Hurlingham Feb 2013

HURLINGHAMpolo m aga zi n e

februa ry 2013

t h e a r g e n t i n e s e a s o n

Photo: David Lominska

Proud sponsors of:

Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup

EFG Bank - Aravali Team, UK High Goal

40 Goal Challenge, Palm Beach

RMA Sandhurst Polo

Cambridge University Polo

Veytay Masters, Switzerland

Desert Palm Nations Cup, Dubai

Haryana Polo Club, Delhi

Thai Polo Open

Swiss Team, European Polo Championship 2010

Royal Salute Maharaja of Jodhpur Golden Jubilee Cup

The private bank for polo

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hurlinghampolo.com 5

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contents

10 Ponylines news from around the polo world, including the Chief Executive’s column

16 Prize discovery The extraordinary treasure in the attic of the Buenos aires hurlingham Club

17 Beach boys The British beach-polo championships bringing the sport to a brand-new crowd

18 Good fortune Thanks to an enthusiatic patron, polo’s popularity in China knows no bounds

20 Spirit of the law The lawyers Polo team, created to celebrate fair play in the game of kings

22 The Wright stuff The hPa’s new chair is a steady hand to steer it through the recession’s rough seas

24 From fantasia to FIP With a tradition of proud equestrianism, morocco is a prime new polo location

26 Lord Patrick Beresford an expert insight into the growth of argentina’s polo industry

28 Empire games What impact has its imperial heritage had on the development of polo?

34 The stars of tomorrow Pony Club Polo will foster today’s talent and ensure future success worldwide

40 A tribute to the underdog Working-class hero Jimmy Bachman rose to the very top of his game – and only ever played it on his own terms

47 Action reports and pictures from across the globe, including the Triple Crown, Fortune heights Super nations Cup, St moritz Polo World Cup on Snow, international Series, Townsend Cup, Thai Open, Coutts Polo at the Palace, and Clare milford haven’s mexican diary

66 The good player So, what differentiates the mere also-ran Polo Player from the good Polo Player? Juan Carlos alberdi, writing in the Fifties, thought he knew

Show Media Editorial

Managing Director Peter Howarth

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Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited.While every efort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, no responsibility can be accepted for any errors or omissions. All the information contained in this publication is correct at the time of going to press. The HURLINGHAM Polo Association magazine (ISSN 1750-0486) is published by Hurlingham Media. The magazine is designed and produced on behalf of Hurlingham Media by Show Media Ltd. It is published on behalf of the Hurlingham Polo Association by Hurlingham Media. The products and services advertised are not necessarily endorsed by or connected with the publisher or the Hurlingham Polo Association.The editorial opinions expressed in this publication are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of the publisher or the Hurlingham Polo Association. Hurlingham magazine welcome feedback from readers: [email protected]

hurlinghaM Magazine

Publisher Roderick Vere Nicoll

Executive Editor Peter Howarth

Editor Arabella Dickie

Deputy Editor Herbert Spencer

Contributing Photographer Tony Ramirez

Editor-At-Large Alex Webbe

Senior Designer Julia Allen

Chief Copy Editor Chris Madigan

Copy Editors Sarah Evans, Gill Wing

Cover: Mariano Aguerre,

photographed by Ricardo Motran

hurlinghampolo.com

hurlingham

6

forewordroderick vere nicoll – publisher

I was sitting next to Neil Hobday, CEO of

Guards Polo Club, before the Argentine

Open final. He turned to me and said that

Ellerstina would win by 2! I had watched

the semi-final between La Aguada and

Ellerstina and found the latter’s play

erratic. La Dolfina, on the other hand,

was the dream team of 40 goals and had

been steadily improving with each game.

What unfolded was one of the best polo

games I have seen. The youngest player,

Nico Pieres, was the man of the match for

the first five chukkas. For a full account

of the final and of the Triple Crown read

Héctor Martelli’s report on page 48. Our

cover star, Mariano Aguerre, won his

ninth title and was raised back to 10

goals for the third time in his career!

We also focus on China and Argentina.

contributors

Diego Nuñez is a graduate of Harvard

University, where he played on the

intercollegiate team and devoted his

senior year to a study of the history

of polo. Research and competitive

activities have taken him to Cowdray

Park, Guards, Chantilly, Geneva and

Rome. Now a writer based New York,

Diego is working on a book about polo.

Marcus Rinehart split his childhood

between his family’s farm in South

Carolina and a variety of international

locations. His father, former 10-goaler

Owen Rinehart, and his mother, Georgina,

breed and raise thoroughbreds for polo.

Having pursued filmmaking, Marcus is

currently completing his undergraduate

degree at King’s College London.

Theresa Hodges joined the Linlithgow

and Stirlingshire Branch of the Pony

Club in 1963. She was a Pony Club

parent from 1991 to 2012, polo

branch manager of the Royal Artillery

Pony Club from 1997 to 2004, section

manager of Jorrocks between 2005

and 2007, and has been the chair of

Pony Club Polo since 2008.

Ricardo Motran is an Argentinian

photographer. He was born in the city

of Córdoba, which lies 700km northwest

of Buenos Aires. It was here that he

opened his first photographic studio,

named Snoopy. ‘Snoopy’ soon became

Ricardo’s own nickname, and one that

has followed him during his 30 years

photographing the sport of polo.

On page 16, Pepe Santamarina tells us

about the first trophy of the Open, which

he found in the attic of the Hurlingham

Club. Lord Patrick Beresford explores

the Argentine Polo industry on page 26.

Mark Tomlinson gives his view of the

Metropolitan Polo Club in Tianjin on

page 18, and James Beim reports on the

24-goal Nations Cup in the Action section.

Diego Nuñez wrote his senior thesis

at Harvard on the origins of polo, and on

page 28, he describes how polo relates to

its imperial heritage. On page 40, Marcus

Rinehart talks about Jimmy Bachman and

his huge impact on the game.

Finally, if you want to know the

difference between a polo player and

a good polo player, read Juan Carlos

Alberdi’s account in the Archive section.

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one to watchWealthy Hong Kong businessman Pan Su Tong, above far

right, does not play polo, but his life-long love of horses and

passion for the sport has made him a key figure in its

development in the Peoples’ Republic of China. Mr Pan,

who heads a large international group of diversified

companies, built the Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club

as the centrepiece of Goldin’s mega-scale business and

residential development south of Beijing. The club is now

partnered with the Federation of International Polo (FIP),

which been co-hosting and organising major international

events at the Metropolitan, including the FIP Snow Polo

World Cup and the Fortune Heights Super Nations Cup

tournaments. Mr Pan’s Goldin group has invested millions

of dollars in polo, helping to fund the FIP and providing

welcome income for national associations that send teams

to compete in China. In recognition of his ‘exceptional service’

to polo, the FIP has appointed Mr Pan as the federation’s

first honorary vice-president. Herbert Spencer

ponylines

hurlinghampolo.com10

Throughout the British winter, there has been plenty to focus on overseas, but perhaps the highlight was the final of the Argentine Open, when Ellerstina defeated La Dolfina, who were generally considered to be the favourites. So many games are won on penalties, but, on this occasion, it was perhaps one that was lost due to missed penalties.

England’s own great achievement was its victory over America in extra time in California – the first time in its 90-year history that it has taken the Townsend Trophy. An away match always presents an extra challenge and it was all the more challenging because Sebastian Dawnay had to replace Chris Hyde, who was unable to obtain the necessary visa, and Oli Hipwood was struck down with a bout of flu.

Just before Christmas, a party of eight young players went to Buster MacKenzie in South Africa for training and another slightly older group is about to head off there for February half-term. At the same time, two younger groups are going to Argentina – one to Coronel Suarez and one to Pilar.

On the international front, a three-man England team will be taking part once again in the FIP Snow Polo World Cup and we hope they do well, having been drawn into probably the toughest league, with USA and New Zealand. In addition, England teams – both captained by James Beim – will be playing Australian teams at Melbourne in February and Windsor near Sydney in April, an event to which a 21-and-under team has also been invited. Also during April, it is planned that England will field a 22-goal team to play in the Copa de las Naciones in Buenos Aires.

At home, the decision to run four HPA Club Tournaments at different levels (two before Christmas and two after) appears to have worked well and provided competitive arena polo here over the winter months.

Looking forward to the 2013 season, there are no significant changes in the programme or the rules, but the highlight of the season will be the Audi International at Guards Polo Club on 28 July, when England will defend the Westchester Cup against the USA.

CHIEF E XECUT IVE

POLO NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WORLD

{ CarmignaC gESTiOn’S SECrET rOlling STOnES gig

On 29 October 2012, Paris-based investment company Carmignac Gestion took to the stage at the intimate Theatre Mogador in Paris to welcome the world’s greatest rock’n’roll band, the Rolling Stones. The (badly-kept) secret gig, performed in front of around 600 of Carmignac’s clients, journalists and exclusive guests, lasted for 90 minutes, during which Mick Jagger, above left, and his band played some of their best-known hits, including ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’, ‘Honky Tonk Women’, and ‘Start Me Up’. The musician joked to the audience that he had not met polo patron and winner of the 2011 Queen’s Cup, Édouard Carmignac, above

right, ‘but the Queen has said some very nice things about him to me’. Earlier in the year, Carmignac Gestion had invited another famous rocker, Rod Stewart, to perform at a similarly high-octane private concert for clients.

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{ HPa gauCHO inTErnaTiOnal POlO aT THE O2

The HPA Gaucho International Polo returns to London in 2013 and, once again, the O2 Arena will no doubt prove to be a fantastic venue. The event kicks off at 5.30pm with a festival of music and complimentary wine tastings – representatives of 40 of Argentina’s top wineries will fly over especially for the occasion, presenting over 200 wines. The evening will climax with the headline match, IG/England vs Cheval des Andes/Argentina, at 8pm, when England will be looking to repeat their 2012 victory over Argentina.

After the match, guests can enjoy music – both live and provided by DJs – as well as a VIP after-party at neighbouring IndigO2. Veuve Clicquot will be creating a champagne garden for the evening and Tanqueray gin will host ringside entertainment. What’s more, team sponsor IG will be bringing IGnatius, its mechanical polo-pony horse to IndigO2, offering the opportunity for curious visitors to have a go at playing polo. One of the UK’s biggest supporters of polo, IG is a world-leading provider of Contracts for Difference (CFDs), financial spread-betting and forex.

www.piagetpolo.com

Piaget Manufacture movement 880P

Mechanical self-winding chronograph

Flyback, dual time

100 meter water resistant

Titanium, sapphire case-back

Rubber strap

ponylines


hooked on polo

harold Awuah-darko is captain of the Accra

polo Club in Ghana and the patron of African

polistas, a pan-African polo club. he is the only

patron to have won the Accra open three times.

harold owns 35 polo ponies in Ghana and South

Africa, where he holds a 0-goal handicap (the

highest he has attained is 2-goals).

I started riding at the age of five and first played polo

in 1981 at the age of 14 at the Accra Polo Club –

the youngest person at that time to ever play there.

Horses have long been a strong part of my family

culture, commencing with my father. He got into polo

at the age of 48 and retired from active play at 70,

passing on this passion to his four sons. We are all

avid horsemen and keen polo players.

I love my horses and always have a favourite

mare that my wife describes as her rival. I enjoy the

planning and organisation that goes into polo and

winning tournaments – it gives me an avenue to

replace work-related stress. I have fond memories

of playing in my father’s team, Vanguards, when we

consistently won the local league.

A good game for me features classic old-style

open play on a good field with great horses. My

most memorable game was back in 2008, at the

Inanda Polo Club in Johannesburg, when I led the

first all-black polo team to win the Africa Cup. We

entered as the ‘dark horse’, but won all our qualifying

matches. The final was strongly contested, ending

9-8, with our winning goal scored in the dying

seconds of the last chukka.

In Ghana, we play 0-4-goal practice chukkas,

with 4-8-goal international tournaments where we

invite professionals to enhance play. In South Africa,

we play 6-12-goal chukkas and I participate in

4-12-goal tournaments, depending on whom I

am playing with. One of my aims is to establish a

pan-African polo league with different handicap

levels involving all polo-playing countries in Africa.

y YOUNG PLAYER TOmmY bEREsfORd ON POLO iN chiNA

Playing for the Under-16 England polo team in China was not only exciting, but gave me the

opportunity to compete for my country in a highly prestigious international tournament. The event

was extremely well organised by the FIP and the Metropolitan Polo Club Hotel. As the Fortune

Heights Super Nations Cup was taking place at the same time, understandably, the better

horses were given to the 24-goal tournament and the lower-end horses were given to the junior

tournament. The pitch was challenging and had large divots in places, which meant we needed

to be more careful than usual. The first game against South Africa was difficult, but we were able

to overcome them in three chukkas as we were more balanced and played well both individually

and as a team. As predicted, the final against Argentina was very tough as we were playing the

best nation in the world. This match was increased to four chukkas and we started with 1.5 goals

due to differences in handicap. That was the difference between the score in the end, but at least

we gave them a good game. Playing against people my age from elsewhere in the world gave me

a much better idea of the differing standards of polo in other countries. Tommy Beresford

x GiNGER bAkER dOcUmENTARY

Beware of Mr Baker is a new, no-holds-barred

documentary about one of the world’s most

controversial musicians – and die-hard polo

enthusiast - Ginger Baker. The film looks

back on his musical career with Cream and

Blind Faith, his introduction to Fela Kuti, his

self-destructive patterns and finally his life

inside a South African compound with no fewer

than 39 polo ponies.

Though best known for his work in the

Sixties with Eric Clapton, Baker did not really

hit his stride until 1972, when he drove the very

first Range Rover ever produced from London

to Nigeria in pursuit of African rhythms and

his musical hero Fela Kuti. There he found a

veritable hotbed of drumming and, as a result,

was in the vanguard in introducing so-called

world music to the West.

The documentary includes polo footage –

a passion Baker once insisted was his only

weakness – as well as stories from his ex-wives,

children and some of the many iconic musicians

who worked with Ginger, including Clapton,

Steve Winwood, Charlie Watts, Mickey Hart

and Carlos Santana.

Beware of Mr Baker was released by SnagFilms

in late 2012

y AUdi POLO sERiEs 2013

The Westchester Cup, polo’s oldest and most

prestigious international trophy, will be the prize

this summer when England takes on the USA at

Guards Polo Club, Windsor, on 28 July - the first

UK staging of the match in 16 years. The USA

currently holds the record for the most wins

since the trophy’s inception in 1886, with 10

victories to England’s six. The England team will

also face internationals against South Africa

(15 June: Beaufort Polo Club) and Australasia

(7 September: Chester Racecourse Polo Club)

as part of a three-match UK series.

Former patron Nigel à Brassard, explained

why the Westchester Cup is held in such high

esteem: ‘The Westchester Cup is the “blue

riband” event of international polo. It is to polo

what the Ashes are to cricket, the Ryder Cup

is to golf and the America’s Cup is to yachting.’

For tickets, contact [email protected].

ponylines


chukkas

Hurlingham is proud to announce the launch

of the debut novel by Ming Liu, one of our

copy editors. Our Man in China, which was

shortlisted for the Impress Prize for New

Writers, follows the journey of Eric Chen,

a Chinese-American banker who heads

to China in search of success and riches.

