On August 3rd the Silver Cup Silex of high goal handicap, part of one of the most important tournaments of the season, the 43rd edition of the Land Rover International Polo Tournament, started, with a line-up of polo stars that dazzles all polo fans throughout the world.
POLO+10, as Official Media Partner of the Santa María Polo Club, is presenting each instance of the tournament with a full report of every cup. Not a detail is missed in our articles, for all global polo aficionados to get a vivid picture of the sportive masterclass that is happening these days in the facilities of the Santa María Polo Club, Sotogrande, Spain.
On August 3rd, the teams Valiente (champion of the Bronze Cup Isolas), Las Monjitas and Dos Lunas Espirito Santo started with the right foot in this second cup of the tournament. In a closely fought match, Dos Lunas Espirito Santo defeated King Power by a narrow margin, 13-12. Then Valiente easily won against Murus Sanctus by 11-7. Finally, after a very even match, Las Monjitas took the victory against Halcyon Gallery by 10-9.
On August 4th, Ellerston, winner of the Silver and Gold Cup 2013, started in the right way to defend the title, defeating La Indiana by 13-7. The team of the Australian patron James Packer (+1) and the brothers Gonzalo (+10) and Facundo Pieres (+10) played a great game against the always challenging team of Michael Bickford (+1). Ayala Polo Team defeated HB by 14-8 in an even match that changed in the last and intense chukkas. Lechuza Caracas, the team of the Venezuelan patron Victor Vargas played against RH with Nico Pieres (+9) and Facundo Sola (+8) by 13-11.
On Tuesday August 5th, Valiente defeated Halcyon Gallery by 11-8. Dos Lunas Espirito Santo and King Power were also the winners of the day, an event with great polo in the Los Pinos fields of Santa María Polo Club. Valiente, with Adolfo Cambiaso like always leading the team, had no issues in surpassing the team from Englishman Charlie Hanbury (see also interview below!). King Power defeated Murus Sanctus by 13-7 and in the main field, Dos Lunas Espirito Santo triumphed against Las Monjitas by 10-8 in a very thrilling match.
On cloudy Wednesday, exciting games were witnessed in the Club, once again. The first match, Lechuza Caracas vs. La Indiana was defined by a goal in extra time, resulting on a win for Lechuza Caracas by 10-9. In the late afternoon, two matches played simultaneously took place: Ellerston encountered HB Polo, with an absolute lead by the Pieres brothers, and a final result of 13-8. Ayala and RH competed against each other, and the Philippine team (RH) emerged winner by 16-6. RH was not able to control the great attack performed by the unstoppable duo, David Stirling (+10) and Diego Cábana (+7).
At the same time as the high handicap cups, in Santa María Polo Club many matches of high and medium handicap are taking place, with some of the best players of both categories. You can find all the teams, results, and more on the tournament’s webpage: www.santamariapoloclub.com/tournaments/summer/international/fixture-results
Interview with Charles Hanbury (+4), Patron of Halcyon Gallery
Santa María Polo Club: What are your expectations for this tournament?
Charles Hanbury: Well, we will play to the best of our abilities. We have quite a hard tournament ahead of us right up until the Gold Cup. Playing against Cambiaso today has not been easy for us, and we still have to play against Las Monjitas and three more equally difficult teams, so let’s see what happens. We have lost today, so we will get ready for the Gold Cup.
SMPC: It is a tough tournament.
Hanbury: Yes, it is. Particularly this year, the teams and the level of the tournament continue to improve year on year. It is hard!
SMPC: You have played in England, now you are in Sotogrande. What will you do next?
Hanbury: I will be off to Argentina soon, I will start playing in October and I will stay there until Christmas. I will then go back to England on holiday and return once again to Argentina for the main season. Then I’m back to the UK.
SMPC: How have you found the polo fields?
Hanbury: The polo fields are amazing, truly superb. The weather is also incredible here, although we have had really high temperatures today. No but seriously, the fields are fantastic. I love them.
