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Contents

22

32

Contacts Publisher Margie Brett margie@polotimes.co.uk

72

March 2011

Editor James Mullan jamesmullan@polotimes.co.uk

News 6

Sub editor John O’Sullivan john@polotimes.co.uk Assistant editor Georgie May georgie@polotimes.co.uk Advertising Tom House tom@polotimes.co.uk

Art editor James Wildman james@polotimes.co.uk

All the latest news

12 The big picture

Comment 14 Backchat with Clare Milford Haven 16 Herbert Spencer’s Global view 18 Arthur Douglas-Nugent’s Umpire’s corner 20 Your views: letters

Features 22

Interview: Nacho Gonzalez

26 Six-page stabling special

Reports 32

Subscriptions

60 India vs England, New Delhi

Knowledge 62 Playing around: Rugby Polo Club 64 Know your horse 66 Know your game 69 Ones to watch 70 How to spend it 72 Property: Apes Hill, Barbados 74 Travel: The Karachi revival, Pakistan 76 Products: baseball caps 78 Restaurant review: Casa Malevo Argentine restaurant, London 81 Car review: the new Audi A6 82 What’s on in March

Marketing & PR PJ Seccombe pj@polotimes.co.uk

Youth polo

St Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow

Sidelines 84 Gossip: Don’t be the last to know

40 New Zealand vs Team World

85 Social: HPA Arena Championships

42 HPA Arena Championships, RCBPC

86 Social: Ash Farm

44 Berenberg Snow Polo, Klosters

87 Social: St Andrews University

46 Heaton-Ellis Tournament, Emsworth

88 Social: St Moritz

Philippa Hunt - accounts@polotimes.co.uk

48 Paul Sweeney Memorial, Ash Farm

90 Social: Klosters

Tel: 01993 886885 Fax: 01993 882660

50 Home and abroad: five pages of action

98 Passions: Simon Arber

Sarah Foster sarah@polotimes.co.uk

Accounts

www.polotimes.co.uk

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from the Editor It seems the responsibility of having my own editorial has got the better of me already. Far from being a burden trying to come up with something, the problem is that there is just too much to write about. So much so, that last month I completely neglected to welcome our terrific new addition to the office at Polo Times, John O’Sullivan, who has already made himself an invaluable part of the team and who I hope will help make this mag absolutely essential reading for you. If it isn’t already.

With so much that warrants covering these days, never has there been a greater need for a regular impartial polo journal, here to keep you informed and to spark debate.

So, enough fluff – what to discuss?

Well, for those of us in the northern hemisphere, 2011 has so far been characterised by the birth of a whole new raft of ambitious polo tournaments, which bill themselves as “international” competitions: in St Moritz, in China and at London’s O2 arena.

The Gaucho International at the O2 is an HPA event – replacing the traditional official HPA-sanctioned arena Test Match that usually takes place at AEPC, Hickstead – so London’s supporters ought to have felt confident getting behind the England team. As will those supporting the HPA-sanctioned England team in China.

More Brits in high IN LAST MONTH’S issue of Polo Times, we speculated that none of the England team had yet secured high-goal contracts for 2011, according to information we received from players and top officials. However, since then, we have been delighted to learn of some promising developments for the Brits.

Luke Tomlinson lines up for Spencer McCarthy’s Emlor in the Queen’s Cup, alongside brother Mark and fellow-Brit Nacho Gonzalez. He then moves to join Nick Clarke’s Salkeld for the Gold Cup, playing with James Beim.

This is in dispute with the preliminary list released by Cowdray polo manager Chris Bethell for the Gold Cup, which lists the Salkeld team as Clarke, Beim, Alejandro Agote and José Donoso. But Bethell’s list is in fact Salkeld’s Queen’s Cup line-up, and Luke Tomlinson will replace Agote in the Gold Cup. Last year’s Queen’s and Gold Cup champions, Dubai, have employed

young British pro Ollie Cudmore for the 2011 season, joining patron Tariq Albwardy, Adolfo Cambiaso and, this year, Lucas Criado.

Pablo MacDonough, a member of that all-conquering Dubai side last summer, moves to Prince Bahar Jefri’s Ahmibah – a team that has enjoyed high-goal success in Sotogrande in recent years. He is joined by Alejandro Muzzio and exciting young Brit, Max Routledge, who reached the final with Lechuza Caracas (and was beaten by MacDonough) in 2010. Routledge’s new patron, Bahar Jefri, is the nephew of the Sultan of Brunei.

“It’s going to be a really good team,” Routledge told Polo Times. “I’ve played with Pablo in the past and he is always great. Alejandro dropped down to seven-goals from eight last season but I thought he was strong off eight-goals, so that has worked in our favour. I haven’t seen the horses yet [Ahmibah

However, perhaps the same cannot be said for those who supported the “international” sides (Great Britain, France, Switzerland and Germany) flying their respective flags in St Moritz. While the tournament was a great success, three of the teams cannot be regarded as international in the accepted sense of the word (see report, page 32).

Herbert Spencer, as it may not surprise you to learn, is particularly forceful in his own view that unsanctioned nationals sides shouldn’t be allowed. Read him on page 16. But what do you think? I’d love to hear from you.

Lastly, an apology – I have a bit of a go at arena polo generally in my report from the superbly hosted HPA Championships at the Berkshire, born largely out of just how cold it was to sit and watch. However, it is generally an extremely exciting time for the arena game. With the hype and razzmatazz surrounding the indoor action at the exciting new venue that is the O2, with England due to play the USA in California later this month, and with increasingly competitive and compelling clashes at all levels as far as I can tell, I think we can safely now say that arena polo is a fantastic success.

Email me: jamesmullan@polotimes.co.uk 6

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Service to be held in memory of Charlie Stisted A THANKSGIVING SERVICE will be held in May for Charlie Stisted, the late CEO of Guards Polo Club.

The service will be held at The Royal Military Chapel (The Guards Chapel), Birdcage Walk, London, on 5 May at 4pm. All members of Guards Polo Club are welcome to attend the service.

Charlie was killed in a helicopter accident along with fellow Guards member Ian Wooldridge last October

(see Nov/Dec 2010 issue of Polo Times).

For all information about the service, please contact Georgina Brown at the club for more information on 01784 434212 or email georgina.brown@ guardspoloclub.com.

w With the Guards team all at the Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge as Polo Times went to press, there is still no word on when the club plans to appoint his successor. www.polotimes.co.uk

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News

goal than expected will be based at Great Trippetts] but they won’t disappoint. I’ll be playing some of my own too.”

British brothers Charlie and George Hanbury remain with El Remanso this season, alongside David “Pelon” Stirling and Jamie Huidobro.

Two-goaler and Cowdray-based player Matt Perry has taken the place of young Brit Edmund Parsons on Jean-François Decaux’s La Bamba de Areco team. They will play with 10-goalers Facundo and Gonzalito Pieres.

We’ve been delighted to learn of some promising developments for the Brits Satnam Dhillon looks set to be playing in both the Queen’s and Gold Cups, though the details of his team(s) were shrouded in secrecy as Polo Times went to press. This, we understand, is because he is in the final stages of securing a deal for the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

However, he definitely won’t be playing with Ed Magor’s Panthers as in previous seasons, as

Magor has regretfully been forced to quit polo after failing to recover from a severely broken collarbone sustained during last summer’s Gold Cup. “If he were to get hooked,” said Dhillon, “his shoulder would come straight out, so it’s impossible for him unfortunately. It’s a great shame, as Panthers was a really nice team.”

Tom Morley played for Panthers last season but has not yet secured a Gold Cup team for 2011.

And neither has Malcolm Borwick, who played alongside James Beim for Enigma in 2010, before both were dropped by patron Jerome Wirth.

George Meyrick, contrary to early reports, will not be playing the 22-goal, but looks set for a busy summer with Richard Britten-Long’s Laird polo team in the 18-goal.

Britten-Long has formed an entirely British side, comprising son Nick, six-goalers Henry Brett and Morley, and Meyrick. The team will not play Deauville this August, but will enter the 20goal Warwickshire Cup, with Morley or Meyrick dropping out for a higher-handicapped pro.

Meanwhile Britten-Long himself has retired from polo, but he will make his entire string of top horses available to the side.

News in brief w ENGLAND’S TEAMS HAD mixed fortunes on their travels in Asia this month. A 14-goal team led by Satnam Dhillon and featuring young players James Carr, Eden Ormerod and Max Charlton lost 6-4 against an experienced India side in New Dehli. But England bounced back from that defeat to beat Thailand 6-4, with a side made up of Oli Hipwood, Ollie Cudmore, Max Routledge and James Carr. See page 60 for more information. w ENGLAND WILL PLAY the USA in the Townsend Cup on 26 March at Empire Polo Club in California, USA. Chris Hyde, Ryan Pemble and Seb Dawnay – with Jonny Good as reserve – will represent England in the arena tournament, while Tommy Biddle, John Gobin and Shane Rice, will play for the USA, with Bobby Sheldon as reserve.

Interestingly, just four weeks after England grace the Empire Polo Club, rock legends Metallica will play at the same venue as part of the Big Four Festival on Saturday April 23. w WORK HAS STARTED on building a new state-of-the-art facility for the treatment of sick horses and farm animals at the University of Bristol’s School of Veterinary Sciences.

The Alborada Building will house surgical and treatment facilities, as well as providing space for teaching advanced clinical techniques to an increasing number of undergraduate and postgraduate students.

www.polotimes.co.uk

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Aiming high < the clothing company < Jwill OULES: be the official outfitters of the England polo team this year, taking over from Crew. See page 84.

NIVERSITY POLO: The SUPA < UNational University Championships has grown again, with 16 more teams entering the tournament this year. A record-breaking 123 teams took part at Hand Equestrian Centre between 17-20 February.

UGBY POLO CLUB: the < Rpopular SUPA National University Championships will move to the Midlands venue next year.

HE VESTEYS: There’s good < Tnews all round for the Vestey family, with Nina Clarkin and Chloe Vestey both expecting and Tamara Vestey recently engaged. See page 84.

<

W ATERGATE BAY: The return of beach polo to the Cornwall venue in September has been confirmed

Swinging low = DOLFO CAMBIASO: he = Awas sent off for three technical fouls during a league game in the 26-goal CV Whitney Cup at International Polo Club Palm Beach in Florida.

NOW POLO: the Alpine World = SPolo Championship, due to be held on frozen Lake Åresjön in Sweden in March, has been cancelled. Eight teams were expected to play in the five day tournament.

INFIELD HEATH: after 10 = Byears of managing the club, Bridget and Marcus Hancock have confirmed they will be leaving Binfield Heath and re-locating to Maidenhead HEGUY: he will not = Mbe ARCOS playing in the UK high-goal season or the Argentine Triple Crown this year, suggesting his retirement from high-goal polo.

Argentina hopes for six teams in las Naciones THE POLO WORLD’S highest-rated international tournament, La Copa de las Naciones in Argentina, has been scheduled for 17-24 April, but just which nations will be competing still remains undecided, writes Herbert Spencer.

The Asociación Argentina de Polo (AAP) had four teams for the first international series, rated

It depends whether the respective associations are willing to fund their teams at 26-28 goals, in 2009 with Argentina, Brazil, England and a Chilean-based “Rest of World” side that featured one Mexican-American taking part.

This year the AAP is hoping for up to six teams and has set a late entry deadline of 14 March to enable other major polo associations to decide whether to compete. The host association is

offering no financial help to the visitors, so all teams must cover all their expenses including airfares, accommodation in Argentina and, if necessary, hire of high-goal ponies – for some, a total potential investment of £100,000 or more.

Hosts and defending champions Argentina will obviously have a team, as will England, who have confirmed that Luke and Mark Tomlinson, James Beim and Malcolm Borwick will be returning this year. Since all these players have ponies in Argentina, the Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA) will only have to pay for airfares and a team base during the tournament.

Other possible entries include the USA, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and a Commonwealth or Rest of the World side. It is all down to whether their respective associations are able or willing to fund their teams, but it is hoped that the extra time before the deadline for entries will allow nations to find the necessary funding.

Logistics of Gaucho International revealed AT THE TIME of going to press, final preparations were underway for the inaugural Gaucho International arena polo event at the O2 Arena in London. Martin Collins provided the surface for the arena, putting down 540 tonnes of “Ecotrack” – a mix of wax-coated sand and fibres.

The surface company revealed it had to prepare the surface in record time. “It’s a real challenge,” Nicholas Collins told Polo Times.

“They gave us 10 hours to put the surface down, when normally we allow 14-15, and we have to remove it in just five hours. There’ll be 19 articulated lorries at the ready.”

This is the first temporary polo event the company has worked on but it’s not entirely new to them, having laid the temporary surfaces at the Olympia International Horse Show for the last

10 years. Druids Lodge Polo Club’s arena has been laid with Ecotrack and the arenas at AEPC Hickstead and Sussex also feature Martin Collins surfaces. To complete the 02 arena, Joe White of Watership Down made bespoke sideboards.

The Gaucho International was due to host three games throughout the evening. England were set to play Argentina and Scotland to play South Africa in two international matches. A celebrity match, including Kenny Logan (former Scotland rugby international), Liz McClarnon (former Atomic Kitten pop star) and Mike Bushell (BBC sports presenter), was also scheduled for the evening. w A full report of the event and an interview with the tournament’s star player, Nacho Figueras, will feature in the April issue of Polo Times.

NRULY FANS: Hordes of fans = Utook to the field during the Sirmur Cup in Jaipur, India, accusing the umpire of favouring one of the teams. Some players charged into the crowds with their sticks to try and disperse them. No one was seriously hurt.

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www.polotimes.co.uk

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Major changes afoot at Coworth?

COWORTH PARK POLO Club announced Iain Forbes-Cockell will succeed Roddy Wood as its new polo manager early last month but ForbesCockell – known as “The Major” – insists that the discernible changes at the club this summer will be minor.

“It will be business as usual,” he told Polo Times, after taking over with immediate effect on 1 February. Forbes-Cockell, who was previously assistant manager at Guards Polo Club and editor of Polo Quarterly International magazine, brings over 40 years of polo experience to the position.

He is known affectionately in the polo world as “Major” following his 20-year career in the Life Guards. At Coworth Park he will be in charge of event management, promoting the annual fixtures list and dealing with membership administration.

The Major is looking forward to the challenge of maintaining the club’s reputation as a top-quality polo venue. He said: “I am delighted to have been appointed polo manager at Coworth Park Polo Club now that it has been brought back to life as a stunning hotel by Dorchester Collection.

“Players will be pleased to hear that the same grounds team will continue to give them their full attention and that an exciting and varied calendar of events will be in place for the 2011 season.”

The Dorchester Collection – which owns a string of five-star hotels in London, Los Angeles, Paris and Milan – took over the management of Coworth Park when they opened a new hotel on the site last year.

At the end of the 2010 season, the Dorchester Collection decided not to renew the contract of Roddy Wood, who served as polo manager at the club for seven years.

The 2011 fixtures list already includes the 18-goal Indian Empire Shield, the Coworth Park Challenge – a Victor Ludorum 15-goal tournament – and the Valerie Halford Memorial Trophy. The Audi Polo Challenge will also take place in May. The Dorchester Collection believes they have the right man at the helm to make these tournaments a success. General manager Zoe Jenkins said: “Iain’s many years of experience and his formidable reputation within the polo world will stand him in good stead.”

Photographs by Ami de la Mer

Adolfo Cambiaso’s fiveyear-old son, Adolfo Jr, was recently pictured practising polo with his 10-goaler father in the US. Cambiaso is currently playing for George Rawlings’ Crab Orchard in the 26-goal season at International Polo Club Palm Beach.

www.polotimes.co.uk

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News News in brief w THIS YEAR’S AUDI Polo Awards will take place at Coworth Park on Monday 16 May, the first time in its history that the event has moved outside London.

The evening is set to welcome some 400 guests and will follow a similar format to last year, in which the awards were broken up by various entertainment acts to great acclaim.

A huge marquee will be erected to accommodate the evening, including dinner and a lavish after-party.

Online voting opens for some of the main awards on Tuesday 1 March, at www.audipoloawards.com, where tickets can also be purchased. w PRINCE HARRY WILL take part in the second annual Sentebale Polo Cup on 19 March in Dubai. The tournament was held for the first time in Barbados in January 2010 and will take place in the UAE this year. The tournament, which is designed to be held in a different location each year, helps raise money and awareness of Sentebale, a charity set up by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, helping Lesotho’s children. w TWO GROUPS OF children travelled to Argentina in February as part of an exchange programme organised by the HPA Development Committee.

Eight 14-year-olds went to Coronel Suárez, where they played in an international junior tournament during their 10-day stay. The lucky group were: Jack Hyde, Edward BannerEve, Henry Letts, Izzy McGregor, Tom Brody, Terrence Lent, Lolly StanhopeWhite and Robin Ormerod.

At the end of the month, a smaller group of 11-year-olds went to Marcos Uranga’s estancia in Open Door for lessons and farm chukkas. They were: Toby Addison, Hugo Taylor, William Penfold and John DaltonMorgan.The Argentine children will come to the UK in July. w ELEPHANT POLO HAS been hit by Guinness World Records’ decision to remove all references to the game, which is widely played in India and Thailand, from their records. The decision follows lengthy complaints by animal rights campaigners. w DAVID MORLEY WILL be holding a Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) demonstration at Lynt Polo Club on Saturday 9 April, from 10.30am to 12.30pm. Tickets cost £15 which includes a copy of the Racing to Polo DVD. Please contact the club if you are interested in attending.

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Latest from the HPA HPA chief executive David Woodd rounds up the news from UK polo’s headquarters Overseas matches Nations Cup The Argentine Polo Association has invited an England team to play in the Copa de las Naciones at Palermo from 17 to 24 April. The handicap limits are 26-28 goals and matches will be played open. Supported by Harald Link, England will field a 28-goal team of Luke Tomlinson (captain), Mark Tomlinson, James Beim and Malcolm Borwick.

Townsend Cup An England team has been invited to play the United States for the arena polo Townsend Cup in Indios, California on Saturday 26 March.

The England team will be captain Chris Hyde (9), Ryan Pemble (6) and Seb Dawnay (7), with Jonny Good (8) as the reserve. The USA team will be captained by Tommy Biddle (9) and also features John Gobin (6) and Shane Rice (7), with Bobby Sheldon (7) as reserve.

National Arena Club Championships The HPA continued their sponsorship of the National Arena Club Championships this season.

The finals were played at RCBPC on Sunday 7 February (see page 42).

Results of the finals were as follows: 15-goal: Cold Smoke 18, Tchogan 16; 10-goal: Ochos Rios 15, Softrack 12; 6-goal: Montroc 12, Chemas 11 Victor Ludorum tournaments The Victor Ludorum tournaments for 2011 have been confirmed as follows: 22-goal: The Queen’s Cup; The Prince of Wales Trophy; Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup; Warwickshire Cup; Cowdray Park Challenge Cup; Beaufort 20-goal 18-goal: Indian Empire Shield; Duke of Sutherland’s Cup; Duke of Beaufort’s Cup; The Apsley Cup 15-goal: The Arthur Lucas Cup; The Royal Windsor Cup; The Eduardo Moore Tournament; Coworth Park Challenge; Harrison Cup; National 15-goal Championship 12-goal: Dollar Cup; The John Prestwich Trophy; The Prince of Wales Cup; The Queen Mother Trophy; Cheltenham Cup; Autumn League 8-goal: Holden White Challenge Cup; Gerald Balding Cup; The Eduardo Rojas Lanusse Cup; The Meyado Archie David Cup; National 8-goal Championships; The Julian and Howard Hipwood Trophy; Budgett Everett Trophy (Kirtlington)

Points system In the qualifying stages of the tournaments teams will be awarded 10 points for a win and five points for a draw. In the knock-out stages, teams will be awarded 20 points for a quarter-final win, 30 points for a semi-final win and 50 points for victory in the final. 10 points will also be awarded to the winner of the subsidiary final.

Equal points If two teams finish level on points their positions in the order of merit will be decided by their headto-head record against each other. The higher team will be the one with most wins. The second tie-breaker will be head-to-head goal difference, followed by overall goal-difference throughout the whole tournament.

In all cases of disputes or misunderstanding in the points system, the Victor Ludorum Committee will have the final decision.

Byes If a bye needs to be awarded in the knock-out stages, this will be given to the best ranked team from qualifying. They will automatically be awarded match points. If no qualifying matches have been played beforehand, the team given the bye will only be awarded match points after recording a win in the following round.

Final not played If a final is not played, and there is no overall winner, no further points will be awarded.

Dates for the diary Coaching – For details contact the HPA Office.

Wednesday 13 to Friday 15 April – Coaching course, Beaufort Polo Club Thursday 28 April – Seminar for HPA Coaches, RCBPC Wednesday 11 May – Voluntary Assistants Course, Beaufort Polo Club Wednesday 8 June – Seminar for HPA Coaches, RCBPC Wednesday 21 to Friday 23 September – Coaching course, Beaufort Polo Club Meetings Tuesday 5 April – Welfare AGM, Sunningdale Tuesday 19 April – Stewards, Cavalry and Guards Club, London Wednesday 20 April – Club Chief Umpires, Sunningdale Park Hotel Monday 9 May – Council, Cavalry and Guards Club, London www.polotimes.co.uk

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Big cash prizes up for grabs RETRAINING OF RACEHORSES (RoR) will once again be heavily supporting polo this year. As in previous years, the organisation will be awarding prizes to best playing thoroughbreds across all levels of polo including the Pony Club and Junior HPA Championships.

However, only those horses that have raced in the UK and played in medium or high-goal can qualify for the main cash prizes – a top prize of £2,500 and four prizes of £1,000 – which will be awarded in late July to the best RoR-registered ponies on the basis of their playing performances across the season.

Six £500 prizes will be given to low-goal players of one-goal or below for the season’s best ponies produced for polo by the players themselves.

For ponies to be considered, all must be registered with RoR and recommendations must be put forward by a club, the HPA or an official HPA team coach. Last year’s winners will receive their cheques at a ceremony at Sandown racecourse on 12 March.

As part of RoR’s education plan for this year, a Retraining of Racehorses Racing to Polo DVD has been made and three demonstrations will be take place throughout the spring and at the Pony Club Championships. ◗ Information on all of the above can be discovered at www.ror.org.uk

Polo Times loves...

…Robert Leggat’s polo sculptures. The South African sculptor, who is well-known in his home country for his sculpture of two swimming dolphins in Plettenberg Bay’s town centre, plans to adapt the model of polo players (pictured here) into life-size gates. The goalposts will form the two gateposts off which the sculptures will swing, with the polo sticks meeting in the middle to form the centre composition.

Leggat, who successfully auctioned various bronzes at Christie’s South Kensington last year, including a life-size hippo-head waterfeature, works in bronze, stainless steel, aluminium and silver.

Now 47, his involvement in polo began when he was a child, spending many hours drawing horses and players while accompanying his polo-playing father to games. Find out more by emailing his auctioneers: aconyngham@christies.com www.polotimes.co.uk

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Shandur Polo Festival This photograph shows action on the highest polo ground in the world, in the Shandur Pass in northern Pakistan. At 3,738 metres above sea level, the pass is entirely covered in snow in winter but the ground begins to re-emerge from its hibernation about now, as the spring blossoms.

