Britain

Europe, Polo News

King Power Gold Cup 2019

29. October 2019

In the final of the King Power Gold Cup 2019 at the Cowdray Park Polo Club the teams VS King Power of Top Srivaddhanaprabha and Ali Albwardy‘s Team Dubai faced each other.

To commemorate their beloved patron Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who died in a helicopter crash at Leicester City FC Stadium in October 2018, Team King Power put the VS addition in front of his name. For VS King Power, Vichai‘s son ‚Top‘ Srivaddhanaprabha played alongside Polito Pieres, Marcos di Paola and Juan Martin Zubia. Team Dubai started with 16-year-old Camilo Castagnola, team captain Rashid Albwardy, Bartolomé Castagnola and Ignacio du Plessis.

After VS King Power took the lead in the first chukker, the brothers Camilo and Bartolomé Castagnola scored three goals in the second run. With only one goal from Polito Pieres for VS King Power, the chukker ended with a 4-3 lead for Team Dubai. A fast and tough third Chukker equalised VS King Power, but Bartolomé Castagnola scored two goals to make Dubai 6-4 at the end of the first half.

In the fourth chukker, VS King Power was able to follow through with some successful actions to equal the score of 6-6. Another fantastic goal by Top Srivaddhanaprabha and a 30-yard penalty by Polito Pieres brought VS King Power into the lead 8-6. VS King Power also remained dominant in the fifth chukker and extended his lead to 10-7. But in the sixth round, the tide turned and Team Dubai passed their opponent 11-10 after scoring four goals. From now on, Rashid Albwardy and his team-mates did not let this lead be taken away.

With 13-12 Dubai finally won the King Power Gold Cup 2019. Jon Rudkin, director of Football for Leicester City FC, presented individual prizes to all players, referees and commentators before handing over the coveted Gold Cup to Rashid Albwardy.

www.cowdraypolo.co.uk

© Thomas Wirth

In the final of the King Power Gold Cup 2019 at the Cowdray Park Polo Club the teams VS King Power of Top Srivaddhanaprabha and Ali Albwardy‘s Team Dubai faced…

Europe, Polo News

Cowdray Park: British Ladies Championship

29. October 2019

A total of eleven teams entered the British Ladies Polo Championships at Cowdray Park, running concurrently with the final phase of the King Power Gold Cup. Six teams were eligible for the 18 goal British Ladies Open Championship and five were entered into the 12 goal British Ladies Handicap Championship.

The 18 goal British Ladies Open Championship concluded with HH Sheika Maitha al Maktoum’s UAE team and Lila Pearson’s Cowdray Vikings reaching the final. Playing alongside Sheikha Maitha were Milly Hine, Hazel Jackson and Catalina Lavinia at Back. Hannah Parry-Jones took the number 1 position for Cowdray Vikings with Lila Pearson, Lottie Lamacraft and Sarah Wiseman at Back.

First mark on the scoreboard came from Sarah Wiseman for Cowdray Vikings. Wiseman won the ball from the next throw-in but a good clearance from Hine turned into attacking play from UAE. Lamacraft for Cowdray Vikings finally steered the ball away from UAE and raced away but her shot at goal missed. A whistle brought a free hit for Cowdray; Wiseman tapped the ball on but Millie Hine pounced on it giving Hazel Jackson the chance to charge forward and equalize as the chukka bell sounded. In a pacey second chukka, there was plenty of action but little in the way of goals, Millie Hine finally seeing the ball between the posts to take UAE 2-1 ahead at half time.

Catalina Lavinia raced away to score for UAE in the first minute of the second half. Sarah Wiseman failed to score from a 60 yard penalty and a good cut shot from Hazel Jackson also went wide but she didn’t miss on her next attempt and UAE were 4-1 ahead by the close of the third chukka. In the final chukka, Hine kept up the pressure on Sarah Wiseman who found it difficult to play her usual strong game. A 30 yard penalty awarded to UAE enabled Sheikha Maitha to increase her side’s score to 5-1 and a lovely run to goal by Hazel Jackson gave UAE a final score of 6-1.

Mrs Diana Wiseman presented the winners’ silver salver to Sheikha Maitha and prizes of luxury leather bags generously sponsored by Aspinal of London to the players. Kala owned and played by Hazel Jackson was awarded the Best Playing Pony prize and her pony Farsons picked up the RoR award for best re-trained racehorse.
The prize for Best Horsemanship, presented by Aurora Eastwood, went to Lottie Lamacraft.

