Action

DAVID LOMINSKA/WWW.POLOGRAPHICS.COM A helicopter dries the field before the final of the US Open

49 Florida High-Goal Season

A rags-to-riches comeback and family showdown were just part of the action

54 FIP Snow Polo World Cup

The first-ever FIP snow polo tournament in Tianjin, China was a true extravaganza with thrilling action and entertainment

57 St Regis International

An exciting and close match marked the first time a USA team had played on UK grass in 15 years 58 Indian Empire Shield

Victory went finally to three-time finalists Emlor C, at Guards Polo at

Coworth Park

59 Julius Baer Beach Polo World Cup

Gorgeous sunshine and a 10,000-strong turnout made for exciting beach polo on the beautiful island of Sylt

60 Intercollegiate Championships

It was a double win for the University of Virginia at the college polo finals 61 Gaucho International Polo

For the second year, London’s O2 arena played host to a thrilling international match between England and Argentina

62 Ambassadors Cup

Host venue Port Mayaca Polo Club in

Florida was the perfect setting for old and new international polo friendships

64 Latin America Tour

Bad weather and political tensions did little to dampen England’s team spirit

With Mike Azzaro’s rags-to-riches comeback and a thrilling double dose of father-son rivalry, it was all drama and excitement this year, recalls Alex Webbe

The 2012 high-goal season at the International Polo Club in Wellington, Florida was a promising one. With every 10-goaler in the world returning, the prospects for top-level competition were high. However, after early 20-goal competition highlighted the play of Uruguay’s David ‘Pelon’ Stirling, a handicap adjustment would cause the highly touted Crab Orchard team of Adolfo Cambiaso, Mike Azzaro, Stirling and team captain George Rawlings to implode (Stirling’s 9-goal handicap in the US was elevated to 10). Rumours of back-room dealings and internal dissent proliferated the winter season chatter, but the fact remained that a 27-goal Crab Orchard team would be over the handicap level for the CV Whitney Cup, the USPA Piaget Gold Cup and the US Open. There was no give on reorganising the team, thus ending a Crab Orchard that had captured three of the previous US Open Championships.

The Crab Orchard team was released by Rawlings and within days both Stirling and Cambiaso were picked up by Valiente patron, Bob Jornayvaz.

‘I thought it would be a shame to see the club [IPC] lose players of that magnitude,’ said Valiente patron Jornayvaz. ‘So I put together a last-minute team to keep them up here for the season.’

Jornayvaz and his son Robert had been competing on separate teams throughout the 20-goal season as Valiente I (Bob Jornayvaz, Toto Collardin, Nacho Astrada and Julio Gracida), while son Robert took the field as Valiente II (Jeff Hall, Santiago Toccalino and Santiago Bottaro).

Bob Sr would be competing in the 26-goal competition with his 2011 line-up that would include Polito Pieres, Miguel and Nacho Astrada. In an effort to keep Stirling and Cambiaso in Florida for the winter season, he fashioned a team around son Robert that would consist of Stirling, Cambiaso and 6-goaler Alejo Taranco.

ROYAL SALUTE CV WHITNEY CUP

Twelve teams took the field for the 26-goal 2012 Royal Salute CV Whitney Cup, the first leg of America’s Triple Crown. Practice time was over; the single-elimination tournament would give the teams an opportunity to feel out their strengths and weaknesses under fire.

Orchard Hill staged a late rally to get past Alegría 12-10; Coca-Cola shocked Audi 14-7; Zacara sneaked past Las Monjitas, 11-10; and Valiente I dethroned the defending championship Lechuza Caracas team 9-6 on the opening day of the tournament.

Quarter-final action had Valiente I knock La Ensenada out of the tournament with a 15-10 victory. Valiente II’s Cambiaso and Stirling led the team to a 12-10 win over Coca-Cola. Zacara built a two-goal lead in the fourth chukka and held on for an 11-9 win over Piaget. Agustin Merlos scored nine goals in the final match of the day for a 15-11 win over Orchard Hill, setting up the first semi-finals of the 26-goal season.

Cambiaso cranked it up a notch in the first semi-final, scoring eight times and leading Valiente II to a convincing 11-5 win over a disorganised Zacara effort. The family showdown was accomplished when Valiente I managed a 12-11 sixth chukka win over ERG, with Miguel Astrada leading the way with nine goals.

The finals had father, Bob Jornayvaz and Valiente I, against Robert and Valiente II, and the first final of the season would feature 10-goalers Cambiaso and Stirling with Robert Jornayvaz (along with Taranco) on the Valiente II team. Bob Sr would take the field with his Valiente I team of Miguel and Nacho Astrada and Pieres.

Valiente I kept the high-scoring combination of Cambiaso and Stirling in check early on, leading 2-1 and 4-3 in the first two chukkas of play. Valiente tied it up at 5-5 to end the first half.

Cambiaso took the opening throw-in of the second half and raced 150 yards down the field for a goal, 6-5. The Valiente II defence held Valiente I scoreless as Taranco put Valiente II up by a pair of goals, 7-5, to end the chukka.

Valiente II went up 8-5 on a fifth chukka goal from Stirling. Two Valiente I penalty goals and a goal from the field, however, ended the period in an 8-8 tie. Missed shots at goal would come back to haunt Valiente II as Nacho Astrada scored the go-ahead goal, 9-8. A 40-yard penalty conversion from Miguel Astrada ended the match with Valiente I celebrating the 10-8 win.

Pieres was named Most Valuable Player for a number of key defensive plays as well as his aggressiveness on the field. Cambiaso’s Mila was honoured as Best Playing Pony.

Valiente I celebrates victory

USPA PIAGET GOLD CUP

With the first 26-goal tournament of the season in the books, each of the 12 teams in competition got the opportunity to scout their opponents and assess their current horsepower. Victor Vargas remarked that neither the Lechuza Caracas horses nor the players were ready to play after losing their opening match of the Whitney.

