France

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Quarterfinals of the 2023 POLO RIDER CUP

22. June 2023

Evviva Polo Club St. Moritz, Aquedotto Romano Polo Club, Amadeus Polo Club and Polo Club Saint-Tropez, are the winners of the Quarterfinals of the 2023 POLO RIDER CUP.

Evviva Polo Club St. Moritz secured first place in the semifinals by winning Polo Club Schockemöhle 12-10 ½ goals.

The first quarterfinal between Evviva Polo Club St. Moritz and Polo Club Schockemöhle started very quickly, both teams immediately coming into the team with a swift pace, ending the second chukker 5-4 ½ goals.

Almost until the third chukker, the game was even between both teams, but then the Swiss team turned the pressure on the German team and started running away with four goals to their advantage.

Then, Schockemöhle came back strong, and unfortunately, Tomas Pieres missed the goal in the last chukker to have some chances to turn out the match, and Evviva Polo Club St. Moritz got the first seat for the Semifinals.

In the day‘s second game, Aquedotto Romano Polo Club beat Araucaria Polo Club by 8-7 goals.

The game started very balanced between both teams, as at the end of the second chukker the result was 4-4 goals.

Then, Aquedotto Romano Polo Club found a way to be more defensive and find their rhythm, extending the lead by two goals at the end of the fourth chukker with three consecutive goals by Gaston Maiquez.

Afterwards, Araucaria scored two goals in the last chukker to keep the pressure on, but there was no time, and Aquedotto Romano won.

Amadeus Polo Club defeated Coronel Suárez Polo Club in the first match of the afternoon by 10-8 ½ goals.

The game was a bit slow at the start, but then Amadeus Polo Club picked up the pace a bit more in the first half, putting Coronel Suárez under pressure to fight hard to come back. Santiago Marambio made all the difference in opening up the play to make the Argentinian team a narrow but a convincing victory towards the end final score of 10- 8½ goals.

The fourth and final quarterfinal game of the day between Polo Club Saint-Tropez and Golden Greens Polo Club ended with the victory of the French team by 10-8 goals.

Polo Club Saint-Tropez came out very strong from the beginning and dominated the game almost to the end of the game, but Golden Greens Polo Club never gave up, they came up very strong, with only one goal difference in the fifth and final chukker but Lorenzo Chavanne, who run from the end of the field to the other score the last goal of the game that places the local team into the Semifinals.

POLO RIDER CUP – QUARTERFINALS

EVVIVA POLO CLUB ST. MORITZ 12 – 10 ½ POLO CLUB SCHOCKMÖHLE

Score progression: 1-1 ½ / 5-4 ½ / 9-5 ½ / 11-7 ½ / 12-10 ½.

Evviva Polo Club St. Moritz: Valentín Farinati 1 (1 goal), Ignacio Kennedy 5 (2 goals), Martin Aguerre H. 7 (9 goals), Thomas Rinderknecht 0. Total HC: 13.

Polo Club Schockemöhle: Vanessa Schockemöhle 0 (1 goal), Giordano Magini 2 (3 goals), Matias Nigoul 4, Tomas Pieres 6 (6 goals). Total HC:12.

Umpires: Hugo Iturraspe & Martin Haurie.

ARAUCARIA POLO CLUB 7 – 6 AQUEDOTTO ROMANO POLO CLUB

Score progression: 1-1 / 4-3 / 4-4 / 5-7 / 7-8.

Araucaria Polo Club: Luca Meier 1 (3 goals), Fabian Bolanteiro 4, Salvador Jauretche 5 (4 goals), Fabio Meier 2. Total HC: 12.

Aquedotto Romano Polo Club: Andreas Bihrer 0, Sebastián Sorbac 2, Ramiro Zavaleta 4 (1 goal), Gastón Maiquez 6 (5 goals). Total HC: 12.

Umpires: Juan José Diaz Alberdi & Nicolás Scortichini.

AMADEUS POLO CLUB 10 – 8 ½ CORONEL SUÁREZ POLO CLUB

Score progression: 3 – 1½ / 5 – 4½ / 8 – 5½ / 9 – 6½ / 10-8 ½.

Amadeus Polo Club: Robert Kofler 0 (1 goal), Hilario Ruiz Guiñazú 3 (2 goals), Bartolomé Bayugar 4 (3 goals), Santiago C. Marambio 6 (4 goals). Total HC: 13.

Coronel Suarez Polo Club: Alexandra Rodzianko 0, Misha Rodzianko 2 (3 goals), Ignacio Badiola 5 ( 2 goals), Gaston Beguerie 5 (3 goals). Total HC: 12.

Umpires: Hugo Iturraspe & Martin Haurie.

POLO CLUB SAINT-TROPEZ 10 – 8 GOLDEN GREENS POLO CLUB

Score progression: 1-1 / 4-2 / 6-2 / 8-5 / 10-8.

Polo Club Saint-Tropez: Nicky Sen 0, Pedro Chavanne 1 (3 goals), Lorenzo Chavanne 4 (2 goals), Santiago Chavanne 7 (5 goals). Total HC: 12.

