Volume 17 • Issue 5 • June 2012 • £5.50
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DIAMOND JUBILEE SPECIAL Celebrating 60 years of Her Majesty’s support of the game PT p1 cover v2.indd 1
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Photos: Rory Merry (left page, left); David Lominska (left page, bottom right); Rodrigo Vergara (right page, top).
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Contents
34
46
Contacts Publisher Margie Brett margie@polotimes.co.uk Editor James Mullan jamesmullan@polotimes.co.uk
72
What’s inside...
June 2012 News
Knowledge
12 All the latest news
68 Know your game
Sub editor
24 The big picture
70 Know your horse
John O’Sullivan john@polotimes.co.uk
Comment
72 Feature: Horse whisperer Monty Roberts and his work in polo
26 Backchat with Clare Milford Haven
78 How to spend it
28 Herbert Spencer’s Global view
80 Review: Audi’s two newest gems, the Audi S6 Avant and the S7 Sportback
Assistant editor Georgie May georgie@polotimes.co.uk
30 A rthur Douglas-Nugent’s Umpire’s corner
Advertising manager
32 Your views: letters
Duncan Wilson duncan@polotimes.co.uk
Features
Art editor Nicki Averill nickiaverill@polotimes.co.uk Marketing & PR PJ Seccombe pj@polotimes.co.uk Subscriptions Sarah Foster sarah@polotimes.co.uk Accounts Philippa Hunt - accounts@polotimes.co.uk
Tel: 01993 886885 Fax: 01993 882660
www.polotimes.co.uk
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34 C over story: Diamond Jubilee special - the Queen and polo
Sidelines 82 Gossip: Don’t be the last to know 84 Social: US Open final; Audi Polo Awards; German Beach polo
40 I nterview with successful Zacara patron Lyndon Lea
86 S ocial: Jamaica Open; Miami Beach Polo World Cup; Longdole Polo Club season opening drinks party
Reports
88 S ocial: The Audi Polo Challenge; Jaeger-LeCoultre at Trippets
46 US Open, Palm Beach
90 What’s on in June
52 Jamaica Open, Kingston
98 Passions: Paul Lalor
56 Audi Polo Challenge, Coworth Park 58 Home and abroad
Youth polo 64 Feature: The England youth set-up 67 Copa Novillitos, La Aguada
Cover photograph: HM Queen Elizabeth II walks with Lord Cowdray during the Coronation Cup at Cowdray Park in 1953, with vast crowds in the background. From the Michael Chevis Polo Archive
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from the Editor Well I never. Against all the odds, it seems my appallingly average limericks last month have had the desired effect. Inspired by the contribution of aspiring poet Mountstewart Hungerford-Jackson, whose regular polo lyrics continue to appear each month in our letters section (see page 33), I challenged you to search for the Dhillon Thomas inside and communicate with me this month via the medium of poetry yourselves. And you have. Though, it has to be said, not perhaps in the manner in which I’d hoped. I feel rather victimised: Mullan was finding it hard To write poems of any regard He wrote one one day That sounded okay And now he thinks he’s a bard My thanks to Hugo Horsfield for that one. Annoyingly, despite the abject choice of subject matter, it works and so is more than worthy of publication. And he’s not alone: I am a hot chick called Flo Who fancies a fling with a pro I go to the games But always meet James Is there anywhere else I can go? I won’t tell you who wrote that one but, needless to say, I’ll be crossing the exercise track next time I see her. With the Queen’s Cup now underway and the England side’s first victory/defeat (delete as appropriate – I’m afraid it was played just as we went to press) of the season out of the way, you should hopefully have plenty of material. And so I’ll be here again next month if required, sent by Carol Anne Duffy from the European Bureau for Poetry and Poor Jokes to read your metre: I doubt she’s particularly keen To be the cause of a scene But she’s been without peers For 60 odd years So please raise your glass to the Queen Turn to page 34 for Herbert Spencer’s lovingly puttogether Diamond Jubilee feature, which features polo photographs from throughout her reign. Enjoy the festivities this month, wherever you are.
Tweet me: @mullanitunder Email me: jamesmullan@polotimes.co.uk 12
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News exclusive
UK polo welcomes
W
e’re finally able to break the big news this month that a landmark agreement has been reached between the Hurlingham Polo Association and a select group of England’s most prestigious and historic polo clubs to form the “Polo Premier League”, a new medium-goal competition set to run throughout May, June, July and August from next summer. In a seismic shift from the pro-am patron-led blueprint of the game’s other main competitions, under the registered trademark of the Polo Premier League, players will play as representatives of a polo club, rather than being employed privately by wealthy individuals. Funded entirely through sponsorship, teams will be fielded initially from eight clubs, including Guards, Cowdray Park, Beaufort, Cirencester Park, the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club, Ham and Kirtlington Park, each of which will have a registered squad of nine players to choose from in forming a 12-14-goal line-up for each game. Though aimed to be a vehicle for the development of English players, the UK’s highest-handicapped professionals will each be allocated to one of the above, with a final club still to be confirmed, and each will also have an allocated team manager and coach. “Teams in the Polo Premier
League will also each include an HPA development player,” said David Woodd, chief executive of the HPA. “This means we will be giving the next generation of young British talent the opportunity to take part in some highly competitive games throughout the season.” The eight clubs will be split into two leagues of four, and each will play the other sides in their league home and away – thus creating 24 league games. These will be played to HPA rules, over four months, with a final play-off between the top two clubs to decide the overall winner at the end of the season. Clubs will be encouraged to market their home and away games, particularly to those in their local communities, as it is hoped that by making teams associated to actual polo clubs rather than the often obscurely named high-goal teams (with their constantly changing make-up each season), spectators will more easily be able to engage with the game. Eventually, it is imagined replica strips in each club’s colours will be seen worn by their supporters as their profile develops, and the game can take on a wider significance for all those involved, as it frequently does in other professional games. The deal has been brokered by a private firm combining specialist polo
John Goodman gets 16 years FLORIDA-BASED POLO mogul John Goodman was sentenced to 16 years in prison and fined $10,000, following a court hearing in May. However, the IPCPB founder was expected to be released as Polo Times went to press on a $7 million bond, whole his lawyers appeal against his
conviction. He will be held under house arrest – understood to cost Goodman $1,000 per day – and will be monitored around the clock by off-duty policeman. He cannot apply for a new passport and his driving licence has also been permanently revoked. Goodman has been in prison since March when he was found guilty of DUI manslaughter following the death of 23-year-old Scott Wilson, who drowned after Goodman’s Bentley crashed into his car and pushed it into a canal. Goodman’s lawyers had filed two motions for a new trial based on juror misconduct but the judge dismissed both. Left: John Goodman is back at home, despite being handed a lengthy sentence
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News exclusive
bold new league for 2013 season knowledge and extensive sports marketing experience, and those behind it are encouraging the formation of the game’s first professional players’ association, replicating the mould that already exists in many other sports. This is because the players will also be stakeholders in the league, alongside the HPA, the clubs and the organisers, and will thus be afforded a voice in its contractual agreements, which it is hoped will also soon be bound up with sizeable sponsorship deals. It won’t interfere with Europe’s longestablished cup tournaments entered almost exclusively by pro-am teams (spearheaded
by wealthy patrons who play alongside their professionals), but the Polo Premier League’s revolutionary new model is expected to create opportunities for top level polo for many of Britain’s most exciting up-andcoming professionals. And, by structuring the game’s competitions in terms more familiar to fans of other sports, the Polo Premier
League is also intended to attract a greater following for polo amongst the wider public and, thus, expand its audience more generally. Assuming the Polo Premier League can count on the support of the players once they’ve taken the logical step – as it was in cricket and rugby – to form an official association to represent their interests, all the league’s organisers now need is the funding. They are seeking one title sponsor, and are reportedly already in discussion with a number of potential partners and official suppliers. Watch this space. w What do you make of the news? Do you like the idea of supporting your local club home and away, just as in other sports? Write to us: letters@polotimes.co.uk
What do the players think? With the make-up of the teams likely to mean news of this league is most exciting for Britain’s emerging young players, we ask 20-year-old four-goaler Jack Richardson what his reaction is to the agreement: “I think it sounds great. It’s more in keeping with how other sports are played, and is another step in the progression of the game into a more professional era, which is all good news for attracting sponsorship. I also think it will definitely work better as a way of helping spectators engage with polo. They’ll understand more what each of the teams is actually representing, and without patrons involved, it will
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also look more serious as a game. I think all the players will want to get behind it as, of course, hopefully eventually more polo means more money to go round, and the British game can grow. On that basis, it’s very promising. Slowly but surely, polo is definitely taking a step in the right direction, and this sounds as though it could play a big part in that.”
Polo Times, June 2012
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News
South Africa mourns murdered rising star
Photograph courtesy of South African Polo Association
THE POLO WORLD was saddened to learn of the death of up-and-coming South African player Sibusiso Duma, who was murdered on Tuesday 1 May in his hometown of Lidgetton in KwaZulu Natal. The 25-year-old was due to leave for England a week earlier to work for Alan Kent for the summer season but a delay with his visa meant he was held back in South Africa. He was stabbed to death while walking along a road in broad daylight. A 24-year-old man, believed to be the boyfriend of Duma’s former girlfriend, was arrested in connection with the murder four days later. The player’s ex-girlfriend was also stabbed earlier in the day but survived the attack. The talented player was due to help with Kent’s young horse programme and, through
“Sbu’s play had been getting better and he learned quickly. It’s a sad loss” – Alan Kent that, play some tournament polo. Although this wouldn’t have been his first trip to England – having played here through a South African scheme sponsored by Loro Piana a few years ago – this was the first time that he would be based in West Sussex with Kent. “Buster Mackenzie recommended Sbu
when he knew I needed some help with my young horses,” Kent told Polo Times. “I’d only seen Sbu play a couple of times but his play had been getting better and he learned quickly. He should have been here before Easter but he had commitments in Plettenburg, which delayed him arriving and applying for his visa. It’s a sad loss.” The two-goaler started to play polo when he was around 10 years old after his father, who groomed for Dave Kimber, thought he had talent. The South African Polo Association and BMW put him through school, where he became the first black person to feature on a South African schools team. Lions River Polo Club’s Dieter Rowe-Setz took the young South African under his wing after school and, with the help of sponsorship from Macsteel, he was able to go and study equine management in Johannesburg. Following this, he became the first sportsman to be sponsored by the Maybach Foundation, which gave him the funds to travel to Argentina. Here, he trained with Federico Bachmann in Lobos and met the Argentine’s patron, the late Philipp Maeder. Having played with Adolfo Cambiaso and other nine and 10-goalers, who agreed he was very gifted, Maeder asked Duma to play with him and Bachmann in St Tropez. Duma became South Africa’s first black polo international in 2009 and he famously
Above: Sibusiso Duma displays the full array of his talents on his goal-scoring international debut in late 2009
won the man of the match prize in the Kurland International. He scored five-goals to guide South Africa to a 12-10 win over Australia.
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News News in brief w POLO-SPONSORS AUDI launched their two latest cars in Munich, Germany, in April. The new “S” models – the S7 and S6 – are both designed to be sports cars for everyday life. The new models will be available from dealerships this summer. Read more about them on pages 80-81. w THE FIRST OF this season’s three Audi Internationals takes place this month at Beaufort Polo Club. England will play the Commonwealth on Saturday 16 June and the teams were yet to be confirmed when Polo Times went to press. The usual Young England vs England Ladies match that follows the Test Match will not take place this year. Instead, a universities game – between the Royal Agricultural College and another local university to be confirmed – will be held.
“Sbu was a shining example to all with his enthusiasm and love for polo,” said Clive Peddle of the South African Polo Association. “For years he strived to improve his game and finally got the break he had been looking for when
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offered a job in the UK only for it to be snatched away by a senseless thug.” w Send your polo memories of Sbu Duma to letters@polotimes.co.uk
w REGULAR VISITORS TO Guards Polo Club and other nearby clubs will be excited to learn that the Royal Berkshire Hotel in Sunninghill has been taken over by Exclusive Hotels. Since the new ownership took over last year, the historic hotel has undergone extensive refurbishment, including the Polo Bar and Lounge. There are 63 rooms at the hotel, which is set in 15 acres of landscaped gardens.
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Aiming high POLO: the German < GPoloERMAN Association celebrated its 40th anniversary on 12 May. Attended by members of the HPA, Gelände des Polo Club Bayern hosted the Veterans Cup and a children’s match, followed by an asado and evening of fun ARLTON HOUSE: the Suffolk< Cbased club raised £3,000 for the Air Ambulance and St Elizabeth Hospice through running a charity tournament at the end of April RINCE OF WALES < PTROPHY: the 22-goal tournament will go ahead despite the shorter than usual gap between the Queen’s Cup and start of the Cowdray Park Gold Cup. This year only a subsidiary final (9 June) and final (10 June) will be played OLO IN WALES: Celtic < PManor will host the second annual Elemis Polo at the Manor on 7 July. A week later, polo will return to Wales at the Glanusk Estate on 14 July
Swinging low IRENCESTER THIEF: = CAnthony Leyson pleaded guilty to stealing thousands of pounds’ worth of items at Cirencester Park Polo Club’s Charity Ball last summer, including Lady Bathurst’s £600 cigarette case. He was sentenced to 120 hours of unpaid work EAUFORT MANAGEMENT: = Bsoon after starting his role as polo manager, Beaufort has announced that Andrew Brown left his position in mid-April. Caspar West, who has been at the club for the past 14 years has become polo manager Photography: = GAlecUARDS Whitby of Centaur Photographic will no longer be seen snapping away at Guards Polo Club. He has moved on to pursue his freelance career 16
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Sandbanks set for m SANDBANKS IN POOLE hosted the official launch of the Asahi British Beach Polo Championships on Thursday 10 May. The beach-side Sandbanks Hotel held the event, where players from the four nations set to take part on 6-7 July showed off their prowess with a demonstration on the beach, despite having to battle with wind and rain. In a new format this year, England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales will come together for the first time to compete for the title. In previous years, four sponsored teams have played for the British Beach Polo Championships, while two international teams have played in a separate exhibition match. Eight-goal arena player Jamie Morrison, who is familiar with the Sandbanks beach, will captain the England side and Jamie Le Hardy will captain the Scottish team. The remaining players on both sides are yet to be confirmed. However, the Ireland and Wales teams have been confirmed.
Colm Purcell, who captained the Ireland team which played Wales at Glanusk Estate last year, will captain the Ireland side at the beach polo. He is joined by Niall Donnelly and Guy Higginson. Ricky Cooper, who now resides in New York but travels to the UK for some polo matches, leads the Welsh team, which also features former England international Richard Blake Thomas alongside Roddy Matthews. As well as the return of the Oakley International Beach Volleyball, the usual polo pony charity race will take place on both days. An Audi Q7 will race a polo pony in aid of Help for Heroes. Organisers have splashed out on the evening entertainment this year, which will include an exciting new exhibition match. Two teams will come faceto-face in a floodlit polo match on the Friday night (6 July) at 10pm. Large glowing light balloons will illuminate the sand arena for a night-time exhibition.
Penalty shootouts introduced to prevent match-fixing The Queen’s Cup group stages are already well underway, but this year the HPA is set to instigate the introduction of stand-alone penalty shootouts to determine who progresses from the league stages, in the event of a three-way tie on points. This system replaces the use of goal difference to separate the sides. This has been used in recent years, but has been left open to some abuse. Teams will no longer be able to allow a rival side to beat them in their final group game, knowing that their superior goal difference makes them immune from the danger of not making the next phase of the competition. Two teams from each of the four leagues will qualify for the quarter-final stages. In the event of two teams being tied for the second qualifying place, their head-to-head record will once again be the decisive factor in determining who goes through (since all games are played for a result and, thus, there are no draws). However, when three teams are tied (for example, having won two league games and lost one), this season they will be forced to turn out for a separate penalty shootout to determine the ranking of their respective leagues. Each side will be able to nominate three penalty-takers (likely to be three professionals named on their entry forms
or who played in the last game) and they’ll each hit an undefended spot-hit from 40 and 60 yards. The team that scores the most goals goes through to the quarter finals. Sudden-death penalties will continue if teams can’t be separated after their first six strikes. And, if an eligible professional is ill or unable to take part, the patron will have to fill the third slot. “This method should discourage teams from not always trying to win their group games,” explained David Woodd, chief executive of the HPA. “We looked extensively at various other means as well, such as introducing losing bonus points in a similar way to the rugby model, but this seemed like the best. Teams will want to avoid drawing with others on points, because they will not want to be subject to the lottery and the inconvenience of having to take part in a separate penalty shootout to get them through.” The whole system is to be reviewed after the league stages of the Queen’s Cup have been completed early this month, but a slightly different version of the concept is likely to be adopted in the Gold Cup as well, though the league system works differently, such that it may be possible there to have as many as four teams all tied on points, thus requiring a four-way penalty shootout. www.polotimes.co.uk
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more beach action On both nights, the evening will kick off with the Amika Mayfair beach parties. On the Friday, “Swing the Polo” will feature jazz, swing and up tempo classics, while on the Saturday, there will be live music and a DJ for the “Beach Party the Polo”. Similar to that which the Gaucho International Polo
did earlier this year, Sandbanks will donate £1 to Help for Heroes for every person wearing a pair of white jeans on the Saturday. w To purchase your tickets for the tournament, visit www.sandpolo.com/tickets.php
Wales captain Ricky Cooper with an Audi Q7 and a pony at the official launch of the Asahi British Beach Polo Championships
Reigning champs Abu Dhabi unchanged for Polo in the Park POLO IN THE PARK returns to London’s Hurlingham Park this month, from 8-10 June, where more than 30,000 revellers are expected to turn out. As with previous years, six three-man teams will be taking part in the three-day tournament, which is played on a smaller grass arena with modified rules. Some of this year’s players, including Jack Richardson, Lanto Sheridan and Andrea Vianini, attended the official launch for the event in May, held at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London. Polo in the Park ambassador Jodie Kidd was also present, where she and the players petitioned the International Olympic Committee to reinstate polo as an Olympic sport. Defending champions Abu Dhabi will be looking to retain the title in June and are the only team in the medium-goal competition to field the same side. Piki Diaz Alberdi, who played off nine-goals in last year’s www.polotimes.co.uk
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tournament, Andrea Vianini and Mohammed Al Habtoor form the team, who beat Buenos Aires in a close final in 2011. Oscar Mancini will once again lead the Buenos Aires side, while the London team will feature a whole new line-up of Jamie Morrison, George Meyrick and Max Charlton. Three games will be played on “City” Friday and “Ladies’ Day” Saturday, and the two finals will be played on the Sunday. This year, the Devils Horseman Cossack display team will perform in between the matches on all three days. wF or the full list of teams and schedule of play, see the Polo Times website Polo in the Park ambassador Jodie Kidd shows off the Olympic trophy at the 2012 official press launch
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New study shows that polo A NEW STUDY has found that, contrary to popular belief among players, polo injuries are on the rise in the UK. The final year dissertation of University of Greenwich equine management student Kimberley Gallagher accesses how the number and type of injuries suffered in polo have changed over the last 15 years. The inspiration for the dissertation came from Paul Baynham-Honri’s 1996 study titled “Is polo as dangerous as people think?”, which appeared in Polo Times in October of that year (Vol 1, Issue 8). Kimberley, who is a member of Sussex Polo Club, has compared Mr Baynham-Honri’s findings with the results of her own online survey, which was completed by 300 polo players who played in England during 2011. She has concluded that, despite the best efforts of the HPA – who introduced the Rules Test in 2002 – and technological advances in protective equipment, there has been a significant increase in the number of polo injuries over the last 15 years.
Number of players injured in 1995/96 compared to 2010/11
Kimberley’s study found that 57.1 per cent of the players surveyed sustained a polo injury during the last year. This is a dramatic increase compared to the 33 per cent surveyed by Mr Baynham-Honri. Interestingly, despite this rise, 53.5 per cent of players felt that, generally, injuries have decreased during their playing careers. Comparing the number of injuries in the study with the amount of polo played,
Kimberley, found that, on average, injuries in polo occur 51 times for every 1,000 hours spent playing the game. This suggests that the sport is markedly more dangerous than general horse riding (three injuries per 1,000 hours) and also puts polo above many contact sports such as rugby (44.69 times per 1,000 hours). “I think that the results are really interesting,” said Kimberley, reflecting on her research. “They show that the number of injuries sustained by polo players has significantly increased since the 1995/96 season. The results showed that an injury is likely to occur once every 19 and a half hours of playing polo – this is more than rugby, ice hockey and even riding a motorbike. “I think the most important finding was that, out of all the players who suffered an injury to the head, 100 per cent sustained concussion.” The study shows that bruising is the most common form of injury, compared to sprains and strains, which Mr Baynham-Honri found to be the most common.
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player injuries are on the rise Arms, which were ranked third behind trunk and back injuries in the 1996 study, have been found to be the most likely area to be injured by the modern player. Another interesting finding of the dissertation is that: “more advanced players with a handicap of two to 10-goals are more likely
Percentage of polo players surveyed to suffer injury to the following parts of the body
“Out of all players who suffered a head injury, all sustained concussion” to sustain bruising, cuts/lacerations, strains/ strains, concussion and fracture, than those between minus-two and one-goal.” Of those injured during the season, 30.9 per cent blamed “horse error” for the accident, while 28.8 admitted to a “personal mistake”. Despite the increase in injuries, the majority of those surveyed (54.8 per cent) do not have personal injury insurance, only 7.9 per cent wear a gum shield and 15.4 per cent don’t take any measures to avoid injury.
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News News in brief w POLOCROSSE IS NOW being played at Onley Grounds Equestrian Centre – the home of Rugby Polo Club. The club decided to get involved with the popular sport following the Polocrosse World Cup, which was held at Rugby in 2011. Rugby Polo Club’s polo manager Philip Baker will also act as chairman of the newly-formed Rugby Polocrosse Club. w GUILLERMO “SAPO” CASET contracted a violent staph infection while playing in the US Open in April. Initially the nine-goaler though he had just caught flu but, upon returning to Argentina following the final, he became seriously ill and was admitted to hospital in Buenos Aires. He was first put in an induced coma to help fight off the infection that was affecting his heart and lungs, but it is understood that he is now on the mend. Doctors expect him to make a full recovery in two to three months’ time. w HORACE LAFFAYE HAS published his latest book, “Polo in Britain. A History”. Starting in 1860 and finishing in 2011, Laffaye runs through polo in the UK, including early internationals, the Olympics and the growth of polo and professionals. Copies can be purchased from www.amazon.co.uk or from Waterstones stores.
