EMPHATIC ENGLISH WIN
The Westchester Cup
SWEET SUCCESS FOR SCONE
The USPA Gold Cup
2023 WPL SERIES
Palm Beach Open & Triple Crown of Polo
PLUS: Thoresby Polo Club Focus & Start of Season Socials
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As the front cover proudly shows, England were victorious against their rivals, America, in the coveted Westchester Cup. The report on the match highlights just how close the match actually was, with the result in the balance for much of the match. In addition, it is reassuring to learn how generous the hosts were in providing horses for the England team – as it was horsepower which very probably tipped the balance in England’s favour. Despite both nations being determined to win, it is great to see that chivalry is certainly alive and kicking in the polo world. I also learnt that one of Polo Times’ newest columnists’, Paul ‘Stalkie’ Stalker, was on hand to help the England players have the right mindset. Speaking with Paul, as we do every month, it is clear to see that the fact he is not originally from a ‘polo background’ gives him the edge, in that there are no historical boundaries, or walls that he will not climb, which otherwise, a familial relationship might restrict him from so doing. Paul’s no nonsense approach is refreshing and his enthusiasm is infectious. Polo definitely needs more people like Paul.
This issue also shines the spotlight on arguably the newest addition to the polo community – Thoresby Park Polo Club. Having met the Meikle family personally and witnessed first hand the enthusiasm which they bring to polo, it is perhaps not hard to see why polo at Thoresby is already so very firmly positioned at this Nottinghamshire-based Club. The Hine family originally come from this area of central England, with my late father John, having to travel all over the country when he first started to play polo in the early 70s. Whilst that was 50 years ago, it is encouraging to not only see polo being played on the edge of Sherwood territory, but that Thoresby’s ethos is that of providing grass roots polo, with a strong focus on fun and families.
At the top levels of polo, competition and demand remains high, with the prestigious Queen’s Cup already having strong team entries. Into Europe, polo continues to flourish; and it is reassuring to learn the 2024 Snow Polo World Cup in St.Moritz has its full complement of six teams already confirmed.
Back in Gloucestershire, I was helping our son Rich last weekend with his young horses. Not only was the sun shining, but the Club, (Longdole), was a hive of activity. Everyone –and all the horses – seemed full of excitement and enthusiasm for the season ahead. This made me think that, with a bit more time spent in the green gym, a few less beers and lashings of Stalkie’s wisdom, I should dust my boots off once more and get back in the saddle.
Keep well and play safe,
Nick Hine, Publisher
The Copa República Argentina has been played since 1929 and allows any teams from 0 to 40 goals from all over Argentina take part in the tournament; this year saw 16 teams between 16 and 23 goals competed over four leagues from 12 – 22 April in the most coveted trophy of the autumn Argentine season.
On Saturday 22 April, Cuatro Vientos faced Santa María de Lobos in the Final on Field 2 in Palermo and led from the outset to secure themselves a convincing 12-6 win. This was Cuatro Vientos’ second win in three years (they last won the tournament in 2021) although they still have some way to go to beat top title holders of the trophy, Coronel Suárez, who despite not having won the trophy since 2003, hold 16 titles in total. For Most Valuable Player Santiago Chavanne, it was his third title, having also won the title in 1996 and 2021.
The Jaime Amorín Best Playing Pony Award was presented to Ve Ocho Petaca, played by Santiago Chavanne and the AACCP Award for Best Registered Argentine Polo Breed was Open Panadera, played by Lorenzo Chavanne.
The Copa República Argentina Final Teams:
Cuatro Vientos (20): Tomás Ferrari (3), Lorenzo Chavanne (4), Santiago Chavanne (7) & Santiago Laborde (6)
Santa María de Lobos (20): Gonzalo Di Curcio (3), Mackenzie Weisz (6), Benjamín Panelo (7) & Marcos Panelo (4)
Power of Polo’s first charity polo camp of the year was held at the Rugby Polo Club and hosted seven young people and two youth leaders from South Central Youth (SCY), a Lambeth-based charity working to improve the life chances of young people in some of London’s toughest communities, for a four-day camp where boys and girls aged 12-15 learned all about the game of polo. Phil Baker, Rugby Polo Club owner commented, “For them to engage with our club, our staff and our horses and for us to introduce this sport to them is such a privilege. You can see a change in them from the very first day and it’s inspiring to see the impact this sport has on these young people, we look forward to working on future programmes increasing the accessibility of the sport”
Bellamar Pampa Norte comeback, but by the fifth and sixth chukkas, it was Lavinia who were controlling the action with Carlos María Ulloa and Manuel Giménez Villamil commanding the team from the back and combining well with their forwards, Ramon Cassino and Jack Whitman to secure Lavinia their first Thai Polo Cup title, 10½-4.
The Hipwood and Rocksavage, which have previously been Junior HPA tournaments, will now be merged into the Pony Club from this season onwards, while the Buckmaster section will be discontinued. The format of Hipwood and Rocksavage will remain unchanged, with three and four chukka matches on private grounds over 4 – 17 July, which will allow players to also compete in other Pony Club tournaments. Hipwood and Rocksavage players will be required to be members of both the HPA
Argentine Association of Horse Breeders’ Best Playing Pony: Future Lituania, played by Carlos María Ulloa
and Pony Club; all Pony Club members less than 3 goals will play a flat rate of £50 for their HPA membership. Andrew Barlow, Chairman of the HPA Development and Coaching Committee, commented, “A vital HPA role is to promote grassroots polo and the development of young polo players. In combining the previous Junior HPA with Pony Club tournaments, this allows us to enhance our long-term objectives of promoting talent for the benefit of all players and the sport in the future. With generous
Best Playing
financial support from Park Place this new partnership enables us to focus on our structured development pathway whilst wholeheartedly supporting and promoting Pony Club Polo”. For more information on Pony Club polo please contact Charles Whittington, or for Hipwood and Rocksavage specifically contact Jilly Emerson.
On Sunday 9 April, Windsor Polo Club hosted a full day of polo for their 2023 Polo International which featured three matches between some top line-ups. This year’s international was a welcome return of the fixture to the Club after a three year hiatus following the last international in 2019. The Men’s International was won by Argentina who beat the home side, 11-5; Australia had better luck in the other two matches with a 9-6 win for Australia against England in the Women’s International and the Junior International saw NSW defeat visiting South Island NZ.
The 2023 Polo International Teams:
The Men’s International Teams:
Argentina: Rauli Laplacette, Paco O’Dwyer, Manuel Llorente & Pilu O’Dwyer
Australia: Ruki Ballieu, Alec White, Dirk Gould & Lachie Gilmore
The Women’s International Teams:
Australia: Indi Bennetto, Shannon Booth, Ashley Glennie & Phillipa Fitz-Henry
England: Sarah Wiseman, Emma Sanderson, Lottie Lamacraft & Lucy Bowman
The Junior International:
NSW: Tom Parry-Okeden, Archie Dowling, Cody Grimes, Blake Grimes
South Island NZ: Skye Turner, Max Dormer, Tom Turner & Ed Davidson
Artist Nick Botting is an experienced sports painter with pictures of England cricket tours in the collection at Lord’s Museum, and a painting of the FA Cup Final hanging at Wembley Headquarters. His style of work lends itself to the problem of depicting the speed of polo as he himself works at speed –responding to each movement as it catches his eye and making sharp gestural marks that pick out the essence of a movement. Painting not in a studio but directly from the source gives his work a feeling of spontaneity and authenticity. He spent many days on the Lawn at Guards Polo Club throughout the 2022 season and in his work he records The Cartier Queen’s Cup and The Coronation Cup. An exhibition of that work, accompanied by racing paintings, will be shown at Portland Gallery in St James’s from 26 April – 5 May. w Paintings by Nick Botting
Thoresby Park Polo Club is one of the newest Polo Clubs and has gone from strength to strength despite the challenges of the past few years. Polo Times spoke to the Club to find out a bit more about the Nottinghamshire based, family-run Club.
I
t’s been all change at Thoresby Park Polo Club, although the Members won’t have noticed too much disruption, as the transition has been seamless.
There have been many challenges over the last few years at the Nottinghamshire based Club. For over four years Amy Sallabank successfully kept the Club going through a
series of issues including Covid lockdown and moving the Club not once but twice. She finally relocated the Club to Thoresby Park which led to the rename to Thoresby Park Polo Club. However, this year she decided to step back from running the Club and focus on her first love, playing polo. She realised that she had taken the Club as far as she could and
handed the reigns to Corey Meikle, the Club’s professional player and coach.
During 2020 Corey had flights booked to England, having decided to emigrate from Zimbabwe with his family. With friends near Mansfield, he was looking for employment in the Midlands. Luckily a friend sent Corey the job advert for a professional polo coach at Thoresby Park Polo Club. The rest is history, with Corey now as Club Director, Erika, Corey’s wife as Business Manager and Garath Meikle, Corey’s brother who relocated his family this year, the Polo Manager.
