42 minute read
Action
Polito Pieres on Dun Urbano Rollinga having scored two decisive goals in the sixth chukka of the Gold Cup
THE ACTION
48 Gold Cup
Cowdray Park saw a waterlogged ground that led to an unusually low-scoring – and close – final match
50 Queens Cup
52 Audi International Series
This summer’s inaugural Audi
International Series was played in three locations and saw some impressive home wins by the England team 56 Zimbabwe
An exhibition match showcases the future and promise of polo in the country
57 Sotogrande
Victor Vargas takes home the muchdeserved and hard-fought Gold Cup
58 Pacific Coast Open
An illustrious Californian polo venue hosts an exciting final with skilful play
60 EFG International
Historic Sandhurst hosts a new trophy 61 Deauville Cup
Herbert Spencer reports on the action at the Normandy seaside resort
62 French Open
Blue skies and warm weather provided the perfect backdrop to a thrilling final in which the underdogs triumphed
64 Malaysian League
Great sportsmanship and the spirit of polo shines through at the RMPA
International League finals, leading to a well-deserved title for Thai Polo
GOLD CUP
Clare Milford Haven reports from a rainy Cowdray Park, where a waterlogged ground led to an unusually low-scoring, albeit close, final match
This year’s Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup draw made all the difference to the outcome of the tournament. With the 16 teams divided evenly into four leagues, it meant that there were definitely four games for each team to play and the introduction of a ‘penalty shoot-out’ for the last quarter-final place meant that there were no dead rubbers and every match was fiercely contested. From both the spectators’ and players’ point of view, this was a win-win situation all round. The penalty shoot-out added a whole new dimension of excitement to the tournament as even the world’s best players stumbled on converting 40-yard penalties as the pressure got to them.
In fact the only negative aspect of the entire tournament was the constant and relentless rain that did its level best to dampen the enthusiasm of even the heartiest of high-goal supporters. The semi-finals were no exception. Played out against a rainy backdrop of Ambersham rather than the traditional venue of Lawns, Adrian Kirby’s Cortium came up against Hanbury’s El Remanso in the final – the first time either team had ever made it to the British Open final. After Dubai’s easy victory over El Remanso in the Queen’s Cup semis, many were anticipating a Dubai v Sumaya final with Sumaya having successfully won all their Gold Cup league games. But things did not go according to plan and Adolfo Cambiaso only scored once for Dubai in their battle in the rain in the semis and Sumaya had their first mediocre game in weeks. For Cowdray members and Midhurst residents it was great to see a local team in this longanticipated final. Adrian Kirby had tried hard for six years to get to this point and it was not an easy journey. His main man, Jamie Huidobro, had fractured his collarbone over Jubilee weekend in a game leading up to a quarter-finals game of the Queen’s Cup and for a while it looked as if the team might be doomed.
On the contrary, Cortium came out onto the field confidently and seemed to get off to a positive start with Huidobro scoring the first goal on the nearside having taken the ball all the way from the throw-in. But they then gave away two penalties in quick succession putting El Remanso into a 2-1 lead halfway through the
first chukka. They were only saved by a further 30-yard penalty when Guillermo Terrera succeeded in putting it just wide.
In the second chukka, it was El Remanso’s turn to make the majority of the fouls – firstly by sandwiching Polito Pieres resulting in an easy 40-yard hit to equalise at 2-2, and then a dangerous play by Pelon Stirling gave away another penalty three to take Cortium a goal ahead to 3-2 going into the third.
What looked like a sure goal by Huidobro was miraculously cleared on the goal line by Stirling and then matched down the other hand by an equally impressive save by Huidobro in his goal mouth. Pieres then shot a hard, clean shot towards goal but the ball hit the post and bounced off wide. El Remanso finally managed to equalise with a 30-yard hit by Terrera, which only just rolled though. At half-time with only three goals apiece on the scoreboard – the unusually low scoring final was put down to the fact that the ground was cutting up badly – hardly surprising after two-and-a-half months of solid rain.
A good tread in at half-time and the ground was well prepared for another three chukkas with Pieres converting two more penalties to keep Cortium in front at 5-4, although not without a spectacular cut shot through the goal by George Hanbury. Stirling, now on his handy grey pony, scored a wonderful field goal followed by a well-lofted 60-yard hit to take El Remanso back into the lead at 6-5.
With the score and a penalty in their favour going into the fifth chukka, El Remanso came out confidently and a 40-yard hit by Stirling went neatly through the posts to take them two goals ahead at 7-5. What looked like another sure goal by George Hanbury just pipped the post and was backed out of danger by Kirby who then took the ball the whole way down the ground, narrowly missing making an epic goal. Francisco Elizalde made up for it by scoring his first goal of the day and then getting a foul in the front of the scoreboard to take them back to equal status at 7-7. But the goal of the day was yet to come from Charlie Hanbury whose backhand slice took El Remanso a goal ahead again going into the sixth and final chukka.
Within seconds of coming back onto the field, Stirling cut a swathe through Cortium’s defence,
Opposite Fran Elizalde (yellow) and Pelon Stirling race for the ball This page Guillermo Terrera leans out of the saddle for a nearside
scoring another excellent field goal to take his team two goals ahead to 9-7. Things were now looking dicey for Cortium but Pieres came out on his magnificent six-year-old stallion Rolinga and after converting an easy 30-yard penalty, he succeeded in equalising the score at 9-9 with a fabulous field goal. The tension on the field was palpable through the stands, as El Remanso made a valiant effort to regain the lead again but Pieres was unstoppable and scored one final goal a minute before the end of the game to seal their place in history as the 2012 winners of the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup.
