April 14, 2021

Europe, Polo News

POLO PARK ZÜRICH enters the 2021 POLO RIDER CUP

14. April 2021

POLO PARK ZÜRICH (SUI) has entered the 2021 POLO RIDER CUP, joining the Chantilly Polo Club (FRA), Hamburger Polo Club (GER), Dos Lunas Polo Club (SPA), Moscow Polo Club (RUS), Evviva Polo St. Moritz (SUI), Düsseldorf Polo Club (GER), Las Brisas Polo Club of Chicago (USA), Empire Polo Club of Coachella Valley (USA) and Deauville International Polo Club (FRA). Two Swiss squads will play the POLO RIDER CUP, which will be held from 10 to 20 June 2021 at the Polo Club of Chantilly, north of Paris.

The Polo Park Zürich team will comprise the following players:

1. Min Podesta (+7)
2. Carlos Solaris (+4)
3. Elena Venot (+1)
4. Richard Harris, TC (0)

Sébastien Le Page, President of Polo Park Zurich, comments: “Polo Park & Country Club Zürich is thrilled to have a team represented in the inaugural edition of the POLO RIDER CUP. As one of the largest Polo Clubs in Continental Europe, it was important to us to be a founding member of this great new Cup which will see the best Polo Clubs fight for this new trophy, in different locations. We know the players will fly PPZ’s colours high, on and off the field.”

Richard Harris, Captain of Polo Park Zürich: “We are very excited to represent the Polo Park Zürich at the POLO RIDER CUP. The Chantilly Polo Club always puts on great events, and we look forward to seeing everyone and having a great time.”

Benoît Perrier, CEO & Co-Founder of GAME Polo: “Polo Park Zurich Is a great and dynamic club in Europe with a strong organization and facilities, a long polo history and an excellent social and club life. Zurich is one of the best towns for its quality of life. Their President Sébastien Lepage was one of the first to support the POLO RIDER CUP project and we are convinced Polo Park Zurich would be a great location to host one of the next editions of the POLO RIDER CUP. We are extremely enthusiastic to be able to count on their team with their captain Richard Harris.”

***

About POLO PARK ZURICH (https://polopark.ch)
PPZ – Those three letters stand not only for Polo Park Zürich but also for entrepreneurial spirit, innovation and development. Since it was founded in 1998, Polo Park Zürich has become the club with the most members and the most significant polo training centre in the whole of Switzerland. The club is located at the edge of Zurich’s wine region, between Ohringen near Winterthur and Hettlingen (only a 20-minute drive from Zurich). Two full-size playing fields and one smaller training field are located on a flat area covering 15 hectares. These fields are used for polo every year from May until the end of September. Polo ponies are kept in the club’s own stables, as well as at nearby farms. The ponies are cared for and trained by mostly Argentinian grooms, properly trained to this purpose. Thanks to the club’s trainer and manager Francisco Podesta, a 3-goal player from Argentina, Polo Park Zürich has since the beginning received an excellent reputation as a leading polo training centre.

POLO PARK ZÜRICH (SUI) has entered the 2021 POLO RIDER CUP, joining the Chantilly Polo Club (FRA), Hamburger Polo Club (GER), Dos Lunas Polo Club (SPA), Moscow Polo Club (RUS),…

North America, Polo News

Tamera, Casablanca, Richard Mille and Orea Polo Team Advance To Semifinals of The Triple Crown Of Polo

14. April 2021

Photos by ChukkerTV

WELLINGTON, FL, April 13, 2021— The semifinals of The Triple Crown Of Polo are set after Tamera scored a narrow 9-8 victory over Seminole Casino Coconut Creek Monday morning while Casablanca defeated Pampa Norte by 11-9 in the afternoon match. Richard Mille will face off with Casablanca and Orea Polo Team will meet Tamera in the semifinals set for Wednesday April 14th.

Seminole Casino Coconut Creek (Melissa Ganzi, Nic Roldan, Francisco Elizalde, and Alejandro Novillo Astrada) met Tamera (Ale Poma, Santi Torres, Diego Cavanaugh, and Jejo Taranco) on Monday morning. With both teams rated at 25 goals, the match was played on the flat.

