The 44th Land Rover International Polo Tournament starts in Sotogrande
By Victoria Elsbury-Legg
Many eyes and divot-treading feet have now moved from the lawns of Cowdray to the pitches of the Santa Maria Polo Club in Sotogrande with the start of the season’s Bronze, Silver and Gold tournaments. Play will take place from 28th July through to 29th August with the club hosting twenty-four teams featuring one hundred players from fifteen different nationalities. One hundred and twenty matches will be played over thirty-one days with the Bulgari Gold Cup being presented to the winning high goal team on Saturday 29th August 2015.
Spectators will enjoy much pitch-side entertainment and an eclectic mix of food and drinks with live music at sunset.
Playing in this year’s 22 goal high goal tournaments are eight teams featuring one lady player – Corine Ricard, patron of Murus Sanctus. Adolfo Cambiaso, who as part of team Valiente won the high goal in all three tournaments – Bronze, Silver and Gold in 2014 will be playing as part of Dubai this season.
Teams:
Group A:
Dubai – Rashid Albwardy (2) Adolfo Cambiaso (10) Alejo Oritz de Taranco (6) and Martin Valent (4)
Lechuza Caracas – Victor Vargas (1) Julian Lusarreta (6) Juan Martin Nero (10) and Jose Donoso (5)
Murus Sanctus – Corine Ricard (0) Juan Gris Zavaleta (7) Facundo Sola (8) and Temy Willington (7)
La Indiana – Michael Bickford (1) Max Charlton (7) John Paul Clarkin (8) and James Harper (6)
Group B:
RH Polo Team – Francisco Elizalde (7) Nicolas Pieres (9) Benhour Soleimani (0) and Santiago Von Wernich (5)
Ayala Polo Team – Inigo Zobel (1) Ignacio Laprida (7) David Stirling (10) and Santiago Stirling (4)
Dos Lunas – A & G Banca Privada – Luis Domecq (3) Pascual Sainz de Vicuna (6) Agustin Garcia Grossi (7) and Martin Iturraspe (6)
HB Polo Team – Ludovic Pailloncy (2) Ignacio Toccalino (8) Guillermo Terrera (8) and Sebastien Pailloncy (3)
In yesterday’s first games, played on Los Pinos Fields, Dubai beat Lechuza Caracas 12-10 and Murus Sanctus won 13 10 against La Indiana.
Schedule:
Copa Plata (Silver Cup – high goal)
Tuesday 28th July
17:30 Murus Sanctus 13 v 10 La Indiana
19:00 Dubai Polo Team 12 v 10 Lechuza Caracas
Wednesday 29th July
17:30 Dos Lunas v RH Polo
19:00 Ayala Polo v HB Polo
Friday 31st July
17:30 La Indiana v Dubai Polo Team
19:00 Murus Sanctus v Lechuza Caracas
Saturday 1st August
17:30 RH Polo v Ayala Polo
19:00 Dos Lunas v HB Polo
Tuesday 4th August
17:30 Dubai Polo Team v Murus Sanctus
17:30 La Indiana v Lechuza Caracas
19:00 Ayala Polo v Dos Lunas
19:00 RH Polo v HB Polo
Friday 7th August
19:00 second group A v third group B (game 1)
Saturday 8th August
19:00 second group B v third group A (game 2)
Tuesday 11th August
17:30 winner game 1 v first group A
19:00 winner game 2 v first group B
17:30 Bronze Cup Subsidiary semi-finals
19:00 Bronze Cup Subsidiary semi-finals
Thursday 13th August
18:30 Bronze Cup Subsidiary Final
Friday 14th August
18:30 Final of Copa Plata (Silver Cup high goal)
Monday 17th August
Start of Copa Ora (Gold Cup high goal)