Huidobro summed up their victory after the game: ‘I think we did well because we really played as a team, and, regardless of handicaps, everyone had a chance to make the difference. Adrian, in particular, was a strong team member. He is mounted well and was very fit this year. It makes a huge difference when you have a patron who plays well on his handicap.’
QUEEN’S CUP
England’s first major high-goal final of the 2012 season was bound to be a very special occasion as the country celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen was at Guards Polo Club to present her own polo cup. The red-coated band of the Welsh Guards provided musical accompaniment and HM the Sultan of Oman sent his Royal Cavalry and bagpipers to entertain a sell-out crowd of 5,000.
The polo action in this Cartier Queen’s Cup finale lived up to the occasion, with undefeated newcomers Ayala pushing four-time winners Dubai right down to the wire in one of the most exiting finals of recent years. The game was tied no fewer than six times before 10-goaler Adolfo Cambiaso won it for Dubai 12-11 in the dying seconds of the final chukka.
The Cartier Queen’s Cup at Guards in June was, as usual, a most cosmopolitan polo competition, with amateurs and professionals from 14 countries including 20 of the top pros holding handicaps of 10, 9 and 8 goals.
This year the 22-goal tournament was marked by the successes of newcomers among the 16 teams competing and the fall of old favourites that had won the tournament in previous years. For the first time, Karan Thapar’s EFG Bank Aravali and the Hanburys’ El Remanso made it through to the semi-finals before being knocked out by Ayala and Dubai.
Iñigo Zobel, 55-year-old patron of the Ayala team, was a newcomer to English high goal. Hailing from the Philippines, he is the son of the late Enrique Zobel who started polo in Sotogrande. Iñigo now runs his own polo club, Ayala, near the Spanish resort and has won 20-goal tournaments at Santa Maria Polo Club. Ayala was the only team that came through the Cartier Queen’s Cup leagues and the quarterfinals and semi-finals undefeated. While Ali Albwardy’s Dubai had lost their first league match, they were veterans of the Queen’s Cup, having won it in 2010, 2006, 2005 and 2003, and so were the clear favourites.
The horsepower brought to the final by both teams was impressive, although Dubai had a slight edge in strength of depth of their pony string. Three-quarters of the 43 ponies listed by Dubai were from Argentina. The majority of Ayala’s 36 ponies were from Australia and New Zealand.
Dubai drew first blood with a spot penalty conversion by Ignacio Heguy in the first minute of the opening chukka. Ayala patron Zobel evened the score when he took a pass from 10-goaler Gonzalito Pieres to find the posts. Cambiaso retook the lead for Dubai before
Opposite Nachi Heguy in front of the Cartier marquee. This page HM The Queen speaks with Jean-Paul Clarkin; the Royal Cavalry of Oman on parade
Dubai had a potential disaster at half-time, as Cambiaso had pulled a riding muscle
TONY RAMIREZ/IMAGESOFPOLO.COM Ayala’s John Paul Clarkin tied it up again, 2-2, at the bell. Heguy restored Dubai’s lead a minute into the second chukka, scoring from a scrum. Ayala’s Clarkin immediately equalised with a breakaway field goal. Pieres broke clear and put Ayala ahead for the first time, but Cambiaso chipped in a goal to tie the game up again 4-4.
Dubai recaptured the lead in the third period with a 30-yard penalty conversion by Heguy. Cambiaso took the ball straight from the next throw-in and raced to goal to increase their advantage. Pieres pulled one back for Ayala with a penalty conversion at the bell and the first half ended with Dubai ahead 6-5.
Dubai had a potential disaster threatening at half-time. ‘Aldolfo has a pulled riding muscle,’ confided worried team owner Ali Albwardy. ‘He’ll see how it goes in the next chukka, but he isn’t sure that he’ll be able to continue.’
But Cambiaso did ride on for another three chukkas. He found the posts a minute into the fourth period and in the second minute Heguy also scored, giving Dubai a three-point lead. Pieres pulled one back for Ayala with a spot-hit conversion before Cambiaso scored again at the bell to end the chukka 9-6 up.
Ayala rallied strongly in the fifth chukka, outscoring Dubai with two field goals and two penalty conversions by Pieres, while Cambiaso scored only once for Dubai. So the period ended with a 10-10 tie. A 60-yard penalty conversion by Pieres gave Ayala the lead at the start of the sixth and final chukka. Cambiaso equalised with a conversion. Cambiaso on his way to goal again when Ayala fouled after the first bell. Umpires awarded a 30-yard penalty, Cambiaso hit it in and the 2012 Cartier Queen’s Cup was Dubai’s.
This was Dubai’s fifth Queen’s Cup win, but it was the eighth for Cambiaso, a record. The Queen presented the 10-goaler with the Most Valuable Player award, well deserved.
After the match Cambiaso admitted he had been in pain from his pulled riding muscle ‘and I still am.’ But he was euphoric over Dubai’s victory. ‘Now for the Gold Cup,’ he said. ‘After today, we should be the only team without pressure.’ But that is another story.
