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Contents

POLO TIMES

Publisher Margie Brett margie@polotimes.co.uk Editor Yolanda Carslaw yolanda@polotimes.co.uk Deputy Editor James Mullan jamesmullan@polotimes.co.uk Art Editor James Wildman james@polotimes.co.uk Advertising Tom House tom@polotimes.co.uk Subscriptions Becky Ford becky@polotimes.co.uk Accounts Debbie Mason accounts@polotimes.co.uk Contributors Michael Amoore, Carlos Beer, Gareth Davies, Antje Derks, Arthur Douglas-Nugent, Mark Emerson, Tony Emerson, John Horswell, Lorna Jowett, Clare Milford Haven, Tony Ramirez, Mia Randall-Coath, Herbert Spencer Front cover Children watch the parade at the Pony Club Polo Championships, by Yolanda Carslaw Designed and typeset by Wildman Design www.wildmandesign.co.uk Printed by Stones – Banbury, Oxfordshire Mailers Jordan & Co – Witney, Oxfordshire Subscription per annum UK £55 Europe & Ireland £65 Rest of the World £75 email: admin@polotimes.co.uk or subscribe online at www.polotimes.co.uk

34

Pony Club polo News 4 8 9

All the latest news HPA news Obituary: the Rajmata of Jaipur

Comment 11 12 14 17 18

Herbert Spencer’s global view Interview: three high-goal managers Arthur Douglas-Nugent’s umpire’s corner John Horswell’s players’ forum Your views: letters to the editor

Reports 20 24 26 29 30 32 34 42

Gabriel Batistuta – from football to polo How to retrain an ex-racehorse

Polo Times

The knowledge

East End Farm, North Leigh Oxfordshire OX29 6PX Tel: 01993 886 885 Fax: 01993 882 660 email: admin@polotimes.co.uk www.polotimes.co.uk © Polo Times Limited 2009 and Database Right 2009

52 55 57 58 62 66 68

Polo Times Limited holds the copyright & database right to the information it publishes in Polo Times and on the Polo Times website. No content may be reproduced or distributed without the consent of the Editor. ‘Polo Times’ is the trade mark of Polo Times Limited.

ISSN 1461-4685

Warwickshire Cup

Cartier International Day Warwickshire Cup Goodwood Week Deauville 40-goal RCBPC Polo Festival National Ladies’ Championships Pony Club Polo Championships Around the clubs

Features 44 48

24

44 Gabriel Batistuta

Duty vet with Mark Emerson Pony power: Jambo Trophy winner Feeding with Lorna Jowett Travel: Pennyhill Park Hotel Property: overseas special Gear: six of the best polo whites What’s on in August: tournament information

Out and about 70

Social snaps from the summer

76 82

Classifieds A week in the life of: Diana Wethered

58 A bed between polo clubs www.polotimes.co.uk September 2009 3

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from the Editor The 50th anniversary has prompted many to reflect upon the fantastic sporting, equestrian and social extravaganza that is Pony Club polo. What have been its aims over the years?

For one, to channel youngsters into polo. Sir Andrew Horsburgh-Porter wrote in Horse & Hound in 1976: “Brig Jack Gannon was the 'founding father' in 1959 at a time when normal recruiting channels for polo had dried up through the mechanisation of the cavalry, and the former opportunities provided by service in India and Egypt for impecunious subalterns were no longer available.”

Second, to keep boys out of mischief. I couldn't put it better than Buff Crisp, under whose tenure Pony Club polo bloomed in the 1980s, who told the Sunday Telegraph in 1987: “At 13 boys are getting beaten [in Pony Club] by their younger sisters and told by bossy females that there's something wrong with their tack or that they should have their heels down. So they buy a motorbike. But if you give them a stick and a ball, the pony becomes their motorbike. The beauty of it is the boy is involved in a team game, which is frightfully good for his personality.”

The anniversary has led some to hark back to simpler days. What, for instance, of the growing number of families who bring grooms? Don't their cosseted prodigies know how to muck out? And what of the tale of the softies whose parents flew them home from an overseas tour when their children complained they had to prepare their mounts themselves?

However, if anyone thinks Pony Club mums, dads and helpers aren't what they used to be, read Diana Wethered's account of her recent week on page 82. This super-mum is just one – a special one – of the thousands of parents and volunteers who have made Pony Club polo what it is.

To me, Pony Club polo does far more than generating polo professionals and providing adult polo with a stream of players and spectators. It also creates confidence, friendships, a sense of responsibility and wonderful memories. A moment that illustrated this perfectly was when I met John Thorneloe, father of the late Gannon winner Rupert, at Jorrocks. When I asked him about the trophy his family had donated in his son's memory for the most improved 10-year-old boy, he told me simply: “Polo made Rupert.” And that summed it up for me.

Yolanda Carslaw

4 September 2009 www.polotimes.co.uk

Coming soon to a page near you Polo Times’s Polo Writer of the Year competition, launched in the June issue of the magazine (right), received seven excellent entries, from right across the country and from two men and five women. After being scrambled anonymously and then painstakingly adjudicated by an impartial panel, according to a strict series of five criteria, the final results and placings are in.

The purpose of the competition was to help continue Polo Times’s lively new layout and style and to bring a fresh angle to the polo media with some new and unfamiliar reporters. In particular, we were looking for anyone able to dig out the stories behind the action and write them up in an absorbing way – while sticking to the word count and preferably including a quote or two.

We certainly got some interesting and entertaining responses. Winner Miles Underwood highlighted Ruki Baillieu’s “typically solid, determined and unflappable” performance and some “slick passing” from JP Clarkin, though he did incorrectly then go on to suggest that, despite England’s narrow defeat, “it would be a brave man to bet against them gaining back-to-back wins at Cartier and Cowdray”.

The second-placed entry, from Camilla Swift, reported on the Jack Wills Varsity Day at Guards Polo Club in early June. As well as describing the

action in an engaging way, Camilla demonstrated some inside knowledge that helped reveal the reason for Durham’s defeat to Oxford in the main match of the day, despite being the higher-rated side: “The combination of Matt Cudmore’s claim that he ‘hadn’t played polo for eight months’ and the fact that the Durham team hadn’t been lucky enough to practise together, as Oxford had, proved to be Durham’s downfall.”

All the entries were assessed out of a possible 50 points, according to their proficiency out of 10 in each of the following five categories: spelling and grammar, closeness to brief and word count, introduction and readability, use of quotes and insider material, and polo expertise. Results ranged from 34 to 47 out of 50.

Expect to see the work of some of the top four entries in the magazine in the months and years to come. Thank you to everyone who entered – our editor Yolanda Carslaw will be in touch with all of you with some feedback – including a breakdown of your marks!

...and the winners are 1st: Miles Underwood

2nd: Camilla Swift

– 31 years old Miles was first introduced to polo during his Pony Club days with Ascot Park PC, after riding most of his life. At the age of 18 he had a few polo lessons, quickly became hooked, went on to work as a groom for Martin “Sticky” Glue and managed to beg and borrow a few ponies to play.

After a brief break from polo – and a stint playing polocrosse – Miles returned to the game aged 25 and helped set up Asthall Farm Polo Club near Lechlade, before joining Beaufort Polo Club as polo manager in 2007 until the start of the 2009 season. Miles is now based and playing low-goal polo up in Cheshire with an aim of reaching one goal by the end of the season.

– 21 years old Camilla was introduced to polo at school at Wycombe Abbey, as well as in the holidays from her brother, who also plays. She is currently reading Scandinavian Studies at Edinburgh University and is a member of the university polo club.

Camilla comes from Windsor and, when at home, plays at West Wycombe Park off a -2 goal handicap. This summer, during her university holidays, Camilla has been working at Guards, where her duties have included stewarding and score-boarding – which gave her the ideal opportunity to report on the Varsity match. She was also one of the scoreboard-keepers at Cartier International Day.

= 3rd: Jeff Picksley

= 3rd: Catherine Goad

– 34 years old Jeff, a planning consultant, was first introduced to horses whilst accompanying his daughter to riding lessons.

Knowing he hankered after something adrenalin-fuelled, his wife, the equestrian and polo artist Debbie Harris (see page seven), arranged for him to have a polo lesson at Beaufort and, after a three-day course at Tidworth in Wiltshire, he was hooked. Now, four years later, Jeff plays as much as he can at the New Forest Polo Club, which is conveniently only 10 minutes from home.

– 26 years old Catherine is in her first season as polo manager at Taunton Vale Polo Club after a brief stint working in the pharmaceutical industry after finishing her degree in molecular biology at Manchester University. She has played polo on and off since she was 18, after picking up the bug whilst at school at Cheltenham Ladies’ College and playing at Hurtwood Park. Her mother, Linda Muddle, and her sister are extremely involved in polo and run Estancia El Milagro in Argentina (see Polo Times, August issue).

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Player fined £10,000 for using unlicensed vet EIGHT-GOAL PLAYER Jaime Huidobro has been fined £10,000 after pleading guilty to a charge of misconduct relating to using an unlicensed vet.

The HPA held a disciplinary hearing at RCBPC on 20 August, at which the board found the Chilean had allowed a pony belonging to him to be treated by “unqualified persons”. Huidobro is the first person to be charged by the HPA in relation to using an unlicensed vet, and the charge was made under Regulation 4.1.j of the HPA rules (Misconduct, page 51 of the 2009 Blue Book).

HPA chief executive David Woodd told Polo Times that the misconduct was discovered by a UK vet, who was called to examine Huidobro’s high-goal pony Niggs in advance of her potentially travelling to Argentina. The mare had a plaster cast on her leg and a fracture to her sesamoid bone. It turned out an Argentine groom – who is not licensed by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to practise as a vet in the UK – had put the cast on her.

“The leg was broken in June, and the cast was discovered at the end of July,” said Woodd. “A UK vet was called to do the papers for the horse to go back to Argentina and give advice as to whether the horse could travel.” The UK vet contacted the HPA and, at the hearing, Huidobro – who attended in person – admitted the charge and was

Travelling EU-qualified fined £10,000. The HPA vets can practise in was awarded costs. the UK for limited Niggs has periods as long as remained in the UK, they register as where she has been visitors with the sent to the Beaufort RCVS, which is free.

Embryo Transfer Vets from the rest of centre for breeding. the world can apply to The issue of foreign the RCVS to register to polo vets practising in Above: Jaime Huidobro, practise for up to 30 the UK or other who pleaded guilty days a year, but must countries was raised pay a fee of £294 and provide a following the Lechuza Caracas catastrophe in April, when more than 20 certificate of qualification and a letter of “good standing” from their home ponies died during the US Open in veterinary governing body.

Florida after being given a compound David Woodd says that each year mixed up by a chemist. Though there the HPA reminds was no implication players that vets not on Lechuza’s vets, ‘Huidobro’s mare licensed in the UK broke her leg in the practice of teams using their June, and the cast should not practise own travelling vets was discovered at here. However, he admits the definition was thrown into the end of July’ of “practising” is the spotlight.

– David Woodd “woolly”.

In May the Vet Simon Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons reiterated its advice Knapp, who sits on the HPA welfare committee and is club vet at Guards, to visiting vets in a news release. An told Polo Times in our June issue: extract reads: “Often, overseas vets come to the UK with a polo team. Under “Having Argentine vets coming in as the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, such managers and grooms, who keep an veterinary surgeons must be registered eye on ponies during their work and with the RCVS if they are to practise in liaise with a registered vet, is laudable. the UK, even if such practice is “It benefits the ponies, the teams restricted to working with an overseas and the treating vet. That’s where it polo team.” should end.”

News in brief ◗ OFFICIALS FROM HM Revenue and Customs have been visiting importers of polo ponies, sometimes at the request of the Argentine customs authorities, to clarify that horses have been correctly imported into the UK. In particular, they are asking to see paperwork such as the purchase invoice. We plan to follow this story up in the October issue of Polo Times – if you have questions about importing horses from Argentina or a tale to tell that may be helpful to other readers, feel free to get in touch with the PT newsdesk. ◗ THE SEASON IS FAR from over as far as the members of the England Polo Squad are concerned. First, they have the final Test Match of the British summer season to contest, in which the members of the Hurlingham Team that won the Jubilee Trophy at last month's Cartier International will have the country’s pride to defend as they seek to ward off a clean sweep of defeats in domestic Test Matches for the season.

Captain Chris Hyde, Satnam Dhillon, Tom Morley and Max Routledge will play a Commonwealth team including South Africans Sam Hopkinson and Tom de Bruin, New Zealander Tommy Wilson and Australian Robbie Archibald in the St Regis Test Match at Cowdray Park on Sunday 6 September.

The side’s next task will be an away Test Match against South Africa in Johannesburg. The game was originally scheduled for 10 October, when Mark Tomlinson would replace Tom Morley in an otherwise unchanged line-up for the contest, but the South Africans have now begun talks to move the Test to 25 October. This would affect the make-up of the side, as at least two of these English players are unavailable at the later date.

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News News in brief

◗ PLAYER OLLIE BROWNE is engaged to Hannah Booth, who used to play at Tidworth and the New Forest. The couple met five years ago at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester, when Ollie took a shine, only to discover Hannah had a boyfriend. However, on hearing she was newly single last summer, Ollie took her out on a date.

Ollie, 27, got down on one knee at sunset during the couple’s holiday to Juan-les-Pins at the end of July.

Hannah, 24, has a polo-playing father, David Booth, and is training to be a teacher. The pair plan to marry in April. ◗ BLENHEIM PALACE in Oxfordshire was gearing up to host a high-goal exhibition match this month, in which Prince William had been invited to lead one of the sides. However, “Polo at the Palace”, organised by the Argentine Alberto van der Mye and planned for 27 September, has been postponed until next year because of the withdrawal of one of the co-sponsors, a Swiss bank.

“The concept is still good,” says John Hoy, chief executive of the Blenheim Palace Estate. “It’s disappointing it’s not going ahead this year but I’m optimistic for 2010. They are right to postpone it until they can do it properly. If the initial match is a success, it’s the sort of thing we might run regularly, and we would invest in our grounds to facilitate this.”

6 September 2009 www.polotimes.co.uk

This picture, taken at Pony Club polo at Aldershot in 1961, contains faces some readers will recognise. But which ones are which?

How many faces are familiar?

ABOVE ARE THE children who took part in Pony Club polo in 1961 – but how many do Polo Times readers recognise?

In among them – some flanking Col Cubitt in the middle – are a youthful Nicky Williams, John Tylor, Oliver Langdale, Lavinia Black (then Roberts), Adam Smail and Julian and Howard Hipwood. Perhaps there are others we haven’t spotted? Next month we’ll tell you who’s who.

Lavinia, who lent PT the picture, remembers that year – and other early ones – well. Her father, Sqd Ldr Alan Roberts, teamed up with his friend and fellow Ham player Jack Williams to get behind Pony Club in the 1960s. “Dad mowed a field at home [at Englefield Green] and we had practices there with various children,” recalls Lavinia, who has played and umpired all her life. “I started on a games pony called Annie who was tough, strong and brilliant – though I frequently got run away with.

“Once, at Aldershot, Hanut Singh came to watch – he sat with my mother and got very excited. I also remember going to Cirencester, where we’d be thrashed by the Hipwoods and the Smails. It’s tremendous how Pony

Club polo has grown, and how the standard has risen.”

To the right is a more recent photo – and many readers should know these boys. From left, they are Jack Kidd, Roddy Williams, Oliver Taylor and Avaro Dowding. It was taken during a successful tour of Kenya in 1990. Liza Crisp, who was among their escorts, recalls: “We kept losing Jack – he’d vanish into the African tents!”

In last month’s issue of Polo Times, one of the Memorable Pony Club teams from 1990 (top) and 1986 pictures with our obituary of Rupert Thorneloe featured Having spent time in Argentina with not Rupert, but a lookalike. Above is the Hector Barrantes after leaving school, boy himself, in 1986, with his Rendell he stayed on a week to play at Palermo, team-mates. Rupert is next to Lord where he fell from his horse and died.

Cowdray; on the far right is James He is remembered at his home club Tomkinson, who continued playing and of Kirtlington each year with the is a joint-master of the Grafton hunt; Stephen Towler trophy, played for next to him is Robert Thame, who ran between a young Kirtlington and a the Dubai high-goal team for years and SUPA team. This year, poignantly, it was continues to play and work in polo.

Veronica Thorneloe, Rupert’s mother, Next to Rupert is Stephen Towler, who presented the trophy on 5 July – who also died in tragic circumstances. just days after her own son’s death.

Kenyans youngsters parade and play in South Africa A GROUP OF SIX young Kenyans were among the 60 participants in South Africa’s answer to Pony Club polo – a three-day polo clinic at Jurassic Park Polo Club in Swartberg, which culminated in two contests between the touring Kenyans and their hosts.

The Kenyans travelled in convoy from Nairobi by invitation of the South African Polo Association to join the clinic, aimed at 10 to 18-year-olds, now in its sixth year, and run by arena specialist and international polo player, Selby Williamson, in early July.

A parade of all 60 participants took place before a three-on-three

Parading, Pony Club-style, to the exotic backdrop of Jurassic Park Polo Club

girls’ game, which the South Africans and Kenyans drew 3-3. It was followed by an equally well-

matched four-on-four boys’ contest, where the nations tied again, 4-4.

Photograph courtesy of Horse and Hound

◗ ENGLAND’S AUTUMN is Argentina’s spring, which can only mean one thing – the Triple Crown is coming up. The warm-up begins this month with the Jockey Club Open (final: 19 September).

The Tortugas Open follows (final: 10 October), then the Hurlingham Open (13 to 31 October). Results at this stage will provide a sign of form ahead of the biggest of them all, the 116th Argentine Open (14 November to 5 December).

Elsewhere, polo has been working its way round Europe since the climax of UK high-goal. At the time of going to press, George Milford Haven’s Broncos, featuring Pablo MacDonough, were an early front-runner in the 20-goal Gold Cup in Sotogrande (final: 29 August).

Also due for completion in August was the Deauville Gold Cup, in which another English side had made a promising start.

Cirencester (Nick Britten-Long, Jamie Le Hardy, Santiago Gaztambide and Henry Brett) saw off Hughes Carmignac’s Caroths 17-6 in their opening clash.

In Saint-Tropez, Brits Malcolm Borwick and James Beim are leading the line this month in the 15-goal Silver and Gold Cups with Jerome Wirth and Shahe Kalaidjian. South African Gareth Evans played instead of Beimy in the 12-goal Open Du Soleil (final: 30 August).

Twelve teams were also scheduled to take part in the Adrenalina Dutch Polo Masters at Vreeland Polo Club, near Amsterdam, on 29-30 August.

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Ulloa and Hanbury act as inspiration to artist EQUESTRIAN ARTIST and keen polo player and follower Debbie Harris has been producing a new body of work ready for an exhibition in 2010 – and has been using high-goal action throughout the summer as inspiration.

The show is expected to feature polo scenes in all sizes, from small sketches to 5ft canvasses in a range of media from oils and charcoal to pastels and acrylics. Debbie plays at the New Forest Polo Club – as does her husband Jeff, who came joint third in our Polo Times Writer of the Year competition (see previous page).

To gather material she has been watching polo at all levels – but especially the Queen’s and Gold Cups – and cites her favourite players to watch as Hilario Ulloa of Sumaya and Dubai’s Adolfo Cambiaso.

“I was dazzled by Dubai’s performance this year compared to their slightly lacklustre performance of 2008,” says Debbie, “and Lechuza Caracas did a sterling job to reach the semis of the

New work by polo-lover Debbie Harris

Queen’s Cup in light of their tragedy earlier in the year. My heart goes out to Sumaya when I watch them race to an early lead only to defend it to no avail – they do deserve a break!”

Charlie Hanbury of Apes Hill also caught her eye in June’s Queen’s Cup, and she adds: “There may yet be a painting depicting that winning goal!”

Debbie takes digital photos at games to help her recall the scene, and the atmosphere and energy of the action are expressed in her controlled chaotic movements on canvas. Debbie’s work can be seen at www.debbieharris.co.uk

Oussama Aboughazale and Carlos Gracida at Cowdray Park in 2006, when Carlos and his brother Memo played for Sumaya. Carlos is to return to Sumaya in summer 2010

Sumaya to field two teams next summer CARLOS GRACIDA is expected to be back in a UK high-goal team next summer after a couple of years’ absence. Leading high-goal side Sumaya has recruited the Mexican former 10-goaler and 10-times winner of the Cowdray Park Gold Cup for a second Sumaya side.

Both Oussama Aboughazale and his nephew, Ahmad, 32, intend to play UK high-goal next year. Oussama, 66, will play alongside Gracida, the Argentine

Hilario Ulloa and the South African Nachi du Plessis (both of whom went up in handicap this summer), while Ahmad will team up with Milo Fernandez Araujo, Lucas James (who substituted for the injured Milo in the semi-finals of the Gold Cup this July) and a six-goaler to be confirmed.

The teams will be based at David Morley’s Burton Mill set-up, with the ever-energetic Chilean Tonno Itturate (see page 12) in charge.

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News News in brief ◗ INJURED PLAYER Jamie Servaes is expected to return home from hospital shortly, following a fall last December.

James, 61, who was paralysed from the chest down, will always be in a wheelchair but is set to be independent and take on his farm business again. ◗ POLO WILL BE FREE to spectators in the unusual setting of a Cornish surfing beach this month, as the third annual Veuve Clicquot Polo on the Beach returns to Watergate Bay on the evening of Monday 14 September.

The game, which will feature Richard Blake Thomas and possibly Jamie Le Hardy amongst others, will be played under arena rules and is supported by Midas Construction.

Last year’s contest, for the Watergate Bay Trophy, welcomed more than 2,000 spectators. A champagne bar and beach barbeque will be open from 5pm, with the first chukka at 6.30pm. ◗ A SECOND WORKSHOP is being held at Ham Polo Club for aspiring polo photographers this month. The day-long course takes place at the final of the Billy Walsh tournament on Sunday 20 September, from 11am to 7pm. It costs £225, including lunch, tuition, behindthe-scenes access and a DVD of participants’ best shots. For details, call Lizzie on 07801 930711 or email info@eyephotographicworkshops.com. ◗ A YORKSHIRE POLO CLUB stepped in to host a music festival last month after the original venue withdrew. Beverley Polo Club, which sits in 110 acres and is owned by Andrew Foreman, staged “Tribfest” from 21-23 August – and hopes that in future it may combine it with its flagship polo tournament, the Nations Cup. An extravaganza of tribute bands, Tribfest featured tributes to the Arctic Monkeys, The Jam, Queen, AC/DC and many more. The club was expecting 3,000 people for the festivities – which this time weren’t to include polo.

◗ AS PT WENT TO PRESS,a SUPA Schools Tri-Nations tournament was due to take place on 29-30 August. To be played at Beverley Polo Club, it is the first event of its kind at minus-six goal level and was to feature players aged 13 to 18 from Scotland, Wales and England.

8 September 2009 www.polotimes.co.uk

HPA chief executive David Woodd rounds up the news from UK polo’s headquarters Cartier International The HPA wishes to thank all those who played and produced ponies for Cartier International Day and congratulates Argentina for their victory in what was a terrific display. It was a privilege to watch Adolfo Cambiaso and Facundo Pieres play together.

Best young player 2009 Congratulations to Charlie Hanbury, who was awarded the Ferguson Trophy for the HPA’s best young player of the season.

decided at the first handicap meeting on 22 July, the remainder of the UK’s players will be considered at the HPA’s handicap meeting on Monday 14 September. Changes to handicaps will be made public as soon as they are confirmed by the committee but are all subject to endorsement by stewards.

Changes to handicaps can also still be made for any player continuing playing up until the end of the season.

As usual, they become effective from 1 January 2010.

Groundsmen’s meeting St Regis test match

The HPA plans to hold the annual groundsmen’s meeting on Wednesday 7 October, at a venue still to be decided.

The contest between England and the “The Commonwealth” will be a fivechukka match, to be played at Cowdray Park Polo Club on Sunday 6 September at 3pm. The teams will be as follows: England (21): Max Routledge 3; Satnam Dhillon 6; Tom Morley 6; Chris Hyde 6 Rest of The Commonwealth (22): Tom de Bruin 4 (South Africa); Rob Archibald 6 (Australia); Tommy Wilson 6 (New Zealand); Sam Hopkinson 6 (South Africa)

A three-day coaching course, as publicised in the August issue of Polo Times, is due to take place at Beaufort Polo Club, Wednesday 23 to Friday 25 September.

South Africa test match

Junior select matches 2009

England will travel to South Africa for a Test Match, to be played in Johannesburg on Saturday 10 October.

The England team will be as follows: England (21): Max Routledge 3; Satnam Dhillon 6; Mark Tomlinson 6; Chris Hyde 6

In order to provide more polo for the young after the conclusion of the Pony Club Polo Championships, the HPA selected the following players to make up teams for the following matches:

Handicap meetings Following the release of the high-goal end-of-season handicap changes, as

Coaching course

Young England Blue (-2): Frankie Hutley -1; Charlie Scott -1; Jack Mesquita 0; Barney Wilson 0 Young England Red (-3): Tommy Beresford -1; Maddie Meacher -1; William Berner 0; George Meade -1 Young England White (-3): Will Batchelor -1; Ellie McGregor -1; Freddie Dear 0; Charlie Aprahamian -1 The Whitbread Trophy on 16 August at Rutland: Young England Select Red (2): Ed Winterton 1; Ali Patterson 1; Will Brasher 0; Ed Smyth-Osbourne 0 Young England Select Blue (1): Dom Heywood 0; Billy Aprahamian 1; Jack Berner 0; Robin Spicer 0 The Alan Budgett Trophy on 16 August at Kirtlington Park: Young England Red (-1): Ed Parsons 1; Rex Woodhouse 0; Molly Davies -1; Ed Courage -1 Young England Blue (-2): Freddie Horne 1; Hugo Davies 0; Max Rigby 2; Will Frankum -1

Club chief umpires’ meeting This is scheduled for 10.30am on Wednesday 9 September, at RCBPC.