By mid-summer, the ground is ready for polo. The Shandur Polo Festival runs in early July, attracting thousands of spectators from the nearby Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan regions. But this is no normal polo. Teams are six-a-side and the matches typically last an hour, with very few stoppages, owing to the fact that they have no umpires. The only scheduled break in play is a 10-minute interval at half-time. There are always at least three or four reserve players in attendance as well, in case of injury, such is the raw, physical nature of their contests ◗ Photographer Mark Pearson was drawn to capture the unique spectacle of the high-altitude event last year by its legendary status. See more of what he can do at www.puritapictureagency.com. Contact the agency directly by speaking to Andy Green on 07795 608941 ◗ Read about polo’s revival in Southern Pakistan on page 74

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Comment

Backchat, with Clare Milford Haven

Female players must let their play do the talking to overcome sexism

F

ollowing the recent hoo-ha caused by sexist remarks made by Sky Sports presenters Andy Gray and Richard Keys, the question arose as to whether or not sexism exists as much in polo as it does in other sports?

As men and women are handicapped on an equal basis in polo and there is no special dispensation for female players, one might be forgiven for assuming that discrimination would be limited. But in such a male dominated sport, it is, not surprisingly, rife.

However, perhaps the key thing is not the fact that it exists, but how lady players react to it. The world’s top female player, Nina Clarkin (4), explains the point well. She said: “Is there sexism in polo? Absolutely. However, to me this is just expected and doesn’t really bother me.

Photograph by Christopher Missling

The key thing is not the fact that sexism exists, but how lady players react to it “I guess this is something that I have always been exposed to and is just an inevitable part of being involved in such a male dominated sport. It’s in its nature.

“I do think this attitude is changing and evolving and perhaps we are just a few decades behind. All we as women can do is play our best and hope that we are valued on our polo prowess and not our sex.

“If we can perform well enough, then the issue of sex becomes irrelevant.”

Most women who play polo are generally tomboys at heart, 14

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Tamara Vestey, representing England’s all-female team in Austria at the eight-goal European Championships last September. The girls let their polo do the talking, finishing third against eight all-male teams and a German side featuring one woman

therefore they should be able to easily cope with the blokish banter that goes on, providing they have faith in their ability and their sense of humour is firmly intact.

I’m sure every female player has had their fair share of sexist comments. My personal favourite was made by a well-known Argentine six-goaler who I played against last year. A couple of goals

down, and losing his patience, he shrieked at his long-suffering patron: “No you eediot, I told you to take the man, not the wooooman!”

There’s no point over-reacting and making a fool of yourself.

You have to rise above it and just make sure you end up winning the game. And should the opposition (rather than your own teammates)

start swearing at you, take this as a compliment, not an insult.

You’re being effective by irritating the hell out of them.

Some men apparently feel awkward about riding off a female player too hard but is that sexist or is that just good old-fashioned gentlemanly behaviour?

Would I want a man to ride me off more gently than he would another man? No. But would I want a man to help me change a flat tyre or open a door for me? Yes! I would find it patronising if a man treated me differently on the polo field, but I would find it rude if he saw me heavily laden with my kit bag and polo sticks and didn’t offer to help me.

Political correctness has no place on the polo field where emotions are fuelled by adrenalin, speed, danger and passion.

In the heat of the moment, players, both male and female, say things they regret later. But usually they sort it out over a beer.

I think at the end of the day, it’s all about mutual respect, whatever your sex, and if that isn’t present, then the floodgates of potential chauvinism are wide open.

And finally, to the man who wrote into Polo Times (January/ February edition 2011, page 22) complaining about the fact that the HPA sent an all-female team to compete in the European Championships, asking: “Was this the best eight-goal side that the UK could muster with all the exceptional young (male) talent that is available?”

I only have two words for you – red card. F w See letters, on page 20, and read more “Backchat” from Clare at www.polotimes.co.uk www.polotimes.co.uk

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Polo Times, March 2011

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Comment

Global view, with Herbert Spencer

The time has come to take a moral stand against “fake” internationals

Photograph by Tony Ramirez

E

nough is enough. It is high time that all of polo’s governing bodies get tough and crack down hard on clubs and players who make a mockery of sport’s time-honoured tradition of true national teams playing one another in true international competitions.

True internationals are those in which national teams are officially selected by their respective sports associations from competitors who are citizens of that country. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has strict nationality rules to prevent athletes precipitously changing allegiance to compete for countries other than their own – often just for money.

True national teams are the norm in all serious sports. If other sports stick to the nationality rules, why not polo?

The most recent examples of false polo “internationals” in which players competed for “nations” other than their own came this January with events in the United Arab Emirates and Switzerland. First there was the Nations Cup at Desert Palm Polo Club in Dubai with teams called “Great Britain”, “Pakistan”, “Hungary” and “UAE”. None of these teams, however, were true national sides.

Then came the Nations’ Cup at St Moritz Polo Club, which proudly hosts the world’s oldest and biggest snow polo event. This year the competing teams were called “Great Britain”, “France”, “Germany” and “Switzerland”, but only because they were the countries of the team patrons.

The winners of the 27th Polo World Cup on Snow was “France” – one Frenchman and

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The winning France team at the 27th Polo World Cup on Snow in St Moritz, for whom patron François Le Barazer (back right) was the only Frenchman

three players from England – who beat “Great Britain”. Welcome to the realm of the absurd.

Prominent in the regulations of the Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA) is Regulation 1.1 that

“France” with one Frenchman and three players from England beat “Great Britain” – welcome to the realm of the absurd states: “any team representing a part of the United Kingdom or Ireland overseas must have the approval of the [HPA]

Stewards.” This is interpreted as meaning that teams called “Great Britain”, “England”, “Scotland” or “Ireland” must have HPA approval. Although the HPA has no control over clubs outside its jurisdiction, it has written to both Desert Palm and St Moritz objecting to teams there being called “Great Britain”.

But what about the English players who ignore HPA regulations and compete for other “countries” in such false internationals? The HPA could, and should, discipline them.

In South Africa, any player from the country who competes as “South Africa” in a rogue international at home or abroad is liable to lose his affiliation status

and his handicap. Other countries such as Argentina, Australia and New Zealand also have regulations protecting national team names.

The only major polo-playing country not to protect its national team name is the US. The US Polo Association (USPA) has no regulations preventing its clubs from staging “internationals” or its players from competing as “USA” without the approval of the sport’s governing body.

This lack of regulation has allowed Tareq Salahi, who gained notoriety when he and his wife gatecrashed a White House state dinner, to proclaim himself “captain of the USA polo team” and to stage his Americas Polo Cup, a false international. USPA members have played for Salahi, but all the USPA has done is to publicly disassociate itself from Salahi and his events.

No USPA regulations also means, for example, that Newport Polo Club in Rhode Island has been able to field club-based “USA” teams to play false internationals every year, including against “England” and “Ireland”.

This is ironic, considering that polo’s oldest and most famous true international, the Westchester Cup, started in Newport.

Given the current lack of any global standard for internationals, could the Federation of International Polo (FIP) not take the initiative and devise a clear set of regulations for all its member nations to follow?

All these ridiculous false internationals are bringing the sport into disrepute. F w Read more from Herbert at www.polotimes.co.uk www.polotimes.co.uk

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Comment

Umpire’s corner, with Arthur Douglas-Nugent

Assistance from the sidelines can help umpires get more decisions right

Photograph by James Mullan

W

atching tennis and cricket in Australia recently I have been struck by how many times players correctly queried decisions made by the officials. We can deduce from this that even the most experienced officials make mistakes.

With the review system in these two sports, perhaps a fairer result is achieved, albeit at the expense of undermining the authority of the official.

We have not gone down this path in polo, with the exception being if an incident of abuse is recorded on DVD, the perpetrator may be liable to appear before a disciplinary board.

Following on from this, in football the linesman [one should probably now also include the lineswoman] has the power to influence the decision of the referee. In polo there is also a third man – the referee, who is probably as experienced if not more so than the umpires. Yet, up to now, the referee has had a very minimal part to play in the running of the match.

There is no question of undermining the two umpires, whose authority remains paramount, but changes are afoot to bring the referee more into the equation. This is made possible

to seven or eight, requiring a guaranteed commitment from those selected.

Moves are afoot to increase the role of the referee (or third man), assisting the umpires more that at present in keeping control of difficult proceedings on the field

with the use of radios which are now mandatory for HPA official matches. Thus should the referee see an untoward action by a player off the ball, he will immediately inform the umpires and invite them to award a technical penalty against that player. Additionally

Changes are afoot to bring the referee more into the equation with the use of radios he may consider that a particular player is working or abusing the umpires and this too should be reported to them for the appropriate action to be taken.

Umpire ratings We have long toyed with the idea of asking teams to rate umpires, similar to a proposal put to the Football Association. In this suggestion, each team would grade the referees at the end of the season, with the bottom three officials relegated and replaced from a lower division.

Unfortunately we have found such a rigid system to be unworkable, not least because teams are reluctant to commit their view to paper. One also suspects that those rated highest are not necessarily the best, but those that give most favour to the team rating them.

Anyway, we have finally grasped the nettle and are reducing the size of the professional umpire group

Riding etiquette A study in Australia has concluded that horses don’t run any faster if whipped – so why do it?

Most jockeys in this country would disagree and the whip will continue to be an integral part of their go-faster kit, although now in a fairly muffled form.

In polo we not only deploy a whip but also spurs. Most would argue that both are more for guiding the pony to the ball, rather than trying to induce extra speed. Nonetheless, in the wrong hands they make a fairly lethal cocktail, which is why we impose a restriction on length and use.

A player is forbidden, except in exceptional circumstances, to whip a pony when the ball is dead and in play may only strike twice and without intent to harm.

Spurs should be used sparingly and any that cause injury should immediately be banned and the player suitably reprimanded. If you are an inexperienced rider it is much better to ride without spurs as it is very easy to harm the poor pony inadvertently. F w Read more from Arthur at www.polotimes.co.uk

Play goes on until the whistle blows…

This month’s puzzle Extra time is to be played and goal posts widened. Where should play start and what other circumstances must be taken into account?

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Last month’s solution What conditions must apply for a legitimate ride off?

The conditions are spelt out in Rule 35 but particular note should be made of the angle of ride off. The rule is purposely not specific about this, as various factors must be taken into account, but it is the end result that matters; was the pony on the receiving end unbalanced?

There seems to be a perception out there that a ride off at 45 degrees or under is okay. Not so, I say, as this angle is sure to be too steep.

www.polotimes.co.uk

18/2/11 16:40:44

Play at Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only Polo Club

A Limited number of Playing Memberships still available for 2011 Season.

Why not keep a couple of ponies at our stables and play chukkas during the week without the long commute? Ham Polo Club is situated under an hour from Central London, and only 8 miles from Hyde Park Corner.

Located next to Richmond Park, Ham Polo Club is the last polo club in Greater London.

We offer chukkas three times a week, matches every Sunday, full livery/stabling, lessons and pony hire.

Tournaments from 2 goals to 12 goals.

For further information please contact the Polo Office on 020 8334 0000 or email: office@hampoloclub.com

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www.hampoloclub.com

Polo Times, January/February 2011

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18/2/11 16:41:07

Comment

Your views

Letters letters@polotimes.co.uk or The Editor, Polo Times, East End Farm, North Leigh, Oxon OX29 6PX Please include your postal address or nearest town on all Letters to the Editor

Fresh prints Sir, congratulations to you all on the new format of Polo Times – it has always been the staple read for all the polo community and the changes are refreshing!

Nicholas ColquhounDenvers Chairman of the HPA

Letter of the month What is more, you’ll be an umpire my son!

Sir, I read with much interest JJ Díaz Alberdi’s article in last month’s Polo Times. There you have it from one who has truly been there, done it and hopefully will continue to do so.

JJ is a bit of an enigma to us all. This is due, perhaps, to what we would call his rather laid-back attitude. But he delivers and the players like him.

Also, within the professional group of umpires he provides that vital link to the Argentine. Rather to my surprise, I have to agree with all the points he makes, except that I have always had a problem with the concept that a play has to be dangerous to invoke a penalty.

Namely, in my view, there is a second element as well as danger that should be punishable: it can be best described as fairness. For example, if a player blocks the legitimate progress of another proceeding down the ROW (right of way) at a slow speed, then there is no element of danger but the blocking player must be penalised and the sooner the better as a melee is likely to ensue.

There we have it – keep the play safe, no blood on the carpet, and be fair to both teams. Thus to paraphrase Kipling: If you can satisfy both teams And meet their protestations just the same If you can judge how to you it seems Then let the players play up and play the game Arthur Douglas-Nugent Midhurst, West Sussex The writer of the Letter of the month wins a bottle of La Chamiza Argentine red wine

Photograph by Christopher Missling

Pending issues for 2011 Sir, the time has come again to mention grooming. As players begin the paperwork for their grooms coming over this summer, it seems more and more people are looking at alternatives to Argentines, such as grooms from Spain or France.

But be wary – some of these will not be proper grooms. You can’t really know what you are doing from having studied pictures of horses. Sure, they will seem great because they listen to you, but the best grooms are those that challenge you because they already know a better way of doing something. Always employ grooms based on experience and recommendations. You don’t want to get it wrong.

The other thing I want to discuss is the players who now expect the sport itself to sustain them, and who are unprepared to do other work or get “proper jobs” to support their polo 20

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obsession. I refer to the allgirls team that represented the UK at the FIP European Championships in September, who I read in the Daily Mail complaining that they’d “had a real struggle to raise the money to fulfil their dream”.

Given that the team was made up of nieces of the baron Lord Vestey and members of the wealthy Tomlinson and Milford Haven dynasties, I hardly thought that likely. However, even if it had been, why should polo players be a special case and not work other jobs like the rest of us mere mortals?

The reality is, not so many years ago in Argentina the top players earned their livings doing other things, such as being lawyers or farmers. They came to England to play and be treated like gods, and covered their costs simply by selling horses, not charging for their matches. Now, every travelling

The all-female England team at the eight-goal European Championships has sparked more debate this month

player wants money and they see it as a right. The game has become hypocritical and in my view has been damaged by all the global opportunities and the money now involved.

Atilio Degrossi via email

Editor’s note: your final point basically suggests a huge wider debate about whether polo should exist as a professional sport or simply be played as a friendly pastime. Polo Times takes the view that players should be able to make a good living from playing professionally and that the only way to expand the game’s appeal and scope is for it to be taken seriously alongside other sports. This means running the game professionally, subject to constant impartial criticism (of the kind that you will find in this magazine), and with credible high-profile, high-quality competitions that the best players all aspire to take part in.

These players, in line with other professional sports, should be paid handsomely for reaching that pinnacle. But I would be very interested to hear people’s views. Please send your thoughts about this, or any other hot topics of the day, to: letters@polotimes.co.uk www.polotimes.co.uk

18/2/11 16:41:42

Comment

Your views

Less rugs, more balls haven’t looked any worse off for it. By making sure they have a constant supply of hay, which I think is vitally important, and a good field shelter or large collection of trees to stand under, they look in great condition.

Thank you for your great tip of putting a football in water troughs to slow down freezing – even though my horses didn’t quite know what to think of it to start with, and the youngsters have a habit of throwing it over the side, it works a treat.

Cartoon by Kate Scurfield

Sir, I particularly enjoyed reading the “Knowledge” section this winter with Mark Emerson, Lorna Edgar and the Gaucho grooming tip all focusing on the harsh winter months.

At our yard, those horses that are not in work went out without rugs for the first time this winter. With the number of horses on the yard expanding, it helped save on time – we haven’t had to bring them in to check on their condition or change a wet heavy rug – and it saves on the cost of buying new rugs or repairing old ones.

It appears to have been good advice, as our horses

Katie Macrae Banbury, Oxfordshire “Bien joué Nacho!”

PACE thinks we’re now up to speed Sir, without wishing to patronise, may I say congratulations on the new look of Polo Times for 2011.

It’s nicely done, especially getting rid of the colour-gradient fade-out effects. The appearance now is much cleaner, and the visual effect is far more up-todate. The “big” picture certainly breaks up the wordy start to the mag and I also particularly like the new header for each of the

reports, whereby we can see the contributor and quickly identify the final result of whatever it is that is being covered.

Keep up the good work.

But, well, who am I kidding – almost nothing beats patronising the grand old lady of polo magazines! Sorry!

Christoph Curvers PACE Magazin, Hamburg, Germany

Conspicuous by my absence Sir, I was intrigued to see pictures from the splendid looking Polo Times party in the last issue. However, what does one have to do to get an invite to these things, rather than reading about them afterwards?!

It strikes me as simply a little cruel to feature the event in your venerable publication, exposing to most of us that we weren’t invited in the first place!

I am, however, very much enjoying the new-look of the magazine otherwise, though it is equally frustrating to discover how brilliant the Argentine

Open was again, as that was another event I wasn’t at. Next year, I hope…

Edward R London Editor’s note: I’m sorry you felt uninvited Edward. If you reveal your full name, I’ll see what I can do for the next one! However, for anyone else feeling left out, I should say that numbers were restricted due to space which sadly meant that we were forced to curtail our desire to invite everyone.

Rugby players still lead the way as true gentlemen of sport Sir, the launch of the Six Nations rugby tournament recently has once again highlighted how far behind polo is when it comes to treating our umpires with respect.

During England’s opening win over Wales it was refreshing to hear BBC commentator Brian Moore (not someone who pulls any punches when it comes to giving his opinion) utter the www.polotimes.co.uk

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sentiment: “It doesn’t matter if the decision is right or wrong.

The referee has made the call, so it is now fact.”

Rugby players are left in no doubt that haranguing the referee will only make things worse for both themselves and their team.

But, it seems, polo players still think there is an advantage to be gained by constantly

sounding off at the umpires. At the Argentine Open we were told the umpires would be taking a strictly zero-tolerance approach to backchat. But on the evidence of the photographs in last month’s Polo Times, with messrs Cambiaso and Castagnola continually gesticulating towards the umpires, neither the players nor the officials completely bought into this idea. Simply

tweaking the rules will not eliminate backchat from polo.

We need to change the mindset of both the players and the umpires, and put to bed the belief that bullies can prosper.

Anthony Smith Mortimer, Berkshire w For further umpiring debate see Umpire’s Corner, page 18 Polo Times, March 2011

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Feature

Interview – Nacho Gonzalez

Nacho

Nacho man

St Moritz’s most valuable player tells Georgie May how he believes his Argentine name has held him back from playing for England and also suggests that the time has come to raise the level of high-goal polo in the UK in order to help bring on more British pros How did you come to play with patron François Le Barazer at St Moritz?

I had a call about three weeks before the tournament asking whether I’d like to join the French side, after Russia pulled out.

Oli Hipwood and François have played a lot before and Oli put the team together.

Oscar Mancini was going to be out there anyway, as he was renting his ponies out, so he was asked too.

What makes a winning combination on the snow?

You need physical players and good ball skill. Good ponies are vital too. They need to be very strong and fast. Because of the altitude they can tire more easily and need at least a game to become acclimatised.

Oscar’s ponies, who mounted the French team, had arrived straight from Klosters so that already gave us a game advantage ahead of the rest.

Will you be playing for Emlor this season?

Yes, I’ll be playing for Spencer McCarthy’s team for the fifth season. We’ll be playing the Queen’s Cup again but, this year, with Mark and Luke Tomlinson. It should be a great team and very competitive. Emlor have won the 20-goal Warwickshire Cup 22

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for the past two years so it would be great to win that for the third year running.

Last season, I played for Roger Carlson’s Billingbear Park – where I am based with my 14 ponies – in the Cowdray Gold Cup.

“If you don’t get to five or six goals you are going to struggle to live comfortably” I’m not sure yet what his plans are for this season. There don’t appear to be that many slots available for English pros to find work in the 22-goal season at the moment so we’ll see what happens.

You made your Coronation Cup debut for England in 2007, but do you think you should have been on the team before then?

Yes I think I probably should have been, especially when I was on seven-goals and I wasn’t picked. But the HPA did give me a chance in the end and it was great to play against Chile, particularly as it was in memory of my great friend Gabriel Donoso.

It would be good to play the Cartier again and compete on the big stage in front of so many spectators, but it’s difficult with

Luke Tomlinson and myself both playing back. I played with Luke in the 20-goal last year and he played at three but, at the higher level, he prefers to play at four. I’ve spoken to him about it in the past but it’s not his decision. The England management team and coaching staff make that call.

What’s the background to your name, as I’m sure it was the cause of many a raised eyebrow when on the England teamsheet?

My father’s Argentine and my mother is English. I grew up here, went to school in Cowdray and took up polo 21 years ago, when I was 14-years-old, playing at Ham at weekends.

So I’m totally English as far as I am concerned. But, it’s true – when I first reached seven-goals in 2000 and there was a chance to play for England, I think perhaps my name may have held me back. I remember speaking to the late Bryan Morrison who said that it was difficult to choose me for the team for that very reason.

That was 11 years ago. Nowadays it u Right: Nacho in action, playing for the victorious France team en route to lifting the St Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow for the third time and scooping the plaudits as the final’s most valuable player

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Feature

Interview â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Nacho Gonzalez

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18/2/11 16:44:02

Interview – Nacho Gonzalez

Feature

Opposite page: Nacho playing in the final of last year’s Warwickshire Cup, which he won with Emlor (left, celebrating with patron Spencer McCarthy, Joaquin Pittaluga and John Paul Clarkin)

Photographs by Tony Ramirez

Below: Nacho with his wife Sarah in St Moritz

u doesn’t matter where you are from – you get cricket players with foreign names and they still play for England without anyone seeming to mind too much.

Have you had any lows in polo?

There haven’t been too many. Obviously when you lose a tournament or one of your ponies gets injured that’s a low but it’s all part of the game. The worst was probably when Gabriel Donoso died suddenly after a fall in December 2006, which was awful.

Is it right that you have a horse setup in Chile, where you bring on youngsters?

Yes, me and a guy called Andre, who used to work for Gabriel Donoso, buy racehorses off the track and bring them on for polo. The process is much quicker and more cost efficient than having a full-scale breeding setup of my own somewhere.

We only take on six horses a year for reasons of ease and cost and last year was the first year I brought two of them over to the UK. I didn’t play them very much so we’ll see what they are like this summer, but each year I plan to bring two over to add to and improve my playing string.

Would you recommend polo as a career?

[Long pause] It’s a tough one – yes and no.

The downside is that if you have a family it’s hard on them to keep travelling around, especially for the kids when they are at school [Nacho is married to Sarah with two daughters, Evita, 10 and Sophia, 7]. If you don’t get to five or six goals you are going to struggle to have a good lifestyle, buy a house and live comfortably.

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players. A four-goaler, for example, will buy and sell horses to make a living. If all you are interested in is playing, then you need to reach at least five goals.

For the English players to reach a higher level, I think the HPA are going the right way by possibly introducing a rule where patrons must pick at least one homegrown player in our high-goal sides. But I do think they should raise the handicap level in the UK to 24- or 26-goal. In the USA they have eight and nine-goalers and I think this is because they have a higher level of polo.

How long will you keep playing polo for and what will you do next?

I’m 35 now but I hope to play for another 10 years. Then I’ll leave England to live abroad, maybe Australia. I won’t be playing as much and England’s an expensive country to live in. If I’m still playing fit then I’ll just come back to England for the season. F ◗ Read more on Nacho’s exploits in St Moritz on page 32 and see the social snaps on page 88.

