Piaget Manufacture movement 880P Mechanical self-winding chronograph Flyback, dual time 100 meter water resistant Titanium, sapphire case-back Rubber strap
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www.piagetpolo.com
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T HERE ARE STORIES THAT DESERVE TO BE CAPTURED FOREVER.
THE GRANDE MAISON It was in 1833, at the heart of the remote Swiss Jura valley, that Antoine LeCoultre founded the first workshop of what would become the Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre. The Swiss watch industry pioneer revolutionised the field of precision by inventing the first pinion-cutting machine. A decade later, he created the world’s first instrument capable of micron-level measurements: the Millionometer. The founder’s inventive spirit, perpetuated from generation to generation, has enabled the Grande Maison to register almost 400 patents and create 1,231 mechanical movements – an absolute record in the watchmaking world. United under one roof, over 180 watchmaking professions ranging from the rarest manual crafts to cutting-edge technologies enable the creation of exceptional timepieces from A to Z.
THE LIVING LEGEND The Reverso watch was born in 1931, at a time when British colonial army officers stationed in India dreamed of finding a timepiece able to withstand the rough and tumble of polo tournaments. In response to this daunting challenge, the Manufacture came up with a simple yet brilliant solution in the shape of the swivel case. The Reverso was nonetheless not solely destined to assert itself on polo fields. Its elegance and customisable case-back aroused immediate enthusiasm among devotees of Fine Watchmaking and aesthetes with a taste for Art Deco styling. Since 1931, the Reverso has acquired authentic iconic status and has been constantly reinvented by the Jaeger-LeCoultre artisans and watchmakers, in terms of both design and function. Within the Manufacture, cases and movements are simultaneously developed and produced, which means each calibre is perfectly fitted to the shape of the
case, be it round or rectangular. Aesthetic refinement and technical excellence go hand in hand, in harmony with one of the cardinal values of Jaeger-LeCoultre: integrity.
RARE SKILLS SERVING THE ICON The watchmakers’ talents are echoed by the virtuoso skills of the artists who transform the Reverso into a genuine work of art. The back of the Reverso provides unique space for personalisation. Family crests, monograms or initials: the engraver sculpts the metal to preserve the trace of a tender tie, a symbolic date, or a precious moment. Jaeger-LeCoultre also houses one of the world’s only workshops still exercising the discipline of enamel miniature painting, which calls for endless patience. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s gem-setters display peerless mastery of precious stones and have indeed developed their own gemsetting techniques in order to accentuate the beauty of the swivel case. By way of example, the “snow setting” technique created in the gem-setting workshop of the Manufacture gives pride of place to the sparkle of gems to light up a Reverso. Whether by an engraving, a miniature enamel painting or the radiance of precious stones, our artists will immortalise your legend. Choose the moment that belongs to you. A Reverso just for you.
1931 Reverso patent
GRANDE REVERSO ULTRA THIN TRIBUTE TO 1931. Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 822.
YOU DESERVE A REAL WATCH.
Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vallée 11 de Joux, Switzerland, since 1833. www.jaeger-lecoultre.com
PQ Staff Publisher
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Editor
Aurora Eastwood aurora@pqinternational.com
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Federico Levy Horace Laffaye Alex Webbe Alejandra Ocampos Karen Davis Leah Ludlow Diana Butler Eduardo Amaya
Fashion Editor
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PQ #81
Calendar
November
December
January
3_Final USPA North America Cup 16-20 goal Grand Champions PC, Wellington, FL, USA
2_Final FCT Invitational High Goal Challenge 13-15 goal Royal County of Berkshire PC, Berkshire, UK
5_Thai Polo 20 Goal Challenge 20-22 goal Thai Polo Club, Thailand
6_- VII La Aguada Horse Sale Auction Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina 10_Hurlingham Open 40 goal Hurlingham Club, Argentina 13_Camara de Diputados Cup 24+ goal AAP Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina 14_El Remanso Polo Cup Final 22 goal El Remanso Polo Club, Lobos, Argentina 15_Piaget Cocktail Dinner Palacio Duhau, Buenos Aires, Argentina 17_Argentine Open 40 goal AAP Palermo, Argentina 18_National 20 Goal Championship 16-20 goal (Final) Grand Champions PC, Wellington, FL, USA
7_Final Primavera and Ladies Aguada Cup La Aguada PC, Open Door, Argentina 8_Argentine Open Final 40 goal AAP Palermo, Argentina 9_Camara de Diputados Cup Final 24+ goal AAP Palermo, Argentina
6_South African Open 12 goal Plettenberg Bay PC, Southafrica 9_Thai Polo Open 12-14 goal Thai Polo Club, Thailand 24_St Moritz World Cup on Snow 18 goal St Moritz, Switzerland
15_Bustillo Cup 8-12 goal Puesto Viejo PC, Ca単uelas, Argentina
27_Final HPA Natinal Club Championships 10-12 goal Berkshire PC, UK
16_Aspen Snow Polo World Cup Snow Polo Final Aspen, Colorado, USA
30_Polo Masters Courchevel Snow Polo S Club, Courchevel, France
23_Final Chile Open 22 goal San Cristobal PC, Santiago de Chile, Chile
20_Copa de Oro Ellerstina Final 22 goal Ellerstina PC, Pilar, Argentina 27_Polo Party La Rural, Buenos Aires, Argentina 30_IX Julio Novillo Astrada Cup 22 goal La Aguada PC, Open Door, Argentina PQ | 15
Autumn Issue 2012
Editorial
The autumn is always a funny time of year for polo if one lives in England - the players have all left for Europe and South America - though increasingly more and more go to India, China and Thailand. Nothing much happens here now until the Arena season gets underway, the only polo fix possible is by reading magazines or going on PoloLine. The Argentine season has been plagued by an “English Summer” of endless rain - and they say lightning can’t strike twice! However the Open is just around the corner and hopefully wont have the customary delay due to rain. News just broke of Glen Gilmore’s appointment as the new Polo Manager at Guards. With his decades of experience and boundless optimism, coupled with Antipodean attitude to life he is sure to be a success at the club. Though will he be still be able to amuse us with his hilarious commentaries at matches? Probably not, sadly!
Aurora Eastwood Editor
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A RACING MACHINE ON THE WRIST
POLO TOURBILLON RM 053 PABLO MAC DONOUGH Manual winding tourbillon movement tilted 30째 Power reserve: circa 48 hours Baseplate and bridges made of titanium Free sprung balance with variable inertia Fast rotating barrel (6 hours per revolution instead of 7.5 hours) Barrel pawl with progressive recoil Winding barrel teeth and third-wheel pinion with central involute profile Case in titanium with bezel in titanium carbide Hand-polished and drawn bevelling Microblasted milled sections Drawn outer faces Polished sinks Limited edition of 15 pieces
www.richardmille.com
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Autumn Issue 2012 Price £6
Tournaments
Off the Field
20
64
Deauville International Polo Club
28
Santa María Polo Club - Sotogrande
72
Copa de Oro y Plata
34
Polo Club Chantilly
Cirencester Park Polo Club
76 Breeding The Akhal-Teke
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Historic Warwickshire final
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Cowdray Park Polo Club Goodwood Week Polo at Cowdray Park
48 48th Jockey Club Open A renovated Jockey Club Open
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Charity Day Pro Alvear Charity Day
Enormous surprise
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Fashion Blog Polo fashion in Europe
The Summit of the French Season
A life with Polo Sarah Boustead looks back on nearly 50 years of her Polo and of polo Clubs around the world
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Live Streaming PoloLine leads the way
88
Equipment Features Latest Kit
Argentine Season 2012 San Jorge Open Santa Paula Cup
89 Coaching The emergence of coaching techniques in Polo
#81
Contents
Interviews
Lifestyle
54
95 Gifts
Frank Dubarry Frank Dubarry, a Frenchman in Pilar
58
Guillermo Caset Jr. “Not playing the triple crown championship never crossed my mind�
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Christmas gifts
96 Cosmetics Dark & stormy / Three of the best winter cleansers
98 Cosmetics
Luiz Paulo Bastos Brazil is not just about beaches and Samba add in serious business expertise and talent for polo, specially in these four individuals
3-D Beauty Nails / New Season Fragrance
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Autumn/Winter 2012 Snug and Stylish / Sustainable Fashion Designs
102 Sailing The Latest from RIVA
104 Sailing The ins and outs of ownership
106 Motoring Supercars and Superyachts
Deauville International Polo Club
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Deauville: The Summit
of the French Season By Alice Garmond. Photos by Ana Clara Cozzi. With important tournaments in the world of polo, we have definitely witnessed a great show during the Lucien Barriere Deauville Polo Cup 2012. It has been going on for over a century: All the great names of polo stop by the coast of Normandy to Deauville for the Polo Cup. The Gold Cup belongs to the coveted trophies that polo players want to take home at all costs. The polo in Deauville is a fascinating show and horses round off the atmosphere of the seaside resort: Racehorses of course, as there is much going on at the two racetracks during the month of August, but also polo ponies. The club in the heart of the racecourse of Touques is populated for a whole month and brings about an Argentine air, a completely different approach to horses.
Polo for everyone in Deauville Making sure that many people can discover this fascinating sport, Deauville International Polo Club welcomes the audience free of charge all afternoons of the week; a shopping village allows the discovery of Richard Mille’s products or smalltalk with a refreshing drink at the 02 Barriere polo bar. All matches are commentated with expertise and a good sense of humour, so that polo becomes perfectly understandable even to newcomers... In August, more than 12 000 people discovered polo in Deauville.
Coupe d`Or The traditions change, but the polo in Deauville is among the best in Europe: The level of the Gold Cup has been raised from previous years to 22 goals. Aficionados understand, for the others, it means that Deauville joins in quality the best English tournaments (Queen Cup and Gold Cup). It also means that Deauville welcomes back some of the best players in the world such as Pablo Mac Donough, Milo Fernandez Araujo, Pancho Bensadon and the young Facundo Sola who fought over the historic Gold Cup. All the qualification games were very competitive between the four teams: Talandracas of Edouard Carmignac, Royal Barrière of André Fabre, Richard Mille of Bahar Jeffri and Varlion Blackstorm of Jean Marc Tyberg; until the two best made it to the finale.
It was doubtless one of the most beautiful finals of these last years. A tough duel between Richard Mille and Royal Barrière, won in extra time by Richard Mile (15/14) the team of the best player of the tournament: the 10 goal Pablo Mac Donough. Pablo had still never won the Gold cup of Deauville: he made up for it and was elected MVP of the match. But, with Pancho Bensadon (9) and Facundo Sola (7) in the opposite team, the affair was not of the simplest: « We had a very good team in front, that was very hard, and in an extra chukka, anything can happen. We were lucky enough to be the first ones to score a golden goal, thanks to my team-mate Temmy Willington. The fouls and the penalties played a crucial role in this match. But it ended well for us. It was the first time I played the Gold Cup, which is the very best tournament in France and it is important to have been able to add it to my trophies ! I have enjoyed my stay in the beautiful aera of Normandy and I liked a lot the athmosphere of the club and its nice apres-polo.»
Coupe d`Argent The Silver Cup followed the amazing Gold Cup. Raised to 16 goals the tournament became the major stage to win before the French Open in September in Chantilly. Deauville hosted 5 good teams: Royal Barrière of Alex Sztarkman with Pierre Henri Ngoumou best french player; Blackstorm of Jean Marc Tyberg with great young player Tito Ruiz Guinazu; Talandracas with Milo Fernandez Araujo and Facu Sola; and Mungo of Patrick Einsenchteter helped by the two Tomlinson Brothers. Blackstorm and Mungo qualified to the final after 4 hard games each. Who said that the English people and the French people had difficulty in getting on the sports field? It is maybe true in the Rugby, but in August, in Deauville, during the finale of the Silver Cup, it is the French-British association which came at the end of a Luxembourg team composed at the three-quarters of Argentine players. It is probably the first time (in any case a long time) that a team without Argentine players, with 100 % Europeans, registers its name on the prize list of the Deauville Silver Cup. It was the achievement made that Sunday by the Parisian team Mungo, of Patrick Eisenchteter, organized by the French professional PQ | 21
Teams, Fixtures and Statistics at www.deauvillepoloclub.com or www.pololine.com
Richard Mille Polo Team winner of Deauville Gold Cup
Bahar Jeffri
Facu Sola
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Thibault Guillemin (3) who had appointed the services of British brothers Mark and Luke Tomlinson (6 and 8). Luke Tomlinson was credited with turning the game around for his team: “We formed a very good team”, noted n°1 British polo player. “But we had difficulty in finding our men in the beginning of the game. We found our efficiency in the third chukka. We scored two goals and we got closer in the fourth chukka with a half goal difference and in the fifth everything worked perfectly”. Indeed, still dominating 4½ in 4 in the beginning of the last chukka, the back position of Thibault Guillemin backing up perfectly Luke, sounded the knell for Blackstorm, with a final score of 8 to 4½ at the end
Milo Fernandez Araujo and Pablo Mac Donough
of the match. Luke Tomlinson, who was elected MVP, finally won his first Silver Cup after losing the final in 2011. «It is a very important victory in a prize list, but it is also important for the European polo… We can now say that we are the best team in Europe». The Deauville season ended on this beautiful day and with a fun celebration party at the Casino Barrière, a season of transition which will doubtless restore envy to new teams to come next year for one even better Lucien Barrière Deauville Polo Cup.
Dario Musso
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Deauville International Polo Club
Emperor Edouard Carmignac, Gral Einsenhower Tyberg with daughter Alexia and Minie Mouse Marina de la Brosse
Cleopatra (better known as Ana Clara Cozzi), Superman Facu Sola and Flash Juanchi Ambroggio
Mr and Mrs. David, Olav Mueller Uri (my name is Bond) and Melany Mueller Uri as FBI Agent
Isabelle Strom (we got you, Batgirl!!!!), Tito Ruiz Gui単azu caribean look, Snow white Alice Garmond and sexy maid Alexia Tyberg
Juan Flash Ambroggio, with Zorro Tomas Reinoso and Jack Sparrow Pan
Tomas Reinoso and Edouard Pan
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Rambo James Beim, Luke Billy the Kid Tomlinson, NASA explorer Cata Zavaleta and Christine Aveque Robin Hood
Photos by Ana Clara Cozzi Varlion BlackStorm
The packed parking lot Talandracas
Rainbow in Deauville
Royal Barriere
People and birds enjoy polo in Deauville
Richard Mille
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Deauville International Polo Club Salvador and Mia Musso
Philippe Fatien and Dominique Galas
Milo Fernandez Araujo and Facundo Sola
Monica Gallimard and daugther, Odette and Annie Broussois, Alice Garmond, Carola Mohnblatt and Anne Therese Wolf
Mungo kids with the Silver Cup Rob And Sue Cadmore
Thibault Guillemin with his parents and wife Laetitia Macaire
Mr and Mrs Patrick Venot with Frederic Poulet from Champagne Mumm
Melanie Mueller-Uri and her twins
Cata Milberg Zavaleta, Luke and Mark Tomlinson with mom Claire
Mariana de la Brosse and Isabelle Strom
Lionel Macaire and wife Catherine
Joy, Dominique and Alexandre Desseigne from Lucien Barriere, Philippe Augier Mayor of Deauville and Philippe de Bouchara
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Photos by Ana Clara Cozzi
James Beim, Juan Ambroggio and Tomás Reinoso
Jean Sébastien Baschet, Nina Rasmussen and Alexandre Desseigne
Deauville Silver Cup / Mungo Polo Team
Louis Philippe Beuzelin, Julianne Relerls, Pierre and Alexandre Le Mainne and Marie Guegan
Alexia Tyberg, Charles Dalibot,Carole Mille, Isabel Strom, Arthur and Charles Bouissou
Isabelle Strom and Clemente Zavaleta
Alexandra Cardinale and Beatrice Augier
Jean Charles Pitt, Eric Cavillon and Laurent Roussin from Barriere Group
Juliette Jacquemot and Pierre-Henri N´Goumou
David and Charlotte Amar
Jean Edouard Mazery, Clarese Guillet and Dominique Pan
Annie Broussois and Anne Theresé Wolf
Alix, Serge and Sylvie Vuillemin
Matthieu Gauthier and Sophia Crescenzio
Delfo and Sanae Taiola and their son
Cécile Colin and Alex Sztarkman´s kids
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Santa María Polo Club - Sotogrande
The Gold Cup goes to Lechuza Caracas For the first time in history, Lechuza Caracas established themselves as champions of the most important tournament of the season played at Santa María Polo Club in Sotogrande. It was a great game attended by over 3,500 people. Victor Vargas’ team defeated Dos Lunas 12-8. By Federico Levy. Photos By www.imagesofpolo.com Dos Lunas line-up, comprising Luis Domecq, Pascual Sáinz de Vicuña, Rodrigo Rueda and Diego Cavanagh, had a better start than their rivals in the decisive match. The game started off at a very good pace with Dos Lunas Hublot pressuring their opponents and managing to take a 4-1 lead in the second chukka. To the surprise of many, the Dos Lunas team controlled the match and dominated Lechuza Caracas as they were able to block every possible way to their goal posts. That’s the way things were until star player Nero came into the picture. The 10-goaler showed off his best repertoire and owing to Taranco and Stirling’s great support they gradually began to revert the situation. Lechuza regained control of the ball as Stirling began to appear in a more offensive position while Taranco became Nero’s ideal partner, allowing him to move freely, so he was soon up to his usual old tricks. In the fourth chukka, patron Víctor Vargas’ team were able to even out the match and from that moment on they went straight ahead on the scoreboard until they achieved a definitive 12-8 victory, consequently winning the game and the Nespresso Gold Cup.
Lechuza Caracas Polo Team with HRH Princess Beatrice d´Orleans.
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Juan Martín Nero, the great star player of the afternoon, established himself as MVP, and after the match he commented: “It was a very tough game. They definitely had a better start, and we just couldn’t find a way around the game. As from the fourth chukka everything changed slightly, and luckily this year we managed to win”. This is the third time young Uruguayan player Santiago Stirling has won the Gold Cup, which he had already won in 2009 with Dos Lunas and in 2010 with Ellerston. Lechuza Caracas patron Víctor Vargas commented: “It was a very good game, and they really surprised us at the start of the match. After the halftime break, we changed positions and managed to win. We had already won the Bronze and Silver Cups, but this year we made it. Our organisation plays worldwide and coming to Sotogrande is always a pleasure. There are lots of opportunities and very nice weather to play polo. We get five weeks of an excellent level and this is why I like coming here to play”.
SILVER CUP HIGH GOAL: In a very keenly-contested match with few goals scored, Ayala Polo Team achieved a tight 7-6 victory over Lechuza Caracas and won the tournament for the High Goal Silver Cup on Saturday 11/8. For their part, Dos Lunas Hublot defeated Kaptive Leones 12-11 for the Subsidiary Cup and won the title. MEDIUM GOAL: After having won the Bronze Cup, Seven Sevens continue their winning streak as they beat Santa Quitería 12-6 in the decisive match. In the Subsidiary Cup final, La Indiana defeated Marqués de Riscal 14-10 and won the title. LOW GOAL: On another splendid day, El Fortín achieved a tight 9-8 victory over El Castañar and won the competition for the Low Goal Silver Cup. In the Subsidiary Cup final, Bisontes defeated Indios Charrúas 11-8 and secured the title.
BRONZE CUP MEDIUM GOAL: The first Medium Goal competition concluded with great success. Seven Sevens beat Marqués de Riscal 10-7 and won the Bronze Cup, while Sapphire / Esperanza defeated Santa Quitería 15-8 and won the Subsidiary Cup. LOW GOAL: The Low Goal Bronze Cup. In the final for the major trophy, Silex beat Bisontes 10½-8 and won the title, while Capial achieved a tight 9-8 victory against El Castañar and won the Subsidiary Cup.
