Reports
Victor Ludorum Winners
12 Goal
The Dollar Cup success for the Poulton Balvanera boys, with Hunter and Iriarte finding the posts one apiece, before Emerson replied with a fifth goal for Conosco to make the score 5-3 at half-time. The half-time break appeared to benefit the Poulton Balvanera boys a little more than their Conosco opposition, as come the end of the third chukka the scoreboard read an even 5-5, meaning all eight players returned to the field for the final seven minutes with everything to play for. Poulton Balvanera returned, continuing to produce the attacking play they had established in the previous chukka. Iriarte led the way, with Hunter quickly following suit to put them in the lead, 7 goals to 5. However, with three minutes to go, Webb and Emerson illustrated strong teamwork and kept their heads together to make it 7 all, so once again the title was very much open. A final throw-in saw JJ De Alba take-off with the ball, showcasing some impressive stickwork as he galloped towards goal before a foul in the goalmouth resulted in a penalty in favour of Poulton Balvanera. Iriarte showed no signs of hesitation as he sent the ball through the centre of the posts, securing The 2015 Dollar Cup for Poulton Balvanera.
T he Dollar Cup; Monday 25 May; Cowdray Park Polo Club Result: Poulton Balvanera beat Conosco, 8-7 Subsidiary Final: BHC/Cadenza Juniors beat Emlor S, 7-5 Teams Poulton Balvanera (12): Tomas Iriarte 5; Lochie Hunter 4; Juan Jose De Alba 2; Ludo Ephson 1 Conosco (12): Will Emerson 5; Peter Webb 5; George Pearson 2; Josh Cork 0
Photograph by Clive Bennett/www.polopictures.co.uk
A record 19 teams entered this year’s Dollar Cup tournament at Cowdray Park Polo Club, making it one of the most popular in the HPA’s Victor Ludorum series. Following four successive victories, Ludo Ephson and Juan Jose De Alba’s Poulton Balvanera side were the first to secure a place in the Final, with George Pearson’s Conosco following suit shortly after. Both Finalists had achieved confident wins in their Semi Final matches, with Poulton Balvanera defeating Beaufort Black Hound 8 goals to 4 and Conosco beating Maiz Dulce 8-3, meaning come Final’s Day both sides were arriving on form. The Poulton Balvanera line-up featured Ephson and De Alba upfront with New Zealand’s Lochie Hunter at Number Three and Argentine Tomas Iriarte at back, while Josh Cork played in the Number One position for Conosco, with Pearson at Two and 5-goal Englishmen, Will Emerson and Pete Webb securing the Number Three and Number Four positions. Conosco seemed to be the side to take control in the early stages, with the WebbEmerson combination producing four goals to Hunter’s single for Poulton Balvanera. The second chukka however proved to bring more
Winners of The 2015 Dollar Cup: Ludo Ephson, Juan Jose De Alba, Tomas Iriarte & Lochie Hunter with Lila Pearson
The Prince of Wales Cup
Photography by Gordon Lindsay
The second Victor Ludorum 12 goal, which was hosted by Beaufort Polo Club, saw a significant decrease in the number of team entries. However, despite the fact that only nine teams were contesting for the title, both Dollar Cup Finalists featured in the tournament’s programme, meaning competition was as competitive as ever. Throughout the whole of The Prince of Wales Cup tournament, with an exception on one occasion, every match was won or lost by a single goal, with the majority of games being decided in an extra 30 seconds, or even a fifth chukka, and the Final proved to be no different.
Dave Allen, Luke Wiles & Daoud Zekrya in action
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Polo Times, July 2015
Dollar Cup Finalists Poulton Balvanera and Conosco had already illustrated their team strengths in the series’ first 12 goal tournament, and they returned, determined to reach their second successive Final. Their quest seemed to be going to plan, but only until the Semi Finals. It was at this stage that both Poulton Balvanera and Conosco’s route to the Final came to an end. Poulton Balvanera were defeated by home team Beaufort Black Hound, a side they have come up against four times in this year’s 12 goal competition, while Conosco lost out on a place in the Final to Daoud Zekrya’s Aryana side, a single goal being the deciding factor in both instances. The Final displayed 12 goal level at its best, with Beaufort Black Hound and Aryana producing an extremely exciting and closely fought match. Following four chukkas of fast-paced polo, it was Beaufort Black Hound who managed to secure the title 7 goals to 6, the score once again as close as can be. The Subsidiary Final was also won by a
Winners of The 2015 Prince of Wales Cup: Beaufort Black Hound
Beaufort-based team, with Apache defeating Snakebite with another score of 7-6.
The Prince of Wales Cup; Saturday 6 June; Beaufort Polo Club Result: Beaufort Black Hound beat Aryana, 7-6 Subsidiary Final: Apache beat Snakebite, 7-6 Teams Beaufort Black Hound (12): Mark Tomlinson 6; Nico Antinori 5; Ed Banner-Eve 2; Luke Wiles -1 Aryana (13): Tommy Ruiz Guinazu 6; Dave Allen 4; Justo Mourino 3; Daoud Zekrya 0
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