38 minute read
Action
DOMINIC JAMES La Dolfna’s David ‘Pelón’ Stirling Jr (MVP) and Ellerstina’s Nico Pieres in the Argentine Open fnal
T H E A C T I O N
48 Triple Crown
How La Dolfna made history by clinching their second successive Triple
Crown – a feat so far matched only by
Seventies legends Coronel Suárez
52 Super Nations Cup
Defending champions Hong Kong
China and a new-look England team contested an excellent fnal in Tianjin
54 Aspen Snow Polo
A solid home team emerged victorious in an exhilarating world-championship match, played at the frst-class Aspen
Valley Polo Club’s arena 56 Kharim Khan Afridi Memorial
In November, Hurlingham Polo
Association were the frst foreign visitors to grace the new pitches of the Islamabad Polo Club
58 Indian Open Polo Championships
In its 114th year, the 20-goal tournament’s thrilling fnal unfolded between Jindal Panthers and Sahara
Warriors at the Jaipur Grounds in Delhi
60 FIP World Championship Qualifers
A hard-fought tournament at Beaufort saw England beat France and Ireland for the right to compete in Chile 62 Thai Polo in Pilar
Six 12-goal teams took part in a dramatic frst tournament, with hosts
Thai Polo Club putting on a great show for spectators in Pilar, Argentina
64 Bentley Scottsdale Championships
The 2014 Polo Party drew record crowds to the Arizona desert for its unique mix of cars, art and fashion, alongside an action-packed tournament
65 Polo by the Sea
Urban Polo is fourishing downunder – as last year’s sold-out tournament in
Palm Beach, Sydney proves
T H E T R I P L E C R O W N
It wasn’t always pretty to watch, but La Dolfna’s historic capture of a second successive Triple Crown signalled the arrival of the perfect team, writes Héctor Martelli
I want to start my report on the world’s three most important tournaments by remembering two great names of polo: Javier Novillo Astrada and Carlos Gracida. Both passed away this year: Javier, after a long and painful illness, and Carlos following an accident in which he was involved while playing polo.
With regard to high-goal polo in Argentina, the 2014 season was very different to previous years. Five of the six highest-rated teams maintained the same line-ups as 2013, with only La Aguada making a change: Guillermo ‘Sapito’ Caset filled in for Guillermo Terrera Jr, making them a 36-goal outfit. This tactic usually improves team play; unfortunately, with the exception of La Dolfina, this wasn’t the case this season. Nevertheless, the two top teams, La Dolfina and Ellerstina, maintained their unbeaten status during the opening round of the Tortugas Open – the first leg of the Triple Crown. La Dolfina showed themselves to be the dominant force from the start, and the prospect of a repeat of their success of 2013 – of once again winning all three tournaments and in the process making history – appeared strong.
The championship match was dominated by a powerful La Dolfina foursome, who displayed thrilling team play as well as extreme speed, both of mind and of horsemanship. Their opponents Ellerstina, by contrast, seemed to be missing in action, particularly in the midfield – Gonzalito Pieres and Mariano Aguerre gave the impression of being practically absent for almost all of the seven chukkas of play.
Meanwhile, with the Tortugas Open underway, Palermo hosted the qualifying matches for the Hurlingham and Argentine Opens. With a pair of spots available, the teams that captured their coveted tickets to two of the world’s most important tournaments were the young boys of Miramar (28) and Chapaleufú (31), with a line-up comprising three Heguys – brothers Pepe, Eduardo and Nachi – plus their cousin Francisco Bensadón. Remarkably, both Eduardo and Pepe have now broken their father Alberto Pedro Heguy’s record of playing in the Argentine Open on 28 occasions, with both now having competed in the tournament 29 times.
Opposite Juan Martín ‘The Wall’ Nero (in white) on the ball. Below Hilario Ulloa (in pink) and Ignatius Du Plessis fght it out
La Dolfna displayed thrilling t eam play and extreme speed – of mind and of horsemanship
The 121st Hurlingham Open came next, featuring eight teams grouped in two leagues. League A featured the title holders, La Dolfina, together with La Aguada Las Monjitas, Alegría, and the lowest-ranked qualifier, Miramar. League B was made up of Ellerstina, La Aguada, Magual and the highest-ranked qualifiers, Chapaleufú.
The league deciders unfolded in much the same fashion as had the Tortugas Open. In the League A contest, however, La Dolfina played their worst match of the year, struggling to beat Alegría by only one goal. Alegría had to replace the injured Fred Mannix with talented 22-year-old 7-goaler Alfredo Cappella Barabucci, who went on to produce an impressive performance. Led by a lethal midfield pairing of Hilario Ulloa and Lucas Monteverde, they managed to break up La Dolfina’s solid team play and hold on to the lead through five chukkas.
