Those who appreciate fast, beautiful polo with quality, magnificent horses, prepared like top-level athletes and top players are in for a treat from this weekend onwards at the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly with the launch of the Bourbon Trophy.
After the recent World Cup playoffs involving national teams, and while waiting for the Polo Rider Cup next June, then the Engel & Völkers French Open (in September), the Bourbon Trophy, first high-level tournament of the French season, will see a record number of eight teams entered: two Swiss, one Malaysian and five French. Above all, the Bourbon Trophy saw the return of top French and Argentinean professionals in action. The Malaysian BP Polo team will present the biggest handicap of the tournament, the Argentine Tomas Panelo (8), winner of the Queen‘s Cup and finalist of the British Open last year and will allow the young French hopeful Victor Louarn to show his talent. Regular player of the Argentine Open, Tito Ruiz Guiñazu (7) will be the pillar of the French team Le Pommeray HM which will also give a chance to a young female French player, Ambre Ploix.
Faithful for years to Chantilly and to his Swiss team Marquard Media, the Argentinean handicap 7 Martine Aguerre Jr, ex-winner of the Copa Camara and player of the Argentine Open, Martin Aguerre Jr, will be the third headliner of the Bourbon Trophy.
The two French 6-goalers will also be back on track: Pierre Henri Ngoumou from Normandy will play for Mungo, which will also feature the young Frenchman Ulysse Eisenchteter as well as the spectacular Tete Storni (5), and Brieuc Rigaux will play for the Swiss team Lynx alongside the best player of the World Cup playoffs, the Spaniard Pelayo Berazadi (5).
The tournament starts this weekend, and the final will be played on Sunday 5 June at 15:00 with games every weekend, but also during the week: Tuesday 24 May at 15:00, Thursday 26 and Friday 27 May at 17:00, Thursday 2 June at 12:00 and 17:00 and semi-finals on Friday 3 June at 12:00 and 17:00. Access to these matches is free.
