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E V E N T N A M E L O C A T I O N D A T E
A C T I O N
T O R T U G A S O P E N , H U R L I N G H A M O P E N A N D A R G E N T I N E O P E N , A R G E N T I N A , S E P T E M B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7
T H E T R I P L E C R O W N
The Tortugas Open, the Hurlingham Open and the Argentine Open Polo
Championship were all decided by hard-fought matches, says Hector Martelli
There were several remarkable changes
this year. It’s been the first Triple Crown
held under the new board of directors of
the AAP, led by the professional player
Eduardo Novillo Astrada Jr. The other big
news is that the Hurlingham Open and the
Argentine Open featured two more teams
– the four who were to play the classification
joined the six highest-rated teams to
make it 10. As a result, a new ranking was
established for the two most important
competitions that would award points
for the 2018 season. In addition, a new set
of rules was applied, aimed at creating
more dynamic polo and limiting dead time
to make it more attractive to spectators.
Also, discipline improved significantly, due
to more strict measures, with important
cooperation from the players.
The opening tournament at the Tortugas
Country Club had to be delayed because
of the heavy rain, but fortunately play
commenced on ground number one at
Palermo, thanks to the Argentine Polo
Association, so the championship game
was played in due time.
La Dolfina and Ellerstina met in the
final – business as usual. La Dolfina had
no trouble at all winning their two previous
matches, while Ellerstina earned their spot
in the championship game following a
hard-fought win against Alegría. Cambiaso’s
team overwhelmed Ellerstina, to win by
an impressive 12–5 score.
The second leg of the Triple Crown is
the Hurlingham Open, for the legendary
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