PQinternational | Autumn Issue #69

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Proud sponsors of : Away team, Cartier International Polo, London Cambridge team, Varsity Polo England team, 2008 FIP World Cup, Mexico EFG Bank team, Palm Beach Season / 40 Goal Challenge XXXVIII International Polo Tournament, Sotogrande Scandinavian Polo Open JLC Polo Masters, Veytay Switzerland Verbier Polo Cup, Switzerland

Photo: David Lominska

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Welcome to the PQ Autumn Issue

W

e have had a dry September which has allowed a number of UK clubs to continue playing all month. The summer season is now over and ponies are having a well earned rest.

In this issue we cover the second half of the UK summer season including the 25th Cartier International, the rest of the high goal tournaments and a wide variety of lesser handicap tournaments from different UK venues, including Pony Club and Beach Polo tournaments.

We have reports on a number of other tournaments from the European circuit.

The World Polo Tour now moves to Argentina for their season. We have the prospect of the Open tournaments showing the polo world the superb quality of play which we anticipate from the highest handicap teams, with two 40 goal sides potentially meeting in the Palermo final as a prospect many will find fascinating.

I thank all our subscribers for their continued support and hope all our readers enjoy this issue.

Iain Forbes-Cockell (“The Major�)

Head Editor

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Royal Pahang beat British Army Officers to win the...

Heritage Cup

British Ladies Open 2009

Women British Open

Royal Military Academy Sandhurst

Sandhurst

Les Lions prove they are kings of the Lawn

Adolfo Cambiaso with the ball Coronation Cup

Meyado Archie David

Conservation or Extint

The Manipuri Pony

Thousands descend on Sandbanks for a Festival of Sport...

Sandbanks

UK National Women´s Polo Tournament 2009

Ascot Park Polo Club

BHC Polo put on repeat show with glorious double

The Duke of Wellington

The Polo Bon Vivant

History - Porfirio Rubirosa

Emlor, ExtraChukka Champions

The Warwickshire Cup 2009

Third tie lucky again for the Pieres Brothers

Gold Cup for British Open 2009

25th Cartier International Polo confirm Argentina top status

The Coronation Cup

Price £6

Autumn Issue 2009 | Nº 69

Picture from The Museum of Polo History - Porfirio Rubirosa

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Playing on the Snow

Argentina Snow Cup 2009

Tattinger Dos Lunas is the Jaeger LeCoultre Gold Cup winner

Sotogrande

International Polo Cup

Deauville Gold Cup

St Tropez Polo

Christopher MacKenzie

Gold shines in Gstaad

Gstaad Gold Cup

Gala Dress for Deauville

Deauville Polo

Equus by Tim Flatch

Book Review

Polo Residences in Argentina

Fractional Ownership Argentina

Great Oaks Snatch Phoenician Cup in last seconds win

Phoenician Cup

Hipwood teamwork wins Duke´s Trophy for Aravali

Duke of Cornwall

The Pieres Brothers lead the Ranking

World Polo Tour

Army sow battle fitness beating Navy to win Rundle Cup...

Rundle Cup

Records crowds for Veuve Clicquot Polo on the Beach...

Watergate

Contents

Clare Milford Haven Women British Open

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PQStaff Publisher

PoloLine Inc. info@pololine.com

Editor

Major Iain Forbes-Cockell major@pqinternational.com

Contributing Editor

Federico Levy federico@pololine.com

Design & Production

TomĂĄs M. Garbers tomas@pqinternational.com

Photographs

PoloLine Media M&M Productions

Major Iain Forbes-Cockell

Images of Polo

Head Editor of PQ international

Centaur Photographic Alex Photography Alice Gipps Contributors

Horace Laffaye Roger Chatterton-Newman

PQ international

Y.A. Teitelbaum

11 All Souls Road, Ascot,

Eduardo Amaya

Berkshire. SL5 9EB,

Diana Butler

United Kingdom

Olivia Johnson

Tel./Fax: +44 (0) 1344 620642

Alejandra Ocampos

Mobile/Cell: +44 (0) 7590 455139

Travel Editor

www.pqinternational.com

PoloLine Travel travel@pololine.com

E-mail: info@pqinternational.com

Printing

Platt Printing Group

FRONT COVER PHOTO - Argentina and England flags, Coronation Cup 2009 - Cartier International Day Guards PC - by Tony Ramirez Š POLOLINE INC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part strictly prohibited without the permission of the publisher. Although the publisher makes every effort to ensure accuracy, we cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions, or guarantee an advertising insertion, date, position or special position. Views expressed may not necessarily be those of the editor or the publisher.

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Calendar October 4 Fall season at The Villages Polo Club Handicap 8 goals Ocala, Florida, US

November 1

Ellerstina Gold Cup Handicap 20 goals Ellerstina PC, Argentina

8 Qualifiers for Hurlingham & Palermo 10 Camara de Diputados Cup Handicap 31 goals AAP, Argentina

10 Tortugas Open Final Handicap 40 goals Tortugas Country Club, Argentina Campa単a del Desierto Handicap 24 goals AAP, Argentina Copa Presidente Handicap 20 goals AAP, Argentina

13 Hurlingham Open

Handicap 24-40 goals AAP, Argentina

12 Ellerstina Silver Cup Handicap 14 goals Ellerstina PC, Argentina

14 Argentine Open Handicap 40 goals AAP, Argentina Provincia de Buenos Aires Cup Handicap 23 goals AAP, Pilar, Argentina

Handicap 40 goals Hurlingham PC, Argentina

Sojo Cup Handicap 18 goals AAP, Pilar, Argentina

Royal Salute Polo Gold Cup Handicap 12 goals Nine Dragons Hill Polo Club, China

Estimulo y Cacique Cup Handicap 12 goals AAP, Pilar, Argentina

20 Copa Municipalidad de Pilar Handicap 25-40 goals AAP, Pilar, Argentina

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December 5 Argentine Open Final Handicap 40 goals AAP, Argentina

7 Potrillos y Potrillitos Cup No Handicap Los Indios PC, Argentina

8 Miriam Heguy Women Cup Handicap 4 goals AAP, Argentina

13 Tinsel Tournament SAPA, West Wycombe, UK

17 World Snow Polo Championship Handicap 8 goals Aspen, Colorado, US

THE WORLD´S

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POLO CHANNEL watch it on-line at www.pololine.tv

pololine.tv 13

UK SEASON - CORONATION CUP 2009

25TH CARTIER INTERNATIONAL POLO SEES ARGENTINA CONFIRM TOP STATUS Match report by Iain Forbes-Cockell (“The Major”)

In this 25th year of Cartier sponsoring the International Polo day, two of the worlds’ top teams were competing. Earlier this year, England had narrowly beaten the USA in the Westchester Cup but here they took on the widely acknowledged top polo

nation in the world, Argentina, a fitting match for such an auspicious occasion. England fielded their tried and tested squad of Luke and Mark Tomlinson, Malcolm Borwick and James Beim, all playing off their HPA handicaps. Argentina fielded two of the best

Mark Tomlinson

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10 goalers in the world, Adolfo Cambiaso Jr and Facundo Pieres, along with Gustavo Usandizaga and Martin “Facha” Valent, both playing off their Argentine handicap of 3 goals. Two 26 goal sides ready to show what this level of polo is all about.

Below: Coronation Cup waiting for the winner

A goal by Adolfo Cambiaso early in the first chukka was a warning shot that this was going to be a tough match for the English team but it was the only goal of the first chukka, although James Beim had a shot at goal that was just wide. A spot hit for Argentina at the start of the second chukka was taken by Adolfo, who passed the ball to Gustavo Usandizaga who hit the ball wide. England worked hard at marking the well mounted Argentine side and continued in this vein in the second chukka, with Luke Tomlinson equalising with a shot from 60 yards out before Adolfito put Argentina into a 2-1 lead by the end of the chukka having picked up the ball from a Penalty 5B hit by Facundo and struck the ball through goal after a missed England backhander.

The match gathered pace in the third chukka, with four goals being scored, however three were for Argentina. Adolfo and Facundo were combining well and seemed to have more time for their plays than the English team. Facundo scored from close range and then a shot from Facha Valent went just wide. However, a moment later there was a wonderful play where Facundo Pieres hit the ball in 15

Above: Gustavo Usandizaga and Luke Tomlinson - Below: James Harper and Tom Morley playing the Golden Jubilee Trophy

the air 3 times before passing to Martin Valent to score. Argentina’s third goal of the chukka was a Penalty 4 hit high through the goal by Facundo to move the score to 5 – 1. England’s response was a well co-ordinated passing move from Mark Tomlinson to James Beim who scored to make it 5-2 to Argentina at half time.

A quick field goal by the English team, followed by a Penalty 4 converted by Luke Tomlinson brought England to within one goal of Argentina at 5-4, but that just seemed to light a fire under the Argentine team, who scored two more goals, one from a short range spot hit by Facundo and the other after a great run by Facha Valent, to end the chukka 7-4 up, with a missed Pieres shot just going across the front of the goal and wide over the back line before the bell went with Adolfo in possession and on another attack.

In the fifth chukka, England missed two opportunities to score, a Penalty 6 from Luke Tomlinson that was a yard wide and a James Beim under the neck shot just wide. Argentina scored through field goals from Adolfito and Gustavo Usandizaga. Gustavo had a great run down the field in front of the Royal Box, with Adolfito riding 16

Coronation Cup 2009 England James Beim Mark Tomlinson Malcolm Borwick Luke Tomlinson (captain)

26 7 6 6 7

Argentina

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Gustavo Usandizaga Martin Valent Facundo Pieres Adolfo Cambiaso (captain)

3 3 10 10

Golden Jubilee Trophy Prince of Wales Team Charlie Hanbury James Harper Henry Brett Nacho Gonzalez (captain)

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Hurlingham

3 6 6 6

off Luke Tomlinson to help his teammate have his shot at goal to go into the sixth chukka with a 9-4 lead.

At the start of the sixth chukka, England had possession of the ball again but failed to score. A Martin Valent goal, after a pass from Adolfito, increased Argentina’s lead to 10 - 4. A lot of hard work and good team polo

by England sadly didn’t result in a goal

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Max Routledge Sathnam Dillon Tom Morley Chris Hyde (captain)

3 6 6 6

but a foul following an England Penalty 5B allowed Luke Tomlinson to score from a Penalty 2, to bring England up to 10-5. However, two great plays, one each from Adolfito and Facundo both resulted in goals to increase Argentina’s lead to 12-5 when the final bell sounded.

At first glance one thought that England hadn’t converted their chances to

Argentina Polo Team with the Coronation Cup

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score as well as Argentina but on further analysis, each team missed six opportunities to score. However, the speed and skill of Adolfito and Facundo plus their great ponies just proved too much for the hard-working English team to deal with and Argentina simply created more chances to score than England. Just a half second quicker in the thought process and half a pony length faster was all that Adolfito and Facundo needed to create the breaks for their win but England demonstrated good teamwork and determination and shouldn’t be disappointed by their efforts.

Coronation Cup Place: Smith’s Lawn, Windsor Great Park, Egham, Surrey TW20 0HP, United Kingdom Club: Guards Polo Club Date: July 26, 2009 Level: 26 hcp Tournament type: Open Tournament Director: Oliver Ellis Score: Argentina 12-5 MVP: Martin Valent (Argentina) BPP: Mi Gatita (owned and played by Adolfo Cambiaso)

25 years of Cartier International Day - Coronation Cup Cartier International Day - Results 1984 - 2009

A. Kent J. Hipwood C. Beresford H. Hipwood

England England Argentina England England (Westchester) Chile England Argentina England

England P. Churchward A. Kent J. Hipwood H.. Hipwood

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

| 1986 |

England

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

| 1985 |

Rest of the World Mexico Mexico North America England England England New Zealand United States (Westchester)

Commonwealth England Chile Australia England Chile England Argentina

England A. Kent J. Hipwood H. Hipwood S. MacKenzie

Mexico

R. Gracida C. Gracida G. Gracida J. Baez

R. Gracida C. Gracida G. Gracida A. Herrera

England

England

W. Lucas A. Kent J. Hipwood H. Hipwood

A. Seavill J. Hipwood J. Horswell C. Beresford

| 1989 |

Mexico

C. Foryth C. Gracida S. Novaes O. Rhinehart

| 1988 |

Rest of the World

England A. Hine H. Hipwood A. Kent C. Beresford

Australasia

M. Egloff M. Azzaro R. Walton D. Smickles

I. Gould C. Forsyth S. MacKenzie J. Gilmore

England W. Lucas A. Kent J. Hipwood J. Lucas

England W. Lucas A. Kent J. Hipwood J. Lucas

| 1992 |

North America

M. Azzaro R. Walton O. Rhinehart D. Smickles

| 1991 |

North America

England W. Lucas C. Forsyth A. Kent H. Hipwood

New Zealand

United States

L. Tari S. Gastambide L. Macaire S. Macaire

G. Keyte C. Forsyth S. MacKenzie A. Parrott

J. Gobin A. Snow O Rhinehart R. Walton

England W. Lucas J. Hipwood H. Hipwood C. Beresford

England J. Daniels A. Wade C. Beresford J. Lucas

| 1995 |

France

| 1994 |

| 1993 |

| 1990 |

| 1987 |

| 1984 |

1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992

England W. Lucas A. Kent H. Hipwood C. Beresford

Chile

South Africa

Argentina

J. Donoso A. Vial G. Donoso F. Fantini

M. Rattray D. Lund A. Armstrong C. Hill

G. Laulhe T. Fernandez Llorente B. Araya J. Zavaleta

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England W. Lucas C. Forsyth C. Beresford J. Lucas

| 1998 |

J. Daniels H. Brett H. Hipwood A. Wade

| 1997 |

England

England H. Brett J. Daniels H. Hipwood A. Hine

Chile

J. Arrelano M. Azzaro G. Gracida J. Goodman

J. Donoso J. Garcia Huidobro G. Donoso J. Iturrate

England J. Daniels H. Brett W. Lucas A. Hine

England J. Daniels H. Brett W. Lucas A. Hine

| 2001 |

United States

R. Manzur J. Junqueira A. Diniz S. Novaes

| 2000 |

Brazil

England W. Lucas H. Brett M. Tomlinson A. Hine

Brazil

J. Healey M. Fernandez Araujo E. Heguy M. Mac Donough

J.P. Ganon O. Novaes U. Andrade F. Cunha

England W. Lucas H. Brett M. Tomlinson A. Hine

England W. Lucas H. Brett L. Tomlinson A. Hine

| 2004 |

Argentina

S. Keyte C. Forsyth G. Gilmore M. Todd

| 2003 |

Australasia

England W. Lucas M. Tomlinson H. Brett L. Tomlinson

Mexico

Chile

F. Mannix J. Baillieu G. Gilmore S. Keyte

R. Gracida C. Gracida G. Gracida R. Gonzalez

A. Vial J. Donoso G. Donoso J. Garcia Huidobro

| 2006 |

Commonwealth

England H. Brett M. Tomlinson L. Tomlinson M. Borwick

England J. Beim M. Tomlinson H. Brett L. Tomlinson

Australia

New Zealand

D. Johnston J. Baillieu G. Gilmore M. Todd

S. Keyte T. Wilson J.P. Clarkin C. Forsyth

| 2008 |

| 2007 |

| 2005 |

| 2002 |

| 1999 |

| 1996 |

25 years of Cartier International Day - Coronation Cup

England J. Beim H. Brett L. Tomlinson N. Gonzalez

England J. Beim M. Tomlinson M. Borwick L. Tomlinson

Chile

Australia

J. Zegers J. Donoso J. Garcia Huidobro M. Zegers

R. Archivald J. Baillieu G. Gilmore D. Johnston

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JP Clarkin and wife Nina

Andrew Hine and Gonzalo Pieres

Jim Whisenand

Peter and Gwen Rizzo of USPA and Patrick Guerrand Hermès of FIP

Photographs by Marcos Cerdeira

Adolfo sr, Adolfito and Adolfo jr

England Polo Team with Audi representatives

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Javier Herrera from World Polo Tour interviewed for Sky TV

Martin Valent

Jose Donoso & Memo Gracida, the umpires of the match

Bruce Colley Marketing Director of FIP , Gonzalo Pieres jr, Facundo Pieres, Luis Lalor (Argentine Polo Assoc. President) and John Mayer form the FIP Marketing Commitee

Sebastian Amaya from Pololine, Major Iain Forbes-Cockell, Howard Hipwood and wife with Christopher Hanbury

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Mr. Tom Hardy

Mrs. Holly Branson and Mr. Sam Branson

Mr. and Mrs. Terry O´neil

Miss Saskia Boxford and Mis Marissa Montgomery

Miss Fuschia Kate Sumner, Lady Emily Comton, MIss Louisa Crossley and Miss Poppy Delevigne

Mr. Raymond Blanc and Miss Natalia Traxel

Lord and Lady Beresford

Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers President of HPA and Luis Lalor President of AAP with the Argentine Ambassador in the UK

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Mr. Pier Morgan and Miss Celia Walden

Mis Anna Friel and Mr. Arnaud Bamberger

Miss Elsa Pataky and Miss Ashley Robert

Mr. Henry Beckwith and Miss Geri Halliwell

Mr Rupert Penny-Jones and Miss Dervla Kirwan

Gala at the Argentine Embassy

Mr. David Thewlis, Miss Anna Friel and Mr. Jasonj Segel

Mrs. Maria Cambiaso and Miss Anna Friel

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UK SEASON - VEUVE CLICQUOT GOLD CUP

THIRD TIME LUCKY AGAIN FOR THE PIERES BROTHERS Report by Iain Forbes-Cockell (“The Major”)

On Sunday July 19, 2009 at the third attempt, the Pieres brothers won the Gold Cup for the British Open.

Just like in 2008, when they won the Queen’s Cup and the Argentine Open at the third attempt, history has repeated itself with the Gold Cup this year.

Format of the tournament

Cowdray Park Polo Manager, Chris Bethell had devised an interesting format for the 17 teams entered in the 2009 tournament. Each league played 4 league games. Leagues A and B had 6 teams in each. At the draw

Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup

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it was announced that the 1st drawn seed would not play the 1st drawn non seed, the 2nd drawn seed would not play the 2nd drawn non seed, and the 3rd drawn seed would not play the 3rd drawn non seed. Therefore in League A the void games were Sumaya v Loro

Mark Tomlinson and Sebastian Merlos

| League One |

Team

| League Three |

Team

| League Two |

Qualifying Games Standings Sumaya* Talandracas* Loro Piana* Cowdray Vikings Zacara Les Lions

Les Lions II* La Bamba de Areco* Lechuza Caracas* Enigma Apes Hill Ravensbourne

Team Dubai* Azzurra* El Remanso Broncos Salkeld * Advanced to Quarter Finales

W

L

G-F

G-A

DIF

4 2 3 2 1 -

2 1 2 3 4

44 50 38 40 34 36

34 40 42 40 39 43

10 10 4 0 -5 -7

W

L

G-F

G-A

DIF

3 3 2 2 1 1

1 1 2 2 3 3

39 41 38 40 42 39

39 40 34 41 42 44

0 1 4 -1 0 -5

W

L

G-F

G-A

DIF

4 2 2 2 0

0 2 2 2 4

51 45 37 43 36

38 38 37 44 44

13 7 0 -1 -8

Piana, Talandracas v Zacara and Les Lions v Cowdray Vikings. In League B the void games were Lechuza Caracas v Engima, Apes Hill v Ravensbourne and La Bamba de Areco v Les Lions 2.