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Feature

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Stabling special

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18/2/11 16:45:05

A stable

approach is always best Caroline Stern recommends working out exactly what is best for you, your horses and your neighbours before even starting to consider building new stables

F

ew horse owners today find their stabling requirements met in the manner of one senior polo figure consulted for this article.

“My father built our stables in 1916 and I converted the stalls to make really big loose boxes some 40 years later,” he boasted.

Nowadays, nothing seems quite so simple when deciding what, where and when to develop or build from scratch.

Planning consent is often an issue.

Many people are under the impression that planning consent requirements vary from area to area.

“Temporary stables have to be seen to be mobile and therefore don’t require planning permission where I live in Sussex,” said one club owner.

But a Berkshire planning officer confirmed that planning regulations apply across the UK. On the theme of temporary stables,

the planning officer advised: “Temporary stables may not require planning consent, but it would be best to seek advice from the local planning authority.

“There are so many details involved that we encourage people to put in a submission in writing in the first instance so we can write back.”

This brings us on to the question of permanent structures. The planning officer

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said: “Planning exemptions apply for agricultural use, but polo is recreational so planning consent should always be sought in the first instance.

“Anything in the commercial sector that will affect the environment is subject to planning consent laws.”

And there are a number of factors to take into consideration when submitting an application. The planning officer continues: “An application for a new stable yard would depend on its location, scale and nature and might be deemed unacceptable in the green belt, on a site where hitherto there had been no buildings at all.”

Sarah MacdonaldSmith of Strutt & Parker Property Consultants, puts it more succinctly: “You are much more u

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Feature

A West of England Stables hardwood construction. This kind of arrangement, where the horses can see their neighbours, is thought to help limit their anxiety and stress

u likely to succeed with planning applications if you are not upsetting your neighbours.”

She also offers an alternative to starting from scratch. She said: “For new permanent structures, it’s about seeking and acquiring the relevant permissions. But on internal stabling you should only need to consider change of use from agricultural to equestrian.

“People now use redundant farm buildings near houses to house ready-made stabling. This doesn’t deter non-horsey purchasers if you want to sell later on, as internal stabling can be readily removed.

“It isn’t possible to quantify the increase in value to a residential property. But each stable should add £10,000 of value to a commercial equestrian operation or existing yard, provided that this results in a sensible ratio of stables to land.”

It is important to know exactly what you want from the stables.

“The main thing is to be clear about what you are looking for and how you want the 28

building to work for you. Then talk to a stabling company before you go too far,” says Barbara Fill, marketing manager of Monarch Stabling.

“We can measure up at your site and do layout drawings and ensure you derive maximum benefit from your site,” she continues. “When you have your drawings, you can then go to the planners.

some old barns can be. The company is renowned for labour-saving accessories like swivel and hi-lo hay feeders, swivel mangers as well as smart internal stabling.

Barbara said: “Our stables have stainless steel bolts so you can easily take them apart and bring them with you when you move or want to sell them – second-hand Monarch stables sell very well.”

The main thing is to be clear about what you are looking for and how you want the building to work for you “For our Monarch barns, siting and groundwork would be done by a builder who will then quote and advise.”

Barbara believes polo owners are very practical, and added: “They have lots of horses and like to make everything as easy as possible for horse maintenance.”

Monarch Barns’ polycarbonate roofs and eaves ventilation ensure that the environment is not dark and airless like

A new American Barn might also find favour with your vet, according to Eamon McLaughlin, a polo practitioner in the South of England.

“The main health consideration regarding stable design and construction is ventilation. Not enough people consider this as they tend to use whatever buildings they have, rather than creating new ones specifically planned for horses. u

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Feature

Stabling special

A temporary polo yard can be a good solution, but it may still require planning permission from the local authority

This permanent structure looks stunning, but it can be hard to maintain ventilation levels in low-roof blocks

Photographs courtesy of Monarch Stabling and West of England Stabling

u Obviously, the better the ventilation, the better the respiratory health of the horse,” he explains.

“Good air-flow changes and refreshes the air that each horse breathes. American barns are easier to design in regard to ventilation. It is possible to control the

airflow throughout, whereas blocks of low-roofed stables create individual environments, which are difficult to ventilate adequately.

“Respiratory disease results in increased veterinary treatment, and therefore higher costs. It is impossible to prevent occasional

Recycled timber can be robust and affordable “The polo market is a very big part of our business,” says West of England Stabling co-owner Pippa Wiegersma, who counts numerous high-goal names including Alan Kent and Billingbear Park among her satisfied clients.

The business started in 1998 in Cornwall. Pippa explains: “We started out making internal stables for our own eventers. We found we had to replace stables every five years until we came across the recycled hardwood timber that we use now.

“My son, who could weld, made the first ones which lasted amazingly. We moved house in 2001 and I don’t think we have done anything to our stables here since we put them up.”

Pippa describes West of England’s timber as built to last. She said: “It is very robust, 40 millimetres thick with steel rods running through it and is affordable as the timber has been used before. Maintenance costs are low, just timber treatments every couple of years.

“We appeal to larger horse owners, because our product is robust – no frills but we build to last. We have a history with clients owning horses of every description, and we have owned a fair few ourselves, so that definitely helps us know the way to save money on housing them.”

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outbreaks of coughs and colds, but horses in a well-ventilated environment will have healthier lungs to begin with, require less treatment and recover much quicker.

“Horse owners tend to design what looks nice and snug,” McLaughlin went on, “but horses actually need a slightly colder environment than we humans think.”

Jo Charles, senior lecturer in Equine Studies at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, also prefers to choose housing on the basis of horse welfare, rather than human preferences.

She said: “The visual horizon is the most important consideration, in scientific terms.

If they can see or touch other horses, it reduces stereotypic behaviours. So rather than creating a line of stables, have an American barn or stables at right angles so horses can see neighbours.

“I am a great believer in group-housing, using open-fronted barns. If done appropriately it can be very beneficial.”

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A Monarch Stables construction using brown plastic divisions, which prove to be very functional. The same stable is also available in hardwood, softwood and ply-wood

She does, however, warn that “good ventilation makes no difference if you are using dusty hay or bedding”. A new product called ComfyBed was released 18 months ago by environmentally friendly product specialists, Eco, to address this issue.

Made of seasoned softwood fibre, the bedding is described as ‘almost dust free,’ by business development manager Justin Dampney. He said: “Due to the extremely low dust levels, we were chosen to supply the Metropolitan Mounted Police stables right in the centre of London, whose stables are absolutely tiny.”

In a nut-shell it seems that innovation is the key to planning polo stabling.

If you try to put yourself in your horse’s shoes, your rewards should be both improved performance and a fatter wallet.

But it never does to pamper your horses too much. Pippa Wiegersma of West of England Stabling revealed: “We have twice had stables ordered by what I call

‘pink pony people’. The lady in question expressed horror that our wood wasn’t covered in shiny varnish and said she could never expect her pet to sleep in that.” F

A temporary hardwood construction in a line

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Don’t forget bedding for your grooms One extra thing to consider when building a stable is whether you will need extra accommodation – both during construction and for your grooms thereafter.

Bunkabin are the market-leaders in offering temporary on-site “sleepers” which can include bedrooms, sinks, toilets, showers and dining rooms. These are powered by electricity, greatly lowering the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning compared to standard caravans.

The Milford Havens regularly use Bunkabin to house grooms at Tripetts. Previous polo clients have also include Zacara, Brett Polo, Sumaya and Dubai Polo.

The original Bunkabin sleeper can be hired on a long-term loan for as little as £5 per person, per night.

For more information call 0845 4567899, email hires@bunkabin.co.uk or visit the website: www.bunkabin.co.uk Polo Times, March 2011

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27th St Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow, Switzerland

18/2/11 16:47:14

Allez les Franglais A very Anglophiled “France” team packed with familiar faces swept to success on the snow in the first year of the reconstituted St Moritz competition in January, beating Great Britain in the final, after Switzerland blew their chance at the title in bizarre circumstances

Georgie May in Switzerland

France Great Britain

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n a tough and tense game, François Le Barazer’s team France defeated Great Britain by one goal, 5-4, in the final of the 2011 St Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow at the end of January.

With only a few months to put the tournament together, after the organisers gave the tournament the go-ahead in Left: Oscar Mancini, Oli Hipwood, François Le Barazer and Nacho Gonzalez celebrate victory for France

October having originally pulled the plug on it in June, the inaugural “Nations Cup” format went down well with players and spectators alike. Despite the last-minute organisation and a drop in handicap from 22-goal in previous years to 15-18-goal with the new format, the tournament was hailed by its seasoned visitors as a success.

“Even given the lower level of polo, the event was one of the best,” Tony Ramirez told Polo Times, photographing the event for the eighth time. “All the patrons and players were happy and they didn’t have any pressure from big sponsors. There were no corporate VIPs, too, so the event was more relaxed for everyone involved. The tournament was very well organised and the final was well attended.”

For the first time, teams represented their patron’s country of origin, instead of one of the main sponsors. But, since it was

only compulsory that the patrons be of that nationality, the tournament included the predictable crop of Argentines, as well as two Englishmen on the French side.

In fairness to the French patron, Le Barazer only had three weeks to throw his team together after Russia pulled out, which makes it even more remarkable that they won. Oli Hipwood was instrumental in forming the team, bringing together Most valuable player

Nacho Gonzalez good friend Nacho Gonzalez and Berkshire-based Argentine Oscar Mancini to play alongside him and their patron.

Great Britain fielded an all-British quartet. Recent newcomer to polo Vivek Rawal – who only took up riding two years u Polo Times, March 2011

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Switzerland’s Bautista Ortiz de Urbina displays his juggling skills in his side’s controversial match against France – which, by losing 5-3, meant they lost their place in the final

Photographs by Tony Ramirez and Georgie May

u ago – employed three arena-pros to join his British side. Chris Hyde travelled out to the Swiss ski resort to make his fifth appearance in the tournament, joined by former-winner Jonny Good and his halfbrother Tarquin Southwell.

“There were grumblings that the some of the teams weren’t “international” in terms of their players,” Southwell said following the tournament. “But the Argentines must be included and it would be very difficult to find three Swiss-Argentines for example!

It didn’t matter if players weren’t from the country they were playing for as the spectators still got behind their country and cheered them on. The format definitely gave the tournament more spice.”

Switzerland was led by Philipp Maeder, taking part for a fifth consecutive year.

Argentines Federico Bachmann, Bautista Ortiz de Urbina and Augustin Martinez joined Maeder who, despite their incredible power and tight-knit play, failed to qualify for the final. More on that in a moment.

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An Argentine trio, including the only seven-goaler in the tournament Pablo Jauretche, played for Thomas Wolfensberger’s Germany team. Although they were the highest handicapped team in the competition at 17 goals – Great Britain and Switzerland were 15-goals and France

their ponies and augment a result that would get them through to the final failed when it transpired that the outcome of an earlier game in the tournament had been incorrectly logged in the result sheet.

Great Britain and France also won two games and lost one, putting the three teams

“I think France definitely had a pony-power advantage over us as their ponies had already acclimatised” – Tarquin Southwell 16-goals – Germany failed to win a single game and picked up the Blackbird Trophy on finals day, coined by organisers as the trophy for “the unluckiest team.”

Having won their first games against Great Britain and Germany, Switzerland looked like a dead-cert for the final early on in the tournament. However, they shot themselves in the foot, by allowing France to beat them by two goals in their final league game. The side’s attempt to save

on a tie, leaving the umpires – Oliver Ellis, Chris Bethell and first-timer Tim Keyte – in a predicament on the eve before finals day.

“It was a Blue Book three-way tie and the finalists had to be decided on goal difference.” Oliver Ellis said. “We had to double check we had the final points correct and that the right teams went through to the final.”

Thus, with Switzerland eliminated after their costly and complacent miscalculation, www.polotimes.co.uk

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St Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow

How did they perform?

We mark the finalists out of 10, based on their effectiveness in terms of handicap

France François Le Barazer (0) Playing for the first time on snow, Le Barazer’s performance was commendable, improving throughout.

But he gave away a few penalties in the final, including the last one, and Hyde should have made him pay.

Oscar Mancini (4) Mancini mounted the majority of his team, with his ponies already used to the snow from Klosters (where he also took victory). His string took him where he wanted to be in both defence and attack, though he scored only one goal in the final.

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Oli Hipwood (6) This was his first time playing on snow but he proved worth bringing, scoring two goals in the final. It was clear that he and Gonzalez had worked hard on their tactics, ensuring they were a duo that was a hard combination to crack.

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Nacho Gonzalez (6) From the start of the tournament, Gonzalez gave it his all. Even after missing the penultimate penalty of the final, he redeemed himself to convert the 30-yarder that followed and which ultimately won France the game.

Great Britain Oli Hipwood reaches for the ball, playing for France, a side he successfully formed on behalf of François Le Barazer

the British and French players cantered onto the great frozen lake for the start of Sunday’s final in front of more than 15,000 spectators. Great Britain fancied themselves the better team, having beaten France in an earlier league game, 8-6.

The conditions were perfect. The wind that caused problems the day before, scooping up the orange inflatable ball and blowing it in whichever direction it fancied, was absent and the sun beamed down on the stands. The game was fast and aggressive, and both sides fought right to the bitter end.

First-timer to the snow Hipwood worked hard with Gonzalez for France, while their teammate Mancini was strong in attack, steaming up the field on a number of occasions. Powered along by his super grey mare, Sol, who looked in good stead to win the best playing pony prize, it was he who helped get the first goal on the scoreboard for France.

Hyde was equally well mounted with www.polotimes.co.uk

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tough, quick ponies, and his horse Genie was eventually awarded best playing pony. He dominated the frozen lake like a demon, weaving in and out of his opposition and tactfully moving the ball up to goal. Good, meanwhile, frequently stole the ball from the French with big accurate backhands down the ground.

The game was not without drama.

Le Barazer was winded during a throwin, sliding off his horse and lying down on the ground to recover. While the paramedic snowmobile leapt into action, commentators Ebe Sievwright and Jan-Erik Franck entertained the crowds with their lighthearted wit. Gonzalez and Good also suffered hard ride-offs during the game, dismounting their ponies to walk it off.

Great Britain secured the lead on two occasions during the game but it was France that leapt ahead in the final chukka. Nacho Gonzalez converted a 30yard penalty for France, putting them one goal ahead of the Brits with two minutes u

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Vivek Rawal (0) Having only learnt to ride two years ago, points must go to Rawal for effort. He had a slow start, often isolated from his teammates, but come the final his reactions were quicker and he stayed close to play.

Jonny Good (5) Good was the master of backhanders in the final, frequently changing the direction of play in his team’s favour, though he did give the ball away cheaply at the beginning of the second chukka, and Mancini scored.

Chris Hyde (6) Hyde was the penalty pro throughout the tournament. During play, he knew exactly how to handle the ball, snaking in and out of his opposition as well as switching his line of play to fool the other team. He scored all four of Great Britain’s goals but did miss the crucial penalty at the end of the final chukka.

Tarquin Southwell (4) His fast play didn’t work to Great Britain’s advantage in the first three chukkas and he gave away a couple of penalties. However, in the last chukka he saved a shot at goal by Gonzalez with a super backhander just as it was about to cross the line.

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Reports

27th St Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow, Switzerland

Analysis

by Manuel Cereceda Commentary from our pro pundit, Argentine three-goaler Manuel Cereceda, who played for Germany The final was a very fast game with both teams giving it their all. France deserved to win – they were strong throughout the tournament and François Le Barazer was the better patron, giving more to his side.

Vivek, however, performed as best he could.

Having only been riding for two years he is quite amazing and I admire him for coming here and getting stuck in, so I believe he has a good future ahead of him.

For me, Chris Hyde was the best player out there. He’s experienced on the snow and looks every bit the professional. He was quick on the turns, and has a great eye for the ball. It was extremely unfortunate that the last penalty he took hit the posts.

Had he converted it, we could have had a different outcome.

Hyde was also the best mounted, which helped him enormously. However, France benefited from Mancini’s excellent string and that definitely helped them on their way to victory. His horses had come straight from playing on the snow in Klosters, and that also gave France the edge. Mancini’s grey mare Sol looked particularly strong. She’s super-fast and tough, which is as useful on the snow as it is in the arena game – snow polo is aggressive and so the best ponies are the ones you can crash into others and which aren’t sensitive to the contact.

You could see the arena pros definitely had an advantage and so, with the brilliant arena experience of the Great Britain line-up, they were always going to come close to winning.

In the end, however, they were slightly let down by the form of Jonny Good in the final, who definitely didn’t seem to be at his best.

He has plenty of experience, and has won the big prize at St Moritz before, but he wasn’t as sharp in the final as he had been the day before when he had an amazing game.

Perhaps he had tired his horses, but the simple fact is a lot of the ponies were tiring, particularly in the last chukka, and he just couldn’t find an extra gear.

Snow polo is a hard game to adjudicate, with the ball changing direction and line so often, but the levels of backchat certainly didn’t make things any easier for the umpires. They got some small but important calls wrong in my view right at the end of the game, when whether you award a 30 or a 40-yard penalty can make all the difference to the result. But the right team won in my view so the umpires must be seen to have done a good job. F 36

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The view of the iconic snow polo setting in St Moritz, seen from the grandstands in beautiful conditions

u to play. Gonzalez, who was named most valuable player at the end of the tournament, had another chance at goal immediately afterwards but Southwell – playing for the first time on snow – hit a superb backhander to clear it away from the goalmouth, just as it was about to cross the line.

In the dying seconds of the fourth chukka, Le Barazer crossed Good’s line, the whistle was blown and the British supporters were on the edge of their seats as a 30-yard penalty was awarded. Hyde, the penalty-pro, had the opportunity to equalise the scores, which would have forced the game into extra time. But his steady hit deflected off a lump of snow and hit the left post. The final bell was rung and the Brits hung their heads in disappointment as the French team punched the air in elation.

“I am so pleased we won, but it was a very tough game,” Mancini told Polo Times. “We played well in the first half and it was only when Great Britain caught us up that we started to worry. We played really hard to put the game back in our

favour and fought right until the end to make sure Great Britain didn’t score any more goals.”

“We missed a couple of chances at goal when we should have scored,” Great Britain’s Southwell commented. “We let ourselves go 3-1 down [at the beginning of the second chukka] and it was an uphill battle from then on. The game flew by and we just ran out of time in the end. I think France definitely had a slight ponypower advantage over us as their ponies had already acclimatised. Ours were super fit but, with all the travelling and altitude, it does take it out of them. You could see the difference.”

Preceding the main final, Switzerland played Germany for the Swiss Jet Trophy, for third place. Thomas Wolfensberger’s German side looked good in the first three chukkas but some strong attack by Switzerland put the hosts ahead in the final u chukka, allowing them to win 4½–3.

Right: Jonny Good aims to guide a nearside shot through the posts as he holds off the attentions of France’s Oscar Mancini (wearing number two) and Nacho Gonzalez (wearing four)

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Reports u

27th St Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow, Switzerland

Maeder was able to witness first-hand the change in format to the new Nations Cup set up, having been patron of the Maybach and then Maserati teams in the previous four tournaments: “It’s always great to play here but the new format is brilliant because people can get behind their international team and cheer them on, creating a brilliant atmosphere in the stands which also inspires the players.”

Commentator Ebe Sievwright agreed with Maeder: “As a commentator, having

the new Nations Format means you can really get the crowds going,” he said. “They want to support their country so it creates some rivalry in the grandstands. I think it’s much better than before and hopefully it will continue in the future.” F w Read Herbert Spencer's assessment of the make-up of the "international" teams on page 16 w Catch up on the lighter side of the tournament on page 88, and read an interview with MVP Nacho Gonzalez on page 22

The thinking behind the changes The Polo World Cup on Snow was put in doubt after See-Infra – a decision-making committee charged with organising the infrastructure for large-scale sporting activities on the frozen lake – failed to get the planning for the 2011 event off the ground. However, in October, the parties involved – White Turf Racing Association and St Moritz Polo AG – sunk their differences and reached an amicable solution allowing a polo event to go ahead in the Engadine Valley.

With so little time though, and less development than usual permitted on the lake as part of their agreement, the 2011 event was unable to bring in the big-name corporate sponsors to help fund it and attract 22-goal teams, and so a smaller 18-goal format was decided upon and the tournament was revamped accordingly.

Nevertheless, though less corporate sponsorship meant less revenue for the organisers, the smaller scale of the hospitality and simple polo-focused structure meant it was also undoubtedly a cheaper-than-usual event to stage, so it is still unclear which format for the tournament is the most viable in the long-term. Spectators will await news of the plans for next year with interest.

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Game rating

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u T he 27th St Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow; 27-30 January 2011; St Moritz lake, in the Engadine Valley, Switzerland Result: France beat Great Britain, 5-4 Sponsors: Swiss Jet; Louis Roederer; Nespresso; Kempinsky; Niarchos; Solar Handicap level: 15-18 goal Number of team entries: four Chukka scores (France): 1-1; 3-2; 3-4; 5-4 Most valuable player: Nacho Gonzalez Best playing pony: Genie, owned and played by Chris Hyde Teams France (16): François Le Barazer 0; Oscar Mancini 4; Oli Hipwood 6; Nacho Gonzalez 6 Great Britain (15): Vivek Rawal 0; Jonny Good 5; Chris Hyde 6; Tarquin Southwell 4 Switzerland (15): Philipp Maeder 0; Federico Bachmann 6; Bautista Ortiz de Urbina 5; Augustin Martinez 4 Germany (17): Thomas Wolfensberger 1; Manuel Cereceda 3; Pablo Jauretche 7; Gonzalo Bourdieu 6 Germany and Switzerland’s third-place play-off is shown below, which Switzerland won 41/2-3

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27th St Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow, Switzerland

Reports

My travels Georgie May speaks to St Moritz commentator and two-goal arena player Ebe Sievwright about polo, TV pilots in the US and the ups and downs of travelling in Mongolia I gather you’re based in the US? I’ve lived in Hollywood for 14 months now. I moved there as I wanted to take my acting career to the next level.

Over in the US, I’ve been playing a lot of polo this winter – it’s so hot during the summer that winter’s the best time to play. I played in 12-goal with Memo Gracida in Santa Barbara.

It’s a pretty cool place as the polo ground is right next to the ocean.

Before going to St Moritz, I went to the east coast – Virginia and Pennsylvania - on tour with the AM England team. I played with my brother-in-law Ben Vestey, Tristan Phillimore and Mark Cann, playing for the British Forces Foundation.

What are your travelling plans for the next six months?

I’d love to say I have somewhere

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exciting to go next but it’s back to Hollywood as it’s the pilot season.

I’ll be involved in all sorts of TV programmes and trying to sell them to the big TV channels.

What is your favourite polo travelling memory?

It would have to be my stay in a “yurt” (a portable wood-lattice framed hut) in Mongolia. A woman would come in at 6am and light the fire, so when I woke up at 8.30 it was really warm, it’s such an amazing place. I went to Mongolia trying to sell light aircraft to the Mongolians as well as representing the St Moritz polo set-

up. There are two polo clubs there - the Genghis Khan Polo Club and a new club which Urs Schwarzenbach and Heinz Rebe have been helping to organise.

And your worst?

Also Mongolia! I was bar hopping with Guy Schwarzenbach in the capital, which isn’t as nice as the rest of the country.

