Polo around the Globe

England

Third time is the charm for Les Lions/Great Oak

By Gwen Rizzo

Barto Castagnola’s Chalo Angelo was the Queen’s Cup Best Playing Pony.

After an unusual, if not difficult, start to the British high-goal season, the top three tournaments were eventually played to empty grandstands at three different clubs.

After the global pandemic put a halt to polo, the Hurlingham Polo Association began making plans to get the season started. At the same time, Argentina announced it was

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halting all incoming and outgoing commercial flights until September. A group of over 100 players and support staff flew out of Argentina on a chartered flight, arriving in England days ahead of government-imposed 14-day quarantine. Shortly after practices began, The Department for Digital Culture, Media and Sport announced that only those that earned a living playing sports or those 16 years or older and in an elite pathway program were eligible to begin competitions. This rule essentially prohibited team patrons and other amateurs from playing. It also would have eliminated 14- year-old Poroto Cambiaso, who was scheduled to play with his father. The polo association met with the DCMS and legal advisers and the rule was revised to allow teams to play as long as they contained a minimum of three professionals (or elite pathway players) along with a player responsible for putting together and entering the team.

Rules were revised to ensure minimal contact between players. Bowl-ins (except to begin overtime) were eliminated. Instead, games began with the team winning a coin flip getting a free hit from the center. After goals were scored, the opponent hit in from the 60-yard line. Goals were switched after each chukker rather than after each goal. Players were limited to 10 horses each to limit the number of staff needed on site at matches, and players, staff and umpires wore masks during the games.

Play began at the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club. The club was founded in 1986 by music mogul Bryan Morrison who worked with musical talent such as Pink Floyd, The Bee Gees, George Michael and many more. Morrison converted a 220-acre estate he had purchased the previous year into the club, with the Prince of Wales joining as its first member. The same year, the first Prince of Wales Trophy was played.

The tournament was played again this year with seven teams competing in a single-elimination format. Matches began on June 15 and continued everyday for a week with each team getting two matches. Park Place and Les Lions made it to the final, the only teams with 2-0 records. The final was played on June 24.

With temperatures hotter than normal—reaching the upper-80s—for the final, officials allowed players time to switch horses midway through each chukker.

Alejandro Muzzio put Les Lions on the board 40 seconds into the match but Kian Hall responded for Park Place. The teams battled until Hall scored again with less than 30 seconds left. Park Place took control in the second chukker with a trio of goals from brothers Gonzalo and Facundo Pieres. Barto Castagnola walked in a goal with 17 seconds left in the chukker to keep Les Lions in the game, 5-2. Santiago Laborde cut the deficit early in the third but Muzzio was given a yellow card, which resulted in a Penalty 2 for Park Place. Facundo Pieres had no trouble converting it to double up Les Lions, 6-3, at the half.

The second half began with a flurry of fouls. Facundo Pieres converted back-to-back open goal penalties, but Castagnola converted three in a row to bring his team back within two, 8-6. Facundo Pieres scored again to end the chukker ahead by three. A Penalty 2 conversion by Castagnola got the team closer but Gonzalo Pieres responded. Hall stole the ball on a broken knock in and sent it

through the posts. Les Lions kept fighting, shooting at goal but sending them wide. Third time was a charm as Muzzio tallied with seconds left in the chukker.

Les Lions was trailing by three when two in a row by Hall increased the difference to five. Castagnola added one more with a minute left but that would be all and Park Place had the win, 13-9. Hall, who led Park Place with six goals, was MVP. Gonzalo Pieres’ Lovelocks Illusive (Clark x Grappa Ilusa) was Best Playing Pony. Castagnola led Les Lions with six goals and matched Facundo Pieres for Top Scorer of the tournament with 14.

