May 30, 2022

Europe, Polo News

30. May 2022

Great Oaks LL 10 – 8 Murus Sanctus Les Lions
Scone Polo 7 – 5 Park Place The Duke’s Ground

The second week of play in the Cartier Queen’s Cup began with Great Oaks LL and Murus Sanctus meeting at Les Lions. A closely contested match featuring six lead changes, these two teams continued to answer each challenge heading into the final two chukkas. Early foul trouble sent Murus Sanctus’s Facundo Sola to the penalty line twice for the only goals of the first chukka, but improved discipline allowed Great Oaks LL to excel in open play and rely on the duo of Cruz Heguy and Dillon Bacon to even the score in the second. Exchanging goals through the end of the first half, Sola’s penalty shooting pushed Murus Sanctus ahead by one, giving them a narrow 5-4 advantage at half-time. With just two whistles the entire second half, fast and continuous play highlighted the final three chukkas, suiting the style of Great Oaks LL. Content to direct play from the back, Juan Martin Nero collected an assist while Heguy and Bacon were on the receiving end to convert any chances around goal. Sola’s fifth goal for Murus Sanctus brought the game into its sixth tie, but Great Oaks LL was knocking on the door to take the lead. Thanks to goals from Heguy and Bacon in the fifth, Great Oaks LL took their first lead of the match. Scoring Great Oaks LL’s only other goal, James Beim sealed the victory, while a late tally from Murus Sanctus’s Corinne Ricard confirmed the score at 10-8 in favour of Great Oaks LL.

Making his 2022 season debut at Guards Polo Club on The Queen’s Ground, Adolfo Cambiaso led Scone Polo into an important match against Park Place to determine the top team in League Three. Finishing with just one goal in the game, Adolfo Cambiaso’s impact was felt on the defensive end as Scone Polo effectively contained the Park Place attack. After conceding a field goal to Facundo Pieres just seconds in, Scone Polo would prevent Park Place from adding their second goal until the third chukka. This low-scoring, tightly marked match left scoring opportunities hard to come for both sides, with the teams remained tied at 1-1 through two chukkas. Scone Polo’s only goal came off a Penalty 2 conversion from Poroto Cambiaso. Striking first, Scone Polo scored three consecutive goals to begin the third chukka, with Poroto freed to move forward in the game with father Adolfo protecting against the counterattack. A Penalty 2 for Facundo Pieres signalled the only other attack for Park Place as they trailed 4-2 at half-time Held scoreless for the second time through four chukkas, Park Place saw their deficit grow to four as Scone Polo began to find their footing. Stifling multiple Park Place attacks, Adolfo Cambiaso would jump on an errant pass and shoot from more than 60 yards out for his first goal to end a decisive fourth chukka. In desperate need of some goals, Park Place found some hope after Francisco Elizalde and Will Harper found the mark, but Scone Polo dominant on this day, unwilling to concede any open chances to goal. A final goal from Sam Wisbey, filling in for David Paradice, ensured a7-5 Scone Polo victory as they improve to 3-0 in their League. This win also saw Scone Polo receive the Richard Watt Cup, traditionally played for as a league match in the Cartier Queen’s Cup Tournament.

Monday’s Fixtures

11:00 am – La Magdeleine vs Thai Polo NP at Coworth Park 1
2:30 pm – Clinova vs Park Place Vaara at Zacara

All games are being livestreamed by Guards TV in association with Polocam TV. Go to https://guards.polocam.tv/package

Photos by IMAGES OF POLO

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Great Oaks LL 10 – 8 Murus Sanctus Les Lions Scone Polo 7 – 5 Park Place The Duke’s Ground The second week of play in the Cartier…

Europe, Polo News

Cartier Queen’s Cup Day 11

30. May 2022

King Power 11 – 8 UAE Polo Team Noel Farm
Twelve Oaks 11 – 10 Marques de Riscal The Duke’s Ground