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Record numbers turn out for the Audi Polo Awards THE AUDI POLO AWARDS attracted a record number of guests this year. More than 400 people attended the evening, held at Coworth Park for the second consecutive year, on Wednesday 16 May. This year’s event saw the introduction of a new award, The Polofix Outstanding Contribution to World Polo. Ros Packer, the wife of the late Kerry Packer, travelled from Australia specially to present the award to Jim Gilmore, who introduced the Packer/Ellerston set-up to polo. Ros also presented The Kerry Packer Most Outstanding High Goal Pony Award to Juan Martin Nero’s horse, Chica – the 2011 Queen’s Cup final best playing pony. Last year’s Cowdray Park Gold Cup winners, Zacara, won The Apes Hill Most Outstanding High Goal Team, while patron Lyndon Lea earned The Royal Salute Most Outstanding High Goal Patron. It was a good night for the Brits, with young players Ollie Cudmore and Jack Richardson winning an award each – The Avios Most Promising Player and The Julius Baer Victor Ludorum Most Outstanding Young Player, respectively. James Beim was voted The Audi Most Outstanding British Professional and Cheshirebased Lucy Taylor won The Champagne Pommery Most Outstanding Lady Player. Les Lions’ Sebastian Merlos – who moved up from nine goals to 10 at the end of the 2011 UK season – picked up The Kent & Curwen Most Outstanding High Handicap Player. Facundo Sola, who won the Queen’s Cup, won The Tally Ho Most Outstanding Medium Handicap Player. The HPA Lifetime Achievement Awards went to Jim Haigh MBE and the late Alec Harper. w See page 85 for pictures from the night
Audi Polo Awards – 2012 winners The Apes Hill Most Outstanding High Goal Team: Zacara The Royal Salute Most Outstanding High Goal Patron: Lyndon Lea The Kent & Curwen Most Outstanding High Handicap Player (8–10): Sebastian Merlos The Tally Ho Farm Most Outstanding Medium Handicap Player (4–7): Facundo Sola The Avios Most Promising Low Handicap Player (0-3): Oliver Cudmore The Audi Most Outstanding British Professional: James Beim The Champagne Pommery Most Outstanding Lady Player: Lucy Taylor The Julius Baer Victor Ludorum Awards: 18 Goal – Black Bears; 15 Goal – Black Bears; 12 Goal – Four Quarters Orange and 8 Goal – Apache The Julius Baer Victor Ludorum Most Outstanding Young Player: Jack Richardson The Polo Agency Most Outstanding Arena Team: Cold Smoke The HPA Lifetime Achievement Awards: The late Alec Harper and Jim Haigh MBE The Kerry Packer Most Outstanding High Goal Pony: Chicha The Polofix Outstanding Contribution to World Polo: Jim Gilmore The Thai Polo Club World Dream Team (chosen on the evening of the awards): 1. Facundo Pieres 2. Agustin Merlos 3. John Paul Clarkin 4. Juan Martin Nero
www.polotimes.co.uk
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Exciting season ahead for the ladies COWDRAY PARK’S JULY ladies’ tournament, the British Ladies Open Polo Championships, has a new sponsor this year in the form of Bloom Gin. The tournament has been pushed back later in the season this year, to 15-22 July instead of its usual slot in mid-May. “We are delighted with the agreement with Cowdray Park for our Bloom Gin brand to be the title sponsor of the British Ladies’ Open Polo Championships this July,” said Warren Scott of G&J Greenall. “Bloom Gin was inspired by the simple beauty of the English countryside and nowhere is this better illustrated than at the beautiful Lawns grounds of Cowdray Park.” The International Women’s Polo Association (IWPA) will be re-launching this year, having also secured new sponsorship. Originally set up in 1989, the association will also benefit from new events and recruitment of new members to the committee. This year’s fundraising efforts will be
The Cowdray Park Vikings won last year’s British Ladies’ Open. This year the event will be sponsored by Bloom Gin
directed at Breakthrough Breast Cancer and highlights this season include the re-launch party on 8 July, a Best of British Ladies U25 match, sponsorship of new female awards at SUPA and
an IWPA-sponsored ladies team. There will also be a new award scheme set up to recognise and support excellence and achievement by women off the field and in professional capacities.
Adrenalin Polo makes Fifield move
A coaching session at the Adrenalin Polo School
ADRENALIN POLO HAS moved to a new location this summer. The polo school, which also offers pony hire, will be based at Fifield Polo Club this year. The school moves from West Wycombe Polo Club where it has been based since 2005. The company’s hiring operations make frequent visits to the Berkshire, Guards and Coworth Park so being based at Fifield in Winkfield, Berkshire, will put them in a more central location for these trips.
“We play all the ponies regularly, even the school ones,” said Matt Nally, Adrenalin’s polo manager. “That way we can keep track of their performance and keep them up to the mark. This makes sure there are no surprises for our players and patrons.” Adrenalin’s client roster includes Carlton House, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and Wellington College, as well as players such as Sebastian Dawnay, Jamie Le Hardy and Richard Blake Thomas.
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Latest from the HPA HPA chief executive David Woodd rounds up the news from UK polo’s headquarters St Regis Test Match The first International this season was the St Regis International Test Match on Saturday 19 May at Cowdray Park Polo Club. In recognition of HM the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, teams played for the Silver Jubilee Trophy, which was first presented in 1977. This match followed an England 21 Match for the John Cowdray Trophy. St Regis teams England (24): Ollie Cudmore 4; Malcolm Borwick 6; James Beim 7; Luke Tomlinson 7 USA (23): Mark Ganzi 1; Pablo Pieres 8; Nic Roldan 7; Jeff Hall 7 Morning game The morning game on Audi International Day at Guards will see Young England (25 and under) play Young Commonwealth for the new Diamond Jubilee Trophy. Suffolk Test On Saturday 30 June, Young England will play Australia in an 18-goal match.
Audi International Polo Series The HPA have signed a three year agreement with Audi to launch the “Audi International Polo Series”. The newly created series will feature the England team playing the following matches: • The Audi International at Beaufort Polo Club on Saturday 16 June. England will play the Commonwealth for the Golden Jubilee Trophy • The Audi International at Guards Polo Club (formerly the Cartier International) on Sunday 22 July. England will play South Africa for the Coronation Cup. • The Audi International at Chester Racecourse Polo Club on Saturday 8 September. England will play South America for a new Chester Diamond Jubilee Trophy. Club affiliations The following clubs and associations have been awarded provisional affiliation to the HPA: Indian Polo Association; Welsh Polo Association; Stewarton Polo Club; White Waltham Polo Club; Lytchett Minster Polo Club; Luton Hoo Polo Club; Hertfordshire Arena
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Winner of the Polo Pony Class at Royal Windsor Horse Show Eleisha, plays for a surtees team in Pony Club Polo and competed against all adults to win the class on her grandmothers polo pony Moireira.
07748 670587 www.playpolo.co.uk kim@playpolo.co.uk 22
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Charity Grants In 2011 the HPA gave £2,000 grants to three air ambulance services, all of which performed lifts from polo fields: North West; Thames Valley and Chiltern ; Wiltshire and Isle of Wight. Clubs are asked to inform the HPA if they use an air ambulance so that donations can be made to those air ambulances that have been called out. England team titles clarified It was agreed at the HPA Council meeting on Wednesday 2 May that the titles of the England representative teams should be as follows: England – For any International match
Young England – A team of players who are 25 and under on 1 January that year England 21 – A team of players who are 21 and under on 1 January that year England Colts – A team of players who are 18 and under on 1 January that year England Junior Colts – All younger teams Insurance A summary of the HPA’s Members Liability Insurance cover is set out on page 391 of the Blue Book, which should have arrived in April. It is the responsibility of all Associate Members to satisfy themselves that the insurance which is provided through the HPA is sufficient for their polo activities and meets their appetite for risk management. All members are free to take out concurrent or additional insurance as they think desirable. Lifetime achievement awards Lifetime achievement awards were presented by the HPA to Jim Haigh MBE and the late Alec Harper at the 2012 Audi Polo Awards at Coworth Park on Wednesday 16 May. Jim is chairman of Toulston Polo Club and has been chairman of the HPA Finance and Grants Committee since 1994. Alec was a six-goal player who represented England in 1951 and 1953 and was secretary of the HPA from 1971 to 1989. His son Sandy received the reward on his behalf. Retraining of Racehorses The Retraining of Racehorses charity (RoR) is once again awarding prizes to retrained racehorses at low, medium and high-goal level. This year’s polo competition takes place on Tuesday 12 June and entries close on 1 June. The competition, open to ponies who have previously raced and players of two-goals and above, will have a number of cash prizes up for grabs. Section winners will receive £1,000, second placed individuals £500 and the overall champion pony will receive an additional £1,500. For more information visit www.ror.org.uk Dates for the diary Wednesday 6 June – Coaching Seminar (for HPA qualified coaches and instructors), RCBPC Tuesday 12 June – Retraining of Racehorses “Racing to polo challenge”, RCBPC Friday 15 June – Mid-season handicap meeting, Sunningdale Park Hotel Wednesday 20 June – Stewards meeting, Cavalry and Guards Club, London www.polotimes.co.uk
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Sultry seductress in Sardinia This photograph was taken in the week of the Costa Smeralda Audi Gold Cup in Italy in 2010, and features a model riding one of Carlos Gracida’s ponies as part of a shoot for photographer Marco Glaviano’s book published later that year. “We shot the ponies in a number of locations,” Glaviano told Polo Times. “Sardinia is magical, and it made for some stunning results.” A preview of his book – appropriately named Marco Polo – is available online, made up of a mixture of polo action photographs and some remarkably revealing shots of ponies being exercised and groomed by scantily clad models on beaches and dust plains. Cumulatively, they’re sure to set your pulses racing one way or another! w Visit www.facetofaceagency.it or contact Barbara Glaviano, the photographer’s daughter, at FacetoFace agency in Italy: phone +39 02 2940 2784 or email barbara.glaviano@facetofaceagency.com
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Backchat with Clare Milford Haven
Rain, rather than recession, has proved once again to be polo’s dreaded R-word
I
am going to try really hard NOT to mention the R-word. We all know that it’s been playing havoc with the start of our season but it’s just too dull to keep talking about it, even though every plan gets turned upside down because of it. So I am going to avoid it at all costs. The fact that I am sitting writing this in front of a roaring fire in May is frankly a little bizarre. It could be late autumn, but in fact it’s late spring and in three hours’ time I am due to play in the final of the Tyro at Cowdray. It’s quite damp outside, verging on torrential. I did ask our polo manager, Chris Bethell, if the game was still going ahead as, naturally, I was worried about getting my hair wet, but in true British fashion, it is on. (Or so I thought! By the time I finished writing this, it had already been cancelled. No prizes for guessing why). Inclement weather aside, last night we celebrated the start of another polo season with drinks in the Ambersham clubhouse amid much shivering in jackets and woolly hats. As always, it’s good to see everyone come out of the woodwork after a long winter. Nothing much changes over eight months really. Some of us get thinner/fatter; greyer/blonder; get married/divorced/have babies but it’s always the same
Spectators shelter from the rain during the Queen’s Cup final at Guards in 2011. The weather has been a problem again this season
familiar, if somewhat predictable banter nonetheless.
The professional game A question I have been pondering recently is – when does a polo player become a pro and what handicap designates professional status? There seems to be some confusion surrounding one and two-goal players on this issue, and this has nothing to do with the HGP (Home Grown Player) rule.
Britain’s best player to date, Julian Hipwood, remembers that until someone had reached three-goals, they would never have been paid. He says: “The division between amateur and professional players is a lot more blurred nowadays. In my day, a true pro was someone who could look after himself completely without any outside help. Today, it’s become such an expensive game that many of the younger,
Photograph by Centaur Photographic
Inclement weather aside, we celebrate the start of another polo season and it’s always good to see everyone after a long winter conversation…. How was your winter? What are you playing in? How are the horses? Family alright? You do this ten times with ten different people and then drive home, a bit bemused, but strangely comforted by the 26
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During the boom time of the 1980s, it was always the understanding that, when you attained the handicap of threegoals, you could call yourself a pro. Anything less than that was considered amateur.
lower handicapped guys are trying to make a bit of extra cash to help pay towards their expenses.” These days the benchmark for pro status seems to have shifted down to two-goals. Certainly, almost all two-goalers expect to be
paid and even some one-goalers will ask. In high-goal, a one-goal player might be paid a handsome retainer fee as a substitute for a patron, without even having to get onto a horse. One could argue that by not charging, one and two-goal players might get more polo and thus improve their game. But maybe this just isn’t possible for many players in today’s challenging financial climate. In Argentina, the stakes are much higher. As one exasperated six-goaler told me: “In Argentina, people don’t acknowledge you as a real pro until you’ve played in the Open!” I’d genuinely be interested to know what some of Polo Times readers think about this – when does a player become a pro? F w Send us your thoughts to letters@polotimes.co.uk www.polotimes.co.uk
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Global view with Herbert Spencer
Looking forward to witnessing Audi’s influence on HPA’s International Day
Photograph by Audi
I
have been privileged to attend the Hurlingham Polo Association’s flagship International Day dozens of times from its inception in 1971, photographing and writing about it, and have been involved with its organisation on several occasions. Now I am looking forward with great anticipation to this year’s newly-titled Audi International and the new look that the HPA, host club Guards and Audi UK are giving this world’s biggest one-day polo event. From what I have heard, International Day 2012 will be less about glitz and more about the game. That first International Day at Cowdray Park Polo Club in 1971 was a relatively modest, countrified event. It was dreamed up by Lord Patrick Beresford and American Michael Butler, producer of the hit musical Hair, who was playing in England that year, as a replacement for the Westchester Cup series between England and the USA that had remained dormant since World War II. The International Day concept was enthusiastically supported by the late Lord Cowdray, then chairman of the HPA. In 1972 the HPA moved the new event to Guards Polo Club to be closer to London, hoping to attract bigger crowds. The HPA appointed the late Major Ronald Ferguson, vice-chairman and polo manager at Guards, as director of International Day. The event grew like Topsy, over the years attracting a series of major sponsors and an increasing number of spectators. After the jewellers Cartier took over title sponsorship in the 1980s, they added a new dimension with a vast marquee to entertain up to 600 guests 28
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England players Tom Morley, Mark Tomlinson, Malcolm Borwick and Nacho Gonzalez at the launch of the new Audi International
with lavish luncheons and teas, concentrating their publicity on celebs attending and touting Cartier International Day as a major social occasion, rather than a sporting event. Cartier and Guards later brought in the high-profile London nightclub Chinawhite with another big marquee beside the polo grounds, where “après-polo” brought out ravers with no interest in polo. I became involved with
largest mounted parade ever held at an equestrian event: 125 riders with youngsters from Pony Club Polo and schools and universities, some carrying the flags of the 52 countries of the Commonwealth. But publicity in the mass media was still concentrated upon the social aspects of Cartier International Day. Now that they have Audi UK as their new sponsor, Guards’ new management appears to
From what I‘ve heard, International Day 2012 will be less about glitz and more about polo International Day in 2001, as communications director of the HPA. Guards was closed that year because of the foot and mouth epidemic, so we moved the event back to where it started, at Cowdray Park, with Claridge’s Hotel replacing Cartier as title sponsor and the Prince of Wales rather than the Queen presiding. Back at Guards in 2002, the year of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, I staged what was then the
be working more closely with them and the HPA to restructure International Day. Audi UK, who have been sponsoring England’s national team for seven years, is foregoing a big marquee and will be elegantly entertaining some 150 VIP guests in the Guards clubhouse. The HPA marquee, where the great and good of English polo lunch, will become a cash bar with music after the polo.
HPA club members who book their tickets through clubs are being offered generous discounts. Chinawhite will be on hand again, but their marquee and the trade village is being moved across the access road from the polo ground. I am again involved, having created two displays for the HPA marquee, one honouring the Queen in her Diamond Jubilee year, the other saluting polo at past Olympics. Last but certainly not least, Guards has carried out major improvements to its Queen’s Ground, which should play better this year than on previous occasions. The Coronation Cup match between England and South Africa should be quite a battle and the HPA is inaugurating a new Diamond Jubilee Trophy to be played for by Young England and the Commonwealth. Book your tickets, it promises to be a polooriented HPA Audi International. F w Read more from Herbert at www.polotimes.co.uk www.polotimes.co.uk
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Umpire’s corner with Arthur Douglas-Nugent
Teamwork, concentration and proper preparation are the keys to success
O
nce again this year we were privileged to have a talk from a top sports official at the Chief and Pro Umpires meeting in Sunningdale in April. We had an inspiring talk from football referee Andre Marriner, who is clearly at the top of his profession; indeed he was selected to referee the crunch Premier League match between the two Manchester teams recently. I think the most interesting point that he made is that you are not out there to make friends; you cannot please everyone, though, perhaps you should aim for the most happiness for the greatest number. His other main points were about concentration, teamwork (that is working with and trusting the other officials), preparation (which includes mentally as well as physically) and finally, and perhaps most importantly, sticking to your decisions once you’ve
in). It is hoped that players will take less than 15 seconds as the time allowed is, perhaps, on the generous side.
Favouring the attacker
The rules governing throw-ins have been amended by the HPA for the 2012 season
but fortunately we also have the mini version, which covers the rules and gets well-thumbed before the end of the season. We have tried to eradicate possible ambiguities, but there are some areas which are still worth highlighting. Firstly, if the umpires award a foul, they: “… should
Photograph by James Mullan
“Umpires are not out there to make friends; they cannot please everyone” – Andre Marriner made them. After he had shown us a short video of a football match which went to extra-time there were few volunteers willing to take on refereeing in the Premier League.
Worth highlighting The Blue Book has now landed on my desk with an even more resounding thump than last year,
announce the foul, the player that has fouled and the penalty”. As the team captain is no longer able to ask for an explanation of the foul, this procedure is very important so that the players know where they stand or, perhaps more appropriately, where they sit. The second area to mention is
the throw-in. This has always been a bit of a muddle, but no one has yet been able to suggest a better way of restarting play that is fair to both sides. This year, for the throw-in from the boards the umpires are required to stand at least five yards in and there shall be “at least two feet separating each team”, as opposed to “an appreciable distance” as the rule has hitherto been written. A third area worth highlighting is that the rules now allow 15 seconds, rather than five, for a player to place the ball before taking a penalty (other than in the case of a penalty 5a – hit from the spot – and 5b – hit from the centre). This will be strictly policed so that any time wasting, for whatever reason, will be penalised by a Penalty 7 (throw-
Rule 39e covers the rules for the attacking team while they are taking a Penalty 3, 4 and 6. It contains a sentence that perhaps should have been highlighted for emphasis. It reads: “The stick may be raised above the shoulder of any player to stop or deflect the ball providing that the head of the stick does not move a significant distance as contact is made with the ball.” This is aimed primarily to benefit the attacking number one and number two, who are positioned either side of the goal and may now attempt to deflect a shot, which otherwise was going high or wide, into the goal. There is, of course, no restriction on the defender. Another related rule that may cause confusion is that which governs the “second shot” of the striker after a mis-hit penalty shot In this case the penalty taker, or any member of his team, may take a full swing at the ball, but they will be penalised if the umpires consider that this endangers another player. This particular play is well illustrated in the 2012 Rules DVD. F ◗ Read more from Arthur at www.polotimes.co.uk
Foul for thought… This month’s puzzle A polo stick can be a dangerous weapon. What are the rules governing misuse?
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Last month’s solution For what offence should the umpires award a Penalty 7? The answer is: when there is contact between two opposing players before a hit-in or a penalty is taken. And, secondly, if there is unnecessary delay in the taking of a penalty. Note that the penalty for a breach of the “one tap” rule is now a Penalty 5a and not a Penalty 7. www.polotimes.co.uk
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Comment
Your views
Letters Write to the editor in the following ways: w letters@polotimes.co.uk w Tweet: @PoloTimes or
@mullanitunder wT he Editor, Polo Times,
Holbrook Farm, North Leigh, Oxon OX29 6PX
Sir, I’ve circulated the following letter to clubs and also sent a copy to the HPA. I’d appreciate it if you’d kindly publish it in Polo Times as well. During the last few months, I’ve watched in horror at the number of ponies brought in from their winter “holiday” in possibly the worst states I have ever seen in my 15 years in polo. I frequent several clubs on a regular basis and have seen ponies coming in from many different places in various stages of emaciation. In many cases, the levels of the problem were not noted until the rugs were removed on arrival at the club (which begs the question, what happened to the weekly rugremove-and-check?). I have to say, this simply isn’t good enough. Is it perhaps due to the current financial climate? Is it that, for those on the borderline of being able to afford to play, it is necessary to cut corners? Or, more worryingly, is it that people hand over their string in good faith to “professionals” that promise endless valleys of lush grass and twice-daily checks with feed, but get nothing of the sort? Perhaps over the winter, it is simply a case of “out of sight, out of mind”. Early in April, I saw five patron ponies disembark a 32
Polo Times, June 2012
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A brolly for St Bartholomew’s Boreham! Sir, we were delighted to see a spectacular photograph of one of our pupils, Sam Boreham, in the April issue of Polo Times (page 63). He was representing St Bartholomew’s School at the SUPA Senior Schools Tournament in Rugby, this March. However, sadly it seems as though he has been captioned as Taunton School’s Tom Parry-Jones. It’s a shame, because we were the only comprehensive school competing at this level, which we think is some achievement. I enclose the mis-labelled photograph of Sam, and one of the whole three-man team that represented us at Rugby Polo Club. Photographs by Peter James Photography
Policing polo properly in terms of pony wintering
Letter of the month
Sam Boreham in action for St Bartholomew’s at the SUPA Senior Schools Tournament at Rugby Polo Club
St Bartholomew’s Jack Tate, Sam Boreham and Harry Kitchin were the only comprehensive school pupils involved
Maureen Sims, Deputy Headteacher: St Bartholomew’s School – Berkshire Editor’s note: thanks for alerting us to the error Maureen. As always, we rather rely on being furnished with the correct information for the young players we are yet to see in action ourselves, but perhaps you might pass on the umbrella that you now win to Sam Boreham by way of an apology. Congratulations to St Bartholomew’s – I hope you’ll be a fixture within SUPA competitions for many years to come. The writer of the Letter of the month wins a Polo Times umbrella
lorry and it made me cry. They were worthy of an RSPCA cruelty investigation – ribs and hips sticking out, dull coats, overgrown feet and staring eyes. The severe situation for these horses had not been noted, as they’d been wearing rugs in their field, which most probably prevented anyone recognising and reporting their appalling condition. Is it any wonder that polo continues to have a terrible reputation amongst the rest of the equestrian population for owners not taking proper care of their animals? For those of us that do it correctly and have ponies that come in well trimmed, wormed and – most importantly – well fed, it seems
shocking that those able to fund themselves in the game during the summer with such confidence can nevertheless fail to take proper care of their horses. It would seem that clubs feel they cannot say anything for fear of losing the valuable business. Isn’t it time the HPA asked where all ponies are during the winter and did spot checks? Even to monitor a few would surely encourage those who cut corners to improve. After all, ponies live all year round, not just in the summer when needed for polo, and so we should be striving to ensure abuse never happens. A pseudonym, via letter postmarked in London
Reply from David Woodd, chief executive of the HPA: From time to time, people write anonymously with allegations of welfare abuse without giving any specific information about when or where the alleged incident took place. Under those circumstances, we are rarely able to track down the incident, let alone take appropriate action. We ask that you contact David Morley, chairman of the Welfare Committee, on 01798 869496 and give him all the relevant facts. We will guarantee that person complete anonymity if that is what he or she wishes. We will also do our best to complete a thorough investigation. www.polotimes.co.uk
17/5/12 17:22:47
Comment
Your views
Poetry corner – month two A horse’s lament Once we’ve foaled, we must be sold, For day to day there are bills to pay, Until one day, we have to be told, “Now the game’s up, you are too old”. Like our owners, it would appear, We only work half the year, Eating and sleeping, our minds grow lazy, The summer memories; just too hazy.
“I thought you said your horses were usually in work at this time of year?!”
