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Her Majesty The Queen watches a brilliant fi nal between Apes Hill and Sumaya 48 Gold Cup

Clare Milford Haven sees La Bamba battle against Dubai all the way to the podium

The all-round Argentine teamwork proves too much pressure for an English side

Against a dramatic Alpine backdrop Gstaad Palace retains its champion’s title

The fi rst-ever polo match broadcast live to 111 countries is something of an anti-climax 56 Warwickshire

Spectators and players alike revel in a memorable Cup

Above Cambiaso serves to win the match

The celebrity hot spot of Sandbanks is transformed into beach polo paradise 60 Saint Tropez

Title-holders Sainte Memse fi ght hard to defend the Open du Soleil 62 The Perfect Match

The 40-40 match marks the Polo de Paris Club’s largest event since the 1924 Olympics 63 Santa Barbara

Tournament finales don’t get more exciting than the thrilling climax between Apes Hill and Sumaya played out in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen, says Antje Doel

This year’s Harcourt Developments Queen’s Cup was won by an all-professional side sponsored by Sir Charles “Cow” Williams. The final, on 14 June, had a fabulous edge-of-theseat feeling and was fiercely contested – so much so that the match ended up going to a seventh chukka. Young England player Charlie Hanbury scored the “golden goal” for Apes Hill, after some magnificent teamwork by Juan Gris Zavaleta and England captain Luke Tomlinson.

Apes Hill Club Barbados came into being three years ago, launched with much pomp and ceremony at Wentworth Golf Club by Sir Charles, himself a keen polo player. Initially the idea was to give four English professionals the chance to compete in the Queen’s and Gold Cups without a playing patron but with sound financial investment. For the first two years, Apes Hill had some success, but handicap changes saw Ed Hitchman and Tom Morley shipped out, with Hanbury and the Argentine player Zavaleta brought in to replace them. The Argentinian was an interesting choice. He had faced Tomlinson in a tournament in Sotogrande and proven his handiness, but it is perhaps a shame none of the other good 6-goal English boys were offered the chance.

Still, a team consisting of three Brits is not bad, especially when they play in such a tough tournament and end it by being presented with a beautiful trophy by Her Majesty The Queen. Apes Hill had a fairly easy time of it throughout the tournament, sailing unbeaten through their league stages. They faced La Bamba de Areco in the quarter-finals, and despite torrential rain and hail, beat them comfortably 13–10. The semi-finals saw them adopt a more tactical approach. They faced Victor Vargas’ Lechuza Caracas and beat them by a three-goal margin, thus securing their place in the final.

Tomlinson, however, maintained that Apes Hill were the underdogs throughout: ‘We were a new team, not having played together very much. We lost two of our original cast due to handicap changes and only really started practising in earnest in March. We tried to

1 Hilario Ulloa (left) evades Luke Tomlinson’s hook 2 Ignus de Plessis (MVP) with the ball 3 Her Majesty The Queen presents the prize to Luke Tomlinson

forge a team spirit and get to know each others’ play but, to be honest, we gave ourselves very poor odds.’

Sumaya, on the other hand, had seen it all before, reaching last year’s final and unluckily losing to Ellerston by a goal. That side looks destined always to be the bridesmaid in this tournament. This time they got to the final despite a less than easy passage in the league and semi-final stages. Dubai were their opponents in the semis and they only just squeaked into the final by one goal, which was down to a technical penalty – upgraded from a penalty four to a penalty two after Adolfo Cambiaso argued with the umpires. It was the turning point in the match and Dubai lost their chance of a place in the final.

Luckily for the crowds gathered to watch the spectacular final, the weather behaved and everyone was treated to a thrilling match – one of the best this season – in glorious sunshine. It was a big occasion, with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh watching from the Royal Box, while spectators packed the grandstands and the terrace of the lavish new Guards clubhouse.

The first couple of chukkas were fairly even, with Tomlinson opening the scoring for Apes Hill. However, Sumaya’s Hilario Ulloa equalised from the throw-in. At the start of the third chukka the scores were all tied at two each. However, some magnificent polo and team play, as well as a couple of solo runs by Zavaleta and Hanbury, soon saw Apes Hill open up a three-goal lead. Perhaps Apes Hill thought they had done enough, but Sumaya are a team never to be underestimated.

Thanks to a couple of fouls by Apes Hill and some nifty penalty conversions by the unstoppable Ulloa, Sumaya found themselves once more breathing down the necks of their opponents. By this time the crowds were screaming themselves hoarse. What a match, what an atmosphere. If only all polo tournaments could be like this. The buzz was like that of an FA Cup final.

A penalty three in favour of Sumaya saw Ulloa level the scores and after a magnificent run by Hilario, Sumaya took the lead for the first time in the match. It was Apes Hill’s turn to play catch-up. By the start of the sixth chukka both teams were level on nine goals apiece. Two more goals from each team saw them all-square at 11–11. The match went into an extra chukka. And it was young Charlie Hanbury who scored the winner. That boy was smiling for days afterwards. The final score: Apes Hill 12, Sumaya 11.

Speaking after the match, Sumaya patron Osama Aboughazale and Cow Williams said they wished they had a time machine to transport them back in time, so that they might have been young enough to be on the field taking part. Ever the gentleman, Aboughazale said, ‘I am disappointed my team didn’t win, but pleased that Apes Hill triumphed, because they are our friends and a nice team to play against.’

What a sportsman.

Under tempestuous skies, Clare Milford Haven saw the Pieres partnership give a battling performance to take La Bamba all the way to the podium

Having been fortunate enough to have played in last year’s High Goal season, with the Bucking Broncos, it is an understatement to say that there was a certain amount of yearning in my loins as I watched this year’s games from the sidelines.