Two matches in League Two with immense implications on the teams quest for the quarter-finals highlighted the play today. The story began with King Power facing an undefeated UAE Polo Team at Noel Farm. Seconds into the game, Top Srivaddhanaprabha opened the scoring as King Power raced out of the gate with three unanswered goals. Substituting for Nico Pieres, fellow 9-goaler Pablo MacDonough entered the King Power line-up, making an immediate impact with an assist to Mackenzie Weisz, before following up with a goal of his own. Focusing on a quick, passing style of polo, King Power continued to generate scoring chances with the same trio of players from the opening chukka scoring one more goal each in the second chukka to double the score of the UAE Polo Team 6-3. Drawing on their championship experience, UAE Polo Team finished the half strongly though thanks to the play of HH Sheika Maitha, who excelled at the front of the game with two goals to help her team inch one goal closer by half-time. In one of the fastest chukkas in polo, only a single whistle blew over the 7¹/₂ minutes of play, both King Power and UAE Polo Team shot at goal but were unable to find the mark. This left King Power ahead by two. Turning to Tomas Beresford, UAE Polo Team made their first charge of the match in an attempt to tie the score, receiving one penalty goal and a field goal to trail by just one. In arguably his best showing of the season, Mackenzie Weisz’s fourth goal from a Penalty 3 conversion helped King Power seal this 11-8 victory and match UAE Polo Team with a 2-1 record atop League Two.

Moving to The Duke’s Ground, Twelve Oaks were in need of a victory to keep their hopes alive, holding a 1-2 record entering their final match of league play, against Marques de Riscal. A back-and-forth first half featured a tie on four different occasions with neither team conceding an inch. After a Penalty 3 from Joaquin Pittaluga opened the scoring, Twelve Oaks struck again from a John-Paul Clarkin field goal as they found the quick start they needed. In search of their first victory, Marques de Riscal responded with consecutive goals from Santiago Laborde and Guillermo Caset to tie the game at 2-all. Relying on the penalty shooting of Caset, where he scored three of the final four goals of the half, Marques de Riscal matched a strong Twelve Oaks attack from the field. Following up his exceptional performance in the previous game, Charlie Wooldridge scored back-to-back goals to end the half, giving Twelve Oaks some momentum entering the break ahead, 8-5. Foul trouble for Marques de Riscal in the opening moments of the second half resulted in the momentum staying with Twelve Oaks. Consecutive penalty conversions suddenly put Twelve Oaks ahead, leading 10-5. Looking like they were on their way to victory, Twelve Oaks found themselves in foul trouble of their own, committing 10 fouls over the final two chukkas and providing Marques de Riscal the opening they needed. Held without a field goal over the final four chukkas, Marques de Riscal challenged Twelve Oaks in the final moments after scoring five penalty goals but fell a goal short. Twelve Oaks survived this late push to capture their second victory and keep their quarter-final aspirations alive.

Sunday’s Fixtures

12:00 pm – Murus Sanctus vs Great Oaks LL at Les Lions
3:00 pm – Park Place vs Scone Polo at The Queen’s Ground. The winner of this match will receive the Richard Watt Cup.

All games are being livestreamed by Guards TV in association with Polocam TV. Go to https://guards.polocam.tv/package

Photos by IMAGES OF POLO

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King Power 11 – 8 UAE Polo Team Noel Farm Twelve Oaks 11 – 10 Marques de Riscal The Duke’s Ground Two matches in League Two with immense implications on…

Europe, Polo News

Cartier Queen’s Cup Day 10

30. May 2022

Dubai Polo Team 15 – 13 Park Place Vaara The Castle Ground – Flemish Farm
Thai Polo NP 10 – 9 Clinova The Queen’s Ground

The much-anticipated match between undefeated Dubai Polo Team and Park Place Vaara initiated play on the 10th day of this year’s Cartier Queen’s Cup tournament. It was evident from the first throw-in that this would be an attacking game. Park Place Vaara’s Santos Merlos struck first but was quickly met with a response from Matt Perry. Stepping into the spotlight, two goals rom Juan Britos contributed to an impressive four-goal opening chukka, leaving Park Place Vaara ahead 4-2. Effectively using Joshua Hyde in the number 1 position, Park Place Vaara accelerated forward and Hyde collected two assists, while his team remained a perfect 6 for 6 from the field through two chukkas. Trailing by four, Dubai Polo Team turned to tournament-scoring leader Camilo Castagnola, as a field goal and penalty goal helped Dubai Polo Team inch closer. However they remained down by three at half-time (8-5). The first team to complete all four league games in this competition, Dubai Polo Team faced a tough task in the second half in slowing Park Place Vaara’s high-powered attack. Foul trouble for Park Place Vaara provided an opening for Dubai Polo Team that resulted in three penalty conversions for Castagnola. Dubai suddenly found themselves trailing by just one. Trying to hold on to their shrinking lead, Park Place Vaara relied on the play of 10-goaler Hilario Ulloa, who produced three consecutive goals for his team to maintain a slim lead. Then, after Albwardy had jumped on the loose ball to tie the score at 13-all, Castagnola fought through traffic and scored from distance to give Dubai Polo Team their first lead of the game, 14-13. Inside the final two minutes, Castagnola teed up a safety and sent the ball through the posts to secure a 15-13 win and head to the quarter-finals (4-5 June) with a perfect 4-0 record.