‘The horses aren’t where we want them yet,’ said Lechuza 10-goaler Guillermo ‘Sapo’ Caset, ‘but they’re coming along.’

New team line-ups and positions were starting to get adjusted, with the CV Whitney Cup championship Valiente I team being the only line- up to return intact from the 2011 season.

‘I like our chances,’ said Valiente I captain Bob Jornayvaz. ‘We’ve been preparing for this since last season and I’m comfortable that we can win it all.’

A number of other teams in the field might object to Jornayvaz’s assumption, but there were plenty of games to be played before the trophies were to be handed out.

Alegría bowed out early after suffering losses to ERG and Zacara. Audi were out after three consecutive losses and La Ensenada were also ushered to the consolation bracket after losing consecutive games to Zacara, ERG and Valiente I. Lechuza Caracas showed early promise with wins over Coca-Cola and Piaget but dropped one-point games to Valiente II and Valiente I.

ERG continued to roll with Agustin ‘Tincho’ Merlos lighting up the scoreboard. ERG opened the tournament with wins over Alegría, La Ensenada and Audi, with a strong attack led by 9-goaler Merlos, but got knocked out of the quarter-finals with a loss to Coca-Cola.

It was just a couple of games into the USPA Piaget Gold Cup when Argentine 7-goaler Joaquin Pittaluga was replaced by American Mike Azzaro, and undefeated Zacara team continued their run. A plucky Piaget team ruined their plans however with a 10-9 upset to make their way into the finals.

Valiente I dispatched Coca-Cola in a 13-10 contest, setting the stage for a rematch of the CV Whitney finals with Valiente II, who had knocked out Piaget, 12-8.

For the second time this season father and son would face off as Valiente I tried to run its tournament streak to two while Valiente II tried to prove that the earlier loss was not down to a fluke. Cambiaso and Stirling floated around the field, mounted to the teeth and having an almost instinctive understanding of each and every move of the other. Robert Jornayvaz and Taranco cleared out the front while Stirling and Cambiaso did their magic.

Cambiaso scored four first chukka goals, converting penalty shots from 30-yards and 40-yards out and adding a pair of goals from the field. Pieres and Miguel Astrada each managed single goals, but Valiente II wanted to make it clear which team was in control of the game. The first chukka ended with Valiente I trailing by two goals, at a score of 4-2.

A goal from the field from Stirling gave Valiente II a three-point lead, 5-2, when Valiente I clawed their way back into the game. A penalty goal from

Nacho Astrada and a second goal from Pieres cut the Valiente II lead to a single goal, 5-4, as the chukka ended.

Third chukka goals from Cambiaso (penalty shot) and Stirling were answered by a single goal from Miguel Astrada, giving Valiente II a two-goal, 7-5 advantage.

Play intensified in the second half with three of the next five goals coming on penalty shots. Nacho Astrada converted a pair of 40-yard penalty shots and added a goal from the field. Taranco scored twice for Valiente II (once on a penalty shot), and the Valiente II lead had shrunk to a single goal again, 9-8.

The fifth period was another physical encounter with each team trying to control the possession of the ball. Cambiaso scored on a penalty shot, but in the waning minute of the chukka, a defending backhander drove into the back of Cambiaso’s mallet hand, sending him to the ground in pain. Medics were called and the sidelines were silent as all attention was on polo’s greatest player sitting on the ground and holding his right hand in obvious pain. Several minutes passed before Cambiaso remounted in an effort to continue, but it was not to be. After a couple of swings with the mallet, he retired to the sidelines, to be replaced by 10-goaler Juan Martin Nero. The chukka ended with Valiente II on top, 10-8.

Valiente I tried to press the pace in the final chukka, testing the altered Valiente II line-up. Nero was a teammate of both Stirling and Cambiaso the previous year on the Argentine Open Championship team and he was familiar with both the players and their horses. Stirling executed a difficult angle shot for the first goal of the chukka, giving his team an 11-8 lead. Valiente l tried desperately to get on the scoreboard, as the defensive skills of Nero were put to the test. With two minutes on the clock, Pieres managed to make his way through the Valiente II player for a goal, but that would be where it ended. Valiente II would control the ball and run out the clock in the 11-9 win and the 2012 USPA Piaget Gold Cup Championship.

The victory was bittersweet, however, as Cambiaso looked on from the end of the field, hand packed in ice. The 10-goaler led all scoring with six goals; Stirling added three and teammate Taranco scored twice in the win.

Nacho Astrada scored four times for Valiente I. Pieres added three goals and Miguel Astrada was credited with two in the loss.

Stirling was named MVP and his 11-year-old grey Chilean Thoroughbred Capilla was honoured as Best Playing Pony.

Opposite Bob Jornayvaz (holding cup) joins son Robert with teammates, from left, Adolfo Cambiaso, Pelon Stirling and Alejo Taranco. Below The 30-goal train: Miguel Novillo Astrada followed by Adolfo Cambiaso and Pelon Stirling

US OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Of all the surprising facts surrounding Zacara’s US Open performance – that they managed to defeat defending champions Lechuza Caracas 11-9 in the final, that they were the only outfit in the 11-team field to finish with a perfect record – the most surprising was the return of polo icon Mike Azzaro to the US Open winner’s circle after a 15 year absence.

The former 10-goaler entered the high-goal season without a team after the implosion of Crab Orchard. The elevation of Stirling’s handicap from nine to 10 basically blew them out of the water, forcing patron Rawlings to disband the team and withdraw from the competition. Within hours Stirling and Cambiaso had found employment with Valiente’s Bob Jornayvaz, who created a makeshift team for his 19-year-old son Robert. Valiente II would feature two of polo’s greatest players while the former 10-goaler Azzaro looked for a team.

