Tsar Quality

The third Moscow Polo Cup was played this year during a glorious summer weekend in Gorki, one hour away from the Russian capital.

Participants from all three teams came together on June 25 – 26. The two-day tournament began with a welcome dinner on Friday night and it was noted that some players had come a long way to be there. The Araya brothers – Benjamín and Santiago – were the ones who came the farthest, flying in from Coronel Suárez, Argentina. After dinner, there was a men-only cocktail party to discuss the rules of the tournament – a particular tradition of the club.

Saturday night saw a black-tie Gala Dinner held at the exclusive Moscow City Golf Club in the centre of Moscow. This was followed by a visit to First, one of the city’s most stylish nightclubs.

A triangular competition was organised, featuring the three entered teams. On the Sunday, the English Land Rover team played Imperia in the final. The third side, Deutsche Bank, had been beaten by both finalists. Victory went to Land Rover by 7 – 5 in what turned out to be an exciting and fiercely contested match.

What was especially heartening was the enthusiasm of the crowd and of the sponsors, particularly Tim Gannon from the United States, Davide Alemanni from Italy and Andrew Foreman from England. There was also plenty of vodka and caviar to keep everyone happy. Polo in Russia is in the best of spirits. ■

Above: Imperia team takes possession against Deutsche Bank. Left: New Russia fashion at a Gorki luncheon. Right: Moscow club logo adorned saddlecloths