Ellerstina also had to fight hard against La Aguada in the League B decider. They were able to overtake them only in the sixth chukka, thanks to a superior horse string and a brilliant performance by Gonzalito Pieres. Miguel Novillo Astrada and Sapito Caset were La Aguada’s leading men. In the end, Ellerstina triumphed by a 14–12 margin, and the Hurlingham Open final had a new chapter in the classic rivalry that has become a hallmark of polo in the 21st century.
The contest unfolded as many had predicted – Adolfo Cambiaso’s dream team captured the second element of the Triple Crown, which was also their sixth consecutive title, as well as their 20th win in a row. With their four members complementing each other to perfection, their fantastic team play won the day. Ellerstina, on the other hand, showcased extreme individualism, the highlights of which were Nicolás Pieres’ speed, dedication and enthusiasm, and the contribution of nine goals by Facundo Pieres.
The scoreboard displayed a commanding 4–1 advantage to La Dolfina at the end of the first chukka – a score that would be crucial to the final outcome. Of eight chukkas, La Dolfina won four, tied two and lost two. Ellerstina’s best was the sixth, in which they outscored La Dolfina 4–1. During these critical seven minutes, La Dolfina’s Juan Martín Nero was the team’s key man, with David ‘Pelón’ Stirling Jr also working hard in the No 2 position, doing all the ‘dirty work’ to perfection in breaking up Ellerstina’s midfield play. After numerous fouls and weak
play by both teams during the first seven minutes, we were treated to some great polo in the following three chukkas, which featured runs at extreme speed and some very good plays. The standard decreased somewhat in the fifth chukka, but La Dolfina and Ellerstina produced some of the finest polo to be seen anywhere in the world over the course of the final three chukkas, to the great delight of an extremely appreciative crowd.
La Dolfina thus arrived at the Argentine Open with the chance to win their second Triple Crown in a row, an achievement previously attained only by the legendary Coronel Suárez team in 1975. And so we came to the tournament of all tournaments at Palermo – one in which every polo player dreams of competing. Palermo is where dreams become reality, and the glories of past triumphs resound.
La Dolfina had no difficulty in defeating their league rivals, La Aguada, Magual and Miramar. They dominated with their team play, controlling each game pretty much as they chose. Ellerstina also won all of their league matches, but they had to work harder against Alegría, La Aguada Las Monjitas and Chapaleufú. The hardest-fought matches were La Aguada’s (36) narrow victory over Magual (33) by 12 goals to 10 in League A,
Opposite, from top Heguy family spirit alive and well in the Chapaleufú team; Gonzalito Pieres on the ball. This page The jubilant winning team celebrate their victory
and the contest between Alegría (34) and La Aguada Las Monjitas (33) in League B, in which the former needed an extra chukka to edge towards a 12–11 win.
As has often been the case in recent years, with the exception of 2013, the Argentine Open would once again be decided between Adolfo Cambiaso’s team and the Pieres foursome. Ellerstina’s Mariano Aguerre was sidelined by a shoulder injury and was replaced by South African Ignatius Du Plessis, thereby lowering his line-up’s handicap from 38 to 37.
On Saturday, 6 December, came the day of reckoning – and considerable disappointment, with many agreeing that this was the worst Argentine Open championship game in many years. The reasons for this are clear: from the first throw-in, Ellerstina were bent on destroying the match, while La Dolfina simply had no answer to the stranglehold their rivals imposed on the game. The near three-hour game was almost entirely devoid of great plays throughout, featuring instead a host of fouls, stoppages and player protests.
Unfortunately, this terrible match has left a black mark on the home of the world’s best polo, and on an event that welcomes people from across the globe every year with the promise of
The perf ect t eam, La Dolfna are only a f ew steps away from the legendary Coronel Suárez
witnessing the best the sport has to offer. The statistics say it all: out of a total of 26 goals, 17 were penalty conversions and only nine were scored from open play.
On the positive side, there were at least some fine individual performances worth mentioning. La Dolfina had a real gladiator in Uruguay’s David ‘Pelón’ Stirling Jr, who excelled in his position as No 2. He never gave up and was a true fighter, richly deserving his Most Valuable Player Award. Another ferocious competitor was Juan Martín Nero, aka ‘The Wall’, who blocked every attempt to score by Ellerstina’s dangerous forwards. Pablo MacDonough’s intelligence and accuracy were noteworthy in the goals he scored, mostly from long distance. Cambiaso’s was perhaps the worst performance of his long career, but he never stopped working to support his teammates and scored nine. There’s not much to praise about Ellerstina’s performance. Facundo Pieres failed to penetrate La Dolfina’s defence and made a number of fouls. There was almost no contribution to the match from Gonzalito Pieres. Nicolás, the youngest brother of the three, produced perhaps the best display, although he was very impulsive and rushed every play. Du Plessis, meanwhile, seemed overwhelmed by the speed of the game, missed numerous backhanders and didn’t cover the team’s rearguard enough. However, considering his handicap and the fact that this was his first experience of this kind of polo, he performed reasonably well.
