Spring 2015

HURLINGHAM P OL O M AG A Z I N E

THE ARGENTINE SEASON

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CONTENTS

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Ponylines News from around the polo world, including the Chief Executive’s column

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For the love of polo British 6-goaler George Meyrick lets us into the life of the professional player

36

Living the dream Bayard Fox, the man behind riding adventure holiday company Equitours

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Passing judgement British umpire Peter Wright reviews his season as an offcial in Argentina

26

End of the rainbow The Yale polo programme’s comeback shows grit and determination

40

Polo’s ultimate playground Why Saint-Tropez is set to be our sport’s top summer destination

18

Great expectations The Chilean Polo Federation’s president on the World Championships in Santiago

28

Lifestyle Luxury seasonal offerings from the best international brands

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Top of his game Uruguay’s 10-goal star ‘Pelón’ Stirling Jr

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Bob Jornayvaz A profle of the planet’s number-oneranking amateur polo player

Action The Triple Crown; Super Nations Cup; Aspen Snow Polo; Karim Khan Afridi Memorial; Indian Open; FIP World Championships qualifers; Thai Polo Cup, Argentina; the Bentley Scottsdale Championships; and Polo by the Sea

22

Amazing grace Facundo Pieres and Jean-François Pignon reveal the close bond between man and horse in a series of short flms

32

The Coronel Suárez story Delving still deeper into the secrets of the legendary team’s success

66

Heart of empire A visit to the world’s oldest polo feld, at Naqsh-e Jahan, in Iran

SHOW MEDIA Editorial Managing Director Peter Howarth 1-2 Ravey Street, London EC2A 4QP + 44 (0) 20 3222 0101 info@showmedialondon.com; showmedialondon.com HURLINGHAM MEDIA Sales 47-49 Chelsea Manor Street, London SW3 5RZ +44 (0) 771 483 6102 hurlingham@hpa-polo.co.uk; hurlinghampolo.com Colour Reproduction Born Group, borngroup.com Printing Gemini Press, gemini-press.co.uk

HURLINGHAM MAGAZINE Publisher Roderick Vere Nicoll Executive Editor Peter Howarth Editor Arabella Dickie Contributing Photographer Tony Ramirez Editor-At-Large Alex Webbe Art Editor Julia Allen Acting Chief Copy Editor Gill Wing Copy Editors Mikey Fullalove, Nicky Gyopari, Tanya Jackson, Claire Kielczewska, Alex O’Dea, Mary O’Sullivan, Tim Pozzi, Katie Wyartt

Cover: David ‘Pelón’ Stirling Jr, photographed

by Snoopy Productions

Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. While every efort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, no responsibility can be accepted for any errors or omissions. All the information contained in this publication is correct at the time of going to press. The HURLINGHAM Polo Association magazine (ISSN 1750-0486) is published by Hurlingham Media. The magazine is designed and produced on behalf of Hurlingham Media by Show Media Ltd. It is published on behalf of the Hurlingham Polo Association by Hurlingham Media. The products and services advertised are not necessarily endorsed by or connected with the publisher or the Hurlingham Polo Association. The editorial opinions expressed in this publication are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of the publisher or the Hurlingham Polo Association. Hurlingham magazine welcomes feedback from readers: hurlinghammedia@hpa-polo.co.uk

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HURLINGHAM

FOREWORD RODERICK VERE NICOLL – PUBLISHER

In this issue, we focus on the Argentine season, and David ‘Pelón’ Stirling Jr, the workhorse for Triple Crown winners La Dolfna is our cover star. Sterling was MVP of the Argentine Open, which was a tremendous honour when you consider who else was on the feld. In Talk, Carolina Beresford discovers what makes this Uruguayan such a success. Also, Peter Wright describes his experience of umpiring in Argentina, including the fnal, in front of a discerning crowd.

In the second of our three-part series on the great Coronel Suárez, you can fnd out more about the impact exceptional leadership had on the making of the most successful team in history.

Then, we change gear and talk to Bayard Fox, who has turned his love of

the outdoors and riding into a very successful adventure holiday business.

Have you ever played polo on the Riviera? Well, as of next season, the club in St Tropez will be well worth a visit, as it’s undergoing an extensive renovation.

In the Action section, Héctor Martelli gives us a detailed account of the Triple Crown and of that ‘not very interesting’ fnal! Thai Polo has taken its fun style of play and throwing a great after-party to Pilar, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires.

We then take a tour of tournaments around the world, including Pakistan, India, China, England and the USA. For more news, go to hurlinghampolo.com.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who make Hurlingham come to life, especially the advertisers.

CONTRIBUTORS

Dominic James is an internationally accredited photographer who specialises in polo. He is passionate about capturing those feeting moments in the sport’s history. Based in the UK, he regularly travels abroad for clients, capturing the action and atmosphere of tournaments around the world. His personal project is photographing the world’s best polo ponies.

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Carolina Beresford has a rich family history in polo and relishes her part-Irish, part-Chilean nationality. She has travelled the globe watching her father, uncles and brothers play. After graduating from Bristol University with frst-class honours in the history of art, the multilinguist moved to Argentina, where she now lives in the capital, Buenos Aires.

Bayard Fox wandered the world’s distant parts for three decades, ending up, with his wife and children, owning and running Equitours Worldwide Horseback Riding Holidays and the Bitterroot Ranch in northwest Wyoming for the past 44 years.

He spends his time doing what he loves: riding, travelling, fy-fshing and taking care of his horses, cows and dogs.

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Tina Derby spent years in the equine industry as a rider, trainer, instructor, breeder and writer, before working for polo afcionado Bobby Genovese at his equestrian resort in Florida in 2013. It was an experience that turned her on to the amazing sport of polo. The focus of her articles is on polo clubs, tournaments, and polo-industry personalities.

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PONYLINES

DOMINIC JAMES

ONE TO WATCH German-born Harald Link took his first polo lesson from Hugh Dawnay in 1998 in Thailand, at the height of the Asian crisis, and was hooked. A naturalised Thai who owns and runs the infrastructure, energy and leisure conglomerate B. Grimm, he plays all over the world at different levels: 22-goal in England and Argentina, and 12-goal in Thailand, Malaysia and Germany. He is an avid student of the game who enjoys playing against the world’s best players, talking to former and current greats and seeing their performances close up.

In 2005, Link founded the Thai Polo & Equestrian Club with entrepreneur and equestrian Nunthinee Tanner (pictured), who is considered the first female polo player in Thailand. Set in 2,000 acres east of Pattaya, just 90 minutes from Bangkok, it has three world-class fields, an indoor arena and endurance and jumping courses. Its clubhouses are idyllically set among waving palm trees and lush vegetation.

Thai Polo is as well known for its fun, relaxed style of play as for its legendary parties (see page 54). Plans are underway to hold a Thai event in England this summer.

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PONYLINES

CHIEF EXECUTIVE The run-up to Christmas was relatively quiet, but congratulations are due to both Peter Wright, who was invited to umpire the final of the Argentine Open, and also to Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers, who was elected president of the FIP, becoming the first HPA representative to take on the role.

After Christmas, a young England team of Ollie Cudmore, Lanto Sheridan, Ali Patterson and George Pearson played in South Africa. They lost the first match, but won the more important second game. The first few months of 2015 will be a busy time for various England teams, beginning with the FIP Snow Polo World Championships in Tianjin, China, which were taking place as we went to press. England are defending their title, playing another young side, comprising Jack Richardson, Max Routledge and Matt Perry, who is enjoying his first appearance on the snow.

Also this month, an England team captained by James Beim, with Tom Morley, James Harper and Max Charlton, is taking part in the International Polo Day in New Zealand. They are taking on a comparatively senior team of John-Paul Clarkin, Tommy and Craig Wilson and Simon Keyte, the country’s younger players having been selected to play in Tianjin. Shortly afterwards, the team taking part in the FIP 14-Goal World Championships in Chile in March will set off for a nine-day warm-up in Argentina. Representing England will be the same team that qualified at the Beaufort Polo Club in September, but Pete Webb, Will Emerson and George Pearson will be joined by Jack Hyde in place of Tommy Beresford, who is playing in America.

At home, the arena season is well underway, with successful Hurlingham Polo Association tournaments held before and after Christmas. In March, the Bryan Morrison Trophy will be played again at Hickstead, this time between England and Ireland, who are playing an ever-increasing role internationally. And, on 14 March, England will play for the Townsend Trophy in California.

Finally, before our own season kicks off, an England team will once again be playing at Palermo, in April’s 24–26-goal Copa de las Naciones. The team has yet to be confirmed but, as ever, horses are key and selection will inevitably be focused on those who are able to mount themselves well in Argentina.

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{ RALPH LAUREN LADIES In a city that defines itself by sheer scale, Dubai has once again surpassed expectations. The world’s highest-ranking female polo players met on the pitch for the first time, in the second Ralph Lauren International Ladies Polo Tournament in November, bringing together a record-breaking level of skill.

In the All Stars match, North America, captained by Sunny Hale, met the UAE, led by HH Sheikha Maitha Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Each side fielded a 27-goal handicap and held the highest total ratings for female players competing within a single game. Team UAE won 5–2.

The victors then met Team Europe, captained by Brit Nina Clarkin, in the final. Europe got off to a bumpy start when Ann-Marie Cavanagh took a tumble in the first chukka. UAE pressed home their attack in the second, taking a four-goal lead that ultimately led to their win of 8–4.

The royal host HH Sheika Maitha, said, ‘It is a great honour to participate in this pioneering event and to blaze a path for women in the world of polo.’

{ CUARTETERA WINS AGAIN Dolfina Cuartetera was named Best Playing Pony at the final of the 121st Argentine Open, winning the Lady Susan Townley Cup for a third time. Adolfo Cambiaso’s 14-year-old mare had already won the prize in 2009 and 2010.

She has an outstanding pedigree, being the daughter of Sportivo (SPC), who fathered many polo horses, and Lambada (Séquito and Cumbia), who was named BPP of the Argentine Open in 1999.

Cumbia (Top Secret and Ranchera) and La Luna (another daughter of Top Secret) are considered to be the main foundation mares of the Argentine breed and the 2014 season saw many mares from this breeding line being played.

In the Hurlingham Open, Cambiaso played both Dolfina Cuartetera and her clone in the same chukka – the first time this had ever been done.

Cambiaso’s ponies have now won the Lady Susan Townley Cup for BPP a total of 11 times – more than that of any other player in history.

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PONYLINES

{ LAWYERS IN THAILAND In its sixth year of hosting tournaments, the Lawyers Polo Association has chosen Thailand as its destination in March 2015.

The tournament will open with a black-tie reception at the prestigious Peninsula Bangkok, on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, and the matches take place at Thailand’s premier polo institution, the VR Sports Club in Samut Prakan, 25 miles south of the capital.

The club, an Equus Passport venue, is well used to catering to large tournaments. Last year, it held its first King’s Cup Thailand elephant-polo tournament. ‘We’re expecting a large turnout of both local and international lawyers. The VR Sports Club is stunning and an ideal location for hosting a first-class event,’ said Eduardo Bérèterbide, the founder of Lawyers Polo. ‘We chose Thailand because it is such a vibrant and

fascinating nation, and one where polo has been played for nearly 100 years,’ he added.

The founder of the Thailand Polo Association, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, has already registered his King Power team in the tournament, although the players are as yet to be confirmed. Other participants have so far been confirmed from Colombia, Argentina, Slovakia and India.

The Lawyers Polo Association has more than 350 members across the world who share a career in law and a passion for polo and horses. Previous tournaments organised

by Lawyers Polo have taken place in Buenos Aires (2008), Madrid (2009), Toronto (2010), Dubai (2011) and Paris (2012).

For more information, email Lawyers Polo event manager Carolina Bérèterbide at carolina@lawyerspolo.com x PINK POLO On Sunday 14 December, the Thailandbased Paisano Dragons scored an upset victory in the final of the Queen’s Cup Pink Polo Tournament, held at the Thai Polo & Equestrian Club. The hot favourites, Maple Leaf, were downed by three goals to two in a nail-biting finish before an estimated crowd of 1,000 spectators.

The tournament, which is a major charity event in support of the Queen Sirikit Center for Breast Cancer, has increased in stature since it was first held in 2010. Organised by owners of the Thai Polo & Equestrian Club, Harald Link and Nunthinee Tanner, the event has taken on a special significance, and to have players of the calibre of Sunny Hale, Sarah Wiseman and Eva Bruehl in attendance gives it a greater profile in world polo.

The Thai Royal Family was represented at the event by HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, herself a keen sportswoman, who presented the Queen’s Cup trophy to the Paisano Dragons team, which was led by the Norwegian expatriate Anne Ringen.

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HOOKED ON POLO Colonel (retd) Raja Nadeem Shafiq plays 4-, 6- and 8-goal polo. He represented Pakistan in the 1991 and 1995 World Cups, and is actively involved in the Islamabad Polo Club.

His perfect game ‘would be the Pieres family against a strong Dolfina side’.

I was posted to an army horse-breeding farm as a medical officer in 1987. There, I started to learn polo and was soon playing for the famous Remounts team in 10, 12 and 16 goals.

I like that polo offers me the opportunity to compete alongside different players in so many countries, along with my son, Raja Temur (Timmy).

He used to ride in the cantonments wherever I was posted during my military service. Then, around his 20th birthday, he thought of having a go at polo. Although he started late, in just three years, he was playing for the best teams in the country.

Now he is a member of the national team.

My most memorable game was the 1991 FIP World Cup against India. Pakistan and India have always been great rivals and the whole nation gets involved. We were the underdogs and the Indians were sure they would beat us, but we turned the tables and after six tough chukkas, managed a convincing victory. Winning that match meant the World Cup to us.

Last year was a very exciting one for polo in Islamabad, and indeed in Pakistan in general.

Islamabad Polo Club formally opened its facilities on 20 March. The club grounds have seen leading local and foreign players and teams tough it out in tournaments throughout the year, and are now rated as among the best in the country, comparable to leading international grounds. The club has now opened an academy and engaged Marcus Hancock from the UK to teach and train new players, and he has been invaluable in inspiring the youngsters. In the future, I would like to see more foreign teams enjoying polo in Islamabad.

Metropolitan Polo Club An Exceptionally Refned World at Your Service www.metropolitanpoloclub.com Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club, 16 Hai Tai Hua Ke Jiu Lu, Bin Hai Gao Xin Qu, Tianjin 30384, China.

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PONYLINES

CHUKKAS

The Guards Polo Club celebrated its 60th birthday on 25 January. With HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, as president, the club was started in the Great Park at Windsor in 1955. Originally called the Household Brigade Polo Club, it changed its name to its present form in 1969.

Its outstanding grounds are also known as Smith’s Lawn, after a gamekeeper at the time of the Restoration in the 17th century.