Extreme weather nothing new Sir, given how much the wet weather wreaked havoc for players’ and clubs’ preparations for the season this April and May, I thought it should be noted that we can’t entirely blame the extreme conditions on today’s buzzwords of “global climate change”. A recent conversation with Diana Scott revealed that Cirencester Park was unable to play a single game in May in 1979, when Ronnie Scott
was polo manager, because of so much rain. But then Nicky Williams revealed that his father Jack was forced to pull all polo from the club in 1976, because the polo fields were like dust bowls when he was the manager in charge of polo there! It seems us Brits have had to contend with unpredictable conditions since the year dot, Zahra Hanbury, Birdlip, Gloucestershire
A very satisfied customer Sir, thank you for my wine from when you made me letter of the month [March issue]. I’m not a professional drinker, so just had one glass, but it was excellent! Wine is something I do really appreciate, and I miss it when I’m travelling. In the subsequent issue [April], I very much enjoyed reading the article by Caroline Stern about the checklist for buying ponies. I must show it to my friends before they go abroad, though I also have a few recommendations of my own with particular reference to buying ponies in Argentina. It is www.polotimes.co.uk
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so easy to get scammed, if you don’t know what to ask for or what you are looking for. This issue, I wanted to share some amusing photographs from the terrible weather we had at the end of April and beginning of May. And yet there’s still a hosepipe ban! Fortunately being forced to stay inside isn’t so bad. I’m now currently looking at the May issue, and I’m enjoying the magazine more and more, for sure. Thank you. Atilio Degrossi, via email
But what we dread is when we’re tried, Especially when they really can’t ride, Last time out I’d rather have died, Just to get on, he needed a guide. Once he was on, it only got worse, Prodded by a spur and a curse, He looked like he was going to burst, His ego desperate, too proud to be nursed. At any moment I knew we’d collide, I was so scared and could have cried, If only there was somewhere to hide, His riding knowledge? - he must have lied. It was so awful, he has to go, No idea, there was no flow, A kick and tug, at the same time, I really hope he hasn’t a dime, As he is a killer on my poor old spine. Mountstuart Hungerford-Jackson, Gloucestershire
Tweets worth re-tweeting
We follow them on twitter, to save you bothering: @nachofigueras (Nacho Figueras) – 16 May Great day at the farm today. Here are some of my new babies (+pic): @madforitme (John Horswell) – 12 May In polo, you see the best of an opponent and the worst of a teammate. @Britishpoloday (British Polo Day) – 10 May “VIPs in the UAE” – Brilliant write up of British Polo Day Dubai and Abu Dhabi in Polo Times (+pic): @madforitme (John Horswell) – 9 April Polo is a very generous sport, just look at some of the people who earn a living from it. Polo Times, June 2012
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17/5/12 17:22:59
Feature
Diamond Jubilee special – The Queen and polo
By royal appointment With Britain and the Commonwealth gearing up this month to celebrate 60 years since Elizabeth II became Queen, in this issue we reflect on the royal family’s historic association with polo and consider just what value Her Majesty puts on the game herself
Herbert Spencer raids the polo archives
I
n the “sport of kings”, horseracing, Queen Elizabeth II is England’s best-known owner and breeder of thoroughbreds. She regularly attends race meetings in which her horses are running, such as Epsom and Royal Ascot. Over the years the sovereign has also, occasionally, graced other sporting events
the British royal family’s longstanding tradition of involvement with polo, dating back to the reign of Queen Victoria in the 19th century. From the 1870s, the then Prince and Princess of Wales were watching polo matches at London’s Hurlingham Club, where the prince became its patron. Although he never played himself, he became a keen supporter of the sport, and remained so
Photograph by Tony Ramirez
Her Majesty was, in effect, a pioneer in the retraining of racehorses for polo with her presence: the World Cup and FA Cup in football, cricket’s Ashes at Lords, and tennis at Wimbledon. It is, however, “the game of kings”, polo, that has been most privileged in having Her Majesty as a patron and supporter. During the 60 years of her reign, celebrated this year as her Diamond Jubilee, and for years before she ascended the throne, the Queen has attended literally hundreds of polo events, far more than in any other sport. This is hardly surprising, considering 34
Polo Times, June 2012
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even after he ascended the throne as King Edward VII. He attended polo matches in England and abroad, from Deauville to Delhi. Edward VII’s sons became the royal family’s first polo players. Prince Albert’s polo career was apparently shortlived, but Prince George (our Queen’s grandfather) played extensively while he was serving in the Royal Navy, in England, Malta, Jamaica and Barbados. He gave up the game when he left the navy in 1892,
but continued as an enthusiastic supporter of the sport after he became King George V. Then George V’s sons took up polo. The Prince of Wales, briefly King Edward VIII until his abdication, played in England and abroad. His younger brother, the Duke of York, played in England. The Duke of York was playing polo in the 1930s until shortly before he became King George VI after Edward’s abdication in 1936. York’s elder daughter Elizabeth was born in 1926, so, as a child, she would have been able to watch her father in action. But it Left: the Queen at Smith’s Lawn in 2007 to present The Queen’s Cup
www.polotimes.co.uk
17/5/12 17:59:58
The Queen and polo
Feature
The Queen, photographed during treading in at Guards in 1970, in conversation with her husband, Prince Philip (on the right of the shot), who’s engaged in umpiring duties
put stick to ball, she was certainly a faithful “polo wife”. Back in England, the princess frequently went to watch Philip in action and was often called upon to present prizes. Writing for my first polo book Chakkar in 1971, the year of his retirement as a player, Prince Philip made an amusing, oblique reference to the Queen, observing that “some lucky ones [players] manage to persuade their wives to keep, groom and train their ponies, but this ideal arrangement is understandably rare.” Whilst Her Majesty never groomed for her husband, her thoroughbred racing stables
During the 60 years of her reign, the Queen has attended hundreds of polo events, far more than in any other sport polo ground while their husbands played chukkas. There is a story, true or not, that Elizabeth and Edwina even engaged in a bit of stick-and-balling at Marsa. Regardless of whether the future queen ever www.polotimes.co.uk
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did provide Philip, and later Prince Charles, with polo-trained ponies. One of Charles’s favourites, bred by the Queen’s royal stud, was Happiness out of Philip’s mare Inez. The Queen was, in effect, a pioneer in the
retraining of racehorses for polo. In 1951 Princess Elizabeth visited Roehampton Polo Club and, for the first time, presented the HPA’s King’s Coronation Cup. The Coronation Cup had been inaugurated in 1911 to mark the coronation of Elizabeth’s grandfather, King George V. Until World War II, it was England’s top polo prize. Elizabeth II became Queen on the death of her father in 1952. One of her first public appearances after her coronation in June, 1953, was at polo: some 12,000 spectators were on hand at Cowdray Park Polo Club to watch her present the HPA’s Coronation Cup to the winning Argentine team. After she ascended the throne 60 years ago, the Queen continued to support polo and her consort, the Duke of Edinburgh, continued to play the game. Prince Philip became patron of the HPA and the Queen was, in all but name, patron of polo in this country. When Prince Philip and his fellow players, many of them serving or retired offices of the cavalry and Royal Navy, decided to establish u Photograph by Fred Mayer, from Herbert Spencer Media
would not be until after World War II that Elizabeth would become an enthusiastic supporter of the game. Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip in 1947. Philip was an officer in the Royal Navy and, in the early 1950s was based on the island of Malta, serving under his uncle Lord Mountbatten who was Commander-inChief of the Mediterranean Fleet. The prince and princess lived with the Mountbattens on the island and it was Lord Mountbatten who brought Philip into polo. In Malta Princess Elizabeth and Lady Mountbatten would go riding at the Marsa
Polo Times, June 2012
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17/5/12 18:00:08
Photograph by Michael Chevis polo archive
Her Majesty presents the Coronation Cup at Cowdray Park in 1953
u a Household Brigade polo club, the Queen gave her permission for the club to be sited in Windsor Great Park. It was she who suggested they could use Smith’s Lawn for their grounds. This large open area of the royal park has an appropriately military history. Smith’s Lawn was an army training camp in The Great War and, during World War II, it was a military aerodrome with a grass runway. The Household Brigade club was established in 1955, later changing its name
to spend countless afternoons there watching polo and presenting trophies and prizes. In the early days at Guards, polo was relatively low-key and laid back with an atmosphere that admirably suited the Queen’s attendance, always described as “private” engagements of the sovereign. The club’s first major event was its Royal Windsor Cup medium-goal tournament first played in 1955. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Windsor Park team won the cup in 1958 and 1965. The high-goal Queen’s Cup was inaugurated in 1960. Even by 1970, when I first saw the Queen at Guards, polo events there were pleasingly relaxed. The royal box was just a modest
The HPA marked the Queen’s 50th year on the throne in 2002 with the Golden Jubilee Cup (left), and this year the association is inaugurating the Diamond Jubilee Trophy to Guards Polo Club. As Smith’s Lawn is only a few minutes drive through the park from Windsor Castle, it has been convenient for the Queen 36
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but elegant little structure with the Queen sitting on a wicker chair on a deck in front. She was able to join the small crowds of spectators treading in at halftime without u www.polotimes.co.uk
17/5/12 18:00:39
Diamond Jubilee special – The Queen and polo
Feature
The Queen looks on as the USA lifts the Westchester Cup in 1992, having beaten England’s Howard Hipwood, Alan Kent, Cody Forsyth and Will Lucas 8-7 in an extra chukka
Photographs this spread by Michael Chevis polo archive, Tony Ramirez and Herbert Spencer
The Queen enjoys a moment of mirth with Cartier UK’s Arnaud Bamberger on the HPA’s International Day in 2000 (left), and accepts some traditional Mexican silver from the country’s horsemen – whom they call charros – in 2003, as Lord Patrick Beresford looks on behind (above)
Polo Times, June 2012
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Feature
Diamond Jubilee special – The Queen and polo
Princess Anne and the Queen watch on from the royal enclosure at Guards Polo Club in 1970, having made the short trip to polo from the races during Royal Ascot week
u being isolated by a roped-off area. Meanwhile the Queen saw her son Charles and then her grandsons William and Harry take up the sport. Both the Prince of Wales and Prince Harry have played on the HPA’s International Day. As events at Guards grew bigger, the Queen’s attendance – by necessity – became more formal and controlled and, in recent years, she has attended fewer events there. She has left it to other members of the royal family, including Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Prince Harry, to preside over the HPA’s annual flagship event, International Day. She last presented the Coronation Cup in 2005. The HPA marked the Queen’s 25th and 50th years on the throne by inaugurating the Silver Jubilee Cup in 1977 and the Golden Jubilee Cup in 2002. This year the association is inaugurating the Diamond Jubilee Trophy to be played for between Young England and the Commonwealth on the HPA’s Audi International Day at Guards next month. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s patronage of polo over the past 60 years has done much to raise the profile of the game, both in the United Kingdom and abroad, and Polo Times joins the rest of the polo 38
Polo Times, June 2012
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George Milford Haven accepts the Queen’s Cup in 1988, following his NCP Broncos’ victory over Tramontana
community, the HPA and the entire nation in gratefully saluting her in this Diamond Jubilee year. F
◗ What are your memories of seeing the Queen at polo? We’d love to see your photographs. Email us: letters@polotimes.co.uk www.polotimes.co.uk
18/5/12 20:44:53
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16/5/12 16:44:56
Feature
Interview – British and US Open winning patron, Lyndon Lea
Zacara’s Lyndon leads the way Having won the US Open and been named high-goal patron of the year at the Audi Polo Awards, 2011 British Open winner Lyndon Lea has become one of the most successful British high-goal patrons of recent times. He talks exclusively to Polo Times
John O’Sullivan in London
Photograph by Action Polo
L
yndon Lea has hit the headlines twice in the last month. At the end of April it was for his polo, as the 43-year-old Lancashire-born patron led Zacara to his maiden US Open title in Florida. This was his second big polo success in under a year, after the onegoaler lifted the Gold Cup for the British Open at Cowdray Park last summer. A mere 10 days after his US triumph, in the first week of May, he was in the headlines again, toasting a success in one of his other great passions – business. Lion Capital, the private equity firm which he founded in 2004, sold a 60 per cent share in breakfast giants Weetabix to a Chinese firm for a cool £720m. As a jet-setting polo patron who likes to work hard and play hard, this is all in a month’s work for Lea, whose British polo HQ is based in Berkshire. Somehow, during the 10 chaotic days between these two achievements, the charming Zacara patron found the time to meet me in the luxurious offices of Lion Capital’s London HQ. With the war wounds from his latest polo triumph still evident in his walk, Lea revealed the secrets of his time-management skills, discussed the birth of his passion for polo and reflected on his new-found high-goal success. 40
Polo Times, June 2012
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It has been a remarkable year for your team Zacara. Have your achievements sunk in yet? It never crossed my mind that I could win the British Open and the US Open in the same year. To be honest it never really crossed my mind that we would win the British Open last year and then, the way our team started, I really didn’t think it was our year to win the US Open. When I first got into polo, those were the two tournaments I really wanted to win. I never once thought or dreamt about holding the two titles simultaneously. It is a really great feeling. Tell us about how you got into polo. When did you start playing? I got into polo in about 1999 at a work related function. I was starting the US office of a European firm and we had a little retreat
“I never even dreamt of holding the US Open and British Open titles simultaneously” – Lyndon Lea organised in Palm Springs. Now, there are really only two things in Palm Springs – there is golf and there is polo. I had a group of seven guys and wanted to do a little bonding activity. Golf didn’t really work because some guys golfed and other guys didn’t. Nobody had really ever played polo before so we went down to the local club. I got on a horse for the first time and I thought it was the end of the world, but it was just addiction from the very first time.
So how long was it before you decided to get back on a horse again? Well, we did that for a couple days and then I went back to the UK and, like most beginners in the UK, I found my way to Ascot Park and Peter and Victoria Grace. I bought two horses and that was the beginning of it all. When did you start playing competitively? We were playing chukkas at Ascot Park and then at some point I moved over to Guards, at the suggestion of Victoria and Peter, because my game was moving up. I entered some low-goal tournaments playing as Los Feos with Roddy Matthews, Will Hine and Victoria Grace and we had some success. Before I knew it I was entering the Royal Windsor 15-goal with Ruki Baillieu and the first year we entered, in 2004, we won it. How long was it before you played high-goal? After winning the Royal Windsor I was invited to my first high-goal practice and it reminded me of that first time I got on the horse again. The pace of the game and the anticipation of the players is just much higher. I would be heading one way and all the other players were heading the other. For me, this added to the addiction and, of course, as you gain experience you fit into that game and then, when you drop back down again, it feels like you have all the time in the world. u
Lyndon Lea nonchalantly holds the Gold Cup after guiding Zacara to their British Open win at Cowdray Park last summer
www.polotimes.co.uk
18/5/12 20:12:39
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17/5/12 16:50:56
Interview – British and US Open winning patron, Lyndon Lea
Photographs by Action Polo, Centaur Photographic and Alice Gipps
Feature
Left, Lyndon Lea is embraced by Hilario Ulloa and Nachi Du Plessis after their 2011 Gold Cup. Middle, the Queen shakes Lyndon’s hand after he won the 2004 Royal Windsor at
u And what do you remember about your first high-goal season? We started to play the high-goal in 2005, we had a team of Ruki, Jaime Huidobro and James Beim and we made the quarters at the Gold Cup. Up until recently that was about as far as we’d ever reached in high-goal – to the quarter finals of the British Open and the quarter finals of the US Open. Of course the last year has been a heck of a story. Indeed! The last year has seen you win the British Open for the Gold Cup and now, the US Open. So, what’s changed? A lot changed last year in the UK. After
playing a few years with Ruki in the highgoal I went into a three-year deal with the Novillo Astradas – Eduardo and Javier – and for whatever reason we did not have a lot of good fortune. Last year was the first year after that team ended. I talked to Adolfo Cambiaso about playing for Zacara in the UK, but that didn’t work out so I thought,
rather than worrying about a big name and a big team I would grab some young guns hungry for success. And that seemed to work very well for you. What do you put your success down to? Hilario Ulloa is an amazing player, so I formed a team around him with Nachi Du Plessis at back and Gonzalo Deltour, a player who people hadn’t really seen a lot of in the UK, at 1. Gonzalo is someone I have been working with for four years. Together we were a group of young, hungry guys winning against the odds. It
Mat Lodder, Will Lucas, Lyndon Lea and Ruki Baillieu of Typhoo lift the 2004 Royal Windsor Cup
42 Polo Times, June 2012
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www.polotimes.co.uk
22/5/12 10:33:03
British and US Open winning patron, Lyndon Lea
Feature
Guards as former chairman Colonel Paul Belcher looks on. Right, Lyndon chats with Eduardo Novillo Astrada during the 2008 Prince of Wales final, which Zacara lost to Broncos
just created a great team dynamic. Structurally the team was very balanced as well. Nachi was very solid at back, Hilario at number three and Deltour attacking. Despite ultimately winning the title, you certainly didn’t have things easy along the way. How do you remember it? I think we had a very difficult draw. We really had to go through pretty much every big team to get to where we got to – Dubai, then La Bamba, then Les Lions. I think that really pulled the team together. We were fortunate at times, but just kept playing to our gameplan. Looking ahead to this year’s tournament, you’ve been forced to change the team after all three pros went up in handicap. Will the class of 2011 be a hard act to follow? It is a tough challenge with what they’ve done to the handicaps. It seems somewhat erratic that an entire team can go up by three goals. Did they get it that much wrong the year before? Yes, we won the British Open, but we didn’t dominate the UK season, far from it. It seems inconceivable to me that three players out of a team of four all move up with such a narrow margin of victory. But back to your question, we will play in a very similar way to how we played last year. Manuel Plaza de Ayala comes in for Gonzalo and he has big shoes to fill. We’ll go out there and have fun and give it our very best shot. www.polotimes.co.uk
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It is very tough on Gonzalo Deltour after he had a great high-goal season last year. How did you make the decision to replace him? Gonzalo is a great player – he was MVP in the British Open final. But from the structure of the team there is a lot of comfort in the way that Nachi and Hilario play together at the back. We felt that it would be easier to find a player to replicate the role Gonzalo played last year. It is very disappointing, but he will be coming over to England and playing some medium-goal. What do you know of Manuel, have you played with him before? I haven’t played with him before. I left it with Hilario and Andrew Hine, who is our coach, to figure out who that third player was going to be. Between them they settled on Manuel and I trust their judgement. It sounds like you will be strong again but, outside Zacara, what other teams do you expect to do well in the UK high-goal this year? I think Facundo’s team, he is playing with his brother Nico in La Bamba, is a hell of a team. I think Ellerston, with Gonzalito Pieres and JP Clarkin – JP is very well-mounted and is just so solid on his handicap – is going to be a team to be reckoned with. There are a lot of good teams. It is interesting. Obviously Adolfo Cambiaso, playing with Rashid Albwardy, who is growing his game and very good value as a sponsor, is also a tough team. It is wide open.
Was your recent success in the US Open as unexpected as your British Open win? Our position in the US Open was entirely different. The British Open was this young, unproven team and I don’t think anyone expected us to do what we did. The US Open was different because we had Facundo and whenever a team has Facundo in it, it is automatically a contender. But things didn’t all go to plan from the start of the US season and we had to work very hard to win, so it was just as satisfying and a great honour to win the US Open. Behind the scenes, does the same team look after your polo interests in the US and UK? There is a big overlap on the horse side of things, we have three horse trainers that look after all our ponies in the US and the UK. But from an infrastructure side of things we have two different teams. Sam Kirkpatrick looks after our infrastructure in the UK and has done for some time. And how about your ponies, do you have completely different strings in the US and the UK? Yes, we have separate strings, but there is some movement between the two. We tend to do most of our buying and breeding in the US. Our string in the UK over the years will tend to get depleted, so we will top it up with either a purchase, or by shipping horses in from the US. Our breeding programme in the US has been going for about four or five years u and we are just starting to see results. Polo Times, June 2012 43
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Feature
Interview – Lyndon Lea
Lyndon Lea, left, tries to hook Sebastian Merlos of Les Lions during last summer’s Gold Cup final at Cowdray Park as Nachi Du Plessis and Hilario Ulloa offer support
Photograph by Nigel Pearce
u Who do you tend to buy your ponies from? My team buys the horses. I make a point never to buy them myself. They have their own network. We buy a lot out of the States. We have bought a lot from Owen Reinhart, a lot of our champions have come from Memo Gracida, we have also bought from Carlos Gracida and Vicki Armer, who pulls them off the track. This year we made a big purchase from Ruki and we shipped two of them over for Facundo to play in the US Open. One of them was best playing pony in the final. With all this going on, how do you ever find the time for a successful business career? It is a challenge, but so is balancing a family, so is balancing any hobby if you are going to do it to any reasonable standard. I know plenty of people in the business world who are avid golfers. A round of golf takes four hours, but I never engage in polo for four hours at a time. By the time you get to a highgoal infrastructure, and obviously this comes at a cost, you have people who do everything for you. You just need to show up. Time is the most precious commodity we have, we are very time-poor. Over the course of a year I would be surprised if I spend more time playing polo than a 10-12 handicap golfer would spend playing golf. 44 Polo Times, June 2012
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You speak with a broad North American accent, but you were born in Lancashire. How did that come about? I was born in Morecambe. I was there until I was six and then I moved to Africa until I was 13. Initially South Africa, but then Botswana, and then when I was 13 I moved to Canada, where I completed my schooling. When I was
“My team buys all of our horses. I make a point never to buy them myself” 21 I lived in New York for two years, and I have been in the UK for the last 20, based in Kensington. I still have extended family in Lancashire, but I haven’t been back for years. Speaking of your family, I’ve heard that your team name, Zacara, is a mixture of your two children’s names. Is that true? Yes, that’s right. Zachary, who is nine, and Chiara, who is seven. They came down to the weekend games in the US Open. They both have a little horse and are into riding. When and why did you change the name? Our first team name was Los Feos and then I played under the name of some of
the companies I owned to give them some visibility (like Typhoo and Jimmy Choo). But we kept selling the companies and I thought I’m not gonna keep changing my name. So I was sitting drinking a bottle of wine, trying to think of a good team name. The wine was called Tantara and it had a picture of a horse on the label and I thought: “that is such a cool name, we should have a name like that”. Within a few minutes I got to Zacara. The Zacara logo is also a “Z” made up of two Ls, which stand for Lyndon Lea. I designed that sitting on a plane one day. It’s kind of cool. It is the name of my kids, but it is also my name. Finally, you won the British Open last year with your broken hand in plaster. Do the injuries ever make you think of giving polo up? I’ve had my fair share of injuries. I broke my collarbone, then I broke my hand in the Gold Cup and I had hip surgery in August last year and it has been difficult. The first time I broke my collarbone I was a little bit tentative afterwards, but I think the day you stop playing you will probably get hit by a bus. F w Turn over (to page 46) to read more about Zacara’s success at the US Open www.polotimes.co.uk
17/5/12 16:53:23
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Polo Times, June 2012 45
18/5/12 20:08:20
Reports
US Open, International Polo Club Palm Beach
Zacaraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gamble pays dividends Zacaraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s well-balanced team allowed Facundo Pieres (in black) to get the better of fellow Argentine 10-goaler Juan Martin Nero (in white) and his Lechuza Caracas teammates in Florida
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22/5/12 10:38:53
US Open, International Polo Club Palm Beach
Reports
Lyndon Lea added the US Open title to last summer’s British Open win after a brave mid-season player change inspired his Zacara side to victory over Lechuza Caracas Writes
John O’Sullivan
Zacara Lechuza Caracas
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in to the team in place of Argentine sevengoaler Joaquin Pittaluga. He joined Lea, 10-goaler Facundo Pieres and eight-goaler Christian “Magoo” Laprida in a move that the Zacara patron believes won them the US Open title. He explains: “We started off the US season
“The team wasn’t working so I brought in Mike Azzaro and that began our metamorphosis” – Zacara patron Lyndon Lea second of the three US high-goal tournaments) after Lea was unhappy with the way the team was working. Following a semi-final defeat in the CV Whitney Cup and a disappointing start to the Gold Cup, Azzaro was drafted
with a good win record, but the team wasn’t working. It was very hard to place what was wrong, but I think Facundo at his best is an attacking player and he was having to worry about the team structure too much and about what was going on at the back. Therefore he wasn’t free to go forward. “So, part-way through the Gold Cup I decided to make a change and Joaquin left the u All photographs by Manuela Davies
ngland-born patron Lyndon Lea reaped the rewards of his brave decision to re-shuffle his team midway through the American high-goal season as he guided Zacara to the US Open title at International Polo Club Palm Beach. Mike Azzaro was the star of the show as Zacara beat reigning champions Lechuza
Caracas 10-8 at the end of April to secure Lea his first US Open title. The former 10-goaler scored four goals from back to earn the MVP award. Remarkably, though, Azzaro was not even supposed to be in the Zacara line-up for the US high-goal season and was only drafted in mid-way through the Piaget Gold Cup (the
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Reports
US Open
2012’s US Open champions Zacara – Mike Azzaro, Facundo Pieres, Lyndon Lea and Christian “Magoo” Laprida – hold aloft the historic trophy at International Polo Club Palm Beach
Pieres, well-marked by fellow Argentine 10-goalers Juan Martin Nero and Guillermo “Sapo” Caset, had to be content with playing second fiddle to Azzaro and he was quick
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Polo Times, June 2012
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The ball is picked up by Obregon (LC4), who plays a neat near-side backhand to the boards
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Zacara (Z) line of ball Lechuza Caracas (LC) line of ball Ride Off
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LECHUZA CARACAS 1 Victor Vargas 2 Sapo Caset 3 Juan Martin Nero Facundo Obregon 4
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Pieres (Z1) takes the ball to the boards at mid-field and is ridden off by Caset (LC2) ZACARA 1 Facundo Pieres 2 Lyndon Lea 3 Magoo Laprida 4 Mike Azzaro
Mike Azzaro
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Gary Hulton identifies an example of the great teamwork that was key to Zacara’s victory
Most valuable player
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Open we switched it and put Mike at back and Magoo at three and it just clicked,” Lea revealed. “Facundo was able to forget about the back door and concentrate on being a phenomenon in offence.” The Argentine 10-goaler’s new licence to attack was clear for all to see as he averaged more than eight goals a game as Zacara won every game in the US Open. In the final itself
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u team and I brought in Mike – and that began our metamorphosis.” Playing with Laprida at back and Azzaro at three, the team were knocked out in the quarter-finals of the Gold Cup by Marc Ganzi’s Piaget, before they found their winning formula in the US Open. “Things still weren’t really working as we had hoped and so a game or two into the US
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The ball is picked up by Pieres (Z1) who turns defence into attack by working it down field
Pieres (Z1) leaves the ball (x) for Azarro (Z4), and then rides off Nero (LC3) to open up the field ahead
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17/5/12 18:09:57
US Open, International Polo Club Palm Beach
Reports
How did they perform in the US Open final?
to hail the intelligent and clinical play of his teammate after the final bell. Pieres said: “Mike played a great game. He was a brilliant back and came through at the appropriate times to carry the ball and score.” Despite opening the scoring through Pieres, Zacara actually trailed for much of the first half at International Polo Club Palm Beach. Goals by Nero and Caset put Victor Vargas’s side 2-1 up after the first of six chukkas, and the Colombian patron got on the score-sheet himself as Lechuza stayed 4-3 ahead after the second chukka. The tide of the game then turned in the two u
We mark the finalists out of 10, based on their effectiveness in terms of handicap
Zacara (26): Facundo Pieres (10): Zacara were built around the attacking prowess of Pieres and he did not disappoint at the US Open, scoring an average of eight goals a game. In the final he was well-marked by his fellow 10-goalers and managed only three goals. He also missed two penalties, which could have made his team’s margin of victory even more emphatic. Lyndon Lea (1): The ambitious patron from Morecambe picked up his second big trophy in the space of nine months by adding the US Open to last July’s British Open success. His game has been steadily improving too and he held his nerve in the final chukka to score Zacara’s crucial 10th goal to all-but-secure the victory, at a time when it looked as though Lechuza Caracas were on the comeback. Christian “Magoo” Laprida (8): He formed a formidable defensive partnership with Mike Azzaro, which laid the foundation for Zacara’s win. Magoo also made a valuable contribution in attack, scoring twice to complete a well-rounded display from the Argentine eight-goaler. Mike Azzaro (7): Fully deserving of his most valuable player award after a complete performance, both in attack and defence. He kept Lechuza Caracas at bay with some great goal-line clearances and scored four goals as he won his sixth US Open title. Remarkable to think that the former 10-goaler almost didn’t play in the US Open this year after the withdrawal of Crab Orchard.
