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🎉 Celebrating 20 Amazing Years, POLO+10 Issue 2024 I will go to press in just 4 weeks 🎉 Advertise now!

20. September 2023

POLO+10 offers the best opportunity to present your business or club to the niche market of the global polo community and their luxury lifestyle fans and followers.

Contact POLO+10 now to explore the options of sharing information about your high-end lifestyle products and offers, your club insights or tournaments with the exclusive polo market.

With POLO+10, you can flexibly combine print and digital media advertising to maximize your reach. The deadline for print advertisements is October 10th, 2023. As always, we will share the latest news from the international polo community: a review of the most important events, new polo formats in the USA, fresh impulses in Africa, interviews, personalities, opinions, and interesting lifestyle and travel topics.

Don’t miss out: Subscribe to POLO+10 WORLD for Autumn 2023 and Spring 2024 here: subscription@poloplus10.com

All media data for corporate publishing and PR can be found at

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POLO+10 offers the best opportunity to present your business or club to the niche market of the global polo community and their luxury lifestyle fans and followers. Contact POLO+10 now…

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2023 Finals OPEN DE FRANCE: A Polo Highlight

20. September 2023

Eighteen teams at the start, eight in the women‘s category, and two (times two) at the finish line. After a flamboyant qualifying phase (50 games) that gave rise to some sublime battles over three weeks, four fine teams faced each other on Sunday afternoon at the Ferme d‘Apremont, home of the Chantilly Polo Club, in front of… a lot of people! The French Open was a resounding success, with TTR Sotheby in the women‘s category and Kazak in the men‘s category coming out on top after a game of insane intensity that went into extra time. Two finals that will be remembered for a long time writing a new chapter in the history of the Open de France.

First title for Kazak

Kazak has been competing for four years now and this magnificent team won its first title, one of the most coveted on the international circuit, in Apremont on Sunday. An incredibly intense game and polo of the highest quality, thanks to some horses worthy of Palermo. From one end of the game to the other, the teams gave blow for blow, none of them managing to get the upper hand. And as is often the case in such evenly matches, it was in extra time that the 23rd Open de France was decided. After a decisive pass from Nico Pieres, Antonio Heguy scored the golden goal in front of his father, polo legend Pepe Heguy. For Nico Pieres, it was his first participation in the Open de France and his first victory: „I‘m happy, obviously, but I‘m especially happy for this fine Kazak team, who gave themselves the means to win this title by investing in the right horses. It was a very complicated game to win and I knew it was going to be tough because I have watched Amanara‘s games. I knew the score was going to be very close. In the extra chukker, I had to be patient and not rush things and that worked. It is the first time I have played polo at this level, and the first time I have played a tournament with eighteen teams, and I was surprised by the level of polo that was played here. It is a good preparation for the Argentinian Triple Crown, which I will be flying to tomorrow, but for the moment I don‘t want to think about that because tonight we are going to celebrate this French victory as we should.”

Women‘s Open: second appearance and second victory for world No. 1 Nina Clarkin

With three of the four best female players in the world, all of whom have won the Argentine Open, the pinnacle of the sport for both men and women, the Women’s Open de France reached an exceptional level for its 12th edition. In the end, it was the two English female 10-goalers who came face to face, just as they did in Palermo (the Argentine championship stadium) last year and in Chantilly in 2018! It took a while for the game to get going and it really took off in the third chukker. The promise of an intense battle between the two Englishwomen was fulfilled, but in the end, it was Nina Clarkin‘s experience that sealed the deal: „It was a great tournament this year with some very good teams. Some of the games were very tough, like this final, but it is a fantastic tournament with a great organization,“ said the world‘s best female player. “We were lucky enough to be able to bring our own horses here. It was a really great week, especially as it ended with a win. A game against Hazel is always difficult, she is a great player and very combative. We really had to fight. They got the better of us at the start of the game, but we recovered at the end of the second half to hold on. Little Margaux (Guillemin) has really helped us and she is a great surprise. We needed a fourth player with a handicap of 0 and the organizers suggested us this young Frenchwoman who has a lot of talent and whom we didn‘t know at all: but I don‘t think she‘ll remain unknown for long.” Like the men, Nina will now turn her attention to Argentina, where she will be defending her title with La Dolfina alongside Mia Cambiaso: „I always enjoy playing over there with this team, especially as I have some top quality horses over there. The Argentine Open is now my goal for the end of the season.”

