Polo Times December2021 January2022

Volume 26 • Issue 11 • December 2021 / January 2022 • £6.50

TRIPLE CROWN RESULTS Hurlingham & Argentine Open Finals SUPA UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE 50 Youth Teams Compete THE EGYPT ARMY POLO TOUR HACKETT British Army in Cairo PLUS: Equine Injury Prevention, Christmas Workout & 2021 Nutrition Review

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“Polo Times is undoubtedly the most influential contemporary polo magazine” Horace Laffaye

Contents Publisher Nick Hine publisher@polotimes.co.uk

Editor in Chief

What’s inside…

December 2021/ January 2022

Richenda Hine richenda@polotimes.co.uk

Editorial Rosabella Hine rosabella@polotimes.co.uk

Principal Design James Morgan

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Design Alice Ruddy

Financial Controller Angie Clark accounts@polotimes.co.uk

Accounts & Administration Assistant Rosalind Cutter ads@polotimes.co.uk Administration Assistant Lynne Berry

14 News

Contributors: Lorna Edgar, Matt Kenna,

Dr.med. Andreas Krüger, Nathaniel McCullagh, Simon Ledger, Rege Ludwig, Nigel Mercer, India Parker-Smith, Tony Ramirez & Jason Warren

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Features 10 12

Cover photograph: Camilo ‘Jeta’ Castagnola has become the youngest 10 goal rated player in Argentine history. By Alice Gipps

Contact details

Hill Farm Studios, Wainlodes Lane, Bishops Norton, Glos, GL2 9LN Tel: 01452 730770 email:admin@polotimes.co.uk

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Call on +44 (0)1452 730 770 Subscribe online: www.polotimes.co.uk © Polo Times Limited 2021 and Database Right 2021 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 Publisher. ‘Polo Times’ is the trade mark of Polo Times Limited. ISSN 1461-4685

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Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

All the Latest News Obituary: Sir Charles ‘Cow’ Williams

Big Picture Simply Learning Tuition: Complexities of Adolescence

Military Polo 43 44

Knowledge 46 48

Reports

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52 54 56

The 128th RUS Hurlingham Open The 128th HSBC Argentine Open The Pilar Cup The VIII Thai Polo Cup

Club Focus 29

Your Club News from Home and Abroad

Women’s Polo 32 35 36

V Women’s Argentine Open A Round-Up of Women’s Polo II Thai Pink Polo Cup

Youth Polo 37 39

A Round-Up of Military Polo The Egypt Army Polo Tour

Polodoc: Precision in Decision Playing Tips with Rege Ludwig: The Polo Style of Riding Chukka Wellness: 12 Days of Christmas Workout Schedule Tola Performance: 2021 Lessons Learnt Nutrition Focus: Over and Out 2021!

Equine Chiropractor: Injury Prevention

Sidelines 58 Gossip

Polo Directory 60 Classifieds 62 What’s On in December 2021/January 2022

Final Bell 64

Passions: Dillon Bacon

Summary of Youth Polo SUPA University Challenge www.polotimes.co.uk

P O LO’S O RI G INAL SUPP O RT ER S , A N D M A S T E R S I N O U R F I E L D S I N C E 174 9 .

Justerini & Brooks. Portfolio, expertise and personal service.

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News

First out of the stalls, I would like to extend our very best wishes for a peaceful and joyous Christmas to the whole polo community, followed by what I hope will be New Year celebrations which are full of positive thoughts and energy for a fantastic 2022.

Second, thank you to our readers for their continued subscriptions and feedback, to our editorial contributors – it never ceases to amaze me how far and wide the reach of Polo Times is; and last, but by no means least, to our advertisers. Without your collective support, the show would simply not happen.

As this issue of Polo Times was going to print, polo for many, had already moved to sunnier climes. I hope you will enjoy reading about the polo which is being played at all levels overseas. However, let’s not forget that here in the UK, the arena season is in full swing, and despite the winter weather, the stalwarts of arena polo are keeping the faith.

Looking ahead to 2022, the first, the original and arguably the best, snow polo event is being played in St.Moritz on three days, 28-30 January ’22 . Spearheaded by the godfather of snow polo, Reto Gaudenzi and Jürg Reinger, (Managing Director, Evviva Polo St. Moritz AG), this three day sporting and social event is an extravaganza which sees polo’s top human and equine athletes vie for the coveted title, all set to the backdrop that is the magnificence of St.Moritz. If you haven’t yet been, then you simply do not know what you are missing! Getting there is easy and is surely right up there at the top of any bucket list; and whether you take the jet, airliner or humble car, the journey out is always an adventure and once there, I guarantee you will love every minute.

The optimism contained in this issue for the year ahead, is tinged by our reporting on the passing of Sir Charles Williams. Known affectionately as ‘Cow’ to everyone that knew him, words cannot express the kindness of spirit and true friendship that Sir Charles gave to those he liked. From the humble beginnings as reported in Cow’s obituary, through to his hard work, determination and charisma, Cow was deservedly knighted by H.M. The Queen, whilst being revered back home as ‘Mr Barbados’.

Despite being elevated to ‘Sir’, Cow remained remarkably humble. A font of wisdom, Cow’s hard work, combined with his laughter and blunt speaking always made spending time in his company an honour and privilege. His adage, “Wear out – don’t rust out” perfectly sums up his work ethos.

A staunch supporter of polo for decades, Sir Charles particularly supported the Brits.

The polo community the world over is a much poorer place for his passing: R.I.P Sir Charles.

Nick Hine, Publisher

37th Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz Tickets & Teams

Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

The organisers of the 2022 Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz have announced all six team lineups that will be taking part in the prestigious tournament in January 2022.

Team Azerbaijan Land of Fire will be returning once again, no doubt keen to build upon their second place position in 2020; 2019 winners Team Badrutt’s Palace once again have Team Captain Melissa Ganzi at the helm, who became the first female player to win the tournament; Team Clinique La Prairie are one of two new teams to the competition and are certainly ones to watch, with snow polo maestro, Max Charlton featuring on this strong lineup; Team Casablanca will showcase 10 goaler Sapo Caset, on his St. Moritz debut alongside Brit, Jimbo Fewster; Team Perrier-Jouët return once again to the ice and Team World Polo League join the fray for the first time this year, with Team Captain Riley Ganzi at the helm. As always, admission for the general public is free of charge, but sales for the VIP and Chukka Club tickets are in high demand.

2022 Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz Teams: Team Azerbaijan Land of Fire (16): Elcin Jamalli (Team Captain) (2), Adrian Laplacette Jr. (6), Raul Laplacette Jr. (6) & Tito Gaudenzi (2) Team Clinique La Prairie (15): Dillon Bacon (Team Captain) (2), Aristide Faggionato (2), Max Charlton (6) & Robert Strom (5) Team Casablanca (16): Ivan Romanovsky (Team Captain) (0), Jimbo Fewster (4), Misha Rodzianko (2) & Sapo Caset (10) Team Perrier-Jouët (15): Kutlay Yaprak (Team Captain) (0), Luca Meier (0), Valentin Astrada (7) & Isidro Strada (8) Team World Polo League (TBC): Riley Ganzi (Team Captain) (2), Nic Roldan (8), Tommy Biddle (5) & TBC Team Badrutt’s Palace Hotel (16): Melissa Ganzi (Team Captain) (0), Alejandro Novillo Astrada (8), Jason Crowder (5) & Grant Ganzi (3)

Harald Link Selected as Director of THANOC

Photograph by Thai Polo Equestrian Club

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Six teams will take to the snow for this year’s Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz

Photograph by Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz

from the Publisher

It was announced on Monday 1 November, that Dr. Harald Link, President of the Thailand Equestrian Federation, has been nominated and selected to be one of the directors of Olympic Committee of Thailand Under Royal Patronage (THANOC) Year 2021 – 2024.

Harald Link has been selected as a THANOC director

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& CHUKKER CLUB

GRANDSTAND snowpolo-stmoritz.com +41(0)79 953 51 31 info@snowpolo-stmoritz.com

#snowpolo

28-29-30 JANUARY 2022

on the frozen lake of St. Moritz

snowpolo-stmoritz.com

snowpolostmoritz

News 2022 BMW NZ Polo Open

Plans are well underway for the 2022 BMW NZ Polo Open which will take place at Auckland Polo Club, Clevedon on Sunday 20 February, with their 2022 event marking their 45th anniversary. BMW NZ Polo Open, Executive Director, Lucy Ainsley commented, “We’ve been working hard behind the scenes to ensure an exceptional experience for guests and sponsors, the best of NZ polo matched with plenty of side-line action. After a long year of lockdown restrictions, this eclectic mix of sport, fashion and music is where everyone should be, enjoying summer to the fullest.”

Health & Safety of guests, sponsors and

Photograph by BMW NZ Polo Open

Photograph by HPA

HPA Lifetime Achievement Awards

The 2022 BMW NZ Polo Open will be played on Sunday 20 February

everyone involved with BMW NZ Polo Open 2022 is paramount. The event will comply with all Covid-19 government regulations and requirements.

Sandpolo 2022 Entertainment Announced

Jilly Emerson & Jeremy Barber with their HPA Lifetime Achievement Awards

Photograph by Sandpolo

In 2019, Jilly Emerson and Jeremy Barber were given Lifetime Achievement Awards by the Hurlingham Polo Association but due to Covid-19 they had been unable to be presented with their awards. However, on Sunday 21 November, the HPA put together a lunch for 40 guests in the Clubhouse at Cowdray Park Polo Club and Jeremy and Jilly were finally presented with their awards!

With over 6,000 guests attending each year, Sandpolo has become one of the biggest polo events in Britain and 2022 will see it enter its 15th year. Alongside the polo and the stunning backdrop of Sandbanks, there is of course the evening entertainment, which has been confirmed for 2022 as Boogie on the Beach on Friday 8 July followed by an Encore Beach Party on Saturday 9 July.

Sandpolo will be returning in 2022

Global Polo & ESPN

On Wednesday 1 December, it was announced that Global Polo Entertainment, the entertainment and media subsidiary of USPA Global Licensing Inc. has signed an agreement with ESPN which will bring seven 2022 Finals to ESPN. These include: the 2022 GAUNTLET OF POLO, The U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship and the 2022 FIP World Polo Championship on ESPN3 and ESPN2. “The goal of this symbiotic and

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Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

historic deal with ESPN and ESPNU is to reach more sports fans in the U.S. and attract new audiences by delivering more polo sport and lifestyle content in new ways” commented J. Michael Prince, President and CEO of USPA Global Licensing.

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Coming Early 2022 IMPROVING POLO SKILLS

By Rege Ludwig Have you ever considered what the horse is going through to play the game with you? Are you aware of how to help the horse play more effectively for you? Both topics are discussed in the book and associated booklets on The Polo Style of Riding. They are also demonstrated in the videos dealing with The Polo Style of Riding.

In a game, have you ever wondered what position you are in at any given moment, or what the objective of that position is? Both are described in the book and booklets associated with Polo, Strategy of the Game.

Do you know what the Plane of Swing is, or what the significance of it is relative to the direction of the hit? Those details are described in the book and associated booklets on Hitting the Polo Ball. They are also demonstrated in the videos on Hitting the Polo Ball.

More information can be found on my website RegePolo.com

News 2022 Hall of Fame Inductees

Photography by Hall of Fame

Photograph by PRC

2022 Polo Rider Cup

Hamburger Polo Club team

Hamburger Polo Club (Caesar Crasemann (4), Heinrich Dumrath (4), Caspar Crasemann (4) & Daniel Crasemann (4)) has joined Las Brisas Polo Club of Chicago in the field of the 2022 Polo Rider Cup, which will be held from 8 – 18 June 2022 at the Polo Club do Domaine de Chantilly. Daniel Crasemann, Captain of Hamburger Polo Club, commented: “It’s a great challenge for our team to return to the Polo Rider Cup, potentially the new ‘grand slam’ of European Polo and probably one of the best-organized tournaments of our continent. We are very happy to support all the work and effort that Olivier, Benoît and their team are putting into this special event.”

Cynthia Lola & Charles Smith

The Museum of Polo & Hall of Fame has announced that the inductees for 2022 will be: Tommy Biddle, Jr. and the late Cornelius Vanderbilt “C.V. or Sonny” Whitney; the Iglehart Award Inductees for outstanding lifetime contributions to the sport are Danny Scheraga and to be honoured posthumously will be the late Dr. Horace Laffaye; and honourees as “Horses to Remember” are Charles Smith’s great mare Cynthia Lola, and notable pony, Jacobs.

AAP Raise Four Players’ Handicaps

Photograph by AAP

Photograph by Matias Callejo

Cámara de Diputados Cup

The late Cornelius Vanderbilt “C.V. or Sonny” Whitney

La Irenita, winners of The Cámara de Diputados Cup

On Tuesday 7 December, La Irenita II defeated La Fija 13-12 in The Cámara de Diputados Cup, one of the most prestigious titles of the Argentine spring season. The first four and a half chukkas saw La Irenita dominate, thanks to the sensational performance of Facundo Fernández Llorente alongside his cousin Tomás Fernández Llorente, while La Fija attempted a comeback in the fifth chukka and came to within just one goal of their opponents, but La Irenita II persevered and scored the winning goal in the final chukka to secure the win.

This result means that La Irenita II will qualify for the playoff on Sunday 12 December, where they will face Alegria, with the winner securing the eighth spot in the 2022 Triple Crown and joining La Natividad, La Dolfina Saudi, Ellerstina Johor, RS Murus Sanctus, LD Brava, La Ensenada Brubank and La Irenita.

Cámara de Diputados Cup Final Teams: La Irenita II (28): Facundo Fernández Llorente (7), Tomás Fernández Llorente (7), Martín Podestá (7), Juan Agustín García Grossi (7) La Fija (28): Raúl Colombres (7), Ezequiel Martínez Ferrario (7), Ignacio Negri (7), Felipe Vercellino (7) 8

Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

The Hine & Escobar brothers’ handicaps have been raised

The Argentine Polo Association (AAP) has decided to modify the handicaps of Nico and Lucas Escobar and Ned and Louis Hine in an unscheduled handicap raise. As of Tuesday 9 November, the handicaps of these players will be: Lucas Escobar: 3 goals Nico Escobar: 4 goals Ned Hine: 4 goals Louis Hine: 3 goals These modifications do not alter in any way their participation in official competitions where they are already registered for more than the total group handicap of the team exceeds the maximum of the tournament in question. These four players will not be affected by their participation in future official competitions that they decide to participate in this season. This will be accepted when the team exceeds the maximum of each tournament only by the same difference of the increase suffered by each player.