Knowing also that any zero-goal substitute would be hand-picked from the ever burgeoning group of up-and-coming, agile, fearless young men – a category I missed out on in every way – my place beyond the boards, on the tailgate of my car, was firmly set in stone. As last year’s only 21-goal team entered into the Veuve Cliquot Gold Cup, I was amused to see that this year, it was the only two 21-goal teams that made it to the final! Not a bad effort, when every goal counts in this fiercely competitive 22-goal Open Championship. After four weeks of really good, exciting games, it was down to La Bamba de Areco to fight it out against Dubai.

The structure of the leagues this year made for much better, and possibly fairer, polo. Giving each team four league games before the quarter-finals gave everyone a fair crack of the whip and, coupled with the new tapping rule, it made for good, open polo. This was the brainchild of Cowdray Park Polo Manager Chris Bethell: ‘My dream of producing a solid but fairly structured tournament was the result of a campaign for the last five years to extend the Gold Cup by an extra week to give each team four league games, to reduce the effect of any hiccup a team might have in their early league games. It makes the Gold Cup the hardest 22-goal tournament in the world.’

Injuries along the way seemed more prevalent than usual, with riding muscles pinging like guitar strings and arm injuries giving opportunities for young guns to make their mark with the big shots. Making their debut from the whippersnapper brigade were William Beresford, John Kent (sub for three different teams), Nicholas Johnson (sub for Eduoard Carmignac) and 17-year-old Rashid Albwardy. Lila Pearson was the only warrior queen out there, putting together a last-minute team, the Cowdray Vikings. They gave a very good account of themselves, came ninth out of the 17 teams entered, and went on to win the Ashton Cup.

The Ellerston grounds at Stedham were sadly missed this year but the No. 1 field at

Trippetts made up for that loss, providing amphitheatre-style viewing on the raised banks and a new venue for the high-goal games.

On the day of the final at Lawns, storm clouds raged overhead as gazebos attempted to take flight, and most of the Veuve Cliquot guests took refuge in the tent and comfort in the champagne. Dress code and style were forced to take a back seat, with only the hardened fashionistas shivering in their minis and high-wedged shoes. Only the die-hard polo players and ardent followers occupied the stands, umbrellas at the ready.

Most of the first three chukkas, were, to be brutal, very dull. All six goals came from penalties and it wasn’t until Cambiaso broke away, carving through the field like a knife through butter, and made one of his incredible goals halfway through the third to take Dubai to 5–2, that this final came to life.

Cambiaso was swiftly matched by an impressive field goal by Gonzalito Pieres, and things started to hot up on the field as rapidly as the weather started to cool down. With the wind and rain against him, Facundo Pieres managed, with impressive height and distance, to convert another 60-yard penalty for La Bamba, followed by a goal taken down the ground from the throw-in, making it 5–5. With only seconds remaining before half time, the dashing Jean-François Decaux took his team into the lead for the first time, with a neat goal on the nearside, making the score 6–5 in favour of La Bamba.

Unhappy with being behind at halftime, Dubai came out fighting in the fourth chukka and, with Cambiaso back on Caridad, they scored another four goals, with only one in reply, taking back the advantage again to enter the fifth chukka 9–7. But, with Facundo now back on Sheltie, he and his brother started passing the ball relentlessly to each other and it seemed that nothing could stop them, scoring two goals each to take La Bamba back into the lead, 11–10. The Pieres brothers succeeded in rattling the Dubai cage, and the

MVP: Gonzalito Pieres

Shannon (Gonzalito Pieres)

Facundo Pieres

1. Rashid Albwardy 0 2. Martin Valent 4 3. Cristian Laprida 7 Bk Adolfo Cambiaso 10

1. Jean Francois Decaux 0 2. Gonzalito Pieres 10 3. Facundo Pieres 10 Bk Tomas Garabini Islas 1

1 The winning team La Bamba de Areco 2 Action in front of the big screen 3 Gonzalito Pieres (MVP)

tension was visibly mounting between the players in the green shirts. Cambiaso seemed to lose confidence in his teammates and tried to do too much alone. La Bamba won 13–10.

La Bamba might have been lucky to get to the final, but they more than justified their position there. I think it would be fair to say that, had Milo Fernandez Araujo not had his injury, the final would have been between Sumaya and Dubai. However, the horses from La Bamba’s stable helped provide the extra staying power needed in such a final.

A spirited England side on mix-and-match mounts fail to make a dent, reports Herbert Spencer, against the all-round teamwork of a dominant Argentina

No one was surprised when Argentina trounced England to take the Coronation Cup at the Cartier International, flagship event of the Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA), at the end of July. The only surprise in Windsor Great Park, perhaps, was that the home team held the visitors to a 12–5 scoreline, not that unusual a goal spread in high-goal polo.

The two teams were equal in handicap at 26 goals, which on the face of it should have produced an even contest. But handicapping in polo, of players and therefore teams, is subjective and can be deceiving.

The die was cast when the Asociación Argentina de Polo (AAP) selected two 10-goal players for the EFG-sponsored Argentina national team, while the HPA could only manage two 7-goalers, their highest-rated professionals, to spearhead Audi England. Not only that but one of Argentina’s 10-goalers was Adolfo Cambiaso, considered the world’s best player, whose handicap might be 12 or more if the maximum were not 10. The other was Facundo Pieres, one of the princes-inwaiting for the top spot who might also be worth more than 10 under a different system.

It is, however, useless to dwell on handicaps, as accurate or inaccurate as the handicapping system might be country to country. The fact is that, in a dozen or so encounters between England and allArgentine teams over the past 50 years, for the Coronation Cup and in other international tests at different handicap levels, the English have won only once.

But, after all, the Argentines have also beat everyone else over that period, proof positive that it has been the world’s number one poloplaying nation since the Second World War.

