The Deauville Gold Cup

Action from the thrilling Final Deauville Gold Cup

Photography by RB Presse

40 Year Victory Repeat for Aznar Family

This year saw the Gold Cup at Deauville International Polo Club celebrate its 70th anniversary, an impressive feat. Marqués de Riscal and Barrière faced each other in the Final of the 70th Martha & Lucien Barrière Gold Cup in front of over 2,000 spectators. Such a large crowd was certainly in contrast to the UK polo season where all matches had been played without spectators.

Spurred on, no doubt on by the support from the crowds, both teams were eager to claim the historic trophy and from the first chukka, it was clear it was going to be an intense competition with end-to-end play. It was close and ferocious action throughout, which saw the scores tied at the end of the first chukka and the eventual victors trailing in the second and third. However, things changed as the action reached its peak in the fourth chukka, which was marred with fouls and even saw Alejandro Aznar temporarily excluded from the match. However, despite the upsets it was a pivotal chukka which

Where: Deauville Polo Club, France

18 AUG FINAL30 AUG

MVP MVP of the Final: Alejandro Muzzio

saw Marqués de Riscal pull ahead for the first time. Despite a determined effort from their oponents it was a change of fortunes the red shirted eventual winners did not relinquish as Marqués de Riscal’s Alejandro Muzzio, later named the Most Valuable Player, sent home the winning goal from a penalty, to secure an 8-5 win for Aznar – amazingly 40 years after his father had claimed the Deauville Gold Cup.

Aznar commented, “It’s emotional, indeed, it’s been five times that I’ve tried to 5 goals

Final Top Scorers:

Alejandro Muzzio

Marqués de Riscal (16): Barrière (16):

Luis Aznar (1) Ignacio Kennedy (4) Santiago Cernadas (7) Jota Chavanne (5) Alejandro Muzzio (8) Martin Aguerre Jr. (7) Alejandro Aznar (0) Tommy Rinderknecht (0)

Chukka Score: 1-1, 1-3 , 4-5, 6-5, 8-7 to Marqués de Riscal with 5 goals

BPP

Best Playing Pony: Machitos Vitamina an 11-yearold mare, bred and played by Mariano Aguerre

win the Gold Cup. The match was tense, but I am very happy. I’m especially happy about this goal scored with a mare from my breeding, I’m proud of it. I have ten mares for my breeding and it is a great satisfaction when their offspring reach this level. Then, after this goal, it’s true that I got banished two minutes (laughs), I’m a little bit hot, you know, Spanish blood! To tell the truth, I was hit by a player in the leg and it hurt and I shouted at him, but the referee took it for him and sent me to the sidelines. But that didn’t affect the result, they didn’t score during that time.” The thirty strong troupe of Marqués de Riscal’s polo ponies then moved on to Chantilly, to try and win the third phase of the French Triple Crown, the French Open, which they won in 2019. Despite a strong performance unfortunately Anzar and his team met defeat in the last round of qualifiers to eventual Finalists Talandracas.

Marqués de Riscal, winners of the 70th Martha & Lucien Barrière Gold Cup