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News Obituary Sir Charles ‘Cow’ Williams 24 November 1932 – 19 November 2021

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Photograph by ©www.imagesofpolo.com

Sir Charles Othneil Williams received his honours for his huge contribution to construction, sport, agriculture and business in Barbados and the West Indies. There is a long and interesting history behind the man with the quirky nickname based on his initials.

Early jobs included working on plantations and sugar factories in Barbados, it was here that he “learned that a job title means nothing, work is work!”, followed by a turn of luck that saw him managing a farm at the age of just 28-years-old.

Knowing full well that agriculture was an up-and-down venture Cow was determined to turn a buck and make a penny in every way possible. He kept all sorts of livestock, especially pigs, started a small dairy and converted a sailing fishing boat with an outboard engine to fish commercially with three fishermen.

Cow’s brother, Richard, who was working in Florida at the time, called to say there was a lot of Caterpillar equipment, which had been spirited out of Cuba when Castro was nationalising the country. He explained that it was the equivalent of a “yard sale” and asked Cow if he would like him to buy one of the machines?

Cow was able to borrow $5,000 and buy a 15-year-old D6 Caterpillar, at the same time Richard Costain, a construction company in England, was at this time building the new deep water harbour and was looking for a dozer to spread the dredge fill and demolish some unbelievably outstanding old Barbados homes. Cow negotiated to demolish the homes and get the contract to put his tractor in the seawater to spread the fill. This was, you would understand, a 24-hour job and he had to fit in many a time to help exhausted operators, but earned enough profit to equip the tractor through the Caterpillar agency with all the necessary agricultural implements. It was then that C.O. Williams Construction Company was born. In 1966, while on vacation, fishing with friends from Trinidad, Hugh Gransaul asked him if he knew that General Crude, an oil company from Texas, was going to drill for oil in Barbados. He said no.

Hugh immediately volunteered to write to the president of the company and introduce Cow. Cow got the contract to prepare the locations with the help of his then father-in-law, Carson Walcott, and a young operator whom he had taught to operate, Wendall Butcher. It was here that Cow learned that there was no such thing as ‘time’ in an oil company’s modus operandi. It had to be done, period. Cow formed a limited liability company in 1969 with a young man called Micky Hutchinson and C.O. Williams Construction Limited was on the way. Both men had very similar work practices and ambitions and the company grew to become one of the largest civil construction firms in the West Indies, working from St Vincent and the Grenadines to the Bahamas.

The day that Cow went to work in 1951, his mother gave him the best advice that he has ever had: “Son, save your money and buy land. The Lord is making no more.” Cow never departed from that policy. Apes Hill was a sugar plantation, which he bought in 1981 and converted into a dairy farm, which Stephen, his eldest son, then managed. It was at this time that he realised that the production of sugar was a dying means of earning a living and agriculture, on the whole, was difficult. And so his construction operation led him to Apes Hill, the dairy farm from which he relocated the cows and turned the property into an amazing polo, golf and residential community.

In the polo world we remember Sir Charles ‘Cow’ Williams as a polo player who has played in Barbados and throughout the

Caribbean all his life, with strong connections with the UK – he played here extensively from 1973 to 1991 and in later years he was known for his support of the English high goal. In 2006 Cow went to the Gold Cup with the Hipwoods, the Morleys and the Vesteys, and watched the game with a real feeling of disbelief, “There I was sitting in the grandstands watching the British Open and the game was being played by six Argentines, an Aussie and a Swiss and I felt nostalgic because I remembered the days of when I first started out in English polo. I couldn’t understand why some Englishman with deep pockets didn’t help these English boys out. I was accustomed in the ’70s and ’80s to seeing people like Mr Ronnie Driver, Mr Moller, Mr Galon Weston, Harold Bamburg, Anthony Embericos, David Jamison, etc, sponsoring the likes of Paul Withers, the Hipwood brothers, Alan Kent, Johnny Kidd, etc, but there I was, sitting with Luke Tomlinson and Malcolm Borwick and they weren’t being supported.” So with his usual enthusiasm he threw himself into the role of patron of the Apes Hill high goal team which included four Englishmen in 2007 and 2008. In 2009 the line up changed to include three Englishmen and an Argentinean who went on to win the iconic Queen’s Cup. As a man of incredible vigour and one of the best advertisements for his favourite adage of: “Wear out – don’t rust out” which he liked to base his work ethos on, Sir Charles became the oldest active polo player in 2015 and was knighted by Her Majesty The Queen in 2000 for his contributions to Barbados’ development. The Barbados and wider polo community lost one of its most ardent supporters and charismatic businessmen after Cow sadly passed away on Friday 19 November at 88-years-old, just a few days from his 89th birthday.

Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

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picture picture

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XXXXXXXXX Autumn Army Tour XXXXXXXXXXXXX

w XXXXXXXXXXXX

While the temperature dipped, the storms rolled in and the trees began to shed their leaves at home in the UK, the HACKETT British Army Polo Team travelled to Egypt to compete in The Kings Club Team at The Kings Club, just outside of Cairo. In between the polo tour, the team managed to fit in camel riding, a visit to the pyramids and galloping through the desert, with the talented Sam Churchill on hand to capture every moment. w Sam Churchill Photography

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Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

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Simply Learning Tuition

Photograph by ©www.imagesofpolo.com

Advertorial Feature

Congratulate rather than criticise

Complexities of Adolescence A guide to positive parenting your teenager

I

f you are feeling disconnected from your teenager and they are regularly complaining that you don’t understand them, don’t trust them or are generally “ruining their lives” – fear not, you are not alone!

Being a teenager is actually much 12

Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

harder than being an adult. Their bodies are undergoing a difficult combination of extensive hormonal changes at the same time as they are required to develop new relationship skills. Simply Learning Tuition hope the following ideas are helpful:

1. Read Between the Lines Teenagers are not the best communicators so sometimes you will need to read between the lines. Even if you don’t agree with what they are saying, it is often best to empathise with them and show your understanding for their concern. What might seem like an irrelevant www.polotimes.co.uk

Simply Learning Tuition issue to you may be a significant issue to them.

Don’t always try to solve their problems, but listen and discuss them together. Then empower them to find the solution.

2. Routine, Routine, Routine A clear structure and routine benefits everyone. Teenagers may claim that they want freedom and autonomy, but home comforts and rituals are often more important to fostering a feeling of security than they realise. So, keep going with the Friday night takeaways, Saturday morning polo and the weekend shopping trips. These activities will keep you connected and make them feel as though they still matter to you.

It is also important to consider sleep routines. Most teenagers will have a completely different body clock to younger siblings and parents and will need time at the weekend to catch up on sleep. However, it is still a good idea to establish a weekend wake-up time to keep their sleep hygiene in good order. For example, perhaps a Sunday morning park run at 11am, allowing time for a lie-in before doing some exercise.

3. Empathise with Teenagers About Their Workload

Being a teenager also comes with the pressure of completing secondary school examinations, such as GCSE’s, A-Levels or the IB. When your teen comes home complaining about their workload the best thing you can do is to empathise with them, and offer support where you can. Can you proofread their essay, test them on their revision, or even bring them a cup of tea if they are up late working? Making them feel supported will work wonders for your relationship. If you feel problems are acute and they would benefit from additional external support, you can also consider investing in an experienced private tutor or mentor.

Achieving the academic results your child deserves is like baking a cake. You need to make sure they have all the right ingredients that make up the recipe for success. These ingredients include happiness, engagement, confidence and motivation. Once they have all of these in place, positive results will follow. If you feel your child isn’t entirely happy in their current school do not be afraid to consider a change – it is rarely too late.

4. Sex, Drugs & Relationships

It is highly likely that your child, even if they are confined within the walls of a rural boarding school, will be exposed to some form of alcohol and drugs during their teenage years. The best thing you can do as a parent is to make sure they have been prepared for this time and that they understand the impacts that these substances can have on their mind and body. They need to know who to talk to if they have questions.

When it comes to sex education, most www.polotimes.co.uk

parents, given the chance, would prefer never to think of their teenage child having sex, and your teenager does not want to think about you having sex either.

Nevertheless, human sexuality is such that both are likely events. In an ideal world, you have already laid the groundwork for developing a healthy dialogue with them about sex, rather than thinking a solitary sex talk is sufficient. Even if you don’t feel comfortable talking about sex you can take opportunities to bring sex and relationships up in conversations and into the context of family values. If you can, it is best to remain open and approachable for your child so they feel they can talk to you if necessary, rather than keeping secrets that may lead to issues later down the line.

5. Work Together

Give out compliments rather than criticism whenever possible; teens can be very defensive, which often stems from underlying insecurities. For example, if you have gone to watch them play polo, avoid giving them tips after the game, but rather congratulate them for getting out there and competing. Focus on the positives, so instead of nagging them for having a messy room thank them for putting their dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Avoiding conflict when you can and ‘picking your battles’ can often be the best option for the whole family.

It is also important to manage your expectations. Sit down with your child and make sure that your aspirations and goals align. If you have one idea of the direction you want them to go and they are heading down a different path then conflict is inevitable. For budding sportsmen or women, this can be particularly challenging. It really is helpful to get a deep understanding of what their ‘teenager identity’ involves, and how they will be pulled in all sorts of directions by teachers, friends and their own inner battles as well as their perceived expectations from you.

Working together and guiding them on their path to growing up will ensure they stay on track, and ultimately get the results they need.

6. Manage Their Screen Time

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everyday lives and it is becoming more and more challenging to manage screen time.

Teenagers have far less resistance than most of us. Not only does the time spent on social media and instant messaging platforms affect their positions in the social hierarchy, but an increasing number of school work tasks are facilitated by a mobile phone, tablet or computer. The best way to reduce ‘screen addiction’ is to tackle it as a family, with parents leading by example. Decide specific times of day where screens are not allowed, for example, during dinner time or an hour before bedtime. You can also discuss how to manage screen time together, such as using the functions offered by your smartphone, like turning off notifications, and using ‘sleep mode’. A team approach will ensure your teen doesn’t feel too hard done by.

7. Let Them Host Their Friends Allowing your teens to build their friendships away from school is important.

Letting them do this around the safety of the family home is even better. Seeing how your teen interacts with their friends will help you get to know them better. So, let them host a small dinner party, or bring a friend along to the family outing at the weekend. Not only will your teen get more enjoyment from the occasion, they will also feel a greater degree of trust from you which will help build your relationship.

8. Instil Trust & Freedom

Unless you have a specific reason, there is no need to helicopter-parent your teen. It might seem daunting seeing your child all dressed up and leaving the house, but remember that was you not so long ago. Making mistakes is a huge part of growing up and allowing your teen to learn from their mistakes is key to their development as healthy, resilient people. It is of course necessary to ask them for a little reassurance and clarity about their plans before they set off, if they feel trusted sharing what they are up to will come a lot more naturally to them.

If you, and your child, would like any help and guidance at any point during your child’s education then please do not hesitate to get in touch with one of our education consultants.

Smartphones play a fundamental role in our

If you are worried about a teenager

Sadly, many young people are at real risk of self-harm and even suicide during their adolescence. Their pain can be hidden deep inside – constrained by shame that stops them asking for help from parents, or friends, who might never know something is wrong.

If you sense things are getting difficult, don’t hesitate to contact one of the following organisations: James’ Place: www.jamesplace.org.uk The Samaritans: www.samaritans.org Tel: 116 123 (24/7) For help and advice on anything else, please call Simply Learning Tuition: www.simplylearningtuition.co.uk Tel: 0207 350 1981

Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

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Reports

The 128th RUS Hurlingham Open

Hurlingham History Made

Photography by Matías Callejo / Prensa AAP

La Natividad add names to history books

Polito Pieres reaches for the ball

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Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

www.polotimes.co.uk

The 128th RUS Hurlingham Open

Reports

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Where: The Hurlingham Club, Argentina

H

istory was made on Saturday 6 November, as La Natividad defeated RS Murus Sanctus 14-8 and secured the team’s first ever Triple Crown title. This was also the first Triple Crown title for the Castagnola brothers, Jeta and Barto and team mate Ignatius du Plessi, as well as being the first Argentine Triple Crown title for 13 years and 38 Finals not to feature either La Dolfina or Ellerstina; this was Polito Pieres’ fourth Hurlingham Open title, having won in 2016, 2017 and 2018 with Ellerstina.

La Natividad had an excellent Final from the offset, leading 2-1 by the end of the first chukka and they pushed ahead in the second chukka to extend their advantage to 4-1. Interestingly, neither team managed to score in the third chukka, but La Natividad outscored RS Murus Sanctus, working seamlessly as a team with Jeta lethal in attack, Barto seemingly always in the right place at the right time, Pieres demonstrating his experience and Du Plessis providing an impregnable back door of defence. This teamwork enabled La Natividad to limit the effectiveness of RS Murus Sanctus’ 10 goal powerhouse, Juan Martín Nero, which

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Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

15

Reports

The 128th RUS Hurlingham Open

Hurlingham Open Final Teams

BPP BPP, presented by the AAP: Monkey Puzzle (Osh Kosh x Cheeky Monkey SPC), played by Polito Pieres La Natividad (36) Camilo Castagnola (9) Polito Pieres (9) Bartolomé Castagnola Jr. (9) Ignatius du Plessis (9)

RS Murus Sanctus (39) Facundo Sola (9) Guillermo Caset (10) Pablo Mac Donough (10) Juan Martín Nero (10)

Chukka scores: 2-1, 4-1, 4-1, 6-3, 9-5, 11-5, 13-8, 14-8 to La Natividad Daniel Kearney Cup, presented by the Hurlingham Club: Open Voina (Ellerstina Pícaro x Grappa Gallera), played by Polito Pieres

BPP

meant that over four chukkas (second, third, fourth and sixth) RS Murus Sanctus were not able to convert goals nor capitalise on fouling opportunities. By the end of the seventh chukka, the result was almost a foregone conclusion, with La Natividad up 13-8 and RS Murus Sanctus needing to score five goals just to push the match into over-time.