Michael Redding and Juan Martin Nero
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Santa María Polo Club
Ludo Pailloncy is presented with the trophy. Award the Mayor of San Roque Juan Carlos Ruiz Boix
Miguel Ayerza, David Stirling and Luis Bilbao
Eduardo Novillo Astrada jr and Guillermo Fernandez Llanos
Santiago Torreguitar with wife Jacqueline and son Rosendo
Barbara Dahlman, Allegra Sartori and Marta Mora Figueroa
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Luis Domecq, Luis Castillejo, Lucas James, Iñigo Zobel and Ramon Mora
Victor and María Beatriz Rodriguez
Nicolas Alvarez, Benjamín Araya and Pascual Jr and Alvaro Alvarez
Tiago Gallego and Paulo Simoes
Blanca Domecq Zurita, Pituca Brujo, Alfredo Entrecanales and Ramon Mora
Alexandra, Ingrid and Isabelle Strom
Tuki Ruiz Guiñazú, Niki Caset, Malena Stirling and Pedro Soria
Christian Nordheimer with wife Inés and the lovely kids Luisa and Juan Cruz
Santa María Polo Club’s Gonzalo Echeverry
Photos by Ana Clara Cozzi
Jo and Ralph Richardson, Edmund Haynes, Kim Richarson, Santiago Torreguitar and Augusto Callaghan
Julio, Marta and Soledad Goitia
Laura Peacock, Elisabeth Horton and Jodie Gamblen
José Asenjo, Marina De Olde, Willem Frijli, Charo Van Hulst and Javier Portillo
Erin Swaney, Josefina Nero and María Beatriz Rodriguez
Carmen Carro, Julie Regard Alicia Mompo, Marina Elena Aznar, Claudia O’Hayon and Jennifer Mills
Sebastian Blasco, Alejandro Rubio and Javier Porras
Angel Vergara, Jesús Jimenez and Ali Abidi
Ricardo Trujillo
Peti Thomas
Rodolfo Marchioso and Paola Pagliere
Alfredo Pickman, Luis Domecq and Guillermo Pickman
Charo Van Hulst, Laura Portillo, Marina De Olde, Cheri Tory and Marona Hofman
The Strom family . Ingrid, Isabelle, Robert, Alexandra and Birger
LuisEstrada-Sta Maria PC Director
Ignacio Toccalino and family - wife Angie and sons Felix and Lucio
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Santa Barbara Polo & Raquet Club
USPA America Cup
Grants Farm won the America Cup in a very narrow final against Mansour. The winner had a narrow 1 goal victory over Lucchese in the first round which propelled them to win their next few games by comfortable margins. The final was very tight, but after some chukkas that Mansour was winning by 1 goal, Grants Farm scored two quick goals followed by a great clutch neck shot goal from their patron Andy Busch to make it a two goal game with only a few minutes remaining. It looked for second like Mansour might be able to make a comeback after they managed to get a quick goal out of the lineup but it turned out to be too little too late as Grants Farm was crowned champion by a score of 12-11. The MVP was Mansour’s Hilario Ulloa and the BPP was Adam Snow’s horse Boneca.
USPA Piaget Silver Cup
Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club held the finals of the USPA Piaget Silver Cup. All of the action leading up to this final seemed to foreshadow an intense and exhilarating showdown between Lucchese and Mansour.This could not have been more correct; as both teams battled with everything they had and were urged on every step of the way by a packed crowd. In a very closed match, after 5 chukkas it looked like Mansour might be able to close the door on Lucchese for good after Adam Snow converted a penalty 3 to give Mansour a 3 goal lead with five minutes to play. However after an open goal penalty conversion and then a great nearside buckshot pass by SantiTorres to Andres Weisz all of the sudden Lucchese was within 1 with three minutes to play. In the last three minutes Adolfo Cambiaso showed why he is still arguably the best player in the world scoring two key goals to give his team the 11-10 victory in thrilling fashion. The most valuable player was Lucchese’s Santi Torres and the best playing pony was given to Adolfo Cambiaso’s 6th chukka horse Dolfina Diana.
Pacific Coast Open
Lightning never strikes twice, but sometimes it strikes three times. John Muse’s Lucchese polo team scored three goals in the first three minutes of the 6th chukka of the PCO final to cap an amazing comeback and win their 3rd consecutive Bombardier Pacific Coast Open Polo Team, in the most spectacular game of the season. MVP of the final game was Adolfo Cambiaso. BPP was Noruega, ridden by Santi Torres and owned by Adolfo Cambiaso. The final award of the day was the Robert Skene Memorial Season MVP award. Elizabeth Skene presented this award to 18 year old Santiago Torres, who played fantastic all season and earned the respect of his fellow players and the umpires for his sportsmanship on the field.
By Wiley Uretz. Photos by David Lominska.
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www.omsports.com
Jose Ignacio Domecq Memorial 10-12 Goals - March 23rd to March 31st, 2013
Conde de Guaqui Memorial 10-12 Goals - April 5th to April 7th, 2013
The Spring Polo Season, when the most recognized tournaments Jose Ignacio Domecq and Conde de Guaqui take place, will be held along six weeks, between March 22nd and April 28th, at Santa Maria Polo Club. Come and enjoy Sotogrande and one of the most amazing Spring polo events of the season. For further information please contact: Tel.: +34 956 610 012 - Mobile: +34 607 800 663 - email: info@santamariapoloclub.com - www.santamariapoloclub.com PQ | 33 Santa Maria Polo Club - Finca Los Pinos. Ctra. A7 Salida A133 - 11310 Sotogrande - San Roque - Cadiz - Spain
Polo Club Chantilly
Body Minute Polo Team winner of Open de France 2012
Enormous surprise By Pascal Renauldon. Photos by Ana Clara Cozzi. The figurehead of this 12th French Open Kamélis, Pancho Bensadon, had made it one of his season’s main objectives: a victory, or else nothing. Participating in a final cannot be considered “nothing”, but the strong-willed Argentinean could not hold out against a particular British mallet. Things could not be better for the British at these times: five equestrian medals at the Olympics in London, a victory in the Silver Cup of Deauville by the Tomlinson brothers… Bensadon should have known better than to underestimate the only British player in the final of this 12th French Open, James Bein. The handicap 7 was not the only great performer and thus reason for this unattended victory of Body Minute, though. After a streak of bad luck in Deauville, the players were able to harmonize, reorganize and ameliorate their interactions in the course of the Open to eventually become a much stronger team than anyone would have expected. After an initial failure against the Luxembourgian team Black Storm, the “pink shirts” had not lost a single match, including the breath-taking semi-final against Tom Tailor’s German team, which they defeated last-minute with Tomas Reinoso’s “golden Goal” during extra chukker. 34 | PQ
However, all the success had not been sufficient to make Body Minute’s captain Jean-Christophe David truly optimistic about the final: “We are the good deal of the final… the opponent can be sure to take the trophy home.” If one thinks there is nothing to lose, and if that someone happens to have fighting spirits on his team, everything is possible. With James Beim’s ability to organize the team and to win over Pancho Bensadon in duels, with Thomas Reinoso’s terrific breakthroughs and with the assertiveness of outstanding Édouard Pan (the French #3), who was bold enough to dare a 60 yard under-neck shot that transformed into a goal, Body Minute was able to triumph in the end - and deservedly so. Pancho Bensadon tried to change the course of the match by any means possible, but without a doubt a bit single-handedly as he seemed to not rely very much on the abilities of his young teammates. Thus there was not a moment of the match where it seemed possible that In the Wings were really able to turn the tables on the team dressed in pink. “We were the underdogs”, states Édouard Pan “but we also knew that anything could happen in a final. This was nothing to cogitate about, we had no particular tactics like focusing our defence on Bensadon or anything similar to that, we
Pancho Bensadon and James Beim
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just went on the field and played. I have never played the French Open before and it is amazing to win it on the first try, being a handicap 4 for my first season. Jean-Christophe, Tomás and I have the habit of playing together, and James progressively blended well with the team. It was easy, as he is a great guy, very nice and fun, and the good atmosphere within the team contributed a great deal to this victory.” Progression Body Minute: 2/3 – 6/3 – 8/14 – 10/9 – 14/9
Ladies’ French Open Chopard: Meeting Lia Salvo “It was a difficult match”, rejoices an exhausted Lia Salvo. “Nobody slackened the reins and hats off to the players of Hecla, they are all excellent with the ball. This victory in the first female Open of the world is touching and important, and definitely a great moment for me in this country, in France, that I have a very particular love for”. The Argentinean showed a great deal of hard work, both in offensive and defence, in order to bring about victory for the Porsche Roissy team in this first French Open Chopard. It was a neck-and-neck match with never more than a goal of difference. Lavinia Fabre, who is daunting in defence and ride-offs, has thus shown some revenge for her father, Andre, who was defeated in the male final the day before with his team In The Wings. The two German sisters Tahnee and Noemi Schröder (responsible for the decisive goal) also showed a great performance and dream but of one thing: to play again on the exact same team. This French-German-Argentinean association won the first Ladies’ Open, a circumstance that the female polo world can benefit from. In the Wings Tom Taylor Winner of the Open de France Féminin Chopard
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Lia Salvo James Beim
Alain Bonte, Jorge and Margarida Ferro Ribeiro, Margarida and Manuel Damasio, Isabel Bonte and Stefano Saviotti
Yasmine de Givre, checking everything’s OK
Maybe the youngest star to be interviewed in Chantilly
Jean-Christophe and Aurelie David with their kids Thomas and Edouard
A stylish polo photo shoot
Caroline Scheufele, Patrick Guerrand Hermes and Corinne Ricard with lovely Violeta
Savine and Philip van der Kloot Meijburg with Juan EscriĂąa, Pablo Urquiza and Quirinus van der Kloot Meijburg on the back
Alice Ricard, Paul Charles and Constance Bautelcup Charloux
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Polo Club Chantilly
Thibault Guillemin and wife Laetitia Macaire
Alberic de Coulange, Jorge Ferro Ribeiro, Marie Victoire de Coulange and Phillippe Perrier
Phillippe Fatien and Nicolas Deloche
Lesley-Ann Fong-Yee, Mike Manno with Vodka and Jessica Bailey
Santiago Irastorza and Marcelo Amadeo y Videla
Berénice Mourier, Grégoire D´ablon and Alice Garmond
Edouard and Marie Vermeulen
Corinne Ricard and Jean-Luc Chartier President of the French Polo Federation
Pablo Urquiza, Martín Joaquín and Tito Ruiz Guiñazu
P hotos by A na Clara Cozzi Charlotte and Florent Garaud and Marina de la Brosse
Michael Redding and Luis Sainz Alejandro Huertas and Sebastian Petracchi
Lavinia Fabre and Gabriela Turk Kate and Dusan Beim
Uwe Schroder and Corinne Ricard
Corinne Ricard and her daugther Loraine Many delicities to enjoy at lunchtime of the Final
Anita Palma and her kid Lara, Sofia Garmendia and Lia Salvo
Alexandre David and Olav Mueller-Uri
Marie-Claude de Bragance and Olivia Cox-Hoare and Valeri Vagnier
Jean-MarcTyberg and Patrick Guerrand Hermes
Eric and Katrin Le Maire with her baby Cosina
Clemente Zavaleta, Jean-Marc Tyberg and Ernesto Trotz Jr
Carl Gurdjian and god daufhter Violeta
Cirencester Park Polo Club
Historic match between Halcyon Gallery and Black Bears Halycon Gallery beat mighty Black Bears in the dying seconds of this fast and close match at historic Cirencester Park. By Aurora Eastwood. Photos by Tom Reynolds. Whilst this was not the most thrilling game of the season, being slightly stop start and messy at times, the evenness between the teams made for a tense and exciting game. The first chukka saw both teams scrabbling for an advantage, Black Bears having started with a goal on handicap, the ball going back and forth more often than an Olympic ping pong game. George Hanbury scored the first goal after four minutes, and then Eduardo (Ruso) Heguy had a crack with a huge shot but hit wide. 1-1. Ruso scored quickly for Halcyon in the second chukka, only for the mighty JP Clarkin to answer a minute later for Black Bears. Juan Gris Zavaleta fouled Pelon Stirling a couple of times but Black Bears kept possession, passing the ball to Guy Schwarzenbach who ran the length of the pitch to score. Juan Gris completed his hat trick of fouls with a third, which was comfortably converted as a 60 yarder by Pelon. 3-3. A tussle between Guy and George early in the third chukka resulted in George missing an important clearing backhand in front of goal, which Guy then scored. 40 | PQ
The skilled combination of Ruso and Pelon caused Juan Gris and JP to foul and miss easy balls, and a spot was converted by Pelon who dribbled the ball in. Yet another foul Juan Gris resulted in 60 yarder taken by Pelon but JP extended his impossibly long arms and stopped it in the goal mouth, however this was deemed a foul so the penalty moved to 30yds and was easily converted by Ruso. By now the ground getting more and more cut up, with both teams trying to shut the game down – the result of which was several unattractive melees. 4-5 to Halcyon Gallery. Pelon snuck in a quick goal to start the fourth, followed by a chance for Black Bears to close in with a 60yd penalty. JP took the shot but it went wide. The ensuing hit in was deftly intercepted in the air by Guy who ran straight back towards goal and JP finished it off. In the dying seconds of chukka, Juan Gris rather inexplicably turned right in front of Pelon, the subsequent 60yd was converted by Ruso. 5-7 Halcyon Gallery. Guy picked the ball out of the throw in to start the fifth and scorched to goal, only to hit wide. After myriad
JP Clarkin chasing George Hanbury
fouls, JP took a 30 yarder to bring his team closer, and then Juan Gris slotted another one in with a bouncing ball to level the scores. Despite the umpires endlessly blowing the whistle, Pelon snuck the ball out and scored to take Halcyon ahead by one. 7-8. The final chukka was marred by too many fouls. JP took a spot with a huge hit that went wide, and not to be outdone, Ruso then did exactly the same thing. Alec White was more persistent in his hassling than a beach seller in Bali as Ruso and Pelon messed around playing for time, but it paid off for Alec as he got the foul, taken by Juan Gris who tried to dribble it in but Pelon misjudged a big ride off and hit him behind the saddle, resulting in a 40 yarder for Black Bears, converted by JP to level the scores once more. A melee then followed, but Ali Paterson picked up ball and scored a huge neck shot to take Halcyon ahead. In the last five seconds there was a foul in the lineout, and with all the pressure in the world on his shoulders JP hit the ball wide to seal Halycon’s victory. 8-9.
News for 2013 HIgh Goal Tournaments A name synonymous with racing, Godolphin now have a polo team. Maitha Al Maktoum, daughter of Sheikh Mohammed, played her first high goal tournament in the UK. Teamed with Nachi Heguy and American 8 goaler Nick Roldan, the team plans to contest the major 22 goal tournaments next season. With the might of the Goldolphin organisation behind them, not to mention a healthy budget, it will be interesting to see what this team can do in 2013. Will we see influence like that of Kerry Packer in the 90’s? The Warwickshire Cup is one of the oldest high goal trophies in the UK but has sadly suffered from a reduction in entries over the last few years. No doubt the pull of polo in sunnier climes such as Sotogrande in Spain and also the traditional high goal season in Deauville, France. Reducing the level to 20 goals has helped rekindle interest, and this year there were five teams entered with some big names - no less than ex 10 goaler and Argentine Open winners Eduardo and Nachi
Warwickshire Cup // Final Match Black Bears Guy Schwarzenbach Juan Gris Zavaleta JP Clarkin Alec White
19 2 7 8 2
Halcyon Gallery George Hanbury Eduardo Heguy David “Pelon” Stirling Ali Paterson
20 2 8 9 1
Heguy and brand new 10 goal player Pelon Stirling.
MVP Juan Gris Zavaleta BPP Guy Schwarzenbach’s Marley PQ | 41
Netherlands
Hurks Polo Championship By Fleur van Andel. Photos by Polo Republic. During the weekend of the 15th and 16th of Septemer 2012 the high-end polo event ‘Hurks Polo Championship’ was organized for the 5th time by Polo Republic. The Hurks Polo Championship has established itself as a top polo tournament as well as a high-end relationship marketing event, where executives of Dutch and international companies get together. Good polo combined with excellent hospitality is what the Polo Republic events stand for. Polo Republic is a partnership between Bylei and Locos Polo. Bylei is run by the identical twin brothers Lei and Lukas Willems, who take care of the styling and catering. Locos Polo is owned by polo playing brother and sister Aki and Fleur van Andel who are responsible for the sports side of the event. Several A-brands and companies get the chance to reach a premium audience in this unique synergy of relationship marketing, branding and networking. Geert Hurks has associated the name of his construction and real estate company with this tournament. He explains why: “I want to contribute to the development of the polo sport in The Netherlands (red. where polo is relatively small and unknown). It is even nicer to do this in the province of Brabant where the roots of my company are.
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My guests are impressed by what we have established here. For me that is a reason to be head sponsor of this tournament for the 3rd year. Besides this I just like the sport, the people, the spectacle and the passion. If you want to get somewhere in the world of polo you have to go for it! That suits me!” Although it is a businesslike type of event, it is praised by clients and guest for its casual, and relaxed ambiance, described by Polo Republic itself as informal yet exclusive. The ‘Indian Summer’ weather made this year’s edition an unforgettable weekend. Six teams up to 8 goals took part in the Hurks Polo Championship 2012. One semifinal was the match between the Rabobank (Adrenalina) team and SVO (Tiempo de Oro), resulting in a win for SVO (Tiempo de Oro). In the other semifinal Hurks (HV Polo) beat PWC (Mendoza). The other Saturday match was the El Metejon (Nipas) team, representing the Polo Club and Campo Privado in Cañuelas (Argentina), against Scan Coin (Nederland.FM), resulting in a win for El Metejon (Nipas). The nerve breaking final on Sunday was won in the last minute by half a point (6½ - 6) by the Hurks Polo team (HV Polo).
Jaeger-L eCoultre Cocktails in London
Jaeger-LeCoultre end of season cocktail party After the last hoof had the left the last polo field at the end of the season, Jaeger-LeCoultre invited some select guests to enjoy cocktails and canapes in central London.
Ambassadors Luke Tomlinson and Claire Milford Haven mingled with HPA CEO David Woodd, as well as Byran Ferry’s son and keen Hunstman Otis Ferry, as well as one or two London Celebrities.
