from the Publisher HPA Mid-Season Handicap Changes On Friday 25 June, the Hurlingham Polo Association announced their Mid-Season Handicap Changes, which will be effective from Monday 28 June. Only two players over 3 goals were raised in handicaps: Ed Hitchman has been raised from 3 to 4 goals, while Adolfo ‘Poroto’ Cambiaso Jnr has seen his handicap raised from 6 to 7 goals. While Poroto’s handicap raise was expected, some are asking questions over fairness with the raise of just one goal after his performance in The Cartier Queen’s Cup and when compared with his two goal raise in both American and Argentine seasons, from 6 to 8 goals, with his current 8 goal handicap in America due to be The HPA has announced their Mid-Season Handicap Changes raised to 9 goals on 1 January 2022 ahead of their 2022 high goal season.
Photograph by Performance Polo
Nick Hine, Publisher
Performance Polo Store
Performance Polo opened their first shop on Friday 2 July
Continuing the theme of Better Polo, Performance Polo opened its first bricks and mortar shop inside the listed barn at Black Bears Polo Club on Friday 2 July. “Black Bears is a beautiful location with superb polo facilities, and the team here have been fantastic,” said Performance Polo’s owner Michael Husted, “Black Bears is a great match as we are focussed on stocking leading brands dedicated to helping you get more out of your polo. Some of the brands represented are: Ainsley Saddlery, Casa Fagliano, Casa Zappala, The HUSK, Instinct Polo, ONA, MacWet and Cancheros mobile tack rooms
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Polo Times, July 2021
Photograph by HPA
Well, as they say, all good things come to those who wait, and having first entered the UK high goal season in 2013, eight years later, HH Sheikha Maitha bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has proven how true this saying is. With true grit and perseverance that possibly comes from her formative years honing her skills in karate and taekwondo, HH Sheikha Maitha and her UAE teammates, effortlessly saw off the strength of Scone Polo, to finally lift The Queen’s Cup. In doing so, HH Sheikha Maitha not only achieved what most players can only dream of, but she also made history in being the first lady patron to win The Queen’s Cup. What a shame the same could not be said of our national football final ambitions – hopefully, it will not be another 55 years before we next get a crack at the silverware! As this issue of Polo Times was going to print, the government’s roadmap to fully re-opening the country was firmly insight. So very long in the waiting, one can only hope that again, all good things really do come to those who wait – and in particular, that the government and its advisors, have looked at all possible scenarios and that set to the backdrop of spiralling infection rates which will undoubtedly ensue, the vaccine programme staves off a resurgence of Covid-19. Fortunately, the polo community, seems more restrained than our football fans; granted, we do streakers, (of both sexes, much better), but even at the height of the China White polo parties, revellers would not have stormed the barriers to get in, sans tickets. Finally, after 20 years in the position, David Woodd has announced his retirement as CEO of the HPA. Diplomatic to the last and a consummate professional, polo owes David a debt of gratitude – he will be a hard act to follow, and from the Polo Times office, we wish David, Fra, Tilda and Tabba, the very best wishes.
www.polotimes.co.uk
