PT Oct 2011

Volume 16 • Issue 9 • October 2011 • £5.50

www.polotimes.co.uk

Clockwork orange Perfectly synchronised Las Monjitas shine bright in stunning Sotogrande Plus: we look ahead to the FIP World Cup PT p1 cover JM JOS.indd 1

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Contents

36

62

Contacts Publisher Margie Brett margie@polotimes.co.uk Editor

30

October 2011 News

Youth polo

James Mullan jamesmullan@polotimes.co.uk

10 Cover story: World Cup preview

58 SUPA in Hungary

12 All the latest news

61 Opinion: buying ponies for youngsters

Sub editor

18 The big picture

John O’Sullivan john@polotimes.co.uk Assistant editor Georgie May georgie@polotimes.co.uk Advertising manager Harriet Kay harriet@polotimes.co.uk Art editor Nicki Averill nickiaverill@polotimes.co.uk Marketing & PR

Comment 20 Backchat with Clare Milford Haven 22 Herbert Spencer’s Global view 24 Arthur Douglas-Nugent’s Umpire’s corner 26 Your views: four pages of letters

Features 30 Interview: Lolo Castagnola discusses his new Argentine high-goal team 34 Calcutta Polo Club’s 150th birthday

Reports

Knowledge 62 Travel special: 11 pages of Argentina hotel and estancia reviews 74 Know your horse 76 Know your game 78 Ones to watch 79 How to spend it 80 Products: Equestrian artworks 82 UK end-of-season handicap changes 84 What’s on

Sidelines 85 Gossip: don’t be the last to know 86 Social: Sotogrande High-Goal; Lynt Polo Times Tournament; David Heaton-Ellis Memorial Trophy

PJ Seccombe pj@polotimes.co.uk

36 Cover story: Sotogrande High-Goal

Subscriptions

42 Hublot Gold Cup

88 Social: Deauville Gold Cup; Ladies Polo Wicklow; Watergate Bay polo

44 Ladies International Polo, Wicklow

91 Social: PT best playing pony rugs

46 Home and abroad

98 Passions: Ollie Cudmore

Sarah Foster sarah@polotimes.co.uk Accounts Philippa Hunt - accounts@polotimes.co.uk

Tel: 01993 886885 Fax: 01993 882660

www.polotimes.co.uk

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40 Deauville Gold Cup

Cover photograph: Two grooms embrace in the foreground as Camilo Bautista’s Las Monjitas team trot off the field in the background after winning the High-Goal Gold Cup final at Santa María Polo Club in Sotogrande, by James Mullan

Polo Times, October 2011

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from the Editor So, up here in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s officially autumn. The leaves are falling, the ponies are out munching, our tans are fading and that holiday romance is beginning to feel like a distant memory. However, somehow – curiously – this year our enthusiasm refuses to wain. Why? Downton Abbey is back on our screens, but can that really be it? After all, those of us in the UK still have the empty rhetoric of Nick Clegg to deal with as well.

The answer lies in the anticipation of two unpredictable tournaments looming large on the polo horizon. A youthful England foursome will already be doing battle in Italy by the time you read this, playing for the chance to compete in the FIP World Cup in Argentina later in October, and three of Britain’s top professionals will now be playing in Argentina, taking part in two different teams attempting to fill one of the two qualifying berths available for the Hurlingham and Palermo Opens.

At Polo Times, we wish them all well, and will hope that England can make it to the finals of the ninth World Cup, being staged this year at Estancia Grande near San Luis (see right), and that James Beim’s Enigma and Luke and Mark Tomlinson’s La Quinta give a good account of themselves amongst the five teams hoping to play in the culmination of the Argentine Triple Crown.

Estancia Grande is also the sponsor of an exciting-looking new high-goal team that forms one of the six automatic qualifiers for the entire Triple Crown, replacing Chapa Uno. It features four former 10-goalers with a wealth of experience at the very highest level, and they’ll certainly have a good chance given the dramatic changes to the season’s two powerhouses in recent years, La Dolfina and Ellerstina. Find out Estancia Grande’s bold ambitions in our interview with the team’s back, Lolo Castagnola, on page 30.

Back on home soil, huge numbers of you will welcome the return of arena polo this month. The HPA are expecting polo to be played at 28 arena clubs up and down the UK over the winter. They have raised the high-goal from 12-15 goals up to 14-16 goals and, in order to generate plenty of interest early, have brought the National Club Championships forward from their usual slot in February to take place before Christmas. Good luck to all those for a splendid, satisfying, stirring and safe season.

Finally, this month I’d urge you to take a particular look at our letters pages, which we’ve extended in this issue to make space for the ever-expanding raft of correspondence we are now receiving. We love to hear your views, so do please have a read of others’ strongly worded opinions and then I encourage you to start or join a debate yourselves.

The letters page is your forum, we’ll aim to publish as many of your contributions as possible and I certainly like to think that the rising volume of them is a wonderful sign of the health of the magazine. So thank you.

Email me: jamesmullan@polotimes.co.uk 10

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World Cup ready THE FINAL PREPARATIONS are now well underway for this month’s ninth edition of the FIP World Championships for the World Cup in Argentina.

The 10-team 14-goal tournament starts at Estancia Grande Polo Club in San Luis on Monday 10 October and runs for 12 days until the grand final on Friday 21 October.

Eight of the finalists have already been confirmed, but the identity of the last two will not be known until the conclusion of the European qualifying tournament on Sunday 2 October.

The Federación Internacional de Polo (FIP) confirmed the format of the

tournament in mid-September. The 10 finalists have been split into two leagues of five, with each team playing once against the other four sides in their group. The top two teams in each group will qualify for the semi-finals, with the winners of these matches advancing to the final to play for the World Cup trophy.

League One will be made up of hosts Argentina, 2008 semi-finalists Mexico, Asian duo India and Pakistan and one of the two European qualifiers.

The other European team will join reigning champions Chile, Brazil, the USA and Australia in League Two.

Team-by-team World Cup guide Argentina The hosts are the only team who had not formally named their squad for the tournament at the time of going to press, but their preparations show that they mean business. Technical director Martin Zubia has run the rule over no fewer than 90 potential players this year. The Asociación Argentina de Polo (AAP) revealed that he has whittled this down

It has been 13 years and three tournaments since Argentina last won the World Cup to 18, but had not yet confirmed the squad of 10 who will be competing in the tournament.

Unsurprisingly, Argentina have enjoyed their fair share of success in the World Cup and have lifted the trophy three times. They won the inaugural competition on home soil back in 1987 and have subsequently made it to three further finals, winning two. However, it’s been 13 years and three tournaments since the world’s leading polo nation won the World Cup and no doubt they will be looking to set the record straight at Estancia Grande.

Australia Australia’s qualification for the World Cup was less than straight-forward as they lost to both Pakistan and India before securing third place in Zone D with a 12-9 win

over South Africa. Captain Matt Grimes believes the rocky road in qualifying could be a blessing in disguise, though, and expects his side to peak at the main event in Argentina.

He said: “India and Pakistan are very passionate about their polo and both play very hard and fast games. We lost to both by half a goal, so hopefully with a bit of luck if we meet again in Argentina we might sneak up next time.

The 14-goal is a very competitive level, so all the games will be tough.”

Australia squad: Matt Grimes; Dirk Gould; Ed Goold; Zac Hagedoorn; Alec White; James Shepherd

Brazil Brazil may have been outclassed by England at 28-goal level in this year’s Coronation Cup showdown at Guards, but they are likely to prove a different proposition in Argentina this month. The South Americans have appeared in all five World Cup finals since 1995, winning three along the way, making them the most successful team in the competition’s history. Four-goaler Caio Siquini is the only survivor from the 2008 squad, who lost in the final.

Brazil squad: Henrique Junqueira; Pedro Zacharias; Alexandre Junquiera; Joao Novaes; Gustavo Toledo; Caio Siquini; Gustavo Garcia; Guilherme Ribeiro; Roberto Junqueira; Serginho Figueredo

Chile Reigning champions Chile bring a new-look squad to Argentina for this month’s tournament with only four-goaler Pablo Villela Larrain retaining his place from the www.polotimes.co.uk

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for action 2008 squad. History shows that the Chilean success last time out was not just a flash in the pan. They have made it to at least the semi-final stage in four of the previous eight World Cups.

The squad is coached by former eightgoaler José Antonio “Tono” Iturrate, who won the Coronaton Cup in 1998.

Chile squad: Juan Ignacio Vercellino Martínez; José Rafel Zegers Greene; Juan Sánchez Unzurrunzaga; Pablo Villela Larraín; Antonio Eguiguren Correa; Francisco Martínez Ferrer; Maximiliano Silva Castelblanco; Felipe Vercellino Martínez

India India are brimming with confidence heading into the World Cup after winning all of their games in the Zone D qualifiers in Malaysia.

Five-goaler Samir Suhag scored 23 goals and was player of the tournament in that event. He once again leads the team in Argentina, where manager Vikram Singh Rathore expects them to excel. He said: “This is the best Indian team in 20 years. Indian polo has come of age and we will be heading to Argentina with confidence.”

Indian squad: Samir Suhag; Simran Shergill; Vishal Chauhan; Tarun Sirohi; Ravi Rathore (reserve); Gaurav Saghal (reserve)

Mexico The Mexicans qualified for the World Cup with two confident wins over the Dominican Republic in the Zone A Play-offs back in May. Having finished third on home soil at the last World Cup, coach Roberto Gonzalez-Gracida (cousin of Mexican legends Memo and Carlos) and his side have a tough act to follow and they are taking their preparations very seriously. They travelled to Peru for a four-day training camp in midSeptember before moving to Memo Gracida’s Club de Polo La Herradura in Argentina for their final warm-up sessions. They have a good track record at the World Cup and finished second at the first one in 1987.

England expects Pakistan’s Hissam Ali Hyder is set for his second World Cup. In England his handicap has gone up from five to six for next season, see page 82 for more

the two most experienced members of that squad, Hissam Ali Hyder and Raja Samiullah, will be on the field once again in San Luis.

Wins against Australia and South Africa in the qualifying show they must be taken seriously and team manager Abdul Qadir Mamdot said: “We have the potential to down any team.”

Pakistan team: Hissam Ali Hyder; M Saqib Khan Khakwani; Raja Samiullah; Taimur Nadeem; Ahmed Ali Tiwana (reserve); Bilal Haye (reserve)

United States The USA head into the championships high on optimism after powering past Canada and Guatemala to claim one of the two qualifying berths in Zone A. Uruguayan-born three-goaler Felipe Viana has been added to the squad that impressed in the Dominican Republic back in May. The 20-year-old Virginia-based player has tasted success on Argentine soil before having won the Potrillos title in Los Indios (the world’s most prestigious junior title) as a youngster.

He joins the likes of experienced campaigners John Gobin (5) and Nick Snow (4) in the USA squad, and USPA executive Peter Rizzo believes this blend of youth and experience offers Viana another chance to get his hands on silverware in Argentina. After the USA secured their place in the final, he said: “We know the team has a chance to do something very special.”

USA squad: John Gobin; Charles Muldoon; Nick Snow; Felipe Viana; Chris Collins; Cachi Garcia; Mason Wroe

Mexico squad: Valerio Aguilar Sotelo (captain); Francisco Aguilar Sotelo; Alejandro Gonzalez Keil; Alejandro Gomez de Parada; Luis Perez Ochoa (reserve); Oscar Garibay Eversbusch (reserve); Jesus Solorzano Palomares (reserve)

Pakistan In polo terms, Pakistan are the smallest country playing in the finals, with only 82 members registered with their national association. They will be making their second appearance at the World Championships after qualifying in second place from Zone D. They earned many admirers for their energetic style during the 2004 World Cup and www.polotimes.co.uk

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THE ENGLAND TEAM and their opponents in the European qualifiers were all looking for a bit of divine inspiration as they fought it out for the final two places at this month’s World Cup .

At the time of going to press the fiveteam European qualifying campaign was

Nick Snow brings plenty of experience to the US team

Jack Richardson, 20, and Max Charlton, 19, are both included in a young-looking England team

just getting underway at the picturesque Villa a Seste in Tuscany. And, amid the clamour to qualify for the main event, hosts Italy invited the visiting teams to an audience with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican on Wednesday 28 September.

The qualifying event, which finishes on Sunday 2 October, was attended by England (Ed Hitchman, Max Charlton, Jack Richardson and Nick Britten-Long), Italy, France, Germany and Holland.

Should the England team qualify, they will be looking to make amends for their worst ever World Cup showing last time out. In 2008 in Mexico, England finished seventh out of eight teams. It was the only time the side has failed to make it through to the semi-finals in seven finals appearances.

One team who will certainly not be at the World Cup is Spain. The Iberian side were surprise semi-finalists at the last championships, but this time pulled out just days before the European qualifiers.

A statement on the Real Federación Española de Polo website said: “We regret to inform all the fans and players who were thinking of going to the qualifiers, for various reasons the Spanish team will not be present in the tournament.”

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Photographs by Clive Bennett and Christie’s Auctioneers

Local patron buys historic Cowdray tray for £13,750 A SILVER TRAY signed by greats of the pre-war polo world – as well as by royalty – fetched 10 times its guide price at the auction of Cowdray House contents in midSeptember, writes Yolanda Carslaw.

Cowdray-based high-goal patron Adrian Kirby won the bidding to buy the tray for £13,750, including a buyer’s premium of 25 per cent. Its guide price was £1,000-£1,500.

Kirby is patron of the 1870 side, formerly called Silver Spring, and purchased the tray in a week when he enjoyed even more

familiarity with silverware, as his side rounded off a successful season with victory in Cowdray Park’s final summer tournament, the 12-goal Autumn Cup, which they finished unbeaten.

“I saw the item in the sale and I thought it was an important piece locally,” Kirby told Polo Times. “I

Deputy to the Chief Executive of the Hurlingham Polo Association A Deputy is required to take on or assist with the various responsibilities of the Chief Executive of the Hurlingham Polo Association. They will work full time from an office near Faringdon in Oxfordshire. Salary will be circa £35 – £40,000 and the preferred start date would be in the New Year.

Please reply in writing with a CV to David Woodd, Chief Executive Hurlingham Polo Association, Manor Farm, Little Coxwell, Faringdon, SN7 7LW 12

Polo Times, October 2011

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didn’t want it to go out of the UK.” The 65cm oblong tray (pictured) was given to the third Viscount in 1939 “from the polo players who have enjoyed his hospitality”, to celebrate his marriage to Lady Anne Pamela Bridgeman.

The third Viscount – who made Cowdray into British polo’s postwar home – and Lady Anne were the parents of the current Viscount Cowdray, who enlisted Christie’s to stage the sale at the family seat, which is also on the market.

The most famous of the tray’s 120 or so signatories are Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma.

But it was the polo names that caught PT’s eye. These include the Maharaja of Jaipur, nine-goal captain of the world-beating Jaipur team of the 1930s (signed simply Jaipur); John Wodehouse, 3rd Earl of Kimberley, an Olympian and 10-goaler who won virtually every big title up to the late-1920s; Humphrey Patrick Guinness, the legendary nine-goal back; Britain’s most recent 10-goaler, Gerald Balding; Brig Jack Gannon, secretary of the HPA from 1934 to 1980; Major-General John Charles “Jock” Campbell, a Scottish fivegoaler in the Royal Horse Artillery who was awarded the Victoria Cross; Archie David, the pre- and post-war patron of Friar Park, and Major-General Claude Pert, a Westchester Cup contender in 1927 and manager at Guards in his retirement.

Ancestors of today’s prominent players also feature. One signature belongs to David Mountbatten, 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven, whose son is Cowdray-based patron, George Milford Haven.

George tells PT his father played in Malta, already the third generation of his family to do

Autumn Cup winner, Adrian Kirby, who bought the historic tray pictured inset

so: George’s son, Harry Medina, continues that legacy as the fifth generation of his family to play.

Another is that of William Howarth Vestey, father of the patrons Lord (Sam) Vestey and Mark Vestey whose Stowell Park and Foxcote teams swept the board in the UK in the 1970s, and grandfather of Nina Clarkin (nee Vestey). William Howarth died in action in 1944, aged 32, before inheriting the title. His widow Pamela (Sam and Mark’s mother) died last month, some 67 years later, aged 92.

Other items relating to polo in the 1,200-lot sale included inscribed silver and pewter mugs, pre- and post-war, won in polo matches. Part of lot 950, they were for sold for £750 (guide price £700-£1,000). Nine illustrations of sporting figures (lot 880, guide £2,000-£3,000), which included a polo player, fetched £4,375; and a pair of saddle-horses and a mounting block fetched £750 (lot 1,142, guide £300-£500).

The sale, which realised £7,939,800, included items from Charles Pearson’s Dunecht House in Scotland as well as from Cowdray House.

Bids came from 34 countries and 4,500 people came to the preview, held over four days and open to anyone who bought the £30 catalogue – which features an informative history of the Cowdray family. Along with nine artworks from Cowdray Park sold separately through Christie’s in London in July, the Pearson collections have altogether brought in £18.9m this year. w Read about more 12-goal action at Cowdray Park on page 52 www.polotimes.co.uk

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More racist allegations at Cirencester Park CIRENCESTER PARK POLO CLUB has been forced to release a statement defending polo manager Nick Musgrave, after it was reported in the national press on 20 September that he allegedly described an Asian member of the club as “the f****r with the black face.”

An announcement made by the Gloucestershirebased club said: “It is with disappointment that we are investigating rumours of an alleged racial

comment that has been attributed to one of our senior members of staff. Until such a time that these investigations have been completed, all the staff retain our full support.”

This isn’t the first time Cirencester has been dragged into racism allegations. In 2009 it was revealed that several members, including princes’ Charles, William and Harry, referred to Indian member Kuldip Dhillon as “Sooty”.

MOD cuts force Sandhurst to scale back polo BARBARA ZINGG, polo manager at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) for the last six seasons, has stepped down from her position because of financial constraints at the academy’s polo club. But despite this, and the news we published last month that RMAS sold their 10 polo ponies in August, Zingg insists the club’s future is not in doubt.

“Although management has been cut, the club is not shutting down. The Heritage Polo Cup will continue next year and, despite no longer being employed in a full-time position at the club, I am hopeful that I will still be coordinating the event and other tournaments next year.

“It is a great shame that MOD cuts have affected the club and I will miss the regular contact I have had with the cadets. This year we had 40 playing polo, which is the highest number since I started at the club in 2006. We normally have one good star player per season but the essence is that many learn

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Barbara Zingg with Patrick Marriott and Charlie Waggett

to play when they come here. Army polo has grown massively in recent years, with many continuing their polo career after they have left RMAS.” The Commandant of RMAS, Major General Patrick Marriott, who has declared that polo will continue at the academy, held a lunch at Old College on 12 September in recognition of Zingg’s achievements over the past six years. Major Charlie Waggett, Officer in Command of polo, presented Zingg with a framed picture of Sandhurst in the snow.

News in brief w THREE YOUNG BRITISH players have reportedly been signed to play with high-goal teams next season.

All three have seen their handicaps raised this year, but Matt Perry is set to play Les Lions in 2012, Ollie Cudmore will line-up for Loro Piana and new five-goaler Max Routledge has a job alongside Gonzalito Pieres for La Bamba de Areco. See Jamie Peel’s column on page 76 for more. w AND FOUR EVEN younger British players will compete in an U18 international tournament at Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club in China from 5-6 October. Barney Wilson, Charlie Scott, Max Hutchinson and Will Berner will represent England. Young teams from Argentina, the USA and South Africa will also be taking part. w DESERT PALM IN Dubai will host the fourth annual Lawyers Polo Association (LPA) polo tournament, starting on 4 November. The tournament kicks off with a black-tie reception and France, Italy, England, United States, Canada, India and Argentina have already confirmed their participation. There will also be four polo teams formed by international and local players. The previous tournaments of LPA were in Buenos Aires (2008), Madrid (2009) and Toronto (2010). w SURREY FIRE SERVICE is seeking old horseboxes so that they can practice rescuing animals in crashes.

Please contact the fire service if you are able to help.

Polo Times, October 2011

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Aiming high < ABY BOYS: Jodie Kidd and < BAndrea Vianini’s baby Indio and Howard and Sam Smith’s Harry were born on the same day last month. See page 85 for more T. REGIS: the hotel and < Sresort company is expanding its commitment to polo. They hosted the inaugural St. Regis 1904 Polo Cup in September, commemorating 135 years of polo in the US AUDIENCES: a report about < TtheV Russian Open was shown on the English-speaking Russia Today channel, with an audience of more than three million viewers. See page 48 for more UberPolo has now < SHOPPERS: opened its shop in Haslemere, West Sussex, and has been busy stocking up on lots of new products. The shop can be found on Lower Street and is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am until 4pm

Swinging low = POLO: a campaign = EbyLEPHANT animal rights activists led to the cancellation of an elephant polo tournament in India in August. However, a tournament in Thailand more recently raised more than £64,000 for the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre ABLO JAURETCHE: the = PArgentine pro has moved down from eight-goals to seven-goals in the HPA’s end-of-season handicap changes. See how everyone else fared in our full listings on pages 82-83 GOODMAN: the parents = JofOHN Scott Wilson, the student killed in a car crash last February, are seeking punitive damages against Goodman for allegedly causing their son’s death. They claim the millionaire mogul is withholding vital information about his assets.

A civil trial is set for March. The criminal trial is likely to take place in February, having been pushed back from this month by lawyers VAT RULES: stud farms = NandEWyards involving the schooling and breaking-in of horses are likely to be charged the standard rate of VAT by the end of this year 14

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Gloves come off as WHEN FASHION GIANT Ralph Lauren dropped “Polo” from his corporation’s name in August, one wondered if this might mark the end of the decades-long war between Polo Ralph Lauren (PRL) and the polo world over the right to use the name and images of the sport in marketing products. As the song from Porgy and Bess goes, it ain’t necessarily so, writes Herbert Spencer.

While the Lauren company name is now simply Ralph Lauren Corporation, high-priced products with the ubiquitous polo player logo, labelled Polo

Polo Ralph Lauren came into conflict with the USPA over the use of the generic name of a sport in 1984 Ralph Lauren, are still on sale and woe betide anyone who tries to “trade off” on the label. Lauren intellectual properties lawyers are watching you and they won’t hesitate to threaten or sue for violation of their trademark.

The legal battles between Lauren’s firm and polo date back to 1984, when the former came into conflict with the US Polo Association (USPA) over the use of the generic name of a sport. The US court’s decision then was indecisive: both parties had rights to use the name.

Since then, literally millions of dollars have been squandered on lawyers’ fees and court costs in legal actions, from the US to the UK and as far afield as South Korea. Such costs have been a drop in the bucket for a multi-billion corporation like PRL. For polo, however, they have deprived the sport of useful income to help its growth.

In the UK, the late Bryan Morrison came into conflict with PRL when he tried to market products with the name and polo-player logo of his Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club. The London clothing firm Polistas has also been in dispute with Lauren.

In the US, PRL succeeded in closing down the glossy lifestyle magazine Polo owned by Texas patron John Goodman, even though a federal court of appeals observed that PRL had

Singapore celebrates 125th year SINGAPORE POLO CLUB celebrated its 125th anniversary in September. To mark the occasion, the club hosted a ball and weekend of high-goal polo that included the finals of the Singapore International Polo Tournament.

The Equestrian Ball kicked off proceedings on 16 September, where a charity auction was held alongside the entertainment and the former President of Singapore, S.R. Nathan, was guest of honour.

Action from the international between hosts Sinagpore and New Zealand

Prior to the Gold Cup match, which was part of the International Tournament, St Regis Singapore held a Sunday brunch for invited guests. In the match, New Zealand emerged victorious 8-6, thanks principally to excellent teamwork between five-goalers Ross Ainsley and James Watson.

Following this, a tournament after-party was held by the side of the ground, attended by players, spectators and special guests.

In addition to all this, Singapore Polo Club is also offering a 125th anniversary membership promotion, which runs until the 31 December 2011.

The club, founded in 1886 by the King’s Own Regiment, the 1st Battalion, was originally located at Singapore Racecourse before moving to Balestier Road in 1914, where, during World War Two, the Japanese Imperial Army converted the grounds into a gun emplacement and later, a squatters camp. Following the war, Lord Mountbatten was instrumental in re-establishing the club. Nowadays, the club is found in the tropical setting of Mount Pleasant Road, where it has been since 1941. w Singapore Polo Club will hold the opening matches of The Ezra World Challenge Cup, commemorating Calcutta Polo Club’s 150th anniversary, in November. Turn to pages 32-33 www.polotimes.co.uk

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clothing row rages on products. USPA Properties continues to expand globally, licensing the “US Polo Assn” for an everwider range of products.

But PRL continues to challenge USPA Properties and this year a New York court enjoined them from using US Polo Assn logos for marketing fragrance.

The court added, however: “There is…clearly room in our vast society for both the USPA parties and the PRL parties to engage in licensing activities that do not conflict with one another, and nothing contained in this opinion should be construed as precluding such activities.” Expect the licensing war to rage on.

Six-goal model Nacho Figueras has symbolised Ralph Lauren’s association with polo over the last few years

w Since Herbert wrote this piece, interestingly Ralph Lauren has been announced as a sponsor for one of the four teams at the 2012 St Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow, which takes place in January. So it seems the brand’s association with polo will continue

“abrogated” the name of the sport and was basking in its glory.

In 2008, however, an American jury ruled that USPA Properties, the governing body’s marketing arm, could use some of its “two-player” logos on

w What do you think? Should Ralph Lauren be allowed exclusive rights to trade products bearing polo names and logos, or should other brands be allowed to benefit from the game’s unique cache as well? Write to letters@polotimes.co.uk

Action from the Houldsworth Trophy, held at Taunton Vale, which celebrated 100 years of polo at the club this September

Century of polo at Taunton Vale TAUNTON VALE POLO CLUB in Somerset celebrated 100 years of polo at the club last month with the inaugural Centenary Cup and a party on the final day of the season a week later.

More than 150 guests filled a marquee erected beside the club’s two grounds and its historic clubhouse on 17-18 September to remember how the club was born and to reflect on the end of its 100th successful season.

The club started in 1911 when Mr J C de Las Casas and Major Jones Mortimer hunted in Taunton and soon found themselves discussing the formation of a polo club. A suitable old pasture www.polotimes.co.uk

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field was selected, a small wooden hut was built on the ground and thus, Taunton Vale was born.

Its growth since has been marked and, when the Hong Kong Polo Association lost its ground in 1984, the Cantonese selected Taunton Vale as the best club to move its assets to. They remain there today and a plaque on the wall reminds Taunton’s 74 members of this. These days, they play some 25 tournaments a season, including a thriving ladies section, and 13 family groups and 10 teams are based at the club. w See page 52 for a report of the Centenary Cup and the Houldsworth Trophy in September

Polo Times, October 2011

15

23/9/11 12:16:05

News News in brief ◗ PAMELA, LADY VESTEY, the mother of Mark Vestey, sadly died on 2 September in Australia aged 92, the day before her granddaughter Tamara Vestey’s wedding. She married William Vestey in 1939 and had two children, Sam and Mark. She was then widowed in 1944, when William was killed in action in Italy. ◗ CHICAGO BEACH IN the United States will host its first beach polo event, the Grey Goose Chicago Beach Polo World Cup, from 1-2 October.

The tournament takes place on North Avenue Beach and a fashion show will also feature over the two days. ◗ THE PRESIDENT OF International Polo Club Palm Beach, John Walsh, will see his TV programme, America’s Most Wanted, return to US television for its 25th season later this year.

Just weeks after Fox dropped the programme, Lifetime network signed a deal to air the show. Walsh created AMW in 1981 after the abduction and murder of his six-year-old son, Adam. ◗ THE BBC IS honouring individuals from the world of grassroots sport with the BBC Sports Unsung Hero Award, which will be presented on 22 December as part of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards.

Across the UK, people are invited to nominate someone who has made a difference to their community through sport, helping on a voluntary basis.

Nominations can be made up until 30 October. Visit www.bbc.co.uk/ sportsunsunghero

Latest from the HPA HPA chief executive David Woodd rounds up the news from UK polo’s headquarters End of season handicap changes The end of season handicap changes have now been published and you can access them on the HPA website – www.hpa-polo.co.uk – or by turning to pages 82 and 83. Please be aware they are still subject to endorsement by the Stewards.

Overseas The HPA has accepted an invitation to send an under-18 four-goal team to play against the USA, South Africa and Argentina in an international tournament in China on 5-6 October.

England: Max Hutchinson (1), Will Berner (1), Charlie Scott (1) and Barney Wilson (1); team manager: David Morley.

Victor Ludorum Congratulations to the following teams for their success in the Victor Ludorum: 18 Goal – Winners: Black Bears; Runners Up: Altamira; 15 Goal – Winners: Black Bears; Runners Up: Emlor Red; 12 Goal – Winners: Four Quarters Orange; Runners Up: Inglestone Farm; 8 Goal – Winners: Apache; Runners Up: Poulton Meetings Tuesday, November 1 10.30am – Stewards meeting, Cavalry and Guards Club, London Thursday, November 17 2.30pm – Council meeting, Cavalry and Guards Club, London

Arena season Membership Membership cards will once again be issued along with an Arena Year Book to all arena members. In order to receive these, your club needs to have notified the HPA of your membership.

Key tournament dates 26 November to 11 December – HPA National Club Tournament (handicap levels 2-7 goals; 6-10 goals and 14-16 goals): RCBPC 25 February – Arena Gold Cup (16 goal): RCBPC Work permits: Proposed 2012 Regulations Anyone applying for a work permit as a player must have a registered handicap of at least twogoals. Anyone who is here on a work permit other than as a player may only play at a club where both they and their employer are members and shall not earn money as a player, either for himself or his employer.

Each club can decide what polo they are allowed to play, but they may not play in any highgoal or Victor Ludorum tournament.

Any person who does not have a work permit as a player must pass the rules test first. They may then be awarded a handicap which shall not be less than 0 and which will be shown on the website with ‘G’ after their name to indicate that they may only play at a club where they and their employer are a member.