The 21 Cup on 11 and 13 August at Cowdray Park: Young England Black (-2): Ralph Richardson -1; Issy Parsons 0; Max Hutchinson 0; Guy Fox-Andrews -1

The Stagshead Trophy on 17 August at Ham: Young England Select Red (-6): Faisal Al-Rifai -1; Issie McGregor -2; Charlie Walton -2; Hugo Singh -1 Young England Select Blue (-6): Bella Dear -2; Tim Pearce-May -2; Roddy Seymour-Williams -1; Vere Harmsworth -1 The HPA would like to thank the clubs involved for giving these players the opportunity to play for the different cups. ◗ To contact the HPA, tel: 01367 242828

Ponies canter off with the happy couple EVER DREAMED OF riding into the sunset with your loved one?

That’s exactly what polo players Jessica Bazzard and Jason Ollivier did on their wedding day. Well, not quite into the sunset, but the pair cantered across fields from the church on polo ponies, complete with matching bandages on the bride’s mare, a home-bred called Peanuts.

Jason, who rode his Argentine mare Chukki, and Jessica (both 0-goalers) met at West Wycombe Park Polo Club and “felt the spark” at the wedding of players Toby and Mellie Pejkovic. At their own wedding, in Little Missenden, guests from West Wycombe, Rugby, Kirtlington and Lacey Green gathered to wish them well. Jess’s sisters, Chloe and Rebecca, also play off zero and their father, David, who took up polo after his daughters started in Pony Club with the Vale of Aylesbury, is a founding member of West Wycombe.

Outside the church Jess climbed aboard side-saddle at first

Photograph by shootinghip.com

◗ SCOTLAND HAS its first equine hospital after Clyde Veterinary Group’s equine division recently obtained Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons equine hospital status. The Lanark-based hospital, whose facilities include a bone-scanning suite, digital X-ray machine, endoscopes and ultrasound scanners, is 23 miles from Edinburgh Polo Club, 40 miles from Stewarton Polo Club and 70 miles from Dundee & Perth, and provides a referral service for other vets in Scotland and Northern England.

Latest from the HPA

Jason Ollivier, riding Chukki, and his new wife Jessica, on Peanuts

– though once Peanuts gathered pace she flicked a highheeled shoe over the saddle to get a better grip. The horses cantered happily back towards their base at Kennel Farm, the Bazzard family home and the venue for the reception.

There was no polo planned during their honeymoon in Brazil, but the happy couple did ensure their season was disturbed as little as possible – by scheduling their flights to go out on a Monday and return on a Friday.

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Obituary News

Photographs by Herbert Spencer

Her Highness Shri Gayatri Devie Sahiba, campaigning for parliament in Rajasthan in 1971, just nine months after her husband’s death. She was thrice elected to the Indian parliament and was equally popular and revered in the international polo community, where she came to be recognised by many as “the queen of polo”

Rajmata of Jaipur

1919-2009

As the wife and then widow of the Maharajah of Jaipur, Gayatri Devi was one of polo’s most ardent supporters.

Herbert Spencer sums up her amazing life f ever there was a woman who could be called “the queen of polo”, it was Her Highness Shri Gayatri Devi Sahiba. From the time of her fairytale romance with – and then marriage to – one of India’s most famous polo players, the Maharajah of Jaipur, to her death in India’s Pink City, the “game of kings” was at the centre of her regal and glamorous international lifestyle.

She was born in London as a princess of Cooch Behar (eastern India) in May 1919, in an era when the wealthy princely states ruled much of India under the British Raj. She was known by family and friends as Ayesha, after the fictional queen in the novel She – “she who is to be obeyed”.

Ayesha was in her teens when she fell in love with “Jai”, the charismatic Jaipur Maharajah who, as a nine-goal player, won all the major tournaments in India and England. Jai already had two wives, but his marriage to Ayesha was a love match and their wedding in 1940 was said to be the most expensive in history.

From then until Jai’s death 30 years later, the maharajah and maharani lived an opulent life and were the darlings of international social columnists.

At Jaipur’s royal Rambagh Palace, the couple frequently entertained the likes of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, the Mountbattens, Jackie Kennedy and Nikita Khruschev. Vogue once listed Ayesha as one of the world’s 10 most beautiful women. But

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European-educated Ayesha was more than just a pretty face. She entered politics, opposing the dominant Congress Party, and was thrice elected to the Indian parliament, appearing in the Guinness Book of Records in 1962 with the largest-ever electoral majority. After Prime Minister Indira Gandhi abolished the princely states’ privileges in the 1970s, Ayesha was jailed for five days, without charge, for alleged currency violations.

I first met Ayesha in March 1971 when visiting Rajasthan to work on my book Chakkar – Polo Around the World. Jai had agreed to contribute an essay but, before he could write it, he died after a polo accident at Cirencester Park in June 1970. So it was his widow, the Rajmata (queen mother), to whom I turned for help to write my “anonymous” history essay, dedicated to Jai’s memory.

In those days the tradition of purdah was still strong in India, with Hindu widows typically retiring from life following the death of a husband.

But Ayesha was far from typical. Just nine months after Jai’s death, she was back on the campaign trail, running for parliament again. Between our sessions recalling polo’s history, I accompanied her on the hustings.

I saw Ayesha at polo numerous times over the next four decades. She was present at many major events and never failed to recall our first meeting in Jaipur. In England she regularly presented two of

Guest of honour at the FIP World Cup in France in 2004 with Glen Holden and Patrick Guerrand-Hermès

her own cups, the Cooch Behar at Cowdray Park and the Jaipur Trophy at Guards. She was a guest of honour at FIP’s World Cup in Chantilly, France, in 2004 and it was her stepson, the present maharajah, who donated the World Cup to FIP. This summer, after treatment in London for a stomach condition, Ayesha was flown back to Jaipur and, aged 90, died of pneumonia there on 29 July. Her traditional outdoor cremation at City Palace, with all the pomp and ceremony of a royal funeral, was attended by thousands of mourners, the great and the humble – a fitting farewell for “the queen of polo”. F Editor’s note: PT recommends ‘A Princess Remembers’, the Rajmata’s memoirs, first published in the UK in the 1980s

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PTSeptember 2009 p10-11 Herbert JM MB YC

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Global view Comment With Herbert Spencer, who has been following polo around the world for 40 years

Clash of the Titans as ‘big three’ meet FIP Secondly, there is concern that the existing statutes and bylaws of the FIP place too much power in the hands of the president who, if he is so inclined, can administer the federation even without the approval of the executive committee that he himself appoints.

At present, the president can appoint anyone from the international polo community to key positions without reference to the national associations,

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The big three want the FIP to put its campaign to get polo back into the Olympics on the back burner for now The big three also want the FIP, for the present at least, to put its campaign to get polo back into the Olympics on the back burner, recognising that the diversity of handicap levels in polo-playing countries worldwide effectively rules out Olympic participation.

Nicholas ColquhounDenvers, Patrick Guerrand-Hermès, Tom Biddle and Luis Lalor look glum-faced at the recent FIP meeting in the UK

and there is no specific prohibition against the president acting entirely on his own. The elected Council of Administration and the General Assembly must approve the president’s actions at one of their yearly sessions, but withholding such approval for one such session could result in legal complications where the president has already made commitments on behalf of the federation earlier that year.

FIP FOR ALL In addition, the major associations are questioning the appropriateness of the FIP becoming involved in high-goal “professional” polo that would benefit only a handful of players from one

AND THE RIGHT ANSWER IS… In this writer’s view, there is a clean and unequivocal way to resolve the obvious difference in approach to governance between the current president and the big three. It is for the latter to draft substantive changes to the FIP’s statutes and bylaws and to submit them to be voted on at the general assembly in November. Joined by a number of like-minded smaller members, the three largest associations should be able to obtain the two-thirds majority required to effect change for the better.

A worst-case scenario is for the FIP to resist change, maintain the status quo and lose the support of the three largest and most important polo-playing nations. For someone like me, who believes strongly in the concept of an international organisation for the sport, this is unthinkable. F

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Photograph by Herbert Spencer

WHO HOLDS THE UMBRELLA? Amongst a number of complaints, two fundamental issues appear to stand out: firstly, the big three want the national associations to exercise greater control over the day-to-day administration of the federation. All elected and appointed officials of the FIP, they feel, should first be approved by their respective national associations. “We don’t want the federation to be an umbrella organisation over us (the national associations) but rather under us,” said one of the leaders.

A somewhat mixed-up metaphor, but the meaning was clear.

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country. The federation should instead concentrate upon activities that benefit the largest number of its more than 50 member nations, small and large – but without concerning itself with established events of individual associations.

There is further concern that, in seeking sponsorship for the FIP, the federation might cross wires with member associations that already have corporate sponsors for their main events.

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he Federation of International Polo (FIP) is heading for a major showdown with its three biggest members, the Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA), Asociación Argentina de Polo (AAP) and US Polo Association (USPA). It’s all about what the role of the federation should be and how it is currently administered. This could well come to a head during the FIP’s annual General Assembly in Buenos Aires in November, where the “big three” associations should control the majority of delegates’ votes.

As readers of this column will know, I warned of such a clash more than a year ago (Global view, June 2008), suggesting that only a fundamental re-structuring of the FIP could save the federation from serious defections.

The current leaders of the big three met for the first time in England this July: HPA chairman Nicholas ColquhounDenvers, the new AAP president Luis Lalor and USPA chairman Tom Biddle.

They found themselves in agreement on the function and future of the FIP. During FIP meetings here, they made it abundantly clear to FIP president Patrick Guerrand-Hermès that their associations are unhappy with the way the federation is being run.

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Comment Interview

Little-seen lynchpins who run the show Behind many a high-goal team is a cool, capable manager, ready to get extraordinary things done ‘yesterday’ at the drop of a hat. Tony Ramirez tracks down three such paragons – Tono, Santi and Sticky

Photograph by Tom Reynolds

José Antonio ‘Tono’ Itturate Manager and coach, Sumaya Tono Iturrate was born in Los Angeles, 500km south of Santiago in Chile, and comes from a family of polo players and horse breeders. Now 47, he grew up at his family’s ranch and has been involved with horses and polo all his life.

He started playing polo aged 13 and reached an eight-goal handicap, won the Chilean Open Championship eight times and lifted the Coronation Cup in 1998 with José and Gabriel Donoso and Jaime Huidobro. Their victory was narrow but significant: it was the first time Chile had beaten England, and it set the tone for the next decade, when Chile beat their hosts in two subsequent meetings at Guards.

In 1999, Tono’s playing career was curtailed by an accident that left him with persistent elbow problems. However, polo was his life, and he set up a breeding business that same year, using his erstwhile studies in business administration and his knowledge of horses. It flourished, and still exports horses worldwide. This year, 14 of Tono’s ponies played in the Queen’s and Gold cups.

At the same time, his career as a coach and manager took off when he was drafted in to

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organise the Sumaya team, whose patron, Oussama Aboughazale, he had known since 1984.

“I had played for them in the past, on a 37goal side with the Heguy brothers,” says Tono.

“We won most of the important tournaments in Chile in the 1990s, including the Open – which was played at the level of the Argentine Open.

“Even then, I made sure we were well organised. I’ve always been like that, and I like to ensure every little detail is looked after, so I suppose it was then a normal progression to become the team’s manager.

“I think it is important to use the experience of an ex-professional,” he adds. “A player that has been playing all over the world and has seen it all before really benefits the team and the young players coming through.”

Tono’s tenure over the past four years has been highly successful, with Sumaya reaching Queen’s Cup finals and Gold Cup semi-finals in 2008 and 2009. They are yet to take home one of the UK’s major titles but Tono is still happy.

“My aim was for Sumaya to be amongst the top three or four teams in the UK,” he

declares. “I’m delighted we have been able to achieve this.”

Having learnt from such players as Carlos and Memo Gracida in his early years as manager, more recently his work for Sumaya has evolved to include almost everything relating to the team. He is involved in the buying of ponies, player selection, coordination of the grooms, and in organising all the movement of horses, players and their families to wherever the team is playing.

“I have a thousand things to take care of,” says Tono. “But we are a very close team and I have a lot of help from everyone – particularly our vet Fernando Mitchell and team captain Milo Fernandez-Araujo.”

As well as ensuring everything runs smoothly, Tono is also conscious that he must pay plenty of attention to keeping the patrons happy. “They spend a large amount of money,” he says. “So it’s crucial they have a good time.”

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Clockwise from top: Santiago ‘Santi’Ganly of Loro Piana; Martin ‘Sticky’ Glue of Broncos; and Jose Antonio ‘Tono’ Itturate of Sumaya

“I don’t think the word ‘manager’ is really the best way to describe what I do, as I am more an administrator and organiser,” says Santi, who is now 42.

“I am responsible for the logistics of the team; the lorries, grooms, travel arrangements, food, vets, payments and so on. In short, I deal

grown up in the heart of polo country, it was while visiting her one Christmas after leaving school aged 17 that he first had the chance to ride. He became hooked at once, was thereafter stick-and-balling every day, and has been involved with horses and polo ever since.

Sticky played as a pro until three years ago, reaching a five-goal handicap at his peak in the mid-to-late 1980s. He won the Gold Cup with Maple Leafs, and was runner-up the following year with Cowdray Park, losing to Tramontana.

He went on to win the Queen’s Cup with Broncos, for whom he played for three seasons

‘Alfio is wonderful but demanding – he likes everything done properly. As a result the team is superbly set up in three countries’ – Santi Ganly

Santiago ‘Santi’ Ganly Manager, Loro Piana Santi grew up with 11 brothers and sisters in Pehuajo, a village 300km south-west of Buenos Aires, before moving to BA for his first taste of polo aged 18.

“My family was never involved in polo,” he explains. “Some of my friends who played got me into it. Then, when I was 23, Castor Fernandez Ocampo offered me the chance to go to Malaysia as a groom for Prince Bahar.”

Since then, Santi has worked all over Europe and eventually came to England, where he worked with George and Clare Milford Haven. He took a year’s break from polo in 2005, but returned three years ago to manage Alfio Marchini’s Loro Piana.

with anything and everything that is needed by the team and the patron.

“Alfio is a wonderful person but is very demanding and likes everything done properly. As such, the team is now superbly set up and organised in Argentina, Spain and the UK.” Santi follows Alfio wherever he plays, not only as the manager for Loro Piana, but also almost as Alfio’s personal assistant for anything related to polo.

He is one of the busiest patrons worldwide, playing more polo than most of his contemporaries, which means Santi’s work continues virtually all year-round.

“We do not play in January, but otherwise we’re busy. February, March and April we’re in Argentina; May, June and July in England; and normally we play Sotogrande in August. We have no polo for the first 20 days in September, but from then until the final of the Argentine Open, Alfio plays in Argentina.”

Martin ‘Sticky’ Glue Pony manager, Broncos Though he was unexpectedly born in Reading while his mother was visiting her sister there, Sticky has been based throughout his childhood and adulthood in Midhurst – much of it in Todham, minutes from Cowdray’s Lawns and Ambersham grounds, where his grandparents lived and where he ran the yard himself until last year.

His parents separated when he was young, his mother moving to America, and though he had

having initially been engaged by patron George Milford Haven to oversee his horses and help him acquire a high-goal string.

In the 1990s Sticky continued his playing career elsewhere, but when Milford Haven sold uSwitch in 2006, they rekindled their partnership.

“George basically bought my string and asked me to stay with the team to oversee the horses,” says Sticky.

“My work since then has mainly been about the shrewd acquisition of horses from here and New Zealand, where the bulk of our strings come from. I’m responsible for ensuring we don’t spend an absolute fortune doing so.”

As far as the Broncos players are concerned, Sticky doesn’t get involved directly in their selection. Although – since they have all known each other so long – George and Charles Beresford often ask his advice.

“It’s good to work with someone whose company you enjoy,” Sticky explains. “George’s only problem is that he’s a little impatient – he likes everything done yesterday!”

It’s a year-round job for Sticky, who works constantly to buy and prepare horses for the tournaments George takes part in around the world. Few years have been as busy as 2009, which began with George playing at Klosters and St Moritz, followed by New Zealand.

“We were very busy as far back as December,” says Sticky. “We started working horses before Christmas, went to Switzerland in January and to New Zealand in February. We were back in England in March for the UK season and now we are in Sotogrande. We will be back again playing young horses in September.” F

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Comment Umpire’s corner With Arthur Douglas-Nugent, deputy chief umpire for the HPA

How possession has sent the backhand into obscurity he umpires and members of the rules committee have a big job on their hands this winter, trying to find ways to improve polo as a spectacle.

It has lost some of the old magic of late, with unseemly mêlées and lots of whistle proving to be an unwelcome side of the game for players and spectators alike. Just as rugby has experimented with many rule changes in recent years, to help encourage a more open style of play, so too must polo find ways to get the game moving again.

But where do we start?

The obvious first port of call is Argentina, given that our polo, now at all levels, is inextricably mixed up with theirs.

However, at a recent meeting with a senior member of the rules committee we learnt, somewhat to our surprise, that they are having the same problems as us in their show matches at Palermo and elsewhere.

Thus, they too are open to suggestions with a view to rule changes and new guidelines for umpire interpretations.

adopted in Argentina. The other problem is that there is currently an inherent irony in the application of the rule – namely, that if someone is deemed guilty of tapping too much and not engaging in open play, then the game is restarted with a throw-in that regularly just leads to the kind of mêlée the rule was

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The irony is that we restart the game after a tapping foul with a throw-in, which regularly leads to the kind of mêlée the “one tap” rule was designed to avoid

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ONE TAP IRONY – MÊLÉES ‘R’ US The exciting open polo during the Queen’s Cup proved to be something of a false dawn, as in the Gold Cup the players reverted to their old ways – turning on the ball and then running with it into a mêlée with a view to achieving a penalty, which they invariably did.

Thus, in the Gold Cup final the first five goals were scored from the 30-yard spot, which is not what those who have paid £40 for a seat in the stands want to see. The penalty two now is virtually a non-event, as players so rarely miss.

But all this is easy to complain about.

The point is what can we do? The “one tap” rule has been effective up to a point, but has proved a difficult idea to umpire and has led to a frustrating level of inconsistency and confusion for the players. It is also generally unpopular with the Argentine players, so it seems there is no likelihood of it ever being

stationary, then the umpire should only stop play for dangerous stickwork.

This continues until a clear line has been established by the player, who has achieved sufficient speed to claim the right of way. Secondly, however, umpires should be encouraged to be much stricter with players who seek to block the

designed to avoid. Perhaps we should go back to awarding a hit from the spot, with a modification for when a defender taps twice within his own 60-yard line.

BACKHAND TO THE FUTURE We need to speed up the game and keep it flowing. And so, how do we go about encouraging players to hit a backhand, rather than turning on the ball? Firstly, a foul should not be called if there is no danger when a player, slowing down to turn the ball, is ridden off by an opponent. Should play be more or less

FOUL FOR THOUGHT Last month’s conundrum You award a penalty 5b (hit from the centre). A member of the team facing advances to within 20 yards as the penalty is taken. What do you do as the parallel umpire?

It must be assumed that “Play” has been called and therefore the umpire must blow the whistle to stop further play but not the clock, as that will not have been restarted. Rule 39g states that if a defender “is closer than 30 yards to the ball when it is hit or hit at, the penalty will be upgraded.”

However, umpires should avoid having to take this action by preventing the situation developing in the first place, by warning the errant player before calling “Play”. For a similar offence on the hit in, the ball is moved up to the 30-yard line.

This month’s puzzle A player places the ball with care on a divot for a penalty hit, which is then taken by another member of the team. Is this legal?

legitimate right of way of an opponent at low speeds, when it is clearly done deliberately. Although, as a corollary consideration for umpires, when the player in possession goes looking for this foul by tapping the ball towards an opponent who is just off his right of way, it should be he that is punished.

The unfortunate demise of the backhand has a lot to do with the great advantage of possession. Players don’t want to risk losing the ball, but would rather play for a foul when they are in a tricky situation. This has, in turn, meant that when backhands are offloaded, there is rarely anyone heading upfield in anticipation. But if possession is so important, could not a team be penalised for losing it?

Thus, if a player hits the ball over the sideline, penalise the team by giving the opposition a hit from the spot. This would cut down the number of mêlées, encourage teams to keep the game flowing up the centre, reduce the amount of play on the boards and discourage teams from time-wasting in the closing stages of a match. While we’re at it, let’s have a hit in from the back line or 60-yard line by the side that has just conceded the goal. F

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Players’ forum Comment With John Horswell, the outspoken sultan of swing

A busy winter is the key to a revitalised summer next year on a farm in sunnier climes as my best option. I will of course keep you informed as to my whereabouts.

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someone who has done it many times before. In fact, use the company that has done it the most times before.

It was a true waste of time and was really negative for the game, if widening the audience was the intention. If Eurosport can’t be bothered to send the

‘If you’re going to present polo on live TV, use

someone who has done it many times before best people, then at least put Stevie K from Blue Tuna in the booth if anyone. At least that will guarantee some level of competence in the coverage.

BLEAK EXPECTATIONS Things have been very quiet for the last month generally and, despite the holiday factor partially explaining it, I fear the worst. It’s not looking too much better for the next month either, so my theory that polo might well experience a delayed reaction to the economic downturn is looking good. Unfortunately.

Add to that the several doom-mongers who warn that the worst is still to come, and I am beginning to look at a few years

game, laying the foundations for the boom years that followed.

So, off the laurels and back to work for all of us is the order of the day. This begins, as far as I am concerned, with a full-on drive for “Winter Polo in London” – something that Ollie Browne and I plan to get off the ground at Belmont Polo Club in Mill Hill.

My thanks go to Andrew Reid for the opportunity and, with hard work from us and from all the rest of you out there, I am sure a busy winter will lead to a revitalised summer next year. F ◗ Leave comments on all John’s articles at www.polopages.com. He will address them in the next issue.

Photograph by Pascal Renauldon, courtesy of R&B Presse

DUD-VILLE The point of the Open “Re-match” in Deauville six days later escapes me however. From the players’ point of view, there were hundreds of thousands of reasons to play it. But, corporately and from a paying public point of view, I am really not so sure. My informants tell me that both the latter spoke with their feet.

Without the same cathedral-like venue as Palermo, nor the months of build up and anticipation, nor the same ponies, nor the gathering of polo pilgrims from around the world before and after, one wonders what was the point?

The other question is, who filmed it?

Their coverage only went so far as to prove what a difficult game polo is to film. And, especially, if you are going to present it live, make sure you use

Ellerstina were the winners of the Open “Re-match” in Deauville, but what was the point of the whole thing?

ARENA OPPORTUNITY All is not lost, however. It is up to us to get ourselves through the difficult times and the big push has to be arena-driven, just as it was in the early 90s. The economic downturn of that decade drove a few of us to want to work year-round, and a lot of time and effort went into marketing the arena game and into using it as a facility for the improvement of teaching methods.

New products were also developed – the “Polo Experience” and “Instructional Chukka” being two of my more longlasting initiatives from the time. The J&B Pro-Polo International was, and still is, the most televised polo programme ever devised. As a result, we had exponential growth in participation and a lot of new patrons came into the

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irst of all, I have just a couple of quick points of order from last month’s column. The Cartier was eagerly awaited within polo but, with spectator numbers looking slighty down, corporate activity down, and a game that was a blow-out, it was not all in all a particularly sparkling anniversary for the sponsor.

It’s just a sign of the times I think, and no fault of anyone in particular. My congratulations go to all involved, from both sides of the Atlantic, who helped make the match happen. But I must also give additional and particular praise and thanks to Adolfito and Facundo. They turned up and played hard, successfully working out how to get the job done – in conditions that certainly did not suit them – like only the best can. They also made excellent selections with their choice of Lieutenants.

The greatest of the two was Facha (Martin Valent to most of you), who was voted MVP and who scored one of the goals of the decade! As Terry has said on multiple occasions in his commentary, “muy bueno Señor, muy bueno!”

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Comment Your views

Letter of the month How Pony Club polo families propelled me 25,000 miles to paradise

Letters letters@polotimes.co.uk

A happy return to good, old-style fun

After eight years of chairing Pony Club polo and 10 years as a polo parent and manager, I had thought retirement would bring my wife Nikki and I quiet summers and lazy, undisturbed evenings. However, thanks to the terrific generosity of Pony Club polo families, David Meacher and City Capital Corporation, my predictions about life after Pony Club polo could not have been more wrong.

The award of business-class round-the-world air tickets at my final Cowdray prize-giving ceremony was a great surprise – the biggest of my life. And, two years and 25,000 air miles later, I still can hardly believe it – nor adequately express my huge appreciation of such a generous present.

We took in the beauty of New Zealand’s North and South islands before the iconic Sydney harbour in Australia and Perth’s wonderful expansive vineyards, and all without the worries that go with accompanying a polo team: “I've lost my stick bag” (translation – I’ve left my stick bag at the ground); “I've lost my team shirt” (I gave my shirt to a girl after the last game); and, the most common of all, “I've got food poisoning" (I'm hung over – stop the bus, I'm going to be sick).

I remember saying an emotional and inadequate thank you at Cowdray in 2007 for such an unbelievably generous farewell present. Now we have had the trip of our lives I feel even more emotional and even more grateful. Had I known how generous Pony Club families would be I would never had have forgotten a player's name and would certainly have seen all their potential to reach 10 goals.

We all remember our old Pony Club days fondly: a week with no shower, messing around with a hosepipe in the mud, hours of riding in circles on some poor old nag who’d done it all before (and the occasional bolter to add some spice), the rota of doting mothers bearing industrial quantities of lasagne and then the late-night shenanigans as scores of fathers armed with torches of criminal strength patrolled the camp, herding all their young darlings to bed.

I’m old now, but I was sad to see how the Pony Club had changed in the early part of the millennium.