Corey and Garath come from a polo family, both started riding and playing polo at a very young age with their father and a third brother. The two brothers have represented the Zimbabwean national team for many years and played all around the world. The pair have a passion for the sport of polo and enjoy coaching new players and schooling horses. Both are currently developing new strings of polo ponies to develop their careers in England. The Club is fortunate to have two such skilled and passionate polo professionals leading the way.
Thoresby Park Polo Club has maintained its family atmosphere and continues to be a welcoming community for players and spectators alike. With Corey, Erika, and Garath at the helm, the future looks bright for the Club and its Members. It is now truly a family affair.
Club Address & Contact: Whitemoor, Blyth Road, Perlethorpe, Newark, NG22 9ED.
Erika Meikle (info@thoresbypolo.co.uk)
Polo School and Pony Hire: Halo Polo Academy
2023 Fixtures List
22 – 23 April: St George’s Club Tournament
3 – 4 June: Caunton Cup
23 – 24 July: Dickinson Wood Cup
19 – 20 August: Jodhpur of Yorkshire Cup
23 – 24 September: Halo Trophy
What year was the Club founded & by who? Thoresby Park Polo club was founded in 2021 by Amy Sallabank.
Any highlights for 2023 season?
Over 22 –23 April we have The St George’s Club Tournament with a new trophy. We are a family friendly Polo club that aims to cater for all ages and levels of polo from beginners to pros. Our junior section continues to grow with our youngest Member being 9-years-old. We are very excited for the 2023 season under the Club’s new Director Corey Meikle and his brother Garath Meikle taking the position of Polo Manager.
Any Club improvements you’d like to highlight?
The polo field has been reseeded and is looking great, we can’t wait to play on it.
What are the Club’s plans for the future? Our goal is to keep growing our membership and improving our facilities and to become the biggest Polo Club in the North of England.
Membership and livery charges (Schooling livery done through Halo Bloodstock):
Full adult membership £650
Full U25 membership (Uni students) £400
Full junior membership
(U18 on the 01/04/23) £250
Second club membership £200
Adult chukka membership £350
Social membership £50
Full livery £110 per week
(daily checks, rug changes, feed, hay and tacking up)
Half livery £100 per week
(daily checks, rug changes, feed and hay)
Hay livery £85 per week
(daily checks, rug changes and hay)
Working livery £100 per week
(daily checks, rug changes, feed, hay and receive 20 percent of each lesson your ponies is used in)
Schooling livery £150 per week
(daily checks, rug changes, feed, hay, four schooling sessions a week)
Bring your Pony to be trained for polo by two professional polo players and horse trainers, Corey Meikle (Co-Founder of Halo Bloodstock and 2 goal player) and Garath Meikle (4 goal player and horse trainer for Halo Bloodstock).
The Westchester Cup was presented by the playing Members of the Westchester Polo Club, which was the first formal American Polo Club created, to be played for between American and English teams. The impressive trophy was designed by Tiffany & Co. and first played for in 1886 and won by England. In the 1920s and 1930s, The Westchester Cup was amongst the most revered events in the polo calendar in America, but the international match was suspended after 1939 due to the onset of World War II. The Cup has been played for 19 times in its 137 year history, with just seven competitions after its post-war revival in 1992.
The Westchester Cup was last played for in 2019, which saw America clinch a narrow 9-8 win on home turf, and two of the 2019 players returned for this year’s contest – Jared Zenni (USA) and Tommy Beresford (England).
On Friday 31 March England faced USA in the 20th edition of The Westchester Cup at the National Polo Center, Florida. Both sides were well-matched, playing off a team handicap of 25 goals with each player using their highest world handicap which meant that several of the American players were handicapped based on their Argentine rating. Despite their matching handicaps, the playing field was not totally level going into the match as the American team had been playing throughout the Gauntlet of Polo together as La Elina, whereas the England team only managed to get in two practices together as a team. England Team Captain, Tommy Beresford, commented “We did two team practices. Honestly, we were only here for a week, so we didn’t have that much time. Luckily, Mark [Tomlinson] and [James] Beim have played a lot together in the past. We all know each other. But to get that rhythm –
“We worked to play fast and hit backhands”
James Beim
La Elina’s been playing together all season, so they had a huge advantage there. Mark and James had a lot of experience in this polo, and we just tried to make the most of getting the best horses we could.”
Despite this, both teams got off to an equal start and the first chukka saw the scores tied, 2-2, and this pattern continued in the second chukka with goals from USA’s Nico Escobar and England’s Max Charlton resulting in another tied score, 3-3. Three goals between Beim and Tomlinson were equalised by goals from Matt Coppola, Jeffrey Hall and Jared Zenni to end the first half, 6-6, would one team be able to get ahead in the second half?
After the half-time break England came out with a frenetic energy, which had been part of their strategy as Beim commented, “We understand how to play a high level of polo, which is a little bit quicker with less touches. So, we just came in with that mindset and worked to play fast and hit backhands and Max fit in amazingly at three and crushed the ball.” A penalty from Beresford and goal from Charlton outstripped a single penalty for USA which nudged England into the lead, 8-7; the fifth chukka saw three unanswered goals for England which meant they entered the last chukka, 11-7. A combined push from Zenni and Hall sparked hopes of a comeback for the home spectators, but it was too little too late and any hopes were quickly quashed by Charlton who scored a final English goal to keep his team well ahead with a winning 12-9 score, returning the international trophy to England once again.
The win was not the first for the England players and they attributed their success this year to the local horsepower they were able to utilise, something which Beresford commented upon, “It was stressful. We didn’t have a day off. We were moving around, playing practices everywhere, riding everywhere. A special thanks on my behalf to Carlitos Gracida, he was unbelievable, he gave me some incredible horses. Jeta and Barto Castagnola, they gave me some of their top horses here, and Melissa Ganzi and Park Place gave me a couple as well. I didn’t necessarily play some of the horses I tried, but a huge thank you to Polito Pieres as well, he let me try some horses, that was a great help. Outside the field, we had Hilario Ulloa, who’s our coach. Having a 10-goaler on the sidelines, it means the world to have his support.”
The USPA Gold Cup was first played for in 1974 at Oak Brook Polo Club and featured four teams; fast forward nearly 50 years and the 2023 tournament featured 13 teams battling it out at the National Polo Center-Wellington for not only the title but also the $50,000 prize money at stake.
The Final on Sunday 26 March saw Scone versus defending champions, Pilot, who also won the title in 2019 when the tournament was first played for as part of The Gauntlet of Polo. Despite being defending champions, Pilot had a blot on their copy book having lost out in The C.V. Whitney Cup Final just a month earlier to Valiente, would this be their second unlucky 2023 Gauntlet of Polo Final?
An injured Pelón Stirling was replaced by Tomás Panelo and so Scone automatically received a one goal handicap advantage which helped them to lead in the first two chukkas which were not particularly fast-paced and relatively low scoring and saw Scone ahead 3-1. Matias Torres Zavaleta and Facundo Pieres scored in the third chukka to one goal in reply from Pilot’s Tomás Panelo to maintain Scone’s lead, 4-3, going into half-time.
A team chat for Scone saw them focusing on maintaining the lead and not rushing their possession as Cody Ellis commented, “[Our aim was] Maintaining the intensity that we came out with, and when we had the ball to be a little bit more patient and not rush. The biggest thing was to try to maintain the intensity that we came out with.” It seemed to work and Scone flew into the second half energised and extended their lead to 7-4. However, Pilot weren’t about to be pushed over and managed to shut them out entirely in the fifth chukka, while a converted penalty from Pieres brought the score line within striking distance, 7-5, with one chukka still to go. A penalty conversion from Scone’s Poroto Cambiaso was matched by a field goal from Pieres, yet the timing of their offensive push was too late and Scone held onto their earlier lead to take the win, 8-6.
This result means that the Cambiaso family has scooped both Gauntlet of Polo titles so far this year, with Adolfo Cambiaso winning The C.V. Whitney Cup with Valiente and Poroto Cambiaso on The USPA Gold Cup winning Scone side.
The win was extra special for Ellis who lost out in the 2022 USPA Gold Cup Final in overtime, “It means everything, to be honest” and credited the team cohesion as the leading factor to their success, “I think we’ve got a really good vibe on the team, especially when the going gets tough, we group together quite well and have a little chat and say, ‘Hey boys, we’ve got to fix something here.’ I think that paid off well. The changes that we made in the throw-ins and the little things we did, I think that made a big difference today.”
The Palm Beach Open Final saw two very different teams competing, with Dead End making their World Polo League debut while Casablanca were coming in hot from their All Star Challenge victory a month earlier at the very start of the series.
In the first three chukkas it seemed as though it would be a walk in the park for Casablanca as they led 12-7, but a remarkable comeback by Dead End saw the scores tied at the end of the fifth chukka, 12-12 and the spectators on the edge of their seats. Both teams were in for a roller coaster as all the players tried to gain the upper hand and the
scores tied again at 13-13, but in the end it was Tomas Pieres who secured the 14th goal for Casablanca and despite field and penalty opportunities for both teams, this was the last goal of the match which ended 14-13 in favour of Casablanca.
