The Cartier Queen’s Cup

1JUN FINAL 27 JUN

Where: Guards Polo Club, Windsor

Maitha’s Monumental Win

UAE deliver a classic polo performance for the ages

“UAE returned to the field like players possessed. Had they swallowed a magic elixir of classic polo plays? Perhaps some divine inspiration? We shall never know”

The Cartier Queen’s Cup Final Teams:

UAE Polo Team (22) HH Sheikha Maitha (0) Tomás Panelo (6) Polito Pieres (9) Tomas Beresford (7)

Scone (22)

David Paradice (0) Poroto Cambiaso (6) Isidro Strada (6) Adolfo Cambiaso (10) Chukka Scores: 2-2, 3-4, 5-4, 8-4, 9-5, 10-6 to UAE Polo Team

Photography by ©www.imagesofpolo.com

Despite the heavens threatening to open on an overcast day in Windsor, the polo gods smiled upon the assembled ranks of socially distanced polo aficionados, fans and of course, the Cartier Big Wigs.

Having missed the 2020 Cartier Queen’s Cup Final owing to restrictions, the crowd appeared simply happy to be out and about enjoying the generous surrounds of the Guards Clubhouse. Most in the grandstand expected Scone, on the back of a searing win against Monterosso in the Semi Finals and powered by the Cambiaso duo on their string of polo clones, to run away with the final as a formality.

By the middle of the first chukka, the whispered prophesies of the crowd fervently began to grow louder as Adolfo ‘Poroto’ Cambiaso Jnr ran in a beautiful field goal. Next followed a 60 yard penalty from Adolfo Cambiaso, having been struck with the ball as UAE attempted to clear their lines having been under heavy siege for the majority of the chukka. It looked as if we were in for a masterclass from the master and his apprentice. Time to relax and enjoy the wonderful food and drinks from onsite caterers, Mosimann’s and hypothesise about when Cambiaso Snr. would decide to slow down…

However, something changed whilst the players changed ponies halfway through the chukka with UAE returning to the field like players possessed. Had they swallowed a magic elixir of classic polo plays? Perhaps some divine inspiration? We shall never know. All we do know is that by the end of the chukka, momentum had swung firmly in the favour of UAE with Tommy Beresford delivering UAE from the Scone siege with a stunning under the neck shot, closely followed by a goal from the tenacious Polito Pieres on the stroke of the end of chukka bell.

Despite falling behind to a two goal deficicit, 4-2, by the middle of the second chukka, the team in white would not give in, with their continued pressure rewarded by a goal from Polito Pieres as he wriggled through the red shirted traffic to keep his team within touching distance at the end of the second chukka.

Over the course of the third chukka we were treated to a masterclass from UAE with all players making way for each other, passing to each other and playing big sweeping plays and shots. Despite concerted pressure from David Paradice and Isidro Strada to shut down the now concrete like axis of Beresford and Pieres, the team in white could not be contained with UAE going into the half-time break 5-4 up. The team were unlucky to have not gone into the half-

time break with a higher margin, with HH Sheikha Maitha being denied a goal by the whistle on the stroke of half-time.

Perhaps buoyed up by the half-time pop covers of the Welsh Guards band, Scone returned to the field totally fired up and determined to staunch the flow of the oncoming UAE tide. Unfortunately, Poroto made a crunching hit on Tomás Panelo directly in front of the posts, resulting in a penalty which Tommy Beresford coolly slotted to make his growing fan club in the grandstand go wild as the score reached 6-4. Theatrics followed from Scone with Tim Bown and Jason Dixon unusually awarding UAE a penalty 1 hit from the centre of the polo field and Poroto being shown a yellow card. Beresford duly lined up classical play number 101 to drive the ball as far as possible up the field with his trebuchet like arms to keep the pressure firmly on Scone. Pieres duly latched on to the pass to score already his fourth goal of the day. With the bit now well and truly between his teeth, Pieres controversially changed ponies with a minute to go as Beresford and Panelo contained Scone 100 yards out from the UAE goal. A stroke of genius or a mistaken move to change and allow the mightily fired Cambiaso duo an advantage so close to goal, only time would tell. And pay off it did, with Pieres latching on to a pass on the halfway line to outstrip the opposition on his fresh legs to bring a 8-4 lead going in to the fifth chukka.

Going in to the fifth, the energy was palpable. Were we about to witness a classic Adolfo comeback? Surely his best horses were to come? Would UAE be able to hold out from the anticipated Scone onslaught of horsepower and plays? Strangely, however, Scone did not deliver on the anticipation. Put simply, despite renewed efforts from Scone, Beresford and Pieres simply thwarted attack after attack with textbook sweeping back hands, whilst Panelo and HH Sheikha Maitha continued to make things challenging for the Scone playmakers in the middle of the pack. Whilst Poroto did break the deadlock to score, Pieres swiftly countered with an amazing break to bring the score to 9-5 going in to the last.

Despite some fantastic carries and plays from the ever-grafting Isidro Strada, Scone could not find the crucial first goal in the sixth chukka that would have given them hope of a mighty comeback. The honours serendipitously fell to Pieres who calmly slotted a 30 yard penalty to bring the score to 10-5. Despite a consolation penalty from Scone to make it 10-6, Scone could not score again, resulting in a 10-6 win for UAE, their first in The Cartier Queen’s Cup and well deserved having contested the tournament since 2013.

Adolfo ‘Poroto’ Cambiaso Jnr & Tomas Beresford vie for possession

MVP BPP JB Bleach, 11-year-old chestnut mare, owned by the UAE Polo Team and played by Polito Pieres

Tomás Panelo

El Overo Z7 Sagitaria, played by Polito Pieres

“Going in to the fifth, the energy was palpable. Were we about to witness a classic Adolfo comeback? Surely his best horses were to come?”

38

goals

Tournament Top Scorers: Facundo Pieres (Park Place) & Polito Pieres (UAE) – 38 goals

“Rewarded by a goal from Polito Pieres as he wriggled through the red shirted traffic”

Tim Bown & Jason Dixon STATS AND FIGURES

Goals Field Shots Field Goals Penalty Shots Penalty Goals Throw-ins Won UAE Polo Team Scone 10 6

26 15

7 4 3 6 Fouls Committed 10 6

Polito Pieres played a vital role in his team’s success