However, it wasn’t to be and with another

Editor’s Note: Monkey Puzzle was chosen as the Polo Times Best Playing Pony at The Valerie Halford Memorial Trophy at Guards Polo Club in June 2019!

BPP

Argentine Association of Horse Breeders’ Best Playing Pony: Latia Ramona (Open Cabernet x Future Rayuela), played by Barto Castagnola

goal from Barto (he scored nine throughout the match, making him the top scorer of the Final), La Natividad secured their first Hurlingham Open title, 14-8, much to the delight of the onlooking supporters, family and friends.

Top tournament goal scorer: Barto Castagnola with

31 goals

MVP Javier Novillo Astrada MVP Award: Polito Pieres

Fair Play Award: Camilo Castagnola Guillermo Villanueva & Gastón Lucero

La Natividad, winners of The Hurlingham Open

16

Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

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Reports

The 128th HSBC Argentine Open

La Natividad Navigate Way to Success Hurlingham & Argentine Open titles

20

Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

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The 128th HSBC Argentine Open

The 128th Argentine Open Final Teams La Natividad (36) Camilo Castagnola (9) Polito Pieres (9) Barto Castagnola (9) Ignatius du Plessis (9)

La Dolfina Saudi (37) Adolfo Cambiaso (10) Francisco Elizalde (9) David ‘Pelón’ Stirling (10) Alejandro Muzzio (8)

Chukka scores: 3-1, 4-4, 6-4, 9-5, 10-6, 11-7, 13-9, 15-13 to La Natividad

La Natividad, winners of The 128th Argentine Open

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Reports

O

n Saturday 11 December, history was made in Palermo as youth triumphed over experience in The 128th HSBC Argentine Open Final between La Natividad and La Dolfina Saudi.

La Natividad started strong with an impressive 3-1 lead in the first chukka and although La Dolfina Saudi fought back in the second chukka to level the scores at 4-4, they were outscored 2-0 in the third chukka, widening La Natividad’s advantage to 6-4.

The start of the fourth chukka saw Alejandro Muzzio, who was substituting for an injured Diego Cavanagh, score for La Dolfina Saudi, but once again La Natividad hit back with Jeta Castagnola converting three penalties, with a goal from Barto Castagnola before the end of the chukka, meaning that by half-time they were in the lead, 9-5.

Going into the Final, the teams were poles apart in Argentine Open Final experience, with La Natividad entering their first ever Argentine Open Final, while for La Dolfina it was their 21st Final out of 22 in the team’s history (it was only in 2004 that La Dolfina did not feature in The Argentine Open Final), with 14 wins and seven losses over that time. Meanwhile the individual player statistics were similarly stark, with Adolfo Cambiaso holding 17 titles and Pelon Stirling nine, while the La Natividad players had each yet to claim the illustrious title.

After such a thrilling fourth chukka, the fifth was more mellowed, with just one goal from each team, but some solid efforts from La Dolfina Saudi saw them pull back into the action, bringing the scores to 14-13 with just a few minutes left to play. Just before the final bell rang out, Jeta picked up a lost ball from Polito and scored his 47th goal of the tournament, making him the top goal scorer overall, and securing La Natividad their 15-13 win.

With a sensational game by Barto, author of six goals, the effectiveness of his brother Jeta in the execution of fouls (the tournament's top scorer), the solidity of Nachi Du Plessis and the strength of Polito Pieres, La Natividad achieved a sensational triumph that will remain in the history of polo after breaking La Dolfina Saudi’s eight year winning streak. 2021 has been an unusual year for La Dolfina as they have not achieved a single Triple Crown title, with La Natividad winning The Hurlingham Open and Argentine Open and Ellerstina securing The Tortugas Open.

Following on from their Hurlingham Open Final win, it is therefore little surprise to see Jeta, Barto and Polito all raised to 10 goals, a first for the Castagnola duo and a return to the top spot for Pieres.

Jeta Castagnola is now the youngest 10 goal player in Argentine history at 18-years-old.

An exciting new chapter is upon us and we can’t wait to watch more!

Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

21

Reports

The 128th HSBC Argentine Open

Adolfo Cambiaso holds 17 Argentine Open titles

22

Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

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The 128th HSBC Argentine Open

Reports

Photography by Alice Gipps

MVP

Gonzalo Heguy MVP Award: Barto Castagnola MVP, Barto Castagnola, closely followed by Pelón Stirling

FINA

BPP

12 11 V NO

DEC

L

BPP

Best Polo Argentino Bred Presented by the Argentine Polo Pony Breeders Assn. and Sociedad Rural Argentina Award: Open Easy Game, owned and played by Barto Castagnola Gastón Lucero & Guillermo Villanueva

Lady Susan Townley Cup to the BPP: Monkey Puzzle, owned and played

by Polito Pieres

Top tournament goal scorer: Jeta Castagnola

47

Where: Palermo, Argentina Ignatius du Plessis, Barto Castagnloa & Polito Pieres celebrate their win

goals

Fair Play Award: Jeta Castagnola

Rubén Sola Revelation Award: Adolfo ‘Poroto’ Cambiaso Jr.

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Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

23

Reports

The Pilar Cup

Spectacular Fifth Chukka Success El Overo UAE secure Copa Pilar

Action from The Copa Pilar Final

24

Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

www.polotimes.co.uk

The Pilar Cup

T

Where: TAlfredo Lalor de Pilar, Argentina

his year’s Pilar Cup saw 17 teams between 24 and 28 goal compete in the tournament across four leagues. As the qualification tournament for The Cámara de Diputados Cup, with the top 11 teams qualifying, the competition is always fierce between the teams and his year was no different.

On Friday 5 November, El Overo UAE defeated Nuestra Tierra 11-8 in The Copa Pilar Final at the Alfredo Lalor de Pilar

Reports

headquarters. The first half was very even between the two teams and saw Nuestra Tierra get off to a strong start, scoring two early goals. However, El Overo UAE had a fantastic fifth chukka, with a solid run from Alfredo Cappella meaning they dominated the scoreboard and inched closer to the title.

The sixth chukka saw Lucas Monteverde score a decisive goal for El Overo UAE, which cemented their 11-8 victory.

Copa Pilar Teams

FINA

5

L

NOV

El Overo UAE (28) Lucas Monteverde (5) Valerio Zubiaurre (7) Matías Torres Zavaleta (8) Alfredo Cappella Barabucci (8)

BPP Argentine Association of Horse Breeders’ Best Playing Pony: V8 Góndola (Machitos Cielo x V8 Tragamoneda), played by Matías Torres Zavaleta

Nuestra Tierra (27) Alejandro Muzzio (8) Juan Jauretche (7) Santiago Laborde (6) Jared Zenni (6)

BPP Best Playing Pony of the Final: Pite Génesis (Grappa Granado x Medalla), played

by Lucas Monteverde Jr

Guillermo Villanueva & Martín Pascual

Photography by Matías Callejo / Prensa AAP

El Overo UAE, winners of The Copa Pilar

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Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

25

Reports

The VIII Thai Polo Cup

Lavinia Lift VIII Thai Polo Cup

20 NOV

FIN

26

NO

AL

V

Strong Final performance

L

avinia and Bellamar Pampa Norte went head-to-head in The VIII Thai Polo Cup Final on Friday 26 November at Thai Polo Club Argentina, with both teams eager to claim their first title. Lavinia began with an initial half goal handicap advantage and faced fierce opposition in the form of Bellamar Pampa Norte who put on a strong show of their offensive and defensive tactics, but by halftime Lavinia led 5½-3. The half-time interlude included a horsepower vs pony power race with a BMW 5 Series 530 vs a Thai Polo Nearside player riding Odisiana, which resulted in a win apiece.

The second half began with rumours of a

Where: Thai Polo Club Argentina VIII Thai Polo Cup Final Teams Lavinia (13) Ramón Cassino (3) Jack Whitman (0) Carlos María Ulloa (6) Manuel Giménez Villamil (4)

Bellamar Pampa Norte (14) Carlos Braun (1) Ned Hine (4) Santiago Llavallol (4) Javier Guerrero (5)

Lavinia, winners of The VIII Thai Polo Cup

26

Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

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Reports

The VIII Thai Polo Cup

Bellamar Pampa Norte comeback, but by the fifth and sixth chukkas, it was Lavinia who were controlling the action with Carlos María Ulloa and Manuel Giménez Villamil commanding the team from the back and combining well with their forwards, Ramon Cassino and Jack Whitman to secure Lavinia their first Thai Polo Cup title, 10½-4.

BPP

Argentine Association of Horse Breeders’ Best Playing Pony: Future Lituania, played by Carlos María Ulloa

BPP Best Playing Pony of the Final: Alberta Belvedere, played by Carlos María Ulloa

MVP

Fair Play Award: Carlos Braun

Photography by Matias Callejo

Gaston Lucero & Federico Martelli

Carlos María Ulloa

Santiago Llavallol & Carlos María Ulloa

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TRIPLE CROWN RESULTS Hurlingham & Argentine Open Finals SUPA UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE 50 Youth Teams Compete

THE EGYPT ARMY POLO HACKETT British TOUR Army in Cairo

PLUS: Equine Injury

RESULTS TRIPLE CROWN Open Finals Hurlingham & Argentine CHALLENGE SUPA UNIVERSITY 50 Youth Teams Compete POLO TOUR THE EGYPT ARMY in Cairo Army HACKETT British PLUS: Equine Injury

Prevention, Christmas

Workout

& 2021 Nutrition Review

Prevention, Christmas

Workout & 2021

Nutrition Review

TRIPLE CROWN RESULTS Hurlingham & Argenti ne Open Finals SUPA UNIVERSITY 50 Youth Teams CompeCHALLENGE te THE EGYPT ARMY POLO TOUR HACKETT British Army in Cairo

PLUS: Equine Injury

Prevention, Christmas

Workout & 2021 Nutrition

Review

POLO IMMIGRATION SPECIALISTS 01798 343693 WWW.POLOPERMITS.CO.UK Authorised by the OISC Ref No F201400827

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Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

27

Your Club News from Home and Abroad

Club Focus

Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club

Habtoor Polo, winners of The Halloween Cup Final

Mohammed Bin Drai in action for the exhibition match winning team, Terra

Photography by AHPRC

The Club’s Halloween Cup Final was played on Friday 5 November between Habtoor Polo and Hesketh Polo at Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club. Despite taking an early lead, Hesketh Polo’s strong defence prevented Habtoor Polo from scoring in the second chukka and so the scores were tied, 2-2, at half-time. The third chukka saw frenetic activity on both sides, but it was Habtoor Polo who managed to slot two goals through the posts. Hesketh fought back in the fourth chukka, but it was not enough and Habtoor Polo took home the win, 7-5. Sandra Schneider was awarded the Most Valuable Player and Vendimia, played by Mohammed Al Habtoor as the Best Playing Pony.

To celebrate UAE’s 50th National Day, AHPRC hosted an 8-10 goal tournament at the end of November with four homegrown teams competing. The Final was played between Hesketh and Bin Drai, with Hesketh’s Tomy Iriate taking the initial lead, followed by another goal in the second chukka. Bin Drai managed to even the scores by half-time and by the third chukka had reversed the tables and begun to pull ahead to secure a 7-4 win. Mohammed Bin Drai was the Most Valuable Player and Garapata, played by Tomy Iriate, was the Best Playing Pony of the tournament.

Bin Drai Polo proved their dominance in The November 2021 AHPRC League at the Club, with an undefeated streak gaining them the title on Wednesday 17 November. Both Final teams had two league wins under their belts, but Bin Drai took an early win which they maintained throughout the match to take the title. Rashid Bin Drai was named Most Valuable Player and Pimienta, played by Habtoor Al Habtoor, was the Best Playing Pony.

On Friday 12 November, an exhibition match was played in honour of Expo 2020 Dubai at Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club. Three teams, Terra, Alif and Opti, competed in a round-robin of matches; the first match was won by Terra, the second by Opti and the third by Terra. These results meant that Terra claimed the overall victory.

Bin Drai, winners of The UAE National Day Cup

Bin Drai Polo, winners of The November 2021 AHPRC League

Guards Polo Club Photograph by ©www.imagesofpolo.com

Talacrest has confirmed its continued sponsorship of The Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup

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John Collins, founder and owner of Talacrest Classic Ferrari, has confirmed that his iconic brand will continue to sponsor Guards Polo Club’s late summer high goal fixture, The Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup, which will be played from 26 July – 14 August 2022. John said when confirming the sponsorship extension, “I was delighted to have the opportunity to support high-goal polo at Guards Polo Club. I really enjoyed the tournament and absolutely loved Finals day and so am only too happy to now expand my support of the Cup. August is a busy time for Talacrest – there are two big classic car shows in the USA at this time – but I am delighted that the Club has been able to work around my motorsport commitments to ensure that Talacrest can continue to have a major presence at this high-goal contest for the foreseeable future.”

Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

29

Club Focus

Your Club News from Home and Abroad

Photography by Candace Ferreira/ChukkerTV

Zahedia Chogan, winners of The Fall Plates Final

Audi, winners of The John T. Oxley Memorial Tournament

Casablanca, winners of The USPA North American Cup

Grand Champions Polo Club Sunday 31 October saw Zahedia Chogan (Sy Zahedi, Jason Crowder, Brandon Phillips & Tommy Biddle) defeat La Indiana (Matthew Gonzalez, Marc Ganzi, Luis Escobar & Jeff Hall) 11-10 to secure The Fall Plates Final.

Tommy Biddle, who has been inducted into the Polo Hall of Fame for 2022, was chosen as the Most Valuable Player.

Wednesday 10 November saw Audi (Sugar Erskine, Nic Roldan, Marc Ganzi & Brandon Phillips) win The John T. Oxley Memorial Tournament, with a 13-12 overtime win against Seminole Casino Coconut Creek (Melissa Ganzi, Jason Crowder, Jeff Hall & Juan Bollini) at Santa Rita Polo Farm.

Sunday 14 November saw Casablanca (Grant Ganzi, Kris Kampsen, Jeff Hall & Tommy Biddle) secure The USPA North American Cup with a 12-7 win against Seminole Casino Coconut Creek (Melissa Ganzi, Jason Crowder, Santi Toccalino & Brandon Phillips/Pablo Spinacci). Biddle was named as Most Valuable Player, while

Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, winners of The USPA National Twenty Goal

Charlatton, owned and played by Jeff Hall, was chosen as the Best Playing Pony.

