Ponylines

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.

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.

{ 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.

{ 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. 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.

CHUKK AS

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. { 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

SADDLE UP WITH…

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 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

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