Kitzbühel matches are set, games start today
Kitzbühel (POLO+10 –15/01/2016) – Teams and matches were drawn by lot at the players’ presentation yesterday. Looking forward to competitive polo chukkas and good weather conditions as the next three days are forecasted to provide temperatures far under zero.
Traditionally the team constellations of the first two polo days at the 14th Valartis Bank Snow Polo World Cup in Kitzbühel were drawn by lot yesterday evening in front of the “Hotel Zur Tenne” in the heart of the idyllic Alps village.
The first match of the day starts today at 12 pm. Team Bernd Gruber, featuring two of the best lady polo players in Germany, Eva Brühl and Steffi von Pock, together with the Argentinean Adrian Laplacette (7) will meet Team Engel & Völkers, which is an all-English team bringing the highest-handicapped player of the tournament, Johnny Good (8). He plays together with his talented young team-mate Alec Banner-Eve (4) and the 31-year old team captain Katrina Thomas (1), who jumped in for the injured former team captain Jonathan Tidswell-Pretorius.
Second match of the day will be Team KCC/GymEntry against Team Valartis Bank. Made up of and for many years now by Germany’s best player Thomas Winter, KCC/Gym Energy is a team to reckon with. Together with Agustin Kronhaus’ power in attack and the Kitzbühel debutant Wolfram Trudo Knoefel they are capable of good and dangerous team play. For Team Valartis Bank organiser Tito Gaudenzi managed again to bring together a fascinating international trio featuring team captain Omar Magalji and the 7-goaler Pelon Escapite. The team brought best horses to Kitzbühel and is a strong contender for the title.
Around 3 pm the third game of the day will commence. Team Audi with Patrick Maleitzke (4), who became vice champion at the Polo Arena European Championship last year, together with team captain Magnus Kaminiarz and the very experienced Horacio Fernandez Llorente from Austria is a hard team to beat. They compete against the guys from Team Istra Domizil/Blackdove, which features the last year’s champions of the Valartis Bank Snow Polo World Cup in Kitzbühel, Sebastian Schneberger and Philip de Groot from the Netherlands who play today together with Julio Novillo Astrada, the second 8-goaler of the tournament. Last year’s winners are back for more and hungry for their title defense.
An excited audience and several international celebrities who announced their attendance at the matches are looking forward to the new edition of the Valartis Bank Snow Polo World Cup in Kitzbühel 2016.
Schedule:
Friday, 15th January
12.00 pm
Bernd Gruber : Engel & Völkers
1.30 pm
KCC/GymEntry : Valartis Bank
3.00 pm
Audi : Istra Domizil/Blackdove
Saturday, 16th January
11.00 am
Engel & Völkers : Istra Domizil/Blackdove
12.30 pm
Valartis Bank : Audi
2.00 pm
KCC/GymEntry : Bernd Gruber
Program:
Teams:
Officials
Victor Beckers | Speaker (GER)
Jan-Erik Franck | Speaker (GBR)
Mark Holmes | Referee (GBR)
Team Valartis Bank (12)
1) Omar Magalji 2 (USA)
2) Pelon Escapite 7 (USA)
3) Reto Mario “Tito“ Gaudenzi 3 (USA/CH)
Team Engel & Völkers (+13)
1) Katrina Thomas 1 (GBR)
2) Alec Banner-Eve 4 (GBR)
3) Johnny Good 8 (GBR)
Team Istra Domizil/Blackdove (11)
1) Sebastian Schneberger 2 (GER)
2) Philip de Groot 2 (NLD)
3) Julio Novillo Astrada 7 (ARG)
Team Bernd Gruber (11)
1) Steffi von Pock 1 (GER)
2) Eva Brühl 3 (GER)
3) Adrian Laplacette jr. 7 (ARG)
Team Audi (10)
1) Magnus Kaminiarz 1 (GER)
2) Patrick Maleitzke 4 (GER)
3) Horacio Fernandez Llorente 5 (ARG)
Team KCC/Gym Entry (10)
1) Wolfram Trudo Knoefel 1 (GER)
2) Agustin Kronhaus 4 (ARG)
3) Thomas Winter 5 (GER)