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Cowdray Park Polo Club
Goodwood Week Polo at Cowdray Park By Liz Higgins. Photos by Tony Ramirez. Goodwood Week polo at Cowdray Park saw a busy programme of exciting matches leading to the Finals and subsidiary Finals of the Harrison and Holden White trophies over the weekend of 4/5th August. Saturday’s Final of the Harrison Cup, one of the UK’s most important 15 goal competitions, saw 2011 winners Lamrei meet Cowdray Vikings out of an original field of nine teams. The Cowdray Vikings side featured the talented young trio of George Pearson, 0 goals, and 4 goalers Jack Richardson and Lanto Sheridan working competently around England team stalwart James Beim. The Lamrei side featured two Argentine 6 goal players, Santiago Gaztambide and Michel del Carril, in the central positions with John Kent, 2 goals, at the front door and patron Charlie McCowen at Back. Cowdray got off to a great start with Richardson first to score followed up by a penalty conversion from James Beim. The second chukka saw Lamrei make their mark on the scoreboard with Santiago Gaztambide flying into action in an attempt to start reducing the deficit. Chukka 3 saw both Beim and John Kent achieving skillful field
goals, to leave Cowdray just in front by half time with their fast, running polo overpowering their technically more experienced opponents. The second half saw Lamrei begin to up the pressure, yet just as it seemed Kent had levelled the score for the first time in the match, Richardson backed the ball off the line, leaving it to young George Pearson to carry the ball the length of the field, scoring a superb field goal and re-establishing his side’s lead. However, Lamrei dug deep and Gaztambide and Del Carril began to play a tighter game, managing to convert a penalty apiece to leave the score at 5-5 going into the last chukka. Lamrei’s game plan seemed clear – that McGowen and Kent should both mark the opposition whilst Gaztambide and De Carril attempted to create the goals. The spectators witnessed a nail-biting last chukka. After several near misses for both sides, McCowen made a brilliant charge from the back of the field to pick up a pass from Del Carril, resulting in the winning goal as he slotted the ball through the posts. Beim for
waiting for tony´s photos
Holden White winners Somerton with Lila Pearson and Jamie Gordon from Casablanca
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Cowdray Vikings had one last chance to level out the score in the dying seconds with a 60 yard penalty but failed to find the posts, leaving Lamrei the narrow but deserving winners for the second year running. Prizes were presented by Jamie Gordon of Casablanca Polo, the prize-giving rounding off a fantastic day for Santiago Gaztambide as he won the award for Most Valuable Player of the match and his mare Molonga won the Brook Johnston trophy for the Best Playing Pony. Sunday saw the culmination of the UK’s most popular polo tournament, the 8 goal Holden White Cup, which this year saw an entry of 36 sides. Reaching the Final were Simon Arber’s Four Quarters Orange team, with -1 goal player Camilla Beresford making a promising debut at number 2, Tomas Garbarini Islas at 3, and the talented Australian 6 goal player Rob Archibald at Back. The opposing Somerton team of Irish patron Jack Armstrong fielded Guillermo MacLoughin at number, 2, Adrian Wade at 3 and Jack Berner at Back. Somerton kicked off strongly with a good field goal from Jack Berner which he followed up with a penalty to take Somerton 2-0 ahead by the end of the chukka. Four Quarters Orange came back energetically with Garbarini Islas racing down the field to shoot a lovely field goal through the posts. Archibald sent another ball forward and once again Garbarini Islas found the posts and equalized the scores. Archibald himself galloped down the field from the Somerton half to score the next goal and take Four Quarters Orange into the lead. The first penalty of the match gave Four Quarters Orange
a 4-2 lead by the end of the second chukka and the half time tread-in gave spectators time to remark on the useful performance being put in by Four Quarter’s lady player. The third chukka saw Somerton’s Wade make a great pass to Berner and then a foul by Four Quarters resulted in a penalty giving McLoughlin the chance to pull Somerton up a goal. In the final chukka another penalty awarded to Somerton enabled a 30 yard hit at goal to equalize the scores. Soon after, an opportunistic pick-up by Berner near the goal saw him push the ball through the posts to enable Somerton to take the lead. A chance by Archibald to take the scores level again with a 60 yard penalty went wide and Somerton ran out the winners of the 2012 Holden White Cup at 5-4. Jack Armstrong said: “I give full praise to the opposition. This was by far the toughest match in the series for us and it has been in incredibly exciting tournament.” The cup was presented by the Hon Lila Pearson who, assisted by Jamie Gordon of Casablanca Polo, also presented prizes. The award for Most Valuable Player went to Camilla Beresford and the award for Best Playing Pony to White Face owned by Max Routledge and played by Jack Berner. The two weekend Finals formed part of the UK’s Victor Ludorum series. Each Final had two subsidiary finals forming a substantial programme of matches which have traditionally celebrated the festival of racing at nearby Goodwood.
Harrison Cup winners Lamrei with Casablanca Jamie Gordon
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IV A rgentina Snow Cup
Polo Celebration on Snow For the fourth consecutive year, Chapelco Ski Resort has welcomed the only snow tournament within the World Polo Tour Ranking. Brothers Facundo and Gonzalo Pieres took part, the fourth Argentina Snow Cup. With the UK season having concluded and only a few weeks before the Triple Crown began, they spent some time skiing in Chapelco and proved their aptitudes in the tournament played at the base of the mountain. This exclusive event kicked off with the team presentation at the Loi Suites Hotel in San Martín de los Andes. Federico Levy hosted the show while polo shirts were presented to the players on each team. Sponsors commented on their expectations regarding the tournament. Four 17-goal teams took part in the 2012 edition. The participating teams included Punta del Este Polo Club, Galicia Eminent, Sun International and Hyundai, all of which had high goal players in their line-ups. During the first qualifying matches, spectators were able to enjoy a good game level at the base of the Chapelco Peak. In the match played between Sun International and Punta del Este Polo Club, the black team achieved triumph owing to a great performance displayed by Nacho Garrahan, who was making his first appearance in a snow polo tournament in Argentina, and played with Javier Herrera and Gonzalo Pieres (Jr).
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The opponents’ team comprised Facundo Pieres along with Juan Cruz Adrogué and Santiago Tanoira. It was a very tight match in which Sun International sealed a 3-2 victory and hence made it through to the final. Then came the turn of the second game of the qualifying stage in which Hyundai played against Galicia Eminent. In this match, it was Valerio Zubiaurre who gave a spectacular performance as he attacked constantly and found in his team-mates, Martín Garrahan and Mariano Etcheverry, two figures who helped him open paths towards their opponent’s goal posts, hence enabling the blue team to achieve a resounding 3-0 victory which allowed them to make it through to the most important game of the Argentina Snow Cup: the tournament final. With Sun International and Galicia Eminent’s triumphs, all spectators present at the event already knew there would be a great game to watch shortly. The team counted on Gonzalo Pieres (Jr)’s quality
as a player in addition to Martín Garrahan’s power. Two teams who had recently won the first matches they played and were seeking to win and celebrate in Chapelco. After the initial throw-in, the teams began to seek paths towards their opponents’ goal posts, but neither managed to take the lead. They played intensely and the game gradually began to lose its flow. This is one of main things about this tournament. Everyone wants to win. The Argentina Snow Cup has already shown it is anything but an exhibition tournament. This specially built field at the base of the Chapelco Ski Resort has already welcomed players as important as Adolfo Cambiaso, Guillermo Caset (Jr.), Juan Martín Nero and the Pieres brothers, among others. This just goes to prove that it is a real tournament and that is why it is the only one that forms part of the World Polo Tour. A great final filled with constant attacks performed by both teams; neither line-up was able to take the lead and so the final game ended in a tie when the bell rang indicating the last chukka had concluded. Consequently, it was penalty shootout time. After each of the players executed their penalty shots, the culminating moment arrived and the possibility of achieving victory lay on Martín Garrahan’s
mallet. His experience, nature and quality as a player enabled him to calmly approach the ball, execute a penalty shot and celebrate after scoring a goal. To him, not only did this triumph mean his team’s victory but also his individual achievement as a four-times champion (see side comment), who began playing in his native city of Lobos. The prize-giving took place at the top of the mountain. Over 1600-metres high, while tourists took advantage of the snow to ski or snowboard, the organization set up an impressive podium where prizes were presented to the teams participating in the event. Yet again, the Argentina Snow Cup has proved that playing polo and skiing can combine perfectly in a destination like Chapelco. The participating players were able to enjoy long days of winter sports carried out on the mountainside, and whenever the action took place elsewhere, the organization of the event carried out by PoloLine Argentina proved to be on a par with any other worldwide tournaments forming part of the World Polo Tour. During three whole days, Chapelco became without a doubt a real snow polo celebration. The event was sponsored by Sun International Table Bay Waterfront, Galicia Eminent, Hyundai, Punta del Este Polo Club, Inprotur, Total, Unicenter, Almacén de Flores, Loi Suites Chapelco, Perssico, Chandon, Johnnie Walker and Casablanca.
THE PIERES BROTHERS PLAYED IN CHAPELCO They are polo and ski lovers. Therefore, this plan seemed to be ideal as they would be able to spend a few days resting before starting to think about the 2012 Triple Crown. So, through PoloLine Argentina, the Pieres brothers decided to travel to Chapelco in order to take part in the Argentina Snow Cup. They both spent some wonderful days during which spectators were able to watch their great game level on the playing field and, in turn, they were also able to satisfy their urge to snowboard and ski in San Martín de los Andes.
MARTÍN GARRAHAN: THE FOUR-TIMES CHAMPION Garrahan has already become a living legend at Chapelco Ski Resort after having won the cup in every edition of the Argentina Snow Cup Championship. Though the first edition of the tournament was honoured by the participation of Adolfo Cambiaso, there were also other star players participating in this event such as Guillermo Caset (Jr.), Juan Martín Nero and the Pieres brothers, Gonzalo and Facundo, as well as Martín Garrahan who showed his worth as regards his experience on snow, and once again sealed his team’s victory and won the main cup of the event, which seems to have found its owner. PQ | 47
48 th Jockey Club Open
A renovated Jockey Club Open The 48 th Jockey Club Open ended with a great final showing excellent organisation on par with the best international tournaments. By Federico Levy. Photo by Matías Callejo. It was an overcast, somewhat rain-threatening and slightly cold morning in San Isidro. No, please, no more rain. Fortunately, the unpleasant weather didn’t last long and little before the Jockey Club Open final kicked off between La Aguada Las Monjitas and Chapa Uno, the sun came out and it turned into an ideal spring Sunday to watch polo. It was yet another successful live broadcast on PoloLine TV, on this occasion jointly carried out with TyC Sports Internacional, with an unusual display of no less than ten HD cameras to provide the best coverage and image quality, exactly the way PoloLine TV has been doing so throughout 2012 with the most important tournaments worldwide. Both teams were finalising details at their pony lines. There were also a couple of modifications: La Aguada Las Monjitas presented their complete line-up, with the return of Lucas James, who had been replaced by Javier Novillo Astrada in the semi-final against Chapa II when he injured his wrist, while Chapa Uno included Marcos Heguy replacing Juan Martín Nero. After a brief introduction, which included singing the Argentine National Anthem and the presentation of all eight players, the final began with La Aguada Las Monjitas taking the lead (2-0). Bautista Heguy helped Chapa Uno recover during the second chukka, and after scoring two goals they tied the game at 2-2. La Aguada Las Monjitas acknowledged receipt of the blow they received during the third chukka, and 48 | PQ
soon returned the courtesy. Chapa Uno was stuck at zero while Eduardo Novillo Astrada Jr scored two goals enabling them to take a 4-2 lead. Chapa Uno made a comeback and also returned the courtesy, this time with two goals scored by Bautista Heguy. Consequently, the match went into halftime tied at 4-4. Up until then, it was a very even match, though La Aguada Las Monjitas managed to take a slight lead: two chukkas in their favour and two ties. This tendency continued throughout the fifth chukka, which La Aguada Las Monjitas won 3-1, but later the lead narrowed down to a one-goal difference (6-5). Everything was going to change in the last two chukkas. La Aguada Las Monjitas ended the sixth chukka having taken a 9-7 lead. There were only seven minutes to go for Chapa Uno to attempt to turn the result around, but their hope was wiped out by two goals scored by Alejandro Novillo Astrada, enabling his team to take an 11-7 lead, with slightly over two minutes of the match remaining. Far from giving up, Chapa Uno fought back led by Bautista Heguy and Pelón Stirling, and managed to crack their rival’s defence a couple of times. But that’s all they were able to do. La Aguada Las Monjitas, who kicked off the qualifying competition for Hurlingham and Palermo the following Thursday, won 11-9 and took the Jockey Club Cup home with them. Progression: La Aguada Las Monjitas: 2-0, 2-2, 4-2, 4-4, 6-5, 9-7 and 11-9. Gonzalo Tanoira Award to the MVP: Eduardo Novillo Astrada Jr. BPP: Anay Sur Cielito (Marcos Heguy) Miguel Pando Fair Play Award: Marcos Heguy (Chapa Uno)
A rgentine Season 2012
San Jorge Open
By Federico Levy. Photos by Matías Callejo. The final began at 4 pm on field 1 between Indios Chapaleufú II and San Jorge Magual JVC. Right from the start, it was a mostly interrupted game due to fouls, but Chapa II took a clear 4-goal lead halfway through the third chukka, taking advantage of “Pepe” Heguy’s experience and Fernando Santillán’s undeniable effectiveness when executing penalty shots (he scored on 7 out of 10). Throughout the second half of the game, Ezequiel Martínez Ferrario
Santa Paula Cup
By Federico Levy. Photos by Matías Callejo. Colegio del Pilar won the inter-school tournament. Since its inception, the inter-school tournament for the Santa Paula Cup has become one of the training competitions that have enriched our polo history the most. Colegio del Pilar (10 goals) squeezed out a tight 7½-7 win over St. Catherine’s Moorlands “A” (11) in a very keenlycontested match. Colegio del Pilar’s line-up featured Lucio Fernández Ocampo, Genaro Ringa, Lucas Díaz Alberdi and Bautista Bayugar (10). St. Catherine’s Moorlands “A”
put the team on his shoulders and converted 7 goals in 3 chukkas, which allowed them to draw closer to a tie. Unfortunately for them, they were unable to do more because they ran out of time and, in all fairness, Chapa II won the game and the Duke of Edinburgh trophy and celebrated at the polo cathedral in Palermo after winning the San Jorge Fernet Branca Open. “Pepe” Heguy received the “Cabaña Argentina” Award for best player of the match and Fernando Santillán, who scored 9 goals, received the Atlantic Kayaks prize.
comprised Santiago Loza, Silvestre Hunter, Tomás Fernández Llorente (Jr) and Antonio Bilbao, (11). The final game was an extremely tight match between two very good teams who tied three chukkas (the first 0-0, the second 2-2 and the fifth 1-1). In the second chukka, Moorlands took a slight lead thanks to Santiago Loza’s effectiveness, but the champion turned the match around in the third chukka when Bautista Bayugar, the star figure of this decisive game, began to score on penalty shots. Colegio del Pilar controlled the scoreboard as from the end of the third chukka and won the title. Diego and Alejandro Reynal presented the cups to the winners and finalists. Lucio Fernández Ocampo received the cup presented by his grandfather, commemorating his participation in the 1942 tournament. PQ | 49
Gstaad Polo Club
The biggest polo event of the Alpine summer The traditional Gstaad Polo Club tournament was ready for kick off, but just a few days before the event, sad news about Philippe Maeder’s passing brought about a change of plans. The tournament was played with one team less and became a tribute to one of the greatest Swiss polo fans. By Federico Levy. Photos by Ana Clara Cozzi. The results on the opening day were as follows: Hublot 10 vs Star Design 7; Bank Baring Brothers Sturza 3 vs Gstaad Palace 1,5. The semifinals, played on the Saturday, saw Hublot face Gstaad Palace, and Bank Baring Brothers Sturdza vs Star Design.
Semifinals A blue, cloudless sky, temperatures of 30º C and the wonderful mountain scenery of the Bernese Alps: The setting for the two semi final matches of this year’s Gstaad Polo Gold Cup could not have been better. The same was true for the performance of title holder Gualtiero Giori’s team Hublot when it faced Gstaad Palace in the first semi final match. Based on an impeccable team effort and lead by an unstoppable Franckie Menendez, Hublot reached the final of the Gstaad Polo Gold Cup 2012, beating Gstaad Palace in the first semi final with 9-4.5. Another 2 goals for Hublot were scored by Tete Storni but it was his Argentinean compatriot Franckie Menendez who put his mark on the game, by securing the defense, hitting some incredible passes and adding another 5 goals to the 7 he already scored on Thursday. With this Menendez also made “Just World International” happy: The nonprofit organization which
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supports children projects in the Third World receives 200 Swiss Francs, sponsored by the organizing committee and by watch maker Hublot, for each goal that is scored during this year’s tournament. On the second semi final match against Banque Baring Brothers Sturdza the team of Star Design showed true fighting qualities: Trailing by 1-3 and then by 2-4, Captain Albrecht Bach, Pablo Jauretche, Manuel Cereceda and Juan Gonzales came back strong in the third chucker and turned the match around to win by 7-4. The final saw something of a rematch, when Hublot faced Star Design, the latter winning by a narrow 10-9. Pablo Jauretche had a superb game, echoed by the fact he won MVP. Of course polo isn’t polo without a party. Gstaad Polo Club hosted a super party in the VIP main tent, attended by the players of the four participating teams and special guests, who enjoyed cocktails and an exquisite dinner. Following the dinner, it was party time. The VIP guests danced to the music of a jazz groups and three singers until late in the night. Even Pierre Genecand himself, the President of Gstaad Polo Club, showed his musical skills both in drums and piano, in what was one of the best polo parties hosted in Gstaad in the last years.
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Gstaad Polo Club
Lucas Labat and his wife Mili Martinez Allende
Manuel Cereceda his wife Carolina Piazza and their lovely dougther Renata
Mr and Mrs Urs Wirthmueller and Michele Perrelet
Nathalie Daenzer (Office manager polo) and her sister Caroline
Maureen Van der Wyck, Mia Theodoli and Cri Cri Pander
Champagne shower for Albrecht!
Blonde beauty
Eva Bruhl and Hans Schwoegler
Eberle Urs and Rytz Odile
Catherine and Philippe Pulfer and Diana and Roger Oltramare
Frederique Sorcinelli and Federico Priarone
Alicia Heiniger, Benedicte and Veronique Genecand
Pablo Jauretche, Rafi Agosti and Nelson Semedo with their son Lionel and Ignacio Tillous
Bautista Ortiz de Urbina and Male Reynal
David and Chantal Genecand
A delicious lunch every day at the polo village
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P hotos by A na Clara Cozzi
Benedicte and Pierre Genecand
Party all night
OK, here’s the best Ringo Starr impersonator...Monsieur Pierre Genecand
Looking like Diana Ross & The Supremes, inviting everyone to sing and dance Palma family Anita, Fernando, Manuela, MarĂa, Tomas and Juani Gonzalez with Lara
Valentin Novillo Astrada and Carolina Millan
A classic, Triumph TR3A Smart Cabrio RHD
Sybille Genecand and Sylviane Firmenich Confortable photographer
Christina and Micaela Sturdza sorround Jean-Claude Biver
Renze Keegstra, Rhea Gutperle and Sebastian Schnerger
Gualtiero Giori with Silvia and Ricardo Tattoni
Christina Dillier, Bea and Peter Blum
Christina Sturdza and Federico Priarone
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Frank Dubarry
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, y r r a b u D Frank r a l i P n i n a m a French By Alejandra O
campos. Photos
by Matías Calle
jo.
Why did you choose polo? I was a surfer when I started playing Polo. A friend of mine during dinner in Paris once asked me: “Do you miss living in California? ”. I said: “I miss surfing”. Then he asked “what did you like about Surfing?” I said: “Surfing is a great sport and has a tremendous energy. You are in the middle of the nature with no barriers (like tennis, for example)”. Then you have a tremendous adrenaline rush when you take off, you become one with the wave when you are lucky enough to get into a pipe. You are constantly in movement on something natural that is also in movement, not like a car, this appeals to your sense of balance. Then once you are done and tired you have a great positive energy coming from this natural element you were just immersed in… He smiled and looked at me and said: “You should try Polo. Its everything you just said plus it’s a team sport…” I was just puzzled and kept thinking about it for the next 6 months till we met again and he set me up for a weekend in a nice castle a few hundred kilometres from Paris and I got started. What's the best feeling about playing polo? The best feeling about Polo is to be one, to feel one together with an animal. It’s an amazing feeling. Then it’s the action that stays at night in your mind, the super shot you’d never think you could do. Which are your goals to reach in polo? I am still outstanding a victory in the final of the Copa de Oro Ellerstina, I have 4 subsidiary cups and a final. I just want to win this cup, it has been driving me crazy. Last year when we got to the finals, Pablo Mac Donough laid on the floor where we’re supposed to put our boots on. I looked at him and asked: “What’s going on?”, he looked at me with a sick face and said: ”Sorry Franck I’m sick”. I said: “No problem, we will replace you”. Obviously we lost but what the pros don’t realise is that winning the Copa de Oro here in Argentina for a Patron is a bit like winning Palermo for a high goaler. Then I’d like to play the Copa Republica because it’s an institution here. I also miss winning the Paris Trophy which is the oldest cup in Europe “1892”. Which are the biggest achievements you have reached up to date? • I have played all levels and I currently compete in high and medium goals tournaments. Some great tournaments I won some more I lost. PQ | 55
• I won the French National title in 1992 just two years after starting to play. • I started playing High Goal Polo, here in Argentina in 2005. It was then a big achievement. Then, I played High Goal for a couple of years in Palm Beach. • I have received a few MVPs but really what I’m the most proud of is that my ponies have often won Best Playing Pony. • Once, in the 90’s I drove to Pilar Chico which was the first club opened to 6 goalers and I dreamed of owning a house just there on “Calle Gonzalo Tanoira” which was then a dirt street. • I have played with most of the best players in the world and have shared the same intense moments of passion, trying to make a difference and be an asset for my team. • I organized a tournament in Mongolia 600 years after Genghis Khan built his empire and published a book about how polo was started called “Birth of a Passion”. • I have seen my 6 year old child hit a ball from a horse last year. • I have bought the latest filly from La Luna. • I have seen one of my mares play every game for Pablo Mac Donough in La Dolfina team in Palermo. • I created the polo resort I had always dreamed about with TechnoPolo. • I have studied a new language and adopted a new culture.
