The Jaeger-LeCoultre Gold Cup for the 2015 British Open Championships at Cowdray Park Polo Club – Day 19
By Victoria Elsbury-Legg
12:00PM UAE 14 v 8 Apes Hill – Ellerston Cup Semi Final – Lawns 1
There was all to play for as both teams lined up on the Lawns at Cowdray for the first semi-final of the day between the orange and black shirted all English team – Apes Hill (Mark Tomlinson, Ralph Richardson, Eduardo Novillo Astrada and Tom Morley) and the white shirted UAE (Jose Ramon Araya, Santiago Stirling, Lucas Monteverde and Pablo MacDonough). An air of anticipation hung in the humid air as the two all pro teams’ lined up for the first throw in.
By the end of the first chukka it was UAE 2 v 0 Apes Hill, rising to 5 v 0 in the second after a fantastic fifth goal was found by Pablo MacDonough from an under the neck shot from ninety yards out of goal. With Apes Hill then putting their first on the board, goal after amazing field goal followed from MacDonough – who found another one in chukka three, then headed for another goal with the perfect shot followed by a touch of showmanship with several bounces on the end of his stick to put through number seven.
A third goal from a penalty for Apes Hill brought the score to UAE 7 v 3 Apes Hill, followed by a spectacular attempt to protect the goal by Tom Morley, who ended up taking out a goal post with a cavalry charge just before half time. Lucas Monteverde’s first goal was the eighth for his side, followed by Tom Morley’s second field goal narrowing the gap to UAE 8 v 4 Apes Hill. As the dark clouds loomed behind goal suddenly they also seemed to fall over the Apes Hill side as Jose Ramon Araya took UAE into double figures with two quick field goals and the teams headed into the fifth chukka at UAE 11 v 5 Apes Hill. A goal apiece was scored in chukka five and ended with a win and the first place in Sunday’s final for UAE 14 v 8 Apes Hill.
Amongst the forty six Apes Hills ponies and forty seven from UAE were many retrained racehorses, standing out on the ground with stickers on their rumps. Best Retrained Racehorse of the game went to Tom Morley’s mare – Brian, an 11 year old, dark bay New Zealand Thoroughbred, trained by Ross Ainsley. Pablo MacDonough took the EFG award for the player playing best to their handicap.
4:00PM King Power Foxes 15 v 9 Zacara – Tramontana Cup Semi Final – Lawns 1
Riding onto the pitch for the second semi-final of the day was King Power Foxes and Zacara (who had knocked out the defending 2014 champions in Sunday’s quarter final). With commentary by John Kent and Terry Hanlon, umpires Peter Wright and Tim Bown got the match underway, there was one quite noticeable difference amongst the Zacara side, with Juan Martin Nero confusing spectators as he was now also wearing a black three point harness instead of his traditional hat of grey. With two fast goals by King Power Foxes (Gonzalito Pieres and Hugo Lewis) early on in the chukka, by the end of play King Power were one goal up 3 v 2 Zacara.
A strong field shot to goal from Facundo Pieres brought the score line to King Power Foxes 4 v 2 Zacara, then Facundo lost his stick from a hook by Rodrigo Andrade, great sportsmanship followed from all on the pitch as Rodrigo paused to retrieve it and pass it back whilst all the other players on both teams momentarily paused in play. Heading into chukka three, it was the team in blue who seemed able to find all the goals at King Power Foxes 6 v 2 Zacara.
With the commentators speculating that Juan Ma had decided that his trusted hat of grey was going to be lucky then the black one, he rode back on to the ground for chukka three much more easily recognisable. A great running field goal from the youngest player on the pitch – Jack Hyde, took Zacara to three goals, with King Power Foxes at seven heading into half time.
Despite some good open play, by chukka five it wasn’t looking like it was going to be Zacara’s day as the Pieres brothers dominated the goal mouths at either end putting some fantastic goals through, the teams headed into the last chukka at King Power Foxes 15 v 6 Zacara. Two great goals from the sticks of Juan Martin Nero and Brazilian Rodrigo Andrade and a converted penalty were not however enough to bring the team in black to double figures. So, it was a smiling King Power Foxes that rode off the pitch at 15 v 9 Zacara, now looking to Sunday’s final where they would face UAE. Post-match, Facundo Pieres was presented with the EFG prize for the player playing best to their handicap. Best re-trained racehorse went to Happy Trap, a grey mare from America owned by Lyndon Lea (Zacara), ridden by Jack Hyde and lead up to the prize giving by her groom Tico Lopez, Claudio Funes and Joaquin Mena.
Upcoming Matches:
Sunday 19th July – Jaeger-LeCoultre Gold Cup Final
3:00PM UAE v King Power Foxes