February 1, 2021

Asia, Polo News

Line Up is Set for the Semifinals of the IFZA Silver Cup 2021

1. February 2021

30 January 2021, Dubai, UAE: The last of the qualifying matches concluded with a win for UAE Polo and Habtoor Polo teams.

The afternoon opened with a fast goal from Lucas Monteverde Jr. followed by another from Sheikha Maitha bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum – patron of the UAE Polo team. The team showed complete dominance throughout the game with Zedan Polo team scoring its first goal on the third chukker, notably from Jeronimo del Carril followed by another from Simon Prado.

The last two chukkers saw Tomas Panelo and Lukin deliver goals for the team that set a 7.5 goal lead at the final chukker.

Match Progression: 2.5 – 0 | 5.5 – 0 | 7.5 – 3 | 9.5 – 5 | 12.5 – 5
Top Scorer: Tomas Panelo, 7 goals

Images: © Al Habtoor Polo Resort and Club, © TonyBelotPhotography / Shine TV

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30 January 2021, Dubai, UAE: The last of the qualifying matches concluded with a win for UAE Polo and Habtoor Polo teams. The afternoon opened with a fast goal from…

Asia, Polo News

Back to Back Wins for Bangash Polo Team at the IFZA Silver Cup 2021

1. February 2021

29 January 2021, Dubai, UAE: The fifth day of the IFZA Silver Cup 2021 qualifiers was a victorious day for Bangash Polo team as it smashed the competition and closed the game at 11 goals to 7.5.

Haider Bangash, the team‘s patron, delivered the opening goal followed by another from Benjamin Panelo. IFZA-Mahra Polo team level the game with a goal from Ricardo Garros*, penalty shot from Isidro Strada and an excellent pass that allowed Segundo Amadori to score. Benja‘s created a massive 7.5 goal advantage for Bangash Polo during the next two chukkers. IFZA-Mahra Polo rushed to close in on Bangash Polo team at the last chukker. But the gap in scores was enough to secure Bangash Polo team its second win in the tournament.

Match Progression: 2 – 0.5 | 4 – 3.5 | 7 – 3.5 | 11 – 3.5 | 7 – 3.5
Top scorer: Benjamin Panelo, 9 goals

The last qualifying matches of the IFZA Silver Cup 2021 are scheduled on the 30th of January, Field 3 with a game between Zedan Polo and UAE Polo teams at 14:00 followed by Habtoor Polo against Dubai Wolves by CAFU at 16:00. Catch the action live or watch it online on Pololine TV’s livestream.

* Jacinto Amadori replacement due to injury (day 4 match) – Ricardo Garros (+5)

* Segundo Amadori replacement due to injury (day 5 match)- Tuki Guinazu (+4)

Images: © Al Habtoor Polo Resort and Club

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29 January 2021, Dubai, UAE: The fifth day of the IFZA Silver Cup 2021 qualifiers was a victorious day for Bangash Polo team as it smashed the competition and closed…

Asia, Polo News

Abu Dhabi set up title showdown with Ankora in Sultan Bin Zayed Cup

1. February 2021

A dominant Abu Dhabi team continued their red-hot form as they defeated Ghantoot A to enter the final of the Sultan Bin Zayed Cup being played at the Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club.

The inaugural edition of the Sultan Bin Zayed Cup is being held under the patronage of Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club.

The tournament is being held in memory of Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed, younger brother of the President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who served as the President’s Representative and died in 2019.

With Hugo Barabucci and Elena Venot spearheading the attack, Abu Dhabi gained upper hand after quickly establishing lead which they never relinquished during the entire match. Continuing his fine form, Barabucci scored two more in the third chukker to help Abu Dhabi stretch their lead to 5-2.

Ghantoot tried to stage a comeback when Ali Al Marri and Yosuf Bin Desmal Ghantoot scored in the last chukker but it was too late.

Tomorrow February 1, is the Grand Finals of Sultan Bin Zayed Polo Cup 2021, Sub final starts at 2 pm (GST).
Please watch us live on YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/user/grpcuae/videos

Ricardo Garros’ excellent performance propels Ankora to an easy win over RA Noon. © Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club

Venot’s superb field goal proved to be the last nail in the coffin as Abu Dhabi secured the ticket for final with a 6-4 win over their rivals.

The dynamic duo of Barabucci and Venot combined for six goals, leading Abu Dhabi to another victory at the Sultan Bin Zayed Field 2.

In the other semi-final, Ankora routed RA Noon 8-3.5 on the Sheikh Zayed Field. It was an easy win for Ankora, thanks to the impressive offensive performance of Ricardo Garros, who scored five goals, while Ankora’s superb defensive skills held RA Noon to just 3.5 goals.

Garros was well supported by Khalid Alomran, who scored a brace.

Abu Dhabi will take on Ankora in the final scheduled to be held on Monday. In the subsidiary final, Ghantoot B will face Anningsley Park Farm.

The Abu Dhabi Sports Council is the governing partner of the tournament in collaboration with Emirates Polo Association, while Capex.com, Yas International Properties LLC, Yas International Holding, Alpine Rent A Car, Zone Waste Management and Recycling, Ateeq Farriers Best Choice, Midad Printing and Advertising and Amal Foods are the official sponsors of the Sultan Bin Zayed Cup.