In the end, La Dolfina overcame Ellerstina 14–12, so congratulations to them on their Triple Crown of 2014. They are the perfect team – only a few steps away from the legendary Coronel Suárez, the greatest team of all, albeit with a different style of play.
Following the end of the season, Pablo ‘Polito’ Pieres was hired to become Ellerstina’s next No 1, replacing Mariano Aguerre. Polito’s spot in Alegría has been taken by Cristian Laprida Jr, who has left Las Monjitas. It is said there will be many changes in 2015 – we hope all of them are for the good, and that they help us to move on from this less-than-brilliant season.
S U P E R N A T I O N S C U P
A young England team played well, but, for the second year running, it was a comfortable win for Hong Kong China, says Peter Abisheganaden
Represented by Lucas Lalor playing at No 1 and Santiago Cernadas outstanding as a late replacement for the injured Gaston Moore at No 2, together with Super Nations Cup veterans John-Paul Clarkin (New Zealand) and John Fisher (UK), Hong Kong China surprised everyone with a huge 13–6 victory over what most had seen as a strong USA team in the first semi-final of the tournament.
In the second semi-final, a new-look English team, comprising Max Charlton, Tom Morley, Jack Richardson and George Meyrick came from behind to defeat the Argentine side 10–8. Argentina was in a no-win situation from the start. As the world’s premier polo-playing nation, they are expected to win every tournament. Incredibly, 24-goals is probably too low for them to send a representative national team.
But they came, which was a victory in itself as they had declined to play in the 2014 Snow Polo World Cup in Tianjin. However, they arrived without a team manager or coach, reputedly because no one wanted to be responsible for a ‘low-goal’ Argentine team! They fielded a balanced side of 6-goalers, comprising Pablo Llorente, Pablo Dorignac, Tomás Ruiz Guiñazú and Martín Tassara. But although they started well in both their games, they ultimately failed to keep up the momentum.
The USA, who defeated Argentina in the subsidiary, fielded what had appeared to be an impressive side, with Nic Roldan and Mike Azzaro, Carlos Gracida Jr and Andres Weisz. They did not click in the first game against Hong Kong China, however, and it took them three chukkas of the subsidiary final before they got their game together. USA had to come from 6–2 down in the fourth chukka to defeat the Argentinians 10–9.
The 2014 final of the FIP Super Nations Cup between Hong Kong China and England was a very good match. The young English side had to work hard against the Hong Kong China team led by Clarkin, a player who knows them well. Morley and Meyrick both had good games, as did the industrious Richardson. Charlton did not
Opposite MVP John-Paul Clarkin (in red) with Jack Richardson (in white). This page, from top The opening ceremony; John Fisher holds aloft the winning trophy; the USA’s Mike Azzaro and Argentina’s Pablo Llorente dramatically hook mallets
really impose himself on the game and, for me, that was the difference. England kept pace with Hong Kong China until half-time, but in an excellent fourth chukka, Hong Kong China scored five goals to England’s one, giving them a 10–6 lead. The match was never in doubt after that. It was 11–6 at the end of the fifth chukka and, while England fought bravely on, 11–8 was a comfortable win for Hong Kong. England’s young side played really well, and other than that devastating fourth chukka in the final, had a really good Super Nations Cup.
Clarkin said at the post-match press conference: ‘We had a game plan and, although it was level at half-time, we didn’t change it, because we felt we were unlucky not to be ahead. We came through strong in the second half of the game and deserved the win.’
The 8-goal star scored 10 times over two games in the tournament, and was named Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row. Clarkin was characteristically humble about his achievement: ‘It could have been any one of these guys, to be honest. It was the team performance that won the day,’ he said. Best Playing Pony was awarded to Lawyer, a brown/ black gelding bred in Australia at Ellerston, and ridden by Clarkin.
The final took place on a really clear day – unusual weather conditions in smoggy Tianjin. The brilliant sunshine made for a great afternoon of polo, with the teams playing much better than they had in previous years.
With the south field being rebuilt at Tianjin, the 2015 tournament looks set to be truly spectacular. The new grandstand stretches the length of the field, and there are teppanyaki kitchens in each of the hospitality boxes on the upper level. Polo hospitality in China is being taken to still greater heights.
A S P E N S N O W P O L O
The home team battled some formidable opposition to emerge the victors in this exciting championship, report Tina and Scott Derby
The 2014 Piaget World Snow Polo Championship took place in Aspen, Colorado, where, from 17 to 20 December, with snow-capped mountains in the distance, six teams of elite players vied for the World Championship title.
Ultimately, after many exhilarating chukkas, that title went to the Piaget team, which comprised Marc Ganzi, Jeff Hall and Nic Roldan. They battled hard in the final match against the formidable US Polo Association team, which featured America’s only 10-goal arena player, Tommy Biddle; rising young Canadian star Brandon Phillips; and Grant Ganzi, who captained his Casablanca team in Wellington’s first 20-goal championship of the 2015 polo season.
