On Saturday 26th July Audi International Day took place at the prestigious Guards Polo Club. Two teams from England (Audi England) and Argentina (Equus & Co Argentina) competed to win the coveted Coronation Cup.
England had a strong start to the game, scoring the first goal and held the lead 3-1 at the end of the first chukka. The second chukka saw Argentina gain momentum and England’s greatest fear became a reality: Adolfo Cambiaso (+10) and Facundo Pieres (+10) working together. England displayed some fantastic teamwork and really fought bravely, yet the Argentineans really excelled throughout the game and scored some spectacular goals. Adolfo Cambiaso (+10), Facundo Pieres (+10), Julio Ruggeri (+4) and Francisco Belaustegui (+3) managed to secure the win at the end of the game with a final score of 13-8 against Luke Tomlinson (+7), Mark Tomlinson (+7), James Beim (+7) and Ollie Cudmore (+5) of team Audi England. Luke Tomlinson said after the game, “They just played better!”
Facundo Pieres said “It was a very special day for me and my team members. Having lost to the England team in the Copa de las Naciones at Palermo in Buenos Aires earlier this year, we definitely felt like we had something to prove and came back fighting. The results speak for themselves and we played with incredible manpower and equine superiority. The best team won and we are tremendously pleased with the results.”
At the prize giving, Prince Charles presented the impressive trophy to the Argentinean captain Facundo Pieres, who was also awarded the prize of Most Valuable Player. The prize for the Best Playing Pony was awarded to the 7-year-old mare Yun Yun, who was played by Adolfo Cambiaso.
Amongst the enthusiastic spectators on the sidelines were a number of prominent people such as Thandie Newton, Dominic Cooper, Douglas Booth, Eddie Redmayne and Gemma Arteton.
Royal Salute was once again sponsor at this year’s unique event. Neil Macdonald, Global Brand Director for Royal Salute commented, “As a longstanding supporter of polo, it was a pleasure for Royal Salute to be a sponsor of the UK’s most high-profile polo event and to also witness two world class teams go head to head for the occasion. We congratulate the winning team, Argentina and our brand ambassador Facundo Pieres on their momentous victory and invite them to salute the game with glass of Royal Salute to commemorate their win.”
The standings:
1. Equus & Co Argentina (+27)
Adolfo Cambiaso (+10)
Facundo Pieres (+10)
Julio Ruggeri (+4)
Francisco Belaustegui (+3)
2. Audi England (+26)
Luke Tomlinson (+7)
Mark Tomlinson (+7)
James Beim (+7)
Ollie Cudmore (+5)
Gallery:
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