Set between Shanghai and Beijing, Hong

Kong and New York, it is fast-paced and

topical, and – without giving too much away

– has a denouement set at a Shanghai polo

tournament. Ming is a journalist whose work

has appeared in the Asia Literary Review and

the Financial Times, among other publications.

{ THe FIP’s new PresIdenT

The worldwide governing body of polo, the Federation of international Polo (FIP) has a new president.

The annual FIP general-assembly meeting in Buenos Aires, attended by representatives and players from

48 countries, has unanimously elected Dr Richard Caleel, above right, to take over the reins from Eduardo

Huergo, above left. As a player, long-time United States Polo Association member and International

Committee chairman, the sport has taken Dr Caleel to events worldwide. The patriarch of a polo-playing

family, he relocated to the United States’ west coast with his family part-time some years ago and recently

opened an FIP office in Santa Barbara. The FIP believes his considerable expertise as a businessman,

and most notably his superior organisational skills, makes him the ideal person for the role.

Staging international tournaments between players of varying levels of skill is no easy feat, but the

FIP’s mission is clear: to bring the joy of polo to children and adults across the globe. The World

Equestrian, Pan American and Olympic Games are certainly in the sights of many. The sport is sure, too,

to achieve a still greater presence in new territories – in China, for example, its popularity has grown

dramatically in the past 10 years and now clubs and players are clamouring to be part of this elegant

and beautiful sport. Under Dr Caleel’s leadership, the organisation can only continue to flourish.

y THe POLO HALL OF FAme 2013

In October 2012, the board of directors of the Museum of

Polo and Hall of Fame announced its selection of exceptional

individuals to be inducted into the Hall of Fame for 2013.

Michael V Azzaro, a former 10-goal player (a rating he

held for 14 years) with six US Open Championships, three

Silver Cups, Butler Handicap, Iglehart and World Cup

to his credit, will be honoured for his outstanding record as

a player. A 9-goaler who played for Myopia teams in the

late-19th century and early 1900s, Robert Gould Shaw II

(1872-1930), who won all the major tournaments of the era

while an active player, was the choice for the posthumous

award. For the Hall of Fame Iglehart Award, meanwhile,

Tim Gannon, pictured right, a three-time winner of the

US Open, will be honoured for his outstanding lifetime

contribution. To be recognised as the posthumous Hall of

Fame inductee for the Iglehart Award is Bill Gilmore, who is

remembered as a powerful force in the revival of the game

in California after World War II.

Sapo Caset is leaving La Aguada to play with

La Natividad. Facundo Sola will play with La

Aguada, but Sebastián Merlos, who was asked

to play with them next year in the Triple Crown

as their number 2 turned them down as he wants

only to play number 3. Alegria will comprise

Fred Mannix, Lucas Monteverde, Polito Pieres

and Hilario Ulloa. Pilará is yet to be decided –

it could be Sebastián and Tincho Merlos, but

they will need two eights as there are no other

nines available, making them only 33-goals and

needing to qualify. Brother Pite will play Camara,

the Brazilian Pinheiro. It looks as if the Triple

Crown will be a lower handicap in 2013!

Over the years, many of you will have bought

handmade knee guards from Geof Oram of

Logo Saddlery in Midhurst, near Cowdray

Park. Sadly, his son Matthew had a serious

fall last August and is now paralysed from

the waist down. While rehabilitating in

Salisbury District Hospital Spinal Unit, he is

raising funds to buy a wheelchair and other

equipment. Donations gratefully received via

[email protected].

There are several new teams for the 22-goal

in England this summer – Black Bears

are back with Guy Schwarzenbach, Jack

Richardson, John Paul Clarkin and Ignatius

Du Plessis. Spencer McCarthy’s Emlor is

returning with English captain Luke Tomlinson,

Joaquin Pittaluga and Nacho Gonzalez.

The two French brothers Ludovic and

Sebastien Pailloncy are stepping up from the

18-goal to play with Pite Merlos and Cubi

Toccalino. There will be a second team from

Dubai under the racing stable name of

Godolphin. Maitha Al Maktoum will be the only

lady patron, playing with Lucas Monteverde,

Pablo McDonough and a 4-goaler.

Rumours abound in Argentina that the

administration of President Cristina Fernández

de Kirchner would like to change the ownership

of Palermo, La Catedral del Polo since 1928,

from the army to the City of Buenos Aires. The

polo grounds would then be turned into housing.


ponylines

love of my life...

pony’s name: open Guillermina

sex: mare

oriGin: arGentina

In 2012, the Argentine Polo Pony Breeders’ Association presented an award for the best

Argentine-bred polo pony to the beautiful chestnut mare, Open Guillermina, ridden by

Nicolás Pieres and owned by Ellerstina SA. It’s no coincidence that a horse bred by

Ellerstina SA should be such a success – not least because it is breeding a number of

ponies via embryo transfer.

Nico says: ‘Open Guillermina is my best horse and I’ve been playing her for three

years, since she was five. She is a big mare with amazing power and never tires. She can

play two chukkas easily and, in the Open final, I played her for 12 minutes. What makes her

unique to me is that I am the only one of the three Pieres brothers who plays her – she was

always in my string of horses. She is the daughter of Optimum, a thoroughbred, and Open

Geisha, the daughter of Sun Gluf and La Luna, who is very special to both my father and

Ellerstina. It’s wonderful to know she was one of the two best in the Open final.’

Nico Pieres in conversation with Hector Martelli

saddle up with...

name: francisco elizalde

nationality: arGentinian

polo handicap: 7 Goals

when and how did you start to play polo?

My family is from La Pampa province in Argentina, where

I started playing polo from the age of four. I got the hang of

riding first and then gradually learnt to play the sport. Eduardo

Heguy is my godfather and my father’s best friend, and the

Heguy family farm was situated near Intendente Alvear [a town

in La Pampa] so I played with them and learnt a lot. One of the

first tournaments I ever took part in was the Copa Potrillos.

when did you first play abroad?

In 2008, when I travelled to the UK. In 2009 and 2010,

I returned to play in the Les Lions team, with Eduardo and

Nachi Heguy. Shortly after that, I played for Las Monjitas,

both at Sotogrande and in the UK.

what tournaments did you play last year?

In 2012, I played in Dubai, where I won all the tournaments

with Habtoor Polo, and I also won the British Gold Cup

with Jaime García Huidobro, Polito Pieres and Adrian Kirby.

After that, I travelled to Sotogrande, before returning to

Argentina, where I won the Copa de Honor Presidente and

Copa Cámara de Diputados. I tried to play the Argentine

Open, too, but lost by one goal against La Aguada/Las

Monjitas in the qualification round.

what are your plans for this year?

This year, I am looking forward to playing the US Open

with Juan Martin Nero and Polito Pieres for Victor Vargas’

Lechuza Caracas team. After that, I will play with Adrian

Kirby, Eduardo Novillo Astrada and Chris Mackenzie.

y THe PAssIng OF A POLO Legend

Brigadier VP Singh, who strode the Indian polo scene like a colossus in the Seventies

and Eighties and last year, as the national coach, took India to the World Cup Finals

in Argentina, passed away peacefully on 23 December 2012 at the age of 72.

A recipient of the Arjuna Award in 1975, he is the only polo player who has been

handicapped at +7 in post-independence India. He led his country to many triumphs

on the international stage and single-handedly kept alive its glorious polo tradition

at a time when its next-highest-achieving polo player was only +4.

Among the many accolades VP Singh received was national Three-Day Event

Champion, Most Valuable Player in high-goal polo at Santa Barbara, USA, and

Best Rider at the National Horse Show on many occasions. He was also presented

with the Indian Polo Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He is the only Indian

to have successfully completed the equitation course at Saumur, France, which is

considered the most difficult in the world, and stood first against the Olympic riders

who participated. His contribution to polo will remain etched forever in the annals of

Indian sport. His army career included command of the President’s Bodyguard and

the 61st Cavalry. roops from both regiments were among those who attended his

cremation in Brar Square. He is survived by his wife and three children.


talk

prize discoverySearching the attic of the Hurlingham Club in Buenos Aires prior to a champions’

lunch led to a significant find, writes Pepe Santamarina, the club’s head of polo

In 2011, the Hurlingham Club in west Buenos

Aires organised a lunch in honour of the winners

of the Hurlingham Open tournament during

the Sixties and Seventies. This year, a few

weeks before the final between La Dolfina and

Ellerstina, the club began to plan the same

celebration for polo champions of the Eighties

and Nineties, who included gifted players such

as Juan Carlos Harriott Jr.

Before the event, I told the multiple champion

of the Coronel Suárez team, Alberto Pedro

Heguy, ‘This year I’m going to surprise you.

That’s a promise.’ My plan was to organise

the tennis and golf trophies that had ended up

in the chaos of the club’s attic. I really wasn’t

hoping for anything special – perhaps, at most,

to find some old photos that would surprise

Colonel Suárez and his contemporaries at

the celebratory lunch. But the surprise was

bigger. Much bigger.

The attic was in a state of total chaos.

As I began to arrange its contents bit by bit,

I stumbled across a trophy displaying a picture

of an old polo game. Examining it more closely,

I came upon something unexpected: the words

‘River Plate Polo Association’ – the sport’s first

governing body, founded in 1892. On its side

were engraved the names of the four winners

of the tournament of October 1893: Francisco

J Balfour, Frank Furber, CJ Tetley and Hugo

Scott-Robson – the founding members of the

Hurlingham Club.

The 1-0 victory was against North Santa Fe,

in Cañada de Gómez. As Francisco J Balfour

wrote in his memoirs, that sole goal allowed the

Hurlingham Club to label itself ‘the first Copa

del Campeonato’. The goal was scored by Juan

Ravenscroft – who’d replaced an injured Hugo

Scott-Robson – during an additional chukka.

I realised then that it was the original cup –

the one from the very first Open! Something

that we expected to throw away during our

search turned out to be the most valuable

thing we came across.

The cup is small, not reaching even half the

size of the current orejona, which, just last year,

was lifted by Adolfo Cambiaso, David Stirling,

Pablo MacDonough and Juan Martín Nero,

the victors with La Dolfina. Its fortunes were

mixed, however, as, from 1965, humble and

silent, it was used as the trophy for an internal

tournament within the Hurlingham and changed

its name to Lady Nomination.

Rescued from the dark attic, it was the guest

of honour at the lunch attended by the grand

masters of polo seen smiling in the photo on this

page. It’s hard to believe that four gringos winning

a tiny cup turned out to be such a monumental

event in the history of polo.

While the 119th Argentine Open is played,

polo has discovered a charming story from its

past. And, as a prize, it has gained a new trophy.


talk

Activities include have-a-go

polo, an Audi vs polo pony

race and a vibrant retail village

A highlight of the south coast’s summer season,

the Asahi British Beach Polo Championships

will return for its sixth year on 12 and 13 July.

Supported by some of the sport’s top arena

polo players, the popular annual festival offers

a unique and accessible introduction for polo

novices as well as plenty of entertainment and

skilled play for keen enthusiasts.

Over two action-packed days, the British

seaside location of Sandbanks, Poole, will see

England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales competing

three on three at 14-goal arena polo. For those

unfamiliar with arena polo, it is a spectacular,

adrenaline-fuelled spectator sport – particularly

when played on a picturesque Blue Flag beach.

Whether guests pay for hospitality, VIP or

general-admission tickets, or just choose to

sit outside the fence on the purpose-built sand

viewing banks, the event is a chance for polo to

show off its attributes to around 5,000 seasoned

and new supporters each year. To complement

the polo, the championships offer a host of

other activities, including have-a-go polo, beach

volleyball, a charity Audi vs polo pony race and

a vibrant retail village.

Founded by Johnny Wheeler and David

Heaton-Ellis, the inaugural championships in

2008 were kick-started by publicity from Piers

Morgan. Despite the onset of the recession,

some big-name sponsors such as Asahi, Audi

and Sunseeker spotted the potential and, with a

supportive local council, willing polo professionals

and patrons, the event was up and running.

While sponsorship income has since been

recalibrated, new ideas such as camel polo,

flood-lit night beach polo and equine displays

have kept the event in the media spotlight.

One of the biggest challenges for a non-tidal

beach polo event – where elaborate temporary

infrastructure surrounds a boarded area – is the

depth of the playing surface. The game is too slow

and tiring on the ponies if the sand is deeper than

the fetlock, so to ensure this doesn’t happen, the

sand is levelled, excavated by up to two foot and

continuously watered to provide firm footing.

Polo is ‘transportable’ and taking it to a truly

unique public location and making an effort to

show off the game in the best possible way has

proved extremely successful. The future for the

event looks promising – it is recession-proof

and, as last year demonstrated, waterproof! With

a steady rise in the popularity of the championships

it is extremely satisfying to see beach polo being

enjoyed by so many people.

beach bOYSThe Asahi British Beach Polo Championships have proved a huge hit

with both polo novices and keen enthusiasts since 2008


talk

good fortunePolo is enjoying a huge increase in popularity in China, as Mark Tomlinson

discovered when competing in the Fortune Heights Super Nations Cup in Tianjin

As soon as you drive through the main entrance

to the Fortune Heights development you are

struck by the enormity of the apartment towers

of the same name. Several huge structures

containing luxury homes create an impressive

skyline on the outskirts of the city of Tianjin,

only very recently completed and primed for

market. At the centre of this huge development is

the Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club Hotel,

with the polo field right on its front doorstep.

The hotel is five-star in every way and the wall of

marquee-style corporate boxes, which run along

one side of the main field, creates a chic scene.

Then there is the equestrian centre,

consisting of four or five purpose-built barns

to stable almost 250 horses, providing both a

luxurious and practical facility. It also boasts

a Martin Collins arena and an all-weather track,

not to mention the perfect summer temperatures

for polo. The man behind it all, Pan Su Tong,

really has created a first-class polo set-up which

compares with the world’s finest clubs and offers

extensive facilities, all created in only two years.

The Fortune Heights Super Nations Cup

tournament itself is highly competitive. Four

24-goal teams playing for their country is a

recipe for good polo in any environment – add

in decent prize money and you get some pretty

fierce sport. Unfortunately, the ground was

not quite up to the standard of everything else

and the playing surface itself was treacherous.

However, this didn’t deter the players from playing

hard and merely added to the entertainment as

the crowd was treated to a total of eight falls in

four matches, with graphic replays shown over

and over on the large screens.

The factor that probably most concerned the

players and organisers in the run-up to the

tournament was the horses, but to give credit

where credit is due, the level was not bad at all.

The club organisers have clearly been under

strict instructions to source suitable stock and

a lot of effort was put into this. While they could

have perhaps been given a better preparation, the

fact that some 120 horses were made available

for 24-goal polo is a huge achievement in itself.

As the Chinese are new to polo, at least in the

modern era, they have brought in international

polo expertise. Not only have horses been

acquired from all corners of the globe, whether

it be NZ or the UK, but they have also enlisted


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There is a passion in China

for competitive polo at the top

level in a non-patron format

the assistance of the likes of Derek Reid and

John Fisher, who have been key to the very

successful development of the Tianjin Goldin

Metropolitan Polo Club. There was a strong

representation of FIP delegates and several

other officials from leading polo associations,

too, confirming China’s intention to run its

polo in the proper way.

