Chukka

Europe, Polo News

Les Lions / Great Oaks find Cartier Queen’s Cup glory with a golden goal

12. November 2020

Dillon Bacon’s team, which had produced some wonderful team polo over three weeks in late summer, once again brought their impressive style of polo to the Queen’s Ground at Guards Polo Club to win this coveted cup. They beat Andrey Borodin’s Park Place 9-8 in a sudden-death, seventh chukka.

Dillon, who was later named the Cartier Most Valuable Player, was thrilled with this win, describing it as a “dream come true”. Talking to Ebe Sievwright of Polocam TV after the game he said: ”I have dreamed of winning The Queen’s Cup ever since I came [to Guards Polo Club] with my father as a young kid. You see this level of polo – the players, the horses, the field – and you dream of being on that field and winning – so it really is a dream come true.”

Park Place, who received a goal on handicap, were in their third successive Cartier Queen’s Cup Final but struggled to find their form in the first half of this match. Les Lions/Great Oaks had clearly done their homework and were successful in preventing Facundo Pieres in particular from making his trademark, fast runs to goal. The winners were 8-5 ahead going into the final chukka, not least thanks to Barto Castagnola making the most of any space and younger brother Jeta firing through penalties with ease.

All credit to Park Place though, who never gave up hope. They had the horsepower and the experience and so when Will Harper fired through an equalizer 8-8 in the final moments of the sixth chukka, extra time was inevitable, and Park Place were very much back in contention. Both sides then had chances in this extra, seventh chukka before Jeta blasted though the winner for Les Lions/Great Oaks.

It was a shame that such a wonderful final had to be played behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic that was sweeping the world in 2020. Although the Club did ensure that every moment of every match – some 30 games – was filmed by Polocam TV so that members and polo lovers around the world could still watch 22-goal polo at its absolute best.

The absence of spectators also meant the absence of Cartier’s always impressive hospitality. Laurent Feniou, Managing Director of Cartier UK, title sponsor of this tournament since 2012, could not attend as he was self-isolating at home due to an overseas trip but did send a message to all the finalists. “It has been incredible to see such powerful games played by some of the very best polo players in the world, during this year’s Cartier Queen’s Cup Polo, despite the unprecedented turn of events this year. I am truly inspired by the resilience and talent of these wonderful players capturing the true essence and spirit of the sport.”

Although Cartier did make sure that all the players headed home with some impressive prizes, including Cartier Tank watches to the winners. One prize was the coveted Cartier Best Playing Pony prize, which this year went to the stallion Chalo Angelo. This magnificent horse was bred by Lolo Castagnola, who won the Queen’s Cup himself in 2003 when playing with the Dubai polo team and played by both of his sons in this final – Barto in the second and fifth chukkas and Jeta during that all-important extra time.

Despite the difficulties the pandemic has caused to the global polo community, 10 top teams had entered this year’s Cartier Queen’s Cup tournament and earlier in the day Brian Stein, Chairman of Guards Polo Club, presented Alessandro Bazzoni of the Monterosso Polo Team with the Cartier Trophy.

This was the first time in the history of the competition that a Cartier Queen’s Cup match has been played between a husband and a wife. Alessandro was competing in this tournament for the fourth time while his wife Siri was making her Cartier Queen’s Cup debut with her MT Vikings squad. This was another close game, played over six chukkas, with Monterosso just stealing a 6-5 win in the final chukka. Alessandro was rewarded with the Cartier Most Valuable Player prize as well as heading home with the Cartier Trophy.

Ranking:

1^st place
Les Lions/Great Oaks (+23)
Camilo (Jeta) Castagnola (+7)
Dillon Bacon (+2)
Bartolome Castagnola Jnr (+8)
Santiago Laborde (+6)

2^nd place
Park Place (+22)
Andrey Borodin (0)
Will Harper (+3)
Gonzalo Pieres (+9)
Facundo Pieres (+10)

3^rd place
Monterosso Polo Team (+22)
Alessandro Bazzoni (+1)
Guillermo Terrera (+7)
Ignacio Toccalino (+8)
Jeronimo del Carril (+6)

4^th place
MT Vikings (+22)
Siri Evjemo-Nysveen (0)
James Beim (+7)
Sebastian Merlos (+8)
Juan Martin Zubia (+7)

Images: © Images of Polo

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Dillon Bacon’s team, which had produced some wonderful team polo over three weeks in late summer, once again brought their impressive style of polo to the Queen’s Ground at Guards…