The United States Polo Association (USPA), founded in 1890, celebrates its 125th anniversary this year. It is the third-oldest governing body for a sport in the USA, after Major League Baseball, born in 1875 (the HPA originated in the same year), and the US Tennis Association of 1881. James Gordon Bennett is credited with bringing the game of polo to America in 1876 after seeing it played at the Hurlingham Club in London. By 1894, the USPA included 19 clubs. H L Herbert was its frst chairman. He held the post for 31 years and developed the handicap system.

Polofx is approaching its 10th anniversary of the UK Polo Awards. On 17 January, along with Thai Polo, it hosted the inaugural South East Asia Polo Awards. The evening combined celebrations with the fnal of the Thai Polo Open, and provided an opportunity to honour the teams who won the 2014 Royal Malaysian Polo Association International League. The RMPA league is divided into three categories: high-goal, won by Thai Polo; medium, won by Windhorse; and low, won by La Sarita.

On 25 April, the Eve Branson Foundation, under the patronage of King Mohammed Vl of Morocco, will host a charity polo match at the Jnan Amar Polo Club in Marrakech.

The foundation was established to support education, employment and healthcare initiatives for women and young girls in the rural villages of the High Atlas Mountains.

For more information about the foundation, visit evebransonfoundation.org.uk

On 13 February, the Museum of Polo in Florida held a gala dinner and inducted into the Polo Hall of Fame 10-goal player Juan Carlos Harriott Jr, who won the Argentine Open 20 times during his 20-year career (see page 32).

The other inductees were Stephen ‘Laddie’ Sanford, Frederick Mannix Sr and Michael Sifton. Two ponies were also remembered: Sue Ellen, bred in Wyoming by 10-goaler Tommy Wayman, and Katrina, played by Hall of Famer Tommy Hitchcock Jr in the Thirties.

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{ ALUMNI POLO CUP 2015 From 18 to 19 April, the London Alumni Polo Club is hosting the first edition of the International Alumni Polo Cup, in Sotogrande. Top teams from around the world have been invited to compete, network and enjoy what is promising to be one of the best tournaments of the year.

Six teams will be chosen to compete for the trophy on the Río Sotogrande fields at the Santa María Polo Club, one of Europe’s most prestigious establishments. To allow all teams to compete against each other, the event begins with a round robin on the Saturday, followed by a traditional Argentine asado (barbecue) and Spanish party.

On Sunday, the teams will compete in their

respective finals for first, third and fifth places, followed by the prize ceremony and reception party.

The London Alumni Polo Club was founded in 2012 by Thijs Povel and now has more than 300 members. Its mission is to help recent graduates from London universities bridge the gap between varsity and patron polo by organising regular training, trips and tournaments.

The team is currently co-ordinating weekly practices at its partner clubs Ascot Park and La Brava, both in Berkshire, and has already organised many polo trips, to destinations as far afield as Moscow, Paris and Lisbon, Pilar and Salta in Argentina, and even Mongolia and Uganda. alumnipolo.co.uk

{ A CLOSE RUN The first two weeks of January saw the 15th HH President of the UAE Polo Cup taking place at the Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Falah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, chairman of the club. The 10 competing teams in the internationally recognised 18-goal tournament were: Mahra, Al Habtoor, Abu Dhabi, UAE Polo, Desert Palm 1 (the 2014 title holders), Desert Palm 2, Edrees Saudi team, Zedan Saudi team, Bin Drai and the hosts Ghantoot.

In the final, held on 16 January at the Zayed Main Stadium, were UAE’s Desert Palm 1 (Rashid Albwardy, Martin Valent, Santiago Laborde Facundo Castagnola) and the Zedan Saudi team (Amr Zedan,

Martin Gandara, Facundo Fernandez Llorente, Pablo McDonough). Among the VIP spectators were Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Sultan bin Shakhboot Al Nahyan, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan, HE Saeed bin Houfan Al Mansouri, the club’s vice-chairman, and its managing director, Ahmed Al Nuaimi.

Laborde put the first score on the board from a 40-yard penalty for Desert Palm 1 two minutes into the game, but by half-time, Zedan were leading 5–2. By the end of the fourth chukka, though, Desert Palm 1 brought the score to a tiebreak at 7–all and, despite great play from Zedan, the defending champions left the winners at 10–9. Catch all the action at hurlinghampolo.com

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PONYLINES

LOVE OF MY LIFE...

PONY’S NAME: GIRL-GIRL SEX: MARE ORIGIN: BRITISH When James Roberts started Girl-Girl, I distinctly remember hearing a tremendous commotion during her first time in the round pen. He later explained that she’d been offended at being asked to do something, but once she’d figured it out, there was no looking back. And that just about sums her up!

My partner Gillie bred Girl-Girl after embryos were taken from the filly Small Person, who we purchased in New Zealand in 1995. Hamish Cottier brought her on for two seasons, as did Jock Mackay, playing her first matches. Juanma tried her midway through the 2013 Queen’s Cup and, within a week, wanted to play her in the quarter-finals. He bought her after the 2014 Gold Cup to take to Argentina.

Before she left, we organised to collect and thereafter successfully transferred one embryo, which will hopefully complement the three fillies previously out of Girl-Girl and help secure the line in the UK. Andrew Seavill

SADDLE UP WITH…

TONY RAMIREZ/IMAGESOFPOLO.COM

NAME: IGNATIUS (NACHI) DU PLESSIS NATIONALITY: SOUTH AFRICAN POLO HANDICAP: 8 GOALS Ignatius du Plessis started playing polo at 12 years old with his father and his younger brother at his father’s farm in South Africa. So great was his level of enthusiasm and development that, at 15, he decided to go to Argentina to improve his play, under the advice of Chilean player José Donoso. Later, he joined the Heguy family’s team, Indios Chapaleufú II, making his high-goal debut in 2010.

Of his early years in polo, he remembers: ‘To me, it was natural, and there was no pressure. I made my debut with a 30-goal team against Ellerstina, who had 10 goals more than us. We had no chance of winning, so my teammates advised me to just have fun. It was a fantastic experience, and it worked quite well for me.’

Du Plessis went on to play two games for La Aguada – where he was also a replacement – and was then asked to fill in for the injured Mariano Aguerre, for Ellerstina.

He played a few minutes of their debut game at Palermo, as well as taking part in the following two matches. And then the unexpected happened: he found himself playing in the final of the Argentine Open in December 2014.

‘The Pieres family knew Mariano’s injury was pretty complicated, so they’d already decided that I would play in his place. Although I’d never even seen this final – not even from the grandstands – I actually wasn’t nervous at all.

I’d already played in the championship match of the Gold Cup in England, so the crowd didn’t scare me. I tried to do my best, and I think I played well enough. We didn’t win, because La Dolfina [winning with a 2-goal difference] were the better team, but I was happy with our performance.’

When asked if he already has plans to be Ellerstina’s back in 2015, du Plessis replies: ‘The Pieres brothers, who are great people, never promised me anything. We worked well as a team, but we never talked about the future when we were together, and I knew that Polito [Pieres] was ready to join them. I’m now planning to invest my money in Argentina and to put together a competitive team to play in the Triple Crown this year.’ Héctor Martelli

y PAKISTAN’S DRAMATIC WIN Pakistan defeated their arch-rivals India to claim the right to represent Zone D at the FIP World Cup in Santiago, Chile, in March. It was a dramatic, pulsating match that went to sudden-death overtime before a winner was decided.

With no goals to show after their opener in the first chukka, Pakistan looked dead and buried 4–1 down at half-time. The Indians, by contrast, were rampant in the first half, but it was to be a different story in the second. Pakistan came back in the fourth chukka to within a goal of India at 5–4; Saqib Khakwani added two more in the fifth and Ahmed Ali Tiwana scored just before the bell to put Pakistan in front.

Nonetheless, Simran Shergill marshalled his Indian troops, who regained the lead as he scored a brace in the last chukka. Pakistan levelled the score with a field goal by Zain Khakwani with just over two minutes remaining. At eight apiece, India was awarded a penalty, but, unbelievably, Shergill put his 30-yarder wide.

The teams were still tied at the final bell, sending the match to sudden-death.

Lt Col Ravi Rathore had a gilt-edged chance to win it for India but put it a yard wide.

Two minutes later, the ball was marched downfield with a penalty four in favour of Pakistan. Khakwani was the hero, converting the 60-yarder with an unstoppable drive to give Pakistan a 9–8 historic win and claim MVP. This was a match that was played in polo’s best traditions of sportsmanship both on and off the field.

Peter Abisheganaden

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TALK

PASSING JUDGEMENT What an amazing couple of months. Having been invited by the Asociación Argentina de Polo (AAP) to umpire in the Argentine spring season, in mid-October, I touched down in Buenos Aires. I’d been trying to get to Argentina for years, and had been contacted by Diego Ruiz Guiñazu, secretary of the Executive Council, while he was in Britain for the Coronation Cup. After finalising a few details – importantly, I felt I could go only if the high-goal umpires were in agreement – I finally boarded the flight to Ezeiza and into the umpiring unknown. With my friend and fellow umpire JJ Alberdi, I set about the acquisition of a hire car, mobile phone and Argentine officiating paraphernalia before settling into my apartment in Tortugas, the fantastic country club that is home to the first major open of the season.

Then, with the help of Chunca in the AAP office, I started my life as an umpire in South America, being broken in gently with a couple of 14-goals before progressing to 20-goals.

The fundamental difference between umpiring in Argentina and the rest of the world is that,

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for all polo of 24-goals and below, there is only one official on the field. This was quite a culture shock for an Englishman who is used to riding out onto the field with a colleague.

The Hurlingham Open had already begun when I arrived, and as the majority of my polo was in the mornings, my afternoons were spent watching the action at the AAP grounds in Pilar: La Dolfina (40) and Ellerstina (38) progressed to the final, and I was appointed as third man.

A great game ended with a win for La Dolfina, my services being called upon just a couple of times, by Esteban Ferrari and Federico Martelli.

As the sun went down, my initiation was complete.

Palermo was now upon us and, on the opening weekend, I was to umpire for Alegria vs Las Monjitas on the No 1 field. I entered La Catedral for the first time with a combination of nerves, trepidation and excitement. This was the culmination of years of hard work for me, and something of an emotional moment in my professional life. And another highlight was still to come, on the No 2 field, in the shape of the Heguys of the legendary Chapaleufú team.

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And then came the final. I received the call at around 5 o’clock the previous evening to tell me I’d been selected. I was surprised, to say the least; however, I slept fairly well and made my way to Palermo, not knowing quite what to expect. My nerves were on edge, but, after a meeting in the AAP offices and a quick bite to eat, I mounted up and a calm came over me.

With the two best teams in the world on the field, comprising six 10-goalers and a combined handicap of 77 goals, this was all set to be a classic encounter. But, sadly, it was not to be.

Much has been written about the final of 2014.

I believe we called the plays we had to, but with more than 40 fouls and numerous delays for horse and player injuries, it certainly didn’t live up to expectations. Fede Martelli and I left the field over three hours after we had entered it, and I, for one, was exhausted.

I can still hardly believe it was me out there in front of 15,000 people on that December day.

But it was definitely one of the greatest moments of my professional life. Nothing compares to it, and, in the polo world, nothing will.

DOMINIC JAMES

British umpire Peter Wright gives his account of an extraordinary and unforgettable season as an ofcial in Argentina

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GREAT EXPECTATIONS Playing host to the World Polo Championships for a second time, Santiago is on track to deliver a very special tournament, says Pablo De Vescovi, the executive director of the 10th World Cup

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FELIPE POBLETE, PABLO DE VESCOVI

Opposite The jaw-dropping scenery surrounding Santiago’s Club de Polo y Equitación San Cristobal This page The Chilean team practise for the World Cup at Club Ecuestra Calá Vicuña in Cachagua

From 24 to 29 March, national teams from Chile, Argentina, England, Brazil, Pakistan and the USA will take part in the 10th FIP World Polo Championships, which, for the first time since 1992, will be played in Santiago, Chile.

The Federation of International Polo confirmed the location of the tournament in early 2014, and, since then, Chile has worked tirelessly to produce what it hopes will be a world-class event.

The first two teams to secure their places in this 14-goal contest were the host nation and defending champions Argentina. The remaining four participating countries gained the right to be present in the competition after winning their respective group play-offs.

The tournament will be played at Club de Polo y Equitación San Cristobal, in the centre of Santiago. Widely considered the best polo club in Chile – and the only one of its kind in the world – it consists of five polo fields, a clubhouse with full facilities and stabling for 800 ponies.

Alex Taylor, CEO of FIP, who attended the official launch of the tournament in November, says: ‘Chile has excellent facilities, and few places have that privilege. These spectacular fields are among the best internationally, making them perfect for the World Championships.’

The rules dictate that the host country must provide the horses for each team. Ponies are ranked in one of three categories – A, B or C – according to their skill. Tournament horse master José Maria Lartirigoyen manages the

We hope to have the kind of atmosphere you get only at big sporting events

selection and grouping of the ponies. ‘Strings must be equal for all teams,’ he explains.

‘Classification is based on ability, and the best way to categorise a horse is to mount it and play some chukkas. Following this selection process, six strings are put together, then drawn by the teams, who have two days to try to get to know the horses before starting the official games.’

For the Chilean Federation of Polo, the World Championships are very different from those organised back in 1992. Since then, there has been a significant professionalisation of the game, and the demands now made by FIP are very different. Lionel Soffia, president of the Chilean Polo Federation, says: ‘The sport has changed and progressed a great deal since our first Championships in Chile. It’s a big challenge.’

Something that gives more prominence to this year’s event is that all the teams taking part have previously won. Argentina triumphed in the final in 1987, 1992, 1998 and 2011; Brazil came first in 1995, 2001 and 2004; the USA won in 1989; and Chile were winners in 2008.

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Private sponsorship plays a key role in making this momentous occasion possible, and it has been confirmed that the top companies involved include presenting sponsor Land Rover, official sponsors Julius Baer and Rosen, official supplier La Martina, and Radisson Hotels, which will host all the teams during their stay in Chile.

Mention should also be made of the support of the Chilean government, the Federation of International Polo, Club de Polo y Equitación San Cristobal and the Chilean Federation of Polo.

The first city to host the World Championships for a second time, Santiago has many sites of interest for the visiting teams, as well as a thriving nightlife, luxury hotels and a variety of excellent restaurants. Numerous vineyards surround the capital; and the beaches, colonial haçiendas and national parks in both the Andes and the Chilean Coast Range all make easy day trips.

Further afield, Chile’s extraordinary variety of natural wonders includes the driest desert in the world, the Altiplano; as well as many lakes, volcanoes, canals and glaciers. It’s a country of contrasting and overwhelming landscapes, and all of these places are situated within just a short flight of Santiago.

Everything is on target for the 10th FIP Polo World Championships 2015, and we hope to have high-level games, thousands in attendance and the kind of atmosphere you get only at big sporting events. Chile’s expectations are high and we hope everyone has a great tournament.

