PT September 2012

Volume 17 • Issue 8 • September 2012 • £6.50

www.polotimes.co.uk

HPA International Day

Audi England lifts third consecutive Coronation Cup

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Contents

Photograph by Michael Chevis, Midhurst

78

60

Contacts Publisher Margie Brett margie@polotimes.co.uk

32

What’s inside...

September 2012

Editor James Mullan jamesmullan@polotimes.co.uk

News

10 All the latest news Sub editor John O’Sullivan john@polotimes.co.uk

18 The big picture

Comment

Assistant editor

20 Backchat with Clare Milford Haven

Georgie May georgie@polotimes.co.uk

22 Herbert Spencer’s Global view

Advertising manager Duncan Wilson duncan@polotimes.co.uk Art editor Nicki Averill nickiaverill@polotimes.co.uk Marketing & PR

24 Arthur Douglas-Nugent’s Umpire’s corner

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72 Know your horse 75 Ones to watch 76 How to spend it

Sidelines

28 Interview with new Singapore Polo Club president Iqbal Jumabhoy

82 Gossip: Don’t be the last to know

32 Cover story: where in the world do Polo Times subscribers live and play?

38 Cover story: The HPA’s Audi International Day, Guards Polo Club

www.polotimes.co.uk

70 Know your game

Features

Subscriptions

Tel: 01993 886885 Fax: 01993 882660

Knowledge

78 Travel: El Remanso Polo Club, Argentina

Reports

Accounts Philippa Hunt - accounts@polotimes.co.uk

60 Cover story: Nine pages of action from the Pony Club Polo Championships

26 Your views: letters and tweets

PJ Seccombe pj@polotimes.co.uk

Sarah Foster sarah@polotimes.co.uk

Youth polo

44 Bledisloe Warwickshire Cup, Cirencester Park 46 Cirencester 26-goal, Cirencester Park

48 Goodwood Week, Cowdray Park 50 Berkshire Polo Festival, RCBPC 52 Home and abroad

84 Social: Audi International; EFG Bicentennial Trophy; Heritage Cup 86 Social: Berkshire Festival; Audi Pony Club Polo Championships 88 Social: Luke Tomlinson and Cata Zavaleta’s engagement party; Bledisloe Warwickshire Cup 90 What’s on in September 98 Passions: Richard Thomas Cover photograph: England captain Luke Tomlinson dribbles clear of South Africa’s Chris Mackenzie and Nachi Du Plessis on the HPA’s International Day at Guards Polo Club. By Tom Reynolds

Polo Times, September 2012 9

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from the Editor Based in the UK as we are here in the Polo Times office, I can hardly write an editorial without making some reference to the marvellous Olympic Games. Polo wasn’t a part of it, but we were nevertheless reminded on a daily basis of the constructive power of sport, to influence, energise and inspire.

As well as the many moments of drama and stories of personal triumph for those competing, we learnt something about ourselves. It showed us a glimpse of a society where perceived success isn’t couched merely in monetary terms, but rather in the manner in which athletes achieved their dreams through a combination of talent and sheer determination. Audiences genuinely connected with this fundamental spirit of the games, which rubbed off on its smiling volunteers and even the toooften cynical media. In stark contrast to our footballers and the modern world’s fascination with reality-TV celebrity, our Olympians were largely a down-to-earth, likeable, gracious bunch. People (hopefully) like us.

Bradley Wiggins – who, incidentally, actually features in this issue (see page 85) – was surely amongst the most inspirational. So much so in fact that, as the cameras focused on Wiggo’s remarkable victory in the Olympic men’s cycling time trial just 10 days after becoming the first British cyclist to win the Tour de France, we finally understood one of the great mysteries of the summer: where had Simon Tomlinson taken inspiration for his increasingly Shakespearean facial hair? At last we knew.

As well as apparently cheering on Wiggins, there was delight as son Mark’s girlfriend Laura Bechtolsheimer won team Gold and individual Bronze in dressage. However, happily Tomlinson’s obvious support for Team GB is mirrored in his continuing support for young British polo talent. As chairman of the HPA Development Committee, he kept a keen eye on all the games at the Pony Club Polo Championships last month, the results of which you can read on pages 60-68.

And, just finally, this issue is also my last as editor of Polo Times, and draws to a close a very happy five years working at the very heart of a game I’d previously underestimated and – it’s fair to say – misunderstood. It has been a wonderful sport to have been a part of, and there are many of you that have become good friends as well as work colleagues and associates in that time.

I’m moving to work client-side for a branding and comms media agency, but will also continue doing some freelance polo-related work, when the time will allow. Anyone wishing to stay in touch can reach me on jahmullan@hotmail.com and 07884 262304.

The progression of Polo Times in recent years is something in which we’ve all taken extreme pride (none more so than me). So I hope you’ll join me – as, like Boris Johnson, I hand over the flag with something of a heavy heart – in helping new editor John O’Sullivan take it forward to bigger and better things. His email address is below.

Many thanks for subscribing and for all your eager correspondence through the years, not to mention countless entertaining and heart-warming memories.

Best wishes to all,

Stay in touch. Tweet: @mullanitunder Email the new editor: john@polotimes.co.uk 10

Polo Times, September 2012

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News

Top stories

Ellerston and Richard Mille

W

ITH THE UK high-goal season now behind us and the top players now mainly entertaining the public in Spain, France, the USA and Argentina, Polo Times has already learned some of the likely line-ups for 2013.

It is understood that Ellerston will not return next year. The side reached the Cartier Queen’s Cup final – playing as Ayala – but failed to make it to the semi-final stages of the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup. It is not yet known what will happen to Jamie Packer’s extensive facilities at Stedham and Ambersham.

Gonazlito Pieres, who played for Packer’s team this year, moves back to Jean-Francois Decaux’s La Bamba De Areco team in 2013. However, he will not be rejoining brother Facundo, who is moving to Lyndon Lea’s Zacara – who he plays for in the US. Meanwhile Nico Pieres has been picked up by Rashid Albwardy’s Dubai.

Bahar Jefri’s Richard Mille – who enjoyed success in the Deauville Gold Cup last month – are also unlikely to return to the fold next year. Neither 10-goaler Pablo MacDonough nor Ollie Cudmore are out of a job though, as they move to Jerome Wirth’s Enigma and La Bamba respectively. MacDonough

replaces Juan Martin Nero as the team’s 10-goaler, as Nero is employed by Eduoard Carmignac’s Talandracas.

Mainstays and 2012 Cartier Queen’s Cup winners Dubai will return to defend their title in 2013, as will Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup winners Cortium. El Remanso, Les Lions and Sumaya are also expected to play next year.

It has been rumoured that Sheikha Maitha Rashid Al Maktoum will field a Godolphin team next year, with eight-goal US player Nic Roldan. The team played the Warwickshire Cup in August, winning the subsidiary final. It is very likely that Salkeld and EFG Bank Aravali will return with teams in one (if not both) British high-goal tournaments, and rumours abound that teams funded by Marc Ganzi and Tang Polo Club will also join the mix.

As the provisional line-ups stand at the moment, the only English players assured of places are the Hanburys and Ollie Cudmore. As yet, none of the England players who featured on International Day have been named in a team. And neither have regulars Max Routledge, John Paul Clarkin, the Novillo Astradas, the Heguys, and eight-goalers Jaime Huidobro, Nachi Du Plessis and Lucas Monteverde.

However, there is still plenty of time and several gaps to fill on various teams.

Facundo Pieres moves to join Lyndon Lea’s Zacara, with whom he won the US Open in April

Major Hugh Dawnay memorial this month A MEMORIAL SERVICE for the late Major Hugh Dawnay, who died in May, will be held on 21 September at 1pm at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS). The service will be held in the Royal Memorial Chapel, followed by a reception in the Indian Army Memorial Room.

As RMAS is a military establishment, a list of attendees must be submitted prior to the memorial in order for guests to gain entrance. Therefore, if you wish to attend, please confirm this via email by 3 September: louisadawnay@hotmail.co.uk.

Guests must enter the college via the Staff College Gate and will be asked to present photographic identification in order to gain entry. w R ead Hugh’s obituary, written by his friend Chris Ashton, in the July issue of Polo Times www.polotimes.co.uk

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u

Top stoires

unlikely to return for 2013 season Provisional 2013 high-goal teams, as learned by Polo Times Cortium

Godolphin

Adrian Kirby

1

Sheikha Al Maktoum

Francisco Elizalde

7

TBA

TBA

9

Nic Roldan

Chris Mackenzie (not definite)

5

TBA

22 Dubai Rashid Albwardy

Sumaya 0 8

Ahmad Aboughazale

1

Facundo Sola

8

Hilario Ulloa

9

Tomas Garbarini

4

22 La Bamba De Areco

22 Talandracas

2

Jean-François Decaux

0

Edouard Carmignac

0

Nico Pieres

7

Gonzalito Pieres

10

Juan Martin Nero

10

Adolfo Cambiaso

10

Polito Pieres

8

Lucas James

7

3

Ollie Cudmore

4

TBA

Alec White

22 El Remanso

22 Les Lions

5 22

Zacara

George Hanbury

3

Joachim Gottschalk

0

Lyndon Lea

1

David “Pelon” Stirling

10

Agustin Merlos

9

Facundo Pieres

10

Guillermo Terrera

7

Sebastian Merlos

9

Rodrigo Ribeiro de Andrade

8

2

TBA

4

TBA

TBA

22 Enigma

22 Piaget

Jerome Wirth

1

Stefano Marsaglia

0

Charlie Hanbury

4

Magoo Laprida

8

Pablo MacDonough

10

Ignacio Laprida

7

Temi Wellington

7

Marcos Di Paola

7

22

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3 22

News

News in brief w THE HPA’S CHAIRMAN Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers is seeking four international teams to take part in the first International Polo Tournament in Manipur, India, from 24-29 November. Read Nicholas’s full letter on the subject on page 26 for more information. w LEA AND ROTORMOTION will meet again for the second Aviation Polo Challenge on 1 September at Hurtwood Park. Rotormotion won last year’s inaugural game, but George Galanopoulos’s LEA team took part in July’s Duke of Essex Trophy and are determined to claim victory in the Embraer Executive Jets-sponsored event this year. w SIX TEAMS WILL take part in the fifth annual Lawyers Polo Association tournament – for the Emirates NBD Polo Cup – from 1013 October. Held at Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly in France, 24 international and local players will take part in the event, which is held in conjunction with the IBA annual meeting – attended by more than 5,000 lawyers. wA RGENTINE 10-GOALERS Gonzalito and Facundo Pieres took part in the fourth Argentina Snow Cup at Chapelco ski resort in Patagonia, Argentina last month.

Neither player was part of the winning team, Gallcia Eminent, but Facundo represented the runnersup, Sun International.

Polo Times, September 2012

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News

John O’Sullivan unveiled as new Polo Times editor JOHN O’SULLIVAN has been named as the new editor of Polo Times following the departure of James Mullan. As many of you will already know (particularly those who have read his final column on the previous spread), James has moved on to pastures new after five years at the magazine, the final two of which saw him serve as editor.

John, who has worked under James as sub editor since November 2010, has been promoted to editor with immediate effect. The recently-married 30-year-old former Berkshire Media Group sports editor is looking forward to taking up his new role.

“It has been a real honour to work alongside James for the past two years,” he said. “I have learned a lot from him and I wish him all the best for the future.

“He certainly will be a hard act to follow as editor, but I am looking forward to the challenge during what promises to be an exciting time for the magazine. I’m confident that, working alongside Georgie May, Margie Brett and our vast pool of regular contributors, I can take the magazine forward.” w John can be contacted on 01993 886885 and via email at john@polotimes.co.uk

Audi international at Chester CHESTER RACECOURSE WILL host its first Audi International on Saturday 8 September, when England – who have won two of their three earlier Test Matches this season – will take on South America.

Four-goaler Ollie Cudmore, who made his debut playing for England in a domestic Test Match at the St Regis International Cup in May, forms part of September’s English side.

This, and a number of seasons in the high-goal already, means he brings plenty of experience to the side, despite only being in his early twenties.

He is joined by six-goaler James Harper, who wins his second cap having last represented England in 2006. Back from the international wilderness, Harper has returned to prominence having climbed in handicap at the end of last season and by playing some impressive matches earlier this summer. He was part of the Commonwealth team that beat England in June in the Beaufort Test Match – the first of the three Audi Internationals – in June. Following that victory and an allprofessional charity match at Coworth Park, Harper – a familiar face in the medium-goal – revealed just how much he enjoys playing four-man polo, so it will be interesting to see how he takes his opportunity.

England regulars James Beim and Mark Tomlinson will form the rest of the team.

Seven-goaler James Beim played in the international at Cowdray Park at the start of the season, while six-goaler Tomlinson captained England at the Beaufort. Both players represented England in July’s successful defence of the Coronation Cup.

Facing the home side is a team of four sixgoalers. Tomas Ruiz Guinazu, who represented runners-up Camino Real Buenos Aires in Mint Polo in the Park in June, will line-up alongside Guillermo Cuitiňo, Manolo Fernandez-Llorente and Marcos Araya.

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Polo Times, September 2012

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www.polotimes.co.uk

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News

Racecourse early this month

News in brief Photograph by Tony Ramirez, Images of Polo

w MAX CHARLTON WAS named the HPA’s best young player of the year on Audi International Day at Guards on 22 July. Charlton was a member of the victorious Young England team in the morning game that day. This year, he represented England in the FIP Snow Polo World Championships in China and won the Eduardo Moore tournament and La Martina Trophy with Dell Park. w GUARDS POLO CLUB will host the annual Grenadier Polo Challenge on Sunday 9 September.

The Grenadier Veterans will play the Young Guns in the match at 3pm, which is held in aid of the Colonel’s Fund. Gates open at 11am. w IT IS THE 90th anniversary of the Argentine Polo Association this year and the organisation will be celebrating their milestone at the Hurlingham and Argentine Open qualifiers, which run from 27 September to 9 October.

Fernandez Llorente and Araya have been enjoying a successful season here in the UK this summer, playing for Clinton McCarthy’s Emlor C. The side won the Duke of Sutherland’s Cup at Cowdray Park and the Duke of Beaufort’s Trophy at Beaufort this season.

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Above (and see page 38): the England team from the HPA’s International Day – Malcolm Borwick, Luke Tomlinson, Mark Tomlinson and James Beim – line up with Audi UK’s head of PR, Jon Zammett

w T urn to page 75 to learn about a pony and a player to keep an eye on in the game

w MEMBERS OF THE Riding Club London – an exclusive members club and concierge service – more than doubled in August, after the success of equestrian sports in the Olympics. GB won team gold in dressage and show jumping and silver in eventing. Dressage riders Charlotte Dujardin and Laura Bechtolsheimer won gold and bronze respectively.

Polo Times, September 2012

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News

Aiming high ADOLFO CAMBIASO: the < 10-goaler is back to his winning ways, tasting success at the Piaget Silver Cup with Lucchese at Santa Barbara, USA LYCHETT HEATH: the Dorset< based polo club, which was formed earlier this year, has now received full affiliation to the HPA YORKSHIRE POLO: a < record 18 teams entered last month’s Yorkshire Open Polo Championships at White Rose Polo Club POLO CLUB: due < to SUSSEX the bad weather at the start of the summer, the club is extending their season to mid-October.

Their arena season will now start in November

Swinging low MARK EMERSON: the vet = didn’t have much luck in a match at Lynt in August. First he fell off his pony, then received a ball in the face. Read more on pages 82-83 BRITS IN ARGENTINA: no = British players will be taking part in the Argentine Triple Crown this year, with no Brits playing in the Hurlingham and Argentine qualifiers INTERNATIONAL DAY = CROWDS: numbers were hugely down at July’s Audi International Day at Guards – only 7,000 attended compared to the usual 2025,000. See pages 38-42 for the report Curry sales IN = WITNEY: with editor James Mullan leaving the magazine, Polo Times’s local supermarkets will most definitely see a significant decline in ready-meal curry sales next year 14

Polo Times, September 2012

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Spain to host scaled-down SANTA MARIA POLO CLUB in Sotogrande has stepped in to host the 9th European 8-Goal Championship of the Federation of International Polo (FIP), writes Herbert Spencer. Santa Maria came to the rescue after Swiss and German clubs scheduled to host the event withdrew earlier in the year due to financing problems.

Six countries will compete in the championships, due to take place from 6-16 September: Spain, Germany, Italy, Holland, Austria and Ireland. France, the reigning champions, has not entered a team this year.

England usually competes in the bi-annual FIP event, but this time the HPA has designated Ireland to represent the association.

The Ireland (HPA) team includes two-goaler Steven Hutchinson, chairman of the Northern Ireland Polo Club and a steward of the HPA; his son Max Hutchinson (2); Richard Fagan (1); and Santiago Torreguitar (3).

Torreguitar, who is polo manager at Santa Maria, holds an Irish passport and so is eligible to play for Ireland under the FIP’s nationality rules.

Most of the other countries have yet to confirm their team line-ups, which can be from 6 to 8-goals but cannot include any players above 3-goals in handicap.

Argentina’s Ricardo Mihanovich is the FIP Tournament Director for the championships.

The teams will play in two groups: Ireland (HPA), Spain and Austria in one and Germany, Italy and Holland in the other. Teams of one group will play against those in the other, with the best four playing the semi-finals. England has won five of the eight previous European 8-Goal championships, most recently in 2008 in Hamburg, but only came third in 2010 in Vienna behind France, the winners, and runner-up Spain.

With Santa Maria’s Torreguitar playing for the

Action from the 2010 Gold Cup at Santa Maria Polo Club in Sotogrande. The European 8-Goal Championships will now be held at the picturesque Spanish club this month

Ireland (HPA) team, it should do well. “Santi”, as long-time polo manager at the club, knows every blade of grass on his home turf. w R ead more from Herbert Spencer in his monthly Global View column on page 22

Blacklock’s moves into new era BLACKLOCK’S POLO ART, the bookshop specialising in polo books, prints and artwork has now moved to online only.

Owner Graham Dennis, who founded the antiquarian second-hand bookshop in 1988, made the move this summer and will be closing his shop down imminently. For the past year, the shop has been available by appointment only but this will cease in due course.

“Sadly we are one of many shops that cannot afford to stay open,” Dennis told Polo Times.

“We’ve been in Englefield Green for 24 years and I have always enjoyed meeting people coming

through our door. However, it’s time to move on and I hope the website will be just as successful.”

Blacklock’s sells a large variety of early polo photographs, some dating back to the 1800s. His vast book collection includes works by Herbert Spencer, Earl Mountbatten, Major Hugh Dawnay and Brigadier Ricketts.

In 2011 Blacklock’s started selling sculptures and currently has a couple of polo sculptures by Erica Renelt on sale. w T o see the full range of Blacklock’s books visit www.blacklockspoloart.com www.polotimes.co.uk

21/08/2012 13:44

News

European Championships Photograph by James Mullan

British claim success in Sotogrande BRITISH PATRON RICHARD FAGAN claimed the low-goal Bronze Cup in Sotogrande at the beginning of August. His team Silex beat Bisontes 9½-8. Another British player, James Warren, formed part of the winning Seven

Sevens team in the medium-goal Bronze Cup, who beat Marques de Riscal 10-7. Kaptive Leones, featuring Charlie Hanbury and Malcolm Borwick, failed to make it to the high-goal Silver Cup final, which was won by Inigo Zobel’s Ayala.

Pony Club changes on the cards THE PONY CLUB is set to introduce some changes to their polo sections in 2013. The Pony Club Polo Committee is proposing age changes to four of their sections in order to aid player progression. While Jorrocks and Handley Cross will remain the same, Surtees will accommodate 10 to under 14 year olds (previously 11-15) and Loriner will open to 13 to under 16 year olds (previously 14-17). The upper age bracket in Ledner and Rendell will move up to under 21.

Any changes to Gannon, Langford and Hipwood will be made in due course.

There has also been discussion about the www.polotimes.co.uk

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future of the Ledner section. “The Pony Club Polo Committee is not entirely certain that Ledner should not return to the fold of being a bona fide Pony Club section, rather than a half way house between Pony Club and Junior HPA,” said Theresa Hodges, chairman of Pony Club Polo.

“An analysis of players’ ages shows that we need to offer a section to players too old for Loriner but not wanting to pony up for Rendell.

Teams would be by branch (as all were in 2012) with no restriction on male/female player split.” w Read more from Theresa Hodges on page 67 Polo Times, September 2012

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News

Association updates

Latest from the HPA Audi International at Chester Racecourse Polo Club The third match of the Audi International series takes place on Saturday 8 September at Chester Racecourse. England will play South America.

Best Young Player Congratulations to 21-year-old five goal player Max Charlton who was awarded the Ferguson Trophy for the Best Young Player of the year on Audi International Day.

Audi International at Guards Polo Club, Windsor for the Coronation Cup Thank you to all those who played in and produced ponies for Audi International Day and congratulations to England for their victory.

Audi England: James Beim 7; Mark Tomlinson 6; Luke Tomlinson 7 Malcolm Borwick 6 Equus & Co South Africa: Chris Mackenzie 5; Jean du Plessis 6; Tom de Bruin 6; Nachi du Plessis 8

Umpire meetings The club chief umpires meeting will be held at 11am on Wednesday 5 September at Sunningdale Park Hotel. The Umpire grading meeting will be held afterwards.

Diamond Jubilee Trophy Congratulations to Young England for their victory over Young Commonwealth, 6-3½.

How To Spend It.Com Hurlingham (Young England): Jack Richardson 4; Max Charlton 5; George Meyrick 5; Richard Le Poer 5 Audi Prince of Wales (Young Commonwealth): Oliver Cudmore 4; Tom Hunt 5; Dirk Gould 5; Jack Archibald 4

Handicap meeting The end of season handicap meeting takes place on Monday 10 September. Changes will be made public as soon as they are confirmed by the Committee. Please note that all handicaps are subject to endorsement by the Stewards and that changes to handicaps can still be made for any player still playing up until the end of the season.

As usual, they are effective from 1 January 2013.

Coaching The three-day coaching course is due to take

place at Beaufort Polo Club from Wednesday 19 to Friday 21 September. Please contact the HPA Office for further details.

HPA Select Following the Pony Club and Junior HPA Championships at Cowdray Park Polo Club, the HPA development committee selected players for various matches and a development course, as listed below: The Colts Cup – Cowdray Park Polo Club on Tuesday 14 to Thursday 16 August Black: Izzy McGregor 0; Ed Banner-Eve 0; Henry Letts -1; Charlie Holley -1 Blue: Tom Brodie 0; Joe Arber -1; Charlie Pidgley -1; Camilla Beresford -1 Red: Harry Hickmet -1; David Gibbons 0; Karim Sheikh -1; Lolly Stanhope-White -1 White: Sebastian Hancock 0; Alice Walsh -1; Robin Ormerod -1; Terence Lent -1 Alan Budgett Trophy – England Under 21s vs NZ Colts at Kirtlington Park Polo Club on Saturday 18 August

Beach polo hits Jersey shores for first time JERSEY WILL HOST its first ever polo event on 19 September at St Brelades Bay. Organisers of the 8-goal beach polo tournament were given the go ahead earlier this year, after the Jersey State Government granted a law change to allow horses on the beach during the daytime. Usually, they are not permitted on the beach between 10.30am and 6pm.

Four teams will contest the title and a number of British players are expected to take

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Polo Times, September 2012

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part including Ryan Pemble, Tarquin Southwell and Peter Saville, whose company Zolfo Cooper is one of the main sponsors. A team from Zimbabwe are also expected.

“There are no polo ponies in Jersey so Andrew Hine of the Guards Polo Academy will bring 28 ponies over for the tournament,” said event organiser Julie Settle. “The beach was the only place to hold a polo event as there is no flat field big enough in Jersey to

hold a grass tournament. We hope it will follow on from the success of other beach polo events such as Watergate Bay in Cornwall and the British Beach Polo Championships on Sandbanks in Dorset and become an annual event on the Jersey calendar.”

The event is free to the public and organisers hope to attract around 1,500 spectators on the beach. There will also be more than 600 corporate guests.

www.polotimes.co.uk

17/08/2012 17:21

HPA chief executive David Woodd rounds up the news from UK polo’s headquarters England Under 21s: Edmund Parsons 3; Izzy Parsons 2; Will Berner 2; Jack Berner 1 New Zealand: James Wood 4; Henry Jones 2; Mark Duncan 1; Alex Rowland-Jones 1 Gibley Cup – England Under 21s vs New Zealand Colts at Cirencester Park on Tuesday 21 August England Under 21s: Max Hutchinson 2; Freddie Dear 2; Matt Perry 3; Rupert Lewis 1 New Zealand: James Wood 4; Henry Jones 2; Mark Duncan 1; Alex Rowland-Jones 1 The Whitbread Trophy – Rutland Polo Club on Wednesday 22 August. The Whitbread Trophy will be played between England and Scotland, as follows.

Scotland: Adam Dove -1; Matt Dove 0; James Lindsay 0; Mungo Kilgour -2

England: Tom Abel Smith 0; Nick Winterton 0; Charlie Walton 0; Max Stacy 0 The Stagshead Trophy – Ham Polo Club on Sunday 19 August for players selected by the HPA. Players: Hugo Taylor -2; Ollie Cork -1; James Grayson -2; Max Dear -1; Charlie Day S; Kian Hall -2; James McCarthy -1; John Dalton Morgan -2 Development Course – Lynt Polo Club on Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 August for players selected by the HPA. Players: Ollie Cork -2; Kian Hall -2; Harry Hutchings -2; Toby Addison -2; John Dalton Morgan -2; William Penfold -2; Hugo Taylor -2; Dominic Lodge -2; Johnny Beck-Brown PC; Milo Sweet S; Charlie Day S; Tamara Gibbons -2; Tom Townsend S; Charlie Turk PC; Thomas Coid -2; Freddie Jodrell PC; Marcus Cork -2

Welsh association seeks players for national team AFTER FOUR YEARS of hard work, the Welsh Polo Association has been formed and has been granted affiliation to the HPA. Chairman Harry Legge-Bourke and Welsh player Ricky Cooper helped create the association, which has attracted the patronage of HRH The Prince of Wales.

The association aims to put forward a medium-goal men’s team, a ladies’ team and a junior side, who will all play under the Welsh banner. However, any team the WPA selects to represent Wales must be verified by the HPA. “We decided to form an association as we want to expand polo in Wales and have a national team that can export the brand,” Legge-Bourke said. “England has had great success with the support of Audi and we want Wales to be able to achieve the same.

“Clogau Gold are one of our main sponsors and have been www.polotimes.co.uk

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Roddy Matthews is in the Wales squad

a great support in getting the association off the ground.

“We are looking for players of Welsh descent to join our squad.

At the moment we have 17 players in the squad but we’d like many more. We’re concentrating on putting together a full schedule for the 2013 season and, if we attract enough sponsorship, then we would like to take the national team to Argentina and the USA.” One of the next missions of the association is to increase participation in youth polo – in schools and Pony Club.

Polo Times, September 2012

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17/08/2012 17:21

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21/08/2012 13:47

Fashion on the farm: Du Plessis gets dressy This shot shows South African captain Ignatius “Nachi” Du Plessis in a specially arranged photo shoot earlier this season for equestrian and fashion photographer, Luru Wei. She shot the 23-year-old eight-goaler on location at Glee Farm in Berkshire, where he posed with four of his nine horses based at the yard.