The British Open Gold Cup, usually the last tournament of the season, was played next, with 10 teams in contention at Cowdray Park Polo Club. The tournament dates back to 1956. The club property dates back to the early 1500s. The castle ruins that serve as a unique backdrop to the polo fields were said to have been visited by King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I. In 1793, while undergoing repairs, a fire broke out largely destroying the building. In the early 1900s, the 1st Viscount Cowdray commissioned restoration of parts of the Tudor building to keep it from total collapse. More restoration was done and in 2007, the restored areas were opened to the public.

After three weeks of play, Les Lions/Great Oaks and Next Generation made it through the semifinals and onto the final. Next Generation was formerly known as La Bamba de Areco, however, patron JeanFrançois Decaux decided on the name change in honor of Adolfo’s 14-year-old son, Poroto, who joined the team for the first time. Masks, which were seen on all the players in the first tournament, were less visible as the tournaments went on.

The final pitted brothers Camilo “Jeta”—back in the saddle after an injury kept him from the first tournament—and Barto Castagnola against their cousin and uncle (Poroto and Adolfo Cambiaso). The Castagnolas were on the winning team last year, wearing the Dubai shirts with Rashid Albwardy. This time they played alongside Dillon Bacon and Santi Laborde while the Cambiasos joined Decaux and Diego Cavanagh, who replaced Pelon Stirling, after he broke his thumb on a direct pass from teammate Adolfo Cambiaso.

It would be a rematch of the opening match of the tournament when Les Lions/Great Oaks got the best of Next Generation, 14-10. This was a different day and Next Generation started out strong. Just seconds into the match Cambiaso sunk a Penalty 4. Cavanagh

Brothers Barto and Jeta Castagnola take on their cousin Poroto Cambiaso in the Gold Cup final.

Who are those masked men: Park Place’s Andrey Borodin, Kian Hall, Gonzalo Pieres and Facundo Pieres, winners of the Prince of Wales Trophy.

Queen’s Cup MVP Dillon Bacon followed by sandwiching goals around one from Barto Castagnola for a 4-1 lead after the first seven minutes. Les Lions drove to goal early in the second but it went wide. Barto than converted a Penalty 4 but Poroto Cambiaso responded, carrying the ball through traffic and around the goal post on eventual Best Playing Pony Pintita, doubling up Les Lions, 4-2. Les Lions kept pace in the third with each team scoring three times. Cavanagh took advantage of a pair of Penalty 2 opportunities and Adolfo Cambiaso found the mark. On the other side,

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Laborde scored twice and Jeta Castagnola got past both Cambiasos to reach the goal. The half ended with Next Generation leading 7-5. Les Lions caught back up in the fourth when Barto Castagnola muscled his way to goal. The ball was just about to go through but the umpires blew a foul on a Next Generation player and a yellow card was given for overuse of the whip. Les Lions was awarded a Penalty 2, which Barto converted, then a Penalty 5b for the yellow card. Barto passed to Jeta, who sent it to Bacon for the goal, leveling the score at 7-all. Next Generation got back the lead after Poroto found himself in the right spots on poorly-executed back shots for backto-back tallies. Adolfo Cambiaso sunk another Penalty 4, putting the team ahead, 10-7.

Early in the fifth, Poroto ran around dodging opponents, showcasing his horsemanship and talented horses. He ran, then stopped on a dime; he ran left, then back to the right. Adolfo got a hold of the ball and Jeta got caught in his way. Cavanaugh converted the ensuing Penalty 3 to go up by four. But Les Lions kept fighting and goals by Jeta and Barto (Penalty 2) got the team back within two for the last seven minutes.

The last chukker saw Les Lions trying hard to make up for the deficit, but in doing so, they ended up making costly fouls. Jeta passed to Laborde early in the chukker, but the ball went wide. Ninety seconds later, Jeta bounced the ball out of the air and into the goal to come within one, but Cavanaugh answered with a Penalty 3 conversion. Knocking-in, Barto passed to Jeta who sent the ball to Bacon for a score. But, Bacon was whistled for an uneven ride off shortly after, and Cavanaugh converted the Penalty 2. Next Generation was awarded another Penalty 2 with a minute and a half left, which Cavanaugh had no trouble converting, putting the final nail in the coffin. Still, Les Lions played hard until the end. Barto sent through the last goal with under a minute left, as the team fell, 14-12.