Waves of vast lorries descended upon beautiful grounds and the children screamed blue murder at umpires, all the while swearing at their parents and grooms, demanding better horses “that actually do something”.

However, the Pony Club and Junior HPA teams of 2009 should be congratulated. Their quieter and more civilised attitudes to polo ensured the atmosphere was lifted and the event was far more enjoyable than in many recent years. Organisers smiled throughout the wet qualifiers, whilst children returned to stick-and-balling in the mud. One young entrepreneur has even been cleaning high-goal boots for pocket money.

Let’s not forget that the aims of Pony Club are to provide educational fun to the young and to instil in them the art of sportsmanship. Only a handful still believe it is right to grab an opponent’s reins or rip his shirt.

Oh! – to return to the days of fun when one could stick a plaster on a child’s knee, ride bicycles with no hats, when the sun used to shine and parents were benign!

the front cover of the July issue [pictured above].

I wonder if the umpire blew his whistle for a foul for use of the elbow, or was he perhaps confused as to which player was fouling who?

Views from your readers would be very interesting!

Requested to stay anonymous!

Wiltshire

Mervyn Fox-Pitt Fife

◗ For a full report on the Pony Club Polo Championships, turn to page 34

◗ What do you think? Let us know at letters@polotimes.co.uk

Locking elbows: who was at fault?

I very much enjoyed Polo Times’s photograph of a clash in the park on

Winning women full of thanks I was fortunate enough to be part of a team of combined SUPA university

18 September 2009 www.polotimes.co.uk

David Cowley Former Pony Club polo chairman, 1999-2007

The writer of the letter of the month wins a bottle of La Chamiza Argentine red wine

July’s colourful cover of Polo Times

students that competed in the IWPA National Women’s Polo Championships at Ascot Park last month. We hailed from St Andrews, Warwick and Loughborough universities and had been generously coached by Offchurch Bury Polo Club’s Glen Percy and supported by online casual clothing stockist, Chukka Clothing.

It was a pretty nerve-racking experience, given that it was a first tournament together, but we were immediately put at ease by the welcome from the staff at Ascot Park on Friday evening, who were fantastically helpful and courteous from the second we arrived.

We donned our new Akuma shirts on the Saturday morning and joined the startling tapestry of colour created by the other 20 teams and their various kits. Despite the weather, the teams all played with gusto and, even though ours was the lowest handicap level (-8 to -7 goal), our matches were still well supported, with spectators including such players as Roddy Matthews.

After two days of gritting our teeth, our determination paid off and we were the delighted winners of our division – no mean achievement given our competition and that we were still getting used to each other.

As such, all the McLintock team and our supporters had a great weekend. It is a tournament I would

wholeheartedly recommend and I’d like to thank the IWPA and all the sponsors of the event.

Rebecca Griffiths Captain of McLintock International

◗ For a report on the National Women’s Championships, turn to page 32 Answering students’ queries Firstly, may I congratulate you on your latest issue (Polo Times, August 2009).

Secondly, as chairman of British Universities for SUPA, I would like to congratulate both you and your writers for a very interesting and informative view of the La Martina University National Championships.

To have the students writing their own account of the event was very enlightening, and echoes our desire that they should feel that it is their event, the students’ championships.

However, further to the article, I would like the opportunity to clear up some of the points raised and answer their queries: We at SUPA always take on board people’s views, and try to put right any wrongs or bad practice. Firstly, as of October 2009, we will be introducing a Lower Intermediate section, for teams with a maximum aggregate handicap of zero.

All other intermediate sides will be in the Upper Intermediate, for teams up to three goals. This should even

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Happy times for nippers and nags

out the entries and allow novice players to move up a level without being overwhelmed.

Loos and showers unfortunately have to be where they are at the championships at Offchurch Bury, as the mains sewage and electric and water are all currently only available in one area of the site. It would treble the cost to have freestanding facilities brought in and plumbed.

SUPA has employed an administrator, whose job will be to try

Action from the La Martina Outdoor University Championships, as reported in the August issue – where PT’s student correspondents raised several logictical issues at the event

to ensure entries, handicaps and eligibility are all fair and correct. This work is ongoing but should be better honed in 2010.

We are working hard on ensuring a standard of umpiring throughout all our championships (through the generous support from the HPA), and 2010 will hopefully see even more improvement.

On a different matter, the inaugural SUPA assessment day, held at Ascot Park Polo Club, has set a precedent. With the mistakes rectified, and with an earlier date in the diary, this event will help establish our better players.

Yes, we are dependent on the schools recommending their best players but, as the word spreads, this might well happen of its own accord more and more.

One important plus point this year was the assessment test put forward

by Hugh Dawnay, which hopefully will become general practice within all clubs (see the opening “News” spread in the July issue of Polo Times). The test promotes individual skill, both in riding and with specific reference to polo.

This was well received by all the participants and also at all the various coaching clinics I have run since. To have fun is to improve, and this definitely helps!

Thank you again for a great article and wonderful coverage.

Michael Hobday Gloucestershire

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Report Cartier International Day Left: Usandizaga with Malcolm Borwick (red hat) and with James Beim; right: the winners: Gustavo Usandizaga, Martin Valent, Adolfo Cambiaso and Facundo Pieres

Gareth A Davies assesses performances memorable and forgettable at Guards, where England’s finest were put in their place by Argentina

ngland 5, Argentina 12. Not a scoreline, nor indeed an England performance to write home about.

While England captain Luke Tomlinson claimed a steep learning curve from the Coronation Cup encounter, and made a compelling case for Argentina’s advantages, this was an outcome best consigned to dust in the history books.

For the record, it was England’s worst ever defeat in the Coronation Cup, since the inception in 1971 of the Hurlingham Polo Association’s showcase International Day. The game also marked 25 years of sponsorship

by Cartier, the luxury brand that has increasingly become entirely synonymous with the annual Test at Guards Polo Club, Windsor Great Park, on the last Sunday in July.

However, the celebrations could not adequately distract from the unfortunate outcome for English supporters and members of the HPA: England were hammered by a rampant Argentine

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foursome, led by the imperious 10-goaler Adolfo Cambiaso and the increasingly impressive Facundo Pieres, who will surely be the eventual successor to Cambiaso’s world number one crown.

Three-goalers Martin Valent and Gustavo Usandizaga weren’t too bad, either. Though England kept it tight early on, and crept back improbably to within a goal in the fourth chukka after two Luke Tomlinson penalties, the 5-4 scoreline at the time flattered to deceive.

Argentina were kept bunched tight early in the encounter by the England quartet’s prematch strategy, which reduced the visitors – if we can still call them “visitors”, given that Cambiaso, Pieres and Martin Valent ply their trade here throughout the English high-goal season – to a single score in each of the first two chukkas.

Thereafter, however, Argentina flexed their muscles, their pony power and their patronage of the huge resources available from the Ellerstina and Dubai stables, and simply brought home how

much better they are than anything England has to offer.

Cambiaso, who received the Coronation Cup from Prince Charles, is quite clearly still the world’s leading player, a decade of dominance in which he bestrides the big matches like a Colossus. The 35-year-old star is to polo what Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi are to football.

Remarkably, given his place in the English highgoal season, this was the first time Cambiaso had played in the Coronation Cup. He made it count, scoring four goals, just as Pieres did.

The seven-goal margin was worse than the 14-8 defeat England suffered in 1995, when Will Lucas, Alan Kent, Howard Hipwood and Charles Beresford were given a lesson by Gastón Laulhé, Tomás Fernandez Llorente, Benjamín Araya and Julio Zavaleta.

Another of England’s worst defeats previously came at the hands of an all-Argentine “South America” quartet that included Facundo Pieres’s father, Gonzalo, when the hosts lost 10-5 in 1978.

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England, indeed, are yet to defeat Argentina for the Coronation Cup. The only other time they have met was in 2000, when Argentina took a much narrower victory 10-9 in a seventh chukka.

That day, Milo Fernandez-Araujo was in the winning team. This year he had turned “Lazarus”, as England coach.

Fernandez-Araujo knew that England’s best chance lay in tight man-marking, a bunched game with Pieres and Cambiaso kept tightly on the reins. England also needed their rivals to play below par. The tactics worked for two chukkas only, with England clear underdogs on this the most glamorous and well-attended day in the English high-goal calendar.

The event was watched by fewer “A-list” stars from the world of fashion, music and the silver screen than in recent years, yet in weather less than clement, an estimated 20,000 spectators still enjoyed the colour, spectacle and pageantry of what remains an important annual fixture, on the day the HPA

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fills its coffers to provide such things as scholarships to young players.

Argentina, in spite of England’s early obduracy, dominated the first half and led 5-2 after three chukkas. After treading-in, Etoneducated captain Luke Tomlinson, who scored

32-goal team. On our worldwide handicap, it stretched us really far. They also had the pick of the best horses in England.

“We had worked hard with Milo and knew we had to play the ball away from their two big guys – but we didn’t get as much ball control as we

‘We knew we had to play the ball away from their big guys, but we didn’t get as much control as we wanted’ – Luke Tomlinson four goals in all, led the brief England rearguard in which the home quartet fought back to 5-4 before two rapid replies put the Argentina team into a position from which they went on to dominate the match.

Tomlinson, his brother Mark, Malcolm Borwick and James Beim all battled valiantly, but looked deflated in the post-match news conference.

Luke Tomlinson offered a sanguine assessment of the match. “We were always underdogs. They had a 30, actually…probably a

wanted. We were dominating the fourth chukka, we were OK in the fifth [when three opportunities at goal were missed] and in the sixth they ran away with it.

“But the experience we got out of it was very important. It was a way of measuring ourselves against the very best, and that is the only way to measure yourself. The team has been getting better and better for three years, and Argentina is one of those very difficult X teams to beat.”

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Report Cartier International Day

Clockwise from above: Adolfo Cambiaso (in blue) and Luke Tomlinson; the Bicester with Whaddon Chase hounds; Gustavo Usandanziga and Malcolm Borwick; teams from the

Photographs by Tony Ramirez and Andrew Tobin

‘Facundo is great, but he’ll always be chasing Adolfo’ MARTIN VALENT INSISTED Adolfo Cambiaso’s knowledge of his horses, and the fact that he is “a good loser” puts him head and shoulders above all other 10-goal players in the world at present. Valent (pictured) also lifted the veil on Argentina’s desire to play international polo, and related how Gustavo Usandizaga slotted smoothly into the team.

Valent believes Usandizaga is a player to watch.

“Gustavo is a good friend of ours. He came here six days before the match and he plays with us in Argentina. He trains out there, he’s very good and I hope he will be a 10-goal player one day.

“He is doing everything right to become a 10-goal player. But sometimes you need a bit of luck to get there.”

Issues have surrounded Argentina’s national side for some time, given their capacity to put out a 40-goal international team, which no other nation can at present.

Argentina has been restricted to playing 22 to 26 goal teams.

“It can be a problem for some Argentines

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when we are made to reduce the quality of our teams,” Valent explained. “We were happy to play 26-goal here, and we were allowed to play our players on their Argentina handicaps, so we were happy about that.”

Cambiaso and Usandizaga played together in similar circumstances at the Four Nations Cup in Palermo in April, an event which looks set to be a useful annual precursor to the start of the English season.

Valent’s father runs Cambiaso’s ranch in Argentina, and he confesses he might not be the right person to ask about Cambiaso’s position as world number one. “Cambiaso and I are like brothers, but if you ask me why he is at the top of the sport, and has stayed there so long, it is because he’s a great loser,” he explains. “He hates losing, but if he does, he’s back on his horses the next morning.

“He lives with the horses – 8am until midnight. He knows them all like his hands.

He always tries to do everything right. He is always in shape to play. Facundo is a great player, but he’ll always be chasing Cambiaso.”

X

Tomlinson added that none of the four would play in England’s next Test Match.

Instead, Max Routledge, Satnam Dhillon, Tom Morley and Chris Hyde – who played together as the Hurlingham side in the earlier match against a Prince of Wales IV – would represent England at Cowdray.

Cambiaso, Argentina’s captain, explained that his side had been confident ahead of the match: “We were together all week with the horses, we know how to play together. I knew that the team was good.”

Valent, named most valuable player, somewhat inexplicably, added modestly: “We didn’t do a lot of preparation for the match, but we have had a long season in England.

“In the first chukka, we were lucky to break away, and we did that a few times in the first half. We knew that England would try to keep the game closed. Then we were lucky to break away towards the middle of the game.”

Mark Tomlinson was the first to raise the condition of the field on the Queen’s Ground. “The field wasn’t great,” he shrugged. “By the time it had had the first match played on it, and then the parade, it wasn’t the best, by any means.”

This was a problem reiterated by both James

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What went on at the sidelines? ◗ PRIZES APLENTY were handed out after the match. Best playing pony went to Adolfo Cambiaso’s eight-year-old Australian-bred bay mare Mi Gatita (right) and MVP to Martin Valent (see opposite page), while Charlie Hanbury received the Ferguson Cup for HPA best young player of 2009. Cartier presented a special achievement award to Julian Hipwood, the Cartier 25th anniversary polo award. ◗ OFFICIATING AND ON the microphone there was a carefully composed selection of nationalities.

Memo Gracida (from Mexico) and Jose Donoso (from Chile) donned the maroon-and-white shirts, while New Zealander Cody Forsyth was third man.

At the microphone were Australian Glen Gilmore and Irishman Greg Keating, while Englishman Jamie Heywood and Argentine Santiago Gaztambide chipped in with comments on ponies and players. morning match, in which Hurlingham (in blue) beat a Prince of Wales team, with Prince Charles and Arnaud Bamberger

Beim and two of the Argentina quartet later.

During the game itself, the complaint was also clearly borne out by the number of balls missed during open play.

Argentina may have been allowed to play with their home handicaps; they may have had greater pony power but, after a decade's hiatus since

‘We were together all week with the horses; we know how to play together. I knew that the team was going to be good’ – Adolfo Cambiaso their last Coronation Cup appearance, what they did was hit home in heavyweight fashion the undeniable fact that they remain the dominant force in world polo at the highest level.

This was a day for Argentina to celebrate and one for England to forget. F ◗ Gareth A Davies is also polo correspondent for The Daily Telegraph

Cartier International Day; 26 July 2009; Guards Polo Club, Surrey Result: Argentina beat England, 12-5 Principal sponsor: Cartier Handicap level: 26-goal (Argentina’s players played on their home handicaps) Chukka scores (Argentina): 1-0; 2-1; 5-2; 7-4; 9-4; 12-5 Most valuable player: Martin Valent Best playing pony: Mi Gatita, owned and played

by Adolfo Cambiaso Coronation Cup teams: England (26): James Beim 7; Mark Tomlinson 6; Malcolm Borwick 6; Luke Tomlinson 7 Argentina (26): Gustavo Usandizaga 3; Facundo Pieres 10; Adolfo Cambiaso 10; Martin Valent 3 Golden Jubilee Trophy: Result: Hurlingham beat Prince of Wales, 8-3 HPA most promising young player award: Charlie Hanbury Golden Jubilee Trophy teams: Hurlingham (21): Max Routledge 3; Satnam Dhillon 6; Tom Morley 6; Chris Hyde 6 Prince of Wales (21): Charlie Hanbury 3; James Harper 6; Henry Brett 6; Nacho Gonzalez 6

◗ PRE-MATCH FUN included the usual magnificent military bands (right) – as well as a horseback dash to the Royal Box by 10goal Argentine pato player Ariel Tapia, to present Adolfo Cambiaso’s wife Maria Vasquez with a bunch of flowers. ◗ GRAHAM DENNIS from Blacklocks Books brought a brilliant selection of Cartier programmes from the past 25 years (pictured right) to display in the press tent. Another complete article could be written on their contents – but Polo Times especially enjoyed the advice on dress in one edition from Cartier’s style guru Pilar Boxford: “The sharp little straight skirted linen suit always looks best.” PT saw very few of those on display in 2009. An article in the 1991 programme profiled the “polocrats”, including Kerry Packer, Galen Weston and Norman Lobel, and another the wives of the day. ◗ SEE PAGE 74-75, Out & About, for more photos of Cartier International Day.

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Report Warwickshire Cup

Emlor’s entourage, with team sitting (l-r: Luke Tomlinson, Joaquin Pittaluga, Nacho Gonzalez and Spencer McCarthy), celebrate winning the Warwickshire

Divine intervention brings Emlor glory Spencer McCarthy’s prayers were answered in the closing moments of the revamped Warwickshire Cup, when he turned to the late Gabriel Donoso for a heavenly helping hand. Antje Derks reports on an exhilarating contest his year’s Warwickshire Cup moved from its traditional place in the polo calendar (between the Queen’s Cup and the Gold Cup in June) to August, thus extending the UK high-goal season. It was also reduced in handicap, from 22 to 20 goals.

The changes were in a bid to increase entries by making it more affordable for patrons to put out a side: not only would it provide an alternative to travelling to Sotogrande immediately after the Gold Cup for those interested in the high-goal, but the changes were also designed to encourage interest from medium-goal patrons who would not normally be able to entertain the idea of hiring regular high-goal players for the season.

As it turned out, the number of sides was the same as last year but, given the economic

Photographs by Tony Ramirez

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climate in the build-up to this season, to be treading water as far as numbers are concerned is no bad effort. And in many ways, the tournament appeared reinvigorated by the new slot. Cirencester Park and Deauville polo club’s reciprocal links meant there was mutual encouragement from the Anglo-French alliance for teams to enter both competitions, which two teams did (one more than last year). Ironically, however, the Warwickshire’s eventual victors were not one of these sides.

Spectator numbers were also up this year, with Ciren welcoming some 2,000 polo-goers for the final – more than double the usual turnout for previous Warwickshire Cup finals. This was no doubt aided somewhat by the fine weather, but that there were upwards of 700 booked into the VIP hospitality demonstrates that the improved attendance was mainly initiated well in advance.

Both the finalists, Emlor and El Remanso, came from the second of the two leagues of four sides. In their earlier contest in the first week, Emlor had triumphed 13-12. They both advanced to the semi-finals however, and both produced convincing displays to make the final: Emlor beat Enigma 10-7; and El Remanso trouncedc Polonetworks 14-9.

With their previous league clash in mind, the final was always going to be a close run affair.

So it proved. The advantage of El Remanso’s goal received on handicap was quickly nullified by an in-form Nacho Gonzalez, who pounced after some great defensive work by Luke Tomlinson.

However, sublime polo between El Remanso’s Jaime Huidobro and Manolo Fernandez-Llorente allowed them to regain the lead by the end of the first chukka.

The sides continued exchanging goals, with

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Insiders’ insights The chairman’s view “There were many reasons we made the changes we did,” said Cirencester Park chairman Richard Britten-Long. “Not least, one of the upshots of lowering the handicap, we hoped, was that it might also provide more opportunities for our English players to fill the vacant spots.”

The professional perspective “I think the tournament being moved down to the 20-goal level made for a lot of good polo that was fun to play,” said Emlor’s Luke Tomlinson. “However, apart from glorious sunshine on finals’ day, it was a great shame that the weather generally wasn’t better.”

neither side really managing to open up a meaningful lead and, at the start of the sixth chukka, the score was tied, 7-7. It was another thrilling chukka, as both sides scored a further

With the previous league clash in mind, the final was going to be close-run two goals, including an incredible long-range effort from Huidobro from 90 yards out, and a goal from a wonderful solo run by Tomlinson.

Just moments remained. After the usually unshakeable Luke Tomlinson fluffed a 60-yard penalty for Emlor, Manolo Fernandez-Llorente was given the chance to win El Remanso the game from the same distance just moments

Clockwise from top: Warwickshire Cup final MVP Joaquin Pittaluga checks up his pony to control the ball for Emlor, as El Remanso’s Manolo Fernandez-Llorente rides him off; Tom de Bruin’s consistent performances were not enough to give him victory; larger-than-ever spectator numbers reinvigorated the revamped tournament in its new August slot

later. Many thought the game was over: particularly worried, unsurprisingly, was Emlor patron Spencer McCarthy.

Speaking after the match, McCarthy told Polo Times that he had looked to the heavens and sought the help of his old friend, the late Gabriel Donoso. And, just as he was credited by his brother José with protecting the Chilean goal in the 2007 Coronation Cup against England, so too has his apparent intervention been hailed here – this time by McCarthy.

“I think Gabriel must have heard me when I asked for his help,” he said. “Manolo hit the ball wide, pushing the game into the extra seventh chukka and giving us another chance”.

Sure enough, MVP Joaquin Pittaluga settled things in the required seventh period, streaking down the field to score the golden goal and ensuring a dramatic late victory for Emlor. F

The Warwickshire Cup; 21 July – 9 August; Cirencester Park Polo Club, Gloucestershire Result: Emlor beat El Remanso, 10-9 Principal sponsor: David Marshall Jewellers Handicap level: 17-20 goal Number of team entries: eight Chukka scores (Emlor): 1-2; 4-2; 5-4; 6-5; 7-7; 9-9; 10-9 Most valuable player: Joaquin Pittaluga Best playing pony: Sacha, owned and played by Tom de Bruin Best retrained racehorse: Lunch Date, owned and played by Luke Tomlinson Final teams: Emlor/CRL (20): Spencer McCarthy 1; Joaquin Pittaluga 6; Luke Tomlinson 7; Nacho Gonzalez 6 El Remanso (19): George Hanbury 1; Tom De Bruin 4; Manolo Fernandez-Llorente 6; Jaime Huidobro 8

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Report Goodwood Week

Hotel La Tour’s John Paul Clarkin leads the pack in their 15-goal Harrison Cup final against Panthers (wearing Black). Panthers went on to win, 10-9

A fight and a walkover Clare Milford Haven played in both the Harrison and Holden White at Cowdray, postponing her holiday to catch the finals after a tough run and plenty of surprises ith only six teams entered into this year’s 15-goal Harrison Cup, it was considered by many to be the year to win it. However, sadly, it was not that easy! The two finalists, Panthers and Hotel La Tour, were both “four-man teams” – a term that, as a patron, and a female, one tries not to take too much to heart.

Nevertheless, it promised to be an exciting final, despite the fact that the sides had met in an earlier league game, won by Hotel La Tour.

However, those expecting a repeat performance would have been brought straight back down to earth by Panthers’ ruthless start, as Ryan Pemble guided his team into a 4-0 lead going into the third chukka.

Hotel La Tour finally then scored their first goal in bizarre circumstances, bringing the goalpost down across the mouth of the goal as the ball went in. However, the score gave them

Photographs by Clive Bennett

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the confidence to be positive and by half-time they had pulled closer, trailing 5-3.

Hotel La Tour’s JP Clarkin was having a tough time of it, emerging battered and bruised for the second half after having been hit three times in the first three chukkas, as the Panthers’ plan to shut down his eight-goal talents looked to be working out. However, Clarkin recovered with determination to help his side back into it and equalised for them in the fifth and final chukka, 8-8. Game on.

It looked as though age and experience were going to conquer youthful enthusiasm but a couple of fouls in Panthers’ favour regained them their lead, and the Panthers deservedly held on to win by a goal, 10-9. or the second year running, Hollycombe’s patron Ginny Hoare was forced to alter her holiday plans at the last minute, having once again reached the final of the ultra-

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competitive “Gold Cup of eight-goal”, the Holden White. Last year, in a nail-biting final against the all-girls Diamonds International side, Hollycombe narrowly eluded victory. This year, once again it seemed victory was well within their grasp, having beaten some very strong and more favoured teams on their way to the final.

Standing in their way were AFB. Ominously, however, AFB were playing for the eight-goal Victor Ludorum, having reached the semi-finals of the Archie David and already won the Committee Cup and the Julian and Howard Hipwood Trophy earlier in the season.

Two days earlier, in the semi-finals, AFB had pulled a rabbit out of the hat and managed to beat Trippetts, who had been leading by two goals with just two minutes to play in the final chukka. With five-goaler Peter Webb and a promising minus-one in John Gunn, AFB had proved themselves a force to be reckoned with and a team to be feared.

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Top: winners of the Holden White, AFB (l-r: Peter Webb, Sebastian Dawnay, Clive Reid and John Gunn) lift their well-earned trophy Above: Ed Magor gets his hands on the Harrison Cup, standing with Chris Bethell’s wife, Nicci

Sure enough, it was Webb that adapted quickest to the heavy mist and relentless rain enveloping Lawns two. He began by executing a convincing 60-yard penalty to set the tone for what went on to be a very one-sided first two chukkas. Alan Kent managed Hollycombe’s only score in the first half, as AFB took a 6-11/2 lead into the third chukka. Confidence looked to be at an all-time low for last year’s finalists, who had missed chances and had had their Hollycombe cage roundly rattled.

There was better luck for them in the final chukka, when they made a slight comeback, but it was too little, too late. AFB won 8-41/2 and celebrated victory in the eight-goal Victor Ludorum championship for the season. F

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Harrison Cup; Cowdray Park Polo Club; 24 July – 2 August Result: Panthers beat Hotel La Tour,10-9 Handicap level: 15-goal Number of team entries: six Chukka scores (Panthers): 2-0; 3-0; 5-3; 8-6; 10-9 Most valuable player: Ryan Pemble Best playing pony: Duchess, owned and played by Ryan Pemble Finalists: Panthers (15): Max Charlton 3; Ed Magor 3; Tom de Bruin 4; Ryan Pemble 5 Hotel La Tour (15): Max Hutchinson 0; Nick Pepper 3; Dave Allen 4; John Paul Clarkin 8 Holden White Cup; Cowdray Park Polo Club: 20 July - 1 August Result: AFB beat Hollycombe, 8-41/2 Handicap level: 8-goal Number of team entries: 29 Chukka scores (AFB): 3-1/2; 6-11/2; 7-21/2; 8-41/2 Most valuable player: Peter Webb Finalists: AFB (8): Clive Reid 0; John Gunn -1; Sebastian Dawnay 4; Peter Webb 5 Hollycombe (7): Virginia Hoare -1; John Kent 1; Leroux Hendriks 3; Alan Kent 4

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Deauville 40-40 – ‘The Rematch’ Report

High-goal high life Herbert Spencer hitched a ride aboard a helicopter to cross the Channel and watch last year’s Argentine Open finalists lock horns

ommuting across the English Channel to polo in the Normandy resort of Deauville is nothing new but, whereas it was on the waves by private yacht or ferry in the old days, it’s now often over the water, by helicopter.