Azzaro had fallen on a string of bad luck over the last few years, beginning with his fall in 2009, just weeks before he was scheduled to lead a United States polo team against the English in the storied Westchester Cup match.

England’s coach Julio Novillo Astrada was heard to have said that with Azzaro on the field, he was hoping to keep from being embarrassed – without him, it was a different story. England went on to win as Azzaro recovered from his injuries.

Less than stellar performances in the last two high-goal seasons saw his 9-goal handicap erode to 7. The creation of the 2012 Crab Orchard team of Azzaro, Stirling and Cambiaso looked to be just the ticket to rocket him back to the top of the heap, but it was not to be, and with the season already underway, the last American to carry a 10-goal handicap was looking for a job.

‘I never gave up,’ said Azzaro. ‘I brought 22 horses to Florida with the intention of playing in the US Open, and I wasn’t giving up.’

It was thought that some subtle friction between Cambiaso and Azzaro might have played a part, but Cambiaso was already on a team, and Azzaro was not. ‘I called Lyndon Lea and pleaded my case,’ said Azzaro. ‘The kid he had playing back for them wasn’t a back,’ said Azzaro. ‘I told him that I had the experience and would be a good fit for the team. Two games into the Gold Cup I got my chance.’

The Azzaro story entered the polo scene as a third-page item of interest while all eyes were instead focused on the potential return of Cambiaso (who had fractured a bone in the back of his mallet hand) to the Valiente II team, an increasingly dangerous Lechuza Caracas team and, of course, Valiente I.

ERG was thought to have a shot at the final tournament of the season as long as Merlos could continue to score, and Audi showed flashes of brilliance, but Zacara did not attract a great deal of scrutiny.

Opening wins over Alegría (15-10), Orchard Hill (15-12) and Valiente I finally had players and teams sitting up and taking notice, and Azzaro’s play was also noticed.

Zacara buried Coca-Cola 13-7 during quarter-final play and struggled for a 14-13 win over ERG in semi-final action in spite of the fact that Merlos outscored Zacara 10-goaler, Facundo Pieres, 11-10.

Valiente II had been keeping Cambiaso out of the line-up in hopes that his hand would be healed enough to be effective. Cambiaso showed up for the team’s game against Lechuza leading up to

the quarter-finals and did not impress in their eventual 12-10 loss.

Four days later, Valiente I and Valiente II would meet in the quarter-finals with Valiente II losing by three goals, 14-11. Cambiaso was not playing at anywhere near 100 per cent and their Open run had ended.

ERG and Lechuza had also managed to capture quarter-final wins, along with Zacara who pounded Coca-Cola 13-7.

The semi-final action was, by comparison to earlier play, some of the most competitive games of the season. Lechuza needed an extra chukka goal from Facundo Obregon to defeat a resolute Valiente I line-up while Zacara continued its winning way by scoring a 14-13 win over ERG.

To say that the finals of the 2012 Nespresso US Open were a showcase for the talents of Azzaro might be a bit melodramatic, but the play of the 46-year-old icon was something to behold. The interaction between Azzaro, Facundo Pieres, Magoo Laprida and Lea was spectacular. Facundo Pieres and Azzaro interchanged positions as if they had been playing together for years, and the work of Laprida and Lea at the front end of the line-up allowed for the damage to be done by Azzaro and Facundo Pieres.

Zacara 10-goaler Facundo Pieres scored the opening goal of the game in the first 30 seconds of play on a 90-yard shot through the goal posts, and the game was on. Lechuza responded with goals from Nero and Caset that had Zacara trailing 2-1.

The two teams exchanged a pair of goals in the second with Facundo Pieres tying it up just two minutes into the chukka. Caset answered this with a penalty goal just 60 seconds later. A sure goal was left on the Zacara goal line by Nero as Azzaro then jumped on the ball and carried it the length of the field for a goal, 3-3. Lechuza closed out the scoring with a goal from team captain

Vargas with just 43 seconds left on the clock. Lechuza continued to lead, 4-3, as Zacara combined a pair of goals with shutout defence in the third.

‘We had no space (on the field) in the beginning,’ said Laprida after the game. ‘We had no room in which to operate. In the third chukka it began to open up a bit and we got our game going,’ he said.

Vigilant defence and a nose for the ball gave the veteran Azzaro two sterling opportunities in the fourth, and he definitely took them. He jumped a Lechuza player in their end of the field and rode down to score a tying goal, 4-4. Two minutes later Azzaro took advantage of field position once again to give Zacara a 5-4 lead that they would take into half-time with them.

‘He (Azzaro) played a great game today,’ said Facundo Pieres. ‘He was a brilliant back and came through at the appropriate times to carry the ball and score.’

Nero picked up the ball in the fourth chukka and carried it through the Zacara defence for a goal, 5-5, but that was when Zacara took control of the game. Goals from Facundo Pieres (penalty shot), Azzaro and Laprida closed out the period with Zacara on top, 8-5.

A determined Lechuza team took the field in the fifth chukka, shutting down the potent Zacara attack and picking up a pair of goals from one of their own 10-goalers, Caset. The period ended with Lechuza trailing by a single goal, 8-7.

Laprida’s second goal of the game extended the Zacara lead to two goals, 9-7, to open the final chukka. Zacara team captain Lea drove the ball through the Lechuza goal posts with an authoritative shot that had them ahead by three goals, 10-7, with Lechuza scrambling to find an answer. Azzaro was closing the door on attack after attack, and Lechuza’s two 10-goalers were having little success. Caset converted a 40-yard penalty shot, 10-8, followed by an offensive rush on the Zacara goal that resulted in the ball hitting the goalpost and being cleared out of danger by Azzaro. Zacara managed to keep the play away from their end of the field for the balance of the chukka, celebrating the 10-8 win when the final horn sounded.