Golden Greens Polo Club: James Peter Holoweslco 0, Matias Nigoul Jr 1 (1 goal), Marcos Harriot 5 (4 goals), Manuel F. Llorente 6 (3 goals). Total HC: 12.

Umpires: Hugo Iturraspe & Nicolás Scortichini.

The POLO RIDER CUP continues on Wednesday, June 21
Semi-Finals Shaugan Cup

16:00 Roma Polo Club vs Grand Champions Polo Club.

18:00 El Rincón Polo José Ignacio vs. Polo Club Mühlen.

Check results at www.poloresults.com

Evviva Polo Club St. Moritz, Aquedotto Romano Polo Club, Amadeus Polo Club and Polo Club Saint-Tropez, are the winners of the Quarterfinals of the 2023 POLO RIDER CUP. Evviva Polo…

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French Victory in the first Polo Nations Cup

20. June 2023

The first Polo Nations Cup, launched by the Fédération française de polo and the Polo Club de Chantilly, was a real success: eight teams took part, ten days of games, each as exciting as the next, and a magnificent final won by PACA France, a wonderful team made up of four young players all from French training.

This first final opposed France against South Korea, a young polo federation eager to develop the sport in its country and position itself on the international polo map. A first success with their qualification for this final in Chantilly. But Korea had to contend with an ambitious young French team, who took control of the game right from the start with a goal from Dorian Bulteau. Although Pandy Irstorza equalized with a corner shot, Louis Jarrige gave France the lead in the first half. This dominance was confirmed in the second chukker (3-1), but in the following period, again thanks to Pandy Irstorza, the two teams were tied again… at least for a few moments. It was in the fourth chukker that the team in blue broke the deadlock, thanks mainly to collective action (everyone scored today), as explained by MVP (best player of the final) Julien Reynes: „It really is above all a team victory, as this was a team tournament, we played all our games as a foursome and we won all our victories as a foursome. The start of the game was closed, which is what Tito was looking for, keeping the ball for fear we‘d get it back, and in the fourth chukker we opened up the game by hitting our first balls, and that‘s when we made the difference. Last year, we won a tournament of the same level with this team, and this shows that we‘re on the right track. We‘re delighted to have won this first edition, as the Polo Nations Cup is destined to become a benchmark tournament on the international circuit“.

For David Ko, the Korean captain (best amateur player), qualifying for the final was a victory in itself: „It was a great feeling to be in the final, it was quite unexpected, but we were here thanks in particular to our two professional players, Santiago Irastorza and Tito Guiñazu. Being MVP is one thing, but above all it‘s a great start for Korean polo. This kind of tournament teaches us to play better, and we‘ll be back next year for the Polo Nations Cup and before that for other major tournaments in France, such as the Open de France here in September. Polo is still in its infancy in Korea, but I hope we‘ll be able to bring more players to France next year.”

This first and „young“ Nations‘ Cup is destined to become a major event. Its concept has already won over a number of new nations, who have signified their interest in taking part next year, the Olympic year. As is often the case on these days at the Polo Club de Chantilly, this day of the final was a beautiful one… but there are many more to come, starting with the next tournament of the same level which begins this week, the Charity Cup, and above all the Open de France next September, where at least twenty teams have been announced to take part. It‘s going to be great sport! High level sport!

Statistics

PACA France: Elena Venot (1, 1 goal), Dorian Bulteau (3, 2 goals, yellow card at 3rd chukker), Louis Jarrige (4, 4 goals including 2 penalties) and Julien Reynes (4, 2 goals and MVP)

South Korea: David Ko (0, amateur MVP), Jerry Kwak/Bin Kim (0), Tito Guiñazu (7.1 goals, yellow card at 5th chukker) and Santiago Irastorza (5, 4 goals including 1 penalty and 1 corner, yellow card at 3rd chukker)

Best horse of the final, Oración, born in Argentina, ridden by Louis Jarrige and owned by Jean-Claude Le Grand.

Progression PACA France: 2/1 – 3/1 – 4/3 – 7-3 and 9/5

The first Polo Nations Cup, launched by the Fédération française de polo and the Polo Club de Chantilly, was a real success: eight teams took part, ten days of games,…

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Day 3 at the 2023 POLO RIDER CUP

20. June 2023

The action continues at the Polo Club Saint-Tropez with the last zone games to define the Quarter Finals of the 2023 POLO RIDER CUP with the following games: Araucaria Polo Club and Evviva Polo Club St. Moritz, Polo Club Schockemöhle and Aquedotto Romano Polo Club, Amadeus Polo Club and Roma Polo Club and later Polo Club Saint-Tropez against Rincón Polo José Ignacio.

The opening game between Araucaria Polo Club and Evviva Polo Club St. Moritz witnesses a narrow victory from the Argentinian team by 8 ½ – 8 goals.