Winston Churchill went over in the early 20th century, reportedly spending much of his time gambling at the casino. Lord Mountbatten took his famous Royal Navy Blue Jackets team to compete at Deauville Polo Club between the wars.

In the 1970-80s Egyptian Alex Ebeid made the crossing from his Gloucestershire estate to win the Deauville Gold Cup a record seven times.

Polo has been played in Deauville since 1895 and, since the inception of the Gold Cup in the intervening years, more than a dozen teams straight from English high-goal have made the trip and won France’s biggest prize, from Woolmers Park and Hurlingham in the 50s, Lord

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Vestey’s Cirencester in 1968, Ellerston and Laird in the 90s, to Wildmoor in 2007 and Emlor in 2008.

Nick Britten-Long was leading a Cirencester team in the Gold Cup this August. Deauville and Cirencester Park polo clubs are now effectively twinned, with Richard Britten-Long serving on the Deauville board and Count Phillipe de Nicolay, Deauville’s president, on the Cirencester board.

I hitched a ride in Richard’s chartered helicopter to cross the Channel to watch “The Rematch” between Ellerstina and La Dolfina, finalists in last year’s Argentine Open.

Also aboard were Richard’s wife Georgina, Australia’s Glen Gilmore, who was one of the commentators for the event, HPA chairman Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers and chief executive David Woodd. Flying at around 3,000 feet, we

Photographs by Herbert Spencer

Flying at around 3,000 feet, we had great views as we crossed the English coast at the Isle of Wight

Richard Britten-Long’s helicopter afforded excellent views of Deauville’s number one ground, nestled in the centre of the Deauville racecourse. Those on board included Glen Gilmore, Britten-Long himself and David Woodd, pictured l-r inset

had great views of the English countryside before refuelling at Goodwood and then crossing the English coast at the Isle of Wight on route to Normandy.

The Deauville Polo Club was kicking off its August season with the Rolex-sponsored Ellerstina-La Dolfina match, an initiative of Patrick Guerrand-Hermès, president of the Federation of International Polo (FIP). This was the first time that two established teams each with the maximum handicap of 40 goals had been seen in action in Europe and the match was being televised live to 102 countries and more than two million viewers worldwide. The two teams of 10goalers were being paid a reputed $1.2million (approx £725,000) for their appearances.

Sadly the weather was far from kind for the big event. Rain started an hour before game time and it poured through most of the match, which may have accounted for a disappointing crowd of about 2,000. The club’s number one ground, in the centre of the racecourse, was sodden and slippery.

With the Argentine season starting in September, both teams appeared unwilling to risk themselves or their ponies by playing at full throttle, but there were plenty of crowd-thrilling displays of the skills that had earned the eight players their 10-goal handicaps.

Midway through the second chukka, La

Dolfina’s Lolo Castagnola was sidelined with a hand injury. With no 10-goal substitute available, he was replaced by seven-goaler Guillermo Terrera who went on to score two goals from back.

However, his goals were not quite enough and, just as in the final in December, Ellerstina won the rematch by a goal, 11-10.

With Richard Britten-Long scheduled to play a late afternoon match at Cirencester Park, we left before the prize presentations. The chopper took just an hour and 15 minutes to fly home to Gloucestershire. Cross Channel commuting couldn’t have been easier. F The Rematch; 1 August; Deauville Polo Club Result: Ellerstina beat La Dolfina, 11-10 Principal sponsor: Rolex Handicap level: 40-goal Number of team entries: two Chukka scores (Ellerstina): 3-1; 4-3; 5-5; 8-6; 9-9; 11-10 Most valuable player: Guillermo Terrera Best playing pony: Twiggy, played by Gonzalito Pieres Teams: Ellerstina (40): Facundo Pieres 10; Gonzalo Pieres Jr 10; Pablo MacDonough 10; Juan Martin Nero 10 La Dolfina (40/37): Adolfo Cambiaso 10; Lucas Monteverde 10; Mariano Aguerre 10; Bartolomé Castagnola 10 / Guillermo Terrera 7

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Report The RCBPC Polo Festival

Hetman gets a Hydeing as Asprey takes the title Michael Amoore reflects on the busiest few weeks of the year at the Berkshire, as the 15th annual Polo Festival came to town his year welcomed 20 teams to the RCBPC Polo Festival, in association with Tally Ho Farm. Six teams played in the Blackberry-sponsored top handicap division, the 7-10 goal; there were also six in the Tally Ho Farm 4-8 goal; and the -2-2 goal level, supported by Ivan The Terrible Russian vodka, brought together eight team entries. Teams all played at least three matches in their respective divisions, with those advancing to the finals playing as many as five in their quest for success.

Chris Hyde and Seb Dawnay were the stars of the 7-10 goal division, showing some real quality to help their Asprey London quartet, put together by Simon Holley, past Saad Audeh’s Hetman side. The Asprey team won 8-3 in the end, proving themselves to be too strong for Audeh, Pancho Moreno and co.

The winning foursome will have few problems getting hold of each other to form the team again for next year, having each received a new Blackberry mobile for their victorious festival campaign.

There were some also some well-known names and big reputations on display in the 4-8 goal

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The winners will have no problem getting hold of each other, having each received a new Blackberry mobile final, where Roddy Williams and Jack Kidd teamed up with Yanni Zographos and young Nikolai Bahlsen for Dell Park/Ithica. However, despite this proven quality, Dell Park/Ithica were overturned 6-5 by a delighted John Gunn and his multi-national side, Inspirit.

However, the most memorable game of finals day came in the festival’s last final, for the -2-2 goal title. Knights Away and Mistral provided a terrifically open end-to-end contest, sending the ball and their ponies from one corner of the

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Inspirit, winners in the 4-8 goal (l-r: John Gunn; Jason Norton; Greg Keyte; Lucas Talamoni) Left: action from the final, between Asprey London (in red) and Hetman (in yellow)

Berkshire’s number one ground to the other time after time. Tim Bown, despite umpiring the 7-10 goal final, produced an excellent performance for Knights Away, winding back the clock to produce polo akin to that of a confident four-goal player.

He was supported ably by Alec Banner-Eve who, at minus-one, looks cheap and is someone the handicap committee will surely have their eye on for the end-of-season meeting in September.

But the game was won in the final chukka for Knights Away when, at 6-6, Manuel Plaza went on a goal-scoring stampede, firing in three goals to Matias Ballesteros’s one.

Ballersteros had scored five of his team’s six goals going into this final chukka, but was left on the losing side. Knights Away triumphed 9-7.

The ever-supportive Jeff and Julie Thomas of Tally Ho Farm dished out the numerous prizes, which included a bottle of Ivan The Terrible vodka for every player on finals day and each of the umpires, courtesy of Ivan’s chief executive, Dimitri Cheboterov. A lively after-party followed in the evening. F

The Polo Festival; 27 July to 9 August; RCBPC, Berkshire Main result: Asprey London beat Hetman, 8-3 Principal sponsor: Tally Ho Farm Handicap levels: 7-10 goal, 4-8 goal and -2-2 goal Number of team entries: 20 Most valuable player: Sebastian Dawnay Best turned out string: Saad Audeh and his groom, Walter Final teams: Asprey London (10): Simon Holley 0; Sebastian Dawnay 4; Rob Archibald 6; Ed Morris-Lowe 0 Hetman (10): Manuel Plaza 2; Chris Crawford 2; Pancho Moreno 6; Saad Audeh 0 4-8 goal finalists: Inspirit (8): John Gunn -1; Lucas Talamoni 5; Greg Keyte 5; Jason Norton -1 Dell Park/Ithaca (8): Yanni Zographos 0; Nikolai Bahlsen -1; Jack Kidd 4; Roddy Williams 5 Most valuable player: Roddy Williams Best playing pony: Trouble, owned by Roddy Williams -2-2 goal finalists: Knights Away (2): Alec Banner-Eve -1; Manuel Plaza 2; Tim Bown 3; Paul Knight -2 Mistral (2): Phil Selle 0; Susan Elkington -2; Pablo Frias Silva 1; Matias Ballesteros 3 Most valuable player: Alec Banner-Eve Best turned out string: Paul Knight and his groom, Jose

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Report National Women’s Polo Championships

Ladies’ showdown comes of age As the National Women’s tournament at Ascot Park celebrates its 21st birthday, Mia Randall-Coath follows the action between more than 80 female players, with team totals from minus-eight goal to plus-two House Farm, and the Griffiths sisters’ McLintock International consecutively. The -5-goal Obsessively Pink side, runners-up in their division, went home with the best turned-out team prize.

Pippa Grace, chairman of the IWPA, was once again delighted with this year’s tournament.

“My thanks go to all the sponsors and players,” she said. “Together, their continued support ensures that the prize table at the UK National Women’s Polo Championships is amongst the most hotly-contested in the ladies’ game.

“As usual,” she went on, “the weekend was a wonderful showcase of all that is good in women’s polo.” F

pleasingly coincidental 21 ladies’ teams took part in five handicap divisions at Ascot Park last month in the 21st year of the UK National Women’s Polo Championships. The tournament remains the largest of its kind worldwide, and this year welcomed players from right across the UK to compete and help raise funds and awareness for the Heaton-Ellis Trust.

Despite the best efforts of the British summer, play went ahead as planned on both Saturday

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With 21 ladies’ teams, the fixture is the largest of its kind in the world and Sunday. The first balls were thrown in simultaneously on three superbly conditioned grounds at APPC at 9.30am, with an unrelenting stream of low-goal polo continuing right through each day and into the early evening.

One-goal player Farida “Freddie” Rosso Baldacchino, of RCBPC, led Raggy Dolls to victory in the main final, winning the top handicap division, the 1-2 goal title.

They beat K Law, 51/2-5, though there was consolation for two members of the losing side,

Raggy Dolls’ Louisa Clothier breaks away from K Law en route to victory in the final of the 1-2 goal division

as Sophie Heaton-Ellis scooped the Andros best playing pony award for her mare, Tobiana – a favourite of her late husband’s – and Rosie Ross went on to take the next best title, doubling up to play for Power Hawks in the 0-goal division.

Power Hawks beat a very sporting Pro-Fit side to the trophy, and Rosie’s pony Charlotta took the Polo Del Sol best playing pony award for her performance in this final.

At the lower levels (the -4 to -3-goal, -6 to -5 goal, and -8 to -7 goal) there were victories for Wendy Nagel’s Manor Farm, Jenny Revell’s Field Best turned out team, Obsessively Pink, runners-up in the -6 to -5 goal section of the tournament

Photographs by Mia Randall-Coath

UK National Women’s Polo Championships; 1-2 August 2009; Ascot Park Polo Club, Berkshire Main result: Raggy Dolls beat K Law, 51/2-5 (rec’d 1/2) Principal sponsors: Polo Del Sol; Foxhills Club and Resort; Andros Handicap levels: 1 to 2 goal; -1 to 0; -4 to -3; -6 to -5; -8 to -7 Number of teams entries: 21 Best playing pony: Tobiana, owned and played

by Sophie Heaton-Ellis

Peter Grace and Pippa Gillard (centre) line up for the presentation of the 2-goal trophy with winners, Raggy Dolls. They are flanked by Joanne Bonnett of Arbonne International and Mike Robinson of Polo Del Sol

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1-2 goal finalists: Raggy Dolls (1): Stephanie Haverhals 0; Amber Clutton-Brock 0; Louisa Clothier 0, Farida Rosso Baldacchino 1 K Law (2): Kirsten de la Beck -1; Lisa Forster 0; Sophie Heaton-Ellis 1; Rosie Ross 2

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Report 3C Pony Club and Junior HPA Championships – 50th anniversary

Polo’s future on parade In Pony Club polo’s 50th year, six-goal seemed like 12-goal and six-year-olds were stars, says Tony Emerson, who witnessed super polo and splendid sportsmanship

ore than 200 young players, plus their siblings, parents and friends, gathered at Cowdray Park last month for the game’s biggest family weekend away. As usual, a month of countrywide qualifiers preceded August’s 3C Pony Club Championships, which also marked 50 years since the first inter-branch championships were held at Aldershot. While the showdown was between five teams in 1959 (see Polo Times, July issue), this year 56 teams across nine sections appeared at Cowdray and 14 at the Jorrocks Championships at Hurtwood.

The recession barely took a toll on the number of teams, though the Irish and Scottish contingents were sadly missed. There were still nearly 80 Pony Club teams, plus at least 20 teams in the Junior HPA for the summer’s qualifiers. Organisers had a task on their hands when the weather made July’s action tricky. If it were not for the great generosity and flexibility of owners of private grounds, the qualifying leagues would never have been completed.

As it was, teams in only three of the 10 sections actually missed any matches, though some were

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played in conditions in which one had to forget that the object of the sport is enjoyment.

Last year’s introduction of multi-chukka matches was considered a success, and for 2009 the only major alteration was the introduction of two categories of Gannon teams. Teams of three goals and over would contest the Daily Telegraph Trophy, while those of less than three goals would compete for the Jack Gannon Cup. Just as the first tournament got underway, the sad news broke of Lt-Col Rupert Thorneloe’s death in action. No only did he captain the winning Gannon team in 1990, but his mother, Veronica Thorneloe, has time-kept for the Pony Club ever since. In an act of supreme generosity at such a difficult time, the Thorneloes presented a cup called the Rupert Thorneloe Trophy to be given to the most improved 10-year-old boy, and it was duly won at Hurtwood

by William Penfold of the South & West Wilts.

Jorrocks – under 11s; “fluffy” ponies only Kenney Jones kindly invited the Jorrocks championships again to Hurtwood Park. A welcome X

The oldest prize-winner, Lanto Sheridan, who won the Baileys Saddle Award for best player. Lanto, 20, started polo in Jorrocks

Youngest prize-winner Zac Beim, aged six

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Tommy Beresford, best under 14, receives his prize from Cherry Mitchell, chairman of the Pony Club

William Burner, most promising Langford player

Ellie McGregor, most promising Loriner girl

Rupert Lewis, best PC umpire, with David Woodd

Gannon One winners, the Cowdray branch, in the pre-match parade before the final on Sunday 9 August (l-r): Lanto Sheridan (20), Jack Richardson (18), John Kent (18) and Freddie Instone (20). Lanto (see also left) is aiming for a full-time career in polo, and this summer has worked as assistant polo manager at Knepp Castle Polo Club, as well as playing mainly at Knepp and Cowdray. The team beat Ladyswood in the final, with at least one heavyweight polo father behind each team – Alan Kent for Cowdray and Rob Cudmore for Ladyswood. Top: the rousing pre-match parade has long been a feature of the Pony Club Polo Championships

Hamish Denton, whose Thoroughbred As Of Now won the RoR bridle for runner-up best retrained racer

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Report 3C Pony Club and Junior HPA Championships – 50th anniversary

Selected stars of the past 50 years...

Angus Rowan-Hamilton with Becky, 20, best playing Jorrocks pony. The pair travelled from Perthshire in Scotland and played for the Heythrop. “She’s nippy and she neck-reins and stops really well,” says Angus

Terence Lent with 10-year-old Connemara-X Gadwell, best playing Handley Cross pony. “She’s consistently good, fast and safe,” says Lent’s mother, Sallie-Anne

Top row: Bisley team, 1961; Alec Harper; timekeepers Victor Pegler and Mary Rose Haddon Peyton Second row: 1980 programme; Buff and Liza Crisp with Victor Pegler today; Buff and Mike Hobday Third row: Liza Crisp; Buff on his trademark bike; in the river, 2000; Cowdray polo manager Peter Cruden Bottom row: the Pony Clubbers that swept the board at Antwerp in 1995 (l-r): Luke Tomlinson, Jamie Morrison, Satnam Dhillon and Malcolm Borwick; helper Hayley Dixon, Jason’s sister; umpire Clem Barton; party-goers at the championships in the 1980s, when the River Ground marquee hosted Saturday’s bash

Ladyswood’s Ollie Cudmore’s Vivian receives the Polo Times rug for best playing Gannon Pony

AMONG EARLY Pony Club players was Lavinia Black, who is pictured top left with team-mates including Nick Williams. The pair were on the winning Bisley team in 1961 at Aldershot – two years after the first inter-branch tournament was played there in 1959 (see July issue of Polo Times). For more on Lavinia, see news and page 61.

THE CHAMPIONSHIPS were last played at Aldershot in 1963, and thereafter took place at Cirencester, Kirtlington and Windsor before settling at Cowdray, which was happy to accommodate the increasing hordes of players, ponies and families. Buff Crisp, who with his wife Liza ran Pony Club Polo from 1979 to 1989, says: “During the championships Lord Cowdray instructed all his staff that whatever the Pony Club needed, they were to have.”

WHEN BUFF AND LIZA Crisp – already Pony Club parents – were in charge, numbers rose from around 10 teams to 60 – creating an entire generation that have gone on to be keen polo followers, from grassroots players to professionals to spectators. “Anything Buff touches grows because he’s a huge enthusiast,” says Liza. Buff would send branches polo balls, eight sticks and eight foot mallets, and his son William (who later played off four goals) or another young player would visit branches to get them going. Soon divisions were introduced, forming most of the sections in place today. To make it more even, and not to disadvantage people with one pony, there were restrictions, such as that only retired polo ponies could play Rendell. There were courses at Tidworth (with teachers such as Hector Barrantes, Sinclair Hill and the Hipwoods) and rallies – as illustrated by the brilliant film First Chukkas, made for Texaco in 1982.

Wylye Valley, winners of best turned out at Jorrocks

“BECAUSE IT WAS building up slowly, we understood what we were doing,” says Liza. Gannon went from two to four chukkas after a Pony Club team went to Zimbabwe and struggled to play six chukkas against the locals. Likewise the rundown developed by trial and error. “We had all sorts of ways to get a decision – penalties were awful,” says Liza.

The Crisps also helped secure sponsors – Texaco came in from 1981-85, Bank of Ireland (86-87), Jaguar (88-89) and they finished on a corker – the Daily Telegraph – after Buff cornered the paper’s editor in the car park at Guards.

AFTER VISITING the championships at Cowdray in 1988, JNP Watson wrote in Country Life: “Not only has the following of the Pony Cub expanded enormously, and the standards of play rocketed, but the buoyant spirit of its camp and the camaraderie in general can be second to none in the whole world of sport.”

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Jack Richardson receives the RoR saddle for best retrained racehorse, for his horse Magic Genie

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The traditional hooley back to the stables from the Sunday parade – organisers set the children off in sections

OS&B Goblins Jorrocks III winners (l-r): Toby Addison, Emma Thornett, Emily Golding and Grace Holley

X stranger also arrived: those with long memories

said it was called the sun. Fourteen teams competed, and the Wylye Valley won the Texaco Trophy for the best turned out. In play the Cotswold Foxes, who had not conceded a goal in any of the previous matches, duly won their half of the draw. In the other half, the Surrey Union threw down the gauntlet by scoring seven goals.

In the deciding match, Hector Chamberlain opened the scoring for the Cotswold Foxes with a spectacular solo run, but a good team effort by the Surrey Union allowed Dan Bachelor to find the posts. It looked like a run-down until Valentine Hutley got the ball out of a scrimmage on to Immy Hancock’s stick. Having seen his father suffer from being told to leave it in front of goal by various loud Southern hemisphere

Daphne Schreger and Joanna White, sportsmanship award winners after swapping ponies in Jorrocks

Jorrocks II winners the Grafton (l-r): James Fewster, Johnny Brown, Florence Berner and Amy Harper

voices, he politely told Immy to put it through and he would follow up. She duly obliged and the Surrey Union won.

OS&B won the ensuing run-down, and Emily Collins’s pony Olly won the Jambo Trophy for the best playing hunter (see Pony power, page 55).

Handley Cross – under 14s; 1 chukka; “fluffies” This was the only section with more entries than in 2008, and predictably the two best mounted teams reached the final. They were the Cottesmore and the Old Surrey & Burstow. In their first chukka the OS&B pressed hard, but could not convert pressure into goals. When the Cottesmore received a 60-yard penalty, Alex Boucher lofted the ball over all the defenders and his team went to Lawns Two with a goal lead.

Again the OS&B pressed, and this time they were rewarded when Terence Lent finished a run with a neck shot from the tightest of angles. The

Surtees – under 14s; 1 chukka Given their distinguished history in Pony Club polo, it was great to see a Cheshire team back for the championships, and with every child in it having a playing father or grandfather it was no surprise they had the best record in preliminaries.

Less predicted were their opponents in the final – four girls humbly labelled Surrey Union B. It was the girls who drew first blood with a team effort finished off by Bella Hutley, but Charlie Walton, the most spectacular player in the section, then equalised. On to Lawns Two, where again the girls showed excellent riding X

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Report 3C Pony Club and Junior HPA Championships – 50th anniversary Action from the Gannon One final between Cowdray and Ladyswood

Mali Gravel of the Beaufort, winner of best Jorrocks pony and rider combination, with Chris Eaton

William Penford of the D&S, winner of the Rupert Thorneloe Award for most improved 10-year-old boy, pictured with Rupert’s mother, Veronica, and children

Apart from Cowdray and Hurtwood, where the championships were held, the following grounds staged Pony Club polo in 2009: Anningsley Park, Admington Hall, Beaufort, Cambridge, Cirencester, Druids Lodge, Dulverton, Epsom, Frampton, Great Trippetts, Inglesham, Kirtlington, Knepp Castle, Ladyswood, Les Lions, Little Coxwell, Longdole, Lower Bolney Farm, Cambridge & Newmarket, Pytchley, Rutland, Tidworth, Vaux Park, Watership Down.

As we haven’t had room in our captions to say who presented each prize, here’s a roll-call of prize presenters in 2009:

Rendell League winners the Vine Hunt (l-r): Luke Walsh, Joe Barley, Tom Small and William Selfe, with Lady Lucy Fraser

X skills and tactics, and Emma Mesquita followed

up a team attack to score the winner.

Loriner – under 17s; 1 chukka The Surrey Union had two of the strongest players in this section, and it was to the credit of Kay McGregor, their team manager, that she split them between two teams so both had a good chance of qualifying. In the end they did better than that and faced each other in the final.

Sadly an enforced substitution upset the A team in the first chukka and they conceded four quick goals largely set up by teamwork between Frankie Hutley and Ellie McGregor. Though the second chukka was competitive, the result was not in doubt, and Ellie received the Sylvia Shepherd award for the most promising girl.

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David Meacher (3C); Tony Emerson (Sats); Dr Nigel Berman (Worshipful Company of Loriners); David Woodd (HPA); Di Arbuthnot (RoR); Mike Robinson (Polo del Sol); Yolanda Carslaw (Polo Times); and from the Pony Club – Cherry Mitchell (Pony Club chairman); Theresa Hodges (Pony Club Polo chairman); and section managers Chris Eaton, Jilly Emerson, Jo Whittington and Bridget Baxter.

Rendell and Ledner – under 21; 2/1 chukkas Only four teams entered Ledner (the “fun-run” section) and the winners, the Cottesmore, should probably have competed in another section. On the other hand, the two-chukka Rendell was of a very high standard – more competitive than ever.

Fourteen teams took part and there was little to choose between the top six. The League trophy, played before the Championships, was won by the Vine with the Devon & Somerset second.

At Cowdray, close matches put the Surrey Union and the Hampshire Hunt into the finals.

The HH had not selected their best player, Ludo de Ferranti, as he was supposed to be abroad for his gap year, so when he returned early the Surrey Union adopted him. His combination with the Surrey Union’s Bryony Taylor really shook up his

former HH team mates – three hard-riding girls plus the long reach of Jonathan Pepper.

In the event, the Surrey Union led for most of the match but a last-gasp shot gave the trophy to the HH by their half-goal handicap advantage.

The Catherine Yates prize for the best playing girl was awarded to Charlotte Sweeney of the OS&B.

Hipwood – under 15s; 3 chukkas Two Cowdray and two Beaufort teams qualified for the Championships, and the form book suggested that one from each Pony Club should make the final. However, two quick goals by Cowdray Park (the least fancied of the teams) upset the rhythm of Beaufort Blue, who never recovered. The final, between Cowdray Park and Cowdray Cherokees, quickly became the Tommy

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Jorrocks I winners Surrey Union I (l-r): Daniel Batchelor, Lochie Gilmore, Valentine Hutley, Immy Hancock

Handley Cross I winners the OS&B: Alice Walsh, Terence Lent, Harry Hickmet and Emily Collins

Surtees I winners Surrey Union B (l-r): Emma Mesquita, Rosie Fonsecca, Bella Hutley and Izzie McGregor

Loriner I winners Surrey Union B (l-r): Saskia Meadows, Lucy Bowman, Ellie McGregor and Francis Hutley

Hipwood winners Cowdray Cherokees (l-r): Tommy Beresford, Jack Taylor, Ralph Richardson and Hector Fair

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Report 3C Pony Club and Junior HPA Championships – 50th anniversary

Emily Collins and Olly, winners of the Jambo Trophy (see page 55), ride off with the Chiddingfold, Leconfield and Cowdray hounds and their huntsman, Sage Thompson

X Beresford show as he slotted in five goals and the

Cherokees ran out the winner 6-2. Tommy was presented with the Young Telegraph award for the best under-14 player.

Photographs by Michael Chevis and Yolanda Carslaw

Charlotte Sweeney, who won the Catherine Yates prize, returns to the parade after taking the salute

Gannon II winners the Suffolk (l-r): Matt Perry, Jack Mesquita, Ali Paterson and Issy Parsons

Langford – under 18s; 4 chukkas All teams played each other in a qualifying league and the top two faced off on Lawns One. Ladyswood had been unbeaten, while the Grafton had only scraped through after the Portman suffered a disaster in their last match.

