A Season to Savour

Consistently high entries, fi erce competition, enthusiastic crowds and plenty of British players – the 8 to18-goal tournaments provided a summer treat, reports Yolanda Carslaw

Jonny Good of Dubai/Desert Palm in the 8-goal Archie David fi nal

Polo afi cionados can watch, admire and read about the stars at the top of the game: the highlypaid, seasonal visitors from South America; the talented England squad; the latest young hotshots that aspire to be the 10 goalers of the future.

But the true core of polo in the UK and Ireland is the thousands of players – plus the massive industry that has grown up around them – who concentrate on low and medium goal and a bit of 18 goal. Of the 2,427 HPAregistered players, 1,755 are handicapped at 0 goals or under. Meanwhile, all but six of the 59 clubs only stage tournaments at 12-goal level or lower, the vast majority of which are at four-goal level or below. e long-established medium- and lowgoal levels of 15 goal, 12 goal and eight goal have enjoyed consistently high entries this year. ey also feature considerably more British players than at the higher levels.

‘ ese levels are the bread and butter of British professionals’ earnings,’ said Jason Dixon, chairman of the British Association of Professional Polo Players. ‘Eight and 12 goal is a good enough standard for young British players to get an education and improve up to two or three goals. en they need to be playing 15 goal and above.’

In May’s eight-goal Gerald Balding at Cirencester, which had 14 entries, Clifton Wrottesley’s Wild Boars team beat Charles Hanbury’s Longdole side 8 – 4. e Archie David Cup, at Guards in June, attracted more than 30 teams, an impressive turnout; although years ago, when few other tournaments at this level existed, more than 50 teams used to pitch up. Dubai/Desert Palm came out on top in a close fi nal against Montroc. e winners went into the fourth and fi nal chukka half a goal ahead, then Peter Webb scored a brilliant fi eld goal for Montroc. But Johnny Good struck a penalty shot through the posts in the fi nal minute to win by half a goal.

Twelve goal has drawn good entries: Cirencester’s Queen Mother Trophy in July, for example, attracting 15 teams. e Dollar Cup, played at Cowdray in May, drew 18 entries. In a close fi nal, the local Broncos beat Gloucestershire Raiders Al Burak by a goal.

A number of sides, such as Altu, Corramore and Groeninghe, compete regularly across several levels, appearing in 12 as well as 15 goal, and sometimes 18 goal. is season’s Royal Windsor Cup, 15-goal’s fl agship tournament, attracted 23 teams, which played qualifi ers at Beaufort, Coworth and Cowdray as well as Guards. is is another fi xture that, though well supported now, historically had even higher entries – more than 30 – when there was less choice of tournaments.

Belgian patron Isabelle Hayen, who is based at Coworth, won the prestigious title with her established side, Groeninghe. ey beat Darren Mercer’s formidable and well-mounted Altu side 7 – 5. e fi nal of the Eduardo Moore Tournament, played at Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club and entered by seven teams, provided perhaps the most appropriate victory of the 15-goal season. Six-goaler Gaston Moore, nephew of the late 10-goaler Eduardo Moore, played his fi rst full season in England and won the trophy with Mark Hulbert’s Wolves. Wolves had lost an earlier league match to their opponents, Ocho Rios, but, after a shaky start in the fi nal, they played a brilliant team game to pull ahead.

Gaston’s father, Sonny, visiting from Argentina for the fi rst time in a decade, was watching. Gaston’s four-goal younger brother, Max, has also been playing out of Alan Kent’s Sussex yard this season, in low and medium goal. In 18-goal polo this year, the HPA has intervened to try to increase participation. e level was introduced a few years ago to give teams who could not quite put a 22-goal side together a chance to play at a higher level than traditional 15 goal. But it has struggled to fi nd its feet, despite enthusiasm from a small number of teams. In the 2005 rulebook, the HPA upped the number of overseas sponsored players permitted on each team from one to two, giving patrons more choice of professionals, and has reduced the number of tournaments. Eighteen goal at Guards in June, RCBPC in July and Inglesham in August were dropped from the calendar, leaving six scheduled tournaments instead of nine. e HPA has also spread the number of Victor Ludorum tournaments more evenly through the season. Victor Ludorum rewards success in a series of nominated tournaments at 8, 12, 15 and 18-goal levels, producing a champion at each level at the end of the season. is year, eight teams entered the Indian Empire Shield at Coworth in early May. e best supported 18-goal tournaments tend to be the Indian Empire Shield, the Cowdray Park Challenge and the Duke of Wellington, at Guards, at the end of August. Some teams use the Indian Empire Shield, a former high-goal trophy from pre-war days, as a warm-up for 22 goal. In this year’s fi nal, Bruce Merivale-Austin’s Caballus. a regular 18-goal side, beat Martyn Ratcliff e’s Oaklands Park, a high-goal squad with one player swapped out, by half a goal in the fi nal minutes. Caballus has spent several years playing medium goal and, rather than make the jump straight to 22 goal, is taking advantage of the opportunities off ered by 18 goal.

South African-backed Bateleur, another medium-goal side, came back from four goals down to win Cowdray’s Duke of Sutherland Cup at the end of May, beating Governors 7 – 6 1/2 in the fi nal seconds of an exciting match on Lawns One. In the Duke of Beaufort’s Cup in mid-July, Charles Hanbury’s Lovelocks came out the best of the four entries, beating Richard Britten-Long’s Laird 13 – 12 in the fi nal.

As Hurlingham went to press, Goodwood week at Cowdray Park drew to a close, having had a healthy six entries for the Challenge Cup (18 goal), 17 for the Harrison Cup (15 goal), and 37 for the Holden White Challenge Cup (eight goal). As well as rain – welcomed by the groundsmen if not by the crowds – most of the country’s professionals descended on Cowdray Park for the week, for all three levels. Lambourne, with Katie Seabrook, Pancho Moreno, Tommy Wilson and Robert ame, beat Il Macereto (Riccardo Pavoncelli, Gaston Moore, Justo Savedra and Alan Kent) 10-7 to lift the Challenge Cup. Another lady patron, Rachael Bartels, took the Harrison Cup with Roderick Vere Nicoll, Roddy Williams and Silvestre Garros, defeating Clarita 7 – 6. Martin Ephson’s Farrow & Ball team, with Adrian Wade and young South Africans Leroux Hendrix and Ignatius de Plessis, lifted the Holden White after scraping past Oberhaus, 6 – 51/2. ■

Left: Rachael Bartels, winner of 15-goal Harrison Cup.

Below: Caballus capture 18-goal Indian Empire Shield, l. to r., Rob Archibald, Andrew Hine, patron Bruce MerivaleAustin, Silvestre Garros.

L ICE G IPP S A

PO L O L INE

Jubilant Isabelle Hayen, Belgian patron of Groeninghe, with 15-goal Royal Windsor Cup.