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TOP OF HIS GAME David ‘Pelón’ Stirling Jr’s perseverance has paid of and he is on a seemingly unstoppable winning streak with La Dolfna, writes Carolina Beresford

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SNOOPY PRODUCTIONS; TONY RAMIREZ/IMAGESOFPOLO.COM

Opposite David ‘Pelón’ Stirling Jr This page Stirling embraces his wife, Maria José Vercellino, and daughter Amalia, after the fnal of the Open

La Dolfina are the team on everyone’s lips right now. Can they be stopped? How long will their victory run last? Are they the greatest team in polo history? They were the winners of the Triple Crown and Open champions two years in a row – a feat accomplished only by the legendary Coronel Suárez team in 1974 and 1975 – and it seems their story is far from complete.

La Dolfina have always been synonymous with Adolfo Cambiaso, but this year, it wasn’t just him calling the shots. On the day of the final, Uruguayan David ‘Pelón’ Stirling Jr out-performed everyone. Solid in defence and lethal in attack, he was deservedly named the MVP of the match.

However, the road to the final was not without difficulties; there were fears about whether he would be able to play at all when an elbow injury kept him out of La Dolfina’s first game against Miramar, but that didn’t stop him for long.

Stirling’s story is one of perseverance and humility. One of the few non-Argentines to be playing in the Open, he was put up to 10 goals after his debut with La Dolfina in 2011. ‘You work all year so as to be at the highest level when Palermo starts,’ he says. ‘There are many other tournaments that are special – I’ve won the Queen’s and Gold Cups in Britain, as well as the US Open and Gold Cup, all of which are very demanding and competitive, but none compares to playing the Open at Palermo. It’s what you aspire to from the moment you start.’

Winning the Open is near impossible for most teams, yet La Dolfina make it look easy. Along with the skill of the players, their organisation is what sets them apart from the pack. ‘These days, the most important part of the game is the horses; it’s about trying to find that exceptional one that will just give you the edge,’ Stirling explains. ‘In La Dolfina, there is a constant exchange of horses between us – this is what really shows we’re a team and all aiming for the same thing – to win. In my No 2 midfield position, I look for power and stamina in my horses, though at this level you need everything: speed, comfort and a good mouth.’ A good horse can mean the difference between a win and a loss, between winning the Open and losing it.

Being well mounted and organised is key, but there are other factors that need to be considered if a team wants to stay at the top.

After losing the final of the Open to Ellerstina in 2012, La Dolfina decided to take on a coach; they hired Milo Fernández Araujo and haven’t lost a game since. After a team has won 24 consecutive matches, one wonders what keeps

I was lucky to have been given the chance to play with the best players in the world

them motivated. ‘There are always points to improve on,’ says Stirling. ‘I think the most important thing now is to focus on getting our heads right before going into the game, so that chukka by chukka, for the whole seven minutes, we’re focused on what we’re doing and what we have to do. The hardest thing to do when you reach such a high level is to stay at that level.’

Reaching 10-goals is no easy feat – at present, there are only eight 10-goal players in the world. To reach that incredible handicap, one has to have not only skill, but also the good fortune to gain entry to a strong organisation.

Stirling believes it’s about making the most of the opportunities you are given.

‘I was lucky to have been given the chance to play with the best players in the world [Adolfo Cambiaso (10), Juan Martín Nero (10), Pablo

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MacDonough (10)]. When an opportunity like that presents itself, you have to make the most of it; if you get the chance to play for La Dolfina and don’t play well, you’ve lost the best chance you had of reaching 10-goals or ever winning the final of the Open.’

As well as concentrating on his own career, Stirling also works hard to help the growth of sport in his home country. ‘I love encouraging young talent. We’ve been working with a lot of kids, and have brought them over to Argentina to take part in the Pony Club here. And I recently invited the Uruguayan national team to La Dolfina to play practices and to train in preparation for the qualifying stages of the Polo World Cup in Peru this year.’

The Argentine season may have drawn to a close, but polo is, of course, a sport that never sleeps – after Palm Beach, where he will play in the 26-goal with Gillian Johnston’s Coca-Cola, he will travel to Europe to compete in the high-goal championships there.

As if his achievements in 2014 weren’t enough, September 2015 may well be another waymarker in Stirling’s career: can La Dolfina smash all polo records and make history, claiming a third Triple Crown? Only time will tell.

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AMAZING GRACE

Humans and horses have always had a special relationship. Now, to explore this bond, Royal Salute Scotch Whisky has commissioned a series of short films focusing on the lives of two horsemen from very different worlds.

Facundo Pieres – one of the world’s greatest polo players – features alongside the ‘horse whisperer’ Jean-François Pignon in some extraordinary footage that gives a real insight into each man’s world. The first film in the series, entitled Stories of Power and Grace, opens with Pignon (pictured above) on a beach, training a white steed. As the horse rears, responding to the Frenchman’s body language and whip (which never actually makes contact with the animal), the mare walks briefly on her hind legs, before landing again calmly and nuzzling her owner.

‘My first memory of a horse was watching one running free, without reins, in a field,’ recalls Pignon. ‘I was with my father and he instructed me to stop it! I was nine at the time and small for my age. How could I stop a horse? Of course, what I didn’t know back then was that horses naturally respect humans.’

This understanding of their innate respect is shared by Pieres, who grew up, he says, ‘surrounded by beautiful horses’. As the camera follows the 10-goaler galloping along in slow motion, tapping a ball aloft, he is the very epitome of focus, control and balance. The footage is then slowed down still further, which serves to emphasise his skill and the calmness of the animal as he responds to his rider.

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‘These horses are superbly trained and well looked after,’ the polo star acknowledges. ‘In close-up, you can see what athletes they are.’

As the winner of a number of Grand Slam titles and World Polo Tour Cups and, most significantly, the 2012 Argentinian Open (with his two brothers), he is used to working with the world’s fittest, most highly disciplined animals.

By contrast, as Pignon stands barefoot astride two horses, galloping without reins across a beach, the rulebook of human-equine relations seems to have been thrown out of the window. On a simple arm gesture, another three circle him with balletic poise, before lying down gracefully on their sides in the sand. It’s like watching a hypnotist, but without the chicanery.

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‘I love my work so much – I still find it absolutely incredible,’ he smiles.

Given that Pignon’s calm, natural approach is juxtaposed in this film with the perfectionism of Pieres, it would be tempting to focus on the differences between the two. But, in fact, this little vignette serves rather to highlight what they have in common: an extraordinarily close relationship with their animals – which, as Pieres explains, works both ways.

‘When you’re with horses every day – riding them, touching them, learning how they move – you start to understand them,’ he explains. ‘It’s a two-way relationship. You’re not just barking orders. You’re responding to them, and they’re responding to you.’

ROYAL SALUTE

A series of fascinating short flms celebrates the extraordinary bond between two skilled horsemen and their animals, reports Tanya Jackson

Quality that lasts a lifetime.

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FOR THE LOVE OF POLO Having packed his suitcase and bafed his accountant for another year, George Meyrick lets us into the life of a professional player

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Opposite Six-goaler George Meyrick. This page George playing for City AM at Polo In The Park

But then I look at the quality of my life. When autumn approached, while my friends in London continued their daily commute, I headed for the sun with my fellow migratory players once again.

I know we are viewed with envy (and justifiably so) by those who don’t have the luxury of making a living doing something they are passionate about. However, it remains to be seen whether in a decade or so, we will look equally enviously at the results of their hard labours and at the security they have earned.

The benefits of playing polo are obvious and it’s a privilege to be able to do so. Financially, the earnings fall somewhere between those of the professional sportsman or woman who can amass enough capital to support them when they retire, and an amateur athlete who has to hold

Polo’s unusual, nomadic, often out-of-a-suitcase lifestyle becomes part of one’s being

JAMES MARTIN, POLO IN THE PARK

The first few months of the year is always a time for reflection. It’s when the tax return has to be submitted, which brings into sharp focus the financial side of being a polo player. If only I didn’t have to plough any surplus straight back into better and better horses, my accountant might be more impressed! Instead, she is rather puzzled: not many of her clients are so happy about simply breaking even. It’s not a great business plan. The vast majority of my income is earned during only the summer months, and then there’s the Argentine season and the winter’s living to be paid for – plus all the expenses for the new season beginning in February.

The annual exercise of valuing my string of horses for depreciation purposes is also somewhat sobering. What value do you put on those that now, for whatever reason, are unable to play? I think I can say with confidence that, despite the apparently high earnings, if a detailed examination were made of the financial model, with earnings strictly matched against expenses, no one would play polo professionally if monetary reward were the only motive. With the pressures of life – a house, a mortgage and so on – it’s not an easy path.

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down a regular job to pay their way and fits in their training around it. But, of course, our expenditure is colossal, and the vast majority of it is spent in advance – regardless of the season’s earnings. The fees keep our heads above water and, in a good year, hopefully we’ll manage to fund the purchase of a few more horses of the quality we need to keep improving.

That said, every year’s still a juggling act, especially without the added advantage of the major sponsorship deals that are enjoyed by more popular sports. And the physical risks have financial implications, too. I’m sure there isn’t a player who hasn’t lost earnings due to injury at some point in their career. Many, including me, have lost an entire season.

Nonetheless, however much logic and reason weigh against the economic viability of the sport, the anticipation of the start of the season always helps one to set aside such thoughts. In my mind, there is nothing that beats this game. With all its extreme highs and lows, it’s akin to an addiction.

The affinity with the horses, the team aspect of the game and the skill, tactics and speed needed, as well as the adrenaline surge and the desire to win make for an irresistible cocktail.

For me, that addiction began at the age of eight, when I saw my first match. I knew then it was what I wanted to do. But without the help and support of my parents over the years, and especially that of my father, I would not have been able to fulfil this childhood dream.

I’ve never thought of doing anything else.

How difficult it will be to readjust to a more conventional career when the time comes and age puts paid to this one! And then, what all the years of total dedication to the sport will qualify me for is quite another question.

It’s an unusual, nomadic, often out-of-asuitcase lifestyle that, despite many long and difficult absences, becomes part of your being.

You find yourself a lucky member of a close-knit group of friends who turn up all over the world, many of whom you have known since Pony Club days, and who share the same experiences.

Many of us are heading for the next milestone and wondering how to reconcile the idyllic life of professional polo with the other responsibilities and commitments that are approaching.

But the sober musings of this grey, rainy day in Britain will soon be put behind me as I return to the warmth of Argentina. When I get home, my horses will be ready to start practices and the season will begin again. As the ball is thrown in at the first line-up, my accountant’s puzzled face will become a distant memory, and I’ll know exactly why I shall continue to play this sport for as long as I’m able. @GeorgeMeyrick

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END OF THE RAINBOW The Yale Polo programme has weathered the storm and found a pot of gold since the closure of its original home, reports Liz Brayboy

In 2009, what seemed like a devastating blow to the students of the Yale Polo programme and caused concern about the future of its horses turned out to be a blessing.

In the summer of that year, Yale University made the decision to shut down the almost 100-year-old Armory, home of the programme and originally an officers’ training facility for the military (see Spring 2012 issue of Hurlingham).

It was a decision that set off a chain of events, which, in December 2014, resulted in the purchase of a wonderful new facility in Bethany, Connecticut, about 20 minutes away from the Yale campus. The owner of that property, which had been used as a training area for eventers,

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was moving her operation to Florida. It included stabling for 18 horses, a large arena and 12 acres of pasture with a cross-country course as well as a small house.

The Yale Polo and Equestrian Center (YPEC) Board had been looking at potential homes for the programme ever since the historic Armory had closed and the horses moved off-campus to interim premises. The group had worked with the New Haven Economic Development Council to consider properties within the city limits, but none met the requirements of the programme or council. The board had also looked at 10 other potential locations in the surrounding towns and at other equestrian and polo centres

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in the area. In the autumn of 2013, things began to turn around when the aforementioned 79 Rainbow Road quietly came on to the market.

The board jumped at the opportunity to acquire it and matching funds gifted by the Orthwein Family launched a fundraising campaign that is still actively supported by alumni and friends.

It approached the US Polo Association about supporting the acquisition and received approval for a three-year loan that will allow time for further donations to be secured.

An additional, significant gift from Mr Naveen Jindal – whose son, Venkatesh, is a freshman on the polo squad at Yale – ensured the board could move forward with the purchase last year. With

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The new facility represents a major turning point for the Yale programme

Opposite The Yale team love their new home. This page, clockwise from above Ed Armstrong, coach/manager; views of the land at 79 Rainbow Road and its stable aisle

the new home in place, the YPEC realised that it would also need a full-time coach/manager to work with the teams and oversee the operation of the premises. Ed Armstrong was selected after a recruitment process during which 10 applicants were interviewed.

Armstrong brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to a job that requires him to take the programme into the future. He has already built and grown several businesses, including the Byfield Polo Club, and has taught many new players over the years. He was with the USPA for almost 10 years, most recently as director of tournaments and clubs. He managed the intercollegiate/interscholastic programme for

the organisation for four seasons and, in the past few years, has branched into the international arena. He was recently named vice-chairman of the Arena Committee for the USPA. In preparation for bringing back the horses, volunteers worked to ready the arena. Plumbers, electricians and other contractors have made upgrades to the infrastructure, and the playing surface was levelled in anticipation of the first matches, which started on 23 January. The new facility will host the Intercollegiate Women’s Preliminary tournament at the end of February and will be officially dedicated in early April.

At Yale, the collegiate programme continues to grow, with more than 40 undergraduate and

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graduate students participating in beginner lessons, competing teams and practice chukkas.

YPEC has been able to maintain student dues at an affordable level while still operating in the black, and anticipates the move to a full-time location means more opportunities and benefits will be available to students, local players and alumni. In addition, having a year-round operation will allow for clinics and lessons during the summer months – the best way to introduce new adults and interscholastic students to the sport.

All in all, the new facility has brought about a major turning point for the Yale Polo programme – one that almost didn’t seem possible during those dark days in 2009.

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{ KEEP FOCUSED When the action on the polo pitch is lively and the goals are coming thick and fast, you shouldn’t be forced to squint into the distance to try to catch it all. A sub-standard pair of binoculars will probably do the job, but to guarantee you keep your focus throughout, it’s worth investing in something you relish taking out of your bag.

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With special steel blades roll-forged in the tradition of Samurai swordmaking, Tog’s finely-honed knives were first conceived by award-winning product designer Rob BeagleyBrown in 2004 while on assignment in Seki, the heartland of the Samurai tradition. On his return to the UK, he began developing Tog with head chef Ben Tamlyn. Uniquely, the 21-layer blades contain a copper alloy, which gives them antimicrobial properties as well as a very attractive series of burnished stripes. The UK’s sharpest kitchen knives start at £99.99 and come with a lifetime guarantee. togknives.com

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PONYLINES LIFESTYLE

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Here’s a scenario for you: you’re heading to South America for the start of the Argentine season in September. This year, you’ve decided to make the most of the location by tacking on a visit to Mendoza for some world-class wine tasting and maybe a day’s mountain-climbing in the Andes. But time is precious – if only you had someone to do the research for you, giving you a list of options that fit in around your existing plans… Welcome to Source, a digital concierge app for iPad and iPhone.

