Park Place

Europe, Polo News

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

Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup Final 2021

23. August 2021

Park Place 5 -4 Monterosso for the Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup
Bardon 10 – 9 UAE Polo Team for the Talacrest Trophy in extra time

Park Place made history at Guards Polo Club today. Andrey Borodin’s squad is the first team to add their names to the impressive, 22-goal Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup. However Alessandro Bazzoni’s Monterosso team made Park Place work hard for this win, keeping themselves in contention until the final bell. There was little between these two sides for much of the match, with both teams producing strong defensive play which kept the goal judges idle. Park Place had a narrow 3-1 lead at half-time but
the players, and the packed grandstands knew that the advantage was on a knife-edge and could change at any time. There had only been a goal between these two sides when they met in the league stages of the Club’s newest tournament, again in favour of Park Place (9-8), and this match was heading the same way.

In the fifth Facundo Pieres turned up the heat a little, making the most of some space to push Park Place ahead 4-3. When he had the chance to successfully convert a penalty many wondered if this was the moment that Park Place would now run away with the match. Ignacio Toccalino had other ideas. He successfully converted a penalty to put Monterosso very much back in contention. Facundo Sola had two chances for Monterosso in the sixth but sent them wide and as nobody else had a shot at goal in this final period
the score remained stuck at 5-4, confirming Park Place’s victory.

John Collins, the founder of Talacrest and sponsor of this new high-goal tournament, produced some amazing prizes for all players – and match officials – on finals day, including Cartier watches for the winners. Juan Britos was named Talacrest Most Valuable Player while Machitos Puccini, owned by Monterosso and played by Facundo Sola, was named the Talacrest Best Playing Pony. This seven-year-old bay mare is one of Sola’s favourites.

Appropriately for a title sponsor who is the world’s most experienced classic Ferrari dealer, having sold in excess of about 1,750 Ferrari, to the value of more than $1billion, the teams were not introduced on the field on horseback but from an impressive array of Ferrari. A former high-goal polo patron himself John Collins said when signing this new partnership: “I have been involved with polo at Guards Polo Club for more than 30 years and so am thrilled to be able to support the Club in this high-goal competition. I know from first-hand experience of playing high-goal at Guards that the opportunity for players to compete at the highest level on the best grounds is invaluable.”

Five teams entered this first edition of the Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup, with each team playing the others over the previous three weeks. So both teams in the sub final for the Talacrest Trophy, Sheikha Maitha’s UAE Polo Team and Andras Tombor’s Bardon, had met before to . In that encounter the UAE team had comfortably won 13-8. So Bardon came to this game having done their homework and dominated the first half. Matias Machado, who was later named the Talacrest Trophy Most Valuable Player was outstanding in the first half, putting Bardon comfortably ahead 7-2. UAE Polo Team, no stranger to the big occasion, closed the gap in the second half, forcing this match into extra time. This was the first time in the entire tournament that overtime had to be played. Bardon were awarded a penalty early into the extra time which Fran Elizalde converted to win the match 10-9.

Images by IMAGES OF POLO

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Park Place 5 -4 Monterosso for the Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup Bardon 10 – 9 UAE Polo Team for the Talacrest Trophy in extra time Park Place…

Europe, Polo News

Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup Day 8

19. August 2021

Bardon Polo Team 10 – 9 Vikings & Monterosso 9 – 8 UAE Polo Team (rec 1 goal)