Bacon’s Small Ax was Best Playing Pony-Patron, while Pintita, owned by Valiente, bred by La Aguada and played by Poroto Cambiaso, was Best Playing Pony. Adolfo Cambiaso was MVP. The last time a father-and-son duo won the tournament was when John and Jack Oxley did in 1970.

It was the second Gold Cup victory for Decaux, who won in 2009 with brothers Gonzalo and Facundo Pieres. “It is a special second win because I am playing with the best player ever, Adolfo

Les Lions/ Great Oaks’ Santi Laborde, Barto Castagnola, Dillon Bacon and Jeta Castagnola won the Queen’s Cup.

Cambiaso, and his son who is 14 years of age,” he said. “So, we are writing a new page in polo history today with the youngest player ever winning the British Open Championship.”

Adolfo Cambiaso and Cavanagh won the tournament together in 2014. Cavanagh said, “I am very happy. Winning the Gold Cup is a dream come true. With this team, with friends, this is with help from Pelon [Stirling]. He put the team in the semis. He couldn’t be here today, but all his horses were here, all his organization, his grooms so I have to thank Pelon and the other team.”

The Queen’s Cup began on July 28, with 10 teams divided into two brackets. The tournament was held at the Guards Polo Club, formerly known as the Household Brigade Polo Club, which was founded in 1955. Prince Philip served as the first club president. The name change was made in 1969 and in 2000 the club became a civilian club. Located at Smith’s Lawn, the club includes a dozen fields, including the Queen’s Ground; a clubhouse with restaurant and bar; 120 stalls and an exercise track. The magnificent Windsor Castle serves as the backdrop for two of the fields.

Playoffs were held over two weeks before the knock-out phase began. Next Generation, which entered with a 3-1 record, was narrowly eliminated by Les Lions/Great Oaks (2-2), that moved on to the semis. Other semifinalist included Park Place, the only team to emerge undefeated at 4-0; and Scone and Thai Polo, both with 3-1 records.

Les Lions seemed to be getting stronger and edged Thai Polo, 10-9, to earn a spot in its third final in a row, while Park Place had no trouble ousting Scone, 14-8. Les Lions would get a chance to revenge its Prince of Wales Cup defeat, but this time

it would feature brother pairs on both sides: Facundo and Gonzalo for Park Place and teenagers 19-year-old Barto and 17-year-old Jeta Castagnola for Les Lions/Great Oaks.

The final was held on Aug. 23. The teams lined up with their best horses. The Castagnola’s strings were propped up with five top horses from Ali Albwardy. The empty stands were a stark contrast from the thousands that normally attend and the Queen’s absence was an exclamation mark on an unusual season.

Les Lions/Great Oaks’ Dillon Bacon holds out Park Place’s Facundo Pieres, giving Jeta Castagnola room to run in the Queen’s Cup final.

Barto Castagnola catches up to Gonzalo Pieres in the Prince of Wales Trophy final.

Diego Cavanagh reaches to hook Santi Laborde in the Gold Cup final.

Les Lions/Great Oaks got off to a great start. A Penalty 3 conversion by Jeta Castagnola put the team on the board. Laborde then struck. The team missed on a Penalty 4 opportunity, followed by a

BEAUMONT MARK tally from Bacon. Park Place nearly scored in the last seconds of the chukker, but Barto Castagnola saved it, limiting the team to the handicap goal it received. Facundo Pieres scored for Park Place early in the second, making the most of a Penalty 5. Park Place successfully shut down Les Lions/Great Oaks in the second but was not able to gain much ground. Three shots off Facundo Pieres’ mallet went wide.