Guy didn’t have a care in the world but I was petrified that we were going to be kidnapped! We were followed by spies from bar to bar; they told us that we hadn’t paid one of our bills in one of the bars which wasn’t true. It was quite scary!

What item do you always remember to pack?

My pink socks. My sister gave them to me and I’m quite proud of them.

Polo Times, March 2011

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Report

International Test Match: New Zealand vs Team World, Kihikihi Polo Club

Comeback Kiwis clinch classic Kihikihi contest

Two Uruguayans and a brace of Aussies forming a scratch “World” foursome almost pulled off a surprise victory over New Zealand’s established Test side, until Craig Wilson inspired a late All Black rally to delight the home crowd

Brett O’Callaghan in New Zealand

New Zealand Team World

Photographs by Brett O’Callaghan

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ohn Paul Clarkin’s New Zealand team just managed to secure a victory against a “World” team lead by Pelon Stirling and Ruki Baillieu last month, after the hosts spent most of the match in arrears. However, as in all sports, this match was the perfect reminder that you only need to be in front at the final bell.

David “Pelon” Stirling and his cousin Alejo Taranco came from Uruguay to team up with Ruki Baillieu and Dirk Gould from Australia to make up the 28-goal Team World. It was Pelon’s first experience of playing in New Zealand, but he quickly adapted to look right at home – something

he later put down to the quality of the Kihikihi Polo Club field and the ponies.

The weather was also well suited to the club’s illustrious South American visitor, as warm, fine conditions greeted the teams.

First to entertain the crowds on the day were Young New Zealand, who played Young Australia. The visitors won 8-5.

The hosts then also made an inauspicious start in the full-scale Test Match against Team World, as Ruki and Pelon took them by surprise and helped Team World to a healthy early lead. The seven and nine-

goalers’ stick work and control of the ball allowed them to dictate the early play, with Ruki in particular making a big difference, scoring four of his side’s five goals in the first half of the match. However, thanks to a good second chukka, the Kiwis remained in touch, and managed to give their supporters plenty to cheer about, particularly when a huge long-range pass from JP Clarkin found Sam Hopkinson, who scored the best goal of the day.

Nevertheless, with Team World leading by three at the start of the final chukka, things didn’t look too good. However, Pelon was feeling the effects of a blow to his left thumb caused by a ball backhanded into him at pace, and the Kiwis had the words of coach Simon Keyte ringing in their ears as they chased victory. Sure enough, they lifted their efforts – first, the Wilson brothers each scored early in New Zealand’s Craig Wilson, Tommy Wilson, John Paul Clarkin and Sam Hopkinson celebrate what at-times looked like an unlikely victory

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Tommy Wilson goes after the ball for New Zealand, with Australian Jack “Ruki” Baillieu and Uruguayan David “Pelon” Stirling (wearing number three) giving chase behind for Team World

the sixth chukka and, even when Alejo Taranco scored another for Team World, the resilience of the New Zealand side remained. Craig Wilson and captain JP Clarkin scored to tie the game at 10-10.

Just moments remained and both sides were playing with a sense of desperation.

Ruki scored four of Team World’s five goals in the first half and a mare kindly lent to him won best playing pony Craig Wilson then won it for the hosts, stroking home a penalty two to give them an unassailable 11-10 lead.

It was the first time they had led since the beginning of the third chukka, and Craig Wilson’s calmness under pressure duly earned him the most valuable player prize.

“We stuck to our game plan,” he said, “and so, even when we were losing for long

periods of the match, I always felt we could sneak past them and win it.”

Despite losing, the visitors also reflected positively on the standard of the spectacle, which was high.

“We played well together,” said Pelon Stirling. “The impressive Nga Rakau field played fast and it suited us, looking to play quick combinations and work together.

My horses were also excellent, though I expected nothing less as I have a couple of New Zealand ponies in my English string.”

The generosity of the hosts – in terms of the quality of the mounts lent to the visitors – was demonstrated aptly in the award of the best playing pony prize, which went to a mare called Beatle played by Ruki Baillieu (featured in the “Pony power” section of the April 2010 issue of Polo Times). She was lent to Ruki by Stephen Kay, whose family owns the Kihikihi Polo Club, run principally by Paul Kay. The quality of the polo, emphasised in the dramatic way the game unravelled and its surprise conclusion, means I wouldn’t

be surprised to see Pelon make a return to action in New Zealand before long. F

Game rating

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u International Test Match, New Zealand vs Team World; 12 February 2011; Kihikihi Polo Club, New Zealand Result: New Zealand beat Team World Principal sponsor: Rosetown Holden Handicap level: 27-goal Chukka scores (New Zealand): 1-3; 4-3; 4-5; 5-6; 6-9; 11-10 Most valuable New Zealand player: Craig Wilson Most valuable Team World player: Pelon Stirling Best playing pony: Beatle, owned by Stephen Kay and played by Ruki Ballieu Test teams: New Zealand (27): Craig Wilson 6; Sam Hopkinson 6; John Paul Clarkin 8; Tommy Wilson 7 Team World (27): Dirk Gould 5; Ruki Baillieu 7; Pelon Stirling 9; Alejo Taranco 6 Polo Times, March 2011

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Reports

HPA National Club Championships, Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club

Cold Smoke smoking hot but spectators frozen out

While the competitive edge between finalists at The Berkshire was compelling, the cold late-January weather brought some of arena polo’s failings starkly under the microscope

James Mullan at RCBPC

Cold Smoke Tchogan

Photographs by Gillian Hughes

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amie Morrison was the outstanding performer in the 15-goal final of the HPA-sponsored National Club Championships this winter, scoring 13 goals to propel Michael Bickford’s Cold Smoke to an 18-16 victory.

However, the stop-start nature of the contest, and of the 10-goal final which preceded it, meant that there were fewer spectators in the grandstands than usual at the chilly culmination of the day, with most having escaped to the warmth of the Berkshire clubhouse and its roaring fire.

Commentator Greg Keating did a good job maintaining spectators’ interest

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The winning 15-goal team Cold Smoke received their trophy from Nicholas and Annie Colquhoun-Denvers.

Below, 10-goal winners Ocho Rios with the huge cup

amid all the disruption but even he admitted afterwards that the rules need to be looked at to make the game flow better.

Some stoppages couldn’t be helped, as the boisterous nature of the finals meant they had more than their fair share of unscheduled dismounts, tack problems and high-speed clashes between ponies.

However, the seemingly endless stream of spot penalties – when at times we saw little more than three or four seconds between minor infringements – imposed additional stoppages that the game could really have done without.

“There’s always too much whistle,” agreed MVP Roddy Williams, who played for Cold Smoke. “However, that’s not a criticism of Simon Tosh, who I thought umpired very well, it’s something about the rules that could be considered.

I’m a fan of open polo, as are most players, but

the same rules that work in the outdoor game shouldn’t necessarily be applied to the arena. By its very nature, with less space and a bigger ball, the game frequently breaks down to form something more akin to a ruck in rugby.

“In those cases, umpiring directives similar to those in rugby could be a positive step, whereby the umpires play advantage, talking to the players to keep things flowing, and only blowing when the team awarded the advantage gets turned over.”

Nevertheless, despite the frustration at so many stoppages in such cold conditions, there was no shortage of quality, agility and balls-to-the-wall passion on display for the spectators to enjoy. With around six British arena professionals poached to take part in the reconstituted St Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow (see page 32-39), just two teams fought out this year’s 15-goal title, though with intense rivalry. However, much to the delight of the Berkshire’s tournament organisers, this had expanded to four in late-February’s Arena Gold Cup. “All the sides at this level are good enough to win one of the major tournaments,” said Williams. “We’re going to have a tough task defending our title, but it’s good to have one under our belts already. Tchogan made it very difficult though. Having led quite comfortably in the first two chukkas, they came back at us in the second half and Michael [Bickford, the team’s American patron] had to remind us to ‘keep the wheels on the bus’.

“But Jamie [Morrison] scored an incredible 25-yard goal after a great solo one-two with the boards in front of the grandstand to give us a two-goal cushion in the final chukka with just a minute left to play, so I knew we had it then.”

Opponents Tchogan had former England international John Horswell as their coach, www.polotimes.co.uk

18/2/11 19:20:00

Reports Cold Smoke’s Jamie Morrison (left) and Seb Dawnay of Tchogan battle for the ball during the 15-goal final

but Cold Smoke’s impressive three-man approach meant they were just too strong for Heiko Voelker’s men. His top-rated pro Seb Dawnay scored nine goals for Tchogan but was considerably quieter and more subdued in open play than teammate Ryan Pemble, who was about as fired-up as an Egyptian political protester. Roddy Williams, playing a spoiling role for Cold Smoke, successfully frustrated Pemble, while Bickford’s confidence, youth, athleticism and his ice-hockey experience back in the States makes him the arena game’s most dangerous patron of the moment. This allowed them to get revenge on Tchogan, who beat them in the opening match of the 10-goal tournament, where both teams played with one of their pros from the 15-goal.

As it was, neither side reached the 10goal final, which was fought between Ocho Rios and Softrack Surfaces immediately before the 15-goal. They provided an extremely tough, physical, bruising affair, characterised by the bulldozing runs of Softrack’s feisty Argentine, Sergio Baselli.

However, Ocho Rios’s Max Charlton produced the best performance to lead his side to a 15-12 triumph. The MVP award went to his teammate Danny Muriel, though perhaps because he took a nasty fall and bravely played on, despite clearly being in some discomfort and having broken his back in a fall in the past.

Tournament sponsors the HPA were represented by their chairman Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers, who presented all the trophies, before kindly hosting a late lunch for members of the media and friends of the association. F

Game rating

• • • • • • • • • •

u H PA National Club Championships finals; 30 January 2011; RCBPC Result: Cold Smoke beat Tchogan, 18-16 Handicap level: 15-goal Number of team entries: two Chukka scores (Cold Smoke): 5-2; 10-6; 13-11; 18-16 Final teams: Cold Smoke, from RCBPC (15): Michael Bickford 2; Roddy Williams 6; Jamie Morrison 7 Tchogan, from Ash Farm (15): Heiko Voelker 2; Ryan Pemble 6; Sebastian Dawnay 7 www.polotimes.co.uk

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Brave Brits thrill in the chill Event organiser Daniel Waechter’s Aston Martin side won in Klosters this January, though they were run close by an all-English side carrying injuries and considerable rustiness

Tony Ramirez in Switzerland

Aston Martin Berenberg Bank

T

12 10

he British involvement in the snow polo extravaganza in the Swiss Alpine resort of Klosters was notable this winter, both for the off-field antics of the tourists as for the performance of two of the UK’s best polo players on the snowy surface itself.

Most impressive of these was Jamie Le Hardy, who led the all-English Berenberg Bank side to second place in the tournament. He teamed up with old friend Fred Hervey, making his first return 44

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to action in eight years and playing on snow for the first time, and Berkshire-based patron Simon Arber.

Together they swept to the final unbeaten, after Le Hardy scored an incredible 10 goals in the team’s opening game of the tournament, beating Parmigiani/Maissen 11-9, and they then took part in a thrilling draw with a side sponsored by the Financial Times How to Spend It magazine, 7-7.

However, coming up against the lowesthandicapped side in the final in the shape of Aston Martin, the British trio conceded three goals on handicap and were faced with an uphill struggle trying to overturn the deficit.

“Having not played, nor ridden, for so long, my three-goal handicap was rather flattering to say the least, and so we were over-handicapped as a team as

a result,” Hervey told Polo Times. “On top of that, Simon Arber was playing with a fractured right thumb sustained in a skiing accident on the first day of the tournament, so we certainly weren’t disappointed with how we got on, despite getting so close to winning.”

Hervey has been charged with the job of heading up Berenberg’s new private banking division in London, though the Swiss bank already has an investment banking outfit in the UK employing more than 100 people.

As an 18-year-old, Hervey was a recipient of one of the HPA scholarships that allow young players to develop their game playing in Argentina.

However, now 37, he confesses it was a difficult reintroduction: “I felt alright playing, but my recovery afterwards has been a painful one!” he said. www.polotimes.co.uk

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Berenberg Snow Polo – Klosters, Switzerland

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was also photographed throwing herself into the spirit of things with members of the polo crowd on a night out in towncentre nightclub, Casa Antica (discover more on page 90).

In the tournament’s final rankings, Aston Martin won, Berenberg Bank finished second, How to Spend It third, Parmigiani/ Maissen fourth and Hackett, featuring Henry Brett and three newcomers, fifth. F ◗ The handicaps for the tournament were calculated by adding one to players’ outdoor handicaps. See a full list of teams and results on www.polotimes.co.uk

Photographs by Tony Ramirez

Having officially opened the new office on 10 January, Hervey then had the unusual task of leaving almost immediately to join his Swiss colleagues in Klosters.

“It was a great opportunity to meet a huge number of the Berenberg organisation and, though very few of us had anything to do with the World Economic Forum in nearby Davos the following week, the coincidence helped ensure good publicity for us. That was great, as the new UK division is also already looking at polo sponsorship opportunities for the 2011 British season, hence why it was good that we played as an all-English trio.”

In the action off the beautifully prepared snowy ground, much of the media interest in the event focused around the appearance of British celebrity Katie Price (aka Jordan), who joined the tournament this year as a sponsor, with her brand KP Equestrian, but

Reports

u The 7th Berenberg Snow Polo Tournament, 20 – 23 January 2011; Klosters, Switzerland Result: Aston Martin beat Berenberg, 12-10 Handicap level: 6-9 goal Number of team entries: five Chukka scores (Aston Martin): 8-4; 8-5; 10-8; 12-10 Final teams Aston Martin (6): Daniel Waechter 0; Marcel Geser 1; Oscar Mancini 5 Berenberg Bank (9): Simon Arber 0; Fred Hervey 3; Jamie Le Hardy 6

◗ Read more about Berenberg’s Simon Arber on page 98

Opposite: Berenberg’s Jamie Le Hardy takes the ball on his nearside, shadowed

by Aston Martin’s Oscar Mancini.

◗ Additional reporting by James Mullan

Below: Mancini, who also won at St Moritz a week later, is pictured flanked by his fellow winners in Klosters, Marcel Geser (left) and Daniel Waechter (right)

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Reports

Heaton-Ellis Trust Arena Tournament, Emsworth, Berkshire

Thousands raised

by annual charity tournament Father and son, Adolfo and “Mono” Casabal combine to good effect to win the Heaton-Ellis Trust Arena Tournament at the Emsworth polo ground in Windsor Charlotte Casson at Emsworth, Windsor

Gaucho Four Quarters Orange

Photograph by James Wildman

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dolfo Casabal and his 13-yearold son “Mono” both starred for the victorious Gaucho team as more than £3,500 was raised by the Heaton-Ellis Trust Arena Tournament.

The annual event raises money to help find a cure for Motor Neurone Disease, which took the life of player and coach David Heaton-Ellis in 2009.

This year’s tournament was hosted by the Arber family at the Emsworth polo grounds in Windsor, formerly known as Cadenza when owned by Tony Pidgley.

Patron and host Simon Arber saw his Four Quarters Orange team take on the Casabals’ Gaucho side in the eight-goal

final. Zero-goaler Arber was joined by Warren Scott (2) and Seba Funes (4), who produced some excellent defending to help keep the scores close until the closing stages. However, Gaucho, who also included two-goaler Oliver Brown, ultimately proved too strong. With Mono Casabal showing plenty of potential for the future, they ran out 14-9 winners.

There was consolation for Funes in the four-goal final as his Sapphire team beat Cani, led by three-goaler Chris Crawford, 14-8. Jackie Kleimunt (0) was voted the MVP for Sapphire in that match, winning a year’s subscription to Polo Times.

The Heaton-Ellis Trust has no administration costs, so all money goes directly to funding research for Motor Neurone Disease at King’s College London.

In May this year the Trust will host a charity clay pigeon shoot and on Saturday 25 June it will also run a bike polo tournament to raise more money. F u Heaton-Ellis Arena Tournament, 4-5 February 2011; Emsworth Polo Ground, Windsor Handicap level: 8 Result: Gaucho 14, Four Quarter Orange 9 Final teams: Gaucho (8): Adolfo Casabal 6; Adolfo “Mono” Casabal 0; Oliver Brown 2 Four Quarters Orange (6): Simon Arber 0; Warren Scott 2; Seba Funes 4 Handicap Level: 4 Result: Sapphire 14, Cani 8 Final teams: Sapphire (4): Jackie Kleimunt 0; Karl Elliot 0; Seba Funes 4 Cani (4): Louise Jebson 0; George Shelton 1; Chris Crawford 3 Adolfo “Mono” Casabal Jr, right, competes for the ball against Four Quarters Orange in the eight-goal final

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Polo Times, March 2011

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18/2/11 16:52:26

Eagle soars and the heart swells Some genuinely quick and enjoyable polo last month provided a fitting tribute to the memory of one the arena game’s biggest proponents, the late Paul Sweeney

Roy Prisk

at Ash Farm

Eagle Clashleigh

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ore than 100 spectators turned out early last month to witness the culmination of the rescheduled 12-goal Paul Sweeney Memorial Tournament at Ash Farm, where Jonathan Munro-Ford’s Eagle side swept to a convincing victory, thanks largely to the superb performance of hardy six-goaler Howard Smith.

The tournament was delayed twice by heavy snow in December and the rescheduling meant the organisers lost two 48

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of the sides originally entered in the 12goal section because of injuries and other commitments. However, the two remaining teams – who graduated straight to the final and played it as an aggregate game over two days – produced a stunning display of fast and skilful polo, played on a high standard of pony.

At the end of the first day, the Saturday, Eagle led by three goals, at 15-12. Tim Bown recovered from the disappointment of losing in the 10-goal final at the HPA National Arena Championships a week earlier to link superbly with Smith, anchoring himself in the midfield.

Munro-Ford also made a good contribution in front of goal playing at number one, despite being the lowest-

handicapped played on the ground. The threesome proved too good for Richard Davis’s Clashleigh, though four-goaler Danny Muriel’s superb finishing kept the side within range as the contest went into the second and final day.

Muriel once again showed plenty of promise on the Sunday but he couldn’t get Clashleigh back into the game and Eagle eventually extended the lead to win 19-14 after more fast and cleverly played arena polo. Howard Smith took the plaudits as MVP and also accepted the Polo Times best playing pony rug on behalf of his 12-yearold mare Rocket.

Earlier in the day, the two four-goal finalists fought out an honourable 13-13 draw, as chairman Charlotte Sweeney www.polotimes.co.uk

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Photographs by Gillian Hughes

Paul Sweeney Memorial Tournament, Ash Farm, Berkshire

(captaining Ash Farm) squared up against polo manager Roy Prisk (skippering Sonic Temple).

Sweeney, whose side was sponsored by her mother (Paul’s widow) Lesley, was Howard Smith’s 12-year-old mare Rocket won the best playing pony rug making her first return to action after chipping a bone and damaging ligaments in by UberPolo, Ivan The Terrible Vodka, Tally Ho Farm, The Polo Magazine, Lesley her left ankle two weeks before.

Sweeney and Polo Times. The solid silver The Sweeneys and Flavio Stellini (Sonic Paul Sweeney trophy was donated by Chris Temple’s patron) were content to end Benford and Graham Wooldridge. F the game as a draw and the teams shared the spoils. Paul Sweeney’s mother Sheila presented all the prizes kindly supplied w See page 86 for social pictures www.polotimes.co.uk

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Reports

Left to right: Danny Muriel, Jonathan Munro-Ford, Tim Bown and Tarquin Southwell in action during the final

Game rating

• • • • • • • • • •

u Paul Sweeney Memorial Tournament; 5-6 February 2011; Ash Farm, Surrey Result: Eagle beat Clashleigh, 19-14 Handicap level: 12-goal Number of team entries: two Most valuable player: Howard Smith Polo Times best playing pony: Rocket, owned and played by Howard Smith Finalists: Eagle (12): Jonathan Munro-Ford 0; Howard Smith 6; Tim Bown 6 Crashleigh (12): Richard Davis 1; Danny Muriel 4; Tarquin Southwell 7 Polo Times, March 2011

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Reports

Home and abroad

USA – 20-goal season at International Polo Club Palm Beach, Florida

Florida flourishes after slow start

T

he 2011 high-goal season at International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, Florida, got off to a timid start at the beginning of January with just two teams competing for the 20-goal Herbie Pennell Cup, writes Alex Webbe.

Evenly matched on paper, EFG Bank and Valiente battled back and forth throughout the first half of play. A late rally by Valiente forced the game into an extra chukka before the EFG combination of Jarad Zenni, Andres Weisz, Luis Escobar and Kris Kampsen secured a 14-13 win to give them the first title of the season.

“It was a good solid team,” said sevengoaler Luis Escobar. “There was great chemistry and the team was well-mounted.

Not a bad combination,” he added.

Nine teams lined up for the ensuing Joe Barry Memorial Cup as the 20-goal season

Above: Faraway Farm claim the Joe Barry Memorial Cup at International Polo Club Palm Beach in January

Photographs by Ami de la Mer

started to take shape. The Faraway Farm team of Hutton Goodman, Julio Gracida, Sugar Erskine and Julio Arellano set the pace early on, receiving a strong challenge from Bo Goodman’s Mt Brilliant team with their high-scoring combination of Nic Roldan and Mike Azzaro.

The balanced attack and horsepower of Faraway Farm continued into the semifinals when they defeated Mt Brilliant, 10-9, to go through to the final.

Met by Gillian Johnston’s Bendabout foursome in the final, Faraway Farm claimed the title by a single goal, 10-9.

The field of teams grew to ten teams for the Ylvisaker Cup, which began on Saturday 29 January.

John Muse’s Lucchese, Joe Di Menna’s Equuleus and a Memo Gracida-led Patagones team each won three of their four league games and joined Lyndon Lea’s Zacara in the semi-finals Equuleus and Zacara were victorious in these semi-final games and, at the time of going to press, the two teams were preparing to meet in the final. w For all the latest news from the US 20-goal season, visit www.polotimes.co.uk Left: Memo Gracida made a return to 20-goal in the US this season, playing for Patagones

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Home and abroad

Reports

Burningfold Polo Club, Surrey – 2011 season

New tournaments introduced to meet a growing demand Ricardo Mansur’s vision to develop club polo at Burningfold has moved a long way since Nick Halam first built a field there in the mid 1990s. And the 2011 season sees the Surrey club expand even further.

The estate now features five stable blocks with grooms’ accommodation and purpose-built exercise and schooling areas.

The club has attracted a growing number of pros and patrons, with competitive chukkas on Wednesday evenings and weekends.

The 2011 season will feature a full calendar of tournaments including several new events and starts with the two-goal May Cup on 5-8 May. The UberPolo Cup and the highly-coveted 0-8 goal Alfold Bowl will also be held later in the summer.

The Burningfold and Meadow grounds are now fully established and irrigated and the club intends to double its investment in maintenance, both in sand and fertiliser.

Following the success of their Polo Pony Auction last year, there will be another sale on Thursday 26 May. This year there will be more opportunities to trial horses, both

RCBPC – Olin Trophy

prior to and on the day. Ponies will also be sited adjacent to the sales ring before the auction begins. After the sale, the club will host a party with a band and asado.

For more information about the sale or the upcoming season, contact the club directly on 01483 200722.