The day before, Saturday 13 November, Grand Champions (Juancito Bollini, Agustin Obregon, Sugar Erskine & Larry Austin) won the inaugural Royal Poinciana Trophy at Santa Rita Polo Farm with an overtime victory against World Polo League (Waqaas Al-Siddiq, Pablo Spinacci, Brandon Phillips & Santi Toccalino), 9-8. Larry Austin, who scored a game-high six goals, was named the Most Valuable Player.

Wednesday 24 November saw Seminole Casino Coconut Creek defeat Casablanca in an overtime win Final for The USPA National Twenty Goal and $50,000 prize money.

Following their USPA North American Cup loss the week before, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek produced a 12-11 overtime win to lift the title. Nic Roldan was named Most Valuable Player and Daniela, owned by Santa Rita Polo Farm and played by Juan Bollini, was the Best Playing Pony.

Grand Champions, winners of The Royal Poinciana Trophy

Saturday 27 November was the annual Legends of Polo Carlos Gracida Memorial, in memory of Carlos Gracida, which saw Team Gracida (Gene Goldstein (1), Weston Gracida (1), Carlitos Gracida (4) & Sugar Erskine (6)) come together in the second half to claim a 5-3 win over WPL (Leo Mandelbaum (2), Santos Bollini (2), Brandon Phillips (4) & Juancito Bollini (4)). Carlitos Gracida, the late Carlos Gracida’s eldest son, was named Most Valuable Player and a grey stallion, owned by Ruben Gracida and played by Weston Gracida, was the Best Playing Pony.

The second match on Saturday 27 November saw GCPC/USA (Grant Ganzi (3), Jason Crowder (6), Nic Roldan (8) & Tommy Biddle (5)) maintain its winning streak in the 10th anniversary of The International Cup following a 10-5 win against Argentina (Pablo Spinacci (6), Tomas Dartiguelongue (5), Facha Valent (4) & Santi Toccalino (8)). Ganzi, the youngest member of the GCPC/USA lineup at 23-years-old, was chosen as the Most Valuable Player and Open Sindicato, owned

by Santa Rita Polo Farm and played by Jason Crowder, was the Best Playing Pony.

Team Gracida, winners of The Legends of Grant Ganzi in action during The International Cup Polo Carlos Gracida Memorial

La Ensenada Polo Club

30

Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

Photograph by Prensa Polo

On Monday 1 November, Los Sauces and Why Not competed for The XV Mixed Cup La Ensenada. Eight teams, up to 20 goals, competed in this year’s competition, with the teams split into two leagues. Los Sauces defeated Why Not 5½-2 in the Final, with La Ensenada Buen Espacio (Open Especial x Dolfina Buena Vida), played by Hazel Jackson-Gaona, chosen as the Best Playing Pony.

The XV Mixed Cup La Ensenada Final Teams: Why Not (20): Juana Lavinia (0), Hana Grill (5), Hazel Jackson (10) & Santaigo Wulff (5) Los Sauces (19): Paulina Vasquetto (0), Mia Bray (5), Milagros Sanchez (7) & Victorino Ruiz Jorba (7)

Los Sauces, winners of The XV Mixed Cup La Ensenada

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Your Club News from Home and Abroad

Club Focus

Photograph by Houston Polo Club

Photograph by Tae Ormerod

Photograph by Barfoots

Peter Barfoot recently received a CBE

Cowdray Park Druids Lodge Houston Polo Club Polo Club Polo Club Canonbury, winner of The Poppy Sunday Trophy

Drew Ranch scored back-to-back goals to clinch the win

Congratulations to Peter Barfoot – patron of the Maiz Dulce polo team and former Cowdray Park Polo Club Chairman, Peter recently received his CBE for Services to Sustainable Farming.

The Club has also announced the dates for the 2022 British Open Polo Championship for the Cowdray Park Gold Cup, with the Final scheduled for Sunday 17 July.

Congratulations to Canonbury, winners of the Club’s Poppy Sunday Trophy. The Club is preparing for their first fireside polo event of the season alongside the Finals of The El Rosario Trophy on Sunday 12 December.

Sunday 31 October saw Houston Polo Club celebrate Halloween with their Hallows Cup Final between Horsegate/Tonkawa and ML Bar Ranch. Both teams were evenly matched, which was reflected in the scores which tied throughout the match, in the end ML Bar Ranch’s Drew Luplow scored back-to-back goals in the dying seconds to secure his team’s win, 8-6.

Two Wishes Polo Club Photograph by David Murrell

Four teams competed in the 2021 Southwestern Circuit Sportsmanship Cup at Two Wishes Polo Cup. Polo InterActive and Oak Bend Farm faced each other in the Final, which saw Oak Bend Farm begin with a half goal handicap advantage and swiftly add a goal to this to take an early lead. Oak Bend farm’s offensive efforts were tempered

by Polo InterActive’s defensive plays in the second half, but their early lead proved too much to overcome and Oak Bend Farm ran out the winners, 9½-1. Katniss, owned and played by Will Walton, was the Best Playing Pony and Marcus Murphy, playing in his first outdoor USPA tournament, was chosen as the Most Valuable Player.

2021 Southwestern Circuit Sportsmanship Cup winners, Oak Bend Farm

Photography by RCBPC

Hedonism, winners of The Richmond Trophy

Copi, winners of The Arena Challenge Trophy

HPA National Club Championships 2-4 Goal finalists

Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club The Club has kicked off their 2021/2022 arena season with their first two tournaments of the year; Hedonism defeated La Mariposa in the Final of The Richmond Trophy and Copi came out on top in the Arena Challenge Trophy. www.polotimes.co.uk

After delays due to bad weather, the rescheduled HPA National Club Championships 2-4 Goal took place on Saturday 4 December in the glorious sunshine. Titan Polo ran out of the final, with Neogem/ Twford polo securing the Subsidiary Final win.

Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

31

Women’s Polo

1

DE

The V Women’s Argentine Open Final

FINAL C

11

MVP Nina Clarkin

DEC

Where: Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina

La Dolfina BP Regain Title Third team win in the tournament’s history

32

Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

For Women’s polo dates for your diary, turn to our What’s On pages

The V Women’s Argentine Open Final

BPP Martín Aguerre & Rafael Silva

BPP

22 goals

Top Goal Scorer: Milagros Sánchez (22 goals)

Women’s Polo

The V Women’s Argentine Open Final Teams Ve Ocho Feliz, played by Nina Clarkin

AACCP Best Playing Pony Award: Get Lucky, played

by Mia Cambiaso

J

La Dolfina BP (32) Mía Cambiaso (7) Milagros Fernández Araujo (7) Nina Clarkin (10) Candelaria Fernández Araujo (8)

El Overo Z7 UAE (36) Clara Cassino (9) Milly Hine (7) Lía Salvo (10) Hazel Jackson (10)

Chukka Scores: 2-0, 5-2, 7-4, 9-4, 12-4 & 12-5 to La Dolfina BP

ust hours before the highly anticipated 128th HSBC Argentine Open Final between La Dolfina and La Natividad in the cathedral of polo, Palermo, the two top seeded women’s teams, La Dolfina BP and El Overo Z7 UAE went head-to-head for The V HSBC Women’s Argentine Open.

With each team having two titles under their belts (El Overo Z7 UAE in 2020 and 2019; La Dolfina in 2018 and 2017) who would be lifting high the trophy this year? Both teams were returning to the tournament with winning line-ups, for La Dolfina BP it was a return to their 2018 winning formation, while El Overo Z7 UAE were looking to add their third consecutive title with the exact same winning formula and line-up as in 2019 and 2020.

On their way to the Final, both teams had gained some impressive wins, with El Overo Z7 UAE kicking off the tournament with a 20-3 win against El Silencio Breva Farms and an 18-1 victory for La Dolfina BP vs La Ensenada on the opening day, Wednesday 1 December. Both teams’ winning streaks continued throughout the qualifying rounds, so the Final was set to be an exciting display of some of the best female polo talent from across the globe.

La Dolfina BP dominated from the first throw-in, with Nina Clarkin leading the team well, while Candelaria Fernández Araujo was strong in defence, which saw El Overo Z7 UAE struggle to comeback and defend their 2020 title. In the end, La Dolfina BP ran out the winners with an impressive 12-5 final score, regaining the title they last held in 2018.

Meanwhile, in the Subsidiary Final La Irenita Libra Seguros narrowly beat La Aguada Rioplatense on Friday 10 December, 13-12, with Brit Izzy Parsons chosen as the Most Valuable Player.

Photography by Alice Gipps

International & Home

Women’s Polo

Photography by David Murrell

U.S. Open Women’s Handicap Final

Ketel One Botanical’s Joanie Jackson riding Best Playing Pony Montana

2021 U.S. Open Women’s Handicap winners, Ketel One Botanical

The odds were stacked against Ketel One Botanical as they had to overcome a Semi Final injury as well as a competitive round-robin selection to secure their place in the Final versus T Squared Energy.

On Saturday 13 November, the two teams met at Brookshire Polo Club, Texas, with T Squared Energy starting with an initial half goal handicap advantage, and despite the defensive attempts of T Squared Energy, it was Ketel One Botanical who managed to hold their opposition goalless throughout the match, with the final score reading 5-½. This was a second consecutive U.S. Open Women’s Handicap title for Stephanie Colburn, while Tiamo Hudspeth was named Most Valuable Player following her 78% penalty conversion

throughout the tournament. The Best Playing Pony Professional award was presented to an 11-year-old mare, Pringa, played by Hudspeth and the Best Playing Pony Amateur rug was awarded to Montana, played by Joanie Jackson.

U.S. Open Women’s Handicap Final Teams: Ketel One Botanical (12): Stephanie Colburn (3), Carter Nix (1), Tiamo hudspeth (5) & Joanie Jackson (3) T Squared Energy (11): Emma Tooth (2), Kaile Roos (3), Grace Parker (2) & Carin Middleton (4)

Photography by David Murrell

Texas Women’s Open Final

Rocking P, winners of The Texas Women’s Open

Rocking P’s Summer Kneece & Engel & Volkers Houston’s Grace Mudra

The Texas Women’s Open Final on Sunday 14 November concluded a bumper weekend of women’s polo at Houston Polo Club, which saw over 100 players competing in five levels during the 2021 Houston Women’s Polo Championship.

Engel & Völkers Houston faced Rocking P in The Texas Women’s Open Final, with Rocking P getting off to a slow start despite beginning with a half goal

handicap advantage. The undefeated Engel & Völkers Houston had defeated Rocking P earlier in the tournament, but Rocking P were determined not to have a repeat performance and analysed their earlier loss in detail to ensure the win in the Final, “We probably watched the film six times and said, ‘if we play them [Engel & Volkers Houston] again, we’re beating them’” commented Bridget Price. This analysis

meant that Engel & Völkers Houston were able to put on a stellar performance, with a particularly good fourth chukka to secure themselves the win, 6½-5.

Mili Sanchez was chosen as the Most Valuable Player, London, played by Mili Sanchez and owned by Rocking P, was the Best Playing Pony Professional and Mike, played by Lily Lequerica, was the Best Playing Pony Amateur.

The Texas Women’s Open Final Teams: Rocking P (19): Bridget Price (3), Summer Kneece (3), Mili Sanchez (7) & Maitena Marre (6) Engel & Völkers Houston (20): Grace Mudra (3), Lily Lequerica (3), KC Kruger (6) & Sarah Wiseman (8)

Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

35

Women’s Polo

II Pink Polo Cup

Torrijos/ 20 26 Sabandija Secure Title NOV

FIN

NO

AL

V

Result decided by half a goal

Photography by Matias Callejo

Thai Polo Club Argentina’s 2021 season opened with The VIII Thai Polo Cup Argentina and The II Pink Polo Cup, which were played alongside each other. The II Pink Polo Cup returned this year with eight teams, up to 22 goals, competing with an international line-up of players involved.

Marengo were defending champions, having lifted the Cup in 2019 (the tournament was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic), but Torrijos/Sabandija pulled out all of the stops in the Final, building upon their initial 1½ handicap advantage with early goals from Andrea Quintero Ospina to increase their lead in the early stages of the Final.

The offensive efforts of Marengo were more than matched by the strong combination of the Fernández Araujo sisters and despite a last-minute goal from Marengo’s Azucena Uranga it was not enough and Torrijos/ Sabandija ran out the winners by just half a goal, 8-8½. Candelaria Fernández Araujo received the Most Valuable Player award, Sonia Couling took home the Fair Play Award, the Best Playing Pony was Geisha, played by Candelaria Fernández Araujo and the Argentine Association of Horse Breeders’ Best Playing Pony of the Final was Malapata Any, played by Lía Salvo.

II Pink Polo Cup Final Teams Torrijos/Sabandija (20) Laura Encinales (2) Andrea Quintero Ospina (3) Milagros Fernández Araujo (7) Candelaria Fernández Araujo (8) Marengo Sonia Couling Azucena Uranga Milagros Sánchez Lía Salvo

(22) (0) (5) (7) (10)

Torrijos/Sabandija, winners of The II Pink Polo Cup

BPP

MVP Candelaria Fernández Araujo

Argentine Association of Horse Breeders’ Best Playing Pony of the Final: Malapata Any, played by Lía Salvo

Where: Thai Polo Club Argentina

BPP Geisha, played by Candelaria Fernández Araujo

Azucena Uranga vs Candelaria Fernández Araujo

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Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

For Women’s polo dates for your diary, turn to our What’s On pages

All Aspects of Youth Polo

Youth

SUPA Schools Tournament 18-years-old. There was great enthusiasm from all schools involved with many players experiencing their first competitive play.

“All 27 chukkas ran smoothly and with some great instructional umpiring by our umpire Tom, were great fun to watch.

“The play was exciting with all teams and players cheered on throughout the day by the throng of enthusiastic parents and supporters standing on the banking by the arena. Thanks go to RJ polo, Black Hound and Black Bears for their continued support.

SUPA will be hosting further schools and university events in the new year.”

NZ School Team vs NZ Barbarians

Photograph by Gill Glimmerveen

Gill Glimmerveen, the SUPA Ladies Schools Section Manager spoke to Polo Times about the recent SUPA Schools Tournament; “Sunday 28 November, sandwiched between Storm Arwen and a layering of snow, SUPA were incredibly lucky to have brilliant blue skies for their highly successful Schools Friendly Polo Tournament, held at the amazing Black Bears arena.

