Murus Sanctus

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20. June 2023

Murus Sanctus 11 – 10 La Magdeleine The Queen’s Ground

Navigating through a deep field of 17 teams over four weeks of elite competition, Murus Sanctus and La Magdeleine went head-to-head on the historic Queen’s Ground to crown a new Cartier Queen’s Cup champion. Posting an early penalty conversion off the mallet of La Magdeleine’s Santiago Laborde to open the scoring, Murus Sanctus was then on the attack, hitting three in the first chukka, including a Penalty 2 from Alejandro Muzzio to take a 3-1 lead. Taking advantage of Murus Sanctus’s foul troubles in the second, three penalties from La Magdeleine’s Pablo MacDonough were answered by two goals in open play from a driving Polito Pieres to maintain Murus Sanctus’ narrow one-goal advantage. With a combined five field shots between the two teams in the third, the accuracy of these evenly matched opponents was on full display before the half-time bell. MacDonough and Facundo Fernandez Llorente found the goal in the third chukka, as Marcos Araya and Pieres delivered for Murus Sanctus. These deadlocked teams made their way into the tents tied 7-7 at the break.

Emerging with a charge, Murus Sanctus generated some much-needed air in the score to open the second half of play. Pieres and Muzzio worked beautifully in tandem from the field to combine for three goals and give Murus Sanctus a 10-7 lead. Generating only two shots with no opportunities to score from penalties, La Magdeleine was forced to make a late push in the sixth chukka. Rebounding on back-to-back goals from MacDonough and Santiago Laborde, La Magdeleine managed to cut their deficit down to one. Stifling La Magdeleine’s sudden momentum, a brilliant drive from Pieres was all Murus Sanctus needed to hold off MacDonough’s final effort and ensure Murus Sanctus held on for an electrifying 11-10 victory to capture their first Cartier Queen’s Cup title.

Murus Sanctus’s Corinne Ricard received Queen’s Cup from Cartier’s Managing Director Laurent Feniou. Not surprisingly, thanks to an impressive, seven-goal performance, including six in open play, Polito Pieres was named the Cartier Most Valuable Player. Meanwhile, the Cartier Best Playing Pony prize was awarded to Irenita La Kiosquera, played by Pablo MacDonough.

Earlier in the day, Vikings defeated Twelve Oaks 10-9 in the sub final for the Cartier Trophy on The Duke’s Ground. This was a stop/start game full of penalties, highlighting the tension and determination from both teams to secure a win on the last day of such a magnificent competition. A Cartier Most Valuable Player prize was awarded to Juan Martin Zubia of the Vikings team.

Photos by Pablo Ramirez

Murus Sanctus 11 – 10 La Magdeleine The Queen’s Ground Navigating through a deep field of 17 teams over four weeks of elite competition, Murus Sanctus and La Magdeleine went…

Europe, Polo News

Cartier Queen’s Cup Day 6

23. May 2022

Park Place 13 – 11 Murus Sanctus The Castle Ground- Flemish Farm
Great Oaks LL 14 – 9 Vikings The Queen’s Ground

The last team to make their 2022 debut in the Cartier Queen’s Cup, Park Place, led by 10-goaler Facundo Pieres, wasted no time getting out to an early 3-2 lead against Murus Sanctus on the Castle Ground at Flemish Farm. Scoring three consecutive goals from the trio of Pieres, Francisco Elizalde and Will Harper, Park Place’s high-powered attack carried through the rest of the first half. Murus Sanctus’s Marcos Araya contributed his second field goal to keep his team within one, but the relentless attack of Park Place allowed them to extend their lead at half-time (7-4). Exchanging penalty goals in the fourth chukka, a second yellow awarded to Alfredo Cappella sent him off for two minutes and allowed Park Place to extend their lead further, holding a commanding 13-8 lead with one chukka remaining. Despite denying their opponents from the scoreboard for the first time in the match, Murus Sanctus’ final effort fell just short and was not enough to overturn an eight-goal performance from Pieres in a 13-11 victory for Park Place.