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For stockists, call Equine Management: 01825 840 002 To buy, call: 01825 841 303 or visit www.bombersbits.co.uk / www.worldwidetack.com 16

Polo Times, October 2011

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www.polotimes.co.uk

23/9/11 11:42:51

News

RoR announces low-goal prize winners FOUR PRIZES OF £500 have been awarded by Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) to the best bought and retrained exracehorses ridden by one-goal players and below. Piddington, a one-goaler and polo manager of Vale of York, was the first to receive his cheque for £500 for his pony Reviving. Andrew Parker Bowles presented him with the cheque after Reviving took part Paul Piddington receiving his cheque from in the RoR St Leger Parade at Andrew Parker Bowles at Doncaster races Doncaster in September.

Bobby Bell was also a winner for his 16hh pony Mr Kayos. Bell taught himself and My Kayos to play in 2009 after buying a polo mallet and ball from eBay. They have since played two full seasons at Cheshire Polo Club.

The third winner, Look Up, was taken on my Matt Simpson in 2010 to train as a polo pony and the mare played her first tournament this May, and from then on the pair had a very successful season.

Charlie Gordon-Watson’s Silver Cloud was the fourth and final £500 winner.

Having started her polo career with Mark Tomlinson, Gordon-Watson bought her in 2009 and played her in 32 matches in 2010 and 35 in 2011.

“It’s very rewarding for everyone involved to see all these ex-racehorses thriving and enjoying their new careers as professional ponies,” RoR’s director of operations and member of the panel that decided this year’s winner, Di Arbuthnot, said. “We are delighted to support these players bringing on their ponies at their clubs and congratulate them all in their success.”

Polo Times loves... …Snuggy Hoods. For ten years the family-run business has been providing relief and protection from flies, mud and cold weather to horses and ponies here in the UK and abroad.

Their hoods, which come in various designs for the stable and turnout, are made in 10 sizes and their rugs range from 2”6 to 7”6.

Their headless turnout hood is ideal for those wanting to keep their arena ponies clean, tidy and warm during the winter. They can be used inside and out, in rain, shine or snow under any stable or turnout rug.

Prices start at £60. Alternatively their polar fleece “Snuggy Jams” – a polar fleece hood and rug – are perfect for spoilt polo ponies during the bitterly cold months. The Jams cost £139 or £68 for the hood only.

Visit www.snuggyhoods.com for more.

www.polotimes.co.uk

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Polo Times, October 2011

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23/9/11 11:43:17

the

Big

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picture

21/9/11 12:38:04

The original dusty spring field This stunning photograph taken in spring in Argentina by Alice Gipps features a female groom in traditional gaucho clothing, leading a string of polo ponies across Estancia Don Manuel.

The dusty, earthy tones accentuate the tranquil mood that so many have experienced and love about Argentina.

Polo photographer Gipps is well known in the polo community, with a reputation that has grown since she first had her polo images published in Polo Times 10 years ago. Her shots from England and around the world have since been used in such prestigious publications as Horse & Hound, The Daily Telegraph, The Times, Country Life and Polo Players Edition. But event photography isn’t her only talent as she also offers a wide range of fine art prints and takes personal commissions.

Alice Gipps is also a zero-goal player and takes part in polo competitions internationally, stating the “unpredictable new challenges of the game” as her inspiration both as a player and a viewer behind the lens. “The game consistently throws up new, exciting and unexpected images,” she explained. “And the horses, tack and people involved fuels endless ideas for creative work from the sidelines as well.” w To see more of her work, turn to our artworks products special on page 80, visit www.alicegipps.com, or contact her directly on 07855 742909 w Discover more about Estancia Don Manuel on page 66

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21/9/11 12:38:20

Comment

Backchat with Clare Milford Haven

The zero-tolerance approach should protect teammates, not just umpires

A

Photograph by James Mullan

lthough we seem to be slowly getting to grips with zero-tolerance from the umpires towards players contesting decisions and arguing, why is it that we still have such a long way to go with zero-tolerance of our own teammates?

What seems to be an unwritten rule in many other team sports continues to elude most polo players. In no other team sport do you see that very public display of frustration and anger – often including incessant shouting and swearing – at one’s own teammates. You won’t see doubles partners at Wimbledon ranting at each other like two five-yearolds having a playground spat.

Nor would you see it, to the same extent, on the rugby, football or cricket pitch.

Team managers might have a few strong words in the dressing room at half time, behind closed doors, but then the players have to go back onto the field and focus on the game and the task of winning and on encouraging their teammates, not berating them.

Shouting at a teammate in an abusive way is totally unprofessional and unhelpful. It serves only to make the victim of the abuse lose confidence and render him unable to perform to the best of his ability.

Polo players still have to work out the difference between destructive and constructive criticism in order to get the best results from their own team.

Counting the cost By far the worst day of the polo season is the painful day when I sit down at my desk with every invoice from the past few months and start working out the cost.

20

Polo Times, October 2011

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Heated exchanges between teammates, like this one involving Adolfo Cambiaso and Lolo Castagnola, are not constructive

It is a process that many players tell me they avoid. They see it as almost a pointless exercise as the damage is done from the moment you play your first chukkas of the season. I start with the inevitable and unavoidable costs – farrier, vet, groom, horse feed, club

Shouting at a teammate in an abusive way is totally unprofessional and unhelpful membership, entry fees, pro’s fees, transport costs, stick repairs – and then I panic as I realise I am up to budget and haven’t yet included team kit, professional umpire fees, medical costs, tack repairs, the groom’s return flight from Argentina and, oops, the visa charges and so it goes on and on...

The trouble is there is no getting away from the fact that polo is an extortionately expensive sport. If you were bold enough to tell a normal human being how much each game cost, they would think you were either completely insane, hugely extravagant, had a gambling addiction or all three.

Like a priceless gem, polo is not something you can put a value on or compromise with.

When you make that fateful decision to play polo, you know you will pay a high price but, while the pleasure of playing continues to outweigh the pain of paying, it seems easy enough to justify.

Or perhaps we are all in denial.

Changing seasons In previous years I have managed to eke out the last few remaining days of the polo season, playing

right up until the bitter end of the final tournament, desperate not to lose the opportunity for one last rush of adrenalin.

This year I stopped in mid- August, six weeks earlier than normal (see my previous subheader if you’re wondering why!). Since then, I have been to watch a few games and it’s interesting to note, from the sidelines, how the atmosphere changes – how the energy and drive of those early months of the season seems greatly diminished.

It’s almost as if every sport has its season, and like skiing, when the snow starts to melt in the spring, it’s time to move on to something else. F w Do you agree with Clare? Email letters@polotimes.co.uk w Read more “Backchat” from Clare at www.polotimes.co.uk www.polotimes.co.uk

22/9/11 16:07:13

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23/9/11 13:58:39

Comment

Global view with Herbert Spencer

Sophocles said no man loves life like him that’s growing old. Hear, hear!

F

or once I’m not going to pontificate on polo, but instead on old age, a subject about which I know a bit as I will be 83 in three months’ time. Don’t panic, you younger readers, I shall be presenting an optimistic, not pessimistic, view.

Specifically the subjects are “surviving old age” and “there is still so much I want to do”. It was my old friend Leonard Creo, an American artist living near Rosson-Wye, who prompted me to write about this.

Surviving old age, according to Creo, is about always wanting to do more before one snuffs it, “but the essential is self esteem, self worth, id or ego, or whatever you want to call it, in the face of the usual denigration that comes with advancing age.”

New York-born Creo left advertising on Madison Avenue to study under the renowned muralist José Alfaro Siqueiros in Mexico and then Pietro Annigoni in Italy, where we first met some 50 years ago. Creo is even older than me, 88, but still going strong.

He has survived bowel cancer, is a gold medal race walker and still hits the road hoping to make it to the winner’s podium again.

He makes cider from apples from his own orchard, tends his self-sufficient garden and coppice, repairs the dry stonewalls on his property and continues to paint and paint more.

Whilst I’m nowhere near as fit as my friend Creo, I am surviving despite medical problems of the type that comes with old age.

The medics call them my comorbidities, various conditions that could lead to my demise – if one doesn’t get me, another is likely to at some stage. More than 22

Polo Times, October 2011

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Food for his memoirs? Polo Times columnist Herbert Spencer at 72, sailing with old friend King Juan Carlos of Spain in Galicia

one of my NHS consultants has been impressed with the fact that I am still working – but “there is still so much I want to do”.

Creo’s “want to dos” include completing all the unfinished canvases in his studio “so Jill [his wife] or one of my daughters

My NHS consultants are impressed that I am still working – but there is still so much I want to do won’t be faced with burning them when I’m gone.” And maybe making it into the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s oldest race walker?

My “want to dos” have a lot to do with family. As I grow older, I long to spend much more time with my daughters Tatiana and

Antonia and my granddaughter Ilana. I’ve been a workaholic and most of our family holidays over the years have been combined with work, so some really great family getaways without a thought of princes or polo is one of my biggest wants.

Then there is the good life with Judith, my wife. Our golden wedding anniversary is coming up in 2013 and we have never been closer than we are now. I’m not ready to give this up.

Finally there’s the question of my memoirs. Have I done enough in life to warrant one? Not ever having kept a diary, I would have only my memory and some scraps of notes to rely on. Thus far I’ve only got as far as a title for an autobiography: The Kings and I, referring to my years of working with royal chiefs-of-state before I opted to concentrate on polo.

I reckon I need to survive another 10 years or so – insha’Allah, God willing – to accomplish just a part of what I want to do in life before I fertilise a tree somewhere. I live in hope: both my parents survived to 90 and a couple of aunts almost made it to 100.

Next month I’ll be back to writing about polo in this column.

There is so much more I want to do for the sport before I depart.

Meanwhile, I heartily concur with Greek playwright Sophocles who said: “No man loves life like him that’s growing old”. F w Read more from Herbert at www.polotimes.co.uk w Herbert is not the only one still going strong at a grand old age.

See page 34 for news of Calcutta Polo Club’s 150th anniversary www.polotimes.co.uk

23/9/11 10:59:40

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23/9/11 11:02:27

Comment

Umpire’s corner with Arthur Douglas-Nugent

An awful lot of improvement is still needed in umpiring at low-goal level

Photograph by Paul Froud

A

re we back to square one, or is the score two all? Have we moved on? I am not sure. I refer to the umpiring of matches at the lower level.

A number of complaints have emerged from patrons and my own observations bear out their concerns. These range fairly widely from bad decision making by umpires, failure to penalise dangerous play and even favouritism being shown to home teams. This toxic combination is death to the enjoyment of any game and is a huge turn-off to those who pay to play, to the extent that they will not bring their team back to certain clubs.

This is a disaster of tsunami proportions for some of the smaller low-goal clubs who rely on visiting teams to swell the numbers in their tournaments and to give their members a chance to play against varied opposition.

In illustration of this I recently watched a 4-goal match umpired by two professional players, one of whom seldom strayed from the centre line and when questioned blamed the pony and said he would have tried harder if it had been a higher goal match.

To a player, at whatever level, playing to win is all-important and the chance of victory, or indeed avoiding injury, should

whether visiting or their own, up to the mark and if they do not do so they will be the losers, as teams from outside will not enter their tournaments any more.

Umpiring at low-goal level still has many stumbling blocks to overcome, as this brilliant picture by Paul Froud from August’s Polo Times illustrates perfectly

not be jeopardised by slack and inconsiderate umpiring.

All this is very easy to say and indeed has been said before – but what can we do? In theory, paying umpires for carrying out the duty should help, as the threat of non-

The concept that anyone in a striped shirt is a good umpire no longer has a place payment for a job badly done is adequate incentive to do it well.

But, the majority of low-goal games are umpired by those who have not been paid and who often will have just played a game themselves, or are just about to.

This is not perfect, but unless a club is lucky enough to have someone who is prepared to umpire as a service to polo and the club, what else can be done?

As a start, the club chief umpire must be made more accountable.

Some, as at Guards, take their duties seriously, but I fear the majority are just names in a book who, even if they are watching, fail to bring umpires to account if they patently have done a poor job on the field.

The concept, which I am ashamed to say I upheld during my time as a polo manager, that anyone in a striped shirt is a good umpire no longer has a place.

It is now in these straitened times absolutely in the club’s interest to keep the umpires,

Pony power Following on from this theme, and perhaps in some slight mitigation of the pro mentioned above, it is incumbent on a team to produce a pony which “must be suitable and fit to umpire the level of the game being played”.

This, of course, means a pony that has played polo, can keep up with the game and will not shy away from an onslaught of ponies, as some herd animals are inclined to do. Sometimes ponies which are happy enough to play become very fractious when umpiring, particularly early on at the throw. This was so wonderfully illustrated in August’s Polo Times (page 16-17).

Indeed, almost the last time I pulled on a striped shirt I threw the ball in and the next thing I knew I was waking up in an ambulance on the way to Chichester Hospital.

The moral is that a team cannot expect good umpiring if they do not supply a suitable vehicle on which to do the job. F w Read more from Arthur at www.polotimes.co.uk

Foul for thought…

This month’s puzzle A player starts to place the ball for a penalty but his pony shies away so that he cannot complete the job. A teammate finishes placing it and the penalty is taken.

What should you do?

24

Polo Times, October 2011

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Last month’s solution Name all the occasions during a match when the ends are changed?

When a goal has been scored; if a match goes to extra time and goals are to be widened; when no goals have been scored by half time; if during play teams line up on the wrong side and there has been no score by the end of that chukka. I think that covers it.

www.polotimes.co.uk

23/9/11 11:04:03

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21/9/11 11:20:29

Comment

Your views

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

Let’s create a forum for new rules Sir, I’ve enjoyed the ongoing discussions about the pros and cons of the no-turning rule in all the recent issues of Polo Times throughout the summer, and it occurs to me that some of your subscribers might have some decent suggestions that may tweak and therefore improve this new rule.

Readers might also have other new rules in mind that they think could be to the benefit of the game. Perhaps those with such ideas could be encouraged to write in to your letters page with their suggestions. In particular, perhaps there are some rules that would be suited to low-goal polo alone?

Eventually, perhaps Polo Times could dedicate a section on the website to proposed new rules, where players could then vote on the strength or weakness of each suggestion? Those with plenty of support could then be taken directly to the HPA and the chief umpires to see what they think. It would certainly be interesting, so hopefully some of your subscribers will feel brave enough to come forward!

James Wayland Chiddingfold, Surrey Editor: Sounds interesting James.

Does anyone have any ideas?

26

Polo Times, October 2011

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Letter of the month Life after Guards – 21 years as a Royal Box steward Sir, my lifelong interest in Windsor Great Park commenced in May 1952 when, as a young Constable with the former Berkshire Constabulary stationed at Ascot, I was despatched on my bicycle to support the Windsor Great Park section of the force in the protection of the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret during their periods of residence at Royal Lodge.

This interest and the association with royal protection was to remain with me for many years, culminating in my being asked to take on the positions of Royal Liaison Officer and Controller of Richard Allen’s son Nick working at Guards the Royal Box with the Ascot Racecourse Authority.

I well remember the formation of Guards Polo Club in 1955 and, whilst holding the post of Deputy Divisional Commander of the Slough Division of the Thames Valley Police between 1974 and 1977, I again came into contact with Guards as a part of the division preparing for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee celebrations in June 1977.

In view of my experience with the police, in around 1990 I was approached and asked if I would be interested in becoming a steward with Guards. This meant starting my duties towards the end of the reign of the late Major Ronald Ferguson, who immediately impressed me with the military precision of his organisational gusto, ensuring everything ran like a well-oiled machine. On my first day at the club, when I had been given a simple task in the pony lines to allow me to settle in, I was amazed to witness the arrival of Kerry Packer and his entourage in a five-vehicle convoy.

On my second day on duty I was duly appointed as a steward in the Royal Box, a post I greatly enjoyed until Cartier International Day on 24 July 2011, when I decided to hang up my wellpolished Oxford shoes and enter final retirement pending my 80th birthday in September.

As I reflect, looking back over the past 21 years with Guards, two main changes come quickly to mind: namely, the change of status of the club from a military organisation to a civilian one shortly after the turn of the millennium; and the recent re-building of premises, which have brought about a magnificent centre worthy of the Guards brand.

Before the change in status, International Day – long-since generously sponsored by Cartier – was organised very much in a traditionally “military” manner. Rehearsals were regularly held early in the day under the supervision of the chairman to ensure that all went to time and according to tradition later. This also appealed to many of the stewards at the time, since so many had experienced service in the armed services and enjoyed this level of precision.

Over the years since the change in status, the general situation has become more relaxed. In the briefings from the chairman, chief executive officer and head steward on recent International Days, the emphasis is on presenting a cheerful countenance towards the public. We are to be approachable at all times and deal with any problem that may arise in a sympathetic manner, thus creating a very happy and enjoyable atmosphere throughout the day. This desired situation has been achieved and the younger stewards who have not experienced military service have fitted in very well.

Early in my service with Guards, I was delighted that I was joined by my wife, who carried out duties as a steward on the press side. Since then, it has been a source of great pride that, down the years, there have now been another eight members of my family that have also got involved.

My son Nick, at present a supervisor, remains very interested in his duties with the Guards Polo Club and is extremely enthusiastic that the family connection with the club should continue for some years to come.

Richard G Allen Witney, Oxfordshire The writer of the Letter of the month wins a bottle of La Chamiza Argentine red wine

www.polotimes.co.uk

22/9/11 16:36:04

Your views

Comment

Responses from the HPA Sir, it is always interesting to hear people’s views, even if their letters are anonymous or written under pseudonyms, and I do have to agree with “Anon” from Scotland in your August issue – life is unfair.

Some are better located for polo (Scotland is not ideal) or are members of a better Pony Club branch and some have more dedicated or more knowledgeable parents.

Some are more talented individually or as team players, some work harder, some learn to ride better, some have a better eye for the ball and some have better horses.

The ponies are an integral and major part of polo and, of course, they are more easily obtained if there is the knowledge and money available to buy the right ones.

In particular, the Argentines have huge advantages over all our players; they are asset rich with ponies, grounds and highhandicapped family members with whom they can play from

an early age. Perhaps we should look at who makes it in other sports and how they get there, and take note of the sacrifices and commitment that is required to get to the top of almost any sport. In life, cream does tend to rise to the top and, in polo, there have been and will be those that do so with or without the help of the HPA. A lot of effort and time goes into the selection process but it is always going to be a matter of judgement, and I am very happy to discuss the selection of players for teams and courses with anyone. Some of those selected are listed on pages 392 and 393 of the Blue Book and I am not sure that the dynasty accusation is fair.

I do, however, accept that it might be a fault of the HPA that the letter writers feel that it is more constructive to write to Polo Times than to contact the HPA direct.

David Woodd Chief exec of the HPA

“What do you mean we’re at the wrong World Cup?”

You’re ’avin a giraffe!

Sir, I thought that the attached photo of our clubhouse with our resident giraffe standing in front of it would amuse you – normal Sunday polo was not interrupted!

Charles Mason Nduruma Polo Club, Tanzania

Well-run clubs provide the perfect place for kids to flourish Sir, I realise that it would probably not be a good idea to print my letter, since my husband’s strong views were aired in the last issue, but thought I would write anyway, mainly because I think a very important point has been missed in all the furore surrounding the Pony Club vs Junior HPA debate. Having only been introduced to polo five years ago, I can say that all of our family have benefited from the help and support of our local polo club Longdole throughout the whole season, not just the three weeks or so that the Pony Club Polo Championships and the Junior HPA run for.

www.polotimes.co.uk

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From the beginning of the season our club allows children competent enough to ride polo ponies to play in chukkas with professionals who are both helpful and encouraging.

Tournaments are put on regularly for -6 to 0 goal teams, and the club will fit you in with a team (including a pro to keep the game moving) if you don’t have the facilities to put your own team together. For the younger children on “fluffies”, they provide coaching sessions, and they recently hosted a junior tournament attended by over 60 children ranging in age from around eight to 21.

Surely, if your children

want to play polo, this is the environment which allows them to flourish and play to their ability over the whole season, not just a three week window at the end of July? I feel that Pony Club provides an invaluable service to young players, particularly those on “fluffies”, that, by design, is accessible to all. The organisers appear to have put in a tremendous amount of work to ensure the tournaments run smoothly, and the three days at Cowdray are the pinnacle of many children’s polo (and social!) aspirations for the season.

I am not qualified to comment on Junior HPA, as neither of my

children have competed under them. However, at the end of the day, it is a shame that two well-meaning bodies end up competing for the patronage of the same children during the same time period, and appear to end up causing friction and a certain amount of bad feeling.

Kate Gibbons Bisley, Gloucestershire

Editor: the opinions don’t end here.

There’s more letters over the page Polo Times, October 2011

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22/9/11 16:36:12

Comment

Your views

It’s time for a serious re-think about the HPA’s Injured Players and Officials fund Sir, in the September issue of Polo Times (p 15), Herbert Spencer reported that the HPA might have to consider raising members’ annual subscriptions in order to cover payouts from the Injured Players and Officials Fund (IPOF).

Since the HPA now recognises that subscriptions might have to rise to support the IPOF, would this not be an appropriate moment for the HPA to reconsider whether its members’ needs would be better served with a group accident policy through an established insurance company?

Payouts from the HPA IPOF are at the discretion of an HPA committee. The discretion of the committee is absolute and there can be no appeal. The nature

and limited size of the IPOF make it a selective fund, not a universal one.

HPA Council minutes state that the committee views a request from a player who has their own accident insurance cover more favourably than a request from a player who has none. This surely is an alert to all players to look to their personal accident coverage.

Expecting players to individually purchase their own accident insurance policy for playing polo is undoubtedly more expensive.

The HPA is in a unique position in being able to offer its members a group policy and a saving in premium costs.

I believe the basic premium for such a policy could be as

Beautiful club is still very much alive and open to all

little as £80 per member per year – equivalent to the cost of one polo stick a year – surely this is affordable? Individual players would also be able to top up the policy to suit their own needs. The cover and limits of the policy would be clearly stated by the insurance company and legally enforceable.

I feel there is a danger that by linking an increase in the annual fee specifically to support the IPOF members might view the IPOF as an insurance policy. It is not. It is merely a discretionary fund and while all may be required to contribute towards it, not all may be entitled to benefit from it.

Sir, in a quotation from one of the people interviewed on the sidelines at Vaux Park in August’s “Playing Around” feature, a female spectator mistakenly suggested that West Somerset Polo Club had now folded.

It hasn’t, and remains one of the most beautiful and well maintained clubs in the land.

At present, we are just a little short of players. All are welcome and the club is also available for private hire.

Margie Brett Publisher of Polo Times

Max Carew West Somerset Polo Club

Zambia offers a welcome alternative for the annual polo trip sunshine. I would urge anyone planning a polo trip this year to consider some of the less well publicised locations – the surroundings are truly spectacular and visitors are made to feel part of the family rather than just another tourist.

Where I went was Lilayi Polo Club in Lusaka, Zambia and,

if anyone is interested, you can see what I am talking about for yourselves at www.lilayi. com. Billy Miller and his team ensured a wonderful summer once again, so I urge Polo Times readers to consider it.

Sir, looking back over your very enjoyable “Countries compared” article in the August issue of Polo Times (page 7475), I would like to share my experiences of polo in Africa.

I have spent the last two summers in Zambia, where there is a relaxed and exceptionally welcoming atmosphere. As with

South Africa, the majority of polo ponies are retrained from the racing industry.

Players come from a range of backgrounds and, as a minustwo-goal player, I was able to play chukkas with a group of mixed abilities (including players from the national team) every afternoon in the glorious

Rave review

Proof that polo is not all about horseplay

Sir, thank you for John O’Sullivan’s splendid review of the Cowdray book in the last Polo Times. It is not often that I thank reviewers – but he certainly hit the proverbial nail on the head. Such reviews make worthwhile the two years of blood, sweat, tears and great many gallons of vodka!

Sir, I recently attended the King’s Cup Elephant Polo in Thailand and I thought you might be interested in hearing my thoughts.

The three-a-side game is played on a 100mx60m field, which is divided into separate parts. Only one elephant from each team is allowed in the goal area at any time and only two elephants from the same team can be in the same half.

Roger Chatterton-Newman Milland, West Sussex 28

Polo Times, October 2011

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Whereas horse polo has been likened to playing golf during an earthquake, elephant polo is more like trying to catch a shark with an ocean steam liner.

You can play decent horse polo while thinking only one or two steps ahead, but with elephant polo it helps to be a master chess player that can think four or five steps ahead.

Elephant polo mallets range from 70-100 inches and

Ceri Putman West Sussex

interestingly, in contrast to horse polo, women are given an advantage by being allowed to use two hands on the mallet.

Contrary to my belief that the international selection of eclectic individuals at the elephant polo would be interested only in partying, the matches were taken very seriously.

Stijn Welkers, Singapore www.polotimes.co.uk

22/9/11 16:36:22

Your views

Comment

Favouritism talk in junior polo is nonsense playing part of the country. He started polo with his branch of the Pony Club and his mother was prepared to travel for miles so that he could play in the Pony Club tournaments. He again has got where he is today through hard work and ability. This year at the age of 19 he played highgoal with La Bamba de Areco and with his new handicap of three he has been selected by another high-goal team for next season [see page 76]. These are just two examples – there are many more.

Going back to Junior HPA and Pony Club, these two things do work hand-in-hand and there is no reason why anyone playing in a Junior HPA section should think themselves superior to someone playing in a Pony Club section. Junior HPA is open to everyone if they have more than one pony and want to play matches of more than one chukka. The only consideration is safety and that is why there are age limits as well as handicap. The main difference is that the players in a team do not have to come from the same

James Beim and Matt Perry made it to the top through talent, not family polo connections polo whose parents do not play and they have come to it either through the Pony Club or their school. In the case of James Beim, who now plays for England and is one of our top handicapped players, his family never had anything to do with polo, but he joined his local branch of the Pony Club and from there started playing.

He has got to the top through talent and not because his parents were polo patrons or had polo connections. Another example is Matt Perry, who went to a state school and lives in Suffolk, which is not a polowww.polotimes.co.uk

PT p26-29 Letters JOS PJ.indd 5

branch of the Pony Club and the players (or their parents) can make up their own teams.

These teams are not made up by the HPA, nor are the children selected to play. Players, their parents and Pony Club branch managers should not be put off in putting teams forward just because they think the team has not got a chance of winning. This is a sport, nothing is definite and the more you play good polo the better you become. The section managers are there to help and advise anyone if necessary and, if a player has not been able to

Photographs by Michael Chevis and James Mullan

Sir, I have over the last few months been reading the various letters concerning junior polo in this country. As someone who over the last ten years has been involved with running a section of Pony Club polo and more recently sections of Junior HPA polo, I feel I have something to add to this debate.

I think the first thing to say is that there are very few “polo dynasties” in this country; that is to say if you consider a “dynasty” should cover at least three generations. There are several children playing polo whose parents play and this is not unusual in any sport. If your parents are tennis players, ski or are active in any other sport, the likelihood is that you as a child will be drawn into that sport and your parents will know the best way for you to proceed if you are keen.

Of course if your family has a private polo ground and you have good ponies, it all helps, but it is also necessary to work at it and have talent – this is life. However, there are a large number of children playing

Matt Perry, left, won the Gannon title at Pony Club last year with John Kent, Jack Richardson and Ralph Butler before playing in the high-goal this year

make up a team amongst their contemporaries, they can let the section managers know they want to play and the section manager will offer their names to any team that is short of a player. Basically, this is what’s been happening with the Gannon age group [under 21s] for many years, even when it was a Pony Club section, and this year there were as many Gannon teams made up from one Pony Club branch as there were in the old days.

When it comes to the timing of matches, both the Pony Club and Junior HPA have to fit as many polo tournaments and matches as they can into a very small space of time. Since they are dependent on the generosity of polo clubs and some private grounds, they have to play where and when they are invited. Most clubs do not want to have Pony Club tournaments at the weekends when their own members wish to play polo and also not many of them are keen to host Gannon or Langford matches as they feel they do more damage to their grounds.

This was the same when Gannon and Langford were Pony Club sections and nothing has changed. I know it is unfortunate for the children whose schools do not break up

Like Matt Perry, England international James Beim has made it to the top without the help of a “dynasty family”

in early July, but this has always been the same for many of the “friendly” tournaments.

As for Junior HPA matches, we do try to fix matches to suit players academic schedule and we will always listen to a parent who has a problem. What we do not do is fit matches around holidays and parties, which is often requested!

Nominating players for Junior HPA “select” matches or special coaching is done upon the ability to ride, ball skills and general team play. The HPA Development Committee spends a lot of time looking at players of all ages in whatever section of polo they are playing and then, after a lot of discussion, lists are drawn up. Their family connection with polo makes absolutely no difference other than that the family support and knowledge will probably have helped to get them on the long list in the first place.

Jilly Emerson Cirencester, Gloucestershire Polo Times, October 2011

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23/9/11 15:07:00

Feature

Interview – Bartolomé “Lolo” Castagnola

Lolo aims high Seven-time Argentine Open winner Bartolomé “Lolo” Castagnola is gearing up for his first Argentine season in almost two decades without his brother-in-law Adolfo Cambiaso by his side. The straight-talking 41-year-old holds back nothing as he discusses leaving La Dolfina, his impressive new team Estancia Grande and his love of horse breeding

Carlos Beer in Argentina

You left La Dolfina at the end of 2010 after a very successful spell with the team. How did it feel to leave?

It was a good part of my life, which is already over. Now I’m very much looking forward to the next step of my career.

How disappointed were you to lose your last Argentine Open final against Ellerstina?

It’s always disappointing to lose a final in any team you play with. Obviously I would have loved to have won that final.

Photograph by Carlos Beer

Do you think Ellerstina will be able to retain the title in Palermo this year?

As long as they keep playing, the chances will always be there. They are a great team, with a super organization that makes the difference, and they are very much looking forward to it.

You are teaming up with the Merlos brothers, Sebastián and Agustín, and your former La Dolfina teammate Lucas Monteverde in the new Estancia Grande team. Are you ready for the new season?

