Volume 16 • Issue 9 • October 2011 • £5.50
www.polotimes.co.uk
Clockwork orange Perfectly synchronised Las Monjitas shine bright in stunning Sotogrande Plus: we look ahead to the FIP World Cup PT p1 cover JM JOS.indd 1
23/9/11 12:20:30
PT p2-3 dps.indd 2
23/9/11 13:13:17
PT p2-3 dps.indd 3
23/9/11 13:17:25
the
Big
PT p18-19 Big Pic JM PJ JOS.indd 2
picture
21/9/11 12:38:04
The original dusty spring field This stunning photograph taken in spring in Argentina by Alice Gipps features a female groom in traditional gaucho clothing, leading a string of polo ponies across Estancia Don Manuel. The dusty, earthy tones accentuate the tranquil mood that so many have experienced and love about Argentina. Polo photographer Gipps is well known in the polo community, with a reputation that has grown since she first had her polo images published in Polo Times 10 years ago. Her shots from England and around the world have since been used in such prestigious publications as Horse & Hound, The Daily Telegraph, The Times, Country Life and Polo Players Edition. But event photography isn’t her only talent as she also offers a wide range of fine art prints and takes personal commissions. Alice Gipps is also a zero-goal player and takes part in polo competitions internationally, stating the “unpredictable new challenges of the game” as her inspiration both as a player and a viewer behind the lens. “The game consistently throws up new, exciting and unexpected images,” she explained. “And the horses, tack and people involved fuels endless ideas for creative work from the sidelines as well.” w To see more of her work, turn to our artworks products special on page 80, visit www.alicegipps.com, or contact her directly on 07855 742909 w Discover more about Estancia Don Manuel on page 66
PT p18-19 Big Pic JM PJ JOS.indd 3
21/9/11 12:38:20
Feature
Interview – Bartolomé “Lolo” Castagnola
Lolo aims high Seven-time Argentine Open winner Bartolomé “Lolo” Castagnola is gearing up for his first Argentine season in almost two decades without his brother-in-law Adolfo Cambiaso by his side. The straight-talking 41-year-old holds back nothing as he discusses leaving La Dolfina, his impressive new team Estancia Grande and his love of horse breeding
Carlos Beer in Argentina
You left La Dolfina at the end of 2010 after a very successful spell with the team. How did it feel to leave? It was a good part of my life, which is already over. Now I’m very much looking forward to the next step of my career. How disappointed were you to lose your last Argentine Open final against Ellerstina? It’s always disappointing to lose a final in any team you play with. Obviously I would have loved to have won that final.
Photograph by Carlos Beer
Do you think Ellerstina will be able to retain the title in Palermo this year? As long as they keep playing, the chances will always be there. They are a great team, with a super organization that makes the difference, and they are very much looking forward to it. You are teaming up with the Merlos brothers, Sebastián and Agustín, and your former La Dolfina teammate Lucas Monteverde in the new Estancia Grande team. Are you ready for the new season? I’ve been thinking about it since the Tortugas in 2010. We had meetings with my teammates and we’re very much looking forward to the season. I guess one of the keys for this season is that Sebastián Merlos and myself both stay in control of our emotions. What are your thoughts about the new team? I think the team will play really well. I’m 30
Polo Times, October 2011
PT p30-33 interview JOS JM PJ.indd 2
very much looking forward to winning. We have great horses too. I plan to give some to Agustín. Sebastián will bring some from England and Lucas is well mounted. Do you feel that the team is good enough to win one of the three big tournaments in Argentina, or at least get to the final? Yes. The team will work. We know that we have to concentrate and play as a team. That will be very important. But yes, we can win. We’ve not seen you in the English high-goal since you played for El Remanso in 2009. Would you like to play in the UK again? If I can find a competitive team with a chance to win – yes, of course I will be back. This year I played in Florida in March and then I prepared to play in Santa Barbara in August. There was not a competitive team to go to in England and, also, while I was preparing