Europe, Polo News

Season opening in the PoloPark Berlin 2020

8. July 2020

The Berlin 2020 polo season was officially opened from June 26-28, 2020. Six polo teams with more than 100 polo horses came to the opening of the season in Polopark Berlin and presented exciting chukka to the guests. The event was moderated by the top moderator Jan Erik Franck, who came from England. The referees of the event were Bernhard Niederhammer and Marco Zubrod. The right sound was provided by Polo DJ Sebastian. Apart from a heavy rain shower on Sunday, the polo teams found the very best polo weather with up to 34 degrees. After a thrilling final game, the following positions were determined on Sunday evening at 8.30pm:

Ranking:

1st place
Baltic Polo Events GmbH
Aziza Ghane (0)
Philippa Luserke (0)
Taio Toledo (2)
Svenja Hölty (0)

2nd place
Ingo Pyko Immobilien
Thomas Liebke (-1)
Nicolai Barnwell (-1)
Jesus Bordoni (2)
Daniel Tümpel TC (1)

3th place
KoCon GmbH
Jolie Lange / Emily Hase Loock (-2)
Dr. Heidi Silvey TC (0)
Tuky Caivano (3)
Dr. Dele Iversen (0)

4th place
TV Berlin / Fancy
Josef Fiebich (-1)
Steffen Lange TC / Romy Schneider (- 1)
Berty Zalazar (2)
Milo Funk Gallardo (-1)

5th place
Cosmopolo
Romy Grüner (0)
Jeanette Diekmann (0)
Thomas Strunck TC (0)
Johan Funk Gallardo (0)

6th place
POLO+10
Hardy Reuter (-1)
Chaja Roeder Thurk TC (-1)
Hector Alvarez (2)
Rainer Raimann (-1)

Gallery: © Nils Rüstmann

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Gallery: © Sebastian Preiss

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© Thomas Wirth

The Berlin 2020 polo season was officially opened from June 26-28, 2020. Six polo teams with more than 100 polo horses came to the opening of the season in Polopark…

Asia, Europe, North America, Polo News, South America

Polo is back!

8. June 2020

Guest article from Michael Husted, Performance Polo

Across Europe and North America, COVID-19 has imposed delays and restrictions in polo, but luckily, those restrictions are gradually being lifted and some countries has already seen a return to normal polo. In the UK, competitive polo (8 goals and up) launched this weekend, albeit without ride-offs, throw-ins and spectators, but it seems likely that these restrictions will also be lifted in the coming weeks, and we are only too happy to be back in the saddle and looking forward to some great high-goal polo.

Both in polo as well as in other equestrian sports, the conversation some times turn to the weight carried by our horses and, specifically, how much is a safe weight for them to carry. Of course, this is in part a function of the size and type of horse, its fitness and various other factors, but most articles and scientific papers hover around 20% of the horse‘s own weight and see deteriorating performance and potential back problems resulting from more than approx. 20% added to the horse‘s weight.

Of course, it‘s not just the rider‘s weight that matters. Polo requires a lot of gear that piles on the kilos / pounds. In fact, a full set of tack, stick and personal protection, may well add up to 20 kgs (44 lbs). So, if we assume – for simplicity – that polo ponies average 450 kg (1000 lbs), then placing 20% or 90 kgs on top of them should be reasonably safe. Subtracting 20 kgs (44 lbs) for tack and gear leaves just 70 kgs (155 lbs) for the player.

So, those of us hitting somewhere north of 70 kgs on the scale, what can we do? Well, there are diets and exercise, of course, and I certainly intend to shed a few covid-pounds. But in addition to diets and exercise, we should also consider trimming the weight of all the gear that our horses carry around. It‘s not unusual for a polo saddle to weigh in at 8-9 kgs (18-20 lbs), which is one reason why the Ainsley Saddlery has invested time and effort in creating the MVP that weighs in at just 5 kgs (11 lbs) (18“). Polo stirrupsgenerally weigh over 1 kg, but modern materials can reduce that weight by half. And what about the saddle pads? Some wool pads can easily weigh 1 kg (2 lbs) each. Exchange those for light weight pads, or if your saddle fits well, consider playing without any pads. Bandages get wet and heavy, and weight at the end of horses‘ legs produce twice the load of the same weight carried at the saddle. Another reason to switch to lightweight leg protection, like the HUSK la Irenita boots.