“SUPA had limited the entries but all available places were quickly snapped up by the schools. 17 teams took part with over 50 young players aged between 10 to

17 teams took part in The SUPA Schools Tournament

Druids Juniors

Photograph by NZPA

NZ School Team defeated the NZ Barbarians

NZ School Team faced the NZ Barbarians in a match at the Dormer family’s Omihi ground. The School side got off to a slow start having not played together before, but by the third chukka Tom Turner and Ed

NZ School Team vs NZ Barbarians Teams: NZ School Team: Jay Wilson, Liam Parrot, Tom Turner & Ed Davidson NZ Barbarians Teams: Chloe Wheelans, Brad Pugh, Winston Hutchinson & Lachie Appleby

Photograph by Michael Berkeley Photography

Davidson had gained control of the ball at the back, while teammates Liam Parrot and Jay Wilson began to find their own rhythm at the front, this team cohesion resulted in a final score of 5-1 in favour of the Schools team. Lachie Appleby was named Most Valuable Player and Ed Davidson’s Ritchie was the Best Playing Pony.

Avanti, winners of The Halloween Juniors Trophy

The Club’s first junior tournament of the season, The Halloween Juniors Trophy, was won by Avanti on Sunday 31 October.

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Youth

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SUPA University Challenge

50 beginner teams competed over the weekend

SUPA University Challenge 50 teams compete over two days, at Rugby Polo Club Nigel Mercer reports

University polo is alive and well; if the numbers at the recent University Challenge held across the weekend of the 13 –14 November were anything to go by. 50 teams turned up for two days of matches and socialising. This is compared to 55

teams in 2019, which was the last time the tournament was held.

The Uni Challenge was designed to give beginner players, who started playing in September and October, a chance to compete in their first tournament. The

Is your youth polo not featured? Email editorial@polotimes.co.uk with all your youth polo news!

tournament has grown over the years and now caters for all the SUPA divisions, including SAPA. The worry was that the number of beginner players this year would be down. However, these worries were unfounded, as some coaches were saying that numbers are higher than ever; indeed, many of the teams were half seated, such was the demand for mounts!

Once that first ever tournament chukka had been played in front of one’s peers, the confidence came out and led to some very competitive polo over the weekend.

A party on the Saturday night gave everyone some down time to let their hair down and have fun. However, soon it was back to the final chukkas on Sunday morning and some good beginner polo. There was some fierce competition in the more experienced divisions as well.

Everyone voted the event a success and is looking forward to the SUPA University Arena Nationals on the 10 – 13 February 2022.

Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

39

Youth

SUPA University Challenge

SUPA University Challenge 2021 Roll of Honour

Beginner 1 1st – Oxford B1 2nd – Kent B1

Beginner 3 1st – Liverpool B3b 2nd – Liverpool B3a 3rd – Oxford B3

Beginner 4 1st – The Durham Dream 2nd – Loughborough B4 3rd – Warwick B4 4th – Oxford B4

Beginner Combined 1st – BCU Combined 2nd – OWL Combined

Median 1 1st – Oxford B2 2nd – Liverpool Median

Median 2 1st – Loughborough 2nd – Durham Dragons

Median Combined 1st – UON Combined 2nd – Birmingham/Loughborough

Novice 1 1st – UON Novice 1 2nd – Oxford N1

Novice 2 1st – Red Hot Filly Peppers 2nd – Warwick N2 3rd – Durham Dancing Dingos 4th – Oxford N2

Novice 3 1st – Birmingham N3 2nd – Liverpool Top of the Klopps 3rd – Warwick N3 4th – Liverpool Klopps & Robbers 5th – Birmingham Ciry

Novice 4 1st – Liverpool N4 2nd – Harper Chukka Pies 3rd – Oxford N4 4th – Durham Detonators

Novice Combined 1st – HBW/Knightmares 2nd – Loughborough/Bath 3rd – UON N4 Combined 4th – Oxpool

40

Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

For Youth polo dates, please turn to our What’s On pages

Youth

SUPA University Challenge

Intermediate 1 1st – UON Intermediate 2nd – Oxford UI 3rd – Durham Donkeys 4th – Kent

SAPA 1 1st – Oxford Blue Dragons 2nd – Kiwi Lime Pie 3rd – Twins & a Kenyan 4th – Rugby SAPA 5th – Berkshire Bengals 6th – Going with the Flo

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SAPA 2 1st – London Legends 2nd – SAPA Sheffield 3rd – SAPA/UL 4th – Warriors of London

Volume 26 • Issue 11 • December 2021

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TRIPLE CROWN RESULTS Hurlingham & Argentine Open Finals SUPA UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE 50 Youth Teams Compete

THE EGYPT ARMY POLO HACKETT British TOUR Army in Cairo

PLUS: Equine Injury

RESULTS TRIPLE CROWN Open Finals Hurlingham & Argentine CHALLENGE SUPA UNIVERSITY 50 Youth Teams Compete POLO TOUR THE EGYPT ARMY in Cairo Army HACKETT British PLUS: Equine Injury

Prevention, Christmas

Workout & 2021 Nutrition

Review

Prevention, Christmas

Workout & 2021

Nutrition Review

TRIPLE CROWN RESULTS Hurlingham & Argenti ne Open Finals SUPA UNIVERSITY 50 Youth Teams CompeCHALLENGE te THE EGYPT ARMY POLO TOUR HACKETT British Army in Cairo

PLUS: Equine Injury

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13/09/2021 11:11

Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

41

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A Round-Up of Military Polo Action

Military

Photograph by David Murrell

Photograph courtesy of TPPC

The Winchester 2021 Teddy Trophy Roosevelt

Three teams competed in The Winchester Trophy

The last weekend of November saw Tedworth Park Polo Club host their first military tournament of the arena season – The Winchester Trophy. The Defence Academy, Royal Artillery and The Veterans competed over the weekend with The Veterans taking the title.

General George S Patton Jr. Award Photograph by Newport Polo

Newport Polo’s President, Dan Keating, has been awarded the 2021 General George S Patton Jr. Award by the Armed Forces Committee of the United States Polo Association (USPA); Keating is the first civilian to receive the award which is presented to the USPA member who has gone above the call of duty to create opportunities for military members and their families to become involved in the sport of polo.

The 2021 General George S Patton Jr. Award

Teddy Roosevelt winners, Bar Spur

Over 20 – 21 November, the Central Texas Polo Association and Texas Military Polo Club hosted the 2021 Teddy Roosevelt at Two Wishes Ranch Polo Club. The tournament requires one member of each team to have a military connection and this year even saw the umpire, Ronnie Hayes, with a military connection having served in the U.S. Navy. After the results of two round-robins, The Teddy Roosevelt Final was played between San Antonio and Bar Spur. San Antonio began the match with a half goal handicap advantage, but were unable to add to their score in the first chukka; both teams exchanged goals throughout, with the fourth chukka noticeably competitive. Going into the final two minutes, San Antonio led by half a goal, but Bar Spur’s Mark Osburn broke away and scored the winning goal, 5-4½. Bar Spur’s Timao Hudspeth was named Most Valuable Player and the Best Playing Pony was awarded to Little Man, played and owned by Joaquin Arguello.

2021 Teddy Roosevelt Final Teams: Bar Spur: Tiamo Hudspeth, Brady Williams, Wendy Stover & Mark Osburn San Antonio: Lauren Sterr, Wesley Alston, Trey Crea & Joaquin Arguello

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Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

43

Military

A Round-Up of Military Polo Action

The Roscoe Harvey Cup resulted in a tie

Egypt Army Polo Tour Simon Ledger reports

was arranged by our hosts at King’s Club some 10 miles outside Cairo of two days of practice, chukkas, coaching and trying ponies before the Roscoe Harvey Cup was held on Friday 5 November.

The 66 acres is an ambitious project with a wonderful main field – another under construction – a large arena, clubhouse and housing for staff. The stables were state of the art and built in the Argentine/US style and thus were airy, cool and very well constructed. The staff, headed by Gavin Chaplin, with Marselo Pasquel (5) as the resident professional run a very effective coaching regime with local

The Roscoe Harvey Cup Teams: The HACKETT British Army Polo Team (5) Lt Col Nick Foulerton Scots DG/ Lt Col Henry Llewelyn-Usher WG both (-1) Capt Giles Bromley-Martin IG (1) Capt Johnny Sleeman QRH (2) Gaston Devrient (3) The Kings Club (6) Hussein Abozaid (0) Mohanned El Afandy (0) Mohamed Bassuni (1) Marselo Pasqual (5)

Photography by Sam Churchill Photography

The original invitation from the Mohammed Elsewedy owned Kings Polo Club, near Cairo, was sent via the British Embassy nearly two years ago and planned for March 2020. The polo world, and everything else stood still, whilst Covid did its worst around the globe, but thanks to the Defence Staffs at the Embassy and Mohammed Elsewedy, perseverance paid off and at a month’s notice the tour was confirmed for 1 – 7 November 2021.

Army Polo gathered a good team together under the firm eye of Army Coach Gaston Devrient. An excellent programme

Egyptian players and a smattering of expat members. The ponies were all from Argentina and catered for different levels of players, they had clearly been very carefully chosen and were uniformly of a very high standard.

The Cup was contested over six chukkas of fast and impressive polo by both teams in front of a large crowd of British Embassy invited guests from the diplomatic and trade community hosted by the British Ambassador, HE Gareth Bayley. The 250 or so guests enjoyed the normal polo hospitality and really got into the game.

At first it seemed the Army team would be on the receiving end of a sound beating by a very swept up and closely drilled Kings Club team, well led by Marselo Pasquel and coached by Gavin Chaplin. At the end of the third chukka the Army team were down by 3 goals and seemingly doomed to lose. BUT a long break at half-time enabled Gaston Devrient to change the British Army team around and scope a plan to come back into the match. This plan worked well in the second half with Capt Johnny Sleeman (2) having more space created by Giles Bromley-Martin (1) now marking tightly along with Henry LlewelynUsher also glued to his man thus allowing Gaston Devrient, later named Most Valuable Player, more space and two/three great runs to close the gap to just one goal in the final two minutes or so. A lucky break by the Army to bring the scores level at 7 goals each and some frantic defence saw both teams trying score the elusive winning goal – to no avail and a draw was deemed a fair result of a pulsating and well-mannered match.

The HACKETT British Army Polo

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Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

The Kings Club Team

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Knowledge

Medical Insight: Polodoc

Dr.med. Andreas Krüger is a Swiss board orthopaedic and trauma surgeon in Zurich, who specialises in knee and shoulder surgery. Andi is a second generation of tournament doctors for equine sports, known as Polodoc since 2013

Precision in Decision

Boosting results with use of hyper individual knowledge The correct diagnosis and the ideal treatment for the right patient in the right time frame results in a faster, better and longer performance for the athlete. This is exactly the opposite of a one drug or one treatment fits all approach.

Precision medicine helps to better understand environment, lifestyle, and heredity factors that play a role in a player’s or patient’s life. With additional information gained, including through artificial intelligence

and machine learning, will make treatments as effective and safe as possible, or can even indicate how to prevent the illness from starting in the first place.

The challenge

– Identifying which approaches will be effective for which players based on genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors.

– How can we be smarter in decisionmaking?

– How can we improve treatment results?

– How can a person’s unique genomic portfolio help?

Potential long-term benefits of precision medicine – Wider ability to use players’ genetic and other molecular information as part of routine check-up care for playing.

– Improved ability to predict which treatments will work best for specific players.

– Better understanding of the underlying mechanisms which cause various diseases/ injuries.

– Improved approaches to preventing, diagnosing, and treating a wide range of diseases/injuries.

Pharmacogenomics is a part of precision medicine. Pharmacogenomics is the study of how genes affect a person’s response to particular drugs. This relatively new field combines pharmacology (the science of drugs) and genomics (the study of genes and their functions) to develop effective, safe medications and doses that are tailored to variations in a person’s genes.

Overall benefits

Technology can assist with diagnostics & precision

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Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

– Shift the emphasis in medicine from reaction to prevention – Predict susceptibility to disease/injury – Improve disease detection – Customize disease-prevention strategies

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Expert Opinion

Dr.med. Anna Erat, Hirslanden Checkup Center Zurich Like Maté?

• Maté contains 1.7 % caffeine in fresh leaves • Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive substance in the world • Caffeine has been proven to be effective in enhancing performance and is not on the WADA doping list any longer • Albeit demographic and social factors have been linked to habitual caffeine consumption, twin studies show a large heritable component • Harvard scientists have identified a genetic propensity for coffee consumption. Two genes were identified that drive people to consume more or less caffeine • Genetic variants of CYP1A2 and AHR determine whether caffeine may be harmful to you • By testing a difference between good and winning performance can be detected • Genetic variants, can determine how fast the body metabolizes caffeine and how and when to use it!

Check-up Zentrum Hirslanden Forchstrasse 420 8702 Zollikon CH +41 44 387 20 50 checkup@hirslanden.ch

www.polotimes.co.uk

Medical Insight: Polodoc

Expert Opinion

Corina Sommer Vice President, Head US Technology Solutions GTM IQVIA Msc. in Sport Sciences from the Swiss Institute of Technology, ETH, and an MBA in General Management from the IESE Business School The potential for AI/ML disease detection applications is unquestionably far-reaching due to Data empowered increasing sophistication for proper care with minimising negative outcomes of individual therapies.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence demonstrated by machines, as opposed to natural intelligence displayed by humans. The idea behind AI is that we let machines solve complicated tasks, and not just mechanical activity. While the theoretical concept of AI is more than 60-years-old, it only recently has evolved from theory to reality. This is because computational power and Machine Learning (ML) applications have made big advancements in the last 20 years. Machine learning is a part of artificial intelligence and uses algorithms and statistical models to make predictions or decisions without being explicitly programmed to do so. Moreover, the algorithms can adapt and improve automatically through experience and the use of data.

Imagine recognition, self-driving cars, voice assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa or Apple’s Siri, personalised advertisements, fraud detection in credit card transactions, or customer support done by chatbots all use Machine Learning algorithms. But ML algorithms are also widely used in medicine and have a significant impact.