Pony power also played a big part in the South American triumph. Argentina’s 37 ponies all came from one of two of the most powerful strings of the English pro-am season: those of Cambiaso and the Dubai polo team and the Ellerstina mounts of Facundo Pieres and his 10-goal brother Gonzalito – who play for La Bamba de Areco and won the 2009 Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup in the British Open.

Thus Cambiaso was playing his own and Dubai ponies, Facundo Pieres played Ellerstina mounts and 3-goalers Martin Valent and Gustavo Usandizaga were on a mix of the two superb strings. For their part, however, the England players struggled to find competitive mounts and were forced to borrow or rent horses from several other pros or high-goal patrons, a total of 15 of their 35 ponies. Only skipper Luke Tomlinson played mostly his own.

Despite England losing the 2009 Coronation Cup, a foregone conclusion in the eyes of everyone including the England players, credit is due to the out-manned and out-horsed home side for their valiant efforts 1to contain 10-goalers Cambiaso and Pieres and their two compatriots.

The England team of 7-goalers Luke Tomlinson and James Beim and 6-goalers Mark Tomlinson and Malcolm Borwick managed to turn Argentina’s attacks time and time again and get possession of the ball. But they were unable to follow through to take the ball to goal and score because of the pressure of the Argentina defence.

It made a difference that Argentina captain Cambiaso, who sometimes plays a one-man game to win in pro-am polo, on this occasion played a team game, making full use of all his players. “Adolfo and Facundo combined absolutely brilliantly,” said AAP president Luis Lalor after his team’s victory, “and they used their younger players to great effect.”

The first of six chukkas was scrappy, with both teams sizing up their opponents and Cambiaso scoring the only goal. England equalised for the only time in the match halfway through the second with an effective passing play, Beim to Borwick to Luke Tomlinson who scored. In the last seconds, Argentina regained the lead with another Cambiaso goal. By halftime Argentina led 5–2.

England came back in the fourth period with two penalty conversions by skipper Tomlinson bringing them to within a goal of the visitors, but the chukka ended with Argentina 7–4 ahead. The visitors held

England scoreless in the fifth period and increased their lead to 9–4. The home team’s last goal came from a penalty conversion in the final chukka, but the match ended with a resounding 12–5 victory for Argentina.

“We should have scored more goals,” England captain Luke Tomlinson admitted after the match. “We had a similar number of opportunities, but didn’t capitalise on them, and the ground was very difficult.”

Argentina’s Martin Valent received the Cartier Pegasus Trophy as most valuable player. The best playing pony prize went to Cambiaso’s eight-year-old Australian-bred mare, Mi Gatita.

For the record, an Argentine team took the Coronation Cup in 1953, and all-Argentine sides playing as “South America” defeated England for the cup on the HPA’s International Day in 1975, ’77, ’78 and ’81. Argentina beat England on Cartier International Day in 1995 and 2000 and in the Evolution Test Match in 2005 and 2006. England’s only victory came in the first game of a two-match contest at Palermo in Buenos Aires in 2002; Argentina won the second match and the series.

1 James Bein with his eye on the ball 2 Cambiaso controlling the ball 3 Martine Valent (MVP) being chased by Luke Tomlinson

A new position for the tournament in the calendar was a masterstroke from the HPA, says Alexandra Borgnis, resulting in a thrilling climax to this season’s Triple Crown

This season, the HPA has made a concerted effort to reinvigorate the Warwickshire Cup and, at the same time, prolong the British high-goal season. Instead of its traditional slot between the Queen’s Cup and the Open, the tournament has become the third component in the Triple Crown, starting immediately after the Open at the end of July, with the final a week after International Day.

David Woodd, chief executive of the HPA, said: ‘The British Open can start earlier as a result and more teams, especially Britishbased ones, will enter the Warwickshire Cup.’

The polo community waited with bated breath to see what the change would bring, and no-one was disappointed. A strong field of teams from across the country flocked to the historic polo fields of Cirencester Park Polo Club for what turned out to be one of the most hotly contested Warwickshire Cup for years.

The final took place on 9 August at Cirencester Park between local team El Remanso and visitors Emlor. Both teams had to fight hard in a round of very wet semi-finals, with Emlor beating the on-form Enigma team, and El Remanso beating Nick Britten-Long (2) and his Polo Networks team.

As the sun shone on a glorious afternoon, record numbers of visitors enjoyed all the facilities laid on for the day including trade stands and the new Warwickshire Bar and Grill along with the presence of new sponsors David Marshall jewellers.

The crowd were treated to a very even game with key players Manolo FernandezLlorente (6) and Luke Tomlinson (7) going goal for goal. The final bell rang with the teams on level pegging taking the game to a seventh chukka and golden goal situation. With El Remanso unable to convert a 60-yard penalty, it was Joaquin Pittaluga (5) of Emlor who kept his cool and won the day.

The club was proud to welcome the Countess Bathurst and Georgina BrittenLong to award the famous trophy to Spencer McCarthy (1) of Emlor. The Countess was heard to comment to the winning captain that it was the best game of polo she had seen in years – and his smile said it all. The Polo Magazine’s MVP was awarded to Joaquin Pittaluga, with Tom de Bruin’s six-year-old grey South African Thoroughbred winning the Ann Hughes Memorial Trophy for the best playing pony, and Luke Tomlinson’s ten-year-old bay mare taking home the Lycett’s Best Retrained Racehorse prize.

As the main prize giving was coming to a close, the teams for the subsidiary final – the Gloucestershire Cup – took to the pitch. The chairman’s Corovest side were an impressive sight in their familiar sky blue and cream, taking on new faces from France, the Pailloncy family’s HB Polo Team. Corovest took an early lead which HB Polo never recovered from and Corovest eventually won in style 10–8. Zahra Hanbury was on hand to present the trophy kindly donated by her family last year.

This year’s event was complemented by a number of social events, including the inaugural Warwickshire Cup Festival Evening in aid of the County Air Ambulance, with a raffle and auction raising £2,000.

