March 29, 2021

Asia, Polo News

Ghantoot to meet Habtoor in HH President of UAE Polo Cup final

29. March 2021

ABU DHABI: With third straight victory, hosts Ghantoot stormed into the final 21st edition of the HH President of UAE Polo Cup and set up a mouthwatering clash with Habtoor.

The two most dominant teams of the UAE will go head-to-head in a highly anticipated final scheduled to take place at the Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club later.

The final scheduled for Friday has been cancelled after the death of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and the Minister of Finance, who passed away on Wednesday morning.

Zayed Khalifa Zayed Al Aboudi Al Zaabi, Executive Director of the Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club, expressed heartfelt condolences to Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and to Al Maktoum’s family, on the death of Sheikh Hamdan.

The showpiece event of the polo season is being held in the name of The President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and under the patronage of Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club.

Ghanoot will be gunning for the second biggest title of the season after clinching the prestigious IFZA Gold Cup earlier.

The hosts qualified for the final following a narrow 10-9 win over Habtoor in the last qualifying round of matches held on Tuesday.

Raja Abul Jubain’s field goal put Habtoor ahead in the fifth minute of the game. Ghantoot responded immediately with Marcos Araya converting a 30- yard penalty.

Facundo Sola put through the post to give Habtoor slim lead by the end of first chukker. Ghantoot star and inform Argentine Pablo Llorente scored three in the second chukker to make it 4-3.

Quick to catch up was Sola scoring 2 goals for the team that levelled the game. Both the teams tried hard to gain upper hand as forth chukker saw flurry of goals.

The determining chukker had Marcos Araya score three goals that sealed the win for Ghantoot. Despite defeat, Habtoor advanced to the final after finishing second in the points table as they posted two victories in the previous rounds.

Delighted with the win and ticket for final, Llorente said: “Since we are the hosts of the tournament, so we want to lift President of UAE Polo Cup.

“Winning games in a row gives confidence to the team. We have really worked hard to reach here and looking forward to play in the finals where We have got to put our best foot forward and give our best out there,” he added.

Abu Dhabi Polo edged past Yas Holding Polo 11-10 in a thriller. They both will now play for subsidiary final of the event. Gonzalo Deltour scored six goals and played key role in their victory.

The governing partner for the HH President of the UAE Cup is Abu Dhabi Sports Council and it’s being held in association with the Emirates Polo Association. Event sponsors include Yas International Holding, Yas International Properties LLC, Al ittihad, Capex.com, Porsche Centre Abu Dhabi – Ali & Sons Co. LLC, Yas TV and Tack and Truck. Fans can catch the action live Yas Tv and at the official website of the tournament — www.presidentpolocup.ae

ABU DHABI: With third straight victory, hosts Ghantoot stormed into the final 21st edition of the HH President of UAE Polo Cup and set up a mouthwatering clash with Habtoor.…

North America, Polo News

Scone Wins USPA Gold Cup® for First Title at the International Polo Club Palm Beach

29. March 2021

Wellington, FL – March 28, 2021 – The finale of the second leg of the Gauntlet of Polo® was played on a hot, sunny day at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC), with Scone producing one of their best performances of the season, defeating Tonkawa 13-10 on the Home of the U.S. Polo Assn – Field 1 to raise the USPA Gold Cup® and walk away with the $100,000 prize.

Scone asserted their offense at the beginning of the final, scoring seven of the first eight goals to leave Tonkawa trailing from behind throughout the game. The fast pace set by Scone resulted in four early penalty goals from Adolfo Cambiaso and Peke Gonzalez, adding to a strong open play performance from Poroto Cambiaso that ultimately allowed Scone to build and maintain their large lead. The trio, along with David Paradice, was able to turn their focus to defense after the offensive outburst, holding Tonkawa to just three first-half goals. With the victory, Adolfo Cambiaso captures his 15th USPA Gold Cup® title, but it may be one of the most memorable, playing alongside son Poroto for their first victory together at IPC.