AUDI INTERNATIONAL SERIES
Herbert Spencer reports from the inaugural Audi International Polo Series, which saw impressive wins from the home team
Audi England won two of the three test matches in the Hurlingham Polo Association’s new Audi International Polo Series this summer, a performance that was praised by Audi UK, who are sponsors of both the series and the national England team.
The HPA has the only permanent national team organisation in polo, with a manager, chef d’equipe, coaches, trainers, and currently a squad of 11 seasoned professional players available for selection to play in international test matches at home and abroad. Audi UK has been the main sponsor of England in home tests for seven years.
‘It has been a highly rewarding first year for the Audi International Polo Series with impressive England victories and some remarkably skilful play,’ said Jon Zammett, head of PR for Audi UK.
Audi UK has also been a sponsor of Pony Club Polo for two years and is the HPA’s most important corporate partner, from grassroots youth development to test matches at the top end of the sport.
AUDI INTERNATIONAL DAY
The HPA’s flagship event in the 2012 Audi International series was the association’s annual International Day held at Guards Polo Club in July. Audi UK has taken over this 41-year-old HPA event from long-time sponsor Cartier UK. Under Audi sponsorship, International Day this year took on more of the atmosphere of a major sports event rather than that of a social occasion as previously promoted by Cartier.
In the main match on International Day, Audi England played Equus & Co South Africa for the 1911 Coronation Cup, defeating South Africa 9-8 to retain the trophy for the third straight year. It was a close-run, however, with a seasoned England team prevailing over a young South African side only in the final seconds of the match.
The action on the Queen’s Ground, on a hot and sunny day after weeks of rain, was fast and open. There were fewer umpires’ whistles than usual and only two of each team’s points were scored on penalty conversions.
England were a 26-goal team with South Africa handicapped at 25, so the visitors started the match with a goal on the scoreboard. The visitors took the opening chukka 3-2, but the home team won the next 4-3. England held South Africa scoreless in the third period to take a 5-3 lead at half-time.
The home side kept the lead 7-6 in the fourth chukka, but South Africa denied them any goals in the fifth and edged forward to tie the match 7-7. In the nail-biting sixth and final chukka, England skipper Luke Tomlinson converted a 30-yard penalty to retake the lead. South Africa equalised when Nachi du Plessis took the ball to goal and his brother Jean finished it off.
International Day took on more of the atmosphere of a major sports event this year
Opposite James Harper, playing for England, chases Marcos Araya at Chester. This page Mark Tomlinson chats with Prince Philip at Guards; James Harper (in blue, playing for Metropolitan Commonwealth) and Tom Morley jostle for the ball at Beaufort Polo Club
As the clock ran down, it looked like the match would go into extra time. But in the last seconds, Audi England’s James Beim took a pass from Malcolm Borwick and found the posts to give the home team victory.
In the morning match for the HPA’s new Diamond Jubilee Trophy, Howtospendit.com Hurlingham Young England, dominated Audi Prince of Wales Young Commonwealth 6-3½.
HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, patron of the HPA, presented the prizes together with Audi UK’s Zammett and HPA chairman Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers. Audi England captain Luke Tomlinson took honours as Most Valuable Player for the Coronation Cup and James Beim’s Australian gelding Yacht was named Best Playing Pony.
BEAUFORT POLO CLUB
In June, Metropolitan Commonwealth beat Audi England 7-5 in the first Audi International series at Beaufort Polo Club in Gloucestershire.
The Commonwealth side was comprised of two Australians, a South African and an Englishman, sponsored by the Hong Kong-based Goldin Group’s Metropolitan Polo Club in Tianjin, China.
The weather for this test was atrocious. The rain-soaked Beaufort ground cut up badly, making accurate hitting difficult for both teams, and there were downpours and blustery winds during the game.
The Commonwealth dominated the fivechukka match, keeping the lead throughout. They held England scoreless in the opening period to take a 2-0 lead and were 4-3 up in the second period.
Neither team scored in the third chukka, but the Commonwealth built a 6-3 advantage in the fourth. England rallied to outscore their opponents in the final period, but too late to prevent the Commonwealth’s 7-5 victory at the final bell.
The Commonwealth’s Rob Archibald was named Most Valuable Player and Mark Tomlinson of England’s ex-racehorse Abba took home the Best Playing Pony award.
The weather for the Beaufort test was atrocious with downpours and blustery winds
Above James Beim (in white and red) and Chris Mackenzie on the ball Below Ignatius du Plessis stretches to hook James Beim at Guards
Guillermo Cuitino, stick raised, in front of the starting gate at Chester
CHESTER RACECOURSE POLO CLUB
The Audi England team defeated an allArgentine Veuve Clicquot South America team 8½-8 at Chester Racecourse Polo Club, Cheshire, in September. This was the third and last test of the HPA’s 2012 Audi International Polo Series and also the first time that an international match has ever been held in the north of England.
Chester Racecourse is the oldest horseracing venue in the country still in use, the first race in Chester having been run in 1539. Its current chief executive, Richard Thomas, is a 0-goal polo player and chairman of the polo club based at the historic track.
Chester provided a superb venue for the last test of the season. The racecourse is overlooked by Chester’s ancient Roman wall and is just a short walk from the centre of the city. The polo club’s main ground is in the centre of the mile- and-a-furlong racetrack, with a large hospitality marquee and viewing terrace for spectators.