Trophée Castel: battle of the juniors and victory for Mustang Polo Team

This festive day ended with a nice bonus: the final of the Trophée Castel, which pitted two French teams against each other, and in particular two juniors with great hopes for the future of French polo. The battle between two childhood friends, Elouan Badarello and Ulysse Eisenchteter, as well as his sister Noémie, was won by the former, who scored two magnificent and important goals, as Mustang Polo Team took the last victory of these magnificent three weeks by the narrowest of margins.

Most of these champions will be back on the road tomorrow, or rather on the plane to Argentina, where the Triple Crown tournaments await them, the peak of the international season ending in apotheosis with the Argentine Opens, reserved for the ten best teams in the world, and therefore the forty best players in the world: fourteen of them were in Chantilly, which puts the Open de France on the world map of top-level polo. We are a little sad to see these players, horses and petiseros who have brought so much joy to the Chantilly Polo Club leave, letting the club gradually return to its winter structure. But only gradually as next week the French Championships are starting, marking the end of the green season.

Photos by Adèle Renauldon – R&B Presse

TEAMS AND PROGRESSION

23rd Open de France

Kazak: Sébastien Aguettant (FRA 0), Beltran Laulhe (ARG 3, 2 goals), Antonio Heguy (ARG 5, 1 goal) et Nico Pieres (ARG 8, 8 goals)

Amanara (17): Nicky Sen (HOL 0), Lorenzo Chavanne (ARG 4, 2 goals), Santiago Chavanne (ARG 7, 3 goals), Benjamin Panelo (ARG 6, 4 goals).

Progression Kazak: 3-2 / 4-5 / 6-5 / 8-7 / 9-9 / 10-9 (OT)

MVP: Beltran Laulhe (ARG 3)

Best amateur player of the final by Soriano Motori: Sébastien Aguettant (Kazak)

BPP: V8 Back Home, owned by Nicky Sen and played by Lorenzo Chavanne (Amanara)

Best Argentinian studbook horse in the final (AACCP BPP) : Open Exquisita, jouée par Nicolas Pieres (Kazak).

12th Women’s Open de France

TTR Sotheby’s: Margaux Guillemin (FRA 0), Laura Farell (GBR 1, 1 goal), Lucy Coddington (GBR 5, 4 goals dont 3 pénalités) et Nina Clarkin (GBR 10, 2 goals dont 1 pénalité)

La Mariposa Polo Team: Annalise Phillips (USA 1), Nina Fruehaufn (ALL 0), Rebecca Walters (GBR 5, 3 goals) et Hazel Jackson (GBR 10, 2 goals dont 1 pénalité)

Progression TTR Sotheby’s: 0-1 / 3-3 / 4-3 / 6-5.

MVP: Nina Clarkin (TTR Sotheby’s)

Rookie of the tournament: Margaux Guillemin (14 years old – TTR Sotheby’s)

BPP by Majoa: Lovelocks Florin, Nina Clarkin (TTR Sotheby’s)

Trophée Castel 2023

Mustang Polo Team: Françoise Okala (FRA 0), Elouan Badarello (FRA 0, 2 goals), Nicolas Lopez Fuentes (ARG 3, 3 goals) et Tete Fanelli (ARG 5,3 goals)

Mungo: Ulysse Eisenchteter (FRA 0, 1 goal), Noémie Eisenchteter (FRA -1, 2 goals), Jules Legoubin (FRA 3, 1 goal) et Pierre Henri N’Goumou (FRA 6, 3 goals)

Progression Mustang Polo Team: 1-1 / 3-2 / 6-5 / 8/7

MVP: Elouan Badarello (Mustang)

BPP: Absolute Revoltosa owned and ridden by Pierre Henri Ngoumou (Mungo)

Eighteen teams at the start, eight in the women‘s category, and two (times two) at the finish line. After a flamboyant qualifying phase (50 games) that gave rise to some…

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POLO+10 meet India Parker-Smith

19. September 2023

POLO+10 meet India Parker-Smith and equestrian fitness coach and founder of Chukka Wellness, who helps the teams improve performance through improved wellness.