Nevertheless, it was the Grafton who took the initiative and were two goals up after the first chukka. Although Ladyswood then dominated possession, they were largely ineffective with the ball until Maddy Meacher showed them Route One and the deficit was reduced.

By the third chukka they had equalised and normal service was resumed by Freddie Dear in the fourth to give Ladyswood victory by four goals to two. William Berner received the Andrew Older Trophy for the most promising player under 17.

Gannon Two – under 21s; 4 chukkas; team

Surtees II winners the RA (l-r): Oliver Scheyd, Robin Ormerod, Sam Boneham and Max Stacy

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handicap up to 2 goals The format for this section was as for Langford and the finalists of the six entries were the Old Berkshire Hunt and the Suffolk.

Most interest came from a brother-sister confrontation. Edmund Parsons had been co-

opted by the Old Berks, and Issy Parsons by the Suffolk. On league form the Old Berks were hot favourites, but they started listlessly, dropped behind and only got going come the fourth chukka. Then they were unlucky to be blown while clearing from their goal line and the Suffolk ran out 6-4 winners.

Gannon One – under 21s; 4 chukkas; team handicap 3 goals-plus Young British players are to be congratulated in forsaking patron polo and forming three six-goal teams to play this year’s Gannon. The two qualifying teams of the three entered (the third of which was the Royal Artillery) were Ladyswood and Cowdray Park. In their first meeting in horrific conditions Ladyswood had prevailed, but now Cowdray were playing at home.

The first two chukkas were fast, open and more like 12-goal than 6-goal. Cowdray’s Lanto Sheridan revelled in traditional long-hitting polo, while for Ladyswood Ollie Cudmore showed deft skills in robbing possession of the ball. The difference was made by John Kent’s sureness in front of goal.

The third chukka featured two severe umpiring decisions against Ladyswood, duly converted by John Kent, and this took the stuffing out of the match, which petered out at 9-5 to Cowdray Park. Lanto Sheridan won the Baileys Saddle award for the best player of the season. F

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Langford winners Ladyswood (l-r): Maddy Meacher, Freddie Dear, Barney Wilson and George Meade

Rendell winners HH Black (l-r): Emily Cecil, Bella Baring, Amelia Pemberton and Jonathan Pepper TEAM RESULTS: Jorrocks I – 1. Surrey Union I; 2. Cotswold Foxes; 3. Enfield Chace; 4. Heythrop; 5. New Forest; 6. Beaufort. Jorrocks II – 1. Grafton; 2. Devon & Somerset; 3. Cotswold Badgers; 4.

Cotswold Hares. Jorrocks III – 1. OS&B Goblins; 2. Beaufort II; 3. Wylye Valley; 4. Surrey Union II. Handley Cross I (Handley Cross Cup) – 1. OS&B; 2. Cottesmore; 3. New Forest; 4. Bedale. Handley Cross II – 1. D&S; 2. Cotswold; 3. Beaufort; 4.

Heythrop. Surtees I (Cooper Cup) – 1. Surrey Union II; 2. Cheshire; 3. OS&B; 4. Surrey Union I; 5. Old Berks; 6. Grafton. Surtees II (Surtees II Trophy) – 1. Royal Artillery; 2. North Cotswold; 3. Cowdray; 4. Beaufort. Loriner I (Loriner Challenge Trophy) – Surrey Union II; 2. Surrey Union I; 3. Cotswold; 4. Hampshire Hunt A; 5. HH B; 6. Avon Vale/RA. Loriner II (Hillingdon Hall Cup) – 1. Old Berks; 2.

Pytchley; 3. Beaufort; 4. HH C. Loriner League (Gig Horswell Trophy) – 1. Surrey Union I; 2. Cotswold.

Hipwood (Smail Trophy) – 1. Cowdray Cherokees; 2.

Cowdray Park. Hipwood Plate (Emerson Trophy) – 1. Beaufort Blue; 2. Beaufort Buff. Langford (Lt Col WSP Lithgow Trophy) – 1. Ladyswood; 2. Grafton.

Langford Plate – 3. Cowdray Park; 4. Cowdray.

Langford – 5. Portman; 6. Old Berks. Ledner I (Ledner Cup) – 1. Cottesmore; 2. Warwickshire; 3. North Cotswold; 4. New Forest. Rendell (Frank Rendell Cup) – 1. HH Black; 2. Surrey Union A; 3.

OS&B; 4. Vine; 5. Cotswold; 6. D&S; 7. Surrey Union B; 8. Avon Vale. Rendell League (Bank of Ireland) – 1. Vine; 2. D&S. Gannon I (Daily Telegraph Trophy) – 1. Cowdray Park; 2. Ladyswood. Gannon II (Jack Gannon Trophy) – 1. Suffolk; 2. Old Berks. Gannon II (Jaguar Trophy) – 3. Grafton; 4. Pytchley. Gannon II – 5. Tidworth; 6. Beaufort.

SPECIAL PRIZES: Jorrocks – Rupert Thorneloe Award for most improved 10-year-old boy – William Penford (D&S). Special award – Zac Beim (Cotswold Hares). Sportsmanship award – Joanna White and Daphne Schreger (Beaufort). Best pony/player combination – Mali Gravel (Beaufort).

Older sections: Tony Gilks branch manager award – Diana Weathered (Avon Vale – see also page 82).

Young Telegraph award for most promising under-14 – Tommy Beresford (Cowdray). Sylvia Shepherd award for most promising Loriner girl – Ellie McGregor (SU II). Andrew Older Memorial Trophy, most promising Langford player – William Burner (Grafton). HPA Millenium Trophy for best PC umpire – Rupert Lewis (Old Berks). Catherine Yates prize – Charlotte Sweeney (OS&B). Baileys Saddle for best player of the season – Lanto Sheridan (Cowdray).

Polo del Sol holiday winners – Alice Walsh (OS&B) and Ben Ramsden (spectator).

Ledner I winners Cottesmore (l-r): Lois Hutchins, Pandora Tucker, Tom Abel Smith and Nick Winterton

Handley Cross II winners D&S (l-r): Hannah Parry Jones, Tom Dalton Morgan, Kirra Kearns, Hugo Dwerryhouse

Loriner II winners Old Berks (l-r): Thday Duff, Eliza Rutland, Courtney Bosley and Frankie Dent

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Reports Around the clubs

Beaufort

Success at separate ends of the scale eaufort Polo Club’s summer has certainly been a busy one. The season was buoyed early on by the success of the club’s resident high-goal team Apes Hill in the Queen’s Cup at Guards. A large contingent made the trip up the M4 for the final, and an even larger contingent returned that evening for a much-deserved victory party in the clubhouse. Six days later, on 20 June, the club hosted their annual International Test Match, in which Australasia defeated England 7-61/2 in a terrific contest in front of some 1,200 spectators.

Apes Hill went on to add to their haul of trophies for the season by beating Foxy Ladies Catering in the final of the 12-goal Prince of Wales Cup. However, perhaps the biggest revelation of the season at the club came at the low-goal end of the spectrum. Though the Beaufort is not traditionally recognised as a low-goal hub, Claire Tomlinson’s specially designed initiative of new 2-goal tournament weekends brought many visiting teams and players to the club’s excellent tournament grounds.

Photograph by Charles Sainsbury-Plaice

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David Bellamy of financial consulting and services company St James’s Place (centre) awards the Prince of Wales Cup prizes to Apes Hill (with nonplaying patron Sir Charles Williams) and Foxy Ladies Catering (wearing red)

Rugby

Fabulous new facilities unveiled in Warwickshire espite unsettled weather throughout much of July, it has still been a full summer season at Rugby Polo Club, with plenty of polo and an endless stream of imaginatively themed parties in the clubhouse. The polo itself has been aided by the club’s new indoor arena, which spans an impressive 80 by 40 meters, proudly unveiled by polo manager Philip Baker in June. Play inside is underway, though there is still work ongoing to create a viewing gallery and commentary box in time for the arena season proper. The new addition to the club, along with two further arenas (one outdoor and another indoor) makes Rugby one of the biggest arena polo clubs in the country.

Rugby has numerous tournaments scheduled for winter to take advantage of the added facilities, and subscribers can expect to see the HPA’s full finalised arena fixture lists up online at www.polotimes.co.uk shortly. As thoughts turn to winter plans, Rugby’s members are looking forward to their next social event – the Warwickshire Air Ambulance 10th anniversary charity ball on 10 October.

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Rugby’s new indoor facility (left) and David and Philip Baker in action in the outdoor arena

Rutland

Team Summit hits the heights he only big tournament lost to the weather at Rutland Polo Club in the first three months of the season was the 0-4 goal Rutland Cup, postponed by damp conditions to a date yet to be confirmed. Encouragingly, it has proved impossible to reschedule the game into the fixture list because of the smooth running of a continual barrage of other tournaments occupying the grounds to capacity. However, it was the coveted 2-6 goal Assam Cup that most players were after. Played in the second week of the second half of July, the tournament hosted eight teams from as far away as Cumbria, in which all matches were tight and competitive from the outset. Two northern sides, Summit and Barracuda, met in the final, and it was the silky ball-skills of Matias Carrique, capably backed up by his team-mates, that helped Summit seize victory and take home the cup.

As Polo Times went to press, the club was looking forward to the 4-goal Ruddles Cup over the August bank holiday weekend. Also coming up is another favourite, the Masters Tournament, scheduled for the second weekend of September – and strictly for the over 40s!

Photograph by Nico Morgan

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Assam Cup winners, Team Summit (l-r: Nico Taberna, Matias Carrique, Hedley Aylott and Tony Wesche)

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Vaux Park

Mixing business with pleasure aux Park Polo Club in Yorkshire has been busy this summer, laying on polo for its members as well as outside tournaments and a social schedule packed enough to make Paris Hilton wilt. Turner HR and Icecraft were the victorious teams in a corporate polo competition on 25 July. Turner HR’s win was particularly sweet for Paddy Selfe, who helped the side beat a team including his brother William. Their ride-offs during the contest provided plenty of material for the witty and informative commentary of Nick Harrison-Sleape, who helped many of the less enlightened spectators get an immediate grip of the rules and tactics of the game.

More recently, the club held its annual summer party on 1 August, where members and guests were given just the letter “P” to work with as the inspiration for their outfits. Young and old gathered together and produced some fantastically imaginative efforts, including a perverted Pope, pirates, police, puss-in-boots, plaice and even a bottle of Pimm’s.

V Icecraft’s boyfriend and girlfriend, Justin MacRae and Emma Holmes (right and second from right), beat the husband and wife duo of Rob and Jemima Brockett of Punta del Este. Right: Sophie Turner and Izzy Tilley at the Vaux Park fancy-dress party

St Albans

He shoots, he scores – Dean Lines one up from halfway eautiful weather greeted the weekend of the 2-goal Crystal Cup, held over 8-9 August, as some 350 guests assembled for an excellent example of low-goal polo at St Albans Polo Club. A traditional jazz band entertained spectators ahead of the final, as VIPs enjoyed a roast beef luncheon and some unexpectedly warm conditions.

Finalists Crystal and Santa Helena took to the field to battle it out in the heat, each fielding two professional players, and a hard-fought contest ensued. Crystal’s threegoaler Dean Lines gave an excellent performance to help his team to their 8-4 victory, scooping the most valuable player award for his efforts, which included a fantastic 5B penalty goal conversion from halfway that delighted the crowds at the sidelines, as well as his patron – Martin Randall.

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Winners, Team Crystal (l-r: Stuart Beetles, Lindsay Wiltshere, Martin Randall and Dean Lines) celebrate their victory with Sandra Randall, who presented the Crystal Cup

West Wycombe Park

How to make amigos aplenty on the field est Wycombe Park Polo Club membership numbers have grown this year and the club’s tournaments this season have been well-subscribed, welcoming between eight and 12 teams in all competitions right through to the end of August.

The Quatro Amigos tournament, played open and originally started by former chairman Charles Betz, once again proved a popular addition to the fixture list. The tournament requires that, for each team, two members of WWPPC invite two members from another club to play with them and form a side, thus creating a fun mixed environment with visiting players. Eight teams took part this year, on the first weekend of last month, 1-2 August. As well as the numerous new members that have been recruited, the future of the club also looks promising in the light of the success of its young players.

In particular, there was success for Elliot Sands and Will Frankum, who reached the subsidiary final of the Gannon II division and the final of the Langford division respectively at the recent Pony Club Polo Championships (see page 34).

West Wycombe will round off the 2009 season with a polo party on Saturday 19 September for members and friends.

Photograph by Andrew Winship

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Former WWPPC chairman Charles Betz (white helmet) shows what he’s worth as he rides off against Marcus Eastwell

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Feature Gabriel Batistuta – from football to polo

Carlos Beer asks ex-Argentine striker Gabriel Batistuta why he has exchanged a leather ball for a plastic one – and what Cambiaso has to do with it all abriel Batistuta announced his introduction to polo with a media frenzy on the number two ground at Palermo in March, arriving in the pony lines during the Argentine autumn season surrounded by a pack of journalists. Then a 0-goal player – and now a one-goaler – Batistuta has yet to win any important tournaments but, to Argentines, he is a newspaper or magazine editor’s dream.

Tall, good looking and the all-time top scorer for the Argentine national football team, Batistuta is something of a national treasure. In a country where everything is disputed, the 40year-old stands out as an undisputed icon – firing home 56 goals for Argentina in just 78

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‘I was pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere at polo. I hadn’t expected to be greeted so warmly’ – Gabriel Batistuta appearances and scoring over 250 times in a vastly successful club career in Argentina, Italy and the Middle East.

Now retired, back in Argentina and returning to his childhood hobby of horse riding – and taking polo advice from world number one Adolfo Cambiaso no less – it’s no surprise that the world’s media is interested.

Batistuta grew up in Reconquista, a rural village 768 km from Buenos Aires, but his footballing ability catapulted him to a career in the bright lights of the two biggest clubs in the country (River Plate and arch rivals Boca Juniors). A decade in Italy followed (playing for Florentina, Roma and Inter

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Sport the difference…

WHEN ASKED TO compare polo and football, Batistuta says: “I started playing polo because there were several similarities with football that attracted me.

“The adrenaline levels you feel when you ride a horse at full speed are similar to the buzz and excitement of an important football match.

“I also enjoy the tactical side of the game. In the football I used to play, just one centimetre could often make all the difference. So I’m used to tactics and it comes very easily to me. Like football, you can always do something better and improve.

“There are also thrilling duels in polo, which remind me of football.

Just as La Boca and River Plate have a huge rivalry, so too do the La Dolfina and Ellerstina teams of the moment. It’s great excitement and I love it when these sides meet in either sport.

“It’s what it’s all about and I couldn’t choose between them because you need to be allowed to enjoy them both!”

Milan). After finishing his career with a lucrative celebrity playing contract with Al Arabi in Qatar, Batistuta then emigrated to Perth, Australia.

However, having tired of playing endless rounds of golf, the Argentine has returned home to work on his newest hobby, polo.

“I just want to have fun,” he says again and again. But all the evidence suggests he’s enjoying taking the game and the life relating to

it increasingly seriously. Especially now that he has met Cambiaso.

Batistuta has become great friends with him and his brother-in-law, fellow 10-goaler Bartolomé “Lolo” Castagnola, and played in the Diamond Cup at their La Dolfina base last year, as well as in various stages of the last Argentina Polo Tour.

The Argentine Polo Association (AAP) raised his handicap to one in June, which has only served to help galvanise his determination to keep improving. He’s even setting up his own club, La Gloria, in his hometown.

“My dream is to create a place where the local area’s families can get together,” he says. “It’s healthy for the kids to grow up outdoors and to get in touch with animals.

And then, if someone feels like trying polo, well that’s even better.

“Polo occupies a very special place in my life now. It’s my favourite pastime and I devote a lot of time to it. It’s still only a hobby, and so my expectations in the game are limited, but I have taken to it with great passion and I’m really enjoying it. I have fun playing and I love to meet new people. It’s great to spend time outdoors with new friends.

“In fact, I was pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere at polo. My preconception was that it is a very close environment that is hard to become a part of, but everyone has opened their doors and been really welcoming. I certainly hadn’t initially expected to be greeted so warmly. X

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One-goal player Gabriel Batistuta, 40, is hooked on polo – he’s setting up a club in his hometown, hopes to climb to three or four goals and dreams of winning the Copa República

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Feature Gabriel Batistuta – from football to polo

Gabriel Batistuta (above) has the benefit of playing with Adolfo Cambiaso (pictured with Batistuta, left, on the left) for free. The 10-goaler’s character, Batistuta declares, is similar to his, as is Lolo Castagnola’s. “I’m lucky, and they are really helping me to improve,” says Batistuta. “Time is slightly against me, but the main thing will always be to enjoy my polo and find new friends.”

X

“I get on really well with Adolfo [Cambiaso] and Lolo [Castagnola] in particular. Their personalities are similar to mine and they have really helped me improve my game. Hopefully, I will get to a three or a four-goal handicap eventually.

“Obviously I’d like to be able to play like a six or seven goaler, but I think a couple more goals from where I am now is achievable. That’s my aim. So long as I continue to enjoying playing, I have a good chance.

“And I know myself – if I go up again, to two goals, I will continue wanting more. I’m already 40, so time is slightly against me, but the main thing will always be just to enjoy my polo and find new friends.

“At this stage, I also don’t yet have a string

of horses to think about, so I can just concentrate on playing. Once you have several ponies, their care and breeding can take up a lot of time. They are extremely bright animals

‘At this stage, I don’t yet have a string of horses to think about, so I can just concentrate on playing’ – Gabriel Batistuta in my view, so you need to treat them with great respect, like people.

“Three of my four sons have developed a big interest in polo, too. My oldest son is 17 and has

The man with the world at his feet

All photographs provided by Carlos Beer

Full name: Gabriel Omar Batistuta – Date of birth: 01/02/69 – Height: 6ft 2in Senior career stats: Years 1988-1989 1989-1990 1990-1991 1991-2000 2000-2003 2003 (loan) 2003-2005

Club Newell’s Old Boys River Plate Boca Juniors Fiorentina Roma Inter Milan Al Arabi

Appearances 24 21 30 269 63 12 22

Goals 7 4 13 168 30 2 30

78

56

International career stats: 1991-2002

Argentina

46 September 2009 www.polotimes.co.uk

chosen to play football, but the others are learning. I don’t want them to become professionals – just to enjoy it, like me.

“However, I’ve been impressed with the infrastructure at the top levels of the sport. It’s well organised and the different levels give all players something to aspire to.

“But I think it’s important that, at the top tournaments in Argentina – unlike the rest of the world, it is just the professionals that take part.

“And I’m lucky, because I can play with the best player in the world for free – thank God! He’s really helping me improve and, who knows, one day perhaps I can win an important tournament. A big dream would be to win the 25-goal Copa República Argentina.” F

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Feature Training an ex-racehorse for polo

So says David Morley, acclaimed transformer of racers into polo ponies.

Herbert Spencer listened in at an illuminating seminar, where experts from racing, polo and veterinary worlds shared their wisdom with players Vet James Main (brown shirt) points out what polo players should look for in a Thoroughbred. RoR’s Di Arbuthnot holds the horse

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ight-year-old Thoroughbred Beano stood quietly as racing and polo vet James Main ran his hands over every inch of horseflesh, explaining in great detail what you should look for in a racehorse suitable for retraining as a polo pony.

At one point Beano curiously nuzzled my camera’s lens, I blew gently into his nostrils and he went back to looking bored, if one can say that about a horse.

Main’s audience showed no such boredom, hanging on his every word and gesture. They were there to learn, attending a day-long seminar held by the charity Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) and the Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA).

More than 50 members of polo-playing families, mainly from the low-goal and mediumgoal community, had gathered on a mid-July Monday at the Woodd family farm in Little Coxwell, Oxfordshire, where the HPA has its headquarters. The day, which was free of charge, had been organised by Di Arbuthnot, RoR’s director of operations, and David Woodd, chief executive of the HPA. The seminar kicked off in the Woodd’s barn with a speech by Di Arbuthnot in which she explained what the charity is all about. In the late 1990s the racing industry in the UK and Ireland realised it must be seen to take greater responsibility for horses bred for the track which trainers had rejected or which had reached the end of their racing careers – altogether between 300-400 a year.

The British Racing Board (now Authority) established Rehabilitation of Racehorses as its official charity in 2000 and the name was changed to Retraining of Racehorses in 2003.

RoR is well funded thanks to £5m in endowments from the estate of the late racehorse owner Paul Mellon and the Maktoums, plus further donations from the racing world including owners, trainers, jockeys and bookies. The charity has been successful in placing hundreds of unwanted Thoroughbreds with other equestrian disciplines as well as polo.

For the past five years, RoR prizes for “Best Retrained Racehorse” have been presented at polo tournaments around the UK. This year, for the first time, large cash prizes were offered for the season’s best (see news, August issue). “We urge players to register their ponies with us,” said Di, “so we can justify spending this money.”

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“Take your time, and you’ll get there quicker” – David Morley reveals the secrets behind his success

David Woodd spoke next, urging players to support RoR and to register their retrained racehorses with the organisation. Then the group moved off to the stable yard where vet Mains and Beano were waiting.

Beano was an interesting choice for the vet to illustrate the type of racing Thoroughbred that can be retrained for polo. He had 46 starts on the flat under the name Lone Plainsman, earning more than £66,000 in prize money, but his racing career was over when Fra, wife of David Woodd, saved him from the knacker’s yard. Fra, a former bloodstock agent, bought the horse for 1,000 Euros, renamed him Beano, and the family is

From sales to match – a sample timeline ◗ Buy three-year-old Thoroughbred from Doncaster sales in October

◗ Access the horse over the winter, introduce it to stick and ball

◗ Stick and ball and play chukkas only for the first two seasons

◗ In the third year, the pony is six years old with physical and mental maturity – ready to play in tournaments

There are two- and three-year old TBs available at bloodstock sales or from racing stables, broken or unbroken, but these take longer to bring into polo as they lack the

A horse that has been racing for several years with a large number of starts could well show wear and tear currently retraining him. “He’ll play only chukkas this season and then with our daughter Matilda [aged 18] in tournaments next year,” says David.

One of the first things to look for in a racing Thoroughbred being considered for polo, explained Main, is temperament: look for “kind eyes and good big ears”. Size is also important.

Racing TBs average 16 hands high, but the smaller examples, around 15 to 15.2, are the ones to go for in polo. Conformation is important, look for symmetry in physique.

necessary maturity. At the other end of the spectrum, a horse that has been racing for several years with a large number of starts could well show wear and tear. Main suggested a TB with “four or five” races under its saddle might be more suitable for polo.

For someone who knows horses, said Main, a vet’s inspection before buying at a sale is not always necessary, but one should read the catalogue carefully and if the seller admits to any problems with a horse, ask a vet to have a look. X

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Feature Training an ex-racehorse for polo

What do the retrainers say?

The successful self-starter AURORA EASTWOOD (hcp 0), owner of Eastwood Stud, started retraining racehorses eight years ago. “It was the only way I could afford to play in those days,” she says. “I’d buy them cheap and make them for polo. I sold a few and things just took off from there.

“Now, roughly 50 per cent of all the ponies sold through our sales are retrained. My tip is that if you don’t buy a pony with the right temperament, you can forget about it. You can easily feed a pony to make it more excitable, but it’s almost impossible to calm a naturally feisty one down!”

Around 50 people watched as David Morley gave a demonstration. The seminar was free and open to everybody

The seasoned pro X After Main’s lecture the seminar moved down HENRY BRETT (hcp 6, formerly 8) has retrained some 30 horses from racing in the the road to the Woodd’s schooling arena where last four years. “Retraining an English TB, for David Morley, horse trainer and chairman of the whatever level of polo, is cheaper than buying HPA’s polo pony welfare sub-committee, gave a a horse in, say, Argentina and flying it to demonstration of retraining techniques.

England,” he says. “Even a low-goal pony in Astride Beano, David introduced himself: Argentina might cost you $6,000 to buy plus the same for shipping, making around £7,000 “When people ask if I made Chesney, I say landed, and then you have to work with it. You Chesney made me” – a reference to his can pick up a racing three-year old here for as reputation as a trainer. Chesney, who is in the little as £500, retrain it and in a couple of RoR’s “Hall of Fame”, had 24 races as Fort years have a good low-goal mount.”

All photographs by Herbert Spencer

The young enthusiast ALASTAIR PATTERSON (hcp 1, aged 17) from Longdole and Cirencester Park, was at the RoR/HPA seminar. “I’m playing two retrained racehorses and I have another three in training. I started retraining TBs when I was 14, but I had no experience so it was pretty much trial and error. My tip, for what it’s worth: take your time!”

The newcomer to retraining JACK MESQUITA (hcp 0, aged 17), a cousin of England player George Meyrick, who plays at Beaufort and Cirencester, says: “I have four playing ponies and a green four-year-old Thoroughbred. I’d like to start retraining racehorses for polo, so this seminar has been useful. I can see there’s a lot to learn.”

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Duchesne before Morley bought him for 1,000 guineas at the 1986 Ascot sales and retrained him for polo.

The gelding became famous after MexicanAmerican 10-goaler Carlos Gracida rode him to victory in the Cowdray Park Gold Cup three years running. Owner David Jamison once turned down a £250,000 offer for the pony from Australia’s Kerry Packer.

Morley put Beano through his paces, carefully explaining the retraining techniques as he did.

“It’s like looking for a dancing partner,” he said.

“Take your time, you’ll get there quicker.”

After Morley’s demonstration, the group made its way back to the barn for a buffet lunch, followed by a lecture by Charlie Mann, a jumping trainer. Then it was back to the arena for further demonstrations by Morley.

“Thanks largely to the work of RoR,” Morley added afterwards, “more and more players at every level are realising that ex-racehorses are a viable source of polo ponies, especially with the high cost of imports.