Early in the third, Les Lions was awarded a Penalty 3, but it was stopped by Facundo. A few minutes later, Facundo carried the ball through traffic to level the score at 3-3, but soon after, Barto scored under pressure from Will Harper, to carry a narrow, 4-3 lead into the half.

Without the traditional halftime divot stomp, the field remained choppy into the second half, with the ball bouncing. Neither team scored for the first five minutes of the fourth. Jeta broke the drought with a Penalty 4 conversion. Facundo responded with a Penalty 2 conversion shortly after. Just before the 30-second horn, Laborde sunk a neckshot to end the chukker with Les Lions ahead, 6-4.

Park Place shot to goal twice without luck. On the second knock-in by Les Lions, the ball was stolen by Park Place but Barto snatched it back. Finally, with two minutes on the clock, Jeta scored despite pressure from Facundo on his hip. A minute later, Gonzalo turned around Barto’s backshot and sent the ball to goal but Les Lions got it back on a Penalty 2 conversion a minute later. Les Lions led 8-

5 going into the sixth.

Park Place dug deep to make up the deficit. Facundo converted a Penalty 2 then scored on a difficult nearside angle shot with Laborde leaning on him to come within one, 8-7. With just over two minutes left, Gonzalo backed the ball to Facundo who passed it to Harper. After an initial miss, Harper recovered the ball and tied the match. Both teams tried to finish the match in regulation time, but it wasn’t to be and extra time was needed.

A midfield bowl in, the first of the match, started the sudden death overtime. Players were instructed to lineup six feet apart. Les Lions won the bowl-in, Barto coming out with the ball, carrying it on both sides but was unable to finish it off. Soon after, Gonzalo stole the ball, eliciting whistles from the Les Lions side. Facundo got out front but the drive was turned back by Barto. With two minutes gone, Barto got the ball and ran to goal but with Borodin chasing him down, Jeta came in to help. Barto took out the defender while Jeta, unchallenged, hit to goal with two careful shots, a third push ensuring it crossed the goal line for the win.

Barto said, “When I hit the ball it was amazing because I hit hard and towards the goal. Jeta was coming through strong. He shouted for the ball and I left if for him.”

“I had more horsepower and he took [Borodin] out of the way,” explained Jeta. “I said, I can’t miss this.”

Dillon Bacon was named MVP, though he attributed the team’s success to teamwork. “This is one of the best moments of my life,” he said. “I have dreamed of winning the Queen’s Cup every since coming here with my father as a kid ... This season everything came together: the team, the horses, the teamwork and importantly, the chemistry. We had ups and downs, making it to two other finals but today we had one last thing to prove it and win it ...”

Barto Castagnola’s Chalo Angelo was Best Playing Pony while Facundo Pieres’ Open Mediteránea was the best Argentine-bred horse.

Laborde, who worked hard at back, complimented the team well. “I can’t believe it yet, after so much effort. We lost two finals already and it was going to be an incredible season, or if we didn’t win today, a bitter taste,” he said. “I think we deserved it. In the Gold Cup we made a lot of fouls and today we tried to avoid it because Facundo doesn’t miss any penalty shots.”

The players managed to deliver a highly competitive season amid a global pandemic. The highlights were the youngest players: Poroto Cambiaso, Jeta Castagnola and Barto Castagnola. At the end of August, ESPN Polo announced on Twitter that the Hurlingham Polo Association had raised Barto from 8 to 9, while Jeta would go from 7 to 8. Poroto Cambiaso would go from 5 to 6. Additionally, Tommy Beresford and Jero del Carril went from 6 to 7. Gonzalo Pieres was lowered from 10 to 9. •

Next Generation’s Adolfo Cambiaso, Diego Cavanagh, Jean-François Decaux and Poroto Cambiaso won the Gold Cup. They are shown with Barto Castagnola and Dillon Bacon.