Diagnosis and medical imaging are amongst the most wellknown applications of AI in medicine. Computers are great at analysing a vast amount of data and finding anomalies, and they do it much quicker than humans could. Hence the turn-around time is faster, and the time highly skilled personnel spends on studying medical images can be spent on direct patient interaction.

But what if we could use ML to prevent diseases and injuries?

Today preventive care is mostly limited to routine physicals, vaccines,

– Prescribe more effective drugs and avoid predictable negative side effects – Improve overall performance Sounds quite easy but there is exactly the difficulty.

Some of us are may also be more different than others. Even being an identical twin there are still differences in details.

Benefits for players

Information on knowledge about a player’s unique genomic portfolio helps: – Information if vulnerable to certain diseases and how to avoid them – Allows athletes to reach their full potential through personalized training programs, nutrition, functional foods as well as supplements – Determines best tailored treatments when injury or disease occur.

Stop disease before it happens

Certain diseases like heart problems and some types of cancer can be quite accurately predicted by genomic analysis. For example, part of inherited arrhythmic disorders with unique genetic abnormalities and www.polotimes.co.uk

Knowledge

or dental cleanings, but with the help of ML we could potentially upgrade the current preventative care. Wearable fitness and medical devices like Apple Watch, Fitbit, or Garmin can collect a vast amount of healthcare data such as heart rate, VO2 and pulse oxidation, activity, sleep, nutrition, menstrual cycle, weight, blood pressure, and blood sugar. The data collected could be used to forecast health issues or sports injuries before they occur. Here, ML can help in analyzing the relationships between factors, detecting mechanisms leading to sports injuries, and selecting injury risk reduction approaches for individuals.

And what if our data from wearable sensors would be analysed in real-time and guide the user about what to (not) do? Or what if the data and its analysis could be shared with the user’s physician for a more in-depth medical understanding? This would help achieving a healthier life, higher quality of care, more cost-effectiveness and better outcomes. Technology is mostly ready for this, but data privacy is the key concern and will be one of the most important issues to address in the years to come. Once solved, we might be looking into a bright future with potentially no illnesses nor injuries thanks to the power of preventative medicine, enabled by ML and AI.

presentations can be detected with precise medicine. For example, Christian Eriksen the football player who collapsed during the EURO 2020 football match between Denmark and Finland and was saved from dying not like some victims before.

Boost & optimise performance Understanding how these small metabolic variations affect athletic performance is invaluable and can make the difference between a good performance and a great performance. One such example is blood sugar monitoring through biosensors. For instance, continuous glucose monitors (CGM) can report real-time blood sugar levels in the body during a workout or game and provide a unique opportunity to personalise the most effective fuelling strategy. When it comes to precision medicine and genetics, novel tests to determine your caffeine metabolism can truly open doors for boosting performance.

This is particularly clear in sports such as Formula 1, since caffeine may improve performance by decreasing reaction time, sustaining maximum endurance and intermittent, high-intensity, long-duration

Transformative Technology

exercise by extending the time until exhaustion. By testing for variants of the CYP1A2 gene, one can determine how fast the body metabolises caffeine and how, if and when to use it. Timing is everything!

Treat disease through precision medicine

Through careful pre-seasonal medical assessments, a trained sports physician can quickly determine if genetic testing is needed and whether targeted therapies should be initiated for conditions (inner organs, musculoskeletal). Similarly, people suffering from high cholesterol may need to take drugs such as statins to keep the cholesterol under control. Hence, genetic tests may be crucial to design the best possible therapies for patients and athletes alike. Targeted therapy at a molecular level indeed appears to be the path of the future.

For more information on Polodoc contact Andreas Krüger at drmedkrueger@gmail.com or www.polodoc.ch

Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

47

Knowledge

Playing Tips

Playing tips with Rege Ludwig The Polo Style of Riding Importance of upper leg grip

Renowned polo coach, Rege Ludwig gives his expert advice on how to get more out of your game Within my style of teaching, I use analogies to describe how to use your body for the purpose of communicating accurately to your horse, and for hitting the polo ball most effectively.

One of the most significant analogies I use is, Bolt Through Knees. I use the Bolt Through Knees analogy to stress the importance of attaching yourself securely to the horse. That strong and secure upper leg attachment is crucial to the process of securing your seat to the horse for the purpose of communicating accurately to your horse what you are asking of it at any given moment.

Consistent with communicating accurately to your horse, a strong and secure upper leg attachment of you to your hose is crucial because, every move your upper body makes is transmitted into your upper legs, and from your there into your horse’s shoulders.

If your upper legs are not gripping strongly enough, there is a good chance your upper body could be moving with some degree of uncontrolled movement; causing your horse to respond to that uncontrolled movement; which, could have you wondering, “What is this horse doing, and why is it doing it?

There is a good chance you will not know that your horse is moving because of a slightly uncontrolled movement of your upper body that was affected by your upper legs not attaching you securely enough to your horse to prevent that uncontrolled movement from occurring.

The move your horse makes might not be strong enough to be obvious, it might be subtle enough to make the play just difficult enough for you to execute correctly without being aware that it was initiated by insufficiently attached upper legs to the horse.

There is a good chance you will not be aware that it was a slightly uncontrolled movement on your part that initiated the horse’s movement, or that your insufficiently attached upper legs initiated it.

The point to take away from all of this is, the polo horse is trained to respond to your movement on its back, and the horse has no choice but to respond to your weight and balance shifting on its back; especially if that movement changes the balance and weight distribution of the horse.

Consider, that if there were a bolt running through your knees and the horse’s shoulders, then as you lean your upper body forward and down, that movement is pushing forward and 48

Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

Gripping with your upper legs is the most significant and defining factor of The Polo Style of Riding

down into your upper legs, and your upper legs are pushing forward and down into your horse’s shoulders, which causes your horse to shift its balance and weight forward, and probably causing it to probably accelerate.

Likewise, if you were to lean your upper body up and back or to either side of the horse, your horse will almost be forced to respond accordingly by shifting its weight and balance in that direction. Any time you move, or shift, your weight and balance on your horse’s back, the horse is almost forced to shift its balance and weight in the same direction; which will probably cause the horse to move in that direction.

That strong and secure upper leg attachment of you to the horse is also crucial to the development of the power that you want to hit the ball with.

Relative to hitting the polo ball, the imaginary bolt keeps your knees and upper legs gripping into your horse’s shoulders for the purpose of establishing and maintaining a secure and stable hitting platform.

Unfortunately, far too often polo players soften their upper leg gripping effort during the hitting process. They do that by allowing their supporting knee to turn out and away from the horse to facilitate rotating their hips, torso, and shoulders to a greater degree to the side on which they are going to hit the ball.

As the mechanics of the hitting process would have it; the more strongly you are capable of rotating your hips against strongly

gripping upper legs, the more power you can generate within your hip, torso, and shoulder rotation.

The fact of the matter is, when executing an offside fore shot, your hips should not rotate much more than fifteen degrees from perpendicular to the horse’s spine. Your torso should not rotate more than forty degrees from perpendicular, and your shoulders should not rotate more than seventy-five degrees from perpendicular to the horse’s spine.

Under those conditions, your supporting upper leg gripping effort will not have to soften for the purpose of facilitating a greater degree of upper body rotation.

The fact of the matter is, throughout the hitting process, your upper leg gripping effort should be maintained pretty much equal to the degree of intensity with which you wish to hit the ball.

Consider a golf player or baseball player preparing to hit their ball. Neither of those players would allow their supporting knee to soften, or turn out, as they are moving the hitting instrument back and up to the top of the downswing position. They would not allow that to happen because doing so would severely compromise the stability of their hitting platform, as well as, decrease the power they can be developed for use within the downswing.

When executing the back swing in preparation of swinging at the ball, and when swinging it at the ball, the golf and the baseball player are gripping in quite strongly with their upper legs for the purpose of stabilizing their hitting platform, and generating sufficient power with which to swing the hitting instrument at the ball.

That same reasoning applies to the polo player. You should keep your supporting knee gripping into your horse’s shoulder when executing the back swing of an offside fore shot, and when swinging the mallet at the ball.

If you, the polo player, are to establish and maintain a secure and stable hitting platform, and if you intend to communicate accurately to your horse, then your knees and upper legs should be maintaining a gripping effort that is consistent with a bolt holding your knees together.

WRITE THIS DOWN: Gripping with your upper legs, (i.e., Bolt Through Knees), is the most significant and defining factor of The Polo Style of Riding.

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Knowledge

Chukka Wellness

India Parker-Smith is the founder and owner of Chukka Wellness which provides the leading training and movement methodology designed for the equestrian athlete to enhance suppleness, stability and strength in the saddle. India is a Personal Trainer who offers online and offline fitness training designed to elevate the well-being of the equestrian athlete. Using her knowledge of seven years she has created a series of masterclasses, a virtual membership hub and online training programmes all designed to complement the equestrian’s health and wellness both in and out of the saddle. You will find more information on India’s services on her website www.chukkawellness.co.uk and Instagram page @chukka_wellness

Ho, Ho Ho!

On the fifth day of Christmas, Chukka Wellness gave to me…

30 burpees, 12 press ups, 30 squats, a 45 second plank and 15 v-sits On the sixth day of Christmas, Chukka Wellness gave to me…

30 burpees, 12 press ups, 30 squats, a 45 second plank, 15 v-sits and 20 toe taps

12 Days of Christmas Workout Schedule

On the seventh day of Christmas, Chukka Wellness gave to me…

30 burpees, 12 press ups, 30 squats, a 45 second plank, 15 v-sits, 20 toe taps and 25 star jumps

To get everyone in the festive spirit we thought we would offer Polo Times readers a 12 days of Christmas workout schedule to help burn off the overindulging of mince pies and mulled wine!

Each day will involve a new challenge to keep you motivated throughout the Christmas period. We recommend adding them on to the end of your workouts after a warmup.

So, let’s ho ho ho hoooo

On the eighth day of Christmas, Chukka Wellness gave to me…

30 burpees, 12 press ups, 30 squats, a 45 second plank, 15 v-sits, 20 toe taps, 25 star jumps and 12 skater jumps

On the first day of Christmas, Chukka Wellness gave to me…

30 burpees

Burpees

On the second day of Christmas, Chukka Wellness gave to me…

30 burpees and 12 press ups

On the ninth day of Christmas, Chukka Wellness gave to me…

30 burpees, 12 press ups, 30 squats, a 45 second plank, 15 v-sits, 20 toe taps, 25 star jumps, 12 skater jumps and 10 side plank pulses (L)

On the third day of Christmas, Chukka Wellness gave to me…

30 burpees, 12 press ups and 30 squats

On the tenth day of Christmas, Chukka Wellness gave to me…

30 burpees, 12 press ups, 30 squats, a 45 second plank, 15 v-sits, 20 toe taps, 25 star jumps, 12 skater jumps, 10 side plank pulses (L) and 10 side planks (R)

On the fourth day of Christmas, Chukka Wellness gave to me…

30 burpees, 12 press ups, 30 squats and a 45 second plank

Photography by Chukka Wellness

Press up

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Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

On the eleventh day of Christmas, Chukka Wellness gave to me…

30 burpees, 12 press ups, 30 squats, a 45 second plank, 15 v-sits, 20 toe taps, 25 star jumps, 12 skater jumps, 10 side plank pulses (L) and 10 side planks (R) and a 100m sprint On the twelth day of Christmas, Chukka Wellness gave to me…

30 burpees, 12 press ups, 30 squats, a 45 second plank, 15 v-sits, 20 toe taps, 25 star jumps, 12 skater jumps, 10 side plank pulses (L) and 10 side planks (R), a 100m sprint and 30 glute bridges

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Chukka Wellness

Knowledge

Squat

V-sit Plank

100m sprint Toe taps

Star jump

Side plank pulses

Glute bridge Chukka Wellness will be launching their new and improved Chukka Hub which is a virtual membership full of equestrian-specific workout programmes ranging from pre-season training to rider recovery. Gain access to follow-along workouts, nutritional guidance and stretching routines!

Head over to www.chukkawellness.co.uk for more information Don’t miss their free ‘5 DAYS TO BECOME A MORE SUPPLE RIDER’ ebook too www.polotimes.co.uk

Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

51

Knowledge

Tola Performance

2021 Lessons Learnt

Five things I’ve learnt from working with players All professional players have a similar experience on and off the field. Whether you’re 3 goals, 7 goals or 10 goals you are probably having similar experiences. How many times over the last year have we seen the top 10 goalers and teams getting beaten and looking a bit lost for ideas on the field.

Sure, they are playing against better teams/ players, but the relative experience is the same – everyone experiences positive and negative moments. The higher handicap players may be lacking in confidence and motivation as much as the average Joe. Off the field also, things like favourite horses going lame, a battle with motivation or other stress unrelated to your polo will be felt by all people in varying positions.

What can we learn from that?

Placing people higher up the ladder than you on a pedestal can give you an unrealistic gap, an unhelpful comparison and creates self- limitation. i.e. ‘it’s easy for them, they’re in this position’.

If you’re facing a challenge, many other players/people will be facing a similar one.

2) Are you talented?!

If we look at most of the top players, they have similar backgrounds. For example, they may come from Argentina, have a father that used to play and breed polo ponies.

This isn’t to say they aren’t talented because they are, but it does show with the right environment there’s a much bigger chance talent will thrive. The right environment means that you are growing up doing the things that matter (practices, horses, advice) – you may not even notice that you are doing the right things. Therefore, talent plus doing the right things creates what others would call ‘talented players’. Of course, there are outliers and people more talented than others, but there is a clear correlation.

What can we learn from this?

We have a better chance of succeeding or progressing if we develop/change or adapt our environment. How can you change your environment in a small way? Are you limiting yourself by not?

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Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

3) People are judged by their front cover

Reputation in polo and life can be important for getting into teams/job opportunities, being able to hire good staff or many other reasons. How you think you are as a person doesn’t necessarily mean other people think that. For example, I think I’m pretty cool, other people might not think I’m that cool. If you look at famous artists or sportspeople, they begin to build a reputation due to what people see in the media, but equally these people might be very different in real life as the saying goes ‘don’t meet your heroes’.

In the same way what you give out on and off the field may require some effort or intention.

What can we learn from this?

If you want to change your reputation you need to change your front cover.