Following the success of last year’s event, Burningfold will hold their Polo Pony Auction again in May 2011

Ochos Rios-Altyon Juniors (pictured above) won the 7-10 goal Olin Trophy at the beginning of February. Chris Hyde played with his son Jack (middle) and Simon Holley’s son Charlie. They defeated a side featuring Gavin Turner, Jose Rojas and Mark Hayden-Kellard.

Jamaica – Ladies’ Tri-Nation Tour

Visiting African side defeat favourites

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41/2-4. Zimbabwe’s Diana Jack won the Hearts on Fire Jamaica pendant for “most valuable foreign player”.

u The Ladies’ Tri-Nation Tour, 6-12 February Kingston Polo Club, Jamaica Result: Zimbabwe beat Jamaica, 41/2-4 Sponsor: Chukka Caribbean Adventures Number of team entries: three Most valuable foreign player: Di Jack Teams: Zimbabwe: Sherri-Lyn Hensman; Hilary Campbell; Leonora de Ferranti; Diana Jack Jamaica: Lesley Fong-Yee; Rachel Turner; Michele Subaran; Susan Wates USA: Karen Reese; Cecelia Cochran; Tiffany Busch; Lauren Biddle

Photograph by Leon Allen

Zimbabwe claimed the second annual Ladies’ Tri-Nation Tour title in Jamaica in February, which was won last year

by England. This year, the hosts invited Zimbabwe and the USA to take part in the round-robin tournament.

The Jamaicans started well and looked like strong contenders after winning their first two matches. Held at Kingston Polo Club they defeated Zimbabwe by half a goal, 4-31/2 and the USA 3-2 to secure their place in the final.

Zimbabwe joined Jamaica in the final, held at St Ann Polo Club, after defeating USA at Chukka Blue Polo Ranch in the last league game. Jamaica were tipped as favourites, having defeated Zimbabwe earlier in the tournament. But the latter team came out on top, defeating Jamaica

Left: Prem Mahtani of Jewels & Time presents Diana Jack with the diamond Hearts on Fire Jamaica pendant

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Reports

Home and abroad

News in brief

Photo by Tammam Al Assaf

w A bu Dhabi - Hosts Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club won the Emirates Polo Championship on Friday 4 February in a close match against the excellent Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank team (ADCB).

Both sides were tied at 5-5 after the final chukka. A golden goal by Argentine professional Hugo Barabucci, then sealed

victory for the hosts and also earned him the Tom Ford man of the match award.

The same winning side – Nasser Al Dhari, Nasser Al Shamsi, Gonzalo Azumendi and Hugo Barabucci – represent Ghantoot in the Dubai Silver and Gold Cups. ustria – Steffi von Pock’s Wintertechnick w A won the Valartis Bank Snow Polo World Cup in Kiztbühel in January. The team defeated Arosa/VIP Traveller 3-2 to secure the title. Dr Piero Dillier’s Valartis Bank, who won the title last year, finished in third position overall, having won two games and lost one. British player Jack Kidd also played in the tournament for Champagne Lanson. They finished in seventh place overall having lost two games before beating Parmigiani 8-6 on the final day.

This left their opponents, featuring Swiss patron Philipp Maeder, in last place.

SA – The 26-goal season at International w U Polo Club Palm Beach, Florida, got underway in February, with the 12-team CV Whitney Cup kicking-off proceedings.

At the time of going to press, last year’s CV Whitney Cup winners, Crab Orchard, were licking their wounds having lost their opener against Lechuza Caracas, in a game that saw star player Adolfo Cambiaso sent off after three technical fouls. The 26-goal Piaget Gold Cup began on 24 February while the hotly contested US Open gets underway on 20 March.

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Four-goaler Delfosse wins treble in the Alps French professional Mathieu Delfosse was the most successful player of the Polo Masters Tour, featuring in all three winning teams across the series.

The event, which is made up of three tournaments held at the Val d’Isère, Megève and Courchevel ski resorts in the French Alps, concluded on 30 January.

Val d’Isère hosted the first leg of the tour for the third year running, and saw four three-man teams compete for the 6-8 goal Les Barmes Trophy. Four-goaler Delfosse lined-up for Gerrard Bonvicini’s Les Barmes de l’Ours team, who beat Doudoune Club – featuring young French player Edouard Pan – 8-4 in the final.

The tour then moved to Megève for the sixteenth year in a row. Here, six four-man teams competed in a 8-10 goal tournament.

Laurent Dassault’s Domaine du Mont d’Arbois, featuring Delfosse, picked up the trophy by beating Le Fer à Cheval.

The ski resort of Courchevel hosted the final part of the tour for the first time.

The format of the third leg was the same as Val d’Isère, with four three-man teams competing at a 6-8 goal level.

Delfosse, Laurent Dassault, and Thierry Vetois, who made up three quarters of the winning team in Megève, joined forces again in Courchevel as the Chopard team.

In the final they faced Scapa Sports, who led for much of the game.

However, excellent play between Vetois and Delfosse, brought Chopard level, before they went ahead in the final chukka and ran out 8-61/2 winners.

In the subsidiary final, Courchevel Tourisme – starring a father and son combo of Raoul and Gautier Fénéstraz – played Castel. Philippe Fatien, who patroned the Castel side, had to be replaced by Bernard de la Villardière in the last chukka. But this did not stop them storming to a 8-61/2 win.

Photograph by Nicolas Joly

w T hailand – Thai Polo and Equestrian Club hosted the B Grimm Thai Polo Open in January. Five teams took part in the tournament, which also raised funds for Chitralada Vocational School. The home team, Thai Polo, faced T Satrias from Malaysia in the final witnessed by thousands of guests. Thai Polo, led by the club’s chairman Harald Link, defeated their opponents 9-41/2 to claim the HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Cup.

France – Polo Masters Tour

Argentine player Jonas Larguia, pictured, played for Courchevel Tourisme on the Polo Masters Tour

France – Chantilly Polo Club 2011

Busy summer ahead for Chantilly Chantilly Polo Club, in Northern France, has announced its dates for what is set to be a busy 2011 season.

The club, which has 11 polo grounds, will feature kids, ladies and charity events, as well as high-goal action in the form of the 14-goal Open de France in September.

The 10-12 goal Charity Cup, which raises funds for UNICEF, will take place at the club from 11-26 June.

Another exciting tournament on the club’s calendar is the Coupe Raversine Challenge Elie de Rothschild played between 21 May and 5 June. www.polotimes.co.uk

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Reports

Home and abroad

Druids Lodge, Wiltshire – Exeter vs Cambridge

Cameron Houston, Lucinda Watson and Alice Etchells in action for Exeter University Polo Club (wearing hoops) against Cambridge in their inaugural varsity match

Honours even in varsity showdown Exeter University welcomed Cambridge University to Druids Lodge in Wiltshire at the end of January to take part in a twomatch varsity polo series organised by the students, writes Alice Etchells.

Each university entered their two best teams to take part in the match, which they hope will become an annual event.

Druids owner Giles Ormerod, who kindly provided ponies for the players, umpired the two three-chukka matches.

A large gathering of student onlookers turned out to witness some great low-

goal polo. The first match was a closely fought affair and scores were tied until the last chukka. The nail-biting final minutes

“ Exeter proved too tough for their intelligent Cambridge peers in the second of their bruising games” – Alice Etchells witnessed outstanding play by Exeter’s Francois de Nicolay. But he was out-

classed by Cambridge’s Imran Jumabhoy who scored the decisive goal in a 9-8 win for his side.

The second match, the main spectacle of the day, gave Exeter a chance to redeem themselves. The south coast side’s Lucinda Watson demonstrated excellent team play, whilst Cameron Houston remained rocksteady at the back, giving me lots of support.

Alex Rose’s Cambridge side fought hard, but in the end Exeter proved too tough for their arguably more intelligent Cambridge peers, and ran out convincing 10-3 victors.

Pakistan – Lahore polo season

Polo prodigy stands out from the crowd in Pakistan Lahore’s precocious polo prodigy, Hamza Mawaz Khan, has been enjoying a spectacular start to the high-goal season.

The third generation of a prominent polo-playing dynasty, Khan first represented his country last year at the tender age of just 14. Now ranked as a onegoaler, he has reportedly been playing well beyond his handicap and has been right in the thick of the early season tournaments.

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triumphed in the Caanchi and Lugari Pakistan Polo Cup at the end of January, defeating JS Bank/Wastebusters by half a goal. February’s Suzuki Swift Polo Cup saw another David and Goliath-style trial of strength for Khan as his 10-goal Bank Alfalah team lost 6-4 to Suzuki Swift/Guard Filters, which featured two of Pakistan’s highest ranked players.

Khan played alongside Argentine international Raul Laplacette in this match.

And he hopes this will not be the last time he plays alongside a high-goaler.

“I’ve played in Iran, Nairobi and Dubai but Argentina is my favourite polo location,” Khan tells Clare Sheikh. “I look up to [Adolfo] Cambiaso and I hope to join the professional ranks myself.

“I started learning polo when I was four years old and, although I enjoy football as well, the thrill of playing a good polo game means it’s always been the sport for me.” www.polotimes.co.uk

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21/2/11 12:00:42

Reports

Home and abroad

All England Polo Club, Hickstead – Seico Polo Cup

Windy weather blows the ball in the right direction for John Bunn and co Hickstead/Novate KSJ Consulting Ltd

11 8

John Bunn and his Hickstead/Novate side finally got their hands on the Seico Polo Cup in January after twice being denied at the end of 2010.

The hefty snow in West Sussex prior to Christmas necessitated the twice rescheduling of the event, which was finally played at AEPC at the start of the new year.

Despite the prevailing wind, Hickstead/ Novate and the all-female side of KSJ Consulting Ltd took to the arena to battle it out for the long anticipated final, sponsored by Seico.

Club chairman John Bunn’s Hickstead/ Novate side were hotly tipped to win the silverware. And they justified this early on as they quickly dissipated the two-goal handicap lead awarded to KSJ Consulting Ltd at the start of the match. Some commanding goals from Chas Taylor and superb defence by Marney Whyte saw them lead 4-2 at the end of the first chukka.

Some brilliant team skills between Katie Jenkins, Claire Maldonado and Nicki Cross resulted in a string of goals for KSJ Consulting Ltd to keep them in the contest. but Hickstead/Novate remained in front, eventually winning 11-8.

Action between KSJ Consulting Ltd (in red) and Hickstead/Novate in the Seico Polo Cup final

New Zealand – high-goal season

New field ushers in start of the summer season The New Zealand high-goal season got underway with the opening of the new Kaipaki polo ground near Mystery Creek just before Christmas and the highly anticipated BNZ Championship at Waimai in mid-January, writes Sarah Martin.

The official opening of the Kaipaki polo ground, home of cousins John-Paul Clarkin and Simon Keyte, made an exciting start to the New Zealand season.

It is hoped the world-class field will host 56 Polo Times, March 2011

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many major internationals in the future.

A 26-goal exhibition match witnessed by 2,500 spectators, celebrated the opening.

In mid-January the 20-goal BNZ Championship produced what many agreed was one of the most exciting finals they had ever seen, as John-Paul Clarkin’s Ormonde Eyes team met Piquet Hill Waimai. Ormonde Eyes were in command for most of the game before the home team – led by Craig (6) and Tommy Wilson (7)

– snatched the lead in the last chukka and managed to leap two ahead before the final bell, winning 10-8.

Best playing pony was awarded to Magic, from John-Paul Clarkin’s super fit and very fast string and Piquet Hill Waimai’s Matt Pitts took home the trophy for “Waimai Player of the Tournament”.

Henry Jones, who played in the low-goal President’s Cup earlier in the day, received the Worsp Cup Player of the Tournament. www.polotimes.co.uk

18/2/11 16:57:39

Cheltenham College

Boys & Girls | 3-18 | Boarding & Day One of the most renowned Polo playing schools, Cheltenham College has won the National Intermediate Arena Championship for the last 6 years

Spring S i Open Mornings nings Saturday 12 March (Junior 3-13) Saturday 19 March (College 13-18) Bursaries and a wide range of Scholarships available T: 01242 522 697 (Junior) | T: 01242 265 662 (Senior) www.cheltenhamcollege.org

www.polotimes.co.uk

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Youth polo

Johnnie Walker International Test Match, New Delhi: India vs England

Experience trumps enthusiasm Led by England’s newest seven-goaler, Satnam Dhillon, three young English players were taught the value of intelligent and physical polo by an experienced 14-goal India team James Mullan

reports

India England

6 4

Photographs by Rajkumar K Singh

T

hough not strictly playing as Young England in a 14-goal Test Match in India at the start of the year, the presence of new face James Carr alongside emerging young pros Max Charlton and Eden Ormerod, and the fact that the average age of this year’s side was considerably younger than the Young England side that played Malaysia at the beginning of 2010, means we’ve decided to dedicate the first spread of our new youth polo section to the contest.

The young English tourists played the match at New Delhi’s Jaipur Polo Ground led by the UK’s latest sevengoaler Satnam Dhillon, but India’s experienced foursome emerged victorious to lift the Johnnie Walker International Trophy and send the Brits home empty handed.

The result was to the delight of the packed grandstand, with India’s playmaker Samir Suhag shining brightest, impressing spectators with four successful 60-yard penalties. However, there was joy for James Carr when he got on the scoresheet in the second chukka, opening his international scoring account early to give himself confidence for the rest of the contest as well as for his next match on Sunday 13 February between England and Thailand at Harald Link’s Thai Polo Club in Pattaya.

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Max Charlton (left) checks his pony as he approaches the camera, while (above) England’s Eden Ormerod reaches to hit a nearside backhand as an Indian player tries to claim the line during the final chukka

“I’m naturally disappointed that we lost the game but there were plenty of positives to take out of it,” said captain Satnam Dhillon, who played a couple of seasons in Delhi with Ollie Taylor at the start

appearance for England. He went well, but it would certainly have been faster and more furious than he ever would have been used to before.

“The ancient Delhi ground ensures the games there never play anything other than hard and fast. The horses are all

“The young guys stood up well to the pressure in what was a very fast and physical match. The Indians play tough.” – team captain Satnam Dhillon of the decade and whose father Kuldeep “Colin” grew up in India until he was five. “It was a young side, according to the HPA directive for these sorts of matches, and the guys stood up well to the pressure in what was a very fast and physical match. The Indians play tough, and it was probably a steep learning curve for a player like James Carr, making his first

thoroughbreds off the racetrack and so they love to run, which means the match was pretty high-octane. Our hosts certainly gave 100 per cent in trying to mount us as well as possible, and we each had around 20 horses to try when we arrived, so in truth it was a shame that our preparation was so short. We could have done with being in Delhi a couple of days earlier.

“It was my first experience captaining an England team and was good to pull on the shirt again. Now that I’m seven goals, I’m hopeful of playing for the full-strength side www.polotimes.co.uk

18/2/11 16:59:16

Teresa Hodges has her say

in the summer’s big Test Matches. I think I’ve earned that right to be honest.”

Dhillon himself scored twice, as the Satnam “Satnav” navigated its way to goal in the second and fourth chukkas, and a horse lent to him for the third chukka by a namesake of no relation won him the best playing pony award too. England’s other goal-scorer (aside from Carr) was Eden Ormerod, who found the posts in the third chukka, and explained that the Indians had been “great to play against”.

England’s Henry Stevens adjudicated the contest, umpiring alongside Indian national Adhiraj Singh, with Lokendra Singh Rathore playing third man. The Indian guest of honour was General V K Singh, the Indian Army’s chief of staff. ◗ England beat Thailand 6-4 a week later, on Sunday 13 February, winning thanks to a thrilling late comeback. “The side was losing by one with two minutes left to play,” the team’s coach Andrew Hine told Polo Times. “But captain Oli Hipwood, who led the side very ably, equalised before Max Routledge fired home a fantastic neck shot and then scored again to make

absolutely sure of the victory. It was a tight game, but England played very well. Ollie Cudmore contributed well and James Carr showed plenty of promise and put in a very disciplined performance. It will have been great experience for him.” ◗ India, meanwhile, travelled to South Africa at the end of February for a rare match at Val de Vie in the magnificent Paarl Franschhoek Valley.

Game rating

• • • • • • • • • •

u India vs England; 6 February 2011; Jaipur Polo Ground, New Delhi, India Result: India beat England, 6-4 Handicap level: 14-goal Principal sponsor: Johnnie Walker Chukka scores (India): 1-0; 3-2; 4-3; 5-4; 6-4 Best playing pony: Damyanti, owned by Baljinder Singh Dhillon and played by Satnam Dhillon Teams India (13): Vishal Chauhan 2; Ravi Rathore 3; Samir Suhag 5; Tarun Sirohi 3 (reserve Gaurav Sahgal 2) England (14): James Carr 0; Max Charlton 4; Satnam Dhillon 7; Eden Ormerod 3

The sides line-up with the umpires and representatives from sponsor Johnnie Walker at the end of the match

Keep your eye on Photograph by James Wildman

Adolfo “Mono” Casabal Jr, 13, Ham Polo Club Adolfo “Mono” Casabal Jr turned a few heads with a very mature performance as part of the winning eight-goal team at the Heaton-Ellis Trust Arena Tournament this month (see page 46). The 13–year-old Ham Polo Club member played alongside his father Adolfo Snr – polo manager at Ham – as part of the victorious Gaucho team.

Ham chairman Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers, who is also chairman of the HPA, believes Casabal Jr is developing very well. He said: “Mono progressed remarkably well last season under his father’s watchful eye and coaching.

I believe he will certainly be a player to watch for the future.”

www.polotimes.co.uk

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Youth polo

The grass-roots view The latest from Theresa Hodges, UK Pony Club Polo chair, in her regular column A lot of important decisions about this summer’s season where made at the Pony Club Polo Committee planning meeting on Sunday 13 February. We decided, despite much discussion to the contrary, that in 2011 youngsters can only play in either the Pony Club or the Junior HPA section. This is to ensure all players get a place in a team and to help with scheduling.

In 2011 we are hoping to see a boost to the numbers of teams entered to take part in the Jorrocks section (under 11 years old on 1 January). Aligned with the HPA Development Committee, the Jorrocks section allows us to identify talent at a very early stage.

All Hipwood section members (11-15 years old) looking to play this summer must contact Bridget Baxter. I would also ask that players try to form teams from within their own geographical area as it will greatly help our ability to arrange training sessions and matches.

In the under-21 age groups, the Gannon (for 0-5 goal players) will be played as one division this year. The Langford section will be for zero-goalers and below. The minimum age for both is 14.

All handicaps are taken on 1 January. If a player goes up in the mid-season review, they will play with their new handicap thereafter, as usual.

All new rules will be posted on the HPA website: www.hpa-polo.co.uk. Contact Jilly Emerson for more information.

There are several dates coming up to put in the diary. There will be a Loriner (under-16) team training camp at Vaux Park on 28-30 May and Kirtlington will host a Jorrocks team training camp on 2-3 June.

More information about these is available on the Pony Club website or from the respective section managers, Charlotte Horne and Chris Eaton.

The next Branch Managers Meeting is on Saturday 30 April.

The Pony Club Rule Book is available from www.pcuk.org.

An updated Training Handbook will be available by the Easter school holidays.

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Knowledge

Playing around – Rugby Polo Club

Our intrepid improver Carlie Trotter (-2) works her way around the UK’s polo clubs

Thriving in the Midlands

Photographs by Carlie Trotter

Carlie Trotter travelled to Warwickshire this month and found Rugby to be a bustling, friendly and ever-expanding club at the heart of the Midlands circuit Crossing the busy yard to find my hire pony, a quick-footed bay called Lulu, I bump into pint-sized show jumpers en route to their first class as well as polo players getting fired up for the 0-4 goal New Year’s Cup and spectators giving pep-talks. It’s certainly all go at Rugby Polo Club, and I’ve not even checked out the bar yet.

I feel a bit of an imposter joining the home team, Sworders, in time for the final against historic rivals Cani but when the score-line reaches 11-9 to them in the second chukka, I’m more concerned about keeping pace.

Team captain and polo manager Phil Baker says: “Arena is great for your ball control and work rate because you’re only ever 20 yards from the ball and one of three rather than four players.” And it sure feels like it, especially when you’re playing against energetic youngster

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Action from the indoor arena at Rugby. Inset, the café at the club is open throughout the year

Lawrence Baker. With around 20 school ponies and another 20 racehorses in retraining the club gets newbies earning their stripes in matches early on, and half of winter members choose to hire. Five times weekly chukkas and tournaments every other weekend also make for a steep learning curve.

As a SUPA hub Rugby sets many people on their polo journey, while fewer English pros wintering overseas means the arena games are of a high standard.

Peter Riera belongs to a group of seven Nottingham university alumni that visits Rugby every few weeks to stick and ball and catch up with old teammates. He explains: “Most of us are based in London so there are other clubs we pass on the way but it’s only 50 minutes on the train, very affordable, and since we graduated the facilities here keep getting better.”

www.polotimes.co.uk

18/2/11 17:00:13

Playing around – Rugby Polo Club

Similarly, local arena four-goaler James Rollinson defected from the Berkshire circuit when he discovered the full-size indoor arena at Rugby last year. Watching a spot of jumping from the clubhouse is a nice way to relax after the adrenalin of our match, and it’s by renting space for other equestrian events that the polo club can keep growing.

Next on the agenda is adding a viewing platform with horsey shops around the smaller indoor school and the club is also looking to build a second outdoor arena and become host of the university arena nationals in 2012.

One of my favourite club features though is the photographs from many a themed party – the opposition just seems less intimidating once you’ve seen them in a sombrero – and the odd evening exhibition match livens up the dark English winter.

A hot tip too, if the leg of lamb is anything to go by, has to be the Dunn Cow pub in Dunchurch village (one minute away).

More than a decade after it reopened Rugby Polo Club’s members, and builders, show no sign of slowing down. F

Soundbites from the sidelines Phil Baker - Polo manager “Building up the club facilities is my favourite part of the job and the great thing is we’re not restricted on space. The aim is to make Rugby the best polo venue around so that people can play a decent winter season and discover the Midlands circuit. It’s important clubs work together so we try to ensure tournaments don’t clash and we get out to Offchurch Bury, West Wycombe and Cambridge whenever possible. By holding shows at the farm we can afford to run tournaments and keep the café open throughout the year – members can’t be expected to foot the entire bill, especially now. We haven’t missed a day yet because we can play indoors and by February there are 40-odd people for weekend chukkas.”

Paul Clay - Year-round member “I switched from eventing to polo a couple of years ago and now travel from Leicester with my two ponies every weekend, which takes around 45 minutes. It’s great that people generally hang around for drinks in the clubhouse after a match in winter, and the wax and sand arena surface is fantastic. Most members here have ridden a lot before they take up the game, there’s a good mix of starters and competitive players and tournaments whenever you want. I recently set up a new business so I can’t make midweek chukkas anymore but the indoor arenas mean nothing stops play at the weekend.”

Louise Jebson - Winter member “I started playing at RLS last summer before moving here for winter and now I’m hooked with four ponies.

The social scene is more laid back here, everyone can get involved in tournaments and it’s a great base for players who want to support all the local clubs. The facilities are just amazing and full livery is competitively priced. I bought my darling Tobiana from Sophie Heaton-Ellis of RLS but I really enjoyed Rugby’s school ponies before that. I play adult chukkas (known as ‘business house’) on Monday evenings and also enjoy a weekly lesson. Many university students stay with the club after graduating.