As the sun set on the tournament, no one was in any doubt that the bold decision taken by the HPA and the enthusiasm of Cirencester Park’s chairman, Richard Britten-Long, have put the Warwickshire Cup firmly back at the forefront of everyone’s minds.

1 The winners: (from left) Spencer McCarthy, Joaquin Pittaluga, Luke Tomlinson and Nacho Gonzalez 2 Joaquin Pittaluga and Manolo Fernandez-Llorente 3 All eyes on the ball with Joaquin Pittaluga in front 4 The winners of the Gloucestershire Cup: (from left) Santiago Gaztambide, Glen Gilmore, Richard Britten-Long and Buster MacKenzie

Picturesque action; looking down the valley during the semi finals

The Gstaad-Saanenland region is one of the most attractive of the Swiss Alps, and served as the backdrop for the 2009 Hublot Gold Cup in Gstaad, the 14th edition of this exciting and scenic polo competition.

For the second consecutive year, the tournament was organised in partnership with Hublot; and the organisers were pleased to welcome a Porsche-sponsored team for the first time. Part of the World Polo Tour (WPT), the event is ranked among the world’s top tournaments, which in turn helps to establish the international ranking of the top players in the game today.

‘We feel privileged to welcome Hublot for the second time as main sponsor,’ said Pierre Genecand, president of the Gstaad Polo Club and organiser of the event. ‘Furthermore, we are honored to count Porsche among our team sponsors.’

Attracting four teams rated from 15–18 goals, the 2009 Hublot Gold Cup kicked off on Thursday, 20 August with the defending champions, Gstaad Palace – Fabian Pictet (0), Sasha Pictet (0), Hector Guerrero (7) and Alejandro Agote (8) – faced off against Hublot’s entry of Gualtiero Giori (1), Eduardo Menendez (7), Francisco Menendez (7) and Tete Storni (3).

Early going had Gstaad Palace ahead by 2½ goals in the first half before Hublot rallied to capture the match 10–9½, thanks to the well-coordinated play of the Menendez brothers.

In the second match of the day, the Porsche team of Philippe Maeder (0), Federico Bachman (5), Bautista Ortiz de Urbina (4), and Pablo Jauretche (8) met the Star Design team of Daniel Aegerter (0), Francisco Fucci (5), Augustin Garcia-Grossi (8) and Andres James (4).

Porsche took an early lead and held on for a hard-fought 5–4½ win, with Bachman proving to be the scoring threat. Star Design battled valiantly, but fell to the coordinated Porsche attack.

On Saturday, all four teams returned to the green fields of the Gstaad Polo Club with a renewed urgency.

Gstaad Palace, returning with its winning team from 2008, rebounded from its opening round loss to win 8½–8 over Porsche while Hublot won its second straight match in a one-sided 12–6 romp over Star Design.

Going into Sunday’s finals, it would be Hublot against the defending 2008 champion, Gstaad Palace, while Star Design would play Porsche in the consolation match.

Over 7,000 spectators lined the field over the course of the tournament, as the four participating teams gave their best under a hot Swiss sun. In the final, despite Gstaad Palace receiving 1½ goals by handicap, the Hublot foursome began to make up the difference and came close to an undefeated record, but it was not to be, and Gstaad Palace retained its 2008 title by the narrowest of margins. The earlier consolation round was no less competitive, with Star Design downing Porsche 8½–8 for third place honours. ‘My heart almost stopped beating when Daniel Aegerter went down the field leaving all the other players behind, then made his fantastic goal,’ said tournament announcer Chris Carr. ‘The close teamwork and exact shots of the Star Design team were something to behold,’ he added.

Hublot’s Eduardo Menendez led all scoring in tournament play with 15 goals, and was named Best Professional Player. Gstaad Palace’s Alejandro Agote finished second in scoring with 11 goals in three games. Hublot captain, Gualtiero Giori scored twice and was honored as Best Amateur Player of the tournament.

The re-run of the Argentine Open between the world’s two top-rated teams was something of an anti-climax, says Herbert Spencer

When Ellerstina Etiqueta Negra defeated reigning champions La Dolfina Peugeot in the 2008 Argentine Open last December, with a golden goal in extra time, they were a 39-goal team against La Dolfina’s 40-goal line-up. After Ellerstina’s victory, however, the Argentine association raised the handicap of the team’s Juan Martin Nero, who was named 1 Most Valuable Player of the final, from 9 to 10. So for the first time in many a year, polo now had two established teams playing at the sport’s maximum rating of 40 goals.

Ellerstina and La Dolfina met again at the beginning of August this year in a muchanticipated ‘Rematch’ at Deauville Polo Club. The event was an initiative of Patrick Guerrand-Hermès, president of the Federation of International Polo (FIP), and Philippe de Nicolay, president of the Normandy Club, who saw an opportunity to promote the sport by bringing the world’s two best high-goal teams to Europe. Guerrand-Hermès called the 40–40 event ‘historic’.

De Nicolay hosted the Rematch on the club’s newly rebuilt No. 1 ground in the centre of the resort’s famous racecourse, kicking off the Deauville polo season. Watchmaker Rolex came on board as title sponsor and Eurosport transmitted the game live to TV audiences in 89 countries.

The eight 10-goal players were Nero, brothers Facundo and Gonzalito Pieres and Pablo MacDonough, for Ellerstina, and Adolfo Cambiaso, Lucas Monteverdi, Mariano Aguerre and Bartolomé Castagnola for La Dolfina. The two teams were reputedly paid $1.2m for their appearance.

Sadly, however, no one could control the weather. It began raining heavily an hour before the match and the downpour continued throughout. There were around 2,000 spectators sheltering under umbrellas, a far cry from the 15,000 that had watched the teams clash in Buenos Aires eight months earlier.