It was only on the completion of the final league matches of the 2021 edition of the Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup that Park Place, and all high-goal polo fans, learned who would be joining Andrey Borodin’s team in Sunday’s final. That honour will go to Monterosso following their tight but impressive win over the UAE Polo Team. Sheikha Maitha’s team were probably favourites to win this match as they had seemed to be getting stronger and stronger as the tournament progressed, but today they could not get past a focused Monterosso. Admittedly UAE were without the talented 15-year-old Lucas Monteverde Junior who was unwell. Stepping into his boots was the four-goaler Cesar Crespo. A change of line-up always unsettles a team but Crespo is no stranger to the big occasion and slotted in well. So it was hard to predict which way this game would go, even when some brilliant play from Facundo Sola and Cubi Toccalino put Monterosso ahead 5-2 early in the third. Alfredo Capella fired through two goals to bring UAE Polo Team very much back into contention (5-4) at half-time, while team-mate Barto Castagnola produced a lovely run on his own at the start of the fourth to level the scores (5-5). From then on though Monterosso were in the driving seat. Spectators on The Queen’s Ground and those watching the live stream were treated to some fabulous runs and very few whistles. Sola in particular was playing superbly and inspiring the rest of his team to raise their game, giving Monterosso a three-goal advantage going into the sixth. Tension in the UAE team had started to show, with Capella receiving a yellow card for an incident at the end of the fifth chukka. The subsequent penalty saw Toccalino increase Monterosso’s lead. UAE Polo Team were not giving up without a fight though and two goals from the “super sub” Crespo put them right back in the mix. With a minute left to play UAE won a 30-yard penalty which Capella fired through with ease, closing the gap to just one goal once again. Time was the enemy now though and on the bell Monterosso not only won the game 9-8 but earned themselves a finals ticket for Sunday.

Andras Tombor’s Bardon team were looking for their first win in this tournament and like Monterosso brought their A game to the Duke’s Ground earlier today. With Max Voelker on his way to the USA to take up a soccer scholarship at university, Noor Khadra came into the team. Like the UAE Polo Team, this change in personnel undoubtedly unsettled the team but Khadra is also used to the big occasion – he subbed for David Paradice for some of Scone Polo’s games in the Queen’s Cup – and he fitted in from the first
whistle. Vikings were looking for their second win but Bardon were determined to win this match from the start. They had gone down after some close battles in previous games and wanted a different result today. Fran Elizalde was firing through the goals in the early chukkas to give Bardon a 4-1 lead at the start of the third. Penalties by the sharp-shooting Juan Martin Zubia brought Vikings back into contention 4-3 in the third and a lovely field goal from the young Argentine levelled the scores at half-time. Vikings dominated the early stages of the fourth with some great teamwork between Sebastian Merlos and Zubia, giving Vikings a two-goal advantage (6-4). Elizalde, who had a stand-out game today, levelled the scores once more only for Chris Mackenzie to win a horse race against Matias Machado to give Vikings the narrowest of leads on the bell. The fifth was almost a carbon copy of the previous chukka; but this time it was Bardon’s Bigatti who scored to give his team the advantage going into the final chukka (9-8). Zubia scored when pouncing on a loose ball to level the scores again, only for Elizalde to convert a 30-yard penalty. There was now just three minutes left and the score read 10-9 to Bardon. A shot from Bigatti went wide and a melee in the Bardon goal also resulted in the ball going wide, guaranteeing a Bardon victory at the final bell. Due to the who beat who rule, this win also means that it will be Bardon who will play UAE Polo Team in the Talacrest Trophy sub final on Sunday morning.

Next Games – Sunday 22 August
11am Duke’s Ground Talacrest Trophy: UAE Polo Team v Bardon
3.30pm Queen’s Ground Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup
Final: Park Place v Monterosso

Photos by IMAGES OF POLO

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Bardon Polo Team 10 – 9 Vikings & Monterosso 9 – 8 UAE Polo Team (rec 1 goal)It was only on the completion of the final league matches of the…

Europe, Polo News

Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup Day 7

16. August 2021

Park Place 10 – 9 Vikings

Andrey Borodin’s Park Place secured their place in the final of the first Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup by maintaining their unbeaten run after four league games. However Vikings almost spoilt Park Place’s clean sheet on The Queen’s Ground this afternoon. Despite trailing 8-5 at the start of the fifth chukka Vikings suddenly started to pile on the pressure. Juan Martin Zubia converted a penalty and after plenty of action in the Park Place goal, Sebastian Merlos scored. He then found the equaliser on the bell and it was now Park Place who were under pressure. Facundo Pieres received a yellow card at the start of the sixth and then some great play from Max Voelker and Chris Mackenzie saw Vikings take the lead, 9-8. With two minutes left to play in this heart-stopping sixth chukka, Pieres fired through the equaliser. Both sides had delivered a edge-of-the-seat game of polo and not surprisingly were determined that this game would not go into extra time. Britos and Mackenzie in particular were focused on keeping the other from the ball. Then with just seconds remaining Pieres launched a big hit to goal – the winning shot. So Park Place finish their league run as the first placed team in the tournament but they will have to wait until Wednesday to know who their opponents in Sunday’s final will be.