South America were a 24-goal team with England rated 23-goals, so the home side started the match with a point on the scoreboard. The Argentine foursome denied England any goals in the opening chukka and took the lead, keeping it in the second and third periods. The home team rallied to go in front 5½-5 in the fourth chukka.
The fifth and final period was a cliffhanger with scoring equal. South America briefly retook the lead with a field goal by Marcos Araya, but James Beim put England ahead again with a field goal and, in the final minute, a penalty conversion. Pepe Araya scored one for South America just before the final bell, leaving Audi England the winners.
Marcos Araya was most valuable player of the test and his mount Cocaine was awarded Best Playing Pony.
ZIMBABWE
An exhilarating exhibition match showed that polo is on the rise in Zimbabwe and also that the country is open for business, writes Muzi Dube
From left Bobby Melville, Davey Meikle and Alex Mains
Zimbabwe is a nation with a long history of polo and the game has been played here since the late 19th century. The past few years have seen player numbers dip and clubs close, however, a dedicated few remain and now, as the country starts its slow climb out of the economic doldrums, Zimbabwe polo seems to have taken on a new lease on life.
After a wonderful schoolboys tour to England in 2011, the Polo Association of Zimbabwe invited an HPA-accredited team to tour the country and take part in an international exhibition match against a Zimbabwean Development team. We welcomed with great anticipation the Young England team, under the captaincy of Bobby Melville to our country on 2 September. This was to mark the beginning of a great week of festivities and exhibition polo that saw the team tour Harare, Victoria Falls, Marondera and Bromely.
On Saturday and Sunday the Young England team were mixed into teams playing in the historic Carnival Cup, allowing players to test their loaned horses for the international test match the following weekend and also get to know the local game.
The following week saw a plethora of travel that included a scenic flight to the famous Victoria Falls, a walk with the lions at a private lodge outside Harare, and an evening at the impressive Sambok Farm, owned by Johnny and Hillary Campbell, whose Sambok polo team won the Zimbabwe Open in 2012.
On Saturday 8 September the English team (in white, above) of Bobby Melville, Alexander Mains, Rupert Lewis and Oliver Powell lined up against (in red) David Meikle (captain), Smart Kusiwa, Thomas Wood and Gary Aitchison. Shortly after the first throw-in, Smart ran the ball through the goals for the first score of the day. England fought back and the lead continually changed throughout the next two chukkas. The fourth chukka proved to be the turning point when Rupert hit an incredible under-the-neck shot that flew through the goals. The final score came to 9–7 to England, and most people left saying that as England were now used to their ponies, Sunday was going to be a rout.
On Sunday, excitement gradually crept in and when, at the first throw-in, Zimbabwe took the ball and scored immediately, the cheers from the crowd were more attune to a football match than polo. The rout predicted by many was soon forgotten as Zimbabwe stepped up their game. In order to win the International, Zimbabwe had to win by three goals or more and as they came cantering out for the fifth chukka the scores were equal. The fast and furious nature of the match continued and as the match drew to a close, Zim had a narrow one-goal lead. Seconds from the final bell, Zimbabwe was awarded a penalty four and Captain Meikle knocked the ball through the posts. By the rules, a sudden-death 30 seconds was to be played and if no result was achieved a penalty shootout was to take place. However, in a display of wonderful sportsmanship, camaraderie and respect for the ponies, both captains agreed to a draw.
The 2012 International Open was a showcase for our country, one that illustrated that not only is our country open for business but most importantly, as a nation, we remain among the top hosts in both Southern and wider Africa.
Thanks must be extended to all our partners namely Premier Auto Services; chair of the Polo Association of Zimbabwe, Grant Flanagan; Bushman Rock Safaris and its chairman of the board Mr A Gwaradzimba; Charlotte Haggie of our adopted charity, the Projects Foundation; and last but not least, Jane and Michelle from A-squared.
Santiago Stirling (left) and Rodrigo Rueda Jr
SOTOGRANDE
A jubilant Victor Vargas takes home, finally, a hard-fought Gold Cup, reports Herbert Spencer
When Venezuelan banker Victor Vargas’s sleek, 190ft yacht Ronin steamed into port at Sotogrande on Spain’s Costa del Sol in August, it was not just on a pleasure cruise seeking the sun, sea and sand of the famous Andalusian resort.
Instead Vargas, one of polo’s most prominent and successful amateur players and team patrons, had sailed in to prospect for gold: the high-goal Gold Cup at Sotogrande’s Santa Maria Polo Club.
In previous years the Venezuelan’s Lechuza Caracas team had won top tournaments on both sides of the Atlantic including the British Open and the US Open. Vargas had played at Sotogrande before, winning trophies including the Silver Cup, but the 20-goal Gold Cup at Santa Maria had eluded him.
This year Lechuza Caracas finally struck gold, decisively defeating Dos Lunas-Hublot 12-8 in a hard-fought final for the Nespresso Gold Cup, the top prize in Santa Maria’s 41st International BMW Tournament season.