High Goal Teams:
RH (+22)
Ben Soleimani (0)
Nicolás Pieres (+9)
Facundo Sola (+8)
Santiago Von Wernich (+5)
Ellerston (+22)
Thomas Brodie (+1)
Gonzalo Pieres (+10)
Facundo Pieres (+10)
James Packer (+1)
Ayala Polo Team (+22)
Iñigo Zobel (+1)
Diego Cavanaugh (+7)
David Stirling (+10)
Iñigo Zobel (+1)
HB Polo (+21)
Ludovic Pailloncy (+1)
Ignacio Toccalino (+8)
Juan Ignacio “Pite” Merlos (+9)
Sebastien Pailloncy (+3)
Las Monjitas (+22)
Camilo Bautista (0)
Tomás Fernández-Llorente (+5)
Eduardo Novillo Astrada (+9)
Alejandro Novillo Astrada (+8)
Lechuza Caracas (+22)
Víctor Vargas (+1)
Francisco Elizalde (+7)
Juan Martín Nero (+10)
Matt Perry (+4)
Valiente (+22)
Robert Jornayvaz (+1)
Santiago Laborde (+5)
Adolfo Cambiaso (+10)
Santiago Torres (+6)
Dos Lunas Banco Espirito Santo (+22)
Luis Domecq (+3)
Pascual Sainz de Vicuña (+6)
Agustín García Grossi (+7)
Martín Iturraspe (+6)
Halcyon Gallery (+22)
Charles Hanbury (+4)
Juan Chavanne (+5)
Guillermo Terrera (+8)
Max Routledge (+5)
Royal Salute Scotch Whisky (+22)
Corine Ricard / Roger Carlson (0)
Lucas James (+8)
Jaime García Huidobro (+8)
Malcolm Borwick (+6)
La Indiana (+22)
Michael Bickford (+1)
Marcos Araya (+6)
John Paul Clarkin (+8)
Jack Baillieu (+7)
King Power (+22)
Top Srivaddhannaprabha (0)
Alejandro Muzzio (+8)
Marcos Dipaola (+8)
Martini Espain (+6)
Medium Goal Teams:
Woodchester (+12)
Craig Mckinney (+1)
TBA (0)
Tomás Ruiz Guiñazu (+7)
Pelayo Berazadi (+4)
Equus (+12)
Peter Silling (0)
Juan Britos (+5)
James Beim (+7)
Hugo Lewis (0)
Silex (+12)
Richard Fagan (+1)
Juan Jose Storni (+5)
Santiago Cernadas (+6)
Felipe Serra (0)
Sapphire – Dr. “A” (+12)
Abdelrahman Abbar (0)
Maximiliano Malacalza (+4)
Tomás Pieres (+7)
Lawrence Isola (+1)
Sainte Mesme (+12)
Por determinar (+2)
Robert Strom (+3)
Clemente Zabaleta (+6)
Birger Strom (+1)
FCT (+12)
Roger Carlsson (0)
Mario Gómez (+4)
Michel del Carril (+7)
Sebastian Hancock (+1)
Seven Sevens (+12)
Dimitri Vozianov (0)
Tomas Garbarini (+4)
Nicolas Espain (+7)
Nikita Vozianov (+1)
El Rosario (+12)
Alejandro Peñafiel (0)
Juan Zubiaurre (+4)
Salvador Ulloa (+7)
Por confirmar (+1)
Lebeau – Courally (+12)
Ian Galliene (+1)
Ali Paterson (+3)
Cristian Bernal (+5)
Gaetan Charloux (+3)
Scapa – John Smith (+12)
Michael Redding (+1)
Juan Greguoli (+4)
Juan Losada (+6)
Gabriel Aguirre (+1)
Wild Orchid (+12)
Raya Sidorenko (0)
Santiago Tanoira (+6)
Gerardo Mazzini (+6)
Zhana Bandurko (0)
Mahra – Esperanza (+12)
Rashid Al Habtoor (0)
Patricio Neves (+4)
Guillermo Cuitiño (+6)
Kevin Korst (+2)
Leones (+12)
Petrus Fernandini (+1)
Ricky Trujillo (+3)
Guillermo Li (+5)
Ignacio Domecq (+3)
Dragones (+12)
Yago Espinosa de los Monteros (+2)
Pablo Spinacci (+6)
Diogo Gallego (+4)
Andrew Nulty (0)
Low Goal Teams:
Bayswater (+6)
Pablo Mora (+1)
Francisco G. Melero (+1)
Segundo F. Llorente (+4)
Ramón Beca (0)
Silex (+6)
Rosendo Torreguitar (0)
Álvaro Álvarez (+2)
Santiago Torreguitar / Jack Kidd (+3)
Richard Fagan (+1)
Shakib Polo (+6)
Sebastien Aguettant (0)
Mariano Iturrioz (+2)
Álvaro Ara (+4)
Kaveh Shakib (0)
Sardeñola (+6)
Daniel Entrecanales (0)
Jose Trenor (+2)
Miguel Amieva (+4)
Arturo Figar (0)
Huntsman (+6)
Aristide Faggionato (0)
Dillon Bacon (+1)
Felipe Gómez (+1)
Iván Maldonado (+4)