Next Games – Wednesday 18 August

12noon: Bardon Polo Team v Vikings

3pm: Monterosso v UAE Polo Team

Photos by IMAGES OF POLO

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Park Place 10 – 9 Vikings Andrey Borodin’s Park Place secured their place in the final of the first Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup by maintaining their unbeaten run…

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Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup – Day 6

16. August 2021

UAE Polo 13 – 8 Bardon

UAE Polo Team look stronger in each game in the Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup and today was no exception. They bore no resemblance to the team that were well beaten by Park Place last Sunday. Today they delivered a strong, big hitting performance against Bardon on the Duke’s Ground. Brilliant team-work plus some impressive two-man play from Alfredo Capella and Barto Castagnola delivered this win. With the 15-year-old Lucas Monteverde Junior delivering some outstanding play, including connecting with penalty shots in the air, the UAE team were in command from the third chukka. Sadly Andras Tombor’s team failed to convert some good play into goals, although they did keep fighting to the end. This result means that Bardon are still hunting their first win with just one match left for them ,to play while the UAE Polo Team are now looking like serious contenders for the final.

Next Match

Sunday 15 August at 4pm: Park Place v Vikings at Guards Polo Club

All games can be watched live at Guards TV

Photos by IMAGES OF POLO

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UAE Polo 13 – 8 Bardon UAE Polo Team look stronger in each game in the Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup and today was no exception. They bore no…

Europe, Polo News

Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup – Day 5

13. August 2021

Park Place 9- 8 Monterosso on The Castle Ground

Park Place are the only team to have secured three wins so far in the Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup and so are in a strong position to secure their place in the final on Sunday 22^nd August. Park Place initially showed their dominance in this match against Monterosso, who have one win under their belt, with Park Place leading 6-2 at half-time. Facundo Pieres, who scored seven goals in this match, was impressive in the third chukka, firing through four goals in this period of play Facundo Sola and Matt Perry started to make their presence felt in the second half for Monterosso, with Park Place suddenly looking vulnerable. Some good defensive play from Will Harper kept Monterosso at bay in the fourth but Sola, Perry and Cubi Toccalino all scored in the fifth to bring the scores level 7-7. Pieres converted a 30-yarder at the end of the fifth to give Park Place a narrow 8-7 lead going into the sixth, bur this was now anyone’s game. Juan Britos put Park Place two ahead with a lovely shot to goal in traffic only for Toccalino to get one back for Monterosso. With a huge hit from distance from Britos going wide, Toccalino was on a run to goal when the final whistle blew. As the commentators reflected, another minute could have easily sent this game into extra time., it was that tight at the end.

Next game
Saturday 14 August: Bardon Polo Team v UAE Polo Team
All matches are available to view live at Guards TV

Photos by IMAGES OF POLO

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Park Place 9- 8 Monterosso on The Castle Ground Park Place are the only team to have secured three wins so far in the Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup…

Europe, Polo News

Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup – Day 4

13. August 2021

UAE Polo Team 11 – 8 Vikings

The UAE Polo Team’s first game in the Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup last Saturday had seen them struggle against an in-form Park Place. The team did not appear to gel but it was the first time that this quartet – HH Sheikha Maitha, Lucas Monteverde Junior, Barto Castagnola and Alfredo Capella – had played together. That match report concluded with the words “UAE will build on that experience for their next match”. Build they did today, the UAE Polo Team delivering some strong, cohesive play to win this match and put themselves very much back into contention in this new high-goal tournament.

Vikings, again playing Max Voelker at one in place of their patron and with a win already under their belts, offered a tough opposition. They might have been trailing 4-2 at the end of the second chukka but had put themselves comfortably ahead by two goals (7-5) at the end of the fourth, with Chris Mackenzie, who scored a hat-trick in this match, and Juan Martin Zubia delivering strong performances.