However, Du Plessis was missing many of his top ponies for the Coronation Cup clash with England, having already sent them ahead to Sotogrande in preparation for his Silver and Gold Cup campaigns with Inigo Zobel’s Ayala team throughout August.

He rented five mounts from Guillermo Terrera and one from England’s coach José Donoso for the HPA’s International Day, when Du Plessis’ South African team fought valiantly but, ultimately, lost to the hosts when James Beim scored with the final play of the day. This tied the scores in England’s Audi International Series, with just the final domestic Test Match of the English summer to play at Chester Racecourse in early September. You can read a full report of the Coronation Cup on pages 38-42. w Du Plessis is wearing clothing by Polistas, with hair and makeup by Alice Howlett w To discover more about photographer Luru Wei, and see a selection of her other photo shoots, or to commission her yourself, visit www.luruwei.com

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21/08/2012 13:47

Comment

Backchat with Clare Milford Haven

It was Bloom-ing marvellous to see such a competitive ladies’ polo match

I

t was very inspiring to watch a really decent level of women’s polo at Cowdray Park during the Bloom British Ladies Championships. (Actually watching wasn’t what I had in mind, but due to a leg injury, it’s what I ended up doing).

My Jaeger-LeCoultre team got through to the final, playing against RJ Polo, with fellow Jaeger-LeCoultre ambassador, Argentine two-goaler Lia Salvo, at the helm.

I suddenly found myself in an awkward position. Lia was staying with me as my guest and I was lending her ponies but she was also now playing against my team in the final, posing a potentially uncomfortable dilemma. Or not. Any mischievous thoughts of introducing Dave the donkey into her string were swiftly dispelled, which just goes to show how much confidence I had in my team, who happily, though narrowly, won by half a goal.

Although the stands were not quite as packed as those at the Olympic women’s beach volleyball, the game was well attended and just goes to show that we’ve come a long way since the days when it was deemed essential to have one man on each team to keep the ball moving.

Photograph by Clive Bennett

No replacement for experience Having reluctantly recently changed from a Blackberry to an iPhone, I was delighted to discover that with my new gadget, I could watch the Hurlingham Media coverage of the Audi International at Guards transmitted onto my flat screen at home via Apple TV. The commentary by Chris Hyde and Eduardo Heguy was both informative and entertaining and 20

Polo Times, September 2012

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Two-goaler Lia Salvo of RJ Polo battles with Jaeger-LeCoultre four-goaler Nina Clarkin in the Bloom British Ladies Championships

made up for not making it to the game itself. Interestingly, one of the things they made frequent reference to was the fact that the main disadvantage to the youthful South African squad was not any lack of skill or horsepower but a lack of age and experience – their team with an average age of 21 versus England’s more mature mean age of 31.

goaler Gareth Evans, to help lead the enthusiastic and indisputably talented youngsters into battle against their far more experienced home opposition?

Wind of change No sooner had the last sip of champagne been drunk and the final divot trodden in after the Gold Cup final than next year’s

Although the stands weren’t quite as packed as the Olympic women’s beach volleyball, the women’s game has certainly come a long way Even though the game was far from being a walk in the park for England, in the absence of seasoned South African player Sugar Erskine, surely it would have made sense to have enlisted a slightly older player, such as six-

high-goal teams were already being shuffled around like a pack of cards in a heated poker game.

The speed at which players are exchanged is remarkable. All that valuable team bonding which takes some weeks to achieve is

hastily cast aside as handicaps alter and loyalties waver. There’s something special about following the progress of a team that remains more or less constant over the years but it seems that in highgoal, you just begin to associate certain players with certain teams and their respective colours and the following year it’s all change.

In the medium and lowgoal there’s much more team continuity, and, due to more stringent budget restrictions, only so many team jackets and caps to go round. F wR ead more “Backchat” from Clare at www.polotimes.co.uk wF or more from the Bloom British Ladies Championship at Cowdray Park see page 52 in the Home and Abroad section www.polotimes.co.uk

16/08/2012 12:34

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16/08/2012 12:35

Comment

Global view with Herbert Spencer

How important is corporate branding for the activities of polo associations?

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here can be few members of the general public, even those who are not regular football fans, who do not know what the FA is or does. Or what FIFA does on the global soccer scene, or the NFL in American football. Just the initials are enough without spelling out the names of these mainstream sports’ governing bodies, thanks in part to effective corporate branding of their activities. But how many punters outside the polo community know what HPA, USPA, AAP stand for? For most, they are just meaningless initials.

Corporate branding of its governing bodies has never been one of polo’s strong points. Associations have not always recognised that making themselves known to the public can be beneficial in contributing to efforts to grow the sport.

The game’s three largest national associations, the Asociación Argentina de Polo (AAP), US Polo Association (USPA) and Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA), have differing approaches to marketing themselves to the public at large.

The AAP’s branding is given top billing during the country’s biggest polo tournaments, such as the Argentine Open at Palermo

minutes from downtown Buenos Aires, which is leased from the military. The association owns eight grounds, stabling and a mansion in Pilar outside the capital. It organises some 50 of its own tournaments every year, as distinct from club tournaments.

Several AAP committees and staff members are involved in promoting and protecting these assets and keeping the name of the association in the public eye.

Unlike the AAP, the USPA has no physical assets such as its own

Photograph by James Mullan

Polo associations have not always recognised that making themselves known to the public can contribute to efforts to grow the sport The AAP is very active in its corporate branding, not surprising given the positioning of polo in Argentina as a mainstream “national sport” – and the extensive physical, as well as commercial, assets belonging to the association.

The jewel in the AAP’s crown is, of course, the national polo stadium at Palermo just 10 22

Polo Times, September 2012

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polo grounds. But it does “own” a large proportion of tournaments played across the continent, with USPA prefixed to their titles.

If a club wants to host a USPA event, it must apply to the association’s tournament committee for the privilege. For major high-goal tournaments such as the US Open and the USPA Gold Cup, a club pays the

association a fee, so the USPA gains income as well as getting its name before the public.

In the same way as the USPA, the HPA has no physical assets, but the association does have valuable commercial assets to protect, promote and brand. Most important are the England team, playing at home and abroad, and at-home international Test Matches including the new Audi International Polo Series.

Its 41-year-old International Day, the polo world’s biggest oneday event with prestigious HPA trophies and HPA sponsors, is the association’s flagship.

In this column a year ago (September 2011), I pointed out that publicity surrounding the HPA’s Cartier International Day made it appear as a Guards Polo Club event rather than an HPA event. Now the same thing has happened with the HPA’s Audi International Day this year.

For example, the HPA wasn’t identified as International Day owner in pre-event and post-event press releases. And there was little HPA branding on the day, around

the Queen’s Ground at Guards and at the prize presentations presided over by the Duke of Edinburgh in his capacity as patron of the association.

Changing all this to include strong corporate branding of the HPA at its flagship event and in promotion and publicity is not rocket science. The association’s staff and its international committee know how to achieve this. I have heard some of their ideas and they are excellent.

Any English club privileged to be chosen by the HPA to host and help organise an association-owned event should be prepared to accept HPA directives as to how the event is run. The HPA pays a host club a facilities fee and it may even share the profits, and the club clearly benefits from the prestige. But it must let the HPA call the tune in planning effective corporate branding of its own events. F w Read more from Herbert at www.polotimes.co.uk w For a report from the HPA’s International Day see page 38 www.polotimes.co.uk

16/08/2012 14:36

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W W W. T H E M A N O RW E S T O N. C O. U K 16/08/2012 14:35

Comment

Umpire’s corner with Arthur Douglas-Nugent

Olympic badminton disqualifications show that “fixing” matches isn’t just a polo problem

Photograph courtesy of the Badminton World Federation

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he Olympic ideal may state that taking part is more important than winning, but try to sell that to a polo player or indeed any other sportsman. However, there are occasions in sport, and even in the Olympics, when for tactical reasons a team tries to lose. This happened yesterday, as I write, at a badminton match in which both teams seemingly tried to lose a league match to get a better draw in the knockout phase.

They were accused of “not using their best effort to win a match” and “conducting themselves in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport” and were duly disqualified.

Polo has faced similar problems with the spectre of “fixed” matches, particularly in the league phase of tournaments. The difficulty is often proving that a player or team is not trying to win. Our rules clearly state that “both teams in a match must try to win”. Umpires are empowered to warn a team should they have doubts but it is a tough one to make judgement on as all sorts of excuses can be deployed such as: “Do you want us to kill our horses?” We are still awaiting our first conviction under this rule.

It is for this reason that penalty shoot-outs were introduced for the first time this year – to separate teams who were level on points at the end of the league

The Badminton World Federation expelled the Olympic teams who were deemed not to have been trying to win. This Korean team was given a black card (for disqualification)

umpire awarding the penalty must state “the foul, the player that has fouled and the penalty”. Simple enough you may say, but what to do if a player, and he named in the letter is a certain ten-goaler, does start to talk to an umpire?

Do you turn your back and ride away? Do you ignore his plea? Or do you say: “I am sorry I am not allowed to discuss that play with you”? In different circumstances all three actions have a place, with the threat of a technical penalty, or a yellow flag, hanging in the air.

Whatever action the umpires take they should avoid talking to the players between chukkas.

New heights stage. One such high-noon scenario took place at Ambersham to decide the final place in the quarter finals of the Gold Cup. It turned out to be a bit of a damp squib, not least because of the

Our rules clearly state that “both teams in a match must try to win” weather and the surprisingly poor penalty taking by the top pros.

Maybe all four players should have been involved, polo is after all a game played by a team of four, but perhaps there was a danger of those of lowly handicap showing up the more exalted ones. As a side note to all this,

the French Polo Association has asked for the rules governing the penalty shoot out so perhaps the idea is catching on.

Still a talking point The letter in the last issue of Polo Times (August 2012, page 26) concerning the umpire talking to the player touches on a raw nerve. This problem has been debated over the years and we are probably no nearer to a definitive solution. Up until two years ago the captain of a team had the right to ask the umpires for clarification of a decision. This was constantly abused as the captaincy alternated and often involved more than just a polite question. This right has now been withdrawn but the

A brief word about the referee, or third man. As more professional umpires are being used the lot of the referee is not a happy one.

He is often sitting among a crowd of “experts” whose view from the side is apparently better than that of the umpires and certainly his own. Radios have helped to involve the referee further in the game and perhaps we are on the verge of using the video replay.

As a first step I propose that we should hoist them aloft to offer them a better overall view of the play. This would also isolate him from all the distractions which abound in the stands. F ◗ Read more from Arthur at www.polotimes.co.uk

Foul for thought…

This month’s puzzle Which four different ways can a player with the ball lose the right of way?

24

Last month’s solution A player hits the ball forward but it rebounds over his back line off a teammate’s pony. What action should follow?

This is the sort of question the umpires must get right but it is surprising how many who take the Umpire Test get it wrong. The answer is a hit in. It is only if a defender hits it over his own back line directly, or off his own pony, goal post or boards that a Penalty Six (safety sixty) is awarded. (Rule 25a)

Polo Times, September 2012

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www.polotimes.co.uk

16/08/2012 14:41

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There is a swimming pool situated next to the house along with a 100m2 pool house/changing rooms and a fitness suite.

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17/08/2012 13:00

Comment

Your views

Letters Write to the editor in the following ways: ◗ letters@polotimes.co.uk ◗ Tweet: @PoloTimes ◗ The Editor, Polo Times,

Holbrook Farm, North Leigh, Oxon OX29 6PX

Aged to perfection Sir, I note a recent article reporting on the Inter Regimental tournament at Guards Polo Club in the August issue of Polo Times.

It refers to the tournament as “one of the oldest” in British polo.

However, unquestionably, the Inter Regimental is the oldest cup in polo and is even often credited as being the oldest still contested annually in modern sport.

Whilst the Ashes dates from 1882 and the Modern Olympics 1896, the Inter Regimental cup is engraved back to 1878, when it was won by the 5th Royal Irish Lancers. To put this in perspective, it is in the same league – in terms of historical significance – as the celebrated FA Cup in football, which was first played for in the 1871-1872 season, with the final in 1872.

The tournament was first played in 1871, when it was won by the 10th Royal Hussars.

Before that date, only the America’s Cup for sailing and the Silver Cup in baseball date back further, but the America’s Cup (inaugurated 22 August 1851) is not an annual contest and we can find no evidence that our belief that the Silver Cup is still contested is correct.

Since 1878, the Inter Regimental Cup has been played for in polo ever since, with the exception of the war years. See www.cspa.org.uk/cups.

Mark Cann Combined Services Polo Assoc.

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Polo Times, September 2012

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Letter of the month

On a donkey with a stick that’s wonky!

Sir, I have come across some photos of my grandfather that I thought deserve to be shared. Taken sometime between 1925 and 1930 in Somerset, the gentlemen pictured were playing polo on donkeys and mules. The polo was played at Fairfield Estate, Stogursey, home of Lord St Audries at the time. All polo was played on the aptly named “Polo Field”, currently still part of the estate, though these days it has not been used as a polo ground for a time.

Captain Roy Hern – father of the late Dick Hern, renowned as a racehorse trainer to the Queen – set up the polo played on the estate as well as introducing the game to Millfield School, in Somerset. I would presume that he instigated the play on the day pictured.

My grandfather, Henry Tarr, known as Harry, is the gentleman in the waistcoat and trilby hat, pictured mid-play on a donkey. Looking closely you can see not all the donkeys have bridles, and the players’ polo mallets appear to be far too long! It seems as though it was a most impromptu match – showing a snippet from a bygone era – yet it certainly looks as though the participants are having a fantastic time.

It is amusing to imagine what would happen if you offloaded five donkeys from a lorry at Guards or Cirencester Park in 2012! Thus, I do hope at least that the photographs have succeeded in putting a smile on the faces of some of your readers. There’s a broad one on mine!

Ann Turvey Somerset The writer of the Letter of the month wins a bottle of Berry Bros & Rudd Champagne

Playing pilgrimage to polo’s birthplace Sir, I would like to invite your readers on an adventure – a once in a lifetime opportunity!

Many will have seen the historic photograph of the Manipur polo players below, which has appeared in various books on the sport over the years.

I have been charged with the task of inviting four international teams to participate in the first International Polo Tournament in Manipur, the birthplace of the modern game, later this year.

The trip will be from 24-29 November 2012. Teams will need to pay for their own flights to and from Imphal but I understand that the accommodation will be arranged and paid for by the local organisers of the tournament.

The trip has been organised to coincide with an effort to raise the awareness of the fact that the Manipuri pony population is declining remarkably fast, something they raised with me when I went over for the 150th anniversary celebrations at the tail end of last year. I really feel that we owe them a debt of gratitude for the modern game!

And, thus, it seemed to me that it was about time that polo players around the world who have had so much enjoyment from the sport over the years should now give back a little to those who gave our forefathers the game we all love so much.

I am told that there is no need to take professional players on the trip, as they should be all amateur teams supported by local players – but you should be fit and a reasonable horseman or horsewoman at the very least.

Should you be interested, or can think of someone that this trip might appeal to (with a sense of adventure in this grey, boring world), then please do not hesitate to contact me for further details. My email address is cd@fal.uk.com.

Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers Out-going chairman of the HPA www.polotimes.co.uk

16/08/2012 14:43

Your views

Comment

Earning money from playing doesn’t make a player “professional” Sir, I read the feature article in the July issue, in which you interviewed “professional” polo player James Beim. However, aside from his England commitments, Beimy typically earns his money by being paid by a patron, who forms a team as a way of spending his – albeit considerable – disposable income. In my view, this therefore makes him an employee of the leisure industry, providing the same service as a golf “pro” or a ski instructor. Many people earn an income in polo for the service they provide, but it seems to be a stupid question to suggest they should all be called professionals.

Aside from the top four teams in the Argentine Open, where players are selected on their individual playing capacity, those in all other teams are not paid on their handicap but, rather, on what benefit they bring to the patron. For a golfer to have a handicap of 15 in no way makes him a professional but this is roughly equivalent to a two-goal polo player I’d say. Just as the golfer on 15 could be paid for his golfing knowledge and ability, because he offers special benefits to the person who employs him, so too for polo. Kerry Packer was Australia’s best example of this.

Thus, there are very few polo professionals in the way that we consider them in more mainstream sports. There are, on the other hand, many people who earn their income from polo or in part from polo. Whether we call some of them professional or not matters little.

However, in my view it is a simple fact that a player can only consider himself elite when he carries a handicap in excess of eight goals. Polo is unlike other games, yet it is only the elite athletes in each that we’ve seen in the last few weeks competing in London – who are genuinely the best of the best. To be worthy of the title of elite you have to be exceptional at your sport, having qualified as amongst the top few in each case. In polo terms therefore, a seven-goal player cannot be called elite.

Here in Australia, our problem is that all our best players have been exported overseas to earn their money and promote the country, which does nothing for the game at home. Our association and our clubs are also paid up members of the HPA, but why do we care? We play in Australia and the UK is the other side of the world!

To borrow a phrase from Will Carling, the “old farts” at the Australian Polo Council (now renamed the Australian Polo Federation with no discussion with the playing community) need to get a grip of how the game really works. After all, we only have 480 affiliated players – a point lost on our pompous APC delegates.

Polo is in a period of conflict, with money the key root of the problem. Having read this, you see why I’d rather remain anonymous.

A zero-goal farmer New South Wales, Australia

As polo’s top pros set sail for the southern hemisphere, find out where else the game is played on pages 34-37

Battle re-enactment in Essex Sir, having seen the Duke of Essex Polo, with horses, lorries and celebrities stuck in the mud, water everywhere and a man from Scotland playing the bagpipes, I wonder if that tournament shouldn’t be called the Duke of Wellington instead.

It was something like Waterloo!

The best polo I’ve seen of late was a Pony Club qualifier at Coworth Park. While many professionals now play to the rule book, manipulating fouls to help win themselves the game,

at the junior levels – mercifully – there is none of this. They just play, and it’s great to watch.

Credit should also go to the umpiring of these games, which is generally very sensible. In this case, it was Seb Dawnay, who did brilliantly, only blowing the whistle when it was entirely necessary – an approach a few more senior umpires would do well to adopt.

Atilio Degrossi via email

Tweets worth re-tweeting

We follow them on twitter, to save you bothering: @roystonprisk – 1 August I should be riding and have many things to do... But am reading @PoloTimes ... On the sofa... Eating sweets

@amyguyno1 – 28 July First game of polo today on my new horse Masquerita! she’s so gorgeous :) (+pic)

Roy’s poetry and a grave sentiment Sir, I was amused by Roy Law’s poem in the August issue of Polo Times – entitled “Last Rides” – and it reminded me of the epitaph of well-known American cowboy and US

Navy Veteran, Russell J Larson, whose gravestone appears as pictured.

Given that Roy says he wrote his poem in 1979, and that Russell James Larsen died in Utah in

1983, one wonders if perhaps somehow the former’s verse somehow made its way stateside in time to influence the latter?!

Anon, London Polo Times, September 2012

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16/08/2012 14:43

Feature

Interview – Iqbal Jumabhoy

Singapore is jumping for Jumabhoy again Iqbal Jumabhoy has returned for his second stint as president of Singapore Polo Club this year. He talks to Polo Times about the challenges facing his historic club, the growth of polo in Asia, September’s inaugural Singapore Open and his favourite polo memories

John O’Sullivan meets the main man

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Photographs courtesy of Singapore Polo Club

his month one of the oldest polo clubs in the world, Singapore Polo Club, looks to the future with the launch of the inaugural Singapore Open. We took this opportunity to catch up with club president Iqbal Jumabhoy, now in his second term in the role, to find out what is in store in the coming years at the illustrious South East Asian club.

We know that Singapore Polo Club celebrated it’s 125th anniversary last year. How is the club doing at the moment? Is it in good health?

As I’m sure you and your readers will know, it is a very good time to be in the polo world, and Singapore Polo Club is no exception. We are certainly seeing a resurgence with more players playing the Iqbal Jumabhoy served as president at Singapore Polo Club between 2007 and 2010 and he has now taken up the reins again

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Polo Times, September 2012

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game, and at a better standard, and more people visiting the club with an interest in watching. These things help polo step closer to becoming a more mainstream sport.

Financially we’re in a very sound position.

Are all of your members polo players, or do you have a lot of social members too?

We are very lucky at Singapore Polo Club that we have a lovely ground very close to the centre of Singapore. It is a very attractive place to visit. The club itself is really like a country club, but with polo at the core.

As well as the polo field, exercise field and stabling for 200 horses, we have equestrian facilities for show jumping and dressage, a swimming pool, tennis courts and squash courts. We have 1,400 members and about 80 polo players.

What are the biggest issues facing the club at the moment?

There are some macro issues, which we don’t necessarily have a huge amount of control over, and there are some micro issues that we do. The first macro issue is the limited field space we have because land is such a precious

resource in Singapore. We only have one polo field and one exercise field and there is no scope for us to expand on this. This obviously limits us in what we can do in the future. Secondly, the limitations on the movement of horses across borders in South East Asia makes it harder for us to welcome international teams.

In terms of micro issues, the management of the club has to become more professional.

This is something that has slipped in recent

“Singapore Polo Club is like a country club, but with polo at the core” – Iqbal Jumabhoy years and must be addressed. If we want our players to improve and if we want the service that the club offers to improve, then it is vital that we have a professional management team running both the polo and the club.

Can you expand on the issue of horse movement in South East Asia. What does this mean for you?

It is quite complicated, but there are many regulations about the movement of horses across borders in the region. For example, if you want to move horses from Thailand to Malaysia, that is okay. But, if you want to move horses from Thailand to Singapore, you can’t do it directly. You have to send them to Malaysia, where they must stay for eight to 12 weeks before moving to Singapore, where they will then go into quarantine or isolated stables. This means that if you are thinking of moving a lot of horses for a tournament, it is almost impossible. www.polotimes.co.uk

16/08/2012 14:50

Interview – Iqbal Jumabhoy

Feature

Argentine six-goaler Nacho Figueras played in Singapore’s Audemars Piguet International in 2010. Attracting international players like him is key to the club’s future plans

Despite this, from the outside looking in, polo really seems to be on the rise in your region and throughout Asia. Do you agree?

Yes, absolutely. If you look at Malaysia the quality of the fields and the polo infrastructure is improving all of the time and so is the quality of players there. In Thailand, Harald Link and Vichai Raksriaksorn have really helped to bring polo to the next level.

Polo is really seeing resurgence in Indonesia and the Philippines too, which I’m happy to see. Further afield, I’m sure you

and play with, the more they will improve.

Foreign players also attract more interest in terms of visitors to the club.

for years, but we want to look further afield to see if there are any other sponsorship opportunities available to us.

Tell us more about the Singapore Open, I gather your flagship event has changed this year?

Yes, this is actually the first year that it is called the Singapore Open – we used to have the Singapore International. All of the teams are local teams playing with an international player. Previously if a player wanted to play in the tournament they would register and we

How important is sponsorship to the future of the club? For example, would the tournaments that we have already discussed all go ahead without sponsorship?

All of our tournaments would go ahead without sponsorship, yes. But we want to host higher quality tournaments with more foreign players, and for this we need sponsorship. As anyone at any club around the world will tell you, sponsorship is always very important if you want to improve things at your club.

If you want to increase the scale of the club, then sponsorship is key. And we hope to increase the scale of Singapore Polo Club.

“To increase the scale of a club, then sponsorship is key, which is what we want for Singapore Polo” – Iqbal Jumabhoy know about the great things happening in China, but also polo in India is really growing again too in public and private clubs.

Which are your biggest tournaments?

We have four big tournaments – this year we have already had two pro-am tournaments, in September we have the Singapore Open and then we have the Ladies International in October, which I believe was the first tournament in the world to be ladies-only.

All of these tournaments have international players, which is very important for the development of our own players. The more foreign players that our youngsters can watch www.polotimes.co.uk

PT p28-31 Interview JOS PJ MB.indd 3

would allocate them a team. We have changed the rules this year, so that players can enter full teams of their own choosing. It makes it a little bit more competitive and it has been very popular. We hope in time we will have teams entering from Malaysia and Thailand.

We understand that the club is now working closely with famed polo fixer Karen Kranenburg. What is the thinking behind that?

Karen’s relationship with the club is a new one. She is not employed by the club but she is working with us as an advisor in order to expand on our sponsorship. At the club we have many sponsors who have supported us

With that in mind, are there any plans to expand the tournament schedule at the club?

We have actually expanded it this year. In August we had two new dates – the Royal Artillery Cup and a touring side visited from the Philippines, which was something that used to happen regularly many years ago.

We also have the second British Polo Day Cup and we have a special Melbourne Cup Day coming up. These events are very popular and they help to promote the polo club within Singapore. I think the more u events like this we can host the better.

Polo Times, September 2012

29

16/08/2012 14:50

Feature

Interview – Iqbal Jumabhoy

u Your family has been affiliated with Singapore Polo Club for over half a century now. How did it all start?

Polo in Singapore has been around for a very long time. It was introduced first by the British Forces and then it was played by a lot of expats. My father – Ameer Jumabhoy – was the first local player to play and he went on to become the first local president of the club.

My brothers and I started playing in those years when my father was president (in the 1960s and 1970s) and we have been associated with the club since then. It was a very simple place back then, but like many clubs all over the world, things have changed.

What is your favourite playing memory?

The are so many, but there is one that stands out for me. One of the teams I played for during my younger days was called The Rebels, which was very topical in the 1970s.

In those days the leagues throughout the region had different levels and we had to start off at the very bottom level, but we eventually worked our way up to the top and we won every single tournament in Singapore and Malaysia. We had a squad of seven young players and, looking back, we were probably a little bit wild, which ultimately led to the powers that be disbanding us.

My favourite memory came from our final tournament at the Royal Pahang club in Malaysia where we beat an experienced local team who were all about 25 years older than us in an extra chukka in the final. I’ve gone on to play better polo with better players, in better teams, but that moment still stands out.

You are 55 now. Do you still play much?

From my office window I can see the polo field, but I struggle to play much during the week these days, so it is mainly at the weekend. I still play in tournaments and chukkas at the club. I am a zero-goaler now, I

The picturesque Singapore Polo Club clubhouse

30 Polo Times, September 2012

PT p28-31 Interview JOS PJ MB.indd 4

Iqbal Jumabhoy, far right, and his teammates in The Rebels – Riaz Moledina, George Kimball and Philip North – who won at the Royal Pahang polo club in Malaysia in the mid-1970s. This was Iqbal’s favourite polo memory

never got above two-goals. I stopped playing for a while when I had a slipped disc in my neck and my back, but my brother and several others convinced me to play again. I didn’t need much convincing. Polo is not a sport – it is a religion. Once you believe in it, you believe in it for life.

So do you have any more playing ambitions?

I am at a time in my life when my ambitions in polo are focused less on myself, and more on the improvement of the club and the development of the next generation of polo players in Singapore. I want to help make polo part of the sporting fabric of Singapore and to make Singapore an important place in the polo world.

Does any of your family still play polo?

My oldest brother Rafiq does not play anymore, but my youngest brother Asad is on the FIP council and he is a patron of a team in Singapore. Between us we also have three boys carrying on the tradition – two of my nephews and my son Imran, who plays polo at Cambridge University. He played in the Jack Wills event at Guards last year and is going into his final year at university.

