The Falcon Equine Feeds Shield 4- 6 Goal Tournament
Sunday 14th February 2010
The bright-eyed, glossy coated, raring to run string of ponies seen hurling up and down the arena with exceptional levels of energy here at the AEPC throughout the winter season, owe a lot to Falcon Equine Feeds. As official Feed and Bedding Supplier to Hickstead, and to the All England Polo Club since it’s inception in 2006, Falcon Equine Feeds have fostered a relationship with the members here, providing bespoke nutritional expertise to both enhance and optimise the demanding careers of their ponies.
Now in its fourth year, The Falcon Equine Feeds Shield always proves amongst the most competitive of the six goal tournaments in the AEPC fixtures calendar, and the 2009-10 event was to prove no exception!
The subsidiary final saw Team Falcon Feeds, playing in the blue Images of Polo shirts, win over Orange Square, with new AEPC member Nicki Cross playing in the number one shirt, and the superior skills of Daniel Rawlins, and 3 goal player Duncan Hotston at the helm. When the final whistle blew the scoreboard reflected the tightly fought end-to-end action that depicted the match from beginning to end, with the scores settled at 11-10.
In an exhilarating finals match, Team Hickstead, playing in the white Images of Polo shirts, took a convincing lead in the early stages with the attacking force of Matthew Law, and John Bunn and Ben Sim displaying some superb teamwork. Despite the mighty power of the opposing Recruiting Excellence, the tireless efforts of Chas Taylor and Jules Stevens, and individual flair of Brad Shackleton, it just wasn’t quite enough to steal the difference back. The final score ran out at 14-9 as the hooter sounded, in a fast paced game that was closer than the score line suggests.
Magnums of Champagne Pommery and Falcon Equine Feeds branded cooler rugs were presented to the winning Team Hickstead by Mrs Sarah Ainsworth, Co- Director of the family run business. The runners-up were subsequently awarded La Chamiza wine and a Stickhedz goody bag. Whispers of improved team tactics amongst the players in the clubhouse had already begun before the day was out, the strength of competitiveness for next years Shield is surely set to intensify!