“There are great advantages and no disadvantages that I can see. Even if you find in the end that a Thoroughbred you’ve bought from racing won’t make it as a polo pony, you haven’t wasted money or time, as it will likely be suitable for retraining for another horse sport or just for hacking.”

So when can would-be retrainers look forward to more advice from the experts? “We’ll certainly be organising another day next year,” said Di Arbuthnot, “possibly earlier in the season and with a different format, perhaps with players bringing their own ponies.” F

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The knowledge Duty vet Mark Emerson MRCVS of Thames Valley Equine Clinic is a three-goal, fifth-generation polo player and equine vet

How can worms be kept at bay in polo ponies?

Polo ponies, like all horses, are susceptible to internal parasites (worms) that can cause a number of problems. But what can be done about them? roblems caused by worms can include poor coat condition, weight-loss, diarrhoea, colic, intestinal perforation, pneumonia (secondary to migrating larvae) and, in rare cases, fatal aneurysms.

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Common types of worms While more than 150 different parasites can potentially infect horses, only a handful pose any real concern to horses in the UK. These include large and small redworms, large roundworms, tapeworms, pinworms, threadworms and bots.

Photographs courtesy of Mark Emerson

Worming and worming products Worming is the administration of drugs, usually by mouth, that are capable of killing or evacuating internal parasites.

Although there are a large number of worming products currently available through vets, tack shops, feed merchants, or over the internet, they generally all contain a small number of the same actual drugs. Importantly, not all of these drugs are effective against all of the different types of worms (see table).

Herbal products that claim to be capable of preventing and/or expelling a variety of equine internal parasites are also available. Like feed supplements, herbal wormers are not regulated by the VMD, the UK government agency responsible for authorising the use of veterinary medicines, and, in most cases, researchers have not demonstrated the safety and efficacy of many of these products in properly designed clinical trials.

Practices to control worms In addition to administering wormers, certain management practices are recommended to assist in controlling

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A polo pony in poor condition due to worm infestation during the winter

worm populations. These include picking up droppings (that can contain worm eggs) from paddocks on a regular basis, rotating pastures regularly, harrowing paddocks during periods of sunny dry weather, and feeding horses away from potentially contaminated areas.

Goals of worming Regardless of your choice of worming products, the goal of worming is to minimise the risk of future infections by reducing the number of infective stages in the environment. The most important consequence of killing parasites with wormers is not complete removal of the worms, but disruption of their reproduction. Another important goal of worming is to use a protocol that prevents or minimises the development of drug resistance by the worms.

This is achieved by accurate dosing, drug rotation and by being careful not to over-worm. Resistance is a growing

problem in the equine industry, as several drugs are now known to be ineffective against certain populations of worms.

Worming schedules Worming schedules vary dramatically from yard to yard, ranging from virtually nothing to tightly scheduled programmes.

At present there is no evidence to suggest that any one programme is better than any other; however, it is widely accepted that in order to minimise the development of drug resistance, some form of rotational schedule is better than using the same product time after time.

To many people, rotational worming refers to the practice of using a different brand of wormer each time you worm your horse. However, the practice of rotating drug class (and not brand) from year to year is actually what is advocated.

Selecting different drugs from within the same class (e.g. ivermectin and moxidectin – see table) is not sufficient

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rotation to ensure that resistance will not develop. It is also important to ensure that the correct worms are being targeted (e.g. only pyrantel embonate and praziquantel target tapeworms) and at the correct time of year. Due to their particular lifecycle, involving the forage mite as a secondary host, tapeworms are best targeted in the spring and autumn.

One of the major failures of rotational worming is that horse owners do not monitor the success of their programmes.

An ideal scenario is to have a worm egg count performed on your horses’ droppings and then to consult with your vet to develop a targeted worming programme based on the test results.

Clockwise from above: endoscopic view of a tapeworm in the gut of a horse; endoscopic view of bot larvae in the stomach of a horse; severe worm infestation can cause colic; droppings in paddocks should be picked up to reduce worm problems

Table: the principal drugs found in wormers licensed for use in the UK

Schedules for polo ponies

Drug

Class

Worms targeted

Approximate duration of action

UK brand names

Fenbendazole

Benzimidazole

Large and small redworms, pinworms, roundworms, encysted small red worms (at double dose for five days)

Six weeks

Panacur™ Zerofen™

Ivermectin

Macrocyclic lactone

All worms except tapeworm and encysted small redworms

Eight weeks

Animec™ Bimectin™ Equimax™ Eqvalan™ Eqvalan Duo™ Eraquell™ Furexel™ Furexel Combi™ Maximec™ Noramectin™ Panomec™ Vectin™

Mebendazole

Benzimidazole

Large and small redworms, pinworms, and roundworms

Six weeks

Telmin™

Moxidectin

Macrocyclic lactone

All worms except tapeworms, including encysted small redworms

13 weeks

Equest™, Equest Pramox™

Praziquantel

Quinoline

Tapeworms

Short-lived

Equest Pramox™, Equimax™, Equitape™, Eqvalan Duo™, Furexel Combi™

Pyrantel embonate

Pyrimidine

Large and small redworms, pinworms, roundworms, tapeworms (at double dose)

Four weeks

Embotape™, Exodus™, Provid™, Pyratape™, Strongid-P™

Most polo ponies are subject to a fairly unique annual management programme that includes being turned out to pasture during the autumn and winter, frequently in large semi-feral herds. It is often difficult to catch these individuals on a regular basis once turned out.

By using moxidectin (in Equest™ and Equest Pramox™), which has a 13-week duration of action following administration, one only has to catch wintering ponies once to worm them after they are turned out – providing a dose is given before turn-out in September, and another when caught in late December. Furthermore, moxidectin is effective at killing encysted small redworms, which typically encyst into the gut wall during the winter months.

However, in order also to practise some form of wormer rotation, a different class of drug should be used during summer, and the class should ideally be changed from summer to summer. F ◗ Mark Emerson is based at Thames

Valley Equine Clinic, Sheephouse Farm, Reading Road, Henley-on-Thames, Oxon RG9 4HF. Tel: 01491 414007; email: tvec@btconnect.com www.polotimes.co.uk September 2009 53

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Pony power The knowledge

Emily Collins with Olly. The Pony Club’s Jambo Trophy is awarded to the best polo/hunting pony. From top: Emily and Lloyd with Olly at Cowdray; Emily and Olly in June 2009 at the one-day event in Eridge Park; Lloyd and Olly (with Emily alongside) at the Old Surrey Burstow & West Kent Hunt’s closing meet in 2007, at Charcott, Kent

Olly The Collins family – Emily (13), Lloyd (16), Nicola and Richard – tell Yolanda Carslaw about their cheeky, talented and beloved Jambo Trophy winner, Olly

Vital statistics

Main photograph by Yolanda Carslaw

Name: Olly Height: 14.1hh Colour: Grey Age: 8 years old Sex: Gelding Breed: Irish

Where did Olly come from?

The family found him in 2006 at a dealer, who had bought him in Ireland at Goresbridge Sales.

They went to see him at a yard near Bromley, where he was stabled under corrugated iron, with a price-tag of £1,500 and an Irish passport. The pony, a 13th birthday present for Lloyd, was called Roy, but Lloyd didn’t think that suited him, so he renamed him an anagram of his own name.

Emily, now 13, took on Olly in 2008 for Handley Cross after Lloyd outgrew him and moved up the sections. “We were looking for something that would be fast and nippy to hunt, and that would do pony racing. We liked Olly’s conformation and thought he’d be right for Lloyd,” says Nicola.

What has he done apart from polo?

Lloyd started hunting him immediately, with the Old Surrey, Burstow and West Kent, for which his father Richard used to be treasurer. Olly has also show jumped, been pony racing, done dressage and on his first outing across country, at the local hunter trials, he won.

What is his temperament like?

Olly proved from the outset to be a “character”.

“When the dealer insisted he lead him into the lorry himself, we knew Olly was going to be difficult!” says Nicola. “He hates being left on his own,” adds Lloyd. “He has jumped over the stable door when I’ve left him by himself for just a couple of minutes. He was also difficult to catch – although that’s better now.” Emily adds: “He has gained a lot of trust, but sometimes he’s still a bit jumpy.” Olly lives out and does plenty of hacking in Ashdown Forest, where the family live.

What is he like out hunting?

Emily says: “He loves it – he’s fearless and he gives people leads over hedges.” When Emily was doing her Pony Club hunting badge at a meet near Chiddingstone, she and Olly were given the whipper-in’s horse to lead. The three of them ended up jumping a gate together – in fine style, side by side. Lloyd adds: “He has never kicked a hound, he jumps everything and he’s easy to stop.

How was Olly introduced to polo?

Lloyd soon found that if Olly saw a polo stick he’d be off. To get him used to the gear he hung polo sticks in his stable, went hacking with a stick and threw balls around the yard. “We cracked his polo with Pony Club sessions at Sussex Polo – although only after he threw Duane [Lent] on the floor and was banned from the ground,” says Lloyd. “He also threw off Andrew Blake-Thomas.”

By July 2007, however, he was ready for the OSB Handley Cross team, which went on to win Division Two at Cowdray. Since then Olly has gone from strength to strength and has played Loriner as well as Handley Cross.

What are his strengths on the polo field?

As well as being a brilliant riding-off pony, Olly is handy, turning and stopping easily. “Olly really loves polo,” says Emily. “He finds it easy and not a chore.”

Lloyd adds: “He’s great in sticky situations, and he’s very brave – nothing puts him off and he’ll ride off horses twice his size. He’s quick, too – he’d be fast enough for Surtees.”

Would he ever be for sale?

Yes – but only when he has been outgrown. F

Experts in polo nutrition Tel: +44 (0)1371 850247 www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk www.polotimes.co.uk September 2009 55

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Coming out of recession?

Then it’s time to splash out.

After all, that’s what the weather’s been doing

ATS We’ve got everything for polo Look on our website:

www.satsfaction.com Phone us on: 01285 841 542 Fax us on: 01285 841 546 Email us on: sats@lineone .net South American Trade Services, Sandpool House, Sandpool Lane, Tarlton, Cirencester, Glos GL7 6PB

56 September 2009 www.polotimes.co.uk

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Feeding The knowledge Lorna Jowett, specialist equine nutritionist, gives expert advice on all things edible

From grass to arena: switching to winter polo I plan to play a season of arena polo this winter on the same ponies I’ve been playing throughout this summer. After giving them a three-week rest in the field, should I feed them differently for arena polo, and how should I feed them during their break?

Voy a jugar polo en la arena este invierno con los mismos caballos que jugué durante el verano.

Quisiera saber si después de darles tres semanas de descanso, debería alimentarlos de manera distinta para la arena, y si debería alimentarlos a ración durante el período de descanso.

Feeding during their break helps horses to maintain condition and muscle, therefore making it easier to build up fitness when it’s time for them to come back into work.

Darles una ración durante el período de descanso ayudará a manter su condición y musculatura, haciendo mas fácil la vuelta al trabajo. Lo ideal es darles una ración a base de cubos o mix de bajo contenido energético para mantener peso y a la vez proveerlos de nutrientes.

Feeding a low-energy mix/cube to help maintain weight and provide nutrients is ideal – although a pony that has finished the summer too light would benefit from conditioning cubes/ mix to increase their calorie intake.

Alternatively, if you have a “good doer” that doesn’t need extra calories, use a balancer to ensure all vitamins, minerals and proteins are present.

In general you don’t need to feed differently for arena polo, but here are a couple of pointers. ◗ Playing arena in winter, you may find your ponies have more energy from the cooler weather, yet they’re not playing such free-running polo as they would on grass; think about using cubes rather than mixes or oats to provide more controllable energy! ◗ Some ponies may struggle to hold their weight as they are in work as well as battling the elements – they would benefit from a conditioning feed for a higher calorie intake.

Sin embargo, para caballos que hayan perdido peso y musculatura durante la temporada, es recomendable darles “conditioning cubes/mix” para incrementar la ingestión de calorias.

Si se tratara de caballos “mantenidos”, que no necesitan de calorías adicionales, podes usar un balanceador para asegurarte que reciban todas las vitaminas, minerales y proteinas que necesiten.

En general no hace falta dar una ración diferente para polo de arena, sin embargo hay algunos puntos a considerar. ◗ Al jugar en la arena, es posible que tus

caballos tengan mas energía debido al clima frío y por tratarse de un polo cerrado, por lo que es recomendable darles una ración a base cubos en lugar de mix y avena, ya que proveen una energía controlable. ◗ Es posible que a algunos caballos les cueste

mantener su peso debido a las condiciones climáticas. En estos casos sería prudente que les des un alimento balanceado de acondicionamiento que provea energía adicional.

◗ Remember fibre acts as a reservoir in the hind gut to aid hydration but also works as a central heating system as fibre ferments, so ponies that are struggling to hold their weight will benefit from more forage being provided to help keep warm.

◗ Acordate que la fibra se deposita en los

◗ Although it is winter, ponies will still be working hard enough that they will be sweating, so ensure that electrolytes are fed to replace those body salts lost in sweat and combating fatigue. F

◗ Aún en el invierno los caballos que jueguen

intestinos para ayudar en la hidratación, y también funciona como un sistema de calefacción central ya que al fermentarse, la fibra genera calor, ayudando especialmente a caballos a los que les cuesta mantener buen peso. seguido se van a ver exigidos y van a transpirar, por lo tanto asegurate de darles sales minerales para poder reemplazar las sales del cuerpo que se pierdan con el sudor y en la lucha contra la fatiga. F

Giving your pony time at grass between the summer and arena seasons is fine, but he’ll maintain condition and muscle with a ration of hard feed, too, which makes regaining fitness easier

Tip of the month Adding oils or Outshine to the daily diet will help keep the coat shiny and skin supple making clipping easier, brushing sweat off quicker and still having a shiny pony.

Agregar aceite o Outshine en la dieta diaria ayudará a mantener un pelaje brilloso y la piel suave haciendo mas fácil el corte de pelo, el cepillado y tener un caballo en perfecto estado.

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The knowledge Travel

Pennyhill Park’s majestic main building, which has been a hotel since 1972 and has been much-extended to form a luxury hotel, with golf, tennis and an acclaimed spa

To Crowe’s taste – and to mine One of the UK’s top five-star hotels, Pennyhill Park, has six polo clubs on its doorstep. In the wake of sport stars and A-listers, Yolanda Carslaw checks in f a roll-call of illustrious guests is a measure of a hotel's success, then five-star Pennyhill Park has plenty to recommend it – especially to the sporty. The actor Russell Crowe spent eight weeks there this year while filming Robin Hood; the England rugby team train and stay there; the NFL (American football) team, complete with their own goalposts and two 747s of equipment, booked the entire place – spa, gym and all – for a week before playing at Wembley last year. Other recent guests include Lewis Hamilton, Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman and Cameron Diaz, while the pop band McFly once filmed a video in its library.

Come Cartier International Day (see page 20 for report), polo-goers are among those signing in – Pennyhill Park is one of two hotels less than 10 miles from Guards that the club recommends. Polo folk also stayed during the Heritage Cup last month at RMAS (Sandhurst), which is just over three miles away. Ascot Park is five miles away, RCBPC and Coworth eight and Fifield 12 miles away. For the lucky Polo Times readers who travel by chopper, the hotel has a choice of two helipads.

I

Character and layout At the top of a wooded drive, a handsome threestorey climber-clad mansion forms the centre of

58 September 2009 www.polotimes.co.uk

the hotel, with a spacious flagstone-floored reception and a stone archway leading to the main stairway and one of two restaurants. Décor in reception – Chesterfield sofas, antique and reproduction furniture, a grandfather clock, equestrian and oil landscapes – sets the theme for much of the rest of the hotel, with a classic, historic, opulent but not over-the-top style.

The hotel first opened to guests in 1973, more than 120 years after a private house was first built on the property by the civil engineer James Hodge.

Exclusive Hotels, which owns four hotels, bought the 123-acre estate in 1982, transforming it from a 17-bedroom family-run affair to a 123-room country house hotel.

Extensions include a covered walkway from the car park (although if you draw up to reception, one of the concierges will park your car), the bar and Brasserie restaurant, further bedrooms and banqueting rooms that are popular for conferences – Diageo were there when I was – and weddings.

To the front are two lily ponds on the terrace, which overlooks the rolling and woodland-fringed nine-hole golf course. A pleasant jogging/walking track encircles the course – the concierge kindly warned me to be on the lookout for golfers, but on my circuit all I came across was a very tame roe

deer and what I took to be an American guest photographing an even tamer rabbit.

Beyond the main building is a three-storey spa and gym with indoor and outdoor pools (the indoor one has very faint underwater music), a giant outdoor whirlpool, plenty of sunloungers and a floodlit tennis court. “Heat experiences” inside the spa, which has separate women's and men's as well as mixed areas, include aromatic laconium, schnapps steam room and herbal saunas, as well as an ice cave and plunge pool, but oddly no traditional wooden-benched super-dry sauna.

Paid-for spa treatments aplenty are on offer (from about £50) – my Kodo massage (£90 for 60 minutes) was excellent. The spa and health club has around 400 non-resident members in its own right, but guests can use all the outdoor facilities, spa and gym free of charge.

Sleeping arrangements Just under a quarter of the 123 rooms and suites are in the main building, with the rest in various wings. Each is different, with decor as far as one can imagine from the beige-and-cream combo so popular in hotels today, and plenty of texture, pattern and colour. Rooms have names, from Magnolia, Bluebell and Tamarisk to Sandown,

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From left: our deluxe junior suite; the route from reception to the Michelin-starred Latymer restaurant; bathrooms are spectacular, even in the cheaper rooms

Lingfield and Newmarket. Notable choices include the masculine Twickenham, with black marble and a six-man hot tub, and the Goodwood, a corner suite whose four-poster sits bang in the middle of the room. Furnishings are just as much fun in the cheaper rooms – the main difference is space – for instance, Clematis, an ordinary guest room, has a skylight directly over the giant freestanding bath.

Ours, Cedar, a deluxe junior suite on the first floor, was magnificent: we loved the vaulted ceiling, toile de jouy-style wallpaper, velvety armchairs,

We loved the vaulted ceiling, toile de jouy-style wallpaper and velvety armchairs in ‘Cedar’ weighty curtains, red and blue carpet and wroughtiron chandelier. The convincing reproduction antiques were elegant and practical: even the flatscreen television sat on an oak trolley.

Stairs led up to a gorgeous bathroom, with separate shower and jacuzzi bath, his and hers basins and – as throughout the hotel – a loo with old-fashioned chain and ceramic flush marked “pull”. Our four-poster was splendid, the mattress firm and super-comfy and the linen crisp but soft.

We opted for standard pillows, but there's a “menu” of six alternatives, from the Airstream to the Oriental. A large bear, which serves as the do not disturb sign, hung on the back of the door.

Nice touches included a card left at our bedside at turndown time, wishing us goodnight and providing a weather forecast (cloud with sun, 24 degrees, which was spot on) and a great choice of teas in a leather-bound chest. Disappointment, though, at the air conditioning, which neither we nor the concierge could master (we turned it off), and at some of the contents of our fruit bowl, such as fading apples and an unripe pear.

Where to eat The Latymer restaurant, with green velvet banquettes and chef Michael Wignall presiding,

received its first Michelin star this January. We dined at the spacious and recently revamped Brasserie, sitting on particularly comfy upholstered chairs and overlooking the pool and spa, with a stained glass window at one end reading “Peace be with you”.

We especially rated our main courses (which range from £16.50 to £23.50) of Barnsley chop of Suffolk Mule lamb and rib-eye beef, both reared at High Fields Farm in Sussex. Puddings were excellent, too, with home-made sorbet and an offmenu creation of affogato hitting the spot. Starters (£7 to £10.50) were less reliable – the oyster beignet among a crab creation I ate was sensational, but my companion's monkfish in gazpacho sauce less impressive.

It was hard to refuse seconds of the warm bread that appeared now and then – a choice of olive, sultana, brown and white. Our waiters – from Italy and Poland – were charming and attentive, and the sommelier helpful.

The buffet breakfast (£20), also in the Brasserie, was wonderful – tasty ripe fruit, perfect sausages, bacon and egg, petite and delicious croissants and cut-your-own toast.

Who stays Don't be intimidated by the celebrity client list – most guests are ordinary holidaymakers or business folk there for a conference, predominantly British. I was surprised how casually most were dressed and the ambience is informal – though you can't wear jeans in the Latymer restaurant.

outside the brasserie. “I don't know its history I'm afraid, but I can tell you it gets ridden a lot on Friday and Saturday nights,” one of the concierges told me.

Could do better Country people will be dismayed to see ragwort thriving on the grassy bank between the terrace and the golf course.

The district Pennyhill Park lies just off the A30 between Bagshot and Camberley in north Surrey, five minutes' drive from junction three of the M3.

Guards, RCBPC, Ascot Park, Coworth Park, Fifield and RMAS polo clubs are all within 20 minutes of the hotel.

Central London is 50 minutes away, Heathrow half an hour north-west and Gatwick less than an hour away.

The damage Full marks for The staff, especially the polite and approachable concierges, all of whom are British, helpful and delightfully knowledgeable. Also lovely was the historic feel – even if much of the furniture is reproduction – and the character it gives the place.

We also liked the fact that “petty extras” – use of the spa, computers in the business centre, bicycles and Wifi – are included in the room cost. Equally enjoyable is the 3/4-size bronze statue of a horse

Rooms from £295 per night, including use of spa, pools, tennis courts and golf but not including breakfast.

The details Telephone 01276 471774; visit www. exclusivehotels.co.uk F

Bottom to top: the helpful concierges, Ieuan Denman (left) and John Hobbs; the indoor pool; the main stairway

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Travel The knowledge

My travels with Lavinia Black Encouraged by her polo-playing father, Lavinia Black (née Roberts) began playing polo in the Pony Club aged 12. She progressed to senior polo at Cowdray Park and various clubs, reaching a two-goal handicap. One of her notable successes was winning the Royal Windsor Cup with Gonzalo Pieres, when he was a five-goaler.

Give us an idea of your year so far?

This season in England I have been playing lowgoal polo and umpiring a great deal. I also help organise Country House Polo, which is enormous fun. I am on the SUPA (Schools and Universities Polo Association) committee and am still very involved with Pony Club Polo, which certainly kept me busy last month!

Las Escobas, Argentina. I love it because it is run by the family and they have perfectly created a true home-from-home atmosphere with wonderful food and terrific polo.

What is the first thing you pack for a polo holiday?

I always put my favourite perfume into my case – because you never know who you might meet. For future reference, it’s Diorissimo by Christian Dior!

Any bad experiences?

Before the days of stringent security checks, I was coming back from Argentina and took a wrong turn at the airport, ending up on a flight to Chile! The most embarrassing experience of my life has to be being bucked off whilst umpiring an under 12s tournament.

Where have you been?

I think over the years I have played polo in 17 countries worldwide. The only two that Favourite restaurant? spring to mind that I haven’t I love the Riverside restaurant played in yet – but which I would at the Peninsula Hotel in like to – are New Zealand and Bangkok. Not only is the food Australia. I have hunted down amazing, the views across under, but not yet managed to the river are beautiful. It is play polo. This year’s polo Lavinia’s fondness for travel has lovely to sit in the evenings travelling has so far been limited taken her to play in 17 countries as it gets dark and watch all to the trip I made with the SUPA the boats light up. team that I took to Dubai in April. I’ve spent the whole English season in the UK, but I’m If you could go anywhere on holiday currently thinking about my plans for the rest where would it be? of the year.

I would go heli-skiing in the Bugaboos in Canada. It is the biggest adrenaline rush I have Any funny incidents on your travels? ever had.

Some years ago I was playing elephant polo in You get a helicopter up to the top of a Nepal, where mid-way through a game, our mountain, get out and ski down virgin powder elephant decided he had had enough and with a guide in front and a guide behind. The charged off, with the mahout and I on board, helicopter meets you at the bottom and you do headlong in the jungle. The it all over again! game was stopped while the “Our elephant other players were forced to just took off and What are your wait for the runaway to happiest holiday charged straight memories? reappear, some half-an-hour or into the jungle!” Probably arriving at the more later! However, we fortunately returned unscathed bottom of the bugaboos in – Lavinia Black and so just carried on playing. one piece!

Where is your favourite hotel?

I think my favourite place to stay in the world must be the Marín Moreno family’s Estancia in

Where, in your opinion, should every polo player visit?

I know everyone says this but, without a doubt, it just has to be the Argentine Open at Palermo.

The ambience and pure spectacle of the event are something to behold and you will be unlikely to see better polo anywhere in the world. ◗ Interview by Antje Derks

Photograph by www.polophoto.co.uk

What is your favourite polo destination outside Argentina?

I think it has to be Jamaica. The polo is great and playing there is also so much fun. The after-parties are legendary.

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The knowledge Overseas property special

The view from Lion Castle Polo Club in Barbados, where prices for plots of land, available through Knight Frank, start at $399,000. A clubhouse and ground are in place

From palaces to parcels, in search of a pad in paradise What can you buy in polo’s overseas hotspots for your dollars or euros?

Yolanda Carslaw asks the experts in Argentina, Sotogrande and Florida s the UK summer polo season draws to a close and thoughts turn for some Polo Times readers to overseas travel, we asked property specialists in three prime polo countries to tell us what they have on the market on their patch – whether raw land, fully-fledged estancias or houses for rent.

Christopher Carpenter of Argentina-based polo property specialists Argentico, is an American who works for private buyers in conjunction with various Argentine agents and sellers. He has several major properties as well as attractive parcels of raw land available, much of it in the up-and-coming polo district of Lobos.

Carpenter says Lobos, 120km from BA and 45 minutes from its international airport, is an ideal district to set up a base, whether in an established property or by buying raw land, and putting in stables, homes and polo fields.

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“Lobos is fabulous, and more and more people are learning this,” he says. “It’s become chic, I suppose, and there was even a TV programme about how safe it is.”