The times of the last set of games in all leagues would not be published until after the previous league games had been played.

Quarter Finalists for The Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup 11th/12th July would be the top 2 placed teams from all 3 leagues and would be placed 1st to 6th as shown below. The 3 league winners would be placed in order of merit 1 to 3, and the 2nd placed teams in each league would be placed in each league in order of merit 4 to 6. The remaining 25

2 places for the Âź finals would be decided after placing all the remaining 11 teams in order of merit, points first and then goal difference, to include all games played. The top team would be placed 7th and the second team 8th. All league positions and placing of teams for knock out phases would be in accordance with the HPA league book 2009 and any amendments that the HPA had subsequently made. Thus the Quarter Finals would be as follows:

Match 1: 1st placed team v 8th placed team.

Match 2:

2nd placed team v 7th placed team.

Match 3:

3rd placed team v 6th placed team.

Match 4:

4th placed team v 5th placed team.

Places for the Subsidiary Finals on 15th July would be allocated from the remaining 9 teams in the continuing order of merit established above.

Teams placed 9th & 10th played for the Ashton Silver Cup. Teams placed 11th & 12th played for the Jack Gannon Trophy. Teams placed 13th & 14th played for the Tatham Cup. The timings for the Subsidiary Finals were announced later. There would be NO readjustment for any repeat games from the league phase.

Ahmad Aboughazale Hilario Ulloa Milo Fernandez Araujo Ignus Du Plessis

Talandracas Edouard Carmignac Guillermo Terrera Alejandro Agote Lucas Monteverde

22 1 7 8 6

22 0 7 7 8

Les Lions 2

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Chris Mackenzie Agustin Merlos Sebastian Merlos Max Gottschalk

2 9 10 1

La Bamba de Areco

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Jean-François Decaux Gonzalo Pieres Jr Facundo Pieres Tomás Garbarini

0 10 10 1

22

Loro Piana

22

Lechuza Caracas

William Beresford Alfio Marchini Juan Martin Nero David Stirling Jr

0 3 10 9

Victor Vargas Guillermo Caset Jr Miguel Novillo Astrada Juan Carlos Harriet

Cowdray Vikings

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Enigma

Lila Pearson Gaston Laulhé Ruki Baillieu John-Paul Clarkin

Zacara Lyndon Lea Eduardo Novillo Astrada Ignacio Toccalino Santiago Laborde

Les Lions Francisco Elizalde Ignacio Heguy Eduardo Heguy Joachim Gottschalk

0 7 7 8

22 1 9 7 5

1 8 9 4

22

Jerome Wirth James Beim Matias MacDonough Malcolm Borwick

Apes Hill Charlie Hanbury Mark Tomlinson Juan Gris Zavaleta Luke Tomlinson

1 7 8 6

22 3 6 6 7

22

Ravensbourne

22

4 9 9 0

Adrian Kirby Nicolas Pieres Juan Ignacio Merlos Fred Mannix

1 6 9 6

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| League Three |

Sumaya

| League Two |

| League One |

Gold Cup for the British Open Dubai

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Tariq Albwardy Crhistian Laprida Jr Adolfo Cambiaso Martin Valent

1 7 10 4

Azzurra

22

George Meyrick Bautista Heguy Marcos Heguy Stefano Marsaglia

4 9 9 0

El Remanso

22

George Hanbury Jaime Garcia Huidobro Bartolome Castagnola Tom de Bruin

1 8 9 4

Broncos

22

Max Routledge Santiago Chavanne Pablo MacDonough George Milford Haven

3 8 10 1

Salkeld

22

Jose Donoso Marcos di Paola Rob Archibald Nick Clarke Hilario Ulloa and Gonzalo Pieres jr

7 8 6 1

Gold Cup for the British Open Place: Midhurst, West Sussex. GU29 OAQ, United Kingdom Club: Cowdray Park Polo Club Date: June 23 - July 19, 2009 Level: 22 hcp Tournament type: Open Tournament Director: Chris Bethell WPT Category Ranking: Grand Slam Winner Points: 150 Finalist Points: 70 Semifinalist Points: 50 Winner: La Bamba de Areco Polo Team Finalist: Dubai Polo Team Result: 13-10 MVP: Gonzalo Pieres Jr BPP: Shannon (owned by Ellerstina SA, ridden by Gonzalo Pieres Jr in the 3rd and 5th chukka) Top Scorer: Facundo Pieres

Malcolm Borwick

Semi - Finals

Dubai reached the final with a convincing 16 - 9 win over Les Lions 2.

Adolfo Cambiaso scored 9 of their goals and was in great form, showing that he could run the ball the length of the field and score on many occasions. He was well supported by Magoo Laprida, who scored 4 goals, Martin Valent and Rashid Albwardy who scored once each. With 2 goals in the first chukka, without reply and a further 4 goals in the second chukka to Tincho Merlos’ 2 goals in reply, Dubai had a 6 – 2 goal advantage by the end of the second chukka. Three goals each in the third chukka maintained that advantage. Chukkas four and five saw Dubai score 3 goals to Les Lions2’s one goal in each chukka, including a great goal from Max Gottschalk, to establish a 15 – 7 lead. In the last chukka Adolfito scored one goal and Tincho scored twice to end the game 16 – 9 in Dubai’s favour. For all those who thought that thought the one tap rule

would ruin Cambiaso’s game, his performance in this semi-final reminded them that he is still a great player.

In the second semi-final, La Bamba de Areco had an 11 - 10 win over Sumaya, with Facundo Pieres, on fantastic form, scoring 10 goals. This was a really close match, with Hilario Ulloa, Milo Fernandez Araujo and Nachi du Plessis combining really well together and putting the two Pieres brothers under plenty of pressure. This was a classic 3 Professionals versus 2 Professionals clash. Hilario’s 3 goals against Facu’s 2 goals gave the first chukka advantage to Sumaya. One goal from Nachi du Plessis, who has had a really good season this year, and another 2 goals from Facu had both teams tied at 4 goals apiece at the end of the second chukka. This was the last occasion the teams would be level until a brief moment in the last chukka. With no score from La Bamba in the third chukka and 3 goals (two from Hilario and one from Nachi) for Sumaya, half time saw 27

a Sumaya 7 – 4 lead. Chukkas four and five were fairly even, with Gonzalito scoring his goal and Facu 3 more to 3 more by Hilario left Sumaya with a 10 – 8 lead going into the sixth chukka.

During that chukka Milo Fernandez Araujo had a fall and substitute Lucas James had to play in his place and, sadly for Sumaya, that is when their 10 – 8 lead was overturned. Milo’s fall had given Facu the chance to score from a Penalty 2 and then 2 more goals from Facu sealed Sumaya’s fate, resulting in La Bamba de Areco getting through to meet Dubai in the final.

The Final

Dubai started the quicker of the two sides but there was an unusual wariness in both sides’ play, rather like boxers sizing each other up in the early rounds, but opened up a 2 goal lead, with goals from Adolfito Cambiaso and Magoo Laprida, by the end of the first chukka. La Bamba reorganized and pulled back two goals by Facu

to narrow the lead to 2-3 in Dubai’s favour at the end of the second chukka.

All 5 goals in the first two chukkas were as a result of penalties.

In the third chukka, the game opened up and two goals for Dubai

by Magoo and Adolfito gave them a 5-2 lead before La Bamba’s four goal reply, 2 from Facu, one from Gonza, riding Shannon and one from patron Jean Francois Decaux put them into a 6-5 lead at the end of the third chukka.

What a turn around in just one chukka. La Bamba had won the third chukka by 4-2 and Adolfito was not a happy man at the half time team talk.

Dubai responded strongly in the fourth chukka win two field goals from Adolfito, a penalty 4 from Magoo Laprida and another field goal from Martin “Facha” Valent. Facu scored one incredible field goal for La Bamba hitting the ball twice in the air making the score 7-9 for Dubai. The game was becoming like a see-saw but this time

in Dubai’s favour.

In the fifth chukka, La Bamba reversed the score of the previous chukka and scored four goals. Gonza hit a great nearside under the neck shot to bring the score to 8-9. From the lineout Facu got the ball and passed to Gonza , on Shannon again who scored to tie at 9-9. Facu then had a great run to score on his grey 7 year old Sheltie, who I’m sure will develop into an outstanding pony in the next year. Adolfito Cambiaso then suffered a dead leg after a strong ride off and needed a few moments to recover. Magoo Laprida scored from the resulting Penalty 2 to tie at 10-10. In the next play, Gonza run the ball to goal but was fouled and Facu scored from Penalty 2 to put La Bamba back into 11-10 lead. Adolfito missed a Penalty 4.

The sixth chukka started with a Penalty 6 (safety 60) which Adolfito hit wide. He then had a run down the field and missed a goal shot. Facu

Chistian Laprida at the final

28

nearly robbed Adolfito of the ball but fouled and a Penalty 4 was awarded to Dubai. Adolfito hit that shot just wide to the right. Facu then had a great run the length of the field and passed to Gonza who scored a goal to go 12-10 up. From the lineout Gonza had a run towards the scoreboard end goal and under pressure from Magoo, he managed a little nearside forward neck shot to put the ball through the goal to make it 13-10. This ended up being the winning goal as shortly afterwards the bell for the end of the match was rung.

Many thought that Dubai would win but with 9 missed opportunities (1x p6, 2x p4, 1x p3 and 5 shots wide), some feel that they let La Bamba off the hook and some brilliant combination play by Facundo and Gonzalito Pieres with some top quality horsepower, meant that they run out the winners.

La Bamba de Areco with the most prestigious cup of the european season

INTERVIEWS WITH THE WINNERS Jean-Francois Decaux

Gonzalo Pieres Jr.

What are your feelings about winning the Gold Cup?

How do you feel after winning the Gold Cup and being named MVP?

It´s incredible, we won one of the best tournaments in the world, against a great team, led by Adolfo Cambiaso. I can´t describe what I feel at this moment. As soon as we arrive in Argentina, we´ll celebrate this victory there, too, and you guys have to be there, too.

I´m not sure about the MVP, the most important thing is win the British Open, a tournament we wanted to win with Facu with many years, and mostly after winning the US Open. It´s the third time we play this final, so we will never forget it.

How did you score your goal?

Gonza passed the ball to me, I picked it back and then I could score. That goal put us in the lead, and it was great for us, as we got to start the next chukka with an advantage in the score.

You became the world´s number one player after winning the US Open, today you beat who comes second, Adolfo Cambiaso. Is that a confirmation?

I only think about winning everything I play.

My dream is winning all that my father won.

Gonzalo Pieres

How did you live this day, with your sons England?

getting stardom in

It couldn´t be any better. Honestly, I was not that confident about the team at the start, as they weren´t playing good. But today, they played great.

Did you help the guys during the tournament or the final?

My philosophy is just let them to be and to do with their own people around. I don´t want to put extra pressure on them, it´s enough having me here, watching them. After all I won, I think it´s time for the kids to win.

29

Facundo Pieres

How was this final played?

We did know it was going to be difficult, and for sure it was. Maybe not in the final result, as we won almost every match with a short difference. We didn´t have a good start in the two first chukkas, but then we could play our game.

How did the team take the lead?

I guess we had to open up the game and that´s what we did since the third chukka.

We played quicker, and I think it worked!!

Gold Cup for the British Open - Social

1.

1. Lord and Lady Cowdray with their family.

2. Kate Silverton with her fiancĂŠ.

3. Poppy Delevigne.

4. Imogen Lloyd Webber and Hannah Sandling.

5. Angie Rutherford.

6. Graham Boyes, MD Veuve Clicquot with Jenni Falconer and James Midgeley.

2.

3.

Photographs by Veuve Clicquot

6.

4.

5.

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7.

8.

9.

10.

12.

7. Donna Air. 8. Cecile Bonnefond, President of Veuve Clicquot.

9. Lady Cowdray & Prince Albert.

10. Eliza Pearson.

11. Kenney.

12. Lauren Budd.

Photographs by Richard Young

11.

31

UK SEASON - WARWICHSHIRE CUP

Emlor, Extra-Chukka Champions Cirencester Park Polo Club, the oldest club in England, founded in 1896, set the stage for its main tournament, the Warwickshire Cup, with the presence of eight teams up to 20 goals in its 2009 edition, who competed for the most important trophy, and the (Subsidiary) Gloucestershire Cup. Four teams made it through to the final stage of the tournament. On the one hand, HB Polo, Lodge Service, Black Bears and Corovest, who were seeking a place in the (Subsidiary) Gloucestershire Cup final; and on the other hand, Emlor, Enigma, El Remanso and Polo Networks who were

in charge of defining their places in a decisive match for the Warwickshire Cup.  The semi-finals were played on a day during which rain was the common denominator. Thus, HB Polo met Lodge Service, in the first Subsidiary final, which was played during the morning. After reaching a 7-7 tie at half-time, the Pailloncy brothers’ team took control of the match and won the fourth chukker 9-7, without relinquishing their lead all the way through to the final game, achieving a 12-10 final victory.

Next, the second semi-final took

Argentines Joaquin Pittaluga and Manuel Fernandez Llorente during the final

32

place, played mostly under heavy rain, which proved detrimental to the conditions of the field. Black Bears took control of the match as from the first half, with the following partial results: 2-1, 4-2, 4-3 and 5-4. Corovest moved up on the scoreboard allowing them to reach both ties in the next chukkers (7-7 and 10-10 in the fifth and sixth period, respectively), sending the game into overtime. Corovest was more efficient attack-wise, and a golden goal scored by Santiago Gaztambide gave them an 11-10 victory and allowed them to make it through to the Gloucestershire Cup final.

Above: Luke Tomlinson - Below: Guy Schwarzenbach, who will return to the full high goal in England next year with his Black Bears team

Under heavy rain, which never stopped throughout the entire match, Emlor and Enigma went out onto the field to play the first Warwickshire Cup semi-final. Spencer MacCarthy’s team had no problem crushing Enigma’s spirit as they took the lead right from the very first chukker. So much so, that they had already taken a 5-2 lead at half-time.

Enigma drew closer on the scoreboard in the third chukker, until they were only one goal down (5-6), but Emlor rapidly regained the lead and won the last two periods 9-5 and 10-7, which guaranteed their pass to the final.

It continued to rain unmercifully when the second semi-final between El Remanso and Polo Networks began. El Remanso had no problem humbling their rival by beating them 5-1 in the first period, and continuing to increase the difference, chukker after chukker, until they reached a clear 12-7 in the fourth period and 14-8 in the fifth.

George Hanbury and his team calmly polished off the match, and won 15-9, thus achieving their pass to the defining match against Emlor.

In the final, El Remanso began by taking a 1-goal lead. The match started 33

Black Bears Guy Schwarzenbach Simon Keyte John-Paul Clarkin Ed Hitchman

Enigma Jerome Wirth Rob Archibald James Beim Buster McKenzie

20 1 7 8 4

20 1 7 6 7

| League Two |

| League One |

Warwickshire Cup 2009 Corovest Richard Britten-Long Santiago Gaztambide Glen Gilmore Buster McKenzie

El Remanso George Hanbury Manuel Fernandez Llorente Jaime Garcia Huidobro Tom de Bruin

0 7 7 6

19 1 6 8 4

Lodge Service

20

Charlie Hanbury Stuart Lodge Andrea Viannini Bartolome Castagnola

3 1 7 9

Spencer MacCarthy Joaquin Pittaluga Nacho Gonzalez Luke Tomlinson

1 6 6 7

Polo Networks

20

HB Polo Team

19

2 6 7 8

Ludovic Pailloncy Lucas Criado Mark Tomlinson Sebastien Pailloncy

2 8 6 3

Nick Britten-Long Henry Brett Ruki Baillieu Jamie Le-Hardy

Emlor

20

20

Santiago Gastambide necksot

off with an uninterrupted first chukker and George Hanbury’s team having taken a 2-1 lead, with goals scored by Jaime García Huidobro for El Remanso and Nacho González for Emlor.

El Remanso’s lead would not last long, as in the second period, with goals scored by Luke Tomlinson (two penalty shots, 30 and 40 yards, respectively) and one scored by Nacho González, Emlor took a 4-2 lead, which climbed to 5-4 in the next chukker, with goals scored by Luke Tomlinson for Emlor, and Manuel Fernández Llorente and Jaime García Huidobro for El Remanso.

Emlor continued to control the match after the half-time break, and took a 6-5 lead by the end of the fourth chukker. But as from the fifth period, things began to even out. As a result of the goals scored on penalty shot by both El Remanso (Jaime García Huidobro, 60 yards and Manuel Fernández Llorente, 30 yards) and Emlor (Luke Tomlinson, 30 yards), the score was tied at 7-7 as they entered the sixth and final chukker.

When the last period began, Jaime García Huidobro scored a goal for El Remanso, allowing those on George 34

Place: Gloucestershire, GL7 1UR, UK Club: Cirencester Park Polo Club Date: July 21 - August 9, 2009 Level: 22 hcp Tournament type: Open WPT Category Ranking: WPT Cup Winner Points: 60 Finalist Points: 30 Semifinalist Points: 15

Winner: Emlor Polo Team Finalist: El Remanso Result: 10-9 MVP: Joaquin Pittaluga (Emlor)

Hanbury’s team to take an 8-7 lead.

It did not take long for Spencer MacCarthy and Luke Tomlinson to return Emlor’s leadership, but Jaime García Huidobro scored off a 40-yard penalty shot and tied the match once again at 9-9.

In an electrifying final, with barely 30 seconds to go until the final bell, El Remanso missed a 30-yard penalty shot, which would have meant achieving victory. Subsequently, in the 30 additional seconds, García Huidobro committed a foul on Luke Tomlinson that ended up in a 60-yard shot that Tomlinson himself was in charge of hitting, but the ball landed outside the field so the match moved into extra time. Finally, in the extra chukker, young and talented Joaquín Pittaluga enabled Emlor to achieve victory and win the title.

After the Warwickshire Cup final, the decisive match for the Subsidiary Gloucestershire Cup took place, and Corovest beat HB Polo 10-8.

Above: Nacho Gonzalez - Below: Emlor with the Warwickshire Cup

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HISTORY - PORFIRIO RUBIROSA

THE POLO BON VIVANT

By Alejandra Ocampos

36

Rubirosa on the right

“Most men live to save money.

