Open de France BARNES
Monday, 14 September 2026
Three matches decided by a single goal, two extra-time thrillers, followed by a fourth quarter-final in which the defending champions found themselves three goals down before turning the match around: yesterday and today, the Open de France BARNES quarterfinals delivered one extraordinary scenario after another. They even brought into play a rule so rarely used that nobody could remember seeing it applied before at Chantilly: the widening of the goals after a first scoreless extra chukker. Akasha, Jolly Roger, Kazak and Octogone are through to the semi-finals. But every one of them had to fight for their place!
Akasha take it all the way
It would have been difficult to make Akasha–Talandracas any tighter. Never more than a single goal separated the two teams throughout the first five chukkers, and they were still locked at 9-9 going into the last.
Akasha nevertheless appeared to have done the hard part when they moved two goals clear at 11-9. Talandracas had other ideas. Hugues Carmignac first produced a superb goal to bring his team back within one before Juan Martín Zubia levelled at 11-11. Extra time.
At that stage of a match, the slightest mistake can prove fatal. Akasha were awarded a 60-yard penalty and Tommy Beresford, who scored eight goals in the match, made no mistake: 12-11, golden goal and the first ticket to the semi-finals.
Jolly Roger bring down the unbeaten Clinova
A few hours later, Clinova and Jolly Roger produced almost the same scenario. 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, 5-5: the two teams traded blows without either managing to break clear.
Jolly Roger also had to contend with the loss of Nicolas Tomasevich, who was hit by the ball and eventually replaced by Juan Cruz Araya in the third chukker. It was a setback, but one that did not prevent Niclas Johansson’s Swedish team from staying in touch with a Clinova side that had arrived in the quarter-finals unbeaten.
The match finally swung Jolly Roger’s way in the last chukker, 8-7. And while the line-up promised an intriguing duel between the two Alfredos, Cappella and Bigatti, the man of the match was Manuel Plaza de Ayala. The 35-year-old Argentine, a familiar face at the Open de France, a former winner of the Abierto Juvenil and selected for the Argentine national team last year, scored seven of Jolly Roger’s eight goals. A huge performance that carried Niclas Johansson’s team into the semi-finals.
Jolly Roger had brought down one of only two teams to emerge unbeaten from the opening phase and, despite being forced into a mid-match substitution, booked their place in the final four.
Two extra chukkers, and goals twice as wide
And then came Essso–Kazak…
A match that began at full throttle gradually developed into an arm wrestle. Essso, led by the ever-dangerous Guillermo “Sapo” Caset, and Kazak, inspired in particular by their two young talents Pedro Chavanne and Leon Donoso, were locked at 6-6 at the end of the fifth chukker.
Then nothing: not a single goal in the first extra chukker, the sixth of the match. It was certainly not for lack of opportunities. Caset, one of the tournament’s most formidable marksmen – and still its leading scorer with 31 goals – missed a corner that could have settled it, while a shot from Pedro Chavanne struck the post.
That brought into play a rule as spectacular as it is rarely required: for the second extra chukker, the goals were doubled in width, from 7 to 14 metres. A first on the Chantilly grounds!
And it was finally Pedro Chavanne who brought the suspense to an end: 7-6 to Kazak.
The young Argentine and 16-year-old Chilean Leon Donoso once again showed why so much is expected of them. But in a match where every ball mattered, the two patrons, Sébastien Aguettant for Kazak and Ian Gallienne for Essso, also played crucial roles at back, producing a number of vital defensive plays.
There still had to be a winner. After this most improbable of endings, it was Kazak.
Sainte-Mesme dared to dream, Octogone kept their cool
Octogone might have expected a slightly easier ride in the last quarter-final. They had not reckoned with the fighting spirit of Robert Strom and his team. Sainte-Mesme kept the defending champions under pressure for a long time and even led 8-5 in the fourth chukker, Strom scoring their eighth with a magnificent cogote, the spectacular under-the-neck shot.
Once again, the “kids” played leading roles. Fermín MacDonough and Dante Castagnola were instrumental in Sainte-Mesme’s impressive resistance, with MacDonough scoring five goals himself.
But Octogone are defending champions for a reason. Hazel Jackson first pulled them back to 8-6 before the end of the fourth chukker, setting in motion a comeback subsequently orchestrated by Pelón Stirling’s experience and polo brain, Louis Hine’s speed and Hazel’s clearing work, repeatedly opening the road for her teammates.