None of this would be possible without the

vision of Mr Pan, who appears to have a taste

for perfection and quality. His choice of the game

in its purest form – four pros against four pros

– is no accident. There is a passion in China for

competitive, exciting sport at the top level and

the non-patron format definitely fits the bill.

Many say that this is true polo, and as with the

Argentine Open, one is guaranteed a fast,

unforgiving spectacle. The Chinese clearly love

it. There does not seem to be much development

in the way of home-grown players, although

I am sure that this will happen. It is clear that

their nation is committed to excelling in as many

sports as possible – as can be seen from its

success in the Olympic medal table. However,

my impression is that, for now at least, they

are not primarily interested in participating.

This stance, I feel, underlines their passion

for polo – currently, they seem to be thrilled to

simply watch and learn from the best, seeing

exactly how it is done.

At Metropolitan, one can’t help but be gripped

by this vision for perfection and enthusiasm for

polo. One feels privileged to be part of a sport

which has been chosen to play the starring role

in a billion-pound property venture. Seeing and

dealing with Mr Pan and any of his staff makes

one fully aware that there is a common aim

to appeal to the polo world and make China a

leading polo destination – an aim that is fast

being achieved. The word is spreading as the

Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club renews

its sponsorship of the Charity Cup at the

Gloucestershire Festival of Polo, featuring the

Audi International at Beaufort. The phenomenon

shows no sign of slowing down, either, with

the Snow Polo World Cup in February and the

2013 Super Nations Cup later this year promising

to take the sport from strength to strength.

Finally, on a personal note, I am looking

forward to England being able to make amends

after our disappointing run in this year’s event.

Opposite Juanchi Ambroggio swings at the ball

This page, from top Mark Tomlinson; prize-giving ceremony


talk

spir it of the lawCreated to celebrate and reflect the values of fair play and team spirit in the

game of kings, Lawyers Polo attracts participants from around the world

Polo, law, chivalry and friendship are the four

pillars of Lawyers Polo. The group, founded

in 2008, provides an opportunity for an

international group of lawyers dedicated to

the sport and art of polo to convene, dine,

swap stories, compete and, most importantly,

to bond. ‘The idea was to create a networking

event for lawyers around polo. It has worked

out so well that, today, the sporting spirit and

friendships have eclipsed its original networking

objective,’ explains Eduardo Bérèterbide,

co-founder of Lawyers Polo and attorney at

Shearman & Sterling in Paris.

The idea was conceived during a dinner

between Argentinian Bérèterbide and Canadian

Justin Fogarty in New York City as they planned

their attendance at the International Bar

Association (IBA) annual conference in Buenos

Aires. ‘We thought how interesting and fun would

be to play with other lawyers. Colleagues liked

the idea from the onset, and what had been

thought of as one single match ended up being

an eight-team tournament – that’s 32 lawyers!’

says Bérèterbide. Since that first successful

experience, the demand has risen, Lawyers

Polo has kept growing and began organising

tournaments worldwide: Madrid (2009), Toronto

(2010), Dubai (2011) and Paris (2012).

The main objective of Lawyers Polo is to

create the right environment of trust and affinity

between players and followers, thus forging

personal links with international colleagues.

Polo, with its natural demands of fair play and

team spirit, has been the inspiration for creating

the genuine loyalty that exists between members.

Participants come from all around the globe

and play polo in more than 30 countries. ‘Our

players hail from many different cultures and

speak many different languages but, thanks to

polo, we understand each other perfectly,’

continues Bérèterbide. Nowadays, Lawyers

Polo has a network of around 300.

The tournaments are 4-goal and yet, despite

this low handicap, all players have plenty of

experience. For example, Justin Fogarty was

the president of Polo Canada, and Attila Tanzi

is the president of the Milano Polo Club. Other

seasoned players include Carlos Rivas, Martin

Magal, Alfredo Vargas, Jean-Yves Garaud

and Dato Mohamed Zekri.

Last October, France was the venue for

Lawyers Polo’s fifth annual tournament. Six

teams participated, numbering lawyers from

as far afield as England, Argentina, France,

India, Malaysia, Italy, Germany, Switzerland,

Austria, Slovakia, Venezuela, Netherlands and

Canada. The event kicked off with a black-tie

cocktail reception at the George V Hotel in

Paris that was attended by luminaries from

the French legal and polo worlds as well as

many international players.

The matches took place at the Polo Club

du Domaine de Chantilly (Terrain de l’Honneur

1 et 2). Following the first match day, Thomas

Rinderknecht, a Swiss lawyer and a very

experienced player, invited all the players to

dine at his house in Senlis. On the Friday night

after the play-off games, the whole group

attended a dinner prepared by the celebrated

Our players hail from many

different cultures, but, thanks

to polo, we understand each

other perfectly


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French chef Arnaud Faye at the hotel Auberge

du Jeu de Paume.

Saturday 13 October saw the final played

between Lechuza Caracas and La Victoire.

After a fast-paced game, Lechuza Caracas

won the 2012 Emirates NBD Cup, having

defeated La Victoire 8-4. Alfredo Vargas, their

captain, was awarded the MVP prize. A lawyer

who practises in Caracas and New York but

currently works and plays polo in the Dominican

Republic, he was delighted with the result.

‘We are very proud to have won the Emirates

NBD Cup in Chantilly. In fact, this was the first

time a Lechuza Caracas team had played on

French soil,’ he said.

Vargas scored four goals for Lechuza

Caracas, followed by Carlos Rivas with three

and Daniel Hurstel who scored one. Rivas is a

lawyer with DLA Piper in Palo Alto, California,

and plays at Menlo Polo Club, while Hurstel is

a partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher in Paris.

For La Victoire, Ludovic Pailloncy scored two

goals, and Attila Tanzi and Anil Abraham, one

apiece. The second final was between Emirates

NBD (third place) and Allen & Overy (fourth).

The last final was played between Auberge

du Jeu de Paume (fifth) and Kilreen (sixth).

Justin Fogarty, captain of Kilreen polo team,

was elected the most gentlemanly player of

the tournament.

Eduardo expressed his thanks to Lawyers

Polo’s event manager, Carolina Bérèterbide,

for the excellent organisation of the numerous

events in Paris and Chantilly during the 2012

tournament, and to Lawyers Polo sponsors,

Emirates NBD Private Banking, Allen & Overy,

Auberge du Jeu de Paume, Kilreen and La

Martina. He added: ‘We also want to specially

thank Patrick Guerrand-Hermès, Philippe

Perrier and Benoît Perrier for their invaluable

assistance.’ The organising team is already

working on Lawyers Polo 2013 which, as

always, will be held in another very special

polo destination somehwere in the world.

Opposite Lawyers Polo players in Champ de Mars, Paris

This page, above The black-tie welcome cocktail party

at the George V Hotel, Paris Left Auberge du Jeu de

Paume vs Kilreen


talk

the WRIGht stuff

The Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA), rather

unusually, now has a polo professional as its

chairperson. Not a professional player, mind

you, but a man who has spent 17 years running

a polo club as his own business.

Brigadier John Wright’s experience at

Tidworth, the UK’s biggest little club (it once had

more playing members than Guards) will stand

him in good stead as he leads the HPA through

what he admits is ‘a difficult time for polo, given

the present economic climate.’

Wright was elected for a four-year term as

chairman beginning last November, succeeding

Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers. Colquhoun-

Denvers and previous HPA chairs were

businessmen with day jobs in fields other than

polo. For Wright, however, polo was his sole

business interest from which he earned his living

as a hands-on, professional club manager – and

a highly successful one at that.

Tidworth Polo Club in Wiltshire had been the

home of army polo since 1907. ‘I took on Tidworth

in 1995, as a sole trader, when the army decided

it could no longer afford to keep the club going,’

Wright explained. ‘Back then, we had only 45

playing members, mainly military. Today, there

are some 150, both military and civilian – the

second-largest playing membership in the

country. Seventeen years ago, we were lucky to

get just a few hundred spectators for our main

events; recently, we’ve had as many as 4,500.’

Wright, 72, has now ‘retired’ from his Tidworth

business in order to concentrate on his new post

as HPA chairman. He views the coming years

of his chairmanship with a mixture of pragmatic

pessimism and determined optimism.

‘Because of the recession, and with no end

to the economic downturn in sight, polo is likely to

see some rather difficult times,’ he says. ‘I don’t

think we’ll see much growth, if any, in the sport

this year. Some of the smaller clubs may struggle

and, sadly, some low-goal and medium-goal

players may have to drop out for financial reasons.

‘On the other hand, our high-goal season

seems pretty robust, with team patrons from

England and abroad bringing in top professional

players to make our 22-goal season the most

cosmopolitan in the world. It appears likely we’ll

again have 16 teams for the Gold Cup this year.

‘Of course, most of our polo is played at lower

handicap levels and at small clubs, but, like it or

To head up the HPA requires experience, confidence and a clear idea

of what lies ahead. Herbert Spencer meets the man for the job

Brigadier John Wright with

Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers,

outgoing HPA chairman

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not, it is the high-goal playing at the big clubs

that provides us with the window through which

the wider world sees our beautiful game. As long

as this remains healthy, polo will have a vibrant

and positive public image.’

Wright takes an optimistic view of the

HPA’s place in international polo. ‘Our England

national teams are improving all the time,’ he

HPA events and managing them, our CEO, David

Woodd, and his staff can concentrate more on

the core activities of the polo association: rules,

umpiring, fixtures, training and the like.’

Wright hopes that HPA’s finances this year

will enable it to ring-fence spending on youth

programmes, providing training and bursaries

for young players in Pony Club Polo and Junior

HPA – ‘the sport’s future generations’.

‘Most importantly of all,’ the association’s

new chairman concludes, ‘we must do absolutely

everything we can to help our smaller clubs

weather the economic storm in the coming

years. We can do this by doing all in our power

to avoid making life more difficult for them.’

With Wright at the helm, there are certain to be

bright skies ahead for the sport.

High-goal playing at the big

clubs gives the wider world a

window on our beautiful game

affirms. ‘In addition to our veterans, our younger

players have never been more confident and

capable. They are winning tests both here and

abroad, such as this year’s Townsend Cup against

the USA in California. England will meet the

USA again in July, playing for the Westchester

Cup on our Audi International day.

‘We’ve also just sent a team to play the FIP

Snow Polo World Cup in China and have very

hope they’ll return with big prize money.’

The HPA’s audited accounts for 2012 are

due in February, and things look hopeful. ‘Despite

the recession, it appears HPA’s finances

managed to remain in the black last year – just,’

Wright says. ‘We’ve now taken on a commercial

partner, Polofix, to maximise income from HPA

assets. With Polofix handling sponsorship of


talk

King Mohammed VI has given

a boost to polo by encouraging

equestrian sports

from fantasia to f ipWith its long-standing equestrian traditions, Morocco is a prime

location for the democratisation of polo, writes Rabii Benadada

When Moroccans hear the word ‘polo’ many of

them probably think of a favourite Ralph Lauren

shirt. Those slightly more familiar with the sport

are often under the impression that this is a

hobby for the wealthy, although, in reality, this

is far from the truth: you are unlikely to see any

Ferraris parked beside the polo field. In fact,

the country’s long equestrian heritage means

that polo is just one of the horse sports to enjoy

a particular resonance with its population.

Polo itself is a relative newcomer to this

North African kingdom, having begun here only

in the early 20th century, in Tangier. In 1923,

the city was established as an international zone

by foreign colonial powers (Great Britain, France

and Spain, joined by Italy, Portugal and Belgium

in 1928, and Netherlands a year later) and

became a destination for many European and

American diplomats, sportsmen, writers, and

businessmen. It was this foreign influence that

introduced polo traditions into the country.

The sport suited Morocco, already famous

for its pleasant climate, horses, riders, and

tradition of ‘fantasia’, which made the sport

accessible to Moroccans. Fantasia equestrian

performances, pictured above, still popular

today in the tourist trade, are inspired by the

historical wartime attacks of Berber and desert

knights in Morocco. Today, they are considered

both a cultural art and a form of martial arts.

In recent years, Morocco’s polo community

has sought to revive the equestrian tradition

that has long been enjoyed in the kingdom.

One of its most prominent events, the King

Mohammed VI International Polo Trophy, was

established by the Moroccan Royal Guard in

2006 and hosted again in 2009.

The tournament, which pits four international

teams, including that of the host country, in

competition against each other, is now among the

major polo tournaments worldwide. Over the

years, Morocco has entered several teams that

have participated in this and many other events

with a good deal of success.

King Mohammed VI has given a great boost

to this sport by encouraging and promoting

equestrian sports. In the process, His Majesty

has upgraded polo clubs and ensured a high

level of competition, even internationally.

In 2006, Morocco became the first Arab and

African member of FIP.

Thanks to Morocco’s equestrian traditions

and existing support from the palace, polo is

being democratised for the non-elite and made

accessible to youngsters and adults alike.

Morocco is looking to develop a polo community

like England’s, in a sociable, relaxing atmosphere,

allowing everyone to practise a sport that is not

a symbol of social climbing but the realisation

of a passion practised among ordinary people.

Polo can only enhance Morocco as a tourist

destination for the international polo fraternity,

and put the country on the world tournament map.

The author is a researcher in sports management

at the ISCAE Business School in Casablanca Ra

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profile

Gone are the heavy-headed

criollos of yesteryear

and in their place is the

sleek thoroughbred

Lord Patrick BeresfordIn late November, Lord Patrick Beresford watched some early games of the Argentine Open.

His prediction that La Dolfina would again triumph proved incorrect. They lost in the final, 10-12,

to Ellerstina. Here, he explores the development of Argentina’s polo industry

ILLusTrATION PHIL DIsLEy

The small town of Pilar lies some 35 miles

north-west of Buenos Aires, the bustling capital

of Argentina, home of the world’s greatest polo

ground Palermo. In keeping with much of the

countryside, the environs of Pilar are as flat as

a board, and thanks to the vision of some polo

luminaries such as Héctor Barrantes, Gonzalo

Tanoira and Gonzalo Pieres, have developed

into a centre of excellence that surely must now

exceed even their founders’ wildest dreams.

Within an area of only a few square miles,

some alongside each other separated by

single or double lines of trees, some end to

end with no marked division, lie more polo

grounds than probably exist in the whole of

the British Isles: full-sized and boarded, they

are serviced by enormous American barn-type

stables and all-weather exercise tracks and

schooling grounds, clubhouses and mainly

metalled thoroughfares, while dotted about

are houses of varying elegance designed by

the more affluent players. The fields, which

to the eye appear as level as a billiard table,

are slightly cambered to assist drainage and

maintained to the highest possible standards.

Throughout the daylight hours, petiseros or

grooms in the traditional gaucho garb of beret

and bombachas (baggy trousers) lead strings

of gleaming ponies on exercise or on the way

to and from play. Gone are the heavy-headed

criollos of yesteryear and in their place is the

sleek thoroughbred or near-thoroughbred,

many now priced beyond a prince’s ransom.