There were seven high-goal teams competing at Santa Maria this season. Playing with 1-goaler Vargas on his Lechuza Caracas team were the 10-goal Argentine Juan Martin Nero and two talented Uruguayans, 6-goaler Alejo Taranco and 3-goaler Santiago Sterling. Facing them in the Gold Cup final were Dos LunasHublot, consisting of Luis Domecq, handicap 1; Diego Cavanagh, 7; Rodrigo Rueda Jr, 6; and Pascual Sainz de Vicuña, 6.
Lechuza Caracas got off to a disappointing start in the first chukkas of the final. Dos Lunas- Hublot won the opening chukka 2-1 and held Lechuza Caracas scoreless in the second period as they increased their lead to 4-1.
But then Vargas’s squad rallied strongly in the third chukka, holding their opponents to a single goal and finding the posts four times to tie up the match 5-5 at half-time.
The second half went all Lechuza Caracas’s way. They took the lead for the first time in the fourth chukka, ending it 7-6 in front. Holding Dos Lunas-Hublot to a single goal in each of the last two periods, they increased their lead to 10-7 in the fifth chukka and finished the final with a solid 12-8 victory. Princess Beatrice d’Orleans presented the Gold Cup to a jubilant Vargas. Lechuza Caracas’s Juan Martin Nero was named Most Valuable Player of the final and Reebock, played by Nero, was Best Playing Pony.
In the earlier high-goal Hublot Silver Cup final at Santa Maria, Vargas’s Lechuza Caracas lost by a single goal to Ayala, a home team fielded by the Philippine’s Iñigo Zobel, son of the late Enrique Zobel who started polo at Sotogrande.
After losing the opening chukka to Ayala, Lechuza Caracas held them scoreless for the next two periods to finish 3-1 up at half-time. But Ayala bounced back in the fourth period to tie the match 3-3, then went on to deny Lechuza Caracas any goals in the fifth and take the lead 5-3. At the final bell Ayala claimed the Silver Cup, winning 7-6.
But never mind the silverware, because when Vargas’s yacht Ronin steamed out of Sotogrande’s beautiful port, there was Lechuza Caracas gold in the hold – and Vargas was back on top of the World Polo Tour rankings as the leading amateur player.
PACIFIC COAST OPEN
Skilled play and thrilling stickwork made for a superb event that culminated in an exciting final at this illustrious Californian polo venue, writes Paige Beard
The Bombardier Pacific Coast Open is one of the oldest and most coveted polo trophies in the world. It is the pinnacle of the Santa Barbara high-goal season with all pros and patrons aspiring to have their names emblazoned on one of the most beautiful polo trophies in the world, alongside many polo legends.
To kick off the tournament, the Bombardier Pacific Coast Open High Goal Challenge Matches were played to accommodate all the patrons and professionals in Santa Barbara (participating in either the high-goal season or the outside league play at the newly formed clubs). It had been over 20 years since this level of play graced any fields in Southern California. Sunday 20 August saw some exciting action with The Patrons Match (played at the 7 to 10 goal level) followed by an All Pro 30-goal match.
The 30-goal match saw teams battling for victory in the highest rated game in the nation for the year. Learjet – comprised of Sugar Erskine, Hilario Ulloa, Adam Snow and Mike Azzaro –took on Challenger with Pablo Spinacci, Lucas Criado, Paco De Narvaez and Luis Escobar. This game was a story of two very different halves. In the first half Challenger was on fire and was able to fly out to a 7–1 lead thanks to great penalty shooting from Luis Escobar. Then in the second half just as everyone was ready to head for the exits, Learjet turned up the
Opposite Adolfo Cambiaso (in white) with Jeff Hall This page Adolfo scores with Polito Pieres on his hip
pressure, outscoring Challenger 6-2 and making a formidable comeback thanks to five goals from Hilario Ulloa. Unfortunately for Learjet and all of the fans cheering them on, the clock ran out on their comeback and they lost by a score of 7-9. The most valuable player of this all-pro match was Challenger’s Luis Escobar.
The first week of the Bombardier Pacific Coast Open matches began on 19 August and the finals were played on 2 September.
Competition between the four teams was fierce, with some very close games leading up to the final. The four teams were John Muse’s Lucchese, Ben Soleimani’s Mansour, club president Dan Walker and Henry Walker’s Farmers & Merchants Bank and Andy Busch’s local team, Grant’s Farm.
The semi-finals of the BPCO were held on Thursday 30 August, however, since both Grant’s Farm and Lucchese had winning records the final two teams were already determined and it would be Grant’s Farm taking on Lucchese in one of the most exciting PCO finals to date.
Saturday 1 September saw the match-up of Farmers & Merchants Bank and Mansour battling it out for the Western Badge and Trophy Consolation Finals. Mansour took home the title with a win of 12-9. Santiago von Wernich was crowned MVP and Lucas Criado’s Big Bertha took the Best Playing Pony Award.
The most extraordinary party of the season, and possibly even the entire year, kicked off on Saturday night. Scott Wood hosted the event and was instrumental in bringing all of the polo community together to celebrate the club and potential for the outside league of players to join with the club for the 2013 season.
The final of the BPCO took place on Sunday 2 September, and a crowd of close to 4,000 people was treated to a spectacular game. Grant’s Farm was ahead by six goals going into the fifth chukka 14-8 and Jeff Hall could do no wrong. However, Lucchese made a fantastic comeback with three unanswered goals in the fifth, two from Santi Torres and one from Andres Weisz. They then continued to steamroll ahead in the sixth chukka with four more straight goals, two from Torres and two from Cambiaso to take the lead 15-14. Lucchese looked set for victory, however, with less than a minute left in regulation play, Polito Pieres fired the ball through the posts to equal out the score, 15-15.