I live to spend it”. This could be the phrase that best defines Porfirio Rubirosa Ariza. A diplomat, a polo player, a boxer, a racing driver and without a shadow of a doubt, the essence of an adventurous and refined playboy, Rubirosa was a seductive Dominican, a jetset regular of the 50’s and a gold digger who had some of the most famous and beautiful women in the world fall at his feet.

This singular character, known as Rubi in the society pages at that time, which never stopped revealing juicy details of his love affairs and his worldly life, was born into a middle class family in 1909 in San Francisco de Macorís, the third most important city in the Dominican Republic, located in the Cibao region, in the northeast portion

of the island. Rubi was raised in Paris, where his father, an army officer, had been posted as the Head of the Business Area at the Dominican Consulate. Rubirosa returned to his country in 1920, without having completed his studies, and enlisted in the army.

In 1932, Porfirio Rubirosa married who would become his first wife, Flor de Oro Trujillo, who was only 19 years old back then and the daughter of Dominican dictator, Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina, who sent Rubirosa on his first diplomatic mission in Berlin.

After several infidelities, his wife asked him for a divorce in 1937. The dictator offered Porfirio to choose the embassy in the world he preferred most and, given his growing love for polo, he told Trujillo he wanted to be the ambassador in Argentina, the polo

capital of the world. Subsequently, he was appointed ambassador to his country in Buenos Aires. During his time in Argentina, “Rubi” was dedicated exclusively to playing polo and flying airplanes, another of his passions. Here is where one of his quotes became famous: “I have no spare time to work”, which some say was the reason why Trujillo got indignant yet again and withdrew his appointment as ambassador in Buenos Aires.

His playboy lifestyle became legendary. He made friends with celebrities such as Aga Khan, John Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, King Faud and Sammy Davis Jr., and he had love affairs with the most famous stars at that time Zsa Zsa Gabor, Jayne Mansfield, Ava Gardner, Marilyn Monroe, Dolores del Río, Kim Novak, Veronica Lake, Rita

He was a winner as regards both his diplomatic career and among women, who could not resist his charms. His marriages to millionaire heirs, Doris Duke and Barbara Hutton, made him a wealthy man, a car and horse lover and a bon vivant present at meeting places for the international jet-set.

37

Hayworth and Soraya, the exiled Iranian Princess. It is said that his favourite was Zsa Zsa Gabor, the beautiful Hungarian actress, who asserted that Rubi proposed to her thousands of times, despite the fact that she turned him down, and even refused to leave George Sanders who was her husband back then, to marry Rubirosa. This intense relationship, in which at some point they even became engaged, lasted four years.

He was a winner as regards both his diplomatic career and among women, who could not resist his charms. His marriages to millionaire heirs, Doris Duke and Barbara Hutton, made him a wealthy man, a car and horse lover and a bon vivant present at meeting places for the international jet-set.

His countless love affairs did not stop Rubi from getting married on several occasions: he got married four times.

After divorcing Flor de Oro Trujillo in 1942, he married Danielle Daireaux, back then the best paid actress in France. In 1947 he married American millionaire Doris Duke, and in 1953 he wedded another millionaire, Barbara Hutton, whom he divorced only 53 days after their wedding. His marriage to his last wife, Odile Rodin, was the most stable of the lot, since he married her in 1956 and they were together until Rubirosa’s death in 1965.

His divorces entailed great benefits for him. Namely US$500,000 were assigned to Rubi by his second wife, Doris Duke, besides several sports cars, an airplane, a 17th-century house in Paris, a stable with polo ponies and a B-25 aircraft. However, his brief marriage to millionaire Barbara Hutton, known as the “poor little rich girl” due to her turbulent life, was probably one of the best “deals” he ever made. Hutton, back then one of the wealthiest women in the world, bought him a coffee plantation in Dominican Republic, another B-25 aircraft, plus 3.5 million dollars. After his ephemeral marriage to Barbara Hutton, Rubirosa went back to Zsa Zsa Gabor.

Of course, as a bon vivant, Porfirio Rubirosa was no stranger to polo.

As ambassador in Argentina, he had already played polo and had also made friends with one of the best polo players in history, Carlos “Charlie” Menditeguy, who was an all-round

His countless love affairs did not stop Rubi from getting married on several occasions: he got married four times. sportsman to boot. Menditeguy, together with his brother Julio and the Duggan brothers, Heriberto and Luis, played for El Trébol, the quartet who dominated the polo scene in the late 1930s and the early 1940s, playing unforgettable classics against their eternal rival, Venado Tuerto, who made the stands go wild during memorable 38

finals at Palermo.

José Luis “El Ruso” Merlos is Héctor “Cacho” Merlos’ brother, a legendary Santa Ana player, and Pite, Sebastián and Agustín’s uncle. Currently, “El Ruso” lives in England, and he knew Porfirio Rubirosa. “He was a very good guy, very likeable, a very good friend of his friends”, mentions “El Ruso”,

Of course, as a bon vivant, Porfirio Rubirosa was no stranger to polo. As ambassador in Argentina, he had already played polo and had also made friends with one of the best polo players in history, Carlos “Charlie” Menditeguy, who was an all-round sportsman to boot.

who was in charge of preparing Rubi’s horses. “He wasn’t very good at that, so I made sure his horses were ready whenever he wanted to play”. “El Ruso” was mostly dedicated to playing polo in France and he also spent a lot of time with this famous Dominican.

“We went to lots of parties at the Bagatelle club house in Paris. That’s where we all used to meet up and, of course, Rubi was there. He was a very good friend of Charlie Menditeguy’s and Roberto Cavanagh’s. He used to play a lot with both of them”. As a polo player, “El Ruso” maintains that Rubi was quite acceptable. “He reached a 4-goal handicap. Pretty good. But I remember him as a very good person, a real seducer with the ladies. When he died, in 1965, I was precisely there in Paris, at Bagatelle”.

Argentine polo player, Luis Sosa Basualdo, lives in the countryside, in the Province of Santa Fe, and he met Rubi in 1964, when he was very young. “I was introduced to him by Paul de Ganay in Paris and I made a very good impression on him. I was very young at that time and I was only just starting to play polo”, mentions Luis. “He helped me a lot as regards polo. He introduced me to lots of people”. Sosa Basualdo asserts that Rubi “liked sports very much and especially polo. He was a player with a great fighting spirit, who always kept going with great determination.

I remember a phrase he always used to say at the pony lines – don’t leave alone”. He also recalls that “Rubi was a likeable, charming guy. He was a really cool and fun chap. He obviously liked women very much, so we also shared outings with young ladies”. As regards

Rubi’s personality, Luis highlights his generosity: “Not only was he a pleasant and fun guy, but also a person who really helped all the young men who were starting to play polo”.

Mainly, Rubirosa took part in polo tournament in France; he used to spend the month of August in the

sophisticated city of Deauville. Precisely, in Deauville, with his team Cibao La Pampa, together with his friend Charlie Menditeguy, Rubirosa won the prestigious Gold Cup in 1951. Jesús Solórzano and Alejandro Gracida completed the team. With Cibao La Pampa, he also won the Paris Open on three consecutive occasions - 1953, 1954 and 1955. Occasionally, he also participated in the Palm Beach seasons, “back when he was married to Doris Duke and Barbara Hutton”, recalls Luis Sosa Basualdo.

Furthermore, he made his foray into racing in the Le Mans 24-hour circuit and Formula 1, though he wasn’t

39

so successful. As regards the latter, in 1955, driving his own Ferrari 500 (the same one Alberto Ascari had driven when he won the 1952 and 1953 championships), he made his attempt to compete in the Bordeaux Grand Prix, which did not award points for the world championship. However, Rubi’s experience came to nothing, as he was unable to participate because he fell ill on the day of the race.

In 1957, Rubi, at age 47, married Odile Rodin, an aspiring French actress who was only 19 years old at that time, with whom he settled down in a house on the outskirts of Paris. Little after, he was named ambassador in La Habana, a post he held until 1962.

In May 1965, Rubi boarded a cruise ship with his friend and Greek shipowner Stavros Niarchos, Aristóteles Onassis’ great rival in the shipping business. That same year, on July 4th, Cibao La Pampa won the French Cup and Rubi went out to celebrate with his friends at a great party that took place at Jimmy’s, a night club in Paris, and lasted all night long. Rubirosa, who usually had a chauffeur to drive him around on the countless occasions when he had too much to drink, decided to go off on his own. Around 8 o’clock in the morning on July 5th, 1965, the dean of playboys’ Ferrari crashed into a tree in the Bois de Boulogne.

At age 56, the man named Porfirio Rubirosa died and the legend was born. When his second wife Danielle Daireaux found out about his passing, she stated: “He died the way he lived, and the way he would have wanted to: in a violent and fast way”.

UK SEASON - THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON

BHC Polo put on repeat show with glorious double Momin Sheikh and his BHC polo team notched up a memorable double in August at Guards Polo Club, winning both the 12 Goal Duke of Wellington Trophy and the 8 Goal Town and County Championship over one weekend. What makes this achievement all the more remarkable is that BHC did exactly the same thing last year!

Photographs by Centhaur Photographic

On the Saturday, Sheikh and his team defeated Kassem Shafi’s Shalimar 7-4 in the Town and County Championship final. They were 2-1 up at the end of the first chukka and continued to strengthen their advantage for the rest of the game. Shalimar struggled at times to get into contention, despite some good goals from Vieri Antinori.

The subsidiary honours in the Championship, which had attracted eight

teams divided into two leagues, went to Mad Dogs, who defeated Twelve Oaks 7-5.

The following afternoon saw the red shirts of BHC Polo prepare line up to play in their second final in as many days. This time they faced London Asprey in the final of the Duke of Wellington Trophy. Sheikh had received the trophy from His Grace The Duke of Wellington in 2008 and was keen to repeat

Roddy Williams led the team into the victory

40

that feat this year. He need not have worried as his team won the game 8-6.

Max Charlton had opened the account for BHC, but Asprey London were 2-1 up at the end of the first chukka, thanks to some sharp shooting from Chris Hyde and Billy Jackson-Stops. BHC came back into the game in the second with three goals, including one from the stick of their patron. This was in reply to Asprey London’s duo of goals, from the

BHC Polo Momin Sheikh Max Charlton Roddy Williams Juracy Santos

Asprey London

12 0 3 5 4

12

Pete Webb Jonny Good Simon Holley Bill Jackson-Stops

6 5 0 1

Mei Kwei Lu

12

Charlie Hanbury Stuart Lodge Andrea Viannini Sophie Kyriazi

0 6 7 -1

Town and County Championship Teams BHC Polo: Momin Sheikh (0); Tristam Pemble (2); Tomas Gavina Naon (2); Juracy Santos (4).

Shalimar: Kassem Shafi (); Vieri Antinori (5); Juan Cruz Guevara (4); Sophie Kyriazi (-1).

Mad Dogs: Paul Cuatrecasas (0); Hissam Ali Hyder (4); Will Hine (4); Alan Fall (0).

Twelve Oaks: Ian Wooldridge (0); Charlie Wooldridge (1); Howard Smith (4); Ed Judge (3).

| Group One |

| League One |

The Duke of Wellington Trophy Polistas

12

Paul Cuatrecasas Corin Gibbs Will Hine Gaston Devrient

0 3 4 5

Northchurch

12

Des Byrne Ed Magor Pancho Marin Moreno Chris Crawford

1 3 6 2

Winner: BHC Polo MVP: Pete Webb Finalist: Asprey London Result: 8-6

sticks of Hyde and Jonny Good.

The third chukka proved decisive for BHC as they scored four goals to only one from Asprey in reply. Although BHC failed to score in the final chukka, the damage had been done and BHC retained the trophy.

The subsidiary final saw Northchurch narrowly overcome Mei Kwei Lu, defeating them 4-3.

The winning BHC Polo Team with the Duke of Wellington Trophy

41

Shalimar Kasem Shafi Tomas Gaviña Naon Vieri Anitnori Hissam Ali Hyder

Aravali Karan Thapar Howard Hipwood Oliver Hipwood Charlie Wooldridge

11 0 2 5 4

12 1 5 5 1

Place: Smith’s Lawn, Windsor Great Park, Egham, Surrey TW20 0HP, United Kingdom Club: Guards Polo Club Date: August 6-16, 2009 Level: 12 hcp Tournament type: Open Tournament Director: Oliver Ellis WPT Category Ranking: Challenge Cup Winner Points: 40 Finalist Points: 20 Semifinalist Points: 10 Rest of the Teams: 5

UK SEASON - ASCOT PARK POLO CLUB

UK National Women’s Polo Tournament 2009

By Mia Randall-Coath

For the twenty first year, Ascot Park Polo Club in Chobham played host to the UK National Women’s Polo Tournament on the 1st and 2nd August and this year the IWPA and APPC were delighted to support the HeatonEllis Trust and their research into Motor-Neuron Disease.

With twenty one teams competing, the Tournament remains the largest of its kind in the world and it was once again very pleasing to welcome players from across the UK and from all levels of the game.

Despite the best efforts of the British summer, which has been far from perfect, play started early on both Saturday and Sunday mornings, on three

superbly conditioned fields with the first balls being thrown in consecutively at 9.30 am and play continuing throughout each day.

Finals’ day was somewhat better, weather wise, and play got under way under some rare summer sunshine.

With a wonderful turnout of supporters, finals and subsidiary finals were contested at all levels as well as an ‘Academy’ Final with girls playing their first ever match, aided by a professional on each side. As in previous years, the prize table for the UK National Women’s Tournament was eagerly anticipated by all players. Each girl received a plethora of gifts, with the top level winners receiving a superb polo

Kirsty Craig of Pro-Fit hooks Annabel McNaught-Davis of IWPA

42

holiday at Polo Del Sol in Jerez, Spain.

Foxhills Resort and Spa donated overnight hotel stays and wonderful spa product gift boxes, and Arbonne International ensured every player, winner or runner up received a goody bag of skin care products to speed recovery from the weekends’ exertions!

The strength in the development of women’s polo was evident right from the start of the first final. At each level, not only ball skills and horsemanship were in evidence, but also knowledge of the game and understanding of tactical play. Most eagerly anticipated was the final of the Polo Del Sol 1 to 2 Goal division. Following hard fought and exciting matches the previous day,

UK National Women´s Polo Tournament 1 to 2 Goal Final

-1 to 0 Goal Final

-4 to -3 Goal Final

Raggy Dolls

Power Hawks

Manor Farm

Stephanie Haverhals Amber Clutton-Brock Louisa Clothier Farida Rosso Baldacchino

Mandie Beitner Charlotte Chrisodoulou Sarah Wiseman Rosie Ross

Wendy Nagel Martina Beletkova Kirsty Reedhead Charlotte Sweeney

K Law

Pro-Fit

Aviation Connextions

Kirsten de la Beck Lisa Forster Sophie Heaton-Ellis Rosie Ross Winner: Raggy Dolls

Nicoa Hodges Sam Buckles Kirsty Craig Sarah Frankum Winner: Power Hawks

Liz Flynn Sophie Kyriazi Lucinda Watson Annabel Mc Naught-Davis Winner: Manor Farm

-6 to -5 Goal Final

-8 to -7 Goal Final

Field House Farm

McLintock International

Jella Herzer Jenny Revell Vicky Griffin Pandora Tucker

Rebecca Grifiiths Flo Barrow Amy Young Emily Griffiths

Obsesively Pink

Kandapola

Mandie Beitner Charlotte Christodoulou Kirsty Reedhead Angela Brady Winner: Field House Farm

Emma Wayland Lucy Northmore Abigail Mathias Karen Gent Winner: McLintock International

2 Goal Winners Raggy Dollls (left with Peter Grace, Chairman of APPC)

the final was played between Stephanie Haverhals’ Raggy Dolls and Kirsten de la Beck’s K Law. The depth and strength of both teams made the result difficult to predict and in keeping with the exciting play throughout the match the outcome at the final bell was a half a goal win to Raggy Dolls, 5 and a half goals to 5. With such a wonderful selection to choose from, the Andros Best Playing Pony Award was

difficult to decide but ultimately went to Sophie Heaton-Ellis’ Tobiana and the MVP award went to Farida (Freddie) Russo.

The Foxhills Resort and Spa 0 Goal title was won in style by Power Hawks who beat Pro-Fit. Although the distance between the teams on the score board was significant, the match itself was hard fought with each player exhibiting skill and judgement worthy 43

of a match at the top level. The Polo Del Sol Best Playing Pony Award went to Rosie Ross’s Charlotta and Hazel Jackson of Tina Sparkle was awarded the prize of MVP. Subsequently, co- patrons of Power Hawks, Charlotte Christodoulou and Mandie Beitner went on to win the Best Turned Out Team Award with their second team Obsessively Pink who, decked out in pink and glitter from Head to hoof, were the outstanding choice of the tournament committee!

In the Arbonne International minus 3 Goal level, Manor Farm beat Aviation Connecxtions; at the minus 5 Goal, Field House Farm beat Obsessively Pink and in the minus 7 goal level, McLintock International came out the winners over Kandapola and Andros.

Peter Grace, Ascot Park Chairman and owner was delighted to welcome so many players to his club. ‘This tournament has been running for a long time now and each year I marvel at the extra-ordinary level at which the game is played. Equally, I am in awe over the running of the tournament.

The Team at Ascot Park make it appear seamless; the logistical nightmare that is the tournament schedule (not for the faint hearted when many players play in more than one level), organisation of so many umpire ponies, umpires, commentators, goal judges and time keepers all at the same time on three different grounds and Finals’ Day itself, ensuring the Club looks its best for players, sponsors and VIPs. It is a weekend I look forward to year after year, roll on 2010!’

Pippa Gillard, Chairman of the IWPA, was also delighted with this

Above: Best Truned Out Team Obsessively Pink with Pippa Gillard and Peter Grace.

Left: Farida Rosso Baldacchino (Raggy Dolls) on the attack against Rosie Ross of K-Law. Below: Polo Del Sol’s BBP Charlotta played

by Rosie Ross.

year’s Tournament. “My thanks go to all the sponsors who donated remarkable prizes for all players keeping the UK National Women’s prize table one of the most eagerly anticipated in the sport. Thanks also go to the professional players who supported the tournament, to all the players who travelled the length and breadth of the country and to players across all the levels of the tournament who came together to showcase all that is good in women’s polo.”

The UK National Women’s Tournament came of age in 2009. A fair measure of the tournament’s success must be the number of teams and players who return to Ascot Park year after year. It is a thrill to see returning teams move up the handicap levels from tentative entries at the minus 8 division and on through to the highest handicap levels. With women professionals in the UK pushing the handicap boundaries each season it will be interesting to see at what level the tournament will be capped by the time it reaches its silver anniversary in 2013.

Polo is still fighting to make it in to the London Olympics. Many hope it will take its place at the table of top

sporting competition, but successful or not, a superb display of the sport will be guaranteed at Ascot Park Polo Club on the first weekend of August each year and definitely in 2012 regardless!

The International Women’s Polo Association (IWPA) The International Women’s Polo Association was founded by Pippa Gillard (neé Grace) in 1997 and is affiliated in 33 countries around the world.