Barto Castagnola scored six goals for his team and was named Most Valuable Player for the second time in two tournaments, having also received the award in The All Star Challenge Final. Chalo Nina Loly, owned and played by Castagnola, received another Best Playing Pony prize, her second of the World Polo League series.
“We
Where: National Polo Center-Wellington, Florida
The Florida Circuit 16-Goal Super-Series Championship was introduced this year in an effort by the USPA Tournament Committee to draw more teams and participation into the medium goal competition. The series was hosted across South Florida with four top national tournaments serving as qualifiers: The Joe Barry Memorial (Port Mayaca Polo Club), The Ylvisaker Cup and Iglehart Cup (led by Patagones Polo Club in Wellington, Florida and a series of private fields falling under the Wellington Polo Tour umbrella) and The Continental Cup (Sarasota Polo Club). In order to maximise participation, players could compete in as many events as they liked on either the same team or on different teams, although qualifying teams must maintain at least two of their original line-up in order to play in the championship.
Iconica dominated every qualifier, winning The Joe Barry Memorial, The Ylvisaker and The Iglehart Cup, entering The Florida Circuit 16-Goal Super-Series Championship Final with an impressive 15-1 winning tally. In the Final they faced La Fe, who were runners up in The Joe Barry Memorial and The Iglehart Cup and winners of The Continental Cup. Ahead of the Final Iconica had studied their opponents’ form and patron Maureen Brennan reflected on their strategy, “We’ve played against them a couple times and we most of the time try to stay to our style of playing. They have a very specific style that we obviously have to deal with, but we made changes about two or three times today. Which, I think is a good thing to do as a team, to be fluid and be able to adapt and change as things are going on the field. I think our ability to do that quickly helps us. We always have a Plan A and a Plan B. We went to both of them today.”
Iconica began the Final with a one goal handicap advantage which Lucas Criado and Peke Gonzalez swiftly built upon which offset the three goals from La Fe’s Robi Bilbao to end the first chukka 3-3. From this point onwards Iconica took and held onto the lead, outscoring their opponents and utilising their proven strategy from this season of hitting long passes and then running up for the ball. In the second half Iconica maintained their advantage despite the best efforts of La Fe; going into the final chukka La Fe trailed 12-9 and Francisco Elizalde scored two last-minute goals to bring the scores within a goal of each other. However, Iconica were determined not to let the trophy slip from their grasp and Gonzalez and Criado responded with field goals of their own to secure a 14-11 victory and with it the inaugural Florida Circuit 16-Goal Super-Series Championship title.
On a hot and humid day at Grand Champions Polo Club, Triple Crown of Polo defending champions Pampa Norte Biotricity faced an undefeated Audi, but with a four goal handicap difference between the teams which allowed Pampa Norte Biotricity a significant starting advantage, the outcome was all to play for. The opening chukka began with Pampa Norte Biotricity building upon their advantage with two further goals to take a comfortable 7-2 lead, however Audi refused to be rattled and bounced back to reduce the lead to 7-5 by the end of the first chukka. Halfway through the second chukka Audi managed to tie the scores, 7-7, but Pampa Norte Biotricity replied with a goal of their own to retake the lead, however by half-time Audi had retaken the lead, 11-10, where they would stay for the remainder of the Final. Pampa Norte Biotricity struggled to contain Audi’s energy in the second half and were outscored by 7 goals to 4, and struggled to recover in the remaining three chukkas. With open, fluid but fierce play it was quite the battle, but in the end Audi ran out the winners 16-12, retained their undefeated tournament streak and also took their second win of the 2023 World Polo League (Audi also won The Founders Cup, albeit with an alternative line-up). Audi’s Marc Ganzi commented upon the team’s tactics going into the Final, “It was a hard game. This team was a defending champion and we talked about treating them like a defending champion. We had beaten them because they are the ones who won the trophy last year. They play a very physical brand of polo and play very tight in close quarters. They are very clever.” Jeta Castagnola received the Most Valuable Player award after a game high of 11 goals, finishing the tournament with an overall goal tally of 26 goals.
Thoresby Park Polo Club enjoyed a weekend of polo and equine fun at the Thoresby Eventing Spring Carnival over 31 March – 2 April. The Club Members manned a stand at the event to spread the word about polo. On the Saturday evening British Polo Gin sponsored a cocktail party, turn to the Sidelines pages to see more from the night.
The Sunday exhibition match was also well received by a good crowd, the teams competing for the trophy were mixed, with experienced players, novice adults, and Thoresby juniors, the youngest of whom was just 9-years-old.
The Final between Equine Dreams and Navigate Partners was a keenly fought match, with Alex Herniman, a strong junior Member, captaining Navigate Partners to victory. It was great to hear Corey Meikle, the Club Owner, commentating on the game and Garath Meikle, the Polo Manager as umpire. Hopefully, the Thoresby Park Polo Club was able to inspire a few more polo converts, and it was great that the Club Members themselves had such a great time.
Cowdray Park Polo Club is delighted to welcome visitors to its beautiful club from the 3rd May through to Sunday 24th September. Enjoy a day at the polo with friends and family and come along to one of our events.
Sunday 1st July
A fun, Family day held on the opening Sunday of the Cowdray Gold Cup tournament, featuring high-goal polo paired with country fair-style entertainment and demonstrations as well as a funfair, shopping village, food, pop-up bar and more.
Entry Tickets: £10 / U12s free
Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th July
This season all quarter-final games will be played on Lawns. Following the close of the group stage, the top eight teams battle it out with two exciting high goal games each day to decide the teams going into the Semi-Finals. These days are not to be missed. Offering a pop-up bar, artisan food and pitch-side entertaining spaces.
Entry Tickets: £12.50
Wednesday 19th July
With two thrilling Gold Cup matches played to decide the teams competing in the Final a few days later, this is a day loved by true polo aficionados. Offering VIP hospitality and pitch-side entertaining as well as luxury shopping, pop-up bars and artisan food.
Entry Tickets £27.50
Friday 21st July
A stylish evening combining the best live jazz acts with exclusively curated No.3 Gin cocktails and delectable food by the Naked Food Company. Held in the picturesque setting of the Lawns polo ground overlooking the iconic Cowdray Ruins. Unwind after a long week and enjoy the mellow sounds.
Tickets: £85 inclusive of a three course dinner
Saturday 22nd July
“The Back To Back Vinyl DJs” present a night of classic Ibiza anthems. Mark Hobbs and Simon Horn in true DJ battle style bring you iconic 90s and 00s house, electro and trance classics. Partygoers are invited to ‘paint the town yellow’ as they are transported back several decades.
Tickets: £25 U12’s free
Sunday 23rd July
Our Flagship event attracting up to 10,000 spectators to enjoy luxury shopping, bars, artisan food, live music, pitch-side hospitality and picnics, and the most prestigious polo match in Europe featuring the worlds best players competing for the coveted Gold Cup trophy and the British Open title. Celebrations commence post-match as the DJ ramps up for the After party.
Entry Tickets: £35
The AHPC March League was a week-long tournament which saw four teams: AM Polo, Bin Drai Polo, El Basha Polo and Habtoor Polo, battle it out for the title. Habtoor Polo faced Bin Drai Polo in the Final, with Habtoor Polo securing a two goal lead in the first chukka. By the third chukka, this lead had been extended to seven goals, 8-1, and while Bin Drai found four goals in the last chukka it was not enough to level the scores and Habtoor Polo ran out the winners, 8-5. Felipe Dana was the Most Valuable Player and Canaria owned by Justo Cuitina was the Best Playing Pony.
The fourth tournament of The Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series culminated on Saturday 8 April at Al Habtoor Polo Club. The Polo Masters Cup Final pitted Bin Drai Lamar Polo against Habtoor AM Polo and the result came down to a thrilling last chukka which saw Tomás Iriarte and Ryyan Al Ajaji score the winning goals for Bin Drai Lamar Polo with a final score of 6-5½. Rashid Bin Drai was chosen as the Most Valuable Player and Freak, owned and played by Al Ajaji was named Best Playing Pony.
Over 22 – 23 April, the Club hosted its first tournament of the season, The Spring Amateur Tournament, which saw Sladmore/ Libertine defeat Porto Ronco, 8½-6, while in the Subsidiary Final, Conosco defeated Limitless/ Quixote, 5-1.
Guards Polo Club has teamed up with Inkerman London to create bespoke glass bowls to commemorate the Coronation of King Charles lll. Each bowl features both the Guards Polo Club logo and the official Coronation logo. The bowls cost either £75 (13cm) or £105 (19cm) and are available in either colour option, cobalt blue or purple. Further artwork can be provided for an additional fee to create a personal gift. For more information or to purchase your bowl visit www.inkerman.co.uk
The first edition of The Patrons Ramadan Cup saw four teams, Dubai Eagles, Dubai Falcons, Dubai Lions and Tigers, compete in a two match tournament. The Subsidiary Final saw Dubai Eagles maintain their lead throughout and took the win, 10-3, while in the Final Dubai Falcons only narrowly defeated Lions 6½-6 to take the title.
