Your Club News from Home and Abroad

Your Club News from Home and Abroad Club Focus Al Habtoor Polo Club & Resort

Photography by AHPRC AM Polo, winners of The November AHPRC League

An action-packed day saw the Final of the November AHPRC League at Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club (AHPRC) between AM Polo and Ankora/Bangash Polo. AM Polo’s Santos Iriate opened the scoring with the first goal of the match and AM Polo continued to dominate as they maintained the lead throughout the match and they ultimately secured the win with a score of 8-6. Santos Iriate was named Most Valuable Player and Erenita Lenon, ridden by Frederico Potobsky, was chosen as the Best Playing Pony.

This year’s UAE National Day Cup saw seven 8-10 goal teams competing. The qualifying matches resulted in a Subsidiary Final between Mahra Polo and Ankora, while AM Polo faced Green Gates in the Final on Friday 4 December. Ankora took an early lead and maintained their momentum throughout to take the Subsidiary Final, 8-5; in the main Final Green Gates took an early lead and although AM Polo managed to catch up, and Tommy Iriate secured a fourth

AM Polo clinched The UAE National Day Cup by half a goal

and final goal for AM Polo, stealing victory from Green Gates by just half a goal, 4½-4. Tommy Iriate was named Most Valuable Player for his title-clinching efforts, and Charm, ridden by Tuki Ruiz Guiñazú was chosen as the Best Playing Pony.

November AHPRC League Final Teams:

AM Polo (6): Sheika Alia Al Maktoum (0), Pearl Venot (1), Santos Iriarte (1) & Pablo Urquiza (4) Ankora/Bangash (6): Khalid Alomran (-1), Haider Bangash (0), Facundo Kelly (2) & Ricardo Garros (5)

UAE National Day Cup Final Teams:

Green Gates (10): Noor Abukhadra (0), Charles Cooney (2), Tuki Ruiz Guinazu (4) & Cesar Crespo (4) AM Polo (9): Sheika Alya al Maktoum (0), Santos Iriarte (1), Pablo Urquiza (4) & Tommy Iriarte (4)

Grand Champions Polo Club

Photography by GCPC Action from The Legends of Polo Carlos Gracida Memorial It’s been a busy month for Grand Champions Polo Club (GCPC) and on Wednesday 18 November Casablanca lifted The North American Cup after defeating Newport 14-9 in the Final, with Nic Roldan named Most Valuable Player and Tessita, played by Sugar Erskine, chosen as Best Playing Pony.

On Sunday 29 November, Grand Champions met Aspen Valley in The Legends of Polo Carlos Gracida Memorial, which honours the late Carlos Gracida,

Casablanca, winners of The North American Cup who died tragically in February 2014 The North American Cup Final Teams: during a polo match at the Everglades Newport: Gene Goldstein, Sugar Erskine, Polo Club. Usually, the whole Gracida Michel Dorignac & Juan Bollini family attends the match, but while the Casablanca: Grant Ganzi, Henry Porter, pandemic has forced GCPC to close the Juancito Bollini & Nic Roldan club to spectators, Gracida’s sons, Carlitos and Nano, were still able to play in the four The Legends of Polo Carlos Gracida chukka tournament, which saw Aspen Valley Memorial Teams: take the title with a final score of 5-3; Nano Grand Champions: Pablo Pulido, Brandon Gracida was named Most Valuable Player, Phillips, Carlitos Gracida & Kris Kampsen while Michael Bickford’s Lola was selected Aspen Valley: Michael Bickford, Sugar as Best Playing Pony. Erskine, Nano Gracida & Nick Manifold

Texas Open Final Club de Polo Ampurdan

Photograph by Houston Polo Club

Horsegate, winners of The Texas Open Final

The Texas Open Final is the last match of the Club’s autumn season, and this year saw

Tonkawa face Horsegate. Horsegate stormed into the first chukka and took a three goal lead,

Tonkawa put their name on the scoreboard in the second chukka and by half-time the score was 7-4 in favour of Horsegate.

Tonkawa roared into the second half, with Nacho Badiola scoring his fourth goal of the day, but Horsegate’s Toto Collardin (who was later named Most Valuable Player for his efforts) maintained the offensive and with it Horsegate’s lead. Despite the best efforts of Tonkawa,

Horsegate took home the 2020 Texas open title. Rihanna, played by Mason Wroe, was named Best Playing Pony.

New Bridge Polo & Country Club

On Sunday 1 November, Hit Air and Brookland Plantation went head-to-head in the 2020 Bronze Trophy Final at New Bridge Polo & Country Club, Aiken. Hit Air took the lead from the first chukka and managed to maintain the momentum throughout the match, with their hard work paying off and culminating in a 12-8 win. Pelon Escapite was named Most Valuable Player and Best Playing Pony honours

Photograph by ©Katie Roth 2020 Bronze Trophy winners, Hot Air

were presented to 12-year-old mare Ruby, played by Escapite in the fifth chukka.

2020 Bronze Trophy Final Teams:

Hit Air: Jack Whitman, Justin Pimsner, Alan Martinez & Pelon Escapite Brookland Plantation: Thomas Ravenel, Del Walton, Whistle Uys & Tommy Biddle/ Cody Ellis

Two Wishes Polo Club

Southwestern Circuit Sportsmanship Cup winners, Quiet Creek Farm On the weekend of 24 October, four teams competed in the Southwestern Circuit Sportsmanship Cup hosted by Central Texas Polo Association (CTPA) and ATX Polo Club at Two Wishes Polo Club, Texas. Polo InterActive and Quiet Creek Farm earned their places in Sunday’s Final, which saw Quiet Creek Farm take control from the outset and take home both the trophy and $2,500 prize money with a final score of 11-2½. Scoring seven of her team’s 11 total goals, Hannah Reynolds was named Most Valuable Player and Vegas, owned and played by Ariel Rodriguez, was named Best Playing Pony.

Photograph by Club de Polo Ampurdan Scharlau P.T were the winners of the XII Memorial Wolfgang Reber Tournament In the XII Memorial Wolfgang Reber Tournament the winning team was Scharlau P.T. (Santi Calzado, Álvaro Calzada, Jorge Ayesa and Robert Payne / Tonete Ayesa). The Fair Play Award went to Diego Pérez.

Tedworth Park Polo Club

As a way to encourage military players to give winter polo a try, UK Armed Forces Polo Association (UKAFPA) will subsidise the introduction to Arena Polo sessions outlined below by Tedworth Park Polo Club (TPPC).

TPPC are now taking bookings from Wednesday 2 December, with instructional chukkas re-commencing on Friday 4 December and club chukkas on Saturday 5 – Sunday 6 December.

The introduction to Arena Polo sessions will take place on 9 and 16 December and Wednesday 6 January. These sessions will last two hours and will include arena rules and tactics, stick work and chukkas, and will cost £100 (military) including pony hire. They will be limited to six people per session. AFPA will contribute £40 to the £100 total at source thus the sessions will only cost APOLOA players £60. Army persons who wish to take part are to note that this is classed as ‘Coaching’ and thus permitted BUT in their own time as civilians, thus there will be NO requirement to register as an APOLOA Member.

00 44 (0) 1285 648518 Sales@Meriski.co.uk