Which countries and clubs do you most enjoy visiting to watch polo?

I was very fortunate that I was able to go to Argentina last year to watch the Cámara and the semi-final and final of the Open.

It was a tremendous experience and I am doing everything I can to get out there again

this year. I went to the Pacific Coast Open in the States two years ago and that was a great tournament and, of course, I love visiting England. I watched several games in the Queen’s Cup this year, but had to leave before the final.

Do you see these trips as opportunities to learn things about how to run a successful polo club?

Every one of them. I don’t mean to sound too humble, but we are just a small club in a small polo country and it would be silly of us

Polo is not a sport – it is a religion. Once you believe in it, you believe in it for life not to think we can learn from these great, professional clubs around the world. From the formats of tournaments to the governance of the sports, if we want to improve we have to learn as much as we can from these clubs.

And, finally, I gather you have an exciting new agreement with Guards Polo Club in the UK? Yes, I’m very proud to say that Guards and Singapore Polo Club have signed a reciprocal arrangement, which means that our members are able to visit Guards when they are in the UK, and vice-versa. I’ve known their chairman Jock Green-Armytage for many years. He used to live in this part of the world. F w For more polo from around the world, see Home and Abroad on pages 52-59 www.polotimes.co.uk

16/08/2012 14:49

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PT p28-31 Interview JOS PJ MB.indd 5

17/08/2012 16:55

Feature

Where is polo played worldwide?

The far-reaching appeal of polo and Polo Times Curious to discover to what extent polo is now a global game, we researched some of our subscribers overseas

Georgie May examines the facts

F

ar from an exercise in sheer vanity, this month the Polo Times team pulled up the data on our list of subscribers overseas with a view to finding out where it might be worth travelling to this winter and what polo we might expect when we got there.

The results were fascinating. On this spread you can see at a glance the weird and wonderful places where people get the magazine and, over the page, we explore a few in more detail.

Canada Twelve clubs exist in Canada and are spread far and wide – Calgary Polo Club is a fourhour flight from Club Polo Nacional in Quebec – so players tend to stick to playing at their respective clubs.

The harsh winters in Ontario and Quebec mean the season is relatively short. The snow starts to come down in December and doesn’t melt until late April. By the time the grounds have dried out, it’s mid-June until the players can get onto the fields, where they play until September.

“I think it is very easy for youngsters – or really, people of any age – to get into polo in Canada,” Lisa Vatch said. “Polo in both Montreal and Ottawa is extremely affordable at the beginner level – it is certainly less expensive than some golf club memberships and hourly lessons cost no more than a private tennis or golf lesson or a personal trainer at the gym.”

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Polo Times, September 2012

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Argentina The most famous polo-playing country in the world. The game began in Argentina in the mid-1870s and is now home to five of the world’s six 10-goalers. The country has countless polo clubs and estancias, but the most famous of these is Palermo in Buenos Aires, which hosts the Argentine Open.

Many foreigners, including a number of British pros relocate to Argentina for the winter. Some go to expand their polo knowledge and experience, while others have estancias to run – such as the Hanburys’ El Remanso, near Lobos. The estancia provides polo holidays, holds tournaments and runs an extensive breeding programme.

See pages 78-81 for more.

Key Subscriber locations by region www.polotimes.co.uk

21/08/2012 14:10

Where is polo played worldwide?

Feature

Belgium

Norway

Only one polo club exists in Belgium – Antwerp Polo Club – which has five grounds in Brecht and two grounds in Kapellen.

The latter hosted polo in the second half of the 19th century before the game disappeared during the Second World War. An exhibition game held at Kapellen in 1986 helped revive the game.

Nowadays, there are about 30 playing members at the club, which hosts a variety of low and medium-goal tournaments.

The 12-goal Diamond Stick and the 12-goal Scapa tournaments each June attract a lot of foreign teams – Belgium is in close proximity to France, Germany and Holland so naturally attracts overseas teams.

Although Polo Times has a number of subscribers in Norway, polo doesn’t actually exist in the country. However, four enthusiastic Norwegians play together abroad. Arctic Power comprises Sjur Rod-Larsen, Reidar Molthe, Atle Bekken and newcomer Olai Rod-Larsen and their team plays mainly in the UK but also travels to Sweden, France and Spain.

“I have been playing polo abroad for more than 10 years,” Sjur RodLarsen said. “I learnt at Ascot Park Polo Club before buying and shipping a polo pony to Norway to stick and ball at home. I return to the UK on a monthly basis to play. At the moment, my fellow players and I are putting together a website to try and recruit other Norwegians to play with us abroad.”

New Caledonia

Singapore

Sitting in the southwest Pacific Ocean, 750 miles east of Australia, is the island of New Caledonia, where Polo Times has one subscriber. Although the magazine takes a few weeks to reach him and no polo is played on the island, he still looks forward to his monthly dose of polo from around the globe.

Founded in 1886 by the King’s Own Regiment, the Singapore Polo Club is the only club in the country (see also pages 28-30). Polo used to be played in the middle of Singapore Racecourse, which had to be shared with golfers, but the club moved to its present location at Balestier Road in 1914 after conflicts arose between golfers and polo players.

During the Second World War the grounds were used as a gun emplacement area by the Japanese Imperial Army and later a squatters camp. It was Lord Mountbatten who reestablished the polo club at a later date.

This month, the club hosts the Singapore Open – the highlight of the season.

Kenya The influx of British nationals into Kenya during the First World War saw the introduction of polo to the African country. When polo was at its most popular there were 16 clubs but now only three remain – Nairobi, North Kenya and Manyatta.

Each club hosts a minimum of two tournaments per season – which runs from early May after the long rains until Christmas time. The highlights of the season are the 12-14 goal Kenya Open, which attracts international players, the Connaught Cup and Cavalry Cup – both 10-12 goal. www.polotimes.co.uk

PT p32-37 Feature JOS JM PJ MB DOING.indd 3

u

Polo Times, September 2012

33

21/08/2012 14:10

Feature u

Where is polo played worldwide?

Africa

Photographs by Edita Camm

Subscribers in: Kenya; Nigeria; Tanzania; Uganda; Zimbabwe; South Africa Polo in Zimbabwe has been on the decline over the decades, mainly because of the country’s political situation. In 1960 there were 22 clubs and nowadays, there are only two – Harare and Umzari – with 30 players.

During the 1960s, the highest of level polo played in the country was 24 goals but today the most popular level is 2-6 goal. The Zimbabwe

Action from Kenya’s 3-goal Mug’s Mug Tournament

Open is played at 10 goal level but this is only possible with the inclusion of foreign players.

Kenya, on the other hand, still holds a large pool of more than 100 players despite the number of clubs declining over the years.

The country has enjoyed a recent revival with a growing number of indigenous Kenyans taking up the sport.

“One of the highlights of the Kenyan season is the 3-goal Mug’s Mug Tournament,” Malcolm Wilson-Smith said. “It was designed to encourage young and new players to the sport and moves between clubs each year.

Youngsters are made very welcome and clinics are well subscribed.”

In both countries, new players generally tend to be children of existing players. “There is no professional polo in Zimbabwe and traditionally it has been mostly farming families playing polo. Therefore young players usually start out on their father’s ponies,” said SherriLyn Hensman, a member of Umzari Polo Club.

The Nduruma Polo Club – the only club

Gavin Chaplin, a coach at Nduruma Polo Club in Tanzania, with the club’s resident giraffe Monduli

in Tanzania – has a strong affiliation with the Kenyan Polo Association and hosts a KPA tournament every October, attended by Kenyan players. The club only has 25 players, ranging from 10 to 66 years of age.

“Gorm Gunderson is our oldest member at 66 years old,” Tony Sugden said. “He is busy trying to disprove the adage that you cannot teach an old dog new tricks!”

In west Africa, Nigeria has seen a growth in polo since the sport landed in the country at the beginning of the 1900s. Nowadays there are more than 10 clubs with more than 200 players.

Asia Subscribers in: China; Hong Kong; India; Japan; Malaysia; Singapore; Thailand As many of our readers will already know, polo originated in Asia – dating back more than 2,000 years when the game was first played in India, Persia and China. Calcutta Polo Club is the oldest club in activity, founded in 1861.

Polo has been played in Malaysia for more than 100 years. Currently there are around 200 players. Among these is perhaps one of the most well-known Malaysian poloplaying families – Dato Beh Chun Chuan (1), his daughter Lovey Beh (-1) and three sons Chevy (4), Joevy (4) and Garvy (3) Beh. The family were the first team in Asia to play in Palermo, Argentina, with their team BP Polo.

Joevy and Garvy have also won the Copa Potrillitos and Copa Potrillos in Argentina.

“Malaysian polo is growing, particularly since hosting the 2011 FIP Asian zone playoffs in 2011, which had government support,” Beh Chun Chuan said. “We hold three league cups between January and June and the Malaysia Ladies’ Open International Cup is a season highlight.”

After a long absence, polo has made a comeback in China over the past couple

of decades as the young rich generation caught the polo bug. Two new clubs popped up in 2010 – Tang Polo Club and Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club in Tianjin – following on from the success of other clubs including Beijing Sunny Times and Nine Dragons.

The story is similar in Thailand, where the sport disappeared after the Second World War. It was only during the 1990s that polo

was revived and a few polo clubs now exist in the country. Thai Polo and Equestrian Club, which was founded by Harald Link in 2005, hosts some of the most popular tournaments, including the B.Grimm Polo Open every January. Link has been instrumental in leading the charge to encourage Thai people to take up the sport – at present there are just over 100 players in the country.

Support at Thai Polo and Equestrian Club clubhouse

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Polo Times, September 2012

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www.polotimes.co.uk

17/08/2012 16:41

Feature

The Caribbean

Photograph by Rural Press

Subscribers in: Barbados; Jamaica

Australasia

Action from the 2011 Test Match between Australia and New Zealand

Subscribers in: Australia; New Zealand; New Caledonia Lt Col Thomas St Quentin of the 10th Hussars introduced polo to Australia in 1876, before the sport spread across to New Zealand in the 1880s. In Australia, polo is played in five states and there are approximately 50 clubs.

Three-goaler Corin Gibbs runs a polo business – City to Surf – in Victoria, and his wife Amber is polo manager at the Victorian Polo Club. “Over the last five years or so polo has grown at the grass roots level significantly in Victoria,” Corin Gibbs said. “We regularly get 18-20 teams playing across three levels each weekend.”

Gibbs sometimes travels to the bigger tournaments in Adelaide and NSW, but otherwise sticks to playing at Werribee National Equestrian Centre where the Victorian Polo Club grounds are.

“We have found the vast travel distances are the biggest deterrent for patrons to play interstate, though clubs are very grateful to those that do make the effort and lay on ‘red carpet’ treatment,” Gibbs told Polo Times. www.polotimes.co.uk

PT p32-37 Feature JOS JM PJ MB DOING.indd 5

“Away tournaments are generally over 10 days with plenty to see and do in between games. For example, the Melbourne Polo Cup is held around the same time as the Melbourne Cup (horse racing) and game days are put on to alternate with the race days.”

In New Zealand, players start off playing at their clubs and as they progress, they travel. Polo, in terms of handicap level, was at its strongest during the 1980s and 1990s when national competitions were regularly 20-goals and above and the country could field good 24-goal teams.

“The New Zealand Open, which is now played at 18-20 goal, is the highest level of polo played here now,” said Josephine Elworthy of Hololio Polo Club. “The Savile Cup is the oldest team sporting trophy in New Zealand and remains the most prestigious tournament. The rules discourage pro involvement so it is a genuine club battle.

Club polo outside Auckland, where the game is not pro-driven, works marvellously and always encourages new and young players.”

There are currently three clubs in Jamaica – Kingston, St Ann and Chukka Blue – and while polo is growing in Kingston, it is on the decline in St Ann. With the help of Lesley Ann Masterton Fong-Yee, Mark Wates, Jorge Donovan and the Lalor family, Kingston has seen an influx of players over the past five years. Coaches at the club and the generosity of members with their ponies means it is easy and affordable to learn polo.

“Jamaican players are very encouraging and patient with new players and this creates a great environment for bringing new players in to the sport,” said two-goaler Shane Chin.

“Kingston in particular has lots of one-day tournaments for literally everyone to play in, regardless of skill level. St Ann is declining as none of the players live in the area so it is hard to expand the member base. Instead, the club is now largely used as a tournament venue – it is an ideal mid-point between the eastern and western ends of the island.”

The British Army took polo to Jamaica in 1882 and in 1884 polo began in fellow Caribbean island Barbados. Since 1965, and even more so in the past 10 years, the sport has expanded considerably and there are now five polo fields – Holders, Apes Hill, Clifton, Lion Castle and Buttals. The Barbados Tourism Authority now recognises polo as an integral part of the Sports Tourism Market.

Apes Hill, owned by Sir Charles Williams, was initially opened as Waterhall Polo Centre in 2003 but was re-launched as Apes Hill Polo Club in 2009 and is now one of the leading polo holiday destinations in the world.

Highlights of the Barbados season are the Barbados Open, Cheshire Tour and Battle of the Sexes, while in Jamaica the Jamaica Open, Senior Cup and Hi-Pro/ICWI Family u tournament remain most popular.

Apes Hill instructor Neil Dickson gives a polo lesson at the picturesque Apes Hill Club in Barbados

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17/08/2012 16:42

Feature u

Where is polo played worldwide?

Europe Subscribers in: Belgium, Czech Republic, France; Hungary; Germany; Ireland; Italy; Luxembourg; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Spain; Slovakia; Sweden; Switzerland; UK

Action from the Gill Polo Club in the Czech Republic

Because there is no polo in Norway, the Arctic Power team travel abroad to play (see page 33). On this occasion, Sjur Rod-Larsen (number three) and Reidar Molthe (number four) led the team at Ascot Park

Although polo emerged some 100 years ago in eastern Europe, the World Wars and communism greatly hindered the development of many sports viewed as elitist by the Soviet Bloc. Therefore, polo vanished in countries such as Slovakia, Hungary and Poland before re-emerging in the 1990s and 2000s.

In the early 90s three private polo clubs were set up in Hungary – two within 60 minutes of Budapest and the other a few hours away near Lake Balaton. At present there are around 40-50 active players but players from visiting countries bump up the numbers during big tournaments.

“Given the scarcity of polo grounds, the lack of pros, the private nature of the clubs and a certain rivalry between the clubs, it is not easy to get into the game in Hungary – unless you are related to someone who owns a string of horses,” PT subscriber Michael Husted said.

In Poland, the story is similar with few opportunities for youngsters. Of the four clubs only two are run commercially (both in Warsaw) and welcome players at any time.

There is also a need for more schooling ponies for people to learn on. However, there is still enough demand for further facilities as another club – The Ivy Polo Club – will open in 2013.

In nearby Slovakia, Danube Polo Club – one of two polo clubs in the country – do a great job in attracting young people into the sport and provide appropriate schooling ponies. Of the 30 registered players to the Slovak Polo Association, most of them are beginners and 36

Polo Times, September 2012

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children based at the Danube Polo Club. Polo Klub Bratislava 1888 was founded earlier – in 2006 – and hosts the biggest tournaments, including the Slovakia Open. Most players also travel the short distance to play in Austria.

Polo in the Czech Republic is still relatively small, with a modest 10 players and two polo clubs. The Prague Polo Club – now renamed the Gill Polo Club – was founded in 2008, run by Naveed Gill. Another club opened in 2009 but ceased the following year. In 2012, The Flying Polo Club opened, which only has four polo ponies and plays on a field at the local airport.

“I helped increase the number of players in the Czech Republic from two to 10 between

2008 and 2012,” Gill said. “We are the only club with two full size grounds, an indoor arena and 10 polo ponies – nine of which I brought over from the UK.” While no polo is played in Norway, in next-door Sweden two clubs exist with about 20 players – Stockholm Polo Club (est. 2003) and Nordic Polo Club (est. 2012). Almare Stäket Polo Country Club, which was one of the first clubs in the country (est. 1998), closed last year. The sport continues to grow moderately and this season Stockholm Polo Club has made a huge effort to get more people interested in the sport across the two countries through “Try polo” days.

The Scandinavian Polo Open has long been a highlight of the Swedish calendar but will not be played this year as it was scheduled to be held at the now-folded Almare Stäket. Due to there being a limited amount of tournaments in Sweden, many players travel abroad to play. F wR ead more about polo around the world in the “Home and abroad” section on pages 52-59, and there’s more on Singapore in our interview with Iqbal Jumabhoy on pages 28-30

The Jaeger-LeCoultre event at Antwerp Polo Club. See page 33 for more information about polo in Belgium

www.polotimes.co.uk

17/08/2012 16:42

The Gold of Royalty Each piece of Clogau jewellery contains a touch of the very same rare Welsh gold used to create wedding rings for some members of the Royal Family since 1923. The tradition of Royalty using Welsh gold is over 100 years old.

In 1911 when Prince Edward was invested as The Prince of Wales, his coronation regalia, known collectively as The Honours of the Principality of Wales, were fashioned from Welsh gold.

Wales Polo Clogau is proud to be official sponsor of the Wales Polo Team and Welsh Polo Association.

From this collaboration, both Clogau and the Wales Polo Team are able to strengthen their most distinguished ties to both Wales and Royalty, with His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales acting as patron of the team.

Both the excitement and glamour of Polo, a sport steeped in rich heritage and tradition, has inspired the stylish Wales Polo collection.

Clogau is proud to be official sponsors of the Wales Polo Team

www.clogau.co.uk

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0845 606 88 77

16/08/2012 14:45

Reports

The HPAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Audi International Day, Guards Polo Club

England win again as Audi take over the International Day reins

38

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16/08/2012 16:23

Audi International

Photograph by Alice Gipps

Young South African visitors push hosts all the way as the HPA’s flagship event enjoys a dramatic face lift

E

John O’Sullivan at Smith’s Lawn

England South Africa

Captain Luke Tomlinson, centre, leads the England charge against South Africa

9 8

ngland, for the third year in a row, claimed the Coronation Cup on the HPA’s International Day by defeating South Africa with a goal in the dying seconds of the game.

A major change took place this year for the HPA international Day at Guards Polo Club.

Audi became the new sponsors, adding one of the world’s most celebrated polo games to their already established polo portfolio, which includes eight years of England team and two years of Pony Club Polo sponsorship.

Taking on the day, after 27 years of Cartier sponsorship, the luxury German car u

Reports

How did they perform on International Day? We mark the players out of 10, based on their effectiveness in terms of handicap

England (26): James Beim (7) Made amends for a glaring, and uncharacteristic, miss in the final chukka to score the winning goal.

This was not Beimy’s best game in an England shirt, but showed his class with an excellent under the neck shot in the fourth chukka.

Mark Tomlinson (6) Opened the scoring for the hosts in the first chukka, but this proved to be his only goal of the game. Missed several good chances in the last two chukkas, which would have made England’s win more convincing.

Luke Tomlinson (7) The England captain led by example and top-scored for the hosts with four goals. Used his experience to draw crucial fouls and to punish any hesitancy in the visitors defence.

Deserved his MVP prize.

Malcolm Borwick (6) Back at International Day after a year away, Borwick proved his worth to the team with a steady game at back.

Added two opportunistic goals and his long-range penalties caused havoc in the South African defence.

6 6 8 7

South Africa (25):

Jean Du Plessis (6) Played with pace and power throughout, but also showed subtlety when he scored with a delicate chip shot in the fourth chukka. Tapped in from close range to level the game at 8-8 in the final chukka. A very good all-round display.

7

Chris Mackenzie (5) The youngest, at 19, and lowest handicapped player on the field, Mackenzie struggled to make a big impact. He did, however, exhibit great riding skills and an excellent eye when he set up De Bruin to score a crucial goal in the fourth chukka.

6

Tom De Bruin (6) The power of De Bruin’s booming hits out of defence will live long in the memory. Scored two penalties and the goal of the game when he stole the ball on his own line before eventually scoring at the other end.

Nachi Du Plessis (8) The highest handicapped player on the field didn’t dominate throughout, but was unplayable when he got the bit between his teeth. Played with real aggression and scored two good goals.

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Reports

The HPA’s Audi International Day, Guards Polo Club

Photograph by Audi

Youngsters impress u be done the Audi way.

International Day 2012 proved to be a in morning game much quieter affair with a much-reduced

manufacturer promised that the event would

A Young England team played against the Young Commonwealth for the newly inaugurated Diamond Jubilee Trophy in the morning game on International Day and proved that the future of the national team is in good hands.

Young England fielded players who have been rising through the ranks in recent years and Jack Richardson, Max Charlton, George Meyrick and Richard Le Poer proved to be a mighty force on the day. The 19-goal home side gave the Young Commonwealth (an 18goal side) a half-goal head start and won the match convincingly by 6-3½.

The Young Commonwealth team included England’s Ollie Cudmore, whose dad Rob is an Aussie, alongside Jack Archibald, Tom Hunt and Dirk Gould – a last minute replacement for Tom de Bruin who was called up to the Equus & Co South African side for the Coronation Cup. Charlton, Meyrick and Le Poer had already played together this summer in June’s Suffolk Test Match against Australia.

With the addition of Richardson, the team was formidable, playing coherently as a unit.

The combination of Richardson and Meyrick was also seen at Mariners Farm earlier on in the season, and it seems their form just keeps improving as their handicaps are currently under review.

The future looks bright for England as our rising stars proved too much for the strong Young Commonwealth. We can, no doubt, look forward to seeing their game develop in the coming years as they challenge for a place in the team on International Day’s afternoon match.“The win was quite comfortable,” Meyrick commented. “The ground was amazing and it was a great day all in all, it was good to be a part of it.” F

retail village,and no sponsors marquee. A drop in ticket sales, attributed to the bad weather, caused Chinawhite, who were scheduled to be there, to pull out of the event. Attendance was put at 7,000 well below previous highs of 25,000. While the missing attractions and fewer spectators received mixed reaction in the grandstands and the bars of Guards Polo Club, many felt that the atmosphere of the event was much more in keeping with English polo’s other major tournaments, such as the Queen’s Cup and the Gold Cup, and is a good platform to build on for the future.

Jon Zammett admits that there is room for improvement after the inaugural Audi International Day. “What I’d like you all to do is go with the change,” he said. “We are a different company, a different brand and we will be doing it in our own way. We will be doing everything with great respect for the event – keeping everything that is right about it as it is, but adding our spice to it as the years go by. This is our building year. We are very proud that we have got here and it has been a very successful day.”

The theme of change spread to the polo field too as an already young South African side were forced to make a late team change when Sugar Erskine, their oldest and most experienced player, pulled out injured just three days before the Test Match. He was replaced by Tom De Bruin in the visitors line-up, a change that meant every single one of the South African team was under the age of 25.

This was in stark contrast to the England team who, in the face of change all around them, were represented by the tried and tested

quartet of Luke and Mark Tomlinson, James Beim and Malcolm Borwick – a team with an average age well over 30.

De Bruin, fresh from victory over England with the Commonwealth in the Beaufort Test, was joined by the Du Plessis brothers, 2011 Gold Cup winner Nachi, 23, and Jean, 22, as well as 19-year-old Chris Mackenzie.

This made them the youngest team ever to have taken to Smith’s Lawn for the main match on International Day and, given the air of optimism in

Luke Tomlinson lifts the Coronation Cup

Chukka by chukka – how the Coronation Cup unfolded First chukka

Second chukka

Third chukka

Score: England 2, South Africa 3

Score: England 4, South Africa 3

Score: England 5, South Africa 3

South Africa started the match with a one goal lead on handicap, but England soon cancelled this out when Mark Tomlinson tapped in from a yard out after James Beim’s excellent underthe-neck shot was unlucky to rebound back off the post. A 30-yard penalty by Tom de Bruin put South Africa back in front at 2-1 before a longrange Luke Tomlinson goal levelled the scores again. South Africa finished the first chukka with a flurry and Nachi Du Plessis scored a remarkable lofted backhander to give them a 3-2 lead.

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South Africa failed to deal with a long hit forward

by Malcolm Borwick and Luke Tomlinson capitalized to make the score 3-3. The visitors were again culpable as England went ahead for the first time; they failed to clear after a Mark Tomlinson break away came to nothing and allowed Luke Tomlinson to play a wonderful pass to Malcolm Borwick, who scored. Tom de Bruin thought he had equalised but the umpires on the field over-ruled the line-judges and decided that his 60-yard penalty had gone wide.

Luke Tomlinson shot just wide after anticipating another poor back-hand clearance by the South African visitors. England did extend their lead shortly afterwards, though, through an excellent Malcolm Borwick shot. His half neck shot from 70 yards flew through the posts to put England 5-3 to the good. Mark Tomlinson almost added another for the hosts with the last play of the half, but he miscued in front of the posts. This left the match delicately poised at half time with a twogoal advantage for the hosts.

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The HPA’s Audi International Day, Guards Polo Club

“This is our building year.

I’d like you all to go with the changes” – Audi’s Jon Zammett and a remarkable lofted backhand by Nachi Du Plessis for South Africa retained the visitors one-goal advantage which they received on handicap. As the first half wore on, though, England’s closeness as a unit started to shine through and they took advantage of a series of sloppy defensive clearances by the visitors to forge ahead. By half time England led 5-3 and they extended this to 7-4 midway through the fourth chukka as they looked to be cantering

towards an easy win. Visiting captain Nachi Du Plessis had other ideas, though, and when he stole the ball in midfield and galloped clear before audaciously juggling the ball over the line to make it 7-5, he inspired a dramatic fightback from his side. Two goals by Tom Du Bruin brought the South Africans level at

Photograph by Luru Wei

the South Africa camp, the home fans could be forgiven for wondering whether this was an ideal opportunity for England to blood-in some of their own stars of the future.

This feeling was heightened after Young England – Jack Richardson, Max Charlton, George Meyrick and Richard Le Poer – acquitted themselves so well in their 6-3½ victory over the Young Commonwealth in the morning game. Having had the honour of sitting with that quartet during the HPA lunch, it was refreshing to learned just how ambitious they are – even bullishly suggesting they’d like the chance to play the full England team in an open challenge match!

No doubt their day will come in the future, but, in truth, it was the experience of the England team, and particularly the cunning of captain Luke Tomlinson, which guided the hosts over the line by a single goal in the face of a late South African onslaught.

With the sun beaming down on the Queen’s Ground, both sides scored twice in an evenly matched first chukka. Both Tomlinson brothers scored for England while a Du Bruin penalty

Reports

7-7 by the end of the fifth chukka and a goal from each side kept the scores tied heading into the nail-biting final few minutes. With two minutes remaining Beim missed an absolute sitter when he completely missed the ball straight in front of the posts. However, he made amends 90 seconds later when he tapped home from close u

England’s Mark Tomlinson and James Beim discuss tactics

Fourth chukka

Fifth chukka

Sixth chukka

Score: England 7, South Africa 6

Score: England 7, South Africa 7

Result: England 9, South Africa 8

Having been scoreless for the previous two chukkas, South Africa broke their duck with a clever long-range chip shot by Jean Du Plessis early in the fourth. Luke Tomlinson slotted home a 40-yard penalty to restore England’s two-goal lead and it soon got even better for the hosts as a James Beim under-the-neck shot from a narrow angle made it 7-4. South Africa finished the chukka with a flurry. Nachi Du Plessis stole the ball on half way before extravagantly juggling it over the line and then Tom De Bruin started a rapid counter attack in his own half and scored after a clever pass from Chris Mackenzie.