Of the four teams that remained, Audi (Melissa Ganzi, Kris Kampsen, Juan Bollini) did a great job defeating Flexjet (Tommy Kato, Martin Pepa, Luis Escobar) and took third place. Meanwhile, Aspen Valley Polo Club (made up of Juancito Bollini, Andrea Gonzalez, Alejandro Novillo Astrada) came fifth after winning against the defending champions, St. Regis (consisting of Alejandro Gonzalez, Mariano Gracida, Roberto Gonzalez).
Following the tournament, Larry Boland, president of Piaget North America, presented the trophy – a silver cup accented with deer antlers – to the Piaget team. For the second consecutive year, Nic Roldan was awarded Most Valuable Player while Marc Ganzi’s grey mare, coincidentally named Piaget, received the Best Playing Pony award for her form on the pitch.
The final was shown on the NBC Sports network – the first time North America’s only snow polo tournament has aired on television – and had more viewers than any polo match broadcast in the past two years in the United States on NBC Sports. ‘The format of snow polo is extremely fan-friendly, given the smaller arena and the three-on-three action, with quicker turns and a great deal of contact,’ says Aspen Valley Polo Club president Marc Ganzi. ‘And Aspen is also an extremely attractive venue for viewers – the visual aspects of the event are without equal.’
For the second year in a row, the tournament was organised by Marc and Melissa Ganzi, and hosted by the Aspen Valley Polo Club, sister of the Grand Champions Polo Club, based in Wellington, Florida. The club is also a deluxe training ground, with first-class facilities, including a stick-and-ball field, premium clubhouse, wooden polo pit, exercise track, indoor school and arena, plus a livery yard, stables and grooms’ accommodation, with pony hire and coaches also available.
According to Marc Ganzi, plans are already underway for the 2015 tournament, which is scheduled for 17 to 19 December. It is his intention this year to get started as early as possible with organising the event, so Aspen retailers, as well as potential sponsors, can take advantage of the marketing opportunities provided by this high-end spectacle, which is expected to join the annual St Moritz Snow Polo World Cup as one of the world’s top winter polo tournaments.
‘This year was a great deal easier than last, and now we have the city squarely behind us for the future,’ he explains. ‘We went from three to six teams and that greatly enhanced the competition and competitiveness. We already have more requests for teams than we have spots, which is a good thing for the event and the sport. Melissa’s and my vision is to make this the premier snow-polo event in the world. Our hope is that we can get a team from the UK to come and compete as well.’
Above USPA’s 10-goaler Tommy Biddle chased by Piaget’s Nic Roldan
K A R I M K H A N A F R I D I M E M O R I A L
Despite the lack of polo games played, the Hurlingham Polo Association enjoyed its inaugural trip to the Islamabad Polo Club, reports Victoria Elsbury-Legg
On 9 November, an English team comprising Michael Howe (captain), Roderick Vere Nicoll, Ed Winterton and Marcus Hancock took to the pitches at the Islamabad Polo Club in Pakistan for the first match to be played at the club by a visiting foreign team. Team Pakistan was made up of Maj Gen Isfandiyar Pataudi, Lt Col (retired) Raja Nadeem Shafiq and Arsalan Najeeb, and captained by Shaukat Malik.
Said Vere Nicoll: ‘It was a memorable trip. There was a new Battro field, good food, friendly people and an interesting culture – all very different from how it has been portrayed in the media!’ These sentiments were echoed by all who participated in the Karim Khan Afridi Memorial Polo Match, played in memory of Cristina and Tariq Afridi’s 19-year-old son, who sadly passed away last June. Tariq – who has represented Pakistan at the Polo World Cup – and Cristina are currently setting up the Karim Khan Welfare Foundation, which aims to help young people cope with the challenges they may face in life.
Established in 1968, the Islamabad Club is one of the top sporting facilities in Pakistan. Its 346 acres include an Olympic-sized outdoor pool, 27-hole golf course, squash courts and a shooting range, as well as its equestrian area. The latest additions include two polo grounds, a floodlit arena (where the first Pakistan Arena Polo Championships were held), an exercise track, paddocks and grooms’ accommodation.
Designed in collaboration with Argentine experts Battro Polo Fields, the Tifton-grass grounds were built to lead the way for the sport in southern Asia. England captain Michael Howe believed the money was well spent, because the pitches played extremely well. The environmental impact of such a venture has also been taken into consideration, with irrigation supplied by rainwater from a purpose-built lake.
Inaugurated by the President of Pakistan last March, the club has welcomed key players from the world of polo, including Maj Gen Isfandiyar
Pataudi and Augustin Canale, as well as some familiar faces often seen on English polo lawns, such as Hissam Ali Hyder, Raja Temur Nadeem and Oli Hipwood.
With the aim of increasing interest in the sport in the country and creating opportunities for a new generation of polo players, an academy is run at the club by Marcus Hancock, who currently has 50 students under his tutelage. As Howe explains, ‘Marcus encourages children in polo, building their confidence rather than disciplining it out of them. The approach they take at the academy offers the best opportunity for a talented kid to excel.’
