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Major Iain Forbes-Cockell
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Jaeger-LeCoultre and UNESCO in partnership for conservation of World Heritage 7 sites. A real commitment to a precious cause. www.jaeger-lecoultre.com
Calendar July 2 International Polo Cup Handicap 15 goals St. Tropez PC, France
9 Fundador Zobel Tournament Handicap 12 goals Santa Maria PC, Sotogrande, Spain
18 Gold Cup for the British Open Handicap 22 goals Cowdray Park, UK
25 Cartier International Day Coronation Cup 2010 Handicap 27 goals Guards PC, UK
August
September
7 Warwickshire Cup
1 Pacific Coast Open
Handicap 20 goals Cirencester Park, UK
Handicap 20 goals Santa Barbara PC, USA
15 Duke of Wellington Cup Handicap 12 goals Guards PC, UK
17 Gstaad Gold Cup Handicap 18 goals Gstaad, Switzerland
18 Swiss Open
11 St. Tropez Gold Cup Handicap 20 goals St. Tropez PC, France
12 Jockey Club Open Handicap 40 goals Jockey Club, Argentina
13 Jaeger-LeCoultre Open de France
Handicap 14 goals Zurich, Switzerland
21 Deauville Gold Cup Handicap 20 goals Deauville PC, UK
29 Duke of Cornwall Cup Handicap 16 goals Guards PC, UK
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Handicap 20 goals Chantilly PC, France
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World Heritage Centre
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Coronation Cup
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Photo Gallery
England Polo Team
Queen´s Cup 2010
Audi Polo Awards 2010
Rashid Albwardy - Dubai
Guards Polo Club celebrates...
50th Anniversary of The Queen´s Cup
Crabbies Ginger Beer Ladies International Championship
Coworth Park
1870 signs corporate sponsorship with Guards Polo Club
Uk season - Silver Spring 1870 Polo Team
Water for the future
GCC Day
National Universities Polo Championships
Universities
Archie David rallies support for the Household Cavalry...
Archie David Cup
A Mighty Prize
Indian Empire Shield
Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother’s Centenary Trophy
Queen Mother´s Centenary Trophy
Claire Tomlinson wins her fourth Royal Windsor Cup
Royal Windsor
Start of the season party
PJ´s Party
Queen´s Cup, Gold Cup, Coronation Cup and more...
UK Season 2010
Price £6
Summer Issue 2010 | Nº 72
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Athens of the North/Land of Smiles and Variety
Travel | Edinburgh/Thailand
The Pro Alvear Polo Match
Benfit match
Duke of Edimburgh, Prince Consort and Polo Player
Snowy Baker Multitalented Polo Players
Profile | HRH The Prince Philip
Cambiaso contiues to lead the ranking
World Polo Tour
International Polo Series
Ham Polo Club
Cirque du Polo
Ham Polo Club
In Aid of Children
Benefit Match
Twelve Oaks Estate is a base for Polo and Dressage
Exclusive
Max Charlton
Interview
Jonny Good
Interview
Polo Pony Provenance
Polo Horses
Three Multitalented Polo Players
Super Sportsmen
Contents
Thailand Travel
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Welcome to Summer issue 2010
T
his is the last issue of our eighteenth year of publication. We have had a hot (at times) and unusually dry summer for the most part, which has been enjoyed by all except possibly the clubs’ ground staff, whose job has been complicated by such conditions. We have delayed our publishing to include the Cartier International as well as the usual variety of tournaments. We have reports on the Indian Empire Shield, the 50th Anniversary of The Queen’s Cup, The Royal Windsor Cup, The Archie David and the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup, as well as a number of other tournaments. We have also focussed on some of the top ponies that have been played in the high goal and asked their owners/players to give us some background on them. Although the credit crunch has had an effect on the number of teams entered in some tournaments, there were still a healthy 20 teams entered for the Gold Cup. Competition has been as tough as ever at all levels. The re-enforcement of riding the line and umpires attention to those who turned the ball across the line to the right has proved interesting. Although not applied to the same standards by all umpires, the idea of trying to re-introduce backhanders to create a more spectator friendly game has more or less worked. Those with the skill level to avoid having to play backhanders all the time, by tapping the ball round to the left, have merely kept the game at the same pace as before and allowed their opposition to get into a better defensive position. The beauty of the backhander is that it is a much more aggressive and faster play than turning the ball and doesn’t afford the opposition the same time to defend. It will be interesting to see if there are further changes to this particular rule for the 2011 season. I would like to thank our readers for their support and loyalty. We continue to be the official magazine of the World Polo Tour, which is why the publication of this issue has been delayed to capture the WPT events in England. The autumn issue will focus more on European WPT tournaments and the remainder of the English season. I hope you enjoy this issue.
Iain Forbes-Cockell (“The Major”) Head Editor
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PQ UK Season 2010
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50th Queen´s Cup Guards Polo Club Page
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Gold Cup for the British Open Cowdray Polo Club Page
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Cartier International Day Guards Polo Club Page
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Royal Windsor
Guards Polo Club
Page
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Queen Mother´s Centenary Cup Guards Polo Club Page
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Indian Empire Shield Coworth Park Page
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Archie David
Guards Polo Club
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Page
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GCC Trophy
Guards Polo Club Page
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National Universities
Offchurch Bury Polo Club Page
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Ladies International Coworth Park
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UK Season - 50th Queen´s Cup
Queen´s Cup new record for Adolfo Cambiaso Jr Adolfo Cambiaso Jr wins The Queen’s Cup a record breaking seventh time on its 50th anniversary. Tournament report by Iain Forbes-Cockell (“The Major”), Photos by Ana Clara Cozzi and Tony Ramirez.
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The 50th anniversary of The Queen’s Cup had 14 team entries and these were divided into two leagues, each with four teams that were scheduled to play 3 league matches and one group of six teams, who were scheduled to play 3 matches across the group. The top two teams in the two leagues plus the four best teams from the Group would qualify for the quarter-finals. The remaining teams would compete for The Prince of Wales
Trophy. Play commenced on Tuesday 18th May and the final was played on Sunday 13th June
League One Results
All the League One matches were won by just one goal. A summary of some of the matches follow.
El Remanso 10 – Talandracas 9 This was a classic game of two halves. The first half started with El Remanso,
Pelon Stirling and Guillermo Terrera
La Bamba de Areco 22 Jean-Francois Decaux Gonzalo Pieres Jr. Facundo Pieres Edmund Parsons
0 10 10 2
El Remanso
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| Group 1 |
George Hanbury Charlie Hanbury David Stirling Jr. Jaime García Huidobro
| League 2 |
| League 1 |
The Queen´s Cup 2010 Dubai
22
Rashid Albwardy Francisco Vismara Adolfo Cambiaso Jr. Pablo MacDonough
1 2 10 9
Lechuza Caracas
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1 4 9 7
Victor Vargas Guillermo Caset Jr. Miguel Novillo Astrada Max Routledge
1 8 9 4
Loro Piana
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The Telegraph
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Alfio Marchini Santiago Chavanne Juan Martin Nero William Beresford
3 8 10 1
Max Charlton George Meyrick Gastón Laulhé Nicolás Pieres
4 4 7 7
Talandracas
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Les Lions
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Edouard Carmignac Guillermo Terrera Lucas Monteverde Luke Tomlinson
0 7 8 7
Les Lions II
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Max Gottschalk Agustin Merlos Sebastián Merlos Chris Mackenzie
1 9 9 3
Zacara Lyndon Lea Eduardo Novillo Astrada Jr. Javier Novillo Astrada Oliver Cudmore
Sumaya Oussama Aboughazale Milo Fernández Araujo Lucas James Carlos Gracida
22 1 9 9 3
22 0 8 7 7
Joachim Gottschalk Nachi Heguy Eduardo Heguy Jonny Good
Piaget
0 9 8 5
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Stefano Marsaglia Marcos Araya Bautista Heguy Marcos Heguy
Enigma
0 4 9 9
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Jerome Wirth James Beim Matias MacDonough Malcolm Borwick
Emlor
1 7 8 6
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Spencer McCarthy Joaquin Pittaluga John-Paul Clarkin Nacho Gonzalez
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1 6 8 6
who received 1 goal on handicap, shooting into a 5-0 lead after the first chukka, with Pelon Stirling on fantastic form and Charlie Hanbury's field goal pushed the gap back to six goals, 8-2 in El Remanso's favour at half time. Then penalties and field goals by Luke Tomlinson and a great goal by Guillermo Terrera pulled them back to 10-7 at the end of the fifth. Two Penalty 4s from Luke Tomlinson brought the score to El Remanso 10-9 Talandracas.
La Bamba de Areco 11 – Loro Piana 10 La Bamba de Areco scraped a narrow 11-10 win over Loro Piana in their first League match played at George Milford Haven's fabulous ground at Great Trippetts Farm. 3-1 after the first after two goals from Facu Pieres and one from Ed Parsons a 60 yard shot from wide to the right of goal to one Juanma field goal. It was 4-4 after the second following a Facu penalty and
three goals from Santi Chavanne. Juanma ran half the field to score a great field goal and Santi scored a penalty, then Facu scored a field goal. All tied at 7-7 after the fourth then 7-8 to Loro Piana after the fifth. Two penalties by Facu to a Santi field goal saw them at 9-9. Then Facu scored a Penalty 3 to which Juanma replied with a field goal and then just 10 seconds from time Facu scored from a Penalty 2 to snatch an 11-10 win.
Loro Piana 11 – Talandracas 10 A great goal by Guillermo Terrera for Talandracas was followed by an Alfio Marchini goal in response as the chukka ended with Talandracas in a 2-1 lead. Alfio Marchini levelled the match then a run of four goals by Loro Piana took them into a 6-2 lead at the end of the second chukka. Luke Tomlinson scored a
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field goal, then two Loro Piana goals from Juanma and Santi’s penalty from the spot pushed them to a five goal lead before Terrera reduced it to 8-4 by half time. Again Guillermo Terrera scored to narrow the gap but Santi scored both from a spot hit and a Penalty 2 to push Alfio’s team to a 10-5 lead at the end of the fourth chukka. Just like in their first league match, Talandracas came back strongly in the last two chukkas, with goals from Terrera and a Penalty 2 and 3 scored by Luke Tomlinson to leave them two goals adrift at 10-8 after the penultimate chukka. In the sixth, Luke scored a Penalty 4, then Santi scored a Penalty 4 and Lucas James scored a field goal to bring Talandracas to within one goal at 11-10 at the end of the match.
La Bamba de Areco 11 – El Remanso 10 La Bamba got a 3-1 lead after the first, with two Facu field goals and one Gonza field goal. Then Jaime scored a penalty and Pelon got a field goal to level the scores at 3-3. Jaime scored a Penalty 2 and Facu a Penalty 4 then a Penalty 6 to go 5-4 up at halftime. Pelon got a spot hit to level at 5-5 then a great Facu run to score 6-5. Pelon score a field goal and Facu scored a Penalty 4 to go 7-6 up. Gonza had a great run on Shannon to score, then Facu scored a Penalty 3 and a field goal straight from the lineout to go 10-6. Pelon scored with a long shot then Charlie Hanbury passed to Jaime whose cut shot brought El Remanso back to 10-8. Gonza passed to Facu who threaded the ball through several ponies’ legs to go 11-8 up. Jaime scored a Penalty 6 and Pelon then scored a field goal to put El Remanso within one goal at 11-10, a score that was the result in six of the league stage matches in this year's Queen's Cup.
La Bamba de Areco 12 – Talandracas 11 La Bamba’s third league match was against Talandracas and they got off to a slow start being 0-4 down after the first chukka with goals from Luke Tomlinson, Lucas Monteverde and Guillermo Terrera. Facu Pieres opened up La Bamba’s scoring with a field goal, 1-4 then Lucas Monteverde hit a nearside shot to score while being hard ridden by Ed Parsons, 1-5. A Penalty 2 was scored by Facu, 2-5. Guille Terrera then scored a field goal, 2-6. Gonzalito scored a field goal, 3-6. Guille Terrera scored after good passes from Luke and Lucas, 3-7. A technical against Talandracas moved the ball to a Penalty 4 which was scored by Facu, 4-7 just before half time. A great run by Gonza then Ed Parsons scored a field goal, 5-7. A couple of players, JF Decaux and Luke Tomlinson had a fall after their ponies’ legs got tangled and Jean-Francois remounted but felt he couldn't continue. It was subsequently discovered that he had some broken ribs. George Gemmel substituted for him for the remainder of the match. Gonza scored a field goal, 6-7. Then a spot hit from 1 yard which Facu scored, 7-7. Edouard Carmignac scored right at end of chukka, 7-8. Facu ran to goal and Ed Parsons scored to level at 8-8. A Penalty 4 scored by Facu to take La Bamba into the lead for the first time, 9-8. Luke Tomlinson tied up with a field goal, 9-9. A great dummy backhander from Facu deceived his marker and then he hit to Gonza riding his brilliant pony, Shannon to score, 10-9. Guille Terrera scored a field goal to level at 10-10 just before end of chukka. Ed Parsons hit a great pass to Facu who scored, 11-10. Lucas scored a field goal, 11-11. Facu hit ball in the air six times then later scored a Penalty 4 to win, 12-11.
Above: Juan Martin Nero - Below: Facundo Pieres
League Two
There were some more varied scores in League Two, with pre-tournament favourites Dubai and the determined Lechuza Caracas team looking to qualify. Some of the match reports follow. 20
Dubai 13 – The Telegraph 6 In the first League Two match, played on Dubai's ground, newcomers The Telegraph had a strong start against Dubai, a squad that featured no less than Adolfo Cambiaso and Pablo MacDonough as their dynamic duo. However, despite a few early errors from Dubai, they were still leading 3-1 after the second chukka. Dubai took control of the match in the third and fourth chukkas, Adolfo Cambiaso was on one of his best ponies, Mambo, and with great goals by Pablo MacDonough and a good performance by their new member, Francisco Vismara, they scored 6 goals with only one goal in reply from The Telegraph, to lead 10-2 at the end of the fourth. In the final two chukkas, The Telegraph’s four professional team line-up worked better together and despite missing a couple of goalscoring opportunities, they managed to score four more goals with the final result being a comfortable 13-6 to Dubai.
Dubai 9 - Lechuza Caracas 8 for The Kerry Packer Trophy
Above: Nacho Gonzales and Bautista Heguy - Below: Gonzalo Pieres Jr.
Sapo Caset passed to Victor Vargas but he shot just wide. Adolfito Cambiaso opened the scoring with two Penalty 2s in quick succession. Pablo MacDonough hit a great under the neck near side shot to make the score 3-0 at the end of the first chukka. Sapo Caset scored a field goal after a great combination move up the field with Miguel Novillo Astrada, 3-1. Pablo and Adolfito linked well to score, 4-1. Miguel Novillo Astrada then scored a field goal 4-2 and Max Routledge scored a field goal from the line out just
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John-Paul Clarkin
before the end of the chukka, 4-3. Dubai scored again through Pablito MacDonough and Dubai's 6th goal was scored by Rashid Albwardy for a half time lead of 6-3. A Penalty 4 struck high through the goal by Adolfito eased Dubai into a 7-3 lead. Sapo Caset responded with a field goal after a run from the line out, 7-4. Then Adolfito scored a Penalty 3, 8-4. Miguel Novillo Astrada scored a field goal at the end of the chukka, 8-5. A Penalty 4 scored by Sapo, 8-6 then Miguel Novillo Astrada scored a field goal, 8-7. A couple of Penalty 4s and a shot that hit the post and went wide were missed by Adolfito then a hit was taken up field by Miguel who levelled the score at 8-8. Francisco Vismara scored for Dubai, 9-8 then, despite further attacks there was no other score so Dubai won The Kerry Packer Trophy.
Lechuza 13 – Les Lions 10 Smarting from their close defeat by Dubai, Lechuza had to retrieve their qualification situation. Sapo Caset got a field goal straight from first throw in, 1-0: Jonny Good scored a field goal after pass from Ruso, 1-1. Ruso scored
a Penalty 2, 1-2 then a spot hit from 1 yard was scored by Sapo, 2-2. A spot hit from near centre was struck by Ruso, backed by Jonny for Nachi to put through, 2-3. Jonny Good scored a field goal after intercepting a Max Routledge backhand, 2-4. A spot hit by Miguel Novillo Astrada from near the centre was taken to score field goal, 3-4. Jonny Good made a great interception and run up field then Nachi popped the ball through, 3-5. In the third chukka Lechuza held Les Lions to no score yet scored four times themselves to go 7-5 up at halftime. A Penalty 3 by Sapo pushed the score to 8-5. A missed ball was picked up by Miguel who scored, 9-5. Then Ruso hit a great cut shot from 60 yards out to score, 9-6. This 3 goal gap was pushed to an 11-6 Lechuza lead at one stage in the fifth but Les Lions rallied a bit to pull the score back to 13-10 in favour of Lechuza by the end of the match, with Max Routledge scoring Lechuza’s final goal.
Dubai 11 - Les Lions 10 Ruso Heguy run to score field goal, 0-1 then a Penalty 2 was scored by 22
Adolfito, 1-1. A spot hit by Ruso hit to Jonny Good who passed to Nachi who scored, 1-2. Rashid Albwardy had a good pick up on the near side then a neat shot to score, 2-2 at end of chukka. A spot hit by Ruso then passed to Nachi who scored, 2-3. Ruso then scored a field goal, 2-4. A Penalty 2 was scored by Adolfito, 3-4 then Pablo MacDonough scored to level, 4-4. Rashid hit a great under the neck shot to score, 5-4. Ruso hit a near side shot to score, 5-5. Then Adolfito scored after run down field and pass from Pablito, to edge Dubai ahead 6-5 at halftime. Adolfito struck a Penalty 6 which hit Nachi's stick again but went through goal, 7-5. Adolfito went on a run and passed to Francisco Vismara to score, 8-5. A Penalty 2 to Dubai was taken by Adolfito who scored, 9-5. Ruso scored a field goal and a Penalty 3 to narrow the gap to 9-7. Adolfito scored a field goal, 10-7. A Penalty 4 was scored by Ruso then Pablito scored a field goal, 11-8. A spot hit scored by Ruso followed by a Penalty 2 closed the gap to 11-10 by full time. Dubai had thus secured their place in the quarter finals with their third league win.
then two goals from Marcos Araya and Marcos Heguy leveled it at 9-9. Bauti Heguy scored a field goal to put Piaget into the lead for the first time, 10-9. A Penalty 2 from Joaquin Pittaluga tied the game at 10-10. Then an unfortunate mistake from John-Paul Clarkin at his back line with 10 seconds to go led to a goal from Stefano Marsaglia from the resulting spot hit to finish the match, 11-10.
Group 1
Zacara 8 – Sumaya 7 The first match of the group was played on Wednesday 19th May on The Queen’s Ground at Guards. Looking in great condition, the ground’s scoreboard had the splendid looking new DeWitt sponsored chukka clock at its base. Zacara got off to a faster start than Sumaya and the first chukka saw two Javier Novillo Astrada goals and the Zacara patron Lyndon Lea scoring to one goal in reply by the legendary Carlos Gracida, thus leaving Zacara with a 3-1 lead. In the second, Milo Fernandez Araujo stepped up Sumaya’s response by scoring from a Penalty 2, a spot hit 5 yards from goal and a field goal to two Javier Novillo Astrada goals for Zacara, making it 5-4 to Zacara. A close third chukka followed with no goals scored. Lyndon Lea scored after a great run half the length of the field just a minute before the end of the chukka, meaning Zacara had a 6-4 lead. Sumaya’s Milo Fernandez Araujo managed to peg back the score to 6-6. Carlos Gracida scored and then Javier Novillo Astrada scored a Penalty 3 to level at 7-7. In the final seconds of play, Eduardo Novillo Astrada hit a shot that went in off the post to secure an 8-7 victory for Zacara.
Les Lions II 14 – Enigma 13 A Penalty 3 by Malcolm Borwick got Enigma on the scoreboard first, 0-1. Tincho Merlos replied with a field goal, 1-1. A Penalty 6 by Tincho moved Les Lions II to 2-1. Matias MacDonough then leveled with a field goal, 2-2. Tincho Merlos scored a field goal in the last second of the chukka, 3-2. Sebastian Merlos stole the ball and ran most of the field to score a field goal, 4-2. Enigma patron Jerome Wirth scored a field goal after a run half the length of the field, 4-3. A Penalty 4 scored by Tincho kept them ahead, 5-3. However, Enigma had a run of three goals, from Beimy, Jerome Wirth and a Penalty 6 scored by Malcolm Borwick to take lead for the first time, 5-6. Seb Merlos scored a field goal to level 6-6, just before half time, A Penalty 3 was hit through by Tincho Merlos, 7-6 then he scored a field goal with a nearside forward tap after a run the length of the field, 8-6. Seb Merlos scored a field goal straight from line out, 9-6. Matias MacDonough scored a field goal after Beimy had run most of the field, 9-7. Tincho Merlos then scored twice, once from a Penalty 2 and then an under the neck shot from 60 yards out to the right side of the ground, 11-7. Malcolm Borwick scored from a Penalty 4, 11-8. Seb Merlos struck a great goal after a run the length of the field, 12-8. Then a Penalty 4 by Malcolm Borwick brought Enigma back to 12-9 at the end of the fifth. Tincho Merlos scored from a Penalty 2, moved from a Penalty 3 as a result of a technical against Beimy, 13-9. Enigma got three quick goals, one from a Penalty 2 by Malcolm Borwick and two from Matias MacDonough field goals to bring the score to 13-12. A spot hit from 10 yards was scored by Malcolm Borwick to level the scores at 13-13 a minute from the end of the chukka.
Piaget 11 - Emlor 10 Piaget opened the scoring with a Marcos Araya goal, 1-0. Then a Penalty 3 was scored for Emlor by Nacho Gonzalez, 1-1. Joaquin Pittaluga then score for Emlor, 1-2. Marcos Heguy leveled at 2-2, then Emlor scored two more, one of which was a Penalty 2 by Nacho Gonzalez, 2-4. Marcos Araya closed the gap to 3-4 but a Penalty 2 scored by Joaquin Pittaluga maintained the gap, 3-5 then a Penalty 3 by Joaquin extended it to 3-6. Bauti Heguy scored a field goal, 4-6 negated by a Penalty 4 from Joaquin Pittaluga, 4-7. Marcos Heguy scored from the spot, 5-7 but then Joaquin Pittaluga scored again to make it 5-8 at half time. Both Bauti and Marcos Heguy scored to make it 7-8. Emlor’s patron Spencer McCarthy scored, 7-9 23
Eduardo Heguy
Piaget 13 - Enigma 12 A Penalty 2 was awarded to Enigma, which Malcolm Borwick duly scored, 0-1. Bauti Heguy ran a scenic route to score a goal, 1-1. Marcos then scored a field goal, 2-1. Bauti hit a tight angle under the neck shot to score, 3-1. Straight from the lineout Enigma attacked
Then in the last seconds of the sixth chukka a Penalty 2 was scored by Tincho Merlos to give Les Lions II a 14-13 win.
Zacara 8 – Emlor 4 Emlor received one goal on handicap. A spot hit from near 60 yards out was scored by Javier Novillo Astrada, 1-1. Then there was a run by Emlor with Spencer McCarthy's shot just wide right of post at the end of the chukka. A closely matched chukka with a Penalty 3 missed by Joaquin Pittaluga, then a Penalty 3 scored by Javier just before the end of the chukka, 2-1. John-Paul Clarkin’s goal shot was just wide but then Nacho Gonzalez scored a field goal 2-2. Several more attacks occurred but shots were wide. Spencer scored a field goal, 2-3 then a Penalty 3 was scored by Nacho Gonzalez, 2-4. Ollie Cudmore scored a field goal, 3-4 just before end of the chukka. Javier Novillo Astrada scored a field goal to level at 4-4. Nacho put a shot just wide, and then another Emlor shot was just wide. A spot hit by Javier led to a score with a nice cut shot for Zacara to take the lead 5-4. Javier scored a field goal at the bell for the end of fifth the chukka, 6-4. Lyndon Lea needed some medical attention and afterwards Javier hit to brother Eduardo who had a run to goal resulting in a spot hit which Javier scored, 7-4. Joaquin had a shot wide of goal and a Penalty 2 scored by Eduardo ensured an 8-4 victory for Zacara at the bell. Zacara had two wins and qualified for the quarter finals.
and a sensational goal was scored by Matias MacDonough to bring Enigma up to 3-2. Marcos Heguy scored a great goal very similar to Bauti's previous goal, 4-2. A spot hit by Beimy, which he took while two Piaget players were off changing ponies enabled him to dribble the ball to score, 4-3. A Penalty 3 struck high through the goal by Bauti brought the score to 5-3 just before the end of the second chukka. A Penalty 4 scored by Malcolm took the score to 5-4. Marcos scored a field goal after a clever steal by Bauti, 6-4. Then a Penalty 4 by Bauti was struck high and straight through to score, 7-4. Jerome Wirth broke from the lineout and ran the ball to goal but his last shot was just wide. Enigma got a Penalty 2 scored by Malcolm, 7-5. Then a Penalty 3 was hit high through goal by Bauti, 8-5. A Penalty 2 scored by M a l colm brought them to 8-6. Matias attacked towards goal and then another Penalty 2 was scored by Malcolm, 8-7. Matias took a Penalty 2 to level at 8-8. Then there was a fantastic run by Bauti who outran Beimy to score, 9-8. Matias got the ball from the lineout, passed to Beimy, who dribbled the ball to score the equalising goal, 9-9. Jerome Wirth scored a great goal to 24
put Enigma 9-10 up at end of chukka. Piaget tied the score through Marcos, 10-10. A Penalty 4 by Bauti scored to regain the lead, 11-10. Matias passed to Beimy who took the ball to score, 11-11. Matias passed to Malcolm who struck a fine goal under pressure from Bauti, 11-12. A Piaget attack resulted in Bauti scoring the equaliser just before the first bell, 12-12. A technical against Enigma meant a Penalty 5B to Piaget but they were unable
to score in extra 30 seconds, so the match went to overtime. A missed Beimy shot then led to Bauti having a run straight down the field on his grey pony, Moneca and cut the shot towards goal then Malcolm missed his backhander and Bauti then hit a great under the neck shot to grab the winner, 13-12. Piaget went on to win their third league match and qualify for the quarter finals.