So, without too much effort, I can lose 4-5 kgs (9-11 lbs) by taking a closer look at all the stuff my horse needs to carry in addition to me. Let‘s say I also lose 5 kgs, and suddenly my horses carry up to 2% less total weight. This is on a scale that our horses will be able to run a little faster, stop a little quicker, and also recover quicker from exertion.

We can help you shed weight faster than any diet or exercise (for polo fitness, check out Chukka Wellness)! For lightweight polo gear, call us on +44-7487-548242 or email on info@performance-polo.com.

www.performance-polo.com

© Thomas Wirth

Guest article from Michael Husted, Performance Polo Across Europe and North America, COVID-19 has imposed delays and restrictions in polo, but luckily, those restrictions are gradually being lifted and some…

Europe, Polo News

“Storm of Love”: Polo scenes at the start of the 16th season

21. November 2019

The mist still lingers over the polo field on this chilly and damp late summer morning. While the sun still tries to break through the clouds there are already 8 players chasing across the field trying to hit a goal. Nothing unusual at the Polo Club Bayern in Thann nearby Munich, Germany, but today there is no ordinary audience watching the game from the sidelines. Today a film crew is present. They are shooting for the TV show „storm of love“ broadcasted on the network ARD viewed by more than 2 million audience a day.

Within the past 10 months the show also reached online viewers of 59,4 million. The series is produced by Bavaria Fiction GmbH. Polo plays an important part in the 16th season of the show. The leading male character Tim Degen (performed by Florian Frowein) is a passionate polo player. Therefore, the actor had to take riding and polo lessons. “It’s a fascinating sport. I really love it and might even have found a new hobby here” the actor states enthusiastically.

One can feel the tension of the film crew this day since the shooting of a re-enacted Club Chukka is not just exciting but also a great challenge. Organization is the key to everything. For this one day only, pre-production took over 3 months’ time. From the producer to the coordinating producer, from prop master to costume department. Everybody behind the scenes were involved to master the shoot.

Under normal circumstances the team uses 2 cameras but since the polo field is too large more equipment was needed. Therefore, a drone and a special car with a crane and a ricked camera were also used to cover the Chukka. The material that was filmed on that day was over 24 hours of which 9 sequences were edited in the end.

The producer wanted to capture the true spirit of the game and wanted to bring it to the screen. That was of the most importance. The audience should feel the excitement and see the elegance of a polo match. Polo has never been done in a fictional series before. So, it was a complete novelty within the German film industry. Without the help of the Polo Club Bayern and the Grabosch family the shooting could not have happened. They provided the players and horses for this day. Next to the actors they all played an important role.

The 4 sons of Kim Grabosch Paul (18), Anton (16), Emil (14) and Michl (13) formed one team – Los Indianos (https://www.instagram.com/los.indianos/?hl=de). They all started to play polo at the age of 4 and already won many tournaments. Now they gain some experience with acting. On episode 3271, 3276, 3279, 3280 and 3291 one can see them perform on the polo field together with Florian Frowein. (Aired in November 15,22,27,28 and December 16th).

Interview with Kim Grabosch

Kim: I have 4 sons. Paul, 18, who is preparing for his high school A-levels right now. Anton, 16 years old, Emil 14 and Michl the youngest of all is 13 years old.

Q: For how long they’ve been playing polo?
Kim: The boys started polo when they were 4 years old. They learned riding right after they were born, so to speak. We did it like the Native Americans. Basically, they take their newborns straight on a horseback to get them used to it and forge a lifelong bonding with horses. It’s not easy to excite boys for any equitation. But when boys start at a young age with polo and horse riding the connection last forever. For my boys, horses mean everything to them.

Q: Any successes so far to their credit?
Kim: At an early age the boys won the Copa Diamantitos in Argentina. At the children’s level no European team achieved this before. Currently they are two-time back to back champion in the German Amateurs and Youth Championships.

Q: Is this all your influence? Do you play polo yourself?
Kim: I never played polo. Actually, it’s all Anton’s fault. When he was a little boy, he wanted to become a cowboy. An Argentinean friend told us the real cowboys are the gauchos in Argentina. So, I took my family to Argentina for vacation and had a wonderful experience that we decided to stay for a longer period. Fortunately the Waldorf school in Munich back in Germany helped us to make this possible with a school exchange for the boys. So, we could live as a family with the gauchos in Argentina over 3 months. In the beginning, it was just about horsemanship. The boys didn’t get in touch with polo by then at all. This happened a bit later. Of course, playing the ball, the speed, the horses, the combination immediately caught the boys’ keen interest in polo. They were on fire for the sport.