The play by Zacara was inspired; the rags-toriches story surrounding Azzaro was complete. Azzaro had returned from relative obscurity to celebrate his sixth Open championship, and his first in 15 years. Lea had led his Zacara team to consecutive wins in the British Open and the US Open Championships. Ten-goaler Facundo Pieres had unselfishly shared a platform with Azzaro, Laprida and Lea, enabling them to unseat the defending championship Lechuza team, and Laprida performed brilliantly at the front end of the Zacara attack.

Fittingly enough, Azzaro was named Most Valuable Player of the Open, a first time honour for the much-decorated veteran. Lea’s La Lina received Best Playing Pony honours. She was played by Facundo Pieres in the second and sixth chukkas.

A man without a team just months earlier was now standing in the winner’s circle of the most prestigious tournament in American polo – indeed a fairy-tale ending for yet another exciting season of polo in Florida.

Opposite Juan Martin Nero keeps the ball from the men in black Above The talented patrons Lyndon Lea (left) and Victor Vargas

When it comes to hosting international sporting events, the Chinese invariably put on quite a show, as we saw with the Beijing Olympics four years ago. So it was this February, albeit on a somewhat smaller scale, for the Fortune Heights FIP Snow Polo World Cup Invitational at the Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club in the north China city of Tianjin.

The Federation of International Polo had impressively created and organised the new tournament especially for the Chinese club in barely six months, attracting national polo teams from the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia. Organisation of the polo, however, was not even half the story in what became a multi-million dollar extravaganza, believed to be the most expensive event in the history of the sport.

Goldin Properties of Hong Kong, owners of the Tianjin club, paid FIP more than US$2.5m for the snow polo tournament, with millions more on the venue, entertainment and hospitality to make this a unique event promoting its mega real estate development in the booming Chinese city.

As it rarely snows in Tianjin, 70 miles south of Beijing, the Metropolitan brought in two giant snow cannons to create an artificial winter wonderland. Luxuriously appointed and lavishly catered, several two-tiered viewing marquees were set up down the length of the snow polo arena. During the tournament’s grand opening ceremonies, 12 microlight planes flew in formation around the arena, followed by 12 powered parachutes flying in with the national flags of the participating teams. The ceremony was officiated by Xiao Tian, deputy director of the People’s Republic of China’s General Administration of Sport and deputy head of the Chinese Olympic Committee; Eduardo Huergo, president of FIP; and Zhang Junfang, vice- mayor of Tianjin.

For its first-ever snow polo tournament, FIP invited 11 national associations, members of the federation, to send three-man teams who were handicapped from 14 to 16-goals, to compete in China: England, France, Italy, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, South Africa, India, Australia, New Zealand and the USA.

FIP waived its usually strict nationality rules to enable participation by a ‘home team’, Hong Kong-China. With no Hong Kong players of appropriate handicaps, the new Hong Kong Association, a conditional member of FIP, was then permitted to make up a team that comprised of professional players from the other countries participating in the tournament.

The 12 teams drew their mounts from a pool of 156 ponies from Metropolitan’s own stables. ‘The ponies were of a good standard for snow polo and were very fairly distributed,’ commented England coach Alan Kent. ‘I believe the players were all happy with them.’ As teams were eliminated, their best ponies were recycled so, by the finals, the best of the best were in action.

With up to four games a day, FIP reduced the number of chukkas per game to three during league play. The semi-finals and finals were originally scheduled as six chukkas, but FIP tournament director Peter Abisheganaden reduced them to four as it was thought six were

too much to hold the attention of Chinese spectators unfamiliar with the game.

England’s well-disciplined team of Jamie Le Hardy, Max Charlton and skipper Chris Hyde, a veteran of arena and snow polo, looked favourites in league play, winning all their games and amassing the largest goal difference of all the 12 teams. They went on to defeat New Zealand in the quarter-finals.

Meanwhile, the Hong Kong-China team of Argentines Guillermo Terrera and Martin Inchauspe and Englishman John Fisher dropped only one game, losing a league match 6-7 in a penalty shoot-out against England. This was one of five tied matches settled with penalty shoot-outs. The home team then went on to down France in the quarter-finals.

Hong Kong-China took their revenge on England in the semi-finals, beating them 7-4 to advance to the final. South Africa defeated Argentina 7-5 in the semis to earn their place in the final.

In the final showdown, Hong Kong-China dominated the first chukka, with Terrera and Inchauspe both scoring. South Africa’s Tom ‘Moose’ de Bruin opened the scoring for South Africa in the second chukka, but Hong KongChina continued to keep possession, with Terrera and Inchauspe both scoring again. South Africa’s de Bruin scored a penalty towards the end of the chukka, but Terrera also converted a penalty to give Hong Kong-China a dominant 6-2 lead when the bell sounded at half-time.

South Africa started to threaten in the third chukka and found their stride in the fourth period to put the home side under pressure. Hong Kong-China maintained their lead, however, and finished the game 7-4 to win the Fortune Heights FIP Snow Polo World Cup to the delight of the Chinese spectators.

A jubilant Pan Sutong, chairman of the Hong Kong Polo Association and owner of the host club, joined his team on the podium as FIP president Huergo presented the glittering silver trophy. Hong Kong-China’s Terrera, returning to polo after months of radiotherapy and chemotherapy for cancer, was named Most Valuable Player of the final.

England played Argentina on the final day to decide third and fourth place in the tournament. It was a closely fought game with the two teams staying within a goal of each other throughout the match. England led 4-3 at half-time, but the lead changed more than once in the second half. In the end it was England who was victorious, finally downing Argentina by 8 goals to 7.

Opposite The teams and umpires line up for the final Below Tom ‘Moose’ de Bruin controls Guillermo Terrera, making space for teammate Jean du Plessis

Jeff Hall (in blue) on the ball

When the US Polo Association (USPA) included a 1-goal amateur in its national team challenging England in the St Regis International in May, observers predicted a win for the all-professional home side. Those who saw England as favourites, however, did not reckon on the determination of American amateur Marc Ganzi who put together and funded the USPA team.

