Sell-out Crowd At Hurlingham Park For Ladies Day
On a burning hot summer’s day, a sell-out crowd arrived at Hurlingham Park for Ladies Day, sponsored by Little Miracles Drinks. As the sun shone down on Fulham’s picturesque ground, London’s most glamourous Ladies, dressed in heels and hats that would not have looked out of place on a Paris catwalk, poured in by the thousands. Made in Chelsea’s Spencer Matthews, Hugo Taylor and Kimberley Garner were among other celebrities enjoying the variety of drinks on offer including Champagne Lanson and Fentimans cocktails in the legendary Mahiki Tent.
Little Miracles Drinks along with Chestertons Polo in the Park hosted a polo style fashion competition to find the best dressed at the polo. Picking a winner was extremely difficult with so many entries but one lucky winner took home two tickets to London Fashion Week.
TOP CLASS POLO
Top class polo was on offer once more, with a packed grandstand treated to some nail biting matches which went down to the final whistle.
USA polo legend Nic Roldan made his Chestertons Polo in the Park debut for Argentex Team Davos, and much to the crowds delight, showed off his incredible skills creating the opening goal for his team. Oscar Mancini, roared with delight signalling just how desperate he was to reach the final. The match became frenetic in the sweltering conditions as both sides went in search of the decisive goal. Late drama ensued, creating a tense atmosphere among the crowd and the Champagne Lanson Garden as Max Charlton scored with the last hit of the match to send his side into Sunday’s Final. The final score 3:2 to Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Team Hong Kong.
Nic Roldan commented, “It’s my first time at Chestertons Polo in the Park and I have never played in an event with this many people watching, it’s an amazing event. The crowd were going nuts out there, it was so fun to play in front of”.
Jamie Morrison, a Chestertons Polo in the Park veteran said, “The format is so great and exciting and although we were lucky to sneak the victory I’m delighted. We really took advantage of the wind in that second period and that was really all there was between the two sides”.
TEAM LONDON WIN
As the noise from the Mahiki bar amplified around Hurlingham Park, Shoreline Team Lagos took on MINT Team London looking to improve their loss they received yesterday from Argentex Davos. La Martina Ambassador, Malcolm Borwick, opened the scoring after a sublime pass from George Spencer-Churchill and the home side lead 2-0 after the first Chukka.
George Meyrick was thrown off his horse after a collision with Kola Karim but much to the relief of the female section of the crowd he was able to re-mount his horse shortly after. He was clearly unfazed by the tumble as shortly after he showed his much loved panache by hitting 10 consecutive volleys. Another nail biting finish saw MINT Team London take the victory with a final score of 4:3.
“I would have taken any win out there today. The crowd were so supportive and in the end they probably gave us the edge”, said MINT Team London’s George Meryick after the victory.
As the sun went down on Ladies Day, presented by Little Miracles Drinks there was time for one last match as reigning champions CITY AM Team Abu Dhabi took on Powder Byrne Team Dublin.
CITY AM Abu Dhabi looked like they were heading to the final as they doubled their advantage just before the interval when Mohammed Al Habtoor finished off a brilliant solo effort.
Powder Byrne Team Dublin needed a hero and that man was Richard Le Poer. He scored a miraculous two-point goal from an acute angle and that seemed to galvanise his side. Sebastian Dawnay capitalised on a mistake from Santiago Cernades and when Patrick Ephson added a fifth, Dublin had recorded a remarkable comeback victory to seal their place in Sunday’s Final.
“We were playing against such a strong team with a pair of Argentines and Mohammed Al Habtoor who has won here a couple of times so to win was amazing, especially here at Hurlingham Park in front of a sell-out crowd. I am really looking forward to playing Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Team Hong Kong in the final after yesterday’s draw when we actually scored but it was after the final whistle”, said Powder Byrne Team Dublin’s Sebastian Dawnay.
With reigning champions CITY AM Team Abu Dhabi out of the title race, a new team will be crowned the winners of Chestertons Polo in the Park on Finals Day tomorrow.