And, fittingly, it was captain Alexis Morange who scored Octogone’s ninth goal to put his team back in front. Pelón Stirling then sealed the result with an extraordinary individual play. Starting inside his own half and racing down the boards, he reached the 30-yard line and unleashed a shot from seemingly nowhere to make it 10-8 with two and a half minutes left on the clock. Even the goal judge, the flagman, did not see it coming. A masterstroke at the decisive moment. And Pelón Stirling is certainly a master of his craft!
Sainte-Mesme had dared to dream for four chukkers. Octogone simply waited for their moment. Still unbeaten, the defending champions will face Akasha in Thursday’s semi-final.
SEMI-FINALS
Thursday 17 September :
Jolly Roger King of Polo (SWE) vs Kazak (FRA)
Akasha (FRA) vs Octogone (SUI)
And now for the women
With the men’s final four decided, the Women’s Open de France SkinCeuticals now takes over the Chantilly grounds. The tournament gets underway on Tuesday at noon with Augustinus Bader–Swee, followed at 5:00 pm by WhyNot, featuring Hazel Jackson. The Englishwoman certainly has no time to put her feet up at Chantilly!
With 28 players representing 14 nations and four former winners of the Argentine Women’s Open, the women’s tournament adds another dimension to the final week of Chantilly’s World Polo Festival.
The men are now two matches away from the title. The women are about to begin their campaign. At Chantilly, the decisive week can begin.
TEAMS AND SCHEDULE
OPEN DE FRANCE FÉMININ SKINCEUTICALS
RESULTS
AKASHA 12 – 11 TALANDRACAS (after extra time)
Akasha: Alexandre Garese – FR, 0; Ciro Urturi – ARG, 3 (1 goal); Facundo Fernandez Llorente – ARG, 7 (2 goals); Tomas Beresford – UK, 7 (8 goals, including 1 penalty)
Talandracas: Hugues Carmignac – FR, 1 (2 goals); Gonzalo Ferrari – ARG, 7 (2 goals); Juan Martin Zubia – ARG, 8 (6 goals); Edouard Carmignac – FR, 0
BPP (Best Playing Pony): Irenita Musical (Dolfina Cuarteto x Irenita Sinfonia), played by Facundo F. Llorente.
Progression Akasha: (0-1) 2-2 / 4-5 / 7-7 / 9-9 / 11-11 / 12-11
CLINOVA CIRCULARE 7 – 8 JOLLY ROGER KING OF POLO
Clinova Circulare: Raja Karim – UK, 0 (3 goals); Milo MacDonough – ARG, 2; Felix Esain – ARG, 6 (2 goals); Alfredo Cappella – ARG, 8 (2 goals)
Jolly Roger King of Polo: Niclas Johansson – SWE, 0; Nicolas Tomasevich – ARG, 3 (1 goal, replaced by Juan Cruz Araya in the third chukker – 0 goals); Manuel Plaza de Ayala – ARG, 6 (7 goals); Alfredo Bigatti – ARG, 7
BPP: Dolfina Imputada (Dolfina Guitarrero x Dolfina Acusada), played by Manuel Plaza de Ayala.
Progression Jolly Roger King of Polo: 2-2 / 3-3 / 4-4 / 5-5 / 8-7
ESSSO 6 – 7 KAZAK (after two extra chukkers)
Essso: Ian Gallienne – FR, 0; Patricio Gaynor Jr – ARG, 3; Guillermo Caset – ARG, 8 (5 goals); Javier Guerrero Jr – ARG, 6 (1 goal)
Kazak: Sébastien Aguettant – FR, 0; Pedro Chavanne – ARG, 5 (4 goals); Leon Donoso – CHI, 5 (1 goal); Teodoro Lacau – ARG, 7 (2 goals)
BPP: Espi Talinda, played by Leon Donoso
Progression Kazak : 3-1 / 4-3 / 4-4 / 5-4 / 6-6 / 6-6 / 7-6
OCTOGONE 10 – 8 SAINTE-MESME
Octogone: Alexis Morange – FR/SUI, 0 (1 goal); Hazel Jackson – UK, 2 (1 goal); Louis Hine – UK, 6 (6 goals); David “Pelón” Stirling – URU, 8 (2 goals)
Sainte-Mesme: Fermín MacDonough – ARG, 3 (5 goals); Robert Strom – FR, 5 (2 goals); Dante Castagnola – ARG, 3 (1 goal); Clemente Zavaleta – ARG, 5
BPP : Open Bikini (Ellerstina Picaro x Ellerstina Chalina) played by David « Pelón » Stirling
Progression Octogone: 1-2 / 3-2 / 5-4 / 6-8 / 10-8
Finals Day
Sunday, September 20, from 11:00 AM (Terrain d’Honneur 1 & 2, l’Orangerie)
Three finals in a single day, entertainment, the Rallye d’Aumale, stands, and food trucks: the highlight of three weeks of competition.