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And if inspiration runs out, Source has some informative articles for every category to give you lots of ideas. Membership is by invitation only and costs £200 per year. source-lifestyle.com

y A NEW CHAPTER The story started in 1993, when Martine and Prosper Assouline published La Colombe d’Or, celebrating the small luxury hotel in St-Paul-de-Vence, France. They have since created a unique niche in publishing, with highly desirable lifestyle and fashion titles that are works of art in their own right.

Two decades and 1,400 titles later and Assouline has opened its first flagship London boutique.

But the Piccadilly store, housed in an extensively refurbished, cube-shaped Edward Lutyensdesigned building, is far more than just a bookshop. Furnished with antiques found at auctions and curiosities made by skilled craftspeople from across the world, Maison Assouline is a place to

linger. Browse the company’s stunning books and exclusive photographic prints selected from its titles, as well as vintage tomes, leather goods, library accessories, home décor and stationery. And if you feel in need of refreshment, order an espresso or a glass of champagne from the Swans Bar, which serves such Gallic delights as foie gras, canelets and salmon toasts throughout the day. assouline.com

{ AGAINST THE GRAIN If you’re serious about your photography, and you appreciate the finer things in life, then a Hasselblad could well be your luxury gadget of choice in 2015. The legendary Swedish manufacturer created the camera that captured the first images of the Moon’s landscape, and recently entered the consumer market to launch, first, the Lunar compact camera system (pictured, around £4,400) and then the Stellar pocket-sized line.

With elements inspired by haute horology and F1 supercar technology, these models are aimed at those who want to accessorise in style, as well as take great photographs. Technically innovative (with Sony hardware and Zeiss lenses) and portable, what sets Hasselblad compacts apart is their high-spec design and luxurious finish.

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The pocket-sized Stellar II range (from £1,550), is available in a rich palette of lacquered fine woods, including walnut, padauk and olive, which are utilised both on the camera itself and in its elegant packaging. These are undeniable objects of beauty. hasselblad.co.uk

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PROFILE

BOB JORNAYVAZ Playing in high-goal campaigns has always been a passion of polo patron Bob Jornayvaz. He talks to Alex Webbe about his successful strategy: making history with Valiente, coupled with breeding world-class horses ILLUSTRATION PHIL DISLEY

Few polo patrons in the game today have had the impact of Valiente’s Bob Jornayvaz.

A relative newcomer to the high-goal game in the United States, Jornayvaz has managed to register wins in the 26-goal CV Whitney Cup and the USPA Piaget Gold Cup in both 2012 and 2014, as well as a couple of fnal appearances in the United States Open Championship in 2013 and 2014.

He began playing polo while attending the University of Texas in 1978.

‘I started out exercising horses at the Austin Polo Club to earn extra money while I was still at school,’ he says.

Since then, he’s come a long way. Over the past fve years, Jornayvaz has established his Valiente team as one of the most fercely competitive in the game.

‘I moved to Denver in 1981 and played there, on and off, until 1990,’ he says.

In 1984, he turned his considerable energies to commerce, helping to grow his Intrepid Production Corporation into the largest producer of muriate of potash in the United States. His success in business allowed him to return to his real passion, polo.

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‘I always wanted to play high-goal polo,’ he says.

‘It was a bucket list type-of-thing. I travelled to Palm Desert, California, in 2009 to play in the Governor’s Cup and won,’ he says.

The following year, he took a trip from his home in Denver, Colorado, to Santa Barbara, where he and his Valiente team – Juan Carlos Harriott, Kris Kampsen and Nacho Astrada – played in the 20-goal tournaments at the Santa Barbara Polo Club.

The Valiente success they enjoyed there, although limited, was enough for him to become addicted to the game again.

‘It really is a test of your organisational skills,’ he says. ‘I believe if you follow your passion, you will enjoy success.’ And that is exactly what he has done.

Arriving at the International Polo Club in Wellington, Florida, in 2010 with a 26-goal line-up that included Magoo Laprida and Miguel and Nacho Astrada, Valiente made it to the fnal of the CV Whitney Cup. With the assistance and direction of the Astrada family, Jornayvaz began to organise the horses that would be needed to mount successful high-goal polo campaigns.

hurlinghampolo.com hurlinghampolo.com

‘Miguel could not have been more helpful in the initial stages of organising a competitive high-goal campaign,’ he says.

In 2011, Valiente – comprising Jornayvaz, Polito Pieres and the Astrada brothers – appeared in the CV Whitney Cup fnal and the semi-fnals of the US Open.

That same Valiente line-up won the CV Whitney Cup in 2012 by defeating Valiente II – a team that included Jornayvaz’s son Robert, David ‘Pelón’ Stirling, Adolfo Cambiaso and Matias Zavaleta. Valiente II came back to beat Valiente I in the fnal of the Gold Cup. Jornayvaz and his Valiente I line-up also made it into the semi-fnal of the US Open.

Jornayvaz and Cambiaso developed a close relationship over the 2012 season and, the following year, Valiente appeared on the feld with a new 26-goal line-up that included 10-goalers Cambiaso and Stirling as well as a talented 6-goaler in Santi Torres. The same year, Valiente won the USPA Piaget Gold Cup and lost in the fnal of the US Open.

Having an understanding of the importance of the horse to the game, Jornayvaz entered into a partnership with Cambiaso to breed polo

PROFILE

I’m going to play as long as I’m healthy and can contribute to the feld

ponies. ‘It’s about so much more than just the game,’ he explains. ‘It’s the barn, the breeding, the winning and the lifestyle.’

Valiente returned with Cambiaso, Sapo Caset and Santi Torres in 2014. They won the CV Whitney Cup and the USPA Piaget Gold Cup and appeared to be on their way to a sweep of the 26-goal season when an injury to Cambiaso in the semi-fnal of the Open sidelined him for the fnal. With 10-goaler Juan Martín Nero flling in for him, Valiente lost the game in overtime.

The summer of 2014 found Valiente travelling to Spain along with 50 top horses to compete in the 22-goal season – and what a season it proved to be for Valiente.

The team – Jornayvaz, Torres, Cambiaso and Santiago Laborde – went through the Spanish season undefeated, winning Bronze,

Silver and Gold Cups. At the time, when asked if there were any plans for a run at the British season, Jornayvaz replied that he wanted to win each of the Gold Cups (including England and France), but conceded that any such effort required a great deal of planning.

‘I’m just going to take it easy this year,’ he smiled. ‘I’m nursing a sore elbow right now and want to concentrate on getting in playing shape for the 26-goal. We’ll discuss any future plans this coming winter.’

And when asked about Cambiaso’s past statement regarding retiring at the age of 40, Jornayvaz brushed it aside.

‘I think we all want to play for as long as we can,’ he said. ‘I don’t see Adolfo leaving the game any time soon.’

As for Jornayvaz: ‘I’m going to play as long as I’m healthy and can contribute on the feld,’

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he says. ‘There are so many beautiful locations where the game is played and so many great people in the game.’

Jornayvaz is currently the top-ranked amateur player in the world, and seems bound and determined to nail down the elusive US Open trophy this year.

With his increase in handicap (from 1- to 2-goals), the team had to be realigned this year, and Valiente will be bringing in Guillermo Terrera to join Cambiaso. Torres also had a jump in handicap, going from 6- to 7-goals.

Although he is scheduled to play with Valiente in 20-goal tournaments in 2015, the team is still looking for a 6-goaler to join them in the 26-goal action going forward.

Jornayvaz’s assertion that following your passion will bring success certainly seems to be proving true for him and his team.

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THE CORONEL SUÁREZ STORY ADE ADEDEJI; PEPE SANTAMARINA; POLO MUSEUM

In the second of our three-part series, José Ramón Santamarina and Ade Adedeji focus on the impact that exceptional leadership had on the making of the most successful polo team in history

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In our previous article, published in the October 2014 issue of Hurlingham, we presented Coronel Suárez, the polo team whose impact on the game is legendary.

We highlighted their achievements, which include winning polo’s most coveted prize, the Argentine Open, no fewer than 17 times during their 20-year heyday. In this second instalment, we reveal the secret behind the strong leadership that drove the team up through the ranks and helped maintain their top-ranking position.

Opposite Juan Carlos Harriott in 1978 Below Coronel Suarez in 1976. From left, Alberto Heguy, Horacio Heguy, Juan Carlos Harriott and Alfredo Harriott

Organisations are essential to life and society.

We participate as members, managers and customers and are infuenced by the success of these groups. As we will see with Coronel Suárez, without there being some essential factors in place, this kind of expertise doesn’t just happen – even with the best players, employees or members, although that might help. Ultimately, such organisations create real value by setting, meeting and then exceeding their goals. They tend to be innovative, having the ability to assess strategic options better than their competitors. They can be seen to embrace change, often pursuing a culture that enables productive collaboration. Dynamic leadership is perhaps the core strength here, as seen especially in Coronel Suárez.

Much has been written about the brilliance of the team’s captain, Juan Carlos Harriott, both as a polo player and in his role as leader.

Polo Argentino by El Gráfco included these

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descriptions in its profle of Harriott: ‘He was the archetype of a polo player… he played to perfection… [he was] a great jockey and a magnifcent horseman with long and certain mallet shots… he brought a sense of ubiquity to the feld… he had anticipation, speed and an extraordinary capacity to organise… [he possessed] exceptional team sense… [he was] a serene leader, a pilot in the storm’. Meanwhile, in Profles in Polo Harriott was described by renowned author Horace Laffaye as ‘the undisputed captain, organiser and leader’.

Laffaye also references a fattering account of the captain by the late Gonzalo Tanoira, another outstanding player and one-time president of the Argentine Polo Association: ‘Juan Carlos’s superiority is so obvious that it defes all comparison, because he truly played a level much more above all his contemporaries’.

These are just a few of the many accolades used to describe the qualities he brought to his

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The foundation years – building the framework for success Any substantive analysis of high-performing, successful teams and institutions ultimately reveals the existence of a visionary thinker, especially in the foundation years. If we look at Apple, Microsoft and Amazon, and, of course, at Facebook and Twitter, they all share a common trait – their successes are traceable to the leadership of such a person.

The importance of vision cannot be overemphasised, as it acts as a guide for a company’s foundation and the establishment of its goals

and objectives. Visionary thinkers as leaders inspire action, demand commitment and, like an architect, oversee the transformation of the idea into something tangible. They ‘own’ the vision of the organisation and maintain tight control and oversight, ensuring its successful implementation. They are effective in their leadership and, together, their actions generate value, essentially creating the future of that organisation and, consequently, its success.

So, who was the visionary thinker of Coronel Suárez? Luisa Miguens, the polo historian and wife of the late Gonzalo Tanoira, offered a historical perspective on its beginnings in her book Passion and Glory. According to Miguens, Argentine polo in the Forties was dominated by two strong teams, which featured eight of the best minds in the game: the Alberdis (Enrique and Juan Carlos) and the Cavanaghs of Vernado Tuerto, and the Menditeguys and Duggans of El Trebol. There was a consensus in the polo world then, a desire to see a ‘third’ team competing. Those were the foundation

Left Jorge Tanoira, left, helps his brother Gonzalo, 1970 Above Coronel Suarez, Argentine Open winners, 1957.

From left, Bertil Andhino Grahn, Enrique Alberdi, Juan Carlos Harriott Sr and Juan Carlos Harriott Jr. (the latter’s frst Open win). A young Alfredo Harriott joins in the celebration

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Argentine polo in the Forties was dominated by two strong teams, with eight of the best minds in the game

years of the Coronel Suárez polo organisation, and its eventual recognition as the ‘third’ team fully materialised in 1957 when, according to Miguens, Coronel Suárez was favoured to win the Argentine Open. Referencing an article from El Gráfco, she wrote: ‘Juan Carlos Harriott Sr and Juan Carlos Harriott Jr, playing together with Andino Grahn and Enrique Alberdi, worked together so well that their opponents did not stand a chance. They wore them down little by little until they were defeated.’

This success was a result of the collaboration between Juan Carlos Harriott Sr and the

ADE ADEDEJI; PEPE SANTAMARINA; POLO MUSEUM

role heading up the team. There are many facets of excellence to be learnt from Juan Carlos that, although signifcant, do not tell the complete story of the team’s success as an organisation.

For now, however, let’s look at effective leadership in two categories – the foundation years, and the growth and dominant years.

Alberdis. Andino Grahn was a replacement for the injured Juan Carlos Alberdi, originally slated to play with Coronel Suárez. Teaming up with the Alberdis was strategic and instrumental in the foundation of the team, and undoubtedly reveals Juan Carlos Sr as the visionary thinker he was. Apart from this, not too much is documented about him. However, he was an accomplished player, winning eight Argentine and Hurlingham open championships, each while attaining a 9-goal handicap. As the architect of Coronel Suárez, his leadership, keen sense of effective organisations and ability to maintain his team as a cohesive, highperforming entity were pivotal.

What we discovered from Juan Carlos Harriott Jr and his brother Alfredo, along with Alberto Heguy and a few others from the polo generation of the Sixties and Seventies, was that Juan Carlos Sr built the very foundation of the Coronel Suárez group – a critical base for its success to grow upon. He created several practices that developed into what became the culture of the team and what we have defned as the ‘Coronel Suárez way’. Many of these were based on successful results from the Alberdis, as well as others in the polo world.

He combined these with his creativity and

incredible attention to detail. His passion for the game – and for winning it – tended towards an obsession, which factored greatly into all decision-making. His goals and priorities for the team were always made clear to each member of the group, and he had a frm belief that when his team failed, it was because he had failed to prepare them. Even after he retired from the team as a player, following the 1964 championships, his input and direction were still taken into consideration. He remained part of the organisation, and, although his son, Juan Carlos Jr, became the leader and gradually enhanced some aspects of the culture, much of it was already institutionalised. The framework for success was already built.

The growth years, the dominant years There is no doubt that Juan Carlos Harriott Jr provided the leadership between 1965 and 1980. This is the period we consider to be the remainder of the Coronel Suárez growth years and all of its dominant years. The choice of Juan Carlos as successor was of strategic importance to the next phase of Coronel Suárez.

This is especially true, given that leadership

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Above The Coronel Suarez team in 1982. From left, Celestino Garrós, Alfredo Harriott, Alberto Heguy and Luis Lalor

changes can have an impact on the success of an institution, which could have been the case with Harriott’s team. Juan Carlos Harriott had a different outlook from his father and thus made slightly different leadership decisions, while keeping the foundation of the organisation intact. However, changes he made continued to establish the effectiveness of the team and, by his own admission, Coronel Suárez grew and became a much better team, especially after 1975, when they attained their true potential, as was always envisioned.

