poloclubdechantilly

Yves Delorme (women) and La Fija Sandbox in paradise

After thirty-one games in the Barnes Open de France and thirteen in the women‘s competition, and above all two outstanding finals, the winners of the 2024 edition are now known: Yves Delorme (Chantilly) in the women‘s tournament and La Fija Sandbox (Argentina) in the mixed competition. These two finals went off without a hitch, thanks to a magnificent stage set to the music of the Garde Républicaine.

The qualifying and knockout rounds were particularly competitive this year, with plenty of last-minute thrills and some spectacular performances from the top players who will now fly to Buenos Aires for the highlight of the world polo season: the Tripla Corona.

The height of the French season was equally enthralling, with the two finals living up to the promise of the qualifying rounds.

In the women‘s competition, it was the revenge game between a team considered to be outsiders, Yves Delorme, made up of three players from the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly, Charlotte Garaud, Margaux Perruchot and Adèle Renauldon, reinforced by the Anglo-Australian Milly Hine, the reigning Argentine champion. On the other side, Luxembourg‘s Augustinus Bader with Argentina‘s Lia Salvo, two-time winner of the Argentine Open (with Millie Hine at her side): a duel within a duel. It was a rematch because Yves Delorme had beaten Augustinus Bader 11-5 in the pools: was that an advantage? Obviously it was, as the Chantilly Polo team once again dominated Augustinus Bader, although this time it was a little more complicated (9-7).

The key for the two professional champions was to make the most of the qualities of their three team-mates. “When I arrived here, explains Milly Hine, I was lucky enough to meet these three girls who knew each other well, who had played and won a lot together and who knew their horses well, so it was easy for me to use their qualities. We immediatly got off well together and became friends, we did lots of things together off the pitch, we had dinners together as a family, and that togetherness is important in this sport. The other key was the incredible horses that Brieuc Rigaux gave me. In short, we had everything we needed to win. But my goodness, I had stage fright. When I arrived here and saw everything the club had put in place, the glamour of the Barnes Open and all the people who were here, I got a bit stressed and found it hard to fall asleep every night.” Tonight, Milly will finally be able to sleep well.

Milly Hine and Lia Salvo will certainly meet again on 7 December in the final of the Argentine Open, this time face to face as they did in Chantilly: another chance for revenge?

A great attack from Milly Hine (in grey) against Lia Salvo © Pascal Renauldon - R&B Presse

Arthur Madrid: “Our secret? Harmony between the players”

La Fija Sandbox wins the 24th Barnes Open de France © Justine Jacquemot

In the men‘s competition, some were eager to see how the young Mungo team, also based at the Domaine de Chantilly Polo Club, would fare against the solid Argentinian side La Fija Sandbox. This confident French team has been going from strength to strength since the Deauville Silver Cup last August. After a dominant start to the game, Mungo fought back to take a 10-8 lead in the fourth chukker. That was when Fran Elizalde picked up an injury and was replaced by Alfredo Capella. With this luxury substitution, La Fija Sandbox inflicted a 4-0 defeat in the final chukker to claim the title for their third participation. The secret of this team? More or less the same as the women‘s champions, according to Argentina-based French captain Arthur Madrid: “We had six fabulous games with these guys, including a final that was probably the most intense, very difficult match, and I‘d like to congratulate our opponents, four ultra-fast players… the only secret in sport is harmony between players and that worked for us. We hardly knew each other before this tournament and we quickly became best friends. It‘s that understanding off the pitch that has given us our strength on it.” Fran Elizalde adds on a more technical explanation: „We knew we were up against a strong team and we just had to be patient and play our polo. Despite a very long season, our horses were very competitive.” The magical duo formed by this player and Rufino Bensadon will remain one of the most beautiful sporting images of this 24th Barnes French Open.

 

This great French season comes to an end with a little tear of nostalgia… although it‘s not really over yet, because there‘s still the epilogue, the French Championships, which start next week. A few Argentinians (one per team allowed) will stay in Chantilly for two extra weekends. The others, handicaps 7 and 8, who lit up the 24th Barnes Open de France and the 13th Women‘s Open, will have already flown out to tackle the ‚alta temporada‘ (high season), which begins on Tuesday with the Abierto de Hurlingham for Fran Elizalde (against La Natividad… hoping he recovers from his injury) and Rufino Bensadon in the colours of Cria La Dolfina (against La Hache)… we told you they were big champions).

Rufino Bensadon (right), followed by Ricardo Garros (left), was the top scorer in the final! © Justine Jacquemot

Finals results

13th French Women‘s Open

Yves Delorme : Margaux Perruchot FRA 2 (1 goal), Adèle Renauldon FRA 2, Charlotte Garaud FRA 3 and Milly Hine AUS (8 goals including 6 penalties).

Augustinus Bader : Mendoza Houben NED 0, Paloma Lauro LUX 3 (2 goals), Ambre Ploix FRA 4 (2 goals) and Lia Salvo ARG 4 (3 goals including 2 penalties)

Progression Yves Delorme : 3-2 / 7-3 / 9-4 and 9-7

MVP Soriano Motori (Most Valuable Player of the final): Ambre Ploix (Augustinus Bader)

BPP (meilleur cheval du match) : Irenita Galan ridden by Milly Hine owned by Brieuc Rigaux

24e Open de France Barnes

La Fija Sandbox : Arthur Madrid 0, Francisco Elizalde 8 (3 goals), Rufino Bensadon 7 (7 goals, don‘t 3 pénalités), Nicolas Tomasevich 1 (2 goals). Rempl. : Alfredo Capella (1 goal). + 1 Penalty one.