How did your relationship with TechnoPolo developed through the years? In France we have this cartoon book for kids called Asterix and his buddy is called Obelix. Asterix has to drink the magic potion to fight the Romans but Obelix doesn’t need to because he fell into the magic
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potion when he was a kid… It’s about the same for me. I fell deeply in love with my passion. First owning my four horses, then becoming a team patron then with a full breeding operation and now with a full scale resort around polo. I just like to go deep in my relationships when I get involved I guess.
What do you think TechnoPolo brings to polo? Technopolo brings the vision of a patron. Just like John Goodman did with the IPC (International Polo Club, in Palm Beach). I have a different vision but the closest club would be the West Palm Beach/Wellington Club. I want to extend the feeling of playing polo for a few guests after the horses are back in the stables. I would like to bring authenticity, culture and entertainment to people who just come to see what polo is about. I want to avoid hearing about polo widows and bring more to do to the companion who doesn’t play. Help other patrons get organized for their polo in this country (Argentina). Help them overrun barriers to entry such as the language, the labour rules and the headache of maintaining their own place thousands of miles away. TechnoPolo is a different proposal created by lovers of polo for those who, in different ways, enjoy the passion for this sport. That is why TechnoPolo offers diverse ways to approach this singular experience where the beauty of its natural landscapes and the vertigo of the best polo in the world are combined. www.technopolo.com.ar
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Interview
Guillermo Caset Jr:
“Not playing the Triple Crown Championship never crossed my mind” By Alejandra Ocampos. Photos by Ana Clara Cozzi. Today, watching Guillermo Caset Jr. (from now on referred to as “El Sapo”), is a total pleasure. He’s looking fine, recovered, with the same enthusiasm he’s always had. It seems hard to believe that just a few months ago he was bedridden at a clinic in Buenos Aires in an induced coma caused by a cruel bacterium, which at first was only treated as a very common adductor injury that affects lots of polo players. Over and above the invaluable efforts of modern medicine, the unconditional support and prayer chains organised by his whole family, friends and the polo sphere, and even strangers, were essential for his recovery. El Sapo left the clinic weighing much less than he used to and feeling slightly weak, but tremendously enthusiastic about getting ahead as soon as possible. As the results of his analysis were increasingly positive, he faced a rehabilitation process including exercise and a special diet, which earned him an amazing recovery sooner than expected. Today, and thank God, that terrible moment is nothing but an anecdote in the life of our dear Sapo Caset.
How did the whole problem start after you contracted this bacterium while playing the US Open? It all started between the US Open semi-finals and the final. I felt a slight pain in my adductor. I thought it was a normal muscle spasm, but it ended up being a bacterial infection. Did you have any symptoms at the time? I honestly didn’t. With the adrenaline rush you feel during the matches, I was only thinking about playing so I wasn’t too aware of what was going on. The only thing I felt was a slight pain in my adductor, and my physiotherapist was treating it as a normal muscle spasm. As I could play, I got away with it. This went on until the end of the season, and we all know what happened after that… As it later became known, the worst pain came after you played the final… Yes, that same night, and the next day I was limping. It was more than a muscle spasm, but I always thought it was a muscle problem, nothing other than that, because the adductor is a spot that always gets injured when you play polo. I never imagined it was what it actually turned out to be. So it all started when you returned to Argentina… Yes, but I must admit that I started to feel I little rundown, as if I had the flu. I felt generally unwell. Inés, my girlfriend, picked me up at the airport. We went out to the countryside, and that’s the way I felt all afternoon while I was there. My whole body ached, I couldn’t walk properly… I went to Lobos and as always 58 | PQ
I thought it was a muscle problem, so I continued to treat it as such. As it wasn’t getting better, the following day I travelled to Buenos Aires.
Why did they decide to admit you to hospital? I had a very high fever, I didn’t feel well and I couldn’t even breathe. I had a chest X-ray taken, which showed my lungs were affected. You were in an induced coma for several days. What’s the last thing you remember before that? The last thing I remember is the day I went to the clinic in Buenos Aires, when a physician on duty said I had to be admitted to the clinic. I remember having had an oxygen mask placed over my face, and nothing else. That’s all. I was asleep for twelve days. Inés Badiola (Sapo’s girlfriend): He spent fifteen days in the intensive care unit, and a few more in the intermediate care unit, but he was on a respirator for twelve days more or less. What happened when you woke up? I had no idea what was going on. I couldn’t remember anything. Later, they gradually explained everything that had happened to me, but I couldn’t understand a thing. It was like going to sleep and waking up the next day… Yes, that’s right, I never knew what had happened to me, and when I woke up I had no idea what day it was. Furthermore, I was told that the drugs I was given cause a type of amnesia, and consequently when you wake up, you can’t remember anything. So they gradually began to tell me everything that had happened to me. The truth is that I don’t remember much. I was awake for two or three days but I can’t remember a single thing… Inés: The drugs that cause amnesia are used, for instance, to avoid the intubation being such a traumatic experience in case the patient wakes up. He was awake for four days but he can’t remember he wrote things and was conscious. We all used to tell him that such and such a person had come to visit him and had sent his/her regards… Are you aware that the entire polo family was keeping check on you and your development? Yes, of course, and that’s a very nice thing. When I left the clinic and I began to see all the messages, even from people I didn’t know, it made me feel very well… all that affection and kindness is great! It is always said that when something serious happens to you, you change… you see things differently and begin to
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reconsider everything you’ve done. In your case, did this unexpected event make you reconsider certain things in your life?
Yes, for sure. You put everything aside because nothing is more important than you, and feeling well. Polo and everything else is set aside. You go all out, what with the matches, thinking you have to win, and you just go on and on… but then you realise that although it is important, it isn’t the most important thing, because there are other things. When we are competing, we think that winning is the most important thing, and that’s it and there’s nothing else. But in the end you realise that that’s not what it’s all about… that there are much more important things, but at the time you simply don’t realise. So, when something like this happens, you suddenly put your feet on the ground. Furthermore, I think that everything that happened to me was harder for them than for me. I never felt a thing. My family suffered far more than I did, that’s for sure.
Once you were discharged from the clinic, what was the rehabilitation process like? I started with a physiotherapist who’s a friend of mine. He used to come home to examine me, and as soon as I was allowed to go to Lobos, that’s exactly what I did, and I continued the treatment over there. Once I was doing better and started eating better, I got an appointment with Dr Sangenis. She prepared a diet and training programme and I managed to regain the weight I had lost. When I left the clinic I was weighing 55 kilos, that is to say, twelve kilos less than my normal weight. Imagine what I looked like. I’m naturally thin and I lost 12 kilos! I had no strength at all, not even to take a step forward. My lungs looked like raisins, they seemed to be withered, and I barely had enough strength to breathe. As a result of all this, did the possibility of not playing the Triple Crown Championship ever cross your mind? No (emphatically). I don’t know why, but I always knew I was going to play. After I left the clinic, I knew I still had to recover, but I also knew I was going to make it. And you made a much better recovery than expected. Yes, that’s right… the results of my analysis gradually became positive. The day I was discharged from the clinic, an MRI scan was required to determine whether or not I needed to have a lung puncture to remove fluid, and if so, I would have to stay on a few more days… imagine how anxious I was! All I could think of was leaving the clinic! The MRI scan produced a positive result and I was discharged from the clinic. Some time later I returned to find out about my situation, and everything was developing perfectly. Let’s say the lung puncture wasn’t such a terrible thing, but if the results weren’t good, it meant I had to stay two or three more days in hospital… … and you wanted nothing to do with it. You wanted to leave. Sure! I wanted to go home, even if it meant lying in bed all day, I wanted to go back home. I returned for 60 | PQ
check-ups once a week and everything went well. My overall development was very good and nothing ever got out of hand. So, I was fully discharged from the clinic. I was told, “Relax, you’re fine!”
La Aguada, the great opportunity As regards polo, 2012 is a very special year for El Sapo Caset. After being on the move for several years to win the qualifiers, and performing as a substitute player for a couple of big teams, the talented player from Lobos, who’s a 9-goaler in Argentina, and a 10-goaler in the United States, will be playing the Argentine Triple Crown Championship for the first time as an official team-member for La Aguada, with three of the Novillo Astrada brothers: Miguel, Javier and Ignacio. The Triple Crown had become a tough one for El Sapo… he replaced other players for La Dolfina and La Aguada. He struggled to win the qualifying round, and every time he played a match in Palermo, both on field 1 and field 2, it became more than evident that it wouldn’t take long for him to be given an opportunity. Last year, with Chapa Uno, he made an explosive duo with another young talented player, namely Polito Pieres. Many will surely remember he played on field 2 in Palermo, on the second scheduled date of the Open Championship, when Chapa Uno, led by El Sapo and Polito, became a terrible headache precisely for La Aguada. Today, he is pleased with the great opportunity. He has great expectations, and has been very welcomed by the Novillo Astradas who, as El Sapo mentioned, “make me feel as if I were one of them”.
Let’s move on to your career, and especially regarding this opportunity you were given to play the Triple Crown Championship with La Aguada… How did the Novillo Astradas come up with this possibility? It all began last year, before the Palermo Open kicked off. I received a call from Miguel, and he mentioned they were thinking about dividing the team, so El Negro could start playing permanently for La Aguada. We talked about it. Nothing was confirmed, but we discussed the options. At one point, they had thought of Miguel and Javier on one team with me, and perhaps Nacho could stay with us. But the fact is that nothing was confirmed. So, the idea was to have Miguel, Javier and me, plus a fourth player. They spoke to Hilario Ulloa, Mariano Aguerre… To be honest, they were all waiting to see what Ellerstina was going to do, because they were looking for a back, and at one point they had said that Nacho was going to be that back… so we were waiting to see what Nacho decided to do, because if he wasn’t going to play for Ellerstina, he was going to join us. Aguerre played for Ellerstina, and Nacho came with us for the Open final. The truth is that the possibility of Nacho joining Ellerstina was huge, and we could understand it perfectly well. He couldn’t let that opportunity go by. If you receive a call from Ellerstina or La Dolfina, it is clearly understandable if you leave, because these are the best two teams.
Other than La Aguada, did any other team make an offer? I’ve had no specific offers. Perhaps, the idea was to continue playing with Polito. We had talked about continuing to play together and deciding who we were going to play with. Last year was the first time I played with him and I felt very comfortable, and besides we were both in the same situation. Because anything you do on your own is very difficult. I’ve been struggling for quite some time now, and so has Polito, what with one thing and another, and trying to win the qualifiers. What was it like adapting to the team and the organisation in general, located in Open Door? It was fantastic! Everything was great! The Novillo Astradas are very modest guys. They are very relaxed. It was wonderful! They treated me as if I were one of them. They made me feel incredibly comfortable… At the press conference carried out to present the team, they mentioned you are very quiet and obedient… (Laughter) Of course! I’m the new guy on the team, and besides I’m the youngest, so I’m going to play lowkey for the time being… But I’ve adapted very well. They’re great! What does this challenge mean to you… playing your first complete Triple Crown Championship for such a renowned team as is the case with La Aguada? It’s really great! It’s a very nice opportunity, and I will take advantage of this as best I can, providing all my horses. I’m very enthusiastic, and have great expectations.
Lobos Lobos is without a doubt El Sapo’s place in the world. The place he always wants to return to. His whole family live in Lobos, and the Caset’s club, Santa María de Lobos, is located there. Although he has already taken part in a couple of Palermo Open Championships, he still has no plans to return. For the time being, the club continues to grow, incorporating new members, horse strings, and improving their playing fields and infrastructure. El Sapo is now playing the El Remanso Cup for another renowned club in the Lobos area, El Remanso that belongs to the Hanbury family. And far from considering them competition, the Casets support Christopher Hanbury’s project taking part in his tournaments, as El Sapo himself says, to get the Lobos area into the scene.
Over and above this opportunity given to you by La Aguada, are you planning to relaunch the idea of having a Santa María de Lobos team to play the Triple Crown Championship someday? No, not really… I’d love to do it sometime, but not just yet. I’m still pretty much on my own. I hope to achieve it someday, with my cousin Costi Caset. I really hope we get a chance to do it sometime and be able to play the Open Championship with Santa María de Lobos. How’s the club doing now? Any projects? The club is doing very well. A lot of polo is being played, our playing fields are improving, more and more
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money is being invested every year, and there are lots of members, lots of people to play. But, oh well, it’s quite difficult, incorporating good players isn’t easy. However, I try to play there to get the club into the move. Toto Collardin, Lucas Labat and Santi Bottaro also play there. We’re gradually getting the club set up.
You’re now playing the El Remanso Cup at the Hanbury’s club in Lobos. What do you think about what they’ve done? I’m delighted. I was one of the first to play there. I was asked to present a team for Santa María and that’s what I did. I’ve always supported the club. It’s a very good thing to get the whole area into the move. Having a tournament of this level is definitely very good, and it continues to improve every year. Cambiaso and Pelón Stirling are playing there now. The quality of teams, players and horses continues to improve. Are you playing the El Remanso Cup for a PoloLine team? How was it made up? Well, I’m a very close friend of Matías Amaya’s and the idea was to make up a team of friends to have fun. So, I got together with Matías, Roberto Zedda and Pascual Massagli, three of my closest friends who play polo. It so happened that our handicap was in-keeping with the tournament, so I suggested we make up a team. They thought it was a fun idea so they accepted delightedly. We’ve been organising the team since I left the clinic, via e-mail and chat… and things are going our way…
The Wedding For a year and a half now, El Sapo has been dating Inés Badiola. She’s a charming young lady from Coronel Suárez. Not only does her place of origin mark the fact that she’s related to polo, but her family also has to do with this sport, as she is the daughter of Juan Badiola, one of the most famous players originally from the capital of polo. El Sapo and Inés met in Palm Beach, and as far as we know, it seems to be that he was very insistent… The fact is that their relationship, sometimes marked by distance due to El Sapo’s trips, shows they get along like a house on fire… So much so, that they’ve already chosen a wedding date in 2013…
Inés, how does el Sapo behave? Inés: (laughter) Well, he behaves very well. Sapo: Too well… (laughter) Inés: I certainly behave well! (more laughter) How long have you been dating? Inés: For a year and a half more or less. We met in Palm Beach. My brother always used to go there so I was able to travel before starting university and I met Sapo a few days before leaving. We started chatting, and when he got back we started dating. Was it all very fast or did either of you have to insist a little? Inés: Well, yes, he insisted a lot… via e-mail and Skype until he convinced me (laughter). And now, el Sapo has no way out, as you’ve already chosen a wedding date, haven’t you? (they both laugh) Inés: Yes, next year, on April 27th in Lobos, out in the countryside. Inés, what’s your life like? Do you live in Buenos Aires? Inés: Yes, I study and live in Buenos Aires. And how do you handle a long-distance relationship? Inés: It’s hard, a little complicated. This is partly the reason why we’re getting married after just having dated for two years. We must take into account the pros and cons. On the one hand, you miss your partner a lot, but on the other hand, it helps you realize what it’s all about… Distance strengthens relationships, or so they say… Sapo: One of two options: the relationship either survives or it breaks up. There’s no happy medium. Inés: The thing is you already know what life is like when you’re dating someone who travels as much as a polo player. The idea is to accompany him and even more so after we get married.
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Fashion Blog
Polo fashion in Europe PQ took the camera to bring the looks of the fascinating polo catwalk, and catch what are the “it” trends of fashion in the many polo destinations in Europe. Mixed looks that get along with everybody’s personality: from classic to sophisticated, to rockers, hippie chic, urban and cowboys; monochromatic, prints and brilliant colors; platforms, stilettos and plain shoes combined with exclusive accessories... Everything to look cool and trendy, to see and be seen at polo in Europe.
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P hotos by A na Clara Cozzi
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Fashion around the field
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P hotos by A na Clara Cozzi
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Fashion around the field
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P hotos by A na Clara Cozzi
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Fashion around the field
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P hotos by A na Clara Cozzi
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Charity Day
Pro Alvear Charity Day By Vega Royo Villanova. Photos by India Lagnton. St Tropez´s Polo Club, besides having extraordinary facilities for Polo players and spectators, has become an image that represents the utmost glamour and elegance of Europe’s high society. Among the many events it hosts throughout the year, I was lucky to attend the Pro Alvear Polo Trophy which took place last July 20th and want to share with you the extraordinary experience I enjoyed. There are several aspects to highlight of this event. Fashion, with capital “F” is the first that meets the eye. The trophy was full of impeccably dressed women from all over the World; clear examples of all the latest trends and, in fact, creators of the trends themselves as they are true trend-setters whose style is later followed by many both inside and out of the fashion industry. In this
Davor Luksic following Jaime Restrepo’s orders
Jaime Restrepo, Marc Noyer Maingard, Olivier Badin and their muses
Two angels, Amanda Sheppard & India Langton
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chapter I will let the images speak for themselves. But the Pro Alvear PoloTrophy is more than just fashion. Hidden behind pretty images, beautiful people, and an incredibly fun event is the real reason why all these outstanding women, great sportsmen, well known businessmen, and opinion leaders landed at the French "Côte d´Azur" last week. The reason is held in its own title: PRO ALVEAR The Saint Tropez Polo Trophy raises funds for "Fundación Pro Alvear"; a non profit organization founded more than eight years ago, which supports the educational, social and economic development of the Argentinean Pampa region. These projects are designed to combat poverty and protect hundreds of children in a beautiful and remote part of the world.
Master of ceremony, Olivier Badin
Fiorina Benveniste Schuler’s table
Parisian Sophie Russell
Raica Oliveira
His president and founder, Argentinian businessman and polo player, Mr. Juan Pepa, is devoted to his Foundation, and organizes every year top events and activities to raise funds in magical and joyful ways: based on sports, friendship, smiles, positive vibes and excellent quality auctions. Pro Alvear Polo Trophy, sponsored by Champagne Mumm, kicked off with a wonderful cocktail followed by the expected polo tournament. We enjoyed the well played games, thrilled at the excitement of the competition, whilst relaxing with old time friends and new acquaintances, sharing summer plans, a cozy and close atmosphere and an impeccable "soireé" full of exciting moments. Following the tournament, an exquisite dinner was served, spiced up by the rock band "Gipsy Queens"
who managed to make us all dance on our chairs. During the dinner, an extremely funny and successful auction took place, chaired by the world famous Sotheby’s Harry Dalmeny. Thanks to his unique British sense of humor and sharp intelligence, I witnessed one of the most incredible auctions of my life. And just when we thought there could be no more unexpected surprises, as we were finishing the exquisite desert, acclaimed Dj Bas from London rocked the party under the stars. The climax came when beauty Argentinian Mercedes Figueras improvised with her Saxo on top of the Dj booth the craziest Jazz, perfectly combined with the techno it accompanied. The result was indeed and by far one of the greatest parties of this summer in Saint Tropez, an award that only Juan Pepa with its Pro Alvear Foundation deserves.
