IWPA NATIONAL WOMEN’S ARENA POLO TOURNAMENT 2009
(Mia Randall-Coath reports)
The first Sunday of March saw an exciting Finals day for the IWPA UK National Women’s Arena Polo Tournament played at Ascot Park Polo Club in Chobham,
Eight teams competed at levels ranging from some of the strongest players in the women’s game to relative novices playing in their first tournament.
The first match was the Final of the 0 Goal with De Nada 0 (Wende Ross, Clare Warrender and Lucy Bolton) taking on Tricky 0 (Kate Wharton, Cristel Lee Lee and Nell Jacob). Despite the final score line, it was a thoroughly enjoyable match, but it was the combined experience and familiarity of each other’s play that took De Nada to a 10 goals to 5 victory. Even though this was one of the lower handicapped matches many agreed that the spirit in which it was played and the determination showed by all players made it one of the most enjoyable matches of the day. Deservedly, Clare Warrender of De Nada was awarded the title of MVP.
With perhaps the greatest number of supporters on the day, the S level players then took to the arena. Ladies in Red (Laura Parker, Claire Dallimore aided by Janey Nastase Grace) met Tashan Polo (Angela Brady, Hannah Phillips aided by Rosie Ross). Regardless of the inevitable nerves the players were encouraged and cajoled by the professionals in the arena and a very respectable win went to Tashan Polo with a score of 7 goals to 5. Congratulations to Angela Brady of Tashan Polo who took the award as Most Valuable Player.
In the 3 Goal Final, Power Hawks 3 (Mandie Beitner, Charlotte Christodoulou and Rosie Ross) took on La Tribu 3 (Mel Hamilton, Georgia Sweeney and Lisa Forster). This was a particularly keenly watched match though the extraordinary skill of Rosie Ross, ably assisted by her team mates, soon became apparent. Lisa Forster, playing with two broken fingers, did her best to tie Rosie Ross down but the combined skill and knowledge of each other’s game soon showed. The final score line was less than generous to La Tribu who, without luck on their side, failed to score from a number of chances. Power Hawks took the title 10 goals to 2 and most deservedly, Rosie Ross was named MVP.
The last match of the day was the 4 Goal Final sponsored by Polo Del Sol between Team Tonic 4 (Catherine Isted, Lucy Field and Sarah Wiseman) and Amazonas 4 (Katriona Baker, Helouise Lorentzen and Sophie Heaton-Ellis).
With full grandstands and spectators finding vantage points around the arena, all were treated to what was always expected to be an exciting match. Would the extraordinary strength of Sarah Wiseman or the combined depth of the Amazonas team win the day? No one could have been prepared for the wonderful spectacle that unfolded in the late afternoon sunshine. With end to end goals being scored during the first three chukkas, Amazonas broke away in the fourth from Team Tonic, leaving the result, apparently, in no doubt. Nobody had mentioned this to Team Tonic and in a wonderful team effort Catherine Isted urged her players on to pull the score line back to a 1 goal difference. A fifth chukka loomed but with tight defensive play, Amazonas closed down the might of Team Tonic taking the title 10 goals to 9. The award for MVP was impossible to call and rightly went jointly to Sophie Heaton-Ellis of Amazonas and Sarah Wiseman of Team Tonic.
The presentation of the title was made by Will Randall-Coath of Polo Del Sol who awarded the winning team an all expenses paid polo holiday to Polo Del Sol, the exciting new polo establishment in Jerez, Spain.
Many who competed felt this was one of the most successful women’s arena eventsLive for some years, played in excellent spirit and show casing all that is good in the game. The day’s eventsLive were enhanced by the wonderful commentary by Tarquin Southwell who can make even the slowest game sound like action from the Palermo Open.
A complimentary asado followed the day’s play with the party continuing late into the evening. The team at