‘I didn’t come over as a patron, said Ganzi, ‘I came as a member of a four-man national team, out to win.’

And win they almost did, in a highly competitive contest that was only decided in the final minute as England triumphed, beating the USA by 11-10½.

The fifth St Regis International, one of several 2012 tests of the HPA, was the first time a USA team had played on UK grass in 15 years. The test was played at Cowdray Park Polo Club, but with its famous Lawns grounds waterlogged after persistent May rains, the club moved the test to its No 1 ground at Ambersham.

The ambience at Ambersham was more intimate and countrified than the usual set-up at Lawns. The newly resurfaced ground played well, the England and USA teams appeared evenly matched in player and pony power, and the St Regis provided some 2,500 spectators with an exciting match of international polo.

The 23-goal USA team was Ganzi, handicap 1, American-born Paul Pieres, 8, and 7-goalers Nick Roldan (captain) and Jeff Hall. England fielded a well-practised, 24-goal side with 7-goalers Luke Tomlinson (captain) and James Beim, Malcolm Borwick, 6, and Ollie Cudmore, 4.

‘We were unable to get in a single practice with the full team,’ said the USA’s Ganzi, ‘but we play together in Florida, so know one another’s games.’ Ganzi and his wife Melissa, who own Florida’s Grand Champions Polo Club, play up to 26-goal in the States, alternating to field pro-am high-goal teams under Piaget and Audi colours.

‘Our friends in England were very generous in providing us with mounts, from the Zacara, Ellerston and Dubai strings,’ Mark Ganzi said, ‘and Adrian Kirby agreed for Polito [Pieres] to ride his team’s ponies.’

The USA started with half a point on the scoreboard reflecting the difference in team handicaps. In the first chukka, England briefly took the lead with a penalty conversion, only to lose it when the USA also scored on a penalty. The visitors benefited from an England own goal when Borwick’s pony Fizz kicked the ball through the posts as he was defending. England’s Cudmore scored from the field to leave the USA ahead 2½-2 at the bell.

In the second period the USA increased their lead with a field goal by Roldan. England pulled one back with a penalty conversion, then went ahead as Borwick scored a goal from the field. Tomlinson raced straight to goal from the throw-in to put England in the lead 5-3½ as the chukka ended.

Roldan scored a hat trick in the third period with three straight field goals before Beim found the posts and the chukka ended with the USA ahead 6½-6.

A rejuvenated England outscored their opponents in the fourth chukka with two goals by Tomlinson and a third by Beim against a single point by the USA, and the period ended with the home team ahead 9-7½.

England kept the lead in the fifth and final chukka until the USA snatched it back, only to lose it again almost immediately. Then, in the final, dramatic minute, England fouled and the USA was awarded a 60-yard penalty try. Beim blocked the try, the bell sounded and the home team came out the victors, 11-10½.

Lord Cowdray presented the HPA’s Silver Jubilee Cup to England, and Paul James of St Regis Hotels & Resorts presented the St Regis International Cup to the USA team. Nick Roldan was awarded the Most Valuable Player prize while Paul Pieres’s Ralinga was Best Playing Pony. The best-loaned pony prize went to Dubai’s Cruzera, which was ridden by Roldan.

It was third time lucky for Clinton McCarthy in May as his Emlor C team narrowly defeated the Hanbury family’s El Remanso 8-7 to take the Indian Empire Shield for the first time, playing at Guards Polo at Coworth Park.

The 18-goal Indian Empire Shield tournament is the most popular of the second tier of high goal in the UK, not least because the massive trophy is one of the most historic and unusual in polo. Nine teams were competing for the shield this year.

This was the third time McCarthy’s team have been finalists. In 2010 and 2011, they lost to Guy Schwartzenbach’s Black Bears, who have won the shield no fewer than five times. This year, however, they lost all their matches, leaving it to Emlor C and El Remanso, with brothers Charlie and George Hanbury, to fight it out in the final.

Conditions were not ideal at Coworth Park where Guards Polo Club now runs the show. The No 1 ground was heavy going and caused bad bounces of the ball, but the Guards ground staff had managed to keep it playable through the unforgiving May rains. Ground conditions may have been partly responsible for frequent fouls.

Emlor C drew first blood as their Marcos Araya found the posts two minutes into the first period. El Remanso’s Eduardo Heguy converted a 60-yard penalty to tie the score at chukka’s end.

Araya scored again in the second chukka to put Emlor C ahead. Their Tom Morley scored from the field and converted two penalties, against a single conversion by Heguy to leave Emlor C leading 5-2.

El Remanso reduced their deficit in the third period with a penalty conversion by Heguy and a field goal by David Miller. Then came the game’s best goal: Araya lofting the ball at an acute angle from a good 80-yards out to score. Another penalty conversion by Heguy left Emlor C in the lead 6-5.

In the fourth chukka Heguy equalised for El Remanso with yet another penalty conversion before Morley recovered the lead for Emlor C with a field goal, ending the period 7-6 ahead.

Both teams showed some loose play in the fifth and final chukka and neither scored from the field. Emlor C’s Morley converted a penalty, then Heguy scored for El Remanso on a conversion in the last minute, leaving McCarthy’s side the victors, 8-7.

It was less than satisfying to see eight out of the 15 goals in the match being scored on penalty conversions. El Remanso scored only once from the field, with all six of Heguy’s points resulting from fouls. Morley was high scorer for Emlor C, but three of his five goals were on penalty conversions. But a win is a win after all is said and done, and Clinton McCarthy was understandably jubilant as he hoisted the heavy Indian Empire Shield high in the air.