POLO+10 meet India Parker-Smith and equestrian fitness coach and founder of Chukka Wellness, who helps the teams improve performance through improved wellness. https://youtu.be/YYzljmx7qjU

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POLO+10 meet Lia Salvo

19. September 2023

POLO+10 meet Lia Salvo (9Goal) at the French Open Polo Tournament 2023 in Chantilly.

POLO+10 meet Lia Salvo (9Goal) at the French Open Polo Tournament 2023 in Chantilly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5cofvfHf1o

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POLO+10 meet Nina Clarkin

19. September 2023

POLO+10 meet Nina Clarkin (10Goal) after a thrilling game and fantastic win at the French Open Polo Tournament 2023 in Chantilly.

POLO+10 meet Nina Clarkin (10Goal) after a thrilling game and fantastic win at the French Open Polo Tournament 2023 in Chantilly. https://youtu.be/dX4MHnZDAzM

Polo News

Two dream finals on Sunday

18. September 2023

The semi-finals of both the women‘s and mixed Open de France were so spectacular that we can only look forward to two great finals on Sunday (12 p.m. for the women, 3.30 p.m. for the mixed). Both competitions have taken another step forward this year.

The women will be kicking off Sunday’s competition with a clash between two English teams, those of 10-goalers Hazel Jackson and Nina Clarkin.

To access the final, Hazel Jackson, pillar of La Mariposa Polo Team, had to work hard as her team was being lead 4-1 in the second chukker. At this stage of the match, Lia Salvo and her Augustinus Bader team seemed to have the game in hand. Little did they know that the 4 goals were all they would mark today: the Mariposa Polo Team, and above all Hazel Jackson, scored 4 more goals in quick succession to emerge victorious with a 5-4 score. A cruel remontada.

Three outstanding French female players

In the other semi-final, French sisters Pearl and Lucie Venot put up a great fight, more than holding their own against the world‘s best player, England‘s Nina Clarkin, who had to fight hard to keep the score at 7-4, the smallest gap realized by TTR Sotheby‘s since the start of the tournament. Another piece of good news for French polo was the performance of the very young Margaux Guillemin, called in by Nina Clarkin to complete her team. At 14, Margaux is the youngest player in the history of this Women‘s Open and will be playing in the final in her first appearance at a tournament of this level, having even scored one of her team‘s seven goals. No doubt some of this talent is due to her genetics: her grandfather, Lionel Macaire, is still the best French player of all time.

Clash of titans

In yesterday‘s first final at the La Magdeleine club, the home team and their Kazak neighbors went head-to-head. For the first four chukkers, neither team was able to break away from the other; there was never more than a one goal difference with each team taking its turn at the lead. It all came down to the final chukker when Nico Pieres and his two young teammates, Antonio Heguy (20) and Beltran Laulhe (16), gave the all-important boost needed to win by two goals. “The talent of the young generation”, laughed Nico Pieres. It‘s true that my two teammates were more than valuable to me today. I used to be the youngest in my teams, and now I feel old. Well, not that old, despite being 32. But now I‘m looking at my son and I‘m already thinking about my succession.”