In the 12 goal British Ladies Handicap Championship Final, Coombe Place met Carlton House. Sophie Kenna played at 1 for Coombe Place with Sammy Luff at number 2, Dayna Waechter at 3 and Lottie Lamacraft at Back, making up an 11 goal team. Carlton House’s line-up comprised Rebecca Servaes at number 1, Hannah Parry-Jones at 2, Alice Servaes at 4 and Stephanie Haverhals at Back, making a 12 goal team and giving Coombe Place a half-goal advantage on the scoreboard to start the match.

Hannah Parry-Jones scored for Carlton House in the first chukka. Alice Servais went on to make two field goals for her side in the second chukka taking them to a 3-½ goal lead. However a 40 yard penalty gave Lamacraft for Coombe Place the chance to recoup a goal and the first half ended with Carlton House ahead 3-1½. Fortunes changed in the second half with Lamacraft making a great field goal and another from Waechter taking Coombe Place into a half goal lead of 3½-3. Try as they might Carlton House could not pull back and a lovely third goal from Lottie Lamacraft gave the victory to Coombe Place on 4½-3. Sehr Ahmad presented the prizes generously sponsored by Aspinal of London, the Best Playing Pony of the match was judged to be Yonkie owned and played by Stephanie Haverhals who also picked up the prize for Best Horsemanship presented by Aurora Eastwood.

www.cowdraypolo.co.uk

© Thomas Wirth

A total of eleven teams entered the British Ladies Polo Championships at Cowdray Park, running concurrently with the final phase of the King Power Gold Cup. Six teams were eligible…

Europe, Polo News

60 Years Queen`s Cup 2020

28. October 2019

The Polo Classic: From 19 May to 14 June 2020 the legendary Queen’s Cup at Guards Polo Club will celebrate its 60^th anniversary. Of course, huge festivities are coming up next year. But the 2019 edition was also a breathtaking polo event.

Scone Polo added their name to the Cartier Queen’s Cup at the first time of asking! David Paradice’s team delivered a strong performance on The Queen’s Ground at Guards Polo Club in the second half of this final – playing their crowd-pleasing four-man polo – to win the match and the trophy 9-5. The popular Australian patron not only received the coveted cup from HM The Queen and Laurent Feniou, Managing Director of Cartier UK, but a huge cheer from the crowd too.

Their opponents, Andrey Borodin’s Park Place, were runners-up for the second successive year and, on paper, were favourites to lift the trophy. The game started in Park Place’s favour – they were 2-0 up after the first chukka and although Scone Polo got themselves on even terms in the second (3-3) Park Place seemed to be in the driving seat.

Scone Polo’s story through this year’s competition has been incredible and this final was no exception. Many people had written off this new team after they lost their first two games. Things changed in the third league match of the tournament – they suddenly found a winning way of playing and have not looked back since. Some great teamwork had put this team in the final and it won them the Cup too. Park Place struggled to counteract Scone Polo’s increasing confidence – failing to score at all in the fifth – and all of sudden, with just seven minutes left to play, this was Scone Polo’s game.

Winning player, Englishman James Harper, who had a brilliant game at back for Scone Polo, was named the Cartier Most Valuable Player. He also received the Cartier Best Playing Pony Rug for Twitter – a Jim Gilmore-owned, seven-year-old chestnut mare.

HM The Queen also presented the subsidiary final prize, the Cartier Trophy to Hugues Carmignac, patron of Talandracas, one of 12 teams that had entered this year’s Cartier Queen’s Cup competition. They beat Jean-Francois Decaux’s La Bamba de Areco 11-8 in an earlier match on this day. There was little air between these two teams at half time – 7-6 to Talandracas. Things only changed when La Bamba’s David Stirling retired after the third chukka – he had been injured in the second and although he continued to play until half-time it was clear he was in some pain.

Pablo Pieres subbed for him but a change of personnel always upsets a team’s dynamics and La Bamba failed to score in the next two chukkas. Talandracas, meanwhile, put four more goals on the board. La Bamba got back into the game in the sixth but it was too late and Talandracas won the sub final by three goals. The winning team’s Alejandro Muzzio was later named The Most Valuable Player, receiving his prize from HM The Queen.

www.guardspoloclub.com

RANKING

1. Scone Polo (+22)
David Paradice (0)
James Beim (+7)
Nico Pieres (+9)
James Harper (+6)

2. Park Place (+22)
Andrey Borodin (0)
Juan Britos (+7)
Hilario Ulloa (+10)
Byron Watson (+5)

3. Talandracas (+22)
Hugues Carmignac (0)
Francisco Elizalde (+8)
Julian de Lusarreta (+7)
Alejandro Muzzio (+7)

4. La Bamba De Areco (+22)
Jean-François Decaux (0)
Kian Hall (+3)
David Stirling / Pablo Pieres (+9/+9)
Juan Martin Nero (+10)

The Polo Classic: From 19 May to 14 June 2020 the legendary Queen’s Cup at Guards Polo Club will celebrate its 60th anniversary. Of course, huge festivities are coming up…

Europe, North America, Polo News

Oak Brook welcomes the return of Wales Polo Team this weekend!