Did I initiate this? That’s not easy to answer. Every dad has some ambition to provide something special for his children. But that’s not enough for the sport. One’s got to have a sense for horses and my boys do have that!

Q: How much does a real match differs from what we have filmed?
Kim: We didn’t do anything differently. Only, we interrupted the game or rather repeated some moves again for the cameras. The sequences were filmed pretty authentic. Nothing was manipulated or tricked. Of course, it helped a lot, that after training with my sons, the actor was able to take part of the game/match. Therefore, the polo scenes turned out very unique.

Q: Is the choreography on the field realistic? Do the players and horses really move across a polo field like this?
Kim: As I said before: we play real polo. No horse dummy, no stuntman, no green screen was used. Florian, the actor, plays real polo. And by the way, he turned out to be pretty good. He gets all the respect from my boys. Not everyone is capable to learn polo this fast and also connect to the horses.

Q: What was the biggest task while shooting for you and your sons?
Kim: For us as sportsmen and the “Los Indianos” family it was quite impressive to see how the crew welcomed us and the time and effort the production company invested. Just for one day of playing polo.

Q: How did the boys prepare themselves for the shooting?
Kim: We did what we always do. Get up early and prepare the horses for a match.

Q: How difficult was it to combine the speed of the sport yet having to focus on the filming? You always had to stop and start all over again.
Kim: For the boys, no problem at all. They would love to play polo all day long. But for the horses we had to make sure to change them after 15 minutes to ensure that they have enough breaks in between the filming.

Q: Any tournament coming up this year where your sons will compete?
Kim: Not anymore for this year. This year we won the German Amateurs Championship for the second time in a row including the German Youth Championship. On top of that we also achieved many high rankings at national and international tournaments. So, the horses need a break and some rest which we grant them until the next season. They enjoy and deserve their leisure time living in their herd on our land.

Q: Would you say that polo is a sport for everybody?
Kim: For sure. Once you try it, you will love it. It’s addictive. Of course, a sense for the horses is the basis for playing polo.

Q: Was there ever a situation when you were worried about your boys in a polo?
Kim: Worries? Never! But very grateful that nothing dreadful has happened so far to them during polo games.

Q: What makes a good polo player?
Kim: He needs to ride like an Apache (Red Indian) and play chess like Kasparow.

Q: Is there any tournament you would say this would be your biggest dream if one of your children would take part?
Kim: As band of brothers at the Palermo Open in Argentina.

Q: Compared to football where there are often controversial goal situations. What’s it like in polo? Do you have such disputes and discussions, too?
Kim: Everybody wants to win. But polo is a gentlemen’s sport. We have a code of honor. In the polo world we respect this code.

Photos: ARD/Christof Arnold

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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YOYxRsIU-A[/embedyt]

© Thomas Wirth

The mist still lingers over the polo field on this chilly and damp late summer morning. While the sun still tries to break through the clouds there are already 8…

Polo News, South America

THE XVI JULIO NOVILLO ASTRADA CUP

20. November 2019

Las Monjitas took a 11-9 win over El Milagro, and captured the XVI Julio Novillo Astrada Cup, presented by Río Uruguay Seguros, following the championship match that took place at La Aguada Polo Club, in Open Door, Argentina, on Tuesday November 19.

Therefore, Camilo Bautista’s foursome won the trophy for the fourth time, as they did in 2013, 2014 and 2017. Two of the members of the winning team – Facundo Sola and Guillermo Caset Jr – are currently playing the Triple Crown in Argentina with the orange jerseys. The lineup was completed with Matt Coppola.

Following two consecutive ties, Las Monjitas commanded the two next chukkas. Although El Milagro leveled at 8-all at the start of the fifth chukka, Las Monjitas wasted no time at all to re-take the lead through Facundo Sola, until El Milagro’s Santiago Solari produced a spectacular goal in the last seconds within the fifth chukka to tie at 9-all. But in the last chukka of play, Facundo Sola and Guillermo Caset Jr., managed to score one goal apiece to seal the win for Las Monjitas, that allowed them to claim La Aguada Polo Club’s premier competition for the fourth time (Score Las Monjitas: 2-2, 4-4, 7-5, 8-7, 9-9, 11-9).