Nico, his captain Sébastien Aguettant and his two young warriors will meet a nice team, Amanara, in Sunday‘s final. Put together by Germany‘s Nicky Sen, the team played a magnificent semi-final game in Chantilly on Friday. A great moment of polo that would not have been possible without a fine opponent. And Essso, lead by Facundo Sola, fulfilled this role well, even if the final score of 11-7 might suggest otherwise. „No, no,“ clarifies Nicky Sen, „this game was very balanced, it was a very difficult battle, we were luckier, more successful, converting more goal opportunities. In any case, I‘m happy, so happy, to be in the final on Sunday, it is a dream come true. We have been coming here for three or four years with this goal in mind, and now we have achieved it.” The team’s pillar, Argentinean 7-goaler Santiago Chavanne, who graced the crowd with some incredible actions together with his son, was no less happy: „Chantilly is the most beautiful tournament in Europe at this level, by far. The grounds are magnificent and eighteen teams is something incredible. Today was complicated: it was a semi-final and we wanted to reach the final at all costs.” On Sunday, Santiago and his team will meet Nico Pieres, a winner of the Argentine Open, but the strategy for this final was not yet on the agenda: „We first want to savor this victory and this place in the final, which was our objective. Tomorrow, we‘ll start working out our strategy for Sunday.” One of the strong points of this team is Santiago‘s understanding with his son Lorenzo, who at 15 years of age is shaping up to be a great player of the new generation: „Yes, we don‘t need to talk much. Today, we have changed the positions on the field. He used to play up front, but we swapped positions with Benja (Panelo), who was more of an attacking player. Lorenzo played in the middle, hinging the ball to us up front, and he handled this new role wonderfully.“ This did not prevent the new No.3 from scoring four of his team‘s twelve goals.

Sunday will be a day of celebration for polo in France with these two finals, as well as the Trophée Castel final, a great 8-goal tournament. A village awaits visitors (free access) with fifteen exhibitors offering polo related gear and art as well as interior design, gifts, cosmetics and a few foodtrucks to enjoy this beautiful day from 11 a.m. There will also be a children‘s pony game (2 p.m.) followed by a roda (polo on a wheel) competition, and fifty vintage cars from the Rallye de l‘Open to admire.

Women‘s semi-final teams and progressions:

La Mariposa Polo Team : Annalise Phillips (USA 1), Nina Fruehaufn (GER 0), Rebecca Walters (GBR, 5) and Hazel Jackson (GBR 10, 5 goals)

Augustinus Bader : Paloma Lauro (LUX, 0), Anais Rezkallah (FRA 2) , Lia Salvo (ARG 9, 2 goals) and Lucia Heyes (GER 3, 2 goals)

La Mariposa Polo Team : 1-2 / 1-4 / 3-4 / 5-4.

TTR Sotheby’s : Margaux Guillemin (FRA 0), Laura Farell (GBR 1, 1 goal), Lucy Coddington (GBR 5, 1 goal) and Nina Clarkin (GBR 10, 5 goals)

Yves Delorme : Marie Louise Haupt (GER, 3), Maike Holty (GER, 4), Pearl Venot (FRA 5, 2 goals) and Lucie Venot (FRA 3, 2 goals)

TTR Sotheby’s : 4-0 / 5-2 / 6-2 / 7-4.

Teams and semi-final progressions 23rd Open de France mixed :

Kazak (16) : Sébastien Aguettant (FRA 0), Beltran Laulhe (ARG 3, 2 goals), Antonio Heguy (ARG 5, 3 goals) et Nico Pieres (ARG 8, 6 goals)

La Magedeleine (16) : Alexandre Garese (FRA 0), Elena Venot (FRA 1), Facundo F Llorente (ARG 8, 3 goals) et Tito Ruiz Guiñazu (ARG 7, 5 goals)

Kazak: 2-2 / 5-4 / 7-8 / 9-8 / 11-9.

Amanara (17) : Nicky Sen (ALL 0), Lorenzo Chavanne (ARG 4, 4 goals), Santiago Chavanne (ARG 7, 3 goals), Benjamin Panelo (ARG 6, 5 goals).

Essso (16) : Ian Gallienne (FRA 0), William Harper (GBR 4), Facundo Sola (ARG 7, 6 goals), Javier Guerrero (ARG 5 1 goal).

Amanara : 1-3 / 6-3 / 8-3 / 10-6 / 12-8.

The semi-finals of both the women‘s and mixed Open de France were so spectacular that we can only look forward to two great finals on Sunday (12 p.m. for the…

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1400 Horses and 50 Teams at the Domaine de Chantilly Polo Club for Three Weeks!