The Swiss team came out very strong in the first part of the game ending the chukker 2 in front of the score 6-1/2. But from the third chukker, there was a complete turnaround, and Araucaria Polo Club worked very well. Just 40 seconds before the end of the last chukker, Salvador Jauretche scored a goal that gave the win to the Argentinian team by just ½ goal.

Polo Club Schockemöhle won the day's second game by 11-6 to Aquedotto Romano Polo Club.

The German team came into the beginning of the game with a light start and took them two chukkers to find their rhythm. Instead, Aquedotto Romano Polo Club dominated the game until more or less the second half of the game, but Polo Club Schockemöhle came back very strong, with a great run of 8 goals in a row. Tomás Pieres led and dragged his team to their second win, with Vanessa Schockemöhle scoring the last goal for her team.

A very close and tight game between Amadeus Polo Club and Roma Polo Club, where the Argentinian team beat the Italian team by 8 – 6 ½ goals.

In the first chukker, Amadeus Polo Club took the lead, but in the second chukker, it was the turn of Roma Polo Club to play stronger. But it wasn’t until the second half when Amadeus Polo Club won the game leading by 2 to 1 in the third and fourth chukkers.

The closing game of the day ended with the victory of Polo Club Saint-Tropez against El Rincón Polo José Ignacio by 10-4 goals.

The first half of the match ended with two goal-lead for the French team, and an impressive Lorenzo Chavanne, who scored four goals in the last chukker, gave a clear win to Polo Club Saint-Tropez.

POLO RIDER CUP – DAY 3

ARAUCARIA POLO CLUB 8 ½ – 8 4 EVVIVA POLO CLUB ST. MORITZ

Score progression: 1 ½ – 3 / 1 ½ – 6 / 4 ½ -7 / 8 ½ – 8.

Araucaria Polo Club: Luca Meier 1 (3 goals), Fabian Bolanteiro 4, Salvador Jauretche 5 (4 goals), Fabio Meier 2. Total HC: 12.

Evviva Polo Club St. Moritz: Valentín Farinati 1, Ignacio Kennedy 5 (1 goal), Martin Aguerre H. 7 (7 goals), Thomas Rinderknecht 0. Total HC: 13.

Umpires: Juan José Diaz Alberdi & Nicolás Scortichini.

POLO CLUB SCHOCKMÖHLE 11 – 6 AQUEDOTTO ROMANO POLO CLUB

Score progression: 2-2 / 3-6 / 6-6 / 11-6.

Polo Club Schockemöhle: Vanessa Schockemöhle 0 (1 goal), Giordano Magini 2 (2 goals), Matias Nigoul 4 (2 goals), Tomas Pieres 6 (6 goals). Total HC: 12.

Aquedotto Romano Polo Club: Andreas Bihrer 0, Sebastián Sorbac 2, Ramiro Zavaleta 4 (1 goal), Gastón Maiquez 6 (5 goals). Total HC: 12.

Umpires: Hugo Iturraspe & Martin Haurie.

AMADEUS POLO CLUB 8 – 6 ½ ROMA POLO CLUB

Score progression: 3 – 1½ / 4 – 4½ / 6 – 5½ / 8 – 6½.

Amadeus Polo Club: Robert Kofler 0, Hilario Ruiz Guiñazú 3 (1 goal), Bartolomé Bayugar 4 (2 goals), Santiago C. Marambio 6 (4 goals). Total HC: 13.

Roma Polo Club: Alessandro Barnaba 0, Juan Jauretche 6 (6 goals), Pierre Jauretche 4 (6 goals), Tomas Joaquin 2. Total HC: 12.

Umpires: Juan José Diaz Alberdi & Hugo Iturraspe.

POLO CLUB SAINT-TROPEZ 10 – 4 EL RINCÓN POLO JOSÉ IGNACIO

Score progression: 3-0 / 5-3 / 6-4 / 10-4.

Polo Club Saint-Tropez: Nicky Sen 0, Pedro Chavanne 1 (1 goal), Lorenzo Chavanne 4 (6 goals), Santiago Chavanne 7 (3 goals). Total HC: 12.

Rincón Polo José Ignacio: Sacha Fedier 1, Martín Ferrari 2 (1 goal), Bautista Beguerie 5 (3 goals), Matías Carrique 4. Total HC: 12.

Umpires: Martin Haurie & Nicolás Scortichini.

The POLO RIDER CUP continues on Tuesday, June 20

10:00 Evviva Polo St. Moritz vs Polo Club Schockemöhle

12:00 Araucaria Polo Club vs Aquedotto Romano Polo Club

16:00 Amadeus Polo Club vs Coronel Suárez Polo Club

18:00 Polo Club Saint-Tropez vs. Golden Greens Polo Club

Check results at www.poloresults.com

The action continues at the Polo Club Saint-Tropez with the last zone games to define the Quarter Finals of the 2023 POLO RIDER CUP with the following games: Araucaria Polo…

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Second games day at the 2023 POLO RIDER CUP

19. June 2023

The second day of the POLO RIDER CUP was played between Evviva Polo St. Moritz against Grand Champions Polo Club, Polo Club Mühlen and Aquedotto Romano Polo Club, Rincón Polo José Ignacio with Coronel Suárez Polo Club and Amadeus Polo Club met Golden Greens Polo Club.