“The key for this season is that Sebastián Merlos and myself both stay in control” for Santa Barbara I was able to take care of my breeding programme and prepare for the Argentine season, which is very important. What did it take for your long-standing teammate Lucas Monteverde to win the Queen’s Cup in England this year? And why do you think Adolfo Cambiaso had a disappointing season in the UK? I can’t tell you for definite, because I haven’t talked to either of them about it, but I can guess what happened. Sometimes things work well and sometimes they don’t. In sport it is
very important to have a good head, whether you are winning or losing. Is it true that you once punched a journalist who was asking you more about playing with Cambiaso than about your own achievements? That’s not true at all; I’ve always been very proud of Cambiaso, and I consider him one of the best players in history. For me, it’s always been absolutely normal to be asked about him, and I’ve always said that there will never be another player like him. Your recent trip to Santa Barbara was your first with new daughter Lola. How is she? Yes, you’re right and I’m very happy! At first, I wanted another boy to have the chance to form a full team (alongside his two sons). But she arrived and I could not be happier. What do you plan to do when you eventually stop playing professionally? I’m very dedicated to polo horse breeding because it gives me great results. Most of the horses I play in Argentina and overseas I bred myself. Outside that, there’s always a chance to try new things like coaching as well. How does your organisation work? Tell us about your horses. As you’ll probably have realised already, I’m completely dedicated to horse breeding. I care about everything related to a horse from the very start, from the moment they are born, to the time they play polo. I’m always involved in ever detail – first practices, first tournaments they play. The whole process takes place on my own farm, and I check it by myself. All of the horses I played during my u Right: Castagnola in the new Estancia Grande shirt
www.polotimes.co.uk
23/9/11 11:22:39
PT p30-33 interview JOS JM PJ.indd 3
23/9/11 11:22:47
Reports
Nespresso High-Goal Gold Cup, Sotogrande
The future’s bright. The future’s orange. Las Monjitas’s sizeable bright orange entourage celebrated wildly at the end of a hard-fought four weeks of competition in Sotogrande this August, where the team’s two young stars – Francisco Elizalde and Ignacio Laprida – came of age under the guidance of the imperious Eduardo Novillo Astrada
James Mullan in Southern Spain
Photograph by Tony Ramirez
Las Monjitas Ellerston
W
11 9
ith legendary horsepower and the tournament’s mostsought-after player, Facundo Pieres, defending champions Ellerston were the favourites once again to lift the High-Goal Gold Cup at Santa María Polo Club on the tournament’s 40th
36
anniversary this August. However, Colombian patron Camilo Bautista’s Las Monjitas side were determined to ensure victory would be anything but a formality and, having already won the High-Goal Bronze Cup in late July, they once again duly lit up the tournament in more ways than one. Playing attacking, inventive, passing polo – and wearing the brightest shirts in the competition – Las Montijas’s spirited threepronged attack left Pieres and his side looking rather unimaginative and one-dimensional as Ellerston crashed to an 11-9 defeat in the final. “It means an awful lot to me and my family to win this tournament,” said a delighted and exhausted 55-year-old Camilo Bautista at the end of the game. “It’s the one tournament I
haven’t won that I’ve always really wanted to. It was hard work out there but I’ll deal with that tomorrow. Right now, nothing hurts!” Packer and his team, meanwhile, were left to lick their wounds. Having narrowly beaten Most valuable player
Ignacio Laprida Las Monjitas in their early encounter in the group stages of the tournament, Ellerston were outplayed as the men in orange adopted new tactics to nullify the Piereses in the final. “For example, we varied what we were doing from the knock-ins depending on the chukka we were in, in order to make them
Polo Times, October 2011
PT p36-39 Sotogrande report JM PJ JOS.indd 2
21/9/11 12:50:22
Nespresso High-Goal Gold Cup, Sotogrande a little confused,” explained MVP Laprida, playing in Sotogrande for the third time. “This made it hard for them to know how to line-up against us, deliberately spreading ourselves up and down the ground to create spaces. And I think we also used our horses more intelligently this time, changing them more often and using them in short bursts to keep them at their best.” This variation, using three players handicapped at five-goals and above and moving the ball around the ground, gave