Designer Daniella Helayel from Issa
Lady Godiva Jenna Courtin
Julie Clérambourg & her sister
Violet von Westenholz & Amanda Crossley
Mechi Figueras, Nieves Zuberbuler, Mary Calcaterra & Sophia Blaquier
Princess Beatrice of York and Dave Clark
Alexia Wenk & the carioca presence
Juan Pepa & Julie Clérambourg
Tijana Perovic & Olivia Sterns
Donna Air
Arthur de Soultrait
Sophia Hesketh & friend
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Interview
Brazil is not just about beaches and Samba
add in serious business expertise and talent for polo, specially in these four individuals By Aurora Eastwood. Photos by Ana Clara Cozzi. PQ caught up with Luiz Paulo, of the Bastos family polo dynasty, to talk about their unique all-Brazilian, all–brother polo team, now supported by Julius Baer.
When did you all start playing? We are four brothers. Angelo Antonio, the eldest, started playing polo in 1990, João Gaspar in 1991, myself, Luiz Paulo in 1992 and the youngest, Carlos Francisco (Cachico) in 2000. How old are all the brothers? Angelo Antonio is 36 years old, João Gaspar 35, I am 34 and Cachico is 26. Who is the best? I’ve reached the highest handicap so far, 7 goals. João Gaspar reached 6 goals, but at the moment his handicap is 5. Angelo Antonio is 5 and Cachico, who reached 5, is now 4 goals. Do you all play full time? If not, what are your jobs /careers? None of us play full time. We are all amateur players, and have the sport as a hobby. Angelo Antonio is a farmer, and he is also responsible for our polo breeding operation. Joao Gaspar is an entrepreneur, I work in the financial markets, and Cachico is a publicist. Where do you all live? Angelo Antonio lives in Uruguaiana, in the south of Brazil (on the border with Argentine), I live in city of São Paulo, and Joao Gaspar and Cachico in Indaiatuba, in the countryside of São Paulo. When you play in Argentina, where do you live? Where are the horses kept? We recently bought a piece of land in Pilar, where we are building some stables and a polo field. At the moment, when we go to Argentina, we rent stables and a house. Do
Brazil or do Argentina permanently? When we are not playing, the horses are turned away in a place that we have in Curuzu Cuatiá, Correnties, Argentina. the horses fly back and forth from
they stay in
Where is the breeding programme and who runs it? We have a breeding structure in Uruguaiana, Brazil, and another in Curuzu Cuatia, Argentina. Both are managed by Angelo Antonio. What are your best successes to date? We have won some of the most important tournaments in Brazil, and our biggest achievement was the 2009 Sao Paulo Open, a 26 goal tournament. At the beginning of this year the four of us represented Brazil 74 | PQ
in the International Series Cup, played in Palermo, Buenos Aires. In addition, I have participated in some of the major tournaments around the world, such as the Camara de Diputados in 2007 (Argentina), Copa Belgrano in 2011 (Coronel Suarez, Argentina) and Coronation Cup also in 2011 (Guards, UK).
What is your main ambition as a team? Remain a competitive team, in the major Brazilian tournaments, and eventually also abroad. How did the collaboration with Julius Bär come about? This was Julius Bär´s first experience with polo in Brazil. The conversation started through a personal relationship among some executives of the bank, and members of the team. We truly believe that this partnership brought great exposure to the brand and the team, and we are confident that we started a long lasting relationship, that underscores Julius Baer’s commitment to polo and to Brazil. Maragata Julius Bär Polo Team 1. Angelo Antonio Age: 36 Playing polo since 1990 Job/Career: farmer/breeder
2. João Gaspar Age: 35 Playing polo since 1991 Job/Career: Entrepreneur
3. Luiz Paulo Age: 34 Playing polo since 1992 Job/Career: Financial Market
4. Carlos Francisco Age: 26 Playing polo since 2000 Job/Career: Publicist
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Breeding
The Akhal-Teke By Jessica Eile Keith. Photos by Artur Baboev In 600 BC the Turks beat the Persians in the first recorded, public polo match. The Turks, still some of the best equestrians in Central Asia, rode the ancient Turk horse in polo games. The Turk horse has been given many names over 2,000 years of development. The Chinese called them the Heavenly Horse, the Greeks the Golden Horse, the Russians the Argamak and the Persians the Turkoman horse. Today though the first breed of horse selected by man for speed, stamina and beauty is named the Akhal-Teke after the Turkish tribe that has protected this ancient breed from extinction. The nomadic tribe in Turkmenistan, bordering Iran and the Caspian See, used the harsh KaraKum desert to hide their treasured horses from Russian tsars that wanted to kill the horses of these fierce warriors who used their swift steeds to rob Russian settlements. Later the rule of Soviet Union banned private ownership of horses and sent many purebred Akhal-Tekes to slaughter. Russian scientists eventually managed to get the Soviet regime to understand the value of the breed as the last drops of blood from the most ancient breed 76 | PQ
of Oriental hot bloods. In the beginnnig of the 1900’s a studbook was founded and some studf arms were created to breed this horses with a modern system of selection. In the 1940’s again the breed was under risk , this time of being diluted with English Thoroughbreds and other local breeds, which could have ended thousands of years of existence. The Akhal-Teke tribe of Turkmenistan again rose up to fight for the survival of their beloved horses. A group of men and horses rode 4300 kilometers from Ashgabad, the capital of Turkmenistan to Moscow, it took them 30 days and when they finally arrived in Moscow, they did not know if they would be greeted with flowers or bullets. News about the heroic ride had spread to Moscow though, and crowds were cheering and throwing flowers over the tired group of horses and riders. One of the horses in the group was a white stallion named Kazbek, he was only four years old when he participated in the ride and had already raced as a two-year-old. The stallion was given to a general of the Soviet Army, renamed Arab and later appeared at the big freedom parade at the Red Square and
competed successfully in show jumping winning national championships. At the age of 17 he was sent to a stud farm in Kazakhstan where he sired a black colt named Absent. Absent was trained in dressage in Moscow under Sergey Filatov, winning medals in three Olympic games in the 60’s and was named the best horse of the century by sporting journalists and became a big hero in the Soviet Union. A cream coloured grandson of Absent was given to the state circus to perform in the Soviet Union and later in Europe, the act of these performers called djigitovka, trick riding, impressed the Ringling Brothers so much that they bought the act with horses and riders and shipped them to the USA to perform with their AkhalTekes for many years. The circus horses retired to Florida, like so many circus artists do, and in 2004 the now old grandson of Absent was spotted by a polo trainer who saw many athletic qualities in this horse and bred him to one of his polo mares. In 2005 Moonbeam was born, a buckskin colt who is now training for polo and endurance in Florida. The breeder and owner of Moonbeam finds him very strong and athletic, as well as a hard and fast worker. This very much describes the breed as mounts, they are easy to train and really enjoy the company of their rider and easily build strong bonds with humans.
The typcial Akhal-Teke is elegant with long clean legs, long and high set neck with a fine, noble head with big lively eyes. The height of the horse should come from the length of the legs rather than the depth of the chest. The breed is classified as a light riding horse and is suitable for most sports such as racing, endurance, eventing, dressage, jumper/hunters and maybe even polo, they obviously did good some 2,600 years ago and are still going strong. A hallmark of the breed is the wide range of colors often combined with a metallic sheen of the thin coat. The International Akhal – Teke Horse Association has its headquarters in Ashgabad, Turkmenistan with a local population of 2000 horses that are mainly used for racing and trick riding at the five hippodromes in the country. The association sponsored by the government arranges an annual international conference gathering some hundred experts and owners for three days of meetings and celebration of the breed.
There are according to the last census around 6500 Akhal-Tekes world wide and the numbers are growing as they are spreading over the world and people get to know this breed.
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A rgentine Polo E xperience
Argentine week in Sotogrande By Noel Raffo Antin. Photos by www.imagesofpolo.com INPROTUR hosted a high level event during the Gold Cup at Santa MarĂa Polo Club in Sotogrande on the spectacular spanish Costa del Sol. Throughout the week Argentina was featured by stunning images of polo and different landscapes, together with eight saddles hand painted by eight Argentine artists. Each saddle represented a region of the country. The chosen venue was the VIP lounge of Santa Maria Polo Club were guests were greeted by Argentine hostesses.
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The already classic Argentine week also offers a dinner, a traditional Argentine asado that goes so well with the delicious Argentine wines. Guests also enjoyed a special tango show by the National Tango Academy of Argentina, that included a tango orchestra, dancers and singers who delighted the audience. Mr. Luis Estrada, Director of Santa MarĂa Polo Club, made a warm speech and thanked INPROTUR for their contribution to make the Argentine Night in Sotogrande one of the best events of the season.
HURLINGHAM - ARGENTINA
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WWW.FAGLIANO.COM
A life with Polo
Sarah Boustead looks back on nearly 50 years of her Polo and of polo Clubs around the world Written by Sarah Boustead. Edited by Anne Sim, Nicholas & Jeremy Boustead. 6 th edition. Amongst my earliest childhood memories is that of being taken by my mother to Smith’s Lawn in Windsor Great Park aged around two and a half and being sat on a rug on the edge of the ground close to the game of Polo. The scene was very different in those days (circa 1965). There were comparatively few Clubs in the UK compared with today’s over 70 now ever-growing in numbers. The atmosphere at Guard’s Polo Club, then called the Household Brigade Polo Club, was informal and relaxed. We would go along on Chukka afternoons with a picnic tea and more often than not park alongside Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, struggling into his boots, to be joined shortly by Her Majesty the Queen driving herself and her Corgis in her Rover. There was one occasion I remember well when we were embarrassed by the greedier of our two Black Labradors when she nipped into the Prince’s Land Rover while he was out on the ground and helped herself to his Royal sandwiches. On match days we would watch from one of the two small stands. Outside the simple Clubhouse lunch and tea were laid on small tables covered by starched white linen cloths and attended by formally dressed waitresses. The players' whites were still quite baggy in style and polo hats in the fashion of a pith helmet were still in vogue. My Mother met and fell for my Stepfather on the Polo Ground. He had started playing Polo while serving in the Queen’s Dragoon Guards and remained involved in the sport for the rest of his life. By 1968 he had set up and was running both high and medium goal teams for his Patron, good friend and larger than life extrovert Seton Forbes-Cockell. These teams, Lavender Farm (named after the Forbes-Cockell house) and Lavender Hill were the victors of numerous trophies of the time and during various seasons employed as players the renowned Argentinian professionals Eduardo Moore and Hector Barrantes, (It was playing for Lavender Hill that Barrantes spent his first honeymoon, staying with us in our cottage at Lavender Farm) and the South African players Dougie MacDonald and Terry Craig. Typical Players in these teams at that time were the likes of Sam and Mark Vestey, Beechie Blackett, Harold Bamberg, Eddie Bowlby, David Dollar, Hugh Dawnay all now considered veterans of the sport, but with their 80 | PQ
sons and daughters playing today. The Maharaja of Jaipur, a charming man who often also used to shoot with us in Norfolk, played regularly for Lavender Farm. Jaipur died tragically of a brain haemorrhage while playing for the team in a tournament at Cirencester. This happened following quite a gentle tumble from his pony during Chukkas at Windsor a few days earlier. At Cirencester he collapsed on the ground while changing ponies and died in the back of my Step-father’s Land Rover. After lying in state at King’s Beeches, his home at Ascot, Jaipur’s body was flown back to Jaipur and that morning before leaving for the airport his wife Ayisha went down to the stables to say Good-bye to his string of ponies. She found that everyone of them were lying down. My stepfather organised one of the earliest shipments of Argentinian ponies into this country from Argentina. They came by boat accompanied by a small group of devoted gauchos. Medina, the most senior of these, preferred to sleep curled beneath one of the ponies to ensure no harm befell them. The ponies were crated on deck with one spare box. Each day of the voyage they were walked around in what space there was and moved up one crate each day to ensure them a stretch of legs. With our teams’ own ponies and others kept at livery, my stepfather had in his charge at one time at Lavender farm no less than 72 horses. The Lavender Farm teams had primarily been set up to encourage Forbes–Cockell’s eldest son Iain, then a young lad into the game at Eton. Polo is an addictive sport and years later when Ian came out of the Life Guards he immediately returned to Polo in a professional capacity. Five years after Lavender Farm was set up, Seton Forbes-Cockell died suddenly in Jersey and Lavender Farm was sold and the private Polo Grounds were converted into a golf range. We moved to Wiltshire to Milston, a small hamlet on Salisbury plain, within hacking distance of Tidworth Polo Grounds. At that time my sister Deborah, eighteen months my junior, and I joined the pony club but we had to content ourselves with all its equine activities except Polo. Today of the 345 Pony Club Branches around 30 play Polo. It is an enormous organisation with a total of 316 members playing Pony Club polo, making up teams in 2011. I organised the Mid Devon’s First team, They
Guards Polo Club Royal Box
came first at Vaux park and second at Taunton Vale the next day. The Mid Devon hope to have similar success with there teams playing this year. In the early 1970s the R,A, Pony Club based at Tidworth had not started playing the game, Of course my sister and I regularly rode out and helped look after the various Polo Ponies that for one reason or another passed through our yard at Milston and by 1973 aged 10 and 11 years we were both competent at tacking up, bandaging legs, putting in studs and doing up tails in addition to exercising the ponies. We knew more about the game than the majority of children our age. There were constant related adventures. One of the earliest I remember, was a few weeks spent in the Camargue, trying the Camargue ponies to see if they might work as potential ponies for the young to learn upon. This was on behalf of Harry Horswell, father of John Horswell. We brought ponies over from Paris for the somewhat notorious international backgammon player Takki when he decided he wanted to play Polo in this country. We kept them at home and got Takki a playing membership to Cirencester Polo Club, plus where he flew himself onto the ground at weekends to play. My stepfather also travelled around Australia trying and gathering up horses. He brought back the first ever load of some thirty Australian ponies. These flew back out of the searing Australian summer heat, into a British winter with snow on the ground. The plan was to auction the majority of them
in the early spring. The venue had already been fixed at Wilton House, near Salisbury in Wilthsire and my longsuffering mother, had been left to arrange stabling, organise tack, feed supplies, hay and straw, and to prepare to put up a couple of Australian grooms and the Aussie vet he was bringing with the ponies. She managed to rent the stables at Salisbury race Course, to hire additional help and to take on a full-time cook at the Race Course. The ponies had never seen snow before and approached it with suspicion. The extreme cold meant that they would grow coats and my mother had to rush about just before their arrival to get infrared heaters installed in the boxes and buy in extra rugs. The auction was held in the indoor school at Wilton house, which we had re-decorated beforehand. There was considerable press and television coverage beforehand. One morning Lord Pembroke woke to find one of the Australians stick and balling for the cameras, outside his bedroom window on immaculate and ancient Wilton House lawns. The auction was quite an event and everyone in the country involved in Polo attended. The Queen sent along a representative and of all of my Stepfather’s favourites, a little mare with magnificent conformation was bought by Prince Charles who called her Futura. After he had played for a couple of seasons he gave her to Cambridge University where she remained as their favourite for many years. There were certain players we didn’t want the ponies to go to and ended up buying back in eight which we took home to Milston. PQ | 81
All that time, there was a shortage of both ponies and players at Tidworth and it proved a blessing for the Club that we had eight good ponies that my stepfather was happy to lend to any keen young Officer who otherwise would not have played (such as Giles Ormerod). He also encouraged a number of others (like Brigadier Arthur Douglas Newgent, who went on to manage Cowdray Park) who had given up playing, and started again at Tidworth using our ponies. At this time, this was contributory to the Club’s survival.
were playing against White Birch a team equivalent to Black Bears team now.
In the early 1970s my youngest sister and brother Jemima and Algy were born. Polo was in their blood and by the time they were eight and nine respectively the Royal Artillery Pony Club based at Tidworth started Pony Club Polo under Brigadier John Wright. Naturally they were in the first team.
From Florida I drove across the USA to California where I watched a celebrity match in Burbank. I watched Stephanie Powers playing in a team against Rambo (Silvester Stallone) amongst other celebrities. And I met two dizzy blonde twins who were both going out with Rambo while pretending to be the same person! It was a great laugh when they used to come back to my swimming pool apartment in the garden of the family to whom I was nanny to, they would tell me about their escapades and compare notes with each other, while we all sat in the Jacuzzi drinking bubbly.
At that early age while playing in the Handley Cross Division, children are not permitted to ride Polo ponies. Their first mounts are “Fluffies”. Jemima and Algy progressed through pony club and they both still play today. There had always been a constant stream of polo players and their ponies staying with us at Milston. Many of our guests came from abroad like Johnny Campbell from Zimbabwe and this gave me a growing desire to travel. In 1983 I cut loose the family apron strings and set off for New York and what unintentionally turned out to be ten years of travelling around the world following the polo, funding it by nannying for polo families and helping with the exercising. We would ride one and lead two on either side; it was great fun. My sister and I started exercising five horses regularly soon after we were double figures as there were no horse walkers. After several months in New York, I travelled South for the good weather, to Palm Beach to stay with a girl friend and her parents. Soon after my arrival her grandfather, a senator, died and the whole family had to return unexpectedly to Washington. Because of this, they closed down their house in Florida, but lent me indefinitedly their penthouse guest apartment. Before leaving Florida, they took me to the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club. I was fascinated to find, it was totally polo orientated. The Club had apartments overlooking the polo ground and everything about them, the wallpaper, china and glass, beer mats, table mats, shower curtains were all ‘polo’. To my delight you could even watch Polo while in the swimming pool or the Jacuzzi. Not wanting to outstay my friend’s generosity with their penthouse I moved into one of these apartments. It was a Sunday and my 23rd birthday. I was watching Polo and found myself sitting next to Donald Trump and his wife. They introduced themselves. Howard and Julian Hipwood, England’s highest rated players, were over from the UK, playing in the match which was sponsored by Hilditch and Key (shirtmakers). They 82 | PQ
There was an occasion, at the Palm Beach Polo Club, when I had put some of my photographs from England down on the lunch table. Someone picked up one of my Jack Russell photos at home and she exclaimed “That’s a Polo Dog!” In Florida, Terriers are considered Polo Dogs. I brought out an English tube of Polo Mints which they thought immensely funny – ‘Polo Candy!’