The Deauville ground was soggy in the early going and, with the Argentine season starting in September, none of the 10-goalers appeared willing to risk themselves or their ponies by riding flat out. Although the players put on some dazzling displays of the skills that earned them the sport’s maximum rating – stick work, riding off and teamwork – the game lacked the spark of a regular tournament competition.

Technically, it didn’t remain a 40–40 game for long. Midway through the second of six chukkas, La Dolfina’s Lolo Castagnola took a hard ball to his hand and had to retire. With no 10-goal substitute available, his place was taken by 7-goaler Guillermo Terrera, who was in Normandy playing for Edouard Carmignac’s Talandracas in the Deauville Gold Cup. Terrera went on to score two goals for the team and, ironically, was named MVP.

Ellerstina led in the first, second and fourth chukkas, with the game tied up at the end of the third and fifth periods. The sixth chukka saw them run out 11–10 winners.

Despite the setbacks, Guerrand-Hermès pronounced the match a resounding success and said he was discussing with the two teams the possibility of bringing them to another venue in Europe to play another 40–40 match next year.

There are, however, some FIP members who question whether the federation should be involved in such special high-goal events that largely benefit only a handful of players from one country. Especially as the next running of the FIP’s own World Cup, in which upwards of 30 countries are expected to participate, has yet to find funding or a venue.

● It is the first time in the history of polo that a rematch between the two finalist teams of the Abierto di Palermo has been played ● The game had worldwide exposure. It was broadcast to 111 countries and over 187 million households in Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America, Australia and the United States ● In Europe the event reached 4 million viewers ● It was the first time in Europe a polo match was broadcast live and in high definition. The coverage was enriched with live interviews of players and team managers

From left to right: Bartolomé Castagnola, Mariano Aguerre, Lucas Monteverdi, Adolfo Cambiaso, Philippe de Nicolay, Laurent-Eric Le Lay, Patrick Guerrand-Hermès, Facundo Pieres, Gonzalito Pieres, Pablo MacDonough and Juan Martin Nero.

The Santa Maria Polo Club in Spain has cemented its place as one of Europe’s best, finds Clare Milford Haven and Edwina Haynes

After an unexpected and definitive win in the semi finals of the Gold Cup Jaeger-LeCoultre against Ayala, Las Monjitas were the favourites to go on to a sure victory in the finals against Taittinger Dos Lunas, held at the Santa Maria Polo Club in Sotogrande, southern Spain. Eduardo Novillo Astrada and Juan Gris Zavaleta had proved themselves forces to be reckoned with in their decimation of Pelon Stirling’s normally impenetrable game in the semis. So it was with a certain nonchalance that the 400 or so spectators came out in the searing August heat to watch what was anticipated as a potential walkover to the boys in the fluorescent orange shirts.

And, for the first half of the game, the score more than reflected this attitude as Las Monjitas rapidly took the lead with a 7-1 advantage over Taittinger Dos Lunas. But then slowly Taittinger Dos Lunas started to find their pace and rhythm. With Gonzalito Pieres at the helm the team regrouped and made a remarkable recovery. Perhaps it is only while under real pressure that the true grit of a top player shines through, and when Gonzalito scored a goal in the sixth chukka, taking the score to 10-10, it seemed that nothing could stop him. And nothing did. He went on to convert a 40-yard penalty in extra time, sealing his name not only on the coveted Gold Cup but also as the highest-ranking player of this year’s World Tour. It was a brilliant finale to the tournament.

But then, the Santa Maria Polo Club in sleepy Andalucia has always been a special place to watch polo. Located within the vast Sotogrande resort, it was founded in 1961. The first polo ground, ‘La Playa’, appeared beside the beach club in 1965, with spectators donning swimming costumes rather than cocktail dresses, and the horses – and, presumably, players – cooling off in the sea after matches.

The club continues to expand, and now has nine polo grounds in three locations, Los Pinos, Río Sotogrande and Puente de Hierro. Mostly used for the Medium Goal and Low Goal matches, all offer superior playing facilities. The newest grounds, Los Pinos, were inaugurated last year, and are now the home of High Goal Polo in Spain. They are where the high handicap matches of the International Summer Tournament are played, as well as most of the winter tournaments. They incorporate cutting-edge technology – four of the grounds can be used after severe rainstorms, and laser technology ensures near-perfectly level ground surfaces. The grass is a modern variety called Tifton, which is springy, disease-resistant and extremely tough, withstanding the pressure of the most vigorous game – ‘treading in’ never happens at Sotogrande and a grass expert is flown in twice a year from Argentina to assess its condition – while a superior drainage system guarantees excellent playing conditions year round. Improvement works on the rest of the grounds and extensive new stables are now being planned.

Sotogrande, dubbed ‘the Wimbledon of polo grounds’, is deservedly enjoying its position as one of the top European polo clubs. Former High Goal player and professional umpire Tito Gomez, who taught many of the current players in Sotogrande and has witnessed so much change over the years, sums up his well-deserved pride in the club’s longevity and success: ‘The grandchildren of the first players are now forming their own teams, and the calibre of the sport is higher than ever,’ he says.

Eden Ormerod cruising with the ball

Building on the success of last year’s inaugural event, says Jane Blore, celebrity hideaway Sandbanks was once again a beach polo paradise

The Sandbanks Peninsular, synonymous with celebrity lifestyles, expensive cars and multimillion-pound homes, once again hosted the British Beach Polo Championships in July.

More used to attracting hundreds on a sunny day for sandcastles and ice creams, windbreaks are erected and deckchairs are unfolded for one week in the year to survey the goings-on of the polo pitch.

In 2008, the Borough of Poole opened the sands for the first time for beach polo. This year, in four days, a pitch was prepared and bespoke arena walls constructed, with grandstand seating for 1,200 guests and huge entertainment marquees. The construction works attracted a crowd of onlookers — mostly little boys – who found it all far more exciting than a bucket and spade.