Les Lions II 16 - Sumaya 9 A Penalty 4 struck by the experienced Carlos Gracida meant Sumaya scored
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after just one minute, 0-1. An infringement in the lineout led to a Penalty 4 scored by Tincho Merlos, 1-1. Seb Merlos scored from a throw in after Lucas James’ fall, 2-1. Tincho Merlos scored a field goal after a good hook on Carlos by Chris, 3-1. Seb Merlos attacked then missed the ball but Chris Mackenzie fired a great shot to score just before the bell, 4-1. Sebastian Merlos had a run from the lineout then missed the ball but it was put through by Chris, 5-1. Carlos Gracida passed to Oussama then Milo scored the field goal, 5-2. Carlos Gracida scored from a penalty, 5-3. A Penalty 5B hit by Seb towards goal but his stick was hooked then Chris followed up and scored, 6-3. A spot hit by Seb was intercepted then won back and Seb scored a field goal, 7-3. Seb ran from lineout and a cut shot was eased over the goal line by Tincho, 8-3. Milo made a backhand shot from a throw in by the goal to score, 8-4. A spot hit from 5 yards was scored by Tincho, 9-4 just before half time. Tincho scored the Penalty 4, 10-4 and a field goal after a good run, 11-4. Two Penalty 4s well struck by Carlos moved the score to 11-6. Seb passed to Tincho who scored a field goal, 12-6. Max Gottschalk scored a good field goal after a pass from Seb, 13-6. Carlos scored a Penalty 2, 13-7 but then Seb made a great pass to Tincho who ran in a field goal, 14-7. Chris Mackenzie scored after run from the lineout, 15-7. Then Carlos Gracida scored from a Penalty 2, 15-8. Carlos passed to Oussama who tapped for Lucas James to score a field goal, 15-9 but it was too little too late for Sumaya. A Penalty 4 by Carlos was hit along the ground but stopped by Chris who then galloped up field to score just the final bell to end the match 16-9. Great team play had been shown by Les Lions II, with Chris Mackenzie having an outstanding game. Les Lions II definitely meant business and won all three league matches to qualify for the quarter finals.
Quarter final matches
Les Lions II beat Enigma 11-8 Beimy was fouled and the resulting Penalty 2 was scored by Malcolm Borwick, 0-1. Seb Merlos stole the ball from Matias MacDonough and ran to score, 1-1. A Penalty 5B by Seb hit up to Chris Mackenzie and then put through by Seb, 2-1. Chris Mackenzie scored a field goal, 3-1. Beimy passed to Jerome Wirth but he shot wide.
a great field goal too, 9-3. Tincho had a run to score from the line out, 10-3. A Penalty 3 scored by Malcolm in reply, 10-4. Then another Penalty 2 was scored by Tincho, 11-4. A Penalty 4 was scored by Malcolm, 11-5, then he missed a Penalty 3 but scored a field goal a Penalty 4 and then a Penalty 2 to make up for the error, 11-8. Malcolm Borwick eventually finding his usual good penalty hitting form but it was too late to change the result, an 11-8 in favour of Les Lions II.
La Bamba de Areco beat El Remanso 12-11 in overtime
Marcos Araya
Chris Mackenzie had a great intercept and then tapped the ball four times to score, 4-1. Enigma attack ended with Malcolm Borwick’s shot hitting the post and then hit through by Jerome Wirth, 4-2. A Penalty 3 and Penalty 4 were missed by Malcolm but then a Penalty 3 was scored by Tincho seconds before half time, 5-2. Chris Mackenzie scored a field goal, 6-2. A spot hit from 4 yards was scored by Malcolm Borwick, 6-3. A Penalty 6 was scored by Tincho, 7-3 then he hit a great field goal, 8-3. Seb Merlos showed his brother he could score 26
A repeat of a League One match with the result being a 12-11 overtime win for La Bamba but that is not the whole story. This was a close and exciting match, with Pelon Stirling and Jaime Garcia Huidobro, well supported by the two Hanbury’s Charlie and George, working out how to restrict the Pieres brothers’ usual type of game. Pelon showed glimpses of brilliance and one can see why he has been chosen to join La Dolfina for this year’s Open Tournaments in Argentina. El Remanso worked well as a team and put real pressure on La Bamba, who had George Gemmell substituting for their injured patron, Jean-Francois Decaux. There were only one or two goals in it all the way to the sixth chukka. A couple of minutes into the sixth chukka El Remanso were leading 10-7 and a lot of spectators were thinking that La Bamba were in real trouble. In a match that La Bamba had until that point scored 7 goals in five and a bit chukkas, they were going to have to do something radical to score 4 goals within the last few minutes of the sixth chukka. I spoke with both Gonzalito and Facundo after the game and they said they decided to slow the game down, retain possession, try the pass and run option if the opportunity arose, combined with trying to entice their opposition into fouling and score from penalties. Well, their plan worked and in the following three minutes they levelled the score at 10-10. Then they took the lead with under one minute remaining. Was the game over? No, because El Remanso scored five
seconds before the seven minute bell to level at 11-11. There was some confusion that they still had the extra 30 seconds to play as the scores were tied and within ten seconds the match was into overtime. Cometh the hour, cometh the man and it was Gonzalito Pieres who got the
ball and ran to goal and scored the winner, giving La Bamba a 12-11 win and a place in the semi-final.
Lechuza Caracas beat Piaget 10-7 In the first chukka, Bauti Heguy ran the ball to score in his typical style, 0-1. In response, Sapo Caset scored a field goal, 1-1 and then Miguel Novillo Astrada put Lechuza into a 2-1 lead. A Penalty 3 struck straight through goal was Bauti’s reply to level at 2-2 at the end of the second chukka. In the third chukka, Lechuza put their foot down on the scoring and Miguel scored two field goals and S a p o
Caset scored a Penalty 3 and then a field goal to go into half time with a 6-2 lead. After a team talk, Piaget came out meaning business and Bauti scored a field goal, 6-3, then Marcos also scored a field goal to close the gap to 6-4. However, Sapo Caset thought he’d put a stop to the run of Piaget goals and popped in a field goal of his own to re-establish a 3 goal lead at 7-4. A Penalty 4, taken by Sapo, went straight through goal, 8-4. Bauti then scored another field goal, 8-5. Miguel Novillo Astrada then increased Lechuza’s lead to 9-5 with a field goal near the end of the chukka. First to score in the sixth chukka was Sapo Caset from a Penalty 4, 10-5. Then Bauti Heguy scored two field goals to bring Piaget to within three goals of Lechuza at 10-7 but Piaget had run out of time and Lechuza got their semi-final place with a 10-7 win.
Dubai comfortably beat Zacara 14-8 In an evenly balanced first chukka, Ollie Cudmore scored a field goal, 0-1 which was negated by a spot hit scored by Adolfito Cambiaso, 1-1. Not wanting to wait until his usual “killer chukka”, which in most matches seems to be either the third or fourth chukka, Adolfito
Rashid Albwardy
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and Pablito got to work in the second and scored with two Penalty 2s and one Penalty 3 from Adolfito and a field goal from Pablito to put Dubai into a 5-1 lead. Just to emphasise the point, Adolfito and Pablito scored again early in the third chukka to get a 7-1 lead before Zacara responded through a Penalty 4 and a Penalty 2 scored by Javier Novillo Astrada, 7-3. Just as a reminder, Adolfito scored a field goal, 8-3 before Zacara patron Lyndon Lea scored a field goal, 8-4 just before the end of the first half. Two goals apiece in the fourth chukka, with two Javier Penalty 4s bracketing a Penalty 2 and a Penalty 4 scored by Adolfito meant
that with Dubai leading 10-6 at the end of the chukka, Zacara’s situation hadn’t changed for the better. The same could also be said for the fifth chukka, where both sides scored two goals, Adolfito scored from a Penalty 2, then Eduardo Novillo Astrada scored a field goal, followed by a Penalty 4 scored by Adolfito before Eduardo put in another field goal, so by the end of the fifth, it was 12-8 to Dubai. Zacara failed to score in the last chukka and Dubai managed a couple of goals, one being yet another Penalty 2 by Adolfito and the last goal was by the improving Rashid Albwardy, to make the final score 14-8 in favour of Dubai, who earned their semi-final place with ease. Dubai received The Gerard Leigh Cup for winning this match.
Semi-finals
The Hubert Perrodo Trophy Dubai 14 – La Bamba de Areco 10 Adolfo Cambiaso went onto the attack and passed id who scored, 0-1. picked up the scored
Guillermo “Sapo” Caset
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straight to RashAdolfito ball and a field
goal, 0-2. There was a slight injury to Gonzalito Pieres but play resumed. Facundo Pieres wasn’t able to make much of a spot hit but then scored a Penalty 4 as the bell went for the first chukka, 1-2. Adolfito quickly scored to open a two goal gap, 1-3. Gonzalito hit an open backhand that was just wide. Then a Penalty 2 was scored by Adolfito, 1-4. Both teams then missed Penalty 4 scoring opportunities. Just before the end of the chukka, Gonza got the ball from a lineout and scored, 2-4. A Penalty 5B was tapped forward and slightly to the right by Facu, then he hit a huge under the neck shot to score, 3-4. Another Penalty 5B was taken by Facu but Adolfito stole it and ran towards goal but was fouled and he scored from the spot hit from 5 yards out, 3-5. Adolfito took another spot hit from near the centre and then scored from 80 yards out, 3-6. Gonza had a run the length of the field to score a fabulous goal from 90 yards out to the right of the field, 4-6 and the whistle went shortly after for halftime. La Bamba were two goals adrift but still very much in the game. A Penalty 4 early on was scored by Facu, 5-6. Adolfito then pushed the gap back to two then three goals scoring from two Penalty 2s in quick succession, 5-8. A Penalty 5B was taken by Facu but Adolfito was closer than 30 yards, so a Penalty 4 was awarded and scored by Facu, 6-8. Gonza was on an attack only 30 yards from goal when the bell went for chukka. Now came the infamous “killer chukka” from Adolfito’s team and in the fifth chukka Dubai moved well ahead of La Bamba. Pablito ran almost the entire length of the field under pressure from Gonza but still scored, 6-9. Gonza took the ball a couple of shots on the nearside then offside being chased all the way but scored, 7-9. Adolfito ran to goal and scored, 7-10. Facu then had a great run to score, 8-10. Strangely, and as if to prove he is human, Adolfito then fluffed his Penalty
Adolfo Cambiaso Jr.
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2 shot and missed! A Penalty 5B was taken by Facu but Adolfito’s line was allegedly impeded (Gonza was just stationary on the line ahead of Facu but was judged to have prevented Adolfito’s ability to challenge Facu by being in the right of way) so a Penalty 4 was awarded and Adolfito scored, 8-11. Then a technical was blown against La Bamba for complaining about the previous incident and I felt they had a point. Soon after, a Penalty 4 to La Bamba was scored by Facu, 9-11. Adolfito then slotted in another Penalty 3 just before the end of the fifth chukka, with the scores then 9-12 in Dubai’s favour. A Penalty 4 was hit by Adolfito but got caught up in a goalmouth melee, then a spot hit from 5 yards was scored by Adolfito, 9-13. Dave Baxter (substituting for Jean-Francois Decaux, who was still injured), had a run but just missed the goal. Gonza hit an enormous shot from 100 yards out but it was wide. Vismara ran the ball having 3 taps but his goal shot was wide. La Bamba’s frustration was beginning to show and a Penalty 5B was awarded for a technical then a Penalty 2, for another technical, was scored by Adolfito, 9-14. Gonza then had a shot but it was wide. A Penalty 4 was scored by Facu, 10-14 and the bell for the end of the match went straight afterwards. This was a disappointing performance from La Bamba, who had unusually let the frustration get to them. Perhaps there were a few unlucky calls against them but they should know not to let that bother them. Dubai marched on to the final, their fourth chance to win since Ali Albwardy started in the high goal in UK.
The Westbury Mayfair Trophy Les Lions II 11 – Lechuza Caracas 9 The two sides were testing each other out and they both had several attacks during the first few minutes of the chukka but nothing became of them. However, a goal by Chris Mackenzie in the fifth minute opened the scoring,1-0 to Les Lions II. Miguel Novillo Astrada missed a goal right after that and then Sapo Caset scored from a Penalty 4, 1-1. Sebastian Merlos scored a great field goal from 70 yards to finish the chukka, 2-1. Sapo Caset scored a field goal to level at 2-2, then
Sapo appeared to score a 60 yards Penalty 4 but after some discussions the umpires decided it was out. Next a great personal goal by Tincho was followed by one more from Tincho after a Penalty 2 to push the score to 4-2. Then Miguel Novillo Astrada replied with a goal, 4-3. Tincho scored a field goal, 5-3 to which Miguel replied with a field goal of his own, 5-4. Tincho then score twice more, once from a field goal and once from a Penalty 2, to move his team up to a 7-4 lead at halftime. Tincho scored from a Penalty 4, 8-4 then Sapo scored twice, both from 30 yard Penalty 2s, to pull Lechuza back to a two goal deficit at 8-6. Seb Merlos scored from a Penalty 2, then a Penalty 4, 10-6. Max Routledge scored a field goal, 10-7 and then a super goal was scored by Chris Mackenzie, 11-7. Sapo Caset scored a field goal to reduce the gap, 11-8 and followed that with a Penalty 2 to leave Lechuza two goals behind Les Lions II at the end of the match, 11-9. So, Max Gottschalk’s Les Lions II had at last got to the final of The Queen’s Cup. The team had worked well together. With Max being good value and experienced at high goal combining well with the great tactical ability of Sebastian Merlos and the speed and brilliant goal scoring ability of Tincho Merlos. Add in the ever improving Chris Mackenzie, who struck some great goals and rode off much higher handicapped players to allow some goal scoring opportunities to develop, they were a well drilled side who could cause some problems for Dubai in the final. It is the first time Max’s own team had got to the final, although he had played in the 2000 final with his father Jo and with professionals Mike Azzaro and Memo Gracida. Chris Mackenzie had showed growing skill and
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maturity in his play throughout the tournament, something that was duly noted by the HPA handicap committee, who raised him to 4 goals in the mid-season handicap changes. This was a thoroughly well deserved promotion to a very focused young (still 17) South African player. (Head Editor’s comment: There had been some talk, post-Gold Cup at the HPA end of season high goal handicap review that Chris should go to 5 goals. I think the sensible decision and one which the HPA decided, was to leave him on 4 for the time being. Had he been put to 5, it would have meant that Chris would have moved from 2 goals, prior to the 2009 HPA end of season handicap review, to 5 goals post 2010 HPA end of season review, a leap of 3 goals in 12 months!).
Agustin Merlos and Malcolm Borwick
Subsidiary final for The Harcourt Developments Cup El Remanso won The Harcourt Developments Cup with an 11-6 win over Enigma
El Remanso received one goal on handicap. An infringement in the first lineout led to a Penalty 4 scored by Jaime Huidobro to give them a 2-0 lead. Charlie Hanbury then ran to score a goal to put El Remanso into a 3-0 lead. Matias MacDonough had a run but his pass to patron Jerome Wirth was intercepted. A fantastic under the neck shot by Pelon Stirling reached Jaime who took the ball and scored for a 4-0 lead. James Beim had a shot at goal but it was just wide at the end of the chukka. Great team play from El Remanso continued in the second chukka and a spot hit from about 25 yards out was tapped in by Jaime, 5-0. Matias had a run to goal but Pelon took the ball and ran the length of the field, however, his goal shot was stopped by a timely backhander from Beimy. A Penalty 3 scored by Jaime pushed the score to 6-0. A Penalty 4 was missed by Jaime then Beimy ran the ball up field as the bell went to end the chukka. Matias MacDonough passed to Beimy but Pelon picked up the pass then Beimy got it again and shot to score for Enigma, 6-1. A foul 31
in the lineout gave Enigma a Penalty 4 which was struck by Malcolm Borwick but came off a defender’s stick for a Penalty 6 but Malcolm’s shot was high and wide. Pelon struck the ball well up field, breaking the head of his stick but his pass to Jaime was taken all the way to score, 7-1. Pelon Stirling got the ball from the lineout and increased the lead to 8-1. Matias MacDonough was on his way to goal about 40 yards out when he was fouled just before halftime, with the score at 8-1 to El Remanso.
The Queen´s Cup Place: Smith’s Lawn, Windsor Great Park, Egham, Surrey TW20 0HP, United Kingdom Club: Guards Polo Club Date: May 18 - June 13, 2010 Level: 22 hcp Tournament type: Open Tournament Director: Oliver Ellis WPT Category: WPT Championship Cup Winner Points: 120 Finalist Points: 60 Semi Finalist Points: 40 Rest of the teams: 20
Malcolm Borwick scored from the subsequent Penalty 2, to move the score to 8-2. George Hanbury passed to Pelon who had a run but his shot was wide. Matias had a chance to score but his nearside shot was wide. George Hanbury hit a backhander to Pelon who was pushed across the front of goal but he hit an under the neck shot to score again putting his team into a 9-2 lead. A spot hit about 10 yards from the goal was put through by Jaime, 10-2. Just before the end of the fourth chukka, Beimy had a run and then Malcolm had a shot but it was wide. Jaime hit the ball in then Pelon took it over but then Malcolm had a run with several good shots on the nearside but the attack was turned. Then a spot hit by Matias went into the goalmouth but a foul occurred and a spot hit was awarded to El Remanso taken by Jaime whose shot went wide. Another spot hit for El Remanso was taken but intercepted and a Malcolm Borwick backhander reached Beimy who ran to score, 10-3. A spot hit to Enigma was moved on a technical to a Penalty 4 but Malcolm’s shot Chris Mackenzie and Pablo MacDonough
Winner: Dubai Polo Team MVP: Chris Mackenzie (Les Lions II) BPP: Certain (owned by Lucas Monteverde, played by Adolfo Cambiaso)
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bounced off a pony and the play turned but then a Penalty 2 was scored by Matias to bring them to 10-4 at the end of the chukka. Matias made an attack on goal then Beimy took the ball and then Enigma grabbed a goal from a melee which pushed them to 10-5. Enigma then got a Penalty 5B taken by Matias but his shot was just too long and wide of goal. Then Beimy scored a quick goal, 10-6. Jerome had a couple of good shots then Beimy had a shot but it was wide. Charlie Hanbury picked up the ball from a throw in and ran to score, 11-6. Seconds later the bell went for the end of the match with El Remanso running out comfortable 11-6 winners after a great display of teamwork by all four players. Pelon Stirling was outstanding in this match and Enigma just gave away too many penalties.
The Harcourt Developments Queen’s Cup Final
Dubai win 12-10 in one of the best ever finals on this historic 50th Anniversary of The Queen’s Cup Seb Merlos hit to Tincho but Pablito backed to Adolfito then Seb backed to Chris Mackenzie who just crossed the line and fouled. From the spot hit Adolfito hit up to Vismara, who dribbled the ball to the goalmouth but Adolfito put the ball through for the first goal, 1-0. Chris Mackenzie did a great blocking job on Pablito and Tincho was able to score, 1-1. Pablito then scored a great under the neck shot to put Dubai 2-1 up. Tincho got onto a good backhander from Chris Mackenzie and his shot scored to level at 2-2. Adolfito got the ball, moved up field then Pablito continued until fouled in the goalmouth and Adolfito scored from the penalty, 3-2. Seb passed to Chris whose under the neck goal shot was just wide. Adolfito ran towards goal and hit a neck shot but it was just wide. Seb passed to Tincho whose shot was wide to the right of goal. Seb Merlos fouled a Dubai player at the hit out so a Penalty 5B was taken by Adolfito and moved up field and Rashid Albwardy took a shot that was just wide. A Penalty 4 scored by Tincho to level at 3-3. Then a Penalty
Dubai Polo Team with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
4 by Adolfito 5 minutes into the second chukka taken at the walk went straight through to move them to 4-3. Adolfito hit a long shot but it was wide to the right. A Penalty 4 was scored by Adolfito after a one tap offence by Seb Merlos to put Dubai 5-3 up at the end of the second. Chris Mackenzie tightly marked Adolfito and Pablito’s shot was wide. Seb and Tincho moved the ball towards the Dubai goal and Tincho score from the penalty, 5-4. A spot hit was taken by Adolfito who ran towards goal but Seb hit to Chris Mackenzie then Seb worked the ball through to tap a goal to level at 5-5. A Penalty 4 to Les Lions II, taken by Tincho, put them into a 5-6 lead with 90 seconds left until halftime. Chris Mackenzie passed to Seb Merlos who took the ball to within a yard of the goal but it popped wide after a hit by Pablito as the bell went for halftime with the score at 5-6 to Les lions II. A Penalty 6 by Tincho went along the ground but Adolfito passed to Pablito who took a really long shot from 80 yards to level the score at 6-6. Then Pablito passed the ball to Adolfito who scored, 7-6. Tincho got the ball and dribbled the ball through traffic to level
at 7-7. A pass up to Rashid almost resulted in a goal but his stick was hooked then a foul occurred and a Penalty 2 was missed by Pablito. A Penalty 6 awarded to Dubai, after a Seb Merlos defensive shot went over his back line with just over a minute to go in the fourth, saw Adolfito score to put Dubai into an 8-7 lead. Good defensive work by Les Lions II led to Tincho having a run but it was turned well by Pablito who went onto the offensive at the end of the fourth. Another Merlos attack was foiled by Pablito with a backhander one yard from the line and Adolfito hit it up the field. Then a pass to Chris allowed him to run to level the scores at 8-8. A Penalty 2 scored by Adolfito pushed them back into a 9-8 lead. Adolfito attacked but a backhander led to a concerted attack by both Merlos brothers and Chris Mackenzie which was saved from a score by a foul. The spot hit went to Dubai who had a run the length of the ground but it was turned and another attack ended with a Penalty 4 scored by Tincho to level the scores at 9-9 at the end of the fifth chukka. Max Gottschalk on his grey, Liza, had a shot at goal but it was wide. Tincho passed to Seb 33
Merlos who escaped Vismara’s hook to score and put Les Lions II into a 9-10 lead. Adolfito then had a quick run to level at 10-10. Immediately from the lineout Adolfito ran under pressure from Chris Mackenzie to put Dubai into an 11-10 lead with under two minutes to go. A Penalty 3 scored by Adolfito to put them at 12-10 with under one minute to go. Tincho Merlos then had a run but his shot was wide seconds before the final bell. Adolfito showed why he is 10 goals and the best player in the world and he has now won The Queen’s Cup a record breaking seven times. Rashid Albwardy became the third member of his family (after father Ali in 2003 & 2005 and brother Tariq in 2006) to win The Queen’s Cup. MVP: Chris Mackenzie BPP: Certain, 13 year old Australian gelding, sold by Ruki Baillieu to Lucas Monteverde only days before the final and played by Adolfo Cambiaso. Best Retrained Racehorse: Menina, a 7 year old Brazilian dark chestnut mare owned and played by Agustin Merlos.
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UK Season - Gold Cup for the British Open
Dubai do the Double By Winning Gold Cup Dubai repeat their achievement of 2005 and win The Queen’s Cup & Gold Cup double. Report by Iain Forbes-Cockell (“The Major”). Photos by PoloLine and Tony Ramirez
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Twenty teams entered The Gold Cup for the British Open in 2010. Two of the fourteen teams that had entered The Queen’s Cup did that tournament only. There were eight teams that just entered the Gold Cup in addition to the twelve that entered both tournaments. The teams were drawn into four leagues each of five teams, thus allowing for four matches at the league stage. The top eight teams qualified to continue in The Gold Cup. The subsidiary finals were played for The Ashton Silver Cup, The Jack Gannon Trophy and The Tatham Cup. A grand total of 50 matches! Chris Bethell and his team in the Cowdray Park Polo Club office
and the ground staff did a fantastic job to run the tournament which now is played over almost four weeks from the third week in June to the third Sunday in July. Only two teams won all four of their league matches, Lechuza Caracas and La Bamba de Areco. The remaining six quarter finalist teams had all won three matches, with a varying positive net goal difference. There was a little more variety in some of the scores than the normal one or two goal difference, which occurred in 16 out of the 40 league stage matches. The biggest league win was Enigma’s 17-7 over Cirencester Park Polo Club. Lechuza Caracas had a 12-5 win against
Agustin Merlos, Juan Martin Nero and Chris Mackenzie
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Talandracas. There were eight matches where there was a five goal difference in score between the winners and losers, six of which were against teams that only played in The Gold Cup – is there something to be learnt from that statistic?
Quarter final matches
Les Lions II v Lechuza Caracas The match was close, as you might expect at this stage of the tournament. The teams had a similar structure of players, with handicaps totaling 18 and 17 goals in their two best players and both had one goal patrons. They were tied at 3-3 after the first and 5-5 after the second chukka. Lechuza Caracas
got themselves in front by one goal to lead 7-6 at halftime. A goal apiece in the fourth didn’t alter the situation. In the fifth, Lechuza opened up a three goal lead by the end of the chukka, 11-8 and although they didn’t score again and Les Lions II came back with two goals, Lechuza Caracas got revenge for their defeat when these two had played in their Queen’s Cup semifinal by winning 11-10 and progressing to the semi-finals of The Gold Cup.
Dubai v La Bamba de Areco Dubai, who were La Bamba de Areco’s nemesis in their semi-final of The Queen’s Cup, repeated their win but after a much closer match. After
a better start of the two teams, Dubai had a 3-2 lead after the first chukka. La Bamba failed to score in the second but Dubai notched up two more goals to take them to 5-2 by the end of the chukka. Two goals apiece meant that the three goal gap in favour of Dubai, 7-4 was still there at half time. La Bamba started to come back in the fourth, scoring three goals to Dubai’s two, thus reducing the gap to 9-7. They repeated that progress in the fifth, so by the end of that chukka the score was 11-10 in Dubai’s favour. La Bamba are no strangers to being behind in the last chukka (they were 10-7 down to El Remanso with only three minutes left to play in a Queen’s Cup match and recovered
Ruki Baillieu and Eduardo Heguy
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to win in overtime) but on this occasion, their magic didn’t work and with both teams scoring two goals again, Dubai won their semi-final place with a 13-12 victory over La Bamba de Areco and revenge for last year’s defeat in the Gold Cup Final .