The second match of Sunday’s doubleheader featured a match-up between Dillon Bacon’s Great Oaks LL, in search of their first victory, against Siri Evjemo-Nysveen’s Vikings who have already registered a win. Converting six penalty each, the difference ultimately came down to Great Oaks LL’s ability to succeed from the field. With little separating the two teams in the first chukka, Great Oaks LL turned to their duo of Bacon and Cruz Heguy, who combined for three goals to take their first lead of the match and exit the second chukka ahead 5-3. Held to just two shots in the entire first half, Vikings relied on the penalty shooting of Juan Martin Zubia, who took advantage of two yellows to Juan Martin Nero to add two penalty goals and keep Vikings within two, trailing 7-5 at half-time. With the pressure mounting in open play and Great Oaks LL pushing Vikings into their own half, the fourth chukka saw Great Oaks LL finally break through, dominating possession to score five goals, including three penalty conversions for Heguy. Facing a six-goal deficit, Vikings attempted to pull back within reach, but were unable to generate enough chances from the field, finishing with just three field goals on nine shots. Receiving two field goals from all four players, Great Oaks LL secured their first victory with the convincing 14-9 outcome to end this first week of play in the 2022 edition of the Cartier Queen’s Cup.

Tuesday’s Fixtures

12pm – La Magdeleine vs Park Place Vaara at TBC
3pm – Dubai Polo Team vs Clinova at TBC

All games are being livestreamed by Guards TV in association with Polocam TV. Go to https://guards.polocam.tv/package

Photos by IMAGES OF POLO

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Park Place 13 – 11 Murus Sanctus The Castle Ground- Flemish Farm Great Oaks LL 14 – 9 Vikings The Queen’s Ground The last team to make their 2022 debut…

Europe, Polo News

Cartier Queen’s Cup Day 3

20. May 2022

Scone Polo 10 – 9 Great Oaks LL Les Lions
Vikings 12 – 11 Murus Sanctus The Castle Ground- Flemish Farm

Scone Polo, finalists in this competition last year, made their 2022 debut today against Great Oaks LL at Les Lions. Substituting for Monterosso’s David Stirling on Wednesday, Adolfo Cambiaso Jnr (Poroto) was back on the field for Scone Polo. Kicking off their season without an injured Adolfo Cambiaso, a rearranged line-up of Guillermo Terrera, Kian Hall and Rosendo Torreguitar gave Scone Polo the early advantage with one goal on handicap. Responding to their one goal deficit, Great Oaks LL’s Cruz Heguy kick-started their attack with four first half goals, including three penalty conversions to give his team a two-goal lead at half-time. Scone Polo found their stride in the second half, with contributions from Terrera and Hall combining for four goals in the fourth chukka, along with Cambiaso’s third goal of the match to re-take an 8-5 lead. Following a sharp defensive performance from Scone Polo, Heguy took advantage of Scone Polo’s foul troubles to convert two more conversions from the 40-yard line to keep Great Oaks LL in contention. Matching each other stride-for stride with four goals in open play and three successful conversions each, a final drive from Cambiaso and the handicap differential made all the difference, with Scone Polo emerging victorious 10-9.

In the second match of the day, Murus Sanctus and Vikings made their 2022 Cartier Queen’s Cup debuts on the majestic Castle Ground at Flemish Farm. Finding early success from the penalty line, Viking’s Juan Martin Zubia was a perfect 4 for 4 at the penalty line in the first half to overcome a slow start in the field, with Vikings only managing two goals from Zubia and Mark Tomlinson on eight shots from open play. Relying on their early accuracy in the field to overcome their five fouls committed in the first half, Murus Sanctus’s trio of Marcos Araya, Facundo Sola and Alfredo Cappella combined for six goals, including two conversions from Sola as the two teams remained deadlocked, 6-6, at the break. Resuming play with grit and determination, goals from Araya and Cappella gave Murus Sanctus a three-goal advantage going into the later stages of the match. Turning the tables to claw back into the lead, Vikings’ Diego Cavanagh hit his first of the match in open play, as Zubia continued to take advantage of Murus Sanctus’s foul troubles. Sending a Penalty 4 through the goal posts, Zubia tied the game at 11-all with six minutes remaining as the two teams remained in a fierce battle until the final seconds. Inside the final minute, a Murus Sanctus foul sent Zubia to the penalty line where he converted his eighth penalty goal as time expired and a triumphant Vikings team captured a 12-11 win.

Tomorrow’s Fixtures – Friday 20 May

12:30 am – Dubai Polo Team vs Thai Polo NP at Coworth Park 1
3:30 pm – La Magdaleine vs Clinova at TBC

All games are being livestreamed by Guards TV in association with Polocam TV. Go to https://guards.polocam.tv/package

Photos by IMAGES OF POLO

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Scone Polo 10 – 9 Great Oaks LL Les Lions Vikings 12 – 11 Murus Sanctus The Castle Ground- Flemish Farm Scone Polo, finalists in this competition last year, made…