Where will you be watching polo this weekend?
By Victoria Elsbury-Legg
The upcoming weekend looks set to be another one filled with plenty to occupy all polo lovers. On Saturday 13th June as part of the Gloucestershire Festival of Polo at Beaufort Polo Club, gates open at 10.30am for the Beaufort International Day, where at 3pm a seventeen goal England Team – (Ralph Richardson (1) Matt Perry (5) Mark Tomlinson (6) and Pete Webb (5) will face an equally matched seventeen goal Team Ireland – Max Hutchinson (3) Mike Henderson (4) Richard Le Poer (6) and Sebastian Dawnay (4). Following this at 5pm a twenty-four goal England Ladies Team – Lucy Taylor (3) Emma Tomlinson (6) Nina Clarkin (9) and Tamara Fox (6) will play a twenty-eight goal Rest of the World Ladies – Imelda de Alba (3) Hazel Jackson (8) Lia Salvo (9) and Marianela Castagnola (8). On Sunday a charity polo match sponsored by Gigaset will be played in aid of the Prince’s charities.
If on Saturday you prefer to spend your day in Berkshire, The Prince of Wales Trophy 2015 will be played at the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club. Gates open at 12.30, post luncheon polo will commence at 3pm with a match between Michael Bickford’s La Indiana (last year’s winners) and the Hanbury’s El Remanso. Whilst a few miles away at Guards they will be hosting the annual Fifth Chukker & Access Bank Day which in previous seasons has been played at Ham Polo Club. This charity event in conjunction with UNICEF works to raise money for projects in aid of underprivileged children in Northern Nigeria. The Fifth Chukker Polo & Country Club is a private public partnership based in Nigeria with over four hundred ponies stabled at the three thousand hectare relaxed family resort. Players names are yet to be announced, matches will take place at the following times:
Fifth Chukker & Access Bank Day – Saturday 13th June, Guards Polo Club
3pm – Delaney (patron Damien Duncan) v Power Horse (patron Walter Scherb)
4.30pm – (the main 5 chukka polo event) Fifth Chukker team (patron Adamu Atta) v Kangimi Resort (patron Babangida Hassan)
After all the drama and excitement of the semi-finals at Guards on Wednesday which turned into twilight polo with the second semi reaching almost three hours in length, Sunday will bring with it first the Subsidiary Final at 11am on Ground 2 between King Power v Salkeld, followed by the much anticipated Final of the Cartier Queen’s Cup at Smith’s Lawn. It’s been an injury riddled tournament for some of the top high goal players, with Juan Martin Nero unable to play for Zacara due to a hand injury and Dubai playing the final four and a half chukkas of the semis with only one of their original team line up – Rashid Albwardy. With an already injured Diego Cavanagh, team changes prior to the game meant Tom Brodie was also replaced, with Martin Valent and Alejo Ortiz de Tarenco Stirling playing alongside Adolfo Cambiaso. Minutes into the second chukka of the semi-final an injured and frustrated Cambiaso then left the Duke’s Ground to be subbed by Sapo Caset (who had been playing in the earlier semi with Talandracas). The Dubai team line up which will face King Power Foxes and their two ten goal Pieres brothers on Sunday at 3pm on the Queen’s Ground in the 2015 Final of the Cartier Queen’s Cup is yet to be confirmed.