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England missed a whole host of chances to extend their lead early in the fifth chukka.

Malcolm Borwick registered a rare miss from a penalty before Mark Tomlinson looked destined to score, only for his pony to kick the ball when he was right in front of the posts. After a brief delay to the game because of an eye injury to Borwick, James Beim guided the ball just wide of the goal after expertly latching on to a long-range penalty hit by Borwick. England were made to pay for their profligacy in front of goal when Tom De Bruin levelled the scores for the first time since the second chukka with a 40-yard penalty.

Luke Tomlinson put his side back in front with a penalty two from 30 yards. But the hosts were again guilty of missing chances – notably when Mark Tomlinson looked to be riding to goal, before veering wide to the left. The Du Plessis brothers then combined to good effect to bring the South Africans level. Nachi used all of his horsemanship skills to burst down the rails on the right flank and his clever cut shot was tapped over the line by Jean. This set up a grandstand finish and Du Bruin and Beim’s both missed good chances before the latter tapped home the winning goal from a Malcolm Borwick pass.

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Reports

The HPA’s Audi International Day, Guards Polo Club

Analysis

by Chris Hyde The six-goaler thinks England were good value for their win and says the hosts really should have won by more

Photograph by Alice Gipps

I think the best team certainly won on the day.

The average age of the England team was 10 years older than the South Africans and I think it really showed. South Africa never settled and England always looked calm and in control.

Malcolm Borwick was picked because they were playing against such a young team. He is a well-seasoned, solid pro with great experience in high-goal and Test Match level. It was a big ask for such a young team to play in an international Test Match. Yes, the South Africans are all great individual players, who have played well in the high-goal, but that’s not the same as playing in an international Test Match against a four-man team of experienced pros. I would have picked someone like Gareth Evans. I think South Africa also played in the wrong formation. I would have had Chris Mackenzie playing at one and Jean A South African groom brought a bit of extra colour and noise to proceedings by blowing a traditional vuvuzela Du Plessis playing at two.

I don’t think the ground helped either team, Thursday,” he revealed on International Day. but particularly South Africa. I can’t believe they u range to give England yet another win on “Did we miss him? Absolutely not, he wouldn’t International Day. played the morning game on the same ground have filled any of the boots we had out there.”

HPA chief executive David Woodd backed – we would have got a much better game if the For the hosts, after beating New Zealand in match-winner Beim despite his glaring miss.

Young England match was played on another field. It really cut up and the players struggled 2010 and Brazil in 2011, the match represents “Beimy, I assume, missed on purpose just to a third straight win on International Day. The create the pressure and the tension,” he said. question on everyone’s lips looking ahead to “It was certainly good for the telly. My heart 2013 is – will the fans come flooding back as was going a bit, but well done to the boys.

England look to make it four in a row? F I thought it was a great game – that is what international polo is all about. Our chairman ◗ For social pictures from the HPA’s inaugural said at lunch that this game would be as good Audi-sponsored International Day, see page 84 as anything in the Olympics and I would say to hit the ball cleanly. This meant, rather than that he was not too far wrong.” playing open polo with backhands, South Africa Game rating • • • • • • • • • • Despite the defeat, the competitiveness of kept it very tight and relied on truck and trailer the match shows just how far South Africa tactics, which did not suit them at all. I actually u Audi International Day – the Coronation Cup; have come since their last appearance on thought they got worse as the game went on.

22 July 2012; Guards Polo Club I think the reason they closed the gap at the Result: England beat South Africa, 9-8 end was that England were on the wrong end Handicap level: 26-goal of a few bad decisions. Everyone was talking Most valuable player: Luke Tomlinson after the game about a foul before Beimy’s winning goal, but having looked at the replay Best playing pony: Yacht, owned and played by that was definitely a good goal. Actually, I think James Beim the umpires made some very bad decisions – David Woodd England (26): James Beim 7; Mark Tomlinson 6; that went against England. At 7-4 a penalty was Luke Tomlinson 7; Malcolm Borwick 6 given against England that should have gone the International Day. Back in 1994, after many South Africa (25): Jean Du Plessis 6; Chris other way, that led to a two-goal swing. Without years in the international sporting wilderness Mackenzie 5; Tom De Bruin 6; Nachi Du Plessis 8 that, England would have won by a lot more. during the apartheid era, the Springboks were Overall, I enjoyed the changes we saw on u Diamond Jubilee Trophy thrashed 11-1 by England.

International Day. It was much quieter, but I Result: Young England beat Young Commonwealth, 6-3½ Walter Grindrod, president of the South think it was the year that the polo people took International Day back – the days of half-naked Young England: Jack Richardson 4; Max African Polo Association, is optimistic about young girls and pissed bankers are over. I Charlton 5; George Meyrick 5; Richard Le Poer 5 the future of the country’s young quartet. thought it was very good and relaxed and Young Commonwealth: Oliver Cudmore 4; “Sugar was hospitalised at the eleventh something to build on. F hour and we only got notification of that on Tom Hunt 5; Dirk Gould 5; Jack Archibald 4

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Reports

The Bledisloe Warwickshire Cup

Young patron lifts old prize David “Pelon” Stirling and George Hanbury capped a fine season, displaying why they’ve both been put up in handicap for next year, as they triumphed over a strong-looking Black Bears line-up to lift one of the country’s most historic trophies

Caroline Smail in Gloucestershire

Halcyon Gallery Black Bears

9 8

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Photographs by David Sinclair, Luru Wei and Alice Gipps

ly Paterson – the youngest player on the Ivy Lodge ground for the final of the 17-20 goal Bledisloe Warwickshire Cup at Cirencester Park Polo Club last month – scored the deciding goal for his team Halcyon Gallery in the dying seconds to give them a narrow victory over Guy Schwarzenbach’s Black Bears, 9-8.

Both teams arrived at the final unbeaten in the league games, and thus opinion was divided as to who would ultimately take the trophy. However, despite excitement and

“The field was very difficult to play. It meant any plans we made at the beginning were in vain” – JP Clarkin anticipation in the build-up and the late drama of Paterson’s winning goal, unfortunately the majority of the game was made difficult to watch by testing playing conditions for the second consecutive weekend at the club.

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rain in the morning before the final dashing all hope of a fast, open encounter. It quickly became obvious that the ground was making it hard for players to get hold of the ball, horsepower suffered and players were unable to use the speed of their horses to gain the advantage because all their energy was being used up getting through the heavy going.

“The field was very difficult to play on,” said Black Bears’ most potent weapon, John Paul Clarkin. “It meant any plans we made at the beginning were in vain.”

Nevertheless, as soon as the match ball was thrown in – having been flown

in by a parachute display team – the two teams gave it their all and made the best of a taxing situation. The scores remained close throughout: young Halcyon Gallery patron George Hanbury opened the scoring in the first chukka with a strong field goal that brought them on level terms with Black Bears, who had received a one-goal advantage on handicap.

They matched each other in a sticky first two chukkas, and went into the third tied at 3-3.

However, a mistake from Black Bears then gave Halcyon Gallery the opportunity to put clear water between the two sides for the first time in the match, and they went into half-time with a clear

Alec White of Black Bears plays an under the neck shot. Above, a parachute team flies in the match ball

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The Bledisloe Warwickshire Cup

advantage, at 5-4. They extended the lead to 7-5 in the fourth, when they dominated play and possession but, by the time players came back onto the field for the final chukka, Black Bears had reduced the deficit back to just a single score, trailing 8-7.

Black Bears then survived a five-minute period of sustained attack from Halcyon Gallery and frustrated their opposition further still by capitalising on a mistake to win a 40yard penalty, which Clarkin converted.

That made it 8-8 and supporters of Halcyon Gallery could hardly believe their side had thrown away a decent lead. Extra-time beckoned. Or, at least, it did – until Paterson came out of nowhere to slot the ball through the posts from under his horse’s neck to win the game 9-8.

That was bad luck for Black Bears, and it seems luck has not shone the way of Cirencester Park Polo Club at all in recent weeks either. As Hollywood actress Ilka Chase put it, “among famous traitors of history, one George Hanbury encourages David “Pelon” Stirling to drink from the Warwickshire Cup as Ali Paterson and Eduardo Heguy look on

might mention the weather”. Sadly, this season more than any other it seems mother nature has been conspiring against players, clubs and spectators from the offset. F w Read what happened in another rain-affected game featuring “Pelon” Stirling against John Paul Clarkin at Cirencester Park over the page w The 9-8 scoreline was the same as that in the earlier game of the day – the subsidiary for the Bathurst Cup, when Godolphin Polo Team beat Felix

Game rating

• • • • • • • • • •

u T he Bledisloe Warwickshire Cup; 24 July-12 August; Cirencester Park Polo Club Result: Halcyon Gallery beat Black Bears, 9-8 Handicap Level: 17-20 goal Number of team entries: five Most Valuable Player: Juan Gris Zavaleta Finalists Halcyon Gallery (20): Alistair Paterson 1; George Hanbury 2; Eduardo Heguy 8; David Stirling 9 Black Bears (19): Guy Schwarzenbach 2; Juan Gris Zavaleta 7; John Paul Clarkin 8; Alec White 2

Reports

How did they perform in the Warwickshire?

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

Halcyon Gallery (20): Aly Paterson (1) His hard work throughout to clear the way for Heguy and Stirling was rewarded when he got the opportunity to score the winning goal, which he did in spectacular style, landing a perfect under-the-neck shot.

George Hanbury (2) Starting as he meant to go on by opening the scoring, worked hard to support his teammates and also took control of play a number of times.

Eduardo Heguy (8) A strong, powerful and intelligent player, Heguy worked in perfect harmony with Stirling. He backed him up to help get the ball up the ground and, once the penalties had been won, he was very dependable – scoring twice from the spot.

David “Pelon” Stirling (9) Chief goal-scorer with five of their nine goals, Stirling was a joy to watch and demonstrated why he is one of the top players with his quick thinking and amazing ball control.

8 7 8 8

Black Bears (19): Guy Schwarzenbach (2) Guy’s highlight was in the second chukka, when he picked up a clearing shot from Zavaleta, took the ball the length of the ground and slotted it through the posts. He’s very good value at two goals when his best horses are fit and, if this performance is anything to go by, it won’t be long before he reaches three.

Juan Gris Zavaleta (7) Man of the match Zavaleta was always in the right place at the right time and contributed two goals to his team’s total of eight. Quick to think and react, he played a very important second fiddle to JP Clarkin, backing him up and looking to get on the ball.

John Paul Clarkin (8) As usual, he stepped up as the lynchpin of the team, scoring half of their goals, though his usual style of open long hitting polo was somewhat hindered by the conditions.

Alec White (2) The Queen’s Cup winner scored his best goal in the third chukka, when he capitalised on a miss-hit by Heguy and punished him by firing his shot through the posts. He worked hard throughout, clearing space for Clarkin and Zavaleta.

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Reports

Gloucestershire Cup 26-goal tournament, Cirencester Park Polo Club

Agonising, in several ways Despite plenty of promise, the wealth of talent on display was stifled by difficult playing conditions, by some nasty injuries and by the apparent lack of a meaningful incentive to win

James Mullan in Gloucestershire

Photograph by Zahra Hanbury

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olo can be a funny old game. Despite two sides of equal quality to those international teams that fought out the Audi Test Match at Guards less than two weeks earlier, this was an entirely different kind of contest. The inaugural 26-goal tournament at Cirencester Park – played as a straight final between a 26-goal El Remanso team and a 25-goal side supplied by the hosts – was sluggish, dangerously scrappy and, disappointingly, was also largely one-sided.

The make-shift nature of the Cirencester Park side was quickly exposed against an all-too familiar El Remanso line-up, with the former forced to replace reliable danger-man James Beim when the England International reached the final of the Harrison Cup at Cowdray Park on the same day. El Remanso selected three members of the high-goal team that reached the Queen’s Cup semi-final and the Gold Cup final, playing alongside the coach who masterminded their success throughout the 22-goal season, “Ruso” Heguy.

Despite receiving a goal on handicap, Ciren’s foursome were immediately on the back foot, and were already down 5-1 by the end of the

second chukka. As well as opening up what ultimately proved to be an unassailable lead for El Remanso, it was also during the second chukka that the rains began to fall. The ball had already been refusing to run on quickly and so, as the brollies went up, the chances of an expansive game immediately appeared to go down.

Unfortunately, so it proved. Very quickly, the match became more reminiscent of an arena

Facial injuries were clearly painful but, ironically, took the sting out of the contest game, with the ball lodging in pockets on the increasingly cut-up ground, play constantly gravitating towards the boards, and no one able to get into a gallop for more than 20 or 30 yards at a time. As in an arena contest, polo’s physical nature was in full evidence – facial injuries to George Hanbury and Satnam Dhillon were obviously painful but, ironically, took the sting out of the contest.

Dhillon was replaced early in the second chukka by umpire Dave Allen – the cut to his temple serious enough to require a trip to hospital, where surely the six-goaler must be on first name terms with most of the staff by now. This was only

his fourth match back after two months out of the game with a ruptured kidney.

In such dangerous conditions, and without a large crowd or a historic prize on offer, the game was probably only played at around 70 per cent. And thus we saw first-hand polo’s simultaneously frustrating and yet also absorbing nature as a sport. The inclusion of highly-rated players is no sure-fire equation for success, either for the organisers of teams themselves or those that seek to devise new tournaments. Rather, many factors decide which teams will achieve and will provide a good show: those that have the horsepower; those that have the most familiarity playing together; those with the most appropriate tactics; and, sadly for Cirencester Park’s spectators in this case, those that have conditions conducive to displaying their skills.

The only highlight of the game was the shooting of Eduardo “Ruso” Heguy (who scored two) and David “Pelon” Stirling (who scored six), and El Remanso’s eventual 8-5 victory never really looked in doubt, even when Cirencester Park’s ever-improving fourgoaler Jack Archibald came more into the game in the final three chukkas. F ◗ A SUPA match between Millfield and Cheltenham College (won by Cheltenham) followed as the weather improved before Princes William and Harry fought out a rain-sodden charity match the following day (see page 82) ◗ Read more about El Remanso on pages 78-81

Game rating

• • • • • • • • • •

u Gloucestershire Cup 26-goal; 4 August 2012; Cirencester Park Polo Club Result: El Remanso beat Cirencester Park, 8-5 Chukka scores (El Remanso): 1-1; 5-1; 6-2; 8-4; 8-5; 8-5

Photographs by

Teams: El Remanso (26): Guillermo Terrera 7; George Hanbury 2; David Stirling 9; Eduardo Heguy 8 Cirencester Park (25): Satnam Dhillon 6; Jack Archibald 4; John Paul Clarkin 8; Juan Zavaleta 7 Left: Christoper Hanbury lifts the Gloucestershire Cup beside his battlescarred son George

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Reports

Goodwood week, Cowdray Park Polo Club

No mean feat By successfully defending the 15-goal Harrison Cup and beating 35 other sides to the 8-goal Holden White, respective winners Lamrei and Somerton can both feel extremely satisfied at the culmination of a very good Goodwood week English medium-goal players to have the chance to play on the best grounds, and gain

Alice Kent

Photographs by Julie Punchard

in West Sussex

T

hroughout Goodwood week, the polo at Cowdray Park thrived, with a full schedule of exciting matches.

Finals’ weekend on 4-5 August provided the pinnacle of the week’s action in its biggest tournaments, the Harrison Cup and the Holden White. These offer many

Then the time came for someone to make himself a hero. Step forward Lamrei patron Charlie McCowen

Lamrei Cowdray Vikings

6 5

The Harrison Cup, played on the Saturday, is renowned as one of the most important 15goal titles in the country, and is also part of the Victor Ludorum series. The final saw a hardfought battle between last year’s victors Lamrei and the home team challengers, Cowdray Below: Casablanca’s Jamie Roberts and Cowdray Park’s Lila Pearson join Holden White winners, Somerton, who fought off competition from 35 other teams to win

maximum exposure, having had to wait and watch during the high-goal season from the sidelines. They didn’t disappoint.

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Goodwood week, Cowdray Park Polo Club

Reports

Right: Harrison Cup MVP Santiago Gaztambide with his best playing pony Molonga, and groom Flaco

“The side gelled well, playing good polo with a great team spirit” – Somerton’s Adrian Wade Vikings. Two evenly matched, four-man teams produced a tight and thrilling contest, with Charlie McCowen’s Lamrei finally just emerging the winners, 5-6.

From the start, Cowdray set out to dominate, with the exciting young British trio of Jack Richardson, Lanto Sheridan and George Pearson working fantastically around England International stalwart James Beim.

An early goal from Richardson and a penalty conversion from James Beim helped them open up an ominous-looking lead as far as Lamrei were concerned.

However, Lamrei pulled one back before the end of the first chukka, and tied the game at the start of the second as Santiago Gaztambide imposed himself on the game.

Both sides played their part in an entertaining third chukka, when James Beim and John Kent each scored skilful field goals for their side, but it was Cowdray that led by one at the half-way point, with their fast, running polo overpowering their opponents.

The second half saw Lamrei begin to up the pressure, determined to reduce the deficit.

However, the crucial point of the game came early in the fourth, when Jack Richardson backed John Kent’s certain goal off the line, setting up young George Pearson to carry the ball the length of the field, where he scored a superb field goal to re-establish a two-goal lead for Cowdray. Lamrei dug deep and their two six-goal players – Gaztambide and Michel Del Carril – converted a penalty apiece to leave the score at 5-5 going into the last.

The decisive chukka began in a cagey fashion, with neither team wanting to make a mistake. But the time came for someone to make himself

John Kent saw a crucial shot cleared off the line www.polotimes.co.uk

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a hero: step forward Lamrei patron Charlie McCowen. After several near misses for both sides, McCowen made a brilliant charge from the back of the field to pick up a pass from Del Carril and score. Beim had one last chance to level the scores in the dying seconds with a 60 yard penalty, but he failed to find the posts, making McCowen’s goal the winning one, securing a consecutive Harrison Cup title for Lamrei by the narrowest of margins. The prize-giving rounded up a fantastic day for Gaztambide, as his mare Molonga won best playing pony, and he was named most valuable player.

Somerton Four Quarters Orange

5 4

Sunday’s 8-goal Holden White final – fought between Somerton and Four Quarters Orange, after the field had been whittled down to just two sides from 36 at the start of the fortnight – produced another incredibly close match, with Somerton just coming out on top 5-4.

The victors fought hard from the start, having a storming first chukka to go two up, with Jack Berner scoring both field goals. But Four Quarters’ professionals Tomas Garbarini Islas and Rob Archibald rallied back strongly to take the lead 4-2 at half time.

However, Somerton pulled themselves together once more: Guillermo MacLoughlin scored in the third before Berner managed to find the posts twice more in the last

chukka to regain Somerton’s dominance and emerge the champions. The result seemed to reward the consistency they showed throughout the tournament, with Adrian Wade commenting how, in their first tournament together, “the team had gelled well, playing good polo throughout and maintaining a good team spirit.”

Jack Berner was rewarded with the best playing pony prize for Max Routledge’s Whiteface, whilst Camilla Beresford’s excellent game won her the most valuable player award. F u T he Harrison Cup; 23 July – 4 August 2012; Cowdray Park Result: Lamrei beat Cowdray Vikings, 6-5 Handicap level: 15-goal Number of team entries: nine Finalists Lamrei (15): Charlie McCowen 1; Santiago Gaztambide 6; John Kent 2; Michel Del Carril 6 Cowdray Vikings (15): George Pearson 0; Lanto Sheridan 4; James Beim 7; Jack Richardson 4 u The Holden White Challenge Cup; 20 July – 5 August 2012; Cowdray Park Result: Somerton beat Four Quarters Orange, 5-4 Handicap level: 8-goal Number of team entries: 36 Finalists Somerton (8): Jack Armstrong 0; Guillermo MacLoughlin 2; Adrian Wade 4; Jack Berner 2 Four Quarters Orange (8): Simon Arber 0; Camilla Beresford -1; Tomas Garbarini Islas 3; Rob Archibald 6 Polo Times, September 2012

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Reports

The Polo Festival, Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club

Great day for Good Jonny Good enjoyed victory in the two top finals at the culmination of the Berkshire Polo Festival, which attracted entries from 20 teams across three divisions for two weeks of action, comprising no less than 42 matches

Michael Amoore rounds up the action

Photographs by Gillian Hughes

F

inals day at this year’s RCBPC Polo Festival was greeted by the welcome addition of sunshine, which had been missing for much of the season. Six games – featuring 12 of the Festival’s 20 teams – showcased the county’s best talent to watching spectators, with the three subsidiary finals in the morning and the main games after lunch.

By the time the finals arrived, some 700 had poured through the gates to the club, ready to enjoy a wide choice of concession stands alongside pony and hovercraft rides. Ice cream and cold drinks were in high demand as Richard Davis’s Clashleigh team made their way on to the club’s number one ground to face Andras Tombor’s (-1) Bardon side in the 7-10 goal final.

This was going to be a heated encounter.

However, sadly for Davis himself, he was unavailable to take part, despite having done the hard work of battling through a league of four teams and a semi final. Ably replaced by fellow minus-one-goaler Harry Hickmet, Clashleigh appeared not to miss their patron too much – indeed, whatever they’d had for breakfast, Bardon wished they’d eaten the same. Everything went Clashleigh’s way, particularly in the second half, when they built on a onegoal lead and eventually cruised to the title with a 8-2 scoreline at the end of the four chukkas.

James Robinson, marketing director for Royal Salute was on hand to present all players with their prizes. Sean Wilson-Smith walked away with the MVP award. The best playing pony blanket, kindly presented by Jackie Blundell of Hunter Shavings, went to Jonny Good’s retrained English thoroughbred, Ellie.

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Above: Clashleigh’s Jonny Good (wearing red) attacks the ball on his nearside in the 7-10 goal final against Bardon Inset below: Good celebrates victory in the 4-8 goal final for Black Eagles with his daughters, Martha and Molly

There was another heavy defeat in the 4-8 goal final, when Jonathan Munro Ford’s Black Eagles thumped Marzena Fick’s Belina 9-3.

It marked an especially good day for five-goaler Jonny Good, who had also been part of the winning Clashleigh side in the 7-10 goal.

Buoyed by this victory, he was on fire, as was teammate Daniel Otamendi, who received the most valuable player award – a magnum of Perrier Jouet Champagne.

Roddy Matthew’s eight-yearold English thoroughbred, Fly, was best playing pony.

In the -2-2 goal final, it was the battle of the junior giants as Charlie Holley’s Ocho Rios confronted Charlie Pidgley’s Cadenza Juniors.

Neither side deserved to lose, but it was Charlie Holley that decided it in the dying seconds, scoring to give Ocho Rios victory, 6-5. However, his opposing minus-one-goal patron Charlie Pidgely picked up the MVP

plaudits, and his father’s pony Shemmi, who was played by Sergio Baselli, won BPP. F wT he full list of teams and all the results are listed on the Polo Times website: www.polotimes.co.uk u T he Polo Festival; 30 July – 11 August 2012; Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club Result (in the 7-10 goal): Clashleigh beat Bardon, 8-2 Principal sponsors: Tally Ho Farm and Royal Salute Handicap levels: 7-10 goal; 4-8 goal; -2-2 goal Number of team entries: 20 (8; 4; 8) Finalists Clashleigh (10): Harry Hickmet -1; Sean WilsonSmith 2; Jonny Good 5; Tarquin Southwell 4 Bardon (10): Andras Tombor -1; Matias Machado 4; Facundo Castagnola 6; Jack Mesquita 1 Black Eagles (8): Jonathan Munro Ford -1; Sebastian Hancock 0; Jonny Good 5; Daniel Otamendi 4 Belina (8): Marzena Fick -1; Roddy Matthews 3; Greg Keyte 4; Simon McLaren-Tosh 2 Ocho Rios (2): Jack Hyde -1; Alec Banner-Eve 1; Matt Perry 3; Charlie Holley -1 Cadenza Juniors (2): Charlie Pidgley -1; Thomas Brodie 0; James Carr 0; Sergio Baselli 3 www.polotimes.co.uk

16/08/2012 16:06

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16/08/2012 13:14

Reports

Home and abroad

Cowdray Park Polo Club – BLOOM British Ladies Open Polo Championships

Jaeger’s ladies seal British Open victory

Photograph by Clive Bennett

The Jaeger-LeCoultre team of Sally Dawson, Claire Donnelly, Sarah Wiseman and Nina Clarkin raise a glass to their success in the Bloom British Ladies’ Polo Championship

BRITISH FOUR-GOALER Nina Clarkin and her teammates Claire Donnelly, Sarah Wiseman and Sally Dawson took home the BLOOM British Ladies’ Open Polo Championship title on Saturday 21 July.

Their five-goal team, Jaeger-LeCoultre, defeated RJ Polo by a mere half a goal, 5-4½, in a nail-biting final.

The winners breezed through the league stages, despite losing one of the their players – Clare Milford Haven – before the start of the tournament. The zero-goaler broke her leg during a match a few days prior to their first league game and minus-one goal player Sally Dawson was drafted in to replace her for the duration of the tournament.

RJ Polo – like Jaeger-LeCoultre – had won both of their league games to secure a place in the final. However, with both sides unbalanced in handicap, RJ Polo were awarded a two and a half goal handicap advantage at the start of the game. This gave the team of Octavia de Ferranti, Maimie Powell, Emma Boers and Lia Salvo, a good start, but their opposition soon chewed into their advantage and shifted the game back in their favour by half-time.

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RJ Polo came out fighting in the third chukka. Two-goaler Salvo swooped on the ball midway through the chukka and carried it forward to push it through the posts to take her side back into the lead by half a goal, 4½4. Only an excellent clearance by Clarkin on the line prevented Salvo from scoring again.

Clarkin meant business in the fourth and final chukka, preventing RJ Polo from scoring once again and finding the posts herself to put her team back into the lead. RJ Polo could have pipped them at the post, having been awarded a penalty before the final bell.

However, the shot went wide and JaegerLeCoultre ran out the winners.

“The one-goal RJ Polo team put up an excellent fight against Jaeger-LeCoultre with disciplined play and strong marking from the three young girls, under Lia’s expert guidance,” said Clare Milford Haven, who was watching from the sidelines.

“It was a thrilling match from start to finish and with Jaeger-LeCoultre only winning by half a goal it goes to show that playing this tournament open but on handicap works really well as everyone has a fair chance.”

Mike Salmon, marketing director of

new title sponsors BLOOM London Dry Gin, presented the silver salver to JaegerLeCoultre’s MVP Sally Dawson and a bottle of BLOOM Gin to each player.