We’ve had teams travel from as far as Norwich this winter.”

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Knowledge

Rugby Vital statistics Playing members 70 Non-playing members Proud parents and WAGS from the local show jumping circuit Facilities 100 x 45m outdoor arena linked to indoor warm-up arena and overlooked by lively clubhouse with sofas and beer on tap, plus a large indoor arena with viewing gallery, café, shower block, wooden horse and pony transport service. Two full-size summer grounds with stick and ball area nearby, and club chukka grounds at the farm.

Location Set on the 1,000 acre Onley Grounds Farm in Shakespeare’s county, five minutes off the M1 and Fosse Way, a stone’s throw from RLS and Offchurch Bury clubs, and 10 minutes from Rugby train station (50 minutes from London Euston).

Philosophy Providing world class facilities for non-stop, spectator-friendly polo.

Running the show Since its reopening in 2000 long-time Rugby School polo don and arena four-goaler Phil Baker has been ambitiously expanding the club, which was first founded in 1893, together with brother David. When he’s not plotting a new arena Phil can be found teaching seven days a week alongside fellow instructor Glynn Henderson.

Secretary Julie Fuller takes charge of the busy winter tuition and tournament schedule, supported by a team of grooms and barkeepers that ensure regular club shindigs go off with a bang.

Crowd The Brit-centric club draws players of all levels from the Warwickshire circuit as well as Nottingham and Birmingham university students. Rugby, Bloxham, Maidwell Hall and Bilton Grange schools train with Phil, while visitors to the farm’s showing and jumping events give the place its buzzy atmosphere. Supporting pros include David Ashby (4, arena) and Michael Henderson (5).

Seasonal highlight From Halloween to Hawaiian-themed parties the club boasts several social highlights, and on the playing front there’s the arena six-goal tournament at the end of March. Rugby also takes a big interest in the summer holy grail that is Cirencester’s Warwickshire Cup. Livery Space for over 100 liveries on the main indoor yard and new stabling by the summer grounds. Full livery including feed, exercise and grooming costs £90 a week or you can rent a box for the year at £1,300 on a DIY basis. Turnout and haylage in a private coral costs £25 a week year-round. Pony owners do not pay chukka fees.

Membership Full winter membership is £300, or £150 for students. A private lesson or pony hire for two match chukkas starts at £45 (£35 for students).

Contact info@rugbypoloclub.com; 01788 817724; tweet @rugbypoloclub

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Knowledge

Know your horse

Mark Emerson MRCVS is a two-goal polo player and an ambulatory equine vet

Wisdom on teeth

Photographs by Mark Emerson

As thoughts turn to bringing in ponies and preparing them for the season, our duty vet suggests a couple of issues to check up on in order to ensure that, when your ponies get the bit between their teeth, you can be sure you’re getting the best out of them

I can’t say I was elated at seeing myself photoshopped to look like a dentist in last month’s issue of Polo Times. Vets do wear surgical scrubs in operating theatres but I would look pretty odd visiting polo yards dressed like that. Nevertheless the dentist look is topical, as with the summer polo season fast approaching, teeth-rasping is one of the main jobs of a polo vet at this time of year.

Horses’ teeth have evolved to grind up grass, which is composed of, amongst other things, the extremely hard substance: cellulose. The grinding that is required continuously wears the teeth down and so, to compensate, the teeth themselves erupt through the gum at roughly the same rate they wear down. However, any slight misalignment between the top and bottom rows of teeth results in uneven wear and the development of sharp edges or points. This can obviously affect a horse’s ability to chew properly, but it also results in soft tissue lesions in the mouth that can affect the horse’s 64

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Top: Some horses require sedating in order to have their teeth rasped properly Above: Most polo vets have all the latest equine dental equipment

responsiveness to the bit. This is particularly significant in polo, due to the bits and bridles we tend to use in order to have maximum control when stopping and turning. When the reins are pulled on a gag bit, for example, the corners of the mouth and the neighbouring tissue just inside the cheeks are pulled against the first cheek teeth. If these teeth are sharp, they can cause quite significant ulceration inside the cheeks, causing pain and affecting responsiveness to the bit.

Teeth-rasping removes the sharp edges and points. I strongly recommend

that all polo ponies’ teeth are rasped prior to the start of the season by a vet who has an interest in dental work or a good equine dental technician (“horse dentist”). Most polo vets are accomplished dentists and carry all the latest hand rasps and mechanised burrs. There are undoubtedly excellent equine dental technicians who also do a superb job and understand the importance of procedures such as “bit-seating” (rounding off the corners of the first cheek teeth) in polo ponies.

However, it is worth bearing in mind that only vets can prescribe sedatives and legally administer them intravenously.

And, although some horses are amenable to teeth-rasping without sedatives, it is often difficult to do a decent job without them.

As well as teeth-rasping, spring is the best time of year to vaccinate your horses against flu. In order to have adequate immunity, a primary course at zero, one and six months should be administered to horses with an unknown vaccination history. Thereafter they should be done annually. However, I recommend bringing the annual jabs forward to early spring so that immunity is strongest during the season when horses are mixing at polo. Doing the vaccinations at the same time as teethrasping also saves money on call-out fees. The pre-season vaccination and teeth-rasping visit is a great opportunity to discuss any other concerns with your vet, often at no extra charge, before any damage is done. F ◗ Mark Emerson works as an ambulatory equine vet based near Ascot and has polo clients across the south of England: tel 07973 800358 or email mark@emersonequine.com www.polotimes.co.uk

18/2/11 17:01:03

Know your horse

Physio for thought Don’t get hamstrung

by Australian high-performance vet Nicola Jagger, specialist in chiropractics and cohesive equine physiotherapy

Horses’ hamstring muscles course down the back of the hind legs. They propel the horse forward by extending the hip and flexing the hock and stifle, and the muscles are relied upon for stopping.

Injuries to hamstrings are common and lead to a shortened stride, meaning horses also hesitate to stop suddenly. However, the following tips can help prevent the problems: 1. Good warm up and cool down 2. Stretching before work – face backwards and hold the fetlock to bring the back leg forward until you feel resistance. Hold the leg here for 15 seconds. Repeat, extending the leg further forward 3. Ice then massage the hamstrings after intense work 4. Plenty of water and electrolytes after exercise

Gaucho

tips for grooms

Who hasn’t had problems with their lorry at the start of the season? Flat batteries, flat tyres, seized-up brakes, burst water pipes, no MOT, or no valid tax disk – the list goes on.

Make sure you look after your lorry or trailer during the cold, wet, winter months and avoid these problems with common sense and planning.

It may pay to keep the lorry on the road and run it around for 20 minutes once a fortnight. It will keep the batteries charged, the engine parts moving and the brakes working. If you were to spot a problem, you’d have plenty of time to sort it out before the start of the season.

Try to leave your transport under cover or at least on concrete standing, as the one pictured is, rather than in a field or on gravel.

The dampness coming from soft ground will rust the metal and rot the wood very quickly, affecting the engine, brakes, doors, floor and ramp. www.polotimes.co.uk

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Knowledge

Lorna Edgar – specialist equine nutritionist

When should pre and probiotics be fed?

Personally, I love these things. They can be used in so many situations and, in polo, they can be of benefit to so many ponies.

Pre and probiotics are classed as “digestive enhancers” (along with yeast) and are of benefit to the horse as they work on the fibre-digesting bacteria in the hind gut or, in human terms, “the friendly bacteria”.

Probiotics are live bacteria, which aim to flood the gut with beneficial bacteria (of which there are many species) and are best fed in the short term.

Prebiotics are a food source only for existing beneficial gut bacteria and work by stimulating growth and repopulation of the bacteria. They can be fed in the long term.

As we all know, the horse has evolved to eat fibre, which the beneficial bacteria help to digest. However, situations arise when this process is compromised and we can help by adding digestive enhancers. Many feeds contain digestive enhancers to

help maintain gut health but, when a problem occurs, there may be a need to provide higher levels.

It’s worth trying a digestive enhancer in these instances: ◗ When changing hay/haylage/grass.

For example, when coming in from the field after winter turn out ◗ If a pony has loose droppings (caused by stress, hard work or travelling) ◗ For ponies arriving from overseas ◗ For those on box rest, receiving antibiotics or those who are prone to colic ◗ When ponies are on restricted fibre intake (often causing loose droppings or giving a ‘hollow’ and ‘tucked up’ look) ◗ On older ponies, especially if they have teeth problems and loose droppings We have all heard of the yoghurts Yakult and Actimel. Equine equivalents I have used successfully are Protexin, BioGold and Baileys Digest Plus.

Pre y pro-bióticos ya que pueden ser usados en muchas situaciones Soy fanática de los Pre y Pro-bióticos ya que pueden ser usados en muchas situaciones, y en polo en particular, su administración podría ayudar a muchos caballos.

Clasificados como facilitadores de la digestión (junto con la levadura) son beneficiosos para los caballos porque ayudan a las bacterias encargadas de digerir fibra en los intestinos, en términos humanos, “bacterias buenas”!

Probióticos: son bacterias vivas que tienen como objetivo reproducirse en los intestinos para cumplir una tarea beneficiosa (hay muchas especies).

Prebióticos: sirven de alimento para bacterias ya presentes en los intestinos y estimulan su crecimiento y su reproducción.

Yo siempre recomiendo dar probióticos solo a corto plazo y prebióticos a largo plazo.

Algunas de las situaciones en las que su administración es recomendable son: ◗ Al principio de la temporada, cuando los

caballos vuelven del campo y su dieta cambia. ◗ Si tienen diarrea o hacen bosta floja (debido a stress, trabajo intenso o a viajes en camión). ◗ Caballos que llegan del exterior. ◗ Caballos en reposo en boxes, que reciben antibióticos o aquellos que sean propensos a sufrir cólicos. ◗ Cuando tengan acceso restringido a fibra. ◗ Cuando se trate de caballos viejos, en particular si tienen problemas de dientes y bosta floja.

Los productos que probé con éxito fueron: Protexin, Bio Gold y Digest Plus de Baileys.

Son equivalentes a la versión para humanos de Yakult y Actimel

◗ Contact Lorna Edgar on lorna@baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk and 07808 863864 Polo Times, March 2011

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Knowledge

Know your game

Must-have tips for players – from Jamie Peel, three-goal pro and 2008 Gold Cup winner

Better budgeting March and April are notoriously difficult months for many professionals. The horses are coming back into work and your expenses are going through the roof but you might not be playing and, as a result, your earnings can be very low. Managing your money is key to successfully running your polo as a profitable business. It is important to have a budget for the year and to stick to it.

Having money coming in on a regular basis is vital but it is not easy to achieve. During the winter months, playing jobs abroad are few and far between so you need to be well organised. If you have a contract with a team or patron, life is much easier – you firstly agree the amount of money that you are going to get paid and then you can put a payment plan in place so that you know when your money is going to come through. This will make a big difference. However, you might be playing for more than one team, which many people do and, as a result, you will have no control as to when the money will arrive.

As a young player, you will more often than not be making your deal with the main professional on the team and this can make life difficult when it comes to invoice time. You must get everything clear and, if you can get some written

expenses. Polo's sports psychologist Miranda Banks (see below) has been working closely with many professional polo players since 2008 and she will tell you that the more organised you are off the field the better you will perform on it.

Trust me, she’s right!

Polo's oracle Julie Crocker, is responsible for organising 90 per cent of the top professionals based in Cowdray. Her advice is to be realistic when budgeting for the year and always to work within your financial capacity and do not forget your own personal expenses (e.g. phone, fuel, food and home). Here are Julie's other reminders for what to remember when creating your budget:

Players budgeting for the year have a lot to take into account and should be realistic about their expenses

confirmation in either an email, text or letter, then you will have some security if there is ever a problem.

Playing fees are not the only source of revenue that a professional has but it is the most important as it supplies you with cash flow throughout the year.

An amateur will have the same running costs as a professional: the farrier, feed, shavings, stables, vet and grooms all have to be paid every month so it is vital that your cash flow can support your

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Winter livery Deposit for stabling Grooms’ visas and flights Club membership Payroll expenses Employers and public liability Insurance 7. Farrier (summer and winter) 8. Transport 9. Vet (teeth, vaccinations and injuries) 10. General expenses (feed, hay, shavings, wormers) & A subscription to Polo Times (ed)!

Mind games Mind games Min Sports psychologist Miranda Banks on what polo players need to think about to optimise

Spring has sprung and the summer season approaches. As thoughts turn to forming teams for this summer, what goals are reasonable to create amongst a new side? Naturally, in a competitive sport you always must maintain the goal 66

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of winning, but be specific about it: what is your team going to stand for and how will that be achieved? Once you have established your style, which are the “must-win” events and how can you best prepare collectively to ensure you www.polotimes.co.uk

18/2/11 17:01:49

Know your game

Fit for purpose James de Mountfort, polo player and personal trainer to the Red Bull F1 Racing Team reveals the exercises and techniques that will specifically help your polo While the forces players have to deal with in polo are different from Formula One, the benefits of training to improve fitness are just as valuable: improved fitness helps sustain optimum performances for longer during exercise, leading to improved hand eye co-ordination, faster reaction speeds, less fatigue and so better tactical choices under pressure.

Knowledge

Avoiding injury Essential tips, by the game’s go-to expert, Linda Byrne As discussed last month, exercising many muscle groups simultaneously with synchronised movements develops basic motor patterns, maximises strength and fitness gains specifically for polo, and can thus help you avoid injury.

Fitter players are better placed to deal with the game’s huge physical elements. Not only does your ability to recover from injuries increase the fitter you are, but you can help avoid them in the first place by strength and conditioning to avoid the common muscle imbalances that go with playing a unilateral game (where one side of the body is under different stresses and a separate workload from the other).

Devising the correct programme for achieving this goal is what I will begin in the next issue. ◗ Contact James on 07949 455712 or james@personally-trained.co.uk to put together your own regime to get you fit for purpose.

The “box jump” provides an almost total body workout regardless of your level of fitness. Begin with a small box or step until your confidence grows: • Stand upright in front of a box or step with feet directly under the hips and hands by your side

Mind games Mind games their performances. This month – setting your side reasonable goals

give yourselves every chance?

Then, more specifically, think about what should be each player’s own personal targets and how they can be measured at various points during the season. www.polotimes.co.uk

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Regular reviews, effective training methods and clear expectations are going to be essential. ◗ Contact Miranda on 07789 933936 and miranda@mirandabanks.com

• Looking straight ahead, lower yourself into a jumping position by bending your knees and hips, keeping your back straight at all times • Swing your arms and explosively jump onto the box or step, making sure you bring your feet up higher in order to clear the edge • Both feet should land softly and completely on the box or step. Then step down slowly.

• Repeat 10-15 times • Do the whole set three times ◗ Linda Byrne is an equestrian and extreme sports biomechanics fitness specialist. Contact her on 07535 655338 and lindabyrne23@gmail.com Polo Times, March 2011

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Ones to watch

Knowledge

Saeed Bin Drai looks strong, says John O’Sullivan UAE businessman and one-goal patron Saeed Bin Drai will be looking to add to his trophy cabinet this month when he leads his Dubai Falcons side in the second annual 15-goal Threadneedle Gold Cup at the Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club, where his father was the president for many years, on 2-11 March.

Photograph by Alice Gipps

Bin Drai won the 2010 St Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow, but did not return to the frozen Swiss lake to retain his crown this January, after the set-up for the tournament changed and the handicap level was dropped (read how on page 32).

Carambola

Height: 15.2hh Age: 11 Colour: Palomino Sex: Mare Breed: Criollo x Thoroughbred mix Owner: Tarquin Southwell

Both Tarquin Southwell and his champion mare Carambola were new to playing on snow, as Georgie May discovered in St Moritz

else. Out of all my horses that were new to the snow, she adapted the best and I played her three times in the final.

How did you come to buy Carambola?

I found her at the Gaucho Festival in Lobos, Argentina, in 2003. She was the barrel-racing champion at the event and she caught my eye so I bought her. She spent a couple of years in Salvador Maria, near Lobos, being trained for polo before I brought her to the UK in 2006 to play her.

What are her strengths and weaknesses?

She has great lateral movement, a super mouth and good breaks. She’s also very good in ride-offs as she’s powerful and tough. Her main weakness is her lack of speed – if she were faster she would definitely be playing at a higher level.

What level of polo have you played her in?

She’s played up to 15-goal. The biggest outdoor tournament she has played in at that level was the Eduardo Moore at RCBPC. However, generally she is really better suited to the arena. She has a lot of power but not much speed, so she has become my arena specialist!

And what is her temperament like?

She has a wonderful temperament and she’s very brave. There is great energy about her – she knows when she’s going to play polo. Schooling and stick and balling aren’t her forte, as she gets quite impatient. But as soon as she’s on the ground for a match she puts her head down and gets stuck in.

And what was she like on the snow in St Moritz?

She absolutely loved it. This was my first snow polo tournament as well as hers and she took me everywhere I wanted to be. She has the perfect mix of balance, power and speed for the snow and she played as well as she would anywhere

What do you plan do to with her when she retires?

I probably won’t sell her as I get quite sentimental about my horses. It would be nice to breed from her but financially I don’t know if it’s worth it. It would be good to find someone who can play her in low-goal.

Hence, he will be particularly keen for success on home soil, playing in a team with a trio of Argentines – Nicolas Petracchi, Tomas Iriarte and Salvador Ulloa. Bin Drai previously played with four-goalers Petracchi and Iriarte as part of Team Qatar Airways in the 2010 Desert Palm Cartier International. Recently married six-goaler Ulloa, joins the team fresh from victory playing with São Jose in the Ellerstina Gold Cup in December.

The inaugural Threadneedle Gold Cup in 2010 was awash with Brits, with the likes of Chris Hyde, Jonny Good, Ryan Pemble, Dave Shepherd, Twm Morris-Lowe and Nacho Gonzalez all taking part. However, six-goaler Gonzalez, who won the tournament with Mahra last year, is the only Brit to return in 2011.

Bin Drai, pictured, has strong links with England and keeps a string of 30 ponies at Pegglesworth Farm in Gloucestershire, and will no doubt have plenty of support from the British contingent in the crowd.

Page sponsored by Baileys Horse Feeds - experts in polo nutrition Tel: +44 (0)1371 850247 www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk www.polotimes.co.uk

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Knowledge

How to spend it

Motors Aston Martin V8 Vantage S If you are looking to stand out among all the SUVs in the polo club car park this summer, you might want to have a look at the latest offering from James Bond’s favourite manufacturer Aston Martin.

The Gaydon-based kings of elegance have unveiled the V8 Vantage S, which they claim marries the best features of the

previous V8 and V12 models.

With the 4.7 litre engine now capable of producing 430 brake horse power, the Vantage S boasts an impressive top speed of 189mph. But Aston Martin’s techies are still keeping tightlipped about the 0-60 time.

As well as being faster than its predecessor, the seven-speed gearbox also gives more control to the driver than before.

The slick exterior is inspired by the V12 with redesigned bumpers and a new rear spoiler.

The V8 Vantage S is set to be officially unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show on Tuesday 1 March, but is already available to purchase.

The coupé costs £102,500, while the Roadster version will set you back £110,700.

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Adrenalin alternatives with Andrew Dent This month: Paramotor racing My first exposure to parasailing was tethered behind a speedboat in the Mediterranean in the 1970s. Sitting in a harness beneath the fabric wing, there was a short-term adrenalin hit while the boat circled the bay, but it was expensive and fundamentally unsatisfactory as the helmsman decided where you went and it usually ended in a dunking.

Then the French had the bright idea of a self-launch system, using a motor and propeller strapped to the back of the pilot, and the paramotor or powered paraglider was born. This is a proper adrenalin sport.

You start by standing in a field, strapped to an engine and a wing with various lines and toggles.

Take-off is always into wind and can be quite strenuous, but you reach flying speed after a few steps and the wing lifts above and behind you, taking the weight of the engine and allowing you to slip into a comfortable seat in the harness.

Beginners tend to oscillate under the wing as if on a pendulum but with practice stable forward flight of up to 40mph can be achieved, skimming the treetops or ascending to 10,000 feet or more, according to taste and nerve.

Amazingly, no special licence is required in the UK, although training is strongly recommended if one wants to avoid injuries to, for instance, one’s legs, which double as the undercarriage.

The rules of the air do apply, so it is also worth finding out about air traffic zones and the like, if only to

avoid coming face to face with a B-52 on the approach to a US military base.

Engine management is a useful skill to acquire as these units are often two-strokes with very specific appetites for fuel/oil mix. If they don’t like what you feed them, they can stop without warning. But when you’ve got all that sorted, the buzz is unique.

Good instructors can be easily located online and many have tandem rigs that can give you a taste of the action. If you hone your skills and are a competitive soul (and what polo fanatic isn’t) there are hotly contested national championships in which to take part. www.freshbreezeuk.com

Piaget Altiplano Piaget are well-known in polo circles for their widespread sponsorship of the sport. And their latest timepiece could be just the ticket to show your club mates how refined you are.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the classic Calibre12P – recognized by Guinness World Records as the thinnest automatic movement watch in the world with a thickness of just 2.3mm – the famed Swiss watchmakers and jewellers have released the slick Altiplano.

At 5.25mm, it is the thinnest selfwinding watch in the world and the 43mm watchface and white gold case both ooze style in a very understated way. Available from £12,000.

Georgian mansion in polo country An impressive eight-bedroom Georgian house with 25 acres of land has come on the market in the heart of Berkshire’s polo country.

Barton Lodge in Winkfield boasts its own stick and ball field and is within five miles of Guards Polo Club, RCBPC and Coworth Park.

As well as the eight-bedroom lodge, the site includes a coach house, a two-bedroom guest flat, paddocks and a swimming pool.

Barton Lodge, Drift Road, Winkfield is being sold through Savills Windsor (01753 834600). Guide price is £7.5m. www.polotimes.co.uk

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Ponies shaggy? Breeches baggy?

Muscles saggy?

Get a grip!

The season’s just a month away.

ATS We’ve got everything for polo Look on our website:

www.satsfaction.com Phone us on: 01285 841 542 Fax us on: 01285 841 546 Email us on: sats@lineone.net South American Trade Services, Sandpool House, Sandpool Lane, Tarlton, Cirencester, Glos GL7 6PB

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Knowledge

Property – Apes Hill Club, Barbados

Picturesque Barbadian club offers sun, scenery and plenty of polo Sir Charles Williams’s exclusive Caribbean development at Apes Hill boasts a range of luxury holiday homes ideal for the polo enthusiast, writes John O’Sullivan

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luxury villa overlooking the Platinum Coast of Barbados within a stone’s throw of top polo grounds and world-class golf clubs – you could be forgiven for thinking this is just a dream.

But that is exactly what is on offer at the Apes Hill Club, the brainchild of Barbadian construction magnate and famed polo enthusiast Sir Charles “Cow” Williams.

The 470-acre development is set amongst a richly diverse landscape of rolling meadows, dense forest and coral stone quarries. And, split into eight distinctive neighbourhoods each named after 17th century plantation fields, it offers a wide range of Bajan-themed family homes, ideal for polo enthusiasts looking for a holiday home in sunny climes.

The Apes Hill Club is located in central Barbados on the site of a former sugar plantation. But, at over 1000 feet above sea level, the club offers stunning views of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

The Apes Hill Polo Club (formerly Waterhall Polo Club) boasts a full international-size field, which hosts Barbados Open matches in late March as well as the 12-goal Diamond International beforehand.