In former times, the gauchos’ methods of

breaking in and training horses were often

considered at best rudimentary and, at worst,

downright cruel. However, nowadays, the value

of polo ponies is so high that far greater care

is taken, not only initially – where the Monty

roberts method has been adopted by many

leading player-breeders, including, for instance,

Adolfo Cambiaso and Memo Gracida – but also

in early chukkas and games, where retired

high-goal horsemen are employed to take over

from the groom or domador (horse-breaker).

Furthermore, it now seems that the former

Argentinian belief that, on a fit pony, every rib

should show has been replaced by a degree of

condition more in keeping with European ideals.

Where we still seem to differ is on the need to

preserve equilibrium behind by removing the

single outside stud from a pony’s back shoe after

it has played, but perhaps this is because, in

Argentina, there is far less hard-road exercise

or standing in an unbedded stable. Apart from

this, it would appear in general that farriery in

Argentina, although hot-shoeing scarcely exists,

is every bit as good if not better than our own.

A fairly recent development in the sale of polo

ponies has been an annual public auction at the

private stables of some of the leading breeders.

At one such, that of Ellerstina on 21 November,

21 yearling fillies were offered, 20 of which

were sold at an average price of $95,000

(around £58,000). Of course, they were all of

near-perfect conformation and breeding, and

immaculately presented, but if, nevertheless,

that seems a lot of money, consider the sale that

then followed of 16 embryos. These were listed

with details of the dam and sire and expected

date of birth, and were guaranteed to be female,

a fact established, unbelievably, by a minute

biopsy of the embryo at the time of its removal

from the maternal womb. Prior to and during

the bidding, both the natural and the recipient

mothers were paraded in the ring – the former all

classic mares who had distinguished themselves

hurlinghampolo.com

profile

27

Argentina is the cathedral of

polo, Palermo with its towering

stands the high altar, and

Cambiaso now the high priest!

in earlier or current Open tournaments, the

latter stocky types with obviously equable

temperaments and plenty of foal room, though

–intentionally – not too much height.

Bidding for the embryos was just about as

lively as for the yearlings and the prices achieved

sometimes almost as high – the first three lots

making $100,000, $90,000 and $55,000

respectively, for instance. Payment is due

immediately, and purchase includes, of course,

the surrogate mare, but no refund is made –

or so I gathered – in the event of the foal being

born with some deformity such as a crooked

leg. Let us hope, on behalf of their new owners,

that fortune will favour the brave, and that in

eight to ten years’ time these embryos will have

become stars at Palermo!

At the higher level, embryo transfer has now

almost completely replaced natural reproduction.

It is not cheap, at $3,000 to $4,000 a go – and

more in the uK, I believe – but is carried out

in specialised clinics that boast awe-inspiring

technology. What remains to be seen is whether

or not it will gradually be replaced by the more

recently discovered and somehow alarming

possibility of cloning.

On the evening following the Ellerstina auction,

a similar sale took place at neighbouring Los

Machitos, the stables of Mariano Aguerre. Here,

prices were only marginally lower, 17 yearling

fillies averaging $86,700 and 12 embryos

$38,250. Proceedings were again conducted by

the same auctioneer in his rapid-fire rat-a-tat

style, while a variety of young ladies wandered

around plying customers with glasses of

champagne and other refreshments.

Around Pilar, the proliferation of players

of a handicap that would be well respected in

England, ie, four, five or six goals, is so great that

it is as easy to organise 20-goal chukkas as it is

to organise those of six or eight. Meanwhile, at

the top level, no fewer than 14 teams entered

the Open Championships (handicap range 40 to

28) of whom eight qualified for the quarter-finals

in Palermo, led by last year’s winners, Cambiaso’s

La Dolfina, now on 40 goals, and the Pieres’

Ellerstina (38). It is interesting to note that the

youngest player involved is Nicolás Pieres,

aged 21, and the oldest, Pite Merlos, aged

44, but that, even among this galaxy of stars,

Cambiaso, aged 37 and his 20th year as a

10-goaler, still shines supreme. It will be really

surprising if he does not continue to do so for

several seasons to come.

The face of polo has been changed infinitely

for the better, both in Argentina and in England,

by the publishing of Javier Tanoira’s 2009 treatise

(translated into English by sandy Harper), which

put forward an effective means of reintroducing

the backhander in preference to the stiflingly

boring tapping round, of which Cambiaso was

the main offender Now he has got to hit and run,

and wow, what a spectacle that is!

Without question, Argentina is the cathedral

of polo, Palermo with its towering stands the high

altar, and Cambiaso now the high priest!


EmpirE gamEsPolo owes its development – and even its values – to

its imperial heritage, writes Diego Nuñez

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Though it is certainly easy to get caught up in

the most recent jaw-dropping feats of Adolfo

Cambiaso and ‘Juanma’ Nero or to be totally

absorbed in one’s personal practice and

tournament schedule, taking time to reflect on

polo’s past provides a meaningful way to foster

our appreciation for the game. Readers of

Hurlingham can reasonably be expected to have

a basic grasp on the early development of polo:

in the 1850s, natives of Manipur – a remote

region on the Indian/Burmese border – were

observed by officers of the British army playing

a ragged version of hockey on horseback. They

were so intrigued by the practice, they took it

up themselves and persuaded some of their

countrymen to join them.

The game grew so popular in the second

half of the 19th century within the army in

India that nearly every one of the 25 cavalry

regiments on the subcontinent had its own

club. Before long, a description of what was to

become known as polo had been written up

and submitted to a popular sporting magazine

published in Britain. When that description

was circulated in March 1869, an idle group

of cavalry officers stationed in Aldershot took

to their mounts and, in doing so, ushered in

the birth of the game in Britain.


Sport served as a vehicle for

cultural diffusion and taught

sportsmanship and equality

This sequence gives an idea of how transmission

of the game began, but understanding precisely

how that game – which the Manipuris called

sagol kanjai – transformed into what we today

know as ‘polo’ reveals a surprising mix of

cultural forces at work: a Victorian obsession

with rules and codes, a deep connection with

the other sports of the empire, and, above all,

an emphasis on social interaction that is not

typical of the other sports Britain popularised

throughout the world. The process had as much

to do with the widely investigated connection

of public schools with imperial service as it did

with the interactions that ideological agents of

the empire such as military officers, merchants

and planters had with princes in the subcontinent

and London society back on home soil.

Polo’s popularity – and, indeed, very existence

– today is in large part a result of the cultural

phenomenon of sport within the British

Empire that began more than a century and

a half ago. On the one hand, many Victorians

and Edwardians saw sport as ‘an imperial

umbilical cord’ that they found more meaningful

than literature, music, art or religion in

connecting them back home. On the other,

sport served as a vehicle for cultural diffusion

that taught subjects – Briton and foreigner

alike – values such as sportsmanship and

equality. All too frequently, however, the sports

that attracted the most attention were limited

to what can be termed the so-called ‘imperial

games’ of football, cricket and rugby, and

not the ‘sport of kings’.

The development of polo represents a unique

element of the culture of imperial sport

because – as opposed to the more widely

discussed sports of cricket, football, and rugby

– the game is in an especially sensitive area

of conceptual negotiation. Some narratives

suggest that the creation and codification of

the imperial sports led to their export to

Previous page A group portrait of six Manipuris preparing for polo

at Manipur, India, in the 1870s. This page, clockwise from left An

illustration depiciting a polo game in the late-19th century; student ofcers

riding mules at a military academy, 1915; a polo match at Venado Tuerto,

Argentina, 1919. Opposite Team Hurlingham in 1893: Francisco

Balfour, Frank Furber, CJ Tetley and Hugo Scott Robson


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dominions and colonies as well as areas not part

of the British empire – Argentina, for example

– thus making them effective yet unofficial

instruments of imperialism.

The rhetoric surrounding the world-bettering

ideology of Britain’s empire in the 19th century

found many of its strongest voices in the

writings and sermons of the headmasters of

schools such as Eton, Harrow and Rugby.

In laying out the imperial purpose of education,

the Reverend JEC Welldon, headmaster of

Harrow from 1885-1898, offered the following:

‘Englishmen are not superior to Frenchmen or

Germans in brains or industry or the science

and apparatus of war, but they are superior in

the health and temper that games impart…

The pluck, the energy, the perseverance, the

good temper, the self-control, the discipline,

the co-operation, the esprit de corps that merit

success in cricket or football, are the very

qualities that win the day in peace or war.

The men who possessed these qualities – not

sedate and faultless citizens, but men of will,

spirit and chivalry – are the men who conquered

at Plassey and Quebec. In the history of the

British Empire, it is written that England has

owed her sovereignty to her sports.’

That Welldon would liken sports to warfare

is not surprising, given the physical action and

co-ordination required of all of the three major

games of the empire. But the hierarchies and

levels of interaction involved in co-ordinated

team sports also model the organisation of the

armed forces or the civil service and illustrate

the adaptability expected of each individual at

any given time. By exerting self-control and

co-operation for the greater good of his team,

the schoolboy sportsman who followed the lead

of men such as Welldon learnt to adapt his

behaviour to allow for the best communal

outcome. In choosing to highlight values such

as good temper and esprit de corps, sentiments

like his make the case that the triumph of

Britain’s empire over other nations did not

result from any unnatural strength of body or

of intellect, but from the individual Briton being

attuned to his role within the game of life,

which would soon turn toward the enterprises

of government and of war.

While polo was recognised from the time

of its discovery in Manipur as an important


tool for training the cavalry in India, it was still

too unrefined a game to have held a central

role in the schoolboy athleticism on which the

sport came to be based. Perhaps the supreme

example of this ethos is found in Henry

Newbolt’s celebrated poem ‘Vitaï Lampada’.

Many readers will be familiar with its refrain

of ‘Play up! Play up! And play the game!’ –

the imagery of a boy at bat in the deciding

moments of a cricket match giving way to a

soldier fighting for his country during a

desperate last stand against an attacking enemy

all display how the schoolboy sportsman was

expected to conceive of adaptation as a virtue

directly transferable from sport in one’s youth

to the business of adult life. By the time sagol

kanjai had first been observed by officers in

Manipur, this relationship between sport and

imperial service was well established. The

manner in which the game was later used to

keep soldiers combat-ready typifies the stress

on adaptability facing the Victorian agent of

empire.

While the connection between Victorian

education and imperial service certainly helps

to explain polo’s transformation into a British

game, what sets the game apart from the three

other imperial sports is its origin as a practice

of a completely different culture. The fact that

Indian society was subject to Britain is highly

significant because it marks the special case

where an imperial sport was developed in a

foreign context, cultivated to suit the purposes

of various agents of empire and, finally,

distributed across the world just like the other

three major global games. While this may seem

little more than a slight variation in the tried

formula for the development of a sport, it

flies in the face of the accepted wisdom in

interpreting how sporting culture operated

and who could lay claim to it.

All sports have a socialising aspect, but polo’s

is particularly pronounced because the game

is itself one continuing experiment in cultural

interaction. Just as polo would not exist today

if the Manipuris who knew the game in the

This page, top, and opposite Open Polo Tournament,

Bombay, 1925. HE The Governor’s Staf beat Bhopal in

the final. This page, below British Military personnel at

a polo match in Sindh Province, India, 1920


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1850s had refused to show the British how

the game worked, so today’s game would be

unrecognisable had the officers of the cavalry

not standardised the size of the field, established

a fixed number of players per side and authorised

the first referees. The game was able to grow

as quickly and as pervasively as it did within

the army in India and among the Indian

princely states because it came to enjoy official

administrative support from military leadership.

For a time, the top military brass in London

enthusiastically championed the game not only

as a technically rigorous method of preparing

for equestrian combat, but also a healthy social

outlet to the excesses in the lifestyle that many

young men chose to lead in the east.

In a separate vein, the role of spectators – who

have flocked to modern polo without fail both

to watch the game and to interact with one

another – has in its own right been of tremendous

importance throughout the game’s history.

Without the civilian fan base that early polo

drew in the 1870s, the game would have missed

the transformation from military practice to

civilian pastime and would certainly no longer

exist today. The crowds, players, grooms and

horses all contribute together to the living

ritual of polo – a practice that has survived not

only in the face of the transformation from a

rural world to an urban one, but also from a

time of mounted combatants to mechanised

infantry and military drones.

Top military brass championed

polo not only as a method of

preparing for equestrian combat

but also as a social outlet


The sTars of TomorrowPony Club Polo will play a key part in nurturing today’s young British talent and

ensuring international success in the future, writes its chair, Theresa Hodges


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With 110,000 members, the

Pony Club is the largest

association of young riders

riders in the world

In 2009, the Pony Club celebrated its 80th

birthday and Pony Club Polo its 50th. The

Club is testament to the power of long-term

volunteering in the UK and it is the passion

of its many helpers that has helped Pony Club

Polo grow into what it is today: a training

organisation for young players that is the envy

of many other polo-playing nations (except,

perhaps, Argentina).

The contribution the Pony Club makes

to UK polo and, indeed, what the great game

brings to the Pony Club is worth exploring.

Its aim was simple: to offer dedicated equestrian

training for every child with their own pony.

Today, that extends to any youngster without

a pony who would like to ride. The structure

of the Club was originally based around hunt

areas. There are now 345 branches across the

country and the organisation is represented in

no fewer than 27 countries, with a membership

of more than 110,000, making it the largest

association of young riders in the world. There

are more than 31,000 members in the UK

alone, of whom around 15,000 have their

own ponies, the balance coming from centre

membership of linked riding schools.

Of those 345 aforementioned branches,

polo is played at only 30 or so – but why?

The reason is mainly a lack of nearby facilities.

Admittedly, players lucky to live near centres

of excellence such as Cowdray, Cirencester and

Guards have a great advantage, but polo happens

everywhere where parental interest is keen –

the most northerly grounds in the UK (perhaps

the world?) have just opened in Inverness, and

a game can even take place on a beach.


It is significant that most of the England

players in the past 40 years began playing polo

in the Pony Club, as did many of the 3,000

registered players in the UK. It currently has

around 400 aspiring players and offers a social

and professional network of fun and friendship

akin to that on which adult clubs are based,

while contributing to raising standards of play

and pony welfare through comprehensive

training, coaching and testing.

Most of the England players

in the past 40 years began

playing polo in the Pony Club

There are two schools of thought on

whether it is better for a child to begin playing

polo on a ‘fluffy’ at around six years of age or

to start instead at 10, when tall enough to ride

a polo pony. A fluffy is a regular pony, under

14.2hh, with a mane (ie, not hogged, like a

traditional polo pony) that does everything

from Pony Club rallies to hunting, jumping,

dressage, games, endurance and pony racing.

However, fluffies have a mind of their own

and can be troublesome to ride. There are no

right or wrong answers and many roads lead

to playing in the Gold Cup – although more

of them if you live in Argentina! The pros for

starting early on a fluffy are that they teach

you to ride and you learn the set moves at a

safe speed and how to fight for the ball in the

melée. The cons are that it is easier to learn on

a polo pony and very young players may not

Previous pages, from left The opening parade of

the 2011 Polo Championships at Cowdray Park;

the first Pony Club Polo Championships at Aldershot,

in 1959. This page, from top Old Berkeley (East)

Branch at Aldershot Polo Club, 1959; Charlie Scott

playing for Cowdray Hunt at 2012 Polo Championships,

Cowdray Park. Opposite, from top Cayman Riding

School, Cayman Islands; Sam Boreham, playing for the

Vine Hunt, at the 2010 Pony Club Polo Championships


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have enough strength to hold the polo stick.