Played on compacted sand irrigated by the local fire brigade in the early hours, beach polo is played to standard arena polo rules except the ball is larger and lighter. The event attracted many of the great names in polo, with six teams entered into the championships.

On Friday 10 July Team SOS Recruitment beat Team Pommery 10–2, Team Lloyds Property Group, resplendent in their bright yellow Kukri polo shirts, destroyed Team Hotel Du Vin 7–1, the experience of the 2008 championships coming out once again in Spencer McCarthy’s Lloyds team.

The pitch, by this time, was starting to show signs of drying out, so the skillful took the ball into the air, transforming the game into one more akin to polocrosse. Later a drizzle sent many into the marquees but those that stuck it out in the grandstand watched Team Poole Audi – last year’s winning outfit – defeated by Team Bailey Robinson by 8 to 6.

The finale on each day was an International Game between the ICM England Beach Polo Team – Simon Holley (0), Chris Hyde (6) and Ryan Pemble (5) against Julia’s House South America Team – Matias Ballesteros (4), Matias Amaya (3) and Nico Fontanarrosa (5). The South Americans won, in the driving rain, on Friday night by a narrow margin, 8–7.

Beach Polo has always been about more than polo – it is a society, party and charity event. One of the joys of the sand is that you can do things on it that would not be permitted on the hallowed pitches of Guards or Cowdray — the annual Poole Audi race between an Audi Q7 and a polo pony being one example!

In aid of the Heaton-Ellis Trust the winner of this year’s race raffle walked away with a Yamaha piano. The late David Heaton-Ellis worked with the founder of the event, Johnny Wheeler, to deliver the 2008 championship, and his enthusiasm and wit were missed.

By the second day of the championships, a night of heavy rain had left the pitch in good condition. Team Pommery beat Team Bailey Robinson, and Team Poole Audi claimed third place, defeating Team Hotel Du Vin. The final was a great battle between Team Lloyds Property Group, which included Spencer McCarthy, Maurice and Eden Ormerod, and the flamboyant Team SOS Recruitment led by Jack Kidd with his sister, Jodie, and their friend Jamie Morrison. Team SOS stole the title 8–6. The evening’s International Match saw England the victors 11–9, with Charlie Woodridge awarded most valuable player.

The British Beach Polo Championships would not be complete without going to the infamous Beach Party. Undaunted by the weather, society turned out in force in a stunning array of finery to dance the night away at a party hosted by Bournemouth’s most favoured private nightclub venue, PRIVA.

Only in its second year, the event was a sell out and an estimated 6,000 people attended. The British Beach Polo Championships now has a well-earned place in the polo calendar. Everyone expects to return next year – and has fingers crossed for sunshine.

More than just a game, the lively atmosphere of an international polo match impresses polo newcomer Nicky Gojkovic

Upon my arrival at Coworth Park it immediately became clear how much more there is to polo than I’d thought. It’s not just a game of hockey on a horse! Despite it being my first time at a match, I was pleased to find that I grasped the basics of the game quickly, and I was soon engrossed in the excitement of the matches.

The energetic atmosphere set the tone for the Westbury International on 4 July, which pitted two teams from South East Asia against youthful English counterparts. Champagne was flowing – not for the riders of course – and a tangible buzz could be felt among spectators before the matches even began.

Four teams were there to contest the Westbury International. The Young England team comprised Jack Richardson (2), Max Charlton (3), Nick Pepper (4) and Richard Le Poer (4), while the South East Asia men’s team included HH Tengku Shazril (3), Edham Shahruddin (4), Huzaini Yunos (4) and Nattapong Pratumiee (2). For the women’s match, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Hurlingham ladies’ team put forward Matilda Woodd (0), Marchioness Milford Haven (0), Sarah Wiseman (1) and the Hon. Lila Pearson (0) against the South East Asia ladies’ team of Caroline Link (0), Akiko Kume (0), Daryl Yeap (0) and Claudia Zeisberger (0).

I soon discovered that one of the most important factors in polo is the amount of interaction between the player and their pony prior to the game. This relationship can be a major influence on the success of the team.

For the Westbury, the South East Asian visitors had less time to get to know their mounts, and the familiarity the home teams had with their ponies seemed to give them an advantage. As Daryl Yeap from the South East Asia Ladies’ team admitted, she was “only just about comfortable with her horse”.

Familiarity and experience did seem to be the deciding factors in both matches. First up, after an early brace of goals from the South East Asia Men’s team, Young England took control in the second chukka with four goals, winning with a final score of 8½–3½.

In the second match, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Hurlingham ladies’ team dominated from the off and only a fourth-chukka flurry from the South East Asian ladies prevented a clean sweep as the match ended 7–2½.

The ambience surrounding the match was enhanced by the music and the constant flow of canapés and drinks, which all added to the excitement of the event. Like me, the South East Asia ladies’ team were amazed at the enthusiasm that surrounds polo in England, and the impact the game has on spectators. All in all, it was a fantastic day out, and I’ll definitely be back for more.

On Sunday 5th, 400 invited guests were treated to a day of keenly contested polo at Coworth. The main match of the day was played at a blistering pace and saw the Apes Hill Club of Prince William, Prince Harry, Harald Link from the Thai Polo Club and Malcolm Borwick, an accomplished member of the England Polo Team take away the inaugural Westbury Shield. Despite the defeat, the popular Knowledge To Action Team of HH Prince Amir Shah of Pehang, HRH Prince Rashid of Jordan, England Polo Manager Andrew Hine and Bruce MerivaleAustin, received a huge reception during the presentation ceremony.

Azad Cola, Managing Director of The Westbury Hotel commented, ‘During the current economic crisis it is only too easy for people to forget those less fortunate. Therefore it is even more important for us to remember our social responsibilities and endeavor to do even more.’