The scheduled matches between England and Pakistan did come up against the unfortunate phenomenon of ‘weather conditions’, with just one match being played on the Sunday (resulting in an 8–7 Pakistan victory), but this did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the visiting players. As well as the polo, they enjoyed dinners hosted by friends of the club and trips to some stunning locations in both the hills and the ‘real mountains’ (that is, the Himalayas), not to mention the chance to witness racing bulls and dancing horses.
After the match, Nadeem remarked, ‘Despite a shortfall of horses, I hope the English have good
Opposite Michael Howe on the ball This page Howe chases Bobby Nadeem
memories to take back home with them. We would be honoured to develop a strong bond between the HPA and Islamabad Polo Club.’ Vere Nicoll agreed. ‘We hope to play more games against each other both in the UK and in Pakistan.’
It would seem that the Islamabad Polo Club is truly leading the way for the sport and its current and future players in Pakistan. Summing up the team’s experience, Howe said, ‘We all thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Islamabad. Our hosts really looked after us, and I think we could learn a lot from their hospitality. In their religion, it is said that if God is happy with you, He will send people for you to look after – such as a bunch of English visitors, perhaps!’
I N D I A N O P E N
The 2014 Delhi polo season saw some hard-fought games being played, none more so than the thrilling fnal of the Indian Open Polo Championships
The Delhi polo season was dominated by Naveen Jindal’s team, Jindal Panthers, who won seven out of 10 tournaments, including two 14-goal tournaments – the Indian Masters and the Sir Pratap Singh Cup – as well as the prestigious 20-goal Indian Open Polo Championships.
Now in its 114th year, the world-famous Indian Open Polo Championships were presented in 2014 by Airbus Group. All games were played at the Jaipur Grounds in New Dehli, and the standard of horses was high, many coming from New Zealand and Argentina. The final saw packed stands, with a crowd of more than 1,500 cheering for the two finalists, Jindal Panthers and Sahara Warriors.
The Jindal Panthers team included New Zealand’s John-Paul Clarkin (8), and England’s James Beim (7), alongside Jindal’s professional, Simran Singh Shergill (5), and the sponsor, Naveen Jindal (0), who, due to a back injury, was substituted halfway through the game by Pratap Singh Kanota (0). The Sahara Warriors team included Argentina’s Pablo Dorignac (6), England’s Nick Pepper (4) and two Indian professionals, Samir Suhag (5) and Dhruvpal Godara (5).
Beim commented: ‘I spent 10 days in New Dehli. I was very well looked after by Naveen Jindal and his team; they are very hospitable people. The 20-goal tournament was played between three teams, and we played three games over a week. We won our two league games reasonably easily, but the final was a very tough game.’
The thrilling match resulted in a nail-biting finish, with Jindal Panthers claiming the victory 10–9. ‘Sahara Warriors were a very balanced and well-mounted team,’ he said. ‘They had the upper hand throughout most of a very hard-fought game, with the scores never being more than one apart. We entered the final chukka a goal down, but, with time running out, managed to equalise and then move one ahead with just 45 seconds on the clock, thanks to great goals from Shergill and Clarkin. From the ensuing throw-in, Sahara claimed the ball, ran to goal and were awarded a 40-yard penalty to tie the game with just 15 seconds remaining. Luckily for us, Suhag missed, meaning we were crowned champions of the Indian Open.’
The winning team’s mare Jimmy, played by John-Paul Clarkin, was declared Best Playing Pony and Dhruvpal Godara was named Most Valuable Player of the final match.
When asked about his views on the future of polo in India, Naveen Jindal said: ‘I have been involved in polo in India for many years and, after a slow patch, am happy to see it flourish again. The Jindal Panthers team is lucky to count on distinguished players such as Shergill and Clarkin, who has been playing with us for the past two seasons. These top-class players are the driving force behind our multiple successes and our consecutive wins are driven not only by the talent
Opposite Jindal Panthers being presented with the trophy by Airbus Group India’s Kanwal Sibal This page Nick Peppers (in white) entirely surrounded by the opposition of the team, but also by our passion for the sport. Our ambition for the future is not limited to winning more tournaments, but extends to fielding stronger teams and competing against strong opponents.’
The Championships Trophy was presented by Airbus Group India’s non-executive chairman, Kanwal Sibal, and president, Yves Guillaume, together with the ambassadors of Great Britain, France, Germany and Spain. Other dignitaries seen enjoying the final were: Xavier Hay, managing director of Airbus Helicopters India; Thorsten Moellmann, head of international communications at Airbus Group; Yashodhara Raje Scindia, Minister for Commerce & Industries and Lt Governor of Madhya Pradesh, Lt Gen AK Singh.