29. August 2023

It won‘t be the Rugby World Cup – we‘ll be right in the middle of it (it kicks off on the 8th of September ) – but it will be the biggest international French polo tournament ever seen in France: the 23rd Open de France will welcome 18 polo teams from the 1st to the 17th of September!

And that‘s not all: together with the French Polo Federation, the club will also be offering 3 other tournaments during this period: the Trophée du Capitaine des Jeux (level 0-4), the Trophée Castel (6-8) and the Women’s Open de France (women‘s handicap 12-16). In all, some 1400 horses will be housed on the Ferme d‘Apremont site. To accommodate them, 840 demountable stables have been added to the permanent ones. To look after these four-legged athletes, some 250 petiseros (or grooms) will be on hand.

In addition to the 18 Open teams, 32 others will compete in the aforementioned further tournaments, 50 teams in all, or some 200 players (slightly fewer, as some will play several tournaments at a time) representing 15 nations: Argentina, Austria, Belgium, England, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA!

Competitors will include 14 of the world‘s top 40, players who qualified for the Argentine Open, including a former winner of this “Wimbledon of polo”, Nico Pieres, and 3 of the top 4 female players, including world No. 1, England‘s Nina Clarkin.

A legendary name in Chantilly

Antonio Heguy will join the Kazak team. This name of Basque origin is more than famous in the world of polo. Antonio is named after his great-grandfather, who was the first of the Heguy dynasty to win the legendary Argentine Open in 1958, alongside his eldest son, Horacio. The current Antonio‘s grandfather, Alberto-Pedro, and his uncle, Horacio, went on to dominate the Argentine Open for over 20 years, losing only four times between 1959 and 1981.

After a short break, the next generation took the reins in 1989 with Horacito, Gonzalo (who died in 2000) and Marcos, with a first victory in Palermo with the Indios Chapaleufù I team before Bautista joined them.

From 1991 to 2004, this generation would lose just five times, alternating with cousins from Indios Chapaleufù II, whose striker was Pepe Heguy, Antonio‘s father, alongside Duardo and Igancio. Incredible „genetics“, since of the fifty or so 10-goalers produced by Argentine polo since the beginning of the 20th century, 9 bore the Heguy name! In 1986, 1992, 1993 and 1995, the Indios Chapaleufù I had a total handicap of 40 goals*, four brothers with a handicap* of 10, a unique fact in the history of the sport! Antonio Heguy, who we will be seeing in Chantilly, is only 20 years old, he is a 5-goaler, and perhaps one day, with his cousins Cruz Heguy and Rufino Bensadon (h7 also present in Chantilly), they will put together another great Indios Chapaleufù team?

But back to Chantilly where some 122 games will be played on the club‘s 8 fields, with occasionally 12 matches a day. All are open access! There will be games every day of the week, as well as festive days, notably on the day of the finals, September 17th, when a village of exhibitors and food-trucks will welcome the general public.

* For the record, the handicap is the value of the player established by the handicap commission of his country. A beginner is rated at -2, while the world‘s top pros are rated at 10. There are currently 7 handicaps 10 in the world, 6 Argentinians and 1 Uruguayan; 14 handicaps 9 and 20 handicaps 8. The two best French players are currently 6-goalers, whereas the brothers Stéphane and Lionel Macaire were 8-goalers in their day (80s-90s). The total handicaps of a team‘s players constitute the team‘s valuation (16 goals for the Open de France).

© RB Presse

It won‘t be the Rugby World Cup – we‘ll be right in the middle of it (it kicks off on the 8th of September ) – but it will be…

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Barrière snatches the Coupe d’Or in the final minutes—A victory of first times

28. August 2023

Despite the rainy weather conditions, the Coupe d’Or Marta & Lucien Barrière final – and the Coupe de Bronze Engel & Völkers final – were able to take place. And what a final! The very Normandy weather did not dampen the spirits of the spectators, especially as the sun came out for the final: several hundreds of them packed the stands of the Deauville International Polo Club to applaud the victory of the Barrière Polo Team in the prestigious Coupe d’Or after a hard-fought battle.