The team continued its success under Juan Carlos’s leadership, which was dominant until it came to an end after the 1979 season.

We will conclude this three-part series in the next issue with a few more lessons learnt from the Coronel Suárez story, focusing specifcally on the team’s culture. Effective leaders defne and enforce the right culture within an organisation and, in that regard, Coronel Suárez was no different.

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LIVING THE DREAM

This page and opposite Exploring the breathtaking landscape of Bitterroot Ranch in Wyoming on horseback

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JEFF VANUGA, GABRIELLE BOISELLE

Bayard Fox, founder of Equitours, has ridden horses all his life and now runs a variety of unique riding adventure holidays, everywhere from Kenya to Mongolia via Wyoming

From my ranch in Wyoming, I can see a range of mountains, towering more than 13,000ft into the sky. No other human dwelling is in sight. I live in a remote valley next to the vast Yellowstone Ecosystem and surrounded by public land, with no near neighbours. A bubbling stream full of trout winds through the ranch, which has been my home for the past 44 years. I share it with my family, around 185 horses and 250 cows, plus a few dogs, cats, sheep and llamas.

This place and the lifestyle it gives me are the fulfilment of a dream, far from the frenzied stresses of urban life; I love horses, wild nature, fly-fishing and tranquillity. But it took 40 years of sometimes tortuous twists and turns in other parts of the world, not to mention a vast amount of good fortune, to bring me here.

I grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania, which in the Thirties and early Forties was still wide open horse country. I would ride my Welsh Pony for 20 miles or so, crossing only the occasional paved road. My grandfather loved fox-hunting and used to keep a pack of hounds, but soon after World War II, highways and development closed off the best riding possibilities around our old farm, though we kept a few saddle horses.

My dream of a ranch in the West really began when I was 14, during a two-week-long horsepacking trip through the Yellowstone area. It was reinforced in 1947, when I spent the summer fighting forest fires from a ranger station in the Gila National Forest of New Mexico. They kept horses at the stations in those days, and sometimes I would ride to remote, roadless areas to isolate a small fire started by a lightning strike.

When I was at Yale in the Forties, you still had to have your own string of horses in order to play polo; at that point, my father had enough trouble affording to keep me there, without that additional

This place is the fulflment of a dream, far from the frenzied stresses of urban life

cost. By the time I graduated, the Cold War was just heating up and I spent the next 15 years or so living in Europe, Iran, Africa and the Solomon Islands. I enjoyed riding in Iran, in particular, and we often used horses to go on hunts with the nomadic tribesmen to remote places, looking for bighorn sheep and ibex.

I’d planned to return to Iran to join a migration of the Bakhtiari tribe and thought it would be interesting to try to lance some wild boar while I was there. The idea of ‘pig-sticking’ came from that wonderful book The Lives of a Bengal Lancer, but unfortunately it didn’t turn out well for me. One frosty morning, I was practising lancing bareback with a makeshift spear when my horse hit a small muddy patch and cartwheeled on top of me, smashing my left hip. It did not heal well and left me on crutches for the best part of two years.

Not wanting to spend my time swimming in the YMCA pool for therapy, I set up a crayfish-diving business in the Solomon Islands; several hundred local fisherman on a number of islands helped me catch them. We collected the crayfish tails on two freezer ships and sent them by air to Hawaii.

I became very interested in the exotic cultures of these remote islands, which were sometimes visited by ships only two or three times a year.

Their striking art, which had similarities to that of neighbouring New Guinea, intrigued me. In some places, I even saw stone tools, such as adzes,

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which were no longer in use but were treasured by their owners as the possessions of their forefathers.

Swimming and working a great deal in those island waters helped me regain the use of my leg. However, I couldn’t quite get over my visceral fear of sharks, and several close encounters did nothing to soothe my nerves. I still longed for the Rockies, so when I could walk again, I began searching for another kind of life.

I was attracted to many places in the world.

It’s hard to beat the excitement of the Highlands of Kenya; Iran has some magnificent mountain country; and the Himalayas are spectacular. But these places were no longer politically stable.

Unfortunately, my wife, Mel, was to discover this first-hand, when her family’s farm on the slopes of Kilimanjaro was expropriated soon after Tanzania was given its independence. Wyoming looked like the safest place for us to find a long-term future and start a viable business with the least amount of government interference. So that’s where I chose to explore my dream.

I bought my ranch in 1971 and it is certainly a splendid piece of land, with superb surroundings.

How we would make a living out of it was another story. Agriculture alone at 7,500ft is not really viable, so a dude (guest) ranch seemed like the only solution. A cousin of mine had a fine place at the base of the Tetons where our family would sometime stay. It had a marvellous atmosphere and people loved it, often feeling it to be a cherished second home.

There was no livestock at our ranch and we didn’t have enough cabins to house many guests, so we had to start from scratch. A big plus was the fine old house with its huge stone fireplace, which we could use as a main lodge. We bought a few horses, fixed up some of the old buildings, constructed new ones and were in business on

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a small scale by 1972. Eventually, we could take 30 guests at a time, but in those early years, it was a struggle to make ends meet.

To make more money, we ran an elk-hunting camp 10 miles into the adjacent wilderness, which could only be reached on horseback. It took about three hours to ride from the ranch to the camp, which was in a magnificent location at 8,500ft and beside the river, with a large clearing where the horses could graze. I used to guide hunters, and Mel did the cooking and wrangling. But even with the extension of the hunting season, we could only operate for around five months of the year, leaving at least six months with little for us to do. So Mel suggested we start taking guests on winter horse safaris in Kenya’s Maasai Mara – an area she knew well and where her fluent Swahili was an advantage. We borrowed the horses, equipment and staff we needed and ran those safaris for several years during the winter months.

The next step was to start making ourselves known to organisations from other parts of the world whose riding adventures we could market in the United States. That business took off under the name of Equitours and we were soon handling several thousand trips a year for 55 different companies in 30 countries. It works well with our own ranch, where we have a chance to ride with many of our clients, and gives us an opportunity to travel widely during the winter months. We also

GABRIELLE BOISELLE

This page from top Bayard Fox; a safari ride in Kenya. Opposite Riding on the Bitterroot Ranch

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acquired another good piece of agricultural land, 2,000ft lower than our upper place. It now produces the hay and oats to feed our horses and cows, and affords some good grazing for our animals during the winter.

Several of our partners in far-flung places are polo players. Tristan Voorspuy, who has run our rides in Kenya since 1983, has a wonderful string of ponies and they are ideal for galloping along with the zebra and other game on his fabulously exciting ride in the Maasai Mara. Kevin Begg at Los Potreros in Argentina has an excellent polo field and guests have a chance to play there at any level. In India, where polo has been played for many centuries, Bonnie Singh has an excellent string of ponies, which are also ideal as endurance horses for his palace-to-palace riding safaris.

He puts on a spectacular performance of tent-pegging: first the lance, then the sword and then the dagger, spiking three tent pegs all in one run at a full gallop. He is one of the founding members of the world-famous club in Jaipur and started elephant and camel polo.

So, for more than half my life now, I have been able to live my dream. I share it with Mel, our son, Richard, and his wife, Hadley, who is also a keen horsewoman. It is certainly not for everyone, but it is pretty close to paradise for someone like me, who likes horses, travel and wide-open, wild country. equitours.com; bitterrootranch.com

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LEVELS, FROM THE NOVICE TO THE PROFESSIONAL.

POLO’S ULTIMATE PLAYGROUND In its quest to become Europe’s premier summer polo destination, Polo Club Saint-Tropez is poised to unveil a grand modernisation project surrounded by the best beaches, restaurants and clubs

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Polo Club Saint-Tropez, known more familiarly to locals and international visitors as Gassin, is one of those few special places in the world of which it’s almost impossible to take a bad picture. From the verdant, rolling acres of the club itself – set in the hills just above St-Tropez – to its glittering backdrop of the Côte d’Azur and the beaches of Pampelonne, this is a scene that has always combined glamour with natural beauty. And that was the starting point for the vision the club’s new co-owner had in autumn 2014, when he embarked on an ambitious redevelopment project.

After decades with the redoubtable Corinne Schuler as sole proprietor, last April, Alshair Fiyaz, a keen player and patron, became her business partner in Gassin, with the intention of turning the club into the premier European summer polo destination. With Schuler’s approval, Fiyaz, a Pakistan-born businessman and philanthropist now based in Monaco, appointed his friend and polo manager Justin Gaunt as the club’s director, and Gaunt has since devoted himself to the task that he has been set.

‘It’s been an extraordinarily busy time,’ says Gaunt during a rare visit back to the UK. ‘Alshair is a great admirer of what Corinne has done at the club, and she is still very much involved, but we all felt that it was time to take things to a new level.

The idea is to make sure Gassin is the place where international polo patrons want to spend the European summer.’

Polo Club Saint-Tropez has many natural advantages: its eponymous local town is a byword for sophisticated vacationing. It is also one of the very few clubs in the world where everything a

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Previous pages The stunning Côte d’Azur is the setting for the eponymous polo club known as Gassin This page, from top Fast-paced matches take place on four playing felds; a bird’s eye view shows the extensive redevelopment underway before the 2015 season Opposite An architect’s impression of the new-look Polo Club Saint-Tropez

Those who share our passion will share our view of what it takes to be a special polo club

patron or player might require is on site, and the local beaches and St-Tropez itself are just a short scooter ride away.

‘Most of the polo year is incredibly intense,’ says Gaunt. ‘We think that, come August and September, many patrons and players want a slightly different tempo: a place where the family actually wants to hang out for a month, where everyone can have relaxed fun, but where the polo is also competitive and challenging.’ To that end, a major refurbishment of the club’s facilities was undertaken during the autumn and winter months to ensure that, by the time summer comes around, Polo Club Saint-Tropez will welcome its guests with a whole new confidence. The club has added 294 new stables, built by Loddon – which fitted out the Packer estate at Fyning Hill

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and Urs Schwarzenbach’s Black Bears team headquarters – using compressed bamboo, its latest environmentally friendly product. Nineteen new grooms’ apartments and nine stylish players’ houses have been completed, together with a huge upgrade of the playing areas, with two new Tifton fields as well as a state-of-the-art indoor arena.

All the water necessary to keep the estate in pristine condition is being drawn from Gassin’s underground reservoir. Plans are also underway for a new clubhouse to be built for the 2016 season. All in all, it’s not hard to see why Gaunt has been so busy over the past ten months.

‘I’ve worked with Alshair for some time now, and he is one of these guys who simply doesn’t believe in doing things by halves,’ says Gaunt.

‘As a patron himself, he knows exactly what’s required, and has left no stone unturned in addressing every single detail. What we hope is that other patrons will see the huge investment and see this as a great place to come – for them, their families, friends, players and grooms.’

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sponsoring high-goal polo in the United Kingdom and Richard met Pablo MacDonough,’ says brand spokesperson Alice Keehn. ‘We started working with Pablo, who is now our ambassador, to design a watch that could withstand the forces incurred during a polo match. That became the RM 053, which has an armoured case in titanium carbide, with its movement tilted at 30˚ so it can be seen easily from the saddle.

‘From there we came to Gassin, and it’s been such a great place for us that we have gradually increased our involvement to the point where we are now a full brand partner. We’ve also developed two limited-edition watches for the club: the RM 030 Automatic Calibre and the RM 011 Flyback Chronograph. Both feature the club’s logo as well as white ceramic cases with navy blue detailing that embody its official colours.’

Gaunt has a very clear vision about what makes a natural commercial partner for Polo Club Saint-Tropez. ‘Everyone talks about shared values, but actually, in a polo club, that’s crucial,’ he says. ‘Unlike in many other sports, all of the participants mix together socially, so if there’s a real connection in the way people see the world, that makes a huge difference. Patrons and players

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This page Each year, the polo teams of the International Polo Cup parade around the harbour of Saint-Tropez

are here to have fun and meet interesting people, so when we started looking for the right partners, it was never going to be a case of looking for all kinds of sponsors – they have to be the right fit, and Richard Mille could not be a better one.’

As with every ambitious project, there will be almost certainly be some nervous anticipation at Gassin this summer, when the club prepares to welcome its first visitors since the changes were made. However, Fiyaz is sanguine. ‘You know, the main thing is to create something that we’re all really happy with,’ he concludes.

His own initiation into the top level of polo came through friendships with Kerry Packer and the legendary Pieres family, who still supply many of his ponies. ‘This is a passion, not a business project, so we must be confident that others who share our passion will also share our view of what it takes to make a special polo club. Corinne Schuler has already done a great job here; now it’s ours to help her take Gassin to the next level.’ polo-st-tropez.com

PATRICK RAFFIN

Of course, Polo Club Saint-Tropez already has a long history of attracting patronage from all corners of the globe. Royals from Europe and the Middle East, and polo royalty such as the Gracidas and MacDonoughs, as well as a glittering array of celebrities, have all graced Gassin’s fields and attended the legendary parties that follow a match.

While no stranger to the St-Tropez party scene, Fiyaz himself is characterised by a relaxed discretion that sits well with his determination to ensure the club’s reputation as a place where the great and the good can let their hair down in informal circumstances.

‘I hope people will come and make up their own minds,’ he says. ‘In the end, we all want to have fun, play good polo and be able to relax among like-minded souls. It’s very important to me that we get the mix right: yes, we want the club to be successful, but it will never feel too commercial.

And our sponsors need to be able to fit in, too, so the atmosphere has to be spot on.’

It was exactly this relaxed atmosphere that drew luxury watchmaker Richard Mille to the South of France as the first new major commercial partner to sign up as a sponsor. ‘Our association with polo started back in 2011, when we were

thai polo & equestr i a n club pat taya – t h a i l a n d • pa d d o c k s & s ta b l e s f o r 2 0 0 h o r s e s • i n t e r nat iona l c ro s s c ou n t ry c ou r s e • r ege lu dw ig i n t e r nat iona l polo sc hool • t o u r n a m e n t s u p t o 14 g oa l s

( n ov e m be r - a pr i l)

( n ov e m be r - a pr i l)

• t h a i s pa & s a lt wat e r p o o l

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ACTION

DOMINIC JAMES

THE LATEST POLO DATE ACTION LOCATION FROM TIME AROUND ETC. THE WORLD

La Dolfna’s David ‘Pelón’ Stirling Jr (MVP) and Ellerstina’s Nico Pieres in the Argentine Open fnal

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Triple Crown How La Dolfna made history by clinching their second successive Triple Crown – a feat so far matched only by Seventies legends Coronel Suárez

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Kharim Khan Afridi Memorial In November, Hurlingham Polo Association were the frst foreign visitors to grace the new pitches of the Islamabad Polo Club

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Thai Polo in Pilar Six 12-goal teams took part in a dramatic frst tournament, with hosts Thai Polo Club putting on a great show for spectators in Pilar, Argentina

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Super Nations Cup Defending champions Hong Kong China and a new-look England team contested an excellent fnal in Tianjin

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Indian Open Polo Championships In its 114th year, the 20-goal tournament’s thrilling fnal unfolded between Jindal Panthers and Sahara Warriors at the Jaipur Grounds in Delhi

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Bentley Scottsdale Championships The 2014 Polo Party drew record crowds to the Arizona desert for its unique mix of cars, art and fashion, alongside an action-packed tournament

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Aspen Snow Polo A solid home team emerged victorious in an exhilarating world-championship match, played at the frst-class Aspen Valley Polo Club’s arena

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FIP World Championship Qualifers A hard-fought tournament at Beaufort saw England beat France and Ireland for the right to compete in Chile

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Polo by the Sea Urban Polo is fourishing downunder – as last year’s sold-out tournament in Palm Beach, Sydney proves

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ACTION TRIPLE CROWN, ARGENTINA, SEPTEMBER – DECEMBER 2014

THE TRIPLE CROWN It wasn’t always pretty to watch, but La Dolfna’s historic capture of a second successive Triple Crown signalled the arrival of the perfect team, writes Héctor Martelli

I want to start my report on the world’s three most important tournaments by remembering two great names of polo: Javier Novillo Astrada and Carlos Gracida. Both passed away this year: Javier, after a long and painful illness, and Carlos following an accident in which he was involved while playing polo.