The best playing pony award went to Jet, a 14-year-old Chilean gelding owned by George Milford Haven and played by Lia Salvo. wT o read more of Clare Milford Haven’s thoughts on the Bloom British Ladies’ Open, see her latest Backchat column on page 22 u BLOOM British Ladies’ Open Polo Championships; 17-21 July 2012; Cowdray Park Polo Club, West Sussex Result: Jaeger-LeCoultre beat RJ Polo, 5-4½ Principal sponsor: BLOOM London Dry Gin Handicap level: 6-goal Number of team entries: five Most valuable player: Sally Dawson Best playing pony: Jet, played by Lia Salvo Finalists: Jaeger-LeCoultre (5): Sally Dawson -1; Claire Donnelly 1; Nina Clarkin 4; Sarah Wiseman 1 RJ Polo (1): Octavia de Ferranti 0; Maimie Powell 0; Emma Boers -1; Lia Salvo 2 www.polotimes.co.uk

16/08/2012 17:04

Home and abroad

Cirencester Park – International Ladies’ Tournament

News in brief

Clumsy Cows not so clumsy after all at the start, the force of Clarkin and her teammates Amelia Scott-Hopkins, Tabba and Tilda Woodd proved too strong. Clumsy Cows pulled away in the final chukka to win by two and a half goals, taking home the Cotswold Airport Cup.

Antinori and Michel Del Carril – were the winners, after defeating Martin Ephson’s Poulton in the final. This puts Montana, pictured, at the top of the 12-goal Victor Ludorum standings, 60 points ahead of Poulton. In the subsidiary final Los Locos beat Four Quarters Orange, 6-3.

The winning Clumsy Cows team: Amelia Scott-Hopkins, Tabba and Tilda Woodd and Nina Clarkin at Cirencester

Polo Wicklow – July Tournament

Photograph by Bunny Parsons

Neptune win worth waiting for OVER THE LAST weekend in July, Polo Wicklow held their first grass tournament of the season. Usually, the club holds its first outdoor tournament in May but due to the unsettled weather earlier this season, the Irish club was forced to cancel its first three tournaments on the calendar.

Four teams entered the 4-goal section, while three teams competed in the lower division. In the latter, David Stone’s Pegus team took home the Herbst

Ruso Sorzana turns the ball for Neptune in the final

www.polotimes.co.uk

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◗ Beaufort – Nine teams entered the Sebago Prince of Wales Cup, which is the fourth tournament of six in the 12-goal Victor Ludorum. Tony Gerrard’s Montana – which also included James Rome, Nico

Photograph by Christopher Fear

FOR THE FIRST time in Cirencester Park’s 118-year history, an all-ladies’ tournament was held at the Gloucestershire club. Clumsy Cows were the winners of the inaugural 4-goal tournament – sponsored by Cotswold Airport – after they defeated Angry Birds, 7-4½.

The competition attracted five teams and featured players from around the globe including New Zealand, Russia, Australia, Nigeria, Brazil and Argentina. Also taking part were Britain’s Nina Clarkin, Rosie Ross and up-and-coming player Izzy Parsons.

Angry Birds – Rosie Ross, Sarah Wiseman, Heloise Lorentzen and Natalia Danilochkina – won both of their two league games, against Inglestone Farm and Africa Blue, securing their place in the final. Clumsy Cows also beat Africa Blue in the league stages, as well as RJ Polo.

A fast and competitive final ensued, which attracted an enthusiastic and substantial Sunday morning crowd of spectators.

Although the three-goal Angry Birds side were awarded a one-goal handicap advantage

Reports

Perpetual Cup after the teams played a roundrobin tournament over two days.

In the 4-goal , three teams travelled from Northern Ireland – Neptune A, Neptune B and Tyrone – and Killabraher travelled from Cork. Neptune A – Colm Kelleher, Siobhan Herbst, Ruso Sorzana and Creighton Boyd – faced Tyrone in the final.

Within moments Neptune’s Sorzana scored with a mighty shot from behind the centre line, followed immediately by a goal from Herbst.

Tyrone, featuring father and son combo Eamon and Danny Laverty, Jamie McCarthy and Facundo Matilla, managed to add a goal to their half goal handicap advantage before half time. However, Neptune remained in control of the game in the second half and won the Ballyhenry Trophy, 8-3½.

◗ Coworth Park – Guy Schwarzenbach’s Black Bears claimed the 15-goal Coworth Park Challenge on 21 July. The team beat Chris Mathias’s Clarita Black in an extremely close final, 11-10½. ◗ South Africa – In late July, 10 teams took part in the 6-goal Inanda Cup. Celebrities, players and well-dressed guests attended the renowned social event. South African teams Cintron and UBS reached the final, resulting in a 6-2 win for Cintron, featuring four-goaler Leroux Hendricks. In the subsidiary final, Veuve Clicquot beat Nigerian team Lintrale, 6-5. ◗ France – Four teams battled it out in the seventh Pro Alvear Cup in St Tropez in July. Camino Real – featuring British patron Michael Bickford and USA patron Lyndon Lea – shared the winner’s podium with Corlette. Dinner, a charity auction and dancing went on late into the night, raising £180,000 for Argentine charity Fundacion Pro Alvear. ◗ White Rose – The Yorkshire Open Polo Championships were held from 11-12 August and welcomed 17 teams across four divisions from -8 goal to 2-goal.

Summit conquered the top division, the 0-2 goal, by beating Eye Contact 6-4.

Polo Times, September 2012

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Home and abroad

Lynt Polo Club – Polo Times 2-Goal Challenge

Photograph by Charlotte Verdon

Silver Fox fly to win in Heritage Cup Photograph by Harald Joergens

Thunder and lightning don’t deter Lynt players

Hurtwood Park Polo Club – Heritage Polo Cup

THE RE-SCHEDULED Polo Times 2-Goal Challenge went ahead on 4-5 August.

Steve Corker’s Kencot Cavaliers were the winners, beating Red Dogs in the final, 6-5.

With heavy rain in the morning, the club considered cancelling yet again, but they powered through. The subsidiary final got underway in the sunshine but an hour later, eight sodden players, goal judges, grooms and spectators left the field.

The final was not without drama as PT columnist Mark Emerson – playing for Red Dogs in place of Evelyn Williams – hit the deck at the beginning of the game, before then receiving a ball to the face (see page 82). Despite Emerson manfully playing on, he was unable to stop Kencot Cavaliers from claiming a narrow one-goal win and the much sought-after Polo Times umbrellas.

John Martin of the winning Silver Fox team shows his aggression during the Heritage Polo Cup at Hurtwood Park

Steve Corker and his Kencot Cavaliers team show off their Polo Times umbrellas and best playing pony rug

HURTWOOD PARK HOSTED the Heritage Polo Cup for the first time this August. In previous years the 8-goal tournament was held at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst but moved to Kenney Jones’s club for its seventh annual edition.

In the men’s 8-goal tournament, in which four teams took part, Silver Fox (USA) took home the Heritage Cup. Dressed in “old English” attire, the team – which comprised Park Bradley, James Rome, John Martin and Henry Fisher – defeated La Mariposa (Argentina) in Sunday’s final. Fisher was

named most valuable player, while La Golondrina’s Pedro Harrison’s pony won the best playing pony award. Olympic gold medalist and 2012 Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins presented the cup to the team at the prize giving.

In the Liberty Freedom-sponsored ladies’ competition, Rosie Ross – who scooped both the most valuable player and best playing pony awards – led her Ladies of the British Empire team to a win. w See page 85 for social pictures from the day

Vale of York Polo Club – Dickinson Wood Solicitors Cup

Solicitors lay down the law in brief encounter MORE THAN 20 members of Vale of York Polo Club took part in a charity day sponsored by Dickinson Wood Solicitors of Doncaster at the beginning of August.

The cup was won by none other than the Dickinson Wood Solicitors, who improved on last year’s third place finish.

The team, which featured Dickinson Wood staff members Russell and Linda Baughan, defeated Caddy Consultancy of Doncaster 3-½. Russell Baughan scored all three goals and was ably supported by Linda – who polo manager Paul Piddington described as the “oldest lady polo player” during his 54

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commentary, which she fiercely refutes!

Their opponents were awarded a half goal advantage at the start, but were unable to find the posts throughout the final. The day was held in aid of Canine Partners and raised £1,000 to allow them to purchase two new puppies as assistance dogs to the disabled.

Kay Wood of Dickinson Wood lifts the cup to the delight of the winning team www.polotimes.co.uk

16/08/2012 17:32

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17/08/2012 17:19

Reports

Home and abroad

Norfolk Polo Club â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Coutts Norfolk Polo Festival

Sponsors bank Norfolk

festival victory

NORFOLK POLO CLUB hosted the Coutts Norfolk Polo Festival from 28-29 July. Ten polo matches were held, including a 6-goal exhibition match for the Bentley Bowl as well

Mark Holmes, Fabio Lavinia and Henry Browne â&#x20AC;&#x201C; defeated Eastern Press in the exhibition match. Eastern Pressâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s James Leonard was named most valuable player and Laviniaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pony Tortuguito won the best playing pony award. The winning team won a bottle of Angel Champagne, which was delivered to the polo ground by parachute before the start of the match.

Sunday kicked off with the Warwick Townsend Trophy, where Norfolk Polo Club Black beat Norfolk Polo Club White. The low-goal Dunn & Co Cup and the Smithfield Sausage finals were won by King Power and Greenheath respectively, with Henry Browne winning MVP of the tournament.

A charity auction held after dinner in the VIP marquee, as well as a donation from every programme sold, raised an amazing ÂŁ20,274 for Help for Heroes.

as action in the Warwick Townsend Trophy.

Coutts & Co â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Chris Townsend,

Fabio Lavinia of Coutts & Co with his best playing pony Tortuguito

w To see all of this monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s social action from polo clubs all over the world turn to our Sidelines section, pages 84-89

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3HQGXOXP P [ P www.polotimes.co.uk

16/08/2012 17:38

Home and abroad

Reports

Jamaica – Hi Pro/ICWI Family Tournament

Over the moon: wait is over for the Wates

Photograph by Lauren Chin

JULY’S HI PRO/ICWI Family Tournament concluded this year’s Jamaican polo season.

In the high-goal section, ICWI were victorious, while in the low-goal the Chin’s Hi Pro team finished on top.

The final of the high-goal section featured an intriguing battle of the Wates family, with Mark and Ricky Wates of Hi Pro pitted against the young Sam and Hamish Wates, who represented ICWI. The ICWI team, which also featured Paul Lalor and Jorge Donovan, opened up the scoring in the first chukka and led throughout. Even though the Hi Pro team switched positions in the second half and managed to get a few more balls through the posts, the ICWI side was relentless and won 10-6.

In the low-goal final, it was the combination of Shane, Kurt and Mark Chin and Jonathan Hew – representing Hi Pro – who managed to clinch victory against ICWI’s Mark Turner, Paul Lalor and Hamish and Sam Wates. It was a close game throughout,

High-goal winners Sam Wates, Jorge Donovan, Paul Lalor and Hamish Wates of ICWI with Eric Williams of Hi Pro

with the scores tied 3-3 in the fourth chukka, before Shane Chin scored the all-important goal after receiving a beautiful backhand pass from Mark Chin. The win was dedicated to

Billy Vernon – father of players Andy and Ramon and a huge supporter of Jamaican polo – who sadly died earlier this year after a battle with cancer.

Vaux Park Polo Club – Geronimo Jones Somerset Tournament

Impressive Lamacrafts land a £2,000 win of two and a half goals. Meanwhile the other finalists Los Chicos Lindos, an amateur onegoal team and outsiders of the competition, had to rely on goal difference to see them through to the final in a hard fought group.

The final was a flowing, open affair with umpires Martin Fewster and Stephen Corrick in little need of their whistles. Henry Amor kept Los Chicos Lindos in touch, controlling the game from the number four position and building on their two-goal handicap advantage. He scored a spectacular 60 yard penalty and a running field goal, to give his

side a 5-4 lead at the beginning of the fourth chukka. However, Knowle then kicked into top gear as Sheriff found his stride and they stretched away to win by 8-4. Tom Lamacraft who was as reliable as ever at back for Knowle won best playing pony with his nine-yearold mare Socks, while his sister Lottie won most valuable player.

Photograph by 1415 Photography

THE LONDON OLYMPICS may have captivated the British public but Vaux Park Polo Club’s players and staff focused their attention on the inaugural and highly competitive 4-goal Geronimo Jones Somerset Tournament in August.

Six teams were attracted by the £2,000 prize, including hot favourites Knowle – featuring Brad Beatson, Tom Lamacraft, Lottie Lamacraft and Glenn Sheriff.

Knowle cruised through the league stages beating Ridgebacks 9-1½ and then overcoming Geronimo Jones by a margin

wT o find out more about Britain’s best up-and-coming players, see pages 60-68 for our Pony Club Polo Championship coverage

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16/08/2012 17:39

Reports

Home and abroad

Binfield Heath Polo Club – Summer Festival

Coppid Owls swoop to festival triumph DESPITE BINFIELD HEATH having to scale back their Summer Festival because the wet weather rendered the grounds and surrounding areas waterlogged, the event went ahead as planned on 21 July. On the day, the sun shone and plenty of spectators turned out to watch the five polo matches and helped raise money for the Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance.

In the first game – the Baileys Horse Feeds 0-goal – Nomads and Borough Marsh Farm drew 5-5, while in the second game in the Hall Place Vets 2-goal, Frogmore defeated Phoenix 8-6.

The pace stepped up in the Firefly Partners 6-goal match, when the Firefly Partners’ team took home the cup for the second consecutive year. Although Jane Rumsey – who was named most valuable player – played superbly for opposing side Carisbrooke Speculation, Firefly Partners proved to be the stronger team and won 5-3. Pedro de Lamare’s pony Torinha was named best playing pony.

The highlight of the day was the 8-goal match between BHC Rathbeags and Coppid Owls, where the latter – comprising Tristan Phillimore, Greg Keyte, Tomas Fernandez

Tristan Phillimore, Greg Keyte, Tomas Fernandez and Jack Mesquita of the 8-goal tournament winners Coppid Owls

and Jack Mesquita – claimed the Julian Starmer-Smith Trophy after winning 7-5½.

BHC Rathbeags’ Mo Sheikh was named most valuable player while the Polo Times best playing pony award went to Tristan Phillimore’s Biddy.

The day ended with a 6-goal Challenge match, where Waimai/ProFit just beat Los Lobos/Wild Boars 7-6½. w Have your say on the English polo scene by emailing us at: letters@polotimes.co.uk

Suffolk Polo Club – Whitby Pigeon Fanciers’ Trophy and Strawberry Plate

Photograph by Brian Tyler

Los Chavos out-wit the Brain Surgeons

The Happy Hogs (in yellow) won all of their games in the Strawberry Plate at Suffolk

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THE POLO TIMES-SPONSORED tournament, for the Whitby Pigeon Fanciers’ Trophy and the Strawberry Plate, took place at the end of July at Suffolk Polo Club. Seven teams contested the competition, which was held on Suffolk’s number one ground at Hare Park.

Stephen Appleby’s Los Chavos, which also featured Emma Darrington, Andy Cork and Stuart Beetles, were the winners of the first division. They beat the Brain Surgeons, 9-6, after lulling them into a false sense of security early on in the final before pouncing on them with their attack. The winners collected the Whitby Pigeon Fanciers’ Trophy,

which dates back to 1911.

Happy Hogs, led by Michael MacSwiney, won all their matches in the Strawberry Plate and took home prizes supplied by Polo Times. A late afternoon downpour didn’t dampen the spirits of two East Anglian Pony Club teams who played a friendly match to conclude the day.

The Polo Times best playing pony rug was won by the Brain Surgeons’ Francis Molyneux’s Miss Boom Boom – a young retrained racehorse by Reel Buddy. Molyneux bought the pony last year to retrain after returning to polo following a 15year absence. www.polotimes.co.uk

16/08/2012 19:13

Home and abroad

Tidworth Polo Club – Captains and Subalterns

Photograph by Peter Meade

Lancers finish above Dragoons Lieutenant Arthur Purbrick played incredibly A TOTAL OF 16 teams took part in this well and led his year’s Captains Queen’s Royal and Subalterns Lancers side to a tournament at win against Royal Tidworth Polo Club Artillery Red, 6½-2. in July. Teams were Last but not least, split into three the Royal Military divisions, where the Academy Sandhurst 9th/12th Lancers B team were the finished first in the winners of division top division. four. “On a personal Major Matt EyreThe 9th/12th Lancers team who finished top of division one note, having myself Brook’s 9th/12th commanded the Lancers side, which 16th/5th the Queen’s Royal Lancers, it was a also comprised Lieutenant Chris Fisher, joy to see the “Lancers” collectively coming Major Matt Woodward and Lieutenant Hugh out on top this year with fine wins in division Richardson, defeated the Light Dragoons, one and division three,” said John Wright of 8½-5 in the final of division one.

Tidworth Polo Club.

In division two, the Royal Artillery Blue’s He added: “Quis separabit”, which is the L/Bdr Lawrence Jackson and Ocdt Foster moto of the Royal Dragoon Guards meaning fought hard to beat Royal Military Academy “who shall separate us”.

Sandhurst (RMAS), with only half a goal between them in the final score. Meanwhile, w S ee page 84 for action from Sandhurst in division three, the ever-enthusiastic

Reports

News in brief w F rance – British four-goaler Ollie Cudmore claimed victory in the Deauville Gold Cup with Prince Bahar Jefri’s

Richard Mille on 12 August. Led by 10-goaler Pablo MacDonough, his side, pictured, defeated Andre Fabre’s Royal Barriere in extra time, 15-14. w Sussex Polo Club – This year’s 2-goal Terence Lent Trophy was won by Cuatro Estrellas (Harry Hickmet, Archie Hirson, Mike Jones and Lance Anderson) following a round-robin tournament in late July. The -2 goal section was won by Plain Clothes Portugal.

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Polo Times, September 2012

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Audi Pony Club Polo Championships and Junior HPA

Presented by

Play is good, so join the club Though there were fewer teams in many sections looking to reach the iconic grounds of Cowdray Park for the Audi-sponsored Pony Club Polo Championships this year, as was also true of the Jorrocks sides at Hurtwood, the polo on finals day was of a pleasingly high standard

Tony Emerson All photographs by Michael Chevis, Midhurst

rounds up all the action

I

f it were not for the lucky break in the weather over the weekend of the Audi Pony Club Polo Championships at Cowdray Park, this season would largely have been memorable for cold, mud, rain and cancellations.

A mere two Pony Club tournaments were able to be played on grass before the qualifiers, while the section managers of Junior HPA were driven to distraction as grounds were offered and then understandably withdrawn after yet another deluge. Distraction then probably became alcohol as parents and managers tried ceaselessly to twist revised schedules to their advantage.

The frustration was also felt by the players of course, especially as many ponies brought in for the holidays had no chance to get fit and switch on to the proper business of polo.

Arenas are a stop-gap, but a spirited horse

Jorrocks finalists in front of the Hurtwood Park clubhouse on the Wednesday before the Cowdray Championships

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reacts differently to an eight-foot wall than it does to 10 inches of board, as demonstrated by one of the Bedale & West of Yore ponies, who seemed determined to match Dick Turpinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s non-stop ride to York.

Throughout the qualifying rounds, the umpteenth year of lingering recession meant there were fewer teams trying to get to the Championships. But that did mean that most of those that made the investment to play were rewarded with the chance to play on Cowdray Park's historic Lawns. Only the Surtees section had a significant number of teams disappointed at not making it to the big finale weekend.

South Berks's Ned Hine, winner of the Thorneloe Trophy, presented by Veronica Thorneloe, mother of the late Rupert Thorneloe, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2009

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Audi Pony Club Polo Championships and Junior HPA, Hurtwood Park and Cowdray Park

The Old Surrey & Burstow Hunt's Lucy Martin, Sophie Preston, Josh Hyde and George Mills, winners of the Sportsmanship Award at the Jorrocks Championships

Jorrocks â&#x20AC;&#x201C; under 11s Twelve teams came to enjoy the now familiar hospitality of Hurtwood Park on the Wednesday before the Cowdray Championships and, though there was some rain throughout the day, the sun emerged in time to reward the youngsters that had won recognition at the prize-giving.

For some it was a family affair: four Hines represented the South Berks and three Slatters the Beaufort Blue. Major Thorneloe,

Zac Beim intercepted a clearance and found the posts with a wonderful shot some 60 yards from goal

Youth polo

Cotswold Hunt's Kiki Severn, Zac Beim, Monty Swain Granger and Will Harper, winners of the Jorrocks I division, presented by Chris Eaton

and had a straightforward run to the final. The other half of the draw was much tighter, and a run down was needed to separate the Old Berkshire and the South Berks (who won it).

In the final, Zac Beim got the Cotswold off to an early lead with a spectacular run finished off by Will Harper. However, Ned Hine helped South Berks hit back in the second minute, when he got a fast run down the boards and passed to his sister Millie for her to score.

It looked like another run down to decide the champions, until Zac Beim intercepted a clearance and found the posts with a Another winner in terms of the Sportsmanship Award: wonderful shot from 60 yards to secure the the Berkeley Hunt's Jemima Walker, Tom Baxter, Ben u Flemming and George Tomblin, with Chris Eaton title for the Cotswold.

presenter of the most prized individual cup, had his grandson George Tomblin playing for the Berkeley.

The Cotswold Hunt were clear favourites, having won in all the preparatory tournaments,

Winners of Jorrocks III, the Royal Artillery Hunt: Louis Heard, Freddie Heathcote Hobbins, Emma Talbot Rice and Freddie Pritchard

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Grafton Hunt's Frankie Barlow, George Deverall, Rosie Grayson and Harry Pitt, who won the Turnout Texaco Trophy

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Audi Pony Club Polo Championships and Junior HPA, Hurtwood Park and Cowdray Park

Handley Cross division I winners, Newmarket and Thurlow: Patrick Robinson, Leo Dettori, Henry Frisby and Algy Stanley lift the Handley Cross Cup

u Handley

Cross – under 14s; playing “fluffies” only It was good to see the successful return of two Pony Club branches which had been in backwaters recently. Following lots of hard work by Susanna Turk, the Berkeley now have a good base of young players, while the Newmarket & Thurlow look likely to return to their days of success under Jeremy Allen. In fact, Allen's nephew Leo

Cotwold Hunt, winners of the Cooper Cup in the Surtees I division: Richard St Pier, Patrick de Barros, Hector Chamberlain and Thomas Coid

The Cotswold Vale Farmers side, victors in Surtees II division: Ellie Shea, Jack Tilley, Hannah Parry-Jones, Meely Edmondson

(with the renowned surname of Dettori) played in their team.

Having won all their league matches, these two teams met in a final which showed discipline and good thinking rather than flair.

After a goalless first chukka, Patrick Robinson – playing for Newmarket – produced a controlled run of half shots to put his team into the lead. The Berkeley had a chance to equalise via a penalty, but could not take it.

Surtees – under 14s; playing on polo ponies

Action from the Surtees final, fought between the Cotswold Hunt (in green and red) and the Old Surrey & Burstow

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As last year, this was easily the largest section, and had to be divided into three divisions.

There had been concerns that the Hipwood section might be creaming off too many talented players, but the very high standard of play proved them unfounded, and all matches in division one were fast and spectacular.

Both the Heythrop and the New Forest teams would have reached the finals in previous years: indeed, the New Forest had barely lost a chukka in the qualifiers but luck was not on their side at Cowdray, when they came across three well organised girls representing the Old Surrey & Burstow. The other finalists were, for the third successive year, the Cotswold.

The Cotswold started well in the final, when Tom Coid ran the ball to the OS&B goal after a melee, and converted. Teammate Hector Chamberlain then pounced on a loose ball and controlled his shot well to make it 2-0. In reply, Georgia Addison made a great run from her own half to score a final solo goal which kept the OS&B in contention.

But Tom Coid had other ideas, taking the ball forward past the 30-yard line outside the OS&B goal, whereupon Patrick de Barros followed up to seal the win. u

Grafton Hunt White's Johnny Beck-Brown, Freddie Barlow, Tom Wheeler and Tom Barlow, who tasted victory in the Surtees III division

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Audi Pony Club Polo Championships and Junior HPA, Hurtwood Park and Cowdray Park

Youth polo

Education from every angle Our education expert Adam Caller gives advice each month on dealing with the quandaries facing young players looking to balance their polo and their studies.

Winners of the Loriner I division, Bedale & West of Yore: Ellie Tempest, Genna Meadows, Angus Johnston and Thor Farranrando

Sussex's Kian Hall, José Araya, Terence Lent and Harry Hickmet, who won the Hipwood League, in which teams competed for the Daily Mail Trophy

Ledner section winners, Cotswold Vale: Hector Fair, Toby Edmondson, Ella Hitchman and Ellie Tempest

Olivia Woodhead, Sam Brown, Laurence Busch Hansen and Dan Turk of the Berkeley Hunt, winners of the Frank Rendell Cup in the Rendell section

Jambo Trophy winner Louis Heard with his pony Jack the Knipper, both of whom hunt with the Kimblewick

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With the camaraderie of the Pony Club Polo Championships still fresh in the memory of so many young people this month, it seems particularly appropriate that my article in this issue should be centred on whether home schooling can really be a viable option, since many level the criticism that a student's social interaction is limited by not being taught at school.

However, my experience is that – all too often – the kinds of social interactions that take place in the classroom are generally not nice at all, and can be stressful for young people. A degree of teasing, bullying and belittling is routinely justified by school leaders and supporters as “characterbuilding”, but I do not share this view. I do not agree that such a learning environment is good for children at all. And it is easy to create a home-based education that is rich in social opportunity as an alternative.

The Pony Club Polo Championships demonstrate my perspective perfectly.

Competitors do not all attend the same school. Indeed, they need not go to any school. Yet, spending time with good friends and making new ones is part and parcel of watching and playing together. Thus, particularly for those young people for whom school is a stressful experience, the decision to home-school can alleviate many anxieties and provide a more efficient use of time.

This, naturally, can be very helpful for those youngsters who increasingly want to dedicate themselves to their polo but, in deciding whether home schooling is a viable alternative, it is important to discuss all the consequences and benefits. Just as some children do better at some schools, some children will benefit from home schooling because of the way it can be tailored to learning style and fitted around other commitments. If school is getting in the way of your child’s polo, or you think their education is suffering because of sports commitments, please call us to discuss whether a home education might be right for your family. ◗ Adam Caller has been the Senior Partner of Tutors International for 12 years. Tutors International is a specialist private tutoring and educational consultancy headquartered in Oxford Polo Times, September 2012

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Jack Hyde receives the Andrew Older Memorial Trophy for most promising Langford player of the year, presented by Pony Club stalwart Jilly Emerson

Rendell League winners Keira Bosley, Harry Revell, Chris Pritchard and Charlotte Royal, of Cowdray Hunt, pictured with the Bank of Ireland Trophy

Grafton Hunt's Will Berner attacks the ball under pressure from Cowdray Hunt's Charlie Scott (wearing orange)

u Loriner – under 17s; one-chukka polo In most years, teams from the north of the country are at a disadvantage for having less opportunities to practise, but this year’s rains were a great leveller, and the Bedale & West of Yore surprised the soft southerners by winning all their qualifiers. They carried on in the same vein in their league matches over the weekend at Cowdray Park, and were faced

Cowdray Hunt's Frankie Hutley, Charlie Scott, Rex Woodhouse and Guy Fox-Andrews, surprise winners of the Gannon Daily Telegraph Trophy

Ledner – under 21s; one-chukka polo

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Rendell – under 21s; two-chukka polo The league matches threw a surprise, since the qualifiers did not point to the Berkeley

It is a time-honoured tradition that Rendell finals depend on the after-effects of the Saturday night barbeque and, true to form, neither finalist produced a good performance with the Cotswold who had scraped through on goal average.