The AHPC March League Final Teams: Habtoor (6): Mohammed Al Habtoor (0), Felipe Dana (0), Justo Cuitiño (3) & JJ Díaz Alberdi (3)
Bin Drai (6): Valerie van Lagenhove (-1), Khalid Bin Drai (1), Mohammed Bin Drai (2) & Tomás Iriarte (4)
The Polo Masters Cup Final Teams:
Bin Drai Lamar Polo (8): Ryyan Al Ajaji (0), Rashid Bin Drai (2), Mohammed Bin Drai (2) & Tomás Iriarte (4)
Habtoor AM Polo (8): Sheikha Alya Al Maktoum (0), Mohammed Al Habtoor (0), Pali Urquiza (4) & J.J. Diaz Alberdi (3)
On Sunday 26 March, Dracarys won The $50,000 National 12-Goal Trophy – their first tournament title at Grand Champions Polo Club. Dracarys led from start to finish to defeat Rafool Polo 12-8 in the Final which saw Leon Schwencke chosen as the Most Valuable Player and Frozen, owned and played by Ray Rafool, named the Best Playing Pony.
On Sunday 2 April, Globalport won The Tommy Hitchcock Jr. Legacy Memorial in an impressive comeback. Globalport were trailing 12-3 in the second chukka, but then scored 14 unanswered goals to defeat their opponents, Travieso, 17-13 in front of a wowed crowd. Sapo Caset, later named Most Valuable Player, scored nine goals, including five in the second half and commented, “That was an exciting game, it was crazy. It was an incredible comeback. Maybe from outside it looked more spectacular for sure because when you are playing the game you try not to think of the scoreboard and put your focus and energy on the next play and next chukka.”
Santa Rita led for most of the match to defeat their opponents, Tonkawa, 14-12 in The World Cup at Grand Champions Polo Club. Juan Martin Nero was chosen as the Most Valuable Player, Sapito Estampa, owned and played by Jeff Hildebrand, was the Grand Champions Best Playing Pony and Irenita Subaru, owned and played by Pablo MacDonough, was the American Polo Horse Association Best Playing Pony. The tournament is open to teams from 0-40 goals, the lowest rated team to ever compete was Equuleus at 4 goals in 2017.
The $50,000 National 12-Goal Final Teams:
Dracarys (12): Chetan Krishna/Biljit Sierra (-1), Leon Schwencke (3), Facundo Obregon (6) & Brandon Phillips (4)
Rafool Polo (11): Ray Rafool (-1), Jack Whitman (2), Henry Porter (4) & Felipe Viana (6)
The Tommy Hitchcock Jr. Legacy Memorial Final Teams:
Globalport (26): Mikee Romero (0), Polito Pieres (10), Sapo Caset (10) & Facundo Obregon (6)
Travieso (22): Teo Calle (0), Freddie Mannix (7), Pipe Vercellino (7) & Nacho Novillo Astrada (8)
The World Cup Final Teams:
Santa Rita (26): Melissa Ganzi (0) (substituted by Fran Spinacci (0)), Gonzalito Pieres (9), Alejandro Novillo Astrada (7) & Juan Martin Nero (10)
Tonkawa (29): Jeff Hildebrand (0), Pablo MacDonough (10), Polito Pieres (10) & Juan Martin Zubia (9)
The Sunny Hale Memorial was hosted by Patagones Polo Club in conjunction with the Wellington Polo Tour and saw Loudmouth face Beverly Polo in the Final on Saturday 8 April. Both teams matched each other with their scoring, with neither side leading by more than two goals at any point. This meant that the match was pushed into overtime and Loudmouth’s top scorer, Kris Kampsen, secured the win with the golden goal, 14-13. The Sunny Hale Memorial has also now been added as a Legacy Polo Series, which endeavours to create a series that unites clubs around the USA at the medium goal level.
The Sunny Hale Memorial Final Teams:
Loudmouth: Kris Kampsen, Lerin Zubiaurre, Andrew Seibert & Tomy Willans
Beverly Polo: Bill Ballhaus, Lucas Escobar, Jorge ‘Tolito’ Fernandez Ocampo Jr. & Hilario Figueras
The Vestey family has taken the decision to rename the Soushi Polo Field, named after a restaurant created by Nina Clarkin and friends in Cirencester, to now be called Mark’s Field in memory of the late Honourable Mark Vestey. Mark Vestey was a long term supporter of the Club and was Chairman from 1988 – 1992 as well as sitting on the board as the Chair of The Tournaments and Grounds Committee. Mark’s Foxcote Polo Team also had many successes over the years.
Suicide is the leading cause of death in men under 50 in the UK. Our mission at James’ Place is to stop men dying by suicide.
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If you would like to help us in this aim and you are able to make a donation, please visit https://www.jamesplace.org.uk/get-involved/donate/ or contact amy.swart@jamesplace.org.uk to learn more about the impact that you could make.
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The USPA has announced their 2023 Spring Women’s Outdoor Handicap Changes and following on from her recent U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship victory with La Fe, it is little surprise to see Hope Arellano will hold a 10 goal handicap by the end of the year. Her handicap will rise to 9 in May 2023 and then move up to 10 in December 2023, making her only the second American woman to reach this handicap, joining the legendary late Sunny Hale. At the age of 13-years-old she was rated at 1 goal and seven years later, at the age of 20-years-old, she will reach 10 goals. Other handicap raises include: Madelyn Grant (5 to 6 goals) and Alana Benz, Laura Brown, Jenna Davies, Zoeline Keating, Grace Mudra, Tyneski Quintel and Micaela Saracco (3 to 4 goals).
The USPA Women’s Arena Handicap took place at Legends Polo Club, Texas, on 25 –26 March. Elite Motion & Performance faced 10X in the Final on Sunday 26 March, with Elite Motion & Performance’s flexibility and offensive play securing them a second half comeback win of 15-11. Stephanie Massey Colburn was named Most Valuable Player, Cookie, an 8-year-old mare played and owned by Morgan McBride, was the Best Playing Pony and Pata Blanca, played by Megan Flynn, owned by Robin and Ricardo Sanchez, was the Best Playing Pony Thoroughbred.
The USPA Women’s Arena Handicap Final Teams: 10X: Kelly Coldiron, Morgan McBride & Roxy Keyfauver
Elite Motion & Performance: Stephanie Massey Colburn, Amanda Massey & Megan Rahlfs
On Saturday 8 April, Grand Champions Polo Club hosted The Sunny Hale Memorial WCT Finals which saw 16 teams compete in the Open and 8 goal divisions. La Monarquia defeated Semper Anticus, 5-4, to win the Open level title, with British 10 goaler Hazel Jackson named Most Valuable Player. Meanwhile in the 8 goal Final, Avalon Farm led from the outset and took a 5-2 win
Open Final teams, La Monarquia and Semper Anticus against Brookfield, with Alyson Poor named Most Valuable Player.
The Sunny Hale Memorial WCT Final Teams:
The Open Final Teams: La Monarquia (20): Megan Manubay (0), Pamela Flanagan (5), Hazel Jackson (10) & Cecelia Cochran (5)
Semper Anticus (20): Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi (0), Jenna Davis (2), Mia Cambiaso (8) & Nina Clarkin (10)
The 8 Goal Final Teams: Avalon Farm (7): Giuliana Tarazona (0), Margaux Buchanan (1), Avery Evans (2) & Alyson Poor (4)
Brookfield Farm (8): Sophia Doble (1), Abigail Mackenzie (2), Ava Rose Hinkson (2) & Malicia von Falkenhausen (3)
After a week of polo in Pilar, The Inés Ayerza Cup came to an end on Sunday 16 April at the Alfredo Lalor Headquarters with La Violeta defeating La Dolfina Amanará, 9-8, in The Gold Cup and Los Sauces Fundación Shoonem defeated Las Palmeras, 9-8, in The Silver Cup.
The Inés Ayerza Cup Gold Cup Final Teams: La Violeta (14): Felicitas Páez Allende (3), Agustina Imaz (5), Martina Gadea (3) & Juana Deramo (3)
La Dolfina Amanará (15): Olivia Zucchi (2), Paulina Vasquetto (3), Dayna Waechter (4) & Paola Martínez (6)
The Inés Ayerza Cup Silver Cup Final Teams:
Los Sauces Fundación Shoonem (15): Paloma Casella (1), Pauline Schaer (3), Milagros Sánchez (7) & Mercedes Prario (4)
Las Palmeras (15): Mora Condomí Alcorta (1), Bianca Pagano (4), Luisa del Carril (5) & Alexia Laprida (5)
Five teams (India (Manipur A), India (Manipur B), India (Indian Polo Association), South Africa and Luxembourg) took part in The 6th International Women’s Polo Tournament in Imphal, Manipur (India) which began on Thursday 16 February and was played over the following five days. The All Manipur Polo Association (AMPA) and Manipur Tourism helped to organise the tournament, Shri W. Ibohal Singh, Director (Tourism), Manipur commented, “The tournament is part of our endeavor to showcase women’s polo as a pioneer of this game and establish Manipur as India’s center for women’s polo. We are putting our best efforts to develop Manipur as an international destination for Modern Polo, and with this tournament in its 6th edition and also with the help of our celebrated women, we believe that we have come a long way towards making Manipur a home for women’s polo.”
