September 7, 2020

Polo News, South America

Los Amigos and La Karina Advance to Final of World Polo League’s Triple Crown of Polo

7. September 2020

By Rebecca Baldridge
Photos by ChukkerTV

In the first match of the World Polo League’s Triple Crown of Polo on Friday at Sopris Mountain Ranch, Los Amigos (Alejandra Foster, Jared Zenni, Horacio Heguy, and Juan Bollini) met La Indiana (Michael Bickford, John Bickford, Tincho Merlos, and Alex Gooding).

Horacio Heguy scored the first goal of the match to put Los Amigos briefly in the lead, but as the clock counted down the last minute of the chukker, La Indiana scored two goals within 30 seconds. Michael Bickford scored from the 50-yard line, picking up the ball after Gooding ran it downfield.

At the bowl-in, Gooding seized control and got out in front to score again, ending the chukker at 2-1 for La Indiana. Los Amigos took the lead in the third chukker with three goals by Jared Zenni, two of which were on penalties, and put his team in the lead at 4-2. Gooding scored to end the chukker at 4-3 for Los Amigos. The half wrapped up 5-4 for Los Amigos, after Zenni and Michael Bickford scored on penalties.

The fourth chukker started with an opportunity for La Indiana to even things up after a right of way violation by Juan Bollini. Michael Bickford took the penalty with John attempting a finish, but the shot bounced off Gooding’s pony and went wide. Juan Bollini, lurking on the side at the knock-in, got out in front for a dramatic run to goal. Jared Zenni scored on two penalties to end the chukker at 8-4 for Los Amigos. In the fifth both teams got on goal, bringing the score 9-5. A four-goal lead isn’t insurmountable, and La Indiana fought back hard, scoring three goals, but the match ended with Los Amigos winning 10-8.

In the second match of the Triple Crown, La Karina (Brian Boyd, Gussie Busch, Juancito Bollini, and Nacho Badiola) took on White Claw (Michael Payne, Vinny Sangaline, Pablo Spinacci, and Nacho Novillo Astrada).

The first chukker started with a goal from La Karina’s Brian Boyd, while White Claw failed to make it to the posts. A penalty two shot by Juancito Bollini in the second put La Karina ahead by 2, but Nacho Novillo Astrada evened things up briefly with a goal and a successful penalty before Boyd put La Karina back in the lead at 3-2. Juancito Bollini put two through the posts in the third chukker, while Michael Payne and Nacho Novillo Astrada scored for White Claw to end the half 5-4 for La Karina.

In the fouth chukker Gussie Busch sprang into action for La Karina, picking up a pass from Juancito Bollini to make a bold run at the goal. Seizing control of the ball at the throw-in, Busch made another charge downfield to score, racking up his second goal in a matter of seconds to put La Karina ahead 7-4. Michael Payne scored his own two consecutive goals to put White Claw within one, ending the chukker 7-6. In the fifth, Juancito Bollini found the goal, followed by Brian Boyd, to take the lead 9-6.

Pablo Spinacci shaved that lead to two. In the final chukker, Brian Boyd racked up a goal to put La Karina ahead 10-7, then Novillo Astrada came back with White Claw’s final goal of the game. Boyd scored to end the match 11-8 for La Karina. Brian Boyd was the high scorer of the match with five goals.

In the Just for the Love of It Cup at McClure River Ranch, Los Amigos Blue (Paul Foster, Pedro Ramiro, Nic Roldan, and Pablo MacDonough), McClure River Ranch (Tom Barrack, Juan Martin Nero, Paco de Narvaez, and Stewart Armstrong), and Seminole Casino (Melissa Ganzi, Paquito de Narvaez, Polito Pieres and Alejandro Novillo Astrada) met in a round robin match on Field Two.

McClure River Ranch bested Los Amigos Blue by 5-4 in the first game, with Juan Martin Nero leading the scoring with two goals and his teammates adding one each. Nic Roldan of Los Amigos Blue also found the posts twice. The second chukker ended in a tie at 3 all as Los Amigos succeeded in keeping their opponent off the goal, but McClure River Ranch bounced back to find the goal twice in the third chukker and win the game.

Despite the good start to the day, McClure River Ranch couldn’t keep up the momentum in the second game against Seminole Casino, losing by 4-6. Seminole Casino maintained a one goal lead in the first and second chukkers, stretching the lead to two goals in the final chukker. Melissa Ganzi was the high scorer of the match, knocking in 5 of her team’s 6 goals.

In the final game, Seminole Casino went down 4-6 against Los Amigos Blue, with Ganzi scoring a goal in the first chukker and on a penalty in the second. Paquito de Narvaez also knocked in two goals for Seminole Casino, while Paul Foster put one between the posts in each of the three chukkers.

