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A C T I O N
are more competitive and most players have
brought two or three new horses over.’
After an underwhelming result in the
Bronze Cup, Leo Matos’s Casa de Campo
gave a strong performance in the Silver Cup,
making it to the tournament final. However,
Ramiro Garros, Silvestre Donovan and
Francisco Bensadon struggled in the final
against Lechuza and any hopes of becoming
the new champion began to wane. By half
time, the Venezuelan team had established
a wide margin; they continued their attack
in the remaining chukkas to claim a solid
10–5 victory and their sixth consecutive title.
The Gold Cup saw another important
high-goal patron join the Dominican season:
Ludo Pailloncy. Nacho Novillo Astrada, Lalo
L E C H U Z A W E R E A B L E T O D I C TAT E E V E R Y
P L AY A N D C R U S H E V E R Y O P P O N E N T
James and Gonzalo Von Wernich donned
HB’s red and blue shirts in the hopes of
putting an end to Lechuza’s victory streak.
HB got as far as the semifinals, where they
lost to Cinque Terre. Alessandro Bazzoni’s
team struggled in the first half of the final
against Lechuza, as the latter gained a 7–3
advantage by the end of the third chukka.
Cinque Terre fought back in the second half,
but Lechuza stood firm and owner Victor
Vargas claimed the coveted cup once again.
‘Lechuza is an amazing organisation,’ beams
Stirling. ‘They provide everything so you as
a player can perform at your highest level.
We are going to Sotogrande together this year,
so I’m really looking forward to what’s to come.’
The pinnacle of the Polo Challenge
came with the Caribbean – the only
26-goal tournament outside the US.
Lechuza shuffled their line-up, swapping
Alfredo Vargas for 5-goaler Lalo James
(two different players with the same mission:
to win the Open and claim their eighth
consecutive title). Cinque Terre – now with
Astrada and brothers Cubi and Santi
Toccalino – had a fair chance of winning
the tournament, but Lechuza shut them
down in the final. While both teams worked
hard in attack and defence, Lechuza proved
their worth once again. They remain
undefeated in the Dominican Republic,
with no intention of loosening their grip
on the season any time soon. Who dares
to challenge them?
Opposite,
from left
: Juan
Martín Nero, David
'Pelon' Stirling, Victor
Vargas and Alfredo
Vargas.
This page, from
left:
Ignacio Toccalino
hooks Nero