After four days of competition with two matches per day, South Africa faced India (Manipur B) in the Final which resulted in a 7-4 victory for South Africa; the South Africa Team Captain, Amy Michelle Grace commented, “We shall return home with gratuitous humble hearts, and shall spread the word to as many polo players as we can, that they must come to Manipur.”
The 6th International Women’s Polo Tournament Teams:
South Africa: Amy Michelle Gace, Vermaak Alida Brenda, Santini
Julianne & Tessa Lela Sarah Moxon
Luxembourg: Clotilde Ludorf, Constance Liselotte, Johanna Zuber, Poggel Brigitta Antonie & Sandrine Natacha Dubois
India A (Manipur): Kh. Deventy Devi, Kh. Have Devi. M. Priya Devi, Jetholia Th, Y. Ranjita & Lucy L.
India B (Manipur): Neelu RK, Th. Sanajaoba, M. Bijenty, Anjali Y & Felicia N
India (Indian Polo Association): Monica Saxena, Namratha
Jadhav, Jyothi Nakka, Kh. Chaoba, I.Sangeeta Devi & Salam
Ngounu Chanu
For Women’s polo dates for your diary, turn to our What’s On pages
On Thursday 13 April, 12 teams across three sections took part in The Area 14 Pony Club Polo Championships which was bathed in sunshine at Tedworth Park Polo Club and sponsored by Seriously Cool Events. Many young Club Members took part, so the future looks bright for the next generation of Tedworth players. The New Forest won the Loriner section, South Dorset Hunt won the Surtees section and OS&B won the JOPPS section. Congratulations to Bethan Hitchman for organising the Championships and well done to Lolly Stanhope-White who umpired all of the chukkas!
Photography by AAP
On Thursday 24 March, the fifth edition of the Intercollegiate Youth Tournament for The New Zealand Cup was played at the Alfredo Lalor de Pilar Headquarters, with five teams from three schools taking part. Los Robles Amarillo convincingly beat New Zealand B in the Final, 10-1, while Imei beat Los Robles Azul 5-1 in the Subsidiary Final.
On Friday 31 March, The Copa Beguerie Finals were held at the Alfredo Lalor de Pilar Headquarters with Cria Yatay defeating La Dolfina Betania 15-6 in the Final and Estancia Polo securing The Lainez Subsidiary Final with a narrow 11-10 win against El Silencio.
The New Zealand Cup Final Teams:
Los Robles Amarillo (0): Román Echeverz (0), Marcos Llavallol (0), Pedro Von Wernich (0) & Segundo Avendaño (0)
New Zealand B (0): Andino Donoso Blaquier (0), Ramón Carmine (0), Pedro Carmine (0) & Bautista Luis Hendrik Máiquez (0)
The Copa Beguerie Final Teams:
Cria Yatay (14): Artemio Figueras (0), Dante Castagnola (2), Federico Panzillo (6) & Gonzalo Ferrari (6)
La Dolfina Betania (14): Justo Llorente (2), Justo Calafell (4), Juan Calafell (6) & Nicolás De Rosa (2)
The NZPA has confirmed that Max Dormer (SI), Herbie Coates (CD), Jay Wilson (NPA) and Zach Keyte (NPA) have been selected to represent New Zealand in Boston in September 2023 with Finlay Blackwell (SI) as the non-travelling reserve.
On Monday 10 April, the JOPPS and Beaufort competed in the Equus Arena at Beaufort Polo Club in The Easter Tournament. The results were:
1st – Beaufort Blue aka Bouncing Bunnies (Evelyn, Eleanore & Beaa)
2nd – Beaufort Buff aka Matt Hatters (Elliott, Perdie & Delphi)
3rd – Hampshire Hunt aka Eggspret Poachers (Felix, Oscar & Fleur)
On the final day of competition in The Division I Women’s National Intercollegiate Championships, Texas A&M University (TAMU) faced reigning champions University of Virginia (UVA) at Virginia Polo Inc. Although UVA had the home advantage, TAMU excelled in their penalty taking and they secured a narrow, 13-12 win, taking the podium for the first time since 2019.
The day continued with The Division I Men’s National Intercollegiate Championship in which University of North Texas (UNT) created an early lead and by the final chukka held a six goal lead. University of Virginia (UVA) attempted to mount a comeback, but it was too little too late and UNT ran out the winners, 14-9.
The Division I Women’s National Intercollegiate Championships
Final Teams:
Texas A&M University: Cara Kennedy, Josie Dorsey & Olivia Reynolds
University of Virginia: Katie Define, Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Owens, Alana Benz & Kellie Booth
The Division I Men’s National Intercollegiate Championship Final Teams:
University of Virginia: Vlad Tarashansky, Jim Deal, Parker Pearce & Makhdum ‘Mak’ Mourad Shah
University of North Texas: Vance Miller III, John Dencker, Andrew Scott, Vaughn Miller Jr. & Niklaus Felhaber
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Understanding what it takes to overcome fear and self-doubt has been at the root of Paul ‘Stalkie’ Stalker’s personal transformation. He has proven experience of working with Polo Teams, Patrons and individual players for the past 2 years achieving outstanding results. With individual clients, Stalkie’s aim is to untap, nurture and focus their passion and potential on becoming the best versions of themselves in all aspects of their lives, whatever their starting point
What a wonderful achievement by England polo’s very own Fab Four – James ‘Beimy’ Beim, Max Charlton, Mark Tomlinson and Captain, Tommy Beresford – in returning The Westchester Cup home to England after an exhilarating match at the National Polo Center, Wellington, Florida, on Friday 31 March 2023.
Days before the game it was Tommy who articulated the size of the task in front of the team, describing the potential pitfalls of taking a scratch team to play on borrowed ponies, on “enemy territory” against a US team who had been regularly playing together at the top level over the past few months.
Immediately after the game it was Tommy, the youngest player in the match at just 26-years-old, who was named Most Valuable Player, ever-modestly claiming “I didn’t have my best game”. The 12-9 scoreline, the second-largest winning margin since 1939, would suggest otherwise!
It was also a proud moment for myself
and RAISE Polo, my mindset and peak performance coaching company, having been asked by the HPA to prepare, then accompany the players, alongside England’s legendary coach and friend Hilario Ulloa, during their 10 day trip to Wellington.
This first-time partnership consisted of a digital programme of positive psychology tools which I delivered to the Fab Four, together with a series of one-to-one and team motivational sessions in the build-up to the game itself.
Much as they thrived being put through their mental paces, which involves solving the stubbornest of mentality, communication and team culture barriers, I was clearly pushing on an open door with this immensely spirited and talented team, all of whom were selected to play by the HPA because of their unconditional love of the game, their commitment to each other and their desire to do the English and wider polo community proud. And boy did Team England achieve it.
For these boys, it seemed that their mission was far greater than just the game itself.
The Westchester Cup is one of the biggest polo rivalries, returning after a threeyear hiatus. With team USA being the current title holders and the two teams equally matched at 25 goals, it always promised to be an exhilarating display of elite athleticism and sportsmanship, but I firmly believe it was won by marginal mindset gains, focusing on the controllables, team unity and shared values.
Representing your country on the polo field requires every player to pay their mental and physical dues. There is no hiding place or shortcut to reaching your goals. The difference between playing elite and poor polo lies completely between your ears. When the game is on the line and the competitive pressure ramps up, playing to your potential means focusing on what you’re doing and not on what you’re thinking.
On the field of play, the teams proved well-matched from the first chukka which ended 2-2, to the fourth chukka which started neck-and-neck on six goals apiece.
But England refused to be swerved from the belief in their hit-and-run game plan, maintaining their resilience, upping the tempo and coasting away in the fourth and fifth chukkas to what seemed an impenetrable four-goal lead until a late US goal from Jeffrey Hall in the final chukka momentarily bucked the trend and gave the home crowd a deserved final reward. What a crowd it was.
Given the high quality of the match, it almost seems harsh to point to a few moments in the game where the US team’s focus and belief waned, but these moments, as always, prove to be the differentiators between good and great performance –particularly when playing against a team in collective flow.
Polo is simply too fast a game to play well unless you are in flow, your concentration is in the right place and you can execute mentally, which may account for the American side missing a total of seven goals throughout the match.