With eight-goaler Nico Pieres looking over-handicapped in my view, Ellerston rather complacently relied too heavily on his brother Facundo them the edge. Novillo Astrada in midfield used his experience to pull the strings, and the youthful exuberance of Laprida and Elizalde to get forward meant he always had plenty of passing options available. With James Packer hanging back in defence and Harry White restricted mainly to a blocking role, Ellerston’s number three Facundo had no such options. They simply weren’t as well balanced as Las Monjitas. “Maybe,” said Facundo Pieres, when I put that to him. “But we still had our chances. I’m not too disappointed, as they are a great side. You can see, everyone is one goal handicap less than they should be. We were a bit lucky to beat them in our previous encounter and I knew it would be tough to repeat.” Pieres may have a point about their handicaps but surely how teams format their
PT p36-39 Sotogrande report JM PJ JOS.indd 3
line-ups is a crucial part of the preparation for a tournament, just as important as tactics on the ground and horses. With Nico Pieres looking over-handicapped in my view, ultimately Ellerston relied too heavily on their 10-goaler – a somewhat complacent tactic which Polo Times warned against in 2010, when they narrowly sneaked victory. In 2011, though the no-turning rule was not as stringently enforced as in the UK, it meant Facundo couldn’t do it all himself. “Bautista’s boys put a damp rug over the fiery heat of Ellerston,” remarked a surprisingly lyrical Ralph Rogge, who once played for Las Monjitas at the lower levels. And he was right. Las Monjitas preyed on Facundo, giving him no space, forcing him to manufacture fouls and, in so doing, exposing a worrying new weakness in his game – his penalty taking. Pieres readily admits that La Bamba de Areco’s loss to Zacara in their Gold Cup semi-final at Cowdray Park was his biggest disappointment of the summer, when arguably his seven missed penalties proved to be the side’s undoing. This will worry him ahead of the Argentine season, and it will be interesting to see if he can iron out that chink in his armoury. For most Polo Times readers, that chance won’t
Top scorer in the final
Facundo Pieres come until the 2012 English high-goal season, when Facundo looks set to stay at La Bamba de Areco, as Gonzalito is likely to be the brother that will move to play for Packer as Ellerston makes its much-anticipated return to the UK high-goal. u
Reports
How did they perform? We mark the finalists out of 10, based on their effectiveness in terms of handicap
Las Monjitas Camilo Bautista (0) Largely quiet, but kept up with all the plays more than his opposing patron, James Packer. However, he wasn’t as effective with the stick and, as such, his role was principally blocking to make space for the three behind him. Francisco Elizalde (5) Elizalde scored the final goal with just seconds left to guarantee their victory, and his unbridled delight was a wonderful sight. However, he did make several defensive mistakes and his enthusiasm going forward too often let Facundo slip away unmarked. Eduardo Novillo Astrada (9) One of his most accomplished performances in recent memory, displaying horsepower, intelligence, experience, bravery, wonderful ball control and terrifically accurate passing and finishing. He made perhaps two errors in the entire game. Ignacio Laprida (6) Awarded the MVP trophy for his clinical finishing, breaking forward from his position at back, the young man’s goals were invaluable in the end, and gave Las Monjitas a third attacking threat that Ellerston lacked.
5 7 9 8
Ellerston Harry White (1) Like Bautista, White had clearly been asked to do a blocking role to leave Facundo and Nico Pieres with a clear path to goal as much as possible. He did this with only limited success in the end, and was also the only Ellerston player not to score.
4
Nico Pieres (8) Watched by father Gonzalo, the youngest Pieres brother impressed on occasions, scoring twice and producing a wonderful run in the fourth chukka, but he was not nearly as dominant as his eight-goal handicap would have you expect.
6
Facundo Pieres (10) The best mounted of all the players on the ground, “Facu” picked up where he left off in Sotogrande last season, showing fantastic skill, but he missed three 60-yard penalties (all from the same end of the ground) that could have made all the difference.
