Club Focus
Your Club News from Home and Abroad
New Players’ Pavilion at DBPC Photograph by Thom Collie
EXCITINGLY, THE FINISHING touches are being added to the thatched roof of the Players’ Pavilion of Dallas Burston Polo Club. The Club have announced the new bar and lounge will be launched as The Millstone Hare, in reference to the old mill on the Stoneythorpe Estate, and the wonderful family of hares that live on the estate. Formal invitations will follow, but in the meantime, the Club would like you to save the date for this VIP Opening on Friday 19 August, from 7pm to 9pm, which will include light refreshments, a sample menu and a polo match on Yellow Ground, as well as equestrian activities in the arena. Please RSVP when you have received your invitation.
Collie Cup winners, Specsavers
Trio of Trophies Highden Win Holiday at Apes Hill ON THE WEEKEND of 28 – 29 May, Rutland Polo Club hosted the Bronze Horse Trophy, Rutland Cup and Collie Cup. A cloudy first day with some hard fought matches gave way to a much warmer Final’s Day on Sunday 29 May. The first match of the day was the Collie Cup Final between Shuif Hussain’s Stapleford Park and Guido Basile’s Specsavers. A very tight and hard marking game saw Specsavers go ahead with a minute left on the clock, with a great goal from Emma Sanderson, who played particularly well in the Final, and whose pony was awarded Best Playing Pony. Next up was the Bronze Horse Final, contested between Kate Ewart’s Kingscliffe and Martin Reason’s Deane Bank. A quick start by Ed Winterton was built upon, with Kingscliffe running out the winners of the Bronze Horse Final. Alice Servae’s pony OB was awarded Best Playing Pony. The final Final of the day was between Andy Cork’s Print on Demand (POD) and Graham Waring’s Warings’. The game was a one sided affair as POD took the game by the scruff of the neck with a number of goals by Joe North and his strong partnership with Alec Banner-Eve proving too strong for Waring’s lynchpin Mark Holmes. Joe’s pony, Sharon, was awarded Best Playing Pony.
66
Polo Times, August 2016
Photograph courtesy of Knepp Castle
Apes Hill Club 2 Goal Tournament teams: Highden: Alfie Hyde (-2), Robbie Denman (0), Guy Higginson (3) & Will Brasher (1) La Bellena: Zoe Bucknell (-1), Maxi Fernandez (0), Harry Revell (1) & Nick Clague (2)
Cool Win at Cowdray
Photograph courtesy of Cowdray Park Polo Club
June 4 goal winners, Ice Craft
HIGHDEN RAN OUT the winners at this year’s Apes Hill Club 2 Goal Tournament over La Bellena 5-4. It was a tightly contested Final at Knepp Castle, with both teams neck and neck throughout, never gaining more than a one goal lead. It was 4-4 with one minute left on Winners Highden with runners-up La Ballena the clock, when a penalty secured the win for Highden. The winners received a week’s holiday in a private villa at the stunning Apes Hill Club, Barbados. Young Alfie Hyde who played like a bandit off -2, received Most Valuable Player honours and his pony Santorini won Best Playing Pony.
“FAST, ENTERTAINING POLO played to a really high standard” was the verdict of the Polo Manager, Chris Bethell, following the Final and Subsidiary Finals of The June 4 Goal Tournament played for the Lodsworth Cup at Cowdray Park on Sunday 19 July. Alcedo won the ball from the first throw-in, but Watson for Ice Craft was soon onto it. With fast end-to-end action, there were several missed attempts at goal by both sides including two missed penalties, but the fourth and final chukka was action packed with goals galore resulting in a score of 7-3 in Ice Craft’s favour. The June 4 Goal Cup and prizes were presented by Mrs Fiona Kent. In the Subsidiary Final, Todham won 4-2 win over the Dubliner Irish Whiskey. Once again, spectators were treated to an exciting display of polo from the young players to whom Chris Bethell was delighted to hand out prizes. The June 4 Goal Cup for Lodsworth Cup Final teams: Ice Craft: Ollie Cork (1), Alan Kent (2), Byron Watson (2) & Emma MacRae (-1) Alcedo: Andrew Swaffield (-1), Terence Lent (1), Jack Berner (2) & Nick Clague (3) The Subsidiary Final teams: Todham: Alfie Hyde (-2), Harry Revell (1), Boyd Allen (1) & Martin Podesta (4) Dubliner Irish Whiskey: Jamie Scott (0), Dorian Bulteau (2), Jack Taylor (2) & Robbie Denman (0) www.polotimes.co.uk