The key aims of the association are: to increase the number of women players 44

through out the world through the identification and promotion of international playing opportunities; to encourage the provision of facilities for female players at clubs; to increase the level of sponsorship and financial support directed towards women’s polo and its players, and to promote the use of female professional players.

UK SEASON - SANDBANKS

Thousands descend on Sandbanks for a festival of sport on the sand The glitzy and glamorous have once again graced the beach community of Sandbanks in Poole, as the British Beach Polo Championships returned to Dorset for its second year on 10 and 11 July.

More than six-thousand attended the 2009 Championships, which was sponsored by Sunseeker, and among those who turned up, chilled out and played some ‘chukkas’ were famous names from the worlds of sport, music and even fashion. Alongside international polo stars such as England captain, Chris Hyde, and Arena Gold Cup Winner, Jamie Le Hardy, were boxing legend, Joe Calzaghe, DJ Phil Faversham from leading house music label, Hed Kandi and international supermodel, Jodie Kidd.

Six teams of the most talented international and national polo players competed in this world-class sporting event. Covering a smaller area than conventional polo, beach polo was fast paced and exciting which gave spectators the advantage of watching the action at close quarters. The matches followed arena polo rules, with each team made up of three players and the match results were as follows: In addition to the Championship match schedule and the international game between England and South America, a charity ‘horse power’ race in aid of the Heaton-Ellis Trust took place on both days. Crowds witnessed an Audi Q7 go head-to-head with a polo pony in the ultimate display of horse power and the winner, on both occasions, was the pony.

The British Beach Polo Championships concluded on each day with ‘Party at the Beach Polo’. On Friday, HedKandi, record label, radio show as well as international club sensation, delivered the chic evening beach party HedKandi’s only UK beach party and on Saturday evening the Priva Polo finale party finished the event in style with sounds provided by special guest

DJs Sam Young, who has played at parties for the likes of Naomi Campbell, Justin Timberlake, Donatella Versace and Elton John, and DJ Charles, who at only 18 has played amongst some of

Friday Pommery 2 vs SOS Recruitment 10 Lloyds 7 vs Hotel du Vint 1 Bailey Robinson 8 vs Poole Audi 6 England 7 vs Argentina 8

Saturday Wooden Spoon Hotel du Vint 3 vs Poole Audi 6 3rd/4th Playoff Pommery 7 vs Bailey Robinson 9 Final SOS Recruitment 8 vs Lloyds 6 England 11 vs Argentina 9 Beach Polo action on finals day

45

the greats including Erick Morillo and Mark Ronson.

Event organiser, Johnny Wheeler, said: “The two-day event was designed to entertain everyone from polo supporters through to families who just wanted to watch the action from the beach. The event also has to attract the world’s finest polo players who insist on great playing conditions, good competition and a large crowd. It was a huge success all-round.

“It was also very pleasing to see the fabulous community Focus Football event making use of the event facilities and infrastructure on Sunday. Now that it has been confirmed that the event will happen in Sandbanks for the next five years, we can build on its popularity along with Poole in making it a world class polo event that is accessible to all.”

UK SEASON - THE MANIPURI PONY

Conservation or Extinction

By Bob Thompson

The Manipuri Pony has been associated with Sagol Kangjei for hundreds of years. In the ‘Royal Chronicle of Manipur’ there is an account of a Sagol Kangjei tournament in 33AD organised by Ngonda Lairen Pakhangba at which he introduced his queen to his nobles. It describes the game being played on small horses very similar to the modern Manipuri Pony. It is believed, in local mythology, that Polo was played by the gods at the Creation, and a ball and stick are still offered to the god Marjing.

The British first discovered and played Sagol Kangjei in the Cachar area of North East India in the 1850s, after watching the retinues of the exiled Manipuri princes playing it. They took part in some of the games and

formed the first Polo Club in Silchar.

The game went from there to Calcutta, where the rules were changed and it progressed to become the game it is today.

For the many years the height of a mount was restricted to 13hh, the size of a Manipuri Pony. As Polo’s popularity spread, Manipur became denuded of ponies and their export was stopped by the Political Agent of Manipur, until their numbers became viable. With the lifting of the height restriction, the Manipuri Pony lost its popularity amongst the players of Polo. By the Second World war, when they were used to carry stores for the army, their numbers were back up in the thousands.

The breed is no stranger to war,

An Arambai thrower

46

having been used by the Manipuris as a warhorse for several centuries.

The Manipuris had a special weapon, an Arambai, a dart with a four to six inch head flighted with Peacock feathers and thrown with the aid of a throwing stick. The riders relied on the pony’s speed and agility to get close enough to the enemy to throw, then turn sharply and gallop out of range of their weapons. An Arambai thrower could hit a target from over a hundred yards at full gallop; their skill aided the occupation of large tracts of Burma by the Manipuris in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Sagol Kangjei was recognised as good mounted warrior training for both horse and rider. Because of the small size of the country and the frequent disputes with neighbours most men in Manipur were trained in martial arts and with many families having at least one pony, nearly everyone played Sagol Kangjei. There were weekly games between villages and big tournaments at festivals. The Game of Kings was the national game of the people, overseen by their king.

The traditional dress, of a small turban tied on with a piece of cloth under the chin, a coloured shirt and a white dhoti, is still worn for competitions at some festivals. The bridle and crupper have woollen balls attached to them to protect the more vulnerable places on the ponies, and the saddle flaps which cover the whole of the pony’s flanks, are made from Mithun hide and rolled at both ends to protect the rider’s legs.

There are seven players in each team; in the past there were often five or six substitutes, there being no limit to the number of substitutions, but today, due to the lack of ponies, there is seldom more than one. Most of the ponies have to play both twenty minute halves with a five minute break

Rider and pony showing the saddle

Manipuri showjumping

at half time.

There are no goal posts; the ball has to be hit across the opponent’s goal line at the end of the pitch to score.

As soon as a goal is scored another ball is thrown in by the ball thrower, who stands at the centre on the sideline; play is continuous for the full 20 minutes. At one time the length of a game was determined by a team reaching a set number of goals, sometimes as many as 80. Half time was called when a team reached half the required number. Conch shell blowers sound the beginning and end of the halves and also blow when a goal is scored.

There are practice games on the Palace Polo Ground most weekends during the season. Young men in jeans and T-shirts, some with trainers, some barefoot, give no quarter as they compete both to win the game and earn a place in a tournament team. Few of the boys can afford a pony, so they club together to buy one and spread the cost of keeping it.

Many ponies have to play two full practice games as well as being ridden for stick and ball. They have to negotiate the traffic in the busy the streets of Imphal, the capital of Manipur, to return from the city centre pitches to their grazing grounds on the outskirts of the city.

Most of the old habitat for the ponies has been built on and what is left is a marshy area that floods in the monsoon driving them to find whatever food they can on the sides of the road. They even compete with the cattle on piles of rubbish in the city streets. There are several deaths every year from eating plastic bags.

On the marsh there was a brood mare with a compound fracture of her off hind just below the hock. She had a foal at foot and she had gone back to the stallion. Before she walked into a cattle grid during the monsoon she was a top mare. There are so few breeding mares that the owner got the leg stabilised and, despite the lower 47

half of her leg flapping whenever she moves, she will continue to be used as long as she gets in foal.

There is an official stud, but the foal mortality is between 25 and 30%.

Mares, stallions, foals, yearlings and some two year olds all run together in an overgrazed enclosure. Every day they are let out onto a piece of common land, which is also grazed by cattle, sheep and goats. Originally there were seventy mares there, but with few replacements being added the number is now in the mid twenties.

The shortage of ponies means a mare with a foal at foot will take part in practice matches. Many foals are injured by traffic as they follow their mothers on the long journey to the Polo grounds. Good ponies are overworked; some do show jumping and tent pegging before the evening practice games. With constant hard use and a poor diet many mares are lost before they can breed.

One major problem is the inaccessibility of Manipur. It is plagued by political unrest, which greatly limits where a visitor can go. Also a special permit is required, which often takes several weeks to procure.

This is one of the reasons why a new stud has been started in Assam. It is run by an anthropologist, who is also setting up a Sagol Kangjei school, so that interested visitors can learn and experience the game. He is slowly importing ponies from Manipur with the agreement of the All Manipur Polo Association. It is a start, but much more needs to be done.

I travel in Asia and Africa finding and recording indigenous horse games and equine cultures, some of which are disappearing as countries modernise. Many of the games I see are relevant only to that particular region, but Sagol Kangjei is not. It is the forerunner of Modern International Polo. Without the Polo Pony there would be no Polo, and without the Manipuri Pony there will be no Sagol Kangjei.

Conservation of the Manipuri Pony is the key to preserving Modern International Polo’s heritage. Is the Polo community willing to save the original Polo Pony?

UK SEASON - MEYADO ARCHIE DAVID

Les Lions prove they are kings of the Lawn Reported by Diana Butler

Francisco Elizalde scoring one of the last goals at the final

Joachim Gottschalk’s Les Lions team took their place in the record books at Guards Polo Club on the last Sunday of June when they became only the second team in the history of the Archie David to win this prestigious cup twice. The other team which has previously notched up a double is the Hutchinson brothers’ Tayto team.

Les Lions had previously won the trophy in 2003.

Victory did not come easy for Les Lions though and they faced some tough opposition in Jada. Les Lions

had a narrow 2-1 lead at the end of the first, after goals from Francisco Elizalde and Nick Evans against Ryan Pemble’s single goal but failed to score in the second, making them 3-2 down at half-time after two more Pemble goals. Jada were in the ascendant in the middle of this match with some strong play from Juan Cruz Guevara and Ryan Pemble, which pushed them to a 5 – 3 lead at the end of the third chukka. Many spectators seemed to think that Jada’s victory was assured at this point, but Les Lions’ Nicky Evans 48

thought differently. “I always thought that we were going to win,” he said after the game. “We just needed to start playing well and once we did we got straight back into the game.” That confidence was realised as both he and Elizalde scored twice to give them a 7 – 6 victory.

Les Lions also had a secret weapon in this match. Playing up at number one was the newest member of the Hine clan to hit the polo fields. Sixteen-year-old Richard Hine, son of Nick and Richenda Hine, proved that

he is definitely a chip off the Hine block. His uncles, Andrew and William were watching the game from the sidelines – alongside Les Lions “coaching team” of two Merlos’s (Agustin and Sebastian) and two Heguys (Eduardo and Nachi) – all proffering advice throughout the match.

Les Lions’ number three, Francisco Elizalde was rewarded with the Pommery/Polo Magazine Man of the Match Award while Jada’s Ryan Pemble stepped up to receive the Best Playing Pony Award from Martin and Lotta Young. He was especially pleased to receive this honour as it was presented for Rosita, a seven-year-old English Thoroughbred mare whom he both owned and played.

Martin Young, from the sponsor Meyado attended the presentations in his polo whites as he then had to mount up as his own Meyado team was competing in the subsidiary final for the Caterham Cup. They won Above: Francisco Elizalde and Ryan Pemble - Below: Howard Hipwood and Tomas Ruiz Guiñazu

49

Clarita

8

Clare Mathias Chris Mathias German Llorens Tomas Ruiz Gui単azu

0 1 3 4

AFB

8

Clive Reid John Gunn Sebastian Dawnay Peter Webb

0 -1 4 5

Aravali

8

Pirates

8

Karan Thapar Howard Hipwood Corin Gibbs Gemma Craig

1 5 3 -1

Sophie Kyriazi Michael Howe Jonny Good Ben Pincus

-1 4 5 0

Saracens

8

Shalimar/Yobaca

Matt Green-Armytage Tristan Pemble Tommy Wilson Yanni Zographos

0 2 6 0

Mike Rake Ashley Rake Vieri Anitnori Kasem Shafi

Meyado

8

Martyn Young Manuel Toccalino Guillermo Cuiti単o Alec Banner-Eve

0 3 6 -1

| League Three |

| League Two |

| League One |

Archie David Cup BHC Polo

8

Hugo Singh Momin Sheik Roddy Williams Juracy Santos

-1 0 5 4

Jada

8

Ed Morris Lowe Juan Cruz Guevara Ryan Pemble Maurice Salem

0 4 5 -1

8

Asprey London

8

0 3 5 0

Simon Holley Max Charlton Chris Hyde James Carr

0 3 6 -1

Lost Boys

8

Twelve Oaks

8

Stefan Sund Ed Magor Howard Smith Oliver Browne

0 3 4 1

Ian Wooldridge Charlie Wooldridge Billy Jackson-Stops Joaquin Pittaluga

0 1 1 6

Alastair Walker, of Mad Dogs

50

Puesto Viejo

8

Jeremy Baker Andrew Stimpson Antonio Manzorro Hissam Ali Hyder

0 0 4 4

Mad Dogs

8

Alastair Walker Ed Judge Will Hine Alan Fall

1 3 4 0

Halcyon

8

Jonathan O´Dea Raphael Singh Ivan Rubinich Richard Blake-Thomas

0 1 4 3

Les Lions

8

Richard Hine Francisco Elizalde Nick Evans Lanto Sheridan

-1 4 3 2

Qualified

| League Four |

Archie David Cup Francois Lurton

8

John Kent Leroux Hendriks Alan Kent Wilfried Koulitchenko

1 3 4 0

this game, defeating Francois Lurton Bodegas Y Vinedos 5-3. This final was rather more fraught than the previous game and resulted Leroux Hendrix of Francois Lurton being sent off due to “unofficial use of an elbow” in the middle of the final chukka.

The day had started with the final of the Claude Pert Cup featuring Asprey London and Lost Boys. This tournament is exclusively for Guards teams that don’t make it through to the final stages of the Meyado Archie David Cup and honours went to Asprey London, who defeated Lost Boys 6-5.

All the Les Lions organization together for the final picture

51

Place: Smith’s Lawn, Windsor Great Park, Egham, Surrey TW20 0HP, United Kingdom Club: Guards Polo Club Date: June 2-28, 2009 Level: 4-8 hcp Tournament type: Open Winner: Les Lions Polo Team Finalists: Jada Result: 7-6 MVP: Francisco Elizalde (Les Lions) BPP: Rosita (Ryan Pemble) Caterham Cup winners: Meyado Finalists: Francois Lourton Claude Pert Cup winners: BHC Polo Finalists: Asprey London

UK SEASON - SANDHURST

ROYAL MILITARY ACADEMY SANDHURST City Polo Association’s Leadership & Excellence Polo Day at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Photos by Tony Ramirez and Peter Meade

The Luxury Network Leadership & Excellence Polo Day managed

by PoloNetworks supports the continuation and growth of Cadet Polo and the celebration of the best of City Polo in London.

All players must be a member of the City Polo Association. Players and spectators affiliated to the City Polo Association are defined so in relation to their company representing London’s and other capital cities business, commercial and financial centre. Rules and regulations are that only one player per team may be invited to play that is not a member of the City Polo Association,

regarded as your professional polo player.

The introduction and creation of this Tournament shows what Sandhurst stands for, as “A Tradition of Leadership” a new Book ( III Millennium Publishing) written by Christopher Pugsley and Angela Holdsworth, with the foreword of Sir John Keegan explains: “The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst has national and international reputation for leadership. It is the spiritual home of the Officer Corps of the British Army, and equally it evokes a sense of belonging in thousands of overseas officers who trained here. But what makes it so extraordinary?

52

What makes it tick? Is it the place, its buildings, history, heritage and ethos, its training of leadership? Or is it the people, the Captains, the NCOs and the military staff, the Academics and all those who work there?”

Once more the City Polo Association has played in the grounds of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst with an International Polo Team from Switzerland, sponsored by the Winery Francois Lurton of France, www.francoislurton.com going head to head for the Leadership & Excellence Cup challenging a Team from the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club sponsored by

Francois Lurton Swiss Polo team with the trophy

RMAS Officer Cadet O. Cdt Claire Blakiston O. Cdt Horgan O. Cdt HH Amir Ibrahim O. Cdt Pearson

-2 -2 0 -2

RMAS Alumni Lt Col Robert Adams Captain Ben Marshall Major Iain Forbes-Cockell Andy Burgess

-2 -1 -1 0

a wonderful opportunity to discuss polo, the chukkas and fouls with team players over a glass of wine, with the chance of planning new tournaments ahead. Wines from Chile - Vina Hacienda Araucano, Argentina - Bodega Francois Lurton, France - Domaine Francois Lurton, Spain - Bodega Francois Lurton, and Portugal - Dominios Francois Lurton were on display.

Incorporated in this City Polo Association day was the RMAS Officer Cadet match against the RMAS Alumni Team. An important and wonderful opportunity for Army Officer players to come back and breathe in some

| Second Match |

| First Match |

Asian Art. Francois Lurton Polo Team won their match by a ½ goal. It was a very competitive and exciting game, with 2 professional on each side, TC Martin Riglos, a 5 goal overseas player from Argentina playing in support of Sandhurst Polo Club and in the International Polo scene & TC Rosie Ross, at 2 goals, one of the top Lady Players that England puts forward.

Mr Pascal Fricard, Managing Director of Francois Lurton - ART OF VINE - flew in from Bordeaux to present the new line of wines, with a wine tasting after the polo match. This offered

Francois Lurton Swiss Polo Barbara Zingg Wilfred Koulitchenko TC Martin Riglos Gilles Lerailles

0 0 5 -1

RBPC Asian Art Allie Wick Jeremy Nicholls Rosie Ross Chris Bruckner

53

0 1 2 0

Sandhurst air of the past and future.

Major Iain Forbes-Cockell enjoyed the thrill and emotion it created, coming back after so many years, especially when you battle through the chukkas against novice Officer Cadet Polo Players and go home with victory and glory, although scoring a couple of goals may also have had something to do with it!

It was yet another day of polo and sunshine in the English summer in the fabulous setting of the Academy Round Ground with the backdrop of New College on one goal end and the lake on the other.

La Martina, Official Polo Equipment Supplier has supported and sponsored Sandhurst Polo for the last 4 years.

Polo Saddles and bridles have been especially developed with the crest of Sandhurst, as well as the most wanted item, the RMAS Team Polo shirt in Club colours, blue, red and yellow.

UK SEASON - WOMEN BRITISH OPEN

British Ladies Open 2009

By Aurora Eastwood - Photos by Tony Ramirez

Hosted by Cowdray Park Polo Club, the Lanesborough British Ladies Open is now in its eighth year. First played in 2001, the tournament was known as the Boodle and Dunthorne Ladies Open until 2004. The tournament allows the best female players in the UK to showcase their talents on what are arguably the best grounds in the country. To play the final on Lawns Two, in front of a large crowd and just before an England Test Match, is certainly the icing on the cake and a great incentive!

The final of the most important ladies tournament in the UK was not without its complications – in the run up to the tournament players had been fraught with injury and patrons had withdrawn their teams. Three of the players were sidelined for weeks with a variety of injuries – Emma Tomlinson

fractured her collarbone at Cowdray in July, Nina Clarkin took a ball to the elbow at Cirencester in August, and Aurora Eastwood fractured her wrist at Guards only four days before the final.