I’ve been thinking about it since the Tortugas in 2010. We had meetings with my teammates and we’re very much looking forward to the season. I guess one of the keys for this season is that Sebastián Merlos and myself both stay in control of our emotions.

What are your thoughts about the new team?

I think the team will play really well. I’m 30

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very much looking forward to winning. We have great horses too. I plan to give some to Agustín. Sebastián will bring some from England and Lucas is well mounted.

Do you feel that the team is good enough to win one of the three big tournaments in Argentina, or at least get to the final?

Yes. The team will work. We know that we have to concentrate and play as a team. That will be very important. But yes, we can win.

We’ve not seen you in the English high-goal since you played for El Remanso in 2009.

Would you like to play in the UK again?

If I can find a competitive team with a chance to win – yes, of course I will be back. This year I played in Florida in March and then I prepared to play in Santa Barbara in August.

There was not a competitive team to go to in England and, also, while I was preparing

“The key for this season is that Sebastián Merlos and myself both stay in control” for Santa Barbara I was able to take care of my breeding programme and prepare for the Argentine season, which is very important.

What did it take for your long-standing teammate Lucas Monteverde to win the Queen’s Cup in England this year? And why do you think Adolfo Cambiaso had a disappointing season in the UK? I can’t tell you for definite, because I haven’t talked to either of them about it, but I can guess what happened. Sometimes things work well and sometimes they don’t. In sport it is

very important to have a good head, whether you are winning or losing.

Is it true that you once punched a journalist who was asking you more about playing with Cambiaso than about your own achievements?

That’s not true at all; I’ve always been very proud of Cambiaso, and I consider him one of the best players in history. For me, it’s always been absolutely normal to be asked about him, and I’ve always said that there will never be another player like him.

Your recent trip to Santa Barbara was your first with new daughter Lola. How is she?

Yes, you’re right and I’m very happy! At first, I wanted another boy to have the chance to form a full team (alongside his two sons). But she arrived and I could not be happier.

What do you plan to do when you eventually stop playing professionally?

I’m very dedicated to polo horse breeding because it gives me great results. Most of the horses I play in Argentina and overseas I bred myself. Outside that, there’s always a chance to try new things like coaching as well.

How does your organisation work? Tell us about your horses.

As you’ll probably have realised already, I’m completely dedicated to horse breeding. I care about everything related to a horse from the very start, from the moment they are born, to the time they play polo. I’m always involved in ever detail – first practices, first tournaments they play. The whole process takes place on my own farm, and I check it by myself. All of the horses I played during my u Right: Castagnola in the new Estancia Grande shirt

www.polotimes.co.uk

23/9/11 11:22:39

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23/9/11 11:22:47

Interview – Bartolomé “Lolo” Castagnola

Photograph by Carlos Beer

Feature

Lolo Castagnola enjoys a practice session in Argentina with (left to right) his sons Camilo (8) and Bartolito (10), his groom Cirilo Allende and youngster Felipe Dabas

u years with La Dolfina are mine, mostly bred by myself. It might sound very strange that a highgoal player stays in Argentina in our winter and doesn’t play in the UK, but it helps my breeding.

What is the best horse you have ever played?

It was a mare called La Guajira. I played her in the Dubai Polo team and in Argentina.

She was like Dolfina Toro, she had great perception. She was a Thoroughbred from Uruguay and I discovered her in Spain. Jaime

“I want to breed horses that are better than Dolfina Toro.

I want my breed to excel” Espinosa had her. I took her play with Dubai in the UK that year and then I brought her to Argentina. Now, after six years, she will breed for the first time. After La Guajiri, I would have to say Dolfina Toro and Jupiter – an Irish Thoroughbred bought by Kerry Packer for Ellerston – which was sent to Argentina.

Gonzalo Pieres has Jupiter now.

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losing money because they invest much more than they can obtain.

You have achieved so much during your career. Do you have any dreams for the future?

Yes. I want young kids like Agustín García Gorssi and Hilario Ulloa to buy one of my horses someday. I want those horses to be better than Dolfina Toro. I want my breed to excel, to be an absolutely quality brand. F The 2009 Argentine Open winning La Dolfina team of Lolo Castagnola, Mariano Aguerre, Lucas Monteverde and Adolfo Cambiaso

Photograph by Sergio Llamera

What advice would you give to new horse breeders?

They should use their heads and think before doing anything. I must be one of the newer horse breeders. I started from nothing and I am very happy with the development of my own

breeding. That makes me think that anyone can do the same, using logical reasoning.

I would recommend talking to Ricardo Lafuente, who is a very successful horse breeder. He used to breed with only one stallion and 20 mares for about 10 years; then he discovered about embryo transfers, where you use a big number of stallions and seed into the best mares.

Also, you always have to aim for the top and believe that the horses will be able to play in Palermo – that is always my goal.

And finally you have to be careful. Unfortunately there are two kinds of breeders: those who breed good horses and earn money, and those who don’t know how to breed and end up

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23/9/11 11:23:09

Feature

Celebrating 150 years at Calcutta Polo Club

A Calcutta above the rest In East India, the world’s oldest polo club is back from the brink and is now going from strength to strength as it unveils grand plans to celebrate its historic 150th anniversary in fitting style

John O’Sullivan reports

T

he world’s oldest polo club is focused on setting strong foundations for the future as it prepares to celebrate its historic 150th anniversary. Calcutta Polo Club (Kolkata to the locals) – regarded by many as the home of the modern game – will mark its third half century with an ambitious international tournament, with matches taking place in Singapore and Dubai before a grand final on Christmas Day on Calcutta’s Pat Williamson ground.

The club boasts the oldest trophy in the world – the Ezra Cup, which was first played for in 1880 – and claims to have established the game’s first ever rule book.

President Keshav Bangur is quick to underline the significance of the event for the club and hopes to use it to secure a prosperous future for the game in the east Indian city.

He said: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us. I have literally grown up watching the club’s progress from the 1960s.

“We have planned a mega event befitting this special occasion, which will provide topdrawer polo and entertainment over a monthlong period.

“On attaining this landmark, we are inspired to keep the club’s polo traditions alive and see to it that in future we have enough patrons to build on and upgrade facilities for promotion of polo in the city.

“The future of our club will depend on

34

Action on the Pat Williamson Ground with Calcutta’s picturesque skyline providing a beautiful backdrop

nurturing fine polo talent in the city so that they become the stars of tomorrow. I am confident that with proper planning and involvement of like-minded administrators we will be able to secure the club’s future.”

The Ezra World Challenge Cup – like the club’s historic trophy named after Sir David Ezra, a leading Jewish businessman from

Final on Christmas Day. The final details are still being ironed out, but Mr Bangur is confident his club will put on a real show.

He said: “We are working round the clock to ensure that we have a world class polo tournament. At the moment we are hoping to bring in at least four visiting teams from other countries as well as one team representing the IPA, one from the 61st cavalry and one Calcutta Polo Club team.

“We are also confident that we will have at least two ten-goalers, which has never happened in the history of polo in India.”

Calcutta Polo Club was founded in 1862 by two British soldiers, Captain Robert Stewart and Major General Joe Sherer, who first discovered the game in the Manipur region of India four years earlier.

The first public polo game in Calcutta was played at the club during the Christmas raceweek of 1862 and as polo grew in popularity throughout British India, more teams began to travel to the city to play.

The club organised it’s first official tournament in 1880, for the Ezra Cup, and in 1907 hosted the inaugural Indian Polo Championships, an event it continued to hold until 1997.

The club flourished during the 1950s, when Pat Williamson – after whom the

“The future will depend on nurturing fine polo talent in the city so that they become the stars of tomorrow” - Keshav Bangur Calcutta – will start at Singapore Polo Club on Saturday 12 November before moving on to Dubai on Saturday November 26th. All eyes will then move to Calcutta for the final week of matches in the lead up to the Grand

grounds are now named – was president and the legendary Col Maharaj Prem Singh (who swept the board in the English high-goal in 1961 with Silver Leys) was club captain.

Throughout its long and illustrious

Polo Times, October 2011

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23/9/11 11:05:59

Celebrating 150 years at Calcutta Polo Club

Feature Photographs from the archives at Calcutta Polo Club

Above: the Calcutta Polo Club team in January 1876 – Capt RC Hills, George Thomas, George Fox, Capt Wallace, CH Moore and WL Thomas; Below: the Calcutta Polo Club team for the 1864-65 season; Bottom: the Bengal Tigers team which won the 1958 Ezra Cup at Calcutta – HH Maharaja of Cooch Behar, Brig Hesky Begg, HH Jaipur and Maharajkumar Jai Singh

Clockwise from top: the Manipur Polo Team who played in Calcutta on January 1, 1876; the official Calcutta Polo Club centenary photograph in 1962; the Maharaja of Burdwan, HH Maharani of Cooch Behar, Miss Padmaja Naidu (the Governor of West Bengal) and Pat Williamson watch from the sidelines; the Alwar Polo Team display their trophies from Calcutta; Major General Joe Sherer, who founded the club

history the club has been graced by many royal visitors, most famously by the Duke of Edinburgh, who played in Calcutta’s centenary match in 1962.

It has not all been plain sailing throughout the 150 years and the club, which is set amid the stunning backdrop of the Calcutta skyline, nearly went out of existence in 1997.

Mr Bangur has been instrumental in turning things around since becoming president six years ago and he feels things are now heading in the right direction.

He said: “My challenge, when I took over the reins at Calcutta in 2005, was to restore the club’s lost glory by re-introducing tournaments which had unfortunately not been organized for a number of years after the club’s committee was dissolved abruptly in the late 1990s.

“I made investments to restore the primacy of the Pat Williamson ground where

polo has been played for decades since it was revived by our greatest captain, Maharaj Prem Singh.

“Some of my friends in the polo fraternity responded positively to my call and helped in rebuilding our team.

“A prerequisite for the success of any polo club is an efficient stable to house the ponies.

The club boasts the oldest trophy in the world and claims to have established the game’s first official rule book “With the blessings of the state government, I managed to establish the stables within earshot of the polo ground.

“I also realised that polo could flourish only if we created the right environment

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to attract youngsters to play polo and even think of making it a career option.

“We achieved this by subsidising the sport and making it affordable for all.”

Away from India, Calcutta Polo Club proudly sponsored the Indian team that won this year’s Zone D FIP World Cup qualifiers. That team heads to Argentina this month with high expectations, and with the Ezra World Challenge Cup to follow in November, there’s plenty to be optimistic about at the world’s oldest club. F w Singapore Polo Club is one of Calcutta’s reciprocal clubs and, as a result, will be playing an important role in the club’s 150th anniversary celebrations by hosting the first round of the games in the Ezra World Challenge Cup. Singapore also has reasons of its own to celebrate this year as the club ushers in its 125th birthday.

Polo Times, October 2011

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23/9/11 11:06:09

Reports

Nespresso High-Goal Gold Cup, Sotogrande

The future’s bright.

The future’s orange.

Las Monjitas’s sizeable bright orange entourage celebrated wildly at the end of a hard-fought four weeks of competition in Sotogrande this August, where the team’s two young stars – Francisco Elizalde and Ignacio Laprida – came of age under the guidance of the imperious Eduardo Novillo Astrada

James Mullan in Southern Spain

Photograph by Tony Ramirez

Las Monjitas Ellerston

W

11 9

ith legendary horsepower and the tournament’s mostsought-after player, Facundo Pieres, defending champions Ellerston were the favourites once again to lift the High-Goal Gold Cup at Santa María Polo Club on the tournament’s 40th

36

anniversary this August. However, Colombian patron Camilo Bautista’s Las Monjitas side were determined to ensure victory would be anything but a formality and, having already won the High-Goal Bronze Cup in late July, they once again duly lit up the tournament in more ways than one.

Playing attacking, inventive, passing polo – and wearing the brightest shirts in the competition – Las Montijas’s spirited threepronged attack left Pieres and his side looking rather unimaginative and one-dimensional as Ellerston crashed to an 11-9 defeat in the final.

“It means an awful lot to me and my family to win this tournament,” said a delighted and exhausted 55-year-old Camilo Bautista at the end of the game. “It’s the one tournament I

haven’t won that I’ve always really wanted to.

It was hard work out there but I’ll deal with that tomorrow. Right now, nothing hurts!”

Packer and his team, meanwhile, were left to lick their wounds. Having narrowly beaten Most valuable player

Ignacio Laprida Las Monjitas in their early encounter in the group stages of the tournament, Ellerston were outplayed as the men in orange adopted new tactics to nullify the Piereses in the final.

“For example, we varied what we were doing from the knock-ins depending on the chukka we were in, in order to make them

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21/9/11 12:50:22

Nespresso High-Goal Gold Cup, Sotogrande a little confused,” explained MVP Laprida, playing in Sotogrande for the third time.

“This made it hard for them to know how to line-up against us, deliberately spreading ourselves up and down the ground to create spaces. And I think we also used our horses more intelligently this time, changing them more often and using them in short bursts to keep them at their best.”

This variation, using three players handicapped at five-goals and above and moving the ball around the ground, gave

With eight-goaler Nico Pieres looking over-handicapped in my view, Ellerston rather complacently relied too heavily on his brother Facundo them the edge. Novillo Astrada in midfield used his experience to pull the strings, and the youthful exuberance of Laprida and Elizalde to get forward meant he always had plenty of passing options available.

With James Packer hanging back in defence and Harry White restricted mainly to a blocking role, Ellerston’s number three Facundo had no such options. They simply weren’t as well balanced as Las Monjitas.

“Maybe,” said Facundo Pieres, when I put that to him. “But we still had our chances. I’m not too disappointed, as they are a great side. You can see, everyone is one goal handicap less than they should be. We were a bit lucky to beat them in our previous encounter and I knew it would be tough to repeat.”

Pieres may have a point about their handicaps but surely how teams format their

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line-ups is a crucial part of the preparation for a tournament, just as important as tactics on the ground and horses. With Nico Pieres looking over-handicapped in my view, ultimately Ellerston relied too heavily on their 10-goaler – a somewhat complacent tactic which Polo Times warned against in 2010, when they narrowly sneaked victory.

In 2011, though the no-turning rule was not as stringently enforced as in the UK, it meant Facundo couldn’t do it all himself.

“Bautista’s boys put a damp rug over the fiery heat of Ellerston,” remarked a surprisingly lyrical Ralph Rogge, who once played for Las Monjitas at the lower levels.

And he was right. Las Monjitas preyed on Facundo, giving him no space, forcing him to manufacture fouls and, in so doing, exposing a worrying new weakness in his game – his penalty taking. Pieres readily admits that La Bamba de Areco’s loss to Zacara in their Gold Cup semi-final at Cowdray Park was his biggest disappointment of the summer, when arguably his seven missed penalties proved to be the side’s undoing.

This will worry him ahead of the Argentine season, and it will be interesting to see if he can iron out that chink in his armoury. For most Polo Times readers, that chance won’t

Top scorer in the final

Facundo Pieres come until the 2012 English high-goal season, when Facundo looks set to stay at La Bamba de Areco, as Gonzalito is likely to be the brother that will move to play for Packer as Ellerston makes its much-anticipated return to the UK high-goal. u

Reports

How did they perform?

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

Las Monjitas Camilo Bautista (0) Largely quiet, but kept up with all the plays more than his opposing patron, James Packer. However, he wasn’t as effective with the stick and, as such, his role was principally blocking to make space for the three behind him.

Francisco Elizalde (5) Elizalde scored the final goal with just seconds left to guarantee their victory, and his unbridled delight was a wonderful sight. However, he did make several defensive mistakes and his enthusiasm going forward too often let Facundo slip away unmarked.

Eduardo Novillo Astrada (9) One of his most accomplished performances in recent memory, displaying horsepower, intelligence, experience, bravery, wonderful ball control and terrifically accurate passing and finishing. He made perhaps two errors in the entire game.

Ignacio Laprida (6) Awarded the MVP trophy for his clinical finishing, breaking forward from his position at back, the young man’s goals were invaluable in the end, and gave Las Monjitas a third attacking threat that Ellerston lacked.

5 7 9 8

Ellerston Harry White (1) Like Bautista, White had clearly been asked to do a blocking role to leave Facundo and Nico Pieres with a clear path to goal as much as possible.

He did this with only limited success in the end, and was also the only Ellerston player not to score.

4

Nico Pieres (8) Watched by father Gonzalo, the youngest Pieres brother impressed on occasions, scoring twice and producing a wonderful run in the fourth chukka, but he was not nearly as dominant as his eight-goal handicap would have you expect.

6

Facundo Pieres (10) The best mounted of all the players on the ground, “Facu” picked up where he left off in Sotogrande last season, showing fantastic skill, but he missed three 60-yard penalties (all from the same end of the ground) that could have made all the difference.

8

James Packer (1) Scored one of the goals of the day, executing a perfect offside backhand from an incredibly acute angle. However, his other contributions were not always so telling and he was often slightly off the pace and lingered back in defence.

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Eduardo Novillo Astrada (left) and Ignacio Laprida (above) produced wonderful attacking performances in the final

u

On the evidence of their performances and impressive infrastructure in Sotogrande, Ellerston will certainly be a force to be reckoned with but, as they bed in Gonzalito in place of his brother, they’ll have some work to do. The other two pros that Packer brings in – undoubtedly under the guidance of Gonzalo Pieres – will be key if they are to find the right balance.

“It’s been fun to play with James. He’s a great teammate and, having played polo since he was very young, he knows how to

minerals from its mines, Aussie patron James Packer would surely not have been hoping to let go of what was his quite so easily – if you’ll pardon the slightly convoluted pun.

There’ll be pressure next summer, especially if their affiliated Argentine side Ellerstina – featuring all three Pieres brothers – struggles in the Triple Crown in the meantime, as many pundits expect.

The Argentine high-goal will at least offer Pieres the chance to exact some revenge over Novillo Astrada, though that was far from

The action clearly impressed Glenn Hoddle and his wife, who told Polo Times that the game looked one of the toughest you can play play. Here in Sotogrande, he was just a great player because, as a patron, he didn’t put any pressure on us.”

Nevertheless, while it’s true that Australia is one of the world’s biggest exporters of

Photographs by James Mullan

How the match unfolded...

anyone’s minds as Las Monjitas celebrated late into the night at Santa María Polo Club’s official after-party in Sotogrande.

Once again, the club’s fields and organisation impressed both players and

Third chukka

First chukka

Second chukka

Nico Pieres is the first to find the posts, scoring with a slightly scuffed under-the-neck mid-way through the chukka. But brother Facundo then sends a 60-yard penalty well wide, and he’s made to pay when Ignacio Laprida breaks away and equalises for Las Monjitas with a well-taken goal. However, now shooting at the other end, Facundo finds his range with his 60-yarders, and smashes his penalty so well that it smacks into the camera crane high up behind the goal.

Francisco Elizalde equalises to start the goal rush in the final few minutes of a fast-flowing, end-to-end chukka. The second goal is a clumsy one, as Ellerston re-establish their lead with the ball ricocheting off what looked like a pony’s leg after a good charge to goal by Facundo.

However, Laprida ties it up once again, finishing a wonderful lofted pass from Eduardo Novillo Astrada just seconds before the second bell went to signal the end of the chukka.

Elizalde misses a defensive backhand right in front of his own goal in the first minute, leaving an easy opportunity for Nico Pieres to score, which he does. However, Facundo fluffs a chance to extend the Ellerston lead, missing another 60-yard penalty. Perhaps frustrated, he then concedes a cynical from-the-spot foul just yards from goal, which Eduardo Novillo Astrada uses to tie the game at 4-4. Nico Pieres, having his best period of the game, juggles the ball in front of the crowd in one of two excellent runs in the third and fourth chukkas, but Las Monjitas take the lead for the first time right on the bell.

Las Monjitas 1, Ellerston 1

Las Monjitas 3, Ellerston 3

Las Monjitas 5, Ellerston 4

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21/9/11 12:50:41

Nespresso High-Goal Gold Cup, Sotogrande

Reports

A prince

among men The amiable Prince Bahar Jefri, patron of the Richard Mille team, tells Polo Times what he enjoys about playing high-goal polo in the UK and what keeps bringing him back to Sotogrande:

“

Las Monjitas patron Camilo Bautista (centre) is surrounded as his men in orange celebrate their prestigious victory

spectators alike, which included former international England football captain and coach Glenn Hoddle among their number. In a brief chat with Polo Times, Hoddle and his wife revealed that they thought polo was one of the toughest games you can play, though – when they discovered that Las Monjitas’s Spanish-speaking foursome all had differing “official” nationalities (Bautista is Colombian; Argentine-born Francisco Elizalde Dellacasa represented Italy in the FIP World Cup qualifiers at the end of September; Englishborn Eduardo Novillo Astrada famously has only a British passport; and only Ignacio Toccalino is Argentine) – they also revealed it was amongst the toughest to understand.

That may be true, but the uplifting smiles on the faces of the Las Monjitas team meant that few can have failed to comprehend what victory in Sotogrande meant to Camilo Bautista and his chirpy boys. F

w See page 86 for social photographs from finals’ day at the end of August

Game rating

• • • • • • • • • •

u N espresso High-Goal Gold Cup; 16-27 August 2011; Santa María Polo Club, Sotogrande – Spain Result: Las Monjitas beat Ellerston, 11-9 Number of team entries: Eight Main sponsor: Nespresso Most valuable player: Ignacio Laprida Best playing pony: Esperanza, played by Eduardo Novillo Astrada Final Teams Las Monjitas (20): Camilo Bautista 0; Francisco Elizalde 5; Eduardo Novillo Astrada 9; Ignacio Laprida 6 Ellerston (20): Harry White 1; Nico Pieres 8; Facundo Pieres 10; James Packer 1

I love playing the high-goal, as that’s how you keep improving. At home in Brunei, the polo is very easy and casual, and just a couple of times a week, so I want to keep playing in the top competitions as I’m aiming to grow my polo more and more. Playing in the UK this summer – if you can call it a summer – was a fantastic experience and I’m definitely intending to return next year. It’s just fun to play against the best. The chance to face Cambiaso and the Piereses and the like was terrific. And I suspect I’ll probably also be back in Sotogrande, or perhaps France or somewhere for August.

The plan is to keep Pablo [MacDonough] next year, and format the side around him again, so we’ll see who fits best. But of course it’s nice to have an English player in there for the English high-goal if possible, because that’s where my horse operation is all based [at Trippetts], so we’ll try to continue that. We’ve employed Max Routledge and Ollie Cudmore this year, who’ve been great.

”

wR ichard Mille won the High-Goal Gold Cup subsidiary final trophy (right) in impressive fashion, thanks largely to a masterclass from new father, Pablo MacDonough.

Fourth chukka

Fifth chukka

Sixth chukka

I move to enjoy an elevated position for the remainder of the game from the Blue Tuna crane some 30 feet in the air, where I get a perfect view of Facundo’s equaliser a minute into the second half. But Las Monjitas make a quick comeback with two goals, the first a clever dribble from a penalty 5b by Eduardo Novillo Astrada (riding BPP Esperanza), and the second from Elizalde after a good passing move. However, Ellerston patron James Packer steals the headlines for the chukka with a fantastic backhand. Facundo later said that he “knew James would score”, but even the 10-goaler would have been proud of that one.

Facundo misses yet another 60-yard penalty and, with it, the chance to equalise but, after Novillo Astrada fumbles a bouncing shot at the other end, Ellerston do then get back on level terms through Facundo, after excellent buildup work from Packer, whose confidence is high after that backhand at the end of the last chukka. However, two vintage Eduardo Novillo Astrada goals re-emphasise his quality after his previous miss and help build an ominous-looking lead – until, that is, Facundo scores a 30-yard penalty in the sixth minute to set up a potentially exciting final chukka.

Laprida immediately scores his best goal of the game, cutting the ball through the posts at pace in front of Las Monjitas’s grooms and sending them into raptures. They know they are close.

The game opens up and Novillo Astrada runs the ball laterally across the ground and away from trouble, to the wide areas where he knows it buys them some time. But Facundo gets possession and wins a 30-yard penalty after four minutes, which he scores. Comeback? No. Elizalde makes sure of the win for Las Monjitas two minutes later, scoring with just seconds left, as a sea of orange erupts from the pony lines.

Las Monjitas 7, Ellerston 6

Las Monjitas 9, Ellerston 8

Las Monjitas 11, Ellerston 9

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Polo Times, October 2011

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21/9/11 12:50:51

Above (left to right): André Fabre, Alexandre Sztarkman, Pancho Bensadon, Juan Ambroggio and Chris Mackenzie in action during the final of the Deauville Gold Cup

André Fabre makes it a double in Deauville Royal Barrière secured their second victory in two weeks, following up their Deauville Silver Cup win with a victory in the highly coveted Gold Cup at the end of August

Photograph by R&BPresse/Pascal Renauldon

Royal Barrière Polo de Deauville

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aving won the Silver Cup at Deauville two weeks earlier, patron André Fabre went on to claim the 60th Deauville Gold Cup with his 20-goal Royal Barrière team on 28 August. With the help of his manager, Diego Zavaleta, Fabre – who is also a very successful racehorse trainer, winning the

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Epsom Derby and Prix de Diane (French Oaks) earlier this year – employed Hilario Ulloa, Chris Mackenzie and Pancho Bensadon to join his team.

More than 1,200 spectators, including Georgia Jagger, the daughter of Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger, turned out to watch Royal Barrière take on Alexandre Sztarkman’s Polo de Deauville team in the final. Polo de Deauville, who were last year’s runners-up, jumped into an early lead, finishing the first chukka two goals up, 3-1. The Deauville quartet, which included Australian six-

goaler Rob Archibald, had a tough match on their hands. However, with strong attacks coming from the two Argentines – Ulloa and Bensadon – and South African Mackenzie, who was instrumental in Royal Barrière’s win, Fabre’s team soon equalised the score, first in the second chukka, 3-3, and again in the third, 5-5.

Although Polo de Deauville’s Juan Ambroggio and Dario Musso worked well together, with Musso lofting some fantastic shots down the field, Royal Barrière had the edge in the second half and held the lead in www.polotimes.co.uk

23/9/11 11:26:10

Deauville Gold Cup, France

Reports

My stance on France Silver Cup finalist Luke Tomlinson tells Georgie May what he enjoys about playing in Deauville

Photograph by Thierry Poussard

Royal Barrière patron André Fabre congratulates MVP Pancho Bensadon following their Deauville Gold Cup win

the fourth, fifth and six chukkas, finishing with a 10-9 win.

“To win the Silver and Gold Cups is incredible,” Bensadon said following the game. “Our victory is the result of hard work and it’s a great feeling to win. We had to be patient and control the game to our best ability, without making too many mistakes. The four of us did a good job and concentrated hard throughout the game.”

The eight-goaler was named most valuable player for his accurate, strong play, which included a field goal from 70 yards out. “This is a team sport and, in my opinion, you can only play well if you have a good team behind you,” Bensadon continued. “Of course only one person can win the award but I would rather it went to the whole team!

“It was great experience to play with Hilario Ulloa. This was the first time that we have played together – and we won, so I hope there will be more matches like that in the future.

“André and myself played with Chris Mackenzie two years ago, when we last won the Deauville Gold Cup, along with Facundo Pieres. Back then, Chris was only 16-yearsold and a two-goaler but played unbelievably www.polotimes.co.uk

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well. Now he is 18 and has a handicap of four-goals so he is on the right track and I am sure that he will develop into a truly great polo player. I really hope that we’ll be able to continue to play together.” F w See page 88 for the glamorous photos from the sidelines at 2011’s Deauville Gold Cup u D eauville Gold Cup; 16-28 August 2011; Polo de Deauville, France Result: Royal Barrière beat Polo de Deauville, 10-9 Principal sponsor: Lucien Barrière Handicap level: 20-goal Number of team entries: five Most valuable player: Pancho Bensadon Best playing pony: Texas, ridden by Chris MacKenzie Chukka scores (Royal Barrière): 1-3; 3-3; 5-5; 8-6; 8-7; 10-9 Teams Royal Barrière (20): Chris Mackenzie 4; Hilario Ulloa 8; Pancho Bensadon 8; André Fabre 0 Polo de Deauville (20): Alexandre Sztarkman 1; Rob Archibald 6; Juan Ambroggio 6; Dario Musso 7

“I first played in Deauville in 2008, the year that I won the Gold Cup with Emlor (Spencer McCarthy, Nacho Gonzalez and Joaquin Pittaluga), and this year was my third time playing there, this time in the Silver Cup. The fields have improved massively and there are now four in total with the addition of the Dozulé ground, which plays very well.

“The atmosphere is great, which is one of the main attractions for me. Every thing is really easy, the stables are close to the grounds and the tournaments are very well organised. The only downside is that the weather isn’t always great – it’s normally rainy.

“I take my own ponies and groom out there and, this year, I stayed in a little house just outside Deauville for the duration of the Silver Cup (two and a half weeks).

“The stables are one thing that Deauville must look to improve. For example, when it rains the stables get wet. Your ponies don’t get the proper rest they need when they are living in poor conditions. I think that if they were improved it would help attract more teams to come and play at the club.

“This year I was the only Englishman to play in the Silver Cup and Max Routledge played in the Gold Cup. Since the Warwickshire Cup moved to August, most UK-based patrons and players choose to take part in that rather than travel to Deauville and, as a result, there has been a decline in the number of Brits playing out in France.

“Naturally, the cost of transporting ponies and grooms out to Deauville and finding a place to stay makes it a costly choice compared to staying in England.

“It also depends on what other polo commitments you have in the UK – I didn’t have much on in August and I wasn’t playing in the Warwickshire Cup so I was asked to play in Deauville.

“The Deauville Gold Cup is probably my favourite French tournament, mainly because I’ve won it in the past – when you’ve done well, you remember it fondly. I do also like playing in Chantilly, another club that has very good grounds. This summer I spent a total of five weeks playing in the Deauville Silver Cup and then the French Open at Chantilly.”

