EQUESTRIAN ARABIA n° 64 by EQUESTRIO magazine

No 64 July/August 2015 AED 20

AMERICAN PHAROAH HISTORY MADE IN THE STATES

SPOTLIGHT THE CARTIER QUEEN’S CUP

FACUNDO PIERES

10 GOAL LEAD INTERVIEW

JULY/AUGUST 2015 AED 20

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LEADING MAN

FACUNDO

PIERES EQUESTRIO SPEAKS TO ICONIC 10 GOALER, FACUNDO PIERES IN THE MDIST OF HIS HUGELY SUCCESSFUL UK SEASON AND TALKS POLO, LIFESTYLE AND WORKING WITH THE GREATEST TEAMS IN THE POLO BUSINESS.

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LEADING MAN

FACUNDO

PIERES EQUESTRIO SPEAKS TO ICONIC 10 GOALER, FACUNDO PIERES IN THE MDIST OF HIS HUGELY SUCCESSFUL UK SEASON AND TALKS POLO, LIFESTYLE AND WORKING WITH THE GREATEST TEAMS IN THE POLO BUSINESS.

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SPOTLIGHT THE CARTIER QUEEN’S CUP GUARDS POLO CLUB, UK

KINGS OF THE QUEEN’S

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THE SHIRTS OF TOP SRIVADDHANAPRABHA’S KING POWER FOXES MAY’VE BEEN AN UNFAMILIAR SIGHT ON THE HIGH GOAL PITCHES OF THE UK, BUT THE APPEARANCE OF THE PIERES BROTHERS IN THE LINE-UP CAUSED A FRISSION OF EXCITEMENT WITHIN THE POLO COMMUNITY. ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY TOOK THE QUEEN’S CUP, THE FIRST HIGH GOAL TOURNAMENT OF THE UK SEASON, BY STORM.

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SPOTLIGHT THE CARTIER QUEEN’S CUP GUARDS POLO CLUB, UK

KINGS OF THE QUEEN’S

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SPOTLIGHT ROYAL ASCOT ASCOT, UK

HISTORY RE-WRITTEN AS ASCOT SHOWCASES MOORE LAURA KING GUIDES US THROUGH THE MAZE OF ROYAL ASCOT WEEK, WHILST WE SEE A DIFFERENT VIEW OF THE RACE MEET THROUGH THE LENS OF PHOTOGRAPHER, STEPHIE HORROCKS.

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SPOTLIGHT ROYAL ASCOT ASCOT, UK

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LEGENDS

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LEGENDS TRIPLE CROWN, USA

THE PHAROAH STORMS THE CROWN AND INTO HISTORY

he usual American spirit of optimism appeared to be lacking in the immediate run up to the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of what is

Emerge he did; imperious and Oaklawn Park in Arkansas set him on

found New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deep, wide, Belmont running ride from the experienced Victor England watched California Chrome, Critics will point to the fact that

was one of rags to riches, American

stop some of the sportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experts from opposing him beforehand, with

the deluge that forced the Preakness onto the mud, and the crowds that began amassing at the New York track

allowing him more time to grow into

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PORTFOLIO

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PORTFOLIO

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ESCAPE

There are few better places to be than in the countryside during an English summer. Check into the Dorchester Collectionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s country retreat in Ascot, a mere 45 minutes from London, to escape the demands of city life and the heat of summer in Dubai.

Quintessentially

English 94

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ESCAPE

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HORSETORQUE

New Phantom in the limelight The latest from Rolls-Royce brings a whole new meaning to luxury.