6. September 2019

HRH Prince Charles’s Wales Polo Team Returns to Oak Brook for Butler International & Prince of Wales Cup

The Centtrip Wales Polo Team (owned by HRH Prince Charles) returns to Oak Brook on Sunday, September 8^th at 3:00 p.m. to compete for the prestigious Butler International & Prince of Wales Cup at the Prince of Wales Field. Spectators are invited to don their ‘British best’ as both teams face off in a 9-goal, four chukker, international championship match.

Oak Brook Polo Club has a long history of hosting teams from other countries and is honored to have the Wales team return for its third year. The Butler International & Prince of Wales Cup was inaugurated in 1986 when the England Team, captained by Prince Charles, played against Oak Brook. It was Michael Butler who invited the Prince to play, which turned into a four-day visit to Chicago and Boston. A 4-goal polo player at the time, Prince Charles would play his premier U.S. appearance with a British team at Oak Brook.

“We are thrilled to have the Wales Team return to Oak Brook for a 3^rd straight year,” explains Jim Drury. “The old days of Oak Brook Polo are re-emerging and re-establishing the club as a plant for international polo competition.”

Centtrip Wales will be captained by Ricky Cooper (Hcap 0), and includes Pete Webb (Hcap 5), Rupert Lee-Uff (Hcap 0) and Tomas “Toto” Obregon (Hcap 4) on loan from the Oak Brook team. Merrill Lynch Oak Brook is led by team patron and captain Jim Drury and includes Horacio Onetto (Hcap 4), Mariano Gutierrez (Hcap 4) and Chris Vangel (Hcap 1).

“On behalf of Prince Charles, we are thrilled to see this relationship and match re-emerge to become an annual fixture on our team’s calendar,” explains Cooper. “Last year’s visit was a memorable experience and we’re honored to be invited back for a rematch for the coveted Butler International Cup.”

In addition to Sunday’s polo match, the afternoon will be filled with many festivities, including a pre-event LOUIS XIII tasting ($75 per person) beginning at 11:30 AM in the Saddle Club & Polo Lounge. Guests will be welcomed with champagne followed by the ultimate LOUIS XIII experience including history, flavors and aromas of the century-years-old cognac. A limited number of tickets are available.

An on-field rally of 10-20 awarding winning Ford Model T’s from members of the Ford Model T Club of America will be on display for guests to view. In addition, event sponsor Perillo Downers Grove, will be showcasing new Bentley, Rolls Royce and Lamborghini cars.

The match welcomes charity partner, Jackson Chance Foundation (www.jacksonchance.org) which provides families access to the best hospitals, neonatal specialists, surgical abilities and nursing staff that they otherwise may have to turn down because of the high cost of parking. Guests will have the opportunity to donate directly or take part in a series of raffles for luxury prizes.

As with each match, guests can take part in the J Vineyard & Winery halftime “Divot Stomp,” Hinsdale Living’s “Best Hat Contest” or visit Burning Bush Millinery to purchase a headpiece. Tailgaters are welcome to decorate their spot and compete for Heineken’s “Best Tailgate” to be awarded at the end of the polo match.

The national anthem will be sung by 15-year-old Mirabella Logan and the Wales and Great Britain anthems will be performed by bagpiper, Christopher Coomes.

The match, which is part of the International Polo Series, is sponsored by Merrill Lynch, Perillo Downers Grove, Hinsdale Living Magazine, Centtrip, Chicago Luxury Beds, New Castle, Heineken, and The Hyatt House Oak Brook / Chicago. In the last three years, Oak Brook has featured matches with teams from Jamaica, India, Mexico and Great Britain.

2019 marks Oak Brook Polo Club’s 97th season as one of the nation’s oldest polo clubs in operation today and fourth oldest sports property in Chicago. Once considered the “polo capital” of the world Oak Brook was the destination for American Polo players and enthusiasts.

Oak Brook Polo Club is located at 2606 York Road, seventeen miles from downtown Chicago. A variety of ticket options are available at www.oakbrookpoloclub.com. For general information, event scheduling, and parking directions, please call 630.368.5095.