Because of the packed league format, the championship is decided over just one chukka. Compared to the younger sections, though hard fought, this final was disappointing with the only goal being scored through a 30-yard penalty converted for the Bedale by Angus Johnston.

Guy Fox-Andrews takes the ball away from the Grafton Hunt's Will Berner in the Gannon section final

Despite a lot of mutterings before kickoff, the formula was a success and the standard much higher than in previous years. The Cotswold beat Cheshire and the Old Berks in a three-way playoff.

The fun run was reincarnated this year with no qualifiers and a politically correct rule that two of the players had to be girls.

Hunt beating the Cowdray in their league nor to the OS&B beating the Vine. However, two teams with few expectations duly faced each other in the finals.

It is a time-honoured Pony Club tradition that Rendell finals depend on the after-effects of the Saturday night barbecue and, true to form, neither team would have been proud of their performance. Though the Berkeley’s Sam Brown was the outstanding player on the field in the Rendell Cup final, the only time he managed to find the posts was through a from-the-spot penalty two. This merely neutralised a rather muddled goal scored www.polotimes.co.uk

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Youth polo

Ponies honoured

Cowdray Hunt's Charlie Scott with Lunita, best playing pony in the Gannon section

Jambo Trophy presentation committee: Pony Club Polo chairman Theresa Hodges, Elizabeth Fox-Andrews, Pony Club chairman Cherry Michell, Audi's Kaulai Hardwood-Scorer and David Woodd, CEO of the HPA

Handley Cross player Patrick Robinson, of Newmarket & Thurloe, with pony Jazz

Zac Beim with Jerry, winners for the Cotswold Hunt in the Jorrocks I section Karim Sheikh, Sebastian Hancock, Ed Banner-Eve and Tom Brodie, who won the Hurlingham Champion Trophy for Guards in the Langford section, beating Longdole

Taunton Vale's Charlie Hitchman, Lolly StanhopeWhite, Tom Dalton-Morgan and James McCarthy, winners of the Emerson Trophy in the Hipwood section

earlier by the OS&B, and the match was decided by another time honoured Pony Club tradition – the run down. Despite tacking as if he were an Olympic sailor, Brown got his team first over the back line.

with José Araya scoring out of a melee and Terence Lent with a strike from distance.

In the third chukka Araya put the ball through with a cut shot that his father Marcos would have been proud of and Harry Hickmet followed up an attack by Lent to score Sussex’s fourth. Beaufort at last got on the scoreboard in the fourth when Henry Letts followed through a decent team effort, but their hopes were extinguished by a good number one’s goal from Kian Hall.

Hipwood – Junior HPA four-chukka polo; under 15s The competition took place over four weeks and only just completed thanks to the weather. By far the youngest team was Longdole, yet even they managed one shock result when they beat Silver Leys and qualified for the subsidiary final. However, they came swiftly back down to earth against Taunton Vale, who put nine goals past them without reply.

The main final was played between Sussex and Beaufort. In their previous encounter, Sussex had scraped through by half a goal in a match full of accidents, but this time they made a confident start www.polotimes.co.uk

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Langford – Junior HPA four-chukka polo; under 18s Despite the weather, all league matches were completed and a strong-looking set of teams from Guards, the RA Hunt, Longdole and the RCBPC qualified for the semi-finals.

Helped by some missed penalties and a star performance from JJ de Alba, Longdole u surprised students of the form books by

Retrained race-families Members of the horseracing fraternity were at the championships this year. Frankie Detorri’s son Leo and Algy Stanley, the son of Peter Stanley – who bred Oaks and Breeders Cup winner Ouji Board for his brother the Earl of Derby – played together in the Handley Cross section for Newmarket and Thurlow.

In Loriner, Angus Johnston, the son of flat racehorse trainer Mark Johnston, played for Bedale and West of Yore.

Angus’s mother Deirdre flew down in a Piper Cherokee Six from their home in Middleham, where they keep more than 200 horses, to support her son on finals day.

The 17-year-old’s hard work – he was based at Longdole Polo Club in the run up to the championships – certainly paid off as he scored his side’s only goal to win the game.

Although from a racing background, the minus-one goaler is looking to pursue a career in polo. While he plans to go to university and in that time achieve a two or three-goal handicap, he also wants to take advantage of the racehorses he has to hand and retrain those that aren’t successful on the track for polo.

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Audi Pony Club Polo Championships and Junior HPA, Hurtwood Park and Cowdray Park

Julius Baer says keep your eye on...

Photograph by Michael Chevis

Bella Dalton-Morgan, 8, Taunton Polo Club In August, eight-year-old Bella took part in the Jorrocks Championships at Hurtwood Park, where she impressed the Pony Club Polo Committee with her budding talent. She was awarded the Jorrocks Cup for most improved girl, after playing for the Surrey Union – with Ralf Robson, Emma Nelson and Christo Brodie – in the championships.

Bella is actually part of the Eggesford branch of the Pony Club in Devon but first learnt to play polo last year with the Berkeley, which is north of Bristol, as her local branch did not play polo.

She also took up adult polo at Taunton Vale Polo Club in 2011.

She is hoping to follow in the footsteps of her older brothers John (13) and Tom (15), who took part in the Audi Pony Club Polo Championships in August. Their old pony, 17-year-old Ginny, was passed down to Bella to learn on, which she also hunts and jumps.

“Polo is my favourite, above jumping and hunting,” Bella told Polo Times. “It’s really fun and you make friends with your teammates and other people.”

Bella will be playing in the Jorrocks section again next year and aims to go on one of the HPA’s development trips to Argentina in the not too distant future. Meanwhile, her mother, Helen, was awarded the parent recognition/ outstanding achievement award at the Audi Pony Club Polo Championships this year for her remarkable efforts in tirelessly ferrying her three children and five ponies around the country for training and tournaments.

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Helen Dalton-Morgan receives recognition of her outstanding achievement as a parent (see story, left)

Beaufort's Nicky Schrager picks up the Tony Gilks Branch Manager Award for the most organised team manager

Young Telegraph Award winner, Robert Fleming – the most promising player in the under 15/14 sections

The start of the main Cowdray Park parade, led by Jambo Trophy winner Louis Heard, of South Oxfordshire

u beating RCBPC while, as expected, Guards had a comfortable win over the RA. In the final JJ de Alba carried on where he left off in the semi-finals. He was on the scoreboard for Longdole, as was Ed BannerEve for Guards, who trailed by one goal at the end of the first chukka. Guards equalised in the second with a well controlled approach and half shot by Sebastian Hancock, and then Ed Banner-Eve scored the most spectacular goal of the championships from 100 yards out to give Guards the lead at half time.

In a less-exciting third chukka, Hancock tapped in a penalty two to extend their lead and, at the beginning of the fourth, he smashed into the goal post while attempting to dribble along the opposition's back line.

When horse, rider and goalposts were pieced together again, it was decided that a goal had been scored to increase Guards’ lead further.

the-neck shot. But Hancock had the last word with another very controlled approach and half shot to win it comfortably in the end for Guards, 6-3.

Gannon – Junior HPA four-chukka polo; under 21s This section had to have its league matches curtailed, and the subsidiary final for the Jaguar Trophy was won by the very young team of Cowdray Park at the expense of a promising-looking Beaufort RA side.

After a moderate league showing, Cowdray Hunt had scraped through to the final by half a goal and were not particularly fancied against an improving Grafton team worth three goals more. However, unfortunately for Grafton, the team had their “terminator” Aly Paterson summoned for high-goal duty in the Warwickshire Cup (where he scored the

Grafton Hunt goal-scorer Aly Paterson was summoned for high-goal duty in the Warwickshire Cup and, though Jack Mesquita substituted well, the team wasn't the same JJ de Alba missed a 40-yard penalty, and that seemed to wake him up again, as he scored Longdole’s third goal with a brilliant under-

winning goal, as you'll read on page 44) and, though substitute Jack Mesquita played very competently, the team was not quite the same. www.polotimes.co.uk

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Audi Pony Club Polo Championships and Junior HPA, Hurtwood Park and Cowdray Park

Youth polo

The grass-roots view The latest from Theresa Hodges, UK Pony Club Polo chair, in her regular column It is with immense gratitude that the whole Pony Club Polo Committee gets to the end of the Pony Club Polo season where everything has gone relatively smoothly having, given as much polo as possible to those that would like to play.

My personal thanks to Chris Eaton, Janie Dear, Jo Whittington, Bridget Baxter, Clare Musgrave, Justin Stanhope-White, Jilly Emerson and Mike Smith, who masterminded such great competitions and the Audi Pony Club Polo Championships over four great weeks of terrific fun.

Ella Hitchman wins the Sylvia Shepherd Trophy for the under-16 girl who shows most promise

Nick Winterton and Will Berner each receive an RoR bridle for best ex-racehorse. Will's pony Swanky Lad is pictured here with a delighted groom

Receiving two goals on handicap, Cowdray Hunt’s advantage went to three after an opportunistic goal by Frankie Hutley early on. The ever-reliable Jack Berner then cut back the lead to one goal with two penalties for the Grafton but, in the second chukka, Cowdray's Rex Woodhouse scored with a nearside under-the-neck and his teammate Guy Fox-Andrews also intercepted a clearance and dribbled through. When FoxAndrews scored a sixth goal with a nearside forehand, it gave Grafton a mountain to climb, but Barney Wilson put a nearside backhand into the goal from 30 yards, to make the half-time score 6-3.

The second half of the match was not as good. Jack Berner scored one classic forehand goal, but a missed backhand by one of his teammates allowed Cowdray two-goaler Charlie Scott to pounce and restore the lead to three goals. A fourth goal from Jack Berner was too little and too late to prevent Cowdray Hunt from lifting the Daily Telegraph Trophy, www.polotimes.co.uk

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Winner of the Catherine Yates prize for the under-21 girl that displays most promise, Keira Bosley

Jack Berner wins the SATS Saddle Award for the best player of the Pony Club Polo season

Health, Safety and Security Officer Mike Smith, pictured left, performs his final checks before the main parade

though Berner was awarded the SATS saddle for the most valuable Gannon player. F ◗ There are more snaps (taken by Polo Times) on page 87, and you can see the full set of Michael Chevis's photographs from this year online at www.michaelchevis.com ◗ Turn to pages 15 for news of changes to next year's Pony Club Polo Championships

What worked well?

Rescheduling when rain stopped play and using arenas. All thanks to Melie Pemberton for amazing chukka timings and a great sense of calm throughout, ably assisted by Sammy Dartnall out in the field and Laura Armstrong in the Pony Club office.

What could have gone better?

The Baileys Lecture – an innovation suggested by Polo Times that would have worked better if we had no generator noise to contend with and a microphone!

Team substitution – this is always difficult and acute sensitivity is felt when Junior HPA players sub into Pony Club sections. We always err on giving the rides to Pony Club section players, who nominally get less polo. Substitution works best when branch managers consult with the relevant section manager and all members of the Pony Club Polo Committee can bring their knowledge of players abilities to the final decision.

Hats - It is plainly irritating to have to ask a player to change hats. Pony Club insurance is invalid if the player is not wearing the correct hat. It is down to parents to ensure the correct hat is used.

A big thanks Thank you to everyone who helped to make the season run so smoothly and especially to Audi for so generously sponsoring such a wonderful time of friendship, of fun and of challenges.

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Audi Pony Club Polo Championships and Junior HPA, Hurtwood Park and Cowdray Park

Pony Club results in full: Team results: Jorrocks Division I 1st Cotswold Hunt 2nd South Berkshire 3rd Beaufort Hunt Buff 4th Old Berkshire Hunt 5th Grafton Hunt 6th Surrey Union Division II 1st Wylye Valley 2nd Beaufort Hunt Blue 3rd Cottesmore Hunt Division III 1st Royal Artillery Hunt 2nd Old Surrey & Burstow Hunt 3rd Berkeley Handley Cross Division I – The Handley Cross Cup 1st Newmarket & Thurlow 2nd Berkeley Hunt 3rd Cowdray Hunt 4th Beaufort Hunt Blue 5th Beaufort Hunt Buff 6th Royal Artillery Hunt 7th Grafton Hunt 8th Old Surrey & Burstow

Surtees Division I – The Cooper Cup 1st Cotswold Hunt 2nd Old Surrey & Burstow 1 3rd New Forest Hunt 4th Heythrop Hunt 1 5th Beaufort Hunt Blue 6th Cottesmore Hunt Division II – The Surtees II Trophy 1st Cotswold Vale Farmers 2nd Berkeley Hunt 3rd Grafton Hunt Red 4th Bisley Hunt 5th Beaufort Hunt Badminton 6th Beaufort Hunt Buff Division III – The Surtees II Trophy 1st Grafton Hunt White 2nd Beaufort Hunt 3rd Grafton Hunt Blue 4th Surrey Union 5th Heythrop Hunt 2 6th Old Surrey & Burstow 2

Loriner League – The Gig Horswell Trophy 1st Bedale & West of Yore 2nd Cotswold Hunt

Langford Langford Finals – The Hurlingham Champion Trophy 1st Guards 2nd Longdole

Division I – Loriner Challenge Trophy 1st Bedale & West of Yore 2nd Cotswold Hunt 3rd New Forest Hunt 4th Hampshire Hunt 5th Old Surrey & Burstow 6th North Cotswold Hunt 7th Cheshire Hunt (South) 8th Cottesmore Hunt

Langford League – The Martin Trotter Trophy 1st Royal Artillery Hunt 2nd Cowdray

Hipwood League – The Daily Mail Trophy 1st Sussex The Finals - The Smail Rose Bowl 1st Sussex 2nd Beaufort The Subsidiary Finals – The Emerson Trophy 1st Taunton Vale 2nd Longdole Ledner 1st Cotswold 2nd Old Berkshire Hunt 3rd Cheshire Hunt (South)

Left: the Grafton's Jack Berner and Cowdray Hunt's Frankie Hutley do battle in the 2012 Gannon final

My contact in London:

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Rendell Frank Rendell Cup 1st Berkeley Hunt 2nd Old Surrey & Burstow Hunt 3rd Cowdray Hunt 4th Vine Hunt 5th Cottesmore Hunt 6th Cotswold Vale Farmers League – The Bank of Ireland Trophy 1st Cowdray Hunt 2nd Vine Hunt Gannon Gannon Finals – The Daily Telegraph Trophy 1st Cowdray Hunt 2nd Grafton Hunt Gannon Subsidiary Finals – The Jaguar Trophy 1st Cowdray Park 2nd Beaufort/RA

The Tony Gilks Branch Manager Award for most organised team manager – Nicky Schrager (Beaufort Hunt ) Young Telegraph Award for the most promising player in the U15/14 sections – Robert Fleming (Heythrop Hunt) The Andrew Older Memorial Trophy for the most promising Langford player – Jack Hyde (RCBPC) Sylvia Shepherd Trophy for the under-16 girl who shows most promise – Ella Hitchman (North Cotswold Hunt) Catherine Yates Prize for the under 21 girl who shows most promise – Keira Bosley (Surrey Union) Tic Tac Best Pony Player Combination – Emma Talbot-Rice playing Shadow (Royal Artillery Hunt ) Thorneloe Trophy for the most-improved boy – Ned Hine (South Berkshire) The Jorrocks Cup for the most-improved girl – Bella DaltonMorgan (Eggesford, playing for Surrey Union)

Jorrocks Turnout Texaco Trophy – Grafton Hunt Jorrocks Sportsmanship Award – Old Surrey & Burstow Hunt and Berkeley Hunt The RoR bridle for best ex-racehorse – Swanky Lad, played by Will Berner (Junior HPA) and Busy Jack, played

by Nick Winterton (in Pony Club) The Polo Times rug for the best playing Jorrocks pony – Jerry played by Zac Beim The Polo Times rug for the best playing Gannon pony – Lunita played by Charlie Scott The Polo Times rug for the best playing Handley Cross pony – Jazz played by Patrick Robinson SATS Saddle Award for the best Gannon player of the season – Jack Berner The Jambo Trophy – Jack the Knipper, played

by Louis Heard (South Oxfordshire) Umpire prize – Sam Brown Parent Recognition/ Outstanding Achievment – Helen Dalton-Morgan

Presentations by: Di Arburthnot; Jeremy Barber; Bridget Baxter; Nigel Berman; Janie Dear; Jilly Emerson; Tony Emerson; Elizabeth Fox-Andrews; Theresa Hodges; Georgie May; Cherry Michell; Colonel Justin Stanhope-White; Jo Whittington

stuart.bates@juliusbaer.com, tel. +44 203 205 1609

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American Tourn for Langford Plate 3rd Silver Leys 4th Vaux Park

Special prizes:

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17/08/2012 16:48

Michael My occupation: Architect My passion: Polo My dream: A +4 handicap My name:

J ul iu s B a e r , b e c a us e th e y r e s pe c t th e pe r fo r m a n c e o f o th e r s , to o My private bank:

www.juliusbaer.com Julius Baer, the leading Swiss private banking group, was founded in 1890 and today is present in over 40 locations worldwide. From Dubai, Frankfurt, Geneva, Guernsey, Hong Kong, London, Milan, Monaco, Montevideo, Moscow, Nassau, Shanghai, Singapore to Zurich (head office).

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 financial statements of Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd. are available on request. Persons dealing with offices 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 personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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.

B$GYB0LFKDHOB(QJODQGB3RORB7LPHVB [ B5$BH LQGG PT p60-69 Youth.indd 11

16/08/2012 13:19

Knowledge

Know your game

The must-read professional-player’s perspective – from Jamie Peel, three-goal pro and 2008 Gold Cup winner

Horsey jobs are worth the h Losing a horse is always a traumatic experience. I have recently lost an exceptionally talented four-year-old filly called Silk Lingerie, which I bought at Doncaster Sales last autumn, to colic. One year is not a very long time to own a horse for, but in that time she had shown me many great qualities and I was so excited about her potential.

The disappointment in losing such a talented horse is extremely difficult to deal with; I am filled with the frustration in knowing that I will never get another chance to experience her qualities and with the draining feeling that in some way I have let her down.

Replacing a top quality horse regardless of the stage that it is at is so difficult. There

Photograph by Clive Bennett

Few people will ever own a true champion like Frankel or Cuartetera – but that is what we strive to achieve are hundreds of horses for sale but finding the right one takes time. Breeding is the same; people who say that horses are a numbers game are right.

If you are lucky you will have a lot of good horses in your life but if you are fortunate enough to own a champion, then you have struck gold. Very few people will ever own a true champion – horses such as the seemingly unbeatable racehorse Frankel, Adolfo Cambiaso’s Cuartetera and dressage

Polito Pieres, who had some very impressive ponies in the Gold Cup, races George Hanbury during the final

legend Totilas are very rare, but it is what we are all striving to achieve! We go through many different emotions when a tragedy strikes but we need to try and remember those around us who are also affected. Our grooms, who devote their every minute to our horses throughout the season, know everything about them and when they start

work the next morning and there is an empty stable staring at them, it is heart-breaking.

We owe our grooms a huge amount.

Unfortunately, we must also consider the financial loss when we lose a horse. Luckily for me my capital investment was small so it will be much easier to replace the money than it will be to find another horse like her.

Playing tips with Rege Ludwig – three swings Each month, renowned polo coach Rege Ludwig gives his expert advice about how to get more out of your game

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During a game environment it is not always possible to produce a full swing, as you will do in training, or as you see pros use when taking a penalty. Often you need to improvise, but just about every hit of the ball incorporates the use of the shoulder, the elbow and the wrist.

The way you use each of these body parts during a swing has a significant effect on how you hit the ball and also alters your chances

of being hooked. Being farthest from the ball, the shoulder is capable of producing a larger arch to your swing, creating a greater distance between the start of your swing and contact with the ball. This is desirable in that in can generate greater speed for a stronger, longer hit. However, the longer the arc of your swing, the more difficult it is to address the ball accurately and the more chance www.polotimes.co.uk

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Know your game

heartache

At the other end of the scale the financial loss is far greater, even in 8-goal polo people are playing horses worth £30,000 or more. Losing a horse like that could easily wipe out a pro’s profit for the season, so you can see the implications.

Horses for me are a way of life. Every day they give me a lot of pleasure and enjoyment and I there is that you will be hooked.

Compared to the shoulder swing, the elbow swing decreases the distance the mallet head will travel, and thus the potential to hit the ball a greater distance. However, accuracy of execution and direction of hit are greatly improved, while reducing the possibility of being hooked.

The wrist swing should be used when accuracy of hit is more important than distance. The wrist swing is the www.polotimes.co.uk

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consider myself extremely fortunate to be able to live my life in the way that I do. Polo is the industry that I have decided to work in but, if I am honest, I would be just as happy working in racing or hunting.

I know that I am not alone in saying that I play polo because of my love for horses. As polo players we are all trying to constantly improve our strings – being well mounted is fundamental to our success.

The more time I spend with horses the more I realise how little I know and how much there is to learn.

The heights reached by horses in events like the Olympics, the Epsom Derby and the Gold Cup final are the pinnacle for any top performance horse. For me, watching Polito Pieres playing Rolinga in the last chukka of the Gold Cup final at Cowdray Park in July was as good as it gets. Rolinga was the horse of the season and deservedly won the best playing pony prize for his performance in the final.

We must all make the most of these great animals and enjoy them to the full while we still can. F ◗ Do you agree with Jamie’s views?

Have your say by emailing us at letters@polotimes.co.uk ◗ For more about colic see pages 7677 of the July issue of Polo Times easier and quicker swing to execute most accurately and presents the least chance of being hooked.

All three swings types are typically used in conjunction, however, each should be practised and developed separately to ensure correct execution within the course of any swing. ◗ Rege Ludwig is a world renowned polo coach and author of “Polo in the 21st Century”

Knowledge

Fitness with James de Mountfort James de Mountfort, polo player and personal trainer to the Red Bull F1 Racing Team reveals the exercises and techniques that will help your polo Lack of wrist mobility can be the limiting factor for many polo players in, not only playing, but in training movements. I usually hear comments like “my wrists feel like they are going to break”. This is the kind of statement that I prefer not to hear from a player. However, your poor wrist mobility (and more than likely, your accompanying poor thoracic posture) can be caused by many factors, such as typing at your keyboard all day and checking facebook too often. Here are some sure fire ways to improve your wrist mobility: Wrist rotations Simply wrap your fingers together to form a fist and move your wrists around in every possible direction. Hold any position that feels a little tender for a few seconds. Repeat often throughout the day.

Planche press-up Get into a plank position (that is the position at the top of the press-up with your elbows fully extended). Now, turn your hands inward towards each other. Keeping a rigid torso, shift your body forward to create an angle between your shoulders and your wrists. Hold this position for 2030 seconds (or as long as you can bear) and repeat. If this is too intense, drop down to your knees and complete.

Static holds Hold your affected hand in front of you in a straight line with your arm. Using your other hand, pull your wrist back (into extension) and hold for at least 20-30 seconds. Then pull your wrist forward (into flexion) and hold.

Wrist walks Place your palms on a wall, with your arms straight and fingers pointing to the ceiling. Keeping contact with the wall, walk your hands down the wall. Go as far down as possible without letting your palms come off the wall.

Once you reach the point where you can’t walk your hands down any farther, turn your hands around so your fingers are now pointing to the floor. Walk your wrists back up the wall as far upward as possible. Repeat as desired. ◗ Contact James on 07949 455712 or by emailing james@personally-trained.co.uk Polo Times, September 2012

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Knowledge

Know your horse

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

Sending shockwaves through With a spell of relatively good weather since the end of the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup, polo has finally been able to go at full steam ahead towards the end of the season. It also means that we’ve been working overtime to keep injury-prone ponies sound and in work and enable them to perform at their best.

Certain injuries seem to occur in waves throughout the season and this month our shockwave machine has been working overtime in a number of challenging cases. It can play a vital part in the care and support of elite

Shockwave therapy is quick, non-invasive treatment and can be performed on the yard equine athletes but it is strangely still a poorly understood treatment modality and we are often asked how it works. Even in human medicine, it is used widely but its complete method of action remains something of a mystery.

Shockwave therapy was developed in the 80’s to send shockwaves through the human body and into the kidneys, to breakup kidney stones. High-energy shockwaves are produced by a sudden high-voltage discharge within a fluid-filled cell (similar to the sound of thunder generated by a lightning flash) and are directed to the affected region via a handpiece. It proved to be a very effective

Feet first

Polo Times’s monthly farrier focus Terminology – balance and break over points 72

Polo Times, September 2012

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High-energy shockwaves discharged within a fluid-filled cell are used to treat proximal suspensory desmitis

method of breaking up kidney stones and is still used today. However, physicians started to recognise some beneficial side effects of shockwave, notably bone cells were seen to produce more bone when stimulated.

Studies showed broken legs in rats were able to heal considerably faster than untreated

legs and so shockwave started to play a role in musculoskeletal injury treatment. In soft tissues, shockwave was shown to stimulate cells into producing growth factors and increase new blood vessel formation – both helping to speed the healing process. The treatment has also been shown to provide

In last month’s article, we wrote about common injuries and used the words “balance” and “break over point” – terminology that not every player, patron or professional is familiar with.

When the balance of the feet is correct, it helps with shock absorption and the correct limb flight. It also gives maximum support to the limbs in any movement.

Photo one shows the incorrect mediolateral balance (the symmetry between the internal half (medio) of the hoof and external

half (lateral) of the hoof) and incorrect dorsalpalmar balance (the balance between the front and the back of the hoof) The break over point in more simple words is the last point of contact of the toe with the ground. Your farrier should assess the best way of trimming and shoeing to avoid overreaching and brushing – taking into account the horse’s conformation and the discipline it will partake in – while always respecting the correct symmetry of the hoof and its balance. Photo 2 shows the

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Know your horse

Knowledge

Lorna Edgar – specialist equine nutritionist

the game temporary pain relief, from about threefour days after treatment and lasting for three-four weeks.

In humans, as well as in kidney stone treatment, shockwave therapy has been used extensively to treat tennis elbow, heel pain and shoulder injuries and it started to move into veterinary science in the 90s, where it has found a place in the treatment armoury of many equine vets.

Shockwave has been found to be particularly successful in treating proximal suspensory desmitis. This is a common condition in polo ponies, where the suspensory ligament attachment to the back of the cannon bone becomes inflamed, and can even start to pull away from the bone.

Shockwave therapy in combination with a controlled exercise programme can produce excellent results in these cases with horses returning to work faster than if just rested.

Shock wave therapy is used in a number of other equine injuries, including where tendons and ligaments attach to bone, arthritic joints, stress fractures, kissing spines and splints.

Even some wounds have been shown to heal more rapidly with shockwave therapy. Each injury is treated with

same hoof with correct balance and break over point for polo. ◗ Performance Shoeing International is a collaboration of threetime world champion farrier Darren Bazin and Argentine player and farrier Luigi Ferrarese: tel 07896 991489. See www.highgoalfarriers.co.uk for full article

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a specific trode or handpiece, a particular energy level and a predefined number of shocks. The different handpieces focus the shockwaves to different depths, so waves are able to reach the region of the injury with the highest possible energy. Not all units are able to focus the waves in this way, wasting most of the energy of the shockwave before it reaches the injury.