The awards presentation was as follows:

• MVP: Shared by Guillermo Caset Jr and Federico Tomasevich
• Skeeter JohnstonFair Play Award: Francisco Irastorza
• Best mounted player: Santiago Solari
• BPP presented by the Argentine Polo Pony Breeders Assn.: Dolfi Educada (Guillermo Caset Jr)
• River Slaney BPP Award: Sunny (owned by Las Monjitas, ridden by Guillermo Caset Jr)

Meanwhile, the fourth place went to Power Infraestructure who beat Los Cocos by a close 10-9, and La Mancha Dutta Corp earned the third place after defeating Lovelocks Polo Stud by a 12-5 score.

The XVI Julio Novillo Astrada Cup, presented by Río Uruguay Seguros, had a fantastic closing party, that included an exquisite asado and other delicacies, in a lovely friendly entourage, with everybody enjoying the hospitality and warmth of the Novillo Astrada family.

Special thanks to all the participating players and teams; to our sponsors, for the constant support; to the media, for the distribution of the news; and to all who came thoroghout the tournament. To each and everyone of you, thank you! We are very much looking forward to seeing you all next year!

XVI JULIO NOVILLO ASTRADA CUP, PRESENTED BY RIO URUGUAY SEGUROS – PARTICIPATING TEAMS

League A
Los Cocos: Rafael Zubillaga 0, Alfredo Bigatti 8, Miguel Novillo Astrada 8, Tomás Lalor 6. Total: 22

El Milagro: Federico Tomasevich 1, Santiago Solari 6, Francisco Irastorza 6, Ignacio Novillo Astrada 9. Total: 22

Power Infraestructure: Miguel Mendoza 1, Lerin Zubiaurre 8, Alejandro Muzzio 8, Jorge Fernández Ocampo 5. Total: 22

League B
Las Monjitas: Camilo Bautista 0, Matt Coppoloa 3, Facundo Sola 9, Guillermo Caset (h) 10, Matías Fernández Llanos 6. Total: 22

La Mancha Dutta Corp: Timmy Dutta 3, Lucas Díaz Alberdi 7, Mariano Obregón 6, Facundo Obregón 6. Total: 22

Lovelocks Polo Stud: Tommy Severn 3, Charlie Hanbury 6, Matt Perry 6, James Beim 7. Total: 22

XVI JULIO NOVILLO ASTRADA CUP, PRESENTED BY RIO URUGUAY SEGUROS – FIXTURE

Thursday November 7
Lovelocks Polo Stud 12 vs. Power Infraestructure 7

Friday November 8
Las Monjitas 10 vs. Los Cocos 7

Saturday November 9
El Milagro 12 vs. La Mancha Dutta Corp 10

Monday November 11
La Mancha Dutta Corp 10 vs. Los Cocos 6

Tuesday November 12
Las Monjitas 9 vs. Power Infraestructure 6
El Milagro 12 vs. Lovelocks Polo Stud 10

Thursday November 14
Lovelocks Polo Stud 9 vs Los Cocos 6
La Mancha / Dutta Corp 11 vs Power Infraestructure 9

Friday November 15
Las Monjitas 10 vs. El Millagro 9 (OT)

Tuesday November 19 – FINALS
Subsidiary I
Power Infraestructure 10 vs. Los Cocos 9

Subsidiary II
La Mancha Dutta Corp 12 vs. Lovelocks Polo Stud 5

Final XVI Julio Novillo Astrada Cup, presented by Río Uruguay Seguros
Las Monjitas 11 vs. El Milagro 9

www.laaguadapolo.com

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Las Monjitas took a 11-9 win over El Milagro, and captured the XVI Julio Novillo Astrada Cup, presented by Río Uruguay Seguros, following the championship match that took place at…

Asia, Europe, North America, Polo News, South America

NZ Polo Open set for a spectacular event

12. November 2019

The sporting and social event of the summer

It is an exciting time for the nation’s most prestigious polo tournament, with the announcement of BMW as lead sponsor for the 43^rd NZ Polo Open, to be held in Clevedon on Saturday 22^nd February 2020.

The NZ Polo Open has earned its reputation as the sporting and social event of the summer, set in the picturesque Auckland Polo Club grounds, attracting big crowds and showcasing competitive polo at its best.