A must-win game for both teams to have any chance at securing a place in the quarter-finals, Clinova and Thai Polo NP met on the famed Queen’s Ground in a late afternoon match. Holding a one-goal advantage on handicap, Thai Polo NP produced one of the best chukkas of the tournament thus far, scoring five goals with perfect shooting from both the field and the penalty line. Ignacio Negri led the way with two goals, while all four Thai Polo NP players added their names to the scoresheet just minutes into the match. Stunned by the opening seven minutes, Clinova turned their focus to the defensive end, holding Thai Polo NP scoreless in the second chukka and allowing them to slowly fight their way back into the game. A lone goal from Alejandro Muzzio provided the only attack of the chukka as two missed Penalty 4 attempts prevented Clinova from pulling any closer. Exchanging goals at the end of the half, Thai Polo NP rode their early success to remain ahead by three (7-4). Clinova overcame a stagnant attack in a crucial fifth chukka thanks to the play of the American Jared Zenni, who accounted for both Clinova goals. Still hanging on to their three-goal lead despite scoring more goals in the first chukka than the rest of the game put together, Thai Polo NP entered the sixth chukka with Clinova piling on the pressure to tie the game. Back-to-back Penalty 3 conversions for Malcolm Borwick brought Clinova to within one. However Cesar Crespo’s second goal of the game held off Clinova’s comeback attempt and secured Thai Polo NP their first win of the tournament, a 10-9 victory.

Saturday’s Fixtures

11:30 am – King Power v UAE Polo Team at Noel Farm
3:00 pm – Twelve Oaks vs Marques de Riscal on The Duke’s Ground

All games are being livestreamed by Guards TV in association with Polocam TV. Go to https://guards.polocam.tv/package

Photos by IMAGES OF POLO

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Dubai Polo Team 15 – 13 Park Place Vaara The Castle Ground – Flemish Farm Thai Polo NP 10 – 9 Clinova The Queen’s Ground The much-anticipated match between undefeated…

Europe, Polo News

Cartier Queen’s Cup Day 9

30. May 2022

Park Place 15 – 9 Vikings The Castle Ground – Flemish Farm
Scone Polo 13 – 12 Murus Sanctus The Princes’ Ground

Challenging for a place at the top of League Three, Park Place and Vikings met on the Castle Ground at Flemish Farm to open play on day nine of the Cartier Queen’s Cup. Asserting early dominance in the match, Park Place raced out to a 4-0 lead, led by three goals from Facundo Pieres and a quick passing attack that resulted in two of their three field goals coming from a pass to goal. Diego Cavanagh provided a response for Vikings, accounting for all three of their goals in the opening half, but Park Place continued to play at a lightning pace, scoring four goals for the second consecutive chukka. Francisco Elizalde provided the second part of the elite duo with Pieres for Park Place as they combined for seven first half goals. Despite a yellow card to Keelan McCarthy, Park Place carried on, holding a significant 9-3 lead at the half-time break. Igniting their attack through defense, Vikings held Park Place scoreless in the fourth chukka, while Juan Martin Zubia converted two penalties and a field goal to instantly cut the deficit in half. Adding another penalty conversion for his fourth unanswered goal, Vikings seemingly held the momentum, but Park Place reorganised and would score six of the next seven goals to separate themselves once again. Pieres finished with a game-high seven goals to ensure Park Place’s 15-9 victory today and sets up a thrilling encounter with Scone Polo on Sunday afternoon.

Looking to join Park Place with a 2-0 record, Scone Polo returned to competition after a week off and faced a tough Murus Sanctus team in search of their first win. Featuring a new line-up with Jose Araya and Beltran Laulhe, Murus Sanctus produced a quick start, receiving one goal each from the new additions to hold a narrow 3-2 lead. Following up teammate Facundo Sola on a run to goal, Laulhe added a second tally in the second chukka to help Murus Sanctus stay one goal ahead. This effort would kickstart a run for Murus Sanctus as Sola’s exceptional play resulted in five goals before half-time. Withstanding the early pressure, Scone Polo rotated effectively to receive contributions from all four players as part of a three-goal third chukka, but Murus Sanctus remained in control, leading 9-6 through three chukkas. Playing his second game in as many days, Poroto Cambiaso singlehandedly brought Scone Polo back into the game. Scoring four goals, two each from the penalty line and the field, Cambiaso pushed forward while they kept Murus Sanctus scoreless to take their first lead since the opening chukka. Exchanging goals in a closely marked fifth chukka left the difference unchanged as Scone Polo tried to hold off the late charge from Murus Sanctus. Coming through in the high-pressure situation, Scone Polo’s Rosendo Torreguitar converted both shot attempts in the sixth chukka, the second of which proved to be the game-winning goal in Scone Polo’13-12 triumph.