In the first match of the game, the runner-up from the last edition of the POLO RIDER CUP, beat Grand Champions Polo Club by 10-4 goals.

The Swiss team very quickly found their rhythm, came very strong, well mounted and made it difficult for the American team to play their game.

In the first chukker, Evviva Polo St. Moritz picked up the first goal very early by Ignacio Kennedy, and Valentin Farinati scored two goals to end the first chukker 3-0.

Melissa Ganzi scored the opening goal for her team in the second chukker, but immediately after, Martin Aguerre H. scored his first goal in the match.

Grand Champions Polo Club came stronger in the second half of the match, but with a great effort from all the Evviva Polo St. Moritz team players, the game ended by 10-4 goals.

Aquedotto Romano Polo Club bet Polo Club Mühlen by 8-6 goals in the second match of the day.

Polo Club Mühlen had a strong start with four goals from Patrick Maleitzke, ending the first chukker with two goals difference, but a great comeback from Aquedotto Romano Polo Club in the second chukker, placed the Italian team in front of the score, 5-4 goals.

At the start of the third chukker, Miguel Amieva shorten the gap by only one goal, putting pressure on the Italian team, but the final result ended with two goals difference in favour of Aquedotto Romano Polo Club, 8-6.

The most intensive game was witnessed in the afternoon with the win of Coronel Suárez Polo Club against Rincón Polo José Ignacio by 9-8 in the extra chukker.

Rincón Polo José Ignacio was leading the first chukker 2-1, but Ignacio Badiola, with four goals in the second chukker, made Coronel Suárez Polo Club to end the third chukker 3-5.

A strong reaction from Rincón Polo José Ignacio in the third chukker gave the lead again to the Uruguayan team 6-5, but in the fourth chukker, another great comeback from Coronel Suárez with Badiola turned the game into equal, 8-8. In the extra chukker, Badiola scored the winning goal for Coronel Suarez.

Amadeus Polo Club beat Golden Greens Polo Club in the last game of the day, winning 7-6 goals. It was a very equalled and balanced game between both teams but at the end, the Argentinian team took the victory.

POLO RIDER CUP – DAY 2

EVVIVA POLO CLUB ST. MORITZ 10 – 4 GRAND CHAMPIONS POLO CLUB
Score progression: 3-0 / 6-1 / 8-2 / 10-4

Evviva Polo Club St. Moritz: Valentín Farinati 0 (3 goals), Ignacio Kennedy 5 (5 goals), Martin Aguerre H. 7 (2 goals), Thomas Rinderknecht 0. Total HC: 12.

Grand Champions Polo Club: Melissa Ganzi 0 (1 goal), Grant Ganzi 3 (1 goal), Nic Roldan 8, Marc Ganzi 1 (2 goals). Total HC: 12.

Umpires: Juan José Diaz Alberdi & Hugo Iturraspe.

POLO CLUB MÜHLEN – AQUEDOTTO ROMANO POLO CLUB
Score progression: 4-2 / 4-5 / 5-7 / 6-8

Polo Club Mühlen: Daniel Deistler 0, Santiago Shanahan 3, Patrick Maleitzke 5 (5 goals), Miguel Amieva 4 (1 goal). Total HC: 12.

Aquedotto Romano Polo Club: Andreas Bihrer 0 (1 goal), Sebastián Sorbac 2, Ramiro Zavaleta 4 (3 goals), Gastón Maiquez 6 (4 goals). Total HC: 12.

Umpires: Nicolás Scortichini & Martin Haurie.

RINCÓN POLO JOSÉ IGNACIO 8 – 9 CORONEL SUÁREZ POLO CLUB
Score progression: 2-1 / 3-5 / 6-5 / 8- 8 (8-9)

Rincón Polo José Ignacio: Sacha Fedier 1, Martín Ferrari 2 (1 goal), Bautista Beguerie 5 (3 goals), Matías Carrique 4 (4 goals). Total HC: 12.

Coronel Suarez Polo Club: Alexandra Rodzianko 0, Misha Rodzianko 2 (1 goal), Ignacio Badiola 5 ( 8 goals), Gaston Beguerie 5. Total HC: 12.

Umpires: Nicolás Scortichini & Martin Haurie.

AMADEUS POLO CLUB – GOLDEN GREENS POLO CLUB

Score progression: 1-2 / 3-4 / 6-4 / 7-6

Amadeus Polo Club: Robert Kofler 0, Hilario Ruiz Guiñazú 3 (1 goal), Bartolomé Bayugar 3 (2 goals), Santiago C. Marambio 6 (4 goals). Total HC: 12.

Golden Greens Polo Club: James Peter Holoweslco 0, Matias Nigoul Jr 1 , Marcos Harriot 5 (4 goals), Manuel F. Llorente 6 (2 goals). Total HC: 12.

Umpires: Juan José Diaz Alberdi & Hugo Iturraspe.