8
James Packer (1) Scored one of the goals of the day, executing a perfect offside backhand from an incredibly acute angle. However, his other contributions were not always so telling and he was often slightly off the pace and lingered back in defence.
6 21/9/11 12:50:32
Knowledge
Travel – Town and country accommodation in Argentina
Holiday with confidence Polo Times only likes to recommend places where we have actually sent our correspondents, so you can make your winter travel choice an informed one
Where to stay in Buenos Aires by James Mullan
We begin by reviewing three hotels, with first-hand accounts of their strengths and weaknesses
Opulent and iconic
PanAmericano Buenos Aires Though this hotel is certainly without the prestige of the Alvear Palace or the Park Hyatt, its iconic location and stunning rooftop spa facilities undoubtedly make the PanAmericano Buenos Aires an excellent high-end option for travellers who like to stay in large, comfortable hotels that afford plenty of privacy. Where is it? This hotel must have one of the best views in Buenos Aires, overlooking the Obelisk on Avenida 9 de Julio (the city’s grandest boulevard) and any room ending in 21 will almost certainly give you the stunning view from your own bedroom. Floors 13 to 18 also have balconies with these rooms, which is what I enjoyed in room 1721. Tucked behind the hotel is the vast riverside Retiro and San Nicolás shopping district, where even the most restless of present buyers will lose themselves quite happily for days discovering a wealth of leather goods at considerably more affordable prices than in nearby Recoletta. What’s the vibe? The hotel can accommodate up to 2,800 guests and, last December, they largely appeared to consist of wealthy families, attractive couples, swathes of businessmen and, on the weekend I was there, the entire entourage of the Red Bull Night Racing teams. The event pits well known rally drivers, Nascar stars and former F1 heros – all household names in South America – against each other in a vast high-profile carting street race on a track created around the Obelisk (and so directly beneath the hotel) on the weekend after the final of polo’s Argentine Open, attracting nationwide television coverage on Fox Sports. So you never knew who you were likely to be rubbing shoulders with at the cereal bar at breakfast, which was pretty cool. How’s the grub? Aside from the buffet breakfast I just mentioned, you’ll probably feel inclined to head out to the many restaurants and cafes nearby for your main meals. However, the PanAmericano has four eateries of sorts of its own too, including Left: the view from my balcony of the Red Bull cart racing round the iconic Obelisk on Avenida 9 de Julio
www.polotimes.co.uk
PT p62-73 Argentine travel JM PJ JOS.indd 2
21/9/11 13:39:49
Travel – Town and country accommodation in Argentina
Full marks for… Despite being part of a larger group – including a beautiful-looking fishing and skiing resort in Bariloche that is the largest five-star establishment in Patagonia – the PanAmericano Buenos Aires has a distinctive style that will
either grab you, or not – a blend of art deco lavish marble design with simple clean Italian finishing. However, make no mistake, by far the best thing about this hotel is the pool, spa and roof terrace on the 23rd floor. If you won’t have time to get up there, stay somewhere else. Could do better Those without a room at the front of the hotel, won’t have much by way of a view, but will still hear the endless streams of traffic day and night that hoot and rumble their way past on the eight lanes of Avenida 9 de Julio. Also, given the more modern feel than some of the other five-star hotels in the city (despite the age of the building), in my view they are missing a trick by not including iPod docking Rooms are comfortable and spacious but, whilst in the hotel, I’d recommend spending most of your time up at the rooftop spa and fitness centre, pictured below
stations in all the rooms and a wider choice of television channels. In terms of the service, staff were helpful enough, though not to the degree one typically excepts of a five-star hotel. One annoying thing was that no-one explained that, when I purchased my $40-worth of wireless internet access (slightly annoying to have to do in itself), I only needed to pre-order what I thought I would use, rather than a full pass for the entire duration of my stay. Perhaps the dingy lighting at reception provides some justification for the gloomy moods of the staff there, who afford you privacy by largely ignoring you. However, once I’d checked in, I didn’t have much need for them. The room was clean and comfortable and, after 10 days of rushing around, that was all I was after.