Whenever young players go to Argentina, the

feedback is often that they cannot ride due to

not having an independent seat and that,

instead, they use the reins and horse’s mouth

for balance. It is all too common to see players

at every level bumping around on the horse’s

kidneys, making it more difficult for the horse

to accelerate and turn. As a team sport, polo

keeps boys riding, and helps everyone to ride

naturally because they want to get to the ball

before their opponents do. My personal vote

therefore goes to learning to play as young

as you can, as slowly as you can and then

making the progression to a polo pony when

the rudiments of the game are instilled.

There are some concerns as to whether

up-and-coming British polo players can

achieve both the depth and the breadth of

experience needed in order to succeed at the

highest levels internationally. Depth is about

the standard of play, while breadth is the

total number of players. Think of a graph

whereby the majority have a low handicap

(-2 to +1) and the line tapers, with very few

players obtaining handicaps above 5. The aim

is to keep more people coming into polo and

for more players to reach higher handicaps,

thus lessening the steepness of the curve.

You can play polo in the Pony Club from

the age of six to 21 on one pony, which improves

the accessibility of polo in the UK, as well as

providing good interfaces with clubs and the

Schools and Universities Polo Association

(SUPA). The more people who love polo the

better – whatever age you develop your passion

for polo, it is never too late – and everyone

contributes to our success. Through the passion

generated by the Pony Club and SUPA,

players and their connections go on to produce

professionals, amateurs, umpires, patrons,

sponsors, managers, timekeepers and goal

judges. In short, the breadth of polo in this

country has never been more impressive –

but what of the depth?

It was no accident that the average age of

the South Africans playing on International

Day 2012 was about 10 years younger than that


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of the England players. In the past decade, that

country’s development agenda in Plettenberg

Bay, based on good grounds, a supply of

excellent ponies off the track, four-man polo,

and time spent in Argentina, plus excellent

leadership and training, has led the way outside

of Argentina. In the same time period, the UK

has not served a generation of young players as

well as it might have done, however, because

there was no continuity in the development

and handicap process between the Pony Club

and the upper echelons. To remedy this situation,

in 2008, the HPA and the Club worked together

to enhance the ability of players as young as

11 to play four-chukka four-man polo on the

best grounds and to enhance and track their

development, training and coaching both

within the UK and overseas. This integrated

The UK has not served a

generation of young players

as well as it might have done

programme is led by the HPA’s development

committee, which now encourages and helps

young players to be the best they can be, as

early as possible. Great care has to be taken,

however, so that they and their parents are not

taken on a journey that is not aligned with their

game plan for life or their financial means –

there is more to life than polo, after all!

Working with the HPA, we are just about

getting the depth and breadth of polo in the

UK balanced, but it is constantly evolving.

Young players, like young ponies, show what

they can do quite quickly. A natural horsemaster

is evident as soon as they are off the leading

rein, and a player with a natural swing and an

eye for the ball is evident by age six. What only

becomes evident later is a brain for strategy

and a sense of playing in a team. Great players

are made, not born, but that process is one of

multiple variables. Where Argentina scores is

in encouraging riding without saddles very

young, in high-goal family members to emulate,

and a proven, relatively economical process to

make high-goal ponies. If UK, New Zealand,

Australia and South Africa work together,

one day we can perhaps take on Argentina at

an Olympian level. Our junior development

programme is world-class. But it would not

be possible without the generosity of our tack

sponsors, SATS, Polo Splice and Roxtons,

and, in particular, Audi’s generous sponsorship

of Pony Club Polo, the England Team and

International Day.

Opposite, from top Theresa Hodges, far left,

presenting the Jambo Trophy, 2012; the 2010 Pony

Club Polo Championships. This page Will Hawthorne

(left, playing for the Berkeley Hunt) and Henry Frisby

(Newmarket & Thurlow Hunt) at the 2012 Pony Club

Polo Championships, Cowdray Park


A tribute

to the underdog James Augustus Bachman: 1947-1991

Despite his humble beginnings, Jimmy Bachman came to excel

at polo – the sport he loved with a passion and played entirely

by his own rules, writes Marcus Rinehart

Though popularly regarded as ‘the sport

of kings’, polo also has a strong tradition of

success among underdogs. As in the case of

boxing champion James J Braddock or baseball

legend Hank Aaron, many professional polo

players hail from working-class backgrounds

and build their careers seemingly against all

socio-economic odds. Most famously, Cecil

Smith – perhaps the greatest American player

in history – transformed himself from Texas

cowboy into 10-goal international pro without

any of the resources that benefited his

contemporaries, such as Tommy Hitchcock.

Nonetheless, Smith’s widespread reputation

is something of a novelty among the majority

of polo’s outliers, and not every story fits the

fairy-tale stereotype – had Jimmy Bachman

achieved a level of fame proportional to his

achievements in the sport, then an article such

this might have appeared in Sports Illustrated

or The New York Times long ago. Regardless,

any player worth his or her salt should

recognise Bachman as a paragon of natural

ability and work ethic in polo. If Braddock had

an iron jaw and Aaron had home-run batting,

then Bachman had innate horsemanship. Born

in Hackettstown, New Jersey in 1947 and raised

in Charlottesville, Virginia – where his father,

Augustus, worked for the family of Hurlingham’s

own Roderick Vere Nicoll – Bachman spent his

childhood around horse farms and accordingly

began riding at an early age.

In his late teens, he pursued his growing

interest in polo by way of a grooming job at

the Farmington Hunt Club, where members

would play chukkas in the newly renovated

outdoor arena every Friday night. Bachman

and his fellow grooms – among them, rising

players Clarence Mundy and Danny Shifflett

– sought compensation beyond the monetary,

of course; their seemingly insatiable eagerness

to play eventually gave rise to a tradition of

clandestine ‘midnight polo’. On any given Friday,

when the game and its after-party had ended,

Jimmy and co would patiently wait for the

players and their guests to depart and that

last set of headlights to vanish from the end

of the driveway. The grooms would then

re-tack the very horses they had just untacked,

remove the mallets they had pre-emptively

hidden in the stalls, and take to the arena.

Such enthusiasm, determination and willingness

to bend the ‘rules’ foreshadowed the professional

careers some of these young men, especially

Bachman, would go on to lead.

After a year of service with the US 9th

Infantry Division in Vietnam – for which he

Young Jimmy’s eagerness to

play gave rise to a tradition of

clandestine ‘midnight polo’D

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Jimmy at the old Palm Beach Polo & Country Club,

Florida, in the early Nineties


earned a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart –

Bachman began to pursue polo full-time, both

as a player and as a buyer and seller of horses.

His professional career gathered considerable

momentum at the start of the Eighties, when

he found success on both low- and high-goal

American circuits. Though his victory in

the 1983 Monty Waterbury Cup (a 20-goal

tournament) is certainly a career highlight,

he also became known as the ‘King of

Low-Goal Polo’ during that time – a fact

which deserves equal attention. Even while

handicapped at 5 and 6 goals, respectively,

he continued to play in 8-goal, 6-goal, and

4-goal tournaments – often within a single

season – by filling out his team with -1 ringers.

As Rodger Rinehart III, one of Bachman’s

many protégés, fondly recalls, ‘We snuck his

brother Georgie in one year at Potomac.

Georgie was a racehorse trainer and could

ride anything with hair on it. Sticking a mallet

in his hand meant nothing and going fast was

slow compared to breezing thoroughbreds.

Needless to say, we won every game.’

This remarkably unorthodox, ‘come-hell-

or-high-water’ strategy may have helped the

‘King’ earn his reputation, but it also provoked

his frustrated opponents to take bureaucratic

action. In 1989, the USPA amended the

Blue Book to include the following section:

‘In any USPA event with an upper-handicap

limit of 4 goals or above, the handicap of any

player may not exceed ¾ of the upper-handicap

limit.’ This stipulation was and will forever

be known as the ‘Bachman Rule’.

Bachman’s legacy extends beyond mere

protocol, however – many career professionals,

such as former 8-goaler Alan Kent, still recognise

him for his highly progressive style. ‘He was,

in fact, a Cambiaso-style player, controlling the

game, working on possession, with the vision

to know when to keep the ball, turn it, get a

foul or release it. He was also very canny about

when to change ponies, which is, of course,

a key part of the modern game,’ says Kent.

Despite earning salaries from his sponsors

in those tournaments, Bachman would often

sell parts of his string mid-season, somehow

balancing his concerns as a player and a

businessman. And, likewise, the term

‘by-the-book’ applied neither on the field

nor in business affairs. A client from Virginia

once commissioned Bachman to sell a shaggy,

overweight gelding in Florida; according to

legend, he just clipped the horse and sold

him back to the original owner in Virginia.

Such stories – some more embellished than

others – have proliferated throughout the polo

world in recognition of Bachman’s cunning

sales methods. Most often, however, he would

trade one of his horses for three of ‘lesser value’

– at least in someone else’s hands. He could not

only ‘ride anything with hair on it’, to borrow

my uncle’s phrase, but could also transform

the most unlikely candidates into best-playing

pony material. ‘Jimmy spent more hours in the


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Jimmy seemed to have been

born on horses. Not only

was he a master of the game,

but a tremendous rider

saddle a day than anyone I know. And, while

he had the ability to play a difficult horse, he

could also recognise a good horse and play

it as well,’ says former 6-goaler Eugene ‘Tiger’

Kneece, who worked for him from 1985 to 1991.

Of all the horses Bachman played in his

career, however, none could match the legendary

Shoemaker, who came from Billy Wayman

by way of Alan Kent. ‘Jimmy could turn the

ball on the nearside while Shoemaker was

leaping,’ says Rodger Rinehart, identifying

the technique Bachman favoured over backing

the ball. The opposing players would therefore

ride straight into fouls as they attempted to

follow him on his beloved leaper.

Nancy Schlichting, a friend of Bachman,

recalls, ‘When the grooms pulled Shoemaker

out onto the sideline in the last chukka –

naturally, he’d have already played at least one

chukka before – the anticipation was almost

palpable from those who knew what Jimmy

and that horse could do together. They were

a pair.’ After Bachman’s death, Schlichting

inherited Shoemaker and another horse from

his string named Does She. ‘Those were the

only two horses I knew of that Jimmy wouldn’t

sell. Of course, no one else would’ve been able

to play them,’ she says.

Bachman maintained a staggering work rate

throughout the Eighties, reaching the finals

of both the Sunshine League in 1985 and the

East Coast Open in 1989. In that time frame,

his handicap deservingly rose to a career

peak of 7 goals. He matched these high-goal

outings, as always, with an even greater quantity

of low- to medium-goal polo. Though the

‘Bachman Rule’ would eventually force him

out of the 8-goal leagues, he easily transferred

his skills into 12-, 14-, and 16-goal tournaments.

The Palm Beach National team – helmed

by Bachman and sponsor Bob Rich – achieved

an impressive 27-1 record in 1988 alone.

Rich says of him, ‘Jimmy seemed to have been

born on horses. Not only was he a master

of the game, but a tremendous rider. And he

knew how to put great teams together.’

Bachman would continue to play for Rich’s

teams and others during his winters in Gulf

Stream, Florida, whereas the summers offered

similar opportunities in Gilbertsville, New

York and South Hamilton, Massachusetts.

In fact, his only respite from competitive polo

came during the spring and autumn seasons,

which he would spend at his farm in Kents

Store, Virginia – although, even then, he would

still dedicate considerable time and energy to

Opposite Jimmy riding Shoemaker without knee guards

This page The 1988 Bronze Trophy at Polo Farm.

From left, Bobby Lindgren, Jimmy, Rodger Rinehart III,

Skey Johnston and Rodger Rinehart Jr


both the training and trading of horses.

The true nature and source of Bachman’s

success lies beyond any historical record,

however. Mere cataloguing of a professional

career will not yield any insight into a great

athlete; the quality that truly defined him as

a player – more so than his riding ability and

unorthodox strategies – was his mentality.

In a 1990 interview with The Sun Sentinel,

he said, ‘I ride from morning until night,

7:30 to 7:30. People always ask me if I don`t

get tired of it. My response is that not too many

of us get to do what we want and I just happen

to very much enjoy being on a horse`s back.’

Such simple wisdom speaks volumes about

the ‘winner’s mentality’. What others perceived

as an unflinching determination to win was, for

Bachman, just a natural manifestation of his love

for the sport. As Michael Jordan once put it,

‘Love is playing every game as if it’s your last.’

Never has a figurative sentiment applied so

literally as it does to Jimmy Bachman, who

died during a 12-goal game in Greenwich,

Connecticut, on 17 September, 1991. Despite

feeling ill at half-time, which prompted medics

to advise he sit out the rest of the game, he

continued to play, at which point he suffered a

fatal heart attack. In a way, his death represented

a tragic testament to his life. ‘I didn’t always

appreciate it when my dad was alive, but he was

one of the hardest-working men I’ve known,’

says Bachman’s eldest daughter, Candace Gaines.

‘He was born to play polo and it’s only fitting

he died doing what he loved. Playing his

sport. Playing polo.”

The quality that truly defined

Jimmy as a player was

his mentality

From top Bob Rich, Jimmy Bachman, Dave Ofen and Roger,

with young Jackie Bibbo in the middle; Jimmy and his daughter

Patti with Best Playing Pony Does She, 1988

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14 King Street St. James’s London SW1Y 6QU Tel: +44 (0) 20 7930 9595

Monday – Friday: 10.00 – 18.00

www.pullmangallery.com

The Pullman Gallery is pleased to present an important

Art Deco bronze related to the dynamic sport of polo.

Our gallery collection comprises paintings, lithographs,

bronzes, ceramics, silver trophies and objets de luxe,

dating from the late 19th to the mid 20th century. This

unrivalled material offers collectors of vintage polo-

related art a unique opportunity to decorate their

home, offi ce or polo club with dynamic and stylish

original pieces, ranging from decorative lithographs to

museum-quality bronzes and trophies.

For further information and images of our full inventory,

please visit our website www.pullmangallery.com

or contact us at our gallery next to Christie’s in St. James.

Joël and Jan Martel (French, 1896 – 1966)

‘Joueur à Polo’: an extremely rare and

important Art Deco bronze, created in 1931

and signed MARTEL.

Height overall: 24 inches (60 cms).

hurlinghampolo.com

the latest polo action from around the world

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48 Triple Crown

Ellerstina triumphs in the tortugas, Hurlingham and argentine triptych

52 Fortune Heights Super Nations Cup

the 24-goal tournament in China culminated in a victory for argentina

54 St Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow

Hot favourites Cartier coolly scoop the coveted Deutsche Bank trophy

56 International Series

the USa were victorious over England, reversing the fortunes of the ladies’ team

59 Townsend Cup

it may have taken 90 years, but, last month, England finally beat the USa

60 Thai Open

the final moments were all-important in a tightly fought tournament

62 Coutts Polo at the Palace

abu Dhabi played host to its first major matches in an exclusive two-day event

64 Mexican diary

an entertaining account of the inaugural British Polo Day, by Clare Milford Haven

the action

Mariano Aguerre zeroing in on the ball

in the final of the Argentine Open


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triple crown, argentina, october-december 2012

With just a few exceptions,

a team should be formed

and continue over time

The Triple CrownThe Tortugas Open, Hurlingham Open and Argentine Polo Open Championship

triptych saw Ellerstina finally claim the glittering prize, writes Héctor Martelli

As I start to reflect on the 2012 Triple Crown in

Argentina, I should remember how I commented

in Hurlingham on the 2011 season: ‘Analysing

the world’s three highest-rated polo competitions,

we can see that the Argentine season 2011 was

particularly unusual, when compared with past

ones. Unusual, because only two of the eight

teams maintained the same line-ups as in 2010.’