4) The bad performances

A topic discussed in previous articles is the negative bias, meaning it’s much easier to remember negatives, fears or dangers than it is something going well. In coaching you can really pick up on how people view themselves and their performance which is due to the negative bias. It’s ironic the 1 goal city slickers with bright white branded jeans and a strong smell of aftershave think they are Cambiaso, versus 7 goal players that are highly critical of their performance and aware of the gap between them and the top.

What can we learn from this?

Don’t be the guy in the clean white branded jeans (although in my opinion there is nothing wrong with clean whites or smelling nice).

Look for ways to improve but also focus on what you do well after bad periods or performances. Getting hung up on the negatives may not help the bigger picture.

5) Commitment phobia

It’s easy to make plans, but plans are hard to stick to. Whether it is fitness, a new routine or habit, it is hard to be consistent. It happens a lot, I’m talking things through with someone and they’re not quite happy with

Photograph by David Lominska

1) You’re basically 10 goals!

With the right environment there’s a much bigger chance talent will thrive

something or they’ve lost a bit of their mojo, we look at the problem and find that we set the solution to the problem four weeks ago, but they stopped believing in the process.

They might start looking to blame something or feel they lack something; well it usually comes down to a commitment to the cause and not trusting the process.

What can we learn from this?

Patience and consistency are key to any progression, if you make a plan and fail to commit to it, recognise that’s the reason not the excuse you’re about to apply to the problem.

Contact Jason on tolaperfomance@gmail.com www.tolaperformance.com

www.polotimes.co.uk

Photograph by Emily Gordon

Jason coaches professionals to help and support them throughout their season, working with clients to help them maintain a good headspace and work on their personal development on and off the field.

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Knowledge

Nutrition Focus

Lorna Edgar – specialist equine nutritionist

Reflecting on the past 12 months A reflection on some of the articles I have written and highlights in the world of Lorna Edgar’s equine nutrition bubble!

Looking back over the articles from 2021 I have looked at nutrition and its effect on foot growth with the help of farrier Aaron Tyler and then the management of stereotypical behaviour with a focus on how making adjustments to the diet can aid positive reactions to stereotypical behaviour, for which Adam Buchanan gave some great references and case studies from horses he has at his yard.

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Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

We had a Q&A article on prepping horses for the high goal season, especially when they are making a step up from a lower level of polo. It’s always interesting to watch how horses react and cope at this time – absolute hats off to the fantastic grooms that make these adjustments without compromising the health and fitness of the horses.

I had a great reaction to the ‘Back to Basics’ article which raised such questions as ‘why do I do that and could I do it another way?’. We are always learning and science helps us to progress, so moving with a bit of

©www.imagesofpolo.com

Over and Out 2021!

Max Charlton playing the high goal with Emlor was one of Lorna’s 2021 highlights

science and still combining some traditions we are able to hopefully increase the longevity of our horses’ careers in a positive way. Some changes we make may only be small but could have a massive impact on promoting consistent performances from our equine athletes.

There have been more ‘Yard Focus’ articles to really highlight how diets can be tailored for individuals without having to have lots of different feeds in the feed room.

All yards work slightly differently but all are striving for the same results and their feeding programmes evolve to suit their horses, grooms and management – one size does not fit all! Max Hutchinson, Oli Hipwood and Ollie Jones were under the spotlight this year and no doubt there’ll be some more yards to focus on next year too.

As always, my priority is to tailor diets that are suited to support the polo pony in hard work, but do not compromise the health of the digestive system in doing so. To ensure a balanced diet is met, the focus is of course, that all important FIBRE intake! You hear me talk about it time and time again, and I cannot stress how important it is. No doubt 2022 will have me talking all things fibre once again.

I would like to say a huge thank you to all those grooms that work tirelessly for their trusty steeds. For those of you I have the absolute pleasure of working with I cannot thank you enough for listening to me, perhaps humouring me at times (!) and making my job easier and so much more pleasurable by following suggestions and communicating with me when things are not quite right! Without you all we would be lost, and I for one would not have such a great job! THANK YOU! Remember, whilst our horses are on holiday wintering, providing them with hard feed or field/paddock licks will be of huge benefit to them and enable them to come back into work much stronger. A balanced diet is still essential for those horses playing arena polo, with plenty of fibre and not forgetting those all essential electrolytes – yes, they sweat in the winter as well as the summer, and electrolytes need to be replaced to aid recovery.

And, finally, seeing Max Charlton playing the high goal this summer was one of the highlights for me, and now seeing Max a dad makes me feel rather old! Congratulations Max and Sophie!

Winter well wherever you are, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and here’s to a successful 2022! ontact Lorna Edgar of Baileys Horse C Feeds on lorna@baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk www.polotimes.co.uk

Horse Riding Holidays Worldwide info@farandride.com

01462 701110

Knowledge

Equine Chiropractor

Matt Kenna is a fully qualified veterinary and sports chiropractor working with elite athletes and their horses. He is currently working providing consultancy to premiership football teams, high goal players and treats horses across all levels of polo from low goal to high goal. Based between Guards and Cowdray, he travels all over the south of England.

Injury Prevention

Lameness & other orthopaedic injuries It’s the thing we all dread and hope isn’t going to happen, one of our horses drops out of our string for a while because of injury.

They’ve walked out the box this morning and on trot up are lame, they either go to polo and stand to stop others stressing out or they are left back at the yard in a box awaiting a veterinary consultation. Once that has taken place, the primary focus is to make a diagnosis, treat and rehabilitate the injury as quickly and effectively as possible.

Lameness and other orthopaedic injuries are commonly described as wear and tear or overuse injuries. However, those injuries that aren’t acute in nature (come on very quickly and in polo are commonly the result of a crash or stick contact to a limb), are generally resultant of misuse or poor training, and work that hasn’t taken the individual horse’s needs into consideration. Not all players can afford top level, young horses, and have older horses that need slower introductions to work and more rest to recover. A lot of injuries can’t just be blamed on bad luck.

In both human and equine athletes, research suggests that most sports-based injuries are preventable when a training program is structured to the needs of the tasks to be performed in the activity in which the subject is going to partake. In the

premier league, we prepare the footballers months in advanced of the season, breaking down every movement they need to perform in a game, making the players resilient and strong throughout these movements, whilst also training them as a whole unit. No stone is left unturned, or at least we try to make it that way. We should start treating our horses with the same meticulous levels of planning and respect.

No matter how well prepared your horses are, bad luck and individual weaknesses or structural issues may still result in injury.

There are however, certain situations and conditions whereby they may occur. They are listed below: • Rapid increase of workload/training: basically doing too much, too soon.

Periodisation is a term commonly used in training, it refers to gradual increases in load and frequency in the build-up to a season or competition. It is highly useful in horse management and can make the increases in work demands way more tolerable.

• Lack of continuity: skipping sets or singling the horses because of the weather may make you feel better, but it won’t the horses. Regularity in work makes for better gains in fitness, strength and crucial loads going into tissues to

Road hacking is a great variation in exercise. A different surface and a different view

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Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

•

•

•

•

keep them healthy. As we discussed last time, controlled loading is essential for good tissue health.

Repetitive training/lack of variation: think of us sitting in an office. We become what we do and end up with poor posture and injuries. If you just send the horses right on the walker or track, they will create muscle imbalances, stiffness and become unbalanced due to nervous system adaptation. Studies in horses show the more variation in training, the less days off work which in polo, is highly important.

Lack of rest and recovery: planned rest and recovery is highly important in any training program. The human and equine body need to be able to repair the tissues that training and playing are breaking down. A few days off on grass is not going to affect the horse’s overall fitness.

Sudden change in work load or a sudden single overload activity: rushing the horses to chukkas or playing practices at the wrong intensity too early into their preparation can be risky. Think of running a marathon when you’ve only run up to mile 10 in training!

Individual weaknesses including re-injury: a risk factor for orthopaedic injury is re-injury, especially if the previous injury hasn’t been managed properly before.

That’s why honesty is so valuable in horse purchases as it can prolong the career of a horse. Knowing the history should be a pro not a con as it allows for these individual needs to be taken into consideration to help prevent an injury instead of sentence a horse to one. Also, in sales, when looking for a new horse, consider what level you are going to get the horses to play. So many times I’ve been called to yards to treat horses that in all honesty, shouldn’t play more than 4 goal and they are being pushed to play 8 and falling apart. There is a reason some excel in the higher levels and others don’t. Yes, a lot of it has to do with genetics, but history and individual strengths and weaknesses matter equally. www.polotimes.co.uk

Equine Chiropractor

Knowledge

Paddock time is not only good for horse’s physical health, it’s also good for their mental health and returns them to their natural environment

• Volume and intensity: getting the balance right between volume and intensity is matters. The work you’re subjecting the horses to needs to be demanding enough to prepare them for that level of competition, yet measured enough to avoid overload and depletion of energy levels and tissue. This is why planned rest and recovery is so important. Get it right and you’re away, get it wrong and you’ll end up with your horses feeling flat before the season has even started!

It may seem like a lot, but to keep

your horses on the field and happy, these are all things that need to be taken into consideration, as well correct nutrition. And one of my most important bits of advice to clients is this; horses, like humans, are designed to move. They should be able to move as much as possible for as long as possible. Think how we feel when stuck in office for the whole day, stiff, tired and sour, the same goes for the horses. Trust me when I say it will not affect your horse’s fitness turning them out more, and not keeping them in the box all day.

Mixing it up with some lunging or pole work can be great and really help the horses with engaging their core; developing top line and bottom line as well as increase coordination

Web: www.mkchiro.co.uk @theequinechiro @theequinechiro

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Wishing all of our customers old and new a very Merry Christmas and a properous 2022 Stay safe, best wishes from the Paddock Power Team

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01/12/2020 11:49

Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

57

Sidelines

Gossip

KITZBÜHEL SNOW POLO POSTPONED The organisers of The Bendura Bank Snow Polo World Cup, Kitzbühel announced on Wednesday 1 December that in light of the current and constantly changing travel bans and restrictions they will be postponing the event until 2023. The event was also postponed in 2021, so this will be the second year that the Bendura Bank Snow Polo World Cup will not take place.

ZACHARIAS ZOOMS HOME

Pedrinho and Natalia Zacharias’ daughter’s birth was a testament to digital technology, with new dad Pedrinho remotely present at the birth, before dashing home to meet his daughter, Valentina, for the first time in person!

Tell us yours at gossip@polotimes.co.uk Anonymity guaranteed if you want it...

CONGRATULATIONS! Luke and Elizabeth Reid welcomed baby Summer Elizabeth Reid on Friday 12 November, adding to their brood of two daughters, Olympia and London – congratulations!

SHE SAID YES!

Congratulations to Matt Cudmore and Elspeth Price who got engaged in November down under in Australia!

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Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

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Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

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What’s On – Polo Fixtures Winter Victor & Victrix Ludorum Dates 2021/22 15 Goal Westcroft Park Winter VL Tournament Emsworth HPA National Club Championships Black Bears Winter VL Tournament 10-12 Goal Black Bears Winter VL Tournament Westcroft Park Winter VL Tournament 4-6 Goal Black Bears Winter VL Tournament RCBPC HPA National Club Championships Emsworth Winter VL Tournament Westcroft Park Winter VL Tournament Druids Lodge Bodensee Trophy Winter Victrix 6 Goal Ash Farm Winter Victrix Tournament Black Bears Winter Victrix Tournament RCBPC Ladies British Open Victrix Ludorum

10/12/21 19/12/21 04/01/22 16/01/22 21/01/22 30/01/22

St. Moritz

St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz

WIP Winter Championships Cup

Plettenberg, SA Eldorado, USA

Ladies Tournament Women’s Pacific Coast Open Women’s Coast Circuit Women’s Challenge Ladies Polo Festival Exhibition Match Ladies Tournament Pacific Coast Circuit Arena Women’s Challenge

Plettenberg, SA Hawkes Bay Lakeside, USA

10/12/21 04/01/22 21/01/22 11/02/22 22/02/22

19/12/21 15/01/22 30/01/22 20/02/22 27/02/22

11/12/21 12/12/21 18/12/21 19/12/21 19/01/22 23/01/22

13 to 15 0 to 6 4 to 6 8 2 to 4 Open

8 2 to 6 4 to 8

Open

31/10/12 01/12/21 04/12/21 11/12/21 11/12/21 12/12/21 18/12/21 19/12/21 22/12/21 08/01/22 08/01/22 08/01/22 16/01/22 16/01/22 22/01/22 22/01/22 25/01/22 26/02/22 29/01/22 30/01/22 05/03/22

09/01/22 05/12/21 10/12/21 12/12/21 12/12/21 12/12/21 19/12/21 19/12/21 03/01/22 09/01/22 09/01/22 09/01/22 13/03/22 16/01/22 22/01/22 23/01/22 30/01/22 27/02/22 30/01/22 30/01/22 05/03/22

16/12/21 19/12/21 28/01/22 30/01/22

Empire Dallas Arizona Rancho Naranjo Arizona Maui Gardnertown Costa Careyes Maui IPC IPC IPC Eldorado La Herradura Patagones Eldorado La Herradura

62

Christmas Pudding Tournament SUPA University Nationals SUPA Schools Schools End of Term Tournament Pancake Tournament

Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

15/01/21 16/01/22

14 to 16

27/12/21 02/01/22 30/12/21 02/01/22

10 to 12

30/12/21 02/01/22 02/01/22 02/01/22 02/01/22 03/01/22

8 to 12

14/01/22 16/01/22

U.S. Open Arena Polo Championship Southwestern Circuit Arena Masters Cup Border Circuit Sportsmanship Cup Border Circuit Arena Sportsmanship Cup Border Circuit Masters Cup Hawaiian Islands Circuit Officer Cup Northeastern Circuit Arena Constitution Cup Border Circuit Congressional Cup Hawaiian Islands Circuit Amateur Cup Joe Barry Memorial Iglehart Cup Ylvisaker Cup Mack & Madelyn Jason Memorial Pacific Coast Circuit Masters Cup Outback Invitational Pacific Coast Circuit Officers Cup Pacific Coast Circuit Players Cup

12 to 16 0 to 3 2 to 4 0 to 6 2 to 4 4 to 8

03/12/21 04/12/21 05/12/21 11/12/21 11/12/21 19/12/21

0 to 6

28/12/21 30/12/21

6 to 8 0 to 2 16 to 18 16 to 18 12 to 18 6 to 8 6 to 8 12 to 16 4&8 0 to 4

28/12/21 31/12/21 02/01/22 02/01/22 16/01/22 07/01/22 14/01/22 16/01/22 21/02/22 22/01/22