Tamera was playing a defensive game out of the gate and marking up well, but Seminole Casino Coconut Creek managed to disarm their efforts with some quick plays. Alejandro Novillo Astrada drew first blood for Seminole Casino Coconut Creek and Nic Roldan outran Jejo Taranco with slightly more than a minute left on the board to end the first period with Seminole Casino Coconut Creek up 2-0. Tamera continued to press hard, but Francisco Elizalde, substituting for Juan Martin Zubia, meshed well with Roldan and Novillo Astrada and the trio held Tamera off. Novillo Astrada converted a Penalty 4 and a Penalty 3, and with 1:28 left on the clock Elizalde sent a backshot to Roldan, who put it through the posts.

Just as it was looking like Tamera would end another period without scoring, Jejo Taranco took the ball to goal just as the 30-second horn sounded to get Tamera on the board 5-1. Starting to click in the third chukker, Tamera kept Seminole Casino Coconut Creek away from the posts while Santi Torres scored back-to-back goals to end the half 5-3, gaining on Seminole Casino Coconut Creek.

Seminole Casino Coconut Creek‘s frustration continued in the fourth period as they fought unsuccessfully to get on goal. Tamera’s offense was growing stronger, and Diego Cavanaugh got out in front to score just over a minute into play. Ale Poma got the equalizer and with 36 seconds left on the clock Cavanaugh put Tamera into the lead for the first time in the game.

Cavanuagh made another successful shot on goal at the beginning of the fifth chukker, putting Tamera ahead by two, but Novillo Astrada answered by evading Jejo Taranco and scoring for Seminole Casino Coconut Creek. With 53 seconds on the clock, Ale Poma drew on some heavy horsepower to get out in front and run the ball downfield, scoring what was surely the most impressive goal of the day. Novillo Astrada and Roldan scored to tie the game back up, and with just over 3 minutes left to play it was anyone’s game. Ale Poma came back with a quick answer, putting Tamera ahead at 9-8 and it looked like the outcome would come down to possession. With 1:29 on the clock, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek knocked the ball over the boards, losing possession and their chance for a victory. Tamera defeated Seminole Casino Coconut Creek by 9-8. Alejandro Novillo Astrada was the high scoring player of the day with five goals to his credit.

At 3 pm, Casablanca (Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini, Barto Castagnola, and Juan Martin Nero) took to the field against Pampa Norte (Waqqas Al Siddiq, Santiago Loza, Magoo Laprida, and Pedro Falabella). Casablanca, a 26-goal team, ceded four goals to Pampa Norte on handicap.

Pampa Norte found themselves stymied by Casablanca’s defense from the get-go in the first chukker and were unable to get on the board. Grant Ganzi and Juancito Bollini chipped away against Pampa Norte’s four-goal lead on handicap and the chukker ended with Casablanca down 4-2. Pampa Norte ramped up their defense in the second period, limiting Casablanca to a Penalty 6 conversion from Barto Castagnola.

Waqqas Al Siddiq put the first goal on the board for Pampa Norte, which maintained their lead of two goals going into the third chukker. Another conversion on a Penalty 6 from Castagnola plus a goal from Juan Martin Nero tied the score at 5-5. Magoo Laprida got out in front to put the ball in, but Nero scored his second equalizer to end the half in a 6-6 tie.

Barto Castagnola put the first ball through the posts in the second half, but Waqqas Al Siddiq got out in front to pick up the ball and send it through the uprights in answer. Another goal from Nero put Casablanca back in the lead at 8-7. The fifth period saw both teams battling to keep possession and get goals on the board. However, it was a replay of the first chukker for Pampa Norte and Casablanca kept them off the goal while Juancito Bollini took the ball through to put his team ahead 9-7. Al Siddiq scored his third goal of the match, putting Pampa Norte within striking distance at 9-8, but a pair of back-to-back shots from Grant Ganzi gave Casablanca a difficult-to-overcome three goal lead. Pedro Falabella scored a final goal for Pampa Norte, but the match ended with Casablanca victorious by 11-9.

2021 Triple Crown of Polo Livestream Schedule

Wednesday 4/14
Semifinals
TBA Richard Mille vs Casablanca
TBA Orea Polo Team vs Tamera

Saturday 4/17
4pm Final

All games streamed live on http://www.chukkertv.com