The day raised over £50,000 in support of three charitable causes: Tusk Trust, Sentebale and Mountain Rescue England and Wales, all supported by Prince William and Harry.

1 In line to the throne: Prince William ahead of Prince Harry 2 From left: Malcolm Borwick, Princes William and Harry, Harald Link 3 Max Charlton in blue chased by HH Tengku Shazri

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Saint Tropez Five 12-goal teams came to the fields of Polo Club Saint Tropez to enjoy the polo as well as the sunshine, beaches and the lovely villages A month of fierce competition that make coming to the south of France in saw title-holders Sainte Memse going all out to defend the Open August a unique polo vacation. The international line-up of patrons included, from Switzerland – Christine Baer and David Amar, du Soleil, reports Susan Stovall Sweden – Kristian Petersson and his son Viktor, Pakistan – Alshair Fiyaz, and Germany – Corinne Schuler and her son, Edouard Benveniste-Schuler. Madame Schuler has been the owner of Polo Club Saint Tropez for 11 years and has made the club very special for both players and public. The sponsors for the month of fierce competition at Polo Club Saint Tropez were Hublot, Aquapax, John Taylor Real Estate, Club 55 and Vicomte A. The F Polo Team has had a very successful season for the Justin Gaunt-managed foursome of Diego Braun (5), Werner Meier (0), Justin Gaunt (4), and new to the team Leroux Hendricks (3) who won all of their games with authority. The game that decided the other finalists was between Christine Baer’s Azur team and Gualtiero Giori’s Villa a Sesta. Down to the last chukka and going into overtime, Azur’s Mathieu Delfosse (4) scoring the winning goal to give Azur a 9–8 victory.

Come the final, F Polo Team was the favourite but Azur, with the Petracchi Brothers, José (3) and Sebastián (5), was ready to take the title. Goals went back and forth until Sebastián Petracchi took control of the game and went on to lead the Azur team to victory with five goals in the 7–4 win. Gualtiero Giori was leading patron scorer for the tournament.

1 The parade at Gassin: (left to right) Juan Martin Garcia Labrode, Francisco Irastorza, Corinne Schuler and son Edouardo Benveniste-Schuler representing Polo Club St Tropez 2 The winners of the Open du Soleil, Sainte Memse: (left to right)Birger Strom, Christian Nordheimer, Marcos Mocoroa and Robert Strom

In the second half of the month, new patrons playing for the Open du Soleil included Jérome Wirth (1) and Shahe Kalaidjian (-1) for Enigma-Sezz and Robert (1) and Birger (1) Strom of Sainte Memse. The four 12-goal teams played each other, vying for the top two spots for the finals. For a special evening the players were invited to ride through the nearby 15th-century village of Gassin and then celebrate the produce of the many local wineries with the mayor.

Coming from its win in the Cote d’Azur Cup, Azur was the team to beat. Nevertheless, Enigma-Sezz took its opponents into overtime in a very close match. High scorers for Azur were Matheiu Delfosse with three goals and Malcolm Borwick (6) with two, but the hero was José Petracchi, who scored the winning goal, giving Azur the win 6–5. Sainte Memse and Enigma-Sezz had a close match going to the final bell with father-son combination, Birger and Robert Strom scoring three of the four goals for Sainte Memse, but Borwick scored four goals to give Enigma-Sezz a 5–4 victory. Saint Tropez had Tom Barrack, founder of a new polo club in Sardinia, as guest plyer for its game against Sainte Memse. The score was 7–5 to Sainte Memse.

The semi-finals pitted Azur against St Tropez and Sainte Memse against EnigmaSezz, with both Azur and Sainte Memse winning 7–4. High-scorer Robert Strom took four goals for Sainte Memse and Sebastián Petracchi three for Azur.

Christine Baer’s Azur were definitely pursuing back-to-back victories, but Sainte Memse were defending the Open du Soleil title from 2008, so each team was raring to go. Robert Strom and Marcos Orocoroa scored two quick goals in the first chukka and Saint Memse added a third in the second, but Sebastián Petracchi hit four in the second and Matheiu Delfosse had one – at half-time it was 5–3 to Azur. In the third, Robert Strom was deadly, with three quick goals, and two more in the fourth – and with Christian Nordheimer (5) adding one, Sainte Memse retained their Open du Soleil title. Robert Strom was the highestscoring patron with 15 goals for the series. Jerome Wirth and Shahe Kalaidjian’s EnigmaSezz won the subsidiary over Saint Tropez.

The 2009 season at Polo Club Saint Tropez ends in September, with the Silver Cup and Gold Cup, both at 15 goals.

The Polo de Paris Club made polo history as Argentinian 10-goalers descended on the French capital for Europe’s first ever 40–40 contest, reports Herbert Spencer

In June the French capital’s elegant Polo de Paris Club staged its largest event in over eighty years when the club played host to The Hublot Perfect Match, an exhibition game played by eight Argentine professionals all holding polo’s maximum handicap of 10 goals.

It was the first 40–40 match ever played on the Continent and was an initiative of the Asociación Argentina de Jugadores de Polo (AAJP), the Argentine high-goal players’ association; the Swiss watchmakers Hublot; and Pierre-Yves Charbonniere, president of the French club’s polo committee, to showcase the best the sport has to offer.

Polo de Paris, an exclusive club where normally only members – the crème-de-lacrème of Parisian society – can watch the action, was transformed for The Hublot Perfect Match. Extra grandstands were erected across from the clubhouse, the public was admitted, and the ground was lined with sponsors’ signage to create the atmosphere of a major sporting event. An estimated 2,300 spectators crowded the clubhouse terraces and the stands opposite.