11:00 AM – Village and Polo Lounge open
12:00 PM – Open de France Ladies’ Final
3:00 PM – Open de France BARNES Final
5:30 PM – Trophée Castel Final
PRACTICAL INFORMATION:
Getting to the Polo Club
Simply search for Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly in your GPS or navigation app. All major navigation systems will guide you directly to the club entrance.
Match Broadcasts
All Open de France BARNES matches will be filmed and available on replay on Pololine TV. From the quarterfinals onward, matches will also be broadcast live.
Results and statistics
Live scores, results and full tournament statistics will be available on the Polo Club’s website and via the ChukkerApp, which also provides coverage of all tournaments played at Chantilly throughout the season.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Polo Club de Chantilly
La Ferme d’Apremont
60300 Apremont
France
ABOUT THE POLO CLUB DU DOMAINE DE CHANTILLY:
Founded by Patrick Guerrand Hermès and a group of shareholders in 1995 and managed since then by Philippe Perrier, the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly covers an area of 130 hectares. With nine grass pitches and one sand pitch (arena), it is the largest polo club in Europe and has been hosting the renowned French Open since 2001, attracting the world’s best players to this prestigious tournament, one of 60 grass tournaments held each year on the grounds of the Ferme d’Apremont. As the headquarters of the French Polo Federation, the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly is open to all: all matches from April to October are free to the general public. poloclubchantilly.com – @polodechantilly
BARNES. When Excellence Becomes Tradition
Some events are more than annual appointments; they become traditions.
For its 26th edition, the Open de France BARNES brings together, in the heart of the Domaine de Chantilly, some of the world’s finest polo players in a sport where precision, commitment and excellence define every performance.
These same values lie at the heart of BARNES. Just as success on the polo field demands experience, anticipation and trust, exceptional real estate requires deep market knowledge, an understanding of heritage and the ability to recognise what makes every property truly unique.
By renewing its partnership with the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly, BARNES reaffirms its commitment to an art of living where heritage, elegance and excellence naturally come together. Year after year, Chantilly perfectly embodies the spirit that BARNES proudly shares.
Welcome to the 2026 Open de France BARNES.
SkinCeuticals, Partner of the Ladies French Open
Recognised as the No. 1 skincare brand recommended by aesthetic physicians worldwide*, SkinCeuticals is a global leader in antioxidant protection and advanced corrective skincare.
Built on decades of scientific research, the brand develops high-performance skincare solutions designed to help prevent visible signs of skin ageing while complementing professional aesthetic procedures.
Outdoor sport places athletes in constant contact with sun exposure and environmental aggressors. Through science-backed skincare and advanced antioxidant expertise, SkinCeuticals supports those who pursue performance both on and off the field.
Driven by a shared commitment to excellence, precision and performance, the partnership between SkinCeuticals and the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly was a natural fit.
*Source: Kline & Company, Professional Skincare Global Series 2025, manufacturer sales in the worldwide physician-dispensed skincare market.
U.S. Polo Assn. Official Jersey and Apparel Sponsor of the French Open: BARNES
U.S. Polo Assn., the official sports brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), continues its partnership with the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly for a fourth consecutive season in 2026.
With a multi-billion-dollar global footprint, distribution in nearly 190 countries, more than 1,200 retail stores, and thousands of additional points of sale, U.S. Polo Assn. is one of the world’s leading licensed sports brands. The brand offers apparel, footwear, and accessories for men, women, and children while actively supporting the growth of polo in the United States and around the world.
In 2026, U.S. Polo Assn. will once again serve as the Official Jersey and Apparel Sponsor of the Open de France BARNES, taking place from September 4 to 20 at the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly. The brand will provide custom performance jerseys for all participating teams as well as apparel for the club’s staff and more.
The Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly is proud to partner with U.S. Polo Assn. as the brand celebrates its recent campaign, The Polo Shirt: An Icon Born from the Game™, highlighting the authentic connection between U.S. Polo Assn.’s most recognizable product and its origins in the sport of polo. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to promoting the sport of polo and strengthening the international profile of one of Europe’s leading polo events.