THE VELTHUYSE & MULDER ORANGE 2009
On all fronts a ‘HOT ORANGE’
For the 16th time, the Orange Polo Tournament is played this year on the playing ground of Polo Club Wassenaar, which is located in the inner circle of the Horse Race Course ‘Duindigt’. This spectacular tournament is one of the best polo events of Holland’s season. In spite of the economic crisis, several loyal enterprises have sponsored the Orange again, the organization even succeeded in finding new ones.
Also the spectators seem to be real ‘die hards’, because they even resist the temptation to go to the beach nearby, and watch the polo game played at a temperature of at least 28 degrees. They encourage there heroes at the back of the horses on a furious way.
After playing the preliminaries, four teams are playing on the final day. Team Boston Trader led by five goal player Luis Duggan completed by Brenda de Boer, Philip de Groot and Nick Grooss, started against Team Numatic with Martin Iturraspe, Martin Hartman, Marcello Puga and Armand van Eeken. During the first chukkas, the teams are well-matched, and the score was 3 to 3. After that period, Numatic takes the lead and brings the score even to 6 to 3. The players of Boston Trader can’t let this happen, and fight back with renewed energy. This new spirit leads to long runs with the horses, and Luis Duggan succeeds in bringing back the score to 6 to 5. The last chukka is extremely exciting with a final score of 7 to 7. Because all the goals made in the preliminaries are counted also, no extra playing time is granted. After the last match, it will become clear how the final ranking will be.
Team Velthuyse & Mulder with Quirinus van der Kloot Meyburg, Willem Grooss, Juan Gerona and Miki Lagos appears in the second game to fight Team Area 6, a combination of the Polistas Locos team en Polo.nl with Jim Souren, Fleur van Andel, Aki van Andel en Valentin Novilla Astrada. Both eight goal teams seem to be equal, but shortly after the match commences, Area 6 has bad luck. Jim Souren, president of Polo Club Wassenaar, is hit on his head with a mallet. Briefly it looks that Jim is disabled for the rest of the game, but he insists to play on. His nose is not broken, and the cut beneath his eye is covered by swallow tail patches. Very tough to play on!
The teams play refined, the spectators are very enthusiastic about that.The final score is 5 to 3 for Team Velthuyse & Mulder. Herewith, Team Velthuyse & Mulder is for the second time successively winner of the Orange Polo Tournament. A fantastic result for the primary sponsor. Nevertheless, a big applause for Team Area 6, they were strong opponents for the winners. Team Area 6 ends on the third place. Afterwards, Aki van Andel explains that his horses had a bad day. Maybe they suffer the warmth as well. In spite of this disadvantage, a splendid result.
The second place of the tournament is taken by Boston Trader, and Numatic ends on the fourth place.
The price giving is fully sponsored by Van Santen & Van Santen, which presents all players nice gifts. After the big cup with an orange on top is issued, everybody lift their glasses happily.
This year the price for ‘best player’ is replaced by a price for the ‘best playing housewife’. Fleur van Andel, since two week Mrs. Duggan, receives a very original sugar pink vacuum cleaner from sponsor Numatic. During the burning sunset and Indian buffet, the sponsors, the player, and the spectators are fully agreed: again it was a fantastic Orange Polo Tournament.
TEAMS
AREA 6
1 Jim Souren 0
2 Fleur van Andel 1
3 Aki van Andel 3
4 Valentin Novilla Astrada 4
BOSTON TRADER
1 Filip de Groot -1
2 Luis Duggan 5
3 Nick Grooss jr. 3
4 Brenda de Boer 0
NUMATIC
1 Martin Hartman 0
2 Armand van Eeken 0
3 Marcello Puga 3
4 Martin Iturraspe 5
VELTHUYSE & MULDER
1 Quirinus vd Kloot Meijburg 0
2 Miguel Lagos 5
3 Juan Gerona 2
4 Willem Grooss 1
RANKING
1 VELTHUYSE & MULDER
2 BOSTON TRADER
3 AREA 6
4 NUMATIC