guards la aguada trophy

La Martina and Guards Polo Club make welcome return to La Aguada

Two very familiar names to the polo community in the UK, Guards Polo Club and La Martina, teamed up in Argentina to co-host a competitive tournament for the UK club’s players, La Martina ambassadors and members of the hosting Novillo Astrada family. Three teams took to the field at the Novillo Astrada family’s impressive La Aguada Polo Club and Resort, located in the wonderfully named Open Door, to win the Guards Polo Club Trophy. This silverware was last played for in 2018 and resides permanently in the La Aguada clubhouse.

The Guards Navy team featuring Arno Liu, Lia Salvo, Adolfo Casabal and Nacho Novillo Astrada, emerged victorious after a hotly contested round-robin style tournament. This was made up of six competitive chukkas and featured all three teams. Each squad included a high-goal representative of the Novillo Astrada family, which added an added depth of competitiveness to each chukka.

James Neighbour, Guards Polo Club’s Chief Operating Officer and Adrian Simonetti, President of La Martina, presented all the prizes, ably supported by Thomas Hume, the Polo Manager of La Aguada.

Post presentations Adrian Simonetti, whose father Lando founded La Martina in the 1970s, said: “What a pleasure it is for La Martina to be back here at La Aguada, to gather our friends here from Guards Polo Club and be so warmly welcomed by the Novillo Astrada family. I have been particularly delighted to welcome James Neighbour to Argentina and have the opportunity to show him the Argentine polo season at its very best and for James to experience all that Argentina has to offer to the wider polo community. We very much look forward to making this tournament a yearly event and to welcoming many more patrons, friends and members from Guards Polo Club to Argentina in the future.”

James added his own thanks, including special mention to the Club’s players whose support had helped make this such a memorable event. “I have been overwhelmed by the warm reception that I have received on this, my first visit to Argentina. The day here at La Aguada in particular has been outstanding and I would like to thank Adrian, Becky and Thomas for creating such a friendly yet competitive event in such beautiful surroundings. I hope that our players, like me, will return to Guards Polo Club inspired and impatient for our new season.”

Highlighting the camaraderie on and off the field of play, which has always been a hallmark of this tournament, the presentations were followed by a traditional asado for all the players and spectators as the sun set over La Aguada’s magnificent polo fields. u

The Teams

Guards Blue: Arno Liu (0); Lia Salvo (2); Adolfo Casabal (3); Nacho Novillo Astrada (8).

Guards Green: Iyad Omari (0); Hamid Ali (3); Malcolm Borwick (5); Alejandro Novillo Astrada (7).

Guards Maroon: Enrico Meneghetti (-1); Satinder Garcha (2); Antonino Menard (5); Miguel Novillo Astrada (8).