On reflection it seems to me that in 1983/84 Polo in the USA, while perhaps more glitzy, was little further developed in popularity and playing numbers than in the UK. When I moved up to Santa Barbara, I found the Polo Club there was very formal and its members a lot more conservative similar to an English Club today. This is very likely to be because it is amongst California’s earliest founded Clubs. The Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club was established in 1911 and is the oldest Club still running today. If my memory serves me right, I think Margery and Jack Williams ran the Club at that stage. I spent six weeks in Hawaii, where the Polo Club is strikingly dramatic with volcanic mountains on one side, dropping away to Jungle on the other. The grounds overlook the beach and around the Clubhouse are fields of sugar cane, pineapples and palms. Nearby was the film set for the popular 1980s series Magnum, starring Tom Sellick. Much later I had a nannying job with Tom Sellick’s Agent in Hollywood. From America I went on to New Zealand for six weeks but sadly found I had missed the end of the polo season; so I travelled around the whole island up one side and down the other. So I flew to Australia. In Australia good fortune was with me. During my first few days there, I was standing in-line in a bank waiting to open an account, when a girl tapped me on the shoulder, Bare-armed, I was wearing a Polo-stick bracelet and a stranger glancing at it asked me, “Are you involved in Polo?”. She turned out to be Caroline Austin, sister of a well-known player, and immediately she invited me to the Polo the following weekend, to watch her brother playing for a team, ‘Carangula’ with Joe Curran. This was a wonderful opening, to Australian Polo and led to many more introductions throughout the country. I soon found a job as an English Nanny with white Court Shoes and Pearls and a blue
Cirencester Park Polo Club
dress with white piping all around it. I had bought it in a Car Boot sale! The family lived next to Alex and Jane Makeham, Jane being Sarah Ferguson’s sister whom I knew from Windsor Great Park, where her father(Ronald) and my stepfather were polo managers at windsor great park in the 60's -we had a really fun time up there with our nanny either going in a helicopter or in an old Rolls-Royce belonging to the owner Seaton Forbes Cockell. My stepfather reached a handicap of four and my brother reached a handicap of three having started at the age of 8 in the first pony club polo team for Royal Artillery at Tidworth. I found there were considerably more Polo clubs in Australia than in the USA in the early 1980s. Perhaps this was due to Australia’s great love of horses and racing. I visited the Windsor Club near Sydney – a mere field with a wooden hut, the only shade from the sun and a stark contrast to our own Smith’s Lawn at Windsor – and then Shoal Haven Lauren, a club almost on the beach, a most marvellous place. I had one particularly memorable adventure, when I spent a long week at Kerry Packer’s Ellerston Club. I had been riding out 5 horses together - two on either side of my horse – in the early mornings with Jamie Ashton and towards the end of the week, had been invited to lunch at Kerry Packer’s house. It had been raining solidly all week and after lunch, I had to drive downhill from the house and cross a river by way of a ford. I noticed the level of the river had risen dramatically, so I took a run at it, thinking the momentum of my hired car would get me across. Instead a wave of water hit the side of the car and swept me downstream. While the car was rapidly filling with water, I climbed on to the roof and rocked the sinking vehicle over to one side, managing to lodge it into a fallen tree. Fortunately the car was towed back to Sydney at
the insurer’s expense, whilst I had the excuse 'the car had gone back' to stay on and watch more Polo. The Ellerston Club resembled a village. The food was as good as any five star restaurant, while the whole place was in fact a self-contained community sporting its own cinema, night club laundrette etc. Situated above Sydney near Scone, the Polo ground was cut from a portion of the mountain. In contrast to most other Australian Clubs at that time, Werribie Park near Melbourne had its own mansion. I managed for several years to be there for their annually held Spring Festival, during which racing alternates with polo over a two week period, the highlight of which is the famous Melbourne Cup. All of Melbourne is given the day off work to attend this famous race, by shere luck, on my first visit I was there with the owners of the winning horse, so I got to drink Champagne out of the actual Melbourne Cup. This event has therefore always become a very special two weeks of constant parties! I remember my stepfather talking about the Australians’ enthusiasm for overseas visitors to their race meetings, announcing his presence when he was there, over the loudspeakers. I was greeted with similar keenness and made to pose for cameras beside the 40 year old Rolls Royce in which my hosts and I had arrived. For four years running, I made certain to be in Melbourne for this great racing and polo festival. In Perth one of the Polo Clubs was called Guildford and there, one day, I found myself in the Bar talking to Alan Bond - he was just very casual in shorts and a T-Shirt – before his Court appearances in 1991. In 1992 I came home to the UK and found myself automatically doing the Teas at Tidworth Polo Club. I found it had changed from an Army-orientated, but PQ | 83
cosy family Club, where wives of playing husbands baked cakes and made scones to lay out on a simple trestle table for players and supporters. Now it had sponsorship and was run on a commercial basis with salaried staff and a few volunteers, like me working very hard for expenses only. Typical Sponsors involved were Laurent-Perrier, I was asked to produce a suitable champagne lunch for over 40 people one match. I was approaching my thirtieth birthday and the formality of the club now, ten years on, was a marked change to what I had been used to, so I decided to move on. After the return from my travels I settled down, to start working in London from where I escaped as often as possible to watch Polo at Ham, the newly formed Royal Berkshire Polo Club, and others around the country. After breaking my ankle rather badly in Tramps (a nightclub behind the Ritz) I decided I needed fresh air and open spaces and moved to Gloucestershire where I immediately became a non-playing member of the Cirencester Park Polo Club. Having noticed what seemed to be an acute shortage of Polo equipment suppliers on the grounds at Cirencester, together with a partner I set up a small business called Chukkas of Cirencester, supplying polo kit which we took to and set up on the ground at appropriate games. Then in 1994 I designed and manufactured a limited edition of Centenary Plates and Mugs to celebrate one hundred years of Polo at Cirencester Park. I have No.1 of this limited edition and the Club Committee bought No.s 2, 3 and 4 which they presented respectively to Prince Charles and two foreign Princes all of whom were playing in their Centenary match. The prizes for this match were silver Polo Sticks, but for the secondary match of the day, I presented the players with the limited edition purple and white tankards. That night followed a grand Centenary Ball and it happened that I was the only person, not on the Club Committee. who had been able to book a table and take a party of 10. For this reason Lady Bathurst, curious about my involvement, asked to meet me. To my surprise this was followed by another surprise meeting with Prince Charles’ Press officer John Lloyd, who produced The Pimm’s Book of Polo. Having told me that he had seen me at every Polo Match that he had attended. He had therefore assumed I was someone very important to the game; I told him that I had grown up with Polo all my life. Due to the rapid expansion in popularity and interest in the game of Polo, other suppliers were appearing on the grounds, up and down the country. My partner in Chukka’s foolishly turned down the offer of a shop at Inglesham Polo Club, which started at that time, run by 84 | PQ
the Williams family (5 generations of Polo Players). At that point I decided to sell out my interest in the business. Meanwhile Jemima had left school and gone on to the Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester on the horse course, and Algy was at University and playing Polo for Bristol. The family had moved to Dorset and my stepfather had a new project in place in partnership with a Swiss banker and property developer to import good young ponies from Argentina and set up a team to be known as Punta del Este in the UK to promote the Swiss property interests in South America. He no longer rode himself and took my brother to South America to try ponies. They flew back their chosen 24 horses the majority of them were from El Pucará the home of Susan Barrantes, direct descendants of Hector Barrantes breeding stock. In 1997 I got married, on the day of princess Diana's funeral; and that year and the next, 1998, for two summers I rushed around the countryside most weekends to watch 'Punta del Este' play with Jemima and Algy making up half the team. Their home Club was Ansty, situated just off the A30 on the DorsetWiltshire Border. Some excellent Polo was played there and it attracted good players and a surprising number of spectators. This popular club owned by the McCarthy family, and run by Ollie Hughes, was set against a spectacular ridge of hills which stretch like a backbone from Salisbury to Shaftesbury. Sadly Ansty closed but the nearby Orchard Polo Club at East Orchard was set up with Jemima’s help and ponies which ran for nearly a decade before closing. Jemima has now set up a very successful Club at Lytchett Heath with marvellous views of Sandbanks near Poole. Her website is: www.lytchettpolo.co.uk/ ; do go along and join in the fun, you will get a very warm welcome, from my Sister and Brother in law who run a wonderful polo club with great views from the polo ground of Poole beach. What could be more fun, polo and swimming in the sea on the same day. The Swiss sponsor of the Punta del Este team was forced to withdraw his support and Jemima set up and ran an agency, hiring ponies to players proving very successful and much in demand. The team still play as Punta del Este. One of their great adventures in which they took part in for several years, is the week long Polo Festival held annually in September, right at the end of the English Polo season, at Inch on the Dingle Peninsula in Ireland. The Tournament is run by Mark Selway. Teams come from all over the world and the matches are played on the Beach, Inch strand being several miles long. With waves forming the far boundary, and the goal posts moveable when the sand gets too churned up (the tide ‘treads in’ overnight), and the mountains sweeping down to the shore, it is very special and a holiday for everyone, not least the ponies.
Cowdray Park Polo Club (www.imagesofpolo.com)
Nearly 50 years on from my first introduction to the world of Polo my son Jeremy plays. Each summer the Pony Club Tournament is spread over weeks; played at host clubs across the Country, starting with Vaux Park and Taunton then Frampton, Ranksboro, Rugby, Knepp Castle, Kirtlington, Haggis Farm, Longdole Tidworth and the event culminates at Cowdray Park for the Finals played over three days. Last year 316 young players camped there with their ponies, (with a considerable number of enthusiasts and parents) and play for the much coveted cups and trophies. This great event ends with a match of extraordinary skill and ability played by winning teams of young players, who have gone into the top league of pony club polo. This has proved to be the breeding ground of many of our top players today. My brother and sister Algy and Jemima Sim won the finals at least once in 1988 with Jamie Le-Hardy for Tidworth. Jeremy has now been playing for 5 years. He was in the first Summer Fields team and scored the first goal for his team. He probably had the most experience at hitting the ball in the team due to practising with a mini Polo stick for several years before starting to play. His very first visit to a Polo Ground was on 15th May 1999 at the Beaufort Polo Club aged 4 days old for the start of Season Drinks party – I had invited a group of about 15 people down from London to join us. He was not due for at least another week. What accelerated his birth date was an excellent 30 th Birthday Party at Monty’s in Sloane Street. I was determined to drive up from Cirencester to my close girlfriend’s party as I thought it would be the last London Party for quite a while; but of course it was not. A long string of parties ensued that Summer to which Jeremy was invited to all. As he grew strong enough to stand or run around he always had a Polo stick and ball to keep him entertained. His first five terms of Polo were at Kirtlington (Oxford) starting in 2007 and at this stage he did not
have his own Pony as we were rushing backwards and forwards from Devon to Cheltenham and Oxford. He always had lessons regularly since age 5 and rode out on his Aunt Jemima’s Polo Ponies whenever he was given the opportunity. My sister Jemima Brockett (nee Sim) is running a very successful Polo Farm in Dorset near Poole where she supplies a lot of the ponies for the Sandbanks Tournament in July. As soon as he got his first white Connemara pony there was no looking back with his riding coming on in leaps and bounds. Being his first pony he has learnt a great deal from her. In the winter she is to be found thundering around Dartmoor and has now had several visits to Vaux Park Polo Club, a most wonderful Polo Club in Somerset. We originally had 12 kiddies from Devon out of which we took 4 players up to Vaux Park two girls, Lauren Northway and Jasmine Pidgeon, and two boys, Thomas Bayley with Jeremy Boustead. Last summer 2011 we entered our first Mid Devon Pony Club Polo team for the Pony Club Polo Tournament at Vaux Park. We got three other players from other clubs who did not have their own team as some MidDevoners were not ready to play in a tournament. We won the tournament and went on to play the next day at Taunton Vale Polo Club where the team came second. This was the first time that Mid-Devon had entered a Pony Club polo team and it was wonderful they won it. Sadly it was the first time my Mother was not doing the time keeping for the Pony Club Tournament, since it would have been lovely for her to see her grandson win it. Jeremy has now played at Kirtlington a lot but also Longdole, Papplewick, Vaux Park, West Somerset, Lytchett Heath and Taunton Vale. Lytchett Heath Club is wonderful as you can see the Sea from the Polo Grounds and a wonderful warm atmosphere as well. Do contact my Sister in Dorset if that would suit you or I can put you in touch with someone in your area. We would love to see you either to watch or come and learn or give it a try. PQ | 85
L ive Streaming
PoloLine leads the way By Ron Allen. Photos by Ana Clara Cozzi. When it comes to world wide coverage of the sport of polo there has been one web site that has been a front runner in leading the way since 2001. It’s Pololine (www.pololine.com). Launched by a small group of Argentine businessmen who made a commitment to cover the game better than anyone else. In the beginning the goal was to put the game on everyone’s computer. Using the best resources available at the time it was mostly stories and photographs from key tournaments from around the world. Plus an occasional music video coupled the game highlights to give their customers a better game experience. When Pololine’s fan base increased it accelerated at the speed of data shooting through a fiber optic cable. Video Streaming suddenly became the new platform to allow polo players and their fans alike to follow their favorite teams “live” from any polo club in the world. “We wanted to be in the forefront with all of the new technology”, said Pololine Director Javier Herrera. “I’m very proud of the world wide team we have put together to make this such a big success”, he added. Today, Pololine is everywhere including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube Vimeo and mobile apps as it has become the social network standard for polo. But the future may soon belong to its new rising star Pololine TV (www.pololine.tv). An Internet
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streaming project that has gradually grown and improved by leaps and bounds in recent years. Looking back on the year 2012 one could be astounded by the commitment and effort that has been made for streaming polo to a growing world wide audience whether its on line, iPhone or iPad with dozens of hours and data space dedicated to the game of polo by Pololine.TV. The year started off last January at Americas premier polo club, International Polo Club of Palm Beach. Pololine TV was streaming live games every Sunday for the entire fourmonth season. Pololine also worked with the United States Polo Association in conjunction with Prime Time Polo to live stream the finals of the clubs three biggest tournaments. The C.V. Whitney Cup, USPA Gold Cup and the US Open were all carried on the associations new web site www.polotv.us. A record 26,000 people clicked in to see the U.S. Open from around the globe. The American season took on extra-added excitement as Valiente entered two teams in the 26 goal tournaments and on two occasions saw the father-son squads of Robert and Bob Jornayvaz go head to head in the finals. In March viewers saw the finals of the Dubai Gold Cup when Habtoor took home the title. During the spring and summer it was
off the Europe to follow the Queens Cup, which was won by Adolfo Cambiaso and his Dubai team and the Gold Cup for the British Open taken by Cortium on an incredible performance by Polito Pieres. The St. Regis International Cup between England Polo Team and Marc Ganzi’s USA team was also covered live on Pololine TV. To round out the summer season it was the Open de France at the Chantilly Polo Club. Then it was back home to Argentina for the finals of the Abierto de Jockey Club, which was won by La Aguada Las Monjitas. Some of the best games of the year… all live on Pololine TV. Looking ahead to 2013 plans are well underway for expansion and continued growth of the polo streaming project with plans to acquire the best producers, commentators and camera crews to help continue to provide polo’s best coverage through the use of the high speed Internet with Pololine TV. “Sponsor participation will be critical for us”, contends Sebastian Amaya, PoloLine Director. He’s in charge of the bottom line for Pololine. “The polo associations in England, the United States, and Argentina understand the impact that the Internet is having on the sport and their continued support is what will allow the game to grow at an even faster rate.”
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Equipment Features
Latest Kit By Aurora Eastwood. A selection of the latest products on offer to aid performance and comfort in polo ponies.
Back on Track magnetic rug – Magnets improve circulation and aid healing. Ideal for cold backs or bruising. Price: £185
Veredus Magnetik 4 hour boots – as the name suggests, leave on for 4 hours only as they contain over 40 magnets to boost circulation in the lower limb. Price: £172.95
Equomed Lumark Cold Compression Ice Boots – these are pumped up after the ice inserts are in position to offer relief from swelling and pain. Price: £169.95
Does your saddle slip? It won’t if you use the Acavallo sticky gel pad. Price: £39.95
…and if you’d rather leave something on over night, the Magnet X-Boot wraps will do the job. Price: £54.95
Girths have come rather a long way since the cotton string of yesteryear; the Fairfax Performance Girth has been scientifically proven to improve stride length, increase range of movement and reduce pressure. The girth is so effective that its development was kept secret until after the Olympics in order to give the British team an advantage. Well, they did win Gold… www.fairfaxsaddles.com Price: £240
All available from Horse Health Wessex apart from the fairfax Girth www.horsehealth.co.uk
You owe it to your polo pony to buy one of these! 88 | PQ
Coaching
The emergence of coaching techniques in Polo By Aurora Eastwood. Coaching in professional sport in nothing new. Football, Rugby, Cycling, Eventing – all these sports and most others use professional coaches. Indeed, Eventers will have two or three – one for Dressage, one for Showjumping and possibly a third for Cross Country technique. Even amateur riders make use of the resources available to them, the vast majority with regular lessons and training. For many years, polo languished behind other professional sports in one key area: No coaches. Teams played under the direction of (usually) the highest handicapped player on the side. Whilst this makes sense in some respects, its hard to see, when playing, the bigger picture. Another pair of eye on the side of the field sees everything all the time, and is ideally placed to offer guidance and reprimands… Even on an individual level, it is only very recently that players have begun to take their own development more seriously. Most now at the very least go to the gym, and more and more have personal trainers who tailor programmes especially for them. It is still startling to see novice players have a few lessons, perhaps get to -1, and then never have another lesson. People quickly think they know it all – the truth is no one ever knows it all – even 10 goal players are constantly honing and refining their technique and tactics.
The biggest surge of coaching has undoubtedly been in high goal polo. In 2012 there was unlikely to have been a single team who did not have a coach - and not just any old player – always high successful players, usually (but not always) having taken a step back from professional polo.
A selection is listed below: AFG Aravali – Howard Hipwood El Remanso – Eduardo Heguy Sumaya - Carlos Gracida Cortium - John Horswell Ellerston-Ayala - Hector Guerrero Zacara - Andrew Hine
In some instances, coaching transcends into other areas. Milo Fernandez Araujo will be taking over the reins at Sumaya in 2013, as a kind of uber manager and coach. How many teams have ex ten goalers managing them? Precious few. For the 2013 season I cant imagine any teams will not have coaches. This, plus the fact that the weather can only possibly be kinder than this year, should make for an exciting season.