With regard to high-goal polo in Argentina, the 2014 season was very different to previous years. Five of the six highest-rated teams maintained the same line-ups as 2013, with only La Aguada making a change: Guillermo ‘Sapito’ Caset filled in for Guillermo Terrera Jr, making them a 36-goal outfit. This tactic usually improves team play; unfortunately, with the exception of La Dolfina, this wasn’t the case this season.

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Nevertheless, the two top teams, La Dolfina and Ellerstina, maintained their unbeaten status during the opening round of the Tortugas Open – the first leg of the Triple Crown. La Dolfina showed themselves to be the dominant force from the start, and the prospect of a repeat of their success of 2013 – of once again winning all three tournaments and in the process making history – appeared strong.

The championship match was dominated by a powerful La Dolfina foursome, who displayed thrilling team play as well as extreme speed, both of mind and of horsemanship. Their opponents Ellerstina, by contrast, seemed to be missing in action, particularly in the midfield – Gonzalito Pieres and Mariano Aguerre gave

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the impression of being practically absent for almost all of the seven chukkas of play.

Meanwhile, with the Tortugas Open underway, Palermo hosted the qualifying matches for the Hurlingham and Argentine Opens. With a pair of spots available, the teams that captured their coveted tickets to two of the world’s most important tournaments were the young boys of Miramar (28) and Chapaleufú (31), with a line-up comprising three Heguys – brothers Pepe, Eduardo and Nachi – plus their cousin Francisco Bensadón. Remarkably, both Eduardo and Pepe have now broken their father Alberto Pedro Heguy’s record of playing in the Argentine Open on 28 occasions, with both now having competed in the tournament 29 times.

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Opposite Juan Martín ‘The Wall’ Nero (in white) on the ball. Below Hilario Ulloa (in pink) and Ignatius Du Plessis fght it out

a 14–12 margin, and the Hurlingham Open final had a new chapter in the classic rivalry that has become a hallmark of polo in the 21st century.

The contest unfolded as many had predicted – Adolfo Cambiaso’s dream team captured the second element of the Triple Crown, which was also their sixth consecutive title, as well as their 20th win in a row. With their four members complementing each other to perfection, their fantastic team play won the day. Ellerstina, on the other hand, showcased extreme individualism, the highlights of which were Nicolás Pieres’ speed, dedication and enthusiasm, and the contribution of nine goals by Facundo Pieres.

The scoreboard displayed a commanding 4–1 advantage to La Dolfina at the end of the first chukka – a score that would be crucial to the final outcome. Of eight chukkas, La Dolfina won four, tied two and lost two. Ellerstina’s best was the sixth, in which they outscored La Dolfina 4–1. During these critical seven minutes, La Dolfina’s Juan Martín Nero was the team’s key man, with David ‘Pelón’ Stirling Jr also working hard in the No 2 position, doing all the ‘dirty work’ to perfection in breaking up Ellerstina’s midfield play. After numerous fouls and weak

TONY RAMIREZ/IMAGESOFPOLO.COM; DOMINIC JAMES

La Dolfna displayed thrilling team play and extreme speed – of mind and of horsemanship

The 121st Hurlingham Open came next, featuring eight teams grouped in two leagues. League A featured the title holders, La Dolfina, together with La Aguada Las Monjitas, Alegría, and the lowest-ranked qualifier, Miramar. League B was made up of Ellerstina, La Aguada, Magual and the highest-ranked qualifiers, Chapaleufú.

The league deciders unfolded in much the same fashion as had the Tortugas Open. In the League A contest, however, La Dolfina played their worst match of the year, struggling to beat Alegría by only one goal. Alegría had to replace the injured Fred Mannix with talented 22-year-old 7-goaler Alfredo Cappella Barabucci, who went on to produce an impressive performance. Led by a lethal midfield pairing of Hilario Ulloa and Lucas Monteverde, they managed to break up La Dolfina’s solid team play and hold on to the lead through five chukkas.

Ellerstina also had to fight hard against La Aguada in the League B decider. They were able to overtake them only in the sixth chukka, thanks to a superior horse string and a brilliant performance by Gonzalito Pieres. Miguel Novillo Astrada and Sapito Caset were La Aguada’s leading men. In the end, Ellerstina triumphed by

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ACTION TRIPLE CROWN, ARGENTINA, SEPTEMBER – DECEMBER 2014 play by both teams during the first seven minutes, we were treated to some great polo in the following three chukkas, which featured runs at extreme speed and some very good plays.

The standard decreased somewhat in the fifth chukka, but La Dolfina and Ellerstina produced some of the finest polo to be seen anywhere in the world over the course of the final three chukkas, to the great delight of an extremely appreciative crowd.

La Dolfina thus arrived at the Argentine Open with the chance to win their second Triple Crown in a row, an achievement previously attained only by the legendary Coronel Suárez team in 1975. And so we came to the tournament of all tournaments at Palermo – one in which every polo player dreams of competing. Palermo is where dreams become reality, and the glories of past triumphs resound.

La Dolfina had no difficulty in defeating their league rivals, La Aguada, Magual and Miramar.

They dominated with their team play, controlling each game pretty much as they chose. Ellerstina also won all of their league matches, but they had to work harder against Alegría, La Aguada Las Monjitas and Chapaleufú. The hardest-fought matches were La Aguada’s (36) narrow victory over Magual (33) by 12 goals to 10 in League A,

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TONY RAMIREZ/IMAGESOFPOLO.COM, DOMINIC JAMES

Opposite, from top Heguy family spirit alive and well in the Chapaleufú team; Gonzalito Pieres on the ball. This page The jubilant winning team celebrate their victory

and the contest between Alegría (34) and La Aguada Las Monjitas (33) in League B, in which the former needed an extra chukka to edge towards a 12–11 win.

As has often been the case in recent years, with the exception of 2013, the Argentine Open would once again be decided between Adolfo Cambiaso’s team and the Pieres foursome.

Ellerstina’s Mariano Aguerre was sidelined by a shoulder injury and was replaced by South African Ignatius Du Plessis, thereby lowering his line-up’s handicap from 38 to 37.

On Saturday, 6 December, came the day of reckoning – and considerable disappointment, with many agreeing that this was the worst Argentine Open championship game in many years. The reasons for this are clear: from the first throw-in, Ellerstina were bent on destroying the match, while La Dolfina simply had no answer to the stranglehold their rivals imposed on the game. The near three-hour game was almost entirely devoid of great plays throughout, featuring instead a host of fouls, stoppages and player protests.

Unfortunately, this terrible match has left a black mark on the home of the world’s best polo, and on an event that welcomes people from across the globe every year with the promise of

The perfect team, La Dolfna are only a few steps away from the legendary Coronel Suárez

witnessing the best the sport has to offer. The statistics say it all: out of a total of 26 goals, 17 were penalty conversions and only nine were scored from open play.

On the positive side, there were at least some fine individual performances worth mentioning.

La Dolfina had a real gladiator in Uruguay’s David ‘Pelón’ Stirling Jr, who excelled in his position as No 2. He never gave up and was a true fighter, richly deserving his Most Valuable Player Award. Another ferocious competitor was Juan Martín Nero, aka ‘The Wall’, who blocked every attempt to score by Ellerstina’s dangerous forwards. Pablo MacDonough’s intelligence and accuracy were noteworthy in the goals he scored, mostly from long distance. Cambiaso’s was perhaps the worst performance of his long career, but he never stopped working to support his teammates and scored nine.

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There’s not much to praise about Ellerstina’s performance. Facundo Pieres failed to penetrate La Dolfina’s defence and made a number of fouls.

There was almost no contribution to the match from Gonzalito Pieres. Nicolás, the youngest brother of the three, produced perhaps the best display, although he was very impulsive and rushed every play. Du Plessis, meanwhile, seemed overwhelmed by the speed of the game, missed numerous backhanders and didn’t cover the team’s rearguard enough. However, considering his handicap and the fact that this was his first experience of this kind of polo, he performed reasonably well.

In the end, La Dolfina overcame Ellerstina 14–12, so congratulations to them on their Triple Crown of 2014. They are the perfect team – only a few steps away from the legendary Coronel Suárez, the greatest team of all, albeit with a different style of play.

Following the end of the season, Pablo ‘Polito’ Pieres was hired to become Ellerstina’s next No 1, replacing Mariano Aguerre. Polito’s spot in Alegría has been taken by Cristian Laprida Jr, who has left Las Monjitas. It is said there will be many changes in 2015 – we hope all of them are for the good, and that they help us to move on from this less-than-brilliant season.

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ACTION FORTUNE HEIGHTS SUPER NATIONS CUP, GOLDIN METROPOLITAN POLO CLUB, TIANJIN, CHINA, OCTOBER 2014

SUPER NATIONS CUP A young England team played well, but, for the second year running, it was a comfortable win for Hong Kong China, says Peter Abisheganaden

Represented by Lucas Lalor playing at No 1 and Santiago Cernadas outstanding as a late replacement for the injured Gaston Moore at No 2, together with Super Nations Cup veterans John-Paul Clarkin (New Zealand) and John Fisher (UK), Hong Kong China surprised everyone with a huge 13–6 victory over what most had seen as a strong USA team in the first semi-final of the tournament.

In the second semi-final, a new-look English team, comprising Max Charlton, Tom Morley, Jack Richardson and George Meyrick came from behind to defeat the Argentine side 10–8.

Argentina was in a no-win situation from the start. As the world’s premier polo-playing nation, they are expected to win every tournament.

Incredibly, 24-goals is probably too low for them to send a representative national team.

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In an excellent fourth chukka, Hong Kong China scored fve goals to England’s one

But they came, which was a victory in itself as they had declined to play in the 2014 Snow Polo World Cup in Tianjin. However, they arrived without a team manager or coach, reputedly because no one wanted to be responsible for a ‘low-goal’ Argentine team! They fielded a balanced side of 6-goalers, comprising Pablo Llorente, Pablo Dorignac, Tomás Ruiz Guiñazú and Martín Tassara. But although they started

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well in both their games, they ultimately failed to keep up the momentum.

The USA, who defeated Argentina in the subsidiary, fielded what had appeared to be an impressive side, with Nic Roldan and Mike Azzaro, Carlos Gracida Jr and Andres Weisz. They did not click in the first game against Hong Kong China, however, and it took them three chukkas of the subsidiary final before they got their game together. USA had to come from 6–2 down in the fourth chukka to defeat the Argentinians 10–9.

The 2014 final of the FIP Super Nations Cup between Hong Kong China and England was a very good match. The young English side had to work hard against the Hong Kong China team led by Clarkin, a player who knows them well.

Morley and Meyrick both had good games, as did the industrious Richardson. Charlton did not

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METROPOLITAN POLO CLUB

Opposite MVP John-Paul Clarkin (in red) with Jack Richardson (in white). This page, from top The opening ceremony; John Fisher holds aloft the winning trophy; the USA’s Mike Azzaro and Argentina’s Pablo Llorente dramatically hook mallets

really impose himself on the game and, for me, that was the difference. England kept pace with Hong Kong China until half-time, but in an excellent fourth chukka, Hong Kong China scored five goals to England’s one, giving them a 10–6 lead. The match was never in doubt after that. It was 11–6 at the end of the fifth chukka and, while England fought bravely on, 11–8 was a comfortable win for Hong Kong. England’s young side played really well, and other than that devastating fourth chukka in the final, had a really good Super Nations Cup. Clarkin said at the post-match press conference: ‘We had a game plan and, although it was level at half-time, we didn’t change it, because we felt we were unlucky not to be ahead.

We came through strong in the second half of the game and deserved the win.’

The 8-goal star scored 10 times over two games in the tournament, and was named Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row.

Clarkin was characteristically humble about his achievement: ‘It could have been any one of these guys, to be honest. It was the team performance that won the day,’ he said. Best Playing Pony was awarded to Lawyer, a brown/ black gelding bred in Australia at Ellerston, and ridden by Clarkin.

The final took place on a really clear day – unusual weather conditions in smoggy Tianjin.

The brilliant sunshine made for a great afternoon of polo, with the teams playing much better than they had in previous years.

With the south field being rebuilt at Tianjin, the 2015 tournament looks set to be truly spectacular. The new grandstand stretches the length of the field, and there are teppanyaki kitchens in each of the hospitality boxes on the upper level. Polo hospitality in China is being taken to still greater heights.

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ACTION PIAGET WORLD SNOW POLO CHAMPIONSHIP, ASPEN, COLORADO, USA, DECEMBER 2014

ASPEN SNOW POLO

The home team battled some formidable opposition to emerge the victors in this exciting championship, report Tina and Scott Derby

The 2014 Piaget World Snow Polo Championship took place in Aspen, Colorado, where, from 17 to 20 December, with snow-capped mountains in the distance, six teams of elite players vied for the World Championship title.

Ultimately, after many exhilarating chukkas, that title went to the Piaget team, which comprised Marc Ganzi, Jeff Hall and Nic Roldan. They battled hard in the final match against the formidable US Polo Association team, which featured America’s only 10-goal arena player, Tommy Biddle; rising young Canadian star Brandon Phillips; and Grant Ganzi, who captained his Casablanca team in Wellington’s first 20-goal championship of the 2015 polo season.

Of the four teams that remained, Audi (Melissa Ganzi, Kris Kampsen, Juan Bollini) did a great job defeating Flexjet (Tommy Kato, Martin Pepa, Luis Escobar) and took third place. Meanwhile, Aspen Valley Polo Club (made up of Juancito Bollini, Andrea Gonzalez, Alejandro Novillo Astrada) came fifth after winning against the defending champions, St. Regis (consisting of Alejandro Gonzalez, Mariano Gracida, Roberto Gonzalez).