Enigma v Loro Piana Loro Piana, who won the Gold Cup in 2008, have had a more difficult year in 2010. This was evident from the start of this match. Enigma, who had made it to the subsidiary final of The Queen’s Cup, had been playing well during the league stages of the Gold Cup. They continued in that vein and took a 4-2 lead after the first
Silver Spring 1870 Adrian Kirby Ruki Baillieu John-Paul Clarkin Rob Archibald
22 1 7 8 6
| League 2 |
| League 1 |
Gold Cup for the British Open | Teams I La Bamba de Areco 22 Jean-Francois Decaux Gonzalo Pieres Jr. Facundo Pieres Edmund Parsons
0 10 10 2
22
Dubai
22
El Remanso
Rashid Albwardy Pablo MacDonough Adolfo Cambiaso Jr. Francisco Vismara
1 9 10 2
George Hanbury Charlie Hanbury David Stirling Jr. Jaime GarcĂa Huidobro
Zacara
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Combe
Lyndon Lea Eduardo Novillo Astrada Jr. Javier Novillo Astrada Oliver Cudmore
Les Lions Joachim Gottschalk Nachi Heguy Eduardo Heguy Francisco Elizalde
Emerging Fabian Pictet Hector Guerrero Piki Diaz Alberdi Juan Gris Zavaleta
1 9 9 3
22 0 9 8 5
21 0 6 8 7
2 4 9 7
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Nigel Warr Joaquin Pittaluga Juan Ignacio Merlos Ignacio Toccalino
0 6 9 7
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Salkeld Nick Clarke Ignatius Du Plessis Alejandro Muzzio Jose Donoso
0 7 8 7
La Dolfina Polo Ranch 21 Ernesto Gutierrez Martin Valent Hilario Ulloa Lucas Criado
Eduardo Novillo Astrada Jr.
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0 5 8 8
Winner: Dubai Polo Team MVP: Adolfo Cambiaso Jr (Dubai) BPP: Dolfina Caridad, 10 year old bay mare, owned and played by Adolfo Cambiaso. Subsidiary finals results were as follows: Ashton Silver Cup: Zacara beat Sumaya 11-10 Jack Gannon Trophy: Combe beat Talandracas 12-9 Tatham Cup: Piaget beat Les Lions 9-8
| League 3 |
Place: Easebourne, Midhurst, West Sussex GU29 0AQ, United Kingdom Club: Cowdray Park Polo Club Date: June 22 - July 18, 2010 Level: 22 hcp Tournament type: Open Tournament Director: Chris Bethell WPT Category: Gran Slam Winner Points: 150 Finalist Points: 70 Semi Finalist Points: 50 Rest of the teams: 25
Lechuza Caracas Victor Vargas Guillermo Caset Jr. Miguel Novillo Astrada Max Routledge
22 1 8 9 4
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Enigma Jerome Wirth James Beim Matias MacDonough Malcolm Borwick
1 7 8 6
Talandracas
22
Edouard Carmignac Guillermo Terrera Lucas Monteverde Luke Tomlinson
0 7 8 7
Cirencester PC Nick Britten-Long Mark Tomlinson Nicolas Pieres Sam Hopkinson
Panthers Ed Magor Satnam Dhillon Manuel Fernandez Llorente Tom Morley
22 2 7 7 6
21 3 6 6 6
chukka. One goal apiece in the second, 5-3 and two goals apiece in the third, meant that the halftime score was 7-5. Parity of scoring continued in the fourth which ended with Enigma in a 9-7 lead. In the fifth, Enigma broke that pattern and scored two goals without reply to take an 11-7 lead into the last chukka. Outscoring their opponents again, this time by 2-1 in the chukka, allowed Enigma to emerge as 13-8 winners and earn their place in the semi-finals.
El Remanso vs Silver Spring El Remanso, beaten twice by La Bamba de Areco by a single goal in both the league and quarter-final stages of The Queen’s Cup, found themselves in the same league in the Gold Cup! Can you imagine the frustration? Well, although they lost to La Bamba 39
| League 4 |
Gold Cup for the British Open | Teams II
Gold Cup for the British Open
Les Lions II
22
Max Gottschalk Agustin Merlos Sebastian Merlos Chris Mackenzie
1 9 9 3
Loro Piana
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Alfio Marchini Juan Martin Nero Santiago Chavanne Juan Jauretche
3 10 8 1
Sumaya
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Oussama Aboughazale Milo Fernández Araujo Lucas James Carlos Gracida
Piaget Stefano Marsaglia Marcos Araya Bautista Heguy Marcos Heguy
Billingbear Park Roger Carlsson Cristian Laprida jr Marcos Di Paola Nacho Gonzalez
0 8 7 7
22 0 4 9 9
22 0 8 8 6
by one goal, yet again, in their Gold Cup league match, they avoided another quarter-final match because their opponents were Silver Spring, Adrian Kirby’s team and the only survivor of the “Gold Cup only” teams to make it that far. Unfortunately for them, El Remanso, with plenty of difficult matches under their belt, got off to a faster start and were 4-2 up after the first chukka. Two goals each in the second saw the score at 6-4. Silver Spring came back in the third and fourth chukkas, getting to 7-6 at halftime and into a 9-8 lead after the fourth. El Remanso now had to dig in and realised that they still had a battle on their hands. The match was tied at 10-10 after the fifth chukka. However, in an exciting last chukka, in which, like the first chukka, six goals were scored, it was El Remanso who scored five to Silver Spring’s single goal, allowing El Remanso the satisfaction of a semi-final place after their 15-11 win.
Semi-finals
Lechuza beat Enigma 10-8 and reach the final Enigma had shown in previous stages of this tournament that they were a team to be reckoned with. Jerome Wirth, their patron, had invested a lot of time, effort and money into setting up his team and support facilities, developing it both in UK and Argentina over the last two seasons. Malcolm Borwick, Jerome’s polo team manager and James Beim, both England Internationals and both with experience of playing up to 30 goal polo in International matches and in Argentina know each others game and are well mounted. Their fourth player, the very experienced Matias MacDonough had the skills necessary to set up plays for his team. So it was no surprise that they scored first. In fact, they scored three consecutive goals, a Matias MacDonough field goal, a Penalty 4 scored by Malcolm and a field goal by Beimy, with no reply by Lechuza in the first chukka, 0-3. Victor Vargas, patron of Lechuza Caracas, has dealt with difficult situations many times in his life, even in polo. He played in the UK in 2009 only a month after the terrible tragedy, the loss of 21 ponies during the US Open. We interviewed him for PQ’s summer issue 2009, shortly after his arrival in the UK and it was the first in-depth interview he had given after the tragedy. In it he explained his philosophy for dealing with difficult situations and how he was determined to come back and achieve success again. His experience of
Pablo MacDonough and Nachi Heguy
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26 goal polo in the USA had certainly helped him previously and with his team based around the experienced Miguel Novillo Astrada and a brilliant new talent Guillermo “Sapo” Caset, both of whom had played in the Argentine Open, with young and talented Englishman Max Routledge, they were all looking to show their skills. Rocked by their first chukka setback, Lechuza came back strongly in the second with two Penalty 4s scored by Sapo Caset, then Malcolm scored a field goal for Enigma and near the end of the chukka, the experienced Miguel Novillo Astrada scored a field goal to bring the score to 3-4 in Enigma’s favour. Max Routledge scored a great field goal early in the third to level and then a Penalty 4 scored by Sapo put them in the lead briefly until a Penalty 2 scored by Malcolm leveled the scores at 5-5 at halftime. Lechuza stepped up the pace in the fourth, with Miguel scoring two field goals , then Victor Vargas scoring a field goal before Malcolm got one goal back through a Penalty 3, to make the score 8-6 to Lechuza. The match then remained evenly balanced and in the fifth, Matias scored for Enigma and Victor scored for Lechuza, 9-7. In
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the sixth chukka, Malcolm scored from a Penalty 3, to bring Enigma within one goal and then in the next attack, Max Routledge made the most incredible nearside forehand save when the ball was one yard from going through the goal, took the ball to the side, was called off it by Miguel and then went up field for a pass, which he then took to score, with under a minute left. This was a killer blow against Enigma, who instead of equalizing at 9-9, found themselves 10-8 down as the bell went to end the match before they could mount another attack. This was a fast and exciting game, where a bad fourth chukka by Enigma had made the difference between the two teams. Lechuza’s 10-8 victory saw them get their place in the final. They had to wait for the result of the afternoon match to see who they would meet.
Dubai get a comfortable 10-6 win over El Remanso El Remanso received 1 goal on handicap. Dubai went straight on the attack with Pablo MacDonough, who passed to Francisco Vismara and his shot was wide. A penalty shot by Cambiaso was wide. A Penalty 5B taken by Jaime Huidobro was passed to Pelon Stirling but his under the neck shot was wide. In the next play another Pelon under the neck shot was wide. A Penalty 4 by Adolfito hit a pony and Pelon turned to attack but then a Penalty 5B awarded to Dubai, which was taken by Adolfito and hit through to level the scores at 1-1. A pass was hit from the lineout to Rashid Albwardy who took the ball to score, 2-1. A Penalty 4 by Jaime was saved but then another attack resulted in a goal by Pelon, 2-2. Pablo started an attack but Jaime stole the ball and ran to score, 2-3. A Penalty 4 taken by Pelon was just wide. Dubai had missed two shots and El Remanso had missed three shots at goal in the first chukka. Some tight marking, with a number of attacks by both sides being turned by their opponents led to a low scoring second chukka. A spot hit near the 60 yard line by Cambiaso was turned but then Pablo MacDonough had a great run from halfway to score, 3-3 at the end of the chukka. A Penalty 2 was scored by Adolfito 3 minutes into the chukka, 4-3. A Penalty 4 struck
along the ground by Adolfito was met by Pelon and then a Penalty 5B was awarded to El Remanso. After the penalty hit the ball was turned by Adolfito and passed to Rashid who went on the attack then Pelon got the ball and had a run but didn’t result in a score, so it remained 4-3 at halftime. Pablo MacDonough had a run straight from the lineout but his goal shot was wide. Then in the next play Adolfito picked up the ball and tapped it through to score, 5-3. A spot hit by Jaime was picked up by Adolfito then a Penalty 2 was awarded to Dubai which
Pablo MacDonough scored while Adolfito was changing his pony, 6-3. A spot hit by Adolfito was passed to Pablo MacDonough who scored, 7-3. A spot hit by Jaime was passed to Pelon who scored, 7-4. A run by Pelon and then Charlie Hanbury resulted in a spot hit 10 yards from goal, which was scored by Pelon, 7-5 as the bell went for the end of the chukka. Close marking with no score for the first two minutes, then a Penalty 4 was scored by Adolfito, 8-5. Soon after, another Penalty 4 was scored by Adolfito, 9-5. A hit by Jaime from the spot was taken then
Charlie Hanbury
42
left behind and Pablo MacDonough pounced on the loose ball and ran to score, 10-5 only seconds before the end of the chukka. Pablo passed to Adolfito who passed to Rashid who had a great run but just missed his goal shot. An attack by El Remanso was just stopped by the goal and then hit up by Adolfito then turned by Charlie Hanbury. A Penalty 5B was awarded to El Remanso and pushed up field and a Penalty 2 was then scored by Jaime, 10-6. Francisco Vismara was on a run to goal when the final bell went with Dubai running out 10-6 winners.
Above: Sebastian Merlos - Below: Guillermo “Sapo” Caset
Overall, the first three chukkas of this match were not as exciting as the first semi-final. There were a lot of penalties and once Dubai had got their nose in front with a 2 goal cushion at the end of the fourth chukka, the game was virtually over. The Cambiaso-MacDonough combination proved too strong for El Remanso to deal with and they confirmed their place to meet Victor Vargas’ Lechuza Caracas in the final.
Gold Cup Final
Dubai beat Lechuza Caracas 14-12 and won the high goal double Lechuza Caracas received 1 goal on handicap as Dubai’s Francisco Vismara had been raised from 2 to 3 goals in the mid-season handicap changes. They wanted to get another score on the board as quickly as they could and Sapo Caset got the ball from the lineout then Miguel Novillo Astrada picked it up but an infringement occurred and a spot hit was awarded to Dubai. Adolfito hit to Francisco Vismara then picked it up again but was fouled and a Penalty 2 was struck by 43
Above: JP Clarkin - Below: Jean-Francois Decaux
Adolfito as usual at the walk but it hit a defender’s stick. He hit the Penalty 6 just wide of the right goalpost, 0-1. Sapo had a run but play was turned by Adolfito then Pablito took the ball to goal and Francisco Vismara popped it through to negate the handicap start, 1-1. Miguel picked up the ball and passed to Victor Vargas, with Max Routledge doing some fine riding off, and Victor scored, 1-2. Adolfito attacked and then scored from a Penalty 2, 2-2. Pablito scored with a run from the lineout, 3-2. Then a foul occurred and a Penalty 4 was scored by Adolfito just before the end of the chukka to put Dubai two goals into the lead, 44
Above: Alfio Marchini - Below: Max Gottschalk
4-2. Another Dubai attack ended with the ball going off a defender’s stick but Adolfito missed the Penalty 6. From the hit out Miguel hit to Sapo who scored, 4-3. However, there was a quick reply from Dubai with a field goal from Pablito, 5-3. Another quick break from the lineout by Dubai led to a goal, 6-3. Then Lechuza had a run with Miguel scoring, 6-4. During another Lechuza attack the ball was left behind and Pablito pounced and ran to score, 7-4. Adolfito had a shot that was just wide of goal as the bell went. Early in the next chukka Adolfito was on a run when Max Routledge stole the ball from him and passed to Sapo 45
who had a run, went past the goal and backed it to Victor who tapped the ball to score, 7-5. A hit by Adolfito led to a goal shot which was tapped through by Rashid, 8-5. Then a Penalty 2 taken by Pablito while Adolfito was changing his pony was missed. A pass from Miguel to Sapo was then run towards goal but his shot was wide. The whistle went as Sapo took a hit from a stick on his head and needed medical treatment just before halftime. A spot hit by Sapo from the centre was returned by Adolfito then Miguel picked up the ball and scored from a long range shot, 8-6. Another Dubai attack ended with a Penalty 6 by Adolfito going just wide to the right. Miguel hit out and passed to Sapo then Max and eventually Sapo tickled the ball through a bunch of ponies’ legs to score 8-7. Rashid had a great under the neck shot at goal but it just missed. Miguel took the ball up field and was
46
Marcos Heguy watched by Bautista
47
fouled, so a Penalty 2 was awarded and Miguel scored to level at 8-8. A mistake by a Lechuza player let Adolfito steal the ball and run to score, 9-8. Then a quick run from the lineout by Pablito took the ball to within 3 metres of the line and Adolfito knocked it through to go 10-8 up at the end of the chukka. Adolfito stepped up the pace and ran the ball to score, 11-8. A spot hit to Lechuza near their back line was moved to a Penalty 4 after a Dubai player was twice closer than 30 yards from the ball when the ball was hit and Miguel scored, 11-9. A Penalty 4 scored by Adolfito restored a three goal lead, 12-9. A Penalty 2 was scored by Sapo just before the bell, 12-10. A Penalty 4 awarded early in the chukka was scored by Adolfito, 13-10. After a foul near the Lechuza goal a Penalty 2 was scored by Adolfito to put Dubai 1410 up. A Penalty 4 hit by Sapo went off a defender’s stick, so a Penalty 6 was then taken by Sapo but saved in the goalmouth by Adolfito and taken to a safer area at the side of the ground but a foul occurred and a spot hit taken by Miguel was passed to Sapo who scored, 14-11. Straight after that another attack by Sapo ended with the shot going wide. Then Sapo passed to Miguel who scored, 14-12. Dubai were on the attack again when the bell went to end the match, 14-12 in Dubai’s favour.
Nachi Du Plessis and Joaquin Pittaluga
Above: Miguel Novillo Astrada - Below: Lucas James y Magoo Laprida
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Yet again, Adolfito had shown that whatever adjustments are made to the rules, he is able to adapt his and his team’s play to get the best results. Pablito MacDonough, an Ellerstina player and rival in Argentina, had never played in the same team as Adolfito before. Great credit should go to him for being able to adapt his skills to become a key member of Dubai’s team this season. His handicap in this country has deservedly been raised from 9 to 10 and Rashid Albwardy has been raised from 1 to 2 goals in handicap. Along with Francisco Vismara’s mid-season raise from 2 to 3, the Dubai team that won this season’s two main high goal tournaments, which started the year on 22 goals, has ended the season being handicapped at 25 goals!
Father and son: Ali and Rashid Albwardy - Adolfo Cambiaso Jr receiving the BPP award for his Dolfina Caridad - Dubai at the Podium
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UK Season - PJ´s Party
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1. Annie and Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers | 2. Nicholas and Jamie Roberts, Bettina Bahlsen and Maxi Ponse | 3. Sebastian Amaya and Vieri Antinori 4. George Meyrick and Isabella O’Duffy | 5. Tanya Semikoz | 6. Adam and Katrin Buchanan | 7. Jamie Morrison and Henry Brett | 8. Platina Tong and Brian Stein 9. Erica Osterlund | 10. Shira Jones | 11. Harry Stancliffe and Elly Webster 12. Tanya Gallimore and Tomás Palacios Bacque | 13. PJ´s Staff
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14. Travis McKechnie (General Manager of PJ’s), Liz and Robin Sims-Henderson | 15. Kenney Jones and friends | 16. Liuba Bortnik, Elizabeth Flynn and Sophie Kyriazi | 17. Jonathan Ingram and Susan Cory-Wright | 18. James Wayland | 19. Sisters Giovanna and Aurora Eastwood | 20. Alannah Wick and friend | 21. Roy Moed and Charlotte Champion | 22. Robert de By and Rosemary Santos | 23. Alan and Lucy Morello | 24. Jessica Cuatrecasas and Holly Smith | 25. Iain ForbesCockell and Katy Stankova | 26. Rosemary Santos and Ben Maitland
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UK Season - Coronation Cup
CARTIER INTERNATIONAL Day Report by Iain Forbes-Cockell (“The Major”) Photos by PoloLine
Luke Tomlinson, Malcolm Borwick, Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers, HRH The Prince of Wales, Arnaud Bamberger, James Beim, Mark Tomlinson, Jon Zammett
This was the 26th year of Cartier’s sponsorship of International Polo Day. There were two fast moving and entertaining polo matches enjoyed by some 20,000 spectators. For those not in the Cartier, Chinawhite, Guards members or other corporate marquees for lunch, there were plenty of picnics around the car parks, blessed as we were with good weather. This year, the
pre-match parade, as well as the usual parade of the teams, pony club teams, huntsmen and hounds, and the Light Cavalry of the HAC, included around 30 service personnel of mixed ranks and speciality who had all recently returned from operational duties in Afghanistan. They received an appreciative standing ovation from the spectators. 52
Golden Jubilee Trophy match Prince of Wales team vs Hurlingham team
Roddy Williams ran half the length of the field to score, 1-0. Another run was turned and Satnam Dhillon took the ball forward and shot at goal, the ball was stopped in the air by Max Charlton but Ollie Cudmore popped the ball through to level at 1-1. Satnam
Coronation Cup 2010 England
27 7 7 7 6
James Beim Mark Tomlinson Luke Tomlinson Malcolm Borwick
New Zealand
27
Sam Hopkinson Simon Keyte John-Paul Clarkin Tommy Wilson
6 7 8 6
Coronation Cup Place: Smith’s Lawn, Windsor Great Park, Egham, Surrey TW20 0HP, UK Club: Guards Polo Club Date: July 25, 2010 Winner: England Polo Team MVP: James Beim BPP: Gumboot, 9 year old bay NZ mare owned and played by John-Paul Clarkin Best Young Player: Oliver Cudmore Gabriel Donoso Award (captain of the away team): John-Paul Clarkin
went on the attack though the ball went over the back line. After the hit out Ryan Pemble got the ball and went to score, 1-2. A Penalty 5B taken by Satnam was hit long up to Richard Le Poer who then scored, 1-3. Straight from the lineout Hurlingham attacked again and Richard Le Poer scored another goal, 1-4 as the bell went for the end of the chukka. From the lineout, Max Charlton hit an accurate pass to Roddy Williams who tapped the ball once in the air then through the goal, 2-4. Ryan Pemble missed a couple of goal-scoring opportunities when he struck a Penalty 3 just wide and then a shot was just wide of the goalpost. Another Hurlingham attack came to a halt when the ball went over the back line. The bell went shortly after the hit in, with the Prince of Wales team just edging back to 2-4. A Prince of Wales team attack with an under the neck shot by Max Charlton was just wide. Some close play followed then a Penalty 5B to Hurlingham was hit forward to Richard Le Poer but the whistle went. A throw in
Luke Tomlinson
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resulted then some further close play and then a Penalty 4 was struck just wide by Ryan Pemble at the bell for half time, 2-4. From the start of the fourth chukka, the Prince of Wales team gradually got their way back into the game and in the fifth chukka Max Charlton scored a great goal to level at 6-6 and force the match into overtime. A Prince of Wales attack ended after a great shot by Max Charlton just went wide. Hurlingham then had to defend another attack and then Satnam took the ball down the field and passed to Ollie Cudmore who scored the winning goal for Hurlingham, 6-7.
Coronation Cup England vs New Zealand
There was a steady start to the match with each side pressing home an attack. A spot hit was taken by New Zealand and then John-Paul Clarkin’s goal shot was just wide. Simon Keyte had a shot at goal but was just wide to the right. In the fourth minute a great pass from Beimy got to Luke Tomlinson who scored, 1-0. Some good passing play by England led to Luke passing to Beimy, whose under the neck goal shot was wide to the right of goal just before the bell at the end of the first chukka. An England attack was started by Luke, who passed to Beimy but he was fouled and Luke scored from the Penalty 2, 2-0. A spot hit near the halfway line
James Beim
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to New Zealand was taken by JohnPaul (from here on referred to as JP) and then intercepted by Malcolm and hit by Beimy to Mark Tomlinson, who had a run towards goal but his final shot was wide to the right. A Penalty 4 awarded to New Zealand was struck by Sam Hopkinson along the ground but he got the direction wrong and missed. Then a spot hit from about 20 yards was scored by JP, 2-1. Luke Tomlinson had a backhand shot at goal, saved on the line by Tommy Wilson and then Malcolm Borwick struck a great backhander to score 3-1 as the bell went for the end of the chukka. JP had a great run the length of the field but his goal shot hit the post. An England attack developed and Beimy had a shot but it was wide. JP had another run but again the goal shot was just wide. Luke
Tomlinson passed to his brother Mark who took three shots to score 4-1. Beimy had a great run straight from the lineout and after four shots tapped the ball through goal, 5-1. Again there was a quick pass up to Beimy, who was under pressure but scored with a great shot, 6-1 at halftime. New Zealand had missed five opportunities to score and England had missed three opportunities by halftime. At the start of the fourth chukka, Beimy got the ball from the lineout and then Simon Keyte picked up the ball, took it forward but a Luke Tomlinson backhander sent Beimy off and then a foul occurred and Luke scored the penalty 7-1. Then a New Zealand attack developed but Sam Hopkinson's shot was wide. A foul in the lineout led
to a Penalty 4 scored by JP, 7-2. In the next attack, Simon Keyte picked up the ball and passed up field but between Luke and Malcolm the ball was turned and Beimy took the ball to the side of the ground after the bell went for chukka. In the fifth chukka New Zealand worked their way back into the match. Their coach, Cody Forsyth, who had played in seven different Cartier International matches, had plenty of experience at this level of polo and he changed a few things in how New Zealand played. It seemed to work, as early on in the fifth chukka a Penalty from the spot about 15 yards from goal was scored by JP, 7-3. After a couple of good runs by New Zealand, a Penalty 2 was awarded and JP scored again, 7-4. Another New Zealand attack was just turned before the end of
Sam Hopkinson and Mark Tomlinson
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the chukka, as the bell went and the whistle went for a foul. A penalty from halfway was hit and JP then scored a field goal, 7-5. JP got the ball straight from the lineout and ran to score, 7-6. The tide was definitely turning in New Zealand’s favour as JP got the ball and then passed to Simon Keyte who scored with a great backhander to level at 7-7. Malcolm Borwick ran to goal and the ball popped but Luke was able to back him up and score and put a stop to a run of six New Zealand goals without reply, 8-7. Then an England attack began and Beimy hit a big shot to score, 9-7. Another run by Mark Tomlinson and his near side under the neck shot was wide. JP had a run but his final shot was wide. The ball was hit out and taken up field by Luke and then the bell went for the end of the
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match with England running out 9-7 winners over New Zealand.
HRH The Prince of Wales, accompanied by Mr Arnaud Bamberger of Cartier, presented prizes to players from both the Golden Jubilee match and The Cartier International match. Parties were under way shortly after the presentation of prizes and the post match press conference. Chinawhite’s massive marquee hosted in excess of 1,000 party-goers, who enjoyed a good six hours of dancing and drinking before the 1130 noise curfew. John Stephen had kindly allowed all the exAfghanistan service personnel to enjoy the Chinawhite party in the VIP section and he posed for a photograph with them and actress Holly Vallance.