“This was certainly the club’s biggest polo event since games were played here in the 1924 Olympics,” said Charbonniere, who was born in Argentina and spends half the year there, where his family breeds polo ponies. “And it was ‘official’,” he added, “in that it was supported by the Argentine ministry of tourism, with the Argentine ambassador there to present the prizes.”

Ten of the sport’s 10-goal superstars divided into the two teams for The Perfect Match. The Granaderos team comprised Facundo Pieres, Pablo MacDonough, Miguel Novillo Astrada and Bartolomé Castagnola, with Lucas Monteverde as substitute. The Patricios team had Agustín Merlos, Juan Martín Nero, Mariano Aguerre and Marcos Heguy, substitute Gonzalito Pieres.

Granaderos took an early lead and remained ahead throughout the six-chukka match. By halftime they were 8–4 up. Then Patricio held their opponents scoreless for two chukkas and came within a goal of them before the sixth period ended 11–9 in favour of Granaderos.

“This was not meant to be a competitive match,” explained Charbonniere, “but an exhibition to show the public the skills of players at the highest levels of polo, and the 10-goalers did a excellent job in this game.”

Luis Ureta, Argentina’s ambassador to France, presented the prizes, assisted by Sophie Thalmann, a former Miss France. Prizes for the players included a limited edition of Hublot’s “Big Bang” wristwatch with the Polo de Paris logo on the face and The Hublot Perfect Match logo on the reverse.

After the prize presentations the organisers auctioned off a group of painted sculptures of polo ponies that had been made specially for the event. The charity auction raised some €30,000 for the supporting foundation of the Hospital Fernandez in Buenos Aires.

The Argentine players and Hublot could not have chosen a more prestigious venue for the Continent’s first 40–40 exhibition. Polo de Paris, situated at Bagatelle on the French capital’s Bois de Boulogne, near the Longchamp racecourse, was founded in the 19th century and is an important tennis and show jumping centre as well as a gathering place for the social élite. Some 3,000 prominent families hold membership and there is a waiting list of around 500 more.

When polo was still part of the Olympics, matches were played at Bagatelle during the 1900 and 1924 Paris games. “It’s a history of which Polo de Paris is justifiably proud,” says Charbonniere, “and the club can now add a 21st-century first to its credits with The Hublot Perfect Match.”

It was a perfect California fall afternoon. The air was crisp and the sun was out for over 2,500 polo spectators eager to see the showdown between Santa Barbara’s local Grants Farm entry and Scott Woods’ ERG team from Texas. And they were treated to a fitting ending to one of the most unpredictable California high-goal seasons in years.

The Pacific Coast Open was celebrating its 102nd year of competition and teams travelled from across the country to compete.

Scott Wood’s ERG team and John Muse’s Lucchese entries came from Texas, while Audi and Patagones travelled from Florida. Colorado’s Bob Jornayvaz’s Valiente entry made its first Pacific Coast Open appearance with 9-goaler Nacho Astrada aboard, and Lyndon Lea arrived from England to compete with his Zacara team. The only two California entries were Ben Soleimani’s Mansour team from Los Angeles and Andy Busch’s Grants Farm team from Santa Barbara. The eight teams were divided into two brackets of competition with ERG and Grants Farm emerging as the ultimate tournament finalists. 1There was no defending champion this year, as Audi suffered two losses in the Pacific Coast Open competition after charging undefeated through the 2008 season. ‘We had some health issues in our first match,’ said Audi team captain Marc Ganzi, ‘and after losing the opener we needed help to make it to the finals.’

Six-goaler Juan Bollini was suffering from food poisoning in Audi’s first match with Grants Farm and they found themselves on the short end of a 17-13 score.

In the second bracket, Carlos Gracida and a strong Patagones entry found itself on the sidelines after its 10-9 semi-final loss to a Grants Farm team they had earlier defeated in the finals of the Skene Cup.

‘I felt like we had control of the game,’ said Carlos Gracida. ‘the team was playing well and the horses were just where we wanted them to be.’

The final six goals of the game, however, were Penalty 2s. Patagones was awarded two of them and Grants Farm connected on four of them.

‘We’re just going to have to come back and win it next year,’ said Gracida.

Lucchese’s form had slipped since its appearance in the finals of the America Cup as the team suffered dismal penalty shooting statistics, and neither Ben Soleimani’s Mansour team nor Bob Jornayvaz’s Valiente seemed up to the task, while Lyndon Lea’s Zacara entry struggled to find itself early on. ‘I felt we had the strongest team from the beginning,’ said Grants Farm’s Jeff Hall.

And the match-up between Scott Wood’s ERG foursome from Texas and local Andy Busch’s Grants Farm team turned into a real nailbiter. In a game that began in a 2-2 tie after the opening chukker, ERG managed to hold on for a narrow 7-6 halftime lead.

Grants Farm came back in the fourth chukker, outscoring ERG 2-1 and knotting the score at 8-8.

Pedro Falabella scored the first goal of the fifth chukker to give Grants Farm a 9-8 advantage, but goals from Paco de Narvaez and Blake closed the period with ERG on top of a 10-9 score

Grants Farm rode into the final chukker needing one goal to tie and two to go ahead.

De Narvaez opened the scoring in the final chukker to give ERG an 11-9 edge, and then Grants Farm put it into overdrive. Goals from Busch and Hall tied it at 11-11 before Sugar Erskine’s goal put them on top, 12-11.

Grants Farm took control of the ensuing throw-in and, with less than forty seconds on the clock, carried it the length of the field where Hall hammered it through to ice the game, 13-11.

Jeff Blake was named MVP of the finals while Sugar Erskine’s 14-year-old Bay mare Shell Rock was named Best Playing Pony. Jeff Hall received the Bob Skene Trophy as Best Player of the Season. ‘It was a great win – truly a team effort,’ Hall said.

Top Sugar Erskine, winner of the PCO in 2008 and 2009, in front of the stands Above Jeff Hall kisses the cup