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HORSETORQUE

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EQUITIME

A COLLECTOR’S ITEM

THE PIAGET EMPERADOR COUSSIN 1270S The world’s thinnest ultra-thin tourbillon automatic skeleton timepiece has a place in your curated collection.

uring the 25th edition of SIHH, Piaget’s Black Tie collection welcomed the Piaget Emperador Coussin 1270S model to its repertoire. Featuring a case measuring just 8.85mm thick, this tourbillon automatic skeleton watch is the thinnest of its kind. Resoloutely contemporary yet showcasing inspiring convoluted architecture of the skeleton model, the Emperador is an exciting edition to a collector’s watch cabinet. The cushion-shaped ultra-thin (5.05 mm) tourbillon automatic skeleton Calibre 1270S was designed and developed specifically for the equally cushion-shaped case housing it. Setting the perfect finishing touch, the movement adorned with remarkable Haute Horlogerie finishes reveals its exceptional construction on the display side, free of any

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dial that might disturb this fascinating vision. They highlight the satin-brushed, hand-bevelled and polished mainplate and bridges; the satin-brushed, bevelled and polished guilloché pink gold-toned oscillating weight; the circular satin-brushed, satin-brushed and hand-bevelled wheels; the pink gold screws; the blind-hole and mirror-polished screw feet; the satin-brushed hand-bevelled barrel, as well as the hand-bevelled and hand-drawn bridges of the tourbillon carriage. This model comes in two versions; a modern white gold version and a more classic, pink gold interpretation with a movement entirely made of gold. Paired with Piaget’s renowned precision, this masculine yet complicated piece needs to be seen on your wrist now.

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EQUITIME

The Emperador is an exciting edition to a collectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s' watch cabinet. 106

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Shopping GRAFF

Everyone knows an apology or congratulations are better said with flowers. So you can imagine how wellreceived a piece from the exotic floral-inspired Carissa Collection would be. Designed and crafter at Graffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s London atelier, these exceptional pieces would be a welcome addition to any jewellery collection.

CARTIER

It only takes one piece of jewellery to transform an outfit. Add glamour to your jeans and t-shirt look or add that special something to your evening attire with the Paris Nouvelle Vague Collection from Cartier. We are particularly enamoured with this pink gold, black lacquer and diamond bracelet.

TAYLOR MORRIS LONDON

With so many outdoor events coming up in the approaching months, you need to invest in a decent pair of stylish sunglasses. And our current favourites are from Taylor Morris London, which will shortly be available in Harvey Nichols. Guys, pick a style and be prepared to be snapped by photographers galore.

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DAMAS

The Vera Collection of luxury fashion rings available at Damas is fresh, youthful and extremely elegant. Featuring stones such as topaz, amethyst, lemon quartz are offset with diamonds to give a stunning summer dazzle.

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RALPH LAUREN

Rest assured that Mr. Lauren, the designer who works with polo player and model couple, Nacho and Delfi Figueras, always provides the must-wear pieces of the season. For the Fall 2015 collection, Ralph took inspiration from the nomadic romance of the textural world, so think touchable, and covetable fabrics galore.

LANVIN

The French fashion house always produces pieces for those with an eye for a great cut and clean lines, whether thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a sharp suit or an ideal weekend bag. The latest designs from Lucas Ossendrijver and Alber Elbazâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Homme Hiver 2015 featured greys upon greys, but we were particularly taken with this bag, ideal for our travels.

KARTELL

Make your supper table the envy of all with this new collection by Patricia Urquiola for Kartell. These light, delicate and creative pieces, ranging from glasses to carafes are contemporary whilst also drawing on inspiration from the jelly-making moulds of yesteryear. We hear they repeatedly sell out so put your name down for them now.

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S P O R T I N G TA L K

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU PARTICULARLY LOOK FORWARD TO WHEN THE DUBAI POLO SEASON STARTS? IS IT A WELCOME CHANGE AFTER THE TRIPLE CROWN? I come to Dubai right after I finish in Argentina. For us, The Argentine Open is like Wimbledon in tennis. It’s nice to start the year in Dubai, where you get to play different teams against different people. Apart from the polo thought, you get to spend more time with the family – and there’s a fair bit of golf as well!