The POLO RIDER CUP continues on Sunday, June 18

10:00 Araucaria Polo Club vs Evviva Polo St. Moritz

11:30 Polo Club Schockemöhle vs Aquedotto Romano Polo Club

16:00 Amadeus Polo Club vs Roma Polo Club

17:30 Polo Club Saint-Tropez vs. El Rincon Polo Jose Ignacio

Check results at www.poloresults.com

The second day of the POLO RIDER CUP was played between Evviva Polo St. Moritz against Grand Champions Polo Club, Polo Club Mühlen and Aquedotto Romano Polo Club, Rincón Polo…

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France World Champion in Arena Polo

11. May 2023

Last weekend, France won the first Arena Polo World Championship after a fantastic final against the United States in the home of world polo, Argentina. A historic achievement for French polo! And an important recognition for the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly where the six players who worked on this success come from.

A victory and a title all the more emblematic as they were won in Argentina, the land of polo par excellence, at the Carona Polo Club, in Capilla del Señor, in the province of Buenos Aires. Six teams were competing in the finals: France and Austria qualified for the European zone, the United States for North America, Morocco for the rest of the world and, last but not least, Argentina and Uruguay, the two strongest nations in South America. France simply beat all these teams!

In the group stage, Les Bleus (Louis Jarrige, Dorian Bulteau and Edwin Robineau) got the better of Morocco, Austria and Uruguay to qualify for the semi-finals against Austria again. With a reshuffled team with the entry of the more experienced Gaëtan Gosset and Adrien Le Gallo, the French team was jeered and dominated 7-5 at the end of the third chukker before delivering an exceptional final chukker by inflicting a 6-0 to the Austrians for a final score of 11-7 that sent them to the final against the United States.

The American team had shown its ambitions before this world championship and was counting on leaving with the title as their n°1 player, Jared Sheldon, handicap 5, had clearly announced in the columns of ClickPolo magazine. Indeed, victory was well underway for them in this final before the French started fighting back and equalized at the very end of regulation time, 8 – 8… to finally win in overtime on a penalty that Gaëtan Gosset did not hesitate to transform to win this first major title for French polo!

It was an unforgettable moment for these players, as Adrien Le Gallo confided: „It was already an emotional moment to hear your national anthem before a world final, it gives a real boost before such a game. The semi-final was particularly hard for us because we had to fight from one end to the other. We completely changed our tactics for the last period, a winning choice that allowed us to lead them 6-0 within a few minutes although we were down by 2 goals at the beginning of the last chukker. We didn‘t know the horses we were riding which was an extra pressure in the semi-final. As a result, we were able to make a more intelligent list of horses for the final.”

“A final against the Americans who are particularly efficient in the arena, but we didn‘t give up until the equalizer that allowed us to get this victory in the extra chukker“. Adrien Le Gallo, like his five teammates, comes from the training branch of the Chantilly Polo Club, which is also the federal center for the preparation of the French teams, and he paid tribute to Philippe Perrier, director of the Polo Club and DTN (national technical director) of the French Polo Federation: „He has been so dedicated to the cause of French polo for many years and I think it is a wonderful reward for him that France has finally won a title in an official championship, even if it is only on sand. When you stand on the podium, it‘s a lot of emotions and you think about all that. It‘s a title won with friends and I‘m happy to have been able to finish the work started by Louis Jarrige and Dorian Bulteau, by qualifying for the finals in this way.”

These tactical changes mentioned by Le Gallo, are the choices that the national coach, Matthieu Delfosse, took from a distance by following the games live and sending chukker by chukker his instructions to his assistant, Celestin Hue who was on the field side in Argentina. An intense coaching which bore its fruits to the greatest happiness of the technician: „It is a huge emotion and joy because the six boys were all fabulous. They showed enormous courage during this final where they were led, badly handled with complicated horses. At the beginning of the game, they had the weight of the challenge of such a final on their shoulders. All day long, I kept telling them that they could win, that they would win. They were not the favorites, far from it, but they always believed in it and they went to get this victory at the end of an incredible suspense, in overtime. It‘s fabulous, I‘m very, very happy for the group and it‘s a great title for French polo, which I hope will be followed by others.”

Ces changements de tactique évoqués par Le Gallo, ce sont les choix que le sélectionneur et entraineur national, Matthieu Delfosse prenait à distance en suivant les matchs en direct et envoyant chukker par chukker ses consignes à son adjoint, Célestin Hue qui était au bord du terrain en Argentine. Un coaching intense qui a porté ses fruits pour le plus grand bonheur du technicien : « C’est une émotion et une joie immenses car les six garçons ont été tous fabuleux. Ils ont fait preuve d’un énorme courage lors de cette finale où ils ont été menés, malmenés avec des chevaux compliqués. Au début de la rencontre, ils avaient le poids de l’enjeu d’une telle finale sur les épaules. Toute la journée, je n’ai eu cesse de leur répéter qu’ils pouvaient gagner, qu’ils allaient gagner. Ils n’étaient pas les favoris, loin de là, mais ils y ont toujours cru et ils sont allés chercher cette victoire au bout d’un suspens incroyable, en overtime. C’est fabuleux, je suis très très content pour le groupe et c’est un beau titre pour le polo français, qui, j’espère, en appellera d’autres ».