Friday’s Fixtures

11:30 am – Dubai Polo Team vs Park Place Vaara on The Castle Ground- Flemish Farm
5.30pm – Clinova vs Thai Polo NP on The Queen’s Ground

All games are being livestreamed by Guards TV in association with Polocam TV. Go to https://guards.polocam.tv/package

Photos by IMAGES OF POLO

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Park Place 15 – 9 Vikings The Castle Ground – Flemish Farm Scone Polo 13 – 12 Murus Sanctus The Princes’ Ground Challenging for a place…

Europe, Polo News

Cartier Queen’s Cup Day 8

30. May 2022

Monterosso 10 – 8 Marques de Riscal The Queen’s Ground
UAE Polo Team 13 – 12 Twelve Oaks The Princes’ Gound

With three teams holding a 1-1 record in League Two of the Cartier Queen’s Cup as we started Wednesday’s matches, Monterosso faced a crucial game against Marques de Riscal as they challenge for a place in the quarter-finals. On the opening throw-in, Monterosso’s Ignacio Toccalino took the ball straight to goal, giving his team a 2-0 lead as they had started the match with one goal on handicap. Young Poroto Cambiaso, once again substituting for Pelon Stirling, made an early impact with a first chukka goal as Monterosso controlled the opening minutes to hold a 4-0 lead. Limited to just one field goal on six shots in the first half, the Marques de Riscal attack was stifled by a strong Monterosso defence. Scoring three of Monterosso’s final four goals of the first half, Cambiaso demonstrated why he is on his way to 10-goals, guiding Monterosso to a significant 8-2 lead at halftime. Exiting the break, Marques de Riscal brought their game to another level, scoring five consecutive goals, three from the field and two from the penalty line, to quickly pull within one-goal and instantly change the dynamic of the game. The momentum was now firmly in their favour. Guillermo Caset was instrumental to the run for Marques de Riscal, converting two penalties, while Alejandro Aznar was effective in the number one position, collecting two assists in the second half. However Monterosso’s sixth chukka goal, off the stick of Toccalino, was the only field goal they needed as it secured them a tense 10-8 victory.

Determined to capture their second consecutive victory of the tournament, Twelve Oaks produced a strong start against UAE Polo Team on The Princes’ Ground. Wasting little time, Charlie Wooldridge stepped into the spotlight off a pass from John-Paul Clarkin to open the scoring in a tightly played first chukka, but UAE Polo Team responded with a strong second chukka that gave them the lead. Two goals from Tomas Beresford, one each from the field and the penalty line, contributed to a three-goal run that pushed UAE Polo Team ahead. A game full of momentum, Twelve Oaks turned back to Wooldridge who continued his phenomenal play with two more goals to lead his team’s attack. The ball moving via the pass proved to be a successful strategy for Twelve Oaks as they finished the first half on a high, with one field goal each from Wooldridge, Cristian Laprida and Joaquin Pittaluga, to take a 7-4 lead against the defending Cartier Queen’s Cup champions. A different UAE Polo Team was seen in the fourth chukka as they accelerated forward to score three field goals on seven shots, more than they had throughout the entire first half. The key cog in their attack during this stretch was Barto Castagnola who added his first two goals of the game, plus an assist as the game became tied at 7-all with two chukkas remaining. It was evident that this match was going to come down to the final seconds as Twelve Oaks struck first in the fifth chukka scoring four goals, but again the momentum swung back in favour of the UAE team as HH Sheika Maitha left the ball for Juan Ambroggio to tie the game with two and a half minutes remaining. Under immense pressure, Beresford sent a Penalty 3 through the goal with just seconds remaining – not even enough time for a throw-in – to ensure the UAE Polo Team emerged victorious 13-12.

Thursday’s Fixtures

1:00 pm – Park Place vs Vikings at The Castle Ground- Flemish Farm
3:30 pm – Murus Sanctus vs Scone Polo at The Prince’s Ground

All games are being livestreamed by Guards TV in association with Polocam TV. Go to https://guards.polocam.tv/package