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Equestrianism
Olympic Roundup By Leah Ludlow. Photo by Bob Martin. The stadium is empty, the bunting is down, and after the months of excruciating build-up, the Olympics is over. Team GB did phenomenally well across the board, but most importantly, we have cemented our place as a country to be taken seriously for our equestrian talent. With an unprecedented haul of medals between all three of the equestrian disciplines, Team GB showed the world we are a force to be reckoned with on horseback. Our Olympic success began with a Silver medal in the eventing, coming just behind Germay who took the Gold, and beating New Zealand who took home the bronze. Our team consisted of familiar faces from the eventing world in the form of William Fox-Pitt, Zara Phillips, Mary King, Tina Cook and Nicola Wilson. The dressage section was tainted by bad weather, including rain and lightening, but Team GB showed they were in with a chance of being in the medals after finishing in third place even before the cross country and showjumping. As Double Olympic bronze medallist Tina Cook quipped: "At the Olympic Games, you hope you are not going to have rain, thunder and lightning thrown at you, but I did and I had to deal with it", showing the true British stiff-upper-lip approach to sport. Out of the 27 first competitors in the cross country, seven had falls or slipped and were eliminated, demonstrating the difficulty of the course and making Britain’s rounds extremely tense. Zara Phillips finished clear within the time, punching the air as she crossed the finish line. She said upon finishing: "I am so happy. He is such a dude. "He lost a front shoe, so he really stepped up. He was awesome - the course was very suitable for him." Her horse High Kingdom clipped a fence in the showjumping however, meaning Team GB just missed out on the Gold behind Germany, and ending in a tense, nail-biting finale against New Zealand. Tina Cook’s clear round with just one time fault, and Mary King’s William Fox-Pitt’s double clear on Imperial Cavalier and Lionheart respectively ensured Team GB edged just ahead in style. Most of the focus in the eventing was on the familiar and well-loved face of Zara Phillips, who was supported by her family including Princess Anne, and Princes William and Harry. The unprecedented success of our performance in dressage has also made the world take notice of our remarkable talent in this sphere. Having accepted for many years that Germany were unbeatable, our team, made up of a mix of riders from varying walks of life, have finally broken the pattern. Carl Hester, Laura Bechtolsheimer and Charlotte Dujardin have created a whole new dressage fan base. Laura is familiar to those involved in polo, as the fiance of Mark Tomlinson, but as part of the GB dressage team shone in her own equestrian discipline. Despite dressage legend Carl Hester being part of our exceptional team, it was his 90 | PQ
employee, pupil, and previously work experience girl, Charlotte Dujardin who stole the show after just five years of dressage lessons with him. Hester was first for the team dressage, followed by Laura and then Charlotte, claiming a team gold medal before the individual dressage started. These two immensely talented women, both 27, also claimed Britain’s first gold medals in the individual freestyle event. Charlotte later commented of her horse Valegro "I love doing freestyle and I had great fun. Valegro felt tired but he went out there and gave it his all, he didn't let me down”. Laura achieved a score of 84.39, enough to secure her a bronze in the event, and Carl’s final score was 82.857 for a fifth. The atmosphere was tense as Charlotte, the last rider to enter the arena, took on the monumental challenge of beating a score of 88.196 by Dutch rider Adelinde Cornelissen. In a dramatic finale in her home country though, Charlotte managed to post an incredible score of 90.089, sweeping her into first place, and giving Team GB a second gold in the dressage. Valegro and Hester’s Uthopia are due to be sold by their owners, with a rumoured combined value of around £20 million. Despite her German roots, Laura summed up a typically British view of horses when she said: "At the end of the day, it's not a bike, it's not a tennis racquet, it's a living animal that you've worked tremendously hard to have a partnership with." The finale of Team GB’s glittering run of equestrian medals ended with the team showjumping. Winning our first gold for the country in jumping for 60 years, in a jump off against the Netherlands. Three of our riders,
Nick Skelton, Ben Maher and Peter Charles went clear, but with a heart-stopping moment when Charles’ horse clipped the penultimate fence. The fourth member of Team GB, Scott Brash, had one fence down, as did Dutch rider Marc Houtzager, meaning the teams had a parallel performance right to the end. Nick Skelton, participating in his sixth Olympic Games, commented: "I've waited 54 years for this so you can certainly say it was a long time coming. I've been to a lot of Games and made a lot of mistakes but I've finally got there. It can't get any better than this.” The crowd was 23,000 strong to watch the showjumping action, and witness final rider Charles punch the air as the realisation materialised that victory was Great Britain’s. Nick
Skelton narrowly missed out on individual gold behind Switzerland, the Netherlands, Ireland and Saudi Arabia. Skelton tied fifth, and Ben Maher joint ninth. Peter Charles came joint 65th, but Skelton was surprisingly philosophical about the individual competition: It’s a heart-breaking sport,’ he said. ‘People can see this is a brutal sport. You hit one and you’re gone. But I know what it is like. There are ups and downs. I could win in Dublin next week. We could do this again tomorrow and I could win. But that is how it is. It has happened before; it happened again. That’s our game. What can you do? You can’t go back and do it again.” And I’m sure that is a sentiment everyone who plays polo can also identify with. Greenwich Park Eventing Invitational
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Summer Season
Arena Fashion By Leah Ludlow. In terms of fashion and style in polo, most of the attention is on summer wardrobes. Sunglasses, heels and fabulous dresses are synonymous with the glamour of polo, but the arena season provides an opportunity for glitz and luxury too. What sums up fabulous sartorial style more than layers of cosy cashmere, woollen knits and furry accessories? Translating the look of après ski chic from the lodge to the arena is easy with a few key pieces that mix the pretty with the practical. The first rule of winter dressing is layering. Lots of thin layers are more effective at keeping one warm than a couple of chunky ones, and make it easier to regulate temperature as you can make incremental changes to your ensemble. Start with a cashmere vest or long sleeved vest as a base layer. Next should come a long-sleeved medium knit jumper. Miu Miu stock a cashmere and silk mix sweater that is perfect. If the weather gets really cold, a heavy knit sweater should also be worn. Burberry and Acne have a good selection of cotton or wool blend sweaters that are warm and stylish. Jeans are a staple all year round, and should be a mainstay of winter dressing. In the winter however, it is a good idea to wear a pair of woollen tights underneath them, such as ones by Wolford. Over the jeans should come a thick pair of socks, like Hunter’s cable-knit fleece socks. Falke also do fantastic knitted socks that go well under boots. The most important part of winter dressing however, is undoubtedly footwear. Winter means rain and mud, but
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practicality must not forsake style. Hunter wellingtons are a tried and tested, well loved part of many people’s wardrobes. Luckily, their designs are moving with the times, and they now have a wide range of more adventurous colours and shapes, so there will undoubtedly be one to suit everyone. If wellingtons aren’t stylish enough for you, a good leather flat boot is perfect, but it must be well made and of good quality. Despite what fashion magazines may say, there is no place for heels in winter, and especially not around an arena! A good coat is paramount, and my personal choice is Barbour. They have a huge range of styles, weights and finishes, effectively keeping one both warm and dry, and will prove to be a great timeless investment piece. Choose a classic shape and you can keep wearing it winter after winter. Finally, the final way to add glamour to a winter outfit is the accessories. If the basics of an outfit are plain, accessories will make it individual. The best finishes to go for are furry ones, but don’t go OTT with them. A furry headband and some furry-trimmed gloves are perfect, as is the combination of earmuffs and a big, luxurious scarf. Don’t be tempted to pile every accessory on at once! Sunglasses are also good for avoiding the glare of the sun, and oversized ones never go out of fashion.
Falcon Coat
Bowfell Down Parka
A Slim fit wool coat with detailing from our iconic International jacket. The addition of a real leather belt adds to the authentic Military influences. Available in Black and Olive Sizes: 8 – 18 Price: £ 329.00
Fully functional winter parka, trimmed in our traditional cord, designed for thermal protection against foul weather. Available in Black and Dark Olive Sizes: 8 – 18 Price: £ 249.00
Paul Smith International A playful take on one of Barbour's most iconic jackets. The ladies International jacket, belted and multi-pocketed, comes with a colourful lining combining a design of Paul Smith and Barbour scarves in red, blue and black polka dots, tartan and floral prints. Available In Black Price: £290.00
Anglesey Jacket A new effortless style inspired by Barbour classic country heritage Available in Olive and Grape Sizes: 8 – 18 Price: £199.00
Winter Force Parka Traditional Barbour wax in a field jacket with a thermal fleece lining for colder climates. Scooped fishtail hem and adjustable hood and waist to accommodate winter layers. Available in Dark Charcoal, Olive and Rustic Sizes: 8 – 20 Price: £ 279.00
Morris Quilt Jacket Winter weight tailored Liddesdale shape jacket with William Morris print lining. Available in Brown and Olive Sizes: 8 – 18 Price: £ 129.00
Balmoral Equestrian Neoprene A breakthrough equestrian boot, this is a Hunter and market first! Constructed from a new rubber compound developed by Hunter, it boasts unique protection from acids and alkalis found in animal waste that can ruin other footwear. This waterproof boot has a rubber foot and neoprene leg which offers both protection and warmth. It offers excellent foot support, ankle flexibility, and has a kick-spur for easy removal. A riding sole featuring a metal shank gives stability, and there is extra reinforcement to the inside leg to protect the wearer from the saddle. The leg is elasticated at the opening and two durable reflectors on the back of the leg increase visibility. A technical lining and neoprene leg offer air circulation and insulation. Price: £ 99.00 www.hunter-boot.com
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PQ Lifestyle
Lifestyle
This month's lifestyle has a very eclectic selection of products and gift ideas - from Eco friendly clothing to high end luxury. If you like all things with engines, have a look at the road test of Maseratis latest offering, and for those who enjoy speed over water as well as speed over land, we have the timeless elegance of Riva yachts.
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Gifts
Christmas gifts By Sally-Anne Stevens.
Phil Smith The Perfect Party Hair Kits Make the most of your hair and be a knockout during the party season with the new Blonde Bombshell & WOW Brunette Christmas colour kits from Phil Smith Be Gorgeous. Price: £5 Stocklist: Sainsburys
Ciate Mini Mani Month
Penhaligon’s Miniature Fragrance Collections
Peoneve Eau de Parfum
These classic gifts contain five miniature bottles of scent suitable for favoured ladies and gents. • The Ladies Collection contains; Artemisia, Gardenia, Malabah, Lily of the Valley and Ellenisia The Gentlemen’s Collection contains: Quercus, Blenheim Bouquet, Endymion, Sartorial and Opus 1870 RRP. Price: 5 x 5ml for £35 Stocklist: www.penhaligons.com and Penhaligon´s boutiques.
Peoneve, the latest creation from English fragrance house Penhaligon’s, is an exquisite portrayal of an English garden in summer, bursting with lush green foliage and heady with the scent of blossoming flowers. At the garden’s heart grows the radiant Peony flower; beloved by master perfumer Olivier Cresp for its abundant petals and velvety scent. Price: Eau de Parfum 50ml £85, 100ml £120. Stocklist:Penhaligon’s boutiques, concessions and www.penhaligons.com PQ | 95
Lifestyle
This Christmas every girl’s dream can come true with the Ciaté Festive Mini Mani Month. It works just like a traditional advent calendar, (without piling on the pounds) behind each festive window hides a surprise Ciaté Mini Paint Pot or Caviar blend - the perfect gift for nail and beauty obsessives! Beautifully packaged with; seventeen of the bestselling Ciaté Mini Paint Pots, four mini Caviar blends, and three brand new exclusive Paint Pot shades unique to this gift set. The Ciaté Mini Mani Month is the ultimate beauty Christmas countdown, offering a daily dose of nail treats and shades for an entire 24 days! Price: £38 Stocklist: www.selfridges.com
C osmetics
Dark & stormy
Winter is setting in with the skies and seas filled with beautiful, moody, changeable colours, as are the cosmetic counters. Take a look at my favourites.
By Karen Davis.
Lifestyle
ESTEE LAUDER PURE COLOUR PALETTE IN VIOLET UNDERGROUND A heady mix of deep violet, crimson and fuchsia grounded with a sensual pale pink and a powerful matte black shade makes this palette one of the season’s most on trend. The formula allows for complete two finish options: apply wet for a vibrantchrome charged flash of colour or dry for a subtle shine finish. Price: £40.00 Stocklist: 0870 034 2566
CHANEL LES 4 OMBRES IN PREMIER REGARD The PREMIER REGARD palette exemplifies dark and stormy: intense Chanel black, beige, tender pink and slightly scintillating taupe grey offering the contrasts of the season all in one beautiful palette. Price: £37.00 Stockist: 020 7493 3836
TOM FORD NOIR ABSOLUTE This dramatic black gel formula sweeps over the entire lid for a smouldering eye or can be used fluidly and boldly to line the lid. Enriched with blackened pigment, infused with a spark of blue optics the colour catches the light and brightens the eyes for an unusual dimensional effect. Price: £25.00 Stockist: 0870 034 2566
LANCOME HYPNOSE STAR MASCARA
ILLAMASQUA LIPSTICK IN KONTROL
CLARINS ROUGE PRODIGE IN PINK ORCHID
Hypnôse Star creates intense, mysterious eyes, with fully amplified lashes and a Hollywood curl. With a new, flat edged brush and “Black Diamond” effect formula fluid this mascara effortlessly sculpts and smoothes lash adding length and colour. Price: £21.00 Stocklist: www.houseoffraser.co.uk
Deep, dark and moody, this beautiful lipstick by Illamasqua will see you through stormy seascapes and moody moorlands. Price: £20.00 Stockist: www.illamasqua.com
Beautiful, moody pink that’s also a lip care product. Rich in essential fatty acids to nourish, soften and keep lips supple whilst a blend of ceramides and waxes protect against dehydration, smooth the lip surface and increase colour adherence. Price: £17.50 Stockist: www.clarins.co.uk
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Three of the best winter cleansers
The ultimate beauty essential, it’s just which weapon of choice you choose from the sophisticated cleansers that can keep your skin shining.
Lifestyle
CLARISONIC MIA The Clarisonic cleanses 6 times better than with water, soap and hands alone, with the vast majority of users report less dry skin, fewer blemishes, and healthier looking skin. This is a winter essential; no arguments, just get one. Price: £120.00 Stockist: www.lookfantastic.com
LIZ EARLE HOT CLOTH CLEANSER AND POLISH
CRÈME DE LA MER CLEANSING GEL
Liz Earle created this product and it took the beauty world by storm. The cleanser is soft and creamy while the hot cloth gently removes that top layer of dead skin leaving your face, quite possibly, radiant. Price: £14.25/100ml Starter Kit Stockist: www.uk.lizearle.com or John Lewis, Liz Earle Stores
Formulated with non-detergent ingredients this gentle cleanser should balance your skin even with frequent use. Light enough to remove eye make up, simply rinse or tissue off this oil-free gel, which works on most skin types. Price: £55.00 Stockist: 0870 034 2566
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Cosmetics
3-D Beauty Nails
Lifestyle
Nails are one of the quickest and most impact full way to give your beauty look a lift. Trish Lomax, celebrity manicurist to Kylie, Sienna Miller, Cheryl Cole, Liz Hurley et al talked to me about up and coming trends recently. She feels that 3D effects are going to be huge in nails and I think she’s right.
CIATE VELVET MANICURE Ciate’s Velvet Manicure has a beautiful, matte textured effect that looks like soft velvet on your nails. Dip fingers, still wet from polish, into “fluff” to give the velvet effect. Price: £14.00 Stockist: www.selfridges.com * There’s also a brand new range of nail transfers coming into River Island called Nail Rock 3-D and they have the most amazing black studded effect for £7.50 (www.nailrock.com)
NAILS INC FISHNET MAGNETIC EFFECT POLISH This gives an amazing look of fishnet tights on your nails via a magnet. Salon treatment Minx is one of my favourites using heat transfers (I cannot live without gold toes) to add unbelievable designs to nails from around £22.00 per set (www.minxnails.com) Price: £13.00 Stockist: www.nailsinc.com
MINX HEAT WRAPS
CND SHELLAC
A hundred dollars or fifty pounds? With Minx you can have both. Price: From £22.00 per set Stockist: www.minxnails.com
Gel polish is everywhere, but the skill is in the application and the quality of the polish. Try CND’s Shellac in Tropix to brighten up dull winter days. Price: From £20.00 Stockist: www.sweetsquared.com
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New Season Fragrance There’s a crop of scentful new entrants for you to enjoy this season. Treat yourself to one of these and enter winter in a cloud of fragrance that will see you through until Spring.
ORGANIC GLAM OUD
DIOR GRAND BAL
Magnetic and uncompromising, COCO NOIR reveals facet that is intimate, seductive and intensely brilliant. Striking top notes of Grapefruit and Bergamot accentuate the floral accord, with Rose and Jasmine, while Indonesian Patchouli and Sandalwood notes add warmth. Price: 50ml £75.00, 100ml £106.00 Stockist: 0207 493 3836
From this 100% natural and organic fragrance line Oud opens boldly with Moroccan Cedarwood, Indian Oud, Black Pepper and Cardamon moving to a heart of delicate Rose and finishing with a warm mysterious base of Sandalwood, Vetiver and Tonka Bean – divine for cold winter nights. Price: £119.95 Stockist: www.theorganicpharmacy.com
In March 1949, Count and Countess Etienne de Beaumont sent out invitations to the “Kings’ and Queens’ Ball”. Christian Dior himself made a remarkable entry to the soiree in a lion costume that he had designed and this fragrance draws on his passion for a great event. Jasmine reigns supreme in this perfume with Mayotte Ylang-Ylang, Tunisian Orange Blossom and a woody base of New Caledonia Sandal wood swirled together with sweet musk. Grand Bal makes a statement of sparkle and sophistication for the wearer. Price: 125ml £125 / 250ml £185 / 450ml £285 Stockist: www.harrods.com
YSL MANIFESTO
ANNICK GOUTAL CE SOIR OU JAMAIS
YSL’s latest offering shares green, translucent notes of Lily of the Valley with Blackcurrant, Cedar Core and Sandalwood to create a heady mix of fragrance, finished with Vanilla. Price: £44.00 Stockist: www.yslbeauty.co.uk
According to parfumieur Annick Goutal, this is the perfume of her life, her most accomplished. It is the interpretation of a rose that she found in a "priest's garden" which was so beautiful it made her head spin. A beautiful blend of Turkish rose, ambrette seed, and secret essences. Price: £60.00 Stockist: www.harrods.com
LA PERLA CLASSIC Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the original Eau De Parfum in 1987, this spicy and floral fragrance from world renowned luxury lingerie brand La Perla includes notes of Freesia, fresh Mandarin, Bulgarian Rose, Coriander, Pepper and Patchouli for a truly sophisticated, timeless aroma. Price: £55 (50ml), £65 (80ml) Stockist: www.harrods.com PQ | 99
Lifestyle
CHANEL COCO NOIR
Autumn /Winter 2012
Snug and Stylish Sustainable Fashion Designs Gone are the days when sustainable fashion meant only one thing - itchy hippy hemp dresses! This has long been replaced by an array of innovative and sustainable materials opening up the doors to exciting design. Ethical fashion is on the lips of every designer, from high end couture to the Boutiques of east London. Here Today Here Tomorrow is the perfect example of a collaboration of exciting and contemporary British designers using their skills to create beautiful well thought out pieces. Fun, wearable and most importantly sustainable. By Giovanna Eastwood. Photos by Alice Whitby. More info at www.heretoday-heretomorrow.com
Tell
me about about your self, your background and
Lifestyle
how you ended as one of the designers of
Here Today
Here Tomorrow? I started out studying accessories design at the London College of Fashion, I was always drawn to the creative industries and the practical side of designing and making products. Throughout my studies I became more aware of the negative impacts of the fashion industry both socially and environmentally, and became determined that through my career I would attempt to work in a direction that would be a solution to these problems. I decided to stay at the London College of Fashion and studied an MA in Fashion and the Environment, looking in depth at sustainability issues in fashion. During this course I met a group of like-minded designers and after graduating we decided to set up a fashion business together which is how Here Today Here Tomorrow first formed.
5 years? I hope in 5 years time for Here Today Here Tomorrow to be more established, possibly even opening another store! I relish the challenge of setting up and running a business, but also get a lot of satisfaction from the creative side of design, so hope to maintain that side of things at the same time. I really admire the achievements of other sustainable companys, such as People Tree and From Somewhere, and hope that in the next 5 years Here Today Here Tomorrow will be similarly regarded as a successful sustainable brand.
fP r ic eÂŁ 80 /1 00 % wo ol de lai ne
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are the long term plans for your self as a
designer, where would you like to be in say
ar
Info about aw12 knitwear This season we have launched a fair trade knitwear collection. It is a collaborative range developed by all four of the group under the Here Today Here Tomorrow label. During a visit to Nepal in 2011 Anna and Emma
What
Sc
What is here today here tomorrow ethos? Here Today Here Tomorrow is a collaborative and experimental shop and studio based in East London. There we design, make, showcase and sell sustainable fashion and accessories. By using the shop as a studio and making the products we sell openly and transparently, we aim to connect the customer and local passers-by to the processes involved in making the products. Showing people the materials, skills and time required to create unique products by hand encourages customer engagement and understanding. We also showcase the work of other up and coming designers. Other than the products being stylish, well made and desirable, we always look for innovative, diverse and thoughtful approaches to sustainability in a designers work. Through this diversity we hope to demonstrate to customers that there are many different solutions to sustainable design. In the studio shop we showcase designs that address a variety of issues including recycling, durability, natural dye, organic materials, fair trade production and traditional craft skills.
met a fair trade producer group in Kathmandu, and we have been developing collections with them over the last year. Developing a collection together was always something we wanted to do, and we wanted to ensure that the production of this would be transparent and fair trade – thereby helping craft producers and communities in a developing country. We are really excited about our latest knitwear collection, which features woolly mittens, bobble hats, retro mufflers and colourful patterned knitted skirts!
How
do you feel sustainable fashion has evolved in
recent years?
Sustainable fashion has completely shaken off the hippy-ish stereotype of a few years ago. New designers, many of whom we feature at the shop, such as Antiform, Outsider and Goodone, are fashion forward, stylish and desirable. There is also something for everyone, with fashions for trend-led teens to classic styles for more mature customers. There is still an issue with accessibility - it is more difficult to find sustainable fashion because the high street is so dominant, but the internet is having a hugely positive influence and shops like Here Today Here Tomorrow mean on a local scale customers have the choice of buying something really special.
business decisions that are considered and responsible in terms of their impact. Unfortunately there is no one easy solution to all the problems and sometimes they are conflicting, so I just have to take steps towards sustainability one at a time.
How
do you envisage the future of the uk fashion
industry in terms of sustainability?