The post-match festivities took place in a beautifully decorated marquee, with delicious hors d’oeuvres and live music setting the mood for a fitting end to a perfect day of polo. Said Beim: ‘We celebrated long into the night, with a fantastic party hosted by Naveen Jindal at his house in the city’. Summing up his trip to India, Beim commented: ‘It was a hugely enjoyable experience to visit a growing polo destination, and I gained a fascinating glimpse into Indian culture. Aside from the polo, a particular highlight for me was visiting the Taj Mahal. I look forward to returning to India soon.’
Opposite England’s Tommy Beresford (middle left) and France’s Etienne Croquet (right). This page Ireland’s Max Hutchinson shoots
THE CONTENDERS
England 1 George Pearson 2 Tommy Beresford 3 Will Emerson 4 Peter Webb
Ireland 1 Seb Dawnay 2 Mike Henderson 3 Max Hutchinson 4 Niall Donnelly
France 1 Pierre-Henri Ngoumou 2 Clemente Delfosse 3 Robert Strom 4 Etienne Croquet
Spain 1 Luis Domecq 2 Ignacio Domecq 3 Mario Gomez-Duran 4 Pelayo Berazadi
Across the country, during the final week of September 2014, many stick bags were packed and heading not for the familiar fields of Guards, Cowdray or Cirencester, but for check-in at Heathrow, accompanying players to sunnier climes. At Beaufort Polo Club, however, there was still plenty of on-field competition, with some key qualifiers being played to secure a place in the 10th FIP World Championships.
Open to national men’s teams with a handicap of up to 14 goals, the competition will be hosted in March by the Club de Polo y Equitación San Cristobal in Santiago, Chile, in conjunction with the Federación Chilena de Polo. Having enjoyed a two-month stay in the country – which included numerous visits to the club, some stick-and-balling with the stunning, colour-changing Andes as a backdrop, and meeting some amazing people – I can quite understand why all involved were so keen for a win, and thus the chance to travel to one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Among those players competing for the chance to meet the host nation, Chile, and the reigning FIP world champions, Argentina, were Will Emerson and Peter Webb for England; Seb Dawnay and Mike Henderson for Ireland; Pierre-Henri Ngoumou for France; and Luis and Ignacio Domecq for Spain. It may have been Team England who won the coveted spot to represent their country at the championships, but qualification was not without a few rather anxious moments. On the Saturday, England won their first game 8–7 against Spain, followed on Friday by a second win 8–6 against Ireland. On Sunday, however, things did not go to plan against France: despite England playing well and leading 7–3 at half-time, France then scored six goals in the second half, meaning a surprise England loss of 8–9. With mutterings of a disallowed England goal, which the umpires concluded was wide, and an Ireland squad cheering on the French, it meant the results of the Ireland vs France game on the following Tuesday would be the decider, despite England being top of the points table.
In the qualifying match, a straight win by France would have sent them to Chile and a 10–7 win to Ireland would have incurred a penalty shoot-out, but if Ireland won by 1 or 2, or 3 in a low-scoring game, or even drew with France, then England would be the ones heading to Santiago. In a bizarre twist to the tale, it was Ireland’s gallant 7–6 win against France, the team they’d been cheering on when they’d played against England a few days earlier, that ultimately meant England would check in at Heathrow in March. ‘The tournament at Beaufort was well organised and the teams very competitive,’ said England’s captain, Peter Webb, after the match, adding with a wry smile that he would also like to thank the Irish for winning the last game against the French and putting his team through. Looking ahead to Chile, he said he believed that the biggest competition facing England would be from Argentina or Brazil.
David Woodd, the chief executive of the Hurlingham Polo Association, also believed the winners would enjoy some very competitive polo in Chile. ‘The England team are to be congratulated on qualifying ahead of three very competitive opponents,’ he said. ‘The finals in Chile will be out of season for our players, which is a considerable disadvantage, and I suspect they will be up against some well-handicapped South American players – certainly from Chile, the hosts; Argentina, as defending champions; and probably also Brazil.
‘Our team is 50/50 experience and youth. They have played together, but it will be tough for sure, and much will depend on how we can make best use of the pool of ponies we draw and whether we can come out of the blocks quickly enough. I am not sure how the games will be scheduled, but with just six teams, we will almost certainly not have a bad match.’
T H A I P O L O I N P I L A R
The host side faced Power Infrastructure in the fnal of an entertaining tournament played, for the frst time, in their own club. Carolina Beresford reports
From the opening night’s cocktail party hosted in premier polo shop La Martina, in Buenos Aires, to the three red Ferraris displayed during the final, everything about Harald Link’s Thai Polo Cup was meant to entertain.
Six teams took part in the 12-goal contest, which was hosted in Thai Polo Club, Pilar, for the first time. The qualifying games were close and competitive. In the semi-finals, home team Thai Polo defeated Sonny Hill 8–5, while Power Infrastructure overcame Amadeus Macau 8–6, taking Thai Polo and Power Infrastructure through to the final.
Guests from all over headed to Pilar to enjoy the generous hospitality and watch what was sure to be a tight game. Even though Power Infrastructure were leading 2–0 by the end of the first chukka, Thai Polo managed to hit back, making it 4–3 to Power at the close of the third.