Lechuza Caracas Victor Vargas (1): The Colombian patron was vying to win the US Open for the second straight year and must have thought he was on his way in the early stages as his side took the initiative. Scored his only goal of the game in the second chukka.
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Caset (LC2) picks up the ball and sends it toward goal. Meanwhile Laprida (Z3) rides off Obregon (LC4)
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Azzaro (Z4) gets to the ball first and plays a clever near-side cut shot to the boards
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Lechuza Caracas 10-goaler Juan Martin Nero shows his frustration during his side’s final defeat
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Lea (Z2) hits a clean shot to put Zacara 10-7 in front with less than four minutes left to play
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Guillermo “Sapo” Caset (10): While he ultimately finished up on the losing team, Sapo certainly did his reputation no harm as he led the Lechuza attack with great skill. He ended the game as top-scorer with five goals (including two penalties). If his teammates’ shooting had been as consistent as his, the result may have been a different one.
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Juan Martin Nero (10): The Argentine ten-goaler has proved to be arguably the best back in the world in recent years, but, playing at three, he had a rare bad day at the office. He missed at least three goals that he’d usually expect to scored and was outshone by fellow 10-goalers Facundo Pieres and “Sapo” Caset.
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Facundo Obregon (5): The 22-year-old five-goaler had a great high-goal season in the US and scored the decisive golden-goal in Lechuza’s US Open semi-final win over Valiente. In the final he came up against one of the game’s top players in Facundo Pieres and he looked strong on his handicap as the 10-goaler only scored three times.
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17/5/12 18:10:10
Reports
US Open, International Polo Club Palm Beach
Analysis by Jamie Morrison English four-goaler Jamie Morrison was in Florida to play in the Miami Beach Polo World Cup and enjoyed his seat on the US Open sideline We used to have a house in Florida so when I was younger we used to go over every year for a few weeks to watch the US Open. This was the first year that I have been to the US Open final at the new International Polo Club Palm Beach grounds and I must admit I was impressed. The Americans do things a bit differently to the way us Brits do them, but the final was a great day. The grounds are very good, there is a great stand full of supporters.
Zacara were a more balanced team and, in the end, that shone through All in all it was a very good spectacle. And, generally, on the polo side of things, I think Zacara deserved to win. Mike Azzaro had a brilliant game. Facundo Pieres did exactly what you would expect from him – he did what he always does and was very good. It was pretty close for most of the game. There wasn’t much between them at all in the first half, but then Zacara were the better team in the second half. Lyndon Lea has spent a fortune on his horses in the UK and in the US and I think that showed as the game went on – Zacara had much more horsepower and their combinations really stretched the game. As far as I am concerned Juan Martin Nero is one of the top three players in the world at the moment. He’s usually absolutely unreal. I did not see the whole tournament but I gather he played very well all the way through. The final just wasn’t his day. In the final I wouldn’t want to single any one player out and say they played particularly badly. I don’t think anyone on the Lechuza side did play badly, just on the day Zacara were the better team. Lechuza had two 10-goalers and a fivegoaler as their pros, compared to Zacara, who had one 10-goaler, a seven and an eight. They were a more balanced team and in the end that shone through. F 50
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u chukkas either side of half-time. Azzaro galloped the length of the field to equalise at 4-4 before scoring again to give Zacara the lead at halftime. All three Zacara pros then scored in the first chukka after the break to give Lyndon Lea’s side Zacara patron Lyndon Lea in action during the US Open final in Palm Beach
a commanding 8-5 lead. Lechuza closed to within a goal by the end of the fifth chukka, but they simply could not make the most of their chances. With the game delicately poised at 9-7 with four minutes remaining in the final chukka, Lechuza looked set to move back to within one goal of their rivals until Azzaro’s intervention led to a rapid Zacara counter-attack, which was finished off by Lea to secure his side’s
“Mike Azzaro played brilliantly. He came through to score from his position at back all game” – Facundo Pieres victory. The Lancashire-born patron was thrilled to gets his hands on the US Open for the first time. He praised the role played by Azzaro in the final, and hopes to return to the US high-goal with the same team in 2013. He said: “When I started playing polo the US Open, along with the British Open, was one of the two trophies I really wanted to win. I have to give a lot of credit to Mike. Not only did he score, he saved our butts a number of times. He cleared it off the goal-line at least two or three times. He had a hell of a game, he played his socks off. “I think, subject to the final confirmation from Mike, we will have the same team in the US high-goal next year.” F w To find out more about the jet-setting Zacara patron Lyndon Lea turn to page 40 for an extensive interview with him
Game rating
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u 108th US Open; 28 March to 22 April 2012; International Polo Club Palm Beach, Wellington, Florida Result: Lyndon Lea’s Zacara beat Lechuza Caracas, 10-8 Principal sponsor: Nespresso Handicap level: 26-goal Chukka scores: 1-2; 3-4; 5-4; 8-5; 8-7; 10-8 Most valuable player: Mike Azzaro Best playing pony: Lyndon Lea’s 10-year-old chestnut mare Lelani, played by Facundo Pieres Finalists: Zacara (26): Facundo Pieres 10; Lyndon Lea 1; Christian “Magoo” Laprida 8; Mike Azzaro 7 Lechuza Caracas (26): Victor Vargas 1; Guillermo “Sapo” Caset 10; Juan Martin Nero 10; Facundo Obregon 5 www.polotimes.co.uk
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Reports
Scotia Private Client Group Jamaica Open
Argentine professionals dominate in Jamaica Georgie May
in Kingston, Jamaica
Scotia Audi
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espite torrential Caribbean rain forcing the postponement of the Jamaica Open, the final successfully went ahead one week later than planned, with Scotia beating Audi, 6-4, after a tough and defensive match. An overnight downpour at Kingston Polo Club forced organisers to pull the plug on the event on the morning of the final â&#x20AC;&#x201C; originally due to be played on 22 April â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but the ongoing wet weather actually created some good going on the ground, which had barely seen a drop of rain for three months previously.
Photograph by Georgie May
For the first time, sponsors Scotia claimed the Jamaica Open trophy after they defeated Audi in the final at the end of April, played 10 days after the semi-finals because of heavy rain at Kingston Polo Club
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18/5/12 13:36:52
Jamaica Open
Reports
How did they perform at the Jamaica Open? We mark the finalists out of 10, based on their effectiveness in terms of handicap
Scotia Mitta Rousseau (1) He proved he is a fierce player but this often led him to foul and he gave away goals as a result. He showed moments of fast, accurate play but he didn’t naturally find his place in the team. Jason Wates (3) The up-and-coming Jamaican player was always quick off the mark. This, mixed with his super horsepower, meant he was usually up front and the first to chase after an approaching ball. However, on some occasions, Audi was able to capitalise on his inaccuracy.
Scotia’s five-goal Argentine Jorge Donovan chases after the ball, with Audi’s James Robertson in hot pursuit
The postponement did mean two professionals couldn’t stay on for finals day due to commitments back in their home countries – British six-goaler Jamie Le Hardy and Argentine Javier Cabrera – although both of these players’ teams, Bin 26 and Wyndham respectively, only made it through to the subsidiary final. With no other players available to match their handicap standard, two twogoalers filled their boots. On paper, the two 12-goal finalists looked evenly matched and each featured an Argentine five-goal professional. Scotia put forward a similar team to last year – the only new player being three-goaler Jason Wates, who replaced his father, Mark, for this year’s tournament. Kingston’s Paul Lalor, Mitta Rousseau and Argentine Jorge Donovan, who divides his time between Jamaica and Argentina, made up the remainder of the team.
Spectators largely found themselves watching a game between two Argentines
Left: Scotia lift the Jamaica Open trophy (l-r): Paul Lalor, Jorge Donovan, Jason Wates and Mitta Rousseau
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Jorge Donovan (5) The Argentine pro was the pivotal member of the team, scoring four of Scotia’s goals – most memorably his fantastic run down the field after picking up the ball from opponent Ricky Wates to score Scotia’s sixth and final goal. He deservedly won MVP.
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Paul Lalor (3) Kingston-based Lalor looked like a threat in the first half, scoring Scotia’s first goal of the day after outrunning Samuda. His impressive string of ponies ensured he was always in the game.
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Audi Jordan Samuda (2) Overshadowed by the stronger members of his team, the two-goaler was usually floating outside the game. Tasked with marking Scotia’s number four his horsepower didn’t quite match up to his opponent’s. James Robertson (3) As one of the island’s best players (not to mention one of its top MPs), one might have expected more from Robertson. However, the plucky three-goaler played on despite breaking his leg in the final chukka so gets considerable credit.
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José Laritirigoyen (5) The five-goaler scored the majority of Audi’s goals. He was the team’s core player and was the most active amongst his teammates. He was most influential in the second chukka when he put his team ahead.
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Ricky Wates (2) As a hard hitter and aggressive player, Wates teamed up with Laritirigoyen well. He could have had his moment of glory in the final moments of the game but, in desperation to win, he missed a backhand, which Donovan picked up and Audi’s chances were over.
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Photograph by Rachel Turner
Audi, led by five-goaler José Laritirigoyen, were the first to get a goal on the scoreboard, after an early foul by their opponents awarded them with a spot hit. However, Lalor, whose string of fast ponies certainly gave him the edge, answered with a goal for Scotia before the end of the first chukka.
As both sides fought hard for the trophy, the game soon evolved into a highly defensive match and moments of fast open play were few and far between. The first two goals of the second chukka were converted through penalties – one for Scotia, an undefended 60-yarder, and one for Audi. Laritirigoyen was the stand out player in this chukka – first taking Audi’s penalty, which was initially successfully defended, only for the Argentine to come through, pick up the ball and send it through the posts on his second attempt. Immediately after, Laritirigoyen scored a field goal to put his side into the lead before the end of the first half. With Audi largely dominating the first period, Scotia came back with vengeance in the third chukka, scoring immediately as the game got back underway. Rousseau, despite taking a back seat for much of the game, came through to punch a superb field goal through the posts, taking Scotia back into the lead. As Scotia upped their defence, pure grit and determination by both teams resulted in a great deal of back and forth play and, rather than witnessing more favourable open team play, the 500 spectators found themselves watching a game between two Argentine professionals, who largely created the plays and held their respective teams together. Young Jason Wates looked impressive during the first chunk of the game but started to waver in the second half, and moments of inaccuracy often overshadowed his quick reactions and attacking play. Audi had their chance to equalise the score u at the start of the fourth and final chukka
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Reports
Scotia Private Client Group Jamaica Open
Shane Chin on breeding
Photographs by Georgie May and Rachel Turner
Hidden in the hills above Montego Bay is Shane Chin’s polo set up. Here, he and his two brothers – Kurt and Paul – and father, Henry “Junior” Chin, keep around 80 ponies, which they use for playing and breeding Shane started his breeding programme in the mid 1980s, first using a thoroughbred stallion from Dennis Lalor, before buying an Arab stallion, Aux Khasques (stable name “Kos”), in 1993 from Canada. He became the fourth person to introduce the Arab bloodline to Jamaica. “Kos was a gift from a friend who had bred him for showing but he grew too big. Although I never played him, he has produced some of my best playing ponies to date,” Shane said. Bin 26’s Lesley Ann Masterton Fong-Yee (in grey) and Wyndham’s Alexander Melville during the subsidiary final “In hindsight I wish I had tried to play him as one of his offspring, Prem (pictured below), is of line-up didn’t have an effect on the side – now the only polo playing stallion on the island. u but with Scotia strongly defending, scrappy play ensued in front of the goalmouth and compared with their opposition, who couldn’t I named him after the late Indian polo player Col. Maharaja Prem Singh, who taught me a lot Audi were unable to keep control, with Scotia quite hold it together. Alexander Melville during his visits to Jamaica. clearing the ball away. joined the Wyndham team, in place of Javier “People often have a bad opinion of Arabs Having not seen much from Audi’s James Cabrera, and also formed a sibling duo, playing – when I used to tell people that most of my Robertson since his goal at the start of the first with brother Marc. Together, the two played ponies are Arabs they’d frown. So now I don’t chukka, the three-goaler gave the spectators a a super game but with John Gilbert Byles and tell them what breed they are until they’ve sat taste for the fast play they were expecting, only Mark Wates not quite in the game, Bin 26 on them and most were taken aback and to miss a shot as he neared the goal. Robertson’s proved to be the stronger side and led from pleasantly surprised to find out that they had run of bad luck continued after a crash with start to finish. F been playing an Arab.” Eighty per cent of Shane’s broodmares used Rousseau resulted in him breaking a leg. w See page 86 for social photographs, and read to play. The rest were mares he had bought However, unaware of the extent of his injury, what Paul Lalor gets passionate about on page 98 to play but didn’t make it. One of those mares Robertson continued to play. It wasn’t until was Blue, an ex-racehorse, and she went on three days later – and having played in another Game rating • • • • • • • • • • to produce three of his top ponies – Mai Tai, tournament – that his injury came to light. Wildfire and Willow – who are all by Kos. The late As the minutes started to run down on stallion had a 98 per cent success rate in terms u Jamaica Open; 29 April 2012; Kingston Polo the clock, Ricky Wates looked as if he could of how many of his progeny had a polo career. Club, Jamaica have been on his way to score the equaliser. “I breed from about 10 mares a year in the Result: Scotia beat Audi, 6-4 hope that I will get around six foals,” said Shane. “I However, with the ball creeping towards the Number of entries: four teams am going to start putting Prem to full thoroughbred boards and Wates desperate to keep the ball in Main sponsors: Scotia Private Client Group mares to reintroduce a bit of thoroughbred into play, he missed a crucial backhand shot, which my string. Spacelink, one of my thoroughbred Handicap level: 12-goal was immediately picked up by Donovan who stallions, will go to Anglo-Arab mares. I also have Chukka scores (Scotia): 1-1; 2-3; 4-3; 6-4 was lying in wait. Charging down the length a three-year-old thoroughbred stallion, Saturn, Most valuable player: Jorge Donovan of the field, Donovan was unstoppable and from Lesley Ann Masterton Fong-Yee. He is by Best playing pony: Louise, owned by Dennis Lalor the ball flew between the posts before the final Little Country Boy – a top US polo bloodline – and and played by Jorge Donovan bell rang out. comes from four generations of polo ponies. I hope to play him too – my groom, Harry, has Naturally, Donovan was named most Finalists: already broken him in and he should be good.” valuable player for his efforts, while Dennis Scotia (12): Mitta Rousseau 1; Jason Wates 3; So why is Shane so fond of the Arab Lalor’s pony Louise – played by Donovan – Jorge Donovan 5; Paul Lalor 3 bloodline? “They have stronger hooves and won the best playing pony award. Audi (12): Jordan Samuda 2; James Robertson 3; tendons, better mouths, great athleticism and Earlier in the day, Bin 26 had a seemingly they are really very smart indeed. José Laritirigoyen 5; Ricky Wates 2 easy victory over Wyndham, 6-31/2. With Once you teach Subsidiary finalists: Bin 26’s Jamie Le Hardy having to fly home, them something Bin 26 (10): Lesley Ann Masterton Fong-Yee 2; Kurt two-goaler Kurt Chin stepped in to replace you do not have to Chin 3; Craig Russell 3; Shane Chin 2 repeat it. However, him and lined up against brother Shane. Joined you need to be Wyndham (9): John Gilbert Byles 2; Marc Melville by Lesley Ann Masterton Fong-Yee and Craig smarter than them.” F 2; Mark Wates 3; Alexander Melville 2 Russell, the team quickly gelled and the change 54
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Reports
Audi Polo Challenge, Coworth Park
A right royal rumble The Duke of Cambridge returned to Coworth Park last month, after a year’s hiatus due to the small business of his wedding last spring, and there was undoubtedly a spring in his step as he and brother Prince Harry contributed to some very open polo and valuable fundraising
Georgie May
reports from Coworth
Saturday: The teams drew 5-5 Sunday: Audi Quattro beat Audi Ultra
Photograph by Tony Ramirez
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s usual, a plethora of attractive celebrities and familiar polo personalities donned their best attire and gathered at Coworth Park in mid-May for the 10th annual charitable Audi Polo Challenge. The Duke of Cambridge returned to play this year, having missed last year’s event, which followed shortly after the royal wedding. He teamed up with brother Harry on both days to play for Audi Quattro and, after drawing with their opposition on day one, they went on to win on day two. On Saturday, England captain Luke Tomlinson and his brother Mark lined-up alongside Prince Harry – playing at number one – and the Duke of Cambridge, playing at back. Opposite them for Audi Ultra were two young players, Nikolai Bahlsen and Ludo Ephson, and England’s James Beim and Malcolm Borwick. Although Prince Harry was close to scoring the opening goal before Beim denied him the honour, it was Bahlsen who first put one on the scoreboard. However, despite riding a horse for the first
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time this year, the Duke of Cambridge quickly levelled the score, after picking up a shot from Luke Tomlinson, and the spectators were able to reflect happily on how well Coworth Park’s grounds were playing given the torrential rain in the preceding week. While Beim remained quiet in the first half, Borwick was the centre of attention for Audi Ultra with his big hits and attacking plays. Ephson worked hard to mark the Duke of Cambridge, successfully hooking him on a number of occasions – although, the divots that opened up as the game progressed were also to blame for a few missed shots. With the game still close in the second half, both the men at the centre of attention were involved in what was undoubtedly the bestorchestrated play of the weekend: the Duke of Cambridge, took the ball off Bahlsen’s stick, striking a well-judged nearside backhand, immediately turning defence into attack. The ball fell perfectly for teammate Luke Tomlinson, who passed it forward for Prince Harry making a spirited break in attack. Harry’s approach shot took him further left than he would have liked, and many wondered if the chance had gone, but he produced a wonderful cut-shot to put his Audi Quattro side back into the lead.
Audi Ultra equalised again, twice, bringing the scores level for the fifth time during the game. It then looked as though the princes had snuck the victory in the final few seconds, with Audi Ultra unable to keep up with the speed of the Tomlinsons’ horses, but the final bell rang a fraction before the ball went through the posts and the goal was disallowed. A draw was declared. On Sunday, Prince Harry and the Duke of Cambridge lined-up alongside Kiwi John Paul Clarkin and Ed Hitchman for team Quattro. Stephen Hutchinson, Charlie Hanbury, Nacho Gonzalez and John Kent formed the opposing Audi Ultra team. The Audi Quattro quartet certainly laid down the cards in the first half, scoring five consecutive goals early on. Although Audi Ultra came out fighting in the second half, Audi Quattro managed to retain their lead throughout, going on to win, 7-6. F w See the illustrious guest list on hand to enjoy the polo over the weekend on page 88
Game rating
• • • • • • • • • •
u A udi Polo Challenge; 12-13 May 2012; Coworth Park Polo Club Saturday result: Audi Quattro drew with Audi Ultra, 5-5 Sunday result: Audi Quattro beat Audi Ultra, 7-6 Principal sponsor: Audi Handicap level: 15-goal Saturday teams: Audi Quattro (15): Prince Harry 1; Mark Tomlinson 6; Luke Tomlinson 7; The Duke of Cambridge 1 Audi Ultra (15): Nikolai Bahlsen 1; James Beim 7; Malcolm Borwick 6; Ludo Ephson 1
Prince Harry in action
Sunday teams: Audi Quattro (15): Prince Harry 1; JP Clarkin 8; Ed Hitchman 5; HRH The Duke of Cambridge 1 Audi Ultra (14): Stephen Hutchinson 2; Charlie Hanbury 4; Nacho Gonzalez 6; John Kent 2 www.polotimes.co.uk
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Reports
Home and abroad
USA – Maserati Miami Beach Polo World Cup
Disappointing finish after two AFTER TWO DAYS of fast and furious play, the Maserati Miami Beach Polo World Cup didn’t exactly finish with a bang, with finals days being a washout and no final going ahead. A change of venue was reluctantly agreed and Simon Garber’s Yellow Cab team were eventually declared the winners.
Rain and 30mph winds lashed across Miami Beach, water logging the arena and making it unplayable. With no option to hold the final on the beach, it was proposed that the two finalists, Yellow Cab and defending champions The Raleigh, face each other at the indoor arena at Palm Beach Polo Club in
Wellington – north of Miami. However, with The Raleigh unable to assemble, with patron Bash Kazi having business commitments and John Gobin having already arranged to ship his horses to South Carolina, they were forced to forfeit and the title was automatically awarded to Garber’s side.