Co-founded by Grand Champions and Aspen Valley Polo Club owner and president Melissa Ganzi and Valiente Polo Farm owner Bob Jornayvaz, the successful World Polo League is the only 26-goal polo in the world outside of Argentina. The WPL is preserving the highest level of polo and its rich, hallowed tradition in the U.S.

The World Polo League attracts a large international field of players from all corners of the world including Australia, Chile, India, Mexico, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Argentina, Canada, Ecuador, Brazil, Switzerland, France, Germany, Uruguay, Venezuela, Azerbaijan, South Africa, Nigeria and England.

For more information and to watch the games go to www.worldpolo.org for a complete library of WPL inaugural and second season games.

Sunday September 6, 2020

Just For The Joy Of It Subsidiary Final
10:30am White Claw vs La Indiana

Just For The Love Of It Final **
Round Robin scores continued from Friday
11am McClure River Ranch vs Los Amigos vs Seminole Casino

Triple Crown Of Polo Final**
1:30pm Los Amigos vs La Karina

**Games live-streamed on www.chukkertv.com

Mountain Standard Time

The Triple Crown of Polo trophy is one of the sport‘s most coveted and prestigious in the world. Designed by Tiffany & Co., the magnificent trophy is comprised of three separate trophies that fit perfectly together to create an entire polo scene that is breathtaking in sterling silver.

The Triple Crown of Polo, an ESPN2 television series, was created in 2005 by David McLane, known for Pro Beach Hockey, Women of Wrestling and Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, to help promote polo in the U.S. The spectacular trophy was created for the event that had stops in Sarasota, Dallas, Santa Barbara and Aiken during its heyday.

2020 Aspen Valley Summer Polo Series

September
The Triple Crown of Polo Aspen 9/1 – 9/6
The Triple Crown of Polo Colorado 9/11 – 9/13

www.aspenvalleypoloclub.com

By Rebecca Baldridge Photos by ChukkerTV In the first match of the World Polo League’s Triple Crown of Polo on Friday at Sopris Mountain Ranch, Los Amigos (Alejandra Foster, Jared…

Europe, Polo News

MT Vikings rule the ladies

7. September 2020

Charity final raises more than £6,000 for Smart Works Reading and Guards Polo Club announce new tournament sponsor from 2021

Siri Bazzoni’s MT Vikings confirmed their dominance in ladies’ polo by securing the Guards Ladies Charity Polo Final for the Lord Patrick Beresford Trophy, 4½ – 4, on Bank Holiday Monday at Guards Polo Club. This was their third ladies title this year, after victories at the Royal Berkshire and Cowdray Park.

Another big winner on this day was Smart Works Reading, the official charity of the Guards Ladies’ Polo Tournament. As the polo had to be played behind closed doors Smart Works Reading was unable to host its popular fundraising day at Smith’s Lawn. So they teamed up with Guards Polo Club to host an online auction and raffle that was live throughout this year’s tournament. Thanks to some frantic bidding and generous donations the day raised more than £6,000 for Smart Works Reading.

In the final itself, Siri’s team (rec ½ goal on handicap) narrowly defeated Varvara Borodina’s Park Place by that very margin, 4¹/₂– 4, in a nip-and-tuck game on The Queen’s Ground. Park Place were 2 – ½ up at half-time, with Lia Salvo making the most of any space that she was given. However some great team-work from Kayley Smith and Hazel Jackson-Gaona put MT Vikings back into this game in the third, while Milly Hine worked hard to ensure that Park Place retained their lead.

With the score reading 3 – 2½ to Park Place at the start of the fourth chukka there was still all to play for. Hazel converted a penalty to put MT Vikings into the lead and team-mate Emma Boers, who had a really strong game and was later named the Most Valuable Player, followed up with a fabulous goal to give MT Vikings some air on the scoreboard for the first time. Lia converted a penalty in the final moments of this match for Park Place but with the clock ticking down there were not enough minutes remaining to force this game into extra time.

Siri received the trophy from Sarah Burns MBE, Chairman of Smart Works Reading. Every player also received some gorgeous prizes, generously donated by Clé de Peau Beauté. It was announced during the presentations that Clé de Peau Beauté will be the new sponsor of the ladies’ 18-goal tournament at Guards Polo Club from 2021 and offered prizes this year to highlight this exciting new partnership. Clé de Peau Beauté is Japan’s number one luxury skincare and beauty brand whose philosophy is to unlock the power of a woman’s radiance by innovative skincare technology and harnessing makeup from around the world. Clé de Peau Beauté is the perfect partner for Guards Polo Club’s ladies’ polo and is available exclusively in Harrods.

Earlier in the day Mindi Byrne’s Tex8n Ladies claimed the subsidiary final, which was played at Coworth Park. They beat Celina Lawrence’s Tarantula 5-4. However, win or lose, every player in this match also headed home with fabulous Clé de Peau Beauté gifts.

