All change for the young British Pros
By Victoria Elsbury-Legg
It was happy news that many of this season’s 22 Goal and Victor Ludorum Players were waking up to this Tuesday morning, following the close consideration of the Hurlingham Polo Association’s Handicap Committee at Monday’s meeting, which preceded the announcement of new handicaps which they will play off from 1st January 2015.
For several younger members of the Audi England Polo Team, who are also Ambassadors for Guards Polo Club, there was great delight (and congratulations from many followers via Twitter) as their teamwork, wins and dedication to their sport was recognised. Max Charlton, who started the season by being awarded ‘Most Outstanding British Professional at the 2014 Audi Polo Awards’ and has since achieved an outstanding run of Victor Ludorum wins with Dell Park, was raised from 6-7 goals. Joining him going up in handicap, was his Dell Park team mate Richard Le Poer who goes from 5-6, as does Jack Richardson, who played in this season’s Cartier Queen’s Cup in the all England team sponsored by The Fox and Hounds. Their fellow England player Ollie Cudmore went from 4-5 following a good season with UAE in the English high goal.
Matt Perry’s 2014 (and 2013) Cartier Queen’s Cup success in Lyndon Lea’s Zacara, playing alongside ten goal Facundo Pieres and Gonzalo Del Tour was also acknowledged, with news of his rise from 4-5 goals reaching him in Sotogrande where he is currently playing the Bronze, Silver and Gold Cup high goal with Juan Martin Nero and Francisco Elizalde as part of Victor Vargas’s Lechuza Caracas. A high goal season with Adolfo Cambiaso and Diego Cavanagh in team Dubai, which ultimately led to them winning the Verve Clicquot Gold Cup on the Lawns at Cowdray, must have played no small part in the decision to raise Scottish Ali Patterson from 3-4. Tommy Beresford, who also played his part in Dubai’s success, was raised from 2-3, alongside another British Pro involved in the high goal this season as part of team UAE – Max Hutchinson, whose 2 goal status changed to 3.