Following the tournament, Larry Boland, president of Piaget North America, presented the

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trophy – a silver cup accented with deer antlers – to the Piaget team. For the second consecutive year, Nic Roldan was awarded Most Valuable Player while Marc Ganzi’s grey mare, coincidentally named Piaget, received the Best Playing Pony award for her form on the pitch.

The final was shown on the NBC Sports network – the first time North America’s only snow polo tournament has aired on television – and had more viewers than any polo match broadcast in the past two years in the United States on NBC Sports.

‘The format of snow polo is extremely fan-friendly, given the smaller arena and the three-on-three action, with quicker turns and a great deal of contact,’ says Aspen Valley Polo Club president Marc Ganzi. ‘And Aspen is also an extremely attractive venue for viewers – the visual aspects of the event are without equal.’

For the second year in a row, the tournament was organised by Marc and Melissa Ganzi, and hosted by the Aspen Valley Polo Club, sister of the Grand Champions Polo Club, based in Wellington, Florida. The club is also a deluxe training ground, with first-class facilities, including a stick-and-ball field, premium clubhouse, wooden polo pit, exercise track, indoor school and arena, plus a livery yard,

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Above USPA’s 10-goaler Tommy Biddle chased by Piaget’s Nic Roldan

stables and grooms’ accommodation, with pony hire and coaches also available.

According to Marc Ganzi, plans are already underway for the 2015 tournament, which is scheduled for 17 to 19 December. It is his intention this year to get started as early as possible with organising the event, so Aspen retailers, as well as potential sponsors, can take advantage of the marketing opportunities provided by this high-end spectacle, which is expected to join the annual St Moritz Snow Polo World Cup as one of the world’s top winter polo tournaments.

‘This year was a great deal easier than last, and now we have the city squarely behind us for the future,’ he explains. ‘We went from three to six teams and that greatly enhanced the competition and competitiveness. We already have more requests for teams than we have spots, which is a good thing for the event and the sport. Melissa’s and my vision is to make this the premier snow-polo event in the world. Our hope is that we can get a team from the UK to come and compete as well.’

MEDIUM GOAL XXXVI JOSÉ IGNACIO DOMECQ MEMORIAL March 27th - April 5th / 8 Goals XIII CONDE DE GUAQUI MEMORIAL April 10th - 12th / 8 Goals INTERNATIONAL DAY April 17th - 19th / 10-12 Goals SANTA MARÍA OPEN I June 12th - 14th / 10-12 Goals SANTA MARÍA OPEN II June 19th - 21st / 10-12 Goals SANTA MARÍA OPEN III June 26th - 28th / 10-12 Goals

LOW GOAL MARCH LOW GOAL TOURNAMENT March 27th - 29th / 0-4 Goals EASTER LOW GOAL TOURNAMENT April 2nd - 5th / 0-4 Goals APRIL LOW GOAL TOURNAMENT April 10th - 12th / 0-4 Goals XI COPA DE JEREZ TOURNAMENT May 22nd - 24tt / 2-5 Goals IV RESTAURANTS LA QUINTA TOURNAMENT May 29th - 31st / 2-5 Goals XVI ANDRÉS PARLADÉ MEMORIAL June 12th - 14th / 2-5 Goals XII CONDE DE LA MAZA MEMORIAL June 19th - 28th / 2-5 Goals

www.santamariapoloclub.com/torneos/primavera For further information please contact Polo Department e-mail. admon@santamariapoloclub.com - T. +34 956 610 012 Santa Maria Polo Club - Finca Los Pinos Autovia A-7 (sentido Malaga) Salida A-133. 11310 Sotogrande, San Roque (Cadiz, Spain)

ACTION KARIM KHAN AFRIDI MEMORIAL, ISLAMABAD POLO CLUB, PAKISTAN, NOVEMBER 2014

KARIM KHAN AFRIDI MEMORIAL

On 9 November, an English team comprising Michael Howe (captain), Roderick Vere Nicoll, Ed Winterton and Marcus Hancock took to the pitches at the Islamabad Polo Club in Pakistan for the first match to be played at the club by a visiting foreign team. Team Pakistan was made up of Maj Gen Isfandiyar Pataudi, Lt Col (retired) Raja Nadeem Shafiq and Arsalan Najeeb, and captained by Shaukat Malik.

Said Vere Nicoll: ‘It was a memorable trip.

There was a new Battro field, good food, friendly people and an interesting culture – all very different from how it has been portrayed in the media!’ These sentiments were echoed by all who participated in the Karim Khan Afridi Memorial Polo Match, played in memory of Cristina and Tariq Afridi’s 19-year-old son, who sadly passed away last June. Tariq – who has represented Pakistan at the Polo World Cup – and Cristina are currently setting up the Karim Khan Welfare Foundation, which aims to help young people cope with the challenges they may face in life.

Established in 1968, the Islamabad Club is one of the top sporting facilities in Pakistan. Its 346 acres include an Olympic-sized outdoor pool, 27-hole golf course, squash courts and a shooting

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We’d be honoured to develop a strong bond between the HPA and Islamabad Polo Club

range, as well as its equestrian area. The latest additions include two polo grounds, a floodlit arena (where the first Pakistan Arena Polo Championships were held), an exercise track, paddocks and grooms’ accommodation.

Designed in collaboration with Argentine experts Battro Polo Fields, the Tifton-grass grounds were built to lead the way for the sport in southern Asia. England captain Michael Howe believed the money was well spent, because the pitches played extremely well. The environmental impact of such a venture has also been taken into consideration, with irrigation supplied by rainwater from a purpose-built lake.

Inaugurated by the President of Pakistan last March, the club has welcomed key players from the world of polo, including Maj Gen Isfandiyar

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Pataudi and Augustin Canale, as well as some familiar faces often seen on English polo lawns, such as Hissam Ali Hyder, Raja Temur Nadeem and Oli Hipwood.

With the aim of increasing interest in the sport in the country and creating opportunities for a new generation of polo players, an academy is run at the club by Marcus Hancock, who currently has 50 students under his tutelage. As Howe explains, ‘Marcus encourages children in polo, building their confidence rather than disciplining it out of them.

The approach they take at the academy offers the best opportunity for a talented kid to excel.’

The scheduled matches between England and Pakistan did come up against the unfortunate phenomenon of ‘weather conditions’, with just one match being played on the Sunday (resulting in an 8–7 Pakistan victory), but this did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the visiting players.

As well as the polo, they enjoyed dinners hosted by friends of the club and trips to some stunning locations in both the hills and the ‘real mountains’ (that is, the Himalayas), not to mention the chance to witness racing bulls and dancing horses.

After the match, Nadeem remarked, ‘Despite a shortfall of horses, I hope the English have good

FOUAD MUSTAFA: FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/FOUADS

Despite the lack of polo games played, the Hurlingham Polo Association enjoyed its inaugural trip to the Islamabad Polo Club, reports Victoria Elsbury-Legg

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Opposite Michael Howe on the ball This page Howe chases Bobby Nadeem

memories to take back home with them. We would be honoured to develop a strong bond between the HPA and Islamabad Polo Club.’ Vere Nicoll agreed. ‘We hope to play more games against each other both in the UK and in Pakistan.’

It would seem that the Islamabad Polo Club is truly leading the way for the sport and its current and future players in Pakistan. Summing up the team’s experience, Howe said, ‘We all thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Islamabad. Our hosts really looked after us, and I think we could learn a lot from their hospitality. In their religion, it is said that if God is happy with you, He will send people for you to look after – such as a bunch of English visitors, perhaps!’

ACTION INDIAN OPEN POLO CHAMPIONSHIPS, JAIPUR POLO GROUND, NEW DELHI, INDIA, NOVEMBER 2014

INDIAN OPEN

The Delhi polo season was dominated by Naveen Jindal’s team, Jindal Panthers, who won seven out of 10 tournaments, including two 14-goal tournaments – the Indian Masters and the Sir Pratap Singh Cup – as well as the prestigious 20-goal Indian Open Polo Championships.

Now in its 114th year, the world-famous Indian Open Polo Championships were presented in 2014 by Airbus Group. All games were played at the Jaipur Grounds in New Dehli, and the standard of horses was high, many coming from New Zealand and Argentina. The final saw packed stands, with a crowd of more than 1,500 cheering for the two finalists, Jindal Panthers and Sahara Warriors.

The Jindal Panthers team included New Zealand’s John-Paul Clarkin (8), and England’s James Beim (7), alongside Jindal’s professional, Simran Singh Shergill (5), and the sponsor, Naveen Jindal (0), who, due to a back injury, was substituted halfway through the game by Pratap

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Singh Kanota (0). The Sahara Warriors team included Argentina’s Pablo Dorignac (6), England’s Nick Pepper (4) and two Indian professionals, Samir Suhag (5) and Dhruvpal Godara (5).

Beim commented: ‘I spent 10 days in New Dehli. I was very well looked after by Naveen Jindal and his team; they are very hospitable people.

The 20-goal tournament was played between three teams, and we played three games over a week.

We won our two league games reasonably easily, but the final was a very tough game.’

The thrilling match resulted in a nail-biting finish, with Jindal Panthers claiming the victory 10–9. ‘Sahara Warriors were a very balanced and well-mounted team,’ he said. ‘They had the upper hand throughout most of a very hard-fought game, with the scores never being more than one apart.

We entered the final chukka a goal down, but, with time running out, managed to equalise and then move one ahead with just 45 seconds on the clock,

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thanks to great goals from Shergill and Clarkin.

From the ensuing throw-in, Sahara claimed the ball, ran to goal and were awarded a 40-yard penalty to tie the game with just 15 seconds remaining. Luckily for us, Suhag missed, meaning we were crowned champions of the Indian Open.’

The winning team’s mare Jimmy, played by John-Paul Clarkin, was declared Best Playing Pony and Dhruvpal Godara was named Most Valuable Player of the final match.

When asked about his views on the future of polo in India, Naveen Jindal said: ‘I have been involved in polo in India for many years and, after a slow patch, am happy to see it flourish again.

The Jindal Panthers team is lucky to count on distinguished players such as Shergill and Clarkin, who has been playing with us for the past two seasons. These top-class players are the driving force behind our multiple successes and our consecutive wins are driven not only by the talent

ADDITIONAL REPORTING: JAMES BEIM. IMAGES: VINOD SHARMA

The 2014 Delhi polo season saw some hard-fought games being played, none more so than the thrilling fnal of the Indian Open Polo Championships

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of the team, but also by our passion for the sport.

Our ambition for the future is not limited to winning more tournaments, but extends to fielding stronger teams and competing against strong opponents.’

The Championships Trophy was presented

by Airbus Group India’s non-executive chairman, Kanwal Sibal, and president, Yves Guillaume, together with the ambassadors of Great Britain, France, Germany and Spain. Other dignitaries seen enjoying the final were: Xavier Hay, managing director of Airbus Helicopters India; Thorsten Moellmann, head of international communications at Airbus Group; Yashodhara Raje Scindia, Minister for Commerce & Industries and Lt Governor of Madhya Pradesh, Lt Gen AK Singh.

The post-match festivities took place in a beautifully decorated marquee, with delicious hors d’oeuvres and live music setting the mood for a fitting end to a perfect day of polo. Said Beim: ‘We celebrated long into the night, with a fantastic party hosted by Naveen Jindal at his house in the city’.

Summing up his trip to India, Beim commented: ‘It was a hugely enjoyable experience to visit a growing polo destination, and I gained a fascinating glimpse into Indian culture. Aside from the polo, a particular highlight for me was visiting the Taj Mahal. I look forward to returning to India soon.’

Opposite Jindal Panthers being presented with the trophy by Airbus Group India’s Kanwal Sibal This page Nick Peppers (in white) entirely surrounded by the opposition

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ACTION FIP 14-GOAL EUROPEAN QUALIFIERS FOR 2015 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

FIP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS

GORDON LINDSAY

England earned the right to compete against the world’s best in Chile in March, but France and Ireland pushed them all the way to the fnal chukka, reports Victoria Elsbury-Legg

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Opposite England’s Tommy Beresford (middle left) and France’s Etienne Croquet (right). This page Ireland’s Max Hutchinson shoots

THE CONTENDERS England 1 George Pearson 2 Tommy Beresford 3 Will Emerson 4 Peter Webb Ireland 1 Seb Dawnay 2 Mike Henderso n 3 Max Hutchinson 4 Niall Donnelly France 1 Pierre-Henri Ngoumou 2 Clemente Delfosse 3 Robert Strom 4 Etienne Croquet Spain 1 Luis Domecq 2 Ignacio Domecq 3 Mario Gomez-Duran 4 Pelayo Berazadi

Across the country, during the final week of September 2014, many stick bags were packed and heading not for the familiar fields of Guards, Cowdray or Cirencester, but for check-in at Heathrow, accompanying players to sunnier climes. At Beaufort Polo Club, however, there was still plenty of on-field competition, with some key qualifiers being played to secure a place in the 10th FIP World Championships.

Open to national men’s teams with a handicap of up to 14 goals, the competition will be hosted in March by the Club de Polo y Equitación San Cristobal in Santiago, Chile, in conjunction with the Federación Chilena de Polo. Having enjoyed a two-month stay in the country – which included numerous visits to the club, some stick-and-balling with the stunning, colour-changing Andes as a backdrop, and meeting some amazing people – I can quite understand why all involved were so keen for a win, and thus the chance to travel to one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Among those players competing for the chance to meet the host nation, Chile, and the reigning FIP world champions, Argentina, were Will Emerson and Peter Webb for England; Seb Dawnay and Mike Henderson for Ireland; Pierre-Henri Ngoumou for France; and Luis and Ignacio Domecq for Spain.

It may have been Team England who won the coveted spot to represent their country at the championships, but qualification was not without a few rather anxious moments. On the Saturday, England won their first game 8–7 against Spain, followed on Friday by a second win 8–6 against Ireland. On Sunday, however, things did not go to plan against France: despite England playing well and leading 7–3 at half-time, France then scored six goals in the second half, meaning a surprise England loss of 8–9. With mutterings of a disallowed England goal, which the umpires concluded was wide, and an Ireland squad cheering on the French, it meant the results of the Ireland vs France game on the following Tuesday would be the decider, despite England being top of the points table.

In the qualifying match, a straight win by France would have sent them to Chile and a 10–7 win to Ireland would have incurred a penalty shoot-out, but if Ireland won by 1 or 2, or 3 in a low-scoring game, or even drew with France, then England would be the ones heading to Santiago. In a bizarre twist to the tale, it was Ireland’s gallant 7–6 win against France, the team they’d been cheering on when they’d played against England a few days earlier, that ultimately meant England would check in at Heathrow in March.