Polo Times, October 2011

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Reports

Hublot Polo Gold Cup, Gstaad – Switzerland

Storybook ending for Storni in stunning Swiss Alps Following a last-minute reorganisation due to the sad death of Team Hublot patron Philipp Maeder, three teams went head-to-head in a round-robin tournament where Gstaad Palace’s Tete Storni racked up the goals to help his side to victory Georgie May reports

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staad Palace, led by patron Gualtiero Giori, secured the Hublot Polo Gold Cup title in Switzerland in August. Goals from tournament top-scorer Storni helped them see off defending champions Bank Baring Brothers Sturdza and Star Design, who finished in second and third place respectively.

Despite the 20-goal tournament being overshadowed by the untimely death of Swiss patron Philipp Maeder (see September edition of Polo Times) – whose team, Hublot, was due to take part in the competition – the event went ahead, albeit with three teams instead of the original four, playing in a round-robin format.

“Philipp Maeder was a dear friend to all of us and it is hard to believe that he will not be here with us during the Hublot Polo Gold Cup in Gstaad,” Pierre Genecand,

All three teams paraded through Gstaad as part of the tradition of the event president of Polo Gstaad, said before the start of the tournament. “The Swiss polo community has lost one of its most active and respected representatives.”

Gstaad Palace, featuring Argentine brothers Franckie and Eduardo Menendez, got off to a good start on the opening day, winning both of their games. But, following a day off, where the teams paraded through the town of Gstaad as part of the tradition of the event, the second day of games saw the tables turn.

Bank Baring Brothers Sturdza, featuring eight-goaler Alejandro Agote, beat both Gstaad Palace and Star Design to join Giori’s team on six points at the end of day two, so it was all to play for on the third and final day.

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Bank Baring Brothers Sturdza (light brown shirts) and Star Design scrabble for the ball by the boards during one of the round-robin matches in the Hublot Gold Cup in Gstaad, which was eventually won by Gstaad Palace

Albrecht Bach’s Star Design team had a successful third day, named “best team of the day”, first beating Gstaad Palace, 4-3, and then Bank Baring Brothers Sturdza, 6-41/2.

However, it was a little too late for the side, with the opposing teams remaining in joint first position, producing a tense final game to decide the overall winner.

Riding onto the field with a half-goal advantage, 18-goal Bank Baring Brothers Sturdza were the first to get on the scoreboard with a goal from Agustin Martinez. However, 19-goal Gstaad Palace were quick to answer, with the ever-reliable four-goal Storni showing his composure in front of goal to hit the ball between the posts, regain the half-goal margin.

It wasn’t until the second chukka that the scoring got going, with the Menendez brothers helping their side gain a comfortable lead. With only one goal from Agote, Daniel Aegerter’s Bank Baring Brothers Sturdza side couldn’t regain the lead and eventually lost, 4-31/2.

Although Gstaad Palace took home the coveted trophy, the runners up also scooped up some prizes – see below. F u H ublot Polo Gold Cup; 18-21 August; Polo Club Gstaad, Switzerland Overall winners: Gstaad Palace Principal sponsor: Hublot Handicap level: 18-20 goal Number of team entries: three Best amateur player: Gualtiero Giori Best professional player: Alejandro Agote Best playing pony: Augustina, played by Agustin Martinez, owned by the late Philipp Maeder Teams: Gstaad Palace (19): Gualtiero Giori 1; Franckie Menendez 7; Eduardo Menendez 7; Tete Storni 4 Bank Baring Brothers Sturdza (18): Daniel Aegerter 0; Alejandro Agote 8; Francisco Fucci 6; Agustin Martinez 4 Star Design (18): Albrecht Bach 0; Manuel Cereceda 3; Pablo Jauretche 7; Agustin Garcia Grossi 8 www.polotimes.co.uk

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23/9/11 10:53:38

Reports

International Ladies’ Polo Tournament, Polo Wicklow – Ireland

Boodles beat the Bears The Ballyhenry grounds at Polo Wicklow hosted another successful International Ladies’ tournament in August, where Boodles went home with the title after beating Bearpark Babes Siobhan Herbst

at Polo Wicklow, Ireland

Boodles Bearpark Babes

Photograph by Keith Jack Photography

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olo Wicklow’s 12th International Ladies’ Polo Tournament took place at the end of August. The play-off matches on the opening day attracted the usual rain showers but this didn’t stop some spectacular polo taking place.

In the first game, a team from Yale University in the USA formed the Horseware Ireland team, sponsored by Tom McGuinness.

They played an Irish side, Boodles, captained

by Siobhan Herbst from the host club.

Play was even up to the third chukka when the ever-threatening Boodles hammered three goals home and suddenly the balance changed and Horseware were unable to recover.

The second match was between defending champions, The Women’s Fund, and tournament favourites, Bearpark Babes. The latter broke away from the throw-in and scored immediately and by the end of the first chukka they had scored a further three goals to The Women’s Fund’s one.

However, with Lucy Taylor on the Women’s Fund team the only way was up for the side. By full time the scores were level, 6-6. In the fifth chukka, Taylor’s valiant attempt to save a goal by Bearpark Babes ultimately ended in misery for the Women’s Fund, as Taylor’s Horseware Ireland’s Whitney Vogt (on the left) followed by Nicola Foley of The Women’s Fund in the subsidiary final

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backhand rebounded off a teammate’s pony and went straight through the goalposts, resulting in a win for the Babes, 7-6.

Sunshine on finals day encouraged families and friends and people new to the sport to come and watch. Gazebos and tents were set up and picnics arranged as teddy bears, their owners and spectators watched the two matches in true tailgating fashion.

The subsidiary final between The Women’s Fund and Horseware Ireland set the action rolling. Commentator Roy Law made sure that everyone, new to the game or not, could follow what was happening. The match produced brilliant play from both sides, and it wasn’t until the final chukka that The Women’s Fund pulled ahead to win.

The Boodles team, captained by Polo Wicklow’s Siobhan Herbst, faced the

Bearpark Babes, captained by Naomi Shairp, in the main final. On paper they were two evenly handicapped teams but Boodles threw down the gauntlet in the opening seconds. Newcomer Roisin O’Brien slotted into the established Boodles team of Herbst, Alex Jacob, and Claire Brougham, while the Bearpark Babes – Shairp, Janine Hugo, Hilary Jackson and Allie Wick – flagged behind.

Excellent teamwork and very few penalties produced virtually non-stop action, ending in a resounding 7-3 victory for Boodles, who were in charge throughout.

Rosalinda, a dark bay mare from Polo Wicklow, ridden by Siobhan Herbst, was judged as best playing pony and awarded a rug from Horseware Ireland, while Herbst’s team received the Ladies’ Cup from Boodles’ James Amos.

Aside from the polo, 58 teddy bears were judged during the afternoon.

Nine-year-old Hugh Hogan scooped the prize from Bear Essentials for the best teddy bears picnic. His group of bears enjoyed cucumber sandwiches and lemonade from his grandmother’s best china. F w See page 88 for more snaps from the tournament, both on and off the polo field u International Ladies’ Polo Tournament; 20-21 August; Ballyhenry grounds, Polo Wicklow, Ireland Result: Boodles beat Bearpark Babes, 7-3 Principal sponsors: Boodles, Horseware Ireland, Bearpark Handicap level: -4 to 0-goal Number of team entries: four Chukka scores (Boodles): 3-1; 5-1; 7 -2, 7-3 Best playing pony: Rosalinda, played by Siobhan Herbst and owned by Polo Wicklow Final teams: Boodles (-1): Roisin O’Brien -2; Alex Jacob 0; Siobhan Herbst 0; Claire Donnelly 1 Bearpark Babes (-1): Naomi Shairp -1; Jeanine Hugo 0; Hilary Jackson 0; Allie Wick 0 www.polotimes.co.uk

23/9/11 16:06:51

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10 years being The Official Site of Polo.

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21/9/11 11:38:49

Reports

Home and abroad

Cirencester Park Polo Club – County Cup

Foxcote on fine form at Ciren

Photograph by Tom Reynolds

T

amara Vestey’s Foxcote won the County Cup in Cirencester Park’s National 15-goal tournament in August. They defeated Nick BrittenLong’s Laird team, who had enjoyed success in the Warwickshire Cup two weeks earlier.

Despite only four teams taking part in this year’s competition, the final didn’t disappoint, with Laird fighting hard to keep within reach of winning the County Cup, before eventually losing 7-6.

Teaming up with brother-in-law John Paul Clarkin, Vestey’s side took an early lead but it wasn’t long until Laird’s George Meyrick, helped close the gap, scoring a hat-trick of goals before the end of the second chukka.

Missed goals by patron Britten-Long and Henry Brett, as well as a foul by the latter, allowed Foxcote to extend their lead further before half time. However, coming back onto the field after half time, Brett made up for his mistake by scoring a field goal to bring the score up to 6-4, in favour of Foxcote.

Despite Brett putting the pressure on, Foxcote’s Dave Allen responded with a goal before scrappy play ensued, with both sides missing various opportunities at goal. Laird pulled it together in the closing minutes, with Brad Mallett scoring his first goal of the day, quickly followed by another goal by teammate Meyrick, bringing them within a single goal of their opponents. With just

seconds left on the clock, Foxcote had to retain their lead to prevent the game ending in a draw and going into overtime. A foul

by Laird awarded Foxcote the opportunity to extend their lead, but Clarkin’s hit went wide signalling the final bell and securing a win for Vestey’s team.

“This is the first time I’ve won the County Cup and I am absolutely delighted,” Tamara Vestey said following the final. “I wasn’t really expecting to play in the tournament as my ponies are still young and inexperienced.

Thankfully my sister, Nina, offered me her horses, which gave me the opportunity to take part.

“I was exhausted by the final two chukkas – the speed and pressure of the game was beginning to take its toll.

“However, as John Paul pointed out, winning this magnificent cup is a great early wedding present!” w Tamara Vestey married George Fox in Gloucestershire two weeks after this win

Creighton Boyd, John Paul Clarkin, Dave Allen and patron Tamara Vestey lift the County Cup after defeating Laird

Hurtwood Park Polo Club – Aviation Polo Challenge

RotorMotion fly high above opposition

Photograph by Mark Beaumont

Embraer Executive Jets sponsored the inaugural Aviation Polo Challenge at Hurtwood Park on 21 August, where a late goal by Philip Louis Amadeus’ RotorMotion secured victory for his side over London Executive Aviation (LEA), cheered on by more than 200 guests.

RotorMotion, featuring Amadeus, Briony Taylor, Argentine Daniel Acosta and Jimmy Mulligan, had a tough fight on their hands, only defeating LEA – George Galanopoulos, Nick Beitner, José Rojas and Nelson Bustamante – by one goal, 6-5.

Hurtwood Park owner Kenney Jones presented the trophy to the winning team.

Philip Louis Amadeus of RotorMotion (on left) and George Galanopoulos of LEA at the Hurtwood Aviation Challenge

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22/9/11 16:39:47

Home and abroad

Reports

Guards Polo Club – Autumn Nations Trophy

Asprey London retain autumn honours

Photograph by Centaur Photographic

Asprey London retained the Autumn Nations Trophy at Guards on 11 September, the last day of the club’s 2011 season. After some tough league matches, Simon Holley’s team went through to meet Stefan Sund’s Lost Boys in the final, defeating them 6-3.

There was not much between Asprey London and Lost Boys in the first half of the final, with the spectators, many of whom were at the club to celebrate Col Paul Belcher’s last day as chairman of Guards Polo Club, making the most of a great game in unexpected warm sunshine.

Asprey London began to dominate the game in the third chukka, with Hyde successfully converting a penalty just before the bell, giving them a 5-3 lead. They then pulled further ahead in the final seven minutes to win the match by three goals.

“This was the toughest 12-goal tournament we’ve played this year,” Chris Hyde, who was named MVP, said following the final.

“We beat two, strong, three-man teams in the league stages [Hetman and Mad Dogs] and then faced Black Eagles, a very strong team who were on form in the semis.

“However our strategy today was more dependent on the weather than on our

Chris Hyde, playing for Asprey London, en route to victory in the Autumn Nations Trophy at Guards Polo Club

opposition. In the Royal Windsor in June, you can hit the ball hard from the back line.

At this time of the year you need to be more controlled and safe. The ball tends to be more erratic and so it’s harder to keep control.”

Hyde attributed much of his team’s success to his number four: “The difference today was Ed Morris-Lowe who was really strong

and put up a really good performance, despite having a difficult task in marking Matt Perry.”

Teams Asprey London (12): Simon Holley 0; Jonny Good 5; Chris Hyde 6; Ed Morris-Lowe 1 Lost Boys (12): Stefan Sund 0, Will Emerson 5; Peter Webb 5; Matt Perry 2

France – Open de France, Polo Club de Chantilly

Photograph by R&B Presse/Pascal Renauldon

Sola denies Sztarkman’s side victory Corinne Ricard’s Murus Sanctus narrowly defeated Polo de Deauville, 8-7½, in the French Open on 18 September at Polo Club de Chantilly. Despite Alexandre Sztarkman’s Polo de Deauville team winning an earlier league game against the eventual winners and having a half goal advantage, Ricard and her three Argentine pros managed to retain the lead until the final bell.

One of those pros, seven-goaler Facundo Sola, was on phenomenal form – earning him the most valuable player award – and helped get the game rolling, putting his team ahead in the early stages. However, by the end of the second chukka their opponents had stolen the lead.

From then on, the game www.polotimes.co.uk

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Murus Sanctus’s Facundo Sola

jumped backwards and forwards, as both sides fought hard for a win.

Polo de Deauville’s Marcos Mocorora missed three penalties during the game and his teammate Dario Musso missed a chance to win the game, failing to convert a 60-yard penalty in the final chukka. Had the team successfully converted their penalties, it may have well been a different result.

Luke Tomlinson, playing for André Fabre’s In the Wings team, failed to make it to the semi-finals after his side lost their final league game. In the Wings appeared to be cruising to victory when a crash on the field resulted in Pancho Bensadon breaking two ribs. Ernesto Trotz took his place, but they lost their lead. Had they won, they would have gone through to the next round.

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Reports

Home and abroad

Sussex Polo Club – The Terence Lent Trophy

Home team claims back family silver for first time in three years

Photograph by www.christophergphotography.co.uk

C

elebrating its tenth year, the Terence Lent Trophy took place once again at the end of August at Sussex Polo Club, where the home side took home the silver. The trophy, which started at Knepp Castle before moving to Sussex when the Lent family set up the club, celebrates the adoption of Duane and Sallie Anne’s 13-year-old son Terence.

The 2-goal final took place on the WestOne Cars ground – the main ground at the club – between El Botellón and Sussex Polo, with both sides delivering fast, open polo. With the scores level, 7-7, at half time it was difficult to predict who was going to lift the trophy at the end of the match. However, in the third chukka, Sussex steamed ahead, with goals from Nick Clague and Telmo Maidana flying in at all angles and Terence Lent – who has twice been selected

for the HPA Young England team – setting up another in front of goal. Two more goals from Maidana and Lent ended the chukka with Sussex 12-7 up.

In the final chukka, El Botellón’s Jimmy Mulligan fought back converting two penalties and a field goal to up the team’s score. However, Sussex held onto the lead and went on to win 14-10, returning the family silver to the Lent family for the first time in three years.

In the -6 to -2 Goal Challenge, the combined forces of patron Doug Ross and Young England player Harry Hickmet led the Square Peg/Black Knights team to victory over Los Bandidos 6-3½. Pampeano generously donated prizes for the winners including polo sticks and Argentine woven belts for both levels.

Sussex’s Terence Lent (in green) and Andrew Porter

w Discover more about Terence Lent on page 59

Russia – Russian Open, Moscow

Rodzianko clan rules in riveting Russian Open Four teams competed in the Russian Open in August, featuring players from both Moscow Polo Club and President’s Club, as Beluga beat Range Rover 5-2 in the final.

The weather was better than forecast, with Moscow Polo Club basking in sunshine. Thus, the conditions on the polo ground were near perfect as play started on the first of two days of competition.

The preliminary matches both finished with a score of 4-3 – Beluga, a six-goal side, beat two-goal side Ahmad Tea and Range Rover, another six-goal team, triumphed over Moscow Polo Club (four-goals).

Before the final on the second day, resident four-goal Argentine Hernan Traverso carried out a short demonstration and introduction to polo for the spectators who had turned out to watch the two 6-goal sides fight it out in the final.

With the scores tied at two-a-piece at the end of the second chukka, the game looked like it could have gone either way. However, great play by Beluga’s number four Alejandro Traverso, president of Moscow Polo Club 48 Polo Times, October 2011

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Alexis Rodzianko and his son, two-goaler Misha Rodzianko – Russia’s highest rated played – and daughter, Anastasia Rodzianko, resulted in a win for the side.

Azul, ridden by Anastasia Rodzianko, Celestino Rivera and Alejandro Traverso over the three days was named best playing pony.

Another pony, nine-year-old Gisar ridden by Hernan Traverso, also stood out on the field

– the Ahkal Teke pony (a rare and ancient breed form Turkmenistan) was previously an endurance champion at 30, 60 and 90 kilometers, before “turning his hoof ” to polo.

Highlights from the tournament were shown on the national Russian sports channel, as well as on the English-speaking Russia Today channel, which recorded an audience of more than three million.

Beluga’s Misha Rodzianko hooks Range Rover’s Carlos Busquet in the Russian Open final in Moscow

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22/9/11 16:42:30

Photograph by Steffi Schnalz-Coté

Home and abroad

Reports

Germany – German High-Goal Championship

News in brief

Engel & Voelkers deny Pierro Dillier’s BSS second straight high-goal title

w Argentina – The organisers of the 33goal Jockey Club Open will have been disappointed with the number of entries in this year’s competition. Having had nine entries in 2010, only four teams took part this year, with only two league games taking place to decide the finalists. La Dolfina defeated La Irenita 15-13 in the final on 17 September.

Engel & Voelkers, title sponsor and Germany’s leading real estate broker, snapped up the German High-Goal Championship title in mid-August, after comfortably defeating defending champions, BSS, 9-4 in the final at Berlin Maifield, writes Michael Lou. Germany’s four-goaler Christopher Kirsch played at his best, the USA’s James Miller played well above his one-goal handicap, Argentine six-goaler Gaston Maiquez served his number one position with excellent passes and 19-year-old Hamburg-based Caspar Crasemann scored four goals for the Engel & Voelkers side.

On his super-fast horses, Crasemann was always right at his position and even gave sevengoaler Lucas Labat of Pierro Dillier’s BSS team a run for his money. While Labat played at his usual high standard, his teammates Dillier (0), Paulo Netzsch (1) and Ignacio Garrahan (4) often seemed to be left behind, ultimately resulting in a loss for the team.

Germany’s Sven Schneider (3) and Sebastian Schneeberger (1) teamed up with Valentin Novillo Astrada (5) and Augustin Kronhaus (3) to form Team Allianz, who finished third overall. They beat Team Lamborghini/Infinity, featuring former 10-goaler Michael Azzaro, 3-2 in the third and fourth place decider.

Team art’apart – patron Uwe Schroeder, Jo Schneider and Argentine pros Augustin Maiquez and Eduardo Anca – won the subsidiary final.

Gaston Maiquez in front of the historic Olympic Stadium

Tidworth Polo Club – The AGC Polo Cup

Royal Navy shine in AGC Cup The Adjutant General’s Corps (AGC) Polo Cup took place at Tidworth on 29 August.

The tournament has become increasingly popular in the low-goal military polo calendar, with eight teams competing in two divisions this year.

Division One, competing for the AGC Polo Cup, consisted of the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force, the Royal Artillery and the Adjutant General’s Corps. The Royal Navy won the cup once again, beating the Royal Air Force 3-0.

Division Two consisted of the Royal Logistic Corps, the Royal Artillery, the Reserves and the Adjutant General’s Corps. The final, between The Royal Artillery and The Reserves

was a very close match and was still tied after penalties. Due to time constraints, the match was considered a draw and the positions decided by a coin toss, which fell in favour of the Reserves. Brigadier McEvoy, the AGC sports president, presented the prizes and a small raffle raised funds for the British Limbless and Ex Servicemen’s Association (BLESMA).

The AGC has had a particularly successful year in terms of new polo members.

An introductory course was held at the Hampshire Polo School in South Wonston earlier this year, where 16 AGC officers and soldiers were introduced to polo, four of whom were playing in the AGC Polo Cup.

w South Africa – Australia secured themselves the BMW International Series in August after winning their second Test Match against South Africa, 9-7, at Inanda. They beat the hosts in the first Test, 6-5. w Beaufort – Janie Dear’s Apache ended their season on a high, winning the Sidebottom Cup at Beaufort. The quartet of Richard Le Poer, Oli Powell, Janie and Freddie Dear defeated Active Reach 8½-4 in the final on 11 September. “We’re going to need a bigger trophy cabinet!” Paddy Dear, Janie’s husband, joked after the final.

The team have secured a number of wins this summer, including the Archie David at Guards and the Coworth Park Challenge. w Coworth Park – Kassem Shafi’s Shalimar won the Valerie Halford Memorial Trophy at Coworth Park at the end of August.

The combination of Shafi, James Rome, Hissam Ali Hyder and Vieri Antinori managed to overcome Mo Sheikh’s BHC team, 9-7. Tony Gerrard’s Montana secured an easy victory in the subsidiary final against Don Beni, 7-2½. w Germany – Lanson Polo team (pictured) won the Lanson Open Hamburg 2011 – formerly known as the IDEE Polo Derby – in September, with a heavily disputed last-minute goal. Although MVP Heinrich Dumrath put the ball through the posts, he and his teammate Adrian Laplacette appeared to sandwich the defending Christopher Winter of Tom Tailor. However, the umpires let it go and Lanson won 8-7.

Top (l-r): Royal Air Force, Royal Artillery B, The Reserves and Royal Navy. Bottom (l-r): Royal Artillery A, Adjutant General’s Corps B, Brigadier McEvoy, Captain Johnston, Adjutant General’s Corps A and Royal Logistic Corps

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Reports

Home and abroad

Guards Polo Club – Grenadier Past vs Present Polo Challenge

Grenadier Past too strong for Present

The match raised £2,000 for the Colonel’s Fund, supporting wounded service personnel end, it was the defending champions, Past Grenadiers, who retained the title, 5-3½.

Maj Gen George Norton of the Grenadier Guards, who is also the Major General Commanding the Household Division,

Photograph by Florencia Cavalieri

Guards Polo Club held the second annual Grenadier Past vs Present Polo Challenge on Sunday 4 September, which raised £2,000 for the Colonel’s Fund. Despite the dark skies looking ominous at midday, the sun greeted players and Army supporters as the two teams rode out onto the field.

This year, the Present Grenadiers were short a man, so Brig Robert Talbot-Rice of the Welsh Guards was “loaned” from Elspeth Talbot-Rice QC’s Legal Action team. Past Grenadiers were short too, so Honorary Grenadier, Major Iain Forbes-Cockell (The Life Guards), stepped in.

The match was fast and furious with Past Grenadiers’ Lt Col Howard Flood and Present Grenadiers’ Capt Folarin Kuku scoring some amazing goals. However, in the

Present Grenadiers’ Captain Folarin Kuku, Captain Howard Cordle, Lieutenant Colonel Roly Walker, Brigadier Robert Talbot-Rice, and Past Grenadiers’ Major Robert Adams, Second Lieutenant Nick Swift, Lieutenant Colonel Howard Flood, Major Iain Forbes-Cockell with Major General George Norton at Guards Polo Club

presented the prizes. “Grenadier Polo is all about using the game to raise awareness of the painstakingly slow rehabilitation process required for so many of our wounded servicemen and women,” Maj Robert Adams, a member of the winning side, said.

“Help is often tricky to dispense at a national “public level”, but can be hugely

effective if dispensed privately when an individual call goes out.

“In practical terms, such help could be assisting a soldier to play polo with the aid of a privately funded prosthetic arm or to support a double leg amputee climb Mount Kilimanjaro.”

For all offers of support, however big or small, email grenadierpolo@live.com.

Ascot Park Polo Club – Pro-Am City Polo Championships

City firms enjoy action-packed day at Ascot The Pro-Am City Polo Championships took place at Ascot Park on Saturday 10 September, writes Kat Flynn. This year, the

Six-goaler professionals Juan Cruz Guevara (left) and Guillermo Cuitino in action in the 6-8 goal match

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event – which sees city firms team up with professional players or even put out full teams of employees – attracted 10 teams, playing across five levels from -8 to 8-goal.

The day got off to a flying start with the -4 goal, which saw London Executive Aviation beat UBS–Las Aguilas, 10-5. Managing Director of LEA, George Galanopolous collected the Elaine Hughes Massage most valuable player award.

Phoenix Finance Partners beat Eco-Vest (Advisors) 4-1 in the -1 goal section, where Majif Sadjadi of Phoenix was named most valuable player, receiving a magnum of Chateau de Sours sparkling wine.

The highlight of the afternoon was the 6-8 goal match between Bramdean Asset Management LLP and Zolfo Cooper. Although

a heavy downpour hit the club, this did not dampen everyone’s spirits and Bramdean won by half a goal, 4-3½.

Christopher Clement-Davies and Hilali Noordeen from the winning team were both handed invitations to stay at an Amazing Retreats venue, in addition to their other prizes. Groom Donna Evans brought Roddy Matthews’ eight-year-old British-bred mare, Flair, to the prize podium to collect the Roxtons best playing pony rug.

Accenture beat JP Morgan 8-2 in the -8 goal final and the day was rounded off with Dressage Anywhere winning 6-3 against Equilor Investment Ltd in the -2 goal section.

This year’s competition welcomed and supported two charities, Inspired By People and SERV (Service by Emergency Rider Volunteers). www.polotimes.co.uk

22/9/11 16:44:43

Polo Arena Construction

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Polo Times, October 2011

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22/9/11 14:56:38

Reports

Home and abroad

Taunton Vale Polo Club – Centenary Cup and Houldsworth Trophy

Photographs by Georgina Mennim

Somerset club celebrates I n celebration of Taunton Vale’s 100th year a new trophy was commissioned and inaugural tournament played in September. Sponsored by Ashford’s Solicitors, the tournament was played by four local teams – Horner, Knowle Black, Virgo Stone and Knowle White – and witnessed club amateurs, professionals and children all competing together.

The final between Knowle Black and Horner was a tight game until Horner managed to score two goals in the last minutes of the game to deny their opponents the inaugural Centenary Cup. Played on another surprisingly bright day, this weekend was the perfect celebration of 100 years of polo at Taunton with a subsidiary tournament contested by another five teams proving that 100 years on, polo is stronger than ever at the club.

Prior to the Centenary Cup, the Houldsworth Cup was fiercely contested at Taunton Vale during the third week of August.

Six teams competed in the 105th year of this trophy and there were some extremely tight

Winners of the impressive 104-year-old Houldsworth Trophy at Taunton Vale last month, Silverwood (l-r): patron Hayley Hyde-Andrews, four-goal Australian Lochie Hunter, Glen Sherriff and Marcus Beresford

league games. Hundreds of club members and visitors turned out for finals day, setting up marquees and gazebos from which they watched the day’s polo and enjoyed their picnics. Stalls and trade stands gave the whole

day an air of a country fete.

In the first game of the day, 3-goal team Los Piratas, narrowly lost to Mark Williams’s Horner team. The final featured Hayley Hyde-Andrews’s Silverwood

Cowdray Park Polo Club – UberPolo 12-Goal

Photograph by Clive Bennett

Del Carril takes centre stage at Cowdray Montana seized victory in extra-time in the UberPolo 12-Goal tournament at Cowdray Park in August. Tony Gerrard’s team featured three Argentine pros, who helped him to an 8-7 win over Ray Fine’s Las Estrellas.

Montana’s six-goaler Michel del Carril got the ball rolling, opening up the scoring with some superb field goals for his side. By half time, the 12-goal side was ahead 5-2.

Following the tread-in, del Carril’s fourth goal took Montana on to 6-2, but suddenly there was a remarkable comeback from Las Estrellas, with South African Tom de Bruin scoring a great field goal and a penalty. This was quickly followed by another goal by fellow South African Gareth Evans, who picked the ball up on the boards and drove it all the way 52 Polo Times, October 2011

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The Montana team of Martin Roman, Manuel Plaza de Ayala, Tony Gerrard and Michel Del Carril with UberPolo’s Leigh-Anne Moore

down the field to goal. When de Bruin managed to score yet another goal, with Montana remaining scoreless, the two teams lay even at 6-6 at the end of the third chukka.

In the fourth, Montana inched ahead again with del Carril successfully converting a 30-yard penalty. Two missed penalties by Las Estrellas hampered their chances, but finally Evans managed to hit a 60-yard through the posts. With the scoreboard reading 7-7 at the end of the fourth chukka, the game was forced into extra time.

The thrilling final ended with Montana being awarded a 60-penalty, which del Carril lofted through the posts to win the game.

Prizes were presented by Leigh-Anne Moore of UberPolo. www.polotimes.co.uk

22/9/11 16:50:44

Home and abroad

100 years of polo team – defending champions and favourites to win this year – playing against John Yeoman’s Southfield team for the second year running. It

News in brief w Singapore – New Zealand won the Singapore Gold Cup in mid-September.

They defeated Singapore 8-6, mainly thanks to James Watson who scored seven of his side’s goals. British player Alexander De Lisle captained the Singapore side, while Ross Ainsley led the Kiwis. The club celebrated its 125th year anniversary this year – see page 14 in the news section of this issue for more. w USA – California Polo Club, featuring father and son combo Domingo and Manny Questal, took home the silverware in the US Arena Championship, held at California Polo Club in Los Angeles. They beat Thomson Reuters 11-10.

Large entry numbers prove that, 100 years on, polo is stronger than ever at Taunton saw an excellent exhibition of low-goal polo, especially from Silverwood’s Lochie Hunter who scored three unstoppable goals from long range. Silverwood ran out the winners, 8-4, to retain the historic trophy. Taunton Vale Polo Club (TVPC) played Ridgebacks in the subsidiary final, where the latter, led by Kit Brooks, held off a late charge by TVPC to win.

