The Sotogrande Spring polo Season
By Victoria Elsbury-Legg
Spring may well have sprung in England in recent days with the start of the 2015 English polo season, but it is not only English lawns that are once again welcoming the thunder of many shod feet. In Sotogrande, Santa María Polo Club has also launched its Spring Season which features ten weekends of polo incorporating eleven tournaments. Alongside the polo, shopping and art exhibitions will take place, with the Los Pinos Pavilion providing pitch-side food and drinks.
This is a polo club which is keen to focus on the medium handicap level of play, so four medium goal tournaments will feature alongside seven low goal ones, with a number of international teams taking to the pitch.
Play on Los Pinos fields began over Easter on 27th March with the start of the 8 goal XXXVI José Ignacio Domecq Memorial Tournament, the winner of which was decided on Sunday 5th April, with Scapa – John Smith being the team who collected the trophy. Following this the 0-4 goal Easter Low Goal Tournament took place on 2nd – 5th April which was won by La Bocha.
On the weekend of 10th – 12th April in the next 8 goal – Conde de Guaqui Memorial Tournament it was Sapphire-Bayswater who rode of the Los Pinos Fields as the winning team, whilst in the 0-4 goal April Low Goal it was team G.R Marrucos who found the winning goals.
Next to be played under the Spanish sun is the International Day Tournament (10-12 goal), with play taking place on the weekend 24th – 26th April. Other fixtures in the Spring Sotogrande schedule are:
22th-24th May (2-5 goal) Jerez Cup Tournament – Río Sotogrande fields
29th-31th May (2-5 goal) – ‘La Quinta’ Tournament – Río Sotogrande fields
12th – 14th June (2-5 goal) – Andrés Parladé Memorial – Tournament – Río Sotogrande fields
12th-14th, 19th-21st & 26th-28th June (10-12 goal) Santa María Open – Los Pinos fields
19th-21st & 26th-28th June (2-15 goal) Conde de la Maza Memorial – Río Sotogrande fields
The Santa María Summer Season takes place from 1st July to 15th September