Emlor C is one of two teams fielded by the McCarthy brothers Clinton, 47, and Spencer, 46 (of the Emlor S team). Spencer has played for 20 years and, after successes in medium-goal, now also plays in 22-goal. Clinton took up the sport nine years ago and his wins have included the 18-goal Duke of Sutherland and the 15-goal Victor Ludorum.

The winning Emlor C team

Gastón Maíquez (left) and Thomas Winter battle for the ball

Sunshine, blue skies and a great turnout made the perfect backdrop for Audi’s win at the Julius Baer Beach Polo World Cup, writes Christie Fearnside

The weekend of 26 and 27 May saw the German island of Sylt host the second Julius Baer Beach Polo World Cup Sylt on the glorious white beaches of Hörnum. The second year that Julius Baer has been title sponsor of the event, this is the fifth year that organiser Kiki Schneider has held the Beach Polo World Cup.

This year’s tournament saw leading polo players from Germany, the UK and Argentina competing for the following teams: Julius Baer, Audi, Maus Immobilien, Schloss Göhrde, König Pilsener and Lanson in a round-robin format.

Over 10,000 spectators filled the wide open beaches of western Sylt, and the final day saw glorious sunshine and blue skies. Starting off the day’s proceedings for 5th/6th place, team Julius Baer, consisting of 16-year-old German polo prodigy Lukas Sdrenka, and German 5-goaler, Sven Schneider, were defeated by Schloss Göhrde 6-7½.

The second game of the day saw König Pilsener defeat Maus Immobilien 6-3 in the 3rd/4th playoff match. Five-goaler UK player Jamie Morrison, of team Maus Immobilien, commented: ‘This is the first time I’ve played in the tournament and it has been a great experience. The weather has been superb and the crowds really supportive.’ Regarding the event’s format, he continued, ‘I’ve played beach polo in Miami and snow polo around the world, and this event is really up there with some of the best arena-based polo tournaments in the world.’

Following an entertaining performance by German disc jockey Markus Gardeweg, the final match saw the tournament’s two highest handicap players pitted against each other: Germany’s Thomas Winter, 5-goals, playing for Lanson, and Audi’s Argentine 6-goaler, Gastón Maíquez. The first two chukkas ended 4-3½ in favour of Audi, with the third chukka seeing end-to-end play and a succession of quick goals, ending 5-4½ to Audi.

In the fourth and final quarter, Winter produced a pitch-length backhand to give Lanson the lead. However, a quick response by Audi’s Christian Grimme negated this advantage, and they then went on to score once more, bringing the score to 7-5½. Into the final minute, Lanson pulled a goal back to bring the score within half a goal. With all 10,000 spectators holding their breath until the final whistle, Audi was victoriously crowned the Julius Baer Beach Polo World Cup Sylt 2012 champions, beating Lanson 7-6½.

Maíquez, a three-time winner of the cup, commented: ‘This was the toughest final yet. The Lanson team were tough competitors and we had to play very well to defeat them.’

Audi received a beautifully engraved Tiffany & Co trophy, along with the typical Swiss Jakobs cheese, prominent in the western part of Switzerland.

The island of Sylt is an area of natural beauty with over half the island under conservation and, in 2009, the tidal mudflats to the east of the island were declared a UNESCO world heritage site. In recent years the island has experienced many destructive storms, none more so than in 2011 when many parts of the island were washed away. The Julius Baer Beach Polo World Cup Sylt supports the Sylt Costal Protection Foundation in helping to raise awareness and support its conservation efforts. At the end of the 2012 tournament, Julius Baer made a €10,000 donation to the foundation to enable it to continue with its cause of protecting the island.

University of Virginia coach Lou Lopez with the women’s and men’s team champions

At the weekends there is generally little life on a college campus before noon, but on a cold and cloudy Sunday morning this April, the entrance to the cavernous arena of Cornell University’s John T Oxley Equestrian Center was crowded with people for the 90th National Intercollegiate Championship. By 10am, the start of the women’s final, there were roughly a hundred people in the bleachers.

The teams lined up at midfield to hear the national anthem, sung in three-part harmony by members of the Cornell women’s team. When things got underway, the jocular voice of David Drogo, Cornell’s polo announcer of 30 years, chronicled the action and instructed amateur spectators on the rules of the game.

The University of Virginia (UVA) Lady Cavaliers had met the Big Red once before that season, in Charlottesville, Virginia, and won handily. But they had lost the championship game to Cornell the previous year, so there was a score to be settled. The first half was very tight, 3-3 after one chukka and 7-6 to the Lady Cavs at half-time. Virginia’s Isabella Wolf and Cornell’s Kailey Eldredge were the standouts, and their arena-length runs were the brightest moments of a first half in which the majority of goals were scored from penalties.

A sizeable delegation of college polo’s best had been at Cornell since Wednesday, milling around the local hotels, watching soccer at Buffalo Wild Wings and occasionally playing polo. Because not every team had their horses on hand, practising on horses was not allowed, and teams were limited to riding at game-time. The Virginia women, for example, had not been on horseback since their victory on Wednesday at noon over Texas A&M. The Virginia men’s team sat behind me during the women’s match, drinking yerba maté like gauchos and hollering encouragement to their classmates.

In the third chukka, Virginia pulled away with a 3-0 run. Eldredge hit back for Cornell to make it 11-7, but UVA’s Julia Steiner hit a fantastic backshot goal from 20 yards out to quell the opposition. A late rally from Cornell in the fourth chukka brought the Big Red to within three, but there was too little time remaining, and the UVA women deservedly took the title, 17-13.

The widely favoured UVA men had trouble early against a dark-horse Westmont squad seeded third. With both teams riding the University of Connecticut’s ponies in the first chukka, Westmont was the better side. Virginia missed a couple of penalties and a backhanded goal and penalty from Westmont’s Wiley Uretz made it 8-2 by the start of the second chukka. On Virginia ponies, though, the Cavaliers found their stroke. CB Scherer, Felipe Viana and Mauricio Lopez spread the goals between them in a second chukka as one-sided as the first. Three Virginia goals in the final minute made it 10-9 UVA at the half.