HAVING WON THE TRIPLE CROWN WITH LA DOFLINA IN BOTH 2013 AND 2014, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS YEAR S SEASON? As a team, we don’t feel any extra pressure; we know we have a great team and that’s why we want to win every time we play. Being in this position isn’t easy; it’s something we’ve all been working on since we were very young. Preparing for it is a never-ending story – once you finish the Final of The argentine Open, you automatically start thinking about next year’s.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST INTRODUCTION TO POLO IN THE UAE? I first played in Dubai in January 2012, but only for a week in a tournament at Desert Palm. It wasn’t until the beginning of 2015 that I came here for the entire season. It was nice for me to discover a new place.

POLO IN THE UAE HAS PROGRESSED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE LAST FEW YEARS WITH THE AIM TO INCREASE THE LEVEL OF TOURNAMENTS. WHAT ARE THE MAIN POINTS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED TO MAKE THIS ACHIEVEABLE? It’s unbelievable how polo has grown in the last few years; like many other things in Dubai. The level has been raised as well so that brings in better players and, of course, a better quality of horses. Facilities as well are getting better; there is the new project from the Habtoor family, which looks very interesting. In order to be able to host good teams, sponsors and players you have to build the infrastructure.

YOU PLAY FOR ZEDAN PATRON AND ONE OF THE PIONEERS OF THE SPORT HERE, AMR ZEDAN WHAT IS HE LIKE TO WORK WITH? First of all, Amr is a friend. Sharing the polo team is one big factor, but not the only one. We have known each other for at least five or six years and I also feel very comfortable with his manager, Rudolfo. It’s a privilege to play in a team, which truly feels like a family.

YOU ALSO PLAY FOR HH SHEIKHA MAITHA IN THE UK. HOW DO YOU FEEL SHE HAS HELPED TO DEVELOP THE SPORT HERE? I have played three seasons for UAE in England and it’s very good for the sport to have new teams. We had a good team this season, reaching the Semis of The Queen’s Cup and the Final of The British Open – although losing that last game left us a bit sad. The team played well though. In terms of the Sheikha, she has 100% contributed to the growth of polo in the Middle East. Because of her, more people get to know what polo is about. We need the sport to become more popular and this is exactly what HH Sheikha Maitha is doing!

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THE CONSTANT NEED TO TRAVEL FOR YOUR CAREER MUST TAKE ITS TOLL. HOW DO YOU COMBINE THAT WITH HAVING YOUR FAMILY AROUND YOU? Having the family, my wife Mechi and the children, is the best support I can get. I am lucky to have a wife that is willing to move the family every time we need to. When I was single, everything was about winning or losing and my mood would depend solely on that. Now, you of course still want to win, but if you have a bad day at the office, you get back home and your family is there for you.

AS THE SPORT IS SO HIGH PRESSURED AND ALL CONSUMING, HOW DO YOU UNWIND? Golf is my favourite sport to relax with – I always try to make time for it! Skiing is also something I really enjoy, but I know I have to be careful of injury. I am very happy that my four-year-old son, Milo has already started to ski whilst we were in Dubai. It’s weird for me to say that he learnt to ski in the desert, but we took him twice a week for our three-month stay!

TELL US ABOUT YOUR COLLABORATION WITH RICHARD MILLE. To be part of the Richard Mille organisation is a privilege. I got involved with the brand because they wanted to be involved with polo and I was approached via an introduction by my very good friend, Prince Bahar. It was an exciting project to work with Richard Mille, especially because of the amazing polo watch they developed; a tourbillon specifically made for withstanding such a dangerous sport as polo.

APART FROM THE RM053, YOUR PERSONAL WATCH, IOS THERE ANOTHER PIECE THAT YOU LIKE WITHIN THE RICHARD MILLE COLLECTION? I really started to gain an interest.in watches once I became a part of their family. There are many pieces, which I like – the Nadal, the ones from Bubba Watson, but I also like the iconic RM011. If I had to choose a piece to wear right now, it would be the RM011 Yellow Flash, which is limited to 50 pieces. Once you start wearing a Richard mille, then it’s quite difficult to stop.

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