Photographs by James Mullan and PanAmericano
an award-winning restaurant that opens out onto the street as well as forming a part of the hotel and an oak-panelled “Celtic Pub” on the elaborately decorated ground floor. However, European travellers craving a pint and pie will be disappointed (in truth, it’s so Americanised that it feels more “Cheers” than “Ballykissangel”).
Knowledge
Essentials Carlos Pellegrini 551, Buenos Aires, Argentina; +54 (11) 4348 5000; www.panamericano. us; rooms during the Argentine Open from US$248 a night (approx £157) for a standard king or twin bedroom, to $993 (approx £616) for a penthouse king bedroom, inclusive of tax. u
63
PT p62-73 Argentine travel JM PJ JOS.indd 3
21/9/11 13:40:02
Knowledge
Products – Equestrian artworks
Snap, sculpt & stroke Amy Lodowski selects eight pieces, from sculptures to portraits, for sale through various artists and photographers
Ten-to-One by Polo Times cartoonist Kate Scurfield Limited edition mounted print 40 x 30cm £55 Available through www.katesart.com Relaxation by Alice Gipps Photography, available in a range of sizes From £116.90 on canvas or £30 upwards for print Available through www.alicegipps.com
Showtyme by Lindsay Robertson Handmade chromogenic print, 48 x 42 inches (including frame) Commissions start from £1,800 Available through www.horsestudios.com 80
Polo Times, October 2011
PT p80-81 Products art JM GM JOS PJ.indd 2
High Summer by Jacqueline Stanhope Limited edition print, 17.5 x 12 inches £85 Available through www.jacquelinestanhope-fineart.com www.polotimes.co.uk
21/9/11 15:41:34
Products – Equestrian artworks
Knowledge
No. 35 (Adolfo Cambiaso and Facundo Pieres) by Gabriela Marini Acrylic on canvas, 1.2 x 0.8 meters £2,300 Available through www.polo-art.com
Polo Dream by William Rossoto Oil on canvas 24 x 36 inches £3,750 Available through www.rossotoart.com
Polo Player by Walter Roche (1847-1921) Bronze model 12 x 9 inches £12,500 Available through www.sladmore.com
Walking Home by Melinda Brewer Original watercolour on paper, 14 x 22 inches £114 (CDN$180) Available through www.poloart.ca www.polotimes.co.uk
PT p80-81 Products art JM GM JOS PJ.indd 3
Polo Times, October 2011
81
21/9/11 15:42:15
Sidelines
Edmund Eggins and Paddy Curtis
Charlie Bertrand
Nespresso High Goal Gold Cup final, Sotogrande Santa María Polo Club, Spain – 27 August 2011
Smiles aplenty in Spanish sun More team entries in the landmark 40th year of the tournament, coupled with the typically superb quality of the grounds at Santa María Polo Club and Andalucia’s ever-reliable weather, meant it was something of a surprise not to see more recognisable polo faces amongst the glamorous crowds in Sotogrande this August. There were considerably fewer Brits than in previous years, despite the fact that the weekend coincides with the English bank holiday, and that the likes of Mark Tomlinson, Ollie Cudmore and Harry White were among the line-ups. As it was, injury meant Tomlinson had to be replaced by Manuel Crespo in the HB team that ultimately lost the subsidiary final to Cudmore’s impressive-looking Richard Mille side, while White left disappointed after Ellerston slipped to defeat in the final. w Photographs by James Mullan, unless otherwise stated
w Read the full story of all the action at Sotogrande on page 36, and discover what gets Ollie Cudmore’s pulse racing on page 98
Pablo MacDonough
Steve Katz
Nico Pieres
Camilla Bateman
Media interest was huge once again
Charley Larcombe
Lynt’s Polo Times Tournament – 4 September
Brolly good show! The prizes at the Polo Times-sponsored tournament at Lynt Polo Club last month proved apt when drizzle welcomed the players on finals’ day. However, as the weather improved, so did the play, and Ruton were eventually crowned champions with a resounding win.