The game went into sudden death overtime, during which Cambiaso took the opening throw-in and raced 150 yards down the field to score the winning goal with a final score of 16-15.
Lucchese won its third Bombardier Pacific Coast Open Final in a row. Adolfo was crowned MVP of the game and local superstar Santi Torres was granted The Robert Skene Memorial Season MVP award while Adolfo’s Noriega, played by Santi Torres, was awarded Best Playing Pony.
EFG BICENTENNIAL
Dara Williams reports from the inaugural EFG Bicentennial Trophy Day at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Two hundred years of history at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst was celebrated in early August with the inaugural EFG International Bicentennial Trophy. Well known for its support of polo around the world, EFG also sponsors the Cambridge University Polo Club, members of which rode out the winners in both matches of the day.
Although polo had been played at Sandhurst, and nearby Aldershot Camp, for much of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the game eventually became based at Tidworth in Wiltshire. It was not until 1998 that the commandant, Major General Arthur Denaro, oversaw a revival at Sandhurst, with the Round Ground being created in front of New College.
The EFG Bicentennial Trophy Day started with a champagne reception and luncheon, hosted by Keith Gapp, head of strategic marketing and communications for EFG International. The first, four-chukka game was then played, for the GH Mumm’s Polo Cup, between Cambridge Varsity, captained by Sam Browne, and Hackett Young Army, led by Lieutenant Doug White of the Queen’s Royal Hussars. At the age of 21, Browne was the youngest player on the field but has already made a name in polo by scoring eight of Cambridge’s goals in this year’s Varsity Match. The light blues’ 13-2 defeat of Oxford was a rare occasion in the long history of that tournament.
At Sandhurst, Cambridge received a half-goal on handicap and at half-time led by 3½-3. They took a real lead in the second half, however, with Browne scoring twice, including a 60-yard penalty conversion. Excellent teamwork by Young Army – whose ranks included the only lady player, Officer
Cadet Jess Wood – saw the difference reduced although by the start of the final chukka Cambridge were still ahead, 5½-4. With two minutes gone, Officer Cadet Cameron Bacon scored for Young Army, returning the Cambridge advantage to half a goal. There were seconds left to play as Brown went for a 30-yard penalty shot, but his ball hit the post. He just had time for another chance, and Cambridge rode out victorious, 6½-5.
The second game of the afternoon was for the Bicentennial Trophy, which saw Cambridge Alumni Select play against British Army Select. Browne was back on the field, substituting for Robert Freeman-Kerr in the Cambridge squad, captained by Dean Lines. The opposition were led by Army team coach, Gaston Devrient. Also in the Army line-up was Robert Mehm of EFG Bank, a popular, well-known figure on international polo fields.
The Army livery of blue with a yellow cross comes from from a 4th Hussars Crossbelts team of the 1890s, for which Winston Churchill played as a subaltern. The green collar denotes the Irish origins of the 8th Hussars, now part of the amalgamated Queen’s Royal Hussars.
Devrient opened the scoring in the first chukka with two quick goals. He was answered by Lines with two goals for Cambridge, who had again received a half-goal on handicap. By treading-in time, Cambridge led 4½-3.
Cambridge’s Tobi Edun scored the only goal of the penultimate chukka, a 60-yard penalty try from Devrient having gone wide. Early in the final chukka, Selfe scored for Army with a field goal, but this was the last goal of the match, Cambridge again emerging the winners, 5½-4.
EFG’s Gapp handed the GH Mumm’s Polo Cup to Browne for the Varsity team, and gifts to all his fellow players. Browne was also named MVP. Major General Tim Evans, commandant of Sandhurst, presented Lines with the Bicentennial Trophy. The plinth of the trophy was made in India in 1934 by the 38/39th Central India Horse, a well-known polo regiment of the time and winners of the Indian Inter-Regimental on five occasions.
The day was rounded off with a champagne reception on the steps of Old College and in the Indian Army Memorial Room, to the sound of the combined band of the Royal Logistic Corps and the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.
The commentator for both games was Simon Ledger, chairman of the Army Polo Association.
Cambridge University vs Hackett Young Army (in red) in front of Old College
Left Team Richard Mille with the Gold Cup. Right Luke Tomlinson (left) in action during the 17-goal Silver Cup
DEAUVILLE CUP
Herbert Spencer reports from the gripping Gold Cup final and the season-ending Silver Cup
Polo in France’s Normandy seaside resort of Deauville got a big boost this summer with the Deauville International Polo Club raising the handicap level of its Gold Cup tournament from 20 to 22-goals. The 105-year-old club now outranks its much younger Continental rival, Spain’s Santa Maria Polo Club in Sotogrande, in the handicap stakes, as Santa Maria’s Gold Cup is still pegged at 20-goals.
Deauville’s higher-rated tournament and the resort’s luxury hotels, casino, horse racing and thoroughbred yearling sales enticed one of Sotogrande’s most prominent regulars to compete in France rather than Spain this August. HRH Prince Bahar Jefri of Brunei brought his Richard Mille team – spearheaded by 10-goaler Pablo MacDonough – north to play in Normandy.