France – Polo Wicklow vs Deauville Equestrian Centre
French triumph over their Irish counterparts SEVEN YEARS AFTER the first French polo team, captained by Evrard de Spa, first played arena polo at Polo Wicklow, two teams from the Irish club headed off to play in the brand new facilities at Deauville Equestrian Centre in France to take part in their inaugural indoor polo tournament. Four two-on-two games were played in total, which resulted in two wins for the hosts and two draws. On the first day, siblings Siobhan and Marco Herbst took on Deauville’s Jean Luc Auclair and Bastian Mestrallet. With 58
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Deauville leading by one goal, a converted penalty by Siobhan Herbst in the final seconds resulted in a draw, 14-14. In the second game, Pierre Henri Ingoumou and Marie Pascal Reynes played Wicklow’s Robert Patton and Pat Fitzsimons. With the French team more familiar with their arena, they ran out the winners, 15-8. On the Sunday, following a late night hosted by the French – albeit not the French players themselves who tactically had an early night, leaving the Irish slightly worse for
wear the next day – two more games were played. The first match ended in a draw, 1616, despite some extremely skillful play by Ireland’s Patton and Fitzsimons. In the fourth and final game, the Herbsts took on Talandracas patron Edouard Carmignac and his professional Matias Benoit. Despite Benoit having never played arena polo before, the French players were too fast and accurate and won 18-10. Right: the Irish (white) take on the French (blue) in Deauville
www.polotimes.co.uk
18/5/12 16:33:27
Home and abroad
China – Tang Polo Arena Cup
thrilling days of play Maserati earlier in the day, they couldn’t get a handle on Heys USA and, unable to score any goals in the second chukka, lost 3-1. w See more from Miami on page 86 Winners Juan Monteverde, Simon Garber and Kris Kampsen of Yellow Cab hold the Miami Beach Polo World Cup aloft. Far left: The stunning view of the Miami Beach ground during the opening two days’ play in Florida
Arena polo kicks off with a bang at Tang CHINA’S FIRST ARENA polo tournament was held at Tang Polo Club, Beijing, in April. Twelve players from the Beijing and Shanghai area, including some of China’s best players – Shilai Liu, Nan Liu and Dino Ma Asvaintra – took part in the competition. One female player, Wawa Hao, also featured in the lowgoal competition. The club’s owner Shilai Liu, who has spent the winter playing in Argentina, Thailand and Dubai, led his Red team to a 9-2 victory in their preliminary game, securing a place in the final, where they came up against Nan Liu’s White team. After a slow start, the Red team stormed ahead and went on to win 7-2. Following the tournament, Chinese players sat down to discuss how they think polo can be developed in China in a “Polo in China” forum led by China’s Horsemanship magazine. They concluded that there needs to be more low-level tournaments that Chinese players can take part in, rather than just hosting medium and high-goal competitions. Tang Polo Club has since decided to bring some of their tournaments down to 2-4 goals to allow for wider participation.
Photograph by Tang
Photographs by Ami de la Mer and ESPR
Previous to finals day, however, spectators had enjoyed two days of league games. Kris Kampsen led Yellow Cab to a win on the opening day, scoring 13 of his side’s 15 goals against Gascon. They then went on to beat Lufthansa Private Jet – featuring British player Jamie Morrison – on the second day of play, 8-5. The Raleigh, also beat Lufthansa Private Jet on the opening day. The Raleigh then went on to beat Heys USA/SLS Jets, 1410 in their second game. After two days, Yellow Cab, The Raleigh and Maserati – who also won both of their games – all held a 2-0 game record. So the officials turned to gross goals scored to decide the finalists. However, all three teams were tied on 23 goals. Therefore, the finalists were eventually decided on net goals. On the opening day, eight women’s teams contested the Maserati South Beach Women’s Polo Cup in a roundrobin tournament. The Heys USA team of Cecelia Cochran, Diana Jack and Alicia Harden took home the title after they beat Lufthansa Private Jet in the final. Despite Lufthansa Private Jet defeating
Reports
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The Whites storm clear of the Reds during the first final ever held at Tang Polo Club’s impressive new arena
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Reports
Home and abroad
News in brief w C irencester Park – the low-goal Tyro Cup, which featured seven teams this year, was won by Coxwell in mid-May. Due to bad weather, no semi-finals nor final could be played and instead, the winning team – Tilda and Tabba Woodd, George Gemmell and Rupert Lewis – was decided on points. Coxwell won both of their games, defeating Los Chinos and Syreford.
Beaufort Polo Club – Willow Foundation Charity Polo Day
Beaufort does its bit for charity
w J amaica – St Ann Polo Club, pictured below, won this year’s Senior Cup tournament, after they defeated Kingston Polo Club, 7-4. Lesley Ann Masterton Fong-Yee, Andy Vernon and Shane and Kurt Chin represented the winning team, who played against Paul Lalor, Mitta Rousseau – replacing James Robertson, who was out of action with a broken leg – and Ricky and Mark Wates. Simon Arber in action during the charity match as Matias Ballesteros, George Meyrick and Tom Morley look on
BEAUFORT POLO CLUB hosted a Charity Polo Day in aid of the Willow Foundation on Saturday 12 May. More than 200 guests, including rugby players and television stars attended the fourth annual event. Following lunch and an auction – conducted by “Homes under the hammer” presenter Martin Roberts – a 12-15 goal exhibition match took place. Jaeger-LeCoultre and
Mallory Jewellers sponsored one of the teams, which featured Tom Morley, John Kent, Jack Richardson and Simon Arber. They defeated team Kuoni/World Market Travel, comprising Richard Le Poer, George Meyrick, Matias Ballesteros and Romilla Arber and were awarded the Charity Shield. Fundraising activities on the day raised more than £30,000 for the charity.
Singapore – Veuve Clicquot International Pro-Am Tournament
Pilara upset the odds to win Singapore Pro-Am SINGAPORE POLO CLUB hosted the Veuve Clicquot International Pro-Am tournament at the beginning of May. Players from India,
Argentina and New Zealand, as well as Brit Alex de Lisle, took part in the 4-6 goal competition, which was the first international
La Sarita (in blue) were defeated by Pilara (in grey) in the final of the Veuve Clicquot International Pro-Am
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tournament of Singapore’s 2012 season. After three days of league games, Pilara faced La Sarita in the final. Despite being the lowest rated team in the competition, Pilara – led by four goaler Miguel Diaz who scored all of the side’s goals – ran out the winners, 8½-6. Following the match, Diaz, Jonathan Gabler, Kevin Wilkinson, Graham Cox and Lynly Fong (the latter two players alternated at back) were presented with their trophies and a Veuve Clicquot magnum by Richard Yeomans, the general manager of Moet Hennessy Diageo Singapore. In the subsidiary final, Veuve Clicquot, featuring Brit De Lisle, defeated Kitchen Culture, 3-2½. Next up at Singapore Polo Club is the club Pro-Am Invitational and the Runme Shaw Cup in June. One of the highlights of the club’s season – the Royal Artillery Cup – takes place in early August. www.polotimes.co.uk
18/5/12 16:34:42
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Reports
Home and abroad
News in brief w C arlton House – Four teams took part in Carlton House’s charity polo day at the end of April. The visiting Longdole team, consisting of Tom Dare, Dan Banks and Tom Beim, won the higher division final, with Beim picking up the Polo Times best playing pony award, below. They beat the Norfolk polo team. In the lower division, Renewable Tech – Alice Servaes, Harriet Servaes/Paul Green and Isaac Duffy – beat Woodhouse Farm by an impressive 10 goals. In total, more than £3,000 was raised for the Air Ambulance and St Elizabeth Hospice.
w U SA – This year’s Polo on the Prairie event, held at Lazy 3 Ranch, raised $338,880 for The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre – this is the most the event has ever raised since it first began in 1987. In total, the annual event has raised more than $4.3million. w C irencester Park – The winner of the Cirencester 0-40, played at the beginning of May, was decided on points rather than a final after week-long rain disrupted the schedule. In the end, each of the seven teams played two games, with Switch 2 Renewable – Tim Dobson, Jamie Dundas, Henry Brett and Bobby Melville – finishing with the most points and collecting the trophy.
Australia – The Jeep Kurri Burri Cup
Winten win the Kurri Burri Cup KURRI BURRI POLO CLUB hosted one of their most popular polo tournaments on Mother’s Day, Sunday 13 May – the Jeep Kurri Burri Cup, co-sponsored by JaegerLeCoultre. Watched by more than 2,000 spectators, Winten defeated Marshall in the eight-goal final, 6-5. There were also two other sections, 4-goal and 0-goal. Fittingly, both eight-goal finalists teams featured a father/son combination, cheered on by their respective mothers and grandmothers. Four-goal Winten captain Adam Tolhurst, who played alongside his father Mark, combined well with Hamish McGregor in the first half. The pair controlled the play in the middle of the field, passing shots up to patron David Rothwell in attack. Despite a goal from Marshall’s six-goaler Sam Hopkinson, Winten held a comfortable 4-1 lead by the end of the second chukka. The tables turned in the third and fourth chukka’s, with John Marshall making some strong defensive plays, backhanding the ball up to his son, David, and Hopkinson, who were able to run the ball to goal and cut the lead. However, just before the end of the fourth chukka, Mark Tolhurst was able to capitalise on a mistake by Marshall and regain a twogoal lead for his side. Marshall did manage to score a couple more goals, but Winten had the edge and retained the lead until the final bell. Winten’s David Rothwell collected the winning cup, while Sam Hopkinson’s mare Maggie was named as the best playing pony. In the subsidiary final, Cox and King defeated Town & Country, 12-5. The 4-goal final was won by Coco Republic who defeated Centuria and Muddy Flats beat Sportscraft in the 0-goal final.
Argentina – La Aguada Open
Winten patron David Rothwell collected the Jeep Kurri Burri Cup from popular commentator Ebe Sievwright
France – Coupe PGH
Bensadon is back ARGENTINE PANCHO BENSADON returns to the Apremont grounds in France this season, having won every French tournament he played in last season. Since his appearance in the 2011 Argentine Open, his handicap has been moved up to nine goals and he was the highest-handicapped player in the Coupe PGH – the first medium-goal tournament of Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly’s summer season. Seven teams entered the 10-12 goal tournament, which concluded after Polo Times went to press. This year, Bensadon lined-up for Andre Fabre’s In the Wings, alongside Ramiro Zavaleta and Thomas Callascibetta. The medium-goal Coupe Laversine Challenge followed on from the Coupe PGH, with the highlight of the season – The French Open – taking place later this year, from 1-16 September.
La Aguada triumph at home
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Agosto, 11-9, in a fast and open final. Alejandro Novillo Astrada was named most valuable player and his brother Javier’s pony, Posta Santita, won the best playing pony award. De Narvaez won the fair play prize. In the subsidiary final, held earlier in the day in Open Door, La Aguada El Dok beat Las Monjitas, 11-9.
Photograph by R&B Presse
THE HOME TEAM, La Aguada, won the La Aguada Open at the end of April. Held at the Novillo Astrada’s club, the 30-goal tournament featured four teams this year. La Aguada – featuring Martin de Narvaez (6), Javier Novillo Astrada (9), Santiago Toccalino (7) and Alejandro Novillo Astrada (8) – defeated Sol de
Pancho Bensadon, wearing white, in action last month
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18/5/12 16:35:55
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Youth polo
The HPA’s Young England representative sides
Julius Baer says keep your eye on... Eleisha Gwynn-Jones Pony Clubber Eleisha Gwynn-Jones showed that she is one to watch by claiming success at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May. The White Waltham Polo Club minus-two-goaler beat several adults to win the Polo Pony class at the event, riding her grandmother Kim Sherman’s pony Moireira. This is not the 15-year-old’s only success of recent times, though. She won the Junior Trophy at Druids Lodge in December with Tidworth. Playing with the Hampshire Hunt Pony Club, she also won the Surtees qualifying tournament for the Pony Club Championships at Cirencester last summer, before eventually coming sixth in the finals at Cowdray Park. Recently she came second at the Longdole Arena Championships and also played in the Lynx Arena Championships in the Easter holidays. Eleisha has been a member of the Bisley Hunt Pony Club since she was five and was inspired to take up polo by her grandfather Carlito Gonzalez, who owns and runs White Waltham.
Wearing her Bisley Hunt shirt, Eleisha receives her winning trophy at Windsor from Lord Patrick Beresford
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Presented by
Green shoots for James Mullan runs the rule over the HPA’s new 12-page “Youth Development Pathway” document and finds out how England's junior international sides are selected
W
hile the majority of attention at England’s Test Matches throughout the summer is rightly focused on the senior England sides taking on visiting nations at 2328 goal level, very often the biggest days of the season at the UK’s most prestigious grounds are also an opportunity to see the next generation of future international stars in action. While last month’s John Cowdray Trophy game – which traditionally gives England’s most promising youngsters a run out at Cowdray Park – was disappointingly postponed because of the poor weather, England’s young and talented players are expected to give us a demonstration of their progression at Beaufort and Guards in the next two months. Having defined their England representative teams as shown in the box (above right), the HPA will field a carefully selected “England 21” side following the Beaufort Test Match on Saturday 16 June against England Ladies, and “Young England” will face the “Young Commonwealth” on the HPA’s newly rebranded Audi International Day (22 July). The second of these games will be played to contest the inaugural Diamond Jubilee Trophy – replacing the Golden Jubilee Cup played for over the last 10 years for obvious reasons (see pages 34-38). Between these fixtures in mid-June and late July, the HPA plans to reschedule the postponed John Cowdray Trophy match – possibly against “England legends” – for the afternoon of a well-supported game at some stage during the Cowdray Park Gold Cup. There are no plans for a young representative side to play on the day of the HPA’s new Audi International Test Match at Chester Racecourse in September, but an 18-goal English side – likely to be made up of three young players and a more experienced pro – will play against Australia at the "Suffolk International" on 30 June in Trinity Park near Cambridge. All this is good news for our young players, but how are these sides selected? How can we
be assured that – given polo’s reputation as an elitist sport – the best emerging talent is getting a fair chance? Answering these questions is presumably one of the purposes of the HPA’s new “Youth Polo Development Pathway” dossier, which aims to make clear how young players and their families can hope to be supported as they progress in the game. Put together by the HPA Development Committee, it declares that, once “players who have shown the talent and potential to play for England” have been identified, the HPA will “provide opportunities enabling them to play polo in a safe and wellmanaged environment.” Players are expected to initially demonstrate their potential within the established and proven development pathways of Pony Club Polo, the Junior HPA four-chukka set-up, the huge SUPA network, and a new four-chukka league for children launching this summer term. The provisions for those identified will be “the best coaching at the best training facilities” and “funding for players to establish themselves at, and remain at, the pinnacle of the sport.” The first phase for a promising player is for them to be invited to an HPA Select Development Course, which won’t happen until he or she is at least 11-years-old. These offer the chance to hone correct techniques and instil positive habits for the youngsters, and give members of the HPA Development Committee an invaluable opportunity to see how young players fare amongst their most highly-rated contemporaries. Then, as part of a progressive new initiative this season, those that still have the eye of the selectors of England’s
From this year, promising youngsters will be assigned a senior player as a mentor
Right: HPA deputy chief executive, Olly Hughes
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The HPA’s Young England representative sides
our grass roots? England representative teams England:
Any team above 20 goals
Young England:
Players aged 25 or under and normally three goals or above
England 21:
Players aged 21 or under and normally two goals or above
England Colts:
Players aged 18 or under and normally one goal or above
England Junior Colts: Remaining younger teams young representative teams each year will be assigned a senior player as a mentor. This mentor, though not obliged to play with his or her protégé, is required to be on hand to offer guidance at the next phase of a player’s development – the HPA Select Play Day. At these days, the Development Committee selects two teams, each featuring three young players and one high-handicapped professional, to play five or six five-minute chukkas. The shortened chukka length means players do not need to change ponies, so can be assessed more easily. All this seems to make sense – in theory. Sadly, at the time of going to press, the HPA has been unable to conduct a single HPA Select Play Day yet this season. The large-scale disruption because of the weather throughout April and May has made selection for the upcoming
players need to apply, but each case is judged on its own merit and so we don’t necessarily limit how many can benefit from this scheme. “The HPA also selects around 14 children, from the ages of 14 to 16, to attend two training courses in South Africa, run by Buster Mackenzie. The costs of this are split roughly 50:50 with the parents. “Thus, while it’s still true to say that those fortunate enough to have significant support from their families have a clear head start in the game, we do at least try to help make the financial burden a bit easier. “Having said that, children able to play in Junior HPA and our new four-chukka league will be more likely to be seen and identified by the selectors within the HPA Development Committee. Hence, unfortunately, to a certain extent, finding those with ability goes hand-in-
"While it's still true that those with significant support from their families have a clear head start, we do at least try to help make the financial burden a bit easier" – Olly Hughes game on the afternoon following the Beaufort Test Match more difficult. All three Select Play Days, planned early in the season before players generally become busy, were cancelled. Nevertheless, the HPA’s commitment to youth polo appears clear. The only place where there is undoubtedly still some considerable grey area is exactly how the provisions of funding referred to at the top of their dossier are distributed. I asked HPA deputy chief executive Olly Hughes to explain. “Funding is made available through bursaries for overseas training and work experience,” said Hughes. “We offer help to the tune of around £700 to players aged between 17 and 19 who make plans to spend at least four months working abroad in order to improve their polo, of which there are usually a handful. Young www.polotimes.co.uk
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hand with those who have the ability to pay. “I say this simply because we don’t want to over-inflate parents’ expectations. Thus, in terms of the exchange programme we run for young players between 12 and 14 that want to play in Argentina, they're selected for their ability to reciprocate a similar standard of exchange programme to the Argentines, who last year offered the chance to play at the historic Coronel Suarez club.” F ◗ What do you think? Is there more the HPA could be doing to help the best junior talent into our young England representative sides? Let us know: letters@polotimes.co.uk ◗ Disappointingly, just as we went to press, it was announced the "England 21" game on Beaufort Test Match day has been cancelled
Youth polo
Education from every angle Our education expert Adam Caller gives advice each month on dealing with the quandaries facing young players looking to balance their polo and their studies At this time of the year, students everywhere are taking exams. Whether these are key gateways to the next academic stage, the culmination of years of study, or just internal school assessments, stress levels are high and the pressure is on. When time is precious, when Kipling’s “unforgiving minute” is affecting everything, effective time management is essential. Everyone has different advice on how to cope at this time. Some advocate making lists, others suggest sorting these lists to identify which of the items can provide the most benefit for the least effort – they'll usually decide to get these out of the way first! Others will share their ideas on study and exam techniques, revision timetables, cramming, tutoring support, practice… What works best for one person will not necessarily work for another. There is no single, correct approach, and it’s easy for all this advice to only add stress. From my experience there are really only two important things to bear in mind: be prepared, and don’t panic. There is always time for more preparation. Even the last few minutes offers time to revise a formula, practice a mnemonic, review some dates, run through a solution. It’s impossible to be too prepared, but it is possible to become over-confident, relax, and lose focus as a result. Mental preparation is as important as any other. Not panicking is probably easier said than done. However, while it's worth remembering that being agitated can be a huge distraction, a little anxiety makes you sharper, more alert. Plan for playtime in your preparation, little breaks you can look forward to – enjoy them, and then go straight back to work. Competitive sportsmen and women are already familiar with all of this. There is a lot to be done and time is limited. Small details garnered at the last moment are valuable, as are pauses, and a little pre-match nervousness is a good sign.
◗ Adam Caller has been the Senior Partner of Tutors International for 12 years. Tutors International is a specialist private tutoring and educational consultancy headquartered in Oxford Polo Times, June 2012
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Copa Novillitos, La Aguada Polo Club – Argentina
Novillo Astradas host successful kids event Young Argentine players, many of whom are the progeny of some of the top Argentine pros, travelled to La Aguada Polo Club at the beginning of May for a day of back-to-back polo
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a Aguada Polo Club in Open Door, Argentina, hosted the fourth Copa Novillitos tournament on Sunday 6 May. In total, 12 teams took part in the competition, divided into two sections: Menores (for 9-11 year olds) and Mayores (for 12-13 year olds). In the youngest division, La Natividad, featuring Bartolomé “Lolo” Castagnola’s son Camilo, beat Las Bétulas, 3-2, in the final – umpired by Miguel Novillo Astrada. The side’s Felipe Dabas was named most valuable player, while Las Bétulas’ Matias Uranga – who played alongside his two brothers Felix and Javier as well as Santos Ballester – won the fair play award. In the Mayores final, Las Bétulas defeated Black Watch in another close match, 4-3. Despite featuring Hilario Figueras and Segundo Merlos, the sons of top Argentine
players Nacho Figueras and Sebastian Merlos, the Black Watch team weren’t strong enough to overcome their opponents. Las Bétulas picked up two further awards at the prizegiving – the team’s Tomás Pasman was named MVP and Francisco Penna won the best newcomer award. Black Watch’s Figueras won the fair play award. F u Copa Novillitos; La Aguada Polo Club, Argentina; Sunday 6 May Menores section (9-11 years old): Result: La Bétulas beat La Natividad, 3-2 La Natividad: Camilo Castagnola; Nicolás Díaz Alberdi; Felipe Dabas; Carlos Menéndez Behety
Las Bétulas: Felix Uranga; Javier Uranga; Matias Uranga; Santos Ballester
Mayores section (12-13 years old): Result: Las Bétulas defeated Black Watch, 4-3 Las Bétulas: Francisco Uranga; Francisco Penna; Tomás Pasman; Benjamin Fernández Llorente Eduardo Novillo Astrada and his brothers handed out the awards. Above right: the menores winners La Natividad
My contact in London:
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Black Watch: Hilario Figueras; Manuel Calafell;
Segundo Merlos; Segundo Saravi
Youth polo
The grass-roots view The latest from Theresa Hodges, UK Pony Club Polo chair, in her regular column If wet, if fine Rain is stopping play everywhere but thank goodness for those clubs with arenas where chukkas can be played in order to sustain/ enhance pony/player fitness and skills. With the summer fast advancing (and hopefully better weather), I am aware of many players who have decided not to play Junior HPA (particularly Langford and Gannon) nor Pony Club. The reasons given are many and varied but include: "I am better off playing low-goal club polo"; "we can't win so why enter?"; "I can't play with my friends." If you are an aspiring polo player and would like to improve your game, then please be aware that your best chances of "catching the judges eye" are if you are playing four-man junior polo each summer. The Pony Club Committee, the HPA Development Committee and the HPA Coaching Committee are working together to select players for training, coaching, teams and tours. It is impossible for Committee members to get to all lowgoal club matches. Pony Club and HPA tournaments, matches and play days are where it counts to be seen in UK Junior polo if you would like to access world-class development opportunities. Please also remember, that a true polo player with the right temperament can play ANY position. You do not need to be playing three or four to be noticed - four man polo needs every player to be in the right place at the right time. Also remember the Gannon final last year where a 3-goal team came close to beating a 5-goal team? You have to be in it to win it! Succession planning It would be great to reduce the average age of the PC Polo Committee by about 10-15 years and bring in some new thinking. If anyone would like to help in any way please let me know: call 07850 546182 or do email me: tcp.hodges@gmail.com
stuart.bates@juliusbaer.com, tel. +44 203 205 1609 Polo Times, June 2012
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Knowledge
Know your game
The must-read professional-player’s perspective – from Jamie Peel, three-goal pro and 2008 Gold Cup winner
High-goal is setting new High-goal patrons around the world are putting so much time, effort and money into their organisations that the elite level of polo is starting to pull away from the rest of the sport. High-goal polo is driving the sport forward and opening doors to a global market. Sponsors such as Audi, Nespresso, Vestra Wealth, Cartier and Veuve Cliquot are all enjoying the success and glamour that surrounds the high-goal. High-goal players are earning more money than ever before and rightly so. The costs of playing polo are astronomical and for players to improve they need money to re-invest in their own organisations. The high-goal provides players with the necessary capital. Audi has done a huge amount for the English polo team and for our sport. It
Photograph by Jingye Luo
We all have to remember that polo is our business and, to be successful, we have got to make money is fantastic to have such a high-profile company supporting us. The dynamics of the England set up has changed dramatically since Audi came on board six years ago. The profile of the players is growing every season and with this comes added expectations and pressure. Having an organisation like Audi behind them provides the players with the support they need.