It is a non-invasive, quick and straightforward treatment method and can be carried out on the yard in a relatively short period of time. The horse is sedated, the hair over the affected area is clipped and the skin cleaned. Ultrasound gel is then applied to help the shockwaves penetrate and the trode, which generates the shockwaves, is applied to the limb.

Following treatment, the horse should be rested for the next 24 hours, and depending on the injury may then resume its recommended exercise programme. Two follow up treatments are usually required 10-14 days apart. F ◗ Mark Emerson works as an ambulatory equine vet based near Ascot and has polo clients across the south of England: tel 07973 800383 or email mark@emersonequine.com

Feeding an ex-racehorse Often racehorses out of training take a while to put on condition and be re-trainable, so what can be done to help put on condition without them losing their minds?

Firstly, we have to think about where these horses have come from – an environment of being fed a lot of hard feed, little forage, generally rugged up, stabled and given little turn out. Consequently, after bringing your new horse home, chucking it out in the field for a while or starting to work it, is not going to help its body condition at all.

Weight and muscle loss will be rapid, foot growth will become weak and poor, their immunity will be suppressed and your bargain from the track will soon cost you a small fortune to get right again.

You must ensure that fibre in the diet is utilised to the maximum. It is likely the beneficial bacteria in the hind gut has been disrupted and therefore gut health can be aided by the addition of prebiotics and/or probiotics such as Digest Plus and Protexin. When the horse can utilise fibre well you probably will not have to feed as much hard feed to put on condition – thus saving money.

My other tips are…

• Turn out, but keep warm • If gastric ulcers are suspected, seek veterinary advice • Feed little and often – and choose a conditioning cube rather than a mix to keep the starch/cereal levels down (two scoops* per day should be adequate) • If they are holding weight well and on good grass then use a balancer rather than conditioning cubes • If too much energy is a problem then use high fibre cubes or a balancer with oils • Add oil supplements for additional calories without quick releasing energy • Provide access to good quality hay/haylage at all times • Offer other fibre sources such as grass replacements if stabled and access to grass is limited Hopefully by following the guidelines above you will have a racehorse out of training that will be amiable and looking well, and enjoying its new career as a polo pony. *round bowl Stubbs scoop holds approx 4lbs of cubes ◗ Contact Lorna Edgar of Baileys Horse Feeds on lorna@baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk and 07808 863864 Polo Times, September 2012

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ENGEL & VÖLKERS, Jupiter Licensee of Engel & Voelkers Florida Residential Real Estate, LLC

The Hobe Sound Polo Club represents a unique land acquisition opportunity in Florida, just north of Palm Beach, in the vicinity of Jupiter Island. Located east of I-95, the 1,757 acre property is almost three square miles, has a mile of frontage on Bridge Road and is 2-3/4 miles deep. Its size and scale provide ideal conditions for those who value privacy, privilege and the great outdoors, yet it is easily accessible from the major metropolitan areas of South Florida.

The polo club has had an active tournament schedule at the property over the past three years with several United States Polo Association (U.S.P.A.) tournaments and numerous international team practices and developed a significant regional following, drawing registered players from across the country and the world.

The property includes a 120-acre equestrian complex, consisting of five irrigated championship polo fields, two irrigated stick and ball fields, paddock sites, a ¾ mile exercise track, associated barns and outbuildings, and more. Two newly constructed smaller equestrian complexes on the Property serve for training, boarding, breeding and other operations.

A fully landscaped and gated entrance and miles of paved interior roadways provide easy access to the approximately 1,200 acres of dry land that is already part of a subdivision plan, which allows for easy resale of portions of the property. In addition to the other improvements, hundreds of acres have already been cleared, graded, and fenced. They are currently used as pastures and paddocks, but are otherwise ready for further improvements or development. An irrigation and drainage system, including fire lines and pumps, and various wells are in place.

This is a very unique land acquisition opportunity, with more than $20 million already invested in structural and infrastructure development. There is a strong foundation in place to fully develop the property into a world class equestrian facility and there is also great potential to do more. The underlying land use opens the possibilities to include golf courses, wildlife rehabilitation sanctuaries, the ultimate outdoor sports and recreation resort or even an airstrip.

The property’s convenient location puts it within 30 minutes of the Palm Beach International Airport or two hours to the Miami International Airport. The closest private / general airport is the Witham Field Airport in Stuart, which is less than 20 minutes away.

Ken Meierling Broker · Owner

ENGEL & VÖLKERS, Jupiter Licensee of Engel & Voelkers Florida Residential Real Estate, LLC

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Jupiter Yacht Club & Marina 400 S. US Highway One, Suite 3 Jupiter, Florida 33477 · USA Phone: +1 561 744 8488 Fax: +1 561 744 8988 Mobile: +1 561 602 4333 Internet: www.engelvoelkers.com/Jupiter Mail to: ken.meierling@engelvoelkers.com

17/08/2012 17:17

Ones to watch

Knowledge

Manolo Fernandez Llorente

Pony photograph by Shannon Harper

will be aiming to frustrate hosts England in their final Audi Test Match, says Caroline Smail

Metreman

Height: 15.2hh Age: 10 Colour: Light bay Sex: Gelding Breed: Australian Thoroughbred Owner: James Harper

Six-goaler James Harper has been chosen to represent England when they take on South America in the Audi International at Chester Racecourse this month. Here, he tells Caroline Smail how his top horse – Metreman – will be instrumental to his performance

pollen allergy. This means that as soon as he was moving and breathing harder to take in the oxygen required to exercise he was getting irritated and hence would shake his head. As a result I always play him with a nose net. He is unplayable without it but, wearing it, I have had no further problems.

What is Metreman’s background?

He was brought over to England by Ellerston last year and I bought him from them. Up until he was four he was used as a stallion by Ellerston but they stopped breeding from him because his offspring were all rather large and they didn’t think they would be any use for polo. However, a lot of his progeny are now playing in the high-goal – JP Clarkin has one that he played in the Gold Cup this year – and he is now considered to be one of their best stallions.

What do you feed him?

I don’t need to feed him too much as he is a very good doer but he has a couple of scoops of polo mix a day to give him a boost.

What makes him so good?

He is a very solid and reliable horse and never misses a game. He has a huge amount of power and a big tank, which means he gets me where I need to be on the ground with ease and I get a full chukka out of him every time and could probably get two if I wanted.

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Does Metreman have any entertaining or quirky character traits?

He has a very gay neigh! It is extremely highpitched and at odds with his otherwise strong and powerful demeanour.

Finally, would you sell him?

It wouldn’t be worth my while to sell him as he is the backbone of my string and financially it wouldn’t make sense. He would be incredibly hard to replace and is hugely valuable to me for his reliability alone. I have only had him for a year and already he has made himself irreplaceable and I don’t think it will be long before he wins his first best playing pony prize.

Polo Times, September 2012

Photograph courtesy of El Remanso

Has he always been an easy pony?

The reason I was able to get Metreman was because he used to shake his head a lot, which made it almost impossible to play him, but nobody could work out why. Through a great deal of trial and error, and the knowledge of our next door neighbour who had a horse with the same problem, we worked out that he had a

Do you stable him for the whole season?

Like the Australians and New Zealanders, I am a strong believer in keeping my horses out as much as possible, because it generally keeps them in better condition and is particularly beneficial for their legs. He is in during the day but goes out with all the others at night.

While England will be anxious for a decisive victory at the culmination of the summer’s Audi International Series, the hosts will have to keep dangerous 29 year-old Manolo Fernandez Llorente quiet in the inaugural International at Chester Racecourse this month.

His selection for South America follows a good season, winning the 18-goal Victor Ludorum with Clinton McCarthy’s Emlor C, when he’s looked good value off his six-goal handicap.

“I feel very honoured to be selected for this team,” he said. “In Argentina it is very difficult to be chosen for internationals, because there are a lot of good players above me who are usually picked first.”

Manolo learnt to play polo on his family farm in Argentina, taught by his five-goal father, Ernesto. Having followed his father’s advice of “always be patient and keep trying”, he is finally getting set to be rewarded with an international call-up, one which many suspect won’t be his last.

Until Manolo came to England at the invitation of the Hanburys in 2005, he played in and won numerous Argentine tournaments including the Copa Camara and 20-goal Provincia. He’s also made his mark on English polo, taking such prestigious titles as the Royal Windsor in 2006 with Lovelocks; the Warwickshire Cup in 2011 with Laird; and the Indian Empire Shield with Emlor C this year. Currently based at the Royal Berkshire, Manolo has had a memorable season playing alongside Tom Morley and Marcos Araya with a relaxed and open style, encouraged by their Emlor C patron Clinton McCarthy.

On returning to Argentina in the autumn, Manolo will be playing in the El Remanso Cup with Pelon Stirling and his ultimate aim is to qualify and play in the Argentine Open.

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Knowledge

How to spend it

A yacht with real style and Yacht – Sealine F48 Sealine International Ltd is one of the four major British manufacturers of the most prestigious motor yachts in the world. Known for their innovation, quality and attention to detail Sealine provides the ideal motor cruisers for boaters keen to go to sea with friends and family in style and comfort – which makes them perfect for the polo world.

To celebrate its 40th anniversary, Sealine will be unveiling the exciting new F48 flybridge motor yacht at the 2012 Southampton Boat Show in September.

In time-honoured Sealine tradition, this luxury motor vessel is truly different and offers something special – exciting modern styling, exquisite detail and luxury throughout, coupled with the flybridge socialising space normally associated with much bigger boats. This means the F48 is sure to be a firm favourite with everybody who steps on board.

For more information about the yacht contact Ben Nichols on +44 (0) 2380 605160 or email ben.nichols@sealine.com From £550,000

Fashion – LibertyFreedom After the success of the Olympics, it feels great to be British, so what better time to be investing in British clothing. At the moment, one brand is really standing out from the crowd – LibertyFreedom.

A beautiful British range, completely designed by Upender Mehra, includes a sumptuously elegant array of jackets, coats, skirts and trousers. Unique and contemporary, the designs are fitting with British heritage with an extra edge. The comprehensive collection envelops a woman’s silhouette with timeless elegance. Tweeds combine with a signature colour palette of brocades and exuberant colour-rich linings.

Immaculately cut, the brand’s individuality and fashion edge is reflected in the attention to detail. This innovative collection not only shows an effortless style, but also a sense of luxury.

For more information, see www.libertyfreedom.co.uk or call 01204 386824 76

Polo Times, September 2012

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How to spend it

d comfort

Art – Rachel White One of the many highlights of July’s Gold Cup final at Cowdray Park was art exhibition booth of New York-based artist Rachel White, which was titled “The action of the polo horse”.

The American artist, who delved into polo for the first time with this range, showed a stunning range of drawings and prints, including Eye on Ball, pictured below.

Having previously focused on capturing women with high-powered car engines, Rachel

This month’s watch – Christopher Ward’s C900 If you are looking for a watch to turn heads in the polo clubhouse without breaking the bank, look no further than Christopher Ward’s new C900 Single Pusher Chronograph. The elegant timepiece is hailed by its makers as “one of the most significant watches to be launched by a British watchmaker this year” and promises to “allow many watch enthusiasts to buy into a world that they could previously only have dreamt about.”

The reason for this is the involvement of Swiss atelier Johannes Jahnke, who is more regularly involved in creating watches with five and six figure price tags. “The last chronographs I made cost £70,000,” says Jahnke, “and I have only ever seen one being worn. I’d like more people to get pleasure from my work and Christopher Ward has given me the opportunity to do that.”

The C900 is available to pre-order now and will be available in mid-October. For more information see www.christopherward.co.uk

Knowledge

turned her attention to horses, and polo ponies became her new muse. “I drew, investigated and observed arabians, race horses, and work horses but once I encountered my first polo horse I knew I had found my subject,” she revealed. “The polo horse has a monumental physique, a war like action, and primal freedom and recklessness. Also he has the intelligence and savvy to collaborate with his rider.”

For more info see www.rachelwhite.org or email contact@rachelwhite.org

Motor – Rolls Royce Phantom

The Olympic spirit Rolls on Eagle-eyed viewers of the Olympic closing ceremony will have noticed three bespoke Roll-Royce Phantoms, unveiled specifically for the event.

The white Drophead Coupés include a special Rolls-Royce badge featuring the British Union flag and the Olympic motto – faster, higher, stronger – etched on the wheel caps.

From £250,000

From £2,450 www.polotimes.co.uk

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Polo Times, September 2012

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Knowledge

Travel – El Remanso, Argentina

Polo perfection?

Photos by James Mullan and Zahra Hanbury

With tip-top Tifton-turfed fields, top-quality training, a family atmosphere and tasteful, luxurious facilities throughout, Polo Times discovered the purpose-built El Remanso polo estancia is certainly close to being as good as it gets…

James Mullan recounts his impressions

What’s the background?

Bought early this millennium by Major Christopher Hanbury when land in Argentina was cheap, he and wife Bridget have since overseen incredible development on the main 1,000-acre site, transforming what was little more than arable farmland with a few trees into a huge working estancia, beautifully landscaped with tastefully created living accommodation and extensive polo facilities.

What’s the vibe?

The dramatic entrance to El Remanso’s main house

The Hanburys, who also own Gloucestershire’s Longdole Polo Club in the UK, spend the majority of the British winter at El Remanso, where they have also built a base for their long-term friend and polo advisor, Rob Cudmore, who has aided the development of their business interests in both the UK and the middle east, as well as in Argentina.

Both families have homes on site and, as such, 20-somethings Charlie and George Hanbury and Ollie Cudmore are the main

players based at the club on a permanent basis in the English winter, and so set the tone for the estancia’s laid-back big-happy-family feel.

The youngsters form a large part of the welcoming committee, which ensures humour and bonhomie to accompany the enthusiastic formal hospitality of the owners and El Remanso’s approachable and ever-present administrative manager, Euan Douglas.

Land was originally bought for just £3,000-a-hectare.

It’s now worth £30,000 Personally, I’ve also always found the Hanburys an extremely charming, amusing and friendly bunch at polo down the years.

Generous with their time, and open and honest enough to recognise their good fortune in having had the opportunity to develop El Remanso, they seem determined to share it with their guests.

How does the polo rate?

El Remanso has been the venue for 20-goal polo for the last three years, and has now already established its eponymous Copa El Remanso as one of the most important earlyseason tournaments on the Argentine polo

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The sun-lounge terrace, with a covered al fresco dining area behind where lunch is regularly served between practices

Candelaria Fernandez Llorente in action at the club

El Remanso’s stunning number one ground, home to the finals of their biggest tournaments throughout the winter

calendar each winter. Previous winners have included David “Pelon” Stirling, José Donoso and Guillermo “Sapo” Caset.

It is run by farm manager Ernesto “Tito” Fernandez Llorente, an Argentine five-goaler and part of a huge polo-playing family.

Why does El Remanso stand out?

The accommodation is a stunning blend of fivestar luxury, yet all within the instantly comfortable feel of a family home, whilst the polo facilities

are more like that of a large-scale high-goal development such as La Aguada.

Also, such is the Hanburys’ dedication to their holistic vision for a complete polo centre and a base for top patrons and professionals, last year they officially launched Lovelocks Polo Stud.

Situated on a huge 1,300-hectare property a short drive from El Remanso (near La Espadaña Polo Club), they’ve spent four years creating a fully functioning equine embryo transfer centre.

Their nine permanent stallions include four from Kerry Packer’s Ellerston Polo Club in Australia, u

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21/08/2012 14:37

Knowledge

Travel – El Remanso, Argentina

Above: Luke Reid takes on George and Charlie Hanbury at motorbike polo in one of the fenced equestrian fields Above: British Airways pilot Brett Hamlington is a regular guest at the club whilst on his work layovers

Below: celebrations at the culmination of a tournament

Below: play during December’s Copa Las Hermanas Ponies at the Hanbury’s Lovelocks Polo Stud nearby

Each winter several young polo players, horsemen and horsewomen from Britain and the colonies head over to work at the estancia, such as Hugh Stanley, above

u and they’ve designed the whole centre to bring together the best breeding combinations and those techniques with proven polo pedigree in order to guarantee the genetic improvement of the ponies they produce. Run by Diego Rodriguez Piola and the amiable and utterly indefatigable Robbie Vinent, one feels the stud gives El Remanso (and Charlie and George Hanbury in particular) wonderful potential to establish themselves in the upper echelons of the game.

However, most striking is simply the level of pride the owners take in the two properties.

They’re utterly enthusiastic about polo, and about everything they are doing through the development of the sites. They also have an 80

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Big tournaments, such as the 20-goal Copa El Remanso and the Copa Las Hermanas, typically welcome large numbers of spectators to enjoy the club’s sideline hospitality

infectious excitement for their guests, anxious that they should all enjoy their stay and get as much out of it as possible. As much as a beautiful place to play, it’s that attitude that I’d argue is more important and it’s exactly what you are looking for. It’s the kind of dedication and enthusiasm you won’t experience at many estancias (with La Tarde near Mercedes being the only other one that immediately leaps to mind from my own experiences).

Full marks for…

With superb food and service, El Remanso sits gracefully in the heart of 1000 acres of farmland, harnessing the highest standards

from 21st century craftsmanship yet remaining sympathetic to traditional Argentine architecture, culture, art and sport.

The accommodation and the polo facilities are all superb and thus, given the remarkable levels of investment in El Remanso and its vast associated stud nearby, and not to mention the astronomic general inflation of the price of the land they first bought, El Remanso also gets full marks for being very competitively priced as a place to enjoy your polo holiday.

Could do better…

While its proximity to the airport isn’t bad (around an hour), it can take up to two to get www.polotimes.co.uk

17/08/2012 11:10

Travel – El Remanso, Argentina

The main indoor dining room, which can seat up to 20

El Remanso’s man-made lake behind the main house, home to many ducks and the traditional bandstand above

Above: a typical guest bedroom, all of which are liberally decorated with Alejandro Moy paintings and sketches

into downtown Buenos Aires on a weekday and, for players and teams travelling between the excellent El Remanso grounds and the huge polo metropolis that is Pilar, the location isn’t brilliant. This is principally because the quality of the roads on the route between Lobos and Open Door/Pilar is so poor.

WiFi connectivity isn’t strong throughout the site, and so you may have to take your laptop or iPad into the main living areas in order to do some work, where of course you’ll easily be distracted. F ead about more success for the team w R playing the English high-goal season that bears the El Remanso name on page 46 www.polotimes.co.uk

PT p78-81 Travel feature JM PJ MB.indd 5

Knowledge

Right: the beautiful facade of the main house.

Other private accommodation is available

Essentials Where is it?

El Remanso (7241), Salvador Maria, Lobos, Prov. De Buenos Aires, Argentina Who should be contacted?

Email Euan Douglas: euan@elremansopolo.com Telephone Euan: +44 7894 521503 (all year round); +54 2227 494552 (October to April) Visit the club website: www.elremansopolo.com What does it cost?

Room prices start from US$400 per night for players (all inclusive), and $250 for nonplayers. Concessions are available for students (at $350) and under 18s (at $250).

Polo Times, September 2012

81

17/08/2012 11:10

Sidelines

Gossip

Karl’s looking good as he lands Akuma modelling job Polo player turned Sky commentator Karl Ude Martinez, pictured right, has become the face of Akuma Polo at the end of a competition run by the clothing manufacturers. So, expect the one-goaler’s face to crop up all over the place during the next 12 months, fronting Akuma’s new developments, which are already in the pipeline. “The objective was to find someone who could promote and model our technical, training and leisure wear,” said Thomas Aldersley, director of Akuma Sports.

“Karl looked fantastic in the photo shoot and really stood out. He also had all the attributes that we were looking for as a brand ambassador.”

The Duke of Cambridge makes his mark Tell us yours at gossip@polotimes.co.uk Anonymity guaranteed if you want it...

Polo Times resident vet Mark Emerson, inset, certainly deserved the man of the match at the rain-soaked PT 2-goal Challenge at Lynt Polo Club in August. First, the two-goaler hit the deck at the start of game, then avoided drama when his second horse stopped so sharply it sat on its backside, and finally he received a ball in the face during the third chukka. Undeterred, Mark called for superglue – literally – and then played on.

Following the match, he instructed his wife on the techniques for facial corrective surgery using the superglue, while the lightning flashed and rain lashed down. To top it all off, Mark and his team failed to make it to the winner’s podium.

See page 54 to read about the match 82 Polo Times, September 2012

PT p82-83 Gossip JOS JM PJ MB.indd 2

Chef set to cook up a storm at Soushi Andrew Kojima, one of the 2012 Masterchef finalists, will be cooking a set taster menu at Nina Clarkin’s Soushi restaurant in Cirencester, alongside head chef Shinji Moroto on the 2527 September. The restaurant, which is joint owned by Clarkin, Rosie Knock and Christina Smail, will be offering a menu that aims to appeal to sushi newcomers as well as those well versed in the Japanese delicacy. Over the evening Kojima, pictured below, will be talking to guests about his time on Masterchef as well as working in famous restaurants in London.

Photograph by Tom Reynolds

Superglue saves the day for Emerson

A spectator at Cirencester Park took home a royal souvenir after watching the Jerudong Trophy on 5 August. A ball hit by the Duke of Cambridge strayed off the field and hit the spectator’s car, leaving a rather large dent. Wills is understood to have apologised and offered to pay to fix the damage but the owner decided to

politely decline as it seemed a far better story to explain how the dent came about.

The Duke of Cambridge and his brother, Harry, took part in the 13-goal match to raise money for their three charities – Centre Point, Well Child and Dolen Cymru.

Harry teamed up with Dave Allen, Manolo Fernandez Llorente and Top Raksriaksorn, son of the president of the Thai Polo Association. They drew with William’s team of JP Clarkin, Tang Polo Club’s Shilai Lui (pictured) and Tom Beim, 3-3. www.polotimes.co.uk

17/08/2012 12:29

Gossip

Spectators at Hamptons Polo Club in the USA are clearly not well-versed on sideline etiquette – as this photo shows. Neither the guests nor players appear to be too worried about standing eye-wateringly close to each other. Fortunately the game doesn’t look to be too fast and furious…

Pelon enjoys a bumper year

Photograph by Tom Reynolds

Up, close and personal in the US

Sidelines

There aren’t many things David “Pelon” Stirling, right, hasn’t achieved this year. The Uruguayan moved up to 10-goals in Argentina, the US and the UK, reached the semi-finals of the Cartier Queen’s Cup, the final of the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup, won the Warwickshire Cup and Cirencester Park 26goal – all while getting to grips with becoming a father for the first time.

His wife Maria José gave birth to baby boy Vincente in the spring. ◗ See page 44-46 to read about his most recent successes

Photograph by James Mullan

Look-a-likes

Juan Mata and Jamie Peel

Students found guilty of breaking uni player’s jaw Two Royal Agricultural College (RAC) students were found guilty of breaking a polo player’s jaw after a violent attack in a nightclub in Cirencester. Twenty-year-old Adrian Clay, who was a fellow RAC student, was set upon by James Guerin and James Fry in the Rock nightclub in what was understood to be an unprovoked attack. Guerin and Fry were found guilty of grievous bodily harm and were sentenced on 20 August, just after Polo Times went to press.

Clay, inset, a minus-one goaler, plays for his university team and won the Exeter Cup with the PT-sponsored RAC team at Druids Lodge earlier this year. He also plays at Longdole. www.polotimes.co.uk

PT p82-83 Gossip JOS JM PJ MB.indd 3

All the best to an expectant Eastwood Congratulations to PQ editor Aurora Eastwood, who is expecting a baby with partner Matt Darwin in the first week of January 2013. The couple have been together since last winter, and are looking forward to their new addition when this winter comes around!

Polo Times, September 2012 83

17/08/2012 12:29

Prince Philip with the new Diamond Jubilee Trophy

John Tinsley and Neil Hobday

The Diamond Jubilee presentation

Audi International Day, England vs South Africa for the Coronation Cup; Guards Polo Club; 22 July 2012

Intimate International Day

Dionne Bromfield

Nicholas and Annie Colquhoun-Denvers

Kingsley Ford and Millie Clode

While the dramatically reduced numbers will no doubt have disappointed new sponsors Audi and the HPA in particular, fine weather, good polo, and a jovial traditional atmosphere nevertheless ensured a wonderful day for those that made it.

Many stayed away, put off by Guards’ baffling decision only to allow entrance to carloads with grandstand tickets. However, those lucky enough to be in the Audi or HPA invitation-only enclosures each enjoyed lunch and a free flowing bar throughout the day and the evening, before those who don’t work on Mondays went on to Roy Prisk’s party at the Berkshire. w Photographs by Tony Ramirez and Audi w Read the full Polo Times match report on page 38

Amy Guy

The Coldstream Guards band

Audi England and Young Commonwealth teams

South Africa before the game

Mark Tomlinson, Luke Tomlinson and Andrew Tucker

Grandstand spectators

Zoe and Brendan Cole

Tom Morley and JP Clarkin

The EFG Bicentennial Trophy Royal Military Academy Sandhurst; 5 August 2012

Military standards held high Col Simon Ledger and Johnny Wheeler flank another guest (middle)

Chief umpire JJ Spark

PT p84-85 Sidelines 1 JM MB PJ.indd 2

As Sandhurst celebrates its 200th anniversary this year, two polo matches between the Army and Cambridge University honoured the military’s role in establishing the game on British shores. Ponies were provided by Sandhurst coach JJ Spark of Greenpoint Polo, while EFG Bank were the main sponsors. w Photographed by Peter Meade

Players line up

Col Simon Ledger, Capt Roland Spackman and Dean Lines

Jess Wood

17/08/2012 17:46

Hurtwood Park Polo Club

Sidelines

The Heritage Polo Cup Hurtwood Park; 4-5 August 2012

Georgie May and Nacho Gonzales

Good old days Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins was the surprise guest of Kenney Jones just four days after winning gold in the Olympic cycling time trial. He presented the prizes at the iconic revival of poloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heritage, which moved from Sandhurst to Hurtwood Park for the first time. Players took part in clothes designed to celebrate the era by Liberty Freedom (for the ladies) and TM Lewin (for the men).

Jon Zammett and Nina Clarkin

James Beim with best playing pony, Yacht

Kenney Jones and Timothy Rose

naps by Harald Joergens and Peter Meade wS w Full article on page 54

Claire Cotton and Parke Bradley Allen Leech and Kat Gosling

Dominic Cooper and Matt Smith

JosĂŠ Riglos jr and Christian Oberschneider Sampson the Shetland with a young Pony Clubber

Winners: Sarah Wiseman, Leigh Fisher, Charley Howell and Rosie Ross

Emma Robertson

Guy Gibson

Douglas Booth and Gemma Chan

James Rousseau and Annabelle Wallis

Jayne and Kenney Jones

Cambridge players and their guests OCdt Gregory, Lt Doug White, Ocdt Bacon and Ocdt Nicholas

Ocdts Wood, Gregory and Churton with Lt Doug White and Ocdt Nicholas

PT p84-85 Sidelines 1 JM MB PJ.indd 3

Jennifer Cattlin Jessica Ellis

Henry Fisher

Bradley Wiggins Oli Hipwood and Guy Higginson

85

17/08/2012 17:46

Sidelines Seb Hancock and umpire Corin Gibbs

Lucy Northmore and a friend

RCBPC Polo Festival Finals Day Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club; 12 August

VIP Guests

Sergio Baselli and Leila Sajjad

Fever Las Berkshire!