The JC trophy for the best playing pony was awarded to Mouse, played by Glenn

Reports

Christine Thome’s Regalito was named Bailey’s best conditioned pony, pictured with groom Damian Arcagni

Sherriff. Christine Thome’s Regalito won the Bailey’s best conditioned pony, groomed by Damian Arcagni. w Calcutta Polo Club is also celebrating an anniversary this year. See pages 34-35

w White Rose – Sixteen teams, competing at three levels, battled it out in this year’s low-goal Yorkshire Open Polo Championship. At the highest level, Phoenix were the victors, Tottie won the medium level and White Rose the lower level. The club was once again supporting Parkinson’s Disease Research and raised more than £300 for the charity. w Cowdray Park – Adrian Kirby’s 1870, also featuring Matt Perry, Ollie Cudmore and Rob Archibald, won the 8-12 goal Autumn Cup in September. They defeated Simon Arber’s Four Quarters Orange 8-3 in the final on 18 September. The tournament concluded the 2011 season at the club.

Watergate Bay, Cornwall – Veuve Clicquot Polo on the Beach

Winners cash in on opponent’s mistake

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scoring first, Joules’ Richard Blake Thomas then scored twice to bring them within half a goal of their opponents.

Blake Thomas then lost his mallet and, while he dismounted to retrieve it, Harper was given the time Andrew Blake Thomas of First Great Western (in blue) riding off Joules’s Jamie Le and space to take the Hardy at the Veuve Clicquot Polo on the Beach event at Watergate Bay in Cornwall ball up the field and Williamson’s Rebecca Coode presented the score uncontested moments before the final best playing pony rug to Panina, ridden by bell sounded, securing victory for the First Andrew Blake Thomas.

Great Western side.

Harper received the most valuable player trophy from HSBC’s Chris Jones, as well w MVP James Harper has since had his handicap as a kit bag from Images of Polo. Smith & raised. For all the changes, see pages 82-83

Polo Times, October 2011

Photograph by Kirstin Prisk

More than 2,500 spectators braved strong winds to witness First Great Western defeat Joules 8½-7 in the Veuve Clicquot Polo on the Beach event at Watergate Bay in Cornwall at the beginning of September.

Although Joules – Tim Vaux, Jamie Le Hardy and Richard Blake Thomas – controlled the first half of the game, the First Great Western side of James Harper, Andy Burgess and Andrew Blake Thomas came out fighting in the third and fourth chukkas and went on to win the game.

With the score reading 5-3½ at half time, First Great Western’s James Harper and Andy Burgess scored a succession of goals in the third chukka, despite valiant defending efforts

by Le Hardy, to put their team into the lead for the first time since the first chukka.

Sensing victory, both teams went all out in the final chukka. With First Great Western

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Reports

Home and abroad

China – British Polo Day

Beijing and Brits come together The Beijing International Polo Open Tournament, now in its third year, took place from 16-17 September at the Beijing Sunny Times Polo Club. This year, for the first time, the final day of the tournament became the “Beijing British Polo Day”, a celebration of Sino-UK relations.

Guests were ferried to and from the polo in a fleet of 20 vehicles from Land Rover, and were treated to a “British tea” served by the Intercontinental Financial Street, Beijing.

The British Exiles team of Stuart Wrigley, Eden Ormerod, Jack Mann and Gaston Devrient, decked out in their Barbour shirts, beat fellow Commonwealth nation New Zealand 6½-1 in the final in front of a 3,000-strong crowd, which included Sebastian Wood, the British ambassador to China and Sir David Brewer, chairman of the China Britain Business Council.

Earlier on in the day, the Piaget China team, featuring Marcos Heguy, who was playing off 10-goals, had beaten Argentina in a gripping subsidiary final.

The Beijing International Polo Open Tournament is the only authorised international polo tournament supported by the government of China (in the form of both the General Administration of Sport of China and the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality).

British Polo Days celebrate the history and heritage of the game in a quintessentially British day of polo in various locations all around the world.

The next destination is Singapore on 19 November when the Singapore Polo Club is celebrating its 125th anniversary.

The British Exiles (Gaston Devrient, Stuart Wrigley, Eden Ormerod and Jack Mann) walk onto the ground

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Austria – VON Magazine Polo Cup

Youngsters shine in Austrian alpine sun The Austrian polo community travelled to picturesque alpine setting next to Lake Wolfgang in Strobl to play in the VON Magazine Polo Cup in August, writes Elisabeth Gansterer.

Held during the school holidays, the tournament is a great chance for young Austrian players to gain some valuable

The picturesque setting for the VON Magazine Polo Cup

experience. As well as 15-year-old pro Bautista Bayugar, six youngsters – including four girls – featured among the four teams.

Representing Jaeger-LeCoultre was Hans Georg Schiebl, Tomas Maiquez and Bautista Bayugar and Hans Georg’s two daughters, Sophia and Laura, who shared a position. As the favourites for the competition, the team didn’t disappoint, winning all their league matches and going through to the final.

They came up against VON Magazine – Walter Scherb, Sasha Hauptmann, Joaquin Maiquez and youngsters Caro Scherb (Walter’s daughter) and Leon Hauptmann (Sasha’s brother), who shared a position – in the final, where Jaeger-LeCoultre won, 6-3½.

In the subsidiary final, Team Hämmerle were defeated by Team Lexus, 5-3½, despite excellent play from young Koko Kofler, playing her first season, who picked up the award for most valuable player.

RLS Polo Club, Warwickshire – Polo in the Park

Rising talent impress at RLS More than 1,000 spectators turned out for the final day of RLS Polo Club’s polo season and, with many more families in attendance than previous years, the children’s fun fair proved to be particularly popular.

The day consisted of an array of polo tournaments, including the Polo in the Park Cup, Polistas Cup, RLS Challenge Cup and the highly-anticipated inaugural Young Guns Cup. As the first ever RLS Young Guns Tournament kicked into action, cheers of excitement and applause rippled through the crowds. The tournament illustrated the growth of enthusiastic under-21s playing polo at the club and there were clear examples of rising talents – these included Jake Rigby, Aurelia Van Damm, Santos Iriarte, Rob Flemming, Hugo Singh and Chloe Hunt.

A total of 10 teams entered the Polistas Cup but it was Rigby & Rigby and The Dawson Group who went through to the final, with the latter – featuring Freya

Dawson, Mike Henderson, Matt Thame and Grant Collett – winning in extra time.

Monkey, owned and ridden by Julio Sepulveda, was named best playing pony and Grant Collett won the most valuable player award.

The continued support of clothing company Polistas as title sponsor proved to be a strong incentive for teams, while visitors also commended the recently refurbished pavilion and improved pitches.

The Dawson Group – Mike Henderson, Freya Dawson, Matt Thame and Grant Collett – show off the Polistas Cup

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Home and abroad

Reports

Leadenham Polo Club – End-of-season tournament

Bob Music deny home team tasty end-of-season victory Leadenham ended their season with a -6 to -2 goal tournament and fun-filled ball on the weekend of 17-18 September, writes Niamh Tye. Twelve teams from across the Midlands and Yorkshire travelled to the club to compete in one of the three handicap levels.

In very slippery conditions, Axholme beat Leadenham Outsiders, 7-5, in the first match on finals day and Rutland beat the RAF 6-4 to take home the Papita Trophy in the first part of the -6 to -2 goal division.

In the second part of the division, for the Autumn Cup, NKS JCS Fish played Ingenious Works, where the latter won in a penalty shoot out. Impressing everyone with her play, minus-two-goaler Lottie Nuttall from Yorkshire was named most valuable player.

In the 0-2 goal final, playing for the

Matias Jolly Araya of Ingenious Works in the Autumn Cup

Leadenham Trophy, Bob Music turned the game around in their favour in the last

Thailand – King’s Cup Elephant Polo

Penalty shoot out success for defending champions

Argentina – Fin del Mundo Snow Polo Cup

Argentines beat the chill and Brazil The world’s southern-most city, Ushuaia in Argentina, hosted the annual Fin del Mundo Snow Polo Cup for the second time at the end of August.

Four 10-goal men’s teams played for the main title in the Copa Escorihuela Gascón, while two ladies teams played for the Copa Securitas.

Fueguino Hotel, featuring three Brazilian players, and Escorihuela Gascón made it through to the final. As light snow began to fall, Argentine Ernesto Trotz put the Escorihuela Gascón team into an early lead. The Brazilians replied with one goal of their own, but Trotz scored another goal as his side went on to record a 3-1 victory.

As there were only two ladies teams, they played twice, with Securitas beating Lagomarsino Saddlery overall.

Photograph by Gentileza Nacho Caffu

Twelve teams from four continents took part in this year’s King’s Cup Elephant Polo tournament at Hua Hin’s Suriyothai army base in Thailand from 5-11 September (pictured below). The event, which was celebrating its 10th year, concluded in a sudden death shoot out to decide the winner, after heavy rain delayed the final.

Audemars Piguet, featuring Peter Prentice as well as Angaad and Uday Kalaan, secured victory and retained the title, scoring all three of their opportunities at goal while their opponents, King Power International, only scored two.

At the Anantara Hua Hin gala dinner, TBH 3.1million (approx £64,870) was raised to help the lives of domesticated and wild elephants in Thailand.

two chukkas, defeating the home team, Leadenham, by two and a half goals.

The earlier sunshine did not last and the subsidiary final of the 0-2 goal, between Rugby Polo Club and Eye Contact, was rained off after two chukkas, and the subsidiary of the Autumn Cup was cancelled.

Lesley Maxfield Gullett of Leadenham Polo Club presented the Marmalade best playing pony prize to Hecichera, owned by Rugby Polo Club’s Alice Squires and played

by Thomas Gilks of Rutland.

“This coveted prize of a jar of marmalade has come about because I lost my best pony, Marmalade, last year to colic, and the Reeve family who own Leadenham, started this tradition as this seemed the best way to remember her!” Lesley explained.

Right: Escorihuela Gascon (in black) playing Tanta Sara in one of the tournament’s early league games

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Youth polo

Central European Junior Polo Tournament, Hungary

Presented by

Hungary for more

A young team, selected by SUPA, travelled to the searing heat of Budapest Polo Club in August to take part in a round-robin tournament with Hungary and Poland, where the British students sailed to an easy victory over their fellow Europeans

Michael Hobday reports from Hungary

A

SUPA Britain side, supported by La Martina and ably led by SUPA steward Sarah Styler, was invited to play in the Central European Polo Association (CEPA) Junior Tournament at Budapest Polo Club in Hungary at the end of August.

Three days of polo, parties and sightseeing were on the cards, so enjoyment as much as skill was on the agenda for the British team.

It was the first time the quartet of Charlie

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Pidgley (14-years-old), David Gibbons (13), Katy Bernard (15) and Robbie Dee (15) had travelled abroad to represent SUPA Britain, having been selected at an assessment held earlier in the season.

On arrival in Budapest, the first thing that hit everyone was the 40 degree-heat â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the hottest in 150 years according to the Hungarians. To acclimatise, the players,

following day, the Brits had a chance to try ponies, get used to playing in the heat and learn to play together.

Although the visitors were young and lacked international experience, they proved they had the edge over their opponents. The fact that they have trained hard with their peers back in the UK and that they have been well coached was evident for all to see as they

Although the Brits were young and lacked international experience, they had the edge over their opponents joined by tournament organiser Antal Amasy and players from Poland and Hungary, who they would face in the coming days, spent a day on the banks of the Danube River at the thermal baths and Royal Castle. The

beat both Poland and Hungary in the roundrobin competition.

The tournament, sponsored by Ferrari, Ferrero Chocolates and the InterContinental Hotel, was played off scratch, although teams www.polotimes.co.uk

23/9/11 15:15:23

Central European Junior Polo Tournament, Hungary

Youth polo

Julius Baer says keep your eye on...

Photographs by www.christophergphotography.co.uk

Above: SUPA Britain’s Robbie Dee in action in Hungary Opposite page: Players and chaperones beside the Danube

Above (left to right): Katy Bernard, Charlie Pidgley, Robbie Dee and David Gibbons

Terence Lent, 13, Sussex Polo Club

Poland’s Matheu Smolk tries to hook tournament top-scorer Katy Bernard of SUPA Britain, closely followed by the rest of the field at Budapest Polo Club in Hungary, where the Brits secured the title in the round-robin tournament

varied from -6 to -2-goal in handicap. In beautiful weather and on superb grounds, a more than appreciative crowd of 500 people turned out to watch the youngsters do battle.

Host-nation Hungary and nearby Poland were first to face each other in the tournament and it was soon evident that the Polish team had greatly improved since the practice matches.

It took all four chukkas for Hungary, who on paper were the slightly better team, to overcome their opponents in a very closely fought game.

Next up SUPA Britain faced the Poles and the Brits secured an easy victory, using tactics and play that were far too strong for the Polish side. This meant it was now all to play for in the final match, where the Brits played the Hungarians. Anticipation was high as both teams had proved to be very closely matched during the practice games.

After holding a small lead in the early stages, the Brits were a bit shell shocked to find the Hungarians coming back to within www.polotimes.co.uk

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one goal. However, a quick team talk and slight change in tactics eventually saw them pull ahead, with the help of top-goalscorer Katy Bernard and fierce play from Robbie Dee, securing them an easy victory in the match and triumph in the tournament. All four players played well above their respective handicaps and displayed what a well-drilled and communicative team they were. F ◗ For more opinions on junior polo turn to pages 26-29 for our must-see letters pages u Teams SUPA Britain (-6): Charlie Pidgley -2 (Pangbourne College); Katy Bernard -1 (Woldingham); David Gibbons -1 (Rugby); Robbie Dee -1 (Winchcombe) Hungary (-2): Polina Nazarrowa 0; Count Ferentz Amasy -1; Daniel Radics 0; Leonard Ivanics -1 Poland (-3): Karoly-Illyes/Sylvester Szegedi -1; Gina Ivanics -1; Prince Michau Czartorski 0; Matheu Smolk -1

The son of Sussex Polo Club owners Duane and Sallie Anne Lent, Terence has continued to stand out this summer. He was selected to play for Young England for the second successive year and has also started to make an impression on the adult game.

Playing alongside South African six-goaler Gareth Evans, Cowdray-based three-goaler John Martin and fellow young gun Tommy Beresford, Terence won the subsidiary final of the 8 goal Brecknock Cup at Cowdray Park in August, against a team which included former England captain Alan Kent and up-and-coming threegoaler Nick Pepper.

Terence started playing polo as a nine-year-old and moved up to minusone last year. He won the Jorrocks section of Pony Club in 2008 and the Handley Cross section in 2009 before being named the most promising under-15 player in 2010, aged 12.

This saw him selected for Young England for the first time and he received another call-up this year, playing for the HPA Select Red team as they lost 5-4 in the Stagshead Trophy at Ham. He also plays arena polo at Sussex during the winter and has played in Argentina for the last five years.

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Angloargentine breeding programme combining excellent genetics and a strong focus on gentle training methods. Registered Polo Argentino herd selected for temperament and proven bloodlines.

Breeding programme using Lolo Castagnolaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (9 goal handicap) mares and stallions purchased from Eduardo Heguy (8 goal handicap) and Pepe Heguy (8 goal handicap).

Bloodlines include those of El Sol, Polo Nevadito, Hovercraft, Gama, Pepsi and Dolfina Millionario. Sale of youngsters, semen and playing ponies.

For more information and pedigrees please visit

www.poloservices.com

Los Machitos Private Polo Estate of Mariano Aguerre and Nick Manifold Prices start from $750USD per day Practices range from 15 to 25 goals Fully equipped gym available Houses include private pools Located in the heart of Pilar Neighboured by Centauros Polo Club

For more information contact Henry Brett

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www.polotimes.co.uk

23/9/11 11:15:09

Opinion

Why the best horse might not be the right horse The autumn often signals a busy period of pony-trading.

However, when buying for young players, many parents new to the game realise they don’t know where to start

Izzy McGregor offers some pointers

W

hen buying horses, the general tendency is to buy the best you can. However, “best” is often wrongly defined as fastest, prettiest and youngest. Ironically, these are possibly the worst things to look for when buying a horse for young and inexperienced players.

Over-horsing a newbie is a bit like putting a learner driver in a Ferrari… too much power too soon can not only be extremely frightening but also very dangerous. Most of the best players in world started on confidence-giving, reliable and easy ponies.

Nevertheless, even finding the right beginner pony can still be as long a process as picking a high-goal mount. You should be prepared to try lots of horses all over the country, which is why you should also try to enlist the unbiased help of a trustworthy and knowledgeable friend.

Don’t just take the guidance of the person trying to sell you nine ponies!

To avoid making costly mistakes: • Always arrange to see a pony prior to being tacked, and look for good basic conformation • Try to get a feel for its temperament. You are looking for a kind, willing and safe pony you can trust • Always chukka before you buy to check for soundness and to be sure it is fit for purpose.

Simply stick-and-balling is not the same • Always vet the horse • Find out about its background: is it easy to box, shoe, clip etc?

Unpacking advert jargon: Fast = No brakes!

Bombproof = Needs oats if you want to get out of a walk!

Good doer = Fat Pro-pony = Perfect, if you already have a two-goal handicap!

Always double chukkas = check its legs Young = green, no experience Schoolmaster = more than 20 years old

• Don’t buy the first horse you try!

• Remember, it doesn’t have to be gorgeous to be a great horse for you When buying, it’s also worth bearing in mind that older horses can often be more beneficial in helping younger or inexperienced players to improve. They forgive your mistakes, whereas a seven-year-old may not! People are typically put off if they hear double-digit ages but, as long as a pony is sound, there is no problem with buying an older horse. One of the best ponies I have ever played was 15 when I bought him and taught me so much!

Having said all that, the best pony in my current string is a hot-headed chestnut mare I somehow persuaded my parents to buy for me when she was a four-year-old. Her conformation isn’t great, and so I really was breaking all the rules with that one! I guess it just acts as a timely reminder that, whatever you do, buying a pony is always a bit of gamble, and so you should also hope for a bit of luck! F ◗ If you’ve already bought, turn to page 74

Youth polo

The grass-roots view The latest from Theresa Hodges, UK Pony Club Polo chair, in her regular column Time for reflection this month but first, all thanks to Polo Times and our very own correspondent, Tony Emerson, for such a comprehensive, amusing and thought provoking write up of all things Pony Club and Junior HPA. The editor’s headline was spot on: “It’s been emotional”. So say we all.

Behaviour The Pony Club Polo Committee and Branch Managers had to deal with some extreme examples of plain bad manners during the season, from both players and parents alike, in written and verbal form. This is not acceptable and flies in the face of Pony Club ethos. I hope that in 2012 everyone will focus on good sportsmanship and remember that everyone is normally trying their best, irrespective of their talent or means. We should all be vigilant to respect the great game we play and each other.

Fixture logistics and 2012 After the Cowdray Pony Club Polo Championships, the questions repeatedly raised by young players is “what have you got left?” – meaning what tournaments or, perhaps more wisely, “where are you going on holiday?” for those families who dare to acknowledge that there is life outside polo!

The junior tournament at Longdole in September attracted 14 teams and many more players entered low goal tournaments around the country – some players were even lucky enough to get a ride in mediumgoal teams.

One of the most difficult logistics is planning Pony Club and Junior HPA play days which accommodate state and public school holidays and avoid weekends when Polo Clubs have their own fixtures. Furthermore, we also plan for rain days. In 2012, Cowdray Championship week-end will be 10/11/12 August so you can work other key dates back from there.

Excellence in polo meets excellence in private banking.

Your contact in London: daniel.gerber@juliusbaer.com, tel. +44 203 205 1611

www.polotimes.co.uk

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Knowledge

Travel – Town and country accommodation in Argentina

Holiday with confidence Polo Times only likes to recommend places where we have actually sent our correspondents, so you can make your winter travel choice an informed one

Where to stay in Buenos Aires

by James Mullan

We begin by reviewing three hotels, with first-hand accounts of their strengths and weaknesses

Opulent and iconic

PanAmericano Buenos Aires Though this hotel is certainly without the prestige of the Alvear Palace or the Park Hyatt, its iconic location and stunning rooftop spa facilities undoubtedly make the PanAmericano Buenos Aires an excellent high-end option for travellers who like to stay in large, comfortable hotels that afford plenty of privacy.

Where is it?

This hotel must have one of the best views in Buenos Aires, overlooking the Obelisk on Avenida 9 de Julio (the city’s grandest boulevard) and any room ending in 21 will almost certainly give you the stunning view from your own bedroom. Floors 13 to 18 also have balconies with these rooms, which is what I enjoyed in room 1721. Tucked behind the hotel is the vast riverside Retiro and San Nicolás shopping district, where even the most restless of present buyers will lose themselves quite happily for days discovering a wealth of leather goods at considerably more affordable prices than in nearby Recoletta.

What’s the vibe?

The hotel can accommodate up to 2,800 guests and, last December, they largely appeared to consist of wealthy families, attractive couples, swathes of businessmen and, on the weekend I was there, the entire entourage of the Red Bull Night Racing teams.

The event pits well known rally drivers, Nascar stars and former F1 heros – all household names in South America – against each other in a vast high-profile carting street race on a track created around the Obelisk (and so directly beneath the hotel) on the weekend after the final of polo’s Argentine Open, attracting nationwide television coverage on Fox Sports. So you never knew who you were likely to be rubbing shoulders with at the cereal bar at breakfast, which was pretty cool.

How’s the grub?

Aside from the buffet breakfast I just mentioned, you’ll probably feel inclined to head out to the many restaurants and cafes nearby for your main meals. However, the PanAmericano has four eateries of sorts of its own too, including Left: the view from my balcony of the Red Bull cart racing round the iconic Obelisk on Avenida 9 de Julio

www.polotimes.co.uk

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Travel – Town and country accommodation in Argentina

Full marks for…

Despite being part of a larger group – including a beautiful-looking fishing and skiing resort in Bariloche that is the largest five-star establishment in Patagonia – the PanAmericano Buenos Aires has a distinctive style that will

either grab you, or not – a blend of art deco lavish marble design with simple clean Italian finishing. However, make no mistake, by far the best thing about this hotel is the pool, spa and roof terrace on the 23rd floor. If you won’t have time to get up there, stay somewhere else.

Could do better Those without a room at the front of the hotel, won’t have much by way of a view, but will still hear the endless streams of traffic day and night that hoot and rumble their way past on the eight lanes of Avenida 9 de Julio.

Also, given the more modern feel than some of the other five-star hotels in the city (despite the age of the building), in my view they are missing a trick by not including iPod docking Rooms are comfortable and spacious but, whilst in the hotel, I’d recommend spending most of your time up at the rooftop spa and fitness centre, pictured below

stations in all the rooms and a wider choice of television channels.

In terms of the service, staff were helpful enough, though not to the degree one typically excepts of a five-star hotel. One annoying thing was that no-one explained that, when I purchased my $40-worth of wireless internet access (slightly annoying to have to do in itself), I only needed to pre-order what I thought I would use, rather than a full pass for the entire duration of my stay. Perhaps the dingy lighting at reception provides some justification for the gloomy moods of the staff there, who afford you privacy by largely ignoring you. However, once I’d checked in, I didn’t have much need for them. The room was clean and comfortable and, after 10 days of rushing around, that was all I was after.

Photographs by James Mullan and PanAmericano

an award-winning restaurant that opens out onto the street as well as forming a part of the hotel and an oak-panelled “Celtic Pub” on the elaborately decorated ground floor. However, European travellers craving a pint and pie will be disappointed (in truth, it’s so Americanised that it feels more “Cheers” than “Ballykissangel”).

Knowledge

Essentials Carlos Pellegrini 551, Buenos Aires, Argentina; +54 (11) 4348 5000; www.panamericano. us; rooms during the Argentine Open from US$248 a night (approx £157) for a standard king or twin bedroom, to $993 (approx £616) for a penthouse king bedroom, inclusive of tax. u

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Knowledge u

Travel

Upwardly mobile

Nuss Hotel Closer to the polo, in the popular Palermo Soho district of the city, sits the classy looking Nuss Buenos Aires Soho hotel. Once a classic Spanish-style convent, the results of the full refurbishment maintain the building’s minimalist tradition, and the bohemian simplicity of the neighbourhood, yet blended with luxurious modern fixtures and fittings and a trendy pulse, thanks in part to a youthful vigour in both the design and the hotel’s fantastic service.

Where is it?

Those familiar with Palermo Soho will know the emblematic and colourful Plaza Serrano, which the hotel easily gives onto from its venue on the corner of El Salvador and Jorge Luis Borges. The surrounding area is complete with the kinds of bars, restaurants, design shops, clothing boutiques and art galleries that are typical of the fashionable and cosmopolitan Palermo Soho district, which bustles with energy day and night.

What’s the vibe?

The open-plan entrance, with large windows looking out on the hotel’s superb location, and its warm and friendly staff instinctively create a comfortable, luxurious feel – the hotel somehow oozes optimism and self-assurance and gives

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Unless they order room service, guests eat in the busy open-plan ground-floor space, where the WiFi signal is strongest

you confidence that the service there will be efficient and reliable. The other guests wander around with MacBooks tucked under their arms, speaking a variety of languages, and all – even the English – look fit, successful and trendy.

and I thought that was very decent of them. That kind of honesty adds to the sense of confidence in the hotel that you will find reassuring.

How’s the grub?

The only meal I ate at Nuss was the breakfast included, though a “gourmet deli” service is also available for other meals throughout the day, all served on the same open-plan ground floor that acts as the hotel’s entrance and reception. Do what everyone else does though, and take a laptop down to the seating area, as – if my experience was anything to go by – you’ll get grey hairs waiting for the food to be delivered. It took about an hour to get the two poached eggs I ordered.

Could do better The rooms are spacious for Palermo, and the newly refurbished design of the Nuss, arranged over three floors around a central patio, certainly works. However, the rooftop terrace and outdoor pool mean that, if it is raining, you aren’t left with many tranquil communal areas to hang out in. Also, the hotel’s technology let me down during my stay – the TV remote didn’t work in my room, and the WiFi connection wasn’t the quickest by any means, which meant trying to access my work emails remotely was at times an even more frustrating experience than usual.

Full marks for Aside from the chef perhaps, the attentiveness of the staff was excellent. Indeed, knowing that I was travelling on a press ticket, you might have expected them not to tell me about a mugging in broad daylight just outside the hotel on the morning I left. But they did, by way of warning,

Essentials El Salvador 4916, Buenos Aires, Argentina; +54 (11) 4833 8100; www.nusshotel.com; rooms during the Argentine Open from US$242 a night (approx £150) for a “superior” room, to $411 (approx £257) for a suite, inclusive of tax.

Left: the hotel’s 22 rooms are arranged over three floors around a central patio, which was once the cloisters of the original convent

Above: rooms are spacious for Palermo Soho and, finished in soothing black and white designs and with a minimalist feel in the bathroom, you can’t help but relax

www.polotimes.co.uk

21/9/11 13:40:16

Travel – Town and country accommodation in Argentina

Knowledge

Simplicity and tradition

1555 Malabia House Walking distance from the Nuss, 1555 Malabia House benefits from all the same geographical advantages that Palermo Soho has to offer, though with a boutique feel that fits the mould of the district and instantly helps you feel at home. It achieves this largely because it is immediately obvious that a home is exactly what this used to be. To take a musical analogy, you might call it a cross between Kylie Minogue and Lady Gaga: small, yet perfectly formed, and with a curiously quirky character.

Where is it?

Helpfully branded according to its address, you only need to remember the hotel’s name in order for your taxi driver to be able to deliver you safely home after a long evening’s partying.

While of course you can expect the same at the PanAmericano, such a thing will not usually be true of most small hotels in big cities. The Malabia road itself is relatively quiet, yet with all the typical architectural design and natural essence of the young and dynamic Palermo Soho neighbourhood that you would expect.

What’s the vibe?

Naming 1555 Malabia House after its location also gives you confidence that the owners are proud of their position and that they will have designed the hotel to be emblematic of the venue it enjoys. This is fundamentally the case. Incorporating the traditional River Plate style that persists throughout the city, all the hotel’s 14 rooms are designed simply, emphasising the building’s own natural character and allowing guests to appreciate the use of light and space amid its narrow corridors and staircases, and high ceilings and many original wooden doors and furnishings.

It’s certainly atmospheric.

How’s the grub?

Guests eat together on one large beautifully laid dining table, and it was gratifying to see how many people turned out as late for breakfast as I did. When the nightlife in Buenos Aires doesn’t get going till 2am, it’s probably no surprise that the chef serving black coffee and making omelettes is at her busiest at around noon. My fellow late diners at “breakfast” were a businessman from São Paulo, in BA expressly for the polo, and three guys from Texas, who pretty quickly proved that they knew nothing about the game whatsoever. The food was fantastic. www.polotimes.co.uk

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Rooms are modestly sized, but have a woody, almost Scandinavian charm, decorated with simple colours

Full marks for…

The food, the calming ambience and the genial ambivalence of the staff about what you get up to. Given that it feels as though you are staying in someone’s tastefully decorated home, there is no problem with guests rolling in at all hours in the morning. Indeed, rather than making you feel guilty about it, they encourage it, and man the reception desk 24 hours a day, despite the diminutive size of the hotel. That’s good service.

Given the slight technological drawbacks I experienced at the nearby Nuss Hotel, 1555 Malabia House’s super-quick broadband was also a very welcome feature. Three separate rooters placed strategically around the house mean that travellers can always get the brilliant (and entirely free) WiFi connectivity that nowadays they all demand.

Could do better…

Because the hotel was once so obviously a family home, what you get in character, you lose in purpose-built functionality. It hasn’t been purpose-built, so the rooms vary significantly in size and can be pretty pokey. Mine was ok but the bathroom wasn’t big enough even to swing your shower gel, let alone the unfortunate cat that is usually used as the barometer for such things. Also, from my shower, if you are as tall as I am, you can actually look through the window to the reception desk across the internal courtyard below. A bit disconcertingly, this also means whoever is at reception can also see you!

Also, changing money behind reception was an unnecessarily complex process, which eventually resulted in me taking their pesos down the road to a nearby sandwich bar to exchange for denominations of change and smaller bills that were easier to divide up!

