Spring High Goal Championships & Land Rover’s British Polo Day at Garangula Polo
By Victoria Elsbury-Legg
It’s all been going on at Garangula Polo in Australia during the last few weeks with six nominated teams taking part in the 16 goal Spring High Goal Championships, with many familiar faces from the English polo scene included in the team line-ups. First up on Friday 17thOctober was Guards patron Ed Hanson’s team Flying Kiwi’s (Ed Hanson, Kit Brooks, Rob Archibald and Sam Hopkinson) against Tarlo Hill (Guy Higginson, Chris McKenzie, Craig Wilson and Wal Ashton). On Saturday 18th Guy Schwarzenbach’s home side Garangula (Guy Schwarzenbach, Tom Hunt, Jasper White and Patrick O’Dwyer – several of whom are more often seen in England sporting Black Bears shirts) were drawn against Ellerston Black, which featured ex-Guards Polo Manager Glen Gilmore as Captain, supported by Guards Ambassador and Audi England team player Max Charlton, Charlie Pidgley and Alex Barnet. In the following 3pm game, River Park (Angus James, Kelvin Johnson, Dirk Gould and Oliver Hipwood) met Ellerston (Shane Fine more, Matt Grimes, James Harper (another Audi England team member) and Alec White.
Following further league matches on Monday 20th and Wednesday 22nd, on Friday 24th in the semis Garangula provided to have the pony power beating River Park, whilst Ellerston Black narrowly beat Ellerston by one goal. Sunday 26th October was a day of all things polo at Garangula, featuring alongside the 16 goal finals, the Brompton Bicycle Polo Match and the British Polo Day presented by Land Rover, which saw British Schools playing against home side Garangula. Sunday’s subsidiary final Ellerston White v River Park concluded in a draw; whilst a very happy home side – Guy Schwarzenbach, Tom Hunt, Jasper and Patrick O’Dwyer – team Garangula lifted the Spring High Goal Championship Cup skyward, having beaten Ellerston Black by 6 goals to 4.