The Royal County of Berkshire’s annual two-week polo extravaganza at the end of the high-goal season culminated with three thrilling finals at the Berkshire last month, when guests gathered to see the action, spy a bargain on the trade stands, and enjoy some delicious cuisine. Evening entertainment followed to finish off a fantastic finals day.

Vicky Boaser and Georgia Sweeney

◗ Photographs by Georgia Sweeney

Louise McLaren-Tosh, Sophie Good, Jonny Good, Adrian Clay and Daniel Otamendi

Tara Smith, Alison Wallinger and Bridie George

A keen young spectator

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Spectators enjoy the action

Chasing the summer we never had?

Then pack your sticks and get your bags from

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

UNION MILL VERNON STREET BOLTON BL1 2PT ENGLAND T: + 44 (0)1204 386824 F:+ 44 (0)1204 365522 E: UPENDER@LIBERTYFREEDOM.CO.UK W: WWW.LIBERTYFREEDOM.CO.UK

86

Polo Times, September 2012

PT p86-87 Sidelines 2 JM PJ MB.indd 2

www.satsfaction.com LOOK COOL STAY WARM WEAR TWEED

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

www.polotimes.co.uk

17/08/2012 17:34

Sidelines Charlotte and Charlie Campion

Max, Grace and Peter Cheyney with Jules Harmer White

Grafton’s Elle Midgley on board Slipper Olivia Woodhead ties up Pimienta’s tail

Charlotte Fisher and Miranda Simpson with pony Wonga Old Surrey and Burstow’s Fraser Wicks and Jack Court

CHANGE PHOTO

Audi Pony Club Polo Championships; Cowdray Park Polo Club; 10-12 August 2012 Beaufort’s Charlotte Walker, Willa Gravell and Jasmine Stanhope-White

x

Old Berkshire’s Eliza Rutland

Toby Small Silver Leys’ Argentine groom Mauro

The future’s bright Hundreds gathered for the annual Pony Club Polo Championships in August, sponsored by Audi, when players battled it out across eight sections, watched on by parents as well as members of the HPA Development Committee who were talent spotting.

The Pony Club Committee lunch was well attended by guests including Cherry Michell, Chairman of The Pony Club and Kaulai Harwood Scorer of Audi.

Di Arbuthnot of Retraining of Racehorses

w Photographs by Georgie May w See page 60 for the full 10-page Pony Club Polo report Louis, Milly, Ned and Indi Hine form the South Berks team at the Jorrocks Championships Jack Tilley with his pony Perla

Deirdre and Angus Johnston

Members of the Beaufort teams relax after their games

PT p86-87 Sidelines 2 JM PJ MB.indd 3

Grafton’s Toby Steele, Johnny Beck-Brown, Venetia Brown, Florence Berner and Lottie Deverall

87

17/08/2012 13:47

Sidelines

George Gemmell, Bobby Melville and Dave Allen

David Gemmell

Tamara Fox

John Tyler

Rob Cudmore

Sir Charles “Cow” Williams

Lucy Taylor and Lauren Beim

Alex Ebeid

Lucy Tucker

Alan Kent Ben and Chloe Vestey with Zoe and Roddy Williams

Winston Squire

The entertainment

Ally and George Gemmell

Simon, Gayle and Tim Keyte

David Woodd

Emma and Nick Wood

Simon Tomlinson and Will Emerson

Rob Archibald

Aly Paterson and Alec White

The Bledisloe Warwickshire Cup final Cirencester Park; Sunday 12 August 2012

Fifi Watson

A fantastic finale James Beim’s young daughter Willow hasn’t taken to polo quite as much as he’d hoped...

Sir Charles Williams and Rosie Vestey

Finals day welcomed local celebrities, players and party goers to celebrate the Warwickshire Cup result in true Cirencester Park style throughout the day and night.

Hazel Jackson and Mark Baldwin

Halcyon Gallery celebrations

w Photos by Zahra Hanbury, Alice Gipps, Kate Beim and Luru Wei

88 Mahesh Parmar and Dani Watson

PT p88-89 Sidelines 3 JOS JM PJ MB.indd 2

Caspar West and friend Fliss 17/08/2012 16:25

Sidelines Nick Britten Long, Geraldine Apponyi and Santiago Gaztambide

Claire Tomlinson

Edie Campbell, Otis Ferry and Laura Bechtolsheimer

Jamie Morrisson

John Tinsley

Luke Tomlinson and Cata Zavaleta’s engagement party – Beaufort Polo Club; Saturday 28 July 2012

Aurora Eastwood

Jamie Peel and JP Clarkin

Mary Ann Williams and Luke Tomlinson

Patrick Lowther and Nisha Walker

Tamara and George Fox

Simon Keyte

Luke puts a ring on it!

Christine Smail, Nina Clarkin and Imelda Alba

Congratulations to Luke Tomlinson and Cata Zavaleta who are engaged to be married.

Family and friends celebrated at a fantastic party thrown in their honour, at the Tomlinson’s home club Beaufort. With a band, sit-down dinner and plenty of dancing, the party rocked on through late into the night. w Photographs by Zahra Hanbury Photography Luke Tomlinson and Cata Zavaleta

Nicole Ward and Zahra Hanbury

Louisa Dawnay and Mary Masterton

Cata Zavaleta

Spencer McCarthy

Tor Inskip

George Gemmell, Mark Baldwin and Tom Hunt

Guy Schwarzenbach

Mark Tomlinson

Alison Clarke

The parachute team who flew in the first ball

Dave Allen and Steph Targett

PT p88-89 Sidelines 3 JOS JM PJ MB.indd 3

Dom Heywood and Alex Mains

89

17/08/2012 16:06

Polo directory

Dates for your diary

Club contacts UK and Ireland

South East AEPC, Hickstead – 01273 834315 * Ascot Park – 01276 858545 * Ash Farm – 01932 872521 * Belmont, Mill Hill – 020 7318 4490 * Blueys Polo Club – 07930 323263 Binfield Heath – 01491 411969 Barcombe – 07533 213160 Burningfold – 01483 200722 Cowdray Park – 01730 813257 Coworth Park – 01784 470009 Epsom – 07961 232106 * FHM – 07778 436468 * Fifield – 01628 620061 * Guards – 01784 434212 Ham – 020 8334 0000 Hurtwood Park – 01483 272828 Kirtlington Park – 01869 350138 Knepp Castle – 01403 741007 Lacey Green – 07956 525222 Park Lane – 07976 242877* Ranelagh Farm – 01344 885697 RMAS – 07766 924101 Royal County of Berkshire – 01344 890060 * Sussex Polo – 01342 714920 * West Wycombe – 07841 597045 * White Waltham – 07748 670587

East Apsley End – 01462 712444 * Cambridge & Newmarket – 07769 976781 (back 2013) Carlton House – 01986 892231 Frolic Farm – 01223 812922 Haggis Farm – 01223 460353 * Hertfordshire – 01707 256023 Little Bentley – 01206 250435 Luton Hoo – 07934 882713 Norfolk – 01508 480400 * Silver Leys – 07535 697854 St Albans – 07438 076644 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 * Lytchett Heath – 01202 623985 Maywood – 01962 885500 * New Forest – 02380 811818 Taunton – 01823 480460 Tidworth – 01980 846705 * Vaux Park – 07703 524613 * West Somerset – 01884 251632

Midlands Dallas Burston – 01926 812409 Offchurch Bury – 07816 830887 Leadenham – 01400 272885 Ranksboro – 01572 720046* Rugby – 01788 817724 * Rutland – 01572 724568

What’s on in September UK highlights Test Matches Chester Racecourse – Audi International Test Match, England vs South America (Open): 8 September

Lynt – Four Goal Cash Prize (0-4): 16-17 September Hurtwood Park – End of Season (0-2): 18-23 September

Medium Goal

Combined Services

RCBPC – 12-15 Goal Championship (12-15): 25 August – 2 September Cirencester Park – Cheltenham Cup (8-12): 28 August – 9 September RCBPC – 7-10 Goal Tournament (7-10): 28 August – 2 September Guards – Autumn Nations Kerry Packer (10-12): 1-16 September Cowdray Park – Autumn League (8-12): 10-23 September RCBPC – The Lambourne Trophy (7-10): 17-23 September

Taunton – Faulkener Cup, RM vs Taunton (Open): 2 September Guards – Major Generals Cup (0-2): 7-9 September

Low Goal Cirencester Park – Kingscote Cup (2-6): 21 August – 8 September Ascot Park – Pro-Am City Polo Championship (-8-8): 1 September Beaufort – Solitaire Salver (0-4): 1-9 September Edinburgh – Edinburgh Autumn Tournament (0-4): 2-3 September Druids Lodge – Autumn Cup (3-4): 8-9 September Longdole – Emerging Tournament (-6-0): 8-9 September Cambridge – Salon De Refuse/Newmarket Challenge (0-4): 15-16 September Tidworth – Polo Captain’s Trophy (-2-2): 15-16 September Dallas Burston – Midland’s 4 Goal Championship (0-4): 15-16 September

Ladies Dundee – Ladies Cup (0-4): 1-2 September Tidworth – Ladies Tournament (-6-2): 8-9 September Vale of York – Granger Appleyard Ladies Tournament (-6 to -2): 29 September

Open Haggis Farm – Porsche Centre Cambridge Trophy (Open): 9 September Tidworth – Grooms Tournament (Open): 7 September West Wycombe Park – The Indian Summer Trophy (Open): 15-16 September Lacey Green – Beginners Cup (Open): 29-30 September

Special Events Beaufort – Hospitality Action Charity Polo Day (Open): 9 September Watergate Bay, Cornwall – Polo on the Beach (Open): 11 September St Brelade’s Bay, Jersey – Beach polo tournament (8): 19 September wF or a full list of all the tournaments see www.polotimes.co.uk

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 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

90 Polo Times,September 2012

PT p90-91 What's on JM PJ.indd 2

TV highlights 7 September, 7pm & 11.30pm: Coutts Norfolk Polo Festival – Sky Sports 3 8 September, 2.30am & 5.30am: Coutts Norfolk Polo Festival – Sky Sports 3 9 September, 7am & 4pm: Coutts Norfolk Polo Festival – Sky Sports 3 10 September, 2.30am, 12pm, 5pm: Coutts Norfolk Polo Festival – Sky Sports 3 10 September, 10pm & 11pm: Argentine Open 2011 (La Dolfina vs Chapa Uno and La Aguada vs Pilará) – Horse & Country TV 11 September, 10pm &11pm: Argentine Open 2011 (Ellerstina vs Alegria and La Dolfina vs Pilará) – Horse & Country TV 12 September, 10pm & 11pm: Argentine Open 2011 (Estancia Grande vs Alegria and Ellerstina vs Indios Chapaleufú II) – Horse & Country TV 13 September, 10pm & 11pm: Argentine Open 2011 (Pilará vs Chapa Uno and La Dolfina vs La Aguada) – Horse & Country TV 14 September, 10pm & 11pm: Argentine Open 2011 (Ellerstina vs Estancia Grande and Ellerstina vs La Dofina) – Horse & Country TV www.polotimes.co.uk

17/08/2012 15:19

Dates for your diary

Polo directory

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Other dates Doncaster â&#x20AC;&#x201C; St Leger Festival Sales: 13-14 September

Overseas highlights Argentina Jockey Club â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Jockey Club Open (34-40): 9-23 September Various â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Hurlingham and Argentine Open qualifiers (29-34): 27 September â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 9 October Tortugas â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Tortugas Open (34-40): 25 September â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 14 October Palermo â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Junior Argentine Open (15): 26 September

Australia Sydney Polo Club â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Gold Cup (Open): 22-25 September TBC â&#x20AC;&#x201C; James Ashton Memorial Ambassador Cup (Open): 26 September â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2 October

China Tang, Beijing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Tang Polo Cup (0-4): 1-16 September www.polotimes.co.uk

PT p90-91 What's on JM PJ.indd 3

Tang, Beijing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Royal Salute Gold Cup China International Polo Open Tournament (16): 22-23 September

France

In print and online

Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Open De France (14-16): 1-16 September Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly â&#x20AC;&#x201C; First Championships of Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Polo (Open): 1-16 September

Singapore Singapore Polo Club â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Singapore Open (Open): 5-9 September

USA 302 Polo Club â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2012 Nothrup Knox Cup (12-16): 16 September â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 30 October

Contact our sales team:

+44 (0)1993 886885 www.polotimes.co.uk Polo Times, September 2012 91

17/08/2012 15:19

Polo directory

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www.alicegipps .com This snap was wrongly attributed to Action Polo in the last issue. It was actually taken

by Alice Gipps Photography and Fine Art Images

Located in the heart of the New Zealand Polo Scene we offer Polo for beginners and experienced players alike, together with an unforgettable Kiwi holiday experience.

Chukkas, matches and tournaments at the famous Waimai Club plus farm chukkas trekking and beach rides.

Holidays tailored to suite your requirements.

Check us out at www.newzealandpoloholidays.co.nz or call Ken Pitts – NZ +64 7 825 4535, Matt Pitts – UK 07721919465 or Toby Pitts – UK 07514433033 email – amberwood@farmside.co.nz

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Come and play at LA QUINTA Luke and Mark Tomlinson are offering the opportunity for players to play at their club in Pilar, Argentina (45 minutes from BA).

A typical week stay would include: • Between 4 & 6 practices of a good standard on suitable ponies • Stick and Ball whenever • A couple of lessons with Luke or Mark (if wanted!)

• Indoor arena – riding whatever the weather There is limited accommodation at the Club. Otherwise we can help you find a place to stay locally

(house or hotel) or you may like to stay in a Hotel downtown Buenos Aires.

Guide price for 1 week; U$S 3,000 (excluding accommodation).

Longer/shorter stays possible. Price depends on length of stay and on any personal requests.

You may have your own ponies or even ponies to try and are in need of a base to play and practice from. We can offer this too.

Whatever your polo needs in Argentina are please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

CONTACT: marcotomo@hotmail.com Tel: +441666881254

92 Polo Times, September 2012

PT p92-97 Polo directory and Classified JM.indd 2

Rob Cudmore England Coach, 2 HPA Instructors • International Equitrack Polo Arena • Fantastic clubhouse with licensed bar & excellent viewing of the arena • Polo Pony Hire, School Ponies • Chukkas and Matches - call the office for Info • Individual Coaching, Group Lessons, Social & Corporate Events For information on membership, polo lessons and general enquiries please call: Tel: (office) 01452 864 544 Mobile: 07974 532 841 email: rob@longdolepolo.com Longdole Polo Club, Birdlip, Gloucestershire, GL4 8LH

www.polotimes.co.uk

17/08/2012 18:37

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Polo directory

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Polo Times, September 2012 93

17/08/2012 18:38

Polo directory

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Polo directory

Graphic Design Corporate literature Stationery Branding Logo design Advertising Website design Publishing Print & e-books Cover artwork Magazines Catalogues Project management

T: 01993 878541 M: 07885 285932 E: nicki@nickiaverilldesign.co.uk

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Polo directory

Classifieds

Ponies SELECTION OF PONIES 14.2HH - 15.3HH including 14.2hh TB 9 years old. A quick agile mare with plenty of speed, tough in ride offs, playing all levels up to 8-goal. £4,500. Reading. Check out others on www. pharmapoloponies.com. £4,500 - £11,000. Tel: 07771 852871 GOOD HOMES AND QUICK SALE WANTED FOR THREE FANTASTIC PONIES Argentine mare, 11 years old, £6,000. English gelding, 13 years old, £5,000.

Uruguayan gelding, 12 years old, £ 4,500. All fantastic ponies, have played up to med goal and schools polo. 100% to do in all ways, fit and ready to play. Played at Kirtlington and Sussex.

Lorry also available. Tel: 07802 368395 or email tim@raikes.org PRICED TO SELL! Last few horses from two playing strings, must sell before the winter, reflected in the price! Various levels, some big some small, all good horses!! £100£14,500. Tel: 07816 257532.

PRETTY POLO PONY 15.2hh Chestnut Mare, 12 years old, perfect for beginner and more advanced player. Trained by Jean Claude from racing as a two year old, full passport history, clean legs, never been lame. Good to shoe, box, clip, hack out. Double chukkas, plays in and out.

Fit and playing now, open to vet. £4500 ono can include bridle and saddle. Yorkshire. Tel: 07889 718180 or 07714 290533

POLO OR POLOCROSSE MARE 15.2HH 11 YEARS OLD LINK TO YOU TUBE VIDEOS Responsive mare, good turn/stop/ride-off.

Easy to do, clean legs, never lame. Would be great for arena polo or polocrosse. Safe and sane but would be too sharp for beginners.

Cheap at £2,400. Cheshire. Tel: 07764 757214.

See youtube videos here – http://youtu.be/ RGs0BLeOapArn AND http://youtu.be/ AFBtOwOLhAsrn

96 Polo Times, September 2012

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TWO URUGUAYAN MARES 15.2HH two easy, very agile and handy ponies. Responsive and tough, reliable and never been lame. A good hitting platform. Very good in arena or on grass.

Played up to 8 goal. Ideal for a patron or pony club. Gloucestershire, Beaufort. £8,000. Tel: 07813 127598 TWO IDEAL BEGINNERS POLO PONIES Perfect starter pony, 15hh, age 18 years old, fine playing form, stunning, never lame, experienced, safe, no vices. Played by son since he was 11.

Perfect safe hitting platform, £1,900. Second pony age 6 years old, 15hh, going really well, very easy to play, suit child or beginner £4,500 offers.

Nr Cirencester Tel: 07545 501763 TWO GOOD LOW GOAL PONIES FOR SALE: VERY REASONABLY PRICED Two mares aged 12 and 15 years old, both have played up to 12 goal at GPC with -1 patron. Would suit patron, but quiet enough for a beginner or girl.

Very sensibly priced; for sale to make room for new stock. Berkshire. £3,000 - £3,500. Call Oliver Browne on 07770 256010 for more info/to arrange a trial.

ARGENTINE MARE SEVEN YEARS OLD Good home required for Paji - 7 years old, 15.1hh good to shoe/box/clip/rideout/traffic. Stops/turns well good in ride off, clean legs. For sale due to lack of time. Glos/Warks. £6,500. Tel: 07775 645073 POLO PONY FOR SALE 13 YEARS OLD Calm, easy, turns, stops etc. Ideal for beginner or competitive low goal. Played up to 8 goals. 100% sound. Fifield Polo Club. £4,000 ono. Contact Julia on 07802 835105 ARGENTINE MARE SEVEN YEARS OLD FOR SALE Fast and easy, ready to play. Played up to 10 goals. 100% sound. Fifield Polo Club. £8,000 ono. Contact Julia on 07802 835105 NINE YEAR OLD ENGLISH TB MARE Nine year old English thoroughbred for sale. Played high-goal last season. Fast and tough. Would suit a professional or up-and-coming player. Sound and ready to play. Currently with four-goaler.

Given up polo forces sale. £15,000 ono. Tel: 07816 417125 12 YEAR OLD GREY MARE Twelve year old grey mare for sale. Played up to 8-goal outdoors and Arena Gold Cup. Fit and ready to play. Would suit keen young player. £2,000. Tel: 07786 985034

THREE POLO PONIES FOR SALE Suitable for med/low goal/pony club - Argentinean mare 15.1hh, 9 years old. Dark Bay Gelding schoolmaster 15.2hh. Bright Bay Mare thoroughbred schoolmistress 15.3hh. Hampshire.

POA. Tel: 01420 472986 or 07810 863128 TWO YEAR OLD TB PONIES FOR SALE One mare, one gelding. Stick and balling, and playing slow chukkas. Good temperaments, easy in every way. Excellent winter projects. Tel: 07860 245336 ARGENTINE MARE FOR SALE 15.2hh 13 year old bay mare. Kind and genuine nature. Strong and forgiving, clean legs, no vices. Suitable for capable -2 to 0 goal player. Fit and ready to play.

Warwickshire. £3,950. Contact Emily: 07816 830888 or e-mail info@offarexpolo.co.uk

Transport FORD IVECO HORSEBOX 1996 GROSS WEIGHT 14500 KG 6 Horse box. VGC. Excellent Suspension and runs perfectly. Fully partitioned with separate tack room, will convert to eight legally. Hydraulic ramp, Rubber floor. Plated June 2013. Taxed Feb 2013. Four brand new tyres on the rear (not remoulds). Cambridge/Newmarket. £6,250. Call Anthony 07765 254652 MAN HORSEBOX 7.5 tonnes ideal polo/hunting partitioned for six. Large tack area in luton Rubber floor isolator radio plated to Aug 13 taxed to Oct 12. £5,000. Wilts/Glos. Tel: 07958 639749

Situations SECRETARY Kirtlington Park Polo Club requires a secretary/manager’s assistant for the 2013 season. Knowledge of Word and Excel necessary. Hours include weekends and frequently extended weekdays hours. Must have your own car. Please send CV to: Pete Fewster, Kirtlington Park Polo Office, Park Farm, Akeman Street, Kirtlington, Oxon, OX5 3JQ. Any questions please call the Polo Office on 01869 350138 GROOMS WANTED – BIG YARD 2013 Grooms wanted for livery yard and for pros based at Burningfold Polo Club. Accommodation and car given, great facilities, need experience! Have to be English or European. Email either muddlepolo@ live.com or Niall.donnelly86@btinternet.com

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17/08/2012 17:59

Classifieds Livery NEW LIVERY YARD 2013, TOP FACILITIES, GREAT LOCATION Yard at Burningfold polo club, 24 stables, Top facilities – all weather exercise track, round yard, large sand school, irrigated stick and ball field. £150 a week. Email muddlepolo@ live.com or niall.donnelly86@btinternet.com POLO WINTER GRAZING AVAILABLE Excellent grazing, fenced, water, horses checked frequently all day by experienced horse owners.

Farm 40 minutes from Ascot. A few five acre paddocks available. Basingstoke, Hampshire. £25 per week per pony. Reserve now call/text Sab on 07886 697990 POLO PONY WINTER GRAZING Owners have 25 years experience wintering polo ponies. Fields are away from roads with good grass, fencing supervision etc. Near Oxford. £15 per week including good quality hay. Tel: 07921 297236 WINTER YOUR HORSES AT HERTFORDSHIRE POLO CLUB 175 acres of grass, with excellent paddocking, free running water and natural shelter. Very safe with 24hr CCTV. £25 wk with top quality hay. Call the polo manager on 07825 170313 or email: polo@hertspolo.co.uk

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/WANTED Polo saddles for sale from £50 to £300, sticks from £35, also tack, bridles, boots and accessories available. Used polo Designed by www.nickiaverilldesign.co.uk Printed by The Manson Group Contact details Holbrook Farm, East End, North Leigh, Oxfordshire OX29 6PX Tel: 01993 886 885 Fax: 01993 882 660 email: admin@polotimes.co.uk

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Call Sarah on 00 44 (0) 1993 886885 or order online at www.polotimes.co.uk equipment also bought for cash. Please visit www.poloexchange.co.uk or email contact@ poloexchange.co.uk or Tel 07909 965940

Property BRIGHTWATER BARN, NORTHMOOR, OXFORDSHIRE Exceptional 19th Century barn conversion with 4/5 bedrooms. Set in 2.57 acres, there are two standard boxes, one foaling box and further outbuildings. £1,100,000.00. For further details please contact 01865 300713 or Knight Frank estate agents on 01865 790077.

Contributors – September 2012 Michael Amoore, Adam Caller, Arthur DouglasNugent, Lorna Edgar, Mark Emerson, Tony Emerson, Luigi Ferrarese, Theresa Hodges, Chris Hyde, Alice Kent, Rege Ludwig, Clare Milford Haven, James de Mountfort, Jamie Peel, Caroline Smail, Herbert Spencer

www.polotimes.co.uk © Polo Times Limited 2012 and Database Right 2012 Polo Times Limited holds the copyright & database right to the information it publishes in Polo Times and on the Polo Times website. No content may be reproduced or distributed without the consent of the Editor. ‘Polo Times’ is the trade mark of Polo Times Limited. ISSN 1461-4685

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Polo directory

Intern Georgie Haycraft

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Call Sarah Foster on +44 (0)1993 886885 Subscribe online: www.polotimes.co.uk Polo Times, September 2012 97

17/08/2012 18:38

Final bell

In association with Aprés Polo

Chester Racecourse CEO Richard Thomas’s…

Passions

Georgie May speaks to Chester Racecourse’s chief executive of 12 years about this month’s Audi International, playing abroad and winning the Gerald Balding Cup What is your favourite polo memory?

Playing in this year’s newly created 6-goal HPA Victor Ludorum series with my son Jamie.

Although, as the season has progressed he is becoming a bit of a player and is beginning to show me up!

When did you start playing polo?

Hamilton Ashworth, who helped set-up Chester Polo, persuaded me to play in an inter-hunt match about 15 years ago. It was all downhill from there on as he persuaded me to buy ponies.

How important is polo to Chester Racecourse?

Polo is now part of our season and calendar of events – people from the area expect us to have matches each year. We have built it up slowly to ensure that the calibre of event and the matches played are of the Chester Racecourse standard. Every polo event we now hold is in big demand.

What have been your greatest achievements?

Having the first prize money tournament was very exciting. The Coutts International in June is fought out amongst four corporate sponsored teams and the prize pot is £10,000. This year, to sit alongside the Audi International at Chester Racecourse on

8 September, we have developed a new tournament – The Roodee Challenge Cup, which also holds prize money of £10,000.

What are highlights of the season at the club?

In May, HRH The Duke of Cambridge played here in the Audi Polo Challenge, which was followed by an amazing event in the evening, where Pixie Lott performed for a very small audience of 300. Also, to be able to host the Audi International Polo here in September is just fantastic. This will be the highest level

“You can’t beat Holders in Barbados – it’s always hot and there’s always rum!” polo played in the north of the country – not sure if the players will cope with Cheshire parties though!

What are your polo ambitions?

To create more commercial polo opportunities.

Sponsors can’t be expected to commit when we can’t tell them when a team will be playing or if they’ll be involved in any finals.

Which is your favourite polo venue?

You can’t beat Sunday afternoons at Holders in Barbados. It’s my favourite place to play abroad, although you return needing a holiday. Even if it rains it’s still warm and there’s always rum!

What is your favourite polo tournament?

The Gerald Balding Cup at Cirencester Park.

After years of playing it I was fortunate to win it this year with San Miguel Fresca. It is great to play such fiercely competitive polo with really nice people.

What is your favourite pastime outside polo?

I spend all winter hunting with my children Jamie and Jessica in Cheshire, nothing is better than following them over our hedges.

Who has had the biggest influence on your life?

Sir Bobby McAlpine who was chairman at Chester Racecourse. He was the one who asked me to come here and ever since the opportunities have been fantastic.

Which celebrity would you most like to meet?

Definitely Rhianna. I’m sure she would have a view on polo!

What is the first album you ever bought?

Welcome to the Pleasuredome by Frankie Goes to Hollywood.

What is your alltime favourite film?

Top Gun What is your most prized possession?

My Blackberry Describe yourself in three words.

Determined, commercial and in-touch

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