WHAT IS ARENA POLO?

Arena is to polo what horse-ball is to pato or what beach-volley is to volleyball. It is played on a sand “court” (arena= sand in Spanish) of smaller size with three players per team instead of four for the „big“ polo and a leather ball the size of a small handball. It requires a lot of reactivity, reflexes and skill with the ball.

For amateur players, arena polo is a less expensive way to play polo. It requires fewer horses and the green fees are lower. For professional players like our six world champions, it is a way to continue training and competing during the winter break when the grass fields are closed. It is undoubtedly thanks to a very competitive French circuit, the Arena Polo Tour, which passes through Chantilly, Fontainebleau, Deauville, La Baule and La Motte-Beuvron, that our French players were able to show themselves particularly ready and competitive for this first World Championship. Thanks to this title, France, and probably Chantilly, will be able to host the second edition of this Mundial de Arena Polo in 2027.

FINAL

France: Gaëtan Gosset 4 (3 goals), Adrien Le Gallo 4 (1) and Edwin Robineau 3 (4). Total: 11.

Substitutes: Louis Jarrige 5, Dorian Bulteau 4 and Célestin Hue 2
Coaches: Matthieu Delfosse and Célestin Hue

United States: Jack McLean 2 (1), Jared Sheldon 5 (6) and Miguel Torres 5 (1). Total: 12.
Substitute: Jorge Vásquez 3.

Progression, France (1-0) 2-4, 5-6, 6-8, 8-8 and 9-8.

Last weekend, France won the first Arena Polo World Championship after a fantastic final against the United States in the home of world polo, Argentina. A historic achievement for French…

Polo News

Outstanding Quarter-Finals for upcoming dream Semi-Finals

16. September 2022

What could be better than „real“ quarter-finals (knockouts) to give rise to intense battles? Not much as the quarters of the Engel & Völkers French Open played since Saturday have demonstrated. The games have been incredibly hard-fought, fast-paced and each time the outcome has been decided on the wire, in the final chukker, with never more than a two goals difference. The four semi-finalists are now known and one thing is certain: the upcoming semi-finals will offer a glorious show.

The four most organised and successful teams of this tournament, and of French polo, will compete on Thursday for the two places of the final. The first quarter saw defending champions La Magdeleine barely escape the trap of Amanara, who came close to springing a surprise (10-9). With Pablo McDonough‘s organisation behind them, the Parisian team, who played the English season this summer, is a serious contender for the title, of course, but nothing can be taken for granted as this game proved on Saturday.

On Sunday, the game in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, saw Talandracas (Deauville), the only French team to have won the Queen‘s Cup in Windsor, trying to defeat the finalist of the Engel & Völkers 2021 French Open, Kazak, a big team organised around one of the aces of the Argentine Abierto, Jero Del Carril. Mission accomplished (9-7), but at the cost of a tough, yet beautiful fight with actions and turnarounds played at a breathtaking pace.

Two other quarters were equally undecided until the end on Monday when, once again, the verdict only came at the end of the final chukker. The local team of the Chantilly Polo Club, Los Dragones, winner of the Polo Rider Cup in June, and strengthened by the phenomenal Bautista Bayugar, was able to defeat the Argentinian club La Fija Sandbox though with great difficulty.

Another „high profile“ team, the only French-based team to have won the British Open Gold Cup, Brittany Polo Club, also had a scare. It took a coaching error – two La Berta players left the field to change horses at the wrong time – for Diego Cavanagh to give his team the lead (10-9), and then immediately put the game to bed (11-9 at the final bell). One of the most memorable moments of the game was the huge „golaso“ of the Brittany Polo Club‘s owner, Jean-François Decaux, after a crazy breakaway across the whole field.

La Magdeleine vs. Talandracas and Los Dragones vs. Brittany Polo Club, such is the line-up of these dream semi-finals of the 2022 Engel & Völkers French Open, one of the most exciting of this century. It is almost sad that it is already coming to an end.

Today (11 am., 1 pm and 3 pm.), the Women‘s French Open kicks off with six teams in the starting blocks representing seven different nationalities, including the world‘s number one, British Hazel Jackson. The beautiful sport never stops at the Polo Club de Chantilly and it will be so until Sunday, the big day of the finals.