If last year’s season was unusual, this year’s

was even more so. This is because just only one

team remained with the same line-up as in 2011:

La Dolfina, winners of the 2011 Argentine Open,

who also boasted the extra award of the precious

40-goal status they reached when Uruguay’s

David Stirling became a 10-goaler by the end

of the year. It was unusual because there were

never as many changes in the big Argentine

teams as those this season, and also because

it was the first time since 1984 that there wasn’t

an Indios Chapaleufú team. Ignacio was the only

Heguy who played the Triple Crown, when

normally there would have been at least four.

For many years, few teams facing these

40-goal competitions have maintained the same

line-ups as in previous seasons. That means

they start from zero every year, when it comes to

putting together the team members, organisation

and horse strings. That’s why those teams that

remain with the same line-up from one season

to another enjoy a considerable advantage over

the rest. It is completely acceptable that they

can change one player, or two, as La Dolfina did

last year; but changing 75 per cent of a line-up

can lead to a completely negative impact.

There were only two teams that changed one

player. Those were Ellerstina and La Aguada:

Mariano Aguerre filled in for Ignacio Heguy,

and Guillermo Caset Jr took Eduardo Novillo

Astrada Jr’s place, respectively. The rest were

six teams with three players, plus two teams

that came from the qualifiers with brand-new

line-ups, La Aguada-Las Monjitas and Magual.

The 2012 season has just come to an end,

and currently there is much talk about new

changes in at least three or four teams, which

leads to the repetition of past mistakes. In my

view, however, with just a few exceptions, a

team should be formed and continue over time.

This leads to a better understanding between

team members, improved organisation and

enhanced horse strings every year.

Ellerstina celebrate their Argentine Open victory

with Gonzalo Pieres Snr and coach Alex Agote


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High-goal polo in Argentina is very different

from the US and UK, where main tournaments

have handicap limits. The handicap changes

after the end of each season and sometimes

forces the break-up of a team, because if they

remain the same the next year, they would

exceed that handicap limit.

Let’s review the start of the season and,

in particular, the first tournament, the Tortugas

Open. As usual, this competition features the

six highest-rated teams. As seen in recent

years, teams usually play this tournament at

a slower pace, as most of the players have just

arrived from US and Europe. They also play

the second string of horses, never the better

ones. What’s more, the heavy rains at the start

of the season made things even more difficult,

and, as a consequence, teams didn’t seem to

be in proper shape, so the tournament didn’t

have the feel of high-goal action.

Above Gonzalo Pieres blasts the ball in the final of the Tortugas Open final, played at Palermo

Below Rising stars, Alejandro Novillo Astrada (orange) and Polito Pieres (green)


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Once again, Ellerstina and La Dolfina played

the final and, once again, it was Ellerstina who

won the first tournament of the Triple Crown

after defeating La Dolfina by just one goal, as

they did in 2011. That was when signs of some

really exciting polo appeared.

The season started to get hotter in the second

tournament of the Triple Crown, the Hurlingham

Open. There were a couple of unexpected

surprises in league matches as well. The first

was the defeat of La Aguada, third team by

handicap, against a lower-rated La Natividad.

The second was La Aguada’s win over Ellerstina,

12-8, so the league had to be decided in the

last match between Ellerstina and La Natividad.

To secure a spot in the final, Ellerstina had

to win by more than eight goals – however,

they ended up winning 23-13. Once again,

they would meet the victors of the other league,

La Dolfina, in the final.

The final was unusual, too, due to the heavy

goal difference: La Dolfina won 18-11. The

winners showcased superb team play. La Dolfina’s

key men were Pablo MacDonough, named MVP,

and Juan Martín Nero, a great back and, at the

same time, a great strategist. Cambiaso and

Stirling also did their job. Ellerstina made many

mistakes, and a two-goal difference was the

closest they got to the score by half-time.

Once the two first competitions of the Triple

Crown were over, the moment of truth had

arrived: it was time to decide the world’s best

team, the winners of the 119th Argentine Polo

Open Championship. As usual, teams were

broken down into two leagues. One featured

La Dolfina, Pilará, Alegría and Magual, while

the other comprised Ellerstina, La Aguada,

La Natividad and La Aguada-Las Monjitas.

Once again, La Dolfina showcased perfect

team play and won their league very easily. They

never repeated horses, and overwhelmed each

of their rivals. Meanwhile, Ellerstina had to work

hard to win their league, as a consequence of a

very irregular performance that mixed moments

of good play with others that were not so good.

Ellerstina arrived at the final under less

pressure, but also with less margin for error.

They had only one chance to be perfect against

the perfect team. And even that didn’t guarantee

them a victory. Their season had been irregular;

their rivals’ was the opposite. Plus, the odds

were against them: they knew exactly how the

14,000 people who went to Palermo rated their

chances. But of course, who would dare to deny

them that chance?

Sometimes, things come together when no

one expects it. Nico Pieres played five chukkas

with a 10-goal quality, almost like a veteran,

and he is just 21 years old. Facundo Pieres has

many brilliant games under his belt, but he had

never showed that in a final – he had his rematch

in this one. The 2012 season was Gonzalito’s;

it was when many started to view him as the

great player he is. And Aguerre did what he

was asked to do at every moment: play, apply

pressure, block. He grabbed Cambiaso in

throw-ins, he was everywhere. He was back

in a final and nobody realised that he had played

his last one three years ago. Now, he has an

awesome nine titles.

It was not that easy to break up La Dolfina.

But Ellerstina were the only ones who could do it.

The moment of truth had

arrived: it was time to decide

the world’s best team


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My thoughts on each player are as follows:–

Cambiaso: The greatest of past seasons, showing

his innovative mind in every play, but he didn’t

particularly shine in any match he played; he

was just one of many.

Stirling: A good and classic Number 2, he is

a player who fights each ball and tries to break

the rival’s midfield play. In the last two chukkas,

he was able only to partially achieve this.

MacDonough: He scored many goals in each

game and was the candidate set to become the

best player of the Argentine Open. However, he

didn’t show up in the final and could only score

once, in the first chukka.

Nero: Like MacDonough, he is a great player

who didn’t show up that much in the final. But

despite this, he was the best of the foursome.

I will turn now to analyse each of the eight

participating teams of the Argentine Open,

starting with the winners:–

Ellerstina: With the exception of the final,

they didn’t show that much throughout the

season. They experienced excellent chukkas

as well as terrible chukkas. They performed

in matches of two halves: in the first chukkas,

they played like they did in the final. But they

didn’t co-ordinate their play in the second half,

because the tactics were all based on Facundo.

La Dolfina: The big candidates, they were

the team who played the best throughout the

Triple Crown. Brilliant play from MacDonough

and Nero, well supported by Cambiaso and

Stirling. They failed in the year’s most important

match, however, and none of the four team

members played well.

La Aguada: The new line-up with Guillermo

Caset Jr didn’t work as they expected. In my

opinion, they made a mistake in team positions

– Caset should have played as 2 and Javier

Novillo Astrada as 1, and they did the opposite.

Pilará: The team didn’t work that well,

especially Bensadón and Ulloa. As a result,

they didn’t have forwarders. Pilará only

showcased the efforts of Sebastián Merlos

and Francisco de Narváez Jr.

La Natividad: A brand-new team comprising

experienced players. They didn’t rise to the

occasion, but they weren’t out of place either.

In short, an acceptable performance.

Alegría: Fred Mannix’s Alegría also played

much more than expected. They had Juan

Ignacio Merlos as their star, and captain Mannix

developed a performance that showed just

how well he is adapting to this high-goal polo

every season.

La Aguada-Las Monjitas: A team coming

from the qualifiers, they did much better than

expected, and it is almost sure that they won’t be

playing that tough and competitive a tournament

in 2013. If they are raised at least one goal,

they will enter the Triple Crown.

Magual: The other team that came from

the qualifiers, they showed some decent play.

They will probably be raised a couple of goals,

but if they remain with the same line-up, it

won’t be enough to play the Triple Crown.

In my view, the Triple Crown teams showed

four levels of polo: one superior, with Ellerstina

and La Dolfina; one medium, with Pilará, La

Aguada and La Natividad; and one a step lower,

with Alegría and La Aguada-Las Monjitas.

Magual are currently at an inferior level.

Opposite Juan Martin Nero stops the action

This page Juan Martin Nero congratulates

ex-teammate Facundo Pieres

Mannix’s performance showed

just how well he is adapting to

high-goal polo every season


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super nations cup, tianJin GoLDin MetropoLitan poLo cLuB, cHina, 1-5 octoBer 2012

Hong Kong was pitted against

the USA in arguably the best

match of the tournament

Super NatioNS CupGripping play at the 24-goal Fortune Heights Super Nations Cup in China

culminated in a victory for Argentina, reports James Beim

Last October, north-east China’s Tianjin Goldin

Metropolitan Polo Club hosted the inaugural

Fortune Heights Super Nations Cup. Run

under FIP guidelines, and headed by Peter

Abisheganaden, Benjamin Araya and their team,

the tournament was a huge success. Brilliantly

organised by Derek Reid, John Fisher and their

staff, the competition kicked off in fine style.

After horse draws, pony trials and a practice

match, the first day saw Hong Kong pitted

against the USA, and this was arguably the best

match of the tournament. Hong Kong started

stronger, with solid plays from John-Paul

Clarkin and incisive breaks forward from

Chris Mackenzie, and took an early one-goal

advantage that they kept throughout the match.

The second half saw the two number fours

come into their own, John Fisher scoring a

memorable neck shot from 80 yards, and Mike

Azzaro getting the scoreboard ticking over for

the USA by scoring five out of his team’s eight

goals. The last chukka was the best of the match,

with Hong Kong finally breaking through to take

a three-goal lead with three minutes on the

clock, when many believd the match was over.

But the USA were not prepared to lie down,

scoring three quick goals through Mason Wroe,

Jeff Hall and Azzaro, sending the match to a

penalty shootout. With America making their

first three shots and Hong Kong missing through

Fisher and Mackenzie, the USA ran out the

winners (3-1) in the first upset of the tournament.

Day two had the eventual winners Argentina

take on England. The latter came out firing,

racing to a 4-1 lead, with Cudmore playing

well above his handicap. However, the English

superiority did not last long – Argentina found

their rhythm in the third and fourth chukkas,

scoring seven unanswered goals that left

the scoreboard at a daunting 8-4 in their

favour. Santiago Cernadas, Juan Ambroggio

and Marcos Araya scored two goals apiece.


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Opposite MVP Mike Azzaro steals the ball in front of

Raúl Laplacette This page, from above James Beim;

England’s James Harper chases Santi Cernadas

England won the last two chukkas and came

within one goal in the last, but alas it was not

enough and Argentina progressed to the final

to meet the USA.

This result left England having to back up the

next day against Hong Kong in the third and

fourth play-off. Having lost some of their better

ponies through injury overnight, England faced

a tough challenge against a Hong Kong team

desperate to avenge their semi-final defeat.

Hong Kong gained an early goal advantage,

which they would again keep throughout the

match. Star of the day was John Fisher, scoring

six field goals out of his team’s eight, giving

him victory over his compatriots. England played

a solid game, with James Harper defending

well, but found it hard to break down a Hong

Kong team well put together by team manager

Rowland Wong. With Fisher continually ticking

the scoreboard over, and José Donoso putting

his body on the line, their adopted home ran out

the winners by a two-goal advantage, taking

third place, pushing England into fourth.

The well-anticipated final was upon us, with

a re-pooling of the better horses and a further

draw, the USA and Argentina entered the final

with confidence after their respective wins.

It was the US that took an early lead through two

goals from Azzaro. However, this would be their

last lead of the match – Argentina clawed these

two goals back before the end of the chukka.

It was the next chukka that defined the match,

Argentina blitzing the US 4-1 (as they had done

against England), leaving the score at 6-3. The

Argentinians had really found their form, with all

four playing their positions well and benefiting

from years of playing fast four-man polo at

home. This showed as the Americans struggled

to maintain them. After a strong fightback in the

second half, being spurred on by eventual MVP

Azzaro, they came to within a goal at the start of

the last chukka. This was when Raúl Laplacette

sprang into action, scoring immediately to

extend the lead to two goals. And when Cernadas

picked up the ball near the halfway, passing two

opponents, riding best playing pony Montana

and scoring the goal of the tournament, this was

the final nail in the coffin for the US. Kris Kampsen

managed one goal just before the bell, but it was

not enough – Argentina lifted the Super Nations

Cup, and went back home with their pockets full.

Another highlight of the week was watching

the U16 tournament, which, after a few teething

The Argentinians had really

found their form, with all four

playing their positions well

problems involving handicaps and room swapping,

was a huge success. Argentina edged England

in a very balanced final, and South Africa took

a narrow victory over an improving USA in the

third/fourth play-off. The future of polo looks to

be in safe hands.

A huge thank you must go to Mr Pan for what

he has created in China: a beautiful polo club, a

friendly atmosphere and a very competitive new

tournament for the international polo calendar.


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st moritz polo world cup on snow, switzerland, 24-27 January 2013

Sub-zero weather, heavy

snowfalls and the lake’s thick

ice offered perfect conditions

St Moritz Snow poloHerbert Spencer reports on an exhilarating tournament that saw World Cup

favourites Cartier win the coveted Deutsche Bank Trophy

An Australian-patroned Cartier team with

English pros beat BMW’s Latin squad by 5 goals

to 4 to win January’s St Moritz Polo World Cup

on Snow. It was a closely fought tournament,

with repeated extra-time chukkas and all

single-goal wins by the four competing teams.

The annual St Moritz tournament is the

world’s oldest snow polo, started by Cartier in

1985. In 2012, the Alpine event was cancelled

for the first time in its 27-year history, when

unseasonable mild weather in the Swiss resort

meant the ice on Lake St Moritz was deemed

too thin to support the polo and the thousands

of spectators that regularly gather to watch it.

This year, however, sub-zero weather, heavy

snowfalls and the thick ice of the lake offered

perfect conditions for players and spectators

alike. The conditions for the event’s welcome

return were matched by high-quality play by

all the 18-goal sides.