Winning the first throw-in, Scone worked the ball downfield, and after missing their first attempt at goal, they regained possession, and Adolfo Cambiaso received a Penalty 1 to open the scoring. Unable to convert consecutive penalty attempts from the 60-yard line, Tonkawa was left scoreless in the first seven minutes as Scone added to their lead. Paradice left the ball in front of goal for an assist to Poroto Cambiaso, and before the end of the first chukker, Poroto struck again for his second goal and a 3-0 lead. Tonkawa fought hard to match the pace set by Scone, finally breaking through for their first goal of the game on a field goal from Caset, but the accurate penalty shooting of Scone changed the opening half. Converting back-to-back Penalty 4 conversions, Adolfo Cambiaso gave Scone the commanding 7-1 lead, putting them in a position to focus on containing Tonkawa’s elite duo of Caset and Francisco Elizalde. Beginning to chip away at the deficit, Tonkawa’s Elizalde brought his team within four, but on the final play of the half, Adolfo Cambiaso broke free for his fourth goal of the game, sending Scone into the half with the five-goal advantage.

With the victory, Adolfo Cambiaso captures his 15th USPA Gold Cup® title, but it may be one of the most memorable, playing alongside son Poroto for their first victory together at IPC. ©Alex Pacheco

Tournament scoring leader Caset sought to bring Tonkawa back in the game in a determined start to the second half that saw the opening few minutes go in Tonkawa’s favor, pulling one goal closer, but their inaccurate shooting ultimately prevented them from pulling closer. Converting just 33% of their shot attempts through five chukkers compared to 50% for Scone, Tonkawa struggled to slow the father-son duo of Adolfo and Poroto Cambiaso, who scored two goals each in the fourth and fifth chukkers to enter the final seven minutes with a 12-5 lead. Gonzalez opened the sixth chukker with a goal for Scone, all but securing the victory as time ticked down. Tonkawa fought until the final whistle, scoring two field goals and adding three penalty conversions, but the late-game run was not enough to pull within reach as the Scone organization celebrated their first USPA Gold Cup® title, defeating Tonkawa 13-10.

Most Valuable Player was awarded to 15-year-old Poroto Cambiaso, finishing with four goals in the victory. Best Playing Pony honors went to Adolfo Cambiaso and David Stirling’s Monjita Coronada, while the Argentine Bred Best Playing Pony was given to Lovelocks Camuserich.

La Indiana secured the first win of the 2021 CaptiveOne U.S. Open Polo Championship® over Santa Clara. ©Alex Pacheco

Earlier in the day, the CaptiveOne U.S. Open Polo Championship® began with La Indiana scoring a season-high 18 goals behind a dominant 11-2 second half to defeat Santa Clara 18-9. Accurate 12 for 17 shooting along with nine goals from Polito Pieres contributed to a strong final three chukkers for La Indiana as they limited Santa Clara to just three shots while dominating possession to capture the convincing victory.

Racing out to a 4-0 victory in the first chukker, all four coming from Pieres, La Indiana seemed destined to control the game from the first throw-in, but Santa Clara provided a determined response in the second chukker. Holding La Indiana without a shot, Santa Clara attacked relentlessly, pressuring the La Indiana defense and receiving three penalty attempts, converted for three goals by Felipe Vercellino to tie the game at 5-5. At the end of the first half, it was either team’s game as La Indiana and Santa Clara remained tied, trading one field goal and penalty goal each in the third chukker of what was appearing to be a close first game in the CaptiveOne U.S. Open Polo Championship®.

Polito Pieres contributed to La Indiana‘s total of 18 goals with 9 of his own. ©Alex Pacheco

The momentum swung in La Indiana’s favor in the opening stages of the second half as their accurate shooting began to wear Santa Clara down. Converting three of their four shot attempts, La Indiana’s Jeff Hall contributed two goals to give his team the two-goal lead, which was quickly extended to five in a decisive fifth chukker. Pinned in their own half, Santa Clara was held to just one penalty goal while Escobar and Pieres pushed La Indiana’s attack forward to combine for three goals, leaving Santa Clara in desperate need of offense with one chukker remaining. The frustration for Santa Clara boiled over in the sixth chukker as Felipe Vercellino was sent off for four minutes after multiple yellow cards, leaving Santa Clara one player down and La Indiana to take advantage, scoring five consecutive goals to finish the game and claim the first game of the tournament with the impressive 18-9 victory.