The direction of this game changed again in the fifth when the UAE Polo Team were awarded three penalties. These were successfully converted by Castagnola and Capella to put UAE ahead once more (8-7). Perhaps more importantly Vikings failed to score at all in this chukka. Although at this level of polo it was still very much game on, even when Castagnola delivered a lovely angled shot to goal at the very beginning of the sixth. Zubia converted a 30-yard penalty with four minutes left on the clock to keep Vikings’ hopes alive. However, when the UAE Polo Team were awarded a couple of penalties in the final two minutes – successfully converted by the huge hitting Capella – the UAE Polo Team’s victory was assured.

Next Game

Thursday 13 August at 3pm: Park Place v Monterosso on The Castle Ground, Flemish Farm
All matches streamed live at Guards TV

Photos by IMAGES OF POLO

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UAE Polo Team 11 – 8 Vikings The UAE Polo Team’s first game in the Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup last Saturday had seen them struggle against an in-form…

Europe, Polo News

Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup Day 3

9. August 2021

Park Place 10 – 5 UAE Polo Team & Monterosso Polo Team 11 – 9 Bardon

Park Place secured their second win of the Talacrest Prince of Wales Championship Cup tournament. They had a convincing victory over HH Sheikha Maitha’s UAE Polo Team, beating them in the rain on the Duke’s Ground 10-5. Facundo Pieres and Juan Britos were in excellent form, ensuring Park Place were 5-1 up at half-time. The UAE Team, playing in a new combination for the first time – nine-goaler Bartolome Castagnola wearing a UAE shirt for this tournament – took time to gel and gave away too many penalties in the first half. UAE Polo Team started to find their form in the second with the big hitting Alfredo Capella and Castagnola closing the gap to 6-4 going into the sixth chukka. Park Place then upped a gear and great team-work from Pieres, Britos and Will Harper saw them score four goals in this final chukka, ensuring they head to their third match on Thursday, against Monterosso with two good wins under their belt. Castagnola got one back for his new team in the final minutes of this match and with this first game played, UAE Polo Team will build on that experience for their next match, against Vikings, on Wednesday.

Both Monterosso and Bardon were looking for that all important first win after going down by just one goal apiece in their opening games earlier in the week. However it is Monterosso that go into week two feeling a little calmer as they won today 11-9. This was a tense and feisty game which saw Facundo Sola being sent off for two minutes in the first chukka after an incident with Alfredo Bigatti, while the umpires showed a couple of yellow cards later in the game. There was nothing between these two teams for much of the match, reflected in the 5-5 scoreline at half-time. Monterosso managed to put some air in the score at the end of the fourth (9-7), with Ignacio Toccalino, Matt Perry and Sola all adding to their team’s tally. Perry in particular had a particularly strong game for Monterosso, always in the right place at the right time and winning the odd horse race against Matias Machado. The tension really showed in the fifth with only Toccalino finding the flags, a spot hit from over 100 yards out from the goal line. Monterosso’s patron was the first to score in the sixth chukka, only for Bigatti and Machado to produce two impressive goals to close the gap. Time was against Bardon now though and on the final bell victory went to Monterosso.

Next Game

Wednesday 11 August: 2pm: UAE Polo Team v Vikings

Photos by IMAGES OF POLO

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Park Place 10 – 5 UAE Polo Team & Monterosso Polo Team 11 – 9 Bardon Park Place secured their second win of the Talacrest Prince of Wales Championship Cup…

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Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup, Day 2

6. August 2021

Park Place 9 – 8 Bardon

Andrey Borodin’s Park Place had a winning debut in the Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup tournament this afternoon but Bardon made them work hard for this victory. Like yesterday’s opening game, there was little air between these two teams in all six chukkas. Park Place, featuring Borodin, Will Harper, Juan Britos and Facundo Pieres, had a narrow 1-goal advantage (4-3) at the half-time break but Andras Tombor’s Bardon were very much still in the mix.