The first match of the opening day went to two

chukkas of extra time before Spaniard Andreas

Knapp Voith’s BMW, with three Argentine pros,

finally prevailed over American Michael Bickford’s

Ralph Lauren, 7-6. Then Cartier took to the

snow, with patron John Munro Ford backed by

English pros Chris Hyde, Nacho González and

Max Charlton – all members of the England

national team. Their first opponents were

Irishman Richard Davis’s Sal Oppenheim, also

with three English pros: Johnny Good, Tarquin

Southwell and Eduardo Novillo Astrada who

holds a UK passport. Cartier held Sal Oppenheim

scoreless to end the first chukka 3-0. Cartier

failed to connect in the second period as their

opponents scored one to finish the chukka with

Cartier 3-1 ahead. Ford’s squad held onto their

lead in the third chukka, ending it 4-3 in front.

With scoring equal in the fourth period, Cartier

won their first match 6-5.

The second day of play saw Cartier chalk up

another victory, this time against Ralph Lauren.

Having won the first chukka 3-1, Cartier went on

to match their opponents goal for goal in the next

three periods, ending the match 5-4. Meanwhile,

Sal Oppenheim, having trailed BMW for three

periods, rallied in the fourth to tie the match at

4-4, forcing the game into an extra chukka.

Southwell scored the winning goal for Sal

Oppenheim, the victors at 5-4.

Both games on day three at St Moritz went

into extra chukkas. In their match, Ralph Lauren

and Sal Oppenheim were tied 1-1 at the end of

the first chukka. Ralph Lauren led 3-2 in the

second period, but Sal Oppenheim went ahead

4-3 in the third. With the score tied again in the

fourth, 5-5, the game went into sudden-death

overtime, when Ralph Lauren came out on top 6-5.

Cartier met BMW again in the second match

of the day. BMW held their opponents scoreless

to end the first chukka 2-0 ahead. Cartier

recovered in the second period to tie the game

at 3-3. BMW retook the lead 4-3 in the third


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period, but Cartier levelled again in the fourth,

5-5. BMW scored in the extra chukka to win 6-5.

BMW and Cartier met again in the final.

After their two-league wins, and despite having

lost one match to their opponents, Cartier were

clear favourites to take the cup and did not

disappoint. Having won the first chukka 1-0,

they forged ahead in the second to end the

period with a commanding 5-1 lead. BMW held

Cartier scoreless in the third chukka and

reduced their deficit with two goals to end the

period trailing 3-5.

In the fourth chukka, BMW again denied

Cartier any points, but a strong Cartier defence

held their opponents to a single goal. The final

ended with a 5-4 win by Cartier, giving them the

tournament’s Deutsche Bank Trophy. ‘The final

was unbelievable,’ Nacho González said after

the game. ‘We got away in the first two chukkas,

but I knew they were going to come back, and

they did. But we got there in the end. We played a

great game.’ The victory was by way of a birthday

present for González. The veteran of snow polo

in St Moritz turned 37 the day of the final.

Opposite The dramatic alpine setting of the frozen Lake

St. Moritz This page, from top MVP Chris Hyde (in red)

keeps his eye on the ball for Cartier; pushing for goal in

the dramatic final between Cartier (red) and BMW (blue).


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InternatIonal SerIeS, wellIngton, florIda, 25 november 2012

grand championsPoor ground conditions didn’t prevent the USA scoring a decisive victory over England to win

the International Cup, reversing the fortunes of their female counterparts, writes Alex Webbe

The big news in Wellington, Florida, was the

25 November victory of a United States team

over a representative English foursome on the

grounds of the Grand Champions Polo Club to

capture the International Cup. The win stopped

a losing streak that dated back to 1997.

The last time a United States polo team faced

England was in May 2012, when Ollie Cudmore

(4), Malcolm Borwick (6), James Beim (7) and

Luke Tomlinson (7) downed a US foursome

of Marc Ganzi (1), Polito Pieres (8), Nic Roldan

(7) and Jeff Hall (7) by the score of 11-10½ at

Cowdray Park.

It was thought the United States would be

sending a team to England in 2013 to compete

for the Westchester Cup – the revered

international prize successfully defended by

England in a 10-9 victory at the International

Polo Club in Wellington in 2009 – and the

US players were looking for some revenge.

The United States and Hurlingham Polo

Associations agreed to a match in the US,

with many seeing it as a prelude.

Marc Ganzi (1), Carlitos Gracida (3),

Nic Roldan (8) and Jeff Hall (7) took the

field for the United States, while England sent

a relatively inexperienced set of international

players into the mix in the form of Jack

Richardson (4), Richard Le Poer (5), Tom

Morley (6) and Max Routledge (5).

‘It’s quite a young team,’ said former English

international player and coach Andrew Hine, who

was sent to train the team. ‘They are either going

to perform well or get excited and make mistakes.’

The 19-goal US team received ½ goal by

handicap from the 20-goal team in the five-chukka

affair, and quickly built on it. Heavy rains had hit

Wellington in the previous days, letting the field

cut up, and the play was tentative in the opening

chukka. A foul by England sent Ganzi to the

penalty line, where he converted the shot for a

goal and a 1½-0 lead after the opening chukka.

England continued to press the attack, but

powerful backhanders from Hall and Roldan

turned defence into offence. Hall scored the

This page Jack Richardson on the near side turns the ball

Opposite, from left Richard Le Poer on flying form;

performer Vanilla Ice, left, with Marc Ganzi


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It’s a young team. They’re

going to perform well or get

excited and make mistakes

game’s first goal from the field as England was

unable to score for the second consecutive

chukka. After two periods of play, the United

States led 2½-0.

Roldan’s first goal of the game came in the

third, and had the United States ahead, 3½-0.

Le Poer finally got England on the scoreboard

with a goal from the field. A second Roldan

goal ended the scoring for the chukka. The

United States left the field after the third period

with a 4½-1 lead.

A determined English foursome returned

to the field in the fourth with renewed

determination. Single goals from Richardson,

Routledge and Le Poer got them back into the

game, but a pair of penalty conversions from

Roldan kept the United States team in front,

6½-4, with one chukka left to play.

‘We just kept pushing,’ said a dejected

Morley after the game. ‘We seemed to finally

get it going in the second half,’ he added, ‘but

it was a bit too late.’

Hall opened the fifth and final chukka with

a penalty goal. Roldan added his fifth goal of the

game for an 8½-4 edge. A late penalty goal from

Morley and a goal from the field from Richardson

closed the gap, but time ran out, with the US

team besting England, 8½-6.

‘I think that, if the field had been in better

shape, we could’ve really run up the score today,’

said Roldan after the game, noting that the

women’s team probably shouldn’t have played

on the field earlier.

Hall agreed as he looked out across the

divot-riddled field. ‘With all those divots, it was

hard to carry the ball,’ he added. ‘I know we can

play better than we did today.’

For the young English team, it was a learning

experience. The only way to get international

experience is by playing, and they left the field at

the end of the match with a little more experience

and much to work on. Roldan led the scoring

with five goals and was named MVP. Hall scored

twice and Ganzi added a penalty goal in the

win. Richardson and Le Poer each scored a

pair of goals for England, while Morley and

Routledge added single goals in the loss.

Jeff Hall’s seven-year-old bay thoroughbred,

Smooth, was honoured as Best Playing Pony.


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InternatIonal SerIeS, wellIngton, florIda, 26 november 2012

The English women’s team – Claire Donnelly,

Hazel Jackson, Nina Clarkin and Sarah

Wiseman – were firing on all cylinders at the

Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington on

25 November as they rolled to a 7-2 win over a

struggling US team comprising Melissa Ganzi,

Gillian Johnston, Sunny Hale and Tiffany Busch.

The team’s four-goal captain, Clarkin,

showed little wear and tear after a one-day trip

to Mexico to participate in an exhibition match

for British Polo Day before returning the next

day to face the Americans. From the moment she

rode onto the field, she took command and led

a well-coordinated charge for all four chukkas.

‘The girls played very well today,’ she offered

after the match. ‘They did absolutely everything

they were asked to do.’

Clarkin scored the first goal of the game

on a long run, which was followed by another

from Wiseman. The English were ferocious in

defence, shutting out the Americans in the

opening chukka for a 2-0 start.

‘It felt quite comfortable with them on the

field,’ said Nina of her teammates. ‘For years,

the English women’s team was the same old

line-up, but it was wonderful to play with three

young and talented players,’ she added.

Donnelly opened the second chukka with a goal

from the field before Hale finally got the US team

on the scoreboard with a penalty conversion,

but they trailed 3-1 and there was no let-up by

the English. Wiseman struck again with two

more goals and the chukka ended with England

riding a 5-1 lead.

Penalties seemed to be the only offence the

US team could muster, with Hale converting

another 30-yard penalty shot. Wiseman scored

her fourth goal of the game to end the period

with a four-goal English advantage, 6-2.

A disciplined English line-up continued to set

the pace, with Donnelly scoring the final goal

of the game in the 7-2 win.

Wiseman and Jackson spoke glowingly of

Clarkin’s leadership on the field. ‘She makes

it so easy to do your job,’ said Wiseman. ‘You

know exactly what she wants and you do it.’

‘After all, she’s four-goals,’ Jackson added.

‘So you’d better listen to what she says!’

Wiseman led all scoring with four goals –

one on penalty shot – and received MVP honours

for her efforts. Donnelly added two goals and

Clarkin scored once. Hale accounted for both

of the US goals in a losing effort. Rapsodia, a

six-year-old bay mare played by Clarkin and

owned by Ganzi, was named Best Playing Pony.

English womEn rulE in 7-2 win

The largesse of Marc and Melissa Ganzi

extended far beyond the provision of 45

horses, grooms and accommodation for

the visiting English players, with DC-based

polo patron Dave Pollin donating the use

of a house for the women. A full social

schedule was arranged, beginning with

Wednesday night’s men’s teams’ trip to

Miami for a professional basketball game.

On Thursday evening, Melissa cooked for

43 at her home to celebrate Thanksgiving.

On Friday night, all of the players and a

select number of guests were invited to a

dinner at the Museum of Polo and Hall of

Fame, hosted by the United States Polo

Association. During cocktails, the

museum’s director, George DuPont and

his wife Brenda conducted a tour. After

game day on Saturday, an after-party was

held in the fieldside VIP tent, after which

the teams dined at The Grille restaurant in

Wellington. In all, it was a successful event

on all fronts, with visitors and locals alike

enjoying both the polo and the festivities.

Here’s hoping it is the start of a tradition

that will continue into the future.

left Sunny Hale on the ball with Sarah Wiseman

to her right. Below Jack Richardson and Max

Routledgen and friends at the after-party

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John r. townsend InternatIonal challenge cup, calIfornIa, 12 January 2013

townsend cupNine decades after its inauguration, this prestigious event saw England triumph

over the USA for the first time, writes Herbert Spencer

England squeezed past the USA in January to

win the John R Townsend International Challenge

for the first time in the event’s 90-year history,

defeating the home team 11-10 in extra time

in the arena at California’s Empire Polo Club

near Palm Springs.

The 2013 Townsend – a 23-goal arena

contest – turned out to be largely a duel between

the USA’s captain Tommy Biddle, the world’s

only arena 10-goaler, and England’s 8-goal

skipper Sebastian Dawnay. Each scored seven

goals for his team. Dawnay was backed by

7-goalers Max Charlton and Oliver Hipwood and

Biddle by Billy Sheldon, 7, and Rob Yackley, 6.

After Biddle and Dawnay each scored once in

the first chukka, England took control of the match.

Dawnay scored twice again and Charlton chalked

up one. England led 4-1 at the end of the period,

England held their lead in the second chukka

with goals by Dawnay and Charlton. The USA got

back into contention with Biddle scoring twice and

Sheldon once. England were ahead 6-4 at the bell.

The USA rallied in the third chukka as Biddle

chalked up two more points and Yackley scored

once. England’s only goal came from Charlton,

leaving the match tied 7-7 at chukka’s end.

In the fourth chukka of regulation time, Dawnay

scored for England and Yackley for the USA to

tie the game 8-8. England retook the lead 10-8

with goals from Dawnay and Charlton. Then, with

less than a minute to play, Biddle scored twice

to tie the game again 10-10, pushing it into an

overtime chukka that the two captains agreed

would run to three minutes 45 seconds.

Two minutes into extra time, Dawnay missed

a penalty shot. As Sheldon and Hipwood fought for

control, Hipwood prevailed and scored. England

held the Yanks for the remainder of the chukka to

come away with the trophy.

‘This was the toughest match I’ve ever

played,’ Dawnay said later. ‘There are significant

differences in the HPA and USPA Arena rules,

but, luckily, I had played in the last Townsend and

so was able to brief our boys.’

The John R Townsend Arena polo competition

between the USA and England dates back from

1923, when it was played in New York’s Squadron

A Armory. The USA handily won all three games

against an inexperienced England side. There was

an unofficial revival of the Townsend in 2004,

but it did not become a regular fixture until 2008

when the USA beat England 16-14 at Great

Meadow Polo Club in Virginia. The USA won the

next Townsend encounter in 2011, defeating

England 15-9 at Empire Polo Club.

Before the Townsend match at Empire Polo

Club this year, England and the USA played their

first-ever universities-arena test for the new

International Intercollegiate Challenge Cup.

The Hurlingham Polo Association’s Schools

& Universities Polo Association (SUPA) sent

a team comprising young players from the Royal

Agricultural College, Cambridge University

and University College London. The US Polo

Association was represented by players from

Cornell University, University of Virginia,

Colorado State University and Westmont College.

The American team won 18-8. ‘It was a

better game than the score would indicate,’ said

Dawnay who coached the English team. ‘The

first half was very close, but in the end our boys

just couldn’t get the hang of the American rules.’

Left to right: Empire Polo Club owner Al Haagen; Pacific Coast Circuit Lt Governor Scott Walker; England team manager

Michael Amoore; Max Charlton; Oliver Hipwood; Sebastian Dawnay; USPA Arena committee chairman, Daniel Coleman


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thai polo open, thailand, January 2013

The 10-day Thai Polo Open tournament is one

of the best days of polo in Asia. And what a grand

final it was! What’s more, for the second year,

the game was decided with the very last hit.

Superb polo was played by all four teams.

HRH Prince Amir Ibrahim led a Royal Pahang

team that, together with Tan Sri Hamdan’s

Ranhill Polo, made the two-day journey from

Malaysia. China’s Shanghai-based patron

Brian Xu, meanwhile, played the Thai Open for

the second time.

Royal Pahang’s Gaston Moore (6), Ignacio

Deltour (4) and Edham Shaharuddin (4), with

patron HRH Prince Amir (1), beat Thai Polo

in their first match, but then went on to be

defeated by the other teams. Axus, with Horacio

Etcheverry (6), Dario Musso (6), Diego Gomez

(2) and Brian Xu (0) won their first two games

to be the first team to claim a place in the finals.

Thai Polo managed to turn their fortunes

around, winning their next two qualifying games

to take the other place in the final, Juan Agustin

Garcia Grossi (8) enjoying the better roll on

field No 1 and the new field No 3. Lucas Labat

(6) combined well with Grossi, Dato’ Harald Link

(0) and his daughter, Caroline (0).

Thai Polo led from the start of the final,

with Grossi and Labat displaying some excellent

stick-work and superb inter-passing. The father-

and-daughter Link combo played exceptionally

well, and the team had the slight edge at

half-time, with a 4-2 lead.

The match took a different course in the

second half. Playing her usual gutsy game,

Caroline took a tumble early in the third chukka.