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 – March 28, 2021 – The finale of the second leg of the Gauntlet of Polo® was played on a hot, sunny day at the International Polo Club…

North America, Polo News

Teams draw for the U.S. OPEN POLO CHAMPIONSHIP® live on GLOBAL POLO TV to conclude the GAUNTLET OF POLO®

29. March 2021

WHAT: In preparation for the final tournament of the GAUNTLET OF POLO®, the United States Polo Association (USPA) hosted the U.S. Open Polo Championship^® draw on Thursday, March 25, 2021, from the Seventh Chukker patio at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC) in Wellington, Florida. Limited to teams and staff only, one representative from each team was invited to select a numbered token in person while the draw was broadcast live to spectators on Global Polo TV. The apex of 22-goal competition, the U.S. Open Polo Championship® is considered the most prestigious tournament in American polo. Immediately following the draw, viewers were treated to interviews with past U.S. Open Polo Championship® winners Memo Gracida, Tommy Wayman and Nic Roldan. Although Park Place won the C.V. Whitney Cup®, there will not be a GAUNTLET champion crowned in 2021 as Tonkawa and Scone qualified for the USPA Gold Cup® Final on Sunday, March 28. The official draw determined the playing order for the third tournament of the GAUNTLET OF POLO^®, the U.S. Open Polo Championship^®, which begins Sunday, March 28, and concludes Sunday, April 18, at IPC. Spectators will have the opportunity to relive the action on Sunday, May 9, when the U.S. Open Polo Championship® Final will be aired to millions of viewers on CBS Sports.

WHO: Haley Bryan, IPC Polo Coordinator, and Jimmy Newman, IPC Polo Manager, outlined the tournament format and conducted the official draw.

WHERE: The International Polo Club Palm Beach will not be open to the general public during the 2021 polo season. IPC will offer a limited number of tickets to Sunday Brunch in the Veuve Clicquot Pavilion for spectators as well as exclusive pre-sold tailgates and boxes. There will be no day of event ticket sales. Please read the IPC Reopening Guide available on the U.S. Open Polo Championship® tournament detail page on uspolo.org, for the club’s new protocols and procedures.

Increasing the stakes in the final tournament, the winner of the U.S. Open Polo Championship® will receive $200,000 in prize money and $50,000 will be awarded to the runner-up. New to the GAUNTLET in 2021 and in partnership with USPA Global Licensing, each of the teams will select a charity of their choice from 10 non-profit polo organizations which they can support throughout all three tournaments or select every tournament. Both charities of the winner and runners-up will receive a $5,000 donation in the U.S. Open Polo Championship^®.

The list of participating teams in their newly announced tournament brackets are available below:

Bracket I
1. La Indiana
2. Santa Clara
3. Pilot

Bracket II
1. Aspen/Dutta Corp
2. Cessna
3. Tonkawa

Bracket III
1. Park Place
2. Coca-Cola
3. Scone

FORMAT:

The USPA Gold Cup® finalists, Tonkawa and Scone, will be seeded in separate brackets (6 and 9). Teams will be placed into three brackets and play within their bracket.

After bracket play, all teams will be ranked 1-9 based on their win-loss record, followed by net goals, then gross goals. The teams who ranked eighth and nineth will compete in a playoff game then teams will enter the quarterfinals. Teams ranked 1-4 will draw from the remaining teams (5, 6, 7, 8) for quarterfinal pairings. Semifinal pairings will be determined by draw with the winners advancing to the final.

Please visit the GAUNTLET OF POLO® tab on uspolo.org for GAUNTLET information including rosters, full tournament schedule, history, video highlights and much more. Global Polo TV is the exclusive broadcaster for USPA Official Events, tournaments and games. Only those with a Premium Polo Pass or GAUNTLET OF POLO^® Pass will have access to all livestreamed games of the 2021 GAUNTLET OF POLO^®. All USPA Playing and Lifetime Members receive free access to the Premium Polo Pass. Social Members receive the Polo Pass for free. Subscribe or upgrade at any time on GlobalPolo.com/products.

Images: ©David Lominska / ©United States Polo Association

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WHAT: In preparation for the final tournament of the GAUNTLET OF POLO®, the United States Polo Association (USPA) hosted the U.S. Open Polo Championship® draw on Thursday, March 25, 2021,…

North America, Polo News

Casablanca and Richard Mille Advance to Final in Palm Beach Open

29. March 2021

By Rebecca Baldridge
Photos by ChukkerTV

WELLINGTON, FL, March 26, 2021— In a thrilling day of semifinal play, Casablanca is set to meet Richard Mille in the final of the World Polo League Palm Beach Open this Sunday at 4 pm.