Semi-finals of the Engel & Völkers French Open:

• La Magdeleine (FRA) vs. Talandracas (FRA), Thursday 15 September, 5pm
• Brittany Polo Club (FRA) vs. Los Dragones (FRA), Friday 16 September, 3pm

Above left: LA MAGDELEINE 16: Alexandre Garese (Cap 0), Santiago Tahier (1), Tito Ruiz Guinazu (7), Facundo F.Llorente (8)

Above right: BRITTANY POLO CLUB 16: Jean-François Decaux (Cap, 1), Benjamin Urquiza (6), Diego Cavanagh (8), Roberto Iturrioz (1)

Below left: LOS DRAGONES 16: Sam Sztarkman (2), Jota Chavanne (Cap, 5), Bautista Bayugar (8), Alexandre Sztarkman (1)

Below right: TALANDRACAS 16 : Edouard Carmignac (Cap, 0), Rufino Bensadon (7), Juan-Martin Zubia (8), Hugues Carmignac (1)

Photos by R&B Presse / Pascal Renauldon

What could be better than „real“ quarter-finals (knockouts) to give rise to intense battles? Not much as the quarters of the Engel & Völkers French Open played since Saturday have…

Europe, Polo News

All set for the 2022 POLO RIDER CUP

8. June 2022

The second edition of the POLO RIDER CUP, the ultimate polo club competition at the international level, kicks off tomorrow Wednesday 8th June at the Polo Club of Chantilly, north of Paris (France).

During the 10 days of this unique international competition, 14 international polo clubs representing 8 different nationalities will compete to lift the POLO RIDER CUP trophy at the final that will take place on Saturday 18th June.

Defending champion Polo Park Zürich (SUI), Hong Kong Polo Association (HKG), Las Brisas Polo Club of Chicago (USA), Hamburger Polo Club (GER), Evviva Polo St. Moritz (SUI), Deauville International Polo Club (FRA), Polo Club of Chantilly (FRA) and Empire Polo Club of Coachella Valley (USA) will return to Chantilly, joining six newcomers to the POLO RIDER CUP: Araucaria Polo Club, Ellerstina Polo Club, and Coronel Suárez Polo Club (all three from ARG), Polo Club Niederweiden (AUT), Preußischer Polo & Country Club Berlin Brandenburg (GER), and BP Polo Malaysia (MAS).

Earlier in the morning, 14 players representing their respective teams attended a photo shoot at the magnificent premises of the Château de Chantilly, inside the West Nef of the Great Stables.

Polo fans worldwide can subscribe now to the POLORIDERCUP.TV and enjoy highlights, exclusive content and access live streaming to watch the Quarterfinals, Semi-finals and Finals. Subscribe now at poloridercup.tv

If you want to enjoy it at close range, a €10-day ticket is available and spectators can access to the village, with food-trucks, champagne bar, stands, merchandising and much more!

Enjoy a Polo VIP Experience during the POLO RIDER CUP at the hospitality located at the Orangerie, an exceptional venue in the heart of the main two polo fields in the Polo Club de Chantilly. All VIP Hospitality packages for all games can be booked at https://www.poloridercup.com/hospitality

The opening day of the 2022 POLO RIDER CUP tournament will witness the following games tomorrow: Araucaria Polo Club against Polo Club Niederweiden and later Hong Kong Polo against BP Polo Malaysia.

Fixture and Teams
Check results at http://chukkerapp.com/

The POLO RIDER CUP starts on Wednesday, June 8
2pm: Araucaria Polo Club vs. Polo Club Niederweiden
5pm: Hong Kong Polo vs. BP Polo Malaysia

The second edition of the POLO RIDER CUP, the ultimate polo club competition at the international level, kicks off tomorrow Wednesday 8th June at the Polo Club of Chantilly, north…

Europe, Polo News

The 2022 POLO RIDER CUP will be held from 8 to 18 June 2022

7. July 2021

Following the recent success of the first edition of the POLO RIDER CUP, Game Polo, the organizer and promoter of the event, is pleased to announce the dates of the second edition that will be held from 8 to 18 June 2022 at the Polo Club de Chantilly, north of Paris.

After a debriefing with the Federation of International Polo (FIP), the French Polo Federation, the Polo Club de Chantilly and the Founding clubs/teams, some changes were agreed for next year´s event.

The main changes are that the Final will be held on Saturday 18 June 2022 and a Subsidiary Cup will be held during the tournament.

Concerning the format, it was approved that the number of teams participating in the event will remain the same, 12 international clubs/teams with a maximum of 2 clubs/teams per country.

Olivier Godallier, President & Co-Founder of GAME Polo, comments: “We are really looking forward to the second edition of the POLO RIDER CUP. This new polo club competition found great acceptance at the international level and we received positive feedback from all the clubs, players, federations, partners and media, so we are excited to be working on next year’s edition to improve it and make it even more challenging.”

For more information, please contact GAME Polo at: neus@game-polo.com

Following the recent success of the first edition of the POLO RIDER CUP, Game Polo, the organizer and promoter of the event, is pleased to announce the dates of the…

Europe, Polo News

An incredible range of broadcasters will take the POLO RIDER CUP to fans worldwide

12. June 2021

POLO RIDER CUP is delighted to announce extensive TV coverage for the first edition of this unique 10-day international competition that kicks off on Thursday 10th June in the spectacular fields of the Polo Club of Chantilly.

With a large number of digital and linear television channels that will bring viewers closer to the action with live commentary, fans will be able to stream the action across different platforms, live, daily news and highlights magazine.