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‘The tournament at Beaufort was well organised and the teams very competitive,’ said England’s captain, Peter Webb, after the match, adding with a wry smile that he would also like to thank the Irish for winning the last game against the French and putting his team through. Looking ahead to Chile, he said he believed that the biggest competition facing England would be from Argentina or Brazil.

David Woodd, the chief executive of the Hurlingham Polo Association, also believed the winners would enjoy some very competitive polo in Chile. ‘The England team are to be congratulated on qualifying ahead of three very competitive opponents,’ he said. ‘The finals in Chile will be out of season for our players, which is a considerable disadvantage, and I suspect they will be up against some well-handicapped South American players – certainly from Chile, the hosts; Argentina, as defending champions; and probably also Brazil.

‘Our team is 50/50 experience and youth.

They have played together, but it will be tough for sure, and much will depend on how we can make best use of the pool of ponies we draw and whether we can come out of the blocks quickly enough. I am not sure how the games will be scheduled, but with just six teams, we will almost certainly not have a bad match.’

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ACTION THAI POLO TOURNAMENT, PILAR, ARGENTINA, NOVEMBER 2014

THAI POLO IN PILAR

The host side faced Power Infrastructure in the fnal of an entertaining tournament played, for the frst time, in their own club. Carolina Beresford reports

From the opening night’s cocktail party hosted in premier polo shop La Martina, in Buenos Aires, to the three red Ferraris displayed during the final, everything about Harald Link’s Thai Polo Cup was meant to entertain.

Six teams took part in the 12-goal contest, which was hosted in Thai Polo Club, Pilar, for the first time. The qualifying games were close and competitive. In the semi-finals, home team Thai Polo defeated Sonny Hill 8–5, while Power Infrastructure overcame Amadeus Macau 8–6, taking Thai Polo and Power Infrastructure through to the final.

Guests from all over headed to Pilar to enjoy the generous hospitality and watch what was

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sure to be a tight game. Even though Power Infrastructure were leading 2–0 by the end of the first chukka, Thai Polo managed to hit back, making it 4–3 to Power at the close of the third.

In true Thai fashion, the show had only just begun. In the half-time break, a Ferrari pulled up alongside Illusion, Pablo Jauretche’s best mare.

Curious spectators gathered by the scoreboards as the chequered flag came down and both Ferrari and horse zoomed down the pitch towards the finish line. But the race was too close to call, so a rematch was held. This time, to the delight of the crowds, Illusion was the clear winner.

The excitement continued into the final two chukkas of the game, with both teams scoring

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in the fourth. In the final fifth chukka, a nearside goal from Power’s Edouard Pan made it 6–4.

Thai Polo’s Agustin Garcia Grossi answered by converting a 60-yard penalty, but Thai Polo were still down by one in the closing seconds of the game, and Power Infrastructure claimed a deserved 6–5 victory.

Miguel Mendoza, patron of the wining team, was very happy with the organisation of the tournament: ‘It was a lot of fun! I would love to play again next year if we get the chance, and I definitely want to play in Thailand soon as well.’

However, the focus of the Thai Polo Cup was on more than just polo: the exchange of culture was key for owner and founder Harald Link. ‘We

ACTION

Opposite Harald Link and Nunthinee Tanner with the winning Power Infrastructure team This page, from top A race with two types of horsepower; Juan Agustin Garcia Grossi on the nearside

host the Argentine Ambassador’s Cup every year in Thailand with the Argentine Embassy, so we wanted to do something similar with the Thai Embassy here in Argentina,’ he explained.

Both Argentina and Thailand put their finest foot forward with the objective of encouraging those native to Thailand and Argentina to learn something of each other’s culture. ‘Today we can start with the food!’ exclaimed Thai MinisterCounsellor, Thawat Teerawat. Pad Thai was on offer at the Thai Embassy stand, and a traditional Argentine picada – a selection of finger foods, cured meats and cheeses – was doing the rounds at the clubhouse.

Nunthinee Tanner, Harald’s business partner in Thai Polo, explained that setting this contest up in Pilar during November coincides favourably with the international polo calendar’s South American term: ‘The Argentine season is drawing to a close and the tournaments in Thailand start shortly. After the Thai season, we move to Britain – we now have a Thai Polo Club in Berkshire – before moving on to Malaysia. It’s a full cycle.’

As the president of the Equestrian Society in Thailand and South-East Asia, Link is a big

I want the people of Thailand to enjoy playing polo; it really is a gentleman’s game

DOMINIC JAMES

supporter of polo and other equestrian sports in Asia. ‘I am very happy that Harald has done so much to bring polo to Thailand,’ explained Teerawat. ‘It forms a link between Thailand and Argentina. Argentina has a very high level of polo and, thanks to Harald, Thailand can begin to share these experiences. I want the people of Thailand to enjoy playing polo; it really is a gentleman’s game.’

Link, of course, is the greatest gentleman of them all, encouraging a friendly and supportive culture both on and off the pitch. ‘When you’re an amateur, you like to play fast but safe polo,’ he explained. ‘I find this kind of atmosphere and hospitality off the field encourages good relations on-field.’ Manu Cereceda, manager of Thai Polo, agreed: ‘Outside Argentina, players and organisations really take care of their patrons. One could say that we don’t do that so well in Argentina! The idea is to show that having fun is also part of the game.’

As if the Ferrari-versus-horse race wasn’t enough, there was an Elvis tribute band to get guests moving after the final game. Link was the first on the dance floor, surprising everyone with his classic rock’n’roll moves as he and Lia Salvo, who played for the home team, twisted the night away. An impressive firework display later marked the end of a fantastic tournament and a very entertaining final.

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ACTION BENTLEY SCOTTSDALE CHAMPIONSHIPS, ARIZONA 25–26 OCTOBER 2014

SCOTTSDALE POLO CHAMPIONSHIPS

Record crowds focked to the desert for the fourth Polo Party

On 25 and 26 October last year, almost 12,000 fans – the largest number in US polo for 2014 – gathered under the sweltering Arizona sun to watch the Bentley Scottsdale Championships.

For its fourth incarnation, the event, which calls itself the Polo Party, hosted top players from around the world, including US stars Sunny Hale and Julio Arellano, last year’s defending champions Scottsdale’s own Clogau Wales, England’s Sarah Wiseman, Paola Martinez of Argentina, Caroline Anier of France and top American collegiate player Patrick Uretz.

Between all the equestrian action, there was an art auction, dog fashion show and the Arizona Porsche Concours d’Elegance.

The excitement began in earnest on the Saturday, when the hometown Arizona Polo Club edged out the Gay Polo League with a score of 6–5. The Gay Polo League, which is based in Florida and is the world’s only team of its kind, almost came back with two goals in the last 30 seconds of the game. In the fierce match that followed, defending champions Ricky Cooper, Richard Blake Thomas, Roddy Matthews and Pete Webb of Clogau Wales toppled the Molina Fine Jewelers Woman’s World All-Stars 9–5.

Webb, who earned the MVP honour for the weekend, scored 8 of its 9 goals.

‘The ladies have terrific experience and were the best female team in the world this year. If it

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were not for the fact that our team have played together for many years, it could have been a very different story,’ said captain Ricky Cooper. ‘Retaining our title in our adopted home of Scottsdale means so much to everyone.

Playing here is a highlight in our career and we can’t thank the Polo Party enough for the wonderful reception we’ve received.’

On Sunday, the USPA Governor’s Cup Match brought more top teams together. Players from around the US, who had assembled for the United States Polo Association’s annual meeting, competed for the Governor’s Cup, which ended in a victory for Heineken’s team over Sears Vacations. The All-Star match turned out to be the highlight of the day saw 9-goaler Julio Arellano, representing BarrettJackson, faced off against Pete Webb.

It was Arellano who started scoring more efficiently, setting up his team to take a 4–2 lead.

Still, just as Saturday’s game had seen Webb

When fans weren’t cheering for the polo stars, there was applause for the art auction

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Above In an exciting match, Sunny Hale, far right, USA’s highest-rated women’s player, is on the ball, watched by Julio Arellano, far left, her male equivalent

come to life in the second half and score five goals, Matthews stepped up the action and clinched the winner in the Bentley All-Star match with a final touch. ‘It was close, which always makes it fun,’ said Arellano. ‘Unfortunately, we lost by a goal, but it was nonetheless a great battle. And what a great crowd!’

The 2014 version of the Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships also produced a stellar line-up of mechanical horsepower, featuring a preview of the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction, Bentley displays and more than 200 impressive cars from Ferrari and Lamborghini clubs, and the Porsche Concours d’Elegance.

When fans weren’t cheering for the polo stars, more applause could be heard during Saturday’s Larsen art auction, in which more than 240 works were sold, totalling seven figures’ worth of sales. ‘The results are in and the auction proved to be a huge success,’ beamed Scott Larsen of the Larsen Gallery.

‘Thanks to 700 registered bidders from 46 states and 33 countries, we sold 80 per cent of the available lots and are still actively accepting post-auction offers on the remaining pieces.’

ACTION POLO BY THE SEA, PALM BEACH, SYDNEY, MAY 2014

POLO BY THE SEA

Urban Polo has a beautiful new setting, writes Andrew Benke, who was present when the action kicked of last month

Above The Palm Beach peninsula Below Mark Liliman winds up for a forehand moments before taking Investec Gold Coast to an unassailable lead in the fnal chukka

The Urban Polo scene continues to flourish in Australia, with Palm Beach’s Polo by the Sea adding to the steadily increasing event schedule.

Conceived 10 years ago by Janek Gazecki and Ruki Baillieu, with the first event staged in Sydney’s Centennial Park under the ‘Polo in the City’ banner, this variant of polo is now played in all of Australia’s capital cities, recently expanding into coastal towns under the guise of ‘Polo by the Sea’. It even has its own governing body, the Urban Polo Association.

Urban Polo is played on a smaller field than its parent game, with altered rules, to suit urban locations where space is limited. The result is a quicker and more spectator-friendly game, as players never leave the field of vision, and necessarily quick reflexes make for a good show.

Palm Beach precinct is a 50-minute drive north of Sydney, and constitutes some of the world’s most beautiful urban coastline. With a peninsula flanked by the cerulean Pacific Ocean on the east and the Hawkesbury River estuary to the west, its stunning natural environment and short distance from Australia’s largest city, makes it a summer getaway for many prominent polo families, including the Packers, Marshalls, Higgins and Rothwells.

All of the above factors made Palm Beach a logical choice for last year’s instalment of the ‘Polo by the Sea’ series. Restricted to 1,000 spectators, the event sold out in two weeks and attracted a number of corporate marquees and VIP guests. On the weekend of 31 May, Sydney’s high society – an array of fashion designers, celebrity chefs, models and film stars

– converged in the spectacular setting, making it one of the hottest tickets of the summer.

The first game, the Pro-Am Challenge, showcased the Battle of the International Brands, in which Santa Vittoria (Brook Thomas, Mark Elworthy, Adam Meally and Beau Blundell) took on chic clothing brand Vicomte Arthur (Hugh Cochrane, Ali Reda, John Ker and Janek Gazecki). Despite leading by several goals for most of the match, the French brand finally succumbed to a late run from Santa Vittoria, led by Meally, which resulted in the latter taking out the match 6 goals to 5.

The featured semi-professional game, the National Polo League, saw a local Land Rover

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Palm Beach team (Lochie Graham, Angus Graham, Angus Campbell and Nick Wills) take on the visiting Investec Gold Coast team (Mark Lilyman, Jake Daniels, Bill Taylor and Jonathan Bayes). A fast and furious game ended with the home side defeated 7–4.

Founder Janek Gazecki seeks to retain the ‘boutique’ nature of the event in future years by continuing to limit numbers, while local councillors intend the event to draw international patrons, given that the location is a perfect launch pad for a summer holiday in Australia.

Polo by the Sea will be held at Main Beach on the Gold Coast in May 2015 and at Sydney’s Palm Beach in January 2016; polobythesea.com.au

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ARCHIVE

HEART OF EMPIRE On 11 October last year, 34 mounted polo players slowly paraded through the cobbled streets of Esfahan in Iran on their way to compete on a historic feld: the medieval Naqsh-e Jahan, or, ‘Image of the World’ square. The match was organised by the Iranian Polo Federation (IPF) and the Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization in honour of Iran’s bid to have the sport offcially registered by UNESCO as part of Iranian heritage. And where else could one hold a match like this, other than on the world’s largest, and oldest, United Nations-listed polo feld?

Second in size only to Tiananmen Square in China, the extensive space was built by Shah ‘Abbas I between 1602 and 1630, when he moved the capital of Persia to Esfahan.

Measuring 500 x 150m, it was surrounded by a two-storey arcade that is still home to buskers, street vendors and an array of shops.

It was the thriving centre of the Great Shah’s new empire, where people gathered not only to make purchases and to promenade, but also to attend public celebrations and executions,

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as well as to watch noblemen and royalty compete in the national sport of polo.

On adapting the existing 15th-century palace for his own use, the shah had the polo feld placed in front of his new residence, allowing him a good view of the action from the comfort of his balcony. From the centre of the square, Ali’Qapu palace stands to the west. Opposite, on the east side, is the Mosque of Sheikh Loffollah; to the north, sits the lavish Portia of Qeyssariyeh; and on the south edge of the square is perhaps the most outstanding example of vivid Safavid architecture: the lapis lazuli and gold-mosaicked Royal Mosque.

Ceramic tiles decorate all the buildings on the square, including the arcade, which is

The marble goalposts serve as a reminder of how long the game has been played here

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painted with fowering trees. Surrounded by such exquisite and detailed artistry, it’s diffcult to imagine a more distractingly opulent sports ground on which to saddle up and whack a ball about.

To the north and south of the square – though the players of last October’s ceremonial match opted not to use them – the original marble goalposts serve as a reminder of how long the game has been played here. ‘We hope to stage a similar event as part of next year’s MENACA Cup,’ says IPF representative Siamack Ilkhani. ‘Ultimately, it’s our goal to make the square into a proper polo feld again.’

Whether or not the UNESCO-listed site is adapted to once again host regular matches remains to be seen. For now, it is at its best during the late afternoons, when the fountains are turned on and families take to the esplanade for their evening walk. In the softer dusk light, the architecture attains its full grandeur, and one gets a taste of just how atmospheric it must have been to play here in the heart of the Persian Empire, in front of the most powerful man in the world.

ALAMY

The world’s largest and oldest polo feld, where the national sport was played by 17th-century Persian nobility, may once more come into its own, says Tanya Jackson

RISK CAN HELP YOUR INVESTMENTS F LY .

OR IT CAN CUT THEM DOWN. TO MASTER IT YOU MUST EMBRACE THIS D U A L I T Y.

Careful monitoring of risk lies at the very core of our investment process.

It is inseparable from the search for performance.

But only a paradoxical eye can see into its fickle heart.

Only through this essential contradiction can we harness the power of risk, and control its threat.

Which, it seems, not everyone can manage. carmignac.com