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Chinawhite's John Stephen & Holly Valance pose with personnel returning from Afghanistan58 of The Household Cavalry & Royal Air Force - by Alan Davidson
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UK Season - Royal Windsor Cup
Claire Tomlinson wins her fourth Royal Windsor Cup Report by Iain Forbes-Cockell (“The Major”)
Twenty teams entered the 2010 Royal Windsor Cup, sponsored again by the Al Habtoor Group. They were split into three qualifying groups, with 9 teams playing league matches at Guards to produce four teams for the quarter-finals, 5 teams playing at Coworth to produce two teams and 6 playing at Cowdray to produce the other
two quarter-final places. Although originally Ali Albwardy’s two sons, Tariq and Rashid, were due to play with Matias Machado and the polo world’s current best player, Adolfo Cambiaso Jr, there was a change and Clive Reid’s AFB team, winners of the 2009 Victor Ludorum at 8 goal, replaced them using three 5 goal
Tomas Garcia del Rio and Claire Tomlinson
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players. Despite not seeing Cambiaso in the Royal Windsor, which he has won in the past with Geebung, there were some seriously good players taking part this year, representing a wide variety of nationalities. There was one 8 goaler, Nico Espain, ten 7 goalers, from Argentina, Australia, Chile, England, Italy, New Zealand and South
Africa, ten 6 goalers and fourteen 5 goalers, who were well mounted and very experienced at this 15 goal level of play. It meant that this was a tournament that was going to be full of fast attacking polo. As has so often been the case in recent years, the 15 goal level has often produced more exciting running games than the 22 goal and, despite the emphasis this year on more backhanders in the high goal, which was not enforced to the same standard by all the umpires, this year was no exception to that and spectators were lucky enough to see some exciting running games. After some very close qualifying league matches, only a few of which were won by more than a one or two goal margin, the eight qualifying teams were BHC Polo, Billingbear Above: Tomas Garcia del Rio and Ryan Pemble | Below: Nico Espain
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Above: George Gemmell, Cubi Toccalino, Claire and Mark Tomlinson | Below: Leroux Hendriks and Matt Lodder
Park, Clarita and Lost Boys (from Guards), Jaeger-LeCoultre and Lamrei (from Cowdray), Los Locos and Zacara (from Coworth). Billingbear managed a 13-11 win over Jaeger-LeCoultre, BHC Polo had a close 9-8 win over Lamrei, Clarita snatched an 8-7 win over Zacara and the only team that managed a more comfortable win were Los Locos, who beat Lost Boys 6-3.
The Semi-finals Two really tough semi-finals ensued with Clarita being pushed all the way by Billingbear. Billingbear, with that very quick and well mounted player Guillermo Cuitino pouncing on the ball at every opportunity, also had Juan Cruz Guevara, a hard working player and up and coming George Meyrick, who had played with Dubai in the high goal in previous seasons. They seemed to have blended into an effective team. Clarita, all of whom were superbly mounted, had to rely on an overtime win to earn their place in the final. Los Locos took on BHC Polo, who’s Gaston Laulhe and two Brazilian 4 goal players, Juracy Santos and Rafael Villela Rosa were well supported by patron Mo Sheikh. 62
Clarita
Patricio Cieza Juan Pedro Chavanne Peter Webb Clive Reid
5 5 5 0
Harilela (The Next Level) 15
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Aron Harilela Max Charlton Hissam Ali Hyder Vieri Antinori
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Chris Mathias Matt Loder Roddy Williams Tomás García del Río
Aravali
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Karan Thapar Sam Gairdner Oliver Hipwood Howard Hipwood
1 4 5 5
Royal Windsor Cup Place: Smith’s Lawn, Windsor Great Park, Egham, Surrey TW20 0HP, UK Club: Guards Polo Club Date: May 28 - June 20, 2010 Level: 15 hcp Tournament type: Handicap WPT Category: Challenge Cup Winner Points: 60 Finalist Points: 30 Semi Finalist Points: 15 Rest of the teams: 8 Winner: Los Locos Polo Team MVP: Chris Mathias (Clarita) BPP: Americana (Ignacio Toccalino)
It was the experience from the high goal both in England and in Argentina that stood the two 7 goalers in Los Locos, Mark Tomlinson and Cubi Toccalino, in good stead. With George Gemmell, whose father David had played in the Los Locos team when it won this tournament in both 1980 and 1981 and Claire Tomlinson both marking their opponents really well, it allowed the two big guns in the middle to use the speed of mind and ponies to pass the ball to each other and eventually get the team a place in the final after their 10-8 win in the semi-final.
The Final After a close start, with both teams marking well, the first opportunity to score fell to Tomas Garcia del Rio with a Penalty 4 but his shot went over the
| League 3 |
0 5 3 7
Stefan Sund Tomás Ruiz Guiñazu Pepe Araya Michael Howe
15
George Hanbury Charlie Hanbury Nina Clarkin Manuel Fernandez Llorente
0 5 3 7
Zacara
15
Lyndon Lea Gonzalo del Tour Rukie Baillieu Jake Daniels
1 7 7 0
Black Bears
15
Guy Schwarzenbach Ed Hitchman Simon Keyte Matthew Perry
2 5 7 1
Los Locos
15
Claire Tomlinson Mark Tomlinson Ignacio Toccalino George Gemmel
1 7 7 0
Asprey London Simon Holley Juan Gris Zavaleta Chris Hyde Charlie Wooldridge
15 0 7 6 2
Dimitry Vozianov Nicolás Espain Tatu Gómez Romero John Kent
Mo Sheikh Rafael Vilela Rosa Gastón Laulhé Juracy Santos
Billingbear Park
0 5 6 4
Halcyon Gallery
Seven Sevens
BHC Polo
Roger Carlsson Juan Cruz Guevara George Meyrick Guillermo Cuitiño
| Teams Qualifying from Cowdray |
15
Habtoor Al Habtoor Ryan Pemble Leroux Hendriks Ignus du Plessis
| League 2 |
Habtoor
| Teams Qualifying from Coworth |
| League 1 |
Royal Windsor Cup
Broncos
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0 8 5 2
15 0 4 7 5
15 0 5 4 6
15
Henry Fisher Richard Le Poer Jose Donoso George Milford Haven
3 4 7 1
La Golondrina
15
Paul Oberschneider Jack Richardson Diego Cavanagh Juan Ambroggio
Jaeger-LeCoultre Claire Milford Haven Gareth Evans Bautista Sorzana Nick Pepper
Emlor Clinton McCarthy Eden Ormerod Joaquin Pittaluga Nacho Gonzalez
Lamrei Charles McCowan Tito Ruiz Guiñazu Santiago Gaztambide Juan Ignacio Casero
Tayto back line off a defender’s stick. His Penalty 6 was hit high but wide of goal. Then a spot hit by Cubi Toccalino was passed to Mark Tomlinson, who hit up field and a Penalty 3 was awarded to Los Locos thus Cubi Toccalino scored the opening goal 4 minutes into the chukka, 1-0. A spot hit by Mark passed
15
Stephen Hutchinson Alan Kent Martin Rodriguez Tom De Bruin
0 3 6 6
15 0 6 6 3
15 0 3 6 6
15 0 6 7 2
15 2 4 4 5
to Cubi then Mark was fouled and the Penalty 4 awarded was well struck by Cubi to put them two goals up, 2-0. A Penalty 5B was awarded to Los Locos, taken by Cubi which he tapped and then hit a long shot through goal, 3-0. Clarita attacked through Tomas Garcia del Rio but the ball bounced and was then hit out by George Gemmell, as the bell went for the end of the first chukka. A Penalty 2 scored by Tomas Garcia del Rio opened Clarita’s account, 3-1. Getting into the swing of things, Tomas then scored again, with a great shot from 60 yards out near the side
of the ground to make the score, 3-2. A Penalty 5B by Cubi Toccalino was taken forward but the ball bounced out of play. From the throw in, Cubi got the ball and scored with an under the neck shot, 4-2. Again Cubi got the ball from the lineout and got a spot hit from 5 yards which he scored, 5-2. Then another spot hit by Cubi was hit to Mark Tomlinson but picked up by Tomas Garcia del Rio, who scored from 60 yards out just before the chukka ended, 5-3. Clarita’s comeback continued in the third chukka with Tomas running the ball to score, 5-4. Then he struck
John Kent and Guillermo Cuitino
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a Penalty 4 along the ground and through goal to level at 5-5. A Penalty 5B by Cubi was tapped up to Mark, who passed to Claire Tomlinson whose shot was cleared by Tomas but over his own back line. The subsequent Penalty 6 by Cubi was hit high but wide. A spot hit by Tomas near centre of ground eventually led to him scoring with an under the neck shot to go into the lead, 5-6 for the first time. A spot hit by Cubi moved up field then a Penalty 3 was awarded to Los Locos and scored by Mark, 6-6. Chris Mathias had a good run then Tomas’s shot just missed a goal.
Mark Tomlinson went on the attack but then Matt Lodder stole it and then missed a shot and Tomas took it but Cubi got the ball from him and his shot at goal missed. A great cut shot after a few tap shots on a long run by Mark Tomlinson to score on Foxy, his super 11 year old black gelding, 7-6. A Penalty 4 by Cubi was hit just wide left of goal. Cubi then had a run to score 8-6, seconds before the end of the chukka. A Penalty 4 by Cubi was struck well but wide right of goal. Then a spot hit by Tomas hit up to Chris Mathias who took the ball on and then Tomas then
scored, 8-7. A spot hit from 15 yards was scored by Claire Tomlinson, 9-7. A spot hit in the goalmouth was scored by Tomas, 9-8. Less than two minutes of play remained when Clarita got a spot hit from near halfway, hit by Tomas and taken towards goal but it went over the back line off a Los Locos defender. A Penalty 6 was hit wide right by Tomas and a chance to level was lost. Mark Tomlinson hit out and had a run downfield then Tomas went on the attack again as the bell went for the end of the match, with Los Locos running out winners 9-8.
Mike Howe of Lost Boys
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MVP: Chris Mathias, patron of Clarita BPP: Americana, 10 year old bay mare, played by Cubi Toccalino in the second and fourth chukkas. Groom Luciano. Claire Tomlinson had previously won The Royal Windsor in 1980, 1981 and 1996. Winning in 2010 has meant four wins over four decades, a really wonderful achievement, made even more special because she was playing this year with her son Mark.
UK Season - Queen Mother´s Centenary Trophy
QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER’S CENTENARY TROPHY
Last year’s runners up, Aravali, went one better this year, with a win against Mad Dogs in the La Martina sponsored opening 15 Goal Tournament of the season at Guards Polo Club. Tournament report by Iain Forbes-Cockell (“The Major”). Chris Hyde and Nicolas Espain
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Six teams entered this year, including new patron Dmitry Vozianov’s Seven Sevens as well as some familiar teams, including last year’s winners, Simon Holley’s Asprey, who shared the team this year with Ian Wooldridge’s Twelve Oaks, as well as Maurice Salem’s Jada, Mo Sheikh’s BHC Polo, Alan Fall’s Mad Dogs and Karan Thapar’s Aravali. The teams were split into two leagues of three, playing two league matches then the winners of
each league played the final and the second placed teams played the subsidiary final. The matches were four chukkas in duration. Asprey/Twelve Oaks, who received a half goal on handicap, played Seven Sevens in the opening League One match on The Duke’s Ground and got off to a faster start leading 3½-1 after the first chukka and 5½-2 at halftime. A more even third chukka saw the lead get to 8½-4 and rally by Seven Sevens
Aravali’s legendary Howard Hipwood shows he still has the style and power
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in the last chukka saw Asprey/Twelve Oaks run out 9½-7 winners. Mad Dogs then played Asprey/Twelve Oaks, who again received half a goal on handicap. Mad Dogs had a better start and had a 3-1½ lead after the first chukka and although Joaquin Pittaluga scored a couple in the second, Guillermo Cuitino’s goal kept Mad Dogs in the lead 4-3½ at halftime. A solitary goal by Guillermo in the third chukka extended the Mad Dogs lead to 5-3½ and despite
| The Queen Mother Centenary Trophy |
Aravali 1. Karan Thapar 2. Sam Gairdner 3. Howard Hipwood 4. Olvier Hipwood
15 1 4 5 5
Seven Sevens
15
1. Dimitry Vozianov 2. Nicolas Espain 3. Tatu Gomez Romero 4. John Kent
0 8 5 2
Jada 1. Maurice Salem 2. Richard Le Poer 3. Ryan Pemble 4. Tomas Garcia del Rio
Mad Dogs 1. Alan Fall 2. Juan Cruz Guevara 3. Guillermo Cuitino 4. Will Hine
Asprey/Twleve Oaks 1. Charlie Wooldridge 2. Joaquin Pittaluga 3. Chris Hyde 4. Simon Holley
BHC Polo 1. Mo Sheik 2. Rafael Villela Rosa 3. Gaston Laulhe 4. Juracy Santos
Queen Mother’s Trophy Place: Smith’s Lawn, Windsor Great Park, Egham, Surrey TW20 0HP, United Kingdom Club: Guards PC Date: May 2 - 16, 2010 Level: 15 hcp Tournament type: Handicap WPT Category: Challenge Cup Winner Points: 40 Finalist Points: 20 Semi Finalist Points: 10 Rest of the Teams: 5
15 0 4 5 6
15 0 5 6 4
14 2 6 6 0
15
Winner: Aravali Polo Team MVP: Sam Gairdner (Aravali) BPP: Francesca (Oliver Hipwood)
Joaquin’s goal in the fourth, two further goals for Mad Dogs meant they got a 7-4½ win. In the last League One match, Mad Dogs played Seven Sevens and got themselves into a 3-2 lead after the first chukka. Two goals in the second increase their lead to 5-2 at halftime. Seven Sevens scored twice in the third to no reply from Mad Dogs, making the score 5-4 but in the last chukka, Mad Dogs scored three goals to their opponents one goal and thus secured
an 8-5 win and their place in the final. In League Two, Aravali took on Jada. This was a really close match with scores even at 2-2 after the first and 5-5 at halftime. In the third chukka Aravali snatched a 7-6 lead by the end of the chukka but Jada came back in the fourth and the match was eventually won 9-8 by Aravali. Jada then played BHC Polo, who started the better and got a 2-1 lead at the end of the first chukka. Two goals apiece in the second left BHC in a 4-3 lead at halftime. Still evenly balanced in the third, again with two goals apiece, BHC went into the last chukka with a 6-5 lead. However, despite another BHC goal, Jada put their foot down and scored four goals in that chukka and thus secured a 10-7 win over BHC. League Two’s last match was between Aravali and BHC Polo. Aravali shot into a 4-1 lead after the first chukka, with the two Hipwood’s, Howard and his son Oliver combining well with Sam Gairdner and patron Karan Thapar. One goal apiece in a close second chukka retained the three goal cushion for Aravali. However, three goals from Gaston Laulhe in
Tomas Garcia del Rio followed by Sam Gairdner
0 4 7 4
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Above:Aravali team with Becky Simpson of La Martina | Below: MVP:Sam Gairdner
the third chukka for BHC to two from Aravali narrowed the gap to 7-5 at the end of the third chukka. In the fourth chukka, Aravali failed to score and a goal from Mo Sheikh and Juracy Santos levelled the score at 8-8 at the end of the chukka. In overtime, Oli Hipwood stepped up to score the winner for Aravali and earn them a place to meet Mad Dogs in the final. In the final Aravali were quick off the mark and both Oli Hipwood and Sam Gairdner scored a goal each to get a 2-0 lead in the first chukka. In the second chukka, Guillermo Cuitino scored twice for Mad Dogs to one Penalty 4 scored by Oli Hipwood for Aravali to move the score to 3-2 in Aravali’s favour. A Penalty 4 scored by Guillermo and a field goal by Oli Hipwood kept the one goal difference at 4-3 at the end of the third chukka. In the fourth chukka, Mad Dogs scored a field goal and a Penalty 2 but Aravali scored a Penalty 4 and two field goals to achieve a 7-5 win. Becky Simpson, La Martina’s UK Brand Manager, presented the prizes
to a delighted Karan Thapar and his Aravali team. Prizes were also awarded for MVP, who was Sam Gairdner and the BPP was Francesca, a 13 year old Australian liver chestnut mare owned and played by Oli Hipwood. 69
The subsidiary final was between Jada and Asprey/Twelve Oaks and Jada were the stronger team, running out 5-3½ winners.
UK Season - Indian Empire Shield
A MIGHTY PRIZE Black Bears beat La Golondrina in the final of the 18 goal Indian Empire Shield at Coworth Park. Tournament report by Iain Forbes-Cockell (“The Major”). Additional reporting by Dara Williams
Perhaps the most magnificent and distinctive shaped trophy to be played for early in the English season, the Indian Empire Shield dates from the 1930s and was inaugurated by six Indian Maharajahs. Their portraits, as well as those of their various palaces and Indian animals, are engraved on the huge silver and gold shield. Dormant for sixty years until revival a decade ago, it is now the principal tournament at Coworth Park Polo Club, near Ascot and although played over five chukkas, it is considered by some teams as a good test as the first highgoal event, it is played at 18 goal level, of the English polo season. This year four teams entered. Last year’s winners, Guy Schwarzenbach’s Black Bears returned to defend their
title. Joining them were Indian Empire Shield regulars, Spencer McCarthy’s Emlor. Two new team names this year were Adrian Kirby’s Silver Spring and Paul Obserschneider’s La Golondrina. The plan for the tournament was for each team to play the other three teams in league matches, with the first and second placed teams after the league stage playing the final and the third and fourth placed teams playing the subsidiary final.
League matches
The first match was Black Bears against Emlor and the fifteen goal combination of John-Paul Clarkin and Simon Keyte in the middle meant that they were able to dominate the play
Black Bears Polo Team raising The Indian Empire Shield
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and get off to a good start with a 10-7 win. Emlor played again a few days later against La Golondrina and found the three 6 goalers, Diego Cavanagh, Juan Ambroggio and Tomas Garcia del Rio too strong (Note from Head Editor: both Tomas Garcia del Rio and Diego Cavanagh play off 7 in Argentina and both were raised to 7 by the HPA at the end of 2010 season high goal handicap review). As a result of this strong combination of players, La Golondrina got a 10-5 win. La Golondrina then played holders Black Bears and managed to get a close 9-8 win. Silver Spring played their first match against Emlor and Ruki Baillieu, Rob Archibald and young George Meyrick played very effectively with Silver Spring’s patron Adrian Kirby to
Juan Ambroggio
| Final |
Indian Empire Shield Black Bears
18
Guy Schwarzenbach Simon Keyte John-Paul Clarkin Matthew Perry
2 7 8 1
La Golondrina
| Subsidiary Cup |
Paul Oberschneider Diego Cavanagh Juan Ambroggio Tomás García del Rio
Emlor Spencer McCarthy Hissam Ali Hyder Joaquin Pittaluga Nacho Gonzalez
Silver Spring 1870 George Meyrick Rob Archibald Ruki Baillieu Adrian Kirby
18 0 6 6 6
18 1 5 5 6
18 4 6 7 1
Indian Empire Shield Place: Sunninghill, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7SE, England Club: The Polo Centre - Coworth Park Polo Club Date: May 5 - 21, 2010 Level: 18 hcp Tournament type: Open Winner: Black Bears Polo Team
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get an 11-6 win. Silver Spring played a few days later against Black Bears and Black Bears got an 11-9 win. The last league match was between Silver Spring and La Golondrina. La Golondrina, who by that stage had won two league matches and were net plus six goals knew that they could take it easy on their ponies and even lose by a goal and still be in the final, as the other team to qualify for the final (with two wins and one loss and net plus 4 goals were Black Bears). Silver Spring duly
won 6-5 but sadly for them, as they had lost to Black Bears, they failed to get to the final on the “who beat who” check as both teams had won two, lost one and had net plus four goals.
The Indian Empire Shield Final Black Bears v La Golondrina
Simon Keyte scored the opening goal for the Bears, followed by a goal from John-Paul Clarkin, New Zealand’s top player and a regular star of the British season, to put them 2-0 in
JP Clarkin
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the lead. Then a field goal by Juan Ambroggio for La Golondrina opened their account. However, John-Paul scored another goal before the end of the first chukka giving the Bears a 3-1 lead. John-Paul scored two field goals in the second chukka, with Tomas Garcia del Rio responding with a goal from a Penalty 3, before John-Paul also scored near the end of the chukkas from a Penalty 3, to increase the Bears lead to 6-2. The tables seemed to be turned in
the third chukka, when all three of La Golondrina’s 6 goalers scored field goals and Tomas Garcia knocked in his second of the chukka to draw level at 6-6 by the end of the chukka. It was still anyone’s game in the penultimate chukka. Simon Keyte, a familiar Black Bears player, converted a 40-yard penalty and his team-mate John-Paul Clarkin came from midfield and repeated a backhander he had played in the second chukka. Another goal by John-Paul, while only
Garcia could answer for La Golondrina, meant that the Bears again had the lead, 9-7, going into the final chukka. La Golondrina really gave the Bears a run for their money in the last chukka, with Tomas Garcia del Rio scoring first with a Penalty 2, to pull them back to 9-8. Then the Bears responded with a field goal and a Penalty 2 scored by John-Paul to push them up to an 11-8 lead. However, Tomas Garcia del Rio and Juan Ambroggio
Joaquin Pittaluga
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scored a goal each to reduce the deficit. At the last whistle, though, it was Black Bears who ran out the victors by a narrow 11-10. Guy Schwarzenbach was presented with the Indian Empire Shield by Zoe Jenkins of The Dorchester Collection. In the subsidiary final, Silver Spring combined well to get a 12-8 win over Emlor.
UK Season - Archie David Cup
Archie David rallies support for the Household Cavalry Operational Casualties Fund Having won the 8 Goal Victor Ludorum in 2009 without winning the Archie David, AFB have at last won the tournament that got away, The Archie David. Report by Iain Forbes-Cockell (“The Major”) and additional information from Diana Butler
This year, Guards Polo Club’s leading eight-goal competition – the Archie David Cup – was raising funds for the Household Cavalry’s Operational Casualty Fund (HCOCF). Martin Young, the sponsor of the tournament and a former member of the Household Cavalry himself, had agreed that Archie David Cup Finals Day on Sunday 27 June would be a tribute to the members of the Household Cavalry
who have been wounded in Afghanistan. This day would also highlight the work of the HCOCF as a number of casualties and Household Cavalrymen, along with their families, attended the polo. These special guests included Lance Corporal Martyn Compton, the only survivor of a Taliban ambush on his Spartan reconnaissance vehicle in 2006, who is still recovering from his extensive injuries.
AFB Polo Team: James Carr, Clive Reid, Sebastian Dawnay, James Harper
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The Household Cavalry, made up of The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals, celebrates its 350th anniversary this year. The Cavalrymen have just returned from Helmand Province, Afghanistan, after a six-month tour of duty in which they sustained a high proportion of casualties, in addition to those suffered on previous tours. HCOCF helps provide financial support to those injured soldiers and their
families, including families of those who have lost their lives on active service. The Fund, which was launched in May 2010, aims to raise £1.5m by October 2011. The committee, headed up by retired Captain Alistair Galloway, will restart campaigning again in April 2013 to raise a further £1.5m. Looking at the action on the field, the polo featured a thrilling final between the country’s two leading eightgoal teams. With 26 teams taking part in this tough competition, which is often referred to as a marathon by the players, just reaching the Final is an achievement. The results of the quarter-finals were Ferne Park beat Shalimar 3½ - 3, Asprey/Equibuild beat Regal 9 - 5, AFB beat Santa Rita 8 – 7 and Lost Boys beat Puesto Viejo 7 – 6. The semi-finals saw Simon Holley and Paul Knights’ shared Asprey/Equibuild beat Jonathan Rothermere’s Ferne Park 6 – 5 and Clive Reid’s AFB beat Stefan Sund’s Lost Boys 10 – 4½. The main final was played at 3pm, Above: Guillermo Cuitiño | Below: Des Byrne and Wilfrid Koulitchenko
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but the first game of the day was for the Claude Pert Cup, which is played for by Guards Polo Club teams that fail to make it through to the last eight of the main competition and it was Clarita who beat Tashan/ Mei Kwei Lu 6 – 5. The Archie David Cup Final was followed at 4.15pm by the subsidiary final, for the Caterham Cup, which last year was won by Martin Young’s own Meyado team. This year Puesto Viejo beat Shalimar 5½ - 4.
The Archie David Final Sunday 27 June 2010 AFB v Asprey/Equibuild Asprey/Equibuild received a ½ goal on handicap as AFB’s James Carr’s handicap had been raised at the HPA mid-season meeting. James Harper, who had come in as substitute earlier in the tournament for Pete Webb, who had a riding muscle injury, opened the scoring with a field goal, 1 - ½ . James Carr then showed why he had been raised in handicap and scored a field goal. 2 - ½. James Harper scored another field goal, 3-½ just before the end of the chukka. Early on AFB showed why they have been so successful at this level for the last few years. This momentum continued in the second chukka as Seb Dawnay scored a field goal, putting AFB up to a 4 – ½ lead. James Harper scored from the lineout, with a great solo effort, 5 - ½. James Harper scored from a Penalty 4 to give AFB a substantial lead at halftime, 6 - ½. A run by 6 goaler Chris Hyde, chased by Seb Dawnay ended with a backhander by Chris but no goal. However, in the next play, Chris Hyde took the ball and scored to the relief of his team and the supporters, 6 – 1½.