This, coupled with the rather delayed effect of the recession, meant that the tournament was looking decidedly smaller than 2008’s six team field.

Thanks to generous support by Pololine, a team was assembled by leading polo photographer Alice Gipps, to take on Audi, who have won twice in the last three years. The Pololine team featured Cowdray regular and High Goal patron Lila Pearson, the super talented and ever level headed Sarah Wiseman, and last minute substitution Heloise Lorentzen, Aurora Eastwood’s younger and very gifted sister. Alice Gipps completed the quartet, adding her superb horsemanship to

Audi at the podium

54

the team’s strengths.

Audi, minus injured star player Nina Clarkin, featured instead two goaler Rosie Ross, and newcomer Louisa Wentworth Stanley, daughter of Jaeger Le-Coultre Ambassador Clare Milford Haven. Louisa has been playing at Trippetts, and her performance during the final paid testament to lots of good practices on the family’s private grounds. Clare, fresh from her summer holiday, completed the Audi lineup together with the lovely Vanessa Taylor.

The final was a close affair. Within seconds Heloise had scored for Pololine, but a penalty against them allowed Audi to get back in the lead, as they had a ½ goal start that proved to be very useful (although the tournament was supposed to be played Open!). Sarah Wiseman played a

Clare Milford Haven and Heloise Lorentzen

fantastic game constantly battling with an on-form Rosie Ross, who successfully converted three important penalties that ultimately won the match. Heloise played a very attacking game, and well above her 0 goal handicap – certainly a player to watch – as is certainly Louisa Wentworth Stanley, who never for a second looked to be worth as little as -2. The final chukka was tense another penalty for Audi sealed the fate of Pololine, as despite fighting to the end, they couldn´t find the posts and Audi won by their ½ goal handicap

start, interestingly, all their goals from penalties.

Audi retained their 2008 title, but consolation for the Pololine team came in the form of the MVP award to Heloise Lorentzen, whose serendipitous inclusion in the team resulted in a well deserved prize of a spectacular watch, generously sponsored

by TW Steele. In addition all the players received lovely prizes kindly sponsored by the fashion house Pucci – fitting prizes for such a prestigious tournament.

Audi Louisa Wentworth-Stanley Clare Milford Haven Rosie Ross Vanessa Taylor

-2 0 2 0

PoloLine Lila Pearson Alice Gipps Heloise Lorentzen Sarah Wiseman

0 0 0 1

55

Last Winners 2008 Audi 2007 Cadenza 2006 Audi 2005 Audi 2004 Ice Maidens 2003 Miller´s Gin 2002 KGB 2001 The Has Beens and Wannabees Place: Cowdray Park Polo Club Winners: Audi 3 ½ Pololine 3 MVP: Heloise Lorentzen

UK SEASON - HERITAGE CUP

Royal Pahang beat British Army Officers to win the 2009 Heritage Cup in style Tournament report by Iain Forbes-Cockell (“The Major”). Additional reporting and photographs by Tony Ramirez.

The Heritage Cup was played at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on 1st and 2nd August. It was the fourth year that this elegant and stylish weekend fixture of polo and fashion has been held in the beautiful surroundings of the Round Ground, with the backdrop of New College at one end of the ground and the lake at the other end.

The British Army Officers team with two Officer Cadets (now Officers), Charlie Pearson & Rory Horgan, Capt Matthew Eyre-Brook and polo professional Martin Riglos (5) was joined by teams from Pakistan, United States, Switzerland, Argentina and Malaysia in a weekend of polo which could have easily been mistaken for a high goal tournament due to the level of play by all teams. Open polo, beautiful fast runs, horsemanship and elegance was shown throughout the tournament and spectators enjoyed the summer sunshine and looked their part with the ladies in summer dresses and period hats. The theme of Heritage Polo was followed even by the umpires who dressed in period clothes and top hat and the polo manager elegantly umpired side saddle.

On 1st August three matches were played. In a close opening match Royal Pahang of Malaysia, playing in black shirts and striped ties sponsored by T.M Lewin, with Officer Cadet (now commissioned) HH Amir Ibrahim Shah and his two cousins HH Shahrain Sulaiman Shah & HH Shahzril Ezani Sulaiman and Richard Blake Thomas beat Helvetica 8 – 6½. Helvetica had experienced 4 goaler Tom Hunt and 2 goaler Sean Wilson-Smith in support.

That match was followed by the British Army Officers team beating the USA team 7 – 2½. The USA team featured the experienced 5 goaler Charlie Muldoon, ably supported by young 56

Teams Royal Pahang of Malaysia 6

British Army Officers

5

HH Amir Ibrahim Shah HH Prince Shahrain Sulaiman Shah Richard Blake-Thomas HH Prince Shahzril Ezani Sulaiman

0 0 3 3

OCdt Pearson/OCdt Horgan Capt Matthew Eyre-Brook Martin Riglos Johnny Lynn

-2 1 5 1

Argentina

8

Helvetica

5

Peter Wood Chris Bruckner Pepe Riglos Matt Perry

1 0 6 1

Bert Poekes Sean Wilson-Smith Tom Hunt Gilles Leraille

0 2 4 -1

Pakistan

8

United States of America 4

Al Sher Ahmed Yar Tiwana Hamid Ali Col Talha

0 2 3 1

Omid Rajaei Sebastian Langenberg Charlie Muldoon Mark Goode

-1 1 5 -1

Invitational Ladies

-1

Vanilla Rose English Ladies -4

Barbara Zingg Siobhan Barney Emma McCarthy Heloise Lorentzen

0 -1 0 0

OCdt Claire Blakiston Jessica Hutchinson Alice Gipps Aurora Eastwood

-2 -2 0 0

Sebastian Langenberg, along with Mark Goode and Omid Rajaei. The last match was the closest of the day.

It was Argentina against Pakistan. Argentina featured 6 goaler Pepe Riglos and 1 goaler Matt Perry supporting Chris Bruckner and Greg Greening.

Pakistan had a strong side with 4 goaler Hissam Ali Hyder (promoted to 5 goals last winter in Argentina), the experienced 3 goaler Hamid Ali with Colonel Talha and Al Sher. Argentina received 3½ goals on handicap and managed to scrape an 8½ - 8 win.

On 2nd August, four matches took place. Pakistan, with Ahmad Yar Tiwana, a 2 goaler, replacing Hissam Ali Hyder, played well together and beat the USA team 6 – 2½. Then Argentina took on Helvetica, who received 2 goals on handicap and Argentina had a very good game with Pepe Riglos scoring once but setting up Chris Bruckner to score 4 goals and Matt Perry to score 3 times to give them an

HH Amir Ibrahim receives the Heritage Trophy from the Commandant Major General Rutherford-Jones

57

Above: Teams and officials at the presentation - Below: Ladies Match: Aurora Eastwood being chased by Heloise Lorentsen

58

8 – 2 win.

Before the final, an Invitational Ladies team had a win over the English Ladies, for whom Officer Cadet Claire Blakiston was playing, in a two chukka exhibition match. The ladies were dressed in limited edition clothing, designed by Barbara Zingg and inspired by Victorian times, using romantic hand printed fabrics by Beaudesert, and military cavalry uniforms produced by Liberty Freedom.

Sisters Aurora Eastwood and Heloise Lorentzen were on opposite sides and on this occasion, Heloise’s determination paid off as she scored all three of

the goals in the Invitational Team’s 3 – 2 win.

Royal Pahang dominated the final, with all of their players scoring and defeated the British Army Officers dressed in white with Sandhurst ties, led by team captain Martin Riglos (5).

Royal Pahang with a polo history of three generations made the spirit of Heritage Polo come alive in full swing.

Their 3 goal professional, Richard Blake Thomas, was in fine form scoring five goals, with Shazril and Shahrain scoring 3 goals each but the most memorable goal was Amir’s shot from 60 yards out at the gallop, which was

British Army’s O Cdt Pearson hits a lofted shot

59

the final goal for his side. Martin Riglos scored four times for the British Army Officers side, the result being 12-5½ in Royal Pahang’s favour.

The prize presentation was overseen by Major General David Rutherford-Jones, Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, who presented the teams with beautiful gifts from La Martina. Keeping the fashion theme, the ladies were presented with wonderfully handcrafted handbags created by Vanilla Rose and Felicity, the Best Playing Pony of the ladies match, received a head collar beautifully decorated with fresh flowers.

UK SEASON - WATERGATE

Record crowds for Veuve Clicquot Polo on the Beach at Watergate Bay Photographs by Tony Ramirez

Over 3,000 people attended the free Veuve Clicquot Polo on the Beach event at Cornwall’s Watergate Bay which took place on 14th September, demonstrating how the sport is increasingly capturing the interest of the public.

With teams composed of professional players and England internationals, spectators were treated to a highly entertaining match which ended with the victory of South West Polo 10 – 4 ½ over Midas Construction team.

The Midas team of Barbara Zingg, Ed Olof and Tim Vaux started the match with a handicap advantage of 1 ½ goals

over their opponents, however all the early pressure in the first chukka came from South West Polo, composed of Andy Burgess and brothers Richard and Andrew Blake Thomas, who dominated the opening period of play and managed to convert two goals.

Andy Burgess scored again for South West Polo early in the second chukka to take the score to 3 -1 ½ , but then it was the turn of Midas Construction to press their opponents with Tim Vaux and Ed Olof both coming close to scoring on several occasions. The pressure eventually paid off for Midas

Construction, with Ed Olof converting a penalty but South West Polo continued their attack and by the end of the second chukka the score was 5 – 2 ½.

In the great tradition of the sport, spectators flooded onto the pitch during the interval to trample in the divots on the sandy playing surface, before umpire Jamie le Hardy threw in the ball to start the third chukka.

The Blake Thomas brothers continued their unrelenting assault on the Midas Construction goal, with Andrew scoring from the opening play of the third chukka, followed by Richard and

The winners, Southwest Polo Team (Richard Blake Thomas, Andrew Blake Thomas and Andy Burgess)

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South West Polo

7

1 Andy Burgess 2 Andrew Blake Thomas 3 Richard Blake Thomas

0 4 3

Midas Construction

5

1 Barbara Zingg 2 Tim Vaux 3 Ed Olof

0 2 3

Andy Burgess who slotted the last goal to end the third chukka 7 - 2 ½ .

Midas Construction started the fourth and final chukka with victory looking improbable and two goals from Richard Blake Thomas made their challenge impossible. Ed Olof and Tim Vaux managed to score another two goals for their team but with time running out and a further goal from Andrew Blake Thomas the final score sealed the victory for South West Polo at 10 – 4 ½ Receiving the award for the Joules Most Valuable Player, Andrew Blake Thomas said: “I’ve only played once before on a beach so it’s fairly unfamiliar territory but it’s good fun. It’s a different way of playing. It’s quite intense. I like playing like that, where it’s tough and constant, very enjoyable. I definitely think there’s a big future for beach polo.”

The Woof Wear Best Playing Pony honors went to Quaela, played by Tim Vaux in the second chukka.

South West Polo team captain and event organiser Andy Burgess was clearly delighted with the response from the spectators on the beach. He said: “It is great to get so many people here to see for themselves how exciting polo is. Maybe some will become inspired to start having lessons and take up the game themselves, you never know. This event gets better every year and huge thanks go to everyone at Watergate Bay for making it happen.”

Above: Andrew Blake Thomas controls the ball closely watched by Tim Vaux Below: Andy Burgess goes for goal

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UK SEASON - RUNDLE CUP

ARMY SHOW BATTLE FITNESS BEATING NAVY TO WIN RUNDLE CUP AND AVENGE THEIR 2008 DEFEAT Report by Iain Forbes-Cockell (“The Major”). Additional reporting by David Edelsten

If the Armed Forces don’t know how to cope with grief and bitter times, who does? The sombre armbands worn by the players, said it all.

The 2009 Rundle Cup match, the annual tussle between the Army and the Royal Navy, played for the fourth time under Hackett’s generous sponsorship, took place on Saturday 11th July, the day following the loss of eight British soldiers in Afghanistan.

As always, there was nothing for it but to get on with life, but for every one of us around and on the Fisher Ground the recently fallen and their families were in our thoughts. As the commentator, Simon Ledger, movingly told us, the match was played in their honour.

The Army team, three cavalrymen commanded by an Irish Guardsman, were out to avenge last year’s defeat by the Senior Service, and, scoring two goals in each chukka, duly beat them by 8 goals to 2½, the Navy failing to add to the score they started the match with on handicap.

That score line gives a false picture.

It was a match full of fire and character, marred only by very difficult playing conditions and resultant injury.

The first chukka, played in steady rain, saw the Army draw almost level with a goal each from O’Dwyer and Hicks.

In the second, as they drew clear with another Hicks goal and a Penalty 2, the heavy rain claimed its first casualties. Two ponies lost their footing and both their riders slid along the ground in the Navy’s goalmouth. Arnie Lustman, veteran of so many Rundle encounters, gutsily remounted but was soon shepherded injured from the field, to be replaced by Debbie Aplin, wife of the Navy’s Number 3.

After the break, despite the Navy putting together several good attacking moves, and some magisterial play by their seasoned captain, Richard Mason, the Army’s superior team-play and, it must be said, superior luck, told. The result was never in doubt, with all members of the Army team scoring but the Navy fought bravely all the way. It was a good match, in the best tradition of the Rundle Cup. Although the Rundle Cup was the big match of the day played at 4.30pm, there were a number of other matches and activities in a well planned day organised and run by Tidworth Polo Club. At 1200, there was a match 62

between team of Jockeys and a team of Eventers which the Jockeys won 4 – 3. At 1pm there was a two furlong sprint between 3 riders and ponies in aid of Inspire Foundation. At 2.30pm the Combined Services Polo Association played the Eastern Circuit United States Polo Association team for the Indian Cavalry Officers Association Trophy and had a comfortable 8 – 1 win.

Then prior to the Rundle Cup match, the Band of The Royal Logistics Corps entertained the crowd with a musical marching display.

Tidworth Polo Club is one of the oldest polo clubs in the country, having originally been the home of military polo for many glorious years since 1907. Set in the beautiful grounds of Tedworth Park, the club is today celebrated as the leading low goal club in the country. Playing membership is the largest of all polo clubs and comes from all walks of life. Non playing membership also helps to contribute to the very friendly ambiance of the club. Members enjoy superb facilities in a happy and relaxed atmosphere and at a reasonable cost.

Tidworth Polo Club provide a wide variety of polo related activities

throughout the English summer season from April through to September.

It is particularly committed to teaching and bringing beginners into the game by providing the best value polo instruction (courses, clinics, seminars, and chukkas) in the country. In addition, the club provides normal club chukkas, matches and all levels of polo up to 6 goal tournaments and is recognised as offering beginners the chance to experience polo as it should be

Rundle Cup Army

3

1 2 3 4

0 1 1 1

Capt Hugh Arbuthnott 9/12L Lt Col Michael O’Dwyer IG Capt Phillip Kaye KRH Capt Quentin Hicks KRH

Royal Navy 1 2 3 4

-1

Lt Cdr Alan Wilson -1 Cdr Arnie Lustman/Debbie Aplin 0 Cdr Adrian Aplin 0 Cdre Richard Mason 0

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without pressure or stress. The passion and focus of the club is demonstrated by its commitment to this truly magnificent game and its players by providing an all round polo programme. Polo livery is also available.

Located in the South of England, there is easy access off the A303 just South West of Andover. For further information contact the club via their office telephone: +441980 846705 or Chukka line: +441980 602513.

WPT

The Pieres brothers lead the ranking After the English season, with both The Harcourt Developments Queen’s Cup and the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup having concluded, the World Polo Tour continues to show changes in its ranking.

The Pieres brothers never stop and always go for more. As they get ready to start a new season in Argentina, Gonzalo and Facundo have enjoyed a highly successful year abroad, which positioned them as the leaders of the World Polo Tour.

Gonzalo has remained in the first place since April, when he won the US Open. He has taken the world’s most important tournament - the US Open, with Audi; the Gold Cup for the British Open, with La Bamba de Areco; and the Gold Cup, in Sotogrande, with

WPT Ranking - Top 5 1

Gonzalo Pieres Jr 1266

2 3 4 5

Facundo Pieres Adolfo Cambiaso Jr Eduardo Novillo Astrada Jr Pablo MacDonough

1103 1034 902 856

Tattinger Dos Lunas. Thanks to his success, the oldest Pieres brother has 1266 points and he is still the leader of the ranking.

Along with his brother, Facundo has won the US Open and the Gold Cup for the British Open, and he has recently added the Coupe d’Or, in Deauville. After the British Open, Facundo was getting closer to Adolfo Cambiaso, who, back then, came second behind Gonzalo. Now, with his spectacular performance at the Coupe d’Or in Deauville, a tournament he won with his team, Royal Barriere, Facundo took second place (1103 points), sending Cambiaso to third place.

Right after Cambiaso (1034 points) comes Eduardo Novillo Astrada Jr. (903 points). With Las Monjitas, Eduardo played the three finals in

Sotogrande, winning one of them, the Silver Cup. This means that Eduardo overcame Pablo MacDonough, who is rated at #5.

Following the end of the European season, another important movement in the ranking was produced by Alejandro Agote. Winner of the Hublot Gold Cup, in Gstaad and the Swiss Open, in Zurich, Agote entered the Top 20, with 400 points. Meanwhile, and after winning the Warwickshire Cup, with Emlor, Luke Tomlinson has risen from 38th to 32nd place(350 points).

Now, polo gears up to the world’s most important season, in Argentina, where the Triple Crown as well as other significant tournaments are awaiting. And the World Polo Tour continues to search for this year’s winners.

Gonzalo with the Sotogrande High-goal Gold Cup and Philippe de Nicolay and Facundo with Deauville Gold Cup

64 64

Available on PoloLine Store www.pololine.com

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UK SEASON - DUKE OF CORNWALL

Hipwood teamwork wins Duke’s Trophy for Aravali Reported by Diana Butler - Photographs by Centaur Photographic

Some great play from father and son duo, Howard and Oliver Hipwood, helped Aravali win the last high-goal competition of 2009 at Guards Polo Club. Karan Thapar’s team received the Duke of Cornwall Trophy from Graham and Sarah Dennis of Blacklock’s Bookshop after defeating Lost Boys 8-6.

Aravali started the game in a strong position, leading 4-2 after the first chukka. Stefan Sund’s Lost Boys then found an extra gear in the second and had a 5-4 advantage going

into half time. The crowd was then treated to two exciting and fast paced chukkas that made one regret that the end of the season was imminent.

Pancho Marin Moreno and Tomas Ruiz Guinazu were on flying form for the Lost Boys, although unfortunately for them they were often unable to convert thrilling play into goals. Such passionate play did result in several umpires’ whistles and Oliver capitalised in the fourth, successfully converting a penalty to make the scores level at 5-5 going into the

Howard Hipwood on the attack for Aravali in the Duke of Cornwall Trophy Final

66

final chukka.