Formerly a traditional family home, the late 18th century River Plate design is quaint, but means amenities such as those below have often been crammed into tiny spaces

Essentials Malabia 1555, Buenos Aires, Argentina; +54 (11) 4833 2410; www.malabiahouse.com.ar; rooms during the Argentine Open from US$169 a night (approx £108) for a “Clasica” room, to $230 (approx £143) for “Moderna” u accommodation, inclusive of tax.

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Knowledge

Travel – Town and country accommodation in Argentina

The heritage of Estancia Don Manuel seeps from every pore, with the family’s rustic artefacts dotted liberally around their property amongst the estancia’s more modern facilities

u Where to play in the country

by Abi Butcher, Martha Terry and James Mullan, as stated

Picking the right estancia is a personal business, depending on what you want to get from your holiday, so we consider a broad selection to fit a variety of different feels and budgets

Camaraderie and entertainment

Photographs by James Mullan

Estancia Don Manuel While the atmosphere at any estancia surely depends to a fairly large extent on the people you are sharing it with, as much as upon the management, at Estancia Don Manuel both parties on my visit quickly set a laid-back tone with fun at the very top of the agenda, writes James Mullan.

Of course, polo plays a huge and crucial role within that mould, but it is not the only thing that is ever discussed and nor does it even need to be the driving force behind your holiday. Non-playing partners and those that fancy a day off will not be so stuck for 66

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entertainment as they might be at some other estancias – instead the rustic, simple, homely setting feels more like a large houseparty than a purely polo-specific getaway.

Where is it?

Near the large settlement of Cañuelas, which has numerous polo connections, along Ruta 205 south-west out of Buenos Aires. The estancia borders some of Adolfo Cambiaso’s extensive La Dolfina base, is just 45 minutes from the city and is the right side of it for the airport (20 minutes away).

What is the vibe?

Quite simply, the vibe is whatever you want it to be. The structure of the day follows that at most estancias, but the pace of your stay is less defined and more left up to you. Wine, beers and spirits are as readily available as bottles of water in the constantly stocked main fridge in the main house, and there appears to be no concern for which of those you’d rather drink, whatever the time of day.

The attractive pool area exists just outside this main house and so is frequently as much a focal point for the estancia’s guests as are www.polotimes.co.uk

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Travel – Town and country accommodation in Argentina

Knowledge

the stables. If you decide to get pissed at lunchtime (or beforehand even!), or to go into Buenos Aires for the day, then you’re not necessarily disrupting chukkas or practice for other guests that afternoon – they keep things deliberately flexible.

How’s the grub?

The food is fairly simple in truth and indeed, by liberally laying out wine at every meal except for breakfast, perhaps they don’t want you to dwell too long on it.

What is the polo set up?

Most lessons start with some sort of work in the two hitting cages (one of which houses the most sophisticated mobile “wooden” horse I’ve ever hit off), under the calm but precise tuition of Emilio Blanco, the late-30s son in charge of the day-to-day running of the family estancia.

These stick skills are then transferred onto the fields straightforwardly, thanks to the invariably easy horses provided and, again, to clear instruction from the coaching staff.

As at most estancias, the stick-and-ball grounds are unremarkable, but the main ground has excellent drainage and played very well, though is mainly used only for nice beginners’ chukkas.

With three-goaler Blanco – who is widely recognised as a fantastic coach – following you round as you stick-and-ball, it’s possible to make quick progress and rapidly gain plenty of confidence at Don Manuel. You’ll be back to your best form from the summer in no time.

For those who want to enjoy a break from polo, but still want to make use of the equestrian facilities, pato and hacking are also available.

And another nice touch is that a complimentary massage is provided for each polo-playing guest after their first day’s chukkas.

Full marks for…

The friendly, totally relaxed holiday-feel that Blanco and his family have cultivated. Their intention is first and foremost for you to have fun and feel at home rather than to push you too hard with your polo. Nevertheless, I was impressed with the quality of the polo tuition, and the fact that Estancia Don Manuel has done so much repeat business since it began taking guests in 1998 suggests that they have the balance just about right.

Could do better…

The accommodation is primitive. You get a bed and a basic bathroom, and that is just about it. However, given the sociable emphasis at the estancia, this does at least ensure guests www.polotimes.co.uk

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The pool area that sits behind the stick-and-ball field you can see in the background and the main house below

Accommodation in the main house is basic, but there’s a homely feel and the fridge is always well stocked Also indoors, most polo sessions begin with a hitting technique tutorial on one of the “wooden” horses (right)

are rarely hiding away in their rooms, except when they’re sleeping off too much wine at lunchtime. Mainly, the guests hang out together. It’s a holiday after all.

Essentials Estancia Don Manuel, Todos Los Derechos Reservados, Cañuelas, Argentina; +54 9 11 4998 9800; www.estanciadonmanuel.com; normal daily rates are US$295 (approx £187) for players, US$165 (approx £104) for non-players.

During the Argentine Open, the non-player rates are the same but the polo players’ rise to US$350 (approx £221), all including taxes. u Polo Times, October 2011

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Knowledge u

Travel – Town and country accommodation in Argentina

Home-bred horses and homely hospitality

Photographs by Martha Terry

La Mariposa

Bedrooms are spacious and traditionally decorated

The familiar face of estancia host, Mariano Darritchon

The pink evening sun flickered on the colt’s quarters as he surged around the corral, trying to dispatch his rider. Within moments, he relinquished and galloped happily off under saddle into the Pampas. This is the joy of La Mariposa, writes Martha Terry.

Situated near 25 de Mayo, 230km (143 miles) south-west of Buenos Aires, it’s not just an established polo school, but a working estancia – breeding 40 and producing hundreds of ponies a year.

On arrival, we were whisked up to the barns to watch this colt being backed; during our first night a flashy black foal was born to a surrogate mare. Even if you’ve come to play polo, it’s a fascinating insight into the nitty-gritty of breeding and producing world-class stock.

But although the owner, four-goaler Mariano Darritchon, is passionate about this side of the business, the tuition is excellent.

What’s the vibe?

The vibe is lovely and relaxed. Although the day is structured, with morning lessons and afternoon chukkas, there’s no formality. You can be as keen or as uncompetitive as the mood takes you. Mariano Darritchon, who also runs “Mariposa in the Chilterns” at Lacey Green Polo Club during the Argentinean winter, speaks excellent English and is a superb host, structuring the holiday around what you want.

How’s the grub?

The food at La Mariposa is best described as homely. We ate with Mariano’s charming family – his wife Cadi and four young children. The main course buffet was substantial, if a little unexciting – think sweetcorn, rice and stew.

But the puddings were scrumptious, complete with lashings of dulce de leche on top of some equally sweet concoction.

What’s the polo set up?

With some 120 impeccably produced playing ponies to choose from, there’s something for everyone. I had never held a stick, and was handed the reins on a steady schoolmistress, called Cotorra. We spent the mornings learning how to swing, tracking the ball until our eyes were swimming and our wrists weak. After a lazy lunch and siesta, evening chukkas ensued on one of the three grass fields. With my evident ineptitude, I simply tried to keep out of the real players’ way, but there’s no better place to learn than in the thick of things.

Even my solitary strike gave me fuel for happy reminiscing over supper.

A different afternoon, when my wrists were screaming not to hit another ball, the gauchos guided us out into the Pampas, cantering along miles of sandy tracks and watering holes.

Full marks for…

The personal touch. Mariano tailors the package to his client, whether you are after a weekend of stick-and-balling basics or a month of theory, chukkas and tournaments.

The accommodation is peaceful – airy en-suite bedrooms adorned with old polo pictures, set under the shade of ancient cedar trees.

Could do better…

For me, a filling plate of Argentinean stew after a day’s riding hits the spot. But for the price, some might hope for a touch more cordon bleu.

Essentials La Mariposa Polo Farm, 25 de Mayo, Argentina; +54 9 (11) 5180 1759 or 07947 725305; www.lamariposapolo.com.ar or email mfdarritchon@fibertel.com.ar; staying costs US$7,500 (approx £4,688) per month or US$325 (approx £203) per day, including tax.

Guests at La Mariposa are encouraged to immerse themselves in estancia life, which means hanging out with the grooms (left) to learn how young horses are schooled to wear tack (above) and carry a rider et cetera

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Travel – Town and country accommodation in Argentina

Friendly and traditional

Knowledge

Those who want to experience what it’s like to work on the Pampas as a gaucho, can help work stock on the plains (above). It’s all part of the rural ethos that pervades at El Venado, not just through the polo-related activities but also in the relaxing and tasteful accommodation areas

El Venado A 2,500-acre working estancia, El Venado has been in the Cendoya family for four generations, writes Abi Butcher. Owner and host Federico and his wife, Ines, welcome guests from October to mid-April. It has a homely, colonial feel and is strewn with photographs of Federico – a former six-goal player – in action.

Cattle, soya, sunflowers and wheat are farmed, with polo at the centre of attention.

Federico also has a breeding operation, with up to 200 horses on the farm at any one time and 45 in the school. There is an extensive, established garden with swimming pool, fruit trees and hammocks. It’s bliss.

Where is it?

In the heart of the Pampas, 165km (102 miles) south-east of Buenos Aires. After 90 minutes on the Ruta 2, drive the last 15km on dirt roads – or rally in the rain.

What is the vibe?

Sophisticated rural relaxation. Ines has designed the accommodation in classic Argentine style – white sheets set against deep www.polotimes.co.uk

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mahogany furniture in the four bedrooms and three accompanying bathrooms in the main house. Four bedrooms in a separate barn are all en-suite. Laundry is complimentary, and there is a TV room, pool table and WiFi.

wooden horse and plenty of spare boots, hats and kneepads.

Ponies come in all shapes and sizes and should you not happy be with one, another will be immediately whisked out.

How’s the grub?

Everyone eats together in the main house unless it’s asado night. While special diets and vegetarians are catered for, meals are generally meat-based, delicious and plentiful. Oscar the cook knows how to feed hungry players and serves up delicious empanadas with drinks before supper.

Full marks for...

Friendliness and traditional atmosphere. You step back in time at El Venado and leave as a friend. Nothing is too much trouble and oneon-one coaching is available at no extra cost.

What’s the polo set up?

Do as little or as much as you like here. The usual format is an hour’s stick-and-balling in the morning and four chukkas in the afternoon.

Guests are also welcome to help gauchos work stock or take leisurely rides around the property. Federico (now three goals) and his assistant, Julian Brazzola (a handsome twogoaler), do the majority of coaching, but the grooms help out, too.

El Venado also has an all-weather arena, a

Could do better...

Breakfast is not Argentina’s forte, but I struggled to reach lunchtime on cornflakes.

With an international clientele, El Venado could benefit from offering a wider choice – fresh fruit, yoghurt and perhaps muesli or eggs.

Essentials El Venado Polo, Estancia El Venado, Pila, Argentina; +54 (11) 4311 1753 or 07828 491097; www.polodays.com or fcendoya@ polodays.com; staying costs US$2,200 (approx £1,375) per week or $320 (approx £202) per day, including tax.

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Knowledge

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Travel – Town and country accommodation in Argentina

Professionalism and improvement

The huge clubhouse, which is where guests are served breakfast, lunch and supper, and where they can relax. They’ll also come here to use the WiFi (it’s not available in the bedrooms) and to play table tennis and pool

Photographs by James Mullan and La Tarde Polo Club

La Tarde Polo Club Since travelling to La Tarde for three nights last December, the club has embarked on a broad and inclusive marketing campaign in the UK throughout the European summer season, writes James Mullan. So you will hopefully already be familiar with them. Sponsoring everything from university polo and all-female tournaments to targeting the season’s biggest high-goal events, inclusive is a good way to sum the club up.

Uncompromisingly designed with improving guests’ polo as its modus operandi, polo manager Juan Martín Sarli and his team of professionals have developed a rigorous polo programme at La Tarde suitable for players of all levels. It’s hard work, but this is the place to really get your money’s worth in polo terms.

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Where is it?

At least an hour’s drive due west of Buenos Aires, and roughly the same distance from the airport, La Tarde sits on a large farm just outside the town of Mercedes.

What’s the vibe?

La Tarde puts the emphasis squarely on the polo. All the newly built accommodation areas and the comprehensive clubhouse facilities are extremely luxurious, but guests are principally encouraged to spend a large proportion of their time hanging around the stables with the coaches and the pros.

Wine bottles are not left open on the table at lunchtime, such that having more than a glass or two of beer before afternoon chukkas

feels very naughty indeed! During my stay at La Tarde, most people were on their best behaviour, though we did enjoy one boozy evening in the mightily impressive clubhouse.

Formerly a working farm, the Sarli family that own it have developed the polo over the last decade to create what is now a formidable fully-fledged club as much as it is a simple estancia in the traditional sense. This means you get top quality grounds to play on, and you’ll have the chance to watch teams, players and horses coming and going to play their own games as well.

How’s the grub?

Like the accommodation, which immediately feels like a hotel or a holiday let rather than www.polotimes.co.uk

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Travel – Town and country accommodation in Argentina

Knowledge

Action on the number one field (above left) in front of the clubhouse, where spectators get a good view (above right)

most typical simple estancia facilities, the food is also up-market.

Everyone eats and drinks extremely well, with the asado night a particularly memorable highlight. We ate on a beautifully laid and attractively lit outdoor table, with some of the most succulent steak and smoothest Malbec I have ever tasted all served by the club’s waitresses to the crackle of the asado in the background. Perfection.

What’s the polo set up?

While lessons are of course available and you’ll get pointers as you stick and ball, playing chukkas is the backbone, and the highlight of each day that everyone works towards. You really learn by going right in at the deep end, playing fast-paced chukkas on their extensive variety of horses with genuine professional players and committed club members. Everyone is extremely nice and they make sure you see plenty of the ball, but afterwards you certainly feel the effort of having taken part. You are expected to cover every inch of the club’s huge grounds with them,

and the intention is always to push the guests into ever more demanding polo.

Full marks for…

However good you are when you arrive, you’ll leave feeling like a polo player. Their hard-working professionals are all unfailingly encouraging, fill you with confidence, and appear to take genuine pleasure out of your intermittent leaps of improvement.

There is also an impressive quality resort feel to the whole estancia; everything has been carefully designed and created. The accommodation areas are spacious, secluded and private, the waitresses are dressed like waitresses, and the broadband WiFi in the huge purpose-built professional clubhouse is quick and, generally, reliable.

Could do better…

I suppose the only slight downsides are that it’s marginally further than many other popular estancias from the city and from the airport and that, in some senses, it’s not going to provide

Above: a typical bedroom in one of the two large accommodation buildings, which are just a minute’s walk from the clubhouse but still offer more privacy than other estancias Right: a player gets put through her paces in the hitting cage under the watchful eye of Juan Martín Sarli

you with an relaxing holiday. It’s actually rare to see anyone lounging by the pool with a beer at La Tarde, which is frequently the case at other more relaxed estancias. Instead, Sarli and his team really aim to tire you out, and your body will ache. But it’s the pain of a hero.

Instructor Ignacio “Nacho” Boronat and four-goal polo manager Juan Martín Sarli discussing horse lists for chukkas

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Essentials La Tarde Polo Club, Tomas Jofre, Mercedes, Argentina; +54 11 4798 9231 or +54 11 9 4986 4527; www.latardepolo.com or info@ latardepolo.com; staying costs US$2,200 (approx £1,375) per week or $350 (approx £219) per day, including tax, with discounts u available for stays over 10 days.

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Travel – Town and country accommodation in Argentina

Other estancias to consider

Accommodation is provided within the secure confines of the famous Centauros Polo Club, which neighbours the property. An impressively equipped gym is available to use and each house has a swimming pool and can be fully staffed. Prices start at US$500 per person per day. For more information contact Henry Brett on 07970 029927 or henry@ brettpolo.com

Above and below: Mariano Aguerre’s Los Machitos offers up-market polo, facilities and entertainment

Los Potreros

Los Machitos Those with enough experience and money to be after coaching with proven pedigree at the highest level will be interested to hear about the tuition available as part of the polo experience at Los Machitos. Owned by eighttime Argentine Open winner Mariano Aguerre, and run by respected five-goal Australian Nick Manifold, the estancia exists in polo’s heartland – in close proximity to Lujan, Open Door and Pilar – and principally plays chukkas rated between 10 goals and 25 goals, so is for those who play regular polo and want to try their hand amongst the best.

Aguerre, still a nine-goal player, was a long-serving fixture of the overwhelmingly successful La Dolfina side that dominated the early part of this decade. He and Manifold – the organisational brains behind much of the success of White Birch Polo Team in the United States during the 1990s and the early 2000s – bought the site, formerly called El Monte, from the Pieres family several years ago and are now marketing the estancia to the European market.

Los Machitos is also the name of their breed.

Aguerre tops up on maté before riding out for chukkas

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Los Potreros principally exists as an organic working farm, but offers polo as part of its estancia holiday experience

Those thinking about an escape further afield from Buenos Aires should give Estancia Los Potreros a look. Located in a beautiful reserve in the hills near Argentina’s second-largest city, Córdoba, the estancia offers a broader equestrian encounter than just polo, with an American-style ranch experience made up of lassoing and horse drives as well as traditional gaucho games such as pato.

All full polo programme is available during set weeks throughout the year, but this is more designed as a venue for soaking up the traditional Argentine rural lifestyle, as an idyllic retreat for horsemen and nature lovers. It dates back to 1574 but, having been in the same Anglo-Argentine family for four generations, Los Potreros now exists as an organic working farm and a holiday location combining the pleasures of estancia life with exceptional horses and riding.

Huechahue Near Patagonia’s largest city, Neuquen, this rugged 15,000-acre estancia, welcoming guests since 1990, is entirely self-sufficient.

Polo isn’t an option, but its natural beauty and a whole series of horse-based adventures make it an appealing base to consider. In particular, the nine-day trek from Huechahue across the Andes into Chile sounds spectacular, riding through the Andean Steppes, through rivers, fords and water meadows, through Indian burial settlements, through dramatic volcanic rocky gorges and galloping along sandy tracks.

Challenging activities such as working cattle and wild boar hunting are also on offer, depending on the time of year, and all allow the chance to experience the dramatic scenery of the region, which sits just 200 kilometres from the popular luxury holiday resort of Bariloche.

To see how Los Potreros and Huechahue compare, visit www.top50ranches.com F

Huechahue’s adventurous guests wading through a river on route to Chile, a trip from Argentina which takes nine days

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723 5$1&+( 6

Which ranch adventure is right for your next holiday?

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Knowledge

Know your horse

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

Proper preparation will prevent poor performance at start of next season Our duty vet explains the importance of preparing your ponies properly for the winter ahead. By encouraging them to grow good winter coats, giving access to good quality grass and making sure they are wormed you’ll ensure they come out the other side of the winter in good condition

B

y October most polo ponies in the UK will be out at grass having a well-earned rest – with the obvious exception of a few being prepared for the winter arena season. It is really important that polo ponies due to spend the winter out are given the best opportunity to put on body condition in the early autumn.

Generally grass still grows well in October and should be plentiful – if your polo ponies are already requiring supplementary feed, perhaps you should be finding somewhere else for them to spend the rest of the winter.

Good quality grass is by far the best form of nutrition for any polo pony at this time of year.

As I mentioned in my column last winter, other than in exceptional circumstances, it is not advisable to rug polo ponies during the winter unless you can guarantee to catch every individual at least once a week, remove their rugs and examine their condition underneath and, if necessary, replace wet rugs with dry ones. Without rugs, 74

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Above: Plentiful good quality autumn grass is the best way to ensure polo ponies put on condition prior to the upcoming winter Right: If you haven’t done so already, it is advisable to make sure your polo ponies are wormed appropriately in early autumn

horses will grow a fantastic fluffy winter coat with natural oils that will protect them from the worst British weather – don’t flatten their own thermal insulation with heavy rugs. Rugging horses in early autumn is unnecessary and will prevent the growth of a good winter coat.

In mid-winter, horses that appear not to be to be doing so well are often best separated from the main herd and given access to shelter and extra forage. If they don’t improve, it is important to consult your veterinary surgeon. A bad winter will set them back considerably at the start of next season.

If you haven’t done so already, it is advisable to make sure your polo

ponies are treated for internal parasites at this time of year. Ideally, one should take measures to monitor herd and individual worm burdens and reduce contamination of pastures by picking up droppings. Unfortunately this is rarely achievable with the way most polo ponies are kept during the off-season (as herds in large paddocks).

Despite concerns of increasing drug resistance, the use of wormers during the winter is currently indispensable to safeguard the health of valuable polo ponies. There are many wormers available on the market but only a handful of active ingredients. Because of the difficulties of regularly catching polo ponies in the winter and because of the increased seasonal risk of encysted small red worms, it is my recommendation that a moxidectinbased wormer is used, which is effective for 13 weeks at a time and kills encysted small red worms.

The administration of such moxidectin-based wormers when polo ponies are turned out in early autumn means they only need to be caught to be wormed once in mid-winter. Because of the life-cycle of the horse tapeworm, a moxidectin-based wormer, which also combines an anti-tapeworm drug, should be used in the early autumn.

The practice of monitoring worm burdens using faecal worm egg counts and rotating the types of wormers used from one year to the next can still be instigated during the summer months to reduce the risk of wormer resistance. 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

21/9/11 15:42:59

Know your horse

Physio for thought

Managing injuries to the superficial digital flexor tendon

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

Early detection and treatment of superficial digital flexor (SDF) tendon injuries will minimise the time they will need out of work. Often there will be heat and swelling in the tendon region before there is lameness, so continually check legs to prevent working on a damaged tendon and causing further damage.

Intended outcomes of initial tendon treatment: 1. Reduce heat to prevent further damage. Ice four times per day for 20 minutes for the first two days. The longer inflammatory debris remains in a damaged tendon, the more scar tissue will form.

2. Reduce and prevent further swelling by using pressure bandages; they also provide support.

Tendon fibres are linear and it is important for the healing tissue to be as straight as possible.

3. Box rest to minimise tendon use and further damage.

4. Call your vet! Anti-inflammatories are often administered and diagnosis by ultrasound is recommended to assess the extent of the damage.

Prognosis is related to the severity of the actual injury.

Therefore, manage early strains effectively to prevent further damage/tearing.

Gaucho

tips for grooms

With the winter now virtually upon us, there are a few things we must remember to do and keep on top of:

Knowledge

Lorna Edgar – specialist equine nutritionist

Does your pony have any strange habits?

Ponies eating and licking the soil, ponies chewing wood, ponies eating their bedding or droppings – does this sound familiar?

When asked why ponies do any of the above, I look at the nutritional needs of the horse rather than

licks is hugely beneficial to their diet.

Ponies that chew wood, eat their bedding and/or droppings often do this because of a lack of fibre in their diet and will resort to these behaviours in the stable to imitate trickle feeding.

To help solve the issue, provide

Ponies seen eating or licking soil is indicative of an imbalance of vitamins and minerals in the diet more forage in the stable before it behaviour, which is a whole different becomes a real habit. Feeding pre/ area we could cover. probiotics can help to reduce/stop Ponies that are stabled or turned the eating of droppings, should a out to pasture may be seen eating or disturbance of hind gut bacteria and licking soil. This can be indicative of an an ‘acidic’ hind gut be a cause. imbalance of vitamins and minerals in Wood chewing the diet. in the field could For those in work, be due to a lack of check the diet is fibre in the past and balanced, especially has since become a with vitamins and habit; some horses minerals, and do favour certain make sure they are types of wood receiving electrolytes Evidence of wood chewing to chew. A very to replace those lost annoying habit and not ideal for the in sweat. For those at pasture, they digestive tract. may not be receiving all they need By addressing these problems as from a forage-only diet, particularly in soon as possible, you can stop them the autumn when their coats are still becoming habits! growing. Therefore, providing field

Alguno de tus caballos tiene hábitos extraños?

• Get rugs repaired and re-proofed, it they haven’t been already • Clean tack thoroughly, ideally taking apart bridles and saddles and cleaning with saddle soap as well as a special leather conditioner. Keep tack in a dry room to avoid it going mouldy in the cold and damp • Throw away any old tack that is irreparable. Repair what is worth keeping • Make a list of what you still need – you can buy it on your travels, when the sales are on, or add it to your Christmas list • Have your boots repaired and zips and soles replaced if need be • Sharpen clipper blades • Park your lorry on hard standing and under cover if possible • Take the batteries off your lorry to avoid them going flat • If your lorry is off the road for winter, make a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) and save on road tax

Cuando me hablan de caballos que muerden madera, lamen la tierra, o se comen la viruta y hasta su propia bosta, trato de encontrar una explicación por el lado de la nutrición.

Que coman tierra se puede deber a una dieta desbalanceada, a la falta de vitaminas y minerales en la ración. Si se tratase de caballos en juego, además de darles un alimento balanceado en cantidades adecuadas, es recomendable darles sales minerales (electrolitos). Para caballos sueltos y en reposo, cuya dieta sea únicamente pasto, la solución puede ser darles cubos de sales minerales

You have six months to do all of this so don’t leave it until April!

◗ Contact Lorna Edgar on lorna@baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk and 07808 863864

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que puedan lamer en el campo. Que muerdan madera, o se coman la viruta de su cama y hasta su bosta, suele ser producto de la falta de fibra en la dieta.

Los caballos necesitan comer poco y seguido y cuando se les acaba la comida desarrollan este tipo de vicios. La solución es darles mas pasto, ya sea que vivan a box o a campo. La administración de pre y probióticos también puede ayudar en estos casos.

Preocupate por corregir estos síntomas en cuanto se manifiesten para evitar que se conviertan en hábito.

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Knowledge

Know your game

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

A year of many highs With the English season now over we can look back at some of the highs and lows of 2011. There has been some great polo played at all levels this season and at times in some very difficult conditions.

The weather has again reared its ugly head with the summer being, according to one of polo’s top photographers Vanessa Taylor, the worst on record for nearly 18 years. Looking back at photographs of the Queen’s Cup and Gold Cup finals I am amazed that the games actually went ahead and both clubs should be applauded for their determination in preparing the fields for what were two spectacular games.

The young English boys playing the high-goal this year all excelled themselves and as a result were all raised in handicap. Matt Perry, who was playing the high-goal for the first time with La Bamba, was raised from two to three, Ollie Cudmore, in his second season of high-goal played for Dubai and was raised from three to four and Max Routledge, a veteran in his fourth year of high-goal, played with Pablo MacDonough for Richard Mille and was raised from four to five.

It is great to see three young players doing so well and I believe that they all have contracts for next year with Matt playing for Les Lions, Ollie, I have been told, is with Loro Piana and Max has signed for La Bamba de Areco.

In the medium and low-goal the three stand out players for me were James Harper, Richard Le Poer and Max

Max Routledge is one of three young English pros who impressed in the high-goal this year

Charlton. James Harper’s performance in the final of the Royal Windsor was exceptional and a pleasure to watch, even though I was with the opposition.

His performances throughout the season have proved he is a player challenging for the England squad.

Max Charlton has had another extremely busy season – I think every time I went to watch polo at Cowdray this summer he was playing. Max is one of the best mounted English players in the country and the fact that he is only 21 makes it even more impressive.

It would be great to see him play the high-goal before too long.

Richard Le Poer received the best young player award on Coronation Cup Day and I could not believe that it was the first time that he has won it. Richard is one of the most talented and most dedicated young players we have.

2011 will be remembered by many as the season of injuries. At one stage there seemed to be someone getting injured every day. Luke Tomlinson, John Paul Clarkin, David “Pelon” Sterling, Lyndon Lea, James Beim, Oli Hipwood, Alan Kent, George Meyrick, Ben Turner, Matt Lodder, Peter Barfoot and myself all suffered from injury. I don’t think there is any one reason for this, but it has certainly been frustrating.

Throughout the season there was a lot of debate on how to handicap the English players and on how to give us greater opportunities to play in the highgoal. It is always a concern that there are not enough English players selected but, as I’ve already mentioned, next season is looking very promising. As well as the three I’ve mentioned, James Beim and Luke Tomlinson will also be playing for Salkeld again. Charlie and George Hanbury will continue to play together as El Remanso and hopefully there could still be some more opportunities out there too. F ◗ To see which of the players Jamie mentions above have had their handicaps changed, turn to pages 82 and 83 for the full listings

Mind games Mind games Min Sports psychologist Miranda Banks on what polo players need to think about to optimise Our bodies work in cycles and, in part, so do our minds. Ideally, performance is consistently high, but the reality is that performance experiences troughs as well as peaks during the season. The key is to ensure that the troughs are neither deep

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nor enduring. To minimise season slumps, I suggest the following: • Maintain effective recovery periods for both body and mind. Not all focus should be on polo all of the time • Set specific targets for each game.

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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 help your polo I told you last month how to assess whether you have an asymmetry in your shoulders, which affects how effectively they are working for you. Now, as promised, I will give you two stretches to correct an asymmetry.

Stretch one: Hold onto a fixed platform (like a pillar or a door frame) with your arm at 90 degrees to your body (as pictured right).

Keeping your shoulders packed gently lean away from your fixed hand. Now repeat on the opposite side.

Avoiding injury Essential tips from equestrian and extreme sports biomechanics fitness expert, Linda Byrne As an ultimate full body workout and a great injury preventative for players I highly recommend the Kettlebell Snatch. Originating in Russia and used by the Russian Military as their benchmark fitness test, the Kettlebell Snatch is now widespread among athletes around the world.

The snatch is a top contender for being the best exercise to increase strength, endurance, agility and balance. It challenges both the muscular and cardiovascular system with dynamic, total-body movements. It does, however, require precise timing and movement and plenty of concentration to do the exercise correctly.

The Kettlebell Snatch

Stretch two: Hold a long pole behind your back with a wide grip. Slowly bring the pole up and over your head without bending at the elbows until finally resting the pole in front of your hips.

The greatest stretch is achieved as you bring your hands closer together and can still maintain straight arms throughout the movement.

Start with the pole behind your back, as above, and move it to your front, as below

Knowledge

◗ Contact James on 07949 455712 or james@personally-trained.co.uk to put together your own regime to get you fit for purpose Editor’s note: James is climbing Mont Blanc to raise money for the Wings for Life charity, which funds research for Spinal Cord Injury Paralysis. To sponsor him go to www.bmycharity.com/ ClimbingMountBlanc2011

Mind games Mind games

• Start in a squat position, looking straight ahead to keep your back straight.