Moments where mistakes such as these were questioned and dwelt upon, rather than
instantly forgotten, and the occasional instance when individuals put themselves before the team were eagerly capitalised upon by an England team who remained relentless in their belief. Flickering moments, marginal gains.
Now onto a few words about the defining strength of family and shared values when it comes to creating team unity. The sense of family and ‘oneness’ remained at the heart of all aspects of Team England’s Westchester campaign.
This started with a set of core values and behaviours which the players agreed upon and held each other accountable for both on and off the pitch (e.g. treat others as you wish to be treated). It was inherent in the decision to allow the team to be accompanied on their Wellington experience by their families and loved ones, and it was prevalent in the trust, care and communication between the players, coaches, wider support team and organisers, including Josh Tuthill, Director of Sport at the HPA and the entire HPA cohort.
The international polo family also rose magnificently to the occasion. Our hosts, the United States Polo Association, the National Polo Center, as well as the generous owners who lent such wonderful horses to the England team all did the game of polo proud.
The goal of the HPA’s collaboration with RAISE Polo was to continue to identify the support that players need both on and off the field to ensure optimum performance. In this case it was to establish solid mindset foundations that will not only provide a competitive mental edge for the England team but also further each player’s development as they continue their polo journeys.
I would like to raise a celebratory glass to the HPA for being so innovative in putting faith in the concept of supporting the England players through mindset coaching. And to Tommy, Mark, James and Max – four fine young men who were so open-minded and prepared to stretch their comfort zones as far as they could to ensure an English victory. Here’s to the sequel!
Paul ‘Stalkie’ Stalker is excited to announce the launch of his brand new book Raise Your Polo Game, which contains 60 videos activated by QR codes, exercises, case studies and insights allowing you to access support and guidance whenever you need it. You can expect to learn:
• How brain training can empower you to rethink and reframe challenging polo situations
• To stay calm in the heat of the game and control the controllables
• To focus on what you’re doing rather than what you’re thinking
• How to use your focus, physiology and language to drive positive mental and physical health
• To understand ‘why we do what we do’ in our mindset, giving us freedom to play better polo, improve our relationships and lead fulfilling, purposeful lives on and off the field For those who wish to flavour Stalkie’s insights into what a peak polo mindset looks like, Raise Your Polo Game can be ordered online at https://book.raisepolo. com where you can also download two free chapters of the book.
Emma K Sheridan specialises in equine photography and equine therapies. Having qualified in Equine Integrative Support Therapies with EMA Ltd in 2019 and taking numerous CPDs to further widen her equine therapy knowledge, Emma has a wealth of knowledge which she will be sharing with Polo Times readers in a series of articles, covering topics such as Equine Integrative Support Therapies and Equine Botanical Choices (Zoopharmacognosy)
What is an equine weighbridge?
An equine weighbridge is a useful device that is specially designed to accurately weigh a horse (in kg). Equine weighbridges can be either fixed (remain in one location) or portable (can be easily transported to specific locations for use). Some weighbridges have bars on the sides and others are open on the sides.
Why might you use an equine weighbridge?
Knowing your horse’s bodyweight allows for more informed decisions to be made with regards to their well-being. For example, when administering worming programmes, or for feeding purposes (be that hard feed or forage). It can even be beneficial with regards any supplements you give the horse. Knowing your horse’s bodyweight will assist your equine nutritionist, in conjunction with an accurate equine body condition score, to formulate an appropriate individual feeding plan. An accurate weight gives you reliable information for travelling and payload purposes. There are many situations when you might be asked if you know your horse’s weight, including by your vet in some circumstances. It is good horse husbandry to monitor your horse’s weight and body condition throughout the year.
What happens at an equine weighbridge appointment?
The equine weighbridge operator will firstly set up their portable weighbridge (if you have requested the service at your yard). You need to provide an area where there is flat, solid ground (ideally a concrete base). The weighing can take place indoors or outdoors, but as with all equine services and situations you must ensure that the area is free from potential hazards, as well as suitably appropriate and spacious enough (both roof height and space around the weighbridge). It is also beneficial for the chosen area to be a place where the horses feel calm and unphased.
Often, each horse is allocated a 15 minute slot, which is usually plenty of time. This also means that it takes up very little of your time to gain and know an accurate
weight for your horse(s). Most horses are fairly comfortable around the equine weighbridge as it is low to the ground and has a suitable surface that most horses will be used to, therefore easy to step on and off. Most horses walk straight onto the weighbridge without hesitation. Even if they do hesitate momentarily, usually a good sniff and look is more than sufficient for them to be comfortable to then proceed. In some cases, it is easier to have a wall at one side to help guide the horse on.
Your equine weighbridge operator and the horse owner/handler should be of a calm and patient nature, therefore allowing the horse to take the time needed to explore, figure out what is being asked, and happily comply to the request to walk onto the weighbridge. The horse will then be asked to stand still on the weighbridge for a short time whilst their weight is locked in, then they can gently walk off the other end.
They can enter and exit from either end, making it easier if the horse has a preferred direction.
Equine weighbridge operators should have appropriate biosecurity measures in place with regards weighbridge use.
How can you access an equine weighbridge?
There are various ways to access an equine weighbridge: some feed companies will provide the service as part of their yard visits; an independent equine nutritionist might offer the service; there are some independent equine weighbridge service providers that offer stand-alone weighbridge appointments; your vet might provide the service either with a portable weighbridge or at their practice, if that is where their weighbridge is based; you could even buy your own equine weighbridge, there are a number of companies that sell both fixed and portable equine weighbridges.
It might be that an equine weighbridge operator requires over a set number of horses in a location to make coming out to provide the weighbridge service financially viable. So, in some cases, it may be beneficial to collaborate with other horse owners on a yard (or other local yards) when booking the service.
The option you decide upon to gain access to an equine weighbridge will often depend on your needs and if you require
any additional specialist advice over and above a basic weigh in.
Regular weighbridge checks can be useful for a number of reasons
Disclaimer:
Any advice or information given within the article is done so in good faith but not guaranteed and should be independently verified. The article is written based on UK practices.
Renowned polo coach, Rege Ludwig gives his expert advice on how to get more out of your game
The game of polo is typically broken down into three segments; Riding, Hitting, and Strategy; with each category bringing its own degree of significance to the playing of the game. However, riding is by far the more significant of the three categories.
That is true because; hitting and strategy are much more dependent upon riding than riding is dependent upon either hitting or strategy. With that being the case, the first thing any polo player should do relative to becoming an improved polo player is to take the time and make the effort to figure out how to help the polo horse play more effectively.
From the perspective of helping the horse play better, I created a six-step process designed to help the player help the horse play more effectively with and, for the player. I refer to that process as, the Polo Riding Checklist.
The first step of the Polo Riding Checklist is to turn your toes up, while at the same time, pushing your heels down. With your heels down, you are stretching the muscles,
tendons, and ligaments down on the back side of your legs. Within that process, you are increasing the gripping strength of your upper legs into the horse’s shoulders, which is the aspect of the polo style of riding that most closely defines the polo style of riding. The second most critical aspect of the Polo Style of Riding is that of having a mobile lower leg that moves forward and back to be serving as a counter balancing mechanism to your upper body, i.e., torso as it is moving forward and back and/or up and down.
The second step of the Polo Riding Checklist is that of having the majority of the weight in the stirrups on the medial side of your feet, i.e. big ball. To achieve that, you almost have to push your feet slightly out and away from the horse’s sides; while, at the same time turning your little toes up and away from the horse’s sides to the point where the soles of your boots are beginning to face somewhat out and away from the horse’s sides. By achieving those two things, you will have created a wide foundation to
your polo riding platform, which will have increased the strength of your upper legs gripping into the horse’s shoulders, which is the most significant aspect within the polo style of riding.
Gripping primarily with the upper legs is the aspect of Polo Riding that is different from most of the other styles of equestrian riding. The other styles of equestrian riding concentrate more on gripping with the lower legs, which decreases mobility.
Within the polo style of riding, the lower leg should be mobile to the point where it counter balances your upper body movement. Therefore, the lower legs should not be gripping strongly onto the horse’s sides.
The third, and most significant aspect of the Polo Riding Checklist is that of gripping securely into the horse’s shoulders with your upper legs. Grip into the horse’s shoulders with your upper legs for the purpose of securing your seat to the saddle on top of the horse. That strong and secure grip with
the upper legs, must be established and maintained throughout the course of every chukka.
The fourth step of the Polo Riding Checklist is to pay attention to your lower back. When decelerating your lower back should be arched with your upper body leaning back; contrastingly, when asking the horse to accelerate, your lower back should be rounded forward with your upper body leaning forward and down.
The fifth step of the Polo Riding Checklist is shoulders. When decelerating, your shoulders should be lifted up and back, while your upper body leans back. Ccontrastingly, when accelerating your head should move forward and down. Reference above diagrams.
The sixth and last step of the Polo Riding Checklist is your head. Like your shoulders, when decelerating, your head should be lifted up and back, Contact hand moved forward and down when accelerating.