Oliver repeated this feat at the start of the fourth chukka, giving Aravali the edge once more. Pete Webb then enhanced Aravali’s advantage by producing a fantastic run down almost the entire length of the field to score. The crowd was still gasping at that great play when a technical foul in favour of Aravali saw Howard Hipwood hit a tremendous shot that looked like it was going to go all the way to goal from half-way line. Sadly it just fell short and in the

Duke of Cornwall Teams Aravali Karam Thapar Peter Webb Oliver Hipwood Howard Hipwood

Lost Boys Stefan Sund Tomas Ruiz Guiñazu Pancho Marin Moreno Nacho Gonzalez

16

Mei Kwei Lu

16

1 5 5 5

Rachael Bartels Max Charlton Joaquin Pittaluga Gaston Laulhe

0 3 6 7

16 0 4 6 6

subsequent melee in the Lost Boys’ goalmouth the goalpost fell down!

However, some further great play from the Aravali team saw a great pass from Howard to Webb which resulted in another goal for Aravali.

The clock was ticking away but Moreno was still focusing on the game and working hard to keep the Lost Boys’ hopes alive. He produced a fast run down the field to add another to the Lost Boys’ tally. It closed the gap but the bell rang almost as soon as the shot had crossed the line,

Clarita

16

Chris Mathias German Llorens Guillermo Cuitino Tommy Wilson

1 3 6 6

ensuring an Aravali victory. Moreno was rewarded with the Pommery/ Polo Magazine Most Valuable Player Award though. Oliver Hipwood received the Best Playing Pony Award for the eight-year-old grey Snoopy, whom he had played in the first and third chukkas.

The subsidiary match for the Blacklock Trophy saw Momin Sheikh’s BHC Polo, winners of the main match in 2008, defeat Rachael Bartel’s Mei Kwei Lu 6.5 - 4.

BHC Polo Momin Sheikh Roddy Williams Pepe Araya Juracy Santos

0 6 6 4

Place: Smith’s Lawn, Windsor Great Park, Egham, Surrey TW20 0HP, United Kingdom Club: Guards Polo Club Date: August 18, 2009 Level: 16 hcp Winner: Aravali Polo Team Finalist: Lost Boys Polo Team MVP: Pancho Marin Moreno BPP: Snoopy (Oliver Hipwood) Subsidiary Winner: Mei Kwei Lu Polo Team Subsidiary Finalist: BHC Polo Team

The Aravali team with Graham and Sarah Dennis of Blacklock’s Bookshop - sponsors of the Duke of Cornwall Trophy

67

16

UK SEASON - PHOENICIAN CUP

Great Oaks snatch Phoenician Cup in last seconds win

By Major Iain Forbes-Cockell

Great Oaks snatched the Phoenician Cup from Jada’s grasp with a goal scored by Marcos Garcia Del Rio about 7 seconds from the end of the fourth chukka. Great Oaks (received 1/2 goal on handicap) started well with two goals in the first chukka. In the second chukka two Penalty 2 shots by Ryan Pemble pulled Jada back into the game but a Penalty 4 by Tomas Garcia Del Rio kept Great Oaks ahead by 3 1/2 - 2 at half time. A goal for each side in the third chukka, one from Tomas Garcia Del Rio and a Penalty 2 spot hit by Tomas Ruiz Guinazu, kept that crucial gap going into the last chukka. A goal from Guinazu at the start of the fourth made the game even closer. Another goal apiece kept the tension, then Juan

Cruz Guevara scored Jada’s sixth goal to put them in the lead with about 45 seconds remaining. Jada may have thought the cup was theirs but Marcos Garcia Del Rio got the ball quickly from the lineout and ran to goal, scoring just before the final bell allowing Great Oaks to win The Phoenician Cup, kindly sponsored for the 28th year by Eddy Arida.

Best Playing Pony: Esprit, an 11 year old Argentine pony, owned by Tomas Garcia Del Rio, which he played in the first and fourth chukkas.

In the subsidiary final Mad Dogs beat Clarita 8 - 6. Mad Dogs went quickly into the lead with goals from Alan Fall, Pepe Araya and Will Hine to just the one goal for Clarita by Pete Webb to take a 3 - 1

Phoenician Cup Great Oaks Dillon Bacon Tomas Gavina Marcos Garcia Del Rio Tomas Garcia Del Rio

Jada Maurice Salem Juan Cruz Guevara Tomas Ruiz Guiñazu Ryan Pemble

lead. Two goals apiece in the second chukka kept that gap. In the third chukka, Clarita’s Tommy Wilson had a fine run to score as did Pete Webb but a Penalty 4 by Pepe Araya kept Mad Dogs in the lead by 6 - 5. In the last chukka, a close range spot hit and a field goal by Pepe Araya were enough to keep Clarita at bay, although Pete Webb, playing a 12 year old New Zealand thoroughbred, Silk, had a storming run down the length of the field to score despite being hard pressed all the way by Pepe Araya to bring the score to 8 - 6 in Mad Dogs favour. He had another breakaway run stright from the subsequent lineout but just failed to score and then the bell went to end the match.

Subsidiary Cup 11

Mad Dogs

12

0 2 3 6

Alan Fall Will Hine Pepe Araya Chris Crawford

0 4 6 2

12

Clarita

-1 4 4 5

Ed Morris Lowe Chris Mathias Pete Webb Tommy Wilson

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12 0 1 5 6

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FRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP ARGENTINA

POLO RESIDENCIES IN ARGENTINA Have you ever dreamt of having a Polo Residence and becoming a member of one of the most exclusive Polo Clubs of Argentina; waking up in the morning and having the horses ready to enjoy a polo practice or even taking part in a polo tournament? Have you ever dreamt of being a member of a Polo & Golf Resort with links designed

by Greg Norman at the foot of the Andes; enjoying fly-fishing in the most famous Patagonian rivers; and at the end of the day, once the adrenaline rush is over, sharing an “asado” with friends tasting the wine produced at your own vineyard with all the comfort of a Luxury Residence?…

This great dream “reserved for a very

Estancia Villa María Equestrian & Gold Estates

70

few” can come true with the introduction of the Fractional Ownership concept into Argentina.

“Fractional Ownership Argentina S.A.” (FOA) is the first company in Argentina to capture and develop this new real estate marketing concept geographically spread and applied successfully in the most exclusive tourist

destinations of the world.

The Company has associated the product with polo-related ventures. Ignacio Coulter, Chairman of Fractional, says: “This project has enabled us to accomplish the management of a premium quality product highly attractive to a segment of mostly foreigners and polo lovers, who through this system can own a residence in the polo capital of the world. Our product combines all the elements for which Argentina’s represents an exclusive destination, such as polo, ranches, wines, fishing and golf. Since in Europe this system has unexpectedly become a boom due to the financial crisis, we believe that its implementation in Argentina will

result in a very attractive option for foreigners who want to have their summer house here and are unwilling to give up that dream.”

Property to be sold in the first place is part of the “Santa María de Lobos” venture, a Country Club with 5 polo fields -chosen by the actor Tommy Lee Jones and the Real Estate Magnate Lord Alain Levenfiche to build their Polo Residences-, “Estancia Villa María Equestrian & Golf Estates Resort”, considered the first “World Class” venture in Argentina, and “Santa María de Los Andes”, the first vineyard village in Mendoza; the three of them developed

by Fiducia Capital Group (www.fiduciacg.com)

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As confirmation of its product strategy, FOA is also analyzing the development of exclusive green model residences in San Martin de Los Andes as part of the “El Desafio Mountain Resort” venture, qualified as world class, featuring two polo fields and a golf course designed by Greg Norman, which intends to become one of the most exclusive developments in South America (www.eldesafioresort.com).

These are residencies of 450 square metres, built following the highest construction standards and located in lots ranging from 5,000m2 to 15,000m2.

The property will be delivered fully equipped, decorated and landscaped by well-known professionals from

Argentina.

FOA, aware of the strong worldwide leadership of Argentina as a tourist destination, has also foreseen in its business plan the execution of agreements with other international Fractional Ownership developers so that its customers may partially exchange their rights of use with Premium Fractional

owners from other destinations.

The Fractional Ownership system represents a sound investment that enables the acquisition of a luxury asset by a specific number of buyers, who acquire property and rights of use over a holiday home at a fraction of its total cost.

Our company has worked out a

convenient Fractional Ownership model targeted at a premium segment, thus all ‘Polo Residences’ will be sold to a maximum of 4 to 6 buyers. As a distinctive feature, the project foresees a 15-year term per investment and once elapsed, the property and fixtures are sold according to pre-established guidelines, with the investors having the right to an extension or preferred offer. The proceeds from the sale are distributed among the owners upon expiration of the term.

Buyers are the exclusive beneficiaries of the property and the rights of use over each residence, sharing maintenance costs.

The number of buyers and the calendar of use for each property are determined based on the target segment and the seasonality of destination, thus each owner may use the property during peak seasons.

The Company will provide each residence with a car, available to the owners upon arrival.

Juan Makintach, Director of Fractional, adds: “we consider that the strength of this product and its attractiveness lies in the characteristics of the residences and the place where they are located as well as in the owners’ need to delegate all arrangements

Above: Principal Room of a house in Villa Maria Equestrian & Gold Estates - Below: Villa Maria´s Club House

72

related to the property’s maintenance and administration; a key issue when purchasing a property abroad. Therefore, the company will be responsible for their management and will provide the owners with all the services necessary to enjoy their stay in Argentina.�

Fractional Ownership Argentina is a real estate company engaged not only in the selling of properties, but also in providing a service aimed at giving its customers the possibility of living and enjoying the Argentine polo lifestyle. www.fractionalargentina.com info@fractionalargentina.com Living room of house 1

Above: Back sight of a house 1 in Villa Maria - Below: Front sight of another house 2 in Villa Maria

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BOOK REVIEW - EQUUS BY TIM FLACH

EQUUS The family of animals that goes from Ass to Zebra but is mostly horses

Tim Flach was born in London in 1958 and studied fine art at Central St. Martin’s College of Art and Design. He emerged with a fascination for photography which has since led to numerous commissions, awards, solo exhibitions, presence in permanent collections and publications around the world.

He is best known for the originality that he brings to capturing animal behaviour and characteristics. In this, he is often exploring the close relationship between animals and humans, in particular how humanity imposes and

reveals its ideals when trying to understand and work with animals. Equus is his first book project and has been seven years in the making.

Tim Flach has the following to say about his book Equus: No animal has captured the human imagination quite like the horse, depicted in cave drawings thousands of years ago through countless renderings in paint, clay, ink, even film. In his first book, award-winning photographer Tim Flach’s quest to document

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the horse has resulted in Equus, an intensely moving look at an animal - as solitary subject and en masse, from the air and from underwater - whose history is so powerfully linked to our own.

From exquisite Arabians in the Royal Yards of the United Arab Emirates to purebred Icelandic horses in their glacial habitat; from the soulful gaze of a single horse’s lash-lined eye to the thundering majesty of thousands of mustangs racing across the plains of Utah, Equus provides an amazing and

unique insight into the physical dynamics and spirit of the horse.

The function of the horse today is highly sophisticated: the various breeds are often standard-bearers for communities, representative not only of their own history but also of the diversity of humanity and our heritage. If you are a farmer in the Austrian Tyrol and can afford a horse, it really should be a Haflinger; in Norway it will be a Fjord horse; while in Iceland strict breeding regulations mean that you will only have an Icelandic, and it has been that way for many hundreds of years. The horse is a partner in representing how we are what we are. However, it now rarely functions as a core working tool; even where the horse is put to practical use, mechanical alternatives typically exist. Today the horse resonates for most of us as a symbolic

75

or sporting presence.

My exploration in this book is loosely divided into three parts. The first section focuses on an aesthetic appreciation of the remarkable form and variety of the species; the second part looks more at how location plays a part in shaping the appearance of the horse and also shapes our response to the species today; the third section of the book is more conceptual, scientific and futuristic. It was some time into this project that I realized this was the

natural structure and hindsight now helps me understand why. I began (as a photographer might) with a highly visual appreciation, but came to see that the issue I was examining was the very nature of what a horse has been and can be. As a result, in the final section the images range from looking at how we alter the horse in state-of-the-art embryonic transfers, to the outcome of exotic cross-breeds, and even to masking practices that almost make a fetish of the horse’s head. Of course, the

76

multi-billion dollar horse-racing and gambling industry is never far from being the ‘function’ behind the modern Thoroughbred in our last pages. I suspect some may find this last section a little disquieting; at times it was for me, but there were issues that I found myself drawn to examine and record.

The more I have worked on taking the pictures in this book, the more I have found myself asking: What is a horse? Where does it come from?

What is it becoming? The questions

might seem a little curious and the answers might even seem obvious at first. But if that is your view, bear with me and see if I can shift your thoughts as mine were moved. I have come to sense that at one level this project is no more or less than an assembling of evidence and that you, the reader and viewer, are the judge. The case in question concerns why and how we have forged this intense relationship with another species. It’s a relationship that shapes us and reflects intensely on our humanity, but in these pages you will see how it absolutely shapes the horse.

The end question might be: What are we going to make of the horse next? As well as asking questions of the horse, working on these images has involved me in digging deep around the symbolism, the myths and the clichés that we associate with the horse. This reached its peak when I was shooting the mustangs and took the opportunity of doing part of the project around Monument Valley. We can’t see those unique rocky outcrops, the buttes called the Mittens, without our conscious and

subconscious throbbing with massmedia memories. Westerns and other movies, Marlboro ads and fine art, pop videos to postcards, even computer games, have all perpetuated this scene as emblematic of the American West, and the mustang is hitched to it, even though it is not really where most of them are or ever have been.

There are, of course, no rules on how you should approach the pages. However, I hope that you will find enough of interest to start making connections between images, between different horses, locations, subjects and issues that I have covered. You don’t have to share my thinking on the subject, but when you have started to formulate questions about the images you may seek out more information from the supporting text. Perhaps that is why you finally landed here, at the introduction. If you are like me, it is rarely the place you start at or get to very quickly. Books are for exploring in four dimensions and this one is no different. It is not for the artist, author, and maker, to entirely dictate the

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sequence for reading.

As humanity reflects on the wider issues of genetic research – of DNA know-how, control and manipulation – the story of the horse is an interesting point for reflection. With selective breeding, we have manipulated the genes of horses and donkeys for several thousand years. What was once done in a field or stable, now often has its key moment in a test-tube. Perhaps soon it might be via a software program that can splice just the right properties together for the ultimate performance animal. However these issues progress, whatever the moral, aesthetic or economic climate dictates, one thing is for certain: we will continue to find a place for the horse in our lives and dreams.

From the cave wall to the betting hall, this is a species that has excited our passions for as long as we have had the self-consciousness to note them. These images are one more chapter in the chronicle of that relationship. Make of it what you will. Find your own path through the pages.

FRENCH SEASON - DEAUVILLE

Deauville was all decked out The traditional French club received six 20-goal teams to participate in the Gold Cup 2009. Royal Barriere, with Facundo Pieres and Pancho Bensadon was the most evenly balanced team of the tournament and that is why they won the Gold Cup.

Deauville Polo received their most important match of the polo season, the Gold Cup final, in which Royal Barriere and Talandracas played the last six chukkers of the tournament.

Following a children’s polo exhibition on ponies, the afternoon began in

Deauville as spectators made themselves comfortable in the stands.

After the French National Anthem, the teams met in the middle of the field to begin the match.

An excellent individual play performed by Guillermo Terrera opened

Facundo Pieres

78

the scoreboard with Talandracas’ first attack. But Royal Barriere’s response was immediate and Pancho Bensadon tied the match at 1-1 and in the following attack from midfield, Facundo Pieres set up Bensadon who scored the goal.

Above Left: Talandracas - Right: Royal Barriere - Below: Juan Chavanne

Only seconds before the first chukka ended, Facundo Pieres took control of the ball at full speed and brought the score to 3-1 in favour of Royal Barriere Polo Team.

The second chukker began with a throw-in won by Pancho Bensadon who then ended up scoring another goal.

And, three minutes later, after Facundo Pieres’ attack, once again Pancho Bensadon widened the score difference to 5-1.

Royal Barriere’s sixth goal arrived in the last few seconds of the second chukka when Facundo Pieres set up Christopher Mackenzie who was able to score.

The bell rang and the scoreboard read 6-1.

In the third chukka, a play performed Guillermo Terrera began at full speed and ended the same way, passing right between the goal posts when he scored his second goal of the day. And, once again, it was Terrera who reduced the difference on the scoreboard right at the end of the third chukka, thus reaching a 6-3 in favour of Royal Barriere.

After the half-time break, Guillermo Terrera scored again, but Pancho Bensadon scored his fifth goal of the day in the following play and set the score at 7-4. And then, Facundo Pieres stretched the score once more. But it was Juan Chavanne who reduced the difference yet again and, thus, the fourth chukka ended with Royal Barriere taking an 8-5 lead.

Halfway through the fifth chukka,

Place: Deauville, France Club: Deauville PC Date: August 17-30, 2009 Level: 20 hcp Tournament type: Open WPT Category Ranking: WPT Cup Winner: Royal Barriere Polo Team Finalist: Talandracas Result: 10-9 MVP: Facundo Pieres (Royal Barriere) BPP: Myflower (Facundo Pieres) Top Scorer: Facundo Pieres (35 goals)

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after both teams made several attempts going to and for, Pancho Bensadon managed to achieve a 9-5 and only one minute later, with a 60-yard penalty shot, Lucas Monteverde reduced the difference. After the throw-in, Terrera regained control of the ball and set up Jota Chavanne who did not fail to score,

Gold Cup - Deauville Place: Deauville, France Club: Deauville PC Date: August 17-30, 2009 Level: 20 hcp Tournament type: Open WPT Category Ranking: WPT Cup Winner Points: 70 Finalist Points: 35 Semifinalist Points: 20 Rest of the teams: 10 Winner: Royal Barriere Polo Team Finalist: Talandracas Result: 10 - 9 MVP: Facundo Pieres (Royal Barriere) BPP: Myflower (Facundo Pieres) Top Scorer: Facundo Pieres (35 goals) Above: Guillermo Terrera - Below: VIP tents on Field One

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The winning Royal Barriere Polo Team

Gold Cup - Le Polo De Deauville | Zone A | Talandracas Edouard Carmignac Guillermo Terrera Lucas Monteverde Juan Chavanne

20 0 7 8 5

Caroths

20

Hughes Carmignac Tomas Goti Ignacio Toccalino Faty Reynot Blanco

0 7 7 6

HB Polo Ludovic Pailloncy Cristian Laprida Jr Lucas Criado Sebastien Pailloncy

20 2 7 8 3

| Zone B | Royal Barriere

20

Polo de Deauville

Christopher MacKenzie Francisco Bensadon Facundo Pieres Andre Fabre

2 8 10 0

Diego Cavanagh Juan Ambroggio Dario Musso Alexandre Starkman

20 6 6 7 1

Cirencester Nicholas Britten-Long Jamie Le Hardy Santiago Gaztambide Henry Brett

Gold Cup Last Winners 2009 Royal Barriere 10 vs Talandracas 9 2008 Emlor 9 vs The Cirencester Park Polo Club 8 2007 Wildmoor 12 vs Marchiopolo 10 2006 La Palmeraie 10 vs Royal Barriere 8 2005 Talandracas 11 vs Ipanema 12

2004 Talandracas 10 vs Royal Barriere 9 2003 HB Polo Team 10 vs Royal Barriere 7 2002 Talandracas 11 vs Royal Barriere 9 2001 Royal Barriere 7 vs Rockets 6

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20 2 5 7 6

Above: Patrick Paillol - Below: Henry Brett

allowing his team to take a 2-goal lead.

