Main street entrance to the port
View of the main lighthouse of Cascais
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Magnificent seafront views of Cascais
One of the exclusive beaches next to the main restaurants of Cascais downtown
Summer residences and extensive sand beaches makes Cascais unique
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since it is one of the most outstanding wave areas in Europe. Estoril is located only twenty kilometres away. Besides being famous for its casino, this city is renowned for its annual tennis tournament as well as its racetrack where grand prix event are held. The small romantic and fascinating town of Sintra is situated north of Cascais and is famous not only for its palaces but also for its natural park offering a great variety of atmospheres and landscapes throughout including dunes, verdant groves, lakes and a coastline of unusual beauty. Thus, if you visit Lisbon, travelling around the city on the tram is a must as well as experiencing a “noche de fado� on the streets of the Alfama neighbourhood, where sad songs considered to be the national chants of Portugal are sung by the locals. Cascais is added on to this list since, situated only a few kilometres away, it offers the possibility of enjoying a day at the seaside entirely devoted to relaxing.
TRAVEL - BELGIUM
Bruges, the Lady of Flanders By PQ international
The city of Bruges is immersed in a special atmosphere. The mere sound of its name imaginarily transports us to a magical and unforgettable place. Those who have visited this city can be assured of the following: a ride around Bruges is a trip into the past. It is like a fairy tale come true.
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ruges is situated only one hour away from Brussels, the capital of Belgium, and evokes enthusiasm in everyone. Without a doubt, the view of its canals, its historic buildings and romantic air, mark a very well preserved place with a historical background. Eight hundred years ago, Bruges, a name derived from the word “Brugge” which means ‘bridge’ in Flemish, because of the many bridges that can be seen among its streets, was the first big capital of the County of Flanders and one of the main commercial cities in Europe. Its economic power was based on its port activity and although at present it does not have a port of its own, it has undoubtedly View of one of the nicest part of the city
Typical water channels around the city
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View of the street that starts at the Market Park with the Belfort campanary on the back
Most of the tourists choose to visit the town by boat
preserved its medieval splendour. Within the city walls, we can appreciate a great number of monuments. The walls, towers and medieval city gates invite us to ride around its narrow roads, and make us look forward to exploring more places like this and take some pictures there. The best way to get around Bruges is on foot, or perhaps by bicycle, which can be rented upon entering the city. Either way you can enjoy its views and traditional areas. You can also take a 20-passenger boat ride along most of the city canals to contemplate its beauty from other locations and different perspectives. The “Plaza Mayor de Brujas” (Bruges’ Main Square) and the old facades surrounding it constitute the central point of the city, where the Gothicstyle Belfry (Belfort) flaunts the highest brick tower in the area, and its 83 metres can be seen from every single corner. Furthermore, the bells peal producing melodies that make the air in Bruges even more magical. Of course, a city that receives so many tourists also offers a current and dynamic aspect. In the year 2000, Bruges was declared cultural patrimony by UNESCO and in 2002 was named European Capital of Culture. This came in useful to revitalize the city and start up a series of state-of-the-art projects, such as a new Auditorium or “Concertgebouw”. This amazing concert hall has a varied theatre and musical performance program which helps the city to continue generating opportunities for visitors spending time in Bruges. The stone roads, canals and bridges in the centre of the city, along with historic constructions like fairy-tale buildings, not only sprinkle magic and romanticism in every single corner but, without a shadow of a doubt, also allow us to understand why Bruges is known as the Lady of Flanders.
Bruges, Belgium - Coat of Arms Pieter de Coninck and Jan Breydel monuments at De Grote Market Park
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SHOWCASE
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SHOWCASE
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