MT Vikings: Siri Bazzoni (2); Kayley Smith (2); Emma Boers (5); Hazel Jackson-Gaona (9). Park Place: Varvara Borodina (1); Catalina Lavinia (3); Milly Hine (6); Lia Salvo (8).

Tex8n Ladies: Mindi Byrne (2); Beanie Bradley (3); Emma Wood (6); Tamara Fox (7). Tarantula: Holly Gadsby (1); Alice Servaes (5); Heloise Wilson Smith (6); Rosie Ross (6).

For more information on the work of Smart Works Reading please go to: www.smartworks.org.uk/reading-smart-works
For more information on Clé de Peau Beauté please go to: www.cledepeaubeaute.com

Gallery: © Images Of Polo

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Charity final raises more than £6,000 for Smart Works Reading and Guards Polo Club announce new tournament sponsor from 2021 Siri Bazzoni’s MT Vikings confirmed their dominance in ladies’ polo…

Europe, Polo News

Sainte Mesme Wins The Playtech Gold Cup In The Final Of The 49th MANSION International Polo Tournament

7. September 2020

The French team Sainte Mesme was proclaimed this Sunday the winner of the Playtech Gold Cup, after beating the Pakistani team BN Polo Team 11 to 10 in the grand final of the 49th International Tournament MANSION Polo, held at the Santa Maria Polo Club in Sotogrande. This trophy is the most important of this sport event, one of the four most relevant in the polo universe. The vice-president of the Junta de Andalucía and Minister of Tourism, Juan Marín, and the mayor of San Roque, Juan Carlos Ruíz Boix, attended the event. In total, there were more than 30 days of intense competition with 10 teams at the highest level, which put San Roque (Cadiz) back in the center of world sport, and which brought together players from the United States, Argentina, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Sweden, Ireland and Pakistan.

The match was up to the big finals, with maximum emotion until the last minute. Both teams gave everything to win the coveted title. Sainte Mesme, who played with his skipper Birger Strom, along with Robert Strom, Clemente Zavaleta and Salvador Jauretche, was ahead on the scoreboard throughout the match, but in the sixth chukker or period of play in which a polo match of this category is divided, BN Polo Team -a set integrated by Babar Nassem, Second F. Llorente, Pelayo Berazadi and Ezequiel Zubiaurre-, managed to tie at ten goals and it was necessary to play an extra time, in which the golden goal was decided, so much so that Robert Strom, from Sainte Mesme, scored.

Prior to the final, a triangular match was played, in which Mansion-LaLigaSports, Kazak and Los Schatzies faced each other in three matches of three chukkers each to decide the winner of the Subsidiary Cup, which finally fell to Kazak, a team made up of Sebastian Aguettant, Patrick P. Paillol, and Matthieu and Clement Delfosse.

And after the matches, trophies were awarded on the playing field. Georgina Morello, Playtech Project Specialist & Welfare Officer, handed over the Playtech Gold Cup 14-goal handicap to Sainte Mesme, accompanied on the podium by the Vice-President of the Andalusian Government, Juan Marín, and the Mayor of San Roque, Juan Carlos Ruiz Boix. All of them were also in charge of delivering the individual trophies to the players of the finalist team, BN Polo Team.

Salvador Jauretche, from Sainte Mesme, was chosen as the best player of the final, a trophy given by Nuria Seguí, representing MANSION. And “Guerrera”, played by Robert Strom, received the prize sponsored by Hola! magazine for the best horse of the match, awarded by the president of the Santa María Polo Club, Antonio Ortiz. For his part, Lorenzo Diez, president of the Real Club de Polo de Jerez de la Frontera, presented the Playech Subsidiaria Gold Cup to Kazak, accompanied by Nacho Domecq and Juan Maldonado, members of the board of directors of this institution.

The atmosphere of the big finals

The public could enjoy the afternoon from the stands, gardens and terraces of the Santa Maria Polo Club, where for this special summer the spaces have been rethought. To ensure safety and hygiene measures, the Club implemented a specific protocol with regulated distances and seating, limited spaces such as in the terraces and bars, as well as hydroalcoholic gel dispensers and a reminder of the mandatory use of masks.

The best sport was accompanied all afternoon by the best atmosphere. The numerous public enjoyed the exciting game, as well as the presentation of trophies on the playing field. And then it was time to enjoy in the gardens. The group Solera60 from Jerez offered a concert with versions of hits from the 60s and 70s, and the audience in the main pavilion enjoyed a tasting of Covap Alta Expresión Iberian products. In addition, those who were left behind could take advantage of the opportunity to do their last shopping in the Shopping Village shopping area, and to dine at sunset in the Gastro Garden restaurant area. With this final, the Santa María Polo Club gives the starting signal for the organization of the 2021 edition, in which the International Polo Tournament will celebrate its 50th anniversary, and will once again be sponsored by MANSION.