In the following play, Guillermo Terrera was able to control the ball and passed right between the goal posts just before the bell rang at the end of the chukka.

After the last break, the teams went onto the field to win the match.

Lucas Monteverde took control of the ball in midfield and owing to a good combination with Guillermo Terrera, Monteverde tied the match at 9-9.

After an attack performed by each team, which in both cases sent the ball very close to the goal posts, it was Royal Barriere who scored first on a well executed penalty shot converted by Facu Pieres.

In the last few minutes and at breakneck speed, Royal Barriere Polo Team was crowned Gold Cup Champion 2009 in Deauville after beating Talandracas 10-9.

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Mungo Polo Team winner of Deauville Silver Cup

Silver Cup - Le Polo De Deauville | Zone A | La Forge Cesar Freddi Marcos Mocoroa Dario Musso Hughes Pailloncy

14

Lamorlaye

14

3 4 7 0

Brian Lynam Nicolas Robert Tomas Goti Juan Ambroggio

0 1 7 6

Mungo Patrick Einsenchteter Patrick Paillol Ignacio Toccalino Thibault Guillemin

13 0 3 7 3

13

Royal Barriere

14

0 3 5 5

William Beresford Santiago Tanoira Francisco Bensadon Andre Fabre

0 6 8 0

| Zone B | Talandracas Edouard Carmignac Guillermo Terrera Alejandro Agote Hughes Carmignac

14 0 7 7 0

Paprec Claude Solarz Clément Delfosse Pablo Sirvent Marcelo Amadeo

Hormeta Place: Deauville, France Club: Deauville PC Date: August 2-16, 2009 Level: 14 hcp Tournament type: Open

Winner: Mungo Polo Team Finalist: Talandracas Result: 10,5-8 MVP: Ignacio Toccalino (Mungo) BPP: Pico Dulce (Guillermo Terrera)

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Jean-Christophe David Pierre-Henri N´Goumou Fati Reynot Blanco Tomás Reinoso

14 0 4 6 4

Martin De Leeuw, Simonetta Orsini´s CEO

Stan Clavel, Deauville Polo Manager together with Hughes Pailloncy

Philippe de Nicolay been interview after the gold cup presentation

Le Polo de Deauville á la tombée du jour...

Martin De Leeuw, Simonetta Orsini´s CEO

Hugh Benedict and Sébastien Pailloncy

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Nicholas Britten-Long’s girlfriend

Pippa Middleton and Alexandra Sandbach

Princess Beatrice and Dave Clark

Fabio Capello, Yasmin and Amber le Bon

Hippodrome La Tourques

Little Santi Gaztambide Jr

Tomas Goti and wife Daniela

Facundo Pieres

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GSTAAD - GOLD CUP

Gold Shines in Gstaad As in 2008, PQ International visited the city of Gstaad where a new edition of the traditional Gold Cup took place. This tournament forms part of the World Polo Tour calendar. Four teams participated and it was a weekend full of surprises and, above all, filled with good polo in which Gstaad Palace Polo Team celebrated once again.

Despite Gstaad being one of the most well-known places for it is a great tourist destination during the winter season, along with Saint-Moritz, Zermatt and Klosters, every year the Gold Cup is played at Gstaad Polo Club during the summer.

In the 2009 edition, played in mid-

August offering excellent weather conditions to watch polo matches, four teams up to 18 goals played on the traditional runway located alongside the city’s flying club.

Good organizational work carried out by the club contributed towards the overall and full-fledged Swiss-style

Fede Bachmann

86

tidiness during the four days the competition lasted.

The action began on a Thursday when the teams met to define how the semi-finals would later be played, in which the winning teams of the first matches would then play against the teams who lost the other games.

Above: Alejandro Agote and Pablo Jauretche - Below: Fran Fucci

There, with pretty untraditional weather in this Swiss city owing to the heat, Porsche Polo Team defeated Star Design 5-4 ½ and Hublot Polo Team beat Gstaad Palace 10-9 ½.

All matches were fast and very even and that is why spectators enjoyed the event and left thinking about the tournament semi-finals.

Polo was given the day off on Friday, for the most important event was concentrated on the main streets in Gstaad where the grand parade for the official presentation of the tournament took place. Players wearing their outfits and riding their horses walked by and greeted the public who approached the area to watch the parade.

After a dynamic and keenly-contested match in which Gstaad Palace was able to take advantage of certain defensive mistakes made by Porsche Polo Team, the Pictet’s team scored the difference and enjoyed the last chukka with good runs and attempts to score goals. Porsche was not able to catch up with their opponents and, thus, Gstaad Palace became the first Gstaad Gold Cup finalist.

In the second semi-final match, Hublot Polo Team played against Star Design and although the game was keenly contested during the first few minutes, the Menéndez brothers’ team was superior throughout the first half of the match and took a big lead.

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While playing the last chukka, Star Design began to reduce the difference but only a few seconds before the final bell, Francisco Menéndez established the defining numbers and Hublot Polo Team won the match having achieved a clear 12-6. Thus, Sunday’s calendar had finally been shaped up.

Gold Cup Final In the most important match of the tournament, the Gold Cup final, Hublot Polo Team and Gstaad Palace met to establish who would be the champions.

On one side, players belonging to Gstaad Palace Polo Team sought to become back to back champions with the same line-up that won in 2008.

On the opposite side, the Menéndez brothers wanted to celebrate after this new participation in the tournament with the team they formed together with Gualtiero Giori and Tete Storni.

The match began with the Pictet’s team taking a 1½ goal lead due to handicap difference.

In the first minute of play, Alejandro Agote had already stretched their lead further.

After Hublot Polo Team reduced the difference, once again Agote widened Above: Alejandro Agote - Below: Hector Guerrero

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Gstaad Palace Polo Team, second year in a row at the top of the podium

“ALL MATCHES WERE FAST AND VERY EVEN AND THAT IS WHY SPECTATORS ENJOYED THE EVENT AND LEFT THINKING ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT SEMI-FINALS.” Hublot Polo Gold Cup Hublot Gualtiero Giori Eduardo Menéndez Francisco Menéndez Tete Storni

Star Design Daniel Aegerter Francisco Fucci Agustín García Grossi Andrés James

18 1 7 7 3

18 0 6 8 4

Porsche

18

Philip Maeder Federico Bachmann Bautista Ortiz de Urbina Pablo Jauretche

Gstaad Palace Fabien Pictet Sascha Pictet Alejandro Agote Hector Guerrero

0 6 4 8

15 0 0 8 7

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Place: Gstaad, Switzerland Club: Gstaad Polo Club Date: August 20-23, 2009 Level: 18 hcp Tournament type: Open WPT Category Ranking: Challenge Cup Winner: Gstaad Palace Finalist: Hublot Result: 6,5-6 MVP: Eduardo Menéndez (Hublot) MVP Amateur: Gualtiero Giori (Hublot) Top Scorer: Eduardo Menéndez (Hublot) BPP: Pico Dulce (Guillermo Terrera)

their lead and by the time the chukka ended, his team was winning 3½-1.

In the second chukka, Eduardo Menéndez reduced the difference in favour of Hublot after scoring from a penalty shot, but following a great play performed by Héctor Guerrero, Sasha Pictet scored a goal and so the scoreboard read 4½-2 in favour of Gstaad Palace Polo Team.

After the half-time break, Alejandro Agote scored from another penalty shot (5 ½-3) halfway through the third chukka and only a few seconds later, a good attack carried out by the Menéndez brothers, where Eduardo set up Francisco who ended up scoring Below: Gualtiero Giori from team Hublot

Photographs by www.swiss-image.ch 90

Pablo Jauretche, one of the most high handicap of the tournament

a goal and reducing the difference to one and a half at the end of the third chukka.

The last period began with Sasha Pictet dashing forward and controlling the ball to later hit it between the goal posts, stretching their lead further. After the throw-in, Hublot did everything they possibly could to reduce the difference, and after a minute and a half of play, Eduardo Menéndez scored from a 30-yard penalty shot, and only seconds later he scored again from another penalty shot, allowing his team to draw very close to their opponents who, by then, were only half a goal ahead.

The last two minutes of the game were played at full speed right up to the end of the match but, despite their attempts, no goals were scored.

The match ended with Gstaad Palace’s 6½-6 victory and their celebrations after becoming champions two consecutive years.

Thus, the Gstaad Gold Cup 2009 concluded; a tournament that continues to grow and forms part of the World Polo Tour Challenge Cup category with a Gstaad Palace team as back to back champions on this occasion.

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FRENCH SEASON - ST TROPEZ

International Polo Cup Once again, St. Tropez Polo Club hosted their most important tournament of their season, the International Polo Cup, with various novelties in its 2009 edition

St. Tropez is an ideal and almost heavenly destination. For two years now, is has been a point of reference within the European summer on the Côte d’Azur, in France, and the place where jet-set stars come together. Polo players agree that it is the best place to play polo at this time of the year owing to the sun, the sand and the beaches. The only unfavourable thing about it is that, because it is a seaside resort, there is a lot of traffic during the high season but that is the least of it. You travel to St. Tropez to enjoy and relax in one of the most spectacular places in the world.

Ten teams holding up to a 15-goal

handicap were present at the International Polo Cup 2009; a more than considerable number in these times of crisis. Among the novelties this year, we have Susan Stoval, as a new polo manager, who holds the same position at El Dorado Polo Club, in the United States. Moreover, for the first time, these matches had two referees instead of one as they usually do, and the task was carried out by two Argentines, Esteban Ferrari and Matías Baibiene.

As regards the future, the club is planning to build another couple of fields and take polo to a high-goal level.

It was a very interesting tournament.

F Polo Team and La Locura were the

Tres Marias’ Pierre Henri N’Goumou and Francisco Irastorza of St Tropez

92

protagonists of the final. While La Locura made it through to the final unbeaten, F Polo Team only lost the defining match within their zone against Wasabi.

F Polo Team’s patron, Ali Shair Fiyaz, did not play on this occasion and was replaced by Charles de Saint Martin (0) and neither did Diego Braun, who was absent due to family problems, and was substituted by Matías Nigoul. F Polo Team was a big surprise to everybody when they comfortably beat La Locura, Rommy Gianni’s team, led by highly experienced Darío Musso and showing Martín Inchauspe’s skills, in the decisive match. Although the result

La Locura’s Romy Gianni

International Polo Cup St. Tropez | Zone A |

| Zone B |

La Campana

15

Kristian Peterson Juan José Araya Eduardo Miles Joaquin Maiquez

1 6 4 4

La Locura

15

Romy Gianni Dario Musso Ignacio Tejerina Martin Inchauspe

1 7 3 4

Techno Polo

15

Frank Dubarry Pablo Jauretche Santiago Irastorza Marcos García Laborde

Villa a Sesta Ricarto Tattoni Francisco Menendez Eduardo Menendez Gualtiero Giori

St. Tropez Corinne Schuler Francisco Irastorza Juan Martín García Laborde Julian de Lusarreta

0 8 4 3

15 0 7 7 1

15 0 6 5 4

Antelope

15

Geoffrey Palmer Caroline Anier Fernando Reynot Blanco Tomás Goti

Aries Technomarine Bruno Benssousan Martin Sirvent David Bernal Cristian Bernal

F Polo Team

0 2 6 7

15 0 3 6 6

15

Alshair Fiyaz Justin Gaunt Matias Nigoul Martin Espain

0 4 5 6

Tres Marías

15

Hughes Mourin Pierre Henri N´Goumou Patrick Paillol Olavo Novaes

Wasabi

0 4 3 8

13

Karen Brink Guillermo Willington Carlos Farinati Dean Clark

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0 7 6 0

was quite tight 9.5-8 F Polo Team, with Martín Espain’s vital contribution as he led each advance, managed to control the match throughout. So much so, that after taking a 5.5-1 lead in the second chukka, they reached the fifth and last period with a 9.5-4 lead. La Locura’s efforts were not enough to counteract the winning team’s control of the game and, thus, the latter calmly headed for the title.

The Italians had a run of good luck in St. Tropez. Gualtiero Giori and Ricardo Tattoni’s Villa a Sesta, backed by the duo formed by the Menéndez d’Elia brothers, Eduardo and Francisco, beat Wasabi, comprising of Belgian Place: St. Tropez, France Club: St. Tropez Polo Club Date: July 2-12, 2009 Level: 15 hcp Tournament type: Handicap WPT Category Ranking: Challenge Cup Winner Points: 40 Finalist Points: 20 Semifinalist Points: 10 Rest of the teams: 5 Winner: F Polo Team Finalist: La Locura Polo Team Result: 9,5-8

Wasabi, comprising of Belgian patron Karen Brink and her professional players, Guillermo Wellington and Cali Farinati, as well as Dean Clark, 10-7.5 and won the Subsidiary Cup. Local and defending champions, St. Tropez had to battle with their injuries and, therefore, their performance in the tournament was not as good as expected. Corinne Schuler’s team did not have Juan Martín García Laborde playing for them on this occasion, as he had to withdraw during one of the qualifying matches, and was replaced

by Santiago Irastorza.

American patron Geoff Palmer and his team, Antelope, with Argentine professional players Fernando Reynot Blanco and Tomás Goti, did a good job and came third. For his part, Ben Soleimani was present with Aries, together with Martín Sirvent, and the Bernal brothers, David and Cristian. Over and above some hitches with the referees, they fought right up to the last match, with the fighting spirit that characterizes the Córdoba brothers.

Tres Marías were highly dependent on their best player, Brazilian Olavo Novaes, one of the most outstanding

professional players in his country who is performing in Europe, which meant far too much pressure. Novaes suffered a fall during his team’s last match which did not allow him to continue playing and was, therefore, replaced

by Tomás Goti. On the other hand, young French player, Pierre-Henri N’Goumou, who also played for Tres Marías showed a very good skills.

Frank Dubarry’s team Techno Polo experienced a similar situation. They leant greatly on Pablo Jauretche for support, but luck was not on his side.

Lastly, La Campana, comprised of patron Kristian Peterson, Juan José Araya, Eduardo Miles and Joaquín Maiquez, was a very well balanced team, although they were not lucky enough to make it through to one of the most important finals.

Thus, the International Polo Cup 2009 has concluded. This tournament gains more and more importance and prestige every year, not only on the international polo calendar, but also within the World Polo Tour race.

Above: Martin Inchauspe - Below: F Polo Team with the cup

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SPANISH SEASON - SOTOGRANDE

TAITTINGER DOS LUNAS IS THE JAEGER LeCOULTRE GOLD CUP WINNER After an exciting final game, Taittinger Dos Lunas, the team lead by Pascual Sáinz de Vicuña defeated Las Monjitas and were crowned as champions after the golden goal scored by Gonzalito Pieres.

Photographs by Tony Ramirez and Salvador Moreno

San Roque on 30th August 2009 the Jaeger-LeCoultre Gold Cup finished bringing to an end the 38th edition of the International Polo Tournament. Unlike last year´s tournament, when Ahmibah won the three top handicap competitions, this time three different teams reached the finals. Las Monjitas made their way into the three finals winning the silver medal, while Ayala only reached two finals and kept

the bronze. The gold medal was for Taittinger Dos Lunas.

The best player of the tournament was a complete revelation. It was Santiago Stirling, Pelón´s brother, and although only sixteen years old he was a fundamental part of Taittinger Dos Lunas winning the Jaeger-LeCoultre Gold Cup. Nespresso presented Santiago with a trophy for his great performance. Together with him, players such

Eduardo Novillo Astrada jr and Gonzalo Pieres jr

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as Gonzalito Pieres, Eduardo Novillo Astrada, Pablo MacDonough and Pelón Stirling showed their exceptional sporting ability in the tournament, the final game of which was watched by more than 7.000 people.

On August 2nd, Ayala beat Las Monjitas during a final full of emotion and a superb game and were rewarded with the Hackett Bronze Cup, the first of the three Cups belonging to the XXXVIII

George Milford Haven

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Tattinger Dos Lunas with the XXXVIII Sotogrande Gold Cup

XXXVIII International Polo Tournament - High Goal Las Monjitas Camilo Bautista Eduardo Novillo Astrada Jr Juan Gris Zavaleta Federico Elizalde

20 0 9 7 4

I Lovka Las Balas

20

Pablo Mora Tomas Fernandez Llorente Eduardo Heguy J. Kahlbetzer

1 8 9 2

Leones P. Fernandini Gerardo Mazzini Alejandro Muzzio Ignacio Domecq

20 1 7 8 4

Broncos (only Gold Cup)

20

George Milford Haven Ignus Du Plessis Pablo MacDonough Max Routledge

1 6 10 3

Ayala

20

I単igo Zobel Valerio Zubiaurre David Stirling I単aqui Laprida

1 5 9 5

Tattinger/Dos Lunas

20

Santiago Stirling Pascual Sainz de Vicu単a Gonzalo Pieres Jr Rodrigo Rueda

1 4 10 4

El Rosario

19

A. Pe単afiel Gaston Gassiebayle Lucas James Tono Iturriate

1 6 7 5

Place: Sotogrande, Spain Club: Santa Maria Polo Club Level: 20 hcp Tournament type: Open Tournament Director: Santiago Torreguitar

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Gold Cup WPT Category Ranking: Grand Slam Winner Points: 120 Finalist Points: 60 Semi Finalist Points: 40 Rest of the teams: 20 Winner: Tattinger/Dos Lunas Polo Team Finalist: Las Monjitas Polo Team MVP: Santiago Stirling BPP: Yolanda (Eduardo Novillo Astrada Jr)

Silver Cup WPT Category Ranking: Championship Cup Winner Points: 70 Finalist Points: 35 Semi Finalist Points: 20 Rest of the teams: 10 Winner: Las Monjitas Polo Team Finalist: Ayala Polo Team MVP: Juan Gris Zavaleta

Bronze Cup Winner: Ayala Polo Team Finalist: Las Monjitas Polo Team

Eduardo Novillo Astrada Jr and his Yolanda BPP

XXXVIII International Polo Tournament - Medium Goal Woodchester Craig McKinney Mateo Velasco Martin Iturraspe Mario Gomez

Isola Dr. A Abderramçan Abbar Maximiliano Malacalza Fermin Iturrioz Laurence Isola

12 1 2 5 4

11 0 4 5 2

La Corchuela Luis Fernandez Ordas Alberto Ibañez Patricio Neves Nicolas Alvarez

Scapa-John Smith Michael Redding Juan Cruz Griguoli Juan Losada Gabriel Aguirre

12 1 2 6 3

12 2 4 5 1

Seven Sevens

12

Santa Quiteria

12

Dimitri Vozianov Tatu Gomez Romero Nicolás Espain Nick Johnson

0 5 7 0

Gonzalo Entrecanales Jose Entrecanales Pedro Soria Patricio Cieza

1 1 5 5

Lexus Hybrid

12

Jose Manuel Entrecanales Ricardo Trujillo Santiago Cernadas Pedro Domecq

1 4 6 1

Ayala Esperanza Kevin Korst Alejo Taranco Carlos Solari J. Zobel

12 1 5 6 0

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Level: 12 hcp Tournament type: Open

Winners Gold Cup: Ayala Esperanza Polo Team Silver Cup: Ayala Esperanza Polo Team Bronze Cup: Scapa-John Smith

International Polo Tournament.