Apes Hill also hosts regular six-goal tournaments throughout the season (January to April) and offers chukkas, pony rental and polo lessons with qualified HPA instructors.

Director of sales Linda Williams believes the club has something for horse and polo

The luxury homes viewed across the golf club’s fairway. Below, the nearby Port St Charles Yacht Club, which all Apes Hill members are invited to join

enthusiasts of all abilities. She said: “It is the ideal place to indulge in one’s love for all things equestrian – to share in the drama and spectacle of international polo matches against a stunning backdrop of the Caribbean Sea; to sharpen one’s handicap under the resident coach, or to simply experience gorgeous scenery on horseback from the vantage point of the club’s riding facilities.”

Polo was first introduced to Barbados by British officers at the end of the 19th century and the Barbados Club was originally founded in 1884, 126 years ago.

The popularity of the sport has grown rapidly on the island over the last decade and there are now a number of quality polo fields in Barbados at Apes Hill, Holders Hill, Clifton, Buttals and Lion Castle.

Sir Charles, who was captain at the Barbados Club for 36 years, epitomised the ambition of the sport on the island when he signed a $1m deal to sponsor an all-English team in the Queen’s Cup at Guards in 2009.

Apes Hill, which included the Tomlinson brothers, beat Sumaya 12-11 in a memorable final at Guards Polo Club in Berkshire.

If any further proof was needed of the quality of the facilities and services available at Apes Hill, it comes from the championship golf course, which was officially opened in December 2009. This was designed by the Landmark Land Company (who also designed La Quinta course in Marbella and the PGA West in Florida) and is run in conjunction with the prestigious Surrey-based Wentworth Club.

Apes Hill is located 20km from the Grantley Adams International Airport, which has regular flights to London Gatwick, Manchester, JFK and Miami. Access to beaches is also easy.

Brits are popular visitors to the island, too.

Despite having been independent from Britain since 1966, the head of state is still the Queen, English is spoken around the island and red postboxes are still present throughout. The UK also provides the bulk of the tourist income. F wA range of properties at Apes Hill are being sold through Knight Frank. Prices range from $436,000 to $2,750,000 wF or more information visit www.apeshillclub.com

For further information with regard to equestrian property sales contracts, please contact Mark Charter at Blake Lapthorn directly: on 023 8085 7116; via email, at mark.charter@bllaw.co.uk; or write to Mark Charter, Partner, Real Estate, Blake Lapthorn, New Kings Court, Tollgate, Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh, SO53 3LG

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Knowledge

Polo in Pakistan, Malir Garrison Polo Club

Resurrected at last After almost half a century in the polo wilderness, the action this winter suggests that the game is once again beginning to flourish in the southern Pakistan city of Karachi

Bina Shah in Pakistan

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Photographs by Baba Dody

o all intents and purposes, polo in Karachi was dead three years ago. But then came Major-General Asfandyar Ali Khan Pataudi, who â&#x20AC;&#x201C; though he is too modest to admit it â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is responsible for the gameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent revival.

The veteran polo enthusiast recently led the Oriental Blacks to victory in the inaugural Oriental Advertising Polo Cup in the southern Pakistan city. But of much greater significance is his work off the field, which has seen the development of the Malir Garrison Polo Club at Malir Cantonment, where this tournament was held.

While polo continues to go from strength to strength in the northern Punjab region of Pakistan, where local players are known to spend up to $15,000 importing ponies from Argentina, the once proud traditions of the sport in Karachi have eroded over the last 50 years.

After partition from India in 1947, Karachi was the capital of Pakistan and British and Argentine teams regularly

visited for high-goal matches against locally-based stars like Brigadier Hesky Baig and Fakir Syed Aitzazuddin.

But when the capital city moved to Islamabad in 1963, the polo players and major sponsorship soon followed north, leaving the Karachi game in tatters.

The final straw came in 1992 when civilians were banned from the polo

Off the field there are clear signs that a refined international standard club is emerging again in Karachi grounds following a high-profiled altercation between a private citizen and two army officers.

Non-army players were forced to house their polo ponies with buffalos in temporary stables and could only play on the beach. The game in Karachi was effectively dead.

However, three years ago, MajorGeneral Pataudi took an interest in

Elegant spectators enjoy sipping tea while watching the final of the Oriental Advertising Polo Cup (above) at the newly formed Malir Garrison Polo Club. Right, the victorious Oriental Blacks team with Major-General Asfandyar Ali Khan Pataudi (number four)

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Polo in Pakistan, Malir Garrison Polo Club

Knowledge

Major-General Pataudi, left, in action during the final at Malir Garrison Polo Club

all of the straggling polo enthusiasts in Karachi, to encourage them to join the Malir Garrison club. Things have been growing steadily since then and, having also reorganised the army team, polo is now played twice a week at the budding Karachi club.

The Oriental Advertising Cup in July – which saw Major-General Pataudi’s Orient Blacks side beat Orient Cavalry 6-4 – was the culmination of

Action from an earlier round of the Oriental Advertising Polo Cup

all this hard work. The low-goal match may have lacked the intensity of the international matches that graced Karachi in the 1950s, but off the field there are clear signs that a refined international standard club is emerging again. The Governor of Karachi was the guest of honour and he rubbed shoulders with men, women and children relaxing on comfortable white sofas, being served tea and snacks by army waiters.

Seher Pirzada, owner of the nearby Equestrian riding school, summed up the sentiment of the occasion. She said: “This is beautiful. There hasn’t been a polo tournament of this calibre in recent years. And it’s great not to have to pack up and ship the horses to Lahore to play. It’s a major achievement for Karachi.”

Polo in southern Pakistan clearly still has a long way to go to match the heady heights of the 1950s and 60s.

But the success of the Malir Garrison club is certainly a huge step forward. F

Photographs by Baba Dody

this history and, as the internationallycapped grandson of the man responsible for establishing the famed Lahore Polo Club, he quickly decided the onus should fall on him to change the game’s sorry state of affairs.

He received permission from his commanding officer, Lieutenant General Ahsan Azhar Hayat, to develop a club at Malir Cantonment. And, after creating a field there, he started rounding up

w For more from the Pakistan polo scene see pages 12-13 and page 54. www.polotimes.co.uk

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Knowledge

Products

Get ahead – get a hat Whether it’s hot or cold, you need to kit out your team. Georgie May selects 11 polo-related baseball caps that will brighten up your accessories’ wardrobe

Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup, £30

www.polistas.co.uk Men’s black, £30

www.polistas.co.uk

Ladies’ purple and silver, £30

www.polistas.co.uk

Olney’s Tweed Cheviot Sport Cap, £27

www.topsecrethats.com

Navy with Stickhedz logo, £15

www.stickhedz.com St Moritz, £22.50

www.kit4kings.com

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Products

Knowledge

Stone with Stickhedz logo, £15

www.stickhedz.com

Chino baseball cap, £30

www.ralphlauren.com

Klosters in sky blue, £25

www.hackett.com Klosters in navy, £25

www.hackett.com

Palermo, £22.50

www.kit4kings.com Team cap, £12.99

www.akumapolo.com

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Knowledge

Restaurant review – Casa Malevo, London

A taste of Argentina Though the quality of Argentina’s polo will probably never be replicated successfully in the UK, we decided it was time to review one of the places aiming to export the country’s equally undoubted culinary strengths

Freddie House in Central London

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ucked away off the Edgware Road but a few minutes’ walk from Hyde Park, Casa Malevo is an authentic Argentinian restaurant created by head chef, Diego Jacquet and restaurateur Alberto Abbate. With experience in providing Argentinian cuisine to the polo crowds at events throughout Europe, the chances are you have tried Jacquet’s cooking through his catering company Zoilo.

However, don’t be fooled into thinking this is mediocre fare.

The atmosphere and decoration of the modest restaurant is refined yet relaxed, a theme that seems to underpin Casa Malevo’s ethos. Thoughtfully and simply arranged,

The decor is modest, yet refined, and makes for a perfect place to enjoy Diego Jacquet’s distinguished food

Provoleta, which is a grilled Provolone cheese served with tangy roasted tomatoes and olive oil, and which was particularly well received.

Priced between £3-5 per dish, it is a great way

The house wine is very light and drinkable and chosen because it drinks well by itself.

Something I can certainly relate to they have opted not to overcrowd with tables unlike so many popular restaurants and this encourages conversation which chatters away in the background giving the place a thriving buzz. In fact, despite having only opened in October of last year, you have to ensure you book a table thanks to a band of regulars already loyal to Casa Malevo’s charms.

The menu is relatively simple, belying Jacquet’s heritage at such restaurants as el Bulli and New York’s Aquavit. Instead, it remains faithful to Argentina as the restaurant staunchly does throughout. To start, a selection of different dishes provide diversity and are ideal to share. Empanadas, Morcilla (a grilled black pudding with onions) and chorizo are all worth trying, as is the wonderfully tasty 78

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to begin, although not exactly slimming for those of an already unsightly disposition.

As you would expect, a decent selection of meats are available from the grill and a good steak is surely the benchmark for any Argentinian restaurant. Fairly priced between £15-21, my fillet was a triumph. Beautifully rare and tender, it melted in the mouth. Lamb is also available, as is a daily fish option fresh from Cornwall. On this occasion, a generous monkfish fillet was cooked to perfection, light and delicious, and its freshness was clearly evident.

The main courses come alone and a selection of different accompaniments are on offer. These accompaniments would be my main criticism of the meal, as they could hardly stand next to the top-notch mains. A tomato, onion and basil salad

and cold marinated peppers added very little, and the chips “a la Provençal” were generously coated in salt and garlic. It made them somewhat overwhelming and would certainly curtail any amorous intentions post dinner.

Due to my current bacchanalian appetite for wine after a sober January, I was especially looking forward to a glass or two of red. The current list of 50 wines meticulously selected is being expanded and many of these are available in 375ml carafes, which allows you to sample a number of different wines throughout the meal. This is a great thing for the indecisive, the curious or the ignorant.

An extensive list of Malbec is on offer as you might expect but the Maitre d’ was keen to extol the virtues of other overlooked varieties. Needless to say, we opted for a brace of Malbec anyway. The house wine, a 2009 Gougenheim Valle Escondido is very light and drinkable and chosen as it drinks well by itself. Something I can certainly relate to. The second wine we tried was a 2008 Septimo Dia Agrelo Mendoza. It was tremendous, soft and chocolatey, and it married beautifully with my steak and equally well with my sweet and creamy dulce de leche crème brûlée.

In essence, this restaurant perfectly encapsulates the proprietor’s passion for Argentina. If the success of Battersea’s Santa Maria Del Sur is anything to go by, it is a passion shared by Londoners and will no doubt ensure this restaurant is a roaring success. If you are looking for haute cuisine, you may be better placed to look elsewhere.

However, if you are after a delicious steak and a great bottle of red in convivial surroundings, I would thoroughly recommend Casa Malevo.

Taste it for yourself at 23 Connaught Street, London, W2 2AY: 0207 402 1988, www. casamalevo.com, & info@casamalevo.com w Our bill, for two, with two bottles of wine, came to around £120

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Motoring review

Knowledge

The joy of the Audi A6 Polo Times headed to Sicily last month to test out the latest offering from Audi, which looks set to be driven by England’s best international polo players this summer

John O’Sullivan in Sicily

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ll budding polo stars dream of living the lifestyle of the world’s top international players. The glory of doing battle for the most famous trophies in the sport is matched by the lure of an extravagant existence off the field – the parties, the women, the cars.

I was lucky enough to get a brief glimpse of that glamour this month, when I was given a sneak peak at the car the members of the England polo team will be driving this summer.

As part of the German car giants’ continued sponsorship, England’s top players get their pick of the entire Audi range. But whether they pluck for the diminutive A1 or, more likely, the suave and spacious S7, they will be powered by the impressive technology that was at my finger-tips in the new three-litre A6.

Fittingly, given my posturing as a polo star, my journey started in a place called Palermo.

No, not the home of the Argentine Open in Buenos Aires, but the Italian city of the same name on the stunning island of Sicily, famous,

thanks in part to Mario Puzo’s iconic novel The Godfather, for gangsters and olive oil. Stepping into the hotseat I’m amazed how much things have changed since my dad bought an Audi 100 (the A6 of its day) in the early 1990s.

Long-gone are the days when a key is needed to start the ignition, or the driver need worry about things as mundane as operating the lights or the wipers. The former is taken care of by simply pressing a button, while the

The new A6 demonstrates very clearly that Audi is a company striving for absolute perfection latter two functions are now automatic.

Upon starting the engine, the dashboard rotates to reveal the sat-nav. Using Google Maps and traffic updates straight from the web via inbuilt wi-fi access, Audi claims it is the most advanced route-planner on the market.

I take it slowly to start, but soon find myself on a dual carriageway behind a slow-moving lorry, so decide to take the plunge into the fastlane. What happens next is a bit of a blur. With the slightest touch of the accelerator I exposed the car’s raw power and the lorry is suddenly nothing more than a dot in my rearview mirror.

In the blink of an eye my cautiousness has disappeared and I leave the dual carriageway

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behind to explore the mountains and breathtaking coastline of the island. But no terrain I encounter troubles the car or my position of comfort in the driver’s seat.

Given the success Audi have achieved since the first Audi 100 was launched back in 1968, it could be forgiven for resting on its laurels.

But nothing about the car, or the reception I received in Sicily from the Audi representatives, smacked of anything but a company striving

for absolute perfection. The new A6 is lighter and greener than the 2008 model. It is more powerful, yet more fuel efficient.

This is all down to the tireless work of Audi’s scientists, who also lead the way in the quickly developing he technologies of the future.

I started the test drive feeling like a polo international but, with all the gadgets on show, finished feeling a bit more like James Bond.

Either would do me just fine if it means I get another go in the new A6.

Available from April, prices start at £30,145

Rating

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Knowledge

What’s on

What’s on in March 2011 UK and Ireland tournaments Low 8 Goal

AEPC, Hickstead The McVeigh Parker Tournament: 5-6 March Ascot Westcroft Park Plate: 5-6 March Low 7 Goal Druids Lodge The Bodensee Trophy: 5 March Low 6 Goal

Vaux Park End of Season Open Tournament: 12-13 March Lynt Spring Cup: 12-13 March Rugby 2 - 6 Goal Tournament: 26-27 March Low 5 Goal

Druids Lodge The Renshaw Trophy: 12-13 March

Low 4 Goal Epsom St Patrick’s Cup: 5-6 March Epsom 4 Goal Tournament: 12-13 March Epsom Mayflower Cup: 19-20 March Maywood 4 Goal Tournament: 26-27 March Rugby 0 - 4 Goal Tournament: 26-27 March

Low 3 Goal

AEPC, Hickstead The McVeigh Parker Tournament: 5-6 March Low 2 Goal

FHM Stickhedz Tournament: 26 March Ranksboro 0 - 2 Goal Tournament: 26-27 March Open

Wicklow France (Deauville) v Ireland: 4-6 March Longdole Stickhedz Tournament: 5-6 March AEPC, Hickstead The

End of Season Champagne Pommery Challenge Final: 12 March Longdole Stickhedz Tournament: 19-20 March Vaux Park Open Match: 19-20 March Longdole Children’s Tournament: 20 March Vale of York ABI Beach Challenge: 20 March Vale of York Lay-Soft Arena Challenge: 23 March Youth Longdole SUPA National Junior and Senior Novice Championships (Open): 13 March Longdole Children’s Tournament (Open): 20 March

Main overseas tournaments Argentina La Aguada Argentina Polo Tour (Open): 1-12 March La Aguada Autumn Cup (Open): 21-26 March

Dubai Dubai Polo and Equestrian Club Dubai Gold Cup (12-15 goal): 2-11 March

Australia Werribee Park Stella Artois Polo Cup (Open): 5 March Ellerston Ellerston Kerry Packer Challenge (Open): 5-13 March Ellerston JD Macleod Cup (16 goal): 15-26 March Ellerston 8 Goal Tournament (8 goal): 19-26 March

New Zealand KihiKihi Savile Cup (16, 6, 3 and 0 goal): 8-13 March KihiKihi Waikato Open (Open): 19-20 March Auckland India vs New Zealand (Open): 26-27 March

Barbados Buttals, Clifton, Apes Hill, Lion Castle, Holders Apes Hill Tournament (Open): 9-20 March Lion Castle, Apes Hill, Clifton, Buttals Clifton Barbados Open (Open): 23 March – 3 April

USA IPCPB USPA Piaget Gold Cup (26 goal): 27 February – 20 March IPCPB US Open (26 goal): 20 March – 17 April Empire Polo Club Arena Townsend Cup (22 goal): 26 March

Other dates Doncaster Bloodstock Sales, Newbury NH Festivals Sale (horses in training): 5 March Goffs, Kempton Ready-to-Run Sale: 29 March 82

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What’s on

10

TOP

Club contacts UK and Ireland

of the biggest polo-playing countries by their officially handicapped members

The USA not only attracts big crowds at its main polo events (top), it also has the most registered players in the world.

However, countries such as Australia and South Africa (left) are growing all the time

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

USA Argentina United Kingdom Chile Australia France Spain South Africa India New Zealand

(3478) (3130) (3001) (746) (722) (680) (600) (455) (379) (338)

Correction Last month we mistakenly missed out Ash Farm on our list of the “Top 10 biggest British arena clubs”. Ash Farm has 40 members, making them the sixth largest arena club in the UK.

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Knowledge

South East AEPC, Hickstead – 01273 834315 * Ascot Park – 01276 858545 * Ash Farm – 01932 872521 * Belmont, Mill Hill – 01344 829955 * 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 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 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

Polo Times, March 2011

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Tell us yours at gossip@polotimes.co.uk

New look

for England

Having broken the news in the last issue that Joules would be taking over from Crew as the suppliers of the official England Polo Team shirts this summer, we can now give subscribers an exclusive first look at the new design.

Joule, CEO of Joules, and the collection is also set to include hoodies, gilets, jackets and kit bags as well as the shirt. All will be available for purchase by fans and supporters worldwide, so the look will not be limited to the members of the England squad alone.

“The England team have been involved in the design process,” said Tom

The Thorneloe legacy lives on

Vestey family preparing to welcome three new arrivals Polo Times is delighted to learn of the news that John Paul and Nina Clarkin (née Vestey), pictured right, are expecting their first child, that Tamara Vestey has become engaged to her boyfriend of two-and-a-half years, George Fox, and that Ben Vestey and his wife Chloe (née Sievwright) are looking forward to the birth of their first baby in April.

Nina has had a bun in the aga since late October, hence why she hasn’t been seen in any high-profile action on the polo field since early November, when she took part in the Lady Luck Ladies’ International at Riverlands Polo Club near Sydney.

“We definitely want a family,” said Nina to Polo Times editor James Mullan in an interview back in August. “The next few years will be split mainly between the UK and New Zealand but we’re hoping to put down slightly more permanent roots soon, though we are still arguing over where that will be!”

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Toby Addison is the 11-year-old we featured as a promising player for the future on the junior page in the last issue. He received the inaugural Rupert Thorneloe Trophy at the Pony Club Championships last August and, unbeknownst to us until now, has spent the whole year endeavouring to “fill the cup with cash” as he raises money for the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal Fund, the regiment Rupert Thorneloe was in command of when he was killed by an explosion in July 2009.

knee and producing a simply beautiful ring. I immediately burst into tears because, though I was looking anything but my best, it was actually extremely romantic.

“It’s funny, too – because, while I live in Foxcote, and run Foxy Ladies Catering [and play for a polo team of the same name], I suppose it’s fitting that I’m marrying a man with the surname Fox! We’ve set the date for 3 September this year.”

“By the time Toby hands the cup back in late July, he’s hoping to have raised more than £2,000,” said his father Paul. “He’s hosting a fundraiser at school and Sussex Polo Club have very kindly agreed to a tournament in Rupert Thorneloe’s memory on Sunday 3 July.”

Quote of the month

Anyone wishing to make a donation can contact his father directly, on 07776 253907.

“I’d love to say I’m off somewhere exciting but it’s just back to Hollywood I’m afraid.”

Ebe Sievwright, back to his best – see page 39

Look-a-likes

Paul Knights and Matthew Broderick

Photograph by Gillian Hughes

George Fox planned to pop the question to Tamara Vestey over Christmas but the disruption caused by the snow delayed his opportunity until early in the new year, as Tamara explains: “I’d just dragged all the shopping out of the car into our kitchen at Honey Barn in Foxcote, Gloucestershire,” she told us. “George asked if I wanted my Christmas present, and proceeded to blindfold me before getting down on one

Meanwhile, fellow polo shirt supplier Kukri has had 80 per cent of the company bought out

by UK high-street sports retailers JD Sports in a deal reportedly worth well in excess of £1million.

The remaining 20 per cent stays with existing group managing director, Phil Morris.

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Sidelines Sidelines

The huge 10-goal trophy provides the decorative centrepiece for the Ocho Rios table

Catherine Turner, Roy Prisk and Dani Rodger

Tim Bown and Katie Jones

Max Charlton

HPA National Club Championships RCBPC – 30 January 2011

Late but great Winning patron in the 10-goal section, Ocho Rios’s Simon Holley James Scott and Greta Morrison Winning patron in the 10-goal section, Ocho Rios’s Simon Holley UberPolo’s Leigh-Anne Moore with Chris Davies

UberPolo’s Winning patron Leigh-in the Anne 10-goal Moore section, with Ocho Tristan and boyfriend Rios’s Simon ChrisHolley ???

Ryan Pemble

For the second year in succession, January’s guests at the HPA National Arena Club Championships eventually sat down to “lunch” in the warmth of the Berkshire’s marquee as darkness set in. Most didn’t tuck into their main course until around 6pm, after the conclusion of the presentations for the 15-goal final of the tournament.

However, the lunch proved to be worth waiting for. Main sponsors the HPA entertained a number of VIPs and selected members of the media, and the association was thanked generously by Berkshire polo manager Michael Amoore for its support.

Amoore began his vote of thanks with a convincing impression of Colin Firth’s stuttering monarch in The King’s Speech, possibly worth an Oscar in itself, and which certainly had some guests worried they would wait even longer for their pudding than they’d had to for their Beef Florentine.

However, he quickly recovered before inviting members of the final teams in each handicap bracket to say a few words themselves. w See also page 42

Tom House and James Mullan

Jamie Le Hardy

John Rendall, Danica Thrall, and Cold Smoke seven-goaler Jamie Morrison

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Berkshire’s Louisa Crofton shows off her engagement ring with fiancé Seb Dawnay

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Sidelines

Charlotte Sweeney, Lesley Sweeney, Georgia Sweeney, Jemma Bryne (née Sweeney) and daughter Lulu

Layla Sajed

Paul Sweeney Memorial Tournament – 5-6 February Ash Farm Arena Polo Club, Surrey

Chilli con carne helps keep the chilly weather at bay

Ben Cramplin

On a dull and damp February weekend, more than 100 spectators turned out to watch the highly anticipated Paul Sweeney Memorial Tournament at Ash Farm in Surrey. The finalists – Jonathan MunroFord’s Eagle and Richard Davis’s Clashleigh – were cheered on by a large group of familiar faces, adding plenty of merriment.