02/01/22 31/12/21 16/01/22 02/01/22 06/02/22 16/01/22 17/01/22 12/02/22 30/01/22 30/01/22

03/12/21 04/12/21 06/12/21 13/12/21 13/12/21 27/12/21 29/12/21

05/12/21 04/12/21 12/12/21 23/12/21 23/12/21 08/01/22 29/12/21

05/12/21 05/12/21 05/12/21 12/12/21 12/12/21 19/12/21

SOUTH AFRICA Plettenberg Royal Marang Hotel Plettenberg Plettenberg Plettenberg Plettenberg Plettenberg Plettenberg

Irish Cup The Royal Polo Day Stonefield Cup Summer Cup Shamwari Cup Formosa Cup Plett vs “Best of the Rest” Exhibition Match Kurland Cup

Intro, 2 & 8 12 4 4 & 10 Intro & 8

09/01/22 15/01/22

0, 4 to 6, 8 to 10

11/12/21 12/12/21

AUSTRALIA Mingela

Mingela Christmas Polo

Melbourne City

Xmas Polo

Melbourne City

Christmas Cup

Mingela

Mingela New Year Polo

Eynesbury

Eynesbury Tournament

Melbourne City

Jan Cup

Vallex

Vallex Cup

Youth Polo Druids Lodge Rugby Rugby Druids Lodge Druids Lodge

0 to 2 & 4 to 6

USA

27/02/21 02/01/22 31/01/22 06/02/22

SNOW POLO Aspen

Westcroft Park

Eldorado, USA

UK The below dates have been confirmed by clubs Druids Lodge Druids Autumn League Barfoot Bottle RCBPC The Paul Castle Challenge Westcroft Park The Winter Trophy RCBPC The Chairman’s Trophy Rugby Midlands Polo Fesival Druids Lodge Fireside Polo Evening El Rosario Trophy RCBPC Winter Solstice Tournament Rugby The Oh deer Challenge RCBPC Challenge Matches Rugby The New Year Cup Westcroft Park Club Weekend Druids Lodge Druids Autumn League Finals Pig Trophy Druids Lodge Druids Winter League for Chatanooga Salver Druids Lodge Fireside Polo Evening Watersfield Trophy Rugby The Comical Cup Westcroft Park The Clubhouse Cup RCBPC The Jim McEnteggart Trophy Rugby The Sworders Trophy Westcroft Park Club Weekend Druids Lodge Data-IS Lismore Trophy TBC International Test Match

WOMEN’S

16/12/21 17/12/21 0, 4 to 6, 8 to 10 0, 4 to 6, 8 to 10 0, 4 to 6, 8 to 10 0, 4 to 6, 8 to 10

18/12/21 19/12/21 07/01/22 08/01/22 15/01/22 16/01/22 22/01/22 23/01/22 29/01/22 30/01/22

DUBAI 08/12/21 10/02/21 06/03/21 22/03/21 30/03/21

08/12/21 13/02/21 06/03/21 22/03/21 30/03/21

Al Habtoor Al Habtoor Al Habtoor Al Habtoor Al Habtoor

UAE National Day Cup Sir Winston Churchill Cup AHPRC Festive League AHPRC League Silver Cup

8 to 10 8 to 10 4 to 6 4 to 6 18

24/11/21 09/12/21 19/12/21 08/01/22 22/01/22

03/12/21 17/12/21 24/12/21 15/01/22 05/02/22

www.polotimes.co.uk

Polo directory NEW ZEALAND Hawkes Bay Cambridge Kihikihi Port Hills Rangitikei Hololio Kihikihi South Canterbury Hololio Mystery Creek Cambridge Port Hills Hololio Wanstead Auckland Kihikihi Christchurch Queenstown Rangitikei Rangitikei Waimai Amuri Poverty Bay Mystery Creek Christchurch Hololio Hawkes Bay Auckland Blenheim

Wine Country Tournament Opening Weekend Tournament Opening Weekend Ronald McDonald Charity Polo Day West Coast Cup Opening Weekend Dozen Cup Picnic at the Polo Guy Kirkpatrick Memorial Tournament Charity Evening Hannon Trophy Port Hills Tournament New Years Tournament barrett/Dearden Memorial Ardmore Tournament Waikato Tournament Christchurch Tournament Queenstown Tournament Exhibition Matches Russell Cup Waimai Tournament Amuri Tournament Poverty Bay Open Mystery Creek Open Christchurch Tournament Hololio Charity Day Dewar Cup Charity Weekend Blenheim Tournament

0&6

0&8

0&6

0, 2 & 8 6 to 8

0, 2 & 8

0, 2 & 8

03/12/21 04/12/21 04/12/21 04/12/21 11/12/21 11/12/21 11/12/21 11/12/21 15/12/21 17/12/21 18/12/21 18/12/21 30/12/21 08/01/22 08/01/22 08/01/22 08/01/22 08/01/22 14/01/22 15/01/22 15/01/22 15/01/22 22/01/22 22/01/22 22/01/22 26/01/22 28/01/22 29/01/22 29/01/22

05/12/21 05/12/21 05/12/21 04/12/21 12/12/21 12/12/21 12/12/21 12/12/21 15/12/21 17/12/21 19/12/21 19/12/21 31/12/21 09/01/22 09/01/22 09/01/22 09/01/22 09/01/22 14/01/22 16/01/22 16/01/22 16/01/22 23/01/22 23/01/22 23/01/22 26/01/22 30/01/22 30/01/22 30/01/22

CLUB

PHONE

EMAIL

All Ireland Polo Club

00353 01 6896732

dstone@indigo.ie

All England Polo Club Hickstead*

01273 834 315

polo@hickstead.co.uk

Apsley End Polo Club*

01462 712444

tobiana.scott@gmail.com

Ash Farm Polo Club*

07799 812739

ashfarmpolo@hotmail.com

Barfold Polo Club

07778 808853

mborwick@gmail.com

Bawtry Polo Club

01302 773282

info@bawtrypoloclub.co.uk

Beaufort Polo Club

01666 880510

enquiries@beaufortpoloclub.co.uk

Beverley Polo Club*

01964 544877

info@beverleypoloclub.co.uk

Binfield Heath

01491 411969

bhpcmanager@gmail.com

Blueys Polo Club*

07930 323263

polomanager@blueyspolo.co.uk

Bramham Polo Academy

07811 993316

emmadvh@btinternet.com

Bunclody Polo Club

00353 87 6605917

info@poloclubbunclody.com

Burningfold Polo Club

01483 200722

derrek@burningfold.com

Cambridge Polo Club*

07711 217004

cambridgepoloclub@icloud.com

Cambridge County Polo Club*

01223 812922

info@cambridgecountypoloclub.co.uk

Carlton House

07901 561113

harrietservaes@hotmail.com

Chester Racecourse Polo Club

01244 304602

amorris@chester-races.com

Cheshire Polo Club

01948 861020

info@cheshirepoloclub.co.uk

Chiltern Polo Club

07973 174542

info@chilternpoloclub.com

Cirencester Park Polo Club

01285 653225

info@cirencesterpolo.co.uk

Cowdray Polo Club

01730 813257

enquiries@cowdraypolo.co.uk

Curraghmore Polo Club

00353 51 387102

mkennedy@cssgroup.ie

Dallas Burston Polo Club*

01926 811 111

enquiries@ixlevents.com

Dorset Polo Club

01202 623985

office@dorsetpolo.co.uk

Druids Lodge Polo Club*

01722 782597

abi@druidspolo.co.uk

Dundee and Perth Polo Club*

07831 365 194

jamesscrawford@aol.com

Eastwood Polo Club

07875 743475

frankums@googlemail.com

Edgeworth Polo Club

01285 821695

edgeworthpolo@gmail.com

Edinburgh Polo Club*

07971 072336

james.dgls@gmail.com

Emsworth Polo Grounds*

01344 883112

info@fourquarterspolo.co.uk

Epsom Polo Club*

07961 232106

epsompoloclub@hotmail.com

FHM Polo Club*

07778 436468

frances@fhmpolo.co.uk

Fifield Polo Club*

01628 620061

fifieldpoloclub@live.co.uk

Great Trippetts Polo Club

01428 741916

charles@trippetts.com

Guards Polo Club*

01784 434212

polo@guardspoloclub.com

Ham Polo Club

020 8334 0000

office@hampoloclub.com

Hertfordshire Polo Club*

01707 256023

polo@hertspolo.co.uk

Home Farm Polo Grounds

07807672120

rachaelkearnet@hotmail.co.uk

Hurtwood Polo Club

01483 272828

polo@hurtwoodparkpolo.co.uk

Kirtlington Park Polo Club

01869 350138

info@kirtlingtonparkpolo.co.uk

Knepp Castle Polo Club

07920 023639

info@aspectpolo.co.uk

Leadenham Polo Club

07429 299026

office@leadenhampoloclub.com

Longdole Polo Club*

01452 864544

info@longdolepolo.com

Moor Farm Polo Club

07494 114190

shop@moorfarmshop.co.uk

Moor Hall Farm Polo Club*

01279 450637

alecbeve@btinternet.com

New Forest Polo Club

07977 224404

annabelparryjoyner@yahoo.co.uk

Norfolk Polo Club

01508 480400

office@norfolkpolo.co.uk

Northern Ireland Polo Club

07803 020577

info@northernirelandpoloclub.co.uk

Offchurch Bury Polo Club*

07816 830887

info@offchurchburypoloclub.co.uk

Pangbourne Polo Club

07708 906810

aprice@polofix.com

Peover Polo Club

07766 016 833

polomanager@peoverpoloclub.co.uk

Polo Wicklow*

00353 404 67164

siobhan@polowicklow.com

RAF Cranwell

07739 569491

rafcranwellpoloclub@yahoo.co.uk

Ranelagh Polo Club*

01344 885697

ranelagh@labravapolo.com

RCBPC*

01344 890060

polo@rcbpc.com

RMAS Polo Club

07973 174542

rmas-nc-aci-projinters@mod.uk

Rugby Polo Club*

01788 817724

info@rugbypoloclub.com

Rutland Polo Club

07772 040668

secretary@rutlandpoloclub.co.uk

Silver Leys Polo Club

07730 060200

silverleyspoloclub@gmail.com

St. Albans Polo Club

07956 017090

info@stalbanspoloclub.co.uk

Stewarton Polo Club

07974 706045

info@stewartonpolo.co.uk

Suffolk Polo Club

07990 576974

aes3@cam.ac.uk

Sussex Polo Club*

01342 714920

info@sussexpolo.co.uk

Taunton Vale Polo Club

01823 480460

nhs.wheelers@gmail.com

Tidworth Polo Club*

01980 846705

info@tidworthpolo.com

Toulston Polo Club

07776 234638

info@toulstonpoloclub.com

Triskelion Polo Club*

07624 272547

polo@triskelionpolo.club

Vale of York Polo Club*

07788 426968

info@valeofyorkpoloclub.co.uk

Vaux Park Park Polo Club*

07703 524613

vppc@btconnect.com

West Wycombe Park Polo Club*

07787 560729

secretary@westwycombepolo.co.uk

Westcroft Park Polo Club*

01276 858545

info@westcroftparkpolo.co.uk

White Rose Polo Club*

01430 875767

info@whiterosepolo.co.uk

White Waltham Polo Club

07748 670587

kim@playpolo.co.uk

* Also open for arena polo in the UK winter

www.polotimes.co.uk

Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

63

Final bell

In association with Aprés Polo

What is your biggest passion and why? Polo – it’s unique in that you get to step in the same shoes of and play with, some of the greatest sportsmen in the world, and when you win, taste victory with them.

What is your all-time best polo memory?

Winning The Cartier Queen’s Cup was the best day of my life, and one which I don’t think I’ll better until I get married and have kids.

64

Polo Times, December 2021 / January 2022

Favourite song/ album? Dreams by Fleetwood Mac… Hard to beat that!

Favourite food/ dish? You can’t beat a good American cheeseburger.

Favourite hobby outside of polo?

Ski touring.

Most prized possession? Small Axe, one of the first mares I bought and a true champion.

She won Best Playing Pony in the Final of The 2020 Gold Cup, as well some blankets under Barto in 2021.

Photograph by Mark Beaumont Photography

Who were/are your favourite teammates?

Barto Castognola. There is great chemistry when you play polo with Barto. He is a true team player, who always works to make the whole team play better. He also wears the weight of the team on his shoulders – and when he plays well, the whole team plays well.

Cruz Heguy is also an incredible talent and playing the high goal season with him in 2020 was a great pleasure, which I am looking forward to continuing in 2022 high goal season!

I have been playing polo with Aristide Faggionato since I was 16-years-old and winning The French Open with him was a fantastic experience we shared. Through Aristide I’ve also become good friends with Robert Strom, one of France’s highest ranked players, and I have known and played with Max Charlton since I was 13-years-old, one of the best arena polo players in the world.

We are a team importantly of friends, which makes us competing in The 2022 Snow Polo World Cup in St Moritz all the more special and fun.

Hardest opponent? That depends on the team and the season but invariably, it is Adolfo Cambiaso. He is such a clever player and a gruelling opponent to come up against. Psychologically, it is always hard when you know you are playing against Adolfo.

Which sports do you like outside of polo?

Squash, tennis, paddle, as well as skiing and kite surfing.

Favourite film and why? La Grande Bellezza. Oscar in 2014 for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year. Italian film at its best.

Photograph by ©www.imagesofpolo.com

Dillon Bacon took the European high goal circuit by storm, winning The Cartier Queen’s Cup and The French Open in 2020, as well as reaching The Gold Cup Final and The Prince of Wales Final in the same year. This year his team reached The Gold Cup Semi Finals and we can’t wait to see what he can achieve in his Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz debut in January 2022 – watch this space!

Are you passionately superstitious?

Absolutely not. I take pleasure in teasing my superstitious friends by insisting to pass the salt shaker by hand.

Describe yourself in three words…

Passionate. Dedicated. Thankful.

www.polotimes.co.uk

Dreaming of Argentina?

Come to Sotogrande, it’s closer.

365 days of polo a year.

Live the endless summer at Polo Valley and play on our new full-size field.

CONTACT US info@polovalley.com

+34 690 036 016 / +34 952 112 295