The morning game on HPA’s International Day in 2011 showcased some of England’s best five and six-goalers
The difficulties facing players outside the high-goal are immense and it’s been said a lot over the last few years that there aren’t enough opportunities for English players to play in the high-goal. Playing high-goal polo is what we all dream about and aspire to do,
but unfortunately we cannot all play in it. As an English polo professional, making money must come first. We are extremely lucky that we have a medium and low-goal circuit that players can compete in and draw an income from, but as professionals we have all got to
Playing tips with Rege Ludwig – using the plane Each month, renowned polo coach Rege Ludwig gives his expert advice about how to get more out of your game
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Because the direction that the ball is hit is greatly influenced by the plane of the swing, it is most unfortunate when a player is not aware of the path, or plane, on which the mallet is travelling before it contacts the ball. Think of the plane of swing as a sheet of glass. The intention should be to align the sheet of glass in the direction of the hit for as long as possible. In other words, establish the
Establish the plane of swing from the start of the down swing until the follow through mallet on the plane as early as you can and then maintain it there throughout the swing and hit process. The most important thing to be aware of www.polotimes.co.uk
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Know your game
standards
remember that polo is our business, our way of life, and to be successful we have got to make money. Many professional players now find that selling or renting their best horses to a high-goal team is more profitable to them than playing them themselves. Last year, for example,
Henry Brett, Olly Hipwood, Max Charlton and Alan Kent all rented horses to high-goal teams at some stage in the season. The reality of the situation is that playing medium and low-goal polo simply does not provide enough income. If our best home-grown players have to rent and sell the horses that they have worked so hard to buy and produce, how are they meant to develop and improve? One game that I have always looked forward to is the morning game at the HPA’s International Day in July. It is the only chance that we get to see England’s best five and six-goal players competing against each other in a highgoal environment. Players like James Harper, Chris Hyde and Olly Hipwood are given a chance to showcase their talents on the big stage. It is a great shame that these talented players are not given more opportunities like this throughout the season. They are the perfect exhibition matches as they are always fiercely competitive and captivating to watch. It would be an excellent way to promote our home-grown talent and to show the rest of the polo community what we have to offer. F
Knowledge
Fitness with James de Mountfort James de Mountfort, polo player and personal trainer to the Red Bull F1 Racing Team reveals the exercises and techniques that will help your polo With the English summer season now upon us, one of the questions that I’m asked most often is – what are the best cross training sports I can do to complement my polo playing? To answer this question, I always ask another question. Namely, “what is your weakest link?” because that is what you should be working on. If the weak link of your game is skill-based, then work on your ball drills. If your weakness is your inability to finish a game, but you are still able to play technically well and make the right choice, then you need to work on your base endurance and tactical game. Overall, though, you can improve your general sports fitness through other complementary sports. I particularly recommend the hand-eye co-ordination that comes with playing squash and badminton. Playing either of these will, of course, help your conditioning too. If its balance and strength that you really want to improve, then I suggest trying rock climbing. In a nut shell, find the problem, fix the problem! ◗ Contact James on 07949 455712 or james@ personally-trained.co.uk
◗ Do you agree with Jamie’s views? Have your say by emailling us at letters@polotimes.co.uk
of your swing to hit the ball properly
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go in the desired direction, the mallet should be established on the plane of swing from the beginning of the down swing and maintained until the end of the follow through. ◗ Rege Ludwig is a world renowned polo coach and author of “Polo in the 21st Century”
Photograph by Kzenon
when you are establishing the mallet on the correct plane is your starting position in the saddle. Position your torso out and over the ball while your mallet hand is positioned within six inches of your right ear. It is also crucial to make sure that your torso, shoulder and mallet hand are in a parallel line with the plane of swing. For the ball to
Playing other sports like squash can help improve your polo game
Polo Times, June 2012
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Knowledge
Know your horse
Mark Emerson MRCVS is a two-goal polo player and an ambulatory equine vet
Help reduce the incidence At the time of writing the British weather continues to do its best to disrupt the early part of the polo season. I hope the weather has improved significantly by the time the June issue of Polo Times is published, although the long term weather forecast at the moment remains pretty bleak. The cold wet weather has had a noticeable impact on my workload with cancelled chukkas, matches and tournaments resulting in fewer sports injuries and, with some of the pros still yet to earn a match fee, they are understandably reluctant to call the vet out unless they have a really serious problem. The one condition that I have had to deal with
The physiology of tying-up is complex and the underlying cause is not clear-cut more often than normal is horses “tying-up”. Tying-up, also referred to as “azoturia”, is a painful muscle condition with cramp-like symptoms that usually comes on during, or shortly after, exercise resulting in a distressed horse with very stiff hindquarters. There is often a history of reduced workload for a day or two prior to the condition occurring. The cold weather and widespread disruption to exercise routines due to flooded tracks and unusable polo fields has certainly
Feet first
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The risk of tying-up can be reduced by making sure exercise regimes remain the same despite the weather
led to an increase in the incidence of tying-up. The physiology of tying-up is complex and the underlying cause is not clear-cut so it is therefore not always that easy to prevent. There is undoubtedly a genetic component to the condition, with some individuals being
more prone to the condition than others due to a disorder in muscle contractility and defective calcium regulation. Some breeds are known to have a specific genetic disorder that results in the accumulation of sugars in muscle causing
With the particularly wet April we endured this year, some ponies have suffered from the problem of soft, washed out feet. The horn tubules that make up the outer hoof are made from keratin – the same material that our fingernails are made from. The horn tubules soak up moisture and become softer and more pliable allowing the hoof capsule to move more. The soles also become washed out leading to a higher possibility of sole punctures and infections. Applying hoof oil can reduce
the amount of moisture soaking in to the hoof. Allowing the pony to stand in a dry stall or stable will also help the feet to recover from the excess moisture. When conditions alter and we suffer from dry spells then the horn tubules soak up less water. The horn becomes brittle and is more prone to cracking (see right), leading to more lost shoes and raised clenches. In this instance it is a good idea to hose the hooves and apply a natural hoof ointment such as Kevin Bacon’s
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Know your horse
Knowledge
Lorna Edgar – specialist equine nutritionist
of tying-up them to tie-up. What we do know is that there are certain risk factors that are associated with tying-up. Some of these risk factors can be managed or eliminated. Poor weather, exercise routines, sex, age, temperament of the horse, as well as diet, all have an influence on tying-up. Changing the sex or age of a horse to reduce the likelihood of it tying-up is obviously not possible, but managing diet and exercise more carefully is feasible. If fit horses are suddenly unable to be exercised then it is advisable to cut their concentrate ration right back and substitute it with a little more forage. Exercise sessions must remain as regular and as frequent as possible – if polo is cancelled or exercise tracks flooded, alternative venues or forms of exercise always need to be found. In all but the mildest of cases it is advisable to seek urgent veterinary attention when a horse ties-up. Keeping the horse stationary and warm until the vet arrives is important – forcing a horse to walk will only cause further muscle damage. Immediate treatment for tying-up involves the administration of powerful antiinflammatories, muscle relaxants and, in severe cases, fluid and electrolyte
replacement, either by stomach tube or intravenously. The horse will then require a prolonged period of rest on a forage-only diet before being brought back into work slowly. Blood tests are an excellent way of gauging the severity of the muscle damage and monitoring recovery. They can be used to accurately assess the muscles ability to accept work when re-introducing them to exercise – it is very easy to reintroduce too much exercise too early and having the problem repeat itself. Turning the horse out in a paddock for a few days once the symptoms have subsided and working them from the field can often be helpful. Your vet may be able to help with medication that can prevent the recurrence of the condition when bringing a horse back into work. Vitamin E and selenium supplementation may be beneficial in the prevention of tyingup in some animals, though the science behind it is unclear. Electrolytes are another important inclusion in the diet to reduce the risk of tying up. F ◗ Mark Emerson works as an ambulatory equine vet based near Ascot and has polo clients across the south of England: tel 07973 800383 or email mark@emersonequine.com Hoof Dressing, or a similar product, to increase the pliability of the horn. ◗ Performance Shoeing International is a collaboration of three-time world champion farrier Darren Bazin and Argentine player and farrier Luigi Ferrarese: tel 07896 991489. See www.highgoalfarriers.co.uk for full article
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What should I feed a pony on box rest? As mid-season approaches, fingers crossed your string are still in full work and you have not had any injuries but, unfortunately, this is so often the “if only” feeling and realistically you may have a pony on box-rest. What do we feed those ponies on box-rest? Here’s hoping the individual that is standing in 24/7 is not muzzled, as this is a time we not only need to maintain their health for the repair and healing process of their injury, but to also maintain sanity for that individual who has come out of hard work to suddenly being box rested and immobile. So often ponies on box rest are fed a small amount of cubes or mix to keep them quiet at feed time and are offered restricted hay. This is not ideal for the health or psychology of the individual and increases the risks of colic and vices such as cribbing, box-walking and weaving. Maintaining a balance of good nutrition at this point is imperative. As with human athletes, repair and healing of damaged tissue will be quicker and stronger when a balance of proteins, vitamins and minerals are received. Therefore, I would be encouraging you to feed a balancer, to provide all those essential nutrients without providing calories and without the energy. Once they have adapted to box rest, and should they lose any condition, look at using oils as a calorie source or slowly introduce a conditioning cube – rather than mix – to keep the starch levels down. Allowing hay or haylage to be fed to appetite will be of huge benefit to the digestive tract and helps to cure boredom. It will also be the best calorie source whilst they are inactive as it is slow releasing energy. Should it be a greedy individual then use two small holed haylage nets – one inside the other – to make forage last longer. Using hay rather than haylage will reduce the calorie intake and soaking the hay for 45 minutes will reduce the sugars in the hay by approximately 40 per cent, allowing you to feed more. During the initial stages of box-rest when the horse is likely to be quite stressed while adjusting to its new life style, feeding a prebiotic or probiotic will really help to settle the hind gut bacteria – particularly for those stressy individuals who are not eating much, have loose droppings, are susceptible to colic or are on medication such as antibiotics. As long as the diet is balanced your box rest horse should lose little, if any, top line, thus indicating that adequate amounts of protein are received in the diet. ◗ Contact Lorna Edgar of Bailey’s Horse Feeds on lorna@baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk and 07808 863864 Polo Times, June 2012
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Knowledge
Monty Roberts and polo
Photograph by Christopher Dydyck
Changing training: how polo needs to learn a new language Renowned for his empathetic interpretation of the silent language of horses, tireless trainer Monty Roberts is now using his experiences right across the equine world with many of the gameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top polo pros â&#x20AC;&#x201C; including, most significantly, Adolfo Cambiaso
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Monty Roberts and polo
Alice Gipps at Royal Polehampton Lodge Stud
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“I had 72 broken bones before I was 12 years old. Each of those was from my father, not from horses” – Monty Roberts operations that are key to their success. Memo Gracida first asked for his assistance six years ago. His brother Carlos soon followed. Others have gradually shown www.polotimes.co.uk
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His theory is that, to understand horses, people need to think very simply, think like a flight animal. Their number one priority in life is to reproduce, their second is survival. Horses
Above: Monty demonstrates his “Join-Up®” methods Below: A bird’s-eye view across Flag Is Up Farms, Monty’s 200-acre International Learning Centre in California
also have conscious thought, not just instinctual thought. Horses follow a leader, looking up to the matriarch of the herd, or a person they trust and whom they want to please. Monty argues it is particularly true in polo, since the best playing ponies are those that are sensitive, and thus would never make it through brutal or violent techniques that were common in Argentina not so many years ago. Tying up, terrifying or hitting a horse until it does the right thing does not convince it you are his leader; those are the actions of a predator meaning him harm. Monty still works every day, travelling the u world to get his message across, and his Photographs from Monty and Pat Roberts’ archives
living legend, American Monty Roberts – now 77 – has become one of the world’s most famous horse trainers. He was first introduced to polo in his 20s, when 10-goaler Billy Linfoot and he became friends whilst Monty was beginning the process of working on some western horses using his effective non-violent method of starting and training them. In the intervening years, Monty became best known for the impact of his methods in the racing industry, having personally produced over 600 Group 1 winners. However, these dramatic benefits unsurprisingly didn’t go unnoticed across the equine world and Monty is now finding himself in high demand amongst the world’s top polo professionals, all of whom have breeding
interest since but, when world number one Adolfo Cambiaso asked Monty to work on his thoroughbreds two years ago, it marked a real breakthrough for the game. Cambiaso is a winner of the Argentine Open nine times, producing such champion ponies as Dolfina Cuartetera and Aiken Cura down the years. That he wants to change his traditional training methods to incorporate Monty’s less dangerous, less domineering and less confrontational approach shows how seriously polo now realises it has to take the fair treatment of its horses. “I’ll tell you why polo needs me,” says Monty. “It is because the public perception of how the average polo player treats his horses has been very bad. It may not be true in many cases but perception builds on reality.” That perception relates to the traditional breaking methods that are still currently the most commonly used in polo, in which the horse is “told” what to do, not “asked” as a willing partner.
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Knowledge
Monty Roberts and polo
Monty with the Queen at Windsor Castle in 1996
Photographs from Monty and Pat Roberts’ archives
u motivation for wishing to prove there is a more humane means of getting what you want from horses is horrifyingly personal. “My father was the most forceful man you could imagine,” he says. “He would tie horses to the ground, sometimes beat them to death. That’s what caused me to go the other way. I had 72 broken bones before I was 12 years of age. Each broken bone was from my father, not from horses.” Knowing what it is to fear for your life, empathy with the horses and the realisation they were receptive to a kind approach are what spawned a desire in Monty to explore a different route to traditional methods widely used in America and the rest of the world at the time. In 1948 Monty tracked wild mustangs, spending hours watching their behaviour,
Adolfo Cambiaso, Monty Roberts and Carlos Gracida pose for photographs at a demonstration in the USA
Equus uses body language to communicate with the horse, the most critical element of which is something known as “Join-Up®”. The method simulates the discipline by the Matriarch towards a young horse of driving it away to gain respect as herd leader. Instinct tells horses that, if they are separated from the herd, their lives are in grave danger. Driving the horse away in a round pen simulates this behaviour and triggers the horse’s flight response. Then, by using the passive body language of a predator, such as a mountain lion not interested in attacking, the horse reads these signals and quickly accepts the human, as a safe leader, not a predator. Join-Up is the moment when the horse chooses to come towards the trainer, trusts him and follows him. Monty insists it can work on any horse, from a wild mustang to a child’s fluffy
encountered during the training process of young horses for any discipline. It’s incredible to watch. He can introduce a rider to an unbacked youngster within about 30 minutes. No tying up, no battle. Using the horses own language to communicate, they trust and want to please their trainer. However, showing his father there was an alternative way – even from as young an age as seven – gained Monty
“Monty’s methods forge an immediate connection between man and horse, which is the essential foundation to its future development” – Memo Gracida applying their signals to his methods and communication. Monty translated the horses’ silent language and has called it “Equus”. 74
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pony, and all in roughly 15 minutes using a round pen. This foundation of trust is vital, making it easier to overcome any obstacles
With daughter Debbie whilst working in Rio de Janeiro
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Monty believes that pulling too much at the mouth desensitises it. Of course, in a game as fast as polo, players will need to pull their horses to stop them but, with good training, players can cause their horses to stop, rather than forcing them. Note the loose reins, low head carriage, closed mouth, no rolling eyes and the horse’s ears, listening to the rider
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Monty has been performing public demos since 1986 and is currently working extensively in central Brazil, where 3,000 horses will be started next year using his methods. Having witnessed first hand how teams of men were let loose on 150 untouched youngsters in a Brazilian competition each year, cheered on by the audience to inflict brutality on the animal until it was rideable, Monty was painfully reminded that the most effective philosophy is that “slow is fast, fast is slow”. Of course, traditional methods can produce quick results initially. Some horses seem to know automatically what the rider wants of them, but they are the exception, not the only ones with potential. Most horses react out of fear to forceful training, easily developing undesirable traits such as becoming one sided, developing a hard mouth, leaping, and headshaking. As any player or buyer knows, such faults caused by rushed training are very hard to correct. The horse did not start out with them. To make a comparison, imagine learning to swim for the first time. If your instructor pushes u
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His real name is Marvin, which is the same as his father
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He has two World Championships for his rodeo riding
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He is a nine-times World Champion in “Western reining”
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He has two university doctorates in Behavioural Sciences
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He is the proud owner of the Monty Roberts International Learning Centre in California, near Santa Barbara
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His only hobby away from horses is dry fly fishing, though he is so busy that the last time he managed it was more than five years ago in Iceland
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He does a lot of work with prisons, domestic abuse centres, war veterans, schools and corporations, applying similar principles of psychology to those he uses on horses
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He has three children, and has fostered some 47 others
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He is a type-two diabetic, and so eats the same white chicken, brown rice and green vegetables three times a day, seven days a week
Photographs from Monty and Pat Roberts’ archives
nothing more than a beating with a chain. Monty’s father was not the only one resistant to the idea. He’s needed incredible drive and courage to break away from critics, having even encountered death threats from traditionalists trying to keep his methods from reaching the public. One source from which he has always had support is Her Majesty The Queen. Monty and I met at the Queen’s stables, Royal Polehampton Lodge Stud, Hampshire, where he paid tribute to her in the year in which she celebrates the Diamond Jubilee of her coronation. “If it wasn’t for the Queen of England I’d still be telling people not to beat up horses and I’d just be talking to a few hundred people,” he says. “Instead, I’m talking to a few million.” That number is no over-estimate. Monty’s first book – The Man Who Listens to Horses – was published in 1996, after encouragement by the Queen following a demonstration of his methods in Windsor in 1989, and became a New York Times bestseller, shifting more than five million copies.
things you didn’t know about Monty
10. He was honoured by the Queen in June last year for his service to the royal family and to the racing establishment: made an honorary member of the Royal Victorian Order, given to people who have served the monarch in a personal way Polo Times, June 2012
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Monty Roberts and polo
A short lesson, Monty’s way “For example, when teaching a horse to stop, the trot is the most valuable gait to use in early training,” says Monty. “If you can achieve a desire within the horse to stop immediately on cue from a trot, your chances of accomplishing this in the canter goes up dramatically. “When he’s stopped well, always allow him to relax for 30 seconds. That’s his reward. The key to getting the horse to want to do something is being quick to reward. Build this up gradually over 3-4 months to get a perfect stop. You could put a fishing leader on my reins and 2lbs of pressure is all I need to stop a horse. Pulling too much on the mouth desensitises it. “Of course, polo is a quick game, for players and ponies, but there’s no reason why things need to be done hard. You watch – things are really going to change. Players such as Cambiaso increasingly want a light, responsive pony, so you’re going to see the top pros pulling their horses around a lot less. The trick is to get more out of a pony but causing it to do something, rather than forcing it.”
Human gestures as seen by the horse
Monty Roberts, flanked by Carlos and Memo Gracida
Photographs from Monty and Pat Roberts’ archives
u you in at the deep end, you would fear for your life – listening to instructions comes second to doing all you can to survive. And, assuming you do, the trust with that instructor would be entirely broken. However, if your instructor patiently shows you step by step in the shallow end, you have confidence in them and learn the correct techniques necessary, which will help make you a confident swimmer. And, in some cases, such a technique is helping furnish those with the talent with the tools to make it to the top, should they continue with that sport. “Incremental education is by far the most effective education,” explains Monty. “Trainers cannot skip steps and expect good results. However, by giving a horse a little time and to think about what you mean by a particular instruction, and leading them incrementally through the process, you’ll get there faster, much faster than you will with the forceful way. “It’s no problem re-educating these guys,” says Monty, reflecting on working with horse trainers in Brazil. “One guy I came across, called Mateus, was brutal. Unbelievably, he would kick his youngsters in the nose and beat them. I watched him beat a horse up until its bladder gave way. I took this kid on, and within three or four hours of direction he could do the 76
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Join-Up method as well as I could because of his knowledge of how to get around a horse. These guys are definitely good enough, they just need convincing to put aside the destructive techniques that have come down through the generations.” Monty is also living proof that the change is beneficial for the breakers as much as it is for the horses. At 77, he’s still working with sprightly young ponies on a daily basis, because, though he disciplines his horses, his firm-but-fair methods don’t typically put him in a position to get hurt in a confrontation with them. Like any language, Equus needs practice. But good horsemen pick up Monty’s techniques quickly and it’s far less dangerous. This is what is currently inspiring many polo players. Carlos “Polito” Ulloa – father of nine-goaler Hilario – has been a driving force in developing high-goal ponies in Argentina, and credits Monty Roberts for his own approach, which insists on the term “taming” rather than “breaking in”.
Former 10-goaler Memo Gracida, who has also achieved great success training thoroughbreds for polo, echoes the same view: “The language of the horse is universal,” he says. “I have lived around horses all my life, and knowing how to communicate with your animals is fundamental to anyone that would like to call himself a horseman. Put simply, Monty is the best horseman I know, so I’ve been sure to transmit everything I’ve learnt from him to my breakers, horse masters and grooms.” Monty’s just happy that his methods are reaching far and wide, and isn’t surprised that they are of particular relevance to players with large breeding programmes: “Semi-wild horses respond better to the Join-Up model. It is an expression of their language. A horse that hasn’t been intervened with by humans has the clearest genetic potential for that language. Its natural senses are still heightened, not dulled from having been broken in the traditional way. A horse desensitised by violent authority won’t have the sensitivity necessary to give you that www.polotimes.co.uk
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Shy Boy, a wild mustang, is the most famous example of Monty’s work. Free in 42,000 acres, Monty achieved complete communication with Shy Boy, using no force. He quickly went from being wild to accepting everything including a rider
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significant. I start between 30 and 40 horses a year, and am totally convinced, when you use the horses’ language, it simplifies and makes things easier to understand. From my first-hand experience, I would say Monty’s methods allow you realise the natural ability of the equine athlete to its fullest, because you forge an immediate connection between man and horse, which is the essential foundation for its future development.” It takes a brave person to break away from years of tradition and try something new. But Monty Roberts has shown there is room for mavericks that seek to buck the trend. And, with more and more acknowledgement of this, particularly in the polo world in recent times, it does seem as though training may be changing. For those of us that love horses, there can be little doubt that these changes are for the better. F
◗ Discover more about Monty’s books (in both English and Spanish), his training DVDs (some of which come with Spanish subtitles) and even his online university course (complete with video lessons) at www.montyroberts.com
Photographs from Monty and Pat Roberts’ archives
extra mile an hour or rapid turn, and so won’t be a top polo pony. “I’m so excited about what is happening in the world with the change in attitudes towards training horses. I’m being accepted at a level I could never have dreamed was possible. I was ready to give up in 1989, until Her Majesty endorsed me. I am conscious that a lot of credit for what has happened since belongs with her.” More than 20 years after that endorsement, Monty’s techniques are finally becoming essential practice on many continents, with a scientific study last year in the UK even acknowledging that his training methods were proven to be less stressful and more efficient for horses. “Certainly, they’re more efficient,” agreed Memo Gracida. “The increase in the percentage of horses reaching their full potential in polo is
◗ Monty Roberts is set to receive further recognition from the Queen, when she is expected to present an award at the final of the Al Habtoor Royal Windsor Cup on Sunday 24 June Polo Times, June 2012
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Knowledge
How to spend it
Let True Deli delight your Fine dining – True Deli True Deli is a new premium events company with a polo background, which fuses quality, imagination and hard work. Founded by Cowdray Park two-goaler Alexander Baillieu and former one-goaler Henry O’Grady, it offers bespoke fine-dining catering for every event from Gold Cup picnics to gala evenings and large weddings. True Deli works with Michelin starred chefs and provides everything from food, drink, flowers, tents, décor, music and invitations. It has recently catered events at Somerset House and the Royal Opera House. True Deli is offering anyone planning a party a free consultation – just contact sales@truedeli.co.uk or call 020 7193 3275. See www.truedeli.co.uk for more Main picture: drinks at a Financial Times event. Inset: a Moroccan-style enchanted garden for 100 guests. Above: Caviar and condiments at a True Deli party
Fine whisky – Royal Salute
Jewellery – Jacob & Co
The fine whisky of Royal Salute once again had a big presence at the Audi Polo Awards this year. The splendid drink was offered to guests upon their arrival and at regular intervals throughout the evening, but it is fair to say that one particular bottle of Royal Salute stood out among the rest in the marquee at Coworth Park. Lancashire-born Zacara patron Lyndon Lea, as winner of the Royal Salute best high-goal patron prize, was the recipient of a bottle of the special edition 62 Gun Salute. The whisky is the work of Royal Salute master blender Colin Scott who, after 21 years in the role, believes he has produced the ultimate Scotch whisky. Nachi Du Plessis, who picked up the award on Lea’s behalf, left, exclaimed: “Am I allowed to drink it?” and he wasn’t the only one at Coworth keen to sample the very special whisky.