Casablanca (Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini, Barto Castagnola and Juan Martin Nero) met Pampa Norte (Waqqas Al Siddiq, Santiago Loza, Magoo Laprida, and Pedro Falabella) yesterday in the first semifinal game.

Pampa Norte was strong out of the gate, outscoring Casablanca in the first chukker and continuing to push hard in the second. Both of Casablanca’s goals in the first period were from the penalty line, while Pampa Norte’s Pedro Falabella knocked in two from the field. In the second period Juan Martin Nero took the ball through the posts, and with just over two minutes on the clock, Barto Castagnola made a spectacular 120-yard drive to put Casablanca in the lead. A Penalty 2 from Magoo Laprida ended the chukker in a 4-all tie.

Although Casablanca was missing shots in the third period and scored only on a Penalty 3, the team was growing visibly stronger with each chukker. Juancito Bollini, Casablanca’s number two, said “We didn’t do so well in the first half and I couldn’t find my rhythm, but by the end we were like a well-oiled machine.”

The second half began tied up at 5-all, and after three minutes of hard back and forth Juancito Bollini picked up a pass from Juan Martin Nero for an easy finish and the first goal of the second half. Nero himself followed up by taking the ball from the throw-in and running away with it to escort it through the uprights with 3:37 on the clock. Pampa Norte wasn’t able to score in the fourth, and managed only one goal in the fifth chukker, while Casablanca’s Nero contributed another two goals and Barto Castagnola converted a penalty to end the period up by 10-6.

In the final chukker the team in light blue was firing on all cylinders. Nero and Castagnola had scored another goal apiece when Magoo Laprida put the ball through with 1:05 left to play. The clock was ticking down to the buzzer when, with 13 seconds remaining in the game, Grant Ganzi scored a final goal to end the match 13-7 for Casablanca. Says Juan Martin Nero, “Today was a very tough game. I think we didn’t play well in the beginning but Juancito was amazing in the last three chukkers. It was fun to play against Pampa Norte and we’re so happy to be going to the final.” Nero scored five goals in the match, and Barto Castagnola scored six. Pedro Falabella and Magoo Laprida scored three goals each for Pampa Norte.

In the afternoon action, Richard Mille (Marc Ganzi, Jeta Castagnola, Pablo Mac Donough, and Paco de Narvaez) took on Tamera (Ale Poma, Santi Torres, Diego Cavanaugh, and Jejo Taranco).

The match was a pitched battle from the start, with Richard Mille gaining a brief early advantage. Jeta Castagnola drew first blood while it took Tamera more than five minutes to get on the board with a goal from Jejo Taranco. Marc Ganzi converted a penalty and Richard Mille ended the period with a narrow 2-1 lead. They started the second chukker by winning a penalty challenge in the first twenty seconds of play, with the goal awarded to Paco de Narvaez. Seconds later, Pable MacDonough took the ball out of the throw-in to score, and the lead expanded to 4-1. With 2:35 on the clock, Diego Cavanaugh put the ball for a second Tamera goal on the board with an answer from MacDonough to end the chukker at 5-3 with Richard Mille in the lead.

Tamera showed their mettle in the third chukker, outscoring Richard Mille by three to one from the field and gaining on the team in black, pulling within one goal until a Penalty 4 from Jeta Castagnola improved the margin once again. The half ended with Richard Mille in the lead by 7-5.

Jejo Taranco started the second half with an important goal for Tamera, narrowing the margin to one again at 7-6 until Marc Ganzi went to the penalty line for 8-6. Ale Poma made a fabulous run to goal and put Tamera within one again and the period ended 8-7. Richard Mille began their drive to victory in fifth chukker with three goals, although Tamera continued to keep the pressure on and fight hard.

The final chukker began with Richard Mille leading by 11-9. A penalty conversion by Diego Cavanaugh cut the lead to one yet again, but two more goals from the field by Richard Mille extended their lead to four goals at 13-9. Jejo Taranco converted one more penalty, but Paco de Narvaez knocked in a final goal to end the match 14-11, sending Richard Mille to the final on Sunday. Pablo MacDonough noted that Richard Mille was prepared for a tough game, saying “Tamera has been playing well through the tournament, and they’re strong. Fortunately, when they were getting close, we responded and managed to score one or two goals and keep the gap. This gave us an advantage at the end of the game.”