Fans can catch the action live through Ghantoot Polo and Racing Club’s YouTube channel, while the Abu Dhabi Sports channels will broadcast the final live on Feb.1.

A dominant Abu Dhabi team continued their red-hot form as they defeated Ghantoot A to enter the final of the Sultan Bin Zayed Cup being played at the Ghantoot Racing…

North America, Polo News

La Indiana And SconeAdvance In Sterling Cup

1. February 2021

WELLINGTON, FL, January 29, 2021— La Indiana defeated Aspen Valley by 16-10 while Scone triumphed over Great Oaks by 10-7 as the high goal season at Grand Champions got underway with the Sterling Cup.

This week the high goal season got of to an exciting start with the opening matches of the 22-goal Sterling Cup. On Tuesday, La Indiana (Nico Escobar, Jeff Hall, Politio Pieres, and Michael Bickford) met Aspen Valley (Gussie Busch, Clem Zavetta, Pablo Spinacci and Horacio Heguy) at La Indiana Polo Farm. With a team handicap of 20, Aspen Valley started the match with two goals on the board.

La Indiana made a quick start, narrowing Aspen Valley’s initial advantage to 1 when Nico Escobar picked up a pass from Polito Pieres after just 35 seconds of play and found the goal. Despite the auspicious start, La Indiana remained behind throughout the chukker as Horacio Heguy and Pablo Spinacci scored for Aspen Valley.

Down by 4-1 at the beginning of the second period, La Indiana intensified their efforts to get on the board and scored an impressive five goals in a fast chukker to gain a two-goal lead. With just under 60 seconds of play remaining, Horacio Heguy took control of the ball at the bowl-in and broke away to score with an impressive neck shot. Unfortunately for La Indiana, they couldn’t maintain their momentum in the third chukker and failed to score, while Gussie Busch dodged Jeff Hall to knock the ball through the posts in the final seconds of the chukker. The half ended with the score tied at 6-6.

Nico Escobar successfully converted on a penalty two in early in the fourth chukker, followed by a goal from Pablo Spinacci to tie the score at 7-7. Another penalty two allowed Clem Zavetta to score for Aspen Valley, putting them back in the lead briefly until Pieres tied things up again. A final goal from Spinacci ended the period at 9-8 with. Aspen Valley leading.

At the beginning of the fifth chukker, La Indiana seemed to realize that it was time to pour on the steam. Nico Escobar scored two consecutive goals to take back the lead, then Jeff Hall put the score up to 11-9. In the face of a strong defense from La Indiana, the team in blue couldn’t find the goalposts. A final shot by Escobar saw the chukker end 12-9 with La Indiana in the lead. As the final chukker got underway, Pieres converted on a penalty two. Escobar exploded with a series of three goals to see La Indiana with 16 on the board. A last valiant effort by Zavetta brought the final score to 16-10. Nico Escobar was the high scoring player, responsible for 8 of La Indiana’s 16 goals.

The second match of The Sterling Cup saw Great Oaks (Dillon Bacon, Torito Ruiz, Facundo Llorente and Gonzalo Garcia del Rio) take on Scone (David Paradice, Poroto Cambiaso, Peke Gonzalez and Adolfo Cambiaso) at Jan Pamela Farm. Great Oaks, with a team handicap of 21, started the match with one goal on the board.

Young Poroto Cambiaso, a 6-goal player at the tender age of 15, drew first blood, taking control of the ball after his father’s foul shot was deflected by Toro Ruiz’s pony and going to goal. Despite strong efforts by Great Oaks, they weren’t able to get on the board in the first chukker.

The second period proved to be no more successful for Great Oaks, who found themselves still shut out while Scone racked up another three goals, including a successful penalty 4 conversion by Cambiaso the Younger, and goals from Peke Gonzalez and Cambiaso the Elder. Play was more evenly matched in the third chukker, with Toro Ruiz finally putting Great Oaks on the board. Gonzalez scored on a penalty three to end the half 5-3 in favor of Scone.

Play was more evenly matched in the fourth chukker, with a lot of back and forth from both teams. Peke Gonzalez converted on a penalty five, while Gonzalo Garcia del Rio found the posts for Great Oaks. At the beginning of the fifth chukker Scone was in the lead by 6-4. Adolfo Cambiaso, atypically leading his team from the back rather than the number one position, scored for Scone with Gonzalez following up with a successful conversion on a penalty three.

Dillon Bacon dodged traffic to score his team’s one goal for the chukker, while Peke Gonzalez knocked in another penalty shot to end the period 9-5 for Scone. Toro Ruiz, showing some of his customary zeal, scored the first goal of the final chukker with an answer from Adolfo Cambiaso. Ruiz also connected with a penalty shot, and the match ended 10-7 for Scone. Peke Gonzalez was the high scoring player of the match, with five goals.