Above: Matias Amaya | Below: James Harper and Chris Hyde
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0 1 6 1
Shalimar
8
666
8
Kassem Shafi Oli Browne Manuel Plaza Vieri Antinori
0 1 2 5
Martin Davidson Charlie Wooldridge Howard Smith Ed Magor
-1 2 4 3
F Lurton Wines
8
Great Oaks
8
Wilfrid Koulichenko Ali Walker Guillermo Cuitiño Tristan Phillimore
0 1 6 1
Lucinda Watson Michael Howe Gonzalo García del Rio Cameron Bacon
-1 4 5 0
BHC Polo
8
Polistas
8
Mo Sheikh Tristan Pemble Chris Crawford Juracy Santos
0 2 2 4
Paul Cuatrecasas Will Hine Sam Gairdner Nick Swift
0 4 4 0
Ithaca
8
Aravali
8
Sophie Kyriazi Yanni Zographos Tommy Wilson James Leonard
-1 0 6 3
Karan Thapar Pedro de Lamare Howard Hipwood Tom Brodie
1 3 5 -1
Regal
8
Tashan/Mei Kwei Liu 8
Raphael Singh Hugo Singh Max Charlton Matias Amaya
1 -1 4 4
Vivek Rawal Tarquin Southwell Roddy Williams Rachael Bartels
Puesto Viejo
8
Allegro
8
Jeremy Baker Billy Jackson Stopps Antonio Manzorro Matt Lodder
0 1 4 3
John McGrath Richard Blake Thomas Hissam Ali Hyder Timur Nadeem
-1 3 5 1
Clarita
8
Lost Boys
8
Clare Mathias Chris Mathias Germán Llorens Andrew Blake Thomas
0 1 3 4
Matthew Tooth Stefan Sund Lucas Fernández Gastón Devrient
0 0 3 5
A spot hit from 90 yards out was scored by Chris Hyde, who has a reputation of being one of the country’s best hitters of a dead ball from either penalties or the back line to push his team to 6 – 2½. Following two goals against AFB, James Harper hit the ball to James Carr but his goal shot was just wide. Chris
AFB
8
Clive Reid James Carr Sebastian Dawnay Peter Webb/James Harper
0 -1 4 5
-1 4 5 0
Hyde then hit a penalty high but just right of goal and had a shot at goal that was just wide. Another attack by Chris Hyde ended just as the bell went for the end of the third chukka. Chris had changed the dynamics of the game in the third chukka and although still behind, the Asprey/Equibuild team had 77
| Qualifiers from Coworth Park |
8
Harry Benyon Andrew Detchet Pancho Marin Moreno Des Byrne
| League 3 |
Northchurch
| League 4 |
| League 2 |
| League 1 |
The Archie David Cup Santa Rita
8
Francois Le Barazier Nial Donnelly Oliver Hipwood Jake Daniels
-1 3 5 1
Ferne Park
8
Jonathan Rothermere Mark Emerson Eden Ormerod Will Emerson
-1 2 3 4
Asprey/Equibuild
8
Paul Knights Simon Holley Tim Bown Chris Hyde
-1 0 3 6
The Archie David Cup Place: Smith’s Lawn, Windsor Great Park, Egham, Surrey TW20 0HP, United Kingdom Club: Guards Polo Club Date: June 2 - 27, 2010 Level: 8 hcp Tournament type: Open Winner: AFB Polo Team MVP: James Carr (AFB) BPP: Prize, 9 year old bay mare brought from Ellerston and played by James Harper
certainly built up some goal scoring momentum. Andreas Papyus substituted for an injured Simon Holley. Tim Bown continued Asprey/Equibuild’s come-back and scored a field goal, 6 – 3½. An attack by AFB resulted in the ball going over the back line off a defender’s stick and the resulting Penalty 6, hit by James Harper was wide to the right of goal. In AFB’s next attack, James Harper picked up the ball and scored to edge AFB further ahead, just as it appeared that Asprey/Equibuild were heading back to level terms, 7 – 3½. Chris Hyde then got the ball and scored a field goal, 7-4½. However, a moment later the bell went for the end of the match, with AFB delighted to have won the main 8 goal tournament of the season that they had not won before, 7 – 4½.
UK Season - Universities
National Universities Polo Championships If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again… Well Union of London Universities did and at last won the coveted Novice title, after a close fought final with old rivals and last years winners, Warwick. Photos by Ed Phillips
A fitting end to a great University Championships, which like the winter, broke records with 86 teams taking part. The new sponsors saw records broken throughout in a great tournament which saw 90 chukkas on the Saturday and finally only ran 30 minutes behind time. Harry Johnson, Chairman of Offchurch Bury Polo Club has definitely made the club the “home” of University Polo with Tessa Johnson and Grant Collett, working tirelessly to ensure all were happy and well looked after. The “crew” of Kim Croutear, Gemma
Potter, John Jennings and Lydia Styler (all ex or current students themselves) were helped by others to ensure this student Championships were run to the high standards set by SUPA. The Polo did not disappoint, with a marked increase in both Beginner and Novice Divisions, these are played 3 a side on a smaller boarded ground whilst all other games are 4 a side on a full side ground. Portsmouth has laid down a marker for next years Novice section by coming 3rd, 2nd and 4th in the three Beginner Divisions. However it was a well fought team effort by
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Imperial who took the Beginners 1 title with eventual ease, including the final goal by Belgium Thijs Povel who galloped (with the ball)down the ground without stirrups to score the final goal. Oxford Brookes took the Div 1a title with a narrow win over Portsmouth B. Loughborough always looked good for the Beginners 2 title and disappoint with their victory over York C. In the Novice Divisions, where London took the Div 1 Title, there was a bit of reward for Warwick B who recorded a win against St Andrews, but
The flagship event this season, with the Open not being played was the Upper Intermediate and five sides ensured a very high standard throughout. An unfortunate injury to Jonathon Pepper on the Saturday put paid to Reading hopes and it was left to Regents and Newcastle to do battle for the title and trophy. Despite Huynen’s leadership for Regent’s and the hard marking of Batchelor for Newcastle, Josh Woolley was able to put in a great performance to assist his Captain to a close fought victory which saw yet another major trophy this year head north. It must be the beer!
London C restored order with a win against St Andrews C to win Division2. The Combined title was well won by the Michael Hoare run Nottingham/RVC/Loughborough team in a thrilling final chukka with the privately sponsored but interestingly named NHS Barnsley side. This team with 2 polo Crosse players showed strength throughout and could easily have taken the title. The Lower Intermediate, a new Division, saw only three teams take part and with Bristol finishing 3rd it was fitting that both the Royal Agricultural College and Warwick tied in first place to share the title. 79
Dan Deville, Chairman of French University and Alumni Polo was on hand to see our SAPA Alumni players do battle. The favourites Howards Heroes were surprisingly beaten in the opening rounds and so a final between Rose Polo and Arena Champions Los Locos Polistas was set up. A close fought game which could have gone either way eventually saw Los Locos
Polistas lift yet another title this year. Dan then invited both alumni and current students to take part in Chantilly in October, hopefully we can meet this invitation and show what strength we have throughout both Students and ex students here in the UK. Another great, successful, fun, yet tiring Championship but roll on 2011!
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Universties National Polo Championships 86 Teams 172 Chukkas 292 Players 24 Universities represented 90 Chukkas played on Saturday
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UK Season - GCC Day
Water for the future Dara Williams reports on the 14th GCC Polo Cup at Guards Polo Club.
Arriving straight from Ascot and attended by boys from Eton, Her Majesty The Queen was in the Royal Box for the 2010 Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) Polo Day at Guards Polo Club. Another guest was Jordan's Minister of the Environment, His Excellency Hazem Malhas. The tournament, the fourteenth to be held, served to highlight one of the most important projects that the BMG
Foundation, sponsors of the event, has yet undertaken. It is an initiative called Our Water, Our Life and as Basil AlGhalayini, chairman of the foundation, explained, water shortages in his region are not only pressing today but likely to continue for the future. ‘Over the last fourteen years, we have aimed to give something back to the community. This year, we decided that as responsible corporate citizens,
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Rashid Albwardy
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our efforts need to be more directed at the environment and what better way to tackle this than by addressing an issue that affects not just us but future generations?’ The programme aims to generate not only public interest but to encourage the minds of Arab youth to create the most innovative and cost-efficient campaigns to promote water conservation. The ensuing competition will
run until the end of November, giving participants time to design and submit their campaigns for awareness. Teams taking part in the tournament this time round were Guards and GCC. Guards, led by Clive Reid, included cousins Habtoor and Tariq Al Habtoor and young Rashid Albwardy, from Dubai, who a few days earlier had captured the coveted Queen’s Cup, first stage of the British Triple Crown of polo. GCC, captained by Amr Zedan, included 18-year-old Salman Ali Alhamrani, a Harrovian who had recently won Most Valuable Player award in the annual Eton-Harrow polo match. Also playing two chukkas each were brothers Saeed and Rashid Bin Drai, wellknown on the Middle Eastern, indeed
international, polo scene. Guards received a half-goal advantage on handicap, but it was Amr Zedan, helped by Salman Ali Alhamrani, who sent through the opening goal for GCC. Clive Reid then scored twice for Guards and guests sat back to enjoy an exciting match. Guards were in the lead 6 ½-2 by half time of the four-chukka game, but in the third chukka GCC narrowed the gap. In the final chukka, however, it was obvious that GCC were lagging behind. Rashid Albwardy scored a wonderful goal, having gone the length of the field and, with a minute to go, scored again to give Guards victory, 8 ½-3. The Queen presented the cup to Clive Reid and Most Valuable Player
Guards Polo Team
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was named as Rashid Albwardy. Best Playing Pony was Sophie, a mare from New Zealand who had been played by Salman Ali Alhamrani in the penultimate chukka. Afterwards, Mr Al-Ghalayini entertained guests and sponsors to tea and thanked them warmly for their support.
GCC Day Guards
1
Habtoor Al Habtoor Tariq Al Habtoor Rashid Albwardy Clive Reid
0 0 1 0
GCC
2
Salman Ali Alhamrani Amr Zedan Saeed/Rashin Bin Drai Jakob Lindquist
0 0 1 1
UK Season - Silver Spring 1870
Silver Spring 1870 joins the polo season Silver Spring 1870 traditional mixers are delighted to announce a three year partnership with Guards Polo Club as a corporate sponsor
Created from English heritage recipes, the Silver Spring 1870 premium range of mixers are a collection of classic drinks which feature traditional flavours such as ginger ale, bitter lemon and lemonade. The range of mixers goes under the slogan of ‘always mix with best’ and it seems Silver Spring 1870 are certainly practising what they preach as the historic brand has just completed its first season as a corporate sponsor at home of the great game, Guards Polo Club. Silver Spring 1870 Marketing Manager, Iolanda Hudson says; “Our first season as a corporate sponsor proved a
real success for the brand and the next year is going to be a very exciting time for 1870. We feel our association with Guards Polo Club is the perfect alignment and will offer the brand fantastic exposure.” The classic drinks brand has worked closely with Guards Polo Club throughout the 2010 season on a number of additional partnership opportunities to strengthen 1870’s position as a premium mixed drink. To date, Silver Spring 1870 has infused many of this season’s events at Guards with the sophistication of the great cocktail era, serving delicious
aperitifs to accompany and toast some of this season’s most thrilling matches. Indeed this years 26th annual Cartier International Day saw the Silver Spring 1870 mixologists offering their delicious array of cocktails to keep the great and the good of the Polo world cool, whilst watching chukkas. Guards Polo Club Marketing and Sponsorship Manager, James Turner says; “We are thrilled to have Silver Spring 1870 on board as a corporate partner. They have such a great range of drinks and have enjoyed working with the team and establishing a solid partnership.”
Silver Spring 1870, winners of Indian Empire Shield Subsidiary Cup (Ruki Baillieu, George Meyrick, Adrian Kirby and Rob Archibald)
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Guards Polo Club is Europe’s leading polo club and home to many of the world’s major matches throughout the polo season. The Silver Spring 1870 brand was visible in several ways throughout the season and shared the corporate sponsors’ platform with an exclusive list of premium brands including, Audi, Bose, Ivan the Terrible Vodka, Kinnarps and Westbury Hotel. Silver Spring 1870 Managing Director, Neill Cotton says; “Selecting Guards Polo Club as the first ever corporate sponsorship deal for 1870 was an easy decision. The sponsorship offers many different platforms for brand exposure to our key target markets. “We have many branding and marketing developments in the pipeline for 1870. Our association with Guards Polo Club is just the start of several business partnerships planned for the brand over the next twelve months and we are confident that each will engage with our consumer in a direct and successful way.” For further information www.1870mixers.co.uk Adrian Kirby playing the Gold Cup for Silver Spring 1870
Interview with Adrian Kirby and John-Paul Clarkin PQ: This year your team is called Silver Spring 1870. What is Silver Spring 1870? AK: Silver Spring is one of the largest independent bottling of soft drinks companies in the UK. It has a great range of brands: a fantastic water brand called Perfectly Clear, which has flavoured waters. It also makes mixers, tonic water and ginger ale called 1870. I hope you will see a lot more of it soon. PQ: How do you find the level of the 20 teams and the season in general? AK: This year all teams are strong, not one can be underestimated. The new rule had meant that the speed of the game has increased again, PQ: You did a good job against Cambiaso, one of the favourites, now you are through against Les Lions. How do you feel?
AK: Dubai were tough, Adolfo and Pablo are world class players. They showed that class. They have a great chance. Today I was pleased with my team, we cut down our mistakes and missed a few chances but it was the same for both teams. To be fair to Les Lions, they had a great game. It was good open polo.
PQ: They needed the win? AK: Both teams were conscious that they needed the win. It was close, and the luck was with us a little more. At the end of the day it was a fantastic game to play, I really enjoyed it.
PQ: What did you expect for your team going into the Gold Cup? AK: I think it’s always the same. You always have to be positive. I am enjoying playing with these players. I feel good, the feeling in the team is good, and the horses are good. We have an expectation to be there or thereabouts and it’s good to be competitive!
and we may have had to find a substitute. This proved nearly impossible, and shows how many players are playing in the high goal. Throughout all of the leagues, it is seriously competitive. By the time the ¼ finals arrive, every game will be super competitive, and I think anyone could win.
PQ: Can you tell us how you put together this team? JP: Adrian Kirby asked me to play for the last few
PQ: How did you adjust to the new turning rule? AK: For me it’s fantastic, I’ve never managed to turn
seasons and this year I have finally been able to, and it’s great to play with him. I played last year with Ruki for Lila Pearson and Roger Carlsson. We had a great time. Ruki and Robbie Archibald were based already with Adrian for the 18 goal, and needed an 8, so that is how I fit in! But it´s great to play with friends, and our horses are quite good. So we’ll see how we go
the ball in my life! I think it makes the game more open, more classic polo. It’s more enjoyable to play, certainly for the Patrons I think!
PQ: How did you adjust to the new turning rule? JP: I think, for me, it is still a little inconsistent. But
PQ: How do you find the level of polo here this season – with the 20 teams entered for the Gold Cup? JP: The level as always is very competitive. We had a situation this week where Ruki Baillieu got injured
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I enjoy the new rule, especially for the 3 man teams. When it is played properly, it allows you to open the game more and make it harder for the two man teams to control the game. Anything in our favour is great!
UK Season - Coworth Park
Crabbies Ginger Beer Ladies International Championship at Coworth Park Photos by Alice Gipps and PoloLine. Rosie Ross
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2010 might only be the 2nd year that the Coworth Ladies International has run, but the fixture is now the most prestigious and hard fought ladies tournament in the UK. The standard of polo throughout was unprecedented, aided in no small part by professional umpires, top grade fields and ever higher numbers of good female players. Two leagues of three paved the way for some competitive games – and a few surprises, as Crabbies beat Jaeger-LeCoultre, featuring Nina Clarkin and Clare Milford Haven. In the other league, favourites BHC suffered a shock defeat against lower
handicapped Rutland and were relegated to the subsidiary final. The final, between Crabbies (who went undefeated into the final) and The Belvedere Arms, was a fast, skilful display of good polo. Despite no goals on the scoreboard at all in the first chukka, Crabbies began to find their form in the second, with two goals scored by Aurora Eastwood, a penalty and a fast running field goal, and a very tricky neck shot from Alice Gipps. Crabbies, began to dominate, playing classic passing, open polo. Rosie Ross and Lucy Taylor kept the pressure on, but the four “man” Crabbies team responded by adding more goals to the
Marianela Castagnola and Leonora de Ferranti
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MVP: Sarah Wiseman Best Playing Pony: Paulita, an Argentine mare owned by Aurora Eastwood. Paulita was previously part of Gaston Lauhle’s string and was only bought the week prior! In the Subsidiary Final BHC, featuring the very talented and bold Claire Brougham together with Argentina 2 goalers Lia Salvo and Marianella Castagnola, beat King Power 8 - 6.5. King Power, despite boasting the talents of Charlotte Sweeney, a very powerful striker of the ball, never quite found the key to stopping BHC. Marianella Castagnola won MVP in the subsidiary final.
tally, with more field goals from the under-handicapped Heloise Lorentzen and Sarah Wiseman, winning 6-2. “Crabbies played really well as a team and were all superbly mounted.
It was really good 2 goal polo, regardless of the fact it was women’s polo. The hitting was superb; no forehand went less than 50 yards. I think that Crabbies would have beaten a 2 goal
BHC
2
Yasmin Sheikh Lia Salvo Marianela Castagnola Claire Brougham
-2 2 2 0
The Belvedere Arms 2
| League Two |
| League One |
Crabbies Coworth Park Ladies International Championship Crabbies
2
Alice Gipps Aurora Eastwood Heloise Lorentzen Sarah Wiseman
0 1 0 1
King Power
1
Pioy Binsaheng Leonora de Ferranti Charlotte Sweeney Hazel Jackson
-1 0 1 1
male team” said Glen Gilmore, 7 goals and captain of the Australian team, commentating at the final. Many of the spectators, used to watching ladies polo, heralded the final as the best ladies polo they’d ever seen and also one of the best games all season, regardless of gender. There is no better compliment!
Crabbies Ladies 2010
Rutland
0
Jaeger-LeCoultre
2
Place: Sunninghill, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7SE, England Club: The Polo Centre - Coworth Park Polo Club Date: June 23 - 27, 2010 Level: 2 hcp Tournament type: Open
Jo Davies Amber Clatton-Brock Freddie Rosso-Baldachino Louisa Donovan
-1 0 1 0
Clare Milford Haven Stefanie Haverhals Nina Clarkin Saskia Meadows
0 0 4 -2
Winner: Crabbie´s Polo Team MVP: Sarah Wiseman (Crabbie´s) BPP: Paulita (Aurora Eastwood)
Lucinda Watson Alex Jacobs Rosie Ross Lucy Taylor
-1 0 2 1
Alice Gipps, Heloise Lorentzen, Aurora Eastwood and Sarah Wiseman
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UK - 50th Anniversary of The Queen´s Cup
Guards Polo Club celebrates 50th Anniversary of the Queen’s Cup Article co-ordinated and written by Iain Forbes-Cockell (“The Major”) with contributions of pictures and other articles and interviews first published in Horse & Hound, Colin Cross’s publication Polo Magazine 1978 and Guards Polo Club's 50th Anniversary Queen's Cup programme.
Five years after first moving to Smith’s Lawn, Windsor Great Park in 1955, The Household Brigade Polo Club (as Guards Polo Club was then known) started a high goal tournament which had the honour to be called The Queen’s Cup as Her Majesty The Queen presented the cup to the winning team.
The History of the Cup
Victoria Elsbury-Legg looked into the story about the making of the actual cup for which the high goal teams compete annually and the results of her research follow: On entering the Clubhouse at Smith’s Lawn one cannot help but be
drawn to the trophy cabinet and its impressive contents. On a weekly basis, during the season every one of the trophies and cups take their turn on the presentation table while their destiny for the future year is played out on the field. Without doubt however, the most coveted has to be The Queen’s Cup. Standing at 12.5cm tall and 16cm in diameter on an ebonised fivetiered, silver banded base although neither the largest, nor most decorative on display, it is the understated elegance, simplicity and the air of anticipation which draws the eye to the crested cup and the tiers and titles on which it sits.
1972 in The Queen's Cup final Stowell Park v Cowdray Park. From left to right: Hon Mark Vestey, Howard Hipwood, Hector Barrantes, Billy Linfoot, Eduardo Moore and Paul Withers umpiring.
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Encircling the base of the cup (not unlike the hands which hold it aloft each June over the Queen’s Ground) are six leaves pointing upwards. Engraved on one side are the words ‘Her Majesty The Queen’s Cup’ and on the reverse side is the Royal Coat of Arms with its shield representing Great Britain, supported on the left by the English Lion and on the right by the Scottish Unicorn. Beneath is inscribed the French ‘Dieu et Mon Droit’ (God and my right). Decorating the top of the handles are acanthus leaves - a symbol of the noble Greco-Roman culture and believed in some Mediterranean countries to represent enduring life and immortality.
Many of the winners' names engraved on the base of the cup, have not only endured time and become permanently intertwined with its history, but also with the history, regulations and the constant re-evaluation of the sport of Polo itself, both on and off the pitch. Perhaps not so frequently questioned, however, are the origins of this cup. With the invaluable help of Guards Polo Club’s Honorary Archivist Graham Dennis we were able to piece together the past and uncover the background to the cup, which has become so highly prized amongst professionals and patrons alike the world over. Like every piece of solid silver this cup is hallmarked, and it is these small seemingly insignificant markings near the top lip of the cup which hold the key to its creation. First in the line of four tiny symbols are the capitalised letters HEB on top of three further letters FEB inside a shield. This is the
1960 - First Queen's Cup, Centaurs Polo Team
'maker's mark' and are the initials of the Barker Brothers - Herbert Edward Barker and Frank Ernest Barker who were Silversmiths in England between 1908 and 1926. Next is the 'standard mark' - a lion facing left, looking over
1977 - Foxcote: Peter Palumbo, Hon Mark Vestey, Eduardo Moore, Daniel Devrient
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it's shoulder - indicating that the material from which it is crafted is solid sterling silver. The most curious of the marks is one that initially appears to symbolise three mushrooms inside a triangle. This 'assay mark' (given by
Geebung: Rick Stowe, Adolfo Cambiaso Jr, Bautista Heguy, David Allen Les Lions: Max Gottschalk, Mike Azzaro, Memo Gracida and Joe Gottschalk
the office of the Guild of Silversmiths in the area who were appointed to survey the silver standard) is in fact three wheat sheaves separated by a sword, a symbol representing Chester. Lastly, within a small square is a curly capital 'U' - the 'date mark' representing Chester in 1920. Rather significantly Chester, which had been producing plate since the 15th Century and was granted its own Assay Office by an Act of Parliament in the 17th Century, ceased silver trading in 1961. So it is highly likely that The Queen's Cup, which was first presented at Smith's Lawn and engraved with the winners names in June 1960, was amongst the last items to be sold or gifted before the doors of one of the oldest Guilds of Silversmith's in England closed forever.
50th Anniversary celebrations
As part of the 50th Anniversary celebrations, a commemorative dinner was held in the clubhouse at Guards on 10th June, to which many of the big names in the sport both past and present were invited. It was also attended by Guards Polo Club’s President, HRH The Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh and it was particularly gracious of him to attend as it also happened to be his birthday. A delicious dinner with some good speeches and excellent cabaret entertainment were enjoyed by all who attended and there was much talk of who would win
the final, due to be played on Sunday 13th June, and whether the long standing record of several players having won The Queen’s Cup six times would be broken by the world’s top player, Adolfo Cambiaso Jr. Always difficult to win even once, a brief summary of the best teams and players throughout the tournaments five decades follows. For some it will bring back memories of teams and players and for others it may be an education – there were great players before Cambiaso and many of them had played in The Queen’s Cup. Legends of the game, such as Juan Carlos Harriott, the Maharajah of Jaipur, Celestine Garros, Daniel Gonzalez, Gonzalo Tanoira, Julian and Howard Hipwood, Eduardo Moore, Memo and Carlos Gracida, and Gonzalo Pieres whose sons Gonzalito and Facundo are present day rivals in skill!
A decade by decade summary of the tournament highlights
The 1960s Until 1963, The Queen’s Cup was played at a handicap limit of 20 goals and thereafter, the now familiar 22 goal level. Initially the matches were played over five chukkas. A report on the final of the first Queen’s Cup, which was won by The Centaurs appears below. It was written by Marco II and first published in Horse & Hound. 92
Centaurs first winners of The Queen’s Cup
Horse and Hound June 18 1960
Last Sunday The Centaurs, in pouring rain, defeated Cowdray Park (rec ½ goal) by 8-2½ to become the first winners of HM The Queen’s Cup. Evelyn de Rothschild’s side was well mounted and well drilled, with the players interchanging their positions with smoothness and speed. I think they would have won by an even greater margin if it had been fine. While the weather conditions had a general dampening effect, and made fast polo extremely difficult, Moreno was probably more handicapped by this than anyone else. The writing was on the wall by the end of the first chukka, with “Chino” Gracida quickly off the mark. He fully justified his entitlement to be handicapped at seven, scoring five times in this match. His first had the stamp of greatness about it – an effortless hit from the 60-yard line that soared between the flags. The players returned to the centre and changed ends, and it looked as though Moreno was going to go straight throw from the throw-in his characteristic fashion, but this was not his day and the Cowdray back cleared. John Lucas, however, was in great form, persisted in the attack and scored. Gracida galloped away and the Centaurs were now leading by three goals with no reply. Smith-Ryland, who worked hard
throughout, launched a successful offensive and he was capably backed up by Harper, who scored from an acute angle. The ponies were then changed with the score 3-1½ and Cowdray were fated not to score again until the end of the last period. A foul in the second chukka gave Gracida an easy goal with a penalty No 5 from a few yards out. Thereafter Lakin foiled more than one fierce attack by the Centaurs. The only score in the third came from a fine lofted shot by Gracida, but there were some exciting saves right in the goalmouth. After half-time Gracida almost flew from the throw-in and the score increased to 6-1½. A strong Cowdray attack was then beaten off and after a fierce melee at the other end of the ground John Lucas scored with a backhander. De Rothschild had a fall not far from the scoreboard and he had to run 250 yards before he could remount. In the fifth and final chukka, Moreno scored the Centaurs’ eighth goal with a magnificent lofted hit from near the side line. In reply, Withers cracked the ball down the ground and it was fitting that Harper, who had
fought so valiantly (including a battle of sticks with Moreno) scored again before the final bell. Centaurs 1. Dr J M Moreno (6) 2. J L Lucas (4) 3. G Gracida (7) Back E de Rothschild (2)
Cowdray Park 1. P Withers (5) 2. J Lakin (6) 3. Lt-Col A F Harper (5) Back C M T Smith-Ryland (4)
Many followers of polo will have noticed a few familiar names in both of the teams that competed in the first Queen’s Cup. Pancho Marin Moreno’s father, Dr J M Moreno (Jorge Marin Moreno), was a regular player at Smith’s Lawn during the 1960s and won The Queen’s Cup six times and was a finalist on a further two occasions. John Lucas, Claire Tomlinson’s brother and father of James and Will, all players with whom many will be familiar, also won The Queen’s Cup six times and was a finalist on a further three occasions. G. Gracida, known as “Chino”, Memo and Carlos Gracida’s
uncle, won the cup once. Evelyn de Rothschild, member of the famous banking dynasty, won the cup twice with The Centaurs and once with Woolmers Park. In the Cowdray team, Lt Col Alec Harper, Sandy’s father, was later to be Secretary of the HPA from 1971 to 1989, went on to win the cup three times and was a finalist on five occasions. Paul Withers won the cup three times and was a finalist four times, the last of which was in 1989. Paul still officiates as 3rd Man when many high goal matches are played nowadays. Polo is a sport where one can contribute for many years once playing days are over and a great debt is owed to former players such as Paul Withers, who continue to give back to the game today. The most successful teams of the 1960s were Pimms, who won three times. The Centaurs and Woolmers Park both won twice. Cowdray Park won only once that decade, although they were finalists on a further three occasions. HRH The Duke of Edinburgh reached the final with Windsor Park in 1964 and Friar Park in 1966 but both times lost by half a goal.