POLO RIDER CUP is keen to bring and deliver exclusive content to a wider audience and make the sport of polo better known worldwide. The broadcasters and platforms listed below are ready to provide unique coverage of the 30 games to fans from all across the globe:

LeFigaro.fr: France

France3 Hauts de France: (Final Only)

PoloLineTV: Argentina, UK, Germany, USA, UAE, Thailand, Malaysia, France, Australia, Spain

Horse&Country: UK, Ireland, USA, Australia, Sweden, Germany, Netherlands

HorseTV: Italy, Germany, UAE, KSA, Oman, Finland, USA

ClipMyHorse.TV: Germany, USA, Australia, France, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, UAE, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Sweden, Russia, Portugal, Brazil, Poland, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Norway

Global Polo TV: USA, Canada, Mexico, Barbados, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chili, Uruguay, France, Germany, Spain, UK, Russia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, India, Brunei, Pakistan, Kenya, Nigeria

SportDeutchland.TV: Germany

beIN Sports: USA, Canada, Turkey, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, East Timor, Hong Kong

BT Sports: UK, Ireland

RTVE: Spain

Olivier Godallier, President & Co-Founder of GAME Polo, comments: “We are thrilled to have this incredible quality of broadcasters worldwide. It is a great pleasure to welcome all of them on board. With this amazing response from the Media partners, we are sure and confident that we are on the right track to achieve an outstanding milestone in polo club competition at the international level.”

For more information, please contact GAME Polo at: media@game-polo.com

www.poloridercup.com

POLO RIDER CUP is delighted to announce extensive TV coverage for the first edition of this unique 10-day international competition that kicks off on Thursday 10th June in the spectacular…

Europe, Polo News

Barrière Deauville Polo Cup: not to be missed!

9. June 2021

The famous Barrière Deauville Polo Cup, and in particular its legendary Gold Cup, is a must-see on the international circuit. The Deauville International Polo Club and its legendary grounds in the heart of the Deauville-La Touques racecourse, where polo was already played at the end of the 19th century, are definitely part of the polo world heritage. Like every year, four tournaments will be played there from August 7 to 29.

In Argentina, the land of polo, Deauville is as much talked about as Palm Beach, Windsor, Cowdray and Sotogrande, major tournaments outside of Argentina every player wants to add to their name. We remember the words of Facundo Pieres, winner of the Argentinian Open, who, winning for the first time in Deauville in 2009 with André Fabre‘s team (In The Wings), basically said: “at least that‘s done!” Most of the world’s greatest players have added this win to their record, starting with Adolfo Cambiaso, arguably the best player of all time. He was 19 then and is 46 now and still remains the world No. 1.

This year, in the Gold Cup, there will be at least five players of handicap 7 or more, who will play in Deauville before flying off to the great Argentine season via Chantilly:

Martin Aguerre Jr (Arg, Barrière), winner of the Copa Camara, Tommy Beresford(Chi, Talandracas) finalist of the Copa Camara, Juan-Gris Zavaleta (Arg, Le Pommeray), a regular of the Argentine Open alongside Rufino Bensadon (Arg, 17 years old), again a winner of the Copa Camara and recent winner of the Prince of Wales Trophy in England where he was awarded MVP of the final. The public of Deauville knows him well as they have seen him win the Gold Cup in 2018. Last, but not least, one of the three young phenomena of Argentine polo, Camilo Castagnola(Talandracas), also 17 years old and already handicap 8 (9 even in Argentina), semi-finalist of the Argentine Open last year. He alone can put on a great show!

The other three teams in this Golden Cup have rather bet on balance by entering players with more homogeneous handicaps (4, 5 and 6). Among them are the two best French handicaps 6: Pierre Henri N’Goumou (Mungo) and Brieuc Rigaux(Britanny Polo). Los Dragones, led by French new talent Sam Sztarkman, will have three Argentinian players with handicap 5. Six beautiful teams that will be seen again in September in the French Open.

Most of these teams will have previously „warmed up“ in the Silver Cup, a title (almost) no less prestigious, which will kick off on August 7, thus opening the Deauville 2021 season (final on August 15). On the 11th, it will be the women’s turn to play with the Ladies Cup.

The Bronze Cup will start on August 16, at the same time as the Gold Cup. Eight teams are engaged in this tournament highlighting French players.

Despite the prestige of these competitions, the ambition of the Deauville International Polo Club is to be resolutely open and it does everything in its power to welcome as many people as possible. This is why access to the games, in Deauville, but also in Dozulé where the picturesque and charming field will reopen this year, is completely free during the week. Tickets are only needed for the finals and the weekend games.

The public is welcomed in a friendly village where it is possible to linger after the games, have a drink or do some shopping, such as in the MAISON DÉCALÉ store for example, and even meet the always affable players.

Side events are also part of the program, such as the traditional parades in town on the eve of the finals, beach-polo sessions at low tide or kids-polo exhibition games at the opening of the finals.

There is not a more festive and more „simple“ place to discover and tame the oldest team sport than in Deauville in August and therefore it is not to be missed!

www.deauvillepoloclub.com