Autumn 2021

ACTION QUEEN’S CUP, EVENT GUARDS NAME POLO LOCATION CLUB, UK, DATE 27 JUNE 2021

Opposite: Tommy Beresford (right) stretches past a flying Poroto Cambiaso. This page: Team captain Polito Pieres celebrates

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ACTION

THE QUEEN’S CUP

HH Sheikha Maitha’s UAE Polo Team emerged victorious, following her team’s 10-6 victory over Scone Polo, reports Jemima Wilson

HH Sheikha Maitha bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the daughter of the ruler of Dubai, and her UAE Polo Team beat Scone Polo on The Queen’s Ground at Guards Polo Club to claim Queen’s Cup victory in six chukkas.

Out of the 15 world-class teams entered in this year’s tournament, David Paradice’s Scone Polo were favourites to win, with the world’s number one player Adolfo Cambiaso and his talented 15-year-old son Adolfo Cambiaso Junior. But incredible play from the UAE Polo Team’s Tommy Beresford, Tomas Panelo and Polito Pieres ensured that HH Sheikha Maitha’s UAE team defeated Scone Polo 10-6, adding their name to the trophy for the first time.

Little separated the two teams at half time, but with Pieres attacking relentlessly, Tommy Beresford played a crucial role in UAE Polo Team’s victory, adding two penalty conversions, while also collecting three assists. An organised defensive effort led by Beresford and Panelo kept Scone Polo off the penalty line and enabled them to dominate possession to begin the counterattack.

HH Sheikha Maitha received the prestigious silver cup, while 21-year-old Tomas Panelo was named the Cartier Most Valuable Player, and JB Bleach, an 11-yearold chestnut mare owned by the UAE Polo Team and played by Polito Pieres, received the Cartier Best Playing Pony prize. This pony was bred by the former England polo team captain James Beim.

Before the main match presentations, Laurent Feniou presented the trophy to the

AN ORGANISED DEFENSIVE EFFORT LED BY BERESFORD AND PANELO KEPT SCONE POLO OFF THE PENALTY LINE

Park Place team, winners of the subsidiary in a very close game that delivered some final that had been played earlier in the day. wonderfully fast-paced and exhilarating Park Place, without their injured patron polo. King Power’s patron did not go home Andrey Borodin, defeated Aiyawatt empty handed though, as he was named Srivaddhanaprabha’s King Power team 12-9 the Most Valuable Player.

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