After a couple of minutes of open play put Westmont in the lead, Virginia started to play more efficiently. Scherer put it through the goal on a penalty with 5:36 remaining to equalise. Then it was Lopez at 4:50 for the lead; Viana at 4:06 with a tap-in. Scherer scored again at 3:05, and after a Westmont goal on a penalty two, Lopez and Viana each hit two to close out the chukka at 19-13. When the Virginia team got their ponies back in the fourth chukka, victory was in the bag. The Cavaliers took it 23-17 for their second straight championship, and the second Virginia trophy of the day.

England’s Maurice Ormerod (in red) chased by Oscar Mancini (in blue)

England defeated Argentina in the Hurlingham Polo Association’s Gaucho International Polo in the O2 arena in March, but not before the two national teams treated some 7,500 cheering fans to a nail-biting penalty shoot-out.

This was the second year of the arena high-goal Gaucho at the former Millennium Dome beside the River Thames in Greenwich, with one of the largest crowds ever to watch an indoor arena international. With a streamlined format concentrating on two international matches, the event drew more hard-core polo supporters this year in addition to Londoners, many of whom were seeing polo for the first time.

Jamie Morrison, son of the late Bryan Morrison, considered the ‘godfather’ of arena polo in the UK, led the England team. Eight-goaler Morrison was joined by Maurice Ormerod, 5-goals, and Gavin Turner, 4-goals. Argentina was captained by 7-goaler Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Figueras who models for Ralph Lauren. Oscar Mancini, 6-goals, and Juan Leiva, 4-goals, completed the squad.

Having lost to the home team in the inaugural O2 event in February 2011, the Argentines were out for blood.

Skipper Figueras appeared much improved after his lacklustre performance in 2011, while England captain Morrison, despite his experience in the arena, sometimes seemed a bit off his game.

The visitors scored three in a row in the first chukka to take the lead, which they held throughout most of the match. England managed to tie up the game three times in the second chukka, but were behind by five goals in the third.

The home team finally caught fire in the fourth and final period, outscoring Argentina by five goals to two. With just over a minute to go on the clock, England’s Ormerod scored a field goal to equalise at 15-15. Argentina’s Mancini missed a 20-yard penalty shot as the final horn sounded, leaving the score tied.

In the tie-breaking penalty shoot-out that followed, England’s Turner and Ormerod and Argentina’s Leiva and Mancini missed their shots at goal. Then England skipper Morrison rode up to the mark and calmly scored to the roar of the crowd. Argentina’s Figueras final shot went wide, leaving England the winners by 16 goals to 15.

The main event of the Gaucho International was preceded by a match between Scotland and Ireland. Jamie Le Hardy, 7-goals, skippered Scotland with Howard Smith, 6-goals, and George McCorkell, 4-goals. Sebastian Dawnay, 8-goals, was captain of Ireland with Richard Le Poer, 6-goals, and Siobhan Herbst, 3-goals, the only female player of the O2 event.

The Scotland v Ireland match was considered by some to be more exciting than the main event. It was all tied up no fewer than eight times, with neither team able to gain more than a one or two goal advantage. Scotland finally pulled away in the last chukka to win 15-12.

Mark Cann of the Combined Services Polo Association was director of this year’s International and Louisa Dawnay, wife of Ireland player Seb Dawnay, organised the teams and their ponies.

‘The HPA’s Gaucho International proved to be an excellent evening to introduce a whole new crowd of people to polo,’ commented HPA chairman Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers. ‘It was well supported by players and spectators alike, and crowd numbers were well up on last year. There was a great atmosphere and some exciting matches.’

Martin Williams, operations director of the Argentine-themed Gaucho restaurant chain and organiser of the O2 event, was also happy. ‘The increased partnership and relationship with the HPA benefited the quality of the event hugely and I am sure will make it even more of a spectacle in future years,’ he said. ‘We look forward to announcing the date for 2013 very shortly.’

The 77th FIP Ambassadors Cup was held on 13 to 17 April 2012 at the Port Mayaca Polo Club near Palm Beach, Florida. Players representing 10 countries participated on six different teams.

While the tournament did produce a winning team, more about which will be covered later, the overriding significance of the event was the camaraderie and good fellowship enjoyed by all participants.

As in all Ambassadors Cups, horses were generously loaned by local players to the visiting Ambassadors. All visitors felt the quality of horses was excellent. The level of play was also of a very high standard as all of the teams were in the 10- to 12-goal range and the fields were in excellent condition. The six teams played on each of the three game days and enjoyed lunch together in the pavilion overlooking field number one at Port Mayaca. A few also partook in sporting clay shooting.

The Ambassadors Cup was held in conjunction with the US Open Championship being played at the International Polo Club in Wellington, Florida, and the FIP Council of Administration meeting held at the Museum of Polo on 18 April. The Ambassadors also enjoyed a very active social schedule including the Polo Ball. A dinner party was hosted by Russell and Missy Corey and a cocktail reception in their honour was hosted by the museum.

Publisher of Hurlingham magazine, Roderick Vere Nicoll, and his Hurlingham teammates, Carlos Gracida, Carlitos Gracida and Timmy Sharma, were undefeated in all of their games displaying great teamwork and well deserved victories. While the Hurlingham team received the winners’ trophy, each of the other teams was given the privilege to pose for a photo holding the trophy.

It is also noteworthy that as the Port Mayaca Polo Club founder and tournament host, I was given the advantage of being able to pick my teammates, pick the opposition, choose the horses of many of the opposition and hire the umpire, and yet, was still unable to win. Further, even though I was playing my own horses, while many others were playing unfamiliar ones, I was the only player during the tournament to involuntarily dismount!