1995 - Labegorce: Martin Brown, Pepe Heguy, HM Queen Elizabeth II, Mr Richard Dunhill, Hubert Perrodo and Milo Fernandez Araujo
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Ellerston: Gonzalo Pieres and Kerry Packer
The 1970s The emergence of Julian and Howard Hipwood as top English professional players was evident as Cowdray Park had a couple of wins, in 1970 and 1972 with Howard Hipwood playing in five finals during the decade, winning four of them. The phrase “hired assassins” was heard on many a spectator’s lips as a rather crude interpretation of the skills that some overseas professional players brought to the developing game. It was the decade when a number of successful businessmen entered the sport and created teams using the professional players. Teams such as Alex Ebeid’s Falcons, Ronnie Driver’s San Flamingo won in 1974 and 1976 (yes, he was actress Minnie Driver’s father), Galen Weston’s Roundwood Park, who had a Kiwi combination of professional players in Tony Devcich and Stuart Mackenzie, Jersey Lillies, for whom Gonzalo Pieres played in 1976 and the Horswell’s Sladmore team all made it to the final and Los Locos, with Claire
and Simon Tomlinson, Hector “Juni” Crotto (who only had one eye but was still an 8 goal player!) and David Gemmell won in 1979. It was the first and has so far been the only time a woman has been on the winning side in The Queen’s Cup’s history. The most successful teams of the 1970s and first half of the 1980s, were those of the Vestey family, Stowell Park and Foxcote, when that legendary pairing of Eduardo Moore (he won The Queen’s Cup six times and was a finalist a further three times) and Hector Barrantes (he won four times and was a finalist a further two times), who played with both of the Vesteys, were so successful and were the fore-runners of today’s overseas professional players. Diana Butler interviewed The Hon Mark Vestey about his amazing achievement, as an amateur player, of winning The Queen’s Cup six times in a thirteen year period. Brother Lord Sam Vestey also won the cup on four occasions and was twice a losing finalist in that period. 94
Diana’s interview, conducted prior to the 2010 Queen’s Cup, follows:
Although the Hon Mark Vestey has not played in The Queen’s Cup since 1982, he remains one of an elite group that has won a record six victories in The Queen’s Cup. Only two other players have achieved this accolade – Vestey’s regular team-mate, the late Eduardo Moore, and the current world number one, Adolfo Cambiaso. (Note from Head Editor: Six time winners also include Dr Jorge Marin Moreno and John Lucas). However Mark is rather self-effacing when recalling his exploits in the highgoal and remembers it as “being tremendous fun, although we pretended to take it seriously”. Speaking from his Gloucestershire home, he added: “My brother [Lord Vestey] and I played together for 13 years and didn’t really notice our successes building up – we just kept going on to the next tournament. It is only afterwards that we realised that we had won quite a lot.” Mark Vestey’s passion for polo
1998 - Ellerston: John Fisher, Gonzalo Pieres, HM Queen Elizabeth II, Mr and Mrs Richard Dunhill, Adolfo Cambiaso Jr, and James Beim
began in the Army. Then, on returning to the UK from South America in the late 1960s, he joined Sam’s Stowell Park team which featured two talented Argentines, Eduardo Moore and Hector Barrantes. This quartet won many high-goal competitions from 1970 – 1984, including several Queen’s Cups. “Of course Eduardo played unconventional polo for the time – he invented tapping and turning – while Hector was a much more traditional player who would back Eddie up. Eddie would play three ponies – two chukkas each – while Sam and I would play our best four. Throughout the season we tried to have 10 ponies each – eight older ones and two new ones every year.” Unfortunately this success at the highest level forced the brothers to change their tactics. “Our handicaps went up [to four], so we had too many goals and decided to take it in turns to play. As both Eddie and Hector were rather better than us so we thought it better if we sacked one of us instead,” explained Vestey. “So I started the Foxcote team and we took it in turns to play with Eddie and Hector.” This naturally brought the conversation forward to the inevitable
comparison between Eduardo Moore and that other great exponent of tapping and turning – Cambiaso. “You cannot compare the game of 30 years ago with today’s game,” said Vestey. “Yes Eddie did play that sort of polo but it is a different game now. The ball skills were not as good then – players can control the ball so much better these days.” Surprisingly, in a polo career that saw Stowell Park and Foxcote win The Queen’s Cup some seven times in 13 years, it is not these matches which stand out in Vestey’s mind. “My favourite final in which I played was when the Boehm team won in 1982,” he explained. “Patrick [Beresford] got Mrs Boehm to sponsor his half of the team – she was probably the first person to sponsor a polo team but not play – and we played for her for two years. She was good fun and always referred to Patrick and myself as ‘her boys’. That team featured Vestey, Lord Patrick Beresford, Howard Hipwood and Stuart Mackenzie. Ironically the other match which Mark names as one of his favourite Queen’s Cup finals did not include him on the team sheet. In April 1984 Mark had a bad fall while out hunting with the Heythrop which 95
left him paralysed. “Watching Foxcote win the cup in 1984 has to be one of my favourite finals,” explains Mark. “My brother, who had retired from high-goal, got himself fit enough to play and then led Foxcote to victory. I was still a patient at Stoke Mandeville [Hospital] at the time, but was allowed out to watch that game.” Although the hunting fall brought Mark’s polo playing days to an end, he has retained his involvement with the sport. A council member and former Chairman of the Hurlingham Polo Association, he also takes a keen interest in his family’s feats on the polo field, as all three children – Tamara, Ben and Nina play. In fact, youngest daughter, Nina, is the UK’s leading lady player and she sports the same handicap as her father at the height of his game. In addition, Mark is often to be seen at Queen’s Cup games – taking a keen interest in the action on the field from today’s stars of the sport. Eduardo showed that players could visit England (and other countries) being paid for playing and selling ponies that they brought with them.
2003 - Ali Albwardy receiveing award from HM Queen Elizabeth II
The 1980s Big hair and shoulder pads for the ladies aside, the 1980s was a decade that saw, in addition to the Vestey teams, the Gracidas appear on a regular basis, though they were not in as many winning teams as one might have thought. Three times Carlos Gracida got to the final with Tramontana and each time they lost (although they went on to win The Gold Cup in four consecutive years from 1986 to 1989, a feat no other team has achieved). In addition to the Gracidas, there were plenty of other American continent professional players who were seen, such as “Red” Armour, Owen Rhinehart and Rob Walton. HRH The Prince of Wales with patron Guy Wildenstein and professionals Memo Gracida and Rodrigo Vial won in 1986, thus achieving something that had eluded his father. Kiwi player Cody Forsyth was in Cowdray Park’s winning team in 1983 and again in George Milford-Haven’s NCP Broncos in 1989 and Stuart Mackenzie made his presence felt in the winning
Boehm team in 1982 and again as a finalist with Christian Heppe’s BBs in 1984 and HRH The Prince of Wales’ Windsor Park in 1987. Alfred Dunhill started their 20 year sponsorship of The Queen’s Cup in 1980.
The 1990s Santa Fe (Andrew Hine, Cody Forsyth, Juni Crotto and Bill Bond Elliott) won in 1990 but this was the decade of Kerry Packer’s Ellerston. They won The Queen’s Cup five teams, in 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998 and 1999. In 1991, Alfonso and Gonzalo Pieres were Kerry’s high handicap professionals. The following year, Kerry had a young Henry Brett and a brace of Heguys (Pepe and Bauti) and Andy Archibald in the Ellerston team. Urs Schwarzenbach’s Black Bears got back to back wins in 1993, where his team of Seb and Pite Merlos with Oli Hipwood and Jason Dixon beat Ellerston in the final (this was the debut year of Adolfito Cambiaso in the UK and alongside Gonzalo Pieres in Ellerston) and again in 1994, 96
with Hubert Perrodo’s team Labergorce winning in 1995. Ellerston, with Julian Daniels, Javier Novillo Astrada and Pepe Heguy joining Kerry Packer won again in 1996. John Goodman’s Isla Carroll won in 1997 then it was back to Ellerston again with James Beim playing with Adolfito Cambiaso and Gonzalo Pieres in both 1998 and 1999, the fourth player being John Fisher in 1998 and Tristan Wade in 1999, as Kerry was away on business. Sadly, at the end of the 1999 season, Kerry Packer decided to pull out of playing in England. The 1990s was also the time of Bahar Jefri Bolkiah, whose Jerudong Park (with Nachi and Bauti Heguy and Henry Fisher) were beaten in the 1999 final. However, based at what is now Coworth Park but in those days was known as Ahmibah, Bahar Jefri at one stage employed all the Heguys (at that stage all playing off 10 goal handicaps) just so no-one else could!
2003 - Dubai: Matt Lodder, Adolfo Cambiaso Jr, HM Queen Elizabeth II, Christian Heppe (Hildon), Ali Albwardy and Bartolome Castagnola
The 2000s Rick Stowe’s Geebung, combining a young Dave Allen with Adolfito Cambiaso (now released from Ellerston) and Bauti Heguy won the cup in 2000. Foot and mouth prevented play in 2001 and Fabien Pictet’s Emerging (with Luke Tomlinson) won in 2002, beating younger brother Mark who was playing for Labergorce that year. Then in 2003 came the first of three wins in the decade for Ali Albwardy’s Dubai. Initially with his good friend and La Dolfina team-mate Lolo Castagnola, Adolfito Cambiaso played with Matt Lodder in 2003, then in the back to back wins of 2005 and 2006 (with Tariq Albwardy playing in place of his father), Adolfito combined with Piki Diaz Alberdi and Ryan Pemble (2005) and George Meyrick (2006) to win. By 2006, Adolfito Cambiaso had won The Queen’s Cup six times, in three different organisations, Ellerston, Geebung and Dubai, thus equalling the individual win record alongside Dr Jorge Marin Moreno and John Lucas in the
1960s and early 1970s and The Hon Mark Vestey in the 1970s and early 1980s. A record 22 teams entered the tournament in 2008, where Ellerston re-emerged as winners. Kerry Packer’s son James was patron and both Gonzalito and Facundo Pieres (two of Gonzalo’s sons) and young English professional Max Routledge combined well as a team. In 2009, Luke and Mark Tomlinson followed in their both parents’ footsteps by winning The Queen’s Cup when they played with Charlie Hanbury and Juan Gris Zavaleta in Sir Charles “Cow” Williams Apes Hill team. Luke Tomlinson has, to date, won The Queen’s Cup three times and still has plenty of time to win more. Now we find ourselves in 2010 and the start of the sixth decade of The Queen’s Cup. Adolfito Cambiaso, playing with Ali Albwardy’s son Rashid, Pablo MacDonough and Francisco Vismara, won The Queen’s Cup for a record breaking seventh time and proved he has been the most outstanding player of the last 18 years. Dubai went on 97
to do the double by winning the Gold Cup at Cowdray. The only teams to have done the double in the last fifty years are Woolmers Park in 1967, Stowell Park in 1973, 1978 and 1980, Foxcote in 1977, Geebung in 2000 and Dubai in 2005, both Geebung and Dubai with Adolfito Cambiaso playing for them. Some say that Adolfito Cambiaso has developed into the modern day Juan Carlos Harriott. Adolfito went to the US in January 1991 playing off 4 goals. By the end of April 1991, when he moved to England for the season, he had been raised to 7 goals. By July that year he had been raised to 9 goals! He became a prolific goal scorer and, in 1998, set what has to be regarded as an extra-ordinary record of goal scoring. In 14 games that he played in the UK, he scored 130 goals. In the 5 games that he played in the Open in Argentina, he scored 67 goals! So that was 197 goals in 19 matches. As we look forward to the next 50 years of The Queen’s Cup, I wonder how many of the current records will be left standing?
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1. Gonzalo Pieres receiving Most Outstanding High Goal Professional Player Award from Sebastian Amaya | 2. Jamie Morrison and Jean-Francois Decaux 3. Black & Champagne, perfect combination | 4. Daniel Gerber and Cartier’s Arnaud Bamberger | 5. Marcos Di Paola, Facundo Pieres and Miguel Novillo Astrada | 6. Sebastian Dawnay, Ed Hitchman and John Martin | 7. Becky Simpson and Jon Zammett | 8. Juan Gris Zabaleta and his sister, Cata 9. Bruce Merivale-Austin and wife | 10. Robyn and Andrew Hine | 11. Matt Cudmore and Sarah Holcombe | 12. Fra and David Woodd | 13. Malcolm and Alexandra Borwick with Tom & Jana Morley | 14. Carl Williams and Jana Morley | 15. Alicia Fuller, Alison Robins, Aurora Eastwood and Alice Gipps 16. Tamara Vestey | 17. Maggie Hyde | 18. Geoffrey Kent and friend 19. Jayne and Kenney Jones | 20. Roddy Williams | 21. Mary-Ann Williams and Rose Gemmell | 22. Adriano Agosti and wife Laurie with friends.
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Most Outstanding High Goal Team: La Bamba de Areco Most Outstanding High Goal Patron: Jean Francois Decaux Most Outstanding High Goal Professional: Gonzalito Pieres Most Outstanding Medium Handicapped Player: Nachi du Plessis Most Outstanding Low Handicapped Player: Ollie Cudmore The Audi Most Outstanding British Professional: Luke Tomlinson Most Outstanding Lady Professional: Nina Clarkin Outstanding Arena Team: Equibuild The Kerry Packer Most Outstanding High Goal Pony: Shannon The HPA Life Time Achievement Awards: Lord Patrick Beresford // The late Gerald Balding Dream Team: Facundo Pieres, Eduardo Novillo Astrada, Agustin Merlos and Bautista Heguy.
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2. Nicholas Roberts, Bettina Balhsen and Jamie Roberts 3. Carlos Gracida jr, Mariano Darritchon and Tono Iturrate 4. Yolanda Carslow and James Mullan with friends 5. Howard Hipwood and Heidi Field | 6. Sebastian Merlos and Urs Schwarzenbach | 7. The Richardson clan; Flora, Tania, Jack, Kim and Jo | 8. Simon Keyte | 9. Mark Tomlinson and Laura Bechtolsheimer | 10. Claire Tomlinson and Richenda Hine 11. Sophie Kyriazi, Chris MackKenzie, Carlos Gracida jr and Nachi Du Plessis | 12. Tim Bown and friends | 13. Lucy and Andrew Tucker with Judy Tinsley | 14. Martin Ephson, Nina Clarkin and Eugenia Ephson | 15. Collin Emson, Francesca Schwarzenbach and Sibylle Maeder | 16. Doug and Sue McGregor and Jack Archibald 17. Sebastian Amaya and Ana Clara Cozzi | 18. Patrick Beresford 19. Agustin and Celina Caset
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Special - Super-sportsmen
Three Multitalented Polo Players By Horace Laffaye – Photos by Museum of Polo & Hall of Fame. In this era of specialization in every facet of life it is rare to find a polymath. The same applies to sportsmen. Three polo players who achieved distinction in polo are depicted as examples of excellence in other sports as well. American Foxhall Parker Keene (1869-1941) was the first polo player to be rated at 10goals, in 1891. Until he retired from the game, almost 30 years later, no American player was ever rated higher than him. Foxhall Keene was born in San Francisco, the son of James Keene, the president of the Stock Exchange and governor of the Bank of California. Keene amassed a considerable fortune before moving east, where young Foxie learned polo in Newport, Rhode Island. His progress was meteoric and he was selected to represent the Westchester Polo Club against the Hurlingham Club in the first international contest played on American soil. The Americans were unable to match the skills shown by the visiting foursome, led by the great John Watson. In 1887, Keene entered Harvard College only to be suspended early in his academic education for being the host in a raucous “punch” or drinking bout on Bloody Monday Night. Upon reinstatement, Keene went out for the American version of football, only to be felled by a ruptured kidney. Then he tried boxing in the lightweight division, but a bad case of measles put an end to his try at the college’s championship. At the end of the year he left Harvard. Keene moved to Long Island and soon became one of the leading players at the Rockaway Hunting Club, which developed a healthy antagonism with another polo club, Meadow Brook. Soon enough, the prominence achieved by those two institutions was such that Henry Herbert was asked to produce a list of individual handicaps, so other clubs could stage meaningful competitions against the two powerhouses. Thus, Thomas Hitchcock the elder, from Meadow Brook, and Foxie Keene, from Rockaway were ranked the top of the list, both with a 5-goal handicap. Three years later, the new-
ly formed Polo Association established ten goals as the maximum handicap, a tradition that has remained into our days. Foxhall Keene was the lone 10-goaler, followed by his teammate John Cowdin at 8-goals and Thomas Hitchcock at 7-goals. Keene was therefore confirmed as the best Ameri-
can player Foxhall Keene enjoyed foxhunting in England and in 1900 he assembled a team of American players living in Europe to challenge for the Westchester Cup. One game only was played at Hurlingham, the English team being successful by 8 goals to two. That same year the Olympic Games Foxhall Parker Keene
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took place in Paris and Keene took the gold medal with a mixed team named Foxhunters, with Capt. John de la Poer Beresford, Capt. Denis Daly and Alfred “Toby” Rawlinson from Great Britain and fellow American Frank Jay Mackey. A more serious challenge for the Westchester Cup followed in 1902, when America was represented by Rodolphe Agassiz from Myopia Hunt, John Cowdin, Keene and the Waterbury brothers, Larry and Monte. In the first match, the American team obtained its first victory over England, by two goals to one. The British regrouped and took the next two games by lopsided scores, retaining the Westchester Cup. The turf rivalry between Harry Payne Whitney and Foxhall Keene continued on the polo grounds. Interestingly enough, neither Whitney nor Keene ever took the U.S. Open Championship; however, both won the Senior Championship, at the time the main event in American polo.
Keene’s multiple talents were shown to advantage in many other sports. Foxie showed a streak of daredevil when he purchased a state of the art Mercedes racing automobile to compete in the Paris-Berlin race. Not improbably, he failed to finish the course. An English motoring publication, The Autocar, judged Keene “the biggest sinner in recklessness,” noting the collective sighs of relief that always followed his car’s passing out of sight. Keene himself was typically nonchalant about his driving. His memoirs recall plenty of instances
Foxhall Parker Keene riding before a match
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of near misses and serious accidents. “I very nearly was killed the first time I raced an automobile. This was in the first ParisBerlin motor race… when I started out on the long grind to Berlin I knew absolutely nothing about driving such a race. All I had was my nerve and damn fool confidence in myself.” Foxhall Keene was a good tennis player, competing in the National Doubles Championship with Henry Slocum, the National champion in both singles and doubles. He was also adept at court, or real, tennis, a good golfer and an accomplished sailor. At the height of his fame his father offered $10,000 for each of any ten sports that anyone was willing to challenge his son in, but there were no takers. Keene’s lifestyle and behavior eventually took their toll on his wallet and his body. By the mid-thirties he was essentially without a dime and moved into a small cottage on his sister’s estate in Ayer’s Cliff, Canada, an old and tired man.
Third from right, Charlie Menditeguy
Australian Reginald Leslie “Snowy” Baker (1884-1953) is considered Australia’s best allaround athlete ever. By some counts, he participated in 26 sports, excelling in many. His career started early, when at age 13 he took the 100 and 200-yards New South Wales swimming championships. Three years later, Baker played rugby against Great Britain. At age 17 he won the New South Wales middleweight boxing championship and a year later the middle weight and heavyweight Australian boxing crowns. Baker represented Australia in boxing in the 1908 Olympic Games, held in London. After winning three bouts, two by knock-outs, he was defeated in the finals of the middleweight division on points, earning the silver medal. As an aside, all four bouts were held in only one day. John Douglas, the gold medalist, was actually better known as a cricketer, who later captained Essex and England. In the same Olympic games, he participated in swimming and diving, one of three athletes to achieve that triple feat in 1908.
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In the event for Fancy High Diving (springboard), Baker failed to qualify for the final round. In swimming, the Australian team, with Snowy in the third slot, won the heat and finished fourth in the 4 x 200 Meter Freestyle Relay. Baker represented Australia in water polo, and was highly proficient in cricket, track and field, equestrian events, including polo, and rowing. In 1908, Snowy Baker was appointed referee for the Jack Johnson versus Tommy Burns heavyweight professional bout, which was held in Sydney. However, Johnson objected to Baker’s snow-white hair, which had given him his nickname, and a replacement had to be found. A motor vehicle accident put an end to most of Snowy Baker’s athletic endeavors but he became a prominent boxing promoter in Australia. Baker was also a leading actor and a stuntman; he became a matinee idol in Australia for his silent movie performances.
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Baker then moved to Hollywood, where he coached Greta Garbo, Elizabeth Taylor, Shirley Temple, Douglas Fairbanks and Rudolph Valentino in fencing, riding and swimming. Snowy Baker played polo in California, representing the state in a two-game series against a visiting Mexican side on the occasion of the inauguration of the new polo fields at Riviera Country club in December 1931. Snowy’s name first appears in the 1928 U.S.P.A. Yearbook, as a member of Will Rogers’ Uplifters Club; his last listing is in 1950, in the San Francisco Polo Club’s roster. During most of his polo playing career, Baker represented the Riviera Country Club, famous as the site of the 1949 Argentine-America series and home of one of the top golf courses in the United States. Snowy Baker reached a 4-goal handicap, quite an achievement considering that he took up the game when he was in his for-
ties. He took his share of polo trophies, including the high handicap Teddy Miller Memorial and the James W. Colt Memorial, both important tournaments in California. Carlos Alberto Menditeguy (1914-1973) is widely recognized as Argentina’s most versatile sportsman. Born into a family endowed with the world’s goods, both Carlos and his older brother Julio reached the pinnacle of polo: a 10-goal rating. Both their grandfather and father were members of the Jockey Club and owned a stud farm, El Turf. The thoroughbred Chopp, bred at El Turf, took the Argentine Triple Crown in 1903. Carlos attended Colegio Marín in San Isidro, where the football team won the High Schools Championship. Carlos played at center-forward; in today’s day he would have been the prototype of a striker. His eye-hand coordination was superb; Charlie, as he was universally known, was a su-
California Players, before match against Mexico: hal Roach, Snowy Baker, Eric Pedley and C. B. Brunson
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perior squash and pelota a paleta player, a skilled billiards practitioner and a nationally ranked tennis player. With his brother Julio, the team was ranked number five by the tennis association. Menditeguy also excelled at the royal and ancient game of golf. A good player, a casual conversation led to a bet: for a rumored 1.000 dollars, a significant amount in the early 1940s, he wagered that he would be a scratch player one year from that date. When Charlie took up something, he committed himself to the enterprise with heart and soul. In this particular case he hired professional instructor Enrique Bertolini and took daily lessons. He won the bet with time to spare. Then he entered the Campeonato del Sud, at the time one of the top four golf tournaments in South America, held at the Mar del Plata Golf Club, and took the amateur division with a score of two over par for 72 holes. After polo, automobile racing was Men-
diteguy’s passion. Always looking for the best, Charlie made his debut on a 2-liter Ferrari sports car at a race in Mar del Plata, a trendy summer resort. Driving the best machine in the field, Charlie ran away to an easy victory. Next year, Menditeguy silenced his critics. During the international Temporada in Buenos Aires at the Costanera Circuit local drive José Froilán González, in a Ferrari, won both races ahead of the Mercedes Benz team of Juan Manuel Fangio, Herman Lang and Karl Kling. However, the main surprise was Carlos Menditeguy’s performance. Driving an Alfa Romeo 308, built in 1938 and a dinosaur by Formula 1 standards, Charlie held second place for a long time, ahead of the three Mercedes, ahead of local hero Oscar Gálvez, until his obsolete machine gave out in the final laps. Menditeguy went on to be a member of the Maserati Formula 1 racing team, entering in
ten World Championship races. His most significant win in the Sports Cars World Championship was the 1956 Buenos Aires 1,000 Kilometers Race, in a Maserati that he shared with England’s Stirling Moss. Carlos Menditeguy took up polo in 1933 at Los Pingüinos, the Braun Menéndez family’s club in Merlo. Ten years later, he reached the 10-goal handicap plateau, the first Argentine player to do so – together with Enrique Alberdi and Luis Duggan – since Luis Lacey had reached that goal in 1915. Charlie achieved fame and glory playing at back on El Trébol team, with his brother Julio, Luis and Heriberto Duggan. This team, which reached an aggregate of 39-goals, was the best team in Argentina until the appearance of the Venado Tuerto squad, which was formed with the specific goal of defeating El Trébol. The 1940s and 1950s were part of the golden age of polo in Argentina,
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mainly due to the intense and close rivalry between these two teams. From 1939 to 1960, El Trébol and Venado Tuerto took all but six of the Argentine Open Championships. Venado Tuerto retired as a team in 1955 and the Duggan brothers in 1956. However, Charlie was at the beginning and was the last one at the end, when Julio quit polo after an injury. El Trébol was one of the best teams ever in the history of the game; if Pepe Duggan was its brain, Carlos Menditeguy was its engine. Regrettably, this gifted man endowed with uncanny timing developed Parkinson’s disease, an affliction that produces muscular rigidity and tremors. His heart finally gave up after a surgical intervention. Charlie, the people’s idol, was given a final tribute by a multitude who accompanied him to his final resting place. Carlos Menditeguy is a sporting legend in Argentine lore.
Special Horses
Polo Pony Provenance
By Aurora Eastwood. Nothing is more important in polo than the ponies themselves. Good ones will lift a player’s game, bad ones will lower it. Everyone is always searching for the next champion – but where do they look?