Both teams faced each other again during the second competition of the event, the Sotogrande Silver Cup. This time Las Monjitas defeated Ayala by 1110, taking revenge over for their defeat in the Hackett Bronze Cup. The beginning of the game, played on field IV in Los Pinos in front of a large number of spectators, was dominated by Camilo Bautista’s men who were 4-1 up at the end of the first chukka. But then Ayala fought back and drew level, turning the game into an exciting contest, even and vibrating. Pelón Stirling guided Ayala in a masterly way while, on the other side, Eduardo Novillo Astrada and

L-14 Polo Team winner of the Low Goal Gold Cup - Ayala Esperanza Polo Team winner of Medium Goal Silver and Gold Cup

Crowd watching High Goal Gold Cup Final

XXXVIII International Polo Tournament - Low Goal

Level: 6 hcp Tournament type: Open

La Querencia

6

L-14

6

F. Serra E. del Pino R. Mora G. Gomez

0 2 2 2

K. Shakib D. Gallego D. Gariador H. Haynes

0 3 3 0

Santa Anita

6

Bisontes/MH Bland

6

A. Fratinni G. Lopez Madrid C. Lucena A. Aznar

0 1 3 2

J. Carabasa M. Gaggero S. Moyano L. Domecq

0 1 4 1

KP-Equestrian

6

Kia El Corzo

6

R. Fagan J. Peat S. Torreguitar A. Muñoz Escassi

0 1 3 2

J. Carabasa M. Gaggero S. Moyano L. Domecq

0 1 4 1

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Winners Gold Cup: L-14 Polo Team Silver Cup: Kia El Corzo Polo Team Bronze Cup: L-14 Polo Team

Juan Gris Zavaleta, named best player of the final, counteracted the good plays of Iñigo Zobel’s men.

Finally, Las Monjitas found their rhythm and pressed their advantage over Ayala who could do nothing to restrict it, even though they had a chance right at the end to stop it. Victory was achieved by Las Monjitas and their coach. Camilo Bautista received the Silver Cup from hands of Manuel

Eduardo Novillo Astrada Jr and Rodrigo Rueda

Herrando, Sotogrande SA president.

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Gold Cup was the third competition of the XXXVIII International Polo Tournament. Ayala was defeated by Las Monjitas at semi-final stage and, this time, Camilo Bautista´s team let slip a victory that seemed to be almost assured. Triumph came after a great final sprint by Stirling, Pieres, Sáinz de Vicuña and Rueda, which gave the team´s followers’ immense pleasure. The winners were Taittinger Dos Lunas who achieved their win by 11-10 with a golden goal scored by Gonzalito Pieres in the overtime chukka. They made it clear that, when talking about polo, there´s nothing sure until the last minute of the match. During the whole game the

winning team had been behind Las Monjitas on the scoreboard. By the end of the sixth chukka both teams were level at 10 goals each but a 40 yard penalty, perfectly scored by Pieres, gave Taittinger Dos Lunas the victory. It was hard to imagine this result during the initial part of the match, as Las Monjitas rapidly edged away to a 7-1 advantage. It was time for the second chukka and it seemed as it the final was already decided, but the best part was to come.

Until that stage, Eduardo Novillo Astrada stood out, ably supported by Juan Gris Zavaleta. But little by little, Taittinger Dos Lunas began finding their rhythm and Gonzalito Pieres managed to encourage his team-mates towards a recovery. The scoreboard difference

began to shrink until the sixth chukka, when Gonzalito converted a goal that drew the score. For the records, the only time the winning team was ahead of Las Monjitas on the scoreboard was on when that winning goal was scored.

The happiness of the grooms and the Taittinger Dos Lunas team supporters was a great contrast with that of Las Monjitas, a team which practically had the Cup in its hands. In the winning team, once again Santi Stirling was a determining factor and was elected as the best player getting Nespresso award. Rodrigo Rueda and Pascual Sáinz de Vicuña also played an excellent match. During the awards ceremony, Leones first received the Memorial Pedro Domecq de La Riva trophy,

The best player of the tournament was a complete revelation. His name is Santiago Stirling, Pelón´s brother, and with only sixteen years old he has been a fundamental support for Taittinger Dos Lunas...

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claimed after defeating Broncos 11-7.

Eduardo Novillo Astrada´s mare, Yolanda, received a Nespresso award when selected as best pony. The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, was again in charge of handing out the Jaeger-LeCoultre Gold Cup. Following the ceremony, Santi Stirling was being congratulated by all those in attendance, with an especially emotive hug from the person who had been his polo teacher, Tito Gómez, who himself had won the first Gold Cup held at Sotogrande.

Medium Handicap

The middle handicap La Martina Bronze Cup winner was the ScapaJohn Smith team who dominated Woodchester team by 13-8 goals. The foursome managers, Michael Redding and Gabriel Aguirre, received the valued trophy. Despite the scoreboard, the truth is that equality dominated the match with one goal (8 to 7) difference for Scapa at the beginning of the last chukka. Then, Juan Losada emerged as the big figure he is, and Woodchester´s defence was not able to stop him. The winner of the Subsidiary final was Ayala Esperanza, who very handily defeated Santa Quiteria 13-7.

The medium handicap Copa de Plata Above: MVP Santiago Stirling - Below: All the Tattinger Dos Lunas Team

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La Martina came to an end with victory for Ayala Esperanza by 15-13 against Woodchester, who thus lost their second consecutive final after losing the Bronze Cup to Scapa-John Smith. The deciding match was played on pitch III of Los Pinos and was a very exciting and even encounter which was finally resolved just a few seconds from the end. Once again Alejo Taranco and Tachu Solari were the best players for Ayala Esperanza, while Craig

McKinney’s team was guided by Martín Iturraspe and Mario Gomez with an effective Mateo Velasco in the final meters. The first chukkas were very even, with Ayala mostly ahead on the score board, entering the sixth with a three goal advantage. Woodchester managed to cut this gap down to only one, but a defining goal came from Kevin Korst and ended the hopes of McKinney’s men, runners-up again in the summer season. The subsidiary final was also

Nacho Domecq, Leones Polo Team

quite equal and was finally decided in favour of Santa Quiteria against Seven Sevens by 12-10. Seven Sevens began by dominating the match 3-0, but a great second chukka by the Santa Quiteria men put them back in the contest again, which they then took definitively. Ayala Esperanza and Scapa John Smith faced each other in the La Martina Gold Cup final match, where the Ayala Esperanza team got the victory 10-9 in an even match. Jejo Taranco and Tachu Solari were the main props of their team, while Juan Losada and the rest of Scapa’s players observed what could have been their second cup of the year melt away.

Low Handicap

The Low Handicap Valecuatro Cup was characterised by L-14’s superiority. They managed to gain victories by winning both Bronze and Gold Cups.

However, they couldn’t make it a treble as KIA El Corzo were the winners of the Silver Cup.

Commercial Area One more time, Village Comercial was a parade of people and that is the reason why some modifications have been made compared to the previous season.

Nespresso counted on a great area situated in the main outer pavilion, an ideal meeting point to enjoy a wide variety of coffees before doing some shopping and enjoy the matches. Among the different stores present this year there were Scapa, Casablanca Polo, Kingsland, Iridike, Valecuatro, Fashion Group, Vicomte and La Marca Cueros. As always, those who love technology had their own place to enjoy themselves at the Nintendo and Vodafone tents. Inside the main pavilion of Los Pinos, La Martina store and Santa Maria Polo store welcomed all those polo followers who came to the event. Other companies also had representation such as Carrera & Carrera, Nespresso, Jaeger LeCoultre, Golden Caravan, Powerplate, BMW and Puerto Alcaidesa. Bacardi Day area, this year located in a new area near Martini, was one of the most visited places. Famous faces were seen in Santa Maria Polo Club, such as Nieves Alvarez, Luis Medina, or the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, who was in charge of presenting the gold awards corresponding to each handicap.

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105

ARGENTINE SEASON - ARGENTINA SNOW POLO

WPT Snow Cup for the first time in Argentina Chapelco Ski Centre was the venue for the first snow polo tournament of the World Polo Tour in South America, the Julius Baer Argentina Snow Cup. The tournament, which relied on the presence of most outstanding polo players, was undoubtedly the most distinguished event of the Argentine winter season.

The base of Chapelco Ski Hill was the place selected by the World Polo Tour for the introduction of its first snow polo tournament in South America. The city of San Martin de los Andes welcomed the four 16 goal handicap teams that took part in the Julius Baer Argentina Snow Cup. The first edition of this tournament has not been unnoticed thanks to the high level of its players and the neat

organization. Adolfo Cambiaso, wearing the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polo Team´s shirt, was one of the outstanding polo players of the event; Guillermo Caset, Martin Garrahan and Tomas Pieres also distinguished themselves in other teams.

Javier Herrera, WPT´s director, explained: “The World Polo Tour has the Snow Polo category which includes St Moritz and Cortina D´Ampezzo. The

Tomas Gandara

106

Julius Baer Argentina Snow Cup is the first tournament in the southern hemisphere and that improves sport growth”.

“It´s a really great honour for Chapelco to host the first official World Polo Tour snow polo tournament in the southern hemisphere”, said Juan Cruz Adrogué, Chapelco Ski Resort´s manager, who also took part in the event wearing Julius Baer Polo Team´s shirt.

Julius Bär Argentina Snow Cup Jaeger LeCoultre

14

Adolfo Cambiaso Jr Fernando Pigni Ernesto Gutierrez

10 3 1

Clear

14

Matias Garrahan Tomás Gandara Martin Garrahan

Julius Bär

1 6 7

14

Juan Cruz Adrogué Guillermo Caset Jr. Valentin Caset

Mastercard

1 8 5

12

Javier Herrera Tomás Pieres Mariano Etcheverry

3 7 4

Above: Tomas Pieres - Below: Adolfo Cambiaso Jr for the first time playing snow polo Place: Chapelco, Neuquen, Argentina Date: August 15-16, 2009 Level: 12 hcp Tournament type: Open WPT Category Ranking: Snow Cup Winner Points: 60 Finalist Points: 30 Semifinalist Points: 15

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It was a freezing day in Chapelco and the spectators present at the ski centre were able to witness the good standard of the game. Sponsors’ tents attracted those who came to enjoy some chukkas. By the end of the first day, JaegerLeCoultre and Clear Polo Team had earned their passage to the final.

On Sunday, during the final game, Clear´s team scored two goals, one by Matias Garrahan and the other by Tomas Gandara, and were clearly superior to Jaeger-LeCoultre, whose Ernesto Gutierrez scored the only goal for the team. The game plan for Clear´s team was a permanent offensive game which managed to defeat Jaeger-LeCoultre´s defensive area which was headed by Adolfo Cambiaso.

As a result, Clear Polo Team ended Julius Bär Polo Team with Julius Bär Argentina Director Jorge Araujo

up as champions and the first South America Ranking World Polo Tour tournament came to its end and four polo formations showed off their skills during the whole of the Julius Baer Argentina Snow Cup’s first edition.

Sponsored by firms such as Julius Baer, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Mastercard, Clear, La Dolfina Polo Lifestyle, Nissan, Oakley, Chapelco Ski Resort, Escorihuela Gascón, La Mejor Flor, Loi Suites Chapelco Hotel and Stella Artois, the tournament was the most important polo event on snow in Argentina besides being an official World Polo Tour Ranking Tournament. Now everyone looks forward to next year’s edition.

Mastercard Polo Team with Jorge Colombati, Mastercard´s CEO

Winner: Clear Polo Team Finalist: Jaeger LeCoultre Polo Team MVP: Tomás Gandara (Clear) BPP: Pantriste (played by Ernersto Gutierrez) Saturday 15th Jaeger-LeCoultre 2 vs Mastercard 0 Julius Bär 1 vs Clear 3 Sunday 16th Third Place Mastercard 4 vs Julius Bär 2 Final jaeger-LeCoultre 1 Clear 2

Jaeger-LeCoultre Polo Team with Franck Juhel, Jaeger LeCoultre´s Senior Area Manager

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Above: Clear Polo Team winner of the Julius Bär Argentine Snow Cup 2009 - Below: Martin Garrahan

Chapelco is a ski and snowboard centre located 19 km away from San Martín de los Andes, Neuquén, Argentina. All ski runs were designed in 1946 by Federico Graeff and did not become so important for tourism until 1970. Chapelco offers very different ski categories: downhill skiing, cross-country skiing and crossing skiing. It also gives the possibility to practice snowboard in its four modes: half pipe, parallel slalom, big air and fun park in Snowboard Park. You may also enjoy doing snowmobile in Siberian husky propelled sleighs, or long walks with snowshoes along the woods. There are ten uphill transports able to transport 11.718 skiers per hour. Chapelco is also a mountain park which also gives you the opportunity to enjoy a wide variety of summer activities.

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Tournament Players

Javier Herrera and Ernesto Gutierrez

Martin “Chochan” Garrahan

Martin De Leeuw, Simonetta Orsini´s CEO and Juan Cruz Adrogue, Chapelco´s CEO

Guillermo Caset Jr

Pachi Coulter from La Dolfina and Frank Juhel, JLC

Youngest polo players of the tournament with Santiago Garrahan from PoloLine

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Tomas Gandara

Tournament Tent

Tomas Gandara and Valentin Caset

Pantriste BPP and Umpire Mariano Cavanillas

Guillermo Caset Jr

Tomas Pieres and wife

Martin Garrahan and wife

Federico Levy and Sol Tognola

Jorge Colombati, Mastercard Tomas Gandara

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Adolfo Cambiaso Jr

Kreplak from Julius B채r and Javier Herrera WPT

Tomas Pieres Guillermo Caset Jr

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Join the elite, become a member

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TRAVEL - ARGENTINA

Argentina is not just polo!

By travel@pololine.com

Located in South America, and thus, in the southern hemisphere, Argentina has an area of almost 3.8 million square kilometers, 2.8 on the continent – approximately 54% are plains (grasslands and savannahs), 23%, plateaus, and the other 23%, mountains and the remainder in the Antartic. It is 3,800 Km. long and is located between latitude 22º and 55º. Its border with Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia and Chile has a perimeter of 9,376 Km, while the territory bordered by the Atlantic Ocean is 4,725 Km long.

Geography

Argentina offers magnificent scenery throughout, with beautiful colors that change depending on the location and season of the year, with special places that are waiting to be explored, cities that shine day and night and very hospitable population.

Regarding delighted big cities in Buenos Aires, visitors can enjoy its older districts as well as the very modern ones, its art galleries, shopping malls, its extensive night life full of shows, among which of course, one can find

The Les Eclaires lighthouse, considered the southernmost point of the world

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the tango in all its glory, plus countless of restaurants where gourmet cooking goes hand in hand with the renowned Argentina beef.

Towards the South of the county, Patagonia is the region where the hug mountains are, as well as the lakes and the rivers, which are full of trout and salmon, a fisherman’s paradise. There also are the endless Patagonian plains or steppes more towards the East, and further South Still, we come across the Glaciers, like the World wellknown Perito Moreno Glacier. In the West, at

Adventure experience in Patagonia Argentina

the foothills of the great Andes Mountain Chan, we have the Cuyo Region, where the vineyards and wineries are located and where the famous Argentina wines can be tasted. Not only wine but also beautiful landscape ideal to practice any outdoor activity.

In the Northwest the mountains turn arid, with deep gorges and fertile valleys, population with rich heritage pre Hispanic. In the Northeast, tropical Forest, Falls, exotic flora and fauna, are the main attraction Rafting, horseback, polo, 4x 4, adventure drives, parasailing, fly fishing, thermal spas, visits to wineries or archeological ruins, when it comes to choosing for leisure, adventure, sightseeing or take care of body and soul, the list of options are endless. Sports and cultural activities, virgin tropical forest, night life, good eating, shopping, art, shows, pubs, ..Anything you can imagine or even more are waiting for you in Argentina Argentina’s main characteristic is the enormous contrast between the immense eastern plains and the impressive Andes mountain range to the west. This is the frontier with Chile and boasts the highest peak in the Western hemisphere: the 6,959 m high Aconcagua.

From Jujuy to Tierra del Fuego, the Andes present marvelous contrasts: the Northwest plateaus, the lake region, the forests and glaciers in the Patagonia.

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To the north, Chaco is a forested area linked to rivers Bermejo, Salado and Pilcomayo.

Between the Paraná and Uruguay rivers, the Argentine Mesopotamia (provinces of Entre Ríos, Corrientes and Misiones) is formed by low hills, where pools and marshlands evidence the ancient courses of these great rivers. In some places within the subtropical rain forest, there are fissures which provide such spectacular phenomena as the Iguazú Falls.

The Pampas, in the center of Argentina, is the largest and best-known area of plains. Agricultural and livestock activities are performed in this area, which includes the province of Buenos Aires, the northeast of La Pampa, the south of Córdoba and south of Santa Fe. To the south, the plains give way to small hills in Tandil and de la Ventana, and to the west, to the Córdoba hills.

Towards the south, from the Andes to the sea, there appear the sterile and stony plateaus of Patagonia, swept by the wind during most of the year. The Atlantic coast, lined with high cliffs, forms massive indentations like the Peninsula Valdés, with its spectacular and unique colonies of sea animals.

Climate

The country’s territory offers a wide variety of climates: subtropical in the North, sub-Antarctic in the southern Patagonia, and mild and humid in the Pampas plains. Media temperature from November to March is 23° C, and 12° C from June to September.

Population

Argentina’s current population is more than 38 million inhabitants, almost half of which live in the city and the province of Buenos Aires. Population density calculated on a national basis is 14 inhabitants per square kilometer

Language

Spanish is the official language of the Argentine Republic. In Buenos Aires, some “lunfardo” expressions -city slang - are used.

Religion

There is complete religious freedom in Argentina, although Roman Catholicism prevails.

Other religions practiced in the country are Protestant, Jewish, Moslem, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox and others.

Above: Fishing trout in Chubut, Argentina - Below: Cerro Colorado (Red Hill) in Valle Lunar

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