The most striking of his current established Lobos offerings is Santa Rita, an estate run as a

“Lobos is fabulous, and more and more people think so” – Christopher Carpenter luxury hotel, which has just come on the market for $4m. The palatial main house was first built in 1790 and expanded in stages until 1840. For nearly 100 years from 1890 it was owned by the Carboni family, who gave their name to a nearby village. Isabel Duggan and Franklin Nüdemberg bought the property in 1988 and have run it as a successful 13-room hotel, which has been

featured in a coffee-table book on memorable places to stay in South America.

A verdant 190 hectares (470 acres) surrounds this structure including pasture, forest, a lake and good tillable soil – suitable for agriculture or, of course, a polo ground or two.

Also in Lobos is an unusual Swiss-style house and small farm, which came on the market for $1.2m last month. “Players in the Lobos zone may be curious about this one,” says Carpenter. “They may have seen it from the road going to and from La Espadana Polo Club and other polo events, and wondered about its availability.”

The house, which sits in 40 hectares (98 acres), is 4km from La Espadana and 6km from Santa Maria de Lobos. It is surrounded by a small forest of oak and eucalyptus, and a pleasant garden.

As for raw land, he has 10 “parcels” of five hectares (12.35 acres) for $250,000 each inside the Santa Maria de Lobos Polo Club, where

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Tommy Lee Jones is among landowners. “It might seem expensive at $50,000 per hectare,” says Carpenter, “but other raw land inside the club is going for double this amount, at least.

“The land offered here is owned by one of the original owners of the land on which Santa Maria was first built. Hence it’s an insider’s price. Also, the title is readily available, which is not always the case inside clubs.”

He estimates, roughly, the cost of construction (not including plans) for a home or barn at between $900 and $1,000 per square metre, depending on the materials used, and the cost of building an unboarded polo field at $35,000.

Prices in Lobos recently have risen, then dipped. According to Carpenter, a few years ago you could pick up land for as little as $5,000 a hectare (outside the clubs). As people started “discovering” it, prices crept up to $14-15,000 per hectare this time last year. But with the worldwide collapse they have now fallen back.

Carpenter also has a raw parcel of Lobos land of 52 hectares (128.5 acres) at $11,500 per hectare very near La Espadana, and 38 hectares (93.8 acres) at $10,000 near Culu Culu Lake. Culu Culu, built by Jumeirah, is the Dubai construction giant’s only project in South America.

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Left, top left and top: the magnificent house and grounds at Santa Rita, a 13-bedroom luxury hotel that has come on the market for $4m in Lobos, southwest of Buenos Aires. The main house was built in 1790 and expanded in stages until 1840. It sits in 470 acres – with plenty of room for a polo ground or two.

Above: the “Swiss” house ($1.2m) near La Espadaña, Lobos, including 40 acres of grounds and gardens

Carpenter is also able to source properties in Buenos Aires; for instance, he knows of a ninthfloor Las Cañitas apartment with a view of Palermo’s second polo field, that is up for rent at $3,500 per month or for sale at $550,000.

Nearby, in the newer Torres Arcos del Polo (on

“What’s good about this land is its proximity to Sotogrande” – Benjamin Cooper Clay and Luis Maria Campos), an apartment with use of a pool can be rented at $1,000 per month.

Benjamin Cooper, an Irishman who works for private clients sourcing land in southern Spain, has available 34 hectares (84 acres) 1.6km from Sotogrande, for €4m. A project is underway to clear the land, register it for equestrian use and secure planning permission for wells, a lake and

stables. Cooper explains: “Since 2002 the law has changed so you need to submit a project to justify your existence on land in the countryside.

“We have a specialist in sustainable development steering the project. A stable block would be applied for first, then more dwellings over a year or two as it becomes active as a yard.

It takes time but as the property is more than 30 hectares it can realistically be developed for this.”

Any buyer could continue with the project, though the closer it gets to completing the more the property will cost. And where exactly is it?

“The drive comes out 30 seconds from Sotogrande International School. It’ll be the next area of Sotogrande to grow. What’s good about this land is its proximity to Sotogrande and the possibilities and price for what it is.” It lies eight minutes from Santa Maria Polo Club and 10 from Ayala.

Just 500m from Ayala Polo Club, Cooper also has available a spacious established farmhouse on X

For further information with regard to equestrian property sales contracts, please contact Mark Charter at Blake Lapthorn directly: on 023 8085 7116; via email, at mark.charter@bllaw.co.uk; or write to Mark Charter, Partner, Real Estate, Blake Lapthorn, New Kings Court, Tollgate, Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh, SO53 3LG

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The knowledge Overseas property special

Clockwise from above: the clubhouse at Lion Castle, Barbados; land for sale 1.6km from Sotogrande; Sunnydale Drive, Palm Beach Polo & Country Club ($20,000 a month)

X 3.3 hectares (eight acres) with a pool, a small

stable block, plenty of water and 600 fruit trees (€5m). He is also able to source apartments and villas in Sotogrande itself.

US real estate specialist Norma Valentine has a number of rentals and properties for sale at Palm Beach, as well as in the polo district of Aiken.

For instance, in the gated community of Palm Beach Polo & Country Club, Valentine has a winter rental on Sunnydale Drive, Hunter's Chase – one of the largest lots in the street.

For the princely sum of $20,000 a month, the tenants can enjoy the four-bedroom, fourbathroom house with luxury kitchen and office, a pool and hot tub and a three-car garage. The house comes fully furnished and equipped, and

polo, golf, tennis and shops are nearby. Though the US Open is no longer played at PBP&CC, the polo fields remain intact, some of them privately owned.

Valentine says that the main fields where the grandstand is are owned by Mark Bellissimo, who now owns the horse show area at PBP&CC. John Goodman of International Polo Club Palm Beach has recently become a partner with Bellissimo in the horse show business. “Field One has a track on it, and they held horse races and steeplechasing there last fall,” says Valentine.

Also in Florida, Valentine has a 20-acre farm for sale for $5m, near International Polo Club Palm Beach and on a road called Estancia Lane in the gated community of Palm Beach Point.

The house has four bedrooms, four bathrooms and a pool, while the eight-stable barn with grooms’ quarters has room to expand. The land is irrigated and well fenced, with seven large turnout fields. Valentine can also find properties in other polo districts, including the thriving community of Aiken. F ◗ For Christopher Carpenter tel 020 7078 7457 (the call will go through to Argentina for the cost of a UK-to-UK call) – or his Argentine and US numbers are on his website www.argentico.com

To contact Benjamin Cooper, tel +34 956 640 742 or email cooper2001@telefonica.net For Norma Valentine of Westwind Realty, tel +1 561 635 9296, email norma_v0@yahoo.com or visit http://normavalentine.rmlsfl.mlxchange.com

Three more places in the sun

From $1,250,000 – Water Hall Polo Villas, Barbados Savills has townhouses available in this prestigious and peaceful development built by Sir Charles “Cow” Williams’s company and Rotherley Construction Inc at Apes Hill Club Barbados. Each has three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a large patio/deck and a private plunge pool. The villas are within a 54-acre estate overlooking a lake and the polo fields, with partial sea views. Water Hall is a five-minute drive from the west coast beaches, restaurants and shops, and owners have a chance to join the Apes Hill Golf and Country Club. Contact Savills (020 7016 3740; www.savills.co.uk/abroad)

64 September 2009 www.polotimes.co.uk

$3m – La Taba, close to Lobos, Argentina Fully fledged polo set-up near Lobos, 120km south-west of Buenos Aires and just 45 minutes from the airport, well developed by the current owners and with scope for further expansion. The handsome and spacious 10-bedroom house, built in around 2001, is flanked by a stable block, smart post-and-rail corrals, an allweather schooling ring, a polo ground, stick and ball ground and paddocks. The house has nine bathrooms, five reception rooms and a huge games room, and nearby there’s a one-bedroom flat in a water tower and a two-bedroom staff flat. Contact Knight Frank (020 7629 8171; www.knightfrank.co.uk)

From $399,000 to $1.4m – Lion Castle, Barbados Plots and luxury homes are for sale at Lion Castle Polo Estate, a 64-acre development at St Thomas – an hour from the capital, Bridgetown, and in the heart of the island’s polo country. Already in place is a top-class polo ground and smart clubhouse. Some of the 29 house lots available, which range from 1-2.5 acres, are right next to the ground, and all are close to it. Of particular appeal are the wonderful views across country to the sea.

Owners may build from their own plans or choose from plans designed for Lion Castle – one of which is called Polo Manor.

Contact Knight Frank (020 7629 8171; www.knightfrank.co.uk)

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? p u g n i l l e S To reach a polo audience ask your agent to advertise your polo property in Polo Times Email tom@polotimes.co.uk or telephone 01993 886885

www.polotimes.co.uk September 2009 65

PTSeptember 2009 p66-67 Products JM YC

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The knowledge Gear

66 September 2009 www.polotimes.co.uk

Casablanca

T&G

(www.uberpolo.com; 07793 553412) The verdict: A technical, lose-fitting jean with an anti-stain, water repellent coating and stretch-denim technology.

The stylish, comfortable more expensive option. Perfect for both playing and partying in. Probably worth the extra dosh if you’ve got it.

The damage: £108

(www.uberpolo.com; 07793 553412) The verdict: A soft, lightweight women’s jean that is mediumto high-waisted with a straight leg.

Unfinished hems to prevent rubbing are a thoughtful addition. T&G logo on front left pocket with pink detail throughout.

The damage: £47

RM Williams

Polistas

(www.uberpolo.com; as above) The verdict: A hard-wearing, straightleg jean with a high-waisted fit and zip fly. Discreet logo on right hand front pocket. Similar shape to the SATS option (below), but a marginally snugger fit.

The damage: £68

(www.uberpolo.com; as above) The verdict: A flattering female jean with flat inside seams, a low-cut waist and slim leg. It is one per cent elastine, giving a very subtle but forgiving stretch. Great for action on and off the field.

The damage: £80

SATS

Porto Polo

(www.satsfaction.com; 01285 841542) The verdict: A casual, straight leg unisex jean with a zip fly and a low-cut waist. No elasticity but plenty of room.

A good cheaper alternative, though more so for male polo players, whom it will flatter more than ladies.

The damage: £32.50

(www.portopolo.com; 01342 835529) The verdict: A unisex jean that is very high waisted, has a straight leg and is made from heavy cotton. An unforgiving fit but a great secure feeling for playing in. Embroidered polo stick detail on back pockets.

The damage: £35

PTSeptember 2009 p66-67 Products JM YC MB

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LA MARIPOSA POLO FARM

Polo School for beginners and experienced polo players The place where you can breath and live polo

ENGLAND ARGENTINA Argentina October to April

England May to September

25 de Mayo - Pcia de Buenos Aires 2 hours from Airport.

Polo Clinics – School Groups – Gap Year trips.

Horses for sale.

Mob +54 9 11 5180 1759

Bradenham – Buckinghamshire 40 minutes from London.

Polo lessons – Clinics – Pony Hire – Livery – Tournaments Horses for sale Mob – +44 7947 725 305

Come and join us for the 2009 Season mfdarritchon@fibertel.com.ar

www.lamariposapolo.com.ar

www.polotimes.co.uk September 2009 67

PTSeptember 2009 p68-69 Whats on YC

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The knowledge Dates for the diary

What’s on in September

For comprehensive tournament listings and results, visit www.polotimes.co.uk

Principal fixtures at home and abroad Ladies’ polo Rutland – Ladies Open (Open): 5 to 6 September

UK highlights Test Matches Cowdray Park – St Regis International, England vs The Commonwealth (Open): 6 September Special events Watergate Bay, Cornwall – Veuve Clicquot Polo on the Beach: 14 September (evening) Medium goal RCBPC – The 8-12 Goal Championship (8-12 goal): 25 August to 6 September Beaufort – The Westonbirt Cup (7-12 goal): 7 to 13 September Cowdray Park – Autumn League (8-12 goal): 7 to 20 September Low goal Dundee & Perth – Randox International Polo Match (6-8 goal): 12 September Royal Leamington Spa – The Warwickshire Gold Cup (4-8 goal): 10 to 13 September Kirtlington Park – Brook House Trophy (4-6 goal): 8 to 13 September Junior polo Edinburgh – SUPA Scottish Challenge Cup: throughout September

Argentina Jockey Club, Buenos Aires – Jockey Club Open (34-goal): 7 to 19 September

USA New Bridge Polo Club – Monty Waterbury (16-20 goal): 16 to 30 September National Mall, Washington – America’s Polo Cup, Washington DC v Chicago (Open): 19 September

Other dates

France Saint-Tropez Polo Club – Polo Silver Cup (12-15 goal): 3 to 6 September Saint-Tropez Polo Club – Polo Gold Cup (12-15 goal): 10 to 13 September Chantilly Polo Club – Jaeger-Le Coultre Open de France Polo Cup (14-16 goal): 5 to 20 September

Germany Schleswig Holstein Polo Club – Rolex Crown Cup: 4 to 6 September

Italy Argentario Polo Club – Monte Argentario Gold Cup (10-12 goal): 24 September to 4 October

14 September – End-of-season handicap changes meeting (the remainder) 20 September – Eye Photographic polo photography workshop at Ham Polo Club

Polo on the box UK-based audiences can look forward to plenty of polo on Sky television this autumn, including: British Beach Polo Championships, Sandbanks 6 October – Sky Sports 2, 6.30pm Cor onation Cup: England vs Ar gentina 7 October – Sky Sports 3, 2.30pm Polo in the Park at Hurlingham, London 7 October – Sky Sports 3, 9pm

Fixtures Test Matches Cowdray Cowdray Test Match

6 September

Intermediate 12 Goal Beaufort The Westonbirt Arboretum Cirencester Cheltenham Cup Cowdray Autumn League Guards Autumn Nations RCBPC 8 12 Goal Championship*

7-13 September 25 Aug-6 Sep 7-20 September 25 Aug-13 Sep 25 Aug-6 Sep

Intermediate 10 Goal RCBPC The Lambourne Trophy*

14-20 September

Low 8 Goal Ascot Pro Am City Dundee Randox International RLS The Warwickshire Gold Cup*

5 September 12 September 10-13 September 28 Aug-6 Sep 20 Aug-5 Sep 26 Aug-6 Sep 12-13 September 8-13 September 8-13 September 2-6 September 17-20 September

Low 4 Goal Ascot Pro Am City Polo Beaufort The Solitaire Salver* Cambridge De Refuse/Newmarket Druids Lodge Codestone Cup

5-6 September 5-6 September 12-13 September 15-20 September 5-6 September 8-13 September 10-13 September 5-6 September 22-27 September 17-20 September 5-6 September

Low 3 Goal Ham Billy Walsh Tournament Kirtlington James Budgett Trophy*

8-20 September 2-6 September

Low 2 Goal

Low 6 Goal Beaufort The Sidebottom Cup Cirencester Kingscote Cup Coworth Belvedere Arms Trophy Fifield Challenge Cup* Kirtlington Brook House Trophy* RCBPC 4 6 Goal Trophy* RLS Royal Leamington Spa Gold Cup* RLS The Farewell Trophy*

Edgeworth Hayden Tovey Trophy Epsom The NATO Cup Hertfordshire The Bentley Cup Hurtwood End of Season Inglesham Polistas Autumn Plate Kirtlington Chairmans Trophy* Knepp Instone Air Challenge Lacey Green Sponsor Cup RCBPC 0 4 Goal Trophy* RLS The Ardencote Trophy* Tidworth Cavalry Cup*

5 September 5-13 September 12-13 September 5-6 September

68 September 2009 www.polotimes.co.uk

Ascot Pro Am City Polo Beverley End of Season Tournament Brightling The East Sussex Trophy Burningfold Chiddingfold Challenge Cheshire Ken Irlam Memorial Cup* Cheshire Lovatt Claret Jug* Dundee End of Season Epsom St Francis Day Cup Haggis Farm Chairman's Cup Hurtwood September Cup Hurtwood Stable Challenge Knepp Smith & Williamson Knepp Michaelmas Cup

5 September 12-13 September 5-6 September 10-13 September 5-6 September 12-13 September 20 September 12-13 September 19-20 September 2-6 September 8-13 September 3-6 September 17-20 September

Lacey Green Sponsor Cup Lacey Green Farewell Cup Longdole 2 Goal New Forest Holly Hill Cup* RLS The Argentine Cup* RLS The Sosiego Cup* Rugby The C Cup Silver Leys Puckeridge Hunt Cup Suffolk Raging Bull Tournament Sussex The Banking Trophy Taunton Vale Mixed Doubles* Taunton Vale End of Season Tidworth Polo Captain's Trophy Tidworth Valete Cup Vaux Park Farewell Trophy W Wycombe Lakeside Cup*

12-13 September 19-20 September 12-13 September 5-6 September 3-6 September 17-20 September 12-13 September 5-6 September 5-6 September 12-13 September 12-13 September 19-20 September 12-13 September 26-27 September 19-20 September 5-6 September

Low 1 Goal Beaufort 1 Goal Festival

19-20 September

Low 0 Goal Ascot Pro Am City Polo Ascot Ascot Park Trophy Binfield Heath Farewell Tournament Brightling The Farewell Tournament Cambridge De Refuse/Newmarket Edgeworth The Last Chance Ham Billy Walsh Tournament Hertfordshire The Bentley Cup Kirtlington Autumn Plate*

5 September 12-13 September 12-13 September 19-20 September 12-13 September 12-13 September 8-20 September 12-13 September 2-6 September

PTSeptember 2009 p68-69 Whats on YC

Kirtlington Blind Date* Knepp Farewell Tournament Lacey Green Sponsor Cup Lacey Green Sponsor Cup Lacey Green Farewell Cup Longdole Emerging Tournament Offchurch Bury The Prancing Ponies RLS The Silchar Trophy Rugby The Winwick 2 plus 2 Rugby The Mountbatten Cup Rutland Wilkinson Sword Silver Leys Puckeridge Hunt Cup Sussex Zero Goal Trophy Tidworth Cavalry Cup W Wycombe Lakeside Cup* Waterford Ronan Group

20/8/09

15-20 September 24-27 September 5-6 September 12-13 September 19-20 September 5-6 September 26-27 September 10-13 September 12-13 September 26-27 September 19-20 September 5-6 September 5-6 September 5-6 September 5-6 September 5-6 September

Low Below 0 Goal Ascot Pro Am City Polo Ascot Pro Am City Polo Ascot Pro Am City Polo Ascot Rangitiki Trophy Asthall Farm Kencott Challenge Donaghadee End of Season FHM Falcon Equine Feeds Lacey Green Beginners Cup New Forest Farewell Match* Rugby The Winwick 2 plus 2 Rugby The Otono Cup Sussex The Banking Trophy

5 September 5 September 5 September 19-20 September 6 September 12-13 September 19 September 19-20 September 12-13 September 12-13 September 26-27 September 12-13 September

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Tidworth Polo Captain's Trophy Tidworth Valete Cup Vale of York Air Ambulance Cup Vale of York San Pan Suzi Vase Vale of York Stride Electrical Plate Vale of York North East Construction Vaux Park Challenge Cup White Rose George Carter Bowl White Rose The Tiger Trophy

12-13 September 26-27 September 12-13 September 19-20 September 23 September 27 September 5-6 September 27 September 20 September

Combined Services Guards Major Generals Cup Taunton A Wickhamv RN Faulkner

4-6 September 5 September

Schools & Universities Edinburgh SUPA Scottish Challenge

TBC

Ladies Rutland Ladies Open Vale of York Granger Appleyard

5-6 September 26 September

Open Druids Lodge Clock Tower Trophy* Fifield T.H.I.O Haggis Farm Porsche Centre Hurtwood Farewell Tournament Rutland Veterans Open Rutland Rutland Juniors Sussex Grooms Revenge Tidworth Grooms Tournament* W Wycombe Farewell to First Season Wicklow End of Season Open

12-13 September 19-20 September 5 September 22-27 September 5-6 September 5-6 September 19-20 September 4 September 19-20 September 26-27 September

Picture of the month Who needs a 4x4 or double-decker bus to be comfy watching polo from a vehicle? At the Warwickshire Cup at Cirencester last month, this spectator’s Ford Ka proved the ideal “grandstand” – and kept off the sun, to boot

by Tony Ramirez – www.imagesofpolo.com

Club

contacts (UK and Ireland)

AEPC – Hickstead 01273 834315 All Ireland – +353 (1) 6896732 Apsley End – 01462 712444 Ascot Park – 01276 858545 Ash Farm – 01932 872521 Asthall Farm – 01367 860207 Beaufort – 01666 880510 Belmont, Mill Hill – 01344 829955 Beverley – 01964 544455 Binfield Heath – 01491 411969 Borders Reivers – 01890 840777 Brannockstown – +353 45483708 Brightling – 01435 810017 Bunclody – +353 876605917 Burningfold – 01483 200722 Cambridge & Newmarket – 07769 976781 Carlton House – 01986 892231 Cheshire – 01270 611100 Chester Racecourse – 01244 304602 Cirencester Park – 01285 653225 Cowdray Park – 01730 813257 Coworth Park – 01344 875155 Curraghmore – +353 51387102 Dedham Vale – 01473 280900 Donaghadee – 02891 882521 Druids Lodge – 01722 782597 Dundee & Perth – 07831 365194 Edgeworth – 07879 825660 Edinburgh – 0131 449 6696 Epsom – 01372 748200 FHM – 07778 436468 Fifield – 01628 620061 Foxhill – 0115 9651790 Frolic Farm – 01223 812922 Guards – 01784 434212 Haggis Farm – 01223 460353 Ham – 020 8334 0000 Herbertstown – +353 872552331 Hertfordshire – 01707 256023 Hurtwood Park – 01483 272828 Inglesham – 01367 253939 Kinross – 07831 365194 Kirtlington – 01869 650138 Knepp Castle – 01403 741007 Lacey Green – 07947 725305 Ladyswood – 01666 840880 Limerick – +353 872373903 Little Bentley – 01206 250435 Longdole – 01452 864544 Maywood – 01962 885500 Moyne – +353 851313224 New Forest – 02380 811818 Offchurch Bury – 07785 223383 Orchard – 01258 471000 Park Lane – 01491 411969 Ranksboro – 01572 720046 RMAS – 01276 412276 Royal County of Berkshire – 01344 890060 RLS – 01926 812409 Rugby – 01788 817724 Rutland – 01572 724568 Silver Leys – 01279 652652 St Albans – 07710 262435 Stewarton – 01560 483411 Suffolk Polo – 07990 576974 Sussex Polo – 01342 714920 Taunton – 01823 480460 Tidworth – 01980 846705 Toulston – 01422 372529 Vale of York – 07788 426968 Vaux Park – 01460 242684 West Somerset – 01884 820432 West Wycombe – 01865 858475 White Rose – 01430 875750 Wicklow – +353 (0) 404 67164 ◗ To contact the HPA, tel: 01367 242828 ◗ To contact SUPA, tel: 01344 625124

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PTSeptember 2009 p70-71 Druids Ciren JM YC

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Out and about Druids Lodge Polo Week, 17-25 July

Low-goal polo, low-brow parties, top-class fun To celebrate the inaugural Polo Week at Druids Lodge, club secretary Tae Ormerod and polo manager Edmund Eggins organised a party in the ballroom and terrace at the club. Guests included those playing in the “Polo Week”, members, friends and employees of the club, plenty of Ormerods, and a number of visiting students who were playing in a two-day universities tournament on the club’s three boarded polo grounds.

The evening kicked off with a horsemanship display in the arena by Rebecca Holland and English Heritage events consultant Alan Larsen – a specialist in battle re-enactment based near the club. His display used Druids school ponies and he also enticed a selection of the university students to mount up and try their hands at some of his tricks on horseback themselves – spearing cabbages and putting a sword through a hoop at a gallop. Everyone then retreated back to the party for a delicious hog roast, drinking and dancing.

Pete Woods, with Druid’s polo manager Edmund Eggins and Maurice Ormerod, son of the club’s owners and founders, Giles and Tae

The week that followed was a great success, despite some awful weather.

Martin ffrench-Blake led Polo-art.com to a narrow victory over El Faralero in the 3-goal final, despite the best efforts of El Faralero’s Martin Iturrate and Maurice Ormerod. There was further joy for ffrench-Blake, whose mare Tuji T won the Polo Times best playing pony prize.

At the top level, Joaquin Pittaluga and Eden Ormerod combined well to book a place in the 7-goal final for Ferne Park. However, bad weather prevented Druids from the running the game during the Polo Week, forcing organisers to reschedule the match (against Emlor) for a date in late August or early September, unspecified at the time that Polo Times went to press.

Georgie Smith, Caz and Abi St Quinton and Poppy Wooldridge

A smiley Sophie Sutton

James White nails “Smart/Casual”

Polo Times best playing pony, Martin ffrench-Blake’s Tuti T

Runners-up El Faralero (in white), alongside winners Polo-art.com (in yellow)

Photographs by Leon Allen

A contingent of the club’s young grooms unwind at the hog roast

Abi St Quinton and Max Lopez-Valido 70 September 2009 www.polotimes.co.uk

Olivia Bolesworth

Ed Clifton-Brown

Hannah Gebbie, Mel Mathieson and Di Jack mess around in the loos

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Warwickshire Cup Festival Evening 1 August, Cirencester Park

Surprise sing-a-long sparks successful fundraiser This year’s Warwickshire Cup tournament was complemented by a number of social events at Cirencester Park Polo Club, including the inaugural Warwickshire Cup Festival Evening in aid of the County Air Ambulance. Held on the Saturday night the weekend before the final, the new event welcomed members and guests of the club for a cocktail reception, exhibition polo match, a three-course dinner and unconventional musical entertainment from cabaret artists, “incognito”.

Nina Clarkin, Mark Tomlinson and Laura Bechtolsheimer

Incognito’s performers conceal themselves as bar and kitchen staff for the first part of the evening, before finding a creative way to reveal themselves to the assembled guests. On this occasion, an apparently plucky member of the bar staff started proceedings by taking to the centre of the marquee to make a speech to announce that it was her last night, before other “staff” began to try and stop her and then all simultaneously burst into song.