In the final of the Lucien Barrière Gold Cup, Richard Mille were faced with titleholders Royal Barrière, fielded by Frenchman André Fabre. Fabre, 66, a former champion jump jockey, is one of the world’s most successful trainers of thoroughbreds. Last year the Fabre-trained horse Pour Moi won England’s Epsom Derby. Richard Mille won all their Gold Cup league games save one, which they lost to Royal Barrière 17-16. Then, playing on the club’s main ground, the two teams treated spectators to one of the hardest fought finals of recent years. The lead changed repeatedly and the match went into extra time before Richard Mille finally won 15-14.
Prince Bahar’s foursome drew first blood in the opening chukka, winning 3-2. Richard Mille maintained the lead in the second, 5-4, but by half-time Royal Barrière had drawn even 7-7.
England’s Ollie Cudmore scored Richard Mille’s only goal in the fourth period as Royal Barrière’s Facundo Sola found the posts three times in a row to put his team ahead 10-8.
Royal Barrière increased their lead in the fifth chukka before Richard Mille’s Guillermo Willington scored three goals to equalise. Fabre’s side briefly took the advantage, but Willington converted a penalty to tie 12-12.
In the final chukka of regulation time, Richard Mille took the lead again with two penalty goals by MacDonough. Royal Barrière responded with two penalty conversions by Sola, tying the match 14-14 and pushing it into extra time. It was Willington who scored the golden goal for Richard Mille in the seventh chukka, converting a 60-yard penalty shot to secure the Gold Cup.
Pablo MacDonough was named MVP of the Gold Cup final and Willington’s mare Fernanda was best playing pony. Willington was top scorer in the tournament with 37 goals and Prince Bahar was top amateur scorer with 8.
The Deauville season concluded with the 17-goal Silver Cup. In the final, Frenchman Patrick Eisenchteter’s Mungo met Jean Marc Tyberg of Luxembourg’s Blackstorm. Mungo’s players were all European, with England’s Tomlinson brothers, Luke and Mark, and France’s Thibault Guillemin as the pros.
Blackstorm dominated Mungo for the first three of five chukkas but Mungo rallied strongly, holding Blackstorm scoreless for the last two periods to take the lead and win the cup 8-4½. Luke Tomlinson was MVP and his mare Maria was best playing pony. Facundo Sola was top tournament scorer with 25 goals.
‘Our 2012 season went very well,’ said the Deauville club’s president, Philippe Bouchara. ‘In 2013 we may look to extending our August season back into July and forward into September.’
FRENCH OPEN
Blue skies and warm weather provided the perfect backdrop to a thrilling final in which the underdogs triumphed, writes Melanie Vere Nicoll
Pancho Bensadón on the ball with James Beim in close pursuit
The best thing about the club is the fields. They are dead flat and have had a lot of money put into them
Under crystal blue skies and temperatures that held a mere suggestion of autumn’s arrival, the final of the French Open 2012 was played at the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly in front of a crowd of enthusiastic and knowlegeable supporters. The final score of 14–9 did not fairly reflect the thrilling, close match that saw French patron André Fabre’s In The Wings take on JeanChristophe David’s Body Minute, who came into the match as the underdogs.
In a fast, open game, Pancho Bensadón (9 goals) went head-to-head with James Beim playing superbly off his 7 goals and triumphing comfortably with four unanswered goals in the final chukka. The match was played a day early and on a secondary field to accomodate patron Fabre – one of France’s leading racehorse trainers – who had a number of horses running on Sunday to qualify for the Arc.
The start of the match saw In The Wings jump to a two-goal lead before Body Minute executed it’s game plan of drawing Pancho Bensadón to the ball and then hitting it away from him. This resulted in a half time score of 8-4 to Body Minute.
The match also saw several goals scored by young French player Edouard Pan from outside the 60-yard line. Bensadón made several skilled runs on goal resulting in a tight score of 10-9 at the end of the fourth chukka. However, at the start of the fifth and final chukka In the Wings had the chance to tie the match with a penalty shot which went wide, allowing Body Minute the four unanswered goals achieved with passing that reflected their five weeks of playing together.
The overall sentiment expressed by many players during the tournament was that it was a great success. Shortly after the match James Beim commented, ‘I really loved playing here. The best thing about the club is the fields. They are dead flat with a lot of sand and have had a lot of money put into them. We came into this tournament as the underdogs but we have been together for five weeks now and practising in Deauville really helped.’ Beim further stated that
he was happy for his team mate Edouard Pan who has just gone up in handicap to 4 and further paid tribute to his patron, commenting that, ‘Jean-Christophe David did everything right with excellent rented horses and strategic planning.’
Also worth noting was the fine play by Tommy Reinoso, who has found himself in the final for the past three years in a row and was finally able to hold up the impressive trophy.
In addition to the 16-goal French Open, the season ended with the Open de France Féminin which saw eight 8-12 goal teams – including top female player Lia Salvo – compete for the Chopard-sponsored ladies trophy.
Patrick Guerrand-Hermès who founded the Chantilly Polo Club in 1996 has now fully realised his vision of a vibrant centre for polo. Set in 220 hectares at the heart of the forêt domaniale du Château de Chantilly, the club is only 30 minutes by train from the centre of Paris and even closer to Charles de Gaulle.