The horse understands each of those
body movements; because, when your head moves forward and down, your upper body moves forward down, which pushes your upper legs forward and down into the horse’s shoulder, which is indicating to the horse to accelerate.
Conversely, when looking up, your head should be lifted up, and back, which will be producing the same effect on your upper body. Your upper body movement, in turn, produces the effect on your upper legs of lifting them up and back on the horse’s shoulders, to effectively be lifting and pulling back on the horse’s shoulders, which is an indication to the horse to decelerate.
The fact of the matter is you almost cannot move any part of your body, without it affecting other parts of your body that the horse can feel; and, most likely, will respond to.
Getting back to the intention of this article – helping the polo horse play with maximum effectiveness. The fact of the matter is; the horse does not know what you
are thinking. But what it does know is what you are telling it by the way you use your body on its back. Therefore, the way you use your body to communicate to the horse pretty much dictates how it will respond to your request of it to execute a particular manoeuvre, in a specific manner, with a defined degree of intensity.
When you can do that, you and the horse will be working effectively together; and you can expect each of you to be playing the game with a greater degree of effectiveness.
Even though the horse is considered to be the largest percentage of your ability to play the game, how you use your body on the horse’s back determines how well the horse plays with you, for you.
I can almost promise, when you get the riding part right, your percentage of contribution to the game increases proportionate to the degree to which you are capable of helping the horse play with you, for you.
Thoresby Eventing Spring Carnival; 31 March – 2 April; Thoresby Park
Thoresby Park Polo Club enjoyed a wonderful weekend at the Thoresby Eventing Spring Carnival, which included the Club’s stand explaining more about polo, the Club’s Start of Season Cocktail Party and an exhibition match on the Sunday. The Cocktail Party on Saturday night was sponsored by British Polo Gin in the Caunton VIP marquee. Guests enjoyed a special gin cocktail created just for the event, The Thoresby, as well as other gin cocktails. It’s no surprise that Members and their guests had a great time chatting, dining on canapés and dancing the night away. To read more about the exhibition match and also the Club, please turn to the Club Focus pages.
Photography by Thoresby Park Polo Club/ Adam Pigott
Victoria Coupe & Thomas Bray Fred, Francesca & Paul Layland
Richard Walter, John Bagley, Juliet Harrison Piper & Angela Bland
Kerry Neale, Anna & Nick Mitchell
Sally Brown, Oonagh Bagley, Sophie-Alice Collins & Victoria Bateson Corey & Erika Meikle
Mairi Bagley, Henry Bland, Calum Volrath & Cameron Bagley
Garath Meikle & Kayla Meikle
John Rowley Alex Herniman
Thoresby event crowd
Exhibition match winning team, Navigate Partners Alex Herniman, Sally Brown, and Marie Sheen with David Spickett, founder of team sponsor TheCarCrowd
It was a day of firsts at Guards Polo Club on a sunny Sunday in April as 400 Members descended upon Smith’s Lawn for the Club’s Welcome to the Season event. This was the first time Members could meet the new Clubhouse Hospitality team since the news had broken that Searcys had taken over the dayto-day running of the Clubhouse and Lush by Tom Kerridge would be catering the big events. This was also everyone’s first opportunity to catch up with their Club friends this season. Clubhouse General Manager Harry Wilson and Tom Duffy from Lush by Tom Kerridge were on hand to meet the Members and welcomed them to the Club with Lush by Tom Kerridge canapés and a glass of Champagne LaurentPerrier. As the weather was kind many Members lingered on the Terrace, enjoying the atmosphere.
Photography by Gillian Hughes Antony Fanshawe & Clive Reid Julian James & Alejandra Falkinhoff Brian Stein & Plattina Tong Lucy & Lawrence Butcher Tissy Sievwright, John Collins & Lucy Chu Pippa Jewitt, Neil Atkin & Robert Burke Anne Rayner, Diana Butler & Paul Reyner Caroline Alderman & Chris Benford Tom Duffy & Harry Wilson Lush by Tom Kerridge canapés Melanie Hare, Jamie Hayward & Jonathan Hare David Emanuel, Holly Smith, Ava Southwell & David Byrne
Congratulations to Lia Salvo and her husband Juan on the arrival of their daughter India Rojas Salvo in mid-April!
Paul Sweeney Memorial Final; Ash Farm Polo Club; Sunday 20 February
Prince Harry’s polo team, Los Padres, are scheduled to be playing two matches at Santa Barbara Polo Club, California at the same time as King Charles’ Coronation. The Coronation also falls on the day of his son Archie’s birthday, but reports claim that Prince Harry would attend the Coronation without his children and wife.
The Paul Sweeney Memorial was founded by Lesley, Charlotte and Georgia Sweeney in memory of Paul Sweeney after his unexpected death in 2009 at just 48-years-old in order to keep his spirit and legacy alive. Each year, the tournament attracts a number of players and spectators, gathering at Ash Farm Polo Club to cheer on the finalists. This year saw a record number of teams and after a two-year postponement due to Covid-19, the grandstands were packed. Twelve Oaks managed to stave off a last-minute attempt by Rosina to claim the title and took a 14-12 victory.
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Megan and Ben Reisma welcomed their first child, Rosa Mary Reisma, into the world on Sunday 23 April, weighing in at a 6.4lbs despite being two weeks early – congratulations!
York University Polo Club organised an invitational beach polo tournament in Weymouth. Braving the grey skies and chill weather, Edinburgh won the Intermediates and Bournemouth win the Beginners section.
CLUB PHONE EMAIL
All Ireland Polo Club 00353 01 6896732 dstone@indigo.ie
All England Polo Club Hickstead* 01273 834 315 polo@hickstead.co.uk
Apsley End Polo Club* 01462 712444 tobiana.scott@gmail.com
Ash Farm Polo Club* 07799 812739 ashfarmpolo@hotmail.com
Barfold Polo Club 07778 808853 mborwick@gmail.com
Bawtry Polo Club 01302 773282 info@bawtrypoloclub.co.uk
Beaufort Polo Club 01666 880510 enquiries@beaufortpoloclub.co.uk
Beverley Polo Club* 01964 544877 info@beverleypoloclub.co.uk
Binfield Heath 01491 411969 bhpcmanager@gmail.com
Blueys Polo Club* 07930 323263 polomanager@blueyspolo.co.uk
Bramham Polo Academy 07811 993316 emmadvh@btinternet.com
Bunclody Polo Club 00353 87 6605917 info@poloclubbunclody.com
Burningfold Polo Club 01483 200722 derrek@burningfold.com
Cambridge Polo Club* 07711 217004 cambridgepoloclub@icloud.com
Cambridge County Polo Club* 01223 812922 info@cambridgecountypoloclub.co.uk
Carlton House 07901 561113 harrietservaes@hotmail.com
Chester Racecourse Polo Club 01244 304602 amorris@chester-races.com
Cheshire Polo Club 01948 861020 info@cheshirepoloclub.co.uk
Chiltern Polo Club 07973 174542 info@chilternpoloclub.com
Cirencester Park Polo Club 01285 653225 info@cirencesterpolo.co.uk
Cowdray Polo Club 01730 813257 enquiries@cowdraypolo.co.uk
Curraghmore Polo Club 00353 51 387102 mkennedy@cssgroup.ie
Dallas Burston Polo Club* 01926 811 111 enquiries@ixlevents.com
Dorset Polo Club 01202 623985 office@dorsetpolo.co.uk
Druids Lodge Polo Club* 01722 782597 abi@druidspolo.co.uk
Dundee and Perth Polo Club* 07831 365 194 jamesscrawford@aol.com
Eastwood Polo Club 07968 300063 frankums@googlemail.com
Edgeworth Polo Club 01285 821695 edgeworthpolo@gmail.com
Edinburgh Polo Club* 07971 072336 james.dgls@gmail.com
Emsworth Polo Grounds* 01344 883112 info@fourquarterspolo.co.uk
Epsom Polo Club* 07961 232106 epsompoloclub@hotmail.com
FHM Polo Club* 07778 436468 frances@fhmpolo.co.uk
Fifield Polo Club* 01628 620061 fifieldpoloclub@live.co.uk
Great Trippetts Polo Club 01428 741916 charles@trippetts.com
Guards Polo Club* 01784 434212 polo@guardspoloclub.com
Ham Polo Club 020 8334 0000 office@hampoloclub.com
Hertfordshire Polo Club* 01707 256023 polo@hertspolo.co.uk
Home Farm Polo Grounds 07807672120 rachaelkearnet@hotmail.co.uk