The Port Mayaca Ambassadors Cup allowed players to renew old international polo friendships as well as create new ones. The FIP Ambassadors Cup provides an excellent opportunity to promote polo as well as international friendships. If you are given the chance to participate in one, I encourage you to do so. ABOUT THE CLUB

The Port Mayaca Polo Club began its first season in November 2008. It has five regulation-size fields as well as an 11-acre stick and ball area. The entire complex encompasses 573 acres, with stabling for 158 horses. The club has roughly 25 active members, about half of whom are stabled on site. A number of players from various Wellington clubs also participate in events at Port Mayaca. The club caters to young professionals who enjoy the large area to ride and train horses as well as the high standard of practice games. The season runs from mid-November until mid-April

In April 2011 the AAP’s plans to host an International 22-goal tournament at Palermo fell through at the last minute but later, during the Open, the HPA pledged its support to the AAP’s proposal to try again. At the same time, discussions were held with Lionel Soffia to send an England team to Chile to play a 20-goal test match at Santiago’s San Cristóbel Club. For Chile, it was agreed that our team would play off their HPA handicaps, while in Argentina, they would play off their Argentine handicaps. In the event it was fortunate that our team, all of whom were able to mount themselves in Argentina, were 20-goals on HPA handicaps but 22 on their AAP handicaps. Hence the team fitted both countries’ wishes and it was anticipated that the polo in Chile would help to prepare the team for the AAP tournament.

Inevitably, the team were at a disadvantage on strange horses and, having tried ponies in a match against a Young Chile team on the Saturday, their plans were somewhat disrupted when ponies promised for Sunday did not appear. This necessitated some last-minute changes, with players still trying ponies as the five-minute bell was rung. Perhaps as a result, the team got off to a shaky start, going down by two quick goals in the first chukka, and thereafter trailed throughout until the last chukka when they got to 9-10 with a chance to go level. However, Chile snatched away any hopes when they scored a decisive goal in the last 30 seconds. Obviously the team were disappointed but, still, much enjoyed their foray west of the Andes.

Prior to going to Chile the team had had two practices at La Quinta courtesy of the Tomlinson brothers, and on their return from Chile they held one more practice. They also managed to watch the other teams, and the view was that Chile looked strong and Argentina very talented. There had been various comments made about the decision of the HPA to allow the team to play as Rest of the World due to the political tensions in Buenos Aires concerning the 30th anniversary of the invasion of the Falkland Islands. Given the rioting outside the British Embassy on the night before the first game, that was against Argentina, it was clear to those in BA that the decision had been entirely correct.

Everyone knew the game against Argentina would be tough with at least two of their players very competitively handicapped: Juan Ruìz Guiñazú Jr playing off 6-goals (7 in England) and the young 3-goaler Juan Zubiaurre, who had won several tournaments already in 2012. In the event England allowed Argentina to score the first two

Opposite Ollie Cudmore scores on Palermo Ground 2 Above Charlie Hanbury receives his prize in Buenos Aires Right Malcolm Borwick backs the ball in Santiago

goals but then managed to control chukkas two and three and at half-time, although still two goals down, England justifiably felt that they had a chance. However, in the fourth chukka the Argentines out-horsed and outplayed our team by a fair margin – Guiñazú in his red helmet seemed to be everywhere – and put in four goals to establish a substantial lead. England fought back bravely and although Argentina did not extend their lead any further, England were always hard-pressed, having got that far behind. In spite of this, enough of the Argentine goals had been scored from England players’ mistakes to allow the coach to convince the team that if they could eradicate simple mistakes and be quicker to a man, they had everything going for them and could win the remaining two games.

On the Wednesday the skies opened and a storm destroyed a huge number of trees in Buenos Aires and reportedly killed 15 people. Hence the decision was taken to postpone the Thursday game to Friday and the Saturday game to Sunday. This meant that the support team was severely reduced as the Hanbury and Cudmore parents and John Tinsley were unable to delay their flights due to other commitments. The atmosphere in the England tent on Ground 1 at Palermo for the second game that afternoon was somewhat different from the game against Argentina. There was a real determination to take the game to Chile and not allow Jamie Huidobro with José Donoso to dictate the pace as they had done so successfully against Brazil. In Chile’s defence the ball did on many occasions appear to ricochet to just where the England team wanted it to be. The England team grabbed every advantage and never let up on the man with the ball, forcing Chile to hit the ball away. England achieved a 6-1 goal lead and although Chile tried hard after half-time to close down the game, they were unable to do so, and with Malcolm Borwick scoring his penalties, and both Charlie Hanbury and Ollie Cudmore very effective in front of goal, the fight back from Chile in the last chukka still left them three goals behind.

With the tournament being played as a league, almost anything was possible on the last day. England really had to beat Brazil to have a chance of coming second but Chile could win if they beat Argentina by enough goals or came second with a close win. In the event, the England team put in another great performance, which unfortunately I didn’t see as I had been unable to change my flight from the Sunday to the Monday. Chile were beaten in extra time by Argentina who won the tournament, and England came a well-deserved second. After the first game against Argentina the consensus was that Argentina were a very good team, which we would be pushed to beat, but after the two games against Chile and Brazil, there was disappointment that the team was not able to have a final against Argentina, as their confidence had built up and they really felt they would have given Argentina a good run for their money, with a good chance of winning.

The team was part funded by sponsorship from Harald Link to whom we are very grateful; part by the HPA, which met the transport costs of the players and some of the main expenses; and part by the players who produced themselves well mounted at Palermo for three matches and at La Quinta for three practices. It is a great credit to those concerned that we were able to field a well-mounted team at that level for international games at Palermo and achieve such good results. Mark Tomlinson was an excellent captain on and off the field and we are also grateful to Luke Tomlinson who came to Chile to coach the team and then coached the team in Argentina as well. It is very much hoped that the tournament will become an annual event.