Sarah Henderson James Anderson Florence and Charlotte Verdon
w Words and photographs by PJ Seccombe Winners, Ruton (l-r: Johan Spendier, Alex Lea, Corin Gibbs and Tony Fitzsimons)
Alex Lea
Guy Verdon umpiring
Corin Gibbs and baby son Oliver
Amber Gibbs holds the horses
Russell Barker
PT p86-87 Sidelines JOS JM PJ.indd 2
21/9/11 15:35:15
Sidelines
James Packer
Erica Packer and son Jackson Lloyd
Learning left-handed!
Gonzalo Pieres
Tony and Olga Ramirez
Matt Perry on the beach with James Packer’s yacht behind
Ollie Cudmore
A nasty crash – featuring Valerio Zubiaurre and Alejandro Muzzio – captured by photographer Camilla Bateman earlier in the tournament
Francisco Elizalde basks in victory
Eduardo Novillo Astrada and Astrid Muñoz
Tamaro Falco
David Heaton-Ellis Memorial, Emsworth, 10 September 2011
The Heaton is on SUPA-star, Charlie Dee
Simon Arber’s Emsworth ground played host to the David HeatonEllis Memorial trophy to raise money for the Heaton-Ellis Trust. w Photographs by Tony Ramirez, ImagesOfPolo.com The delicious traditional asado
Winning patron Giampaolo Guarnieri, Leigh-Anne Moore and Yolanda Arber
Piers Plunket and his stepdaughter Perdy
Jose Otto Von Potobsky, Tomas Iriarte, Horacio Etcheverry and patron Giampaolo Guarnieri
Tom McGlochlin, Simon Arber and Sue McGlochlin
Gabe Maddison Sophie Heaton-Ellis, David Morley and Romilla Arber
PT p86-87 Sidelines JOS JM PJ.indd 3
87
21/9/11 15:35:39
A PERFECT FIT CAN ONLY BE JUDGED BY THE WEARER. Eduardo Fagliano, maker of polo boots, Hurlingham, Argentina
Eduardo Fagliano, who comes from a long line of polo bootmakers, knows what it takes to make the perfect footwear.
Julius Baer is dedicated
A boot that’s unique to its owner. Those same principles apply in successful wealth management. At Julius Baer, we
to support young talents
understand distinctive craftsmanship. Our wealth management services are tailored by skilled professionals to your
and to sponsor youth
individual needs. Discover more at your local Julius Baer office.
development programmes
Julius Baer, established in 1890, is the leading Swiss private banking group.
in polo.
Your contact: Daniel Gerber, tel. +44 203 205 16 11. www.juliusbaer.com. The Julius Baer Group is present in over 40 locations worldwide. From Zurich (Head Office), Dubai, Frankfurt, Geneva, Guernsey, Hong Kong, London, Lugano, Milan, Monaco, Montevideo, Moscow, Nassau, Singapore to St. Moritz.
Approved for issue and distribution in the UK by Julius Baer International Limited, London, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Approved for issue and distribution in Guernsey by Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd., Guernsey branch, which is regulated by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission. Services are provided by Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd. in Switzerland and Guernsey and by all of the banking, investment advisory or broker/dealer entities of Julius Baer insofar as these entities are registered and regulated under applicable law in their respective jurisdictions. Investment services are not FDIC insured, may lose value and are not guaranteed by the Bank. The audited fi nancial statements of Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd. are available on request. Persons dealing with offi ces of the Julius Baer Group outside the UK will not be covered by rules and regulations made for the protection of investors under the UK Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and under the rules of the Financial Services Authority. This information is not directed to any person in any jurisdiction where (by reason of that person’s nationality, residence or otherwise) such information is prohibited. This information is not directed to any person in the United States or to any US person.
PT p100 OB cover.indd 1 %$( B B()B3ROR7LPHVB [ B=6BH LQGG
21/9/11 11:42:34