Importing The traditional method has always been to buy ponies from overseas – Argentina is certainly the most prolific provider, followed to a lesser extent by Uruguay, Chile, Brazil and on the other side of the ocean, Australia, New Zealand, and to a lesser extent, South Africa. This used to be a fairly cost effective option, but now with flight costs almost £4,500 from South America and at least £5,000 sterling from Australasia and South Africa, the horse
now needs to be of a certain quality to justify the expense, particularly if the horse is imported with a view to selling it on at a profit. Low goal amateur players will usually buy an imported pony through an existing contact, usually in the UK. Some fly abroad, have a polo holiday and then buy their favourite mount, and others will “order” a pony through a contact who is going overseas. The latter is somewhat fraught with
Breeding Breeding polo ponies in the UK is nothing new, but has certainly become much more popular in recent years – no doubt due to the rising cost of importing from abroad. There are several polo pony studs; Beaufort, Trippetts, Andrew Seavill, Eastwood Stud – all of whom have their own stallions and many also sell young stock. Production costs in the UK are significantly more expensive than abroad, but this can be offset to an extent by the rising cost of flying horses in. It costs around £6,000 to raise a horse
to three years old, taking into account stud fees, keep of the mare and then the first three years of the foal’s life. The problem that amateur breeders used to face was the vital issue of how to start their young horse – after all, a young horse will only become a good polo pony with the right training! This is certainly no longer an issue. There is now a group of people with an excellent skill-set who can start a young pony; Beau Skerrett, Jason Webb at Australian Horse Training, James Roberts at The Foundation Station, to name but a few.
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difficulty, as without trying a pony how does one know it will suit? Despite this drawback, it is a popular option. Patrons usually buy ponies from their professionals, or by recommendation from them. This should ensure a happy result, as the pro wants the patron to be happy – though not always! Professional players tend to either import their own ponies, from their own setups, or buy from professional producers.
Thoroughbreds Certainly for the top levels of polo, the Thoroughbred has no equal. Fortunately for the polo industry, thousands of thoroughbreds retire from racing each year, resulting in a plentiful supply. In addition, Ireland has been overproducing for years and is another excellent source of cheap, young horses – many unraced or even unbroken. Ex-racehorses are typically sourced from sales, such as the regular Brightwells sale at Ascot, as well as Doncaster and Tattersalls. Those in the know have contacts direct with trainers, and
Costs of a made pony Importing ponies Flight £4000 to £6000 Pony £5000 upwards (significantly more for medium or high goal ponies) Total £9000 to £50,000 plus
therefore get to go and see and try the horse – a luxury not possible at a sale. Success rates vary – but as a rule of thumb, if you start with a horse that is the right size, the right type, sound and sane, it will play polo! The level it attains is down to its ability and that of the trainer... Another sweetener is ROR. With cash prizes on offer for the best retrained racehorses, there is an added incentive for players to buy thoroughbreds to retrain.
Breeding ponies in the UK Stud fee £500 to £1000 Keep of broodmare for 18 months £2160 Keep of foal to 3 years £4320 Keep of a green horse for 2 further years £5000 Total £11980 to £12480 for a 5 year old playing pony Thoroughbreds Purchase price £700 to £2000 Keep for 2 to 3 years £3250 to £5750 Total £3950 to £7750 for a 4 to 5 year old playing pony www.eastwoodstud.com for Stallions at stud, young stock, Irish TB’s and playing ponies
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Interview
Jonny Good
Background
When did you start playing? I was eight or nine years old and stated playing pony club polo with the Old Surrey and Burstow pony club. When did you first play high goal? In 1998, I had a few games with Alcatel in the Gold Cup. The team was Gabriel Donoso, Piki Alberdi and John Manconi. How did you get the job for the Queens Cup? Nicky Evans called me at the end of the 09 season and asked if I’d be interested in going to Argentina in October and trialling along with a few other 5 goalers. I did so and then got the call in early December that I had been selected.
Horses
How many ponies do you have? 18. Seven are playing the high goal, another five or so to play the 15 goal, then I have some green horses, a few three year olds, yearlings and broodmares and a couple of foals on the way! Do you buy made horses, make your own or breed? I have almost always made my own. Three of mine are ex racehorses, one is a horse that was bred for eventing but didn’t make the height, and then a few are homebred out of old champions of mine. Which is the best pony of your career so far? Petra, a grey mare actually bred by Ascot Park. She was bought and started
Jonny Good playing for Asprey in the Queen Mother’s Centenary Cup 2009
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by the Talacrest organisation when John Collins was still playing. I then bought her as a five year old when Talacrest sold up, finished her myself and then went on to play her for many years. She played high goal when we had the all England team, and won numerous BPP awards over the years in literally every level of polo. She is now my most important broodmare.
Opinions
Which current British player do you admire the most? Howard Hipwood, for his achievements in many years of high goal and also his longevity. He is a strong, open player and is still superb.
How do you think British players can be helped to enable them to play more high goal? Win the lottery! Joking aside, finances obviously help, but also necessary is good guidance and a lot of hard work. What do you think about the possible change in levels to 16/20/24 goal polo? 18 goal is very thin on the ground, 15 still seems very popular and the 22 is strong. If 22 became 24 goal it would put pressure on those teams on tighter budgets and potentially they would drop down a level and leave only the big six or eight teams to play 24 goal. I don’t feel that a change is necessary.
Future plans
Where will you go this winter? I have just had another baby, so I’d prefer to travel for no more than two weeks if I am alone, however I plan to return to Argentina for the spring season and help Pite Merlos play his younger string. What are your personal goals? With a growing family I’d like some financial security. I want to carry on producing and breeding high calibre horses and WINNING! Life after professional polo? I will certainly always be involved with horses. I have started a business called Equestrian Design – essentially site planning for equestrian facilities to allow efficient working, ease of use and making the most of existing features, topography and layout.
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Interview
Max Charlton
Background
When did you start playing? I was 11. Paul Sweeney was the architect for a house my parents were building, and one day he gave me a hand mallet...from there I started having lessons at Ascot Park, then joined Guards when I was 14. When did you first play high goal? I played the Copa da Provincia in Argentina in 2008 – 24 goal polo. I’ve been playing 18 goal in the UK since 2006, and this is my first year of playing the 22 goal. How did you get the job for this Queens Cup? Gaston (Laulhe) and I were chatting and he suggested trying to get a sponsor to enable an all pro team to be entered. We approached Lucy Northmore from Polonetworks, and she in turn found us sponsorship from the Telegraph and Crabbies Ginger Beer. Crabbies are also my personal sponsor for this season, together with Baileys horse feeds.
Horses
How many ponies do you have? I have 7 in Argentina and 16 here. I owe a lot to Ella, my head girl, as she keeps the horses in such good shape and keeps the stress away from me. I have 9 ponies for the Queen´s Cup and another 5 for the Archie David and Royal Windsor. Do you buy made ponies, make your own, or breed? Up until now I have always bought made ponies. I started breeding two years ago so it will be a while still until I see the results. Which is the best pony of your career so far? Samantha, who I bought from the Sultan of Brunei. We have taken two embryos from her so far. Also Nativa, who I bought from La Aguada.
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Opinions
Which current British player do you admire the most? James Beim. He is such an allround talented player and he has excellent horses.
How do you think British players can be helped to enable them to play more high goal? I definitely think that sponsored teams is the way forward. That way we can have four man teams which automatically creates more slots for British players. What do you think about the possible change in levels to 16/20/24 goal polo? There would be a risk that 2 and 3 goal players would lose out in favour of 5 and 6 goal players, although they would still have the opportunity in the 20 goal. I guess we have to wait and see.
Future Plans
Where will you go this winter? Argentina for the majority of the winter. I will probably play some arena from mid December and would like to play in Thailand again. What are your personal goals? I’d like to win the Gold Cup, the Coronation Cup and play in the Argentine Open. Life after professional polo? I’d like to have a successful breeding operation as that would be so rewarding. Hopefully by then I will also have children involved in polo, playing on ponies I have bred and produced.
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UK Season - Twelve Oaks
TWELVE OAKS ESTATE IS A BASE FOR POLO AND DRESSAGE PQ international’s Head Editor and Ana Clara Cozzi visited Twelve Oaks Estate for a photo shoot and discussion with two world class polo players Marcos and Bautista Heguy and British International Dressage rider Leah Beckett.
They are two completely different equestrian disciplines, some participants of which have a certain amount of mutual disdain but both polo ponies and dressage horses and their respective international players/riders co-exist peacefully in the harmonious atmosphere of the Twelve Oaks Estate in Windlesham, Surrey. The property is owned by the Wooldridge family and the family have three houses on the 200 acre estate. Brothers Ian and Graham Wooldridge play and their sister
Julie’s husband Steve has been known to hit a ball around in the past. Ian’s son, Charlie, is an up-and-coming player who has progressed quickly to his 2 goal handicap. Around ten years ago, a full size polo ground was created and additional stabling was built. There is now sufficient stabling to accommodate the families’ ponies, international dressage horses and the ponies for a high goal team and a couple of high goal professional players, Gaston Laulhe 114
and Joaquin Pittaluga. For the last few years, Stefano Marsaglia’s Azzurra has been based there and this year, with a team name change, the Piaget Polo Team is based there. Their two top professional players are brothers Marcos and Bautista Heguy of the world famous polo family and, in their own right, they have won the Argentine Open, the polo equivalent of soccer’s World Cup, on many occasions, Marcos 6 times and Bauti 5 times. Leah Beckett has won 2 European
Young Rider medals, competed at 3 European Championships and has just returned from six months training in Holland, where she backed twelve 3 year olds and rode other horses to Grand Prix level prior to an auction. She rides two dressage horses at Twelve Oaks that are jointly owned by Graham Wooldridge and Vicky Kingham. Tino, a 15 year old black gelding, purchased from Lotte Young (her husband Martin is patron of Meyado Polo Team), who is sponsored by
Tally Ho Farm and is qualified to compete at Prix St George level and Ayla, a young 5 year old chestnut mare, who is sponsored by The Wooldridge Group and has trained and now qualified for the 5 year olds International Dressage Championships. We thought that it would be unusual to have a photo shoot with Marcos and Bauti Heguy and Leah Beckett. We have included some interesting photos. Marcos Heguy is on Misionaria, an 8 year old mare who joined his UK 115
string last year. Bauti Heguy is on Tobi, a 10 year old skewbald mare, who has played in the Argentine Open and has been in his UK string for the last three years. Leah Beckett is on the experienced 15 year old black gelding, Tino and will have competed on him at the Hickstead International Show by the time you read this article.
UK Season - Ham Polo Club
In Aid of children Adolfo Cambiaso's Sunset Polo Gaucho Day at Ham Polo Club. Report by Dara Williams
Bicycle polo is a long-established tradition in Britain and an exhibition match by players from the London-based Chelsea Bicycle Polo Club against Ham started events at the Sunset Polo Gaucho Day this summer. Then came a demonstration of the South American game, Pato, featuring 10-goal Pato champion Ariel Tapia. The game uses a ball encased in a leather pouch which has four handles and is thrown between players, each of whom has to bend virtually to the ground in an attempt to pick up or catch the ball. It is then thrown between hoops at either end of the field. Opposing players gain possession by
ripping the ball out of their opponents’ hands at a gallop and it is so violent a sport that is has been banned in several countries. Next on the programme was a junior match, with stars Adolfo Cambiaso and Pablo Mac Donough playing with youngsters. The event which everyone had anticipated eagerly, of course, was the main match for the Adolfo Cambiaso Trophy, with Gaucho Argentina, representing Argentina, against La Dolfina Camino Real, representing the Rest of the World. International player Ernesto Gutierrez and his son Fermen, on either side, had flown in by helicopter
Adolfo Cambiaso Jr
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and Dubai's very own Ali Albwardy had brought his son Rashid, who had recently won The Queen’s Cup, part of the British high-goal Triple Crown. Alan Meeker, owner of Crestview and a well-known player on the far side of the Atlantic, had come over especially from the USA. Adolfo Cambiaso Jr, the current holder of the Argentine Open, US Open and – for a record seventh time – Queen’s Cup (and the Gold Cup for the British Open , played for after this Ham event but before publication of this issue), led Gaucho, supported by Ali Albwardy, Ernesto Gutierrez and Alan Meeker. Pablo Mac Donough,
who had played with Cambiaso for the first time in this year's Queen’s Cup, was joined for the Camino Real by Rashid Albwardy, Fermen Gutierrez and Benjie Davis. Davis, well-known as a Ham player, scored the opening goal of the four chukka game, followed by an equaliser from Ernesto Gutierrez. Both teams scored twice in the second chukka and by the end of the third and penultimate chukka the score was still level, this time at 5-5. It was Ali Albwardy who sent through the decider in the last chukka, to give Gaucho Argentina a close win of 6-5. As a result of a superb dinner and auction, a considerable sum was raised in aid of Ideas del Sur, an Argentinebased charity of which Cambiaso is a director. It benefits public health and disabled and underprivileged youngsters. Mims Talton, from the USA bought a saddle signed by every 10goal player in the world; and a Cambiaso helmet, in the familiar Argentine colours, was knocked down to Alan Meeker, who generously returned it to the charity for further auction at a later date. The day was sponsored by La Dolfina, Gaucho Restaurants and Camino Real Polo Club of Argentina. Above: Pablo Mac Donough playing for PQ International Team | Below: Fermin Gutierrez
Gaucho Day Gaucho Argentina PoloLine Alan Meeker Enersto Gutierrez Ali Albwardy Adolfo Cambiaso
La Dolfina PQ international Benji Davis Rashid Albwardy FermĂn Gutierrez Pablo MacDonough
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1. Pete McCormack and Adolfo Cambiaso Jr. 2. Sebastian Amaya and Benji Davis, MVP of the match. 3. Ariel Tapia and Gemma Craig. 4. Gloria Solanet, Marcos Heguy’s mother in law with expecting mom Mechi MacDonough. 5. Nicholas and Annie Colquhoun-Denvers with Alan Meeker and Cambiaso’s helmet. 6. Mims Talton and a friend.
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7. From left to right: Pablo MacDonough, Fermín Gutierrez, Rashid Albwardy, Benji Davis, Adolfo Cambiaso Jr, Ali Albwardy, Ernesto Gutierrez and Alan Meeker. 8. Alan Meeker with the winners´ trophy. 9. Pablo MacDonough and Fermin Gutierrez. 10. Annie Coulquhoun-Denvers, Class McClancy and John Rendall. 11. The Casabal family.
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UK Season - Ham Polo Club
Cirque du Polo Ham, the London Polo Club traditionally hold their annual Summer Ball on the Friday before the HPA Cartier International Match at Guards, taking advantage of the long summer evenings and the international visitors in London for the big game. This year tickets sold out almost a week before the event and around 250 members, friends and guests enjoyed the `Cirque do Polo’ theme in a dramatic and brightly coloured red and orange `big top’ tent beautifully decorated by club members with floral horse table arrangements, giant horses and elephants on and around the dance floor and a coconut shy entrance not to mention a full sized bumper car set-up beside the main marquee. A glittering, international guest list included revellers from Australia, India, Africa, Germany, Thailand and the States and even three of the players who were to play on the hallowed turf of Smith’s Lawn in the Cartier’s morning match who `tripped the night fantastic’ to the live band `Madison Square’. A subsequent flow of e-mailed compliments voted the evening a spectacular and successful event once again!
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UK Season - Ham Polo Club
International Polo Series Article and Photos provided by Pete McCormack.
Two years in the planning and the brainchild of the London Polo Club’s Polo Director, Peter McCormack, the King Power Partner series gives clubs and club members a chance to compete internationally using a league
format. Each club will host three games, one against each opposing city club, with points allocated for home and away wins as well as draws. The tournament will run throughout the 2010 season, culminating in a final in
Bangkok in November 1st. The competition launches with four international club teams from South East Asia’s leading Polo Club in Bangkok (VR Polo Club), London (LPC), Moscow (Moscow Polo Club) and
Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers (UK) and Alex Rodzianko (Russia) during the presentation of the tournament.
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Dubai (Desert Palm). Teams from other international destinations are signed up to join the exclusive series in 2011. The series is set as a maximum handicap 8-goal tournament, with each team limited to just one professional player, whose handicap must be no more than 5. Teams must be made up of 3 amateur members from the club they represent; with 2 of the 3 being a national of the country they represent. Commenting on the launch, Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers, Chairman of the HPA and The London Polo Club, said, “This series is especially exciting as it gives true amateur members a chance to play internationally. We are particularly proud to host the launch of this competition at the LPC as it promotes the same spirit of grass-roots talent and enthusiasm for which our club is renowned.� The costs of playing have been generously covered by global series partner King Power, with support from media PQ and Polo Line.
Hernan Traverso and Adolfo Casabal
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Polo de Deauville introduces its new muse Georgia May Jagger and opens its first shop in Deauville The youngest Mick Jagger’s daughter who won the 2009 Model Awards becomes the muse of the Pret a Porter collection of the brand POLO DE DEAUVILLE. With her glamorous Brigitte Bardot-like figure, her lovely face and her witty personality, the young Brit has seduced the Haute Couture universe. She launched the first POLO DE DEAUVILLE shop in Deauville on Saturday, 12th of June after having watched a Polo match between Deauville and Chantilly, next to Philippe de Nicolay, President of the brand and next to Dominique Desseigne (Barrière Group). The full coverage of the entire Deauville season will be on the next PQ issue, that covers the European High goal Season.
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WPT - Second Quarter 2010
Cambiaso continues to lead the ranking By Alejandra Ocampos With Dubai’s triumph, which established them as winners of the Gold Cup for the British Open Championship, the competitive UK season has come to an end. In addition, there have been some highly important changes in the World Polo Tour ranking. Unstoppable, with no rivals within sight, Adolfo Cambiaso continues to amass victories. After winning the Triple Crown in the United States, he regained first place in the ranking, pushing Gonzalo Pieres into second place. His triumphs in England, playing for Dubai, both during The Queen’s Cup and the Gold Cup, did none other than stretch his lead even further and therefore, the best player in the world continues to hold the top ranking position with 1237 points, boasting more than a 200-point lead over his runner-up, Gonzalo Pieres Jr. (993 points). On the other hand, Pablo MacDonough, Cambiaso’s team-mate in Dubai, took third place on the podium (967 units), consigning
Facundo Pieres to fourth place. Something similar happened with Pelón Stirling, whose outstanding performance playing for El Remanso in England allowed him to climb to eighth place, swapping positions with Mariano Aguerre, who did not play the British Open and moved into ninth position. Finalist of the British Open playing for Lechuza Caracas, Miguel Novillo Astrada was left only a step away from the top ten, as he climbed from position 15 to 11. His team-mate Guillermo Caset and team
patron, Victor Vargas, share their rise up the ranking from position 19 to 14. In addition, Vargas takes second place in the amateur ranking after George Rawlings. Lolo Castagnola experienced a significant drop from position 13 to 16. Polo shifts its focus and heads towards the European season, with several important tournaments which award ranking points, and also moves on towards Santa Barbara, California, where Adolfo Cambiaso will be present for the first time in his career, with the firm objective of remaining at the top of the international polo ranking.
WPT Ranking | Top 5 Pos Name
1. Adolfo Cambiaso 2. Gonzalo Pieres Jr. 3. Pablo MacDonough 4. Facundo Pieres 5. Juan Martin Nero
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Royal Profile
HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Consort and Polo Player By Alejandra Ocampos - Photos by Mike Roberts and Centhaur
"The only active sport I will follow is polo - and most of the work is done by the pony." (Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, 1965) From inception, in Persia in the 6th Century BC, polo has been a deeprooted tradition among nobles and military men, which gradually extended throughout the entire Asian Continent. Among other stories, we have been told that Chinese empresses used to play polo, and Genghis Khan, the Mongolian warrior, considered that polo was an ideal exercise for his soldiers, in order to practice archery and hold their spears while riding a horse running at high speed. Following its course around Asia,
polo arrived in India, and the Maharajas and courtiers succumbed to this sport. Although the Hindus were far from establishing its rules, they polished it a little, since what used to be known as polo back then in the rest of the continent, was played in a somewhat violent way. Towards 1865, polo reached the West from India under British officers and, additionally, they were responsible for establishing its rules. Thus, this sport became military men’s favourite pastime, and of course, that of the British Royal Family. All or most of them have been related to this sport one way or another, but one of them achieved an outstanding career both
Photo by Mike Roberts
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as a polo player and a leader: HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh consort to HM Queen Elizabeth II. But not only that, Prince Philip passed on this love for polo to his son, Charles, Prince of Wales, and his grandsons, Prince William and Prince Harry, sons of Prince Charles and fondly-remembered Lady Diana Spencer. Although Prince Charles has already retired from active practice, at present both his sons continue this tradition, mainly, at charity events.
A Prince of Greece Born on June 10th, 1921, at Villa Mon Repos on the island of Corfu, in Greece, and named Philip, Prince of
Greece and Denmark, he is the only son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg, great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, and eldest daughter of Louis of Battenberg, first Marquis of Milford Haven, and of his wife, Victoria of Hesse-Darmstadt. Louis, who had served in the Royal Navy during World War I, renounced his German titles and in 1917 he belatedly changed his surname to Mountbatten, the translation of his German family name, Battenberg (which in both cases means “Mount Batten”). After the Greek monarchy was abolished for the first time in 1922, when Philip was only one year old, his family fled into exile in France. There, he began his studies. Subsequently, in 1928, he was sent to England, under the guardianship of his uncle, Louis Mountbatten, his mother’s brother. Philip attended Cheam School until he reached the age of 12, while he lived with his other uncle, George Mountbatten and his grandmother, at Kensington Palace. Towards 1933, Philip continued his studies in Germany, at Schule Schloss Salem, and was subsequently sent to Scotland to study at Gordonstoun School. After graduating, in 1939, he joined the Royal Navy, at the Royal Naval College, in Dartmouth, where he graduated top of his class, in 1940, to the delight of his family and especially of his uncle and mentor, Louis Mountbatten. He was promoted to Second Lieutenant and later, in July 1942, he earned his promotion to Lieutenant. In October of that same year, when he was only 21 years old, he became First Lieutenant of HMS Wallace and one of the youngest First Lieutenants in the history of the Royal Navy. In 1946, after World War II, he returned to England, and was posted as an instructor at HMS Royal Arthur.
the young Naval Officer. From then on, insofar as the difficulties that the terrible World War II allowed them to, they began to exchange letters. After the war was over, Philip asked the King for his daughter’s hand in marriage. George VI granted his request provided he waited until Elizabeth turned 21, in April, 1947. The engagement was announced to the public on July 8th, 1947. So Philip had to renounce his Greek and Danish Royal titles to become Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten. The day before the wedding, the King bestowed the style His Royal Highness on Philip, and on the same day of the wedding, he became Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich. Philip and Elizabeth were married on November 20th, 1947, at Westminster Abbey. The couple took up residence at Kensington Palace, and in November 1948 their first son, Charles, was born followed by Anne (1950), Andrew (1961) and Edward (1964). A year after their daughter Anne was born, in 1951, and having attained the rank of Commander, Philip put an end to his naval career. In January, 1952, Philip and Elizabeth set out on a tour of the Commonwealth. On February 6th, 1952, King George VI, Elizabeth’s father, died while they were in Kenya. The couple returned immediately, with Elizabeth having become Queen of England, and her husband, Prince Consort.
Prince Consort In July, 1939, King George VI, his wife Queen Elizabeth and their two young daughters, Elizabeth and Margaret, visited the Royal Naval College, in Dartmouth. There, Philip was formally introduced to Elizabeth, the King’s eldest daughter, who was then 13 years old. Elizabeth, Philip’s third cousin through Queen Victoria, fell in love with 131
Philip and Polo From the moment he married Elizabeth, the Duke of Edinburgh’s life was divided between royal commitments and sports, mainly polo, a deeprooted pastime which the Prince enjoyed during his youth and also as an adult, encouraged by his uncle Louis Mountbatten. Louis Mountbatten started playing polo in 1921, motivated by the Prince of Wales, the future Edward VIII, when they were both in India. Mountbatten reached a 5-goal handicap, and had his own team, the Bluejackets. He was also the Chairman of the London Polo Committee, and in 1931 he wrote a book, “An Introduction to Polo”, which yet today is considered to be one of the most valuable polo books ever written. In fact, there is a whole chapter devoted to the polo swing, which is the first official study regarding how to apply it correctly. Louis Mountbatten retired from active polo practice in the 1950s. But previously, towards the end of the 1940s, during his stay in Malta, it was he who introduced his nephew Philip to this sport. Years later, Mountbatten did exactly the same with his grandnephew, Charles, son of Philip. Charles came to consider Louis Mountbatten as a great influence when the time came to play polo. Just like his uncle, Philip also reached a 5-goal handicap, and in
Prince Philip had his own team, Windsor Park, with which, on two occasions, in 1957 and 1966, he won the most important European tournament, the Gold Cup for the British Open, held at Cowdray Park. general he played back. He used to take part in tournaments and matches regularly with his friends Archie David, Lord Beresford, the Marquis of Waterford, Paul Withers, and even with his son, Prince Charles. Unlike other polo players, who could be called amateurs, Philip took this activity very seriously, which has been clearly shown in numerous and prestigious tournaments played and won by him, and the quality of the players who usually took part with him in the different competitions. Prince Philip had his own team, Windsor Park, with which, on two occasions, in 1957 and 1966, he won the most important European tournament, the Gold Cup for the British Open, held at Cowdray Park. Besides Philip, the 1966 line-up included the Marquis of Waterford, Lord Patrick Beresford and the fondly remembered Gonzalo Tanoira, a player whom the Duke admired and had nicknamed “Speedy”. In 1958 and 1965, he won the Royal
Windsor Cup, the Guards Polo Club medium-goal competition, besides winning the Westbury Cup and the Cowdray Park Challenge Cup. In 1969, his son Charles was added on to the Windsor Park team. Philip and Windsor Park also visited the United States, and in 1970 they lost the tournament final in Boca Raton, against the local team. Just like every other polo player, whether amateur or professional, Philip travelled to Argentina on countless occasions to practice his favourite sport. However, he was not the first member of the British Royal Family to come to the Polo Mecca, mainly to visit Hurlingham. In 1925, and within the framework of an official visit to Argentina, Edward of Windsor, the future Edward VIII, who abdicated his throne in 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson, played polo at Hurlingham Club, a place which was also visited by his brother, the future George VI, in 1931. Just like many other polo players of his time, the Duke of Edinburgh was a 132
great admirer of the legendary Coronel Suárez, that fabulous team, the first to reach a 40-goal handicap, which included the two Harriott brothers (Juan Carlitos and Alfredo) and the Heguy brothers (Alberto Pedro and Horacio). Not only was he a great admirer, but he also treated himself and played with the Heguy brothers. Alberto Pedro Heguy, one of the figures of that memorable day, recalls the Prince’s competitive spirit. As a polo player, he took his profession very seriously: “In 1966, the Argentine Polo Association arranged for Daniel González, Horacio and I, myself, to play with Philip at the Hurlingham Open, which was limited to 30 goals”, says the legendary polo player, whom having won 17 Open Tournaments is the player who has won the most in the history of Palermo. “For their part, the Harriotts made up an Argentine national 30-goal team with Alfredo, Juan Carlitos, Gastón Dorignac and Gonzalo Tanoira. We made it through to the semi-finals, and then we met an English team, including Lord Beresford and Patrick Kemple. We thought that, since we had to play against an English team, the Prince would go downhill. But he called us before the game and said: I want to make it clear that I have a special interest in winning today. And that is exactly how it went, we won 15-5 against a very powerful English team, but we later lost the final against the Harriott’s team, by one goal scored at the last minute. We provided the Prince with horses and he played a great match”. During his stays in Argentina, Philip used to frequent Hurlingham and the San Jorge Military Riding Club, where he was always received with honours. In appreciation for having been showered him with attentions, Philip donated a trophy to the club. Known as the Duke of Edinburgh Trophy, it is presented to the San Jorge Military Riding Club Open champion. This competition opens the Argentine spring season, and the finals are played year after year at the Polo Cathedral, in Palermo. In 1971, at age 50, Philip retired from active polo practice, though that did not stop him from being a spectator and a leader; he is usually seen with Her Majesty The Queen, in the
Royal Box at Guards Polo Club, which he founded and of which he is President. After retiring from active polo practice, the Prince was devoted to carriage races: “When I gave up polo I thought – well, I have the horses and the carriages, why not give it a try? I began with this activity in 1973, and this is how it has been since then”, said Philip in an interview with Alan Titchmarsh, shown on the “All the Queen’s Horses” programme. Although he no longer takes part in carriage races, Philip returns to the reins whenever he gets the chance.