• Holding the kettlebell in one hand and leading with your thumb, swing it back slightly between your legs (see right).

• Then using explosive power, sweep the kettlebell up in a single arc-like movement by straightening your legs and allowing your arm to follow upward.

• The kettlebell should sit behind your wrist on top of a straight arm if the movement has been done correctly (see below).

One word of warning, don’t make the sweeping arc too big or you’ll risk injury by slamming the kettlebell onto the back of your wrist. ◗ Contact Linda on 07535 655338 and linda@lvbinc.co.uk, See http://www.lvbinc.co.uk for more information

their performances. This month – mid-season slumps • Check in on your self-talk. If your chat to yourself is “avoid mistakes” rather than “achieve goals”, then you’ve given yourself a focus on mistakes rather than achievements • Review yourself, your horses and

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your organisation regularly – and remember to be as objective as possible if you want results. ◗ Contact Miranda on 07789 933936 and miranda@mirandabanks.com

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Knowledge

Ones to watch

Matt Grimes is looking in good shape for the World Cup, says John O’Sullivan

Photographs by John O’Sullivan

Five-goaler Matt Grimes believes his Australian side have had the ideal preparation for this month’s FIP World Cup in Argentina.

The Ellerston-based 34-year-old leads a six-man Australia squad – also featuring fellow five-goaler Dirk Gould, Ed Goold (4), Zac Hagedoorn (3), Alec White (2) and James Shepherd (2) – in San Luiz.

Australia qualified for the finals by finishing third behind India and Pakistan in the Zone D qualifiers in Malaysia, an experience which Grimes thinks the team has learned a lot from. He said: “The team in Malaysia was very well balance and improved with each game. It was a great experience and we all know what is expected of us now.

“Within the squad there are quite a few different ways we can line up and I am very excited to be a part of it.”

Since June’s qualifiers Australia have gone from strength to strength with two wins over southern hemisphere rivals South Africa in the BMW International series at Johannesburg and Durban. As they will in Argentina, the Aussies were mounted by their hosts for these matches. Grimes added: “South Africa was great. It was a great experience for me to play in a foreign country on strange horses in the lead up to the World Cup.” Having honed their skills on two different continents, Australia will make their final preparations much closer to home for Grimes. He revealed: “We will all be playing in the 15 and 8-goal tournaments at Ellerston so hopefully we will be able to have a few practices as a team.”

Retodo

Height: 15.2hh Age: 11 Colour: Bay Sex: Mare Breed: Polo Argentino Owner: Max Charlton

John O’Sullivan talks to England’s rising star Max Charlton about one of his favourite ponies, Retodo, who he is taking to the European qualifiers for the FIP World Cup

Does she have any weaknesses?

No, not really. I don’t think she has any weaknesses, she is pretty good in all areas. I have some horses that are better at doing some things – I have some that are really quick, or some that are a bit stronger – but Retodo is very good all round and very dependable.

How did you come to buy Retodo?

I’ve had her for four years. I first saw her in Argentina, I bought her from La Aguada, from the Novillo Asradas. I buy a lot of horses from them. I tried her there and bought her straight away.

What level of polo have you played her in?

I’ve played her at every level up to the Queen’s Cup (22-goal). This year I played her in the 18-goal and the 15-goal – she can play at any level. The horses I go for are the kinds of horses that can play at any level. Last winter she played in the Arena Gold Cup and in the event at the O2.

Why is she such a favourite?

Because of her power, she is pretty quick. Her acceleration from nought to her top speed is very impressive. She is also pretty strong in the ride off, which is always important. She is very talented.

What are your plans for Retodo in the next year?

After going to Italy (for the European qualifiers for the FIP World Cup) she will go back out in the field. She will probably play the arena next year, so the Arena Gold Cup at the Berkshire and hopefully she will play at the O2 again.

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

Retodo is probably a pony that I will keep and breed from, she is not one of my horses that I would be looking to sell. w Max saw his handicap raised from four to fivegoals at the end of last month. See page 82-83

Page sponsored by Baileys Horse Feeds – experts in polo nutrition Tel: +44 (0)1371 850247 www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk 78 Polo Times, October 2011

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23/9/11 15:18:46

How to spend it

Motors

Adrenalin alternatives with Andrew Dent

Photograph by Kristi Swain

This month: Segway racing and polo Standing on a small platform between two wheels, you shift your weight forward and lean the bars into the corner as a friend overtakes you on the outside of the bend. It’s lucky you are wearing elbow pads as you can use them to dig him in the ribs! Just when you thought you knew how to use a bicycle, along comes another two-wheeler, but with the wheels set side by side rather than behind one another. It’s called a Segway PT (for Personal Transporter) and former US President George Bush famously fell off one when he mounted it without switching it on.

In contrast to its pedal-powered cousins, the Segway runs on batteries and incorporates some very clever electronics, including gyroscopes, that enable you to balance and steer. It’s highly manoeuvrable and is used by the emergency services in some European cities for quick access in pedestrian areas. More to the point, it’s a huge amount of fun to ride. Regrettably Segways are now banned in the UK for use either on pavements or on roads (probably due to excessive British observance of Euro regulations) but they can be ridden on private land. There are various locations where you can learn to ride and then race them, either on or off-road.

As one might expect for such an environmentally-friendly mode of transport, the Segway originates from California and indeed Segways can be hired in San Francisco for a trip around the Bay Area.

Action from the final of the 2011 Woz Challenge Cup (the Segway Polo Championship) in Folsom, California

More intriguingly, Segway Polo was established in the US in 2004 and now has its own governing body, the ISPA. Teams compete for the Woz Cup, donated

by Steve Wozniak, one of the co-founders of Apple. The game is also played in New Zealand, Barbados, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

So, come one you Brits, how about establishing a few teams?

http://www.electrictourcompany.com/ http://www.segwayhtpolo.com/

Audemars Piguet is well known for producing some of the world’s most expensive watches and the Royal Oak Complication – featuring an 18-carat white gold case and transparent sapphire caseback – is no exception. Some of the world’s top sportsmen – Novak Djokovic, Leo Messi and Rory McIllory – are ambassadors for the brand, which sponsored the winning team at the King’s Cup Elephant Polo in Thailand (see page 55).

This eco-friendly community sits in the heart of the stunning Cotswolds, an area renowned for its natural beauty. Lower Mill Estate is an award-winning modern community set in a fully tended nature reserve. And there’s certainly plenty to do, as swimming, rowing, sailing, trekking, cycling, shopping and fine dining are all on offer.

For more information see www.lowermillestate.com

Available from £425,000

Prices range from £250,000 - £2m

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BMW 6 Series Coupe BMW’s flagship coupe has become a true GT car, writes Aurora Eastwood. With a level of specification never before seen in a six series before, the car also boasts a brand new chassis for a better ride and improved performance.

The car sits lower and is wider than its predecessors, and is better looking. From the shark nose at the front to the LED brake lights, the way the body panels flow make the car look like it’s going flat out even when it’s standing still. Even the lights are a cut above; Xenons are standard, as are LED fog lamps.

http://www.virginexperiencedays.co.uk/ experiences/Segway_Rally_Racing_for_One_1665/

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Complication

www.polotimes.co.uk

Knowledge

Eco-friendly living in the Cotswolds

Inside, the fascia and dashboard cocoon both the driver and the passenger, with more than a hint of the feel of a private jet. There is more room for passengers in the rear, and the boot is cavernous for a coupe – with space for no less than three full-size golf bags.

The audio system is the most advanced ever to be offered by BMW. The Bang & Olufsen system employs a whopping 16 speakers, sub woofers and tweeters for incredibly high quality acoustics regardless of where in the cabin the occupants might be sitting.

Uniquely, there is now a choice of petrol or diesel engines. Given that the 640d does 0-62mph in just 5.5seconds and returns 51mpg, compared with 4.9secs and 21mph for the 650i petrol, I know which one I’d go for.

Available from £59,550

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Knowledge

Products – Equestrian artworks

Snap, sculpt & stroke Amy Lodowski selects eight pieces, from sculptures to portraits, for sale through various artists and photographers

 Ten-to-One

by Polo Times cartoonist Kate Scurfield Limited edition mounted print 40 x 30cm £55 Available through www.katesart.com  Relaxation

by Alice Gipps Photography, available in a range of sizes From £116.90 on canvas or £30 upwards for print Available through www.alicegipps.com

 Showtyme

by Lindsay Robertson Handmade chromogenic print, 48 x 42 inches (including frame) Commissions start from £1,800 Available through www.horsestudios.com 80

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 High Summer

by Jacqueline Stanhope Limited edition print, 17.5 x 12 inches £85 Available through www.jacquelinestanhope-fineart.com www.polotimes.co.uk

21/9/11 15:41:34

Products – Equestrian artworks

Knowledge

 No. 35 (Adolfo Cambiaso and Facundo Pieres)

by Gabriela Marini Acrylic on canvas, 1.2 x 0.8 meters £2,300 Available through www.polo-art.com

 Polo Dream

by William Rossoto Oil on canvas 24 x 36 inches £3,750 Available through www.rossotoart.com

 Polo Player

by Walter Roche (1847-1921) Bronze model 12 x 9 inches £12,500 Available through www.sladmore.com

 Walking Home

by Melinda Brewer Original watercolour on paper, 14 x 22 inches £114 (CDN$180) Available through www.poloart.ca www.polotimes.co.uk

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Knowledge

End-of-season handicap changes in full

Photograph by Kirstin Prisk

End-of-season handicap changes The following handicap changes were agreed at the HPA’s handicap meeting on Monday 12 September 2011. These are subject to ratification by the Stewards at their meeting on 1 November and will be effective from 1 January 2012.

The Blue Book states that those with brackets around their handicap may have them removed if a player has submitted a handicap qualification form showing that he has played in at least 10 Victor Ludorum matches. The intention is that this provides the opportunity for a player to provide sufficient evidence to the handicap committee of his playing abilities.

The Blue Book also states that a player may be shown as NR (not rated) at the end of the season if the handicap committee feels that they have insufficient evidence to handicap the player fairly. At the end-of-season meeting, the committee was unanimous that there were some players who had not provided sufficient evidence of their polo ability this season to be given an HPA handicap for 2012.

Any S-rated player recommended to go to -2 was automatically raised provided that he or she had passed the rules test. Therefore, those changes will not feature in this list.

Moving to seven Espain, Martin: (6) to 7 Jauretche, Pablo: (8) to (7) Ruiz Guinazu, Juan (Tito): 6 to 7 Moving to six Ali Hyder, Hissam: 5 to 6 Araya, Marcos: 5 to 6 de Bruin, Tom: 5 to 6 Du Plessis, Jean: 5 to 6 Etcheverry, Horatio: (5) to 6 Harper, James: 5 to 6 Ruiz Guinazu, Tomas: 5 to 6 Von Potobsky, Federico: (5) to 6 Moving to five Charlton, Max: 4 to 5 Hunter, Lochie: 4 to 5 Le Poer, Richard: 4 to 5 Mackay, Jock: 4 to 5 Meyrick, George: 4 to 5 Villela Rosa, Rafael: 4 to 5 Moving to four Archibald, Jack: 3 to 4 Keyte, Greg: 5 to 4 Machado, Matias Hector: (3) to (4) Pizarro, Juan Manuel: (2) to (4) Plaza de Ayala, Manuel: 3 to 4 Raigal, Mariano: (3) to (4) Richardson, Jack: 3 to 4 Roman, Martin: 3 to 4 Sheridan, Lanto: 3 to 4 Stirling, Santiago: 3 to 4 Von Potobsky, Jose: 3 to 4 Moving to three Armstrong, Glen: (2) to (3) Ayala, Miguel: (3) to 3 Brokenshaw, Shaun: 2 to 3 82

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Condesse, Segundo: (2) to (3) Daniels, Jacob: 2 to 3 Eeley, Ben: 2 to 3 Fernandez Pizarro, Javier: (2) to (3) Gaona, Ivan: 2 to 3 Ghio, Manuel: (2) to (3) Grahn, Silvestre: (2) to (3) Glasson, James: 4 to 3 Harrison, Pedro: (2) to (3) Joaquin, Martin: 2 to 3 Lucas, James: 4 to 3 Malasomma, Benjamin: 2 to 3 Morris-Lowe, Joshua: 2 to 3 Morris-Lowe, Twm: 2 to 3 Muzzio, Hernan: 4 to (3) O’Dwyer, Patrick: (1) to 3 Parsons, Edmund: 2 to 3 Thame, Robert: 4 to 3 Turner, Ben: 4 to 3 Moving to two Berner, Jack: 1 to 2 Connolly, Michael: 1 to 2 Dear, Fred: 1 to 2 Garcha, Satinder: (2) to 2 Hancock, Marcus: 3 to 2 Hutchinson, Max: 1 to 2 Leonard, James: 3 to 2 Matilla, Facundo: 1 to 2 McCarthy, Jamie: 1 to 2 McLaren-Tosh, Simon: 3 to 2 McLeavy, James: (3) to (2) Morris-Lowe, Edward: 1 to 2 Ormerod, Maurice: 3 to 2 Ormerod, Giles: 3 to 2 Pannell, Matthew: 3 to 2 Parodi, Bruno: (2) to 2 Parsons, Izzy: 1 to 2 Powell, Oliver: 1 to 2 Prisk, Royston: 1 to 2

Sands, Elliot: 1 to 2 Soto, Maximiliano: (3) to (2) Suarez, Hugo: 1 to 2 Van Reenen, Dirk: (1) to (2) Vestey, Ben: 3 to 2 White, Harry: 1 to 2 Wood, Charlie: (2) to 2 Moving to one Al-Rifai, Raad: (1) to 1 Astolfi, Riccardo: (-2) to (1) Bahlsen, Nikolai: 0 to 1 Beresford, Marcus: 0 to 1 Bianconi, Mauro: (0) to (1) Cerboni, Carlos Ignacio: (1) to 1 Conroy, Ryan: 0 to 1 Dalponte, Mariano: (0) to (1) Davis, Benjie: 0 to 1 Deacon, Mark: 0 to 1 Ephson, Ludo: 0 to 1 Fox, George: (1) to 1 Franco, Alvano: (0) to (1) Goodwill, Michael: 0 to 1 Gordon, Jake: 0 to 1 Hayden-Kellard, Mark: 2 to 1 Jackson, David: 0 to 1 Jacob, Alexandra: 0 to 1 Kaye, Philip: (1) to 1 Keane, Derek: 0 to 1 Kennedy, James (Jr): 0 to 1 Laborde, Sebastian: (0) to (1) Lewis, Rupert: 0 to 1 Lorentzen, Heloise: 0 to 1 Luksic, Davor: (0) to (1) Melville-Smith, Will: (1) to 1 McKenzie, Dominic: 0 to 1 Muddle, Harry: 0 to 1 O’Flaherty, Guillermo: (0) to (1) Papoyans, Andreas: 0 to 1 Richardson, Ralph: 0 to 1

James Harper (left) goes from five to six goals after a fantastic season

Segura, Dardo: (0) to (1) Sequeira, Federico: (1) to 1 Simpson, Matthew: 0 to 1 Smyth-Osbourne, Edward: 0 to 1 Smyth-Osbourne, William: 0 to 1 St Aubyn, Tom: 0 to 1 Uras, Gerado: 2 to 1 Welland, Nadine: 0 to 1 Young, Martin: 0 to 1 Moving to zero Anderson, Erik: -1 to 0 Arber, Simon: -1 to 0 Armstrong, Edward: -1 to 0 Ashraf, Affy: (0) to 0 Baldwin, Peter: 1 to 0 Banner, Theo: -1 to 0 Baring, Cosima: -1 to 0 Bartos, Tom: -1 to 0 Baxter, Rory: (0) to 0 Bazzard, Rebecca: (0) to 0 Beese, Tom: (0) to 0 Benyon, Thomas: -1 to 0 Berry, John: (0) to 0 Boucher, Alex: -1 to 0 Boyd, Harrison: -1 to 0 Brockett, Jemima: (0) to 0 Brockett, Robert: (0) to 0 Brodie, Thomas: -1 to 0 Broughton, Lorna: (-1) to 0 Carter, Anthony: (0) to 0 Curtis, Tim: (-1) to 0 Cutts, Ross: -1 to 0 Davey, Marcus: -1 to 0 Davies, Harry: -1 to 0 Dear, Janie: -1 to 0 de Ferranti, Octavia: -1 to 0 Dodd-Noble, Max: -1 to 0 Dove, Adam: -1 to 0 Dove, Colin: -1 to 0

Dove, Matthew: -1 to 0 Drummond-Moray, Jamie: -1 to 0 Dudd, Gregg: -1 to 0 Dukes, Jesse: -1 to 0 Edmondson, Toby: -1 to 0 Elliot, Karl: -1 to 0 Ellis-Dawe, Graham: -1 to 0 Evans, Louissa: (-1) to 0 Farman Farma, Amir: (0) to 0 Fasinro, Mustapha: (1) to (0) Foreman, Andrew: 1 to 0 Gambier, Nigel: -1 to 0 Gibbons, David: -1 to 0 Gillespie, Myles: (-2) to (0) Gledhill, John: (0) to 0 Griffin, Guy: -1 to 0 Hamilton, Maurice: (-1) to 0 Hancock, Sebastian: -1 to 0 Hepburn, James: - 1 to 0 Holmes, Emma: -1 to 0 Hopkins, James: -1 to 0 Jain, Raj: -1 to 0 Jeffrey, Ben: (-1) to 0 Jodrell, Henry: (0) to 0 Jones, Cody: -1 to 0 Jones, Michael: - 1 to 0 Jumabhoy, Imran: (0) to 0 Kahia, David: (-1) to (0) Kavanagh, Julia: -1 to 0 Kent, April: (-1) to 0 Kevern, Liam: (0) to 0 Kwiatkowski, Dan: -1 to 0 Lindsay, Jamie: -1 to 0 Marson, Charlotte: (0) to 0 Mason, Richard: 1 to 0 McGregor, Izzy: -1 to 0 McKelvie, Ben: (1) to (0) McLaren-Tosh, Louise: 1 to 0 McRae, Justin: -1 to 0 Montoya, Oscar: S to (0) www.polotimes.co.uk

22/9/11 16:55:59

End-of-season handicap changes in full

Morelle, Quentin: (0) to 0 Newman, Richard: -1 to 0 Nolan, David: -1 to 0 O’Connell, Stewart: (-1) to 0 O’Reilly, Carrick: (0) to 0 O’Reilly, Ken: (0) to 0 Outtridge, Samuel: -1 to 0 Parry-Jones, Tom: -1 to 0 Pearson, Carinthia: -1 to 0 Pidgeon, Jeremy: -1 to 0 Powell, Maimie: -1 to 0 Pritchard, Chris: -1 to 0 Revell, Harry: -1 to 0 Revell, Mike: -1 to 0 Rutland, Archie: -1 to 0 Santos, Gabriel: (-1) to (0) Severn, Jack: -1 to 0 Shar, Amir: (-1) to 0 Sheikh, Ayyaz: CV to 0 Shelton, George: -1 to 0 Skeggs, Alexandra: -1 to 0 Smyth-Osbourne, Archie: -1 to 0 Stacy, Max: -1 to 0 Stone, Mark: -1 to 0 Swift, Richard: -1 to 0 Talbot, Natalie: -1 to 0 Teroerde, Patrick: (0) to 0 Thompson, David: (0) to 0 Turner, Sophie: -1 to 0 Voelker, Heiko: 1 to 0 Vogt, Whitney: (0) to 0 Wakefield, Nick: -1 to 0 Wethered, Theodore: -1 to 0 Whitelock, Josh: -1 to 0 Worsley, Hector: -1 to 0 Worth, Alexander: -1 to 0 Younger, Shane: -1 to 0 Youngs, Paul: CV to 0

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Instone, Sam: -2 to -1 Jackson, Lawrence: -2 to -1 Jaeger, Henrike: -2 to -1 Jebson, Louise: -2 to -1 Jenkin, Hannah: -2 to -1 Johnston, Angus: -2 to -1 Jones, Stephen: -2 to -1 Jonkler Edward: S to -1 Karim, Kola: 0 to -1 Keay, Helga: (-1) to -1 King, Amy: -2 to -1 Kleimunt, Jackie: -2 to -1 Lackford, Nigel: -2 to -1 Leland, Tom: -2 to -1 Le Tissier, Andre: -2 to -1 Letts, Henry: -2 to -1 Leuba, Jacques: (-1) to -1 Leufrancois, Jocelyn: S to -1 Lodwick, George: (-2) to -1 Lomri, Sam: -2 to -1 Lucas, Kiersten: -2 to -1 Lunn, Emily: -2 to -1 Maddison, Gabriel: S to -1 Marlow-Thomas, Miles: S to -1 Massey, Diana: (-1) to -1 Matthews, John: -2 to -1 McCarthy, Ellie: -2 to -1 McCarthy, James: -2 to -1 Mills, Jane: -2 to -1 Moger, Matt: S to -1 Morris, Philippa: -2 to -1 Nelson, Richard: (-1) to -1 Niziol, Rafal: -2 to -1 Oddie, Rachel: -2 to -1 Okun-Niziol, Marzena: -2 to -1 Osborne, Charles: -2 to -1 Parker, Dan: -2 to -1 Parker, Harry: -2 to -1 Parry-Jones, Hannah: -2 to -1 Paton, Pippa: (-1) to -1 Patterson, David: -2 to -1

Pearce, Sarah: -2 to -1 Perez de Herrasti, Andres: -2 to -1 Phillips, David: -2 to -1 Pidgley, Charlie: -2 to -1 Pittard, James: -2 to -1 Pollard, Steph: (-2) to -1 Povel, Thijs: S to -1 Power, Stephen: S to -1 Pudney, Sebastian: -2 to -1 Quicke, Edward: S to -1 Redmond, Joseph: -2 to -1 Richards, Susie: -2 to -1 Rigby, Jenny: -2 to -1 Rigby, Steven: -2 to -1 Riman, Tiffany: -2 to -1 Robley, Oliver: S to -1 Rose, Alexander: -2 to -1 Ross, Douglas: -2 to -1 Salter, Jamie: -2 to -1 Savage, William: -2 to -1 Shaw, Jeremy: -2 to -1 Slade, Jeremy: -2 to -1 Stevenson, William: -2 to -1 Stobart, Edward: -2 to -1 Stockings, Victoria: (-2) to -1 Stuart, Joanna: -2 to -1 Sutcliffe, Mel: S to -1 Swanson, Alexander: -2 to -1 Talbot-Rice, Robert: -2 to -1 Tearle, Robert: (-1) to -1 Thomas, Josh: -2 to -1 Thorpe, Danielle: -2 to -1 Tod, William: S to -1 Townsend, Christopher: -2 to -1 Turk, Daniel: -2 to -1 Vincent, Adam: -2 to -1 Waldron, Andrew: -2 to -1 Walker, George: -2 to -1 Walmsley, Robert: -2 to -1 Walsh, Alice: -2 to -1 Watts, Philip: -2 to -1

Weatherby, Jack: S to -1 White, Sophie: -2 to -1 Whyman, Lisa: -2 to -1 Wicks, Fraser: -2 to -1 Wightman, Chris: S to -1 Williams, Richard: -2 to -1 Woodhouse, Alex: -2 to -1 Woodhouse, Rachael: (-1) to -1 Moving to minus two Carter, Robert: (-2) to -2 Flatau, Tina: (-2) to -2 Hawthorne, Amanda: (-1) to -2 Hibbert, Tom: (-2) to -2 Maxfield Gullett, Lesley: -1 to -2 Tye, Niamh: -1 to -2 Wigglesworth, Heather: (-2) to -2 Not rated (NR) Beresford, Charles: 5 to NR Buchanan, Adam: (3) to NR Chavanne, Juan: (5) to NR de Estrada, Santiago: 6 to NR Delgado, Matias: (2) to NR Forsyth, Cody: (6) to NR Garcia Del Rio, Gonzalo: 5 to NR Healy, Guillermo: (1) to NR Hernandez, Ivan: (1) to NR Keyte, Simon: 7 to NR Llambias, Marcos: (6) to NR Llorente, Pablo S: (4) to NR Lodder, Matt: 4 to NR Lujan, Luis: (3) to NR Niguel Andrada, Agustin: (3) to NR Rueda, Rodrigo: (6) to NR Toccalino, Manuel: 4 to NR Toccalino, Santiago: (7) to NR Usman, Kabir: (1) to NR Vismara, Francisco: 3 to NR Wade, Adrian: 5 to NR Zubiaurre, Valerio: (6) to NR Photographs by Tony Ramirez and Tom House

Moving to minus-one Abdel-Ghaffar Plaza, K: (-1) to -1 Albrow, Hannah: S to -1 Anderson, Ryan: -2 to -1 Andrew, Susannah: -2 to -1 Arber, Jo: S to -1 Ashby, Clare: (-1) to -1 Atkinson, August: -2 to -1 Atkinson, Spencer: -2 to -1 Badr-El Din, Leen: -2 to -1 Bale, Emma: (-1) to -1 Bambridge, Debbie: 0 to -1 Batto, Shaun: -2 to -1 Bell, Nicholas: (-2) to -1 Berggren, Per: 0 to -1 Berner, Isabelle: -2 to -1 Bewsey Dyke, Simon: -2 to -1 Black, David: 0 to -1 Blount, John: -2 to -1 Bosley, Kiera: -2 to -1 Brayboy, Elizabeth: (0) to -1

Brown, Alex: -2 to -1 Burley, Stephen: -2 to -1 Burrell, Ned: -2 to -1 Busch Hansen, Laurence: -2 to -1 Buxton, Freddie: -2 to -1 Casabal, Adolfo: -2 to -1 Chamberlain, Jasper: (-1) to -1 Cheshire, Kevin: -2 to -1 Christie, Catriona: -2 to -1 Christopherson, Michael: -2 to -1 Clements, Antony: (-1) to -1 Coats, Susanna: -2 to -1 Cooper, Alexander: -2 to -1 Cork, Joshua: -2 to -1 Cork, Ollie: -2 to -1 Cowell, Paul: S to -1 Davidson, Nicola: -2 to -1 Davis, Howard: -2 to -1 Dear, Max: -2 to -1 Dee, Robbie: -2 to -1 de Ferranti, Adrian: -2 to -1 Delicata, Andrew: -2 to -1 Devaney, Brian: -2 to -1 Dowie, Lucy: -2 to -1 Draper, Amelie: -2 to -1 Drummond, Patrick: (-1) to -1 Dudd, John: -2 to -1 Duncan, Damian: (0) to (-1) Eade, Alex: -2 to -1 Edmunds, Rory: (-1) to -1 Elworthy Forbes: S to -1 Escobedo, Ana: -2 to -1 Evans, Robyn: S to -1 Eynon, Sophie: -2 to -1 Feetham, Alex: (-1) to -1 Fenner, Victoria: -2 to -1 Ferragu, Pierre: -2 to -1 Field, Lucy: (-1) to -1 Fitzwilliams, Tilly: -2 to -1 Flint, Eileen: (-1) to -1 Foley, Nicola: (-1) to -1 Fonseca, Rosie: -2 to -1 Freeman, Ben: -2 to -1 Gallon, Shirley: -2 to -1 Gerard, Nick: -2 to -1 Goddard-Watts, Helen: -2 to -1 Golding, Will: -2 to -1 Goudkuil, Charlene: -2 to -1 Griffiths, Victoria: (-1) to -1 Harrison, Guy: (-1) to -1 Hart Humphreys, Elizabeth: -2 to -1 Hay, Martin: (-1) to -1 Hickmet, Harry: -2 to -1 Hitchman, Charlie: -2 to -1 Hitchman, Ella: -2 to -1 Horn, Tobi: -2 to -1 Hough, Daniel: -2 to -1 Hume, Guy: -2 to -1 Hutchings, Lois: -2 to -1 Hutchinson, Jessica: (-2) to -1

Knowledge

Plenty to smile about: winning 12-goal Victor Ludorum patron Simon Arber rises from -1 to 0

One-hit-wonder: 2010’s Queen’s and Gold Cup winner Francisco Vismara is no-longer handicapped

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Knowledge

What’s on

Club contacts UK and Ireland

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

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What’s coming up

For a full list of tournaments in the UK and overseas, see www.polotimes.co.uk

Overseas highlights Argentina Tortugas Country Club – Tortugas Open (3440 goal): 27 September – 16 October Various clubs – Hurlingham and Argentine Open qualifiers (29-34): 28 September – 5 October Estancia Grande, San Luis – FIP World Cup (14): 10-22 October Hurlingham Club and Palermo – Hurlingham Open (34-40): 18 October – 6 November La Aguada – La Aguada Ladies Cup (0-16): 26-28 October Palermo – AAP Argentine Open (34-40): 9 November – 10 December Australia Ellerston – Ellerston 14-Goal (14): 1-9 October Scone – Hector King Trophy (10): 13-16 October Sydney – Sydney Polo Gold Cup (10): 22-23 October Werribee Park – Stella Artois Melbourne Cup (Open): 30 October – 6 November

China Goldin Metropolitan, Tianjin – Goldin U18 International Tournament (4-goal): 5-6 October Shanghai – Shanghai Polo Open (12-14): 2730 October Dubai Desert Palm – Lawyers Polo (Open): 3-4 November Italy Villa a Sesta – FIP World Cup qualifiers, Zone C (14): 22 September – 2 October Singapore Singapore Polo Club – Shanghai Tang Women’s International (Open): 5-8 October Singapore Polo Club – Japanese Ambassador’s Cup (Open): 22-23 October USA Chicago – Chicago Beach Polo World Cup (Open): 1-2 October

TV highlights on Horse & Country (Sky 280) 2 October, 7pm: UK season highlights (Queen’s Cup; Eng vs NZ; Gold Cup; Eng vs Brazil) 3 October, 11pm: Argentine Open 2010 (La Dolfina vs Sao José) 4 October, 11pm: Argentine Open 2010 (Chapa Uno vs Pilará) 5 October, 9pm: UK season highlights (as above) 5 October, 11pm: Argentine Open 2010 (Ellerstina vs Alegria) 5 October, 3am: UK season highlights (as above) 6 October, 11pm: Argentine Open 2010 (La Aguada vs Indios Chapaleufú II) 7 October, 11pm: Argentine Open 2010 (Pilará vs Sao José) 10 October, 11pm: Argentine Open 2010 (La Dolfina vs Chapa Uno) 11 October, 11pm: Argentine Open 2010 (Ellerstina vs Indios Chapaleufú II) 12 October, 11pm: Argentine Open 2010 (Semi-finals – La Dolfina vs Pilará) 13 October, 11pm: Argentine Open 2010 (Semi-finals – Ellerstina vs La Aguada) 14 October, 11pm: Argentine Open 2010 (Final – Ellerstina vs La Dolfina)

Other dates Brightwells, Ascot – Bloodstock Sale: 4 October and 1 November Tattersalls – Europe’s Premier Yearling Sale: 5-7 October; 11-13 October; 14 October Goffs, Ireland – Open Yearling Sale: 21 October Doncaster – DBS Autumn Horses in Training and Yearling Sales: 31 October – 2 November

Correction In last month’s issue, on page 50, we wrongly stated that The Rupert Thorneloe Memorial Cup was held at Kirtlington Park. It was in fact held at Sussex Polo Club on 2-3 July, although a similar event is held at Kirtlington Park over the same weekend. Sussex-member Toby Addison was involved in organising the day at Sussex, which helped raise money for the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal. www.polotimes.co.uk

22/9/11 17:07:01

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Tell us yours at gossip@polotimes.co.uk Anonymity guaranteed, if you want it...

