Indian Empire Shield

BARDON TURN TABLES ON EMLOR IN 18-GOAL BATTLE

IMAGES: IMAGES OF POLO

SUNDAY 18TH JULY 2021 INDIAN EMPIRE SHIELD

TEAMS BARDON, EMLOR, GREEN GATES, BLACK BEARS

Bardon delivered some impressive team play in the initial stages of the Indian Empire Shield Final to ensure they would win this coveted 18-goal trophy. Andras Tombor’s team defeated old adversary Emlor (rec ½ goal on handicap) 6- 5½ in fi ve, fast-paced chukkas. Seven days earlier these two teams’ fortunes had been reversed in the 15-goal Out-Sourcing Royal Inc. Royal Windsor Cup Final, with Emlor winning that match by half a goal. So Bardon were determined to avoid a repeat of that result and so led throughout this match.

James McCarthy’s Emlor struggled to fi nd their form in the fi rst three chukkas and were trailing 6-2½ at half-time. In contrast, Bardon were focused from the first throw-in, even though this match had been delayed to allow Adolfo Cambiaso Junior and Isidro Strada time to travel to the Club after a Scone Polo Gold Cup quarter-fi nal at Cowdray Park earlier in the day. Ignacio Negri was particularly impressive for Bardon and was subsequently rewarded with the Most Valuable Player Award.

Emlor got themselves back into this game in the fourth chukka, with Richard Tyrone successfully converting two penalties to nothing in reply from Bardon. So it was very much “game on” going into the fi fth chukka. Emlor’s Pedro Harrison did an excellent job in defence – Bardon did not score at all in the fi nal two chukkas – and with Tyrone successfully converting a 30-yard penalty with four minutes left to play there was all to play for.

Both teams responded with some fast, up-and-down play which was a delight to watch but neither side could convert these runs into goals. So, on the final whistle, it was Andras Tombor and Bardon who lifted the mighty Indian Empire Shield. Cambiaso Junior received the Polo Times Best Playing Pony prize for Open Calloway, who is owned by Bardon’s Polo Manager Matias Machado and whom Cambiaso had played in the second chukka.

Eleven teams had entered this high-goal contest, delivering 21 games over the previous 20 days. So it was no surprise that the sub-fi nal was equally competitive. Honours in this game, played at Coworth Park earlier in the day, went to Noor Khadra’s Green Gates. This team were 5-3 down at half-time to Guy Schwarzenbach’s Black Bears but rallied strongly in the second half. Green Gates fi red through four goals in the fi fth chukka, most coming off the stick of Diego Cavanagh, to win the equally impressive sub fi nal trophy 8-7. ✸

TEAMS

Bardon: Andras Tombor (0); Ignacio Negri (6); Poroto Cambiaso (7); Isidro Strada (6). Emlor: James McCarthy (2); Richard Tyrone (5); Juan Ambroggio (6); Pedro Harrison (5). Green Gates: Noor Khadra (0); Gonzalo Ferrari (5); Diego Cavanagh (8); Tomas Garbarini (5). Black Bears: Guy Schwarzenbach (2); James Fewster (4); Paco O’Dwyer (6); Ollie Cudmore (6).