The loved ones of the world’s richest polo patrons must frequently face the same conundrum – what do you get for the man who has everything? Well, if money is no object, why not buy him the world’s most expensive cufflinks?! This is exactly what Jacob & Co, who refer to themselves as the biggest name in celebrity jewellery, have produced with their Emerald Cut Canary Diamond cufflinks. The cufflinks are made of 18 carat white gold with a centrepiece of a 21 carat canary diamond. This is flanked by 10.47 carats of baguette cut white diamonds. Perfect for holding your cuffs together on the big occasion, but this particular purchase will set you back a cool £2.7m per pair. From £2.7m
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How to spend it
belly
Diamond Jubilee fashion – Liberty London
Knowledge
Motor – BMW 6 Series
There’s a lot to be said for the joy of 6 Series
As this is the Diamond Jubilee issue of Polo Times we thought it would be remiss of us not to include a mention of HM the Queen on the How to Spend It pages – and what better way to celebrate the special event with a piece of royal-inspired fashion? This elegant silk scarf from Liberty London has been created exclusively to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation. The 90x90cm piece features a collection of Corgi dogs, St Edward’s Crown and the Sovereign’s Orb in a pale blue heart, a purple background and gold border detail.
Spending a lot of time in the polo world it is sometimes easy to forget that there are more luxury car manufacturers in the world than just Audi. This is particularly true in the summer season with the Audi Polo Awards, the Audi Internationals and the German car manufacturer’s sponsorship of the Pony Club. But this summer another big car firm is hoping to give Audi a run for its money. BMW is expecting great things from their 6 Series range in the coming months. The 6 Series Coupe, unveiled at the Shanghai Motor show in 2011, has been on sale for six months now and BMW are expecting to shift about 1,000 in the UK alone this year. The coupe is available with three different engine sizes and the 3.0 litre diesel, which
From £150
This month’s watch – Bernard Richards V12 Sport Watch If you’re looking for an exciting new watch but want to steer clear of the traditional polo favourites without compromising on quality – why not look into French watchmakers Bernard Richards Manufacture. The Paris-based firm are renowned for producing watches inspired by iconic machines. And looking at their new V12 Sports Watch it’s easy to see why. The 44mm watch face is encased by stainless steel and black PVD coating and the model includes a black calf leather strap with red stitching and round perforations to give it a stylish, sporty look. Bernard Richards produce only 2,000 watches every year to ensure that every one remains special and much sought-after.
boasts a 0-62mph time of 5.5 seconds and excellent efficiency figures for a big car, brilliantly matches power with economy. The M Sport version of the 6 Series Coupe adds a body kit with 19 inch alloys, dark chrome tips for the exhaust, high gloss shadowline exterior trim and black brake callipers to make the car look even cooler. Not forgetting about the interior, sports seats and a smart sporty steering wheel are also available with the M Sport. Looking further into 2012, another 6 Series model that is expected to be popular in the UK is the souped-up version of the Coupe, the 6 Series Gran Coupe. This will be the firm’s first ever four-door coupe and it is out later this year.
From £7,000
From £59,575
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Knowledge
Review – The Audi S7 Sportback and Audi S6 Avant
From Germany, with love There’s a new kid on the grid this summer, and in this issue we bring you an exclusive review of the first drives in the rapid “S”-badged range from polo’s favourite motoring manufacturers, Audi
James Mullan in Munich
T
he international launch of two of Audi’s most hotly anticipated family cars in Munich late this April was an invitation I was anxious to accept for two reasons: because their performance “S” versions are legendary, and because an unexpected heatwave in Germany promised to be a welcome interval to a relentlessly cold and rain-soaked start to the British season. Neither disappointed. Venturing off to explore the Bavarian countryside bathed in sunshine, the four-litre twin-turbo V8 of the S7 Sportback provides a satisfying amount of power, complimented by a reassuring amount of torque for such a big car. It accelerates from 0-62 in 4.7 seconds
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and, fitted snugly into the handcrafted sports seats that come as standard, the driver feels in total control even at speed. This is because the seven-speed dualclutch tiptronic gearbox means shifting gears takes only a few hundredths of a second and is completed with almost no interruption to traction, aided by Audi’s intelligent quattro permanent all-wheel drive. The discerning sports fans amongst you will have noticed the S7 Sportback advertised in one of the notoriously expensive slots during the
Superbowl in early February, the most-watched sporting event on television worldwide. It’s clearly a car that Audi hope to make a big impression with, and it’s sleek looks and clever engineering will undoubtedly help ensure this model is right up there, keeping company with an already illustrious list in the premium sports saloon market. And what a premium. Likely to start at £62,000 on the road when released to the
www.polotimes.co.uk
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Review – The Audi S7 Sportback and Audi S6 Avant
UK market next month, the S7 Sportback is Audi’s fourth most expensive model in the range, behind only their supercar the R8, the soon-to-be-released S8, and the executive’s favourite, the A8. However, this price means the S7 Sportback is bringing sexy back for around £17,000 less than its most likely rival, the Porsche Panamera S. It’s a formidable beast under the bonnet and yet, pleasingly, is delivered within a refined and practical finished product, combining Audi’s typically understated styling with a sporty prestige.
H
owever, in my view, it’s the Audi S6 that’s the more suitable choice for polo players, and was also the one I enjoyed driving more. As the marginally smaller and lighter option, it’s slightly more sprightly from 0-62mph – doing it in 4.6 seconds – and even manages to make the S7 Sportback feel slightly cumbersome by comparison. It’s packed with a deluxe climate-control system and electrically adjustable sports seats, and the estate boot space in the Avant version of the S6 allows for some 1,680 litres of storage capacity (more than enough for all your polo paraphernalia, or a bevy of pretty girls). The S6 Avant is also very easy to park, even with a full boot – and, when compared with the older S6 versions, the new Audi S6 consumes 25 per cent less fuel, yet the performance appears to be improved.
Like the S7, the S6 Avant is finished both inside and out with the high-standards and acute attention to detail that we’ve come to expect from the German car giants over the last few years. In particular, the designers I met were particularly proud of the trim available for the first time in their new “S” models – decorative inlays which fuse lightweight aluminium and Beaufort oak wood in an elegant stripped veneer. The significance of this was slightly lost on me, I have to confess, but there’s certainly no doubt that the inside of both the S6 and the S7 makes for a supremely tranquil and comfortable space to be, and one which oozes quality and refinement. For those who get the experience of sitting in one of these cars, whilst actually owning it rather than simply dreaming about it, it must be a remarkably satisfying revelation: that, in life, you’ve made it. F
Knowledge
Essentials Audi S7 Sportback Engine: 4.0 TFSI V8 Insurance group: TBC On sale in the UK: from July Price: starts at £61,995 on the road Audi S6 Avant Engine: 4.0 TFSI V8 Insurance group: TBC On sale in the UK: from July Price: starts at £56,050 on the road
PT Rating
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Audi’s S6, which will get you from 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds
Above and below: the view inside and out of the refined and efficient new Audi S7 Sportback
The estate version of the S6, the Audi S6 Avant, which is recommended for polo players and their families
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Sidelines
Gossip
Eastwood estate soon to be up for grabs Aurora Eastwood has decided to sell up her farm, Eastwood Stud, and most of her horses this year. The zero-goaler made the decision to scale down earlier this year as the set-up – near Winchester in Hampshire – is too much for her to run on her own. She is selling 10 of her horses, which include homebreds and pure thoroughbreds. Argentine Alejandro Muzzio has bought her stallion and will be taking him back to Argentina to breed from in August. However, she will keep five of her string and horsebox so that she can carry on playing. “I want to concentrate on writing and journalism and, in particular, my new motoring venture,” Aurora told Polo Times. “The farm is a lot to cope with and all consuming with having to manage staff, horses and chasing bills. I’m having a year out of polo this year but I hope to carry on playing polo at Cowdray in the future.” The farm, pictured right, is not yet on the market but will be soon. Facilities include a polo arena, practice ground, house, outbuildings and more than 20 stables, with room to build more, – all set in around 80 acres.
Hanbury completes his rowing challenge Tell us yours at gossip@polotimes.co.uk Anonymity guaranteed if you want it...
George Hanbury completed his row up the Thames – from Lechlade to London – on 21 April, with friends Stuart Homewood and David Vincent. The threesome, pictured below, rowed a total of 210 miles and have raised more than £13,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support and the MS Society. The challenge took seven days to complete, rowing in a traditional rowing boat at a “leisurely pace”. More recently, a charity day held at Beaufort Polo Club, co-sponsored by Jaeger-LeCoultre, raised more than £30,000 for the Willow Foundation, which helps put on Special Days for seriously ill young people. A medium-goal exhibition match, which included Simon Arber, Tom Morley and Richard Le Poer, was the main highlight of the day. See page 62 for more.
Luke eyes successful relationship with JLC England captain Luke Tomlinson has become Jaeger-LeCoultre’s newest polo ambassador. The seven-goaler visited the watchmakers’ HQ in Switzerland in April, where his ambassadorship for the brand was announced. He will join Clare Milford Haven, Lia Salvo and Eduardo Novillo Astrada in sporting Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso watch, which was invented specifically for polo 80 years ago. “What’s impressed me is that the Jaeger-LeCoultre team has taken a real interest in my whole set up, and not simply the game’s often-sensationalised image,” he said. “The company is all about the nuts and bolts of the sport. And that technical attention to detail is exactly what you see in their watches as well. Whereas previously I always took off my watch to play, the Reverso has been designed exclusively for polo, and so I genuinely feel confident and comfortable wearing it.” 82 Polo Times, June 2012
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Gossip
Sidelines
The polo bug catches up with Brit-winning boy band Blake
Jamaica Open finalist breaks a leg ... literally Jamaica’s Minister of Energy James Robertson, pictured below, unknowingly broke his leg during the final of the 2012 Jamaica Open at the end of April. It is understood that he was involved in a crash with opponent Mitta Rousseau in the last chukka, causing the painful injury. However, the three-goaler carried on playing and even went on to play the semifinals of Kingston’s Senior Cup two days after the Jamaica Open. It wasn’t until a few days later that the politician’s injury came to light and he was admitted to hospital to have it plated. Sensibly he did then stop playing and, ironically, Rousseau replaced him for the Senior Cup final.
Wins at Windsor Spoilt, a six-year-old pony bred by Piki Diaz Alberdi, won the polo pony class, sponsored by Guards Polo Club, at Royal Windsor Horse Show in May. Now owned by Katrina Thomas, pictured below, the mare was the winner of section B and also won best turned out and Supreme Champion Polo Pony. Eleisha Gwynn-Jones, a 15-year-old Pony Clubber, won section A on her grandmother’s pony Moreira. The class was judged by Oli Hipwood and Lord Patrick Beresford, and performance, confirmation and turnout were all taken into consideration.
Photograph by www.esphotography.co.uk
British vocal harmony quartet Blake have started learning polo and are hoping to form a team to play in tournaments later this season. The clean-cut group, who sung a capella at the Audi Polo Challenge last month, famously formed on facebook and is made up of Stephen Bowman, Humphrey Berney, Ollie Baines and Jules Knight, pictured right. Though Baines has hunted, they had their first taste of polo at Apes Hill in Barbados last year, while they were performing at Jack Kidd’s Holders Festival. Since then, they have started playing at Atkins Polo Academy in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. “Having seen our photos from Barbados, Clark Betz of Atkins Polo Academy, kindly invited us to come and have a lesson,” Humphrey said. “He loved the idea of Blake becoming a team and the unique angle we could bring to the polo world so our relationship with Atkins began.” Atkins Polo Academy now manages all of the guys’ polo, seeking new sponsorship deals and organising for them to play in tournaments. This summer, they hope to train a couple of times a week, although their hectic schedule with concerts and touring worldwide can make it difficult. “Training can be tough to squeeze in – we just have to jump in a car when we have a spare second,” Humphrey continued. “We are the first band to be a competitive team and as well as playing in matches, we can also be the headline entertainment for the evening. This is a concept we want to take all over the world and with releases of records in China, the Philippines, USA and other places, we hope to tap into the polo communities across the globe.” The foursome were due to play in the Duke of Essex tournament on 14 July but were forced to pull out due to it clashing with one of their concert dates. Blake release their new album, Start Over – a harmony pop album – in the UK on 3 September. If you are interested in sponsoring the Blake polo team, contact Clark Betz at info@atkinspoloacademy.com or on 07899 894547.
Look-a-likes
Will Blake Thomas and Willy Wonka www.polotimes.co.uk
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Nic Roldan
Barbara and Scott Walker
The 108th US Open Championships; 22 April 2012; IPCPB, Florida – USA Tommy Morrison and Sarah Scheffer
Palm Beach party International Polo Club Palm Beach waved goodbye to another thrilling high-goal season with a party atmosphere at the US Open final late this April. The third and final event of the US highgoal season was won by Lyndon Lea’s Zacara. There was plenty of action off the field too as spectators enjoyed field-side brunches, while the VIPs relaxed in the impressive pavilion. Players, patrons and fans rubbed shoulders with celebrities including Hollywood actor Jeffrey Donovan. The revellers also included losing finalist Guillermo “Sapo” Caset of Lechuza Caracas, who two days later was rushed to hospital in Argentina with a life-threatening virus. Thankfully he is now reported to be in a stable condition.
The historic US Open trophy
Nespresso’s colourful mascot
Kamahla and Shamir Bolivar
Juliana Marquis and Fran Farber
w Photographs by Manuela Davies w Read our full US Open report on page 46 Michelle Woods and Jeffrey Donovan
Mike Azzaro with wife Amy and son Hunter
Miss America Laura Kaeppeler with Lauren Duffy
Facundo Pieres and Gaby Urdaneta
Tomas Goti and son Santos
The Sixth Sparkasse Holstein Beach Polo Tournament; 4-6 May 2012; Timmendorfer Strand near Luebeck, Germany
Sparkasse ignites German season César Ruiz Guinazu and Thomas Selkirk Tim Ward
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English three-goaler Tim Ward, who is a member of Thomas Winter’s polo school in Hamburg, was amongst the winners last month as six teams played nine games at the Sparkasse Holstein Beach Polo Tournament. Other notable players in the event, which starts the German season, were Argentine seven-goaler Santos Anca and his five-goal compatriots, Cristobal Durrieu and César Ruiz Guinazu.
by Bernhard Willroth, Hamburg w Photographs
Constanze von Bessing, Thomas Selkirk, Tim Ward and César Ruiz Guinazu
Yachts outside the polo ground
César Ruiz Guinazu
Santos Anca and Jeanette Diekmann
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Andrea Schneider and Stuart Bates of Julius Baer
The Audi Polo Awards; 16 May 2012; Coworth Park
Jackelyn Cusse, Idi Mendez, Carlos Morean, Gaby Urdaneta and Jesus Aveledo
Jesus Aveledo and Lyndon Lea
Audi UK’s Jon Zammett
Max Charlton, Louise Thomas, Jamie Morrison and Andrew Hine
Eyes on the Audi prize The great and the good of English polo gathered at Coworth Park in mid-May for the hotly anticipated annual Audi Polo Awards. More than 400 polo players, patrons, sponsors and their entourages enjoyed a night of magic, mind reading, good food and drink – most notably Pommery champagne and Royal Salute whisky – organised by former England captain Andrew Hine’s Polofix. Sebastian Merlos picked up the top prize – the best highgoal player. See also page 20.
Renata Costa
w All photos by Tony Ramirez, www.imagesofpolo.com
Juan Martin Nero with his picture by Katie Tunn
Jim Haigh with Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers
Thai Polo’s dream team: Facundo Pieres, Agustin Merlos, John Paul Clarkin and Juan Martin Nero
Sandy Harper with David Woodd
John Walsh, Brenda and George DuPont
Andrew Swaffield
Sebastian Merlos with Sabrina Fung
Facundo Sola and Chris Adkins of Tally Ho Lucy Taylor with Jamie Richards
James Beim with Jon Zammett
Four Quarters Orange Sabine Hauptmann, Matthias Dabelstein, Martin Blome, Constanze von Bessing (with daughter Jilly) and Tim Ward Stuart Bates and Jack Richardson
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Ros Packer and Jim Gilmore
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Grooms warming up the ponies
Sam Wates with sister Lexi
Jamaica Open; 29 April 2012 Kingston Polo Club, Jamaica
Fab final – fab food
Scotia’s Roger Grant
This year’s Jamaica Open final finally went ahead in perfect conditions, a week after being postponed due to heavy rain waterlogging the ground. Scotia Private Client Group’s VIP guests enjoyed sumptuous food provided by chefs flown in from St Kitts and St Lucia, as well as Jamaica. Following the presentations, players and guests danced the night away in the clubhouse – on the dance floor as well as the tables. Karen Kranenburg and Shane Chin
w Photographs by Georgie May
Two youngsters watching the game
Annika and Mathilda Bergström
w Turn to page 52 for Georgie’s full report
Chef Bobo Bergström
Guests enjoying the VIP area
Lesley Ann Masterton Fong-Yee
The rain at Kingston that postponed the final
Dennis Lalor
Melissa Warner and Sophia Phillipps
Conrad Chin
William Masterton
Argentine wine excites the ladies teams
Paul Lalor with Fran and Jorge Donovan
Maserati Miami Beach Polo World Cup, USA; 25-27 April 2012
Soaked in the Sunshine State There were six men’s sides and eight ladies’ teams in this April’s polo competitions on Florida’s Miami Beach and South Beach. However, some of the shine at one of the USA’s most glamorous events was taken off by the 30-mile-an-hour winds and whipping torrents of rain.
Bash Kazi and Richard Micahel
w Photographs by ESPR. Read more on page 58 Tara Lordi
Meghan & John Walsh
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A model goes zorbing
Ernesto Catena and daughter Aisha
Action on the beach
Nic Roldan
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Bridget Hanbury and Stirling Mcgregor
Dusan Beim and Kate Dickins
Sue Cudmore Jordan Samuda, Paola Byles, John G Byles and Mitta Rousseau
James Chamberlain, Bob Edmondson and Billy Kerr
Marjory Williams and Tony Emerson
Gay Watson and Jane Rowlinson
Audi Jamaica’s Judith Denton with Ricky and Heather Wates
Lavinia Black and Ollie Cudmore
Andrea and Simon England
Emma Boers
Mahesh Parmar, Lynne Dare, Tim Dare and Rita Parmar
Brothers Shane and Kurt Chin
Jorge Donovan
Alison Clarke and Gonzalo Aleman A groom washes down the ponies
Dave Miller
Start-of-season drinks; 28 April 2012; Longdole Polo Club – Gloucestershire
Tight fit? Just a bit!
The Philpotts
Record numbers turned out for Longdole’s annual start-of-season drinks, as members, locals, sponsors, friends and some of the 120 children they teach a week filled the clubhouse beside the club’s arena. They all enjoyed wine supplied by Sommelier Wine and delicious nibbles by Kiwi Catering.
Young members
by Zahra Hanbury w Photographs
Men’s trophy winners, Yellow Cab
Facundo Obregon
Kate Gibbons and Austin Clarke
Fifi Watson and Jake Williams
Kate Beim, Rob Wilson and Dani Watson
The aerial view of the ground
Debs Lodge, Rob Cudmore, Sasha McGregor and Emma Luard
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Will White, Matt Cudmore and Tom Beim
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Sunset behind the marquee
Max Brown
Jesse Eisenberg
James and Louise Turner
The 10th Audi Polo Challenge; Coworth Park Polo Club; 12-13 May 2012
Lisa and Roxy Horner
Sunlight, cameras, action! There was perhaps even more excitement than usual this year for the never-to-be-missed Audi Polo Challenge at Coworth Park. The Duke of Cambridge returned to the action having not played last year, and – yes – he was expected to bring his new wife on the Sunday. But even more excitingly, British polo fans finally got to see some actual polo, after poor weather throughout April and early May made practicing (let alone playing) almost impossible.