This is the first victory in a 16-goal tournament* for French captain Isabelle Lerenaudie who has been playing at this level for only the second season. To get to this level, she put together a team made up of the Zavaleta family, which has remained the same since last year. Two brothers, Simon and Ramiro, who know each other by heart, led by a cousin, Juan Martin, a regular at the world‘s top level, taking part in the Argentine Open, the highest level tournament in the world. It was a complicated game for Barrière, who was led until the fourth chukker, sometimes by as much as 4 goals, „but I‘ve always reminded my players that a game is long and everything can happen very quickly in this sport, and that‘s what happened“, explained Juan Martin Zavaleta. Simon Zavaleta finally gave his team a first lead at the very beginning of the fifth (and last) chukker, before Barrière again fell behind, and it was on two penalties from Juan Martin that Barrière sealed its first victory in this major event. It was also the first victory for his cousin Simon (Ramiro had already won it) and captain Isabelle Larenaudie: „It‘s phenomenal“, jubilated the first woman to win the Coupe d‘Or. Winning with this family, with two Zavaleta who have never won it before, is huge. I still can‘t believe it. It was a very tough match, but tonight it‘s a big party.” The joy of Juan Martin Zavaleta, named most valuable player of the final (he scored 10 goals on Sunday), who has many other victories to his name, was no less happy: „It‘s incredible. Already, winning the Coupe d’Or is something you think about all the time. It‘s one of the most beautiful tournaments to be played in France, and to win it as a family… there are no words to express the emotion it creates. It‘s an important victory in one‘s career, and now it‘s done. Deauville is a tournament that will go down in the history of our sport.”

Swiss Victory in the Coupe de Bronze Engel & Völkers

The final of the Engels & Völkers Coupe de Bronze was just as exhilarating, requiring an extra chukker and a golden goal from Jaime Roberts to separate the two teams and see the Swiss team Standing Rock triumph over Mungo‘s four French players. A consolation for the team‘s captain and junior, Ulysse Eisenchteter, was being named best amateur player of the final, while his pillar, Pierre Henri N‘Goumou, was the tournament‘s top scorer with 25 goals.

The Barrière Deauville Polo Cup will be back next year of course, but France’s international polo season is not quite over yet as the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly awaits the six teams from Deauville’s Coupe d’Or as well as a further twelve for a 23rd French Open that promises to be particularly competitive. The first games will be played on Friday, with the Coupe d‘Or winner opening the competition. Only five days to recover from these strong emotions!

* The total of the handicaps of the players on a team constitutes the team‘s global handicap (i.e. 16 goals for the Coupe d‘Or). For the record, the handicap is the player‘s value as established by his country‘s handicap commission. A beginner is valued at -2, while the world‘s top pros are rated at 10. There are currently only 7 10-goalers in the world.

TEAMS AND PROGRESS

COUPE D’OR MARTA AND LUCIEN BARRIÈRE

Barrière Polo Team: Isabelle Larenaudie (FRA, h0), Simon Zavaleta (ARG, h5, 2 goals), Juan Martin Zavaleta (ARG, h7, 10 goals) et Ramiro Zavaleta (ARG, h4, 1 goal)

Los Dragones Rouges: Sam Sztarkman (FRA, h2), Jules Legoubin (FRA, h3), Baratolomé Bayugar (ARG, h4, 5 goals) et Bautista Bayugar (ARG, h8, 7 goals)

Progression Barrière Polo Team: 2/4 – 4/6 – 7/8 – 10/10 and 14/12

BPP (best horse of the final): Calidad played by Juan Martin Zavaleta

BPP AACCP Mejor polo argentino: Siempre Magica played by Bauti Bayugar

MVP (best player of the final): Juan Gris Zavaleta

Best amateur player of the final: Isabelle Larenaudie

Top scorer of the tournament: Juan Gris Zavaleta, 35 goals

COUPE DE BRONZE ENGEL & VÖLKERS

Standing Rock: Philipp Muller (h0), Nick Van Open (h1), Jaime Roberts (h3, 3 goals), Ignacio Gonzalez (h4, 5 goals)

Mungo: Ulysse Eisenchteter (h 0), Daphné/Noemie Eisenchteter (h -1), Jules Legoubin (h3, 2 goals), Pierre Henri Ngoumou (h6, 5 goals)

Standing Rock progression: 3/1 – 4/4 – 5/6 – 7/7 – 8/7

MVP (best player of the final): Jaime Roberts

Best amateur player of the final: Ulysse Eisenchteter

BPP (best horse of the final): Cassandra played by Jaime Roberts

Despite the rainy weather conditions, the Coupe d’Or Marta & Lucien Barrière final – and the Coupe de Bronze Engel & Völkers final – were able to take place. And…

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Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, played in the 2023 Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup.