Bardon, who won the 18-goal Indian Empire Shield just last month, may be playing in the 22-goal for the first time but showed today that they mean business. Fran Elizalde, Alfredo Bigatti and Matias Machado made a formidable opposition and those watching live on The Queen’s Ground at Guards Polo Club or catching it live on Guards TV were treated to some fast-paced polo, particularly in the second half. There were some great horse races between Elizalde and Pieres and Machado and Britos, despite the unseasonal August rain.

With the scores reading 7-7 as the teams headed into the sixth chukka there was still all to play for. Elizalde put Bardon in front only for Park Place to convert a penalty. Then with two minutes left on the clock Park Place took the ball to goal, with Britos in determined fashion firing through the winner. Bardon kept on battling but could not find another to push this game into extra time.

With such close games we are clearly going to be treated to some amazing late summer polo at Guards Polo Club.

Next games: Sunday 8 August

12noon: Park Place v UAE Polo Team

3pm: Bardon Polo Team v Monterosso

Photos by IMAGES OF POLO

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Park Place 9 – 8 Bardon Andrey Borodin’s Park Place had a winning debut in the Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup tournament this afternoon but Bardon made them…

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The UAE Polo Team win The Cartier Queen’s Cup 2021

28. June 2021

HH Sheikha Maitha bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the daughter of the Ruler of Dubai, and her UAE Polo Team won the Cartier Queen’s Cup 2021. They beat Scone Polo on The Queen’s Ground at Guards Polo Club in six exciting chukkas. Cartier has proudly sponsored this high-goal tournament since 2012 and has been a supporter of polo worldwide for more than 35 years.

Fifteen world-class teams entered this year’s tournament and have been playing over the past three weeks in a bid to reach the final. The Cartier Queen’s Cup final was a thrilling and competitive match. HH Sheikha Maitha and the UAE Polo Team defeated David Paradice’s Scone Polo, adding their name to the trophy for the first time. Scone Polo were favourites to win this final as they feature the World’s Number One player Adolfo Cambiaso and his talented, 15-year-old son Adolfo Cambiaso Junior but some fabulous play from the UAE Polo Team’s Tomy Beresford, Tomas Panelo and Polito Pieres ensured that the UAE team won 10-6.

HH Sheikha Maitha received the prestigious silver cup from Cartier UK Managing Director, Laurent Feniou. Team-mate, 21-year-old Tomas Panelo was named the Cartier Most Valuable Player, while JB Bleach, an 11-year-old chestnut mare, owned by the UAE Polo Team and played this afternoon by Polito Pieres received the Cartier Best Playing Pony prize. This pony was bred by the former England polo team captain James Beim.

Before the main match presentations, Laurent Feniou presented the trophy to the Park Place team. This subsidiary final had been played for earlier in the day. Park Place, without their injured patron Andrey Borodin, defeated Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha’s King Power team 12-9 in a close game that delivered some wonderfully fast-paced polo. King Power’s patron did not go home empty handed though as he was named the Most Valuable Player.

Cartier was delighted to celebrate the Cartier Queen’s Cup final once again in the company of friends of the Maison. Guests enjoyed an intimate lunch and afternoon tea in the Cartier enclosure, followed by this exciting polo match. Amongst notable attendees were Cartier Ambassadors Ramla Ali and Maisie Williams. Ikram Abdi, Grace Carter, Ellie Goulding, Laura Haddock, Michael Halpern, Naomie Harris, Damson Idris, Christopher Kane, Candice Lake, Tinie Tempah, Saffron Vadher, Micheal Ward.

UAE Polo Team: HH Sheikha Maitha (0); Tomas Panelo (6); Polito Pieres (9); Tomas Beresford (7)
Scone Polo: David Paradice (0); Adolfo Cambiaso Jnr (6); Isidro Strada (6); Adolfo Cambiaso (10)
Park Place: Andrey Borodin/Emily Johnson (0); Juan Britos (8); Facundo Pieres (10); William Harper (4)
King Power: Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabnha (1); Charles Cooney (3); Hilario Ulloa (10); Francisco Elizalde (8)