Martin Sander
Fennella Maguire and Nikolai Bahlsen Chris Hyde
w Read what took place on Coworth Park’s surprisingly good fields (at the end of another very wet week) on page 56
Kenney and Jayne Jones
Gemma Arterton and Stefano Catelli
Esther Bahne and Peter Schwarzenbauer
The Duchess of Cambridge helps present the prizes
The specially decorated marquee, erected within the courtyard at Great Trippetts, with the stables surrouding it
Blake
Ludo and Ciara Ephson
Lolita Chakrabarti and Adrian Lester
Oliver Cheshire
Rachel and Otis Deley
Colin Salmon and Trevor Eve
Jaeger-LeCoultre Pre-Season High Goal Dinner; Great Trippetts Farm; 11 May 2012
Patrons and pros pre-season Hosted by Jaeger-LeCoultre polo ambassador Clare Milford Haven and husband George, 70 of polo’s great and good descended on their luxurious Hampshire farm for dinner. Jérôme Lambert, CEO for the Swiss watchmakers, presented Viscount Cowdray with a special edition Jaeger-LeCoultre Cowdray Park Reverso. More are available on request and will each retail for £10,700. w Read about Luke Tomlinson’s new role with the brand on page 82
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Clare Milford Haven and Nick Foulkes
Javier and Eduardo Novillo-Astrada with Astrid Munoz
Jérôme Lambert presents Viscount Cowdray with the special edition Jaeger-LeCoultre Cowdray Park Reverso
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Sidelines
Russell Crowe and Tom Hardy
Dawn Porter and Chris O’Dowd
James Caan and his daughters
Pixie Lott Adam Bidwell
Simon Atkins and Zoe Hardman
Prince Harry
Dervla Kirwan, Phil and Beth Glenister and Rupert Penry-Jones
Rory Bremner
Josh Slack and Louise Roe
Jack Whitehall and Gemma Chan
Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Jeremy Piven
Rick Edwards
Eion Macken and Emmett Scanlan
Tilda and Tabba Woodd
PT’s James Mullan and Georgie May
Nicholas and Annie Colquhoun-Denvers
Ludo Ephson, Malcolm Borwick, James Beim and Nikolai Bahlsen
Otis Ferry
Kelly Brook
Salkeld patron Nick Clarke
Adrian Kirby and Luke Tomlinson
Lord Charles Beresford and Mrs Roderick Vere Nicholl
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The special edition Jaeger-LeCoultre Cowdray Park Reverso on a Fagliano leather strap
Mr and Mrs Matias Vial 89
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Polo directory
Dates for your diary
Club contacts UK and Ireland
South East AEPC, Hickstead – 01273 834315 * Ascot Park – 01276 858545 * Ash Farm – 01932 872521 * Belmont, Mill Hill – 020 7318 4490 * Binfield Heath – 01491 411969 Barcombe – 01273 400179 Burningfold – 01483 200722 Cowdray Park – 01730 813257 Coworth Park – 01344 875155 Epsom – 01372 748200 * FHM – 07778 436468 * Fifield – 01628 620061 * Guards – 01784 434212 Ham – 020 8334 0000 Hurtwood Park – 01483 272828 Kirtlington – 01869 350138 Knepp Castle – 01403 741007 Lacey Green – 07946 360569 Park Lane – 01491 411969 RMAS – 01276 412276 Royal County of Berkshire – 01344 890060 * Sussex Polo – 01342 714920 * West Wycombe – 01865 858475 * East Apsley End – 01462 712444 * Cambridge & Newmarket – 07769 976781 Carlton House – 01986 892231 Frolic Farm – 01223 812922 Haggis Farm – 01223 460353 * Hertfordshire – 01707 256023 Little Bentley – 01206 250435 Norfolk – 01508 480400 * Silver Leys – 01279 652652 St Albans – 07879 866647 Suffolk Polo – 07990 576974 South West Asthall Farm – 01367 860207 Beaufort – 01666 880510 Cirencester Park – 01285 653225 Druids Lodge – 01722 782597 * Edgeworth – 01285 821695 Ladyswood – 01666 840880 Longdole – 01452 864544 * Lynt – 07957 468220 * Maywood – 01962 885500 * New Forest – 02380 811818 Orchard – 01258 471000 Taunton – 01823 480460 Tidworth – 01980 846705 * Vaux Park – 01460 242684 * West Somerset – 01844 820432 Midlands Foxhill – 0115 9651790 Offchurch Bury – 07816 830887 Leadenham – 07816 216356 Ranksboro – 01572 720046 RLS – 01926 812409 Rugby – 01788 817724 * Rutland – 01572 724568 North Beverley – 01964 544455 * Toulston – 01422 372529 Vale of York – 07788 426968 * White Rose – 01430 875767 * Cheshire – 01270 611100 Chester Racecourse – 01244 304602
What’s on in June UK and Ireland tournament highlights this month Test Matches Beaufort – Audi International (England vs Commonwealth) – 24-goal: 16 June Trinity Park – Suffolk International (England vs Australia) – 18-goal: 30 June
Guards – Royal Windsor Cup (12-15): 3-24 June Cirencester Park – Queen Mother Trophy (8-12): 19 June – 8 July
Low Goal
High Goal Cowdray Park – Duke of Sutherland’s Cup (15-18): 22 May – 10 June Guards – Cartier Queen’s Cup (17-22): 22 May – 17 June RCBPC – Prince of Wales Trophy (17-22): 2-9 June Cirencester Park – Apsley Cup (15-18): 19 June – 1 July Cowdray Park – Veuve Clicquot British Open (20-22): 19 June – 15 July Guards – Asia Cup (18): 30 June
Medium Goal Beaufort – Arthur Lucas Cup (12-15): 22 May – 4 June RCBPC – John Prestwich Trophy (8-12): 29 May – 10 June
Cirencester Park – Gerald Balding (4-8): 15 May – 3 June Ham – Mixed Doubles (-2-2): 26 May – 3 June Chester – Coutts International (8): 1-2 June Lacey Green – London Business Championships (4-6): 2-3 June Sussex – WestOne Cars Trophy (-6-2): 2-3 June Guards – Pommery Archie David Cup (4-8): 5 June – 1 July Cheshire – Wirral Ladies Tournament (4-6): 6-10 June Rutland – The Tony Gilks Trophy (0-4): 9-10 June Tidworth – Queen’s Royal Irish Hussar’s Cup (-4-4): 9-10 June White Rose – Summit Cup (0-4): 9-10 June
Main overseas tournament highlights France Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly – Coupe Laversine Challenge Elie de Rothschild (10-12): 26 May – 10 June Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly – Open de Paris (8-10): 16 June – 1 July Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly – Trophée Charity Cup (10-12): 16-30 June
Jamaica Kingston Polo Club – Dennis Lalor (Open): 15-17 June Kingston Polo Club – Players Championships (Open): 20-24 June
Other dates Goffs – Land Rover Sale (NH store horses): 13-14 June Brightwells, Ascot – Ascot Derby Sale (flat and National Hunt horses in and out of training; point-to-pointers; untried youngstock): 7 June
Scotland Borders Reivers – 01890 840777 Dundee & Perth – 07879 895780 Edinburgh – 0131 449 6696 * Kinross – 07831 365194 * Stewarton – 07974 706045 Ireland All Ireland – +353 (0) 1 6896732 Bunclody – +353 87 6605917 Curraghmore – +353 51 387102 Donaghadee – 02891 882521 Limerick – +353 (0) 87 2231690 Moyne – +353 85 1313224 Northern Ireland – 02890 727905 Wicklow – +353 (0) 404 67164 * Waterford – +353 51 595280 * denotes winter arena polo venue hTo contact the HPA, tel: 01367 242828
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Remember: you can also read your copy online at
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Dates for your diary
Polo directory
Kirtlington Park – Dent Cup (4-6): 12-17 June Hurtwood Park – The Gaucho Cup (-4-0): 19-24 June Binfield Heath – Phillimore Trophy (4-6): 30 June – 1 July
Youth Offchurch Bury – SUPA National University Championships (Open): 2-5 June Beaufort – Prep Schools and Colts (Open): 3 June Guards – Jack Wills Varsity Day (Open): 9 June Beaufort – Young England vs England Ladies (Open): 16 June Dallas Burston Polo Grounds – National Schools (intermediate and combined): 17 June Dallas Burston Polo Grounds – National Senior Schools (Open): 24 June For a full list of all tournaments, see www.polotimes.co.uk
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Luke Tomlinson is likely to lead the charge again this month in the Beaufort Test Match on Saturday 16 June
Ladies Kirtlington – Thorneloe Ladies Tournament (Open): 2-4 June Blueys – Ladies Sugar Bowl (-4-0): 16-17 June Vale of York – Granger Appleyard Ladies (-6 to -2): 23-24 June
Open Longdole – Dalwhinnie Crook Tournament (Open): 16 June
Kirtlington – Rupert Thorneloe Memorial Trophy (Open): 30 June White Rose – The Castle Howard Polo Cup (Open): 30 June – 1 July
Special events Hurlingham Park, London – Polo in the Park (16): 8-10 June Coworth Park – British Polo Day (Open): 23 June
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Polo directory
Advertising
Located in the heart of the New Zealand Polo Scene we offer Polo for beginners and experienced players alike, together with an unforgettable Kiwi holiday experience. Chukkas, matches and tournaments at the famous Waimai Club plus farm chukkas trekking and beach rides. Holidays tailored to suite your requirements.
Check us out at www.newzealandpoloholidays.co.nz or call Ken Pitts – NZ +64 7 825 4535, Matt Pitts – UK 07721919465 or Toby Pitts – UK 07514433033 email – amberwood@farmside.co.nz
Rob Cudmore England Coach, 2 HPA Instructors • International Equitrack Polo Arena • Fantastic clubhouse with licensed bar & excellent viewing of the arena • Polo Pony Hire, School Ponies • Chukkas and Matches - call the office for Info • Individual Coaching, Group Lessons, Social & Corporate Events For information on membership, polo lessons and general enquiries please call: Tel: (office) 01452 864 544 Mobile: 07974 532 841 email: rob@longdolepolo.com Longdole Polo Club, Birdlip, Gloucestershire, GL4 8LH
Executive helicopter charter service Heli Air can make your day at a polo match an even more memorable experience. Fly by helicopter to the events of your choice, from wherever you live or are staying, on the day with speed and comfort.
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thespanishbootcompany.co.uk 92 Polo Times, June 2012
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Advertising
New for this season: Multi-knot cane sticks at £62.00 Flowered and striped alpargatas at £25.00
ATS We’ve got everything for polo Look on our website:
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Polo directory
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Quality leather and suede saddles Only £570 or buy two saddles for £1100
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Polo directory
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94 Polo Times, June 2012
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Advertising
Polo directory
MEMO GRACIDA Grand slam–winner – Argentine, Grand slam winner argentine, british, British, United States open & world united states open & world cup triumphs cup triumphs in the same year! in the same year! Cordially invites you to visit his world Cordially invites you to visit his world class polo facility in Pilar, Argentina... class polo facility in pilar, argentina... • Come and take part in the La Herradura Polo Classic – the most prestigious and successful polo academy in the world • Allow us to transmit our passion for the game – champion horses, manicured polo fields & professional staff. • Lessons & match games with custom trophy presentations catering to all needs & levels of the game from beginners – 10 goals.
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FOR SALE Leyland Roadrunner K4M, 7.5 tonner aluminum truck. Reliable lorry in good condition. Clean, tidy cab with 3 seats. Luton with double mattress. Currently partitioned for two/three horses herringbone with living. Can easily revert to a three/four pony polo truck. Owned and used by Horsebox Mobile Repair Services. Maintained to a high standard by Stoods for the last nine years. Full service history available, realistically priced.
quick sale required! £5,000 ono Please call STOODS for further information on 07957 886681 www.polotimes.co.uk
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Polo directory
Classifieds
Ponies SELECTION OF PONIES We have a selection of ponies for sale from 4 year old stick and balling to ponies that have played 12 goal. Suitable for beginners to pro. All fit and playing. www. pharmapoloponies.com Reading. £3,000 £12,000. Tel: 07771 852871 SEVEN WELL DISCIPLINED PONIES FOR SALE up and coming to proven competition ponies. 6 to 12 years old with prices from £2500 to £10000. Please call for more details and a trial. Berkshire. Tel: 01488 670484 or email templetonhouse@gmail.com PLAYING STRING FOR SALE Pro giving up a selection of horses from fantastic machines to quiet easy caring horses. £2,000 to £15,000 07816 257532 CHILEAN POLO PONY Awesome tough little mare 11yrs old. Extremely fast, powerful, unbeatable in ride off. Asset to any good players/pros string. Only for sale as young stock coming through. View Beaufort. £6000 ono. Tel: 07711 879408 THREE QUALITY PONIES FOR SALE on behalf of patron reducing string. Played 0 to 12 goal by -1 and pro 10-14 years old. £5,500£10,000. Can be tried at Wolmers Park. Tel: 07825 170313 ENTHUSIASTIC AND WILLING - PLAYS WELL AT ALL LEVELS Juancito is rising 14 years old but is a great polo pony. Comfortable playing at beginner, chukka or tournament level. He’s playing fit, has had no injuries in the last 3 years and will happily double chukka. 15.1hh or plays with a 51\52” stick. Ascot Park Polo Club. £3,750 ono including tack. Contact Trish on 07958 633 577 NICE POLO PONY FOR SALE Nice all rounder 15hh polo mare 11 years old. Came to polo three seasons ago, hunts and jumps. Fit and ready. Swindon. £2,900. Tel: 07545 501763 TWO NICE AND EASY HORSES 15.1hh 5 year old mare, very quiet, £4,850, 15.3hh 10 year old gelding £6,500. Both very good temperaments, easy to ride and look after, no vices, clean legs, can be tried in private arena/outside. Oxfordshire. Tel: 07800 517869
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NICE LOOKING 16HH PONY FOR SALE 16 year old bright bay mare, experienced fast and agile. Has played both polo and polo crosse. Could not be easier to look after and very gentle to handle but livens up on the polo field. Hacks out alone and in company. £2500 ono. Gloucestershire. Tel 07920 802235 COTORITTA 14.2hh Dun Mare - Argentine polo pony 11 years old. Easy, experienced, quick turning pony lovely temperament - sadly outgrown, would suit lady or young person. £2750. Leicestershire. Tel: 01858 432553 SELECTION OF STUNNING PONIES FOR SALE three quality ponies for sale due to owner giving up. Fit and ready to play. Suitable for beginners to pro. Fantastic temperaments. Clean legs. Suffolk/Essex. £2,500 - £8,000. Tel: 07826 857097 STAR POTENTIAL 6 year old blue blood TB filly. Played gently one season. Lightening fast, lateral, good mouth. Suit medium goal. Only for sale as play low goal. Fit and ready. West Sussex. £3,000. Tel: 01342 714920 STRIKING CHILEAN MARE RISING 8 Pretty dark bay mare, lightly played last season, fit and ready for 2012. Fast, handy, clean legs, easy to do. 15.3 hands approx. £5500 ono. Pulborough, West Sussex. Tel: 01798 875702 for more details. TWO POLO PONIES FOR SALE Grey Argentine mare 15.2hh, 16 years old. Very fast and responsive, stops well, powerful with lots of energy, high head carriage, not a novice ride but has clean legs. Has played from 0 goal to 12 goal polo, mainly with a 3 goal professional. £3,500. Piebald Argentine mare 14hh, 13 years old. Great all rounder, has played from -4 goal to 4 goal polo. Incredible temperament, very sweet, with a great platform to hit off, with powerful hind quarters. Make’s ideal child’s pony. Has often hunted also. Ideal for breeding other coloured ponies. £4,000. Tel: 01536 770585.
Transport SCANIA 93 HORSEBOX Partitioned for nine ponies plus tack area. 1 yrs plating, 6 months tax, 2nd owner since converted, 1990 with 366k km, drives really well. Great solid truck with rubber floor matting and lined sides, new ply ramp, serviced every year, just fitted two new batteries and an alternator. Reading. £5,000 NO VAT. Tel: 07778 917209. FORD CARGO 0813 J Reg 7.5 Ton. Partitions for five. MOT Till April 13. New Braking system ‘11/’12, ramp ‘11, wood flooring and rubber matting ‘07.
Haselmere. £4,500, Tel: 07818 413779 4/5 PONY TRUCK – LGV Leyland DAF 4/5 polo pony truck. 12 months MOT and taxed for 6 months. Sale due to lack of use. Near Cirencester. £4,500. Call Juliet on 07973 821123. MERCEDES BOX VAN HORSE LORRY four horse 1999 reg 13500kg gross 4250 cc excellent condition, electric ramp, spacious tack locker, luxury living with toilet and shower, kitchen with oven and sink, ample storage space. £45,000. Hampshire. Tel: 07811 716386 VEHICLE FOR SALE Carries up to six (it currently has three partitions). Rubber mats. Drives amazingly well. Plated for full year and two new batteries. New engine less than 25,000 miles ago. Fully serviced. Needs to go make room for the new one!! £4,995 ONO Tel: 07775 511555 or email workland3@gmail.com 10 HORSE LORRY FOR SALE 10 horse lorry, DAF 65 220 Tdi, R reg, 17 ton, sleeper cab, cctv, air kit, battery isolater, great condition, smooth ride for horses, never broken down in 5 years. £10,000. Berkshire. Call Mark Hayden-Kellard on 07775 806333 or email mark.hk@btinternet.com
Situations PLAYING GROOM Great opportunity at friendly club to help with ponies and all aspects of the club including playing. Good accommodation. Middleham, North Yorkshire. Excellent salary and bonuses. For more information please call 01202 623985 or 07976 279161 PLAYER/GROOM REQUIRED to work with young horses and drive a non HGV truck during season. Accommodation provided and free stabling available if you have your own horses. Oxfordshire. Please call 07970 028927 or email henry@brettpolo.com
Livery CHIDDINGFOLD: PRIVATE LIVERY YARD with stabling for up to 12 horses, 25 minutes from Cowdray and 10 minutes from Burningfold. Offering stick and ball, practice field, private yard and ample grazing. This well located, quiet environment would suit polo patron or player who is looking for seasonal or year round facilities. Cost is £25 per horse per week, plus VAT. Please call Michael on 07767 885331 or email michael@warr.uk.com
Equipment SCOREBOARDS AND CLOCKS ESPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR POLO Outdoor and arena sizes. Fully electronic, displaying the time counting down,
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Listings both scores and chukka number. Automatic bell/ horn. Controlled wirelessly by a remote control you can even wear on your arm. Visit www. SportingDesigns.co.uk or call +44 (0)7860 303217 ADVERTISE ON A BOOT JACK Affordable, Effective. Different. Reach your target audience today! Find out how at www.giveittheboot.com or call 07503 876573 THE POLO SADDLE COMPANY Performance polo saddles, bespoke yet fully adjustable made on an injection moulded tree out of the highest quality English leather. This cutting edge technology will enhance your pony and your game. To find out more contact The Saddle Company on Office: 01922 628889 Polo rep: 07951 897206 Natasha Olivant www.thesaddlecompany.co.uk POLO SADDLES, STICKS, TACK ETC FOR SALE/WANTED Polo saddles for sale from £50 to £300, sticks from £35, also tack, bridles, boots and accessories available. Used polo equipment also bought for cash. Please visit www.poloexchange.co.uk or email contact@ poloexchange.co.uk or Tel 07909 965940
Miscellaneous POLO BREAKING AND TRAINING SERVICES English breaker and trainer available for the 2012 season. Based in Surrey. Services include anything from re-schooling problem horses to bringing on green horses in chukkas. Call 07584 208200 or 07850 515942
Property WANTED EQUESTRIAN PROPERTY Min 10 acres, max five bed or with planning permission. 1 hr commute to London Waterloo, 30 min drive to Fifield area. Must be in very quiet, not overlooked location. Cash buyer. Berkshire/Surrey area. Call Melanie on 07765 290036 HOUSE TO RENT Beautiful five bedroom/ ensuite house with own pool and west coast sea views set in a 2 acre plot for rent. See www. ownersdirect.co.uk property CB732 or www. westcoastvillabarbados.com for more details. Designed by www.nickiaverilldesign.co.uk Printed by The Manson Group Contact details Holbrook Farm, East End, North Leigh, Oxfordshire OX29 6PX Tel: 01993 886 885 Fax: 01993 882 660 email: admin@polotimes.co.uk
www.polotimes.co.uk © Polo Times Limited 2012 and Database Right 2012 Polo Times Limited holds the copyright & database right to the information it publishes in Polo Times and on the Polo Times website. No content may be reproduced or distributed without the consent of the Editor. ‘Polo Times’ is the trade mark of Polo Times Limited. ISSN 1461-4685
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Polo directory
Advertisers in June 2012 Adrenalin Polo 07702 962765 www.adrenalinpolo.co.uk
EFG International 41 44 226 1717 www.efgbank.com
Lagunas del Polo (011) 4708 0901 www.lagunasdelpolo.com.ar
Royal County of Berkshire 01344 890060 www.rcbpoloclub.com
Amberwood Ltd 64 (0)7 825 4535 www.newzealandpolo holidays.co.nz
Equestrian Vehicle Services 0118 976 1041
Longdole Polo Club 01452 864 544 rob@londolepolo.com
SATS 01285 841542 www.satsfaction.com
Equine Logistics Company 01798 867 301 www.equine-logisticscompany.com
Luru Wei 077 9539 8377 www.luruwei.com
Asprey Polo 0207 493 6767 www.aspreypolo.com Asthall Farm Polo Club 01367 860207 www.asthallfarm.co.uk Audi www.audi.co.uk Berenberg Bank Polo for the Brave 0207 235 6606 www.poloforthebrave.com Bernard Richards 33 (0)1 61 02 00 25 www.brm-manufacture.com Berney Brothers Saddlery 353 (0)45 481228 www.berneybros saddles.com
Equine Management Ltd 01825 841 303 www.worldwidetack.com Heli Air Wellesbourne 01789 470 476 www.heliair.com Hurlingham Polo Association 01367 242 828 www.hpa-polo.co.uk IG Index 0800 195 3100 www.igindex.co.uk Images of Polo 01273 834159 www.imagesofpolo.com
Bertrand Horse Transport 07879 415487 www.bertrandtc.com
Jaeger Le Coultre 0203 107 1833 www.jaeger-lecoultre.com
Bulldog Polo 07775 806 333 www.bulldogpolo.co.uk
Jeremy Curling Fencing Co 01483 894 888 jeremy@jcfc.co.uk
Casablanca Polo 07710 073 910 www.casablancapolo.com
Julius Baer & Co Ltd www.juliusbaer.com
Coworth Park 01344 876 600 www.coworthpark.com
Kates Art 07887 678421 www.katesart.com
Druids Lodge Polo Club 01722 782 597 www.druidspolo.co.uk
La Martina 01784 437962 www.lamartina.com
Contributors – June 2012 Adam Caller, Arthur Douglas-Nugent, Lorna Edgar, Mark Emerson, Luigi Ferrarese, Alice Gipps, Theresa Hodges, Gary Hulton, Clare Milford Haven, Jamie Morrison, James de Mountfort, Rege Ludwig, Jamie Peel, Herbert Spencer
Lycetts Limited 01672 512512 www.lycetts.co.uk Metropolitan Polo Club 86 22 8372 8888 www.metropolitanpoloclub. com Monarch Equestrian 01902 605566 www.monarch-equestrian. co.uk Monty Roberts (805) 688 – 6288 www.montyroberts.com Pampeano 0871 200 1272 www.pampeano.co.uk Play Polo 07748 670587 www.playpolo.co.uk Polo Days (5411) 4311-1753 www.polodays.com Polo Gear USA 1 561 795 1719 www.pologearusa.com
Spanish Boot Company 0845 313 8167 www.thespanishboot company.co.uk T&S Harker Horse Boxes 01325 332649 www.tandsharker horseboxes.co.uk Tally Ho Farm 01344 885 373 www.tallyhofarm.co.uk Thai Polo Club 66 (0) 2 6503055 www.thai-polo-club.com The Polo Affair www.thepoloaffair.com Thoroughbred Polo Ponies 07753 819 383 www.thoroughbredpoloponies.com True Deli (0) 20 7193 3275 www.truedeli.co.uk Tutors International 01865 435 135 www.tutors-international.com
Polo Permits 01798 869496 www.polopermits.com
Vaux Park 01460 240490 www.vauxparkpoloclub.com
Riding in Africa 27(0)834191929 www.ridinginafrica.com
Wood Mallets 64 6856 8119 www.woodmallets.com
Roy Bennett 07831 334326
Yard and Groom www.yardandgroom.com
Subscriptions UK: £55 for one year – £99 for two years Europe: £65 for one year – £115 for two years Rest of the World: £75 for one year – £135 for two years
Call Sarah Foster on +44 (0)1993 886885 Subscribe online: www.polotimes.co.uk Polo Times, June 2012 97
18/5/12 19:23:55
Final bell
In association with Aprés Polo
Jamaican three-goaler Paul Lalor’s...
Georgie May discovers who Kingston Polo Club’s main man looks up to, who’s inspired him and who he used to fancy What is your favourite polo memory? Getting the opportunity to play a couple of high-goal games in 1993 – one with Robert Hanson’s Bulldogs in the Cowdray Park Gold Cup. I can’t remember if I hit the ball more than a couple of times but polo at that level is a different game. Who’s been your best teammate? I’m not sure if I have a favourite – but I’m not really into playing with people who spend their time telling you what you did wrong! What about your hardest opponent? [Three-goal Jamaican reggae star] Andy Vernon. He’s a gifted athlete with great anticipation and hits the ball a country mile. What would you do if you were not into polo? Play football for Queens Park Rangers – they need my help. C’mon you supa hoops! What is your favourite polo venue? There is something special about the Ivy Lodge ground at Cirencester Park Polo Club. I have fond memories and hope it survives in its present location. Which is your favourite tournament? Our family tournament here in Jamaica, which brings our season to a close. It’s hard to beat. Who first taught you to play polo? I picked the game up because my dad played but my first real exposure to organised training was with Hugh Dawnay in Waterford. I also owe a lot to John “Doc” Masterton who, in his own very distinct way, taught me to play every horse on its merit.
If you could change one thing about polo, what would it be? Of course, I would make the ball bigger so even I could hit it. What is your favourite pastime aside from playing polo? “Playing” golf on a Friday afternoon with some of my good friends. When your handicap in a game is your game itself, it requires a couple of cold beers, lots of balls and good humour to get you through the 18 holes.
If I could change one thing in polo, I’d make the ball bigger, so that even I could hit it! The person you would most like to meet? Pelé. I love football and the fact that a man of his generation is still considered the best of all time – even with all the coverage that more recent superstars have had – is amazing. He has also been able to live a life without controversy and addiction, which shows how great a man he really is. Who was your biggest crush growing up? Aside from Michelle Pfeiffer, as a young teen I was infatuated with a young lady named Nichola Reynolds.
What is your favourite film? National Lampoons Van Wilder. When I grow up I want to be like Van Wilder or Roy Prisk and organise parties for a living. Can you imagine your only real worry being “is the beer cold enough?!” Most prized possession? My smart phone – it’s how I do my job. What is your biggest ambition? To be like my pro, Jorge Donovan – though dealing with the grooms here in Jamaica isn’t easy for him! What is your guilty pleasure? Fruit Pastilles. By the box. What is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you? Having gone to an all boys boarding school I am not sure that one can be embarrassed about much but I do cringe when I think back because I used to fancy myself as a dancer and there were a few solos that I would certainly like to erase from memory. Describe yourself in three words: Short attention span.
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