In true Thai fashion, the show had only just begun. In the half-time break, a Ferrari pulled up alongside Illusion, Pablo Jauretche’s best mare. Curious spectators gathered by the scoreboards as the chequered flag came down and both Ferrari and horse zoomed down the pitch towards the finish line. But the race was too close to call, so a rematch was held. This time, to the delight of the crowds, Illusion was the clear winner.
The excitement continued into the final two chukkas of the game, with both teams scoring in the fourth. In the final fifth chukka, a nearside goal from Power’s Edouard Pan made it 6–4. Thai Polo’s Agustin Garcia Grossi answered by converting a 60-yard penalty, but Thai Polo were still down by one in the closing seconds of the game, and Power Infrastructure claimed a deserved 6–5 victory.
Miguel Mendoza, patron of the wining team, was very happy with the organisation of the tournament: ‘It was a lot of fun! I would love to play again next year if we get the chance, and I definitely want to play in Thailand soon as well.’
However, the focus of the Thai Polo Cup was on more than just polo: the exchange of culture was key for owner and founder Harald Link. ‘We
host the Argentine Ambassador’s Cup every year in Thailand with the Argentine Embassy, so we wanted to do something similar with the Thai Embassy here in Argentina,’ he explained.
Both Argentina and Thailand put their finest foot forward with the objective of encouraging those native to Thailand and Argentina to learn something of each other’s culture. ‘Today we can start with the food!’ exclaimed Thai MinisterCounsellor, Thawat Teerawat. Pad Thai was on offer at the Thai Embassy stand, and a traditional Argentine picada – a selection of finger foods, cured meats and cheeses – was doing the rounds at the clubhouse.
Nunthinee Tanner, Harald’s business partner in Thai Polo, explained that setting this contest up in Pilar during November coincides favourably with the international polo calendar’s South American term: ‘The Argentine season is drawing to a close and the tournaments in Thailand start shortly. After the Thai season, we move to Britain – we now have a Thai Polo Club in Berkshire – before moving on to Malaysia. It’s a full cycle.’
As the president of the Equestrian Society in Thailand and South-East Asia, Link is a big
Opposite Harald Link and Nunthinee Tanner with the winning Power Infrastructure team This page, from top A race with two types of horsepower; Juan Agustin Garcia Grossi on the nearside
supporter of polo and other equestrian sports in Asia. ‘I am very happy that Harald has done so much to bring polo to Thailand,’ explained Teerawat. ‘It forms a link between Thailand and Argentina. Argentina has a very high level of polo and, thanks to Harald, Thailand can begin to share these experiences. I want the people of Thailand to enjoy playing polo; it really is a gentleman’s game.’
Link, of course, is the greatest gentleman of them all, encouraging a friendly and supportive culture both on and off the pitch. ‘When you’re an amateur, you like to play fast but safe polo,’ he explained. ‘I find this kind of atmosphere and hospitality off the field encourages good relations on-field.’ Manu Cereceda, manager of Thai Polo, agreed: ‘Outside Argentina, players and organisations really take care of their patrons. One could say that we don’t do that so well in Argentina! The idea is to show that having fun is also part of the game.’
As if the Ferrari-versus-horse race wasn’t enough, there was an Elvis tribute band to get guests moving after the final game. Link was the first on the dance floor, surprising everyone with his classic rock’n’roll moves as he and Lia Salvo, who played for the home team, twisted the night away. An impressive firework display later marked the end of a fantastic tournament and a very entertaining final.
S C O T T S D A L E P O L O C H A M P I O N S H I P S
Record crowds focked to the desert for the fourth Polo Party
On 25 and 26 October last year, almost 12,000 fans – the largest number in US polo for 2014 – gathered under the sweltering Arizona sun to watch the Bentley Scottsdale Championships.
For its fourth incarnation, the event, which calls itself the Polo Party, hosted top players from around the world, including US stars Sunny Hale and Julio Arellano, last year’s defending champions Scottsdale’s own Clogau Wales, England’s Sarah Wiseman, Paola Martinez of Argentina, Caroline Anier of France and top American collegiate player Patrick Uretz. Between all the equestrian action, there was an art auction, dog fashion show and the Arizona Porsche Concours d’Elegance.
The excitement began in earnest on the Saturday, when the hometown Arizona Polo Club edged out the Gay Polo League with a score of 6–5. The Gay Polo League, which is based in Florida and is the world’s only team of its kind, almost came back with two goals in the last 30 seconds of the game. In the fierce match that followed, defending champions Ricky Cooper, Richard Blake Thomas, Roddy Matthews and Pete Webb of Clogau Wales toppled the Molina Fine Jewelers Woman’s World All-Stars 9–5. Webb, who earned the MVP honour for the weekend, scored 8 of its 9 goals.