“We are thrilled to have BMW as our lead sponsor,” says Lucy Ainsley, Executive Director of the BMW NZ Polo Open. “Our 2020 event is shaping up to be the best yet and our partnership with BMW will take the event to the next level, with more side-line action and extra glitz and glamour. It has been a fantastic few months planning, I can’t wait for everyone to see it come together in February.’

The NZ Polo Open is a highlight on the global polo circuit for professional polo players and the calibre of sporting talent taking the field in February will be exceptional. Six teams will compete for the coveted trophy and along with NZ’s best, polo players will arrive from England, Argentina, Australia and South Africa especially for the tournament.

Side-line highlights will be the much-anticipated BMW versus horse race and for those keen to dress to impress entries are open for Fashion on the Field. The Ladies Veuve Clicquot magnum dash and the Men’s Rodd and Gunn dash will give the crowd a chance to compete on the field. The Flagship VIP Polo Lounge (320m2) is open to public sales for the first time and will offer a similar experience to England’s ‘Royal day at the polo.’

George FM will host the afterparty on the Chukka Lawn and for music fans attending Six60 there will be a bus from the polo grounds to Western Springs

“The BMW NZ Polo Open offers spectators an exhilarating polo experience second to none and is the perfect place to be with friends or clients,’ says Ainsley, “The fusion of sport, fashion and entertainment makes it a great day out for all ages.”

© Thomas Wirth

The sporting and social event of the summer It is an exciting time for the nation’s most prestigious polo tournament, with the announcement of BMW as lead sponsor for the…

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, Polo News

10 Years Ascona Polo Club

25. October 2019

Polo thriller at its best and double-digit results in almost all matches of the polo classic Ascona Polo Cup, which celebrates its 10^th anniversary this year.

It was a breathtaking and even final between the two finalists Engel & Völkers Ascona and team sponsor newcomer The Winston/Hotel Maloja Kulm: The six players from five nations, who faced each other here, could not have been more different. The Frenchman Constant Jacquot and the Argentinian 4-goaler Carlos Genes were in top form at the side of Gerardo Cosentino from Liechtenstein, who had already won the Ascona Polo Cup for sponsor Porsche last year and who now played with his team in the colours of Engel & Völkers.

The Brazilian Marcus Schalldach played together with the German Caroline Juls and the 6-goaler Santiago Schweizer from Argentina for the new sponsor The Winston/Hotel Maloja Kulm, who took part in the tournament as team sponsor and catering partner for the first time. Fighting stakes in the first two chukkers brought Engel & Völkers, who had started with one goal ahead because of the teamhandicap, in the first round to a 4-1 lead. But Marcus Schalldach and his team held against it and caught up with powerful defensive and cleverly used scoring chances to 4 – 4, before they took the lead themselves. Marcus Schalldach had already played in 2015 in Ascona and won here. In the jubilee year he was now awarded as the “Most Valubale” player of the tournament. Cosentino turned several penalty into goals. The last regular chukker seemed to end in a draw when Carlos Genes shot the 11-10 for Engel & Völkers just a few seconds before the final bell. Fast-paced, exciting, acclaimed – a final that did credit to the anniversary tournament at the only Swiss Polo Club south of the Alps. These polo highlights were even crowned by the breathtaking Player’s Party on Friday at the Isola do Brissago.The teams CAT Financial Products and Porsche Ticino faced each other in the “small final” in the game for the third place. With Reto Gaudenzi and Valeriy Mishchenko on one position, Tito Gaudenzi and Adrian Laplacette “old polo champions” met the tournament organiser and president of the Polo Club Ascona, Matteo Beffa, who played together with Frank Kirschke and the 4-goaler Tomi Astelara. After Tito Gaudenzi had already delivered a sensational game on Saturday, he was also the powerhouse of the team together with Astelara on Sunday. Only very close with 10-11 (the same score on the scoreboard as in the final), Beffas team finally had the nose in front and secured third place.

Arena polo is particularly worth seeing at the old Ascona airport. A treat for the spectators, who can watch the games from a high position. In addition, the special flooring makes the matches fast and the horses’ grip secure. The first match of the day for the 5^th place of the 10th Ascona Polo Cup already showed this. Here, Team Styger & Partner with the Swiss Cédric Schweri and Stefan Locher together with the 6-goaler Joao Naves from Brazil relegated the opponent Team Ascona-Locarno with Vivian Sauter, Gabriel Eckenstein and Juan Marenda to 6^th place with a final score of 13-11.

