The Argentine Polo Association announces new handicaps
By Victoria Elsbury-Legg
There must be a lot of celebrating being done by Polito Pieres during this last week, first the news he will join the rest of the Pieres dynasty next season as the fourth member of the Ellerstina team, and now the announcement from the Argentine Polo Association that his handicap will be in double figures as he joins the ranks of Pieres who have ten goals to their name – meaning Ellerstina with Gonzalo, Facundo, Nico and Polito will total 39 goals in 2015.
Published post the final match of the Triple Crown, it can hardly be surprising that amongst the changes made another Pieres’s handicap has been raised, given the spectacular ball control Politio demonstrated during the semis. In other team line ups there is also cause for celebration as in Chapaleufú both Nachi and Eduardo Heguy go up from 8 to 9 goals, and joining his 2014 Alegria teammate with a rise in handicap is 22 year old Alfredo Cappella Barabucci (Fred Mannix’s replacement due to injury) who has a goal added to his name, meaning he goes from 7 to 8.
Others achieving handicap increases are Pepe Heguy and Santiago Toccalino who both go up to 8, whilst Clemente Zavaleta now has 7 goals to his name.
Players who have seen a lowering in their handicap include: Lolo Castagnola going from 9 goals to 8, from 8 to 7 are Jamie Huidobro, Milo Fernandez Araujo, Tomas Garcia del Rio, Lucas James and Matias Magrini, and from 7 to 6 goals: Tomas Fernandez Llorente, Mark Tomlinson, Federico Von Wernich and Martin Garrahan.
A full list of both male and female players’ handicap changes can be found on the Asociación Argentina de Polo website