With a fractured forearm, she had to be replaced

by Juan Martin Gallego (1), and Thai Polo

conceded half a goal to Axus.

Then Axus started a comeback. Determined

play by Musso and Etcheverry brought them

within half a goal and they put Thai Polo under

pressure until the end. With one second left

in the match, Axus won a safety 60-yarder.

Unfortunately, Etcheverry’s shot went wide,

leaving Thai Polo to celebrate their 7-6½ victory.

thai polo opeNPeter Abisheganaden reports back from a grippingly close final, where the

tournament’s winners were decided in the very last moments of play


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After the game, Harald commented, ‘Caroline

made an incredibly courageous contribution

throughout the two games against Axus as she

was given extremely tough tasks by Flaco

Grossi and Lucas Labat – to mark alternatingly

a four-goal or six-goal player.’ He added, ‘After

she fell, our team were even more determined.

We said, “Let’s win it for Caroline.”’

Speaking about the victory, Harald said,

‘This game was very memorable – it seemed

every team could beat everyone else! It again

showed how important and dependable the

support of the members of the Royal Malaysian

Polo Association under HRH Crown Prince

Abdullah is to Thai Polo. I was very happy to

have the opportunity to play with my daughter

again and even more so that, with only a

two-player amateur team, we won against

three three-player professional teams.’

Tan Sri Hamdan’s Ranhill defeated Royal

Pahang 9-8 in the subsidiary final. It was a

very close match, in which the Royal Pahang

team fought back from five goals. Two fantastic

goals by Prince Amir in the final few minutes of

the game saw them claw back the deficit, but it

was not enough to catch Ranhill.

Ranhill’s 17-year-old star player, Facundo

Llosa, was voted the Most Valuable Player of

the tournament.

This game was memorable –

it seemed every team could

beat everyone else!

Opposite Axus’ Dario Muzzo (in red) vs. Agustin Garcia

Grossi playing for Thai Polo This page, from top Axus

patron Brian Xu (in red) marks Thai Polo’s Harold Link;

Horacio Etcheverry with the ball for Axus


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coutts polo at the palace, abu dhabi, 23-24 November 2012

Coutts Bank and Polo in the Park/City Events

have created a clever new scheme to bring the

thrills of polo to a wider and more discerning

sporting and business audience.

In November 2012, Coutts opened a key new

office in the Dubai International Financial Centre

and was keen to sponsor a landmark yet exclusive

event to deliver publicity and reward for its key

customers. The initiative in Abu Dhabi started the

evening before, with a Stella McCartney fashion

show in the Emirates Palace hotel – a co-sponsor

– followed by two days of entertaining polo on the

custom-built fields located in the gardens outside.

Coutts Chief Executive, Rory Tapner, commented:

‘Our clients are very special and we were keen to

help develop a new, even more exciting version of

this great game and to offer our guests the very

best in polo and entertainment. I congratulate

everyone who worked tirelessly to bring Coutts

Polo at the Palace into being.’

Coutts Polo at The Palace is the brainchild

of, among others, Rory Heron, CEO of Polo in

the Park at the Hurlingham Club, and chairman

Daniel Fox-Davies. Polo has been flourishing for

some years in neighbouring Dubai, but these

were the first major matches in this smaller and

wealthier emirate. It was inspired by the popular

Polo in the Park event in London, which has

pioneered the City Polo Series by bringing the

sport to a more cosmopolitan audience.

On 23 November, four three-a-side teams,

sponsored by Coutts, Maserati, Hublot and

How to Spend It/Financial Times, lined up in

front of the Emirates Palace. The grass field was

two-thirds the size of a standard polo field and

certain rule changes were initiated to make the

game even more exhilarating for both the expert

and the uninitiated among the guests. Sole umpire

Tim Bown – one of the HPA High Goal umpires

– was brought in at a week’s notice to ensure fair

play. With past experience of umpiring at events

such as Klosters Snow Polo, he was full of praise

A new version of the classic sport has been created in

Abu Dhabi, writes Major Peter Hunter

Inaugural Cout ts

Polo at the PalaCe


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for the smaller field and the special-sized leather

arena ball, remarking, ‘I brought my own football

pump, so the balls were rock-hard and less

straining on the wrists when hit. They also carry

further, allowing safe, long hitting.’

The four matches were surprisingly fast and

hard fought. Will Emerson’s pony stumbled, throwing

him to the ground, but he was unhurt and the

specially treated turf played surprisingly well.

The results were anything but predictable, with

Hublot Buenos Aires beating How to Spend It

London and Coutts Abu Dhabi beating Maserati

Milan on the first day. In the final, Hublot BA

were the victors over Coutts Abu Dhabi, following

a 5-5 draw, which was succeeded by a nail-biting

penalty shoot-out, 3-2. Hublot Buenos Aires team

captain Mohammed Al Habtoor was awarded

the Coutts Cup by His Highness Sheikh Nahyan

Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, minister of higher

education and scientific research. Maserati Milan

took bronze against How to Spend It London.

Audiences were restricted to 500 VIPs and

500 guests each day, creating a uniquely intimate

atmosphere with fantastic, close-up views of

the game. What’s more, there was no shortage

of entertainment off-field, with the Emirates

Palace showcasing a cultural display by the Abu

Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, a Maserati

showroom offering an opportunity to test-drive

the new Gran Turismo and an exclusive pop-up

La Martina boutique, which saw a brisk trade

throughout the two days of the tournament.

‘Polo in the Palace has been a really incredible

experience for La Martina,’ commented the

president of the brand, Adrian Simonetti. ‘Everyone

knows the significance of the Palace in Abu

Dhabi and the strong relationship of its people

with horses. The prestige of the venue was

reflected in every single detail of the superb

organisation of this event.’

Anticipation is rising for the next event in

China, the date of which is still to be confirmed.

Opposite Hublot’s Mohammed Al Habtoor (light blue) marking Maserati’s

Amr Zedan (navy) who is expecting the pass from Nicolàs Petracchi.

This page Maserati/ Milan (in dark blue) vs. How to Spend It/ London (in red)


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british polo day, mexico, 24 november 2012

The flight to Mexico City from London is long,

but I can’t seem to sleep. I while away the 12

hours watching an eclectic mix of movies, and

just before touching down, finish Savages, Oliver

Stone’s latest ferocious thriller. It’s about a

couple of hip American dudes, living the dream

in southern California, who share a love of pot

and a beautiful blonde girlfriend. The dream is

shattered when they get caught up with a with

a Mexican drug cartel. I’d almost forgotten

about the dark side of Mexico. When I think of

this country, I think of tortillas, tequila and tacos,

of mariachi bands and margaritas, spicy salsa

and sombreros. Just over a decade ago, I came

here to play at a club called Tecamac with Roddy

Williams, Sebastian Dawnay and James Glasson.

I don’t think we stopped laughing for the entire

seven days we were there.

Unfortunately, Immigration is no laughing matter.

The queue that snakes from the door of the plane

to Arrivals resembles a Mexican wave without

the movement. A few hours later, the arrival of a

uniformed fleet of blacked-out-windowed white

Range Rovers improves our mood and gives us

a taste of what’s in store. We drive at high speed

towards the city, flanked by outriders in high-vis

jackets. In presidential style, we sweep up to the

front of the Hotel Presidente InterContinental.

The disappointment on the doorman’s face is

visible when we spill out in jeans, carrying polo

bags and rucksacks. He was clearly anticipating

a visiting head of state.

I am here as part of a group of players organised

by British Polo Day – the brainchild of Ed Olver

and Tom Hudson, and supported more recently

by Ben Vestey. British Polo Day celebrates some

of the best our country has to offer by taking it

abroad and wooing the pants off everyone with

its unadulterated Britishness. This is the inaugural

event in Mexico and the anticipation is exhilarating.

A photo shoot and interview with Caras Sports

for Jaeger-LeCoultre Mexico over, I head off

through heaving traffic to lunch with Carmen

Gracida. A feast of spicy chicken, guacamole

and rice is washed down with guava juice and a

swig or two of mescal, tequila’s strong, smoky

sister. As the sun goes down, we sing along to

MEXICAN DIARYClare Milford Haven took part in the first British Polo Day to be held in Mexico.

Here, she relives the excitement of the event

Monday 19 November

Tuesday 20 November

the guitar and, in our enthusiasm, break a chair.

Maybe it’s time to go home. Dinner in Sir Winston

Churchill’s restaurant in Polanco (the Chelsea

of Mexico City) hosted by the president of the

Mexican Polo Association, Guillermo Steta

Mondragón, is sedate by comparison. When we

depart, all the seating is still intact.

Our 14-car cavalcade transports us to the

Teotihuacan Pyramids, 50km north-east of the

city. Conflicting reports as to when they were

built and for what purpose manages to confuse

the entire group; however, we settle on the fact

that, in the seventh century, the heart of the

city was burnt to the ground and the entire place

devoid of inhabitants. Somewhat breathless due

to the altitude and steepness of these splendid

ancient edifices, we manage nonetheless to pose

happily for photos and climb gingerly back down

the narrow steps ready for lunch in a nearby

grotto, where we unwittingly eat ants’ eggs. We

head back to the city – Henry and Chase Emson

continuing the debate in the car on the origins of

the pyramids – in time for a roof terrace dinner

at Downtown, a funky new hotel in the old city

Wednesday 21 November


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centre. Our host Maria Rivero treats us to her

vineyard’s finest selection of wines.

We leave the city, the majority of the group feeling

the after-effects of having left Love nightclub

only a few hours earlier. Luckily, the road is

straight and fast and we arrive at San Miguel de

Allende without incident. This charming colonial

As the sun goes down, we

sing along to the guitar and, in

our enthusiasm, break a chair.

Maybe it’s time to go home

Opposite British Polo Day players and guests dancing

through the streets of San Miguel de Allende

This page, clockwise from left Alejandro Gonzalez

drives the ball; Safron Hutchinson, Tabba Wood and

Clare Milford Haven at the Teotihuacan Pyramids; the

lofty spires of La Parroquia, San Miguel de Allende

town is home to many a boho gringo in the winter.

The mayor has granted us special dispensation

to be escorted through the narrow cobbled

streets straight to the door of the Hotel Matilda.

Thursday 22 November

At last – the big day has finally arrived. We

start by watching the National Show Jumping

Championships before settling down to cheer

on the Land Rover Eton College team, who are

playing against InterContinental Young Mexico.

Unfortunately, age and experience do not

conquer youth and enthusiasm this time around

and the visiting side is given a sound thrashing

at 5-1½. They bear their loss with good humour.

Next, it’s our turn – Roxtons British Ladies

captained by Nina Clarkin against Angelissima

The Rest of the World, captained by Imelda de

Alba. The game is fun, friendly and results in a

diplomatic draw at 2-2. The British Ambassador,

Judith Macgregor, presents the prizes and

narrowly misses getting soaked by jubilantly

shaken champagne. As another action-packed

day draws to a close, we retreat to the fieldside

marquee for further celebrations and some

impromptu dancing to music provided by Ebe

Sievwright on the decks. The night continues

apace in La Laborcilla, where we are in the

audience for a fashion show by Hackett. As dawn

breaks, the prospect of a 12-hour flight home

seems strangely appealing. Maybe I’ll finally

get some sleep.

The award-winning boutique hotel boasts an

excellent spa in the basement and one of the

country’s top chefs in the kitchen. We have lunch

in the sublime comfort of the Jardines de Matilda

and just enough time for a soothing facial, then

we’re off out again, to a private tasting of Casa

Dragones, the purest tequila money can buy, in

the 17th-century stables that used to house the

elite Dragones cavalry. We sniff, sip, swill and

swallow this fabulous intoxicating liquid before

dancing our way unsteadily along the cobbles

to the sounds of a mariachi band just in time for

the 10-course dinner that awaits us under the

stars back at the Matilda.

It’s time for some bartering and haggling in the

market. We buy rugs and throws, wood carvings

and battered silver cups. The flower market is

so vibrant and colourful, you need to wear your

shades. Off to Balvanera Polo & Country Club

in Querétaro for a stick and ball before the game

tomorrow, reminding us we are actually here to

play polo. Then it’s dinner at the hacienda of the

De Alba family – the owners of the Balvanera

and our wonderful hosts.

Friday 23 November

Saturday 24 November

hurlinghampolo.com

ARCHIVE

66

The difference, as I see it, between the Polo

Player and the Good Polo Player has nothing

to do with the handicap. There are Good Polo

Players with a low handicap and Polo Players

with a high handicap.

The Good Polo Player is not only interested

in playing polo, but cares about his horses and

knows how to treat them, be it in training, feeding

or veterinary care. He is interested in knowing

more about their origin, characteristics and habits,

while the Polo Player is happy to get the most

out of them without thinking of their wellbeing.

The Good Polo Player thinks of his horses first

and then of himself. After a tough tournament,

he is worried about the care his groom will give

them – for example, a thorough shower and a

good brushing-down, especially along the back.

He does this before thinking of showering himself

or having a cold drink. If a horse is injured, he

will call the vet to have it treated and the next

morning, he will visit the stables early to discover

if anything more is needed to ensure its welfare.

The Polo Player, in contrast, goes back to

the pony lines at a full gallop and comes to an

unnecessarily abrupt halt. He throws the reins to

his groom, mounts the next horse and returns to

the field at the same gallop. At the end of the

game, he does the same thing and forgets about

his horses until the next tournament. He rushes

to the changing room, downs a cold drink and

talks to his mates about how many goals he made.

The Good Polo Player returns to the pony lines

at a slow pace. He makes sure the groom loosens

the girth and walks the horse until its breathing

is back to normal. He returns to the field with his

new horse at a slow pace and makes sure the

groom is looking after the other horses.

When the Polo Player is unable to make the

horse do what he wants, the fault is never his.

That is why he punishes the horse severely with

the whip, long after the event instead of at the

moment the misdemeanour occurs. The Good

Polo Player, however, looks for a cause. If he finds

it, he tries to solve the problem with training.

If he discovers the fault was with his own riding,

he tries to improve it so as not to ruin his horse.

The Polo Player will always be the victim of

horse dealers and of his grooms. He will never

the good playerJuan Carlos Alberdi won both the Argentine and Hurlingham Opens and, in 1953, was part of

the team that took the Coronation Cup. Here, we reprise a feature the legend wrote in the Fifties

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be well mounted. However, the Good Polo Player

will always be well mounted. His horses will stay

sound and his groom will be happy. If he needs

to borrow horses, there will always be someone

happy to lend them to him because they know

they will be well schooled and cared for.

The Good Polo Player knows there is always

something new to learn. Wherever he goes, he is

a keen observer who takes on board everything

he sees, reads and hears about horses and the

game of polo. The Polo Player, in comparison,

is over-confident – he believes he already knows

it all and has nothing more to learn.

It is my hope that, having read this short

feature, the Good Polo Player will be encouraged

to increase his existing interest, while the Polo

Player might start to want to learn more and,

in this way, begin to achieve a deeper and even

more satisfying understanding of this great

friend to man: the horse.

Above The winning Argentine team at the World Cup,

Argentina, 1951. From left: Juan Carlos Alberdi,

Enrique Alberdi, Roberto Cavanagh and Juan Cavanagh

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