Film-stars, future stars and fight scars It’s been a month of hellos and goodbyes at Guards Polo Club this month, as popular chairman Colonel Paul Belcher stepped aside on the final day of the season to make way for his successor, Jock Green Armytage. However, he and his wife Sanda have been presented with Life Memberships of the club and so are still likely to be regulars at the iconic Smith’s Lawn.

Six-goaler Oli Hipwood is another regular at Guards, and it seems as though his familiar face will soon be become even more familiar than normal, after he’s signed a sponsorship deal with luxury polo brand La Martina to be their main ambassador in the UK. He will front their advertising, and you can expect to see new model Oli and his string sporting all the latest La Martina kit playing at a club near you soon.

Someone with plenty of prior modelling experience, Jodie Kidd, gave birth to her first child on 5 September. Baby Indio weighed in at a healthy 7lbs, 10oz. The father is six-goaler Andrea Vianini, whom Jodie has been friends with since childhood. They started dating during Jodie’s trip to Argentina just over a year and a half ago.

Congratulations to Offchurch Bury polo manager Tessa Johnson and Grant Collett, who tied the knot in August

Claire Skinner and Mia Randall-Coath will be hitting our small screens at the end of October.

The trio will feature in a new series beginning on cable TV channel Dave called Driving Wars.

On the same day the Kidd-Vianini household welcomed their latest addition, three-goaler Howard Smith’s wife Sam also gave birth to a baby boy, much to the delight of everyone However, outdoing his mother, 20-year-old at Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club. Baby Will Randall-Coath has come runner-up in the Harry was born a couple of months’ premature prestigious awards ceremony at the Action at just 4lbs, 4oz and had to spend his first few on Film festival in Pasadena for his big-screen weeks in an incubator. He is now reportedly directorial debut “5th Time Lucky”. Will now doing well and is growing stronger has his eyes set on the Italian by the day. The delighted father International Film Festival next is hoping he’ll one day grow month, where he’s nominated into a rich patron, although for another prize. his mother hopes he’ll Perhaps Will could ask become a vet.

Brad Pitt and Angelina “The key for this season is that Luckily a vet wasn’t Jolie to star in his next Sebastián Merlos and myself needed when a pony at film if he bumps into them both stay in control” RLS Polo Club got stuck at Ham Polo, as the A-list Lolo Castagnola highlights a in the river running next pair have been frequently potential concern about his new to the main paddock. Fire spotted at the London club. team Estancia Grande fighters from nearby Rugby – see page 30 for more Brad has been filming his had to be called to rescue latest movie in Cornwall and the poor “Lanquita”, who was wet couple often uses Ham Polo Club’s and bedraggled, but unharmed and conveniently located helipad to fly from apparently unfazed by the whole ordeal. their property in Richmond to the set.

Another baby is due this month. Lacey Green Meanwhile, following Brad Pitt’s example in one-goaler Toby Pejkovic and his minusFight Club, Argentine polo pony trainer Juan one-goal rated wife Melanie are expecting to Manuel Garay traded the polo arena for the welcome their third child – a boy – into the boxing ring last month, when the 39-year-old world. The couple already have Marcos, 5, and faced Matty Askin at Blackpool’s Tower Circus.

Florentina, one and a half.

Unfortunately, Juan was knocked out in the In other news, Ascot Park’s Katie Bateman, fourth round by his undefeated opponent.

Quote of the month

www.polotimes.co.uk

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Preferring to love rather than fight, Polo Times congratulates Grant Collett and Tessa Johnson of Offchurch Bury, who married on 6 August. A polo theme ran through the whole day, though the club’s polo manager Tessa stopped short of allowing Grant’s idea for a couple of chukkas between their wedding and the reception back at the club – apparently her view was that the couple were busy enough as it was!

Finally, last month 250 guests were present to witness Tamara Vestey and George Fox also tie the knot, though they decided against a polo theme in favour of one dedicated to the village Tamara grew up in (Foxcote), the name of her catering company (Foxy Ladies), and the couple’s new shared surname – Fox.

Look-a-likes

Jorge MacDonough and Anthony Hopkins

Polo Times, October 2011

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Edmund Eggins and Paddy Curtis

Charlie Bertrand

Nespresso High Goal Gold Cup final, Sotogrande Santa María Polo Club, Spain – 27 August 2011

Smiles aplenty in Spanish sun More team entries in the landmark 40th year of the tournament, coupled with the typically superb quality of the grounds at Santa María Polo Club and Andalucia’s ever-reliable weather, meant it was something of a surprise not to see more recognisable polo faces amongst the glamorous crowds in Sotogrande this August.

There were considerably fewer Brits than in previous years, despite the fact that the weekend coincides with the English bank holiday, and that the likes of Mark Tomlinson, Ollie Cudmore and Harry White were among the line-ups. As it was, injury meant Tomlinson had to be replaced by Manuel Crespo in the HB team that ultimately lost the subsidiary final to Cudmore’s impressive-looking Richard Mille side, while White left disappointed after Ellerston slipped to defeat in the final. w Photographs by James Mullan, unless otherwise stated

w Read the full story of all the action at Sotogrande on page 36, and discover what gets Ollie Cudmore’s pulse racing on page 98

Pablo MacDonough

Steve Katz

Nico Pieres

Camilla Bateman

Media interest was huge once again

Charley Larcombe

Lynt’s Polo Times Tournament – 4 September

Brolly good show!

The prizes at the Polo Times-sponsored tournament at Lynt Polo Club last month proved apt when drizzle welcomed the players on finals’ day. However, as the weather improved, so did the play, and Ruton were eventually crowned champions with a resounding win.

Sarah Henderson James Anderson Florence and Charlotte Verdon

w Words and photographs by PJ Seccombe Winners, Ruton (l-r: Johan Spendier, Alex Lea, Corin Gibbs and Tony Fitzsimons)

Alex Lea

Guy Verdon umpiring

Corin Gibbs and baby son Oliver

Amber Gibbs holds the horses

Russell Barker

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James Packer

Erica Packer and son Jackson Lloyd

Learning left-handed!

Gonzalo Pieres

Tony and Olga Ramirez

Matt Perry on the beach with James Packer’s yacht behind

Ollie Cudmore

A nasty crash – featuring Valerio Zubiaurre and Alejandro Muzzio – captured by photographer Camilla Bateman earlier in the tournament

Francisco Elizalde basks in victory

Eduardo Novillo Astrada and Astrid Muñoz

Tamaro Falco

David Heaton-Ellis Memorial, Emsworth, 10 September 2011

The Heaton is on SUPA-star, Charlie Dee

Simon Arber’s Emsworth ground played host to the David HeatonEllis Memorial trophy to raise money for the Heaton-Ellis Trust. w Photographs by Tony Ramirez, ImagesOfPolo.com The delicious traditional asado

Winning patron Giampaolo Guarnieri, Leigh-Anne Moore and Yolanda Arber

Piers Plunket and his stepdaughter Perdy

Jose Otto Von Potobsky, Tomas Iriarte, Horacio Etcheverry and patron Giampaolo Guarnieri

Tom McGlochlin, Simon Arber and Sue McGlochlin

Gabe Maddison Sophie Heaton-Ellis, David Morley and Romilla Arber

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Luke Tomlinson takes advantage of a pause in play to do a quick stretch

Pancho Bensadon’s son

Laetitia Guillemin and Lavinia Fabre in action in the Beauty Cup

Gonzalo von Wernich

60th Deauville Gold Cup, Polo de Deauville, France – 28 August 2011

French fancy There were smiles all round for the Royal Barrière boys who won the 60th Deauville Gold Cup at the end of August. They faced Polo de Deauville in the final in front of a crowd of more the 1,200 spectators, which included Rolling Stones front man Mick Jagger’s daughter, Georgia. w Pictures by Pascal Renauldon Edouard de Rothschild and Georgia Jagger

w See page 40 for a report and an interview with Luke Tomlinson

Deauville president Philippe de Nicolay lends a helping hand

International Ladies’, Polo Wicklow, Ireland – 20-21 August 2011

Bear necessities Players, spectators and teddy bears, yes teddy bears, gathered at Polo Wicklow to enjoy a picnic spread at the 12th International Ladies’ Polo Tournament. Thankfully the sun shone on finals day, ensuring that paws stayed dry and the teddy bear picnic was enjoyed by all.

Jeanine Hugo and Siobhan Herbst in action The Boodles team celebrate their win

w See page 44 for a full match report

Shenanigans on the sidelines

Alex Jacob, Siobhan Herbst, Lisa Murphy, Roisin O’Brien and Claire Brougham The East Wicklow Harrier Hound Run

Young spectators with their teddy bears

The US team, from Yale Best playing pony Rosalinda

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Philippe de Nicolay and the Villa Josephine team at the Beauty Cup in Deauville A stunning view of the sunset at Watergate Bay

Veuve Clicquot Polo on the Beach, Watergate Bay – 6 September 2011

Adèle Renauldon with Argentine threegoaler Lia Salvo

First Great Western on platform one Over 2,500 spectators had to battle strong winds to watch a selection of England’s leading players put on an excellent display of beach polo at Cornwall’s Watergate Bay. The stormy weather kept the ball low but spirits were certainly high for the First Great Western team, who steamed to victory – just about – over Joules, 8-7½.

Georgia Jagger

Revellers show off their sunglasses from sponsors Veuve Clicquot The packed sidelines in Cornwall

w All photographs by Kirstin Prisk, words by Amy Lodowski. And read more from Watergate on page 53 Action on the beach between First Great Western (blue) and Joules (green)

The US team prepares for action Mickey Herbst treads in

The First Great Western and Joules teams spray Veuve Clicquot

Fiona Herbst and Edel MacGinty, the teddy bear competition judges

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22/9/11 14:49:34

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Thom Bell’s pony Betun with groom Gaston Carrozzo at Dundee and Perth’s Spring Tournament, held from 22-23 May

Edmund Parsons and India, who played in the third chukka of the Secretary’s Trophy on 9 June at Kirtlington Park

Polo Times best playing pony rugs 2011

Honouring the real stars of our sport As the season draws to a close, Polo Times decided that once again it would be fitting to honour those ponies who won our special best playing pony rugs this summer. We sent more than 25 complimentary rugs to clubs up and down the country and left it to each of them to award the prizes to the most worthy ponies.

As always, we’ve had an excellent response, with the proud winners keen to show off their new apparel. Here are a selection. It’s the horses that make this wonderful game what it is so, as ever, congratulations to all our winners and those that look after them.

Michael Henderson and his groom with Jo Richards of Boodles Manchester and BPP Dagga at The Jubilee Cup at Cheshire Polo Club

James McCarthy and groom, Nano, with Paloma, winner in the Clock Tower Trophy at Druids Lodge in September

Harry Revell’s Pinta receives his rug at the Charity Tournament at FHM on 28 August

w Photographs by Jing Photography, Tom Reynolds and PJ Seccombe

Simon Keyte and his groom, Memo, with 10-year-old New Zealand mare Curry at Binfield Heath’s Summer Festival in July

Hector, owned by Rosie Vestey and pictured here with grooms Jackie Anderson and Claire Maycock, won the season’s BPP at Cirencester Park

Andrew Hine with his children, Louis, Milly and Ned, and pony Flo who was named BPP in the 7-10 goal Lambourne Trophy Open at RCBPC

Beverly Dixon with Viento at Suffolk’s Raging Bull Tournament, where the pair were part of the winning Woodland GG team

Milly, a 16.1hh TB, owned and played

by Harry Tucker, won her rug in the Last Days of the Raj tournament at Edgeworth

Freddy, owned and ridden

by Johan Spendier, were winners in the Polo Times Tournament at Lynt

Jack Tucker and Alfie, who is looked after by Hannah Complin, won BPP in Longdole’s 0-Goal Emerging Tournament

Pellotaca, BPP in the Cavalry Cup at Tidworth on 18 September, with owner Pedro Lopez-Valido, player Hiro Suzuki and groom Guillermo Flores 91

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The polo directory

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Polo Times, October 2011

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Polo Times, October 2011

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Classifieds Ponies

15.2HH HANDSOME BLACK GELDING Totally reliable, honest and steady pony. Quick to turn and stop, excellent platform so good for beginners too. Hacks out happily, sweet-natured and no vices. Very sad sale so right home important. £3,000. Dorset/Wilts. Tel: 07836 763701 or 07818 455054 FANTASTIC BEGINNERS PONY Very pretty Argentine mare, 8 years old. 15.2hh. She has played Pony Club and up to 6-goal. Very easy to play do in every way. £7,000 ono. Berkshire. Call Sophie Heaton Ellis on 07976 712307 APPALOOSA POLO PONY FOR SALE Stunning Appaloosa mare for sale! 13 years old. Brought over from Argentina in 2005 and still with the same home.

Really easy to play, very light in front, extremely handy! Would suit any rider. Plays grass and arena polo. Available to try at Ham Polo Club. £4,500.

Richmond, Surrey. Tel: 07789 865691 EASY ALL STAR 12-year-old 15.3hh black English TB gelding. Played all the way through Pony Club and up to 15-goal with one goal player but would also suit beginner, easy horse with kind, genuine temperament with clean legs. £6500. 12 year old English TB grey mare. Played through Pony Club and good up to 8-goal. Handy calm horse. £2500.

Midhurst. Tel: 07771 967429 LOVELY 15.3HH THOROUGHBRED, FIT AND FAST 10-year-old bay thoroughbred mare, very agile and fast, has played up to 8-goal successfully. Too big for current owner. Would suit up and coming pro or competent patron. Can be seen at Hurtwood Park. Sensible offers considered. Call 01483 282027/07952 461304 or 07557 224222 TWO LOVELY LOW-MEDIUM GOAL PONIES Lovely 7-year-old thoroughbred chestnut gelding, fit and playing at Hurtwood Park. At 15.3hh he is too big for current owner but will make great patron pony, fast, safe and well-mannered with a great attitude to his work. Sad sale. £8000. Also very promising young mare in her first full season, very athletic 5 year old with great potential to bring on for pro or competent patron. £8,000+ offers. Sensible offers considered. Call 01483 2822027/07952 461304 or 07557 224222 TWO LOVELY PONIES FOR SALE 15.2hh TBx, 13 years old, fast/strong suit patron: £4000. Pretty 15hh Arg-TB 9 year old, quick/agile, suit teen/lady £5,000. Both good temperament, fit/sound, played

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all levels with -2 and 2-goal players. Hertfordshire Tel: 07752 666960

moved abroad so priced to sell. Can be tried at Sussex polo arena. £3,750. Tel: 01342 714920

FIT AND PLAYING NOW 12 years old 15.2hh chestnut mare thoroughbred with full history on passport. Easy to do in every way, a joy to play and very fast. Totally sound, good to box, shoe, clip. Can be tried at VOY polo club. Yorkshire. £5,500 ono. Tel: 07714 290533

TWO SUPER PONIES 15.3hh SA TB gelding. 14 years old. Played up to 15-goal with 3-goal pro.

Also played A grade polocrosse this year. Very handy. Good pace. Very strong ride off. £4,750.

16hh Australian TB gelding. 15 years old. Played numerous international polocrosse tests. Very handy, clever chap. £4,000. Both ponies are a must see very sad sale. Hampshire. Tel: 01329 236496

LOVELY ARGENTINE GELDING Super 11-yearold Argentine gelding. 15.1hh, has played 2 to 12 goal. Super temperament, completely bomb proof, very genuine. Perfect pony club/amateur/lady player. £3,500. Nr Faringdon, Oxfordshire. Tel: 07805 840271 PRETTY DARK BROWN TB 15hh 6-year-old mare. Played last two seasons with 0 goal pro up to 2-goal. Previously hacked and enjoyed by 15 year old daughter. Can be tried at Fifield. £4,000 ono. Tel: 07779 876757 IS YOUR POLO PONY LOOKING FOR A WINTER HOME? Polo pony wanted to keep my old pony company. Light hacking and pre-season warmup possible. Young or old not important. Payment of vet bills and small contribution only. Honest offer.

Hertfordshire. Tel: +44 (0) 7799 233836 15.1HH APPALOOSA 7-YEAR-OLD GELDING. POLO/HUNT/HACK New to polo this season, very brave, 80 per cent made. Watch video at http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWb04YR8THk. End of season bargain, 100 per cent easy, fit and sound.

Cheshire. £2,500. Tel: 07764 757214 3-YEAR-OLD COLT HIGH GOAL BLOODLINES 14hh (will grow!) just turned 3 year old colt by Dandy Constancio ex-high-goal mare (half sister to Cambiaso’s Colibri) Can geld. No sensible offer refused. Hampshire. Tel: 07970 697593 EXCEPTIONAL WEIGHT CARRYING LOW GOAL PONY Chilli is a bay 10-year-old gelding. Really honest and easy. Arena or grass. Easy to do in every way. Must be seen and tried. £3,500 ono. North Hampshire. Tel: 07979 645181 or email hin.white@ watership.co.uk 2 FOR 1 BARGAIN £5000 FOR TWO SUPER PONIES Two super ponies, one 15.3hh Argentine TB, 11 years old. Easy in every way £4000. One 15.2hh TB 14 years old. Very fast with bold ride off (no novices) £2000. Played SUPA England, PC Ledner/Loriner. Very low mileage. North Yorkshire.

Tel: 07545 641980 SCHOOLMISTRESS 12 YEARS OLD ARENA & GRASS & JUMPS/HUNTS Versatile schoolmistress.

Always sound & good natured. Comfortable paces and smooth hitting platform. Suit -1/0 player. Owner

APPROX 15.1HH 12 YEAR OLD TB x AQH CHESTNUT ROAN MARE A pocket rocket. Fast, nippy, amazing turn and check. Would suit arena Polo. Played all polocrosse positions and won best pony awards and Polocrosse Champs 2010 & 2011.

Crib-bites, hence price. £3,800 ono. Canterbury, Kent. Tel: 07748 067629

Transport DAF POLO LORRY (2004) Blue DAF truck. 54 plate, 7.5 tonne. 11 months test certificate, five partitions and room for tack. Good condition. £11,000. Banbury. Tel: 07740 774158 NON HGV LEYLAND LORRY G Reg, partitioned for five horses and tack/changing area. Hydraulic ramp. Plated to Aug 12. Surplus to current needs.

Good runner. Sussex. £4,500 ono. Call Tony Sheridan on 07747 792456.

11 HORSE LORRY MAN 18.225. Owner retiring from polo. 53 plate chassis, box built July 2009. Tack room plus lockers, water tank with pump, CCTV, internal lights and fans. 10 padded partitions. Front and rear air suspension. Very powerful. £40,000 ono.

Somerset. Tel: 07989 423658 email: roddystanning@ btinternet.com

Livery PONY WINTERING Available on light sandy soil, plenty of grass, well sheltered, 24-hour supervision, and good haylage available if needed. We can also keep ponies in as required. Dorset. £100/pcm Tel: 07976 279161 MATURE ORGANIC GRASSLAND BETWEEN TETBURY AND CIRENCESTER Situated just outside Tetbury. Mature grassland with natural shelter. New fencing. Ponies checked twice a day.

Discounted rate on dentistry and transport for the 2012 season included by Pimbury Equine. Five minutes away from Beaufort and 10 minutes away from Cirencester. £25 per pony per week including haylage. Tel: 07894 166007

www.polotimes.co.uk

23/9/11 11:34:38

Classifieds

WINTER GRAZING FOR POLO PONIES IN BERKSHIRE/BUCKINGHAMSHIRE From September. Up to 11 horses. Eight stables and lorry parking available if needed. Daily checks by qualified person. Haying up in the field. £100 a month per horse. Berkshire/Buckinghamshire. Call Angel Blanco on 07788 151927 WINTER GRAZING FOR POLO PONIES Available now, up to eight ponies, owner lives on site. Price subject to numbers. North Hampshire. Tel: 07768 123812 SUPERB WINTER GRAZING 14 acres grazing available, shelter, hard standing, stables if necessary.

Owner lives on site. Bath/Bitton. Reasonable rates.

Phone 07702 803321 for more details

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 POLO SADDLES, STICKS, TACK ETC FOR SALE Polo saddles for sale from £50 to £300, sticks from £35, also tack, bridles, boots and accessories available. Used polo equipment also bought for cash. Please visit www.poloexchange.co.uk or email contact@poloexchange.co.uk or Tel 07909 965940

Advertisers in October 2011 Apes Hill Club, Barbados +1 246 262 3286 www.apeshillclub.com Baileys Horse Feeds 01371 850247 www. baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk

Estancia Villa Maria www.estanciavillamaria.com Greenheath 01638 507785 www.greenheath.co.uk

Kestrel Ltd 01256 880488 www.kestrelcontractors. co.uk Keyersbridge LTD 07818 047 183 La Mariposa +54 9 11 5180 1759 www.lamariposapolo.com.ar

Brett Polo 07970 029927 www.brettpolo.com

Hickstead Ltd 01273 834315 www.hickstead.co.uk

Charles Britton 01270 528797 www.charlesbritton.com

La Tarde Polo Club +54 1147989231 www.latardepolo.com

Horserail 0118 930 2135 www.aesfencing.com

Logic www.logictoday.co.uk

Chateau de Sours www.chateaudesours.com

HPA 01367 242828 www.hpa-polo.co.uk

Longdole Polo Club 01452 864544 rob@longdolepolo.com

Churchill Retirement Living 0800 458 1856 www.churchillretirement. co.uk

Images of Polo www.imagesofpolo.com

Cool Ice Box 01598 740685 www.coolicebox.co.uk Druids Lodge Polo Club 01722 782597 www.druidspolo.co.uk Equine Logistics Company 01264 810782 www.equine-logisticscompany.com Equine Management Limited 01825 841303 www.worldwidetack.com

Jacqueline Stanhope Fine Art www. jacquelinestanhope-fineart. com Jaeger Le Coultre www.jaeger-lecoultre.com Jeremy Curling Fencing 01483 894888 www.jcfc.co.uk Julius Baer & Co Ltd www.juliusbaer.com Kate’s Art 07887 678421 www.katesart.com

SATS 01285 841542 www.satsfaction.com Savills 01753 834600 www.savills.co.uk Shahira Industries +92 52 459 7606 www.shahiraind.com Square Circle Designs 07811 140295 www. squarecircle-designs.com

Lycetts 01672 512512 www.lycetts.co.uk Melinda Brewer +1 56 160 20410 www.poloart.ca Metropolitan Polo Club +86 22 8372 8888 www. metropolitanpoloclub.com Nomad www.nomad-direct.co.uk Pampeano 0871 2001272 www.pampeano.co.uk Polo Permits 01798 869496 www.polopermits.co.uk

Polo-Art 01747 830188 www.polo-art.com Pololine www.pololine.com

Heli Air Wellesbourne 01789 470476 www.heliair.com

Berney Brothers Saddlery +35 3 4548 1228 www. berneybrossaddles.com

Polo Regs www.poloreg.com

T&S Harker Horse Boxes 01325 332649 www. tandsharkerhorse boxes. co.uk The Leap Overseas 01672 519 922 www.theleap.co.uk The Thai Polo and Equestrian Club +66 2 650 3055 www.thai-polo-club.com Top Secret Hats www. topsecrethats.com Top50 Ranches www. top50ranches.com

Property PERFECTLY LOCATED APARTMENT IN SOTOGRANDE Overlooking the marina and 150 yards from the beach this lovely two bed apartment is in a very desirable location. The beach and tennis club are a five minute walk away and Santa Maria Polo Club is a five minute drive. Call Karina on 07974 706045 or email kjbowlby@aol.com Designed by www.nickiaverilldesign.co.uk Printed by The Manson Group Contact details Holbrook Farm, North Leigh Oxfordshire OX29 6PX Tel: 01993 886 885 Fax: 01993 882 660 email: admin@polotimes.co.uk

Submit your classified advertisements

online

www.polotimes.co.uk or contact Sarah on 01993 886885 and sarah@polotimes.co.uk

Contributors – October 2011 Miranda Banks, Carlos Beer, Abi Butcher, Linda Bryne, Yolanda Carslaw, James de Mountfort Arthur Douglas-Nugent, Aurora Eastwood, Lorna Edgar, Mark Emerson, Kat Flynn, Elisabeth Gansterer, Siobhan Herbst, Michael Hobday, Nicola Jagger, Michael Lou, Izzy McGregor, Clare Milford Haven, Jamie Peel, Herbert Spencer, Martha Terry, Niamh Tye

www.polotimes.co.uk © 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

www.polotimes.co.uk

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Intern (right): Amy Lodowski

Subscriptions UK: £55 for one year – £99 for two years Europe: £65 for one year – £115 for two years Rest of the World: £75 for one year – £135 for two years

Call Sarah Foster on +44 (0)1993 886885 Subscribe online: www.polotimes.co.uk Polo Times, October 2011

97

23/9/11 12:40:08

Final bell

In association with Aprés Polo

English four-goaler Ollie Cudmore’s

Passions

Fresh from victories in Sotogrande and Cowdray Park, the rising star talks to John O’Sullivan about his hopes for the future and reveals his secret crush What is your favourite polo memory?

Playing with my brother Matt and the Hanburys, Charlie and George, in the 8-goal.

And winning the Silver Cup last month in Spain at Sotogrande.

Who is your favourite teammate?

My low-goal patron Charlie Olver.

Who has been your hardest opponent?

Marcus Heguy.

Which is your favourite polo venue?

Home field at Ellerston in Australia.

Favourite form of the game (grass, outdoor, snow, beach, etc)? Grass, definitely.

If you could change one thing about polo, what would it be?

The rules should be the same wherever you play in the world, but at the moment it seems every country has there own version of the turning rule and hooking the backhand.

I think the rule in Argentina (where you can hook the

98

backhand) is great, but they don’t allow it in England.

What is your favourite pastime outside polo?

I like all sports. Cricket and more recently golf.

What other sporting teams (if any) do you support?

Newcastle United Football Club and, closer to home, Gloucester Rugby Club.

Where is your favourite holiday destination?

Australia at the beach.

Which celebrity would you most like to meet?

Cheryl Cole.

What was the first single or album you ever bought?

Now36...what a classic!

What is your most prized possession?

My best horse, Mask.

What is your biggest ambition?

I would love to play in the Argentine Open one day.

Who was your hero growing up?

I’m not sure about when I was younger, but recently Rafael Nadal. I wouldn’t call him my hero though!

First class or economy?

Economy, sadly.

New car or new horse?

Horse.

A bottle of wine or bottle of beer?

Beer.

Who was your biggest crush growing up?

Dani Watson, I’m pretty sure she reads Polo Times, so she is about to find out!

Polo Times, October 2011

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A PERFECT FIT CAN ONLY BE JUDGED BY THE WEARER. Eduardo Fagliano, maker of polo boots, Hurlingham, Argentina

Eduardo Fagliano, who comes from a long line of polo bootmakers, knows what it takes to make the perfect footwear.

Julius Baer is dedicated

A boot that’s unique to its owner. Those same principles apply in successful wealth management. At Julius Baer, we

to support young talents

understand distinctive craftsmanship. Our wealth management services are tailored by skilled professionals to your

and to sponsor youth

individual needs. Discover more at your local Julius Baer office.

development programmes

Julius Baer, established in 1890, is the leading Swiss private banking group.

in polo.

Your contact: Daniel Gerber, tel. +44 203 205 16 11. www.juliusbaer.com. The Julius Baer Group is present in over 40 locations worldwide. From Zurich (Head Office), Dubai, Frankfurt, Geneva, Guernsey, Hong Kong, London, Lugano, Milan, Monaco, Montevideo, Moscow, Nassau, Singapore to St. Moritz.

Approved for issue and distribution in the UK by Julius Baer International Limited, London, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Approved for issue and distribution in Guernsey by Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd., Guernsey branch, which is regulated by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission. Services are provided by Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd. in Switzerland and Guernsey and by all of the banking, investment advisory or broker/dealer entities of Julius Baer insofar as these entities are registered and regulated under applicable law in their respective jurisdictions. Investment services are not FDIC insured, may lose value and are not guaranteed by the Bank. The audited fi nancial statements of Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd. are available on request. Persons dealing with offi ces of the Julius Baer Group outside the UK will not be covered by rules and regulations made for the protection of investors under the UK Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and under the rules of the Financial Services Authority. This information is not directed to any person in any jurisdiction where (by reason of that person’s nationality, residence or otherwise) such information is prohibited. This information is not directed to any person in the United States or to any US person.

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21/9/11 11:42:34