Perhaps not suprisingly – given its location – the Club has an air of easy elegance which is reflected not only by the spectators but also by the high standards and sportsmanship on the field for which polo has been historically known. All in all, Chantilly is a European club to watch and one which is positioned to become an increasingly popular destination for discerning polo players and fans alike.
RMPA INTERNATIONAL
Great sportsmanship and the spirit of polo shines through at the RMPA International League finals, leading to a well-deserved title for Thai Polo, writes Peter Abisheganaden
When Thai Polo lost a crucial semi-final in the Royal Malaysian Polo Association’s (RMPA) International League final in June, they thought they had blown their chance of winning the league. Their fate was in the hands of two Royal Pahang teams – the famous Royal Pahang Polo Club, and their second team, KotaSAS.
The two Royal Pahang teams would meet in the final. Cynics assumed royal orders would be issued and Royal Pahang would win the match, and with it, the 2012 league title.
Thai Polo needed a KotaSAS victory for them to win the 2012 RMPA International League, which takes the results of four tournaments and awards points according to each team’s finish at those tournaments.
But first, however, Thai Polo had to overcome Jogo Polo in their match for third place in the tournament. Even though they triumphed with a goal in the final seconds, they did not celebrate, thinking their league fate was sealed.
Back at the International League final, it was unspoken but assumed that KotaSAS, led by HRH Tengku Abdullah’s son Tengku Amir, would concede, allowing Royal Pahang Polo Club to win the match, and with it, the 2012 league title.
To his credit, however, HRH Crown Prince Abdullah Shah refused to give that order. The Prince was adamant that KotaSAS be given a fair chance to win the final, knowing that Thai Polo would then go on to win the league if that happened. It was a great act of sportsmanship, done in the spirit of polo.
Royal Pahang, with Gaston Moore and Tomas Gandara, led early in the match. HRH Prince Abdullah played a leading role while he was on the field. It was a full-blooded match with plenty of fierce contact, such that the Prince went out with a cracked rib after two chukkas. He was replaced by Dato’ Mohamed Moiz.
It was not until the final chukka that Manuel Crespo and KotaSAS clawed back Royal Pahang’s lead, to win the league final 8-7, handing the league title to Dato’ Harald Link’s Thai Polo.
After six months of play, taking part in four tournaments in two countries, Thai Polo won the RMPA International League by just half a point.
The RMPA Polo Leagues were started in 2005 by the RMPA, after many years of planning. The first International League event, the Cartier International, was a 13- to 16-goal tournament, and three teams took part in the first tournament: Royal Pahang Polo Club, Royal Selangor Polo Club (Ranhill) and Singapore Polo Club. By the time that
the league held its final that year, there were a total of five teams in the International League. As the league concept caught fire, other divisions were added.
Today the RMPA Polo League consists of four leagues: the International League (14 to 16 goals), National League 1 (6 to 8 goals), National League 2 (4 to 6 goals) and Merdeka League (0 to 2 goals).
This year saw 29 teams from three countries – Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia – participate in the 2012 league. Seven 14-goal teams played in the International League, which comprised of four tournaments, starting in January at the Thai Polo Open at the Thai Polo & Equestrian Club in Pattaya, Thailand. The Malaysian tournaments were the Royal Pahang Classic in April, the Royal Pahang International in May, and the RMPA International at the end of May to early June.
It was a very close season that saw different winners in each of the league’s tournaments.
Thai Polo made it to three finals this year. The first was their home tournament, the Thai Polo Open in January, against La Sarita, and which they lost in amazing circumstances. Awarded an undefended 30-yarder with just nine seconds left on the clock, had Lucas Labat scored the penalty it would have all been over. But in a finish that defied belief, Labat’s ball deflected off a divot and onto the goalpost, refusing to go in. The team then qualified in April to play Jogo Polo in the final of the Royal Pahang Classic – a match that was ultimately rained off and points were shared. In the Royal Pahang International, Thai Polo again qualified for the final. This time they met a resurgent Royal Pahang who defeated them 4-2, setting the stage for the dramatic league final.
It was a consistent season for Thai Polo, finishing with the best record of nine wins in their 15 competitive matches. Thai Polo won the 2012 RMPA International League without actually winning a tournament outright.
In this final, action-packed match, Link, who was watching from the sidelines, his fate in Royal Pahang’s hands, must have thought he would never win the RMPA International League. Twice before, Thai Polo had been the best team but had not won.
So needless to say he was overjoyed and ecstatic upon KotaSAS’s victory, and his taking of the RMPA International League title for the first time. ‘The leadership of Prince Abdullah is extraordinary,’ he said. ‘He showed it again today in his sportsmanship. It’s a great day for Thai Polo, but also for Malaysian polo, which has shown to be extraordinarily fair.’
Prince Abdullah Shah, also president of the RMPA, was gracious in defeat, adding, ‘Congratulations to Dato’ Harald Link and Thai Polo. They were the most consistent team over the whole season. They deserved to win the league.’
Opposite A victorious Thai Polo (left to right) Raul Laplacette, Carlos Pando, Dato’ Harald Link and Julian Sagarna. This page, from left HRH Crown Prince Abdullah Shah, captain of the Royal Pahang team; Thai Polo vs KotaSAS (left to right), Carlos Pando, Ali Mazlan, Julian Sagarna and Pablo Jaureteche
