La Natividad, three-time champion!
The green-and-white team won their second title of the season after winning in Hurlingham and Palermo; while their opponents end the year without Triple Crown trophies.
With a field 1 in Palermo full of people and the presence of the President of the Argentine Nation, Javier Milei, the 131st Argentine Polo Open HSBC was played on Sunday 8/12, the world’s top interclub competition in which 10 teams of between 28 and 40 handicap goals made up of the most important players in the world participated. among them the 8 polo players who hold the 10 goals of valorization in our country.
For the second consecutive year, La Natividad beat La Dolfina Saudi, this time by 13-11 and thus won the title for the third time since its creation, in a huge final of 80 handicap goals, in a historic year for Argentine polo, since a final with the highest value was played twice in 131 years of the Argentine Polo Open – the first in 2009.
With a huge game from Jeta Castagnola, author of 9 goals in the match and 34 in the tournament, La Natividad turned around a match in which they were down 2-5 at the end of the second chukker and 4-6 in the first half. A spectacular fifth chukker, which ended 4-0 in favor of the green team -two from Jeta and two from Facu Pieres- set the pace of what was the match from there until the end, in which La Natividad achieved a clear victory, despite the 4 consecutive goals that La Dolfina scored in the last chukker to nuance the result.
THE NUMBERS
For the organization created by “Lolo” Castagnola, it was their fourth consecutive final, in all of them they faced LD and got their third victory: in 2021 they won 15-13; in 2022 they lost 13-9; while in 2023 it was again a 13-10 victory.
For La Dolfina it was his 24th final (so far he won 15 and lost 9) in 25 Palermo Opens played since the creation of the club in 2000 (he was not only in the 2004 definition).
On the individual side, on the side of the green and white team, Jeta and Barto won their third title in four finals, while Pablo Mac Donough won his 13th. Final in 17 moves; and finally Facu Pieres played his 15th. decisive match, and achieved his 5th. title in Palermo.
On the other hand, between the four players of La Dolfina they accumulate 41 titles between them (18 Cambiaso in 28 finals played; 12 Nero in 17; 10 Stirling in 15 and 1 Poroto in 3).
The finalist teams and progression:
The Nativity: Camilo Castagnola 10 (9, five penalties), Facundo Pieres 10 (3, one penalty), Pablo Mac Donough 10 (1) and Bartolomé Castagnola (h) 10. Total: 40.
La Dolfina Saudi: Adolfo Cambiaso (h) 10 (4, one penalty), David Stirling (h) 10, Adolfo Cambiaso (n) 10 (5, three penalty) and Juan M. Nero 10 (2). Total: 40.
The Nativity: 1-1, 2-5, 3-5, 4-6, 8-6, 11-6, 12-7 and 13-11.
Judges: Gastón Lucero and Gonzalo López Vargas. Arbitrator: Matías Baibiene.
For video highlights click here.
Photo credit: Matías Callejo / Prensa AAP.
AWARDS CEREMONY
Gonzalo Heguy Trophy for the best player of the final: Camilo Castagnola.
Javier Novillo Astrada Award for the top scorer of the championship and the Most Accurate Player, presented by Hublot: Guillermo Caset (h), 38 goals.
Rubén Sola Revelation Trophy: Antonio Heguy.
Copa Fomento Equino and Municipalidad de Cañuelas to the best mounted player of the final: Bartolomé Castagnola (h).
Gonzalo Tanoira Award for the best mounted polo player of the contest: Adolfo Cambiaso (h).
Juan Carlos Harriott Award for Fair Play: Bartolomé Castagnola (h).
Lady Susan Townley Cup for the best horse player of the final presented by Ford, Strong Breed: Guadalupe Lady Jane, played by Adolfo Cambiaso (n).
Argentine Association of Polo Horse Breeders Award for the Best Registered Player Product Argentine Polo Breed and Argentine Rural Society Award: Lovelocks Drogba, played by Bartolomé Castagnola (h).
Special Distinctions:
Country Brand Award for the Argentine Polo Open: Adolfo Cambiaso (Jr.), MP ambassador, presented it to Delfín Uranga, president of the AAP.
32nd Palermo Opens: The President of the Nation, Javier Milei, presented a tribute shirt to Adolfo Cambiaso (Jr.), who is the top participant in the tournament.
In addition, Pablo Mac Donough, captain of the champion team, also received the Open Cup from President Milei, in what was the most applauded moment of this historic final.