Chris Hyde, Charlotte Sweeney, Roy Prisk, John Horswell, and many others were among the attendees. La Martina’s Becky Simpson was also there with her six-week-old daughter Ava, supporting Ava’s dad, Tarquin Southwell, who’s team eventually lost to Eagle (see page 48 for the full report).

Following the matches, to help warm everyone up, spectators and players stayed on to enjoy a spicy chilli con carne and a barbecue laid on by Ian Davison. This was washed down with a few drinks in the clubhouse, while the well-chosen music of DJ Paul Linney provided the entertainment.

Harri Le Selleur French with Ava Southwell

◗ Photographs by Gillian Hughes Melissa Hicks

Grania Horswell, Nicky and Nell Jacobs and friends

Chris Hyde, Seb Dawnay, John Horswell and Simon Tosh Anita Sajed

Roy Prisk, Simon Tosh, Howard Smith and Tim Bown

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Two fresher students pose for the camera

Malin Bogue

Sarah Engstrand

Players’ Party – Thursday 10 February BarCatch, St Andrews, Scotland

Lavish party raises money for polo club Emily Gryffiths, Eliza Allan, Millie Bagnell and Harry Ferris-Lay Anders Elving and Hanna Wachtmeister

Louise Stolt-Nielsen Holten

The University of St Andrews Polo Club hosted their first annual Players’ Party at BarCatch, which overlooks the beach at St Andrews, in February.

The evening, in association with Bollinger Champagne and Bombay Sapphire, attracted 600 party-goers, who came along to enjoy the social side of polo and help raise funds for the club. The money raised helps towards staging the club’s annual charity polo tournament, held in May. With four DJs, four bars and a complimentary barbecue, the attendees were served polo-themed bespoke cocktails until 2am. Prominent amongst the decorations was a wall of Polo Times covers from down the years, which VIP guests were photographed in front of as they came in, to keep as a memento of the night. ◗ Photographs by Ben Goulter

DJ Dan Matthews, one of four DJs on the night

Victoria Albrecht, Karoline Frydelund and Nora Malm with a male friend

Fee Walker and Lara Basirov

George Mackintosh and organiser Andrew Drummond-Moray

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A reveller poses in front of the vast Polo Times montage

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Umpires Chris Bethell, Tim Keyte and Oliver Ellis with their remote-controlled helicopters, which were awarded as prizes

The victorious Goldin (l-r: Craig Wilson, John Horst Edenhofer,Team former Fisher, Aaron Vowles and Tommy Wilson) MD of Cartier Switzerland

St Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow – 27-30 January St Moritz, in the Engadine Valley, Switzerland

Reinvigorated by change Despite last-minute organisation and the lack of the usual big sponsors, this year’s World Cup on Snow was still deemed a great success, pulling in hordes of spectators who enjoyed four days of action and hospitality.

Players, guests and VIPs were treated to first-class culinary delights in the heated hospitality tent, where chef Reto Mathis and his team served lunch for up to 700 people. This year the exhibition tent was joined to the hospitality tent meaning that, apart from a couple of bars and exhibitors situated behind the grandstands, everything was largely all under one roof. This was mainly down to the fact that this year’s event had to scale down in terms of infrastructure in order for it to go ahead.

However, this didn’t affect numbers and a big crowd, including a vast number of Swiss and British supporters, basked in glorious sunshine to witness the France team defeat Great Britain in the final. The playing conditions were fantastic, thanks largely to a team of staff who had worked solidly for three days and three nights laying artificial snow on the frozen lake to provide perfect going for the tournament.

Manuel Cereceda with his wife Carolina Oscar Mancini

wR ead Georgie May’s full seven-page report on the 27th St Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow on page 32 GB’s Tarquin Southwell

w Photographs by Georgie May and Tony Ramirez Nacho and Sarah Gonzalez let their hair down after the final

Oli Hipwood, who played for France

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Sidelines

St Moritz Dorf is drenched in sun, while the frozen lake below sits in the shade first thing in the morning

Urs and Francesca Schwarzenbach

Jonny Good

Commentator Ebe Sievwright partying after the final

Petra Fausch with Jan-Erik Franck, who co-commentated Irene Heimgartner and PTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Georgie May

Bernhard PĂśllinger, head of infrastructure Aurora Eastwood Enrico Pellegrini, the chief of volunteers, and Dimitrij Tonet

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Gabriel Iglesias (centre) enjoys plenty of female attention on a typically boisterous night out

Klosters Berenberg Snow Polo 20-23 January 2011 – Switzerland

Banks very much Jordan

Katie Price, who featured in Heat magazine, below

Despite its relative youth, Klosters has already established itself as perhaps the most sociable of all the snow polo events, because its evening games afford the tournament’s players plenty of time to fit in late-night partying, and either skiing or recovery the following day. Plus, just a short drive from Davos, the venue for the World Economic Forum each year at the same time, it’s no surprise that the event is also popular with bankers warming up for the forum or the illustrious Polo World Cup on Snow which begins a few days later in nearby St Moritz. The chief sponsor of the whole event is also a Swiss bank, Berenberg, who have led the support for six of the tournament’s seven years.

However, this year’s Klosters après-polo received even wider press coverage than usual, attracting the attentions of big-selling British tabloid publications The Daily Mail and Heat (pictured). The main cause was the appearance of British model Katie Price, who not only used the event to launch a new line of clothing in her own eponymous equestrian range, but also made it publicly clear that she is over her much-publicised break with husband, Alex Reid, by cavorting excitedly with a host of the tournament’s polo players. Swiss patron Cédric Schweri appeared to be a particular favourite for the model, once known as Jordan, and the pair struck up a very cosy-looking relationship.

The victorious Team Goldin (l-r: Craig Wilson, John Fisher, Aaron Vowles and Tommy Wilson) Peter Sanders and a friend

Henry Brett

◗ Photographs by Tony Ramirez Sebastian Baker Thomas Wolfensberger and Gabriel Iglesias entertain a pretty blond

James Johnson and local celebrity Shawne Fielding

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Sidelines

A spectacular lazer light illuminates the ground

Jan-Erik Franck Player Gabriel Iglesias and tournament director Daniel Waechter welcome a wellfurred visitor to Klosters Clair Southwell

CÊdric Schweri and Jacqueline Sanders Matches each day, except for the finals, took place under floodlights at night

Katie Price and Jeremy Hackett Dayna Waechter

James Le Hardy, who played for Berenberg, with Anna Breckwoldt, who works at the Swiss bank

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Clubs

Art

5 March Bodensee Trophy (5-7 Goal) 12- 13 March Renshaw Trophy (3-5 Goal)

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

Grounds

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Equipment

Destinations

WWW TOPSECRETHATS COM

Stabling

West of England Stabling

Polo yards a speciality

Durable & Practical Permanent or Temporary 01837 810209 / 07768 217557

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Grounds

Photography

Transport

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Transport

Appletrees Transport

Local, National & International Horse Transportation.

Members of ERS, BAS, RTA. DEFRA Approved & Regulated.

Shared/ Individual loads. Regular trips to Scotland, Ireland, Wales & West Country.

Competetive freight booking service. CCTV, Temperature controlled environment.

www.appletreestransport.co.uk 07850215805/ 01403 741757

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Polo Times, March 2011

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Classifieds PONIES 18 YEAR OLD ARGENTINE MARE Lovely natured, super easy mare. Has played at various levels but would ideally suit a lady or Pony Club player. Very clean limbed and healthy pony who has been a delight to own. Rider retired from polo. £1,500 including tack and rugs. Tel: 07710 305039 BOMBPROOF SCHOOLMISTRESS ARENA AND GRASS Played by -1 Young England player Surtees to 2 goal. Sadly outgrown.

15.2 hands. 10yrs. Easy platform, handy to stop and turn. Prefers to live out. Ready to try at Sussex polo arena. £4750. Tel: 01342 714920 WONDERFUL LITTLE POLO PONY Actress 4yrs 15’1hh pretty bay mare already outshines with the potential to become an even better polo pony. £4250. Tel: 07769 870 211 or 01297 678 591 BOMFPROOF AND EASY - PRETTY BAY MARE Soltana 8yrs 15.2hh beautiful bay mare with white blaze.

Would suit low goal player or patron. Easy and placid. £7000. Tel: 07769 870211 or 01297 678591 STUNNING BLACK GELDING 15.3hh Carlito is 13yrs, suitable for a high goal player or experienced rider. Lovely natured and easy to do in every way. Very fast and a great pony for riding off. Up to date with teeth, shoes and worming.

Open to any vet.Good home only for this much loved character. £4000 ono. Tel: 07889 718180 or 01673 844504 15HH PRETTY CHILEAN MARE Ideal Pony Club, low goal. Played Pony Club Surtees last year with 13 year old girl. Safe hack, excellent in traffic, lovely nature. 14 years old. £4250.

Tel: 07798 558609 PRETTY 15.2HH MARE Venus is 11yrs, suitable for a beginner& advanced player.rnGood to do in all aspects, very easy to play.rnWould rather live out. Open to any vet and up to date with teeth,

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worming, back checked and shoes.rnReluctant sale of this pony and will only consider a good home. Fit and ready to play £5,500 ono Tel: 07889718180 or 01673 844504 6 YO BAY 15.3HH TB X QUARTER HORSE MARE Playing upto 4 goal arena, played full summer of tournaments. Suit beginner upwards, safe genuine horse. Sad sale. £5000 ono.

07827973951 tadriman@btinternet.com 6 YO BAY 15.2HH GELDING playing up to 4 goal arena , played chukkas at the end of the summer season. Easy ride. needs player with experience to bring on. Also jumps. £2750 ono.

Tel: 07827973951 15HH PRETTY CHILEAN MARE Ideal Pony Club, low goal. Played Pony Club Surtees last year with 13 year old girl. Safe hack, excellent in traffic, lovely nature. 14 years old. £4250.

Tel: 07798 558609 PRIMISCIA 15HH 13 YR OLD ARGENTINE POLO MARE Specially sourced and brought to UK for 2-goaler Tom Mackintosh by Tono Ituarrte.

Awesome fast athletic pony. Ideally suited to 1+ goaler wanting to upgrade their string. Played by Andrew Gebbie for the past two seasons. £3000 ono. Tel: 07733 031269/01794 323195 FOUR PONIES FOR SALE – FIT AND PLAYING Four ponies for sale fit and playing arena now. All easy with no vices aged between 9-13 years old. Three playing up to 15 goals in the arena. £3000-£9000. Call Chris on 07762 069420 FREE TO GOOD HOME 15hh Argentine bay mare, 17 years old. Has old tendon injury, suitable companion or maybe light hack. Kind and easy to do. Tel: 07985 500118 Hertfordshire EYECATCHING APPALOOSA GELDING Appaloosa Gelding 15hh 4 years old. Eight-tenths TB. Lightweight, fast, level paces. Fabulous easy going temperament. Lunged and bitted last year, ready to break now. No vices. £2250.

Tel: 07958 292898 SAD SALE OF MUCH LOVED POLO PONY 15hh, 13 years old, chesnut mare. Fantastic pony who has much more to give. Sound, ready to play. Good to do in all respects. Genuine reason for sale. £4500 including tack and rugs.

Tel: 07581 221885 FIVE YEAR OLD TB CHESNUT GELDING Perfect to do in every way. Vaccinations up to date. Carefully brought on, snaffle, playing chukkas and has been stick and balling for 10 months. An excellent prospect. £2500. West Sussex. Tel: 07969 992085 15.2HH 5 YEAR OLD TB BAY MARE Played steady chukkas last season, quick learner, sweet personality, uncomplicated, easy to box, shoe,

clip etc. Fully vaccinated, suitable for beginner but has potential for experienced player, not enough time forces sad sale, currently not in much work and windsucks hence price, £2500. Tel: 07850 664235 SIX PONIES FOR SALE - FIT AND PLAYING AT RCBPC NOW Six horses for sale; all easy and uncomplicated - some with power including Simpathia from Malcolm Borwick, played up to 15 goal; Harvey from Tom Morley, played up to 22 goal, and also Nikita from Ed Magor, played up to 15 goal. Also three awesome patron/ladies/ young player type horses - sensibly priced, £2500 - £9000. Call Ollie Browne on 07770 256010

TRANSPORT NON HGV IVECO 7.5 TONNE P REG Great runner, partitioned for four horses and tack area.

New rubber floor, battery isolator, new ramp springs (easy ramp). Starts and runs perfectly.

MOT till 30/9/2011, taxed. First to drive will buy. £6000. Tel: 07800 517869. Oxfordshire HORSEBOX FOR SALE Leyland DAF 150, green 7.5 ton four horse lorry, aluminium cattleback with petitions. Recently taxed and serviced £3500. Tel: (work) 0208 842 6112 or (home) 01985 845365. Wiltshire TRISTAR 1996 IVECO/CARGO 75E15 PARTITIONED FOR SIX Renowned build quality Tristar body on Euro Cargo fitted with electric winch and towbar. MOT to December 2011. Six cylinder engine no limiter. Maintained regardless of cost. £9250 ono. Tel: 07786 475123/01794 323195 PROFESSIONAL HORSE TRANSPORT DEFRA approved. Hants/Wilts based. 20+ years horse and transport experience in UK and Europe. Also freelance drivers/grooms. Tel: 01794 323195 or 07786 475123/07786 255538 FOR SALE IVECO 130.15E VERY GOOD CONDITION L Reg Tax/MOT. Partitions adjustable seven ponies/six horses. £7500.

Tel: 01992 631644

SITUATIONS HGV POLO GROOM Groom required for low goal team based near Brighton. High standards required - good rider - opportunity for chukkasaccommodation and transport provided. Start end March. Tel: 07872 058095 FARRIER LOOKING TO EXCHANGE SERVICES Very keen polo playing farrier looking to improve and progress in the sport. Looking to exchange a first class farriery service for livery/ fees or possible team position. Exceptional

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farriery CV available. Surrey area ideally but will look at all offers. Tel: 0208 542 0239 POLO GROOM WANTED Private yard near Cowdray with eight ponies. Ponies live out at night. Young horse skills essential. House onsite.

Car. Only looking for polo season, but possible long-term position available. Tel: 07768 736816 or email rupert.langdon@dtRealEstate.eu GROOM/INSTRUCTOR Groom/Instructor to carry out all aspects of yard duties and instruct polo. Opportunity to play chukkas and school young horses. Family run business, Accommodation provided. Own ponies by negotiation. Tel: 01572 720046 GROOM WANTED FOR 2011 SEASON Groom needed for young player - based good yard in West Sussex - six ponies - driver preferred but not essential - excellent working conditions, accommodation if required. Tel: 07585 907324/01428 661986 PROFESSIONAL HGV HORSEBOX DRIVER/ GROOM Available long/short term contracts, Surrey based. Recession priced quotations. Can travel any distance UK and Abroad. Tel: 07989 434365 or email colintillyer@hotmail.co.uk

LIVERY STABLES TO RENT NEAR CIRENCESTER Stables to rent three miles south of Cirencester, with all-weather exercise track, polo ground, and lots of turnout. Apply to Mandy Keegan on 07976 867313 or email mandykeegan222@hotmail.com SMALL PRIVATE YARD HAS DIY/PART DIY LIVERY AVAILABLE 5 MINS FROM A23 Grass livery with stables if required. Package can be tailored to suit requirements. Stick and ball field, exercise track, horsewalker, parking for lorry. Low goal pro on site to help if needed. Livery would also suit another low goal pro but unfortunately no accommodation available. Tel: 07740 515120 or email hubble@tesco.net AFFORDABLE FULL LIVERY Affordable full polo livery and pre season fitness livery available from end of February, all horses treated as individuals. Cirencester area. Tel: 07866 475977 POLO CLUB - 40 HA outstanding polo facility 45 minutes from BA, next to La Aguada Polo Team in Open Door. Recently finished with two fields, training track, 24 stables, paddocks and plenty of grazing on prime land. Tel: +971506443120

EQUIPMENT SCOREBOARDS AND CLOCKS ESPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR POLO Outdoor and arena sizes. Fully electronic, displaying the time counting down, 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

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Advertisers in March 2011 Apes Hill Club, Barbados +1 246 262 3286 www.apeshillclub.com

Equibuild 01367 820960 www.equibuild.com

Lycetts 01672 512512 www.lycetts.co.uk

SATS 01285 841542 www.satsfaction.com

Appletrees Transport 07850 215805 www.appletreestransport.co.uk

Equine Logistics Company 01264 810782 www.equine-logistics-company.com

Marshall Earthmoving 01264 782176 marshall.earthmoving@virgin.net

Spanish Boot Company 0845 3138167 www.thespanishbootcompany.co.uk

Ascot Park Polo Club 01276 858545 www.polo.co.uk

Far and Ride www.farandride.com

Monarch Equestrian 01902 605566 www.monarch-equestrian.co.uk

Stonefield Polo Club +27 82 785 4199 gwatson@stonefield.co.za

New Horizons Solar 0845 6806986 www.newhorizons-solar.co.uk

T&S Harker Horse Boxes 01325 332649 www.tandsharkerhorseboxes.co.uk

Hololio +64 (9) 292 8650 www.hololio.co.nz

Onoto www.onoto.com

The Leap 01672 519922 www.theleap.co.uk

Horserail 07932 995155 www.horserail.net

Pampeano 0871 2001272 www.pampeano.co.uk

Images of Polo www.imagesofpolo.com

Piaget www.piagetpolo.com

Jeremy Curling Fencing 01483 894888 www.jcfc.co.uk

Polo Facilities nr Beaufort 0788 793 0664

The Audi Polo Awards 020 73844 870 www.thepoloawards.com Baileys Horse Feeds 01371 850247 www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk Blake Lapthorn 023 8090 8090 www.bllaw.co.uk Bunkabin 0845 456 7899 www.bunkabin.co.uk Cebu Polo Club +63 32 344 6181 www.cebupoloclub.com Cheltenham College 01242 625662 www.cheltenhamcollege.org Druids Lodge Polo Club 01722 782597 www.druidspolo.co.uk EcoComfyBed 0844 2640 485 www.ecocomfybed.co.uk El Retiro elretiropolo@gmail.com EFG Private Bank www.efginternational.com

Ham Polo Club 020 8334 0000 www.Hampoloclub.com

Kate’s Art 07887 678421 www.katesart.com Kestrel Ltd 01256 880488 www.kestrelcontractors.co.uk Kingsland Stabling 01568 708206 www.kingsland.uk.com La Clarita 07909 991003 claremat@aol.com Land Rover www.landrover.com Longdole Polo Club 01452 864544 rob@longdolepolo.com

The New Muscovy www.newmuscovy.co.uk Tidworth Polo Club 01980 846705 www.tidworthpolo.com

Polo/ Horse Transportation Lorry 07850120821 Polo Permits 01798 869496 www.polopermits.co.uk

Top Secret Hats www.topsecrethats.com Tom Cunningham Farrier 0774 8207037 Tristar 01570 422250 www.tristarhorsesboxes.co.uk

Polo Robles www.polorobles.com

UberPolo www.uberpolo.com

Pommery www.pommery.com

Warren Clarke Horseboxes www.warrenclarke.com

Re-Bound 0845 5193294 www.re-bound.co.uk

West of England Stabling 01837 810209 Wildman Design 01993 842582 www.wildmandesign.co.uk

Redmills 01386 552066 www.redmills.com

YARDANDGROOM 020 81441636 www.yardandgroom.com

Contributors – March 2011 Miranda Banks, Linda Byrne, Charlotte Casson, Andrew Dent, James de Mountfort, Arthur Douglas-Nugent, Lorna Edgar, Alice Etchells, Mark Emerson, The “Gaucho”, Theresa Hodges, Freddie House, Nicola Jagger, Sarah Martin, Clare Milford Haven, Brett O’Callaghan, Jamie Peel, Roy Prisk, Tony Ramirez, Bina Shah, Herbert Spencer, Caroline Stern, Carlie Trotter, Alex Webbe Cover photograph Oscar Mancini in action in St Moritz

by Tony Ramirez

Contact details East End Farm, North Leigh Oxfordshire OX29 6PX Tel: 01993 886 885 Fax: 01993 882 660 email: admin@polotimes.co.uk

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© Polo Times Limited 2011 and Database Right 2011 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

Polo Times, March 2011

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Passions Final bell

In association with Aprés Polo

Minus-one-goaler and polo patron Simon Arber’s...

Favourite polo memory?

My first 12-goal at Cowdray last year. I was so far out of my depth but absolutely loved it. I played with Tom Morley, George Meyrick and Jack Richardson against Malcolm Borwick’s team.

Favourite tournament and why?

Any tournaments played at Cowdray. Despite being new to the sport I was treated the same as people that have played there forever.

Hardest opponent?

It has to be Henry Fisher. I’ve played with and against him. I much prefer having him on my side.

Favourite polo venue?

It has to be Emsworth, my club. Both grounds are incredibly good and it just feels like home.

If you could change one thing about polo what would it be?

No talking to the umpire, like in rugby. I assumed there would be total respect for the officials and was amazed this wasn’t the case. Although I admit I can get quite vocal myself!

Photograph of Simon by James Wildman

Favourite form of the game?

It has to be field polo because of everything involved. The preparation, the drainage, moisture control and the sheer size and scale of it all. It’s ridiculous in a way, but also fantastic.

Who taught you to play polo?

Dave Heaton-Ellis taught me everything I know.

He was my coach, my mentor and the guy who enthused me about the sport. He sadly lost his fight against Motor Neurone Disease, but I am absolutely dedicated to being a trustee of the Heaton-Ellis Trust. (see page 46 for coverage of this year’s Heaton-Ellis memorial match) Last time you fell off?

I fall off a couple of times a season, but I’m strong and fit, so my falls are not too frequent. At my age (52) I think it’s important to be as fit as possible.

Simon Arber is passionate about (from top): Petula Clark, racing historic cars, Tottenham Hotspur, the novels of Kazuo Ishiguro and the Isley Brothers

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If you didn’t play polo, what would you do with the extra spare time?

I used to race historic classic cars and I hold a few records at Brands Hatch.

What is your biggest polo ambition?

To get to zero-goals before I’m too old.

Favourite pastime outside polo?

Spending time with my family. My wife Romilla and I try to spend as much time as possible with our four children – Joe, 15, Emil, 13, Emmanuel 10, Yolanda, 7.

What other sporting teams do you support?

My family are all Tottenham Hotspur supporters.

I supported QPR growing up, but I’ve adapted Spurs as my team. I also love cycling, and I do a lot of that on the road in Italy.

Person you would most like to meet?

Mark Zuckerberg (founder of Facebook) – I love the idea of meeting someone with a brain that works that quickly and in that way.

David Heaton-Ellis was my coach, my mentor and the guy who enthused me about polo What was the first single or album you bought?

First single was “Shotgun Wedding” (the reggae version)” by Roy C. I think the first album was the Isley Brothers “Three plus three” Who was your hero growing up?

Jack Gillespie, head of sport at Monks Park school in Bristol – he kept me out of so much trouble.

Who was your biggest crush growing up?

Petula Clark was number one, definitely. There was also Sandy Shaw Favourite book?

“The remains of the day” by Kazuo Ishiguro.

They’ve just made a film of one of his other books “Never let go”, which is also good Most prized material possession?

My book collection. I love rare books and first editions. I bought another one just yesterday.

New car or new horse?

I buy a lot more horses than cars. I find the pleasure in owning them lasts a lot longer. F www.polotimes.co.uk

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