Mungo : Ulysse Eisenchteter FRA 1(2 goals), Lolo Bayugar ARG 4 (4 goals), Alti Garros ARG 5 (6 goals dont 2 pénalités) et Pierre Henri Ngoumou FRA 6 (1 goals) + 1 Penal 1.

BPP : Oriental Griega played by Bartolome Bayugar (Mungo).

AACCP BPP : GT Astrid played by Rufino Bensadon (La Fija Sandbox).

MVP by Soriano Motori : Rufino Bensadon (La Fija Sandbox).

MVP Amateur : Ulysse Eisenchteter (Mungo).

Standing Rock Fair Play Award : Mungo

Progression La Fija Sandbox : 3-2 / 6-4 / 8-7 / 8-10 / 12-10.

The Barnes International Open de France, or rather “les” Opens de France, as there is a women’s version, is the climax of the French season, which also marks the end of the European season. It is a title that the top French and Argentine professionals are keen to add to their palmarès. The 2024 edition promises to be as fiercely competitive as in previous years, with 11 of the world’s top 40 competing in Argentina’s emblematic “Triple Crown”, the pinnacle of the sport.

In France, this “pinnacle” is the Barnes International Open de France, Europe’s top grass-court tournament at the end of the season. The world’s greatest players, that is to say, from Argentina, have discovered this peaceful haven on the edge of the Trios-Forêts and return each year to enjoy both the competitive nature and friendly atmosphere of the tournament. There will be 11 champions in Chantilly this year who have played, won, or will be vying to qualify for the legendary Argentine Open. Among them, Nicolas Pieres (H8), who won the ‘Abierto’ in 2012 and became well acquainted with Chantilly last year… by winning the French Open with the French Kazak team.

“I found the French Open very competitive with 18 teams, which must be a record for a single tournament. That made Kazak’s victory even more valuable. It’s a huge club, and the competition was really well organized,” said Pieres.

This year, the organization has set the number of teams at 16, and, to the delight of the Chantilly public, this mallet artist will be back to defend his title with Kazak.

Argentine Stars

These star-studded teams hail from five different nations—the Netherlands, Sweden, Italy, France and, of course, Argentina, the home base of French captain Arthur Madrid (La Fija Sandbox), who returns this year well-armed with two Abierto plays in his ranks: Rufino Benson (H7) and Fran Elizalde (H8). A solid duo, but who will have to face Guillermo Terrera (H8) playing alongside the young French players from Eternal J, Julien Reynes, and Louis Jarrige (H4). They’ll too have to contend with Diego Cavanagh (H8), a recent Queen’s Cup finalist and pillar of the La Baule team; Brittany Polo Club. H8 Argentines Jero Del Carril and Facundo FernandezLlorente are primed for the challenge with La Magdeleine, as they put forth the youngest of the Castagnola siblings (Barto and Jeta, reigning Argentine champions and still revered for their visit to Chantilly in 2020).

We’ll see more handicaps 7 or 8 for Esso (Toly Ulloa), Tédélou, where Juan-Gris Zavaleta will join his cousins Simon and Ramiro, and for Amanara with SantiagoChavanne, whose son Lorenzo (17) is one of Argentina’s most promising talents that we see progressing in Chantilly year after year with his Dutch team.

The remaining teams opted for more balanced compositions, with a mix of 4, 5, and 6-goalers respectively.

The Women’s Open, more international than ever.

The Women’s Open, established in 2011, was formed in response to a modern phenomenon in polo, the rise of female players in the sport. This tournament has no shortage of household names in the women’s division, where Lia Salvo (ARG and multi-time champion of the women’s Argentine Open and French Open), Great Britain’s Hazel Jackson (who holds several titles from Palermo and Chantilly), as well as Argentina‘s Milagros Fernandez Araujo, winner of this women‘s Abierto on four occasions with La Dolfina, are once again set to headline this 2024 edition. From September 17–22, the matches will also naturally feature several talented French players, such as the Venot sisters and Ambre Ploix, all trained at the Chantilly club. The tournament is just as international as its men‘s counterpart, where players from Argentina, Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Hungary, Poland, the USA, and France will all meet on the field.

With the French Opens, September is a dreamy month for polo fans and those who wish to discover the sport with the Chantilly crème de la crème of polo. Throughout this month, Europe’s biggest club is transformed into ‘Argentine territory’, as Nico Pieres will attest: “Chantilly is very much the kind of club you’d find in Argentina, especially in Pilar, where we (Ellerstina) are based, there are many similar clubs. Maybe not as big, but with entirely the same spirit.” It’s a culture and atmosphere eager to be experienced during these three special weeks, where access is free for the public (match schedules can be found at www.poloclubchantilly.com or by downloading the ChukkerApp app).

FRENCH OPEN PAPREC THE PEAK OF THE SEASON!
The lineup for the 19th French Open Paprec is of exceptional athletic quality, drawing the players of the Argentine Open, winner and players of the Copa Camara, the semi finalist of the last US Gold Cup and two of the five top French athletes.

SAVE THE DATE SEPTEMBER 22 
FINALS AT 11.30 am & 3.00 pm

PROGRAMME OPEN DE FRANCE PAPREC

Save the date: September 13 and the 20th at 5.30 pm MOËT & CHANDON cocktail party with DJ set Bus Palladium on Friday in Chantilly during the matches of the French Open.

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