‘The ladies have terrific experience and were the best female team in the world this year. If it were not for the fact that our team have played together for many years, it could have been a very different story,’ said captain Ricky Cooper. ‘Retaining our title in our adopted home of Scottsdale means so much to everyone. Playing here is a highlight in our career and we can’t thank the Polo Party enough for the wonderful reception we’ve received.’
On Sunday, the USPA Governor’s Cup Match brought more top teams together. Players from around the US, who had assembled for the United States Polo Association’s annual meeting, competed for the Governor’s Cup, which ended in a victory for Heineken’s team over Sears Vacations. The All-Star match turned out to be the highlight of the day saw 9-goaler Julio Arellano, representing BarrettJackson, faced off against Pete Webb.
It was Arellano who started scoring more efficiently, setting up his team to take a 4–2 lead. Still, just as Saturday’s game had seen Webb
When f ans weren’t cheering for the polo stars, there was applause for the art auction
Above In an exciting match, Sunny Hale, far right, USA’s highest-rated women’s player, is on the ball, watched by Julio Arellano, far left, her male equivalent
come to life in the second half and score five goals, Matthews stepped up the action and clinched the winner in the Bentley All-Star match with a final touch. ‘It was close, which always makes it fun,’ said Arellano. ‘Unfortunately, we lost by a goal, but it was nonetheless a great battle. And what a great crowd!’
The 2014 version of the Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships also produced a stellar line-up of mechanical horsepower, featuring a preview of the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction, Bentley displays and more than 200 impressive cars from Ferrari and Lamborghini clubs, and the Porsche Concours d’Elegance.
When fans weren’t cheering for the polo stars, more applause could be heard during Saturday’s Larsen art auction, in which more than 240 works were sold, totalling seven figures’ worth of sales. ‘The results are in and the auction proved to be a huge success,’ beamed Scott Larsen of the Larsen Gallery. ‘Thanks to 700 registered bidders from 46 states and 33 countries, we sold 80 per cent of the available lots and are still actively accepting post-auction offers on the remaining pieces.’
P O L O B Y T H E S E A
Urban Polo has a beautiful new setting, writes Andrew Benke, who was present when the action kicked of last month
Above The Palm Beach peninsula Below Mark Liliman winds up for a forehand moments before taking Investec Gold Coast to an unassailable lead in the fnal chukka
The Urban Polo scene continues to flourish in Australia, with Palm Beach’s Polo by the Sea adding to the steadily increasing event schedule.
Conceived 10 years ago by Janek Gazecki and Ruki Baillieu, with the first event staged in Sydney’s Centennial Park under the ‘Polo in the City’ banner, this variant of polo is now played in all of Australia’s capital cities, recently expanding into coastal towns under the guise of ‘Polo by the Sea’. It even has its own governing body, the Urban Polo Association.
Urban Polo is played on a smaller field than its parent game, with altered rules, to suit urban locations where space is limited. The result is a quicker and more spectator-friendly game, as players never leave the field of vision, and necessarily quick reflexes make for a good show.
Palm Beach precinct is a 50-minute drive north of Sydney, and constitutes some of the world’s most beautiful urban coastline. With a peninsula flanked by the cerulean Pacific Ocean on the east and the Hawkesbury River estuary to the west, its stunning natural environment and short distance from Australia’s largest city, makes it a summer getaway for many prominent polo families, including the Packers, Marshalls, Higgins and Rothwells.
All of the above factors made Palm Beach a logical choice for last year’s instalment of the ‘Polo by the Sea’ series. Restricted to 1,000 spectators, the event sold out in two weeks and attracted a number of corporate marquees and VIP guests. On the weekend of 31 May, Sydney’s high society – an array of fashion designers, celebrity chefs, models and film stars – converged in the spectacular setting, making it one of the hottest tickets of the summer.
The first game, the Pro-Am Challenge, showcased the Battle of the International Brands, in which Santa Vittoria (Brook Thomas, Mark Elworthy, Adam Meally and Beau Blundell) took on chic clothing brand Vicomte Arthur (Hugh Cochrane, Ali Reda, John Ker and Janek Gazecki). Despite leading by several goals for most of the match, the French brand finally succumbed to a late run from Santa Vittoria, led by Meally, which resulted in the latter taking out the match 6 goals to 5.
The featured semi-professional game, the National Polo League, saw a local Land Rover Palm Beach team (Lochie Graham, Angus Graham, Angus Campbell and Nick Wills) take on the visiting Investec Gold Coast team (Mark Lilyman, Jake Daniels, Bill Taylor and Jonathan Bayes). A fast and furious game ended with the home side defeated 7–4.
Founder Janek Gazecki seeks to retain the ‘boutique’ nature of the event in future years by continuing to limit numbers, while local councillors intend the event to draw international patrons, given that the location is a perfect launch pad for a summer holiday in Australia. Polo by the Sea will be held at Main Beach on the Gold Coast in May 2015 and at Sydney’s Palm Beach in January 2016; polobythesea.com.au