Hurtwood Polo Club 01483 272828 polo@hurtwoodparkpolo.co.uk
Kirtlington Park Polo Club 01869 350138 info@kirtlingtonparkpolo.co.uk
Knepp Castle Polo Club 07920 023639 info@aspectpolo.co.uk
Leadenham Polo Club 07429 299026 office@leadenhampoloclub.com
Longdole Polo Club* 01452 864544 info@longdolepolo.com
Moor Farm Polo Club 07494 114190 shop@moorfarmshop.co.uk
Moor Hall Farm Polo Club* 01279 450637 alecbeve@btinternet.com
New Forest Polo Club 07977 224404 annabelparryjoyner@yahoo.co.uk
Norfolk Polo Club 01508 480400 office@norfolkpolo.co.uk
Northern Ireland Polo Club 07803 020577 info@northernirelandpoloclub.co.uk
Offchurch Bury Polo Club* 07816 830887 info@offchurchburypoloclub.co.uk
Pangbourne Polo Club 07708 906810 aprice@polofix.com
Peover Polo Club 07766 016 833 polomanager@peoverpoloclub.co.uk
Polo Wicklow* 00353 404 67164 siobhan@polowicklow.com
RAF Cranwell 07739 569491 rafcranwellpoloclub@yahoo.co.uk
Ranelagh Polo Club* 01344 885697 ranelagh@labravapolo.com
RCBPC* 01344 890060 polo@rcbpc.com
RMAS Polo Club 07973 174542 rmas-nc-aci-projinters@mod.uk
Rugby Polo Club* 01788 817724 info@rugbypoloclub.com
Rutland Polo Club 07772 040668 secretary@rutlandpoloclub.co.uk
Silver Leys Polo Club 07730 060200 silverleyspoloclub@gmail.com
St. Albans Polo Club 07956 017090 info@stalbanspoloclub.co.uk
Stewarton Polo Club 07974 706045 info@stewartonpolo.co.uk
Suffolk Polo Club 07990 576974 aes3@cam.ac.uk
Sussex Polo Club* 01342 714920 info@sussexpolo.co.uk
Taunton Vale Polo Club 07771 931541 Chairman_tcvpc@btinternet.com
Tidworth Polo Club* 01980 846705 info@tidworthpolo.com
Toulston Polo Club 07776 234638 info@toulstonpoloclub.com
Triskelion Polo Club* 07624 272547 polo@triskelionpolo.club
Vale of York Polo Club* 07788 426968 info@valeofyorkpoloclub.co.uk
Vaux Park Park Polo Club* 07703 524613 vppc@btconnect.com
West Wycombe Park Polo Club* 07787 560729 secretary@westwycombepolo.co.uk
Westcroft Park Polo Club* 01276 858545 info@westcroftparkpolo.co.uk
White Rose Polo Club* 01430 875767 info@whiterosepolo.co.uk
White Waltham Polo Club 07748 670587 kim@playpolo.co.uk
* Also open for arena polo in the UK winter
Parlanti Roma
Polo Boots
Good quality boots. UK size 4.5. Open to offers. Can post. £200. Tel: 07784 731929
SCOREBOARDS AND CLOCKS
HAND
SANITISER
Hand sanitiser supplied at 80% ABV to
WHO Formula
1. Available in 100ml (from £2), 200ml (from £4) or 5 litre (from £45) sizes.
Personalised labels available at extra cost.
Discounts & free delivery for bulk purchases.
Tel: 07969 456214
2013 MAN TGM 290,002 km (180,199 miles). Total length of lorry 9m. Tyres all good, MOT 30.09.2023. Regularly maintained. Bought chassis 2018 with a new box fitted and conversion built for transporting horses and other animals. Selling now as retiring. Six stalls, solid partitions to floor with gates for access through, partitions are all moveable. Rubberised floor, Four electric fans, water pump, large water tank. £28,995 (Bath. Tel: 07802 355795
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
Brand New MG Polo Saddle 18”
MG polo saddle in light suede. Bought new this year but surplus to requirements and has never been used! Some light marks on one side from storage, but I think these would come out. 18”. Usually sold new for ≈ £650 - £700. Collection preferred (Cirencester) but can post at buyer’s expense. £500. Tel: 07904 161265
Spanish Polo
Boots Very new polo boots from Spanish boot company originally £405. Good quality boots. Calf: 37cm/38cm, length 42cm, UK size 6. Can post. Tel: 07784 731929
Tack Bundle Horse tack sold as a bundle sold as seen. Collection up only (Oxford). £150. Tel: 07534 386958
Ifor Williams 510 Classic Black New front ramp installed 2019. Sold as seen. Viewings welcome. For sale due to horse retiring and no longer required. £4,000 (Goole). Tel: 07557 762945
HUSK Boots 1 pair of La Irenita fronts LS with red binding, used for 1 season, have a slight snag on one as shown in photo. £60. 1 pair of La Irenita plain black hinds LL used for one season, some hay stuck to them from storage over winter. £75. 1 set fronts LS & backs LL of Shield 3D Air (older model) barely used. Plain black. £100 for set. OR will do £200 deal if you buy both sets with all boots. Can post at buyer’s cost, Sheffield based or can arrange collection at local clubs: Leadenham, Thoresby, Dart etc). Tel: 07557 644269
Black Riding Boots Pair of black riding boots. Size 8. Excellent condition. No longer required. £150 (York). Tel: 07518 866130
1995 7.5t DAF 7.5t DAF manual transmission, 1.5t payload, stalled for 3, living sleeps 4. MOT until end of August, Massive amounts of storage, Ramp is easy to use (one person can shut it), my first lorry after passing my test (super easy to drive). Kitchen with fridge, hob etc. Recently had new floor in horse area. Only for sale as I am downsizing. Can be viewed in north Herts. £9,950. Tel: 07800 798069
Hand Mallet Unused Polo Splice 30” hand mallet. £20 (Midhurst). Tel: 07759 821276
Logi Polo Saddle Brand new and unused Logi Polo saddle. 19 inch Suede seat. Dark tan. UK girth billets. Near offers invited. £450 (Ascot). Tel: 07828 491097
‘Horseware - Sportz-vibe’ Massage
Rug Brand new, never used. Tags still attached. Size ‘L’ - 6’9-7’3. Open to sensible offers, RRP £629.95 (Cirencester). Tel: 07793 472506
Crosby Close Contact Saddle 17”
Great condition little saddle, saddle doesn’t fit any current horses. Collection Bishops Stortford. Open to sensible offers. £195. Tel: 07964 961256
Lascano Argentine
Polo Boots
Size 38.5. Excellent condition. Open to offers. Buyer to pay postage. £400. Tel: 07850 019202
3 Donkeys Coveralls Brand new, still in bag. Purple 2-in-1 coveralls. Size 16. Open to sensible offers - RRP £147.50 (Cirencester). Tel: 07793 472506
Horse Clippers (Heavy Duty and Small)
Used Horse clippers. No longer required as sold horses. Good working order. Happy to post or collect from Ely. £125. Price does NOT include postage. Tel: 07789 486285
Hope Arellano has recently made history as only the second woman ever to reach a 10 goal handicap in America, no surprise really given her success during her career which includes this year’s U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship title (adding to her win in 2017). Hope’s other top achievements include playing in The FIP World Cup, winning The Texas Women’s Open 2020 and winning Pete Bostwick Memorial 12 goal alongside dad and two brothers
What is your biggest passion and why? Polo is my biggest passion! My favourite part about the sport is the horses!
What is your all time best polo memory? I was able to win The Pete Bostwick with my dad [Julio] and my two older brothers, Agustin and Lucas, in 2016.
Which sports do you like outside of polo? Outside of polo I really enjoy tennis.
Favourite film and why? I can’t pick just one, I have so many!
Favourite song/album? It changes all the time! But at this exact moment ‘Goosebumps’ and ‘No Hands’.
Favourite food/dish? Steak.
Who were/are your favourite teammates? I have been fortunate to play with so many amazing teammates! Although I absolutely love every chance I get playing with my brothers.
Favourite hobby outside of polo? I have a few which include: rescuing/ spending time with animals, playing the guitar and hiking.
Most prized possession? All of my Animals!
Favourite celebrity and why? The late Kobe Bryant. He was an incredible athlete that I have learned so much from! Shakira because I love her music.
Best holiday destination & activity?
I love skiing and hiking, Glacier National Park is one of my favourite places to go on holiday.
Best pony and why?
I have so many favourites! I love them all for different reasons. My favourite all around would probably be Hippi Chic, she was my dad’s best mare and then was given to me by him.
Are you passionately superstitious? Not at all.
Describe yourself in three words? Hard-headed, kind, overthinker.
STALLIONS AVAILABLE IN EUROPE FOR THE 2023 BREEDING SEASON
LOVELOCKS BONJOVI
Atlantic x Paprika
LOVELOCKS CHEKHOV
Open El Padrino x Grappa Kurni
LOVELOCKS LIT
Clarin x Lovelocks Illuminate
LOVELOCKS SHADOW
Lovelocks Zazoo x Lovelocks Ilusive
OPEN EL PADRINO
Sportivo x Ilusión
DOLFINA EASTERN
Open Chimento x Dol na Lapa
#LOVELOCKSSTALLIONS