28. August 2023

SINGAPORE, ASIA: On the 12th of August, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, Co-Founding Patron of Sentebale returned to Singapore Polo Club to play in the 2023 Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup. The annual fundraising event has raised over £11milliion to date for Sentebale’s work supporting children and young people in southern Africa.

The Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup was previously hosted by the Singapore Polo Club in 2017. Excited crowds cheered on the Royal Salute Sentebale Team, captained by Malcolm Borwick as they took on the Singapore Polo Club Team, captained by Sentebale Ambassador and long-time friend Nacho Figueras in a fast-paced game. This year’s event saw Figueras, in opposition to The Duke’s team, one of the few occasions in the tournaments history when the pair have played on opposing sides. Both rose to the challenge, each scoring impressive goals but ultimately the teams were evenly matched with the final score levelling at 7-7 with honours shared.

Around 260 guests, including former All Blacks rugby player and ISPS Handa Ambassador Dan Carter, attended the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup followed by dinner at the InterContinental Singapore.

Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, Co-Founding Patron of Sentebale said, “Sentebale has remained a pillar of support in communities across southern Africa for almost two decades, ensuring future generations are well equipped to address the many challenges facing our world. Adaptability and nimbleness have been a defining factor in our work since Prince Seeiso and I founded the charity 17 years ago. Our work has remained rooted in our mission, and in honour of our late mothers, we wish to ensure all children and young people in southern Africa are empowered, healthy and able to pursue their ambitions and dreams.”

Nacho Figueras, Sentebale’s Ambassador said, “Although Prince Harry and I played on opposing teams this year, we are always united in our support for Sentebale and the life-changing work they do for young people in southern Africa. It’s a highlight every year to come together for this incredible charity, and I’m grateful to everyone who contributes to their work.”

Dr Haruhisa Handa, Founder of International Sports Promotion Society said, “ISPS believes sport has the power to inspire, break down barriers, and change lives and communities for the better. This ethos was exemplified today at the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup. Marrying the power of sport and the vital philanthropic work Sentebale undertakes in Lesotho and Botswana to eradicate HIV and AIDS stigma, ISPS is a proud and honoured partner of this platform. Our genuine thanks to the Sentebale team for their enduring commitment, and to Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, without whose vision the positive impact on so many lives would not have been realised.”

The funds raised from this year’s Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup are essential to ensuring the progress made in recent years is maintained.

Sentebale’s holistic package of support for vulnerable children and young people focusses on four key areas:

Strengthening the social and emotional wellbeing of those living with or affected by HIV.
Working with communities to provide young people with access to health and social services.
Driving youth advocacy to improve health, education, and social protection.
Building individuals skills and livelihoods so they are more resilient, self-confident and empowered members of their communities.

This layered approach is supporting positive health outcomes, improving access to education and services, and is nurturing children and young people to thrive.

Sentebale is enormously grateful to all the players and partners for their support in making this year’s event possible including, ISPS Handa, Royal Salute Singapore Polo Club, IHG Hotels & Resorts, U.S. Polo Assn and The Cox Family of Oklahoma.

For more information about Sentebale’s work please go to www.sentebale.org.

SINGAPORE, ASIA: On the 12th of August, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, Co-Founding Patron of Sentebale returned to Singapore Polo Club to play in the 2023 Sentebale ISPS Handa…

Polo News

Ladies Polo Cup: Augustinus Bader defends their title

25. August 2023

The first title awarded in the 2023 Barrière Deauville Polo Cup: The Ladies Polo Cup — Diane Barrière. It was a particularly challenging tournament this year with five teams, each with at least one player participating in the flagship women’s polo tournament: the Argentine Open. It is with the two-time champion of this Open, Lía Salvo, that Augustinus Bader signs a double in Deauville after their premier victory last year. But how tough it was!