Images: © Grand Champions Polo Club

Sterling Cup
Live Stream Schedule

Friday 1/29
11 a.m. La Indiana vs Casablanca

Sunday 1/31
12 p.m. Santa Rita vs Scone

Wednesday 2/3
1 p.m. Santa Rita vs Great Oaks
3:30 p.m. Casablanca vs Aspen Valley

Sunday 2/7
3 p.m. Sterling Cup Final

All games streamed live in Eastern Standard Time on https://www.chukkertv.com

WINTER 2021 COVID-19 POLICY: The GCPC property, facilities, and events are only accessible to polo players, their immediate families, and necessary staff. This policy will remain in effect until further notice.

The GCPC family is immensely grateful and humbled by the excitement and support shown by locals and new guests over the years. We wish we could welcome everyone to the sidelines to cheer our players on; however, in order to remain in operation amidst a global pandemic, we regret to inform you that Grand Champions Polo Club events and facilities are currently closed to the public. Ultimately, our goal as a Club is to keep polo going, but our goal as a community first and foremost is to keep everyone safe and healthy.

There is nothing we would love more than to have more spectators on the sidelines and to greet new and friendly faces to the Club. Unfortunately, we cannot operate as normal and have temporarily minimized the Club’s capacity in an effort to prioritize the health and safety of our community.

MORE UPDATES TO COME SOON: For potential GCPC policy changes, we encourage our fans to continue to check our Instagram and website for more updates to come.

In the meantime, we thank you for your cooperation in this team effort to ensure we can keep playing polo, as well as keep playing our part in the community to minimize risk and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

We appreciate your loyalty and understanding and hope to see you back on the sidelines soon!

WELLINGTON, FL, January 29, 2021— La Indiana defeated Aspen Valley by 16-10 while Scone triumphed over Great Oaks by 10-7 as the high goal season at Grand Champions got underway…

North America, Polo News

Palm Beach Equine Overpowers Beverly Polo for Second Victory in the Ylvisaker Cup

1. February 2021

Wellington, FL – January 30, 2021 – Palm Beach Equine bounced back from Sunday’s defeat to Aspen to capture their second victory, defeating Beverly Polo 11-9 on the Isla Carroll West field at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC). Robi Bilbao’s superb attacking skills, finishing with a season-high five goals, led Palm Beach Equine to the narrow two-goal victory as they wait for the outcome in Sunday’s game to determine their place in the semifinals or final of the 2021 Ylvisaker Cup.

Losing their last match against Beverly Polo, Palm Beach Equine managed to capture the victory in the crucial match that held heavy implications for the rest of the tournament. A hard-fought game was determined by the proficiency of Palm Beach Equine from the penalty line, converting five of their seven attempts, while also outshooting Beverly Polo from the field. Beverly Polo, with a two-goal advantage, looked to match Palm Beach Equine each step of the way, but Palm Beach Equine received a balanced attack that saw five goals from Bilbao, along with three each from Costi Caset and Gringo Colombres to complete the 11-9 victory.

In the early stages of the game, Beverly Polo committed two quick fouls which quickly erased their two-goal lead on handicap and leaving the game tied at 2-2. Reclaiming the lead on a penalty conversion from Tolito Ocampo, Beverly Polo exited the first chukker ahead by one, but were facing a persistent offense from Palm Beach Equine. Producing five shots in the second chukker, Palm Beach Equine received goals from Bilbao and Colombres, taking their first lead of the game at 4-3. Aiming to restore their advantage, Beverly Polo fought hard in an intense third chukker that saw a combined seven goals between the two teams on perfect shooting from the field and penalty line. However, Palm Beach Equine doubled their lead to two, thanks to the trio of Caset, Bilbao, and Colombres, who proved to be a significant factor in the outcome.

Palm Beach Equine entered the second half continuing their strong and coordinated play, outshooting Beverly Polo 4-1 in the fourth chukker, but remained just two ahead after Ocampo’s penalty conversion matched Bilbao’s fourth goal of the game. A determined Beverly Polo team worked hard throughout an exciting fifth chukker, keeping Palm Beach Equine scoreless and allowing Ocampo to cut the deficit to just one goal entering the final chukker. Palm Beach Equine fought through their offensive struggles to control possession at the start of the sixth chukker. Bilbao capped off his strong performance with a goal to open scoring in the final chukker and it was a Penalty 3 conversion for Colombres that sealed the 11-9 victory for Palm Beach Equine.

The last game of group play is on Sunday on the Home of the U.S. Polo Assn – Field 1, with Aspen and Tamera fighting for their place in the semifinal.

Palm Beach Equine fought through their offensive struggles to control possession at the start of the sixth chukker. ©Alex Pacheco

Polo matches at IPC are not open to the general public except for ticketed Sunday brunch. Online viewing is available with a subscription at globalpolo.com.

Click here to view the full 2021 High Goal Polo Schedule.

Click here to learn more about the International Polo Club Palm Beach.

Click here to learn more about the GAUNTLET OF POLO®.

Wellington, FL – January 30, 2021 – Palm Beach Equine bounced back from Sunday’s defeat to Aspen to capture their second victory, defeating Beverly Polo 11-9 on the Isla Carroll…