The elegant and entertaining “Black & Gold” Gala Dinner was hosted in the VIP area during the polo matches on Saturday night. After the first match of the final day, the charity games sponsored by the Styger Foundation for Children were followed by the polo audience at the elegant polo Sunday brunch created by Hotel Maloja Kulm. The proceeds of almost 40,000 Swiss francs this year go 100% to the Elisa Foundation in Locarno (Fondazione Elisa Locarno), which supports seriously ill children and their families.

As in previous years, the experienced referee Mark Holmes from Cambridge was responsible for the smooth and fair course of the game. Jan-Erik Franck “The Voice of Polo” enthused the audience as commentator of the matches. On the final Sunday he had the sympathetic support of the well-known Swiss presenter Sandy Altermatt (RSI), who introduced the Italian audience to the Who is Who and the most important polo rules. Jan-Erik Franck: “It was great to be here in Ascona again after a year’s break. Ascona has long since become a highlight and “jewel in the crown” for the European Polo Circuit. An absolutely international tournament with players from almost every continent. The surroundings here in the enchanting Ticino on Lake Maggiore do the rest to make Ascona an unforgettable polo destination. I look forward to the 11th edition of the Ascona Polo Cup next year”.

www.poloclubascona.ch

RANKING

1. Engel & Völkers Ascona (+7)
Gerardo Cosentino (+1)
Constant Jacquot (+2)
Carlos Genes (+4)

2. The Winston / Hotel Maloja Kulm (+8)
Caroline Juls (0)
Marcus Schalldach (+2)
Santiago Schweizer (+6)

3. Centri Porsche Ticino (+6)
Matteo Beffa (+1)
Frank Kirschke (+1)
Tomi Astelara (+4)

4. CAT Financial Products (+7/+6)
Reto Gaudenzi (+1) / Valery Mishchenko (0)
Tito Gaudenzi (+3)
Adrian Laplacette (+3)

5. Styger & Partner (+8)
Stefan Locher (+1)
Cédric Schweri (+1)
Joao Naves (+6)

6. Ente Turistico Lago Maggiore / Municipio di Ascona (+5)
Vivian Sauter (+1)
Gabriel Eckenstein (+1)
Juan Marenda (+3)

© Thomas Wirth

Polo thriller at its best and double-digit results in almost all matches of the polo classic Ascona Polo Cup, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. It was a breathtaking…

Asia, Europe, North America, Polo News, South America

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14. October 2019

EDITORIAL

Europe had many polo highlights to offer this summer. One of them is just being built – in Alentejo, Portugal.

A magnificent busy polo season is drawing to a close in Europe. The Berenberg German Polo Masters on Sylt was one of the major highlights. Now in its 21st year, the tournament is one of the traditional annual fixtures in the German and indeed, European polo calendar. The record number of visitors together with the international line-up of teams who attended are testament once again to the increasing interest and appreciation of the sport on Germany´s northernmost island.

In Switzerland, the polo classic, Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad once again lit up the polo stage in August. At 1,050 metres above seal level, amidst the Bernese Oberland mountains, team captain Dr Piero Dillier and his team: Lucas Labat, Bautista Beguerie and Juan Manuel González really showed the competition what winners look like. We can already look forward to August 2020, when this unique polo event will celebrate its 25th anniversary. With Pierre Genecand and his team at the helm, this jubilee is sure to be a truly memorable occasion.

The Open de France is well-known to be the most important, prestigious polo tournament in France. This year, after a hugely successful international polo season in Chantilly, the Chantilly “newcomers” from the Spanish team, Marqués de Riscal were able to demonstrate their skills on the pitch. The final of the Paprec Open de France 2019 also delivered on all expectations for the women´s competition.

In Three Roses, just 20 minutes away from Sotogrande in southern Spain, we visited the Iridike Polo Club. Thanks to the ideal winter climate in Andalucía, it is an excellent year-round polo destination in which to play, learn from experienced polo professionals and accommodate the horses.

Finally, we come to Portugal, just across the border from Spain. About an hour´s drive south from Portugal´s lively capital, Lisbon, lies the Alentejo. A little-known region that is making its mark on the map as the new “place to be”, as the new “Hamptons” of Portugal. Some prominent millionaires are already there. This is the just the beginning of a project that is set to transform the small country in the far western reaches of Europe into one of the polo hotspots of the continent and indeed, of the whole world. Project developer, Stefan Maria Gast knows what it takes to make the dream of creating the world´s best polo club in Portugal come true. We are looking forward to it.

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