It is the third Deauville title for Lía Salvo, who won it for the first time in 2018. To reach the final, she had to defeat two of her teammates from her Argentinian team, El Overo: Milly Hine in the quarterfinals and Clarita Casino yesterday. For this afternoon’s sublime final, Lía had to contest the young Milagros Sanchez (22 years old), finalist last year of this same Argentine Open with La Irenita.

With players of this caliber, one could only expect a spectacular final, one that marks the continuous progress of women’s polo: the spectators were not disappointed! After a tense start to the match, it took until the middle of the second half to see Anais Rezkallah open the scoring. Then, in the third chukker, the players went shot for shot: the intensity of the match amplified! The American captain Megan Manubay gave Augustinus Bader a 2-3 lead late in the third chukker. After Paloma Lauro’s leveling of the score, we were heading towards an overtime period when, 17 seconds from the final bell, Lía Salvo, true to form, delivered the fatal blow.

“It was a very tough final, but I like this kind of match because it shows the level of the women’s here in Deauville is getting better every year. You could see it today with a very close and tough final where no one gave in. Today was a great show of teamwork: everyone scored their goal, Anais was voted best player in the final, and she helped me a lot. The other team was amazing, they were the same: four young players who played really, really well and hung on until the end. I knew it was going to be tough,” said Salvo.

For the Argentine champion, winning in Deauville is always close to her heart. :“I love coming here, it is my favorite destination. My father won the Coupe d’Or in 1974. For me, playing in Deauville is a tradition and it reminds me of him. I always have a lot of people I love here in Deauville.”

After a tournament in England, Lía Salvo will return to France to play two tournaments in Chantilly, notably the French Open, with the same Agustinus Baderteam before flying to her country and preparing for the biggest date of the year—the Argentine Open with a brand-new team.

The Barrière Deauville Polo cup continues with the qualifying matches of the Coupe d‘Or Lucien & Marta Barrière (final on the 27th). Already three games are on the books, and what games they were, full of intensity and suspense. The first to games were decided in extra chukker on golden goals from Bautista Bayugar (8-goaler, Los Dragones Rouge) and Juan-Gris Zavaleta (7-goaler, Barrière), while yesterday’s match saw the “firework” signed Guillermo Terrera (8-goaler Eternal J) who scored 6 of his team‘s 7 goals. All players who also shine in their flagship tournament… the Argentine Open! Of course…

It is certainly the best the sport has to offer at the Barrière Deauville Polo Cup 2023… as it has been for Coupe d’Or’s 73-year history.

Finale Ladies Polo Cup – Diane Barrière

Augustinus Bader (LUX): Paloma Lauro (2, 1 goal), Aurelie Molitor (1, 1 goal), Anais Rezkallah (2, 1 goal) et Lía Salvo (9, 1 goal)

Bar du Soleil (USA) : Megan Manubay (0, 2 goals), Leah Kawamoto (2), Polina Nazarova (4), Milagros Sanchez (7, 1 goal)

MVP: Anais Rezkallah

Progression Augustinus Bader: 0-0 / 0-1 / 2-3 / 4-3

PRACTICAL INFORMATION :

GOLDEN CUP
August 7 to 27 – 14/16 Goals – final Sunday August 27 at 5:30 pm

COUPE DE BRONZE
August 14 to 27 – 6/8 Goals – final Sunday August 27 at 3:30 pm

Deauville—Hippodrome de la Touques, access from boulevard Mauger. Attention, visit the website to watch the times of passage on the days of the matches. Free parking. Free entry on weekdays, €10 on weekends and €20 on August 27 (Finals Or and Bronze).

www.deauvillepoloclub.com

Continue the fun:

Polo Afters parties in the village: small Afters on Tuesdays with aperitifs until 10:00 p.m. and large Afters on Friday evening with DJs until midnight!

Photos by R&B Presse/Pascal Renauldon