Guards Polo Club Philip’s activity within polo was not only limited to participating as a player but also as a leader. The Prince is the patron of the Hurlingham Polo Association, and Founder and Honorary Chairman of the most important Polo Club in Europe: Guards Polo Club. During the 1940s, the cavalry officers used to play polo at Cowdray Park located in Sussex. Among those who regularly attended polo competitions, you could always find Philip and his fiancée, Princess Elizabeth. In those days, travelling from Windsor to London towards Sussex was not at all easy. It was then that Major Archie David facilitated things for those of his friends who played at Cowdray, and invited them to move to Henley, where his mansion, Friar Park, was located. Archie David was a renowned
tea producer in the 1950s and one of the most popular figures among the officers who frequented Cowdray. One of them, Major Marquis Douro, told Philip about the possibility of organising matches at Windsor Great Park, an idea that Philip supported immediately, as he wished to play polo near home. Thus, towards 1954, the cavalry officers requested Queen Elizabeth’s permission to play polo there. The Queen granted her consent, and suggested they should use Smith’s Lawn, in the area surrounding Windsor Great Park. During the winter of 1954-55, two fields were built, originally named Number One and Number Two, and subsequently renamed The Queen’s Ground and The Duke’s Ground, respectively. Lord Douro entrusted Lord Patrick Beresford with the responsibility of preparing the fields for the first chukkas. The latter had started playing polo in Sandhurst and was one of the usual participants at the tournaments held in Henley, at Archie David’s place. The Household Brigade Polo Club came into being on January 25th, 1955, and Philip, who held a 5-goal handicap back then, was appointed President of the latter, a position he continues to hold to this day. Lord Douro was named Chairman, with Major John Miller of the Welsh Guards (secretary of the Saddle Club), as Honorary Secretary, and Lord Patrick Beresford as Polo Manager. 133
That same year, Argentine pro-fessional players Tito Lalor and Alfredo Harrington were incorporated, as well as other cavalry members, and other non-Household Brigade players were to be filtered in during the late 1950s, such as Harold Bamberg, David Brown, Peter Palumbo, Billy Whitbread and Jim Withycombe. For his part, Archie David provided the club with a large number of ponies, and later, another 20 Argentine horses were added. In 1955, the same year it was founded, the first tournament was held: the Royal Windsor Cup, which continues to be the most important medium-goal competition in Europe to date, with its Subsidiary Cup, the Mountbatten Cup, in honour of Prince Philip’s family. Five years later, in 1960, the first edition of what would later become the Club’s premier high-goal tournament, the Queen’s Cup, took place as a tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, who has been in charge of presiding over the prize-giving ceremony since then. For its part, low goal was also present at the club, with the Archie David Cup, originally known as the Friar Park Cup, named after Major Archie David’s Henley mansion, which was acquired by former Beatles’ guitarist George Harrison in 1970. After Archie David died in 1972, the Friar Park Cup was renamed the Archie David Cup. In addition, Guards is the venue for one of the most important annual polo events in Europe, the Coronation Cup, donated by the Ranelagh Club in 1911, as a tribute to the Coronation of King George V, in which England plays against a guest country. The club holds various tournaments during the its season, between May and September, such as Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother’s Centenary Tournament (as a tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother on her 100th birthday in 2000), the Spring Cup, the Duke of Wellington Trophy, the Phoenician Cup and the Cottington Cup, among others. The club changed its name to Guards Polo Club in 1969. And since its inception, way back in 1955, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh’s creation has grown non-stop to become what it is today, the most important polo club in Europe.
History
Guards Polo Club Prestigious and English-Style Polo
It was 1955 when the Household Brigade Polo Club came into being with HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, as President. It is located in an exceptional area of natural beauty surrounding Smith’s Lawn, in Windsor Great Park, near Windsor Castle, where the club currently boasts ten polo fields within 130 acres that belong to the latter. From the very beginning, the institution was under the stewardship of an important person within English polo,
Colonel William Gerard Leigh, a polo lover who served his country during World War II. Gerard Leigh, known to everyone as “G Leigh”, found his way into the polo world as a child, when he used to sit on a wooden practice horse to learn the basic shots under Lord Wodehouse, who years later would become the third Earl of Kimberley. With a 3-goal handicap, G Leigh joined the Duke of Edinburgh's medium-goal Windsor Park team, and
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in 1962 accompanied the Duke on a polo-playing trip around some of the South American clubs while the Duke was promoting British industry. In the year 1966, at the invitation of the Argentine Polo Association, an English squad flew out to take on the United States and Argentina for a "three-cornered" tournament. G Leigh accompanied them as part-time equerry to the Duke, who was among those selected to play. When G Leigh was invited, in 1960,
to judge the ladies' hacks at the Aldershot show, he found himself sitting, at lunch, next to the Rothmans' representative, and their dialogue led, eventually, to the club's initial sponsorship. The firm sponsored the club's first high-goal tournament, The Queen's Cup. But later there would be a change of name and as from 1969 the institution would be known as Guards Polo Club. The name derives from the Guards Division of the British Army. Since inception the Club has grown considerably and it is now the largest polo club in Europe in terms of membership and number of grounds. There are currently about 1,000 non-playing members and about 160 playing members, among whom are some of the highest rated players in the world. Approximately 25 per cent of the players are overseas visitors from Europe, the Middle and Far East, North and South America, Australia and New Zealand. Around half of the playing members are professionals. Within the Great Park at Windsor, the Club is set in the outstanding natural surroundings of Smith's Lawn, which is thought to have been named
after a game keeper at the time of the Restoration in the 17th century. Nearby are the renowned Savill and Valley Gardens. On Smith's Lawn, there is a Clubhouse incorporating offices for management and staff, as well as a restaurant and bar for members and guests. The Club has around 12 full-time employees. There are 10 grounds extending over an area of some 130 acres. At nearby Flemish Farm, the Club has some 120 stables, an exercise track and a practice ground although developments, which include construction of two high goal grounds and an arena and other facilities are under way. As usual, every year Guards Polo Club organises tournaments covering all levels of play. On the one hand, the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother’s Centenary Tournament played early in the season in May and the Royal Windsor Cup, played in June, stand out within medium goal, both of which are organised for teams between 12 and 15 goals. On the other hand, the Archie David Cup, the most important low-goal tournament played in Europe is reserved for teams between 4 and 8 goals and is played during June. 135
For its part, the club’s most emblematic competition and one of the most outstanding in Europe, The Queen’s Cup, is for teams between 17 and 22 goals and, as every year, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is in charge of presenting the prizes at the tournament created in her honour, in 1960.
Dress Code • All areas: Smart casual - no jeans, trainers or sportswear. • Bar Area: No shorts or vests. • Restaurant: Trousers, collared shirts & jackets (gentlemen) • This is an outdoor event and all seating is uncovered. Please dress appropriately for the weather.
Uk Season - Benefit
The Pro Alvear Polo Match By Alexander Nix – Photos by Jesse Jenkins & PoloLine
Despite the global recession, it took just one thank you letter and a dozen photographs sent from the children of La Pampa to rally an evergrowing team of friends, to once again spend the spring eloping from their jobs or abusing office resources in the name of charity. On a sun-soaking afternoon in June, Pro-Alvear celebrated its fourth year of fundraising in the UK, with a spectacular event for eight hundred guests at the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club. As in previous years, the goal of the evening was to raise as much money
as possible for the foundation that has been established to improve the lives of underprivileged children in the Argentinean Pampas (www.fundacionproalvear. org). Yet also as in previous years, the challenge was to do so with only the help and direction of an entirely amateur committee, the support of some of the world’s best polo players, and the generosity of a rapidly expanding group of friends. With gates open at 6pm, a weeklong heat-wave ensured a dazzle of dresses were lining the boards well before the ball was thrown in by Becky CorbinMurray, riding in Lady Godiva’s style
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and modelling the new Buenos Aires handbag by Sicilian designer, Meli Melo. The 2010 Pro Alvear was supported by three teams: Automat, Hakkasan and Fundacion Arte Viva, with world class professionals Gonzalo Pieres, Bautista Heguy, Magoo Laprida -replacing injured Facu Pieres-, and Ruki Baillieu, leading a charge of amateurs including Lyndon Lea, Guy Schwarzenbach, Mohammed Al Habtoor, Edouard Guerrand-Hermes, and Marc Noyer-Maingard. Such a combination of raw talent and ferocious competitors were
destined to entertain, though a ground-side Automat bar with bellinis and canapés, all kindly donated by Carlos Almada, ensured that guests had no excuse to avert their eyes from the spectacle. With Hakkasan stealing the day in the dying seconds the teams and guests were called to a marquee, the size of a small African state, for prize giving. With generous gifts from Vicomte A. and Asprey, all of the players were especially popular with their female halves that evening!! The dinner bell rang at 9pm and guests were asked to take their seats
Above: Ruki Baillieu | Below: Juan Pepa
for an Asian extravaganza. In addition to amazing on the polo ground, Hakkasan’s support for the charity included a car full of chefs, a bus full of waiters, and dinner… for a train full of hungry guests. With meticulous timing and presentation, course after course of dim sums were delivered to the tables for effortless grazing. No charity dinner is complete without an auction, and somewhere between pudding and digestifs Juan Pepa took to the microphone to rattle off ten old-school sporty lots including a fox-hunting weekend in Galway, flyfishing in Patagonia, dove-shooting in Cordoba, and polo at the Genghis Khan Polo Club in Mongolia! Formalities over and the outstanding, the inspiring, the deeply talented DJ Bass lit the fuse that was to send the evening rocketing into the sky. A tidal wave of guests crashed across the dance floor, sparing not even the pair of lingerie-clad cigarette girls who took refuge on the stage, to participate in a tribal ritual that was to last well into the following morning. Good polo, good food, good company and most importantly great news for Fundacion Pro Alvear with over half a million pesos raised for the charity – the spirit of the amateur had prevailed once again. 137
Posing for PoloLine camera Alexander Nix and the cigarrette girls!
Cute girls posing for PoloLine camera
Inge Solheim, Pippa Stowell, Stefanie Jost and Farzin Pourmokhtar
Roxane D’AndignÊ and Daniela Trece
Girls looking for fun
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Kate Shard and Kirsty Shaw Keyner
Danica and Nicolav
Party time!
Trendy people
Nice hat
Fashion and elegance
Rebecca Corbin, Charlie Breitzke and Talana Bestrall
Juan Pepa and Christine Champness
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Travel - Edinburgh
Athens of the North The breathtakingly beautiful capital of Scotland, an exciting place to visit at any time of the year.
Edinburgh offers you superb sightseeing, historic buildings to explore, quiet galleries and museums to intrigue you, thrilling new attractions to discover, serious shopping, a vast choice of excellent Restaurants, Bistros, Wine Bars, Pubs and Cafes, and nightlife to suit all tastes. When the Picts built a fort on a volcanic crag in the 5th century, to protect Scotland from the invading Angles of Northumberland, Edinburgh's history began. The present Castle, was built on the site by Michael Canmore (1057-93); his wife St. Margaret, built the chapel which you can still visit today. Edinburgh and the port of Leith
were granted a charter by Robert the Bruce, and from this time its prosperity and population grew. Building space was limited within the fortification wall, and so the town grew upwards. Tall buildings (tenements), some up to fourteen stories high with narrow alleys (wynds) between were built, and what is known as "old town" developed down the royal mile to Holyrood Abbey. People were crowded together, noblemen, thieves, artisans and shopkeepers. This was the Edinburgh of Mary Queen of Scots, of the famous preacher John Knox, whose house you can still see, and of Heroes such as the Marquis of Montrose. Edinburgh had
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much to be proud of, it was home to the Scottish Parliament and the University of Edinburgh; the town had survived everything from war, civil and religious strife, to overcrowding, severe shortage of water and outbreak of the plague. The Union of Parliaments in 1707 removed Scotland's independence, but by this time Edinburgh was established as Scotland's capital with its fine University, its own legal system and growing foreign trade coming up the Forth to the port of Leith. Today Edinburgh is once again the home of Scottish Parliament for the first time in 300 years. Free at last from the fear of invasion
Edinburgh was able to grow beyond its medieval walls. In the mid 18th century the loch surrounding the castle was drained, North Bridge was built, and what is known as "new town" burgeoned forth. No longer confined for space, plans were drawn up by James Craig for wide streets and grand squares. It was Craig's plans which we should thank for building on only one side of Princes Street and Queen Street, allowing for the beautiful public gardens opposite. Georgian Edinburgh grew throughout the remainder of the 18th and 19th centuries. The first public building, Register House, was designed by Robert Adam; he also designed the University and the north side of Charlotte Square. Many classical buildings such as the National Gallery of Scotland inspired by ancient Greece grace the city centre and from these, Edinburgh became known as the "Athens of the North". Edinburgh blossomed into one of Europe's cultural centres. This was the Edinburgh of James Boswell, Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott; of the philosopher David Hume and the 141
political economist Adam Smith; and of the painter Sir Henry Raeburn and the engineer Thomas Telford. Upholding its tradition for culture Edinburgh hosts the annual International Festival, three weeks of the very best of music, opera, drama and ballet. Although the Festival only lasts for three weeks, you will find top class entertainment of every sort, all year in Edinburgh. From Edinburgh Castle downward, Historic Houses, Churches, Galleries and Museums surround you, each with its own history to share and for you to discover and marvel art. Apart from its varied and stunning Architecture, Edinburgh is a visually beautiful place, with many parks and gardens, to take a leisurely stroll through, or simply sit and watch the world go by. For those who enjoy gardens you are in for a treat! Edinburgh is the home of the world famous Royal Botanic Garden, which you will not want to miss.
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Shopping in Edinburgh is a delight; there is everything on offer here. Edinburgh is home to the world's oldest independent department store, a shopping experience not to be missed. Designer Fashion, Boutiques, Antiques, Tartan Tammies, whatever takes your fancy you will be spoiled for choice in Edinburgh. Edinburgh boasts lots of sporting and leisure pursuits - take your pick you can visit a Sports Centre, Archery Centre or Swimming Pool; go Kart Racing and visit a Dry Ski Centre; Sail on the Firth of Forth, play Golf and go Fishing, visit a Country Park or walk in the Pentland Hills. Take a look at the superb range of hotels in Edinburgh city centre, and choose the perfect accommodation in the heart of Scotland's capital city‌
Quality ponies for sale, from young stock to playing ponies.
Ponies for Sale
Guaraso
15.2 hh 9 yo Gelding Description: A “complete” horse to play good polo. Very fast, ticks all the boxes. Awesome for a pro or good patron. Breeding: DAM: Hilacha, from Gonzalo Pieres. Very good high goal mare. Hilacha´s sire was called Guaraso, bred by the Monteverde´s. He had offspring playing the Open. SIRE: Dandy Constancio
Prize: £POA
Baronesa
15.2 hh 9 yo Mare Description: Fast, smooth mare who has played all levels of polo and is ideally suited to a pro or good amateur. Breeding: DAM: Bordona, who is half sister to Cambiaso's Colibri. Bordona played several seasons with Lucas Monteverde. SIRE: Dandy Constancio
Prize: £POA
Stallions for 2010
Kalankari
15.3hh Irish TB Broke course record at Kempton Park. Timeform rating of 103. Superb athleticism and incredible temperament. £450 NFFR
Dandy Constancio
15 hh Argentine TB Registered Polo Argentino Offspring proven at all levels up to high goal. Sisters played the Argentine Open. £600 NFFR
For full information visit www.eastwoodstud.com | Natural covering or AI
Tel: 07970 697 593 aurora.eastwood@btinternet.com 143
The Old Stables, South Wonston Farm, South Wonston, Winchester, Hampshire SO21 3HL
POLO LINE .TV Pololine.tv is the world wide web polo channel that is available for everyone in every place around the world. . 5 channels. . +10.000 videos. . coverage of most importat tournaments of the world. . interviews with best players and teams. . week reports. . match previews.
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THE WORLD´S POLO CHANNEL Watch it on line at www.pololine.tv
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Travel - Thailand
Land of Smile & Variety No ideas for next holiday? This PQ edition will introduce you to the place that will totally change your ideas about travelling. We will take you to the Land of Smiles & Variety. Of course, we are talking about “THAILAND”. By Franco Forastieri
The introduction of Thailand is Bangkok. Bangkok is a capital city of Thailand which contains approximately 11 millions people. It’s the city of paradoxes which combines past, present and future altogether. Once your foot touch the A-List Souvannaphoum Airport, you will be amazed with the modern and stylish architecture and all facilities. Bangkok has a very good transportation system; Sky train (BTS), Subway (MRT), air coned city buses, fresh and new taxi meters but don’t limit yourself with these credible transportation method. Try something original like Tuk-Tuk (threewheeler auto taxi). We guarantee you
will have adventurous and fun moment. (not to mention the bargaining skills that you need to practice with tuk tuk drivers!) Bangkok offers thousands choices of accommodation from jet set price on the Chao Phraya river like Mandarin Oriental (www.mandarinoriental.com/bangkok) , The Peninsula (www.peninsula.com/Bangkok) or Shangri-la, (www.shangri-la.com). Mid scale budget on Sukhumvit Road like Eugenia (www.theeugenia.com), Landmark hotel (www.landmarkbangkok.com) Rembrandt hotel (www. rembrandtbkk.com) or backpack favorite on Khao San Road. Bangkok is a big oasis for shopaholic therapy since it offers Mega Shopping mall like Siam Paragon or MBK, chic & trendy
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medium size mall like Villa Market on Thong Lor Road (Soi Thong Lor). Whole sales prices with nice design at Chatuchak weekend market. Since the primary religion here is Buddhism, therefore, you will find temples (wat) located all over the country. For cultural sightseeing in Bangkok, Grand Palace and The Emerald Buddha Temple (check) is a must to see. You will enjoy the elaborate style of architecture that shows a big effort of the local craftsmen. Not far from Royal Palace, National Museum is waiting for you to appreciate and learn more about the rich culture and history of the country. If you are a fan of massage, Wat Pho is a one of your to-do list since this temple is the birthplace of traditional Thai massage. This site once was the centre of education for traditional Thai medicine. Try an original Thai massage here or if you want to practice this legendary skill, they offer different kind of courses with standard certificate. From the middle of the country, we move to the north of Thailand. Chiang Mai is the gateway to the northern region. The second largest city (Bangkok is the largest one) which is adored by nature lovers. Since the city is surrounded by mountains and rainforest. Here, you will enjoy elephant riding in the jungle, rafting along the beautiful natural scenery, visiting hill tribes villages where they still maintain the old lifestyles and traditions. Try Four Seasons (www.fourseasons.com/chiangmai) if you want to be embraced by nature. The hotel is located in a beautiful valley where you can overlook rice fields and slow motion walking elephants. The Chedi (www.ghmhotels. com) for luxury trendy boutique in the middle of the city. U Chiang Mai (www.uhotelsresorts.com/chiang-mai) for the chic boutique but affordable price in town. We know that you are now picturing yourself in some of those hotels already but don’t flip to the next page. Thailand is not just only Bangkok and Chiang Mai. If you want to stay another days and experience the lifestyle of countryside. I-Saan is a highly recommended trip. I-Saan is referred as northeastern part of Thailand. Here, you will find unique home stays where combines tranquility and hospitality. You will feel pace of life is getting
slower here. People still maintain their traditional lifestyle, speak in their tonal dialect, eat super spicy food, have a good mood all the times. Nothing seems to make people here angry or ruin their enjoyment of life. I know I know you are browsing on the internet trying to book the air tickets already. Please be patient since we are showing you the highlight of the article. We are sure that most of you might have heard about the reputation of Thailand’s beautiful beaches. “Welcome to the paradise of beach lovers”, from Pattaya, Hua-Hin, Koh Samet, Koh Chang, Koh Samui, Phuket, Krabi, Koh Phi Phi, Koh Similan, Koh Lanta,etc. (Koh refers to an island in Thai language). The good thing of beaches here is plenty choices, amazing view and reasonable prices. Try
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Koh Samet if you have limited days of vacation since it takes only 3.5 hours from Bangkok. And of course tons of choices of accommodation; chic, boutique, trendy, luxury or even friendly backpack. Another good option is Hua-Hin, just over 2 hours drive from Bangkok. This famous beach resort town will bring you back to the oldies goldies time since the city is surrounded by classic style of architecture. Apart from beach activities like sunbathing snorkeling and swimming, it is the place supporting attractions and activities such as golf, spas, caves, peaks, waterfalls, shops, seafood and nearby national parks. Try Intercontinental Hua-Hin (www.ichotelsgroup. com) if you want a high-end retreat. Let’s Sea (www.letussea.com) for a chic boutique stay. Hyatt Regency (huahin.
regency.hyatt.com) for a family vacation since they offer a big pool garden with their renowned spa “the Barai”. In case that you want to spend at least one week on the beach. Hopping from one island to another island in the south is not a bad idea. Phuket is a must ideal holiday. The biggest island of Thailand located in Andaman Sea, named “Pearl of Andaman” since its stunning view, many long beaches but yet the access to the city life since the downtown is full of shopping malls, fine dining restaurants and night clubs. From
Phuket, you can hop to the paradise of divers; Similan, Phi Phi and Lanta. Those areas have once shown their beauty to the world viewers since they were selected as the location for Hollywood movies like The Beach (Koh Phi Phi Leh), Cutthroat Island (Maya Beach). The Man with the Golden Gun (Phang Nga Bay), Around the World in 80 days (Krabi). So what are you waiting for? Book the tickets now! Come and experience the memorable trip in the Land of Smiles and Variety, Thailand.
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Quick Facts about Thailand Capital: Bangkok Official Language: Thai Area: 513, 120 km2 (slightly smaller than Yemen and slightly larger than Spain) Population: approx. 64 millions people Currency: Baht (THB) Time zone: (UTC +7)
SHOWCASE
New Website! Prints - Commissions - Albums - Canvases - Cards
t:+44 (0)7855 742 909 e:alicegipps@hotmail.com
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SHOWCASE
BLACKLOCKS Polo Books and Prints Antiquarian and leatherbound polo books All new titles from stock th th 19 & 20 Century polo prints and limited editions. Trophies, memorabilia and magazines.
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Tel: +44 (0)1784 438025 blacklocks.polo@ntlworld.com
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MORE THAN 18 YEARS OF POLO
AUTUMN ISSUE 2009
#70
SUMMER ISSUE 2009
tel. +44 (0)7590 455139 info@pqinternational.com www.pqinternational.com
SPRING ISSUE 2009
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WINTER ISSUE 2009
2009 Argentine Open BPP Cuartetera
The Equation In Polo Has Always Been: Best Players + Best Horses = Winning Results. If your dream has been to own the finest polo ponies in the history of the game, you can open your eyes now, because Crestview Genetics can make it real. Crestview Genetics is the global leader in cloning the finest polo ponies in the world. This year, we will witness the birth of over 50 foals – exact genetic duplicates of legendary winners, including Cuartetera, Lapa, Small Person, Aiken Cura and Raptor. We have specific mirrored training protocols in place for each of the ponies. Alternatively, the purchaser may opt to take delivery of and train the foals to his high-goal standards. If polo is your passion, owning an exact genetic duplicate from Crestview Genetics is a big step toward realizing your high-goal dreams. Call +1 817-737-2525 or email info@crestviewgenetics.com to learn more.
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WHAT IS EXCELLENCE, EDUARDO FAGLIANO? “Excellence is following the unwritten rules handed down to us by our forefathers.”
Julius Baer is proud to
Eduardo Fagliano, maker of polo boots, Hurlingham, Argentina
support the Audi Polo Award in London by sponsoring the
Polo boots are always brown, never black, out of respect for the other players. The reason is that
Victor Ludorum Awards – the prize
the polish you use to clean black boots leaves marks on your opponent’s polo whites when you
for the most excellent teams.
make physical contact – something that happens a lot in polo. Eduardo Fagliano knows what makes an excellent polo boot from his father, grandfather and great-grandfather. And he also knows what makes a polo boot unique. At Julius Baer we recognise this sense of uniqueness and the importance of traditions. After all, these are the very things on which our own philosophy of personal wealth management is based. Things that also make polo the perfect game for us to sponsor. Julius Baer is the leading Swiss private banking group, with 120 years of tradition.
You can find the entire inter view with Eduardo Fagliano at www.juliusbaer.com/excellence The Julius Baer Group is present in over 40 locations worldwide. From Zurich (Head Office), Buenos Aires, Dubai, Frankfurt, Geneva, Guernsey, Hong Kong, London, Lugano, Milan, Moscow, Nassau, Singapore to St. Moritz.