Katelyn Toth-Fejel
Julia Crew
Emma Rigby
Anna-Maria Hesse
Lifestyle
What is your definition of fashion sustainability? Fashion sustainability means something different to everyone. It also depends whether your perspective is as a consumer, a designer, a manufacturer or a large retail organisation. For me, I always try to make design and
It seems as though more and more fashion companies, both big and small, are taking steps to address sustainability issues. This can be anything from supply chain management to waste reduction. It is now being recognised as something that companies have to do because customers are much more aware and expectations of these sorts of things are higher. There is still a long way to go however, but I believe positive changes are being made. Ultimately I think a thriving sustainable fashion industry will be made up of a range of businesses, not just large high street chains. Small independant designers and shops are essential to keep the industry diverse, responsive and exciting.
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Sailing
The latest from Riva By Aurora Eastwood. This month’s lifestyle has a very eclectic selection of products and gift ideas - from Eco friendly clothing to high end luxury. If you like all things with engines, have a look at the road test of Maseratis latest offering, and for those who enjoy speed over water as well as speed over land, we have the timeless elegance of Riva yachts.
Lifestyle
RIVA Riva Yachts, a brand of the Ferretti Group and an icon of the boating world, recently celebrated its 170th anniversary, continuing to be synonymous with style, beauty, innovation, design and quality. Also this year was the 50 th anniversary of the legendary Aquarama and the world premiere of the new 63’ Virtus, recently constructed at the historic shipyard in Sarnico. From the 1950s to the present day, Rivas have been favoured by glamorous celebrities: from Brigitte Bardot with her Florida, to King Hussein of Jordan, who anchored his Super Aquarama off Santa Margherita Ligure on the Italian Riviera. Anita Ekberg bought a Tritone in which to float in her personal dolce vita while, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton used a Junior as a tender for their yacht. Sean Connery bought a Rudy three years after leaving the famous James Bond series, George Clooney is regularly spotted cruising Lake Como on his Riva and most recently Dolce bought a Riva for Gabbana. Sean Connery bought a Rudy three years after leaving the famous James Bond series, George
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Clooney is regularly spotted cruising Lake Como on his Riva and most recently Dolce bought a Riva for Gabbana. Riva 63’ Virtus gives a new meaning to the ‘open’ concept. With a distinctive Mediterranean style craft, it maintains the unique elegance of all its models: class, flair and clean shapes. It has been designed following the lines of the Vertigo, a successful and classic past model. 63’ Virtus also shares the strong attitude of the Rivale, another open model which made history for the shipyard, however it features wider spaces, with a higher standard of living and the utmost on-board comfort. The new model is the result of the collaboration between Officina Italiana Design, the team which is in charge of the design of all the models of the Riva range, AYT - Advanced Yacht Technology, Ferretti Group’s research and naval design centre, and the Centro Stile Ferrettigroup, a skillful team of architects and designers. The boat features sporty characteristics, designed for owners who enjoy a direct sea experience.
CRN CRN is one of the world leaders in the design, construction and sale of mega motoryachts and has a unique portfolio of some of the most exclusive, prestigious brands in the nautical world. Since 1999, CRN – which was founded in Ancona in 1963 with the name Costruzioni e Riparazioni Navali – has been part of the Ferretti Group, which is among the world leaders of design, construction and marketing of motor yachts such as Ferretti Yachts, Pershing, Itama, Bertram, Riva, Mochi Craft, CRN and Ferretti Custom Line. The yachts being offered are designed by highly specialized technicians and engineers of CRN Engineering and the Centro. Stile CRN, a team who constantly look for aesthetic, functional and innovative solutions, and collaborations with the most important international architects and designers. The collaborative relationship between the Shipyard and its clients contributes to the realization of masterpieces: exclusive luxurious homes at sea. A space in which various materials, such as steel and composite, find their maximum expression.
This year has seen the 60 meter mega-yacht Darlings Danama available to charter for the first time over the winter period. The stunning ‘palace on water’ has been designed with great attention to space and detail, making it discreet, elegant and timeless. With a slim, sleek bow and wide spaces extending over the sea, the cream coloured mega yacht bears the signature of Studio Zuccon International Project, who worked in close collaboration with CRN to design the boat. Parisian interior design duo Alexandre and Cristina Negoescu have created a warm and refined atmosphere using materials such as oak grey sanded wood, off white lacquered panels, platinum, chromate elements and white leather. The highest quality of materials have been incorporated, including sharkskin, platinum Scisis mosaics, and Portor, a rare special marble. This Autumn, CRN will launch its 100 th yacht and the largest yet at 100m.
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Sailing
The ins and outs of ownership
Lifestyle
By David Dannreuther, partner at international law firm Withers.
Despite the economic downturn, very high net worth individuals continue to keep the Super Yacht industry afloat.
and any other professionals that will need to get involved in the process. They will also manage the tender process.
The distinction between a yacht and a super or mega yacht is not strictly scientific and largely depends on how a vessel is marketed. Traditionally, a yacht over 80 feet or 24 metres was considered a Super Yacht but it would take a considerably larger yacht to be classified as such now.
• Starting from the management agreement and the contract with the shipyard your relationship with each of the parties will need to be carefully documented. Quite apart from a detailed description of parties’ duties and obligations matters like confidentiality, exclusivity, fees and commissions, breach and termination provisions will need to be detailed.
There are a number of issues to consider when purchasing a Super Yacht from a Shipyard. The following is a brief summary of these points. • Building of a brand new vessel is by its very nature complex, time-consuming and expensive. However, it allows the owner’s personal tastes to be accommodated and his/her preferences which can range from a helicopter pad to a designer bar. • The first person to hire is a project manager. Choose someone capable, experienced and trustworthy. A good project manager can save you a lot of money as he will be negotiating with various parties involved. Also, try to choose someone who others are likely to get along with. You don’t want work to be delayed because your yacht designer had another fight with the manager. • Good project managers will help with selection of a shipyard and/or naval architect, yacht designer 104 | PQ
• Particular attention should be paid to ownership of any intellectual property created in the design process or aspects of it if exclusivity is a concern. If the designer refuses to assign the IP rights, an exclusive licence together with a covenant to build only one yacht according to the design will have the same effect. • If there is a particular person whose involvement you consider to be crucial to the success of the project consider whether you want to a right to terminate the agreement with his employer should he resign. • Building a Super Yacht is expensive. You don’t want to be caught out because of an omission in legal paperwork so seek advice at an early stage.
If your preference is to buy an existing Super Yacht the considerations below will also apply.
Lifestyle
• Consider who will own the Super Yacht. As Super Yachts are both high value and high risk your best option is likely to be a special purpose vehicle with the Super Yacht being its only asset. The SPV would also need to fit well with your overall wealthplanning structure. • Selection of a jurisdiction for incorporation of the SPV ties in very closely with the choice of a country of registration of the Super Yacht. Some registries have ownership restrictions on the nationality of the SPV they will accept in their register. • Bear in mind your wish for confidentiality. Depending on the register in question the holding structure and its beneficial ownership may need to be disclosed to the registry although not all registries will make these details publicly available subsequently. • Careful management and crew selection is crucial once the Super Yacht is operational. If you do not get along with your crew it will impact hugely on the quality of your stay on the yacht. Managers would also be able to arrange any charters of your Super Yacht to third parties should you want to do so. • The tax treatment of the acquisition, operation and future disposal of the Super Yacht needs to be considered at the outset and will largely depend on where she is registered and sails. The tax rules in this area are complex and specialist tax advice will need to be obtained as early as possible. PQ | 105
Motoring
Supercars and Superyachts By Aurora Eastwood.
Lifestyle
The golden sun climbs above the horizon, millions of diamonds glitter on the blue ocean and a silver-plated column of light falls across the pearl white city. In Monaco even God flaunts his riches; it’s a city where everything and everyone is for rent, sale or sold. Below us zoo like sounds echo. But it’s not hungry animals waking. It’s lines of garish supercars. Uncoiling trough the narrow streets, they howl, bark, spit, roar, bellow, cough on the down change and crack on the up-shits. Maybe this is what Monaco is about: a home of hardnosed winners to show off their prowess and conquests. The cars have become weapons for their owners to strut about showing off. In the bay, skirting silently across the water is the Maserati yacht. It’s pulling into harbour as part of its record-breaking world tour, an elegant boat with sails that billow like the cheeks of a fat man blowing cigar smoke. The crew scuttle around the deck. A few minutes later the mast is undressed and the boat drifts into the harbour as naked as an autumn tree. From the shore the brand values of Maserati’s involvement with their yacht is clear: power, elegance, aspiration, style and exclusive. On board the message is one of: nausea, fear, incompetence and survival. We are on the seventy-foot yacht for seventy minutes and spend seventy percent of our time leaning at seventy degrees. It can’t end soon enough. My sea legs arrive long after we land and I spend seventy more minutes swaying, quite certain that the floor is moving. Sailing in Monaco: utterly brilliant but it’s one more thing to disqualify me from being at home here. But soon I’ll find my environment. I’ll sit in a car, close the door and lock everything out. Just the way I like, as a pauper with my nose pressed up against the windscreen. But I am worried for the Maserati range. It seems such an incongruous place to demonstrate their cars. Like expecting a ballet dancer to wiggle her stuff as a stripper. I hate to confess it but I don’t remember driving a modern Maserati. In theory I approve of their front-mid positioned V8 engine. But according to the statistics I’m reading, Maserattis are down on power. It seems absurd that with anything less than five hundred horsepower a sports car is thought of as underpowered. But for those that judge cars by reading performance statistics, this is the truth. Even estate cars are six hundred horsepower and the candy-bright supercars cars 106 | PQ
with V12s in the boot are all north of seven hundred. But to my mind this is irrelevant. A car is not about how it adds up on the columns of a spreadsheet, it must be about how it feels on the road. It is the little, invisible gaps between the numbers that matter; they add up too. The GranTourismo Sport. It is a good-looking car with a nice grill and fat curvy wheel arches and I prefer hardtops, for a start they weigh less. Sitting in it with the engine off I feel its easy driving position. It is quite large but this is
If it were a person what would I picture? She’s in her late twenties, perhaps a retired Olympic hurdler, confident, with fine muscle tone, great reflexes and a sharp wit. But perhaps better than her talk, is the way she listens, even when you barely whisper. You understand one another and the rapport adds up to
more than just passing friendship. I can only think of two cars I have enjoyed as much: some memorable moments in an F1 car and a big hearted Healey 100s in the Le Mans Classic. Both are very different machines but they are able to communicate with the pilot. I’m neither dragging the car along and nor am I being lead by it. I experience the moment with crisp edges; it’s precise without being digital. The balance is perfect but if you want, the rear can be made to smear across the road in a controlled arc. The car responds to my mood. This isn’t a lie, there’s a brain inside that knits driving style to road conditions and tweeks the suspension and gearbox to suit. When I’ve had enough of raucous charging about I press the soft setting button and auto-change. The engine note calms to a hum and it switches from showing its Mille Miglia heritage to becoming a relaxing Grand Tourer. It’s now, when things are less frantic, that I notice the interior. I’d like the control stalks to end with something nicer than molded plastic. It seems wrong to make a machine that amplifies the senses and then present the driver with something inferior and especially when it’s so frequently used. It’s a small flaw in a perfect performance. The same applies to the rearview mirror. But I don’t want to end on this note. This car is the very nicest driving experience I remember. It flows like an ink pen, grips like an ice axe and stops with an anchor. And with a pen like this you write poetry. Modern supercars are all about arriving and departing to the cheers of an adoring crowd. The bit in the middle always takes too long. Maserati is about the journey and the poetry of motion and that’s why the GranTourismo Sport is my absolute favourite because in the end, even in Monaco: The pen is mightier than the sword.
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Lifestyle
immediately forgotten when you start the motor. That V8 kettledrum throb is exciting and brings the car alive. The manual gearbox is attached to the back axle so the weight distribution should now be more or less perfect. If the concept works the car will feel more stable and balanced. You might notice an eager little snatch on engaging first gear but it’s no more than a ripple over a calm lake. I haven’t even made it out of the car park before the first problem arrives. I’m disappointed, I so wanted the GT Sport to score at least seven out of ten. I’ve moved a hundred foot and I already know what’s wrong. It’s perfect. And I really don’t want to award this level of praise. But sometimes you just know and it doesn’t come down to numbers, it is about what it does to you. It feels as if the top of my skull had been unscrewed and my brain is being stroked. The Maserati GT Sport’s chassis is perfectly suited to its power. Winding it round mountain passes the steering wheel un-maps the road and passes it into your fingertips and the tarmac becomes soft, smooth, skin where you feel every freckle and rib. Driving in ‘sport’ mode it sounds like a bull elephant, I pull the gear paddles up and down the box just to hear the engine holler on the down shifts. I know I should prefer a stick and a clutch pedal, I realise that some skill has been removed from driving but what do I really care. It all adds to a sense that the car is alive and looking after me.
Travel
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St. Regis Punta Mita Resort
Paradise on earth By Noel Raffo Antin.
Riviera Nayarit Riviera Nayarit is the latest travel destination in Mexico that spreads along the Pacific coast with a spectacular mountain backdrop, located just a few minutes to the north of Puerto Vallarta’s International Airport. Mostly still undeveloped, this destination covers the resorts area in Nuevo Vallarta all the way up to Boca de Teacapán. It includes, among other places, the extraordinary Punta de Mita, one of the most beautiful and attractive destinations in the world, located in the north point of the Bahía de Banderas in the south coast of Riviera Nayarit, in the State of Nayarit, considered the most exclusive spot in the
whole of Mexico. The distinctive charm that defines Punta de Mita is a blend of traditions, gastronomy and the native wit and cunning of the Mexican culture, along with the art and history of the Huichol culture, the rhythm of the ocean, a sensational wildlife display and the benefits of having first-class amenities and services. Punta Mita, a very luxurious tourist and residential development, is located right there. It is a private peninsula surrounded by white sand beaches, Pacific Ocean waters and exuberant tropical vegetation. The Punta Mita community is considered to be one of the most sophisticated and exclusive in North America.
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At present, Punta Mita houses the St. Regis Punta Mita Resort, which has received the Five Diamond Award and, among others, features a signature golf course designed by the legendary Jack Nicklaus with the only par 3-hole located on a natural island. According to Nicklaus, hole 3B is “probably the best par-3 hole he has ever designed”.
St. Regis Punta Mita Resort In 1904, founder of St. Regis John Jacob Astor IV sought to create an exclusive lodging experience focused on a perfect service capable of devoting its attention down to the last detail. Today, this legacy prevails at the St. Regis Punta Mita Resort, where paradise meets the finest in luxury living to offer unique moments in order to satisfy the needs of each guest.
St. Regis delivers its distinctive hallmark at each resort. Everything from the seduction of delightful treatments at the luxurious Remède Spa, including a sophisticated evening at the exclusive “Carolina” restaurant, which has received the prestigious AAA Five Diamond Award, to enjoying outdoor adventures and the natural beauty of the Marieta Islands, declared Biosphere Reserves by UNESCO. St. Regis Punta Mita Resort features three infinity pools with butlers assigned to attend to their guests’ every need. All pools offer an incomparable view of the beach. Accommodation at the St. Regis Punta Mita Resort means taking care of every detail. Both elegance and service tailored to meet its guests’ needs are a classic.
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Composed of several buildings, it offers 89 guest rooms, 31 luxury suites, including the presidential suite with three bedrooms. All suites are equipped with a private outdoor pool or Jacuzzi, several of which look onto the white sandy beaches of the Bahia de Banderas. The design combines rustic Provencestyle details with Mexican art and craftwork. Each guest room is decorated with totally natural elements, including river stones, marble, onyx, wood and clay. Waxed floors, natural clay roofs supported by natural wooden beams and struts and hand-painted walls using pale colours are combined to create a luxurious and bright space as well as a warm atmosphere. Its relaxed decor also features colourful handcrafted ceramic tiles exclusively created by artists from Saltillo, Coahuila. The decoration is refined with a touch of subtle colours. Every guest room includes the well-known St. Regis butler service. This service has been a refined treasure
within the St. Regis experience for over one hundred years. No request is unattainable or insignificant. “No” is not an option, no matter what time of the day it is. The St. Regis butler service ensures that any unique preferences are understood and efficiently delivered at its hotels worldwide. A detail worth pointing out is the exuberant vegetation the region has to offer. The floral arrangements set up in each sector of the guest rooms as well as at the restaurants and beach bars are a constant feature, respecting a legacy imposed by Caroline Astor. Fresh flowers have already become a part of the resort’s composition. St. Regis goes beyond expectations. It is an ideal place for modern connoisseurs who wish to encounter the most refined expression of service. Every moment reflects St. Regis’ discrete signature and its legacy continues to create tailor-made experiences.
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These splendid atmospheres along with an impeccable service are just some of the ways in which St. Regis delights and captivates its guests. The St. Regis hotels and resorts offer an exclusive entrance to a refuge of eternal elegance, unwavering good taste and impeccable attention and cordiality that simply cannot be found elsewhere. With an exotic and refined past and future, there is no better place than St. Regis.
St. Regis Sabrage Evening Ritual The rich heritage of St. Regis informs every touch across every address. It is, quite simply, the very essence of the St. Regis brand. These time-honoured traditions and countless others have helped create the air of magic and seduction sought after by guests of St. Regis. Sabrage is a technique used to open a champagne bottle with a sabre. The sabre is slid along the body of the bottle towards the neck and the force of the blade
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hitting the lip breaks the glass to separate the collar from the neck of the bottle. There is no need for a sharp sabre as the blunt side of the blade is used instead. The cork and collar remain together after separating from the neck. This technique became popular in France at the time when Napoleon’s army used to visit many aristocratic domains. Napoleon’s spectacular victories across the whole of Europe gave them plenty of reasons to celebrate. In those days the wire ‘cage’ around the cork was very tough and not easy to remove. After fighting a battle, the cavalry usually felt awfully hot, tired and also in a hurry to quench their thirst, which is what led to this impressive technique. Napoleon is known to have said, “Champagne! In victory, one deserves it. In defeat, one needs it.” At St. Regis, guests will be treated to an exceptional demonstration of skills as the head butler revives the traditional art of sabering. Truly, the world’s most memorable way to free a magnum of its cork. The champagne ritual, an event not to be missed, takes place every Friday at the Altamira Bar at sunset.
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Quality green horses and young stock for sale. Playing Ponies for sale. Horses taken for backing and schooling.
Ponies from Eastwood Stud were sold and played: Queen´s Cup 2011 Gold Cup 2011 Warwickshire Cup 2011
Showcase
The best source for quality ponies in the UK.
For full information visit www.eastwoodstud.com | Natural covering or AI
Tel: 07970 697 593 aurora.eastwood@btinternet.com
The Old Stables, South Wonston Farm, South Wonston, Winchester, Hampshire SO21 3HL
fox Pro
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BLACKLOCKS Polo Books and Prints Antiquarian and leatherbound polo books All new titles from stock th th 19 & 20 Century polo prints and limited editions. Trophies, memorabilia and magazines.
Tel: +44 (0)1784 438025 blacklocks.polo@ntlworld.com
Showcase
8 Victoria Street, Englefield Green, Surrey TW20 0QY www.blacklockspoloart.com
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Showcase
Unit 1A The Hermitage High Street Ascot SL5 7HD tel: 01344875053 john.pye@thefitnessspace.com www.thefitnessspace.com
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Showcase PQ | 119
Polo Quarterly
20 years of Polo
tradition, excellence and glamour, all in one magazine. The Old Stables, South Wonston Farm South Wonston, Winchester, Hampshire SO21 3HL Mobile/Cel. +44 (0) 7970 697593 www.pqinternational.com info@pqinternational.com Photo by Ana Clara Cozzi - Tomlinson brothers, Luke and Mark at the Open the France 120 | PQ
Michael My occupation: Architect My passion: Polo My dream: A +4 handicap My name:
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www.juliusbaer.com Julius Baer, the leading Swiss private banking group, was founded in 1890 and today is present in over 40 locations worldwide. From Dubai, Frankfurt, Geneva, Guernsey, Hong Kong, London, Milan, Monaco, Montevideo, Moscow, Nassau, Shanghai, Singapore to Zurich (head office).