There was also a fund-raising raffle and auction, which comfortably raised over £2,000 for the local Air Ambulance’s valuable service. Also turning out in support of the charity were numerous polo players and their partners, as well as members of UK polo’s governing body, the HPA. The generosity of all those in attendance reiterates the value the polo community puts on the work of County Air Ambulance, a service whose work has at times closely affected members at Cirencester Park and has gained their appreciation.

Alison Clark and Jackie Brown

An “incognito” singer performs

Best turned out: Henry Brett

Matt Richardson (umpire) and Georgina Britten-Long (centre), with (l-r): Nick Britten-Long, Glen Gilmore, Santiago Gaztambide, Richard Britten-Long, Ben Vestey, John Paul Clarkin, Tamara Vestey, and Nina Clarkin

Mary Jones, Colin Dhillon and Jamie Le Hardy

Photographs by Tom Reynolds

Left: Sebastien Pailloncy and Richard Britten-Long. Above: William Tobin

Nick Williams, Karen Gilmore and Ginny Williams www.polotimes.co.uk September 2009 71

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Out and about National 8-Goal Champs – Cheshire PC, 2-5 July

Back-to-back champions, Taylor, Fanshawe and Chaves Simon Taylor, patron of the Eversheds-sponsored Henbury team, made it two wins in a row, bringing back a virtually unchanged side this season to battle their way to a consecutive National 8-Goal Championship title, otherwise known as the Junior County Cup. Sponsored this year by AST Signs, the tournament – Cheshire Polo Club’s main trophy of the season – attracted five teams, just one fewer than in 2008 and the same as in 2007. Once again, just as in 2008, Cheshire’s own Ollie Taylor was on the losing side in the final, this time playing for Chester Racecourse. It was his third consecutive final, having won the title in 2007 with Furness.

This year, however, the outstanding player of the tournament was Cristian Chaves, who helped lead Henbury to a deserved victory, 8-5.

2009’s National 8 Goal winners, Henbury (l-r: Mark Baldwin, Anthony Fanshawe, Simon Taylor and Cristian Chaves) lift the Junior County Cup

Henbury (8): Simon Taylor 0; Cristian Chaves 3; Anthony Fanshawe 4; Mark Baldwin 1 Stobart Polo (8): Dominic Heywood 0; Nico San Roman 4; Oliver Taylor 4; David Irlam 0

Jane and Chris Dew

Clash of the patrons, Stobart Polo’s David Irlam and Henbury Eversheds’ Simon Taylor go head-to-head during the final

Jo Green and Louisa Castle

Pam Lyon

Photographs by Mark R Heath and Sarah Clegg

Will Irlam, Georgie Gray, Luke Capp and Nick Holland

Nico San Roman’s best playing pony, Xzuma, and his delighted groom 72 September 2009 www.polotimes.co.uk

Abby Ashurst, Toni Bufton and Rachel Ivinson

One lucky chap had plenty of female company

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The Heritage & Ladies’ Heritage Cups, 1-2 August Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Polo Club

Wham, Pahang, thank you Ma’m Royal Pahang took victory in the fourth annual Heritage Cup, during the elegant and stylish weekend of polo and fashion at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst put together by Barbara Zingg to revive and commemorate the history of the army. The weekend, held over 1-2 August, also played host to a ladies’ exhibition match, between England and an international Rest of the World side, for the Ladies’ Heritage Cup. All eight sides played their matches over the weekend in period clothes, with even the umpires getting in on the act – the tournament’s male adjudicators wore top hats while officiating, and polo manager Barbara Zingg even did her stint riding side-saddle.

The six teams for the Heritage Cup came from Britain, Pakistan, the United States, Switzerland, Argentina and Malaysia. They produced some fantastic, open polo, showing great horsemanship as a crowd of elegantly turned out spectators enjoyed the summer sunshine. The final pitted the British Army Officers side – featuring Captain Matt Eyre-Brook, Polistas’s Johnny Lynn, five-goal professional Martin Riglos, and Charlie Pearson and Rory Horgan, who shared the number one position – against Royal Pahang of Malaysia.

Royal Pahang, winners of 2009’s Heritage Cup (l-r: HH Amir Ibrahim Shah, his cousins Shahrain and Shahrzril, and Richard Blake Thomas)

The Malaysians showed their historical polo pedigree, producing a domineering performance to see off the Brits, 12-51/2. In Sunday’s Ladies’ Heritage Cup, the English were equally unlucky, losing to their visitors 41/2-3.

Vanilla Rose designer, Dawn Atkins, with her son Andrew

Cristina Eastwood and Elisabetta von Spangrat each take an arm

Tom Hunt, playing for Team Helvetica

Helvetica’s patron, Gilles Leraille

Mark Goode of the USA and a friend

Pepe Riglos of Argentina

Photographs by Tony Ramirez

Umpire Andy Burgess, from Cornwall

All teams turned out in traditional Victorian dress for the tournament

Heritage polo founder, Barbara Zingg, who umpired side-saddle

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Out and about Cartier International Day, 25th year of Cartier sponsorship, Guards Polo Club – 27 July

Cartier celebrates 25 years in fine style International Day 2009 may not have been memorable for the England team (see report, page 20), but it certainly was for Cartier, which celebrated 25 years of sponsorship of the HPA’s flagship international fixture.

In 1984, Cartier’s first year, when England were also defeated, then by the Rest of the World, Michael Clayton wrote in Horse & Hound, “Sunshine, pagaentry and, above all, first, class, exciting polo – the 1984 Cartier International Day had all the ingredients for a memorable sporting occasion.” So it remains in 2009. To show highlights from the intervening years, Cartier hung in its marquee giant black and white photographs of scenes from past years, with players such as Gabriel Donoso and Prince Charles gazing down on diners.

Cambiaso’s wife Maria Vasquez (large glasses) was in the Royal Box

Prince Charles presented a memento to players who had appeared more than twice at Cartier Day since 1984. These were Howard Hipwood and Henry Brett (both 11 outings); Julian Hipwood (nine), Andrew Hine and Alan Kent (eight), Luke Tomlinson (seven), Charles Beresford (six), Mark Tomlinson (five), James Beim (four) and Malcolm Borwick (three), plus Cody Forsyth (NZ, seven), Jose Donoso (Chile), Glen Gilmore (Aus) and Memo Gracida (Mexico, four each), Jaime Huidobro (Chile), Simon Keyte (NZ) and Ruki Baillieu (Aus, three each).

Carla and Arnaud Bamberger

From left: Alan Kent, Andrew Hine, Charles Beresford, Julian and Howard Hipwood and Ruki Baillieu with Iain Forbes-Cockell, who co-ordinated Cartier’s presentation to past international players

Screen stars Helen McCrory and Damian Lewis in the Cartier tent

Photographs courtesy of Cartier and by Yolanda Carslaw

Harry Beckwith and Geri Haliwell

Prince Charles and Cartier’s Arnaud Bamberger hand the Coronation Cup to Adolfo Cambiaso 74 September 2009 www.polotimes.co.uk

Teresa and Charles Beresford stepping out

Fashion designer Matthew Williamson and James Kelly

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The interior of Cartier’s marquee, with photos of action, teams and personalities during the sponsor’s 25-year tenure at International Day

Above: Amber Le Bon Left: actors David Thewlis, Anna Friel and Jason Segel

The crowd in the south stands settles down ready for the match

Prince Charles and Arnaud Bamberger give Julian Hipwood his award

Spooks actor Rupert PenryJones and wife, Dervla Kirwan

Holly and Sam Branson, daughter and son of entrepreneur Richard

Piers Morgan and Telegraph writer Celia Walden

The Royal Box, upper tier. Among those flanking Prince Charles and Arnaud Bamberger are Nick and Annie Colquoun-Denvers www.polotimes.co.uk September 2009 75

PTSeptember 2009 p76-77 Classifieds

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Club information

LONGDOLE POLO CLUB Rob Cudmore England Coach, 2 HPA Instructors International Equitrack Polo Arena

September Fixtures

Fantastic clubhouse with licensed bar & excellent viewing of the arena

3-6

Michaelmas Cup

4 goal

10 - 13

3 a-side

0 goal

Chukkas and Matches - call the office for Info

17 - 20

Falcon Feeds Trophy

2 goal

Individual Coaching, Group Lessons, Social & Corporate Events

24 - 27

Farewell Tournament

Polo Pony Hire, School Ponies

For information on membership, polo lessons and general enquiries please call: Email polo@knepp.co.uk or call 01403 741007

www.kneppcastlepoloclub.co.uk

76 September 2009 www.polotimes.co.uk

Tel: (office) 01452 864 544 Mobile: 07974 532 841 email: rob@longdolepolo.com Longdole Polo Club, Birdlip, Gloucestershire, GL4 8LH

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Classifieds PONIES

SUPPLEMENTS

DESTINATIONS

GIFTS

Get yourself noticed email: tom@polotimes.co.uk

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Classifieds TRANSPORT

LIVERY The New Lightweight body by

TRISTAR★★★ This revolutionary horsebox is designed to achieve a payload of approximately 3 tons – which means you can legally carry: 5 medium weight 16hh horses – around 600kg each, or 6 polo ponies of an average 460kg each – and this also includes all tack!

This innovative body can be produced in any length from 10’ – 30’, with the same variations in specification as any other vehicle in our range.

www.tristarhorsesboxes.co.uk

Tel: 01570 422250 Fax: 01570 423842 Email: sales@tristarhorseboxes.co.uk

GROUND MAINTENANCE

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Classifieds PONIES PONIES FROM £2500 TO £30,000: Two geldings, 10year-old 16hh and 12-yearold 15.2hh, £2750 ono, both lovely. 5-year-old Argentine mare, 14.2hh very fun to play £8000. 8-year-old Argentine mare, 15.2hh playing up to 15-goal at moment, bargain £8000. 8-year-old bay gelding (pictured) absolute machine, played up to 22 goal this season, playing up to 15 goal at moment. £30,000. see www.eastwoodstud.com 07970 697593 BEAUTIFUL 15HH 8 YEAR OLD ARGENTINE MARE: Easy to play, perfect temperament, would suit -2 or lady player. Landed in UK 2006. Fit and playing now. £5,250 Tel: 01757 288629 (Yorkshire) 15.0HH POLO PONY: Pretty super-fast and handy 9 year old liver-chestnut Argentine mare. Played by lady professional 1 goaler this season up to 12 goal.

Dynistia is the sweetest pony, loves other horses and easy to handle in every way. She would suit an ambitious low-goal lady player or would excel in PC. £8000 Tel: 07515 942604 ENTHUSIASTIC BAY MARE 15.2HH: Lovely willing bulletproof 14 year old Argentine bay mare. Very quick handling, strong rideoff. Played up to 4 goal. Suit novice or experienced lowgoal or arena player. Priced to sell £1800.

Tel: 07515 942604 FRENCH POLO PONIES FOR SALE: 9 capable, well mannered French polo ponies for sale through Little Bentley Park Polo Club. Suite low, medium and high goal. Aged 4-12yrs. Price £6k-9k. Contact gustavo@littlebentleypark.co.uk or 01206 250435.

3 YEAR OLD TB MARE £1,500: 15.2hh chestnut TB filly, 3 years old. Very good looking; came from the track 2 weeks ago and is showing huge potential already. £1,500. Tel: 07790 283988 2 X ARGENTINE PONIES: 15.2hh chestnut mare 13 years old £3,000.00 and 16hh chestnut gelding 10 years old £1,800.00 Both very easy, weight carrying ponies played by 0 goaler. Hertfordshire Tel: 07985 500118 15.1 CHESTNUT ARGENTINE MARE: 13 years old played up to 10 goal with 2 goal pro. Needs sensitive rider as cold girthed. £3,000.00 Hertfordshire.

Tel: 07985 500118 2 GREAT LOOKING HORSES: 15.1hh dark bay gelding 5 years old, bombproof to suit beginner/nervous rider/pony club £4500. 15.1hh liver chestnut mare 4 years old, very easy and forward going with good mouth. Needs a little more finishing to make fantastic pony. Suit confident pony club/player/professional £4750. Both horses have great temperaments and will only go up in value.

Call James 07800 517869. (Oxfordshire) PERFECT PONY CLUB PONY: 14hh Argentine mare, 11years old, bomb proof, great mouth, faultless in every way. Will suit any level, £5,000. Please call Richard on 07711 476 222 YOUNG STOCK CLEAR OUT: Situation changing next season, require a reduction in numbers. 8 quality English TB’s, clean, good conformation, no vices 3-5 years old. Green chukkas to playing. 07736 424444 Hampshire (35 minutes from Cowdray) END OF SEASON BARGINS: 11 year old Argentine mare, played up to 8-goal and 9 year old TB gelding played up to 8-goal. Owned both for the last 3 years.

Very easy and bombproof. Would suit beginner or novice. £4750 each. Tel 07870 644051 (Cheshire)

80 September 2009 www.polotimes.co.uk

ZERO GOAL STRING FOR SALE: Zero goal string priced for quick sale due to move abroad. No expense spared on these ponies. All sound, no vices and played all season. £4-5k each. Tel: 01342 714920 YOUNGSTER WITH GREAT POTENTIAL: Broken and trained by Roddy Matthews. 15.2hh TB 5 year old mare.

A quiet ride, playing chukkas and ready to start tournament polo. £5,500. Please call Clare on 07957 587066 or email milleniumcaw@hotmail.com. (We are based just south of Guildford, Surrey) TWO SUPERSTARS FOR SALE: Cecilia - Sweetnatured, stunning, push-button 9 years old, 15.2hh grey mare. Fast, smooth & strong. Adapts to suit any rider.

Hacks, jumps, good to do. Moro - Fast, tough, responsive, willing 15 years old, 15.1hh grey gelding.

Owner giving up priced to sell. Kate 07932 569962 EXPERIENCED HANDLEY-CROSS PONY: Talented, handsome, friendly 13.1hh Irish Sports pony (gelding) 14 years old. Seeks 5* home. Genuine family pony.

Always placed in showing classes, good to hack/hunt too. Can jump. Easy clip, box, shoe & in traffic. £4,950 incl. rugs. Mob: 07884 042776 (New Forest) BENJA BEAUTIFUL BAY MARE - 15.0HH, 10 YEARS OLD: Stunning, kind bright bay Argentinean Mare Benja has been in UK for 3 years. Easy to play, turns and stops well, very agile. Ideal pony club or ladies pony. Fit and ready to try in chukkas. £4,750 jo.davies@yahoo.co.uk 07971 237184 (Herts) GREY ARGENTINIAN MARE - 15.1HH, 8 YEARS OLD: Norma has been in the UK for 3 years. She is very easy to do and play, ideal for a beginner, light mouthed, clean legs, never been lame, Ideal patron/ladies pony. Can be tried now in chukkas. £4,750 jo.davies@yahoo.co.uk 07971 237184 (Herts) TWO EXCEPTIONAL PONIES FOR SALE DUE TO POLO SABBATICAL: Couple having a polo sabbatical sadly selling two exceptional ponies-too good to leave in the field. Both came from Argentina, 3rd season here.

Corazon - 14.2hh bay mare, 7 year old, brilliant ladies pony, no vices, very courageous in the ride off. Zilla 16hh bay mare, 6 year old, plays like a dream, suited for bigger men. £5000ono each Tel: 07706 934 697.

7 PONIES FOR SALE 5 - 8K, ALL 7 - 11 YEARS: 7 easy and uncomplicated polo ponies for sale. Have all played low goal at Guards last 3 years. Will suit PC and low goal players. Please call Ollie Browne (Berkshire area) for more info 07770 256 010 TEENAGE POLO: Surtees/Loriner/Langford/Schools polo - 3 ponies ready for younger players. Have given us 4 years of fun both outside and arena. 14 years. £3000 each. Good home priority. franceswoodd@hotmail.com 07803 495666 TWO 15.2HH ENGLISH THOROUGHBREDS, AGED 6 AND 13: See Kirtlington's website for Monzie and Teddy. We've had Monzie since she was 2 years old, and Teddy's her son. Both really genuine ponies, reliable, fast, easy to play/manage. Email tom.morrison@devec.com. Tel: 07801 842166 POLO PONIES AND YOUNG STOCK FOR SALE: We have a selection of polo ponies and young stock for sale to suit all abilities. All home bred out of ex-high goal mares by our half American Quarter Horse stallion.

Please contact Gareth on 07930991454 or gareth@carlshead.co.uk MUST BE SOLD: Owned by lady patron, but don't suit her. Tsunami 5 years old 15.2hh TB off the track played chukkas and low goal this season ready to go on. £3800 ono. Samurai 5 years old 15.1hh TB off the track done very little this season, nice type! Project horse £offers. Tres Amigos 5 years old TB off the track played chukkas and low goal this season, kicks occasionally, got potential if that can be fixed - £offers. Tel: 07711 476222 TRANSPORT AND MACHINERY IVECO 75 TECTOR HORSEBOX NON HGV 7.5KG Y REG: Super polo wagon, partitioned for 6, brand new conversion, sliding windows/roof vents, superb granolithic rubber flooring throughout, galvanized partitions, internal lights, wagon immaculate. £15,500 +VAT Contact:Qtpiedeluxe@hotmail.co.uk or call 07836 551227

DRIVER AVAILABLE: Professional, freelance arctic or rigid driver available, with polo pony experience. Clean LGV class C+E licence for 4 years. No accident claims.

References available. Oxford/Henley based. Call Jonathan on 07810 772778 or email pellyfry@aol.com HORSE TRANSPORT & FREELANCE CLASS 1 DRIVER FOR HIRE: Horse transport & driver available.

Also freelance driver/groom. 25+ years experience working with & transporting horses in the UK & Europe.

Class 1/O/CPC licence holder & DEFRA approved.

01794 323195 - 07786 475123 (Hants/Wilts based).

EXCELLENT 4 HORSE ON AIR SUSPENSION 7.5T NON HGV: Reliable and easy drive. Large tack area.

Bright horse area with lots of windows, roof vents.

Power horse wash. CCTV. Tilt sleeper cab. Owner giving up, so great price. Taxed, tested, only £9,950. Call 07775 784298 or 01347 838065. (York) info@millennium-studio.co.uk EQUIPMENT POLO SADDLES AND EQUIPMENT FOR SALE: 2 x good condition second hand polo saddles. 1 English Colt. 1 English Roxtons £250 per saddle. Also available, bandages, fleeces, turnout and stable rugs. Call Emma Oliver on 07900 888057.

SCOREBOARDS AND CLOCKS ESPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR POLO: Outdoor and arena sizes. Fully electronic, displaying the time counting down, both scores and chukka number. Automatic bell/horn.

Controlled wirelessly by a remote control you can even wear on your arm. Visit www.SportingDesigns.co.uk or call +44 (0)7860 303217 LIVERY LIVERY SERVICES – HAMPSHIRE: Full range of stud/livery services including foaling, weaning, breaking and rest & recuperation from injury. For further details contact Mike 07974 023503 at Kentford Farm Stud (Hampshire) .www.kentfordfarmstud.co.uk WINTER LIVERY: Winter livery available to include 24 hour supervision, haylage, all horses’ day to day needs, removal of rugs on warm days, grooming, stable if required, fittening for start of 2010 season if required, excellent references. Tel 07900 404209 WINTER GRAZING AVAILABLE WILTS/GLOS BORDER: Excellent grazing 70 acres in 3 fields mares & geldings, secure and checked daily hay included £20 wk facilities to bring in if required. Storage space to park lorry if required. Cirencester 6 miles. Phone 07835 965972 for further details WINTER BARNS AVAILABLE: Experienced yard has vacancies for in-wintering ponies and/or young stock in covered barns. Convenient location 5 miles east of Winchester. Tel: 01962 771267 WINTER GRAZING AVAILABLE SURREY/SUSSEX/HAMPSHIRE: Excellent grazing available on sandy ground, secure fields, automatic water, 24 hour security, checked daily, hay included, facilities available to bring in if required, storage space to park box if needed. Phone 07714 850951 for further details.

SITUATIONS WANTED ENGLISH SPEAKING PLAYING GROOM: One or two goal English speaking playing groom wanted for 2010 low goal season. Individual packages to suit with guaranteed playing perks. For more information please contact sa@sussexpolo.co.uk MISCELLANEOUS

2 GOAL PRO, 6 GOAL ARENA PRO, B GRADE UMPIRE AVAILABLE FOR LESSONS: for enthusiastic people keen to improve their game within their capabilities - from nervous rider to capable up and coming players. You will be taught in a friendly and fun atmosphere, with the objective of becoming a valuable member of any team even as a relative new-comer to polo. Outdoor and arena facilities for lessons all year round in Oxfordshire. Please call James for further enquiries – 07800 517869

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New-style classified adverts for ponies Now you can add a colour photograph of your horse to your classified advert in the magazine for an extra £15 + VAT. Prices for subscribers £15 for 30 words and £5 for every additional 10 words. Plus £15 for a photo in the magazine and on the website, or £5 for a photo on the website only.

Prices for non-subscribers £20 for 30 words and £5 for every additional 10 words. Plus £15 for a photo in the magazine and on the website, or £5 for a photo on the website only. All prices + VAT

Email admin@polotimes.co.uk, telephone 01993 886885

or visit www.polotimes.co.uk When you contact advertisers, please mention that you saw them in Polo Times

www.polotimes.co.uk September 2009 81

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The last word

A Week

excitement of the Pony Club champs still to come.

in the life of. .

TUESDAY 4 AUGUST was Cowdray camp preparation day. Our groom had the day off, so I set about checking the ponies’ tack, feed and the power and gas levels in the horseboxes. I collected the Avon Vale marquee from the Carey family, as they were unable to bring it on Wednesday as Tom Carey was playing for Tidworth Gannon at Les Lions.

On Wednesday, the Rendell boys and I travelled to Cowdray to set up the camp, bagging ourselves a good view of Lawns Three for our marquee – which would serve as our HQ for the weekend. We returned to Wiltshire that evening.

I PUT THE HORSES OUT on Thursday at 6am, to give them a few hours’ grass before travelling. Once we’d got them in and washed down, we headed for Cowdray at 11am, feeling as though we were off on holiday. That evening, once the horses were settled into their stables, the teams got together to talk tactics and mingle with the opposition before my leggy Midhurst-based niece Freya arrived with lasagne for 20! We were in bed by 11.30pm.

Photograph by Yolanda Carslaw

PONY CLUB WEEK is as busy as it gets for me – my aim is to ensure that as many Avon Vale Pony Club polo players as possible get their chance at Cowdray. Given that we don’t have a single polo ground in the Avon Vale hunt district, it can be a demanding task! As branch manager, I need to form our teams, bringing in players from elsewhere as required, and place any remaining branch players in other branches’ sides. Then I co-ordinate the vast amounts of logistics of organising them for their games. I’m also manager of the Tidworth Junior HPA side and am a Pony Club mum myself, with various ponies and four sons to keep an eye on.

TWO OF MY SONS – Orlando and Marcus – played at Cowdray this year – my eldest Tarquin, is 21 and too old to play Pony Club or Junior HPA, but in June he captained the Oxford University side that won against Cambridge at Kirtlington. Theo, my 14-yearold, played Junior HPA, in a rather eventful affair. He joined a Druids Lodge team led by Eden Ormerod, but broke his left arm whilst messing around with a foot mallet after their first match. They found a substitute for their second game, but his fracture recovered enough 10 days later for him to play our lighter ponies thereafter. However, his team-mate Archie Smyth-Osbourne then came down with swine flu, which he thinks he picked up on International Day! ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY, 2-3 August, last pre-qualifiers for Cowdray took place.

Play was at Tidworth – the most local club 82 September 2009 www.polotimes.co.uk

Diana Wethered

The award-winning Pony Club branch manager tells James Mullan about the sweat, excitement and drama that precedes Cowdray’s showdown, but says it still feels like a holiday to our home in Avebury, near Marlborough – and it was a crucial outing for our two Avon Vale sides, as both were anxious to make it to Cowdray. I went over early on the Sunday, put the finishing touches to the puddings I’d agreed to provide for the branch managers’ lunch, and at 11am returned home to collect four ponies for the afternoon’s polo.

Our Loriner side, with my son Marcus, won, but Orlando’s Rendell side controversially lost their second game to a disallowed goal.

Avon Vale Rendell had to win their last game on Monday to be assured of a place at Cowdray, while our Loriner side could cling to their spot in the top Loriner division with a win from their remaining three one-chukka games. Fortunately, both teams managed it, so I returned home happy, with all the

DESPITE THE EARLY night, the Avon Vale sides lost everything the next morning, although the Tidworth Junior HPA side I put together beat the Beaufort to take fifth place in Gannon at midday. We didn’t have polo that afternoon, so went shopping in Midhurst before another huge supper brought by my niece. It was hard to tell if the numbers for dinner had risen in the hope of catching a glimpse of Freya’s legs or because of the reputation of her cooking but either way, we had quite a late night.

SATURDAY BROUGHT no more success for the Avon Vale, who lost their Loriner and Rendell games. However, by lunchtime the river had subsided enough from Thursday’s rain to allow the children to take the ponies swimming bareback.

Everyone got soaked as the ponies enjoyed thrashing around, then we had a fantastic asado and party organised by Mike Smith for all the 300 or so at the championships.

OUR FINAL CHUKKAS on Sunday ended in defeat, though the Rendell side made an excellent game of it and only lost on a run-down. Marcus got the chance to play in the Loriner final, subbing for an injured player from Surrey Union A, and scoring their only goal as they too fell to defeat.

The parade followed, we dismantled the camp during the finals and got away after the prize-giving at 4.30pm. We arrived home, exhausted, at 7pm, gave the horses a run in the fields, and settled down for a well-earned rest! F ◗ Diana received the Tony Gilks award for most organised Pony Club team manager

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Per Bound Cover Issue 8

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Polo Times September 2009