Mon 26th Sep 2016Polo Times Out This Week October Overflowing with All Things Polo
The October issue will be out this week and is full of a variety of polo features and regulars from around the globe. This latest issue includes reports from the last leg of the Sotogrande season, the CBC Sport Arena Polo World Cup Azerbaijan and a round-up of who-won-what in the Victor Ludorum to date. Richenda Hine chats to James Harper about his year in polo, we catch-up with the winners of the RoR Racing to Polo Challenge and also we dedicate a few pages to what went right, and what went wrong this summer in the UK.
In our Women’s Polo pages we hear from Izzy McGregor, as well as how all our ladies teams have been getting on in their tournaments, whilst the Youth section includes the final grass run-outs for the HPA Select tournaments. The forces are still storming across polo grounds up and down the country in this issue. Rege Ludwig goes through the rudiments of how to obtain stability in your hitting platform and Fitness for Polo expert Martín Perez walks you through a proper cool down routine.
Our Polo Times Best Playing Pony series continues with winning steads on display in our Pony Power pages. The Bit Focus looks at the importance of tongue conformation whilst Russell Park from Liphook Equine Hospital explores the horrors of head injuries. Of course, no issue would be complete without our Sidelines pages, this issue is no exception with plenty of parties from Guards, Longdole, Eroll Park, Azerbaijan, Chiltern, Ham, Kirtlington and Cheshire. Signing us off in our Passions page, Max Hutchinson tells us a bit more about what makes the Irishman tick.
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Photograph: Action from the CBC Sport Arena Polo World Cup Azerbaijan 2016. By ©www.imagesofpolo.com
Thu 22nd Sep 2016End of Season Handicaps Juan Martin Nero Goes Back to 10
The end of season handicap changes have now been published, following the end of season handicap meeting, the changes are subject to ratification by the Stewards on 25 October, and once done so they will come into effect on 1 January 2017. The list confirms a number of changes that were included in the Victor Ludorum changes published in August.
Juan Martin Nero now rejoins the other 10 goalers who play in the UK circuit after playing the 2016 season as a 9 goaler. He joins existing 10 goal players rated in the UK Adolfo Cambiaso, Pablo MacDonough, David Stirling and brothers Facundo and Gonzalito Pieres. It has also been no surprise that La Indiana’s star player Julian de Lusarreta has been raised from 6 to 7, but notably non of the other La Indiana players, who are all a handicap higher outside of the UK, appear on the list.
Top rated players Rodrigo de Andrade, Eduardo Novillo Astrada and Nico Pieres have all been dropped from 9 to 8, despite their handicaps in Argentina being considerably higher.
The remaining list of Victor Ludorum handicap changes published previously included 57 changes to handicaps, with the majority of the higher handicap players seeing drops in their handicaps, whilst the young up-and-coming players have seen a flourish of upgrades.
The youngsters have seen the biggest shake-up, which will fuel the fire for the plans for all the high goal teams looking for a specific handicapped player for the 2017 English season. The 2016 season had 31 under 21s listed as members of the HPA with a 1 goal handicap and 70 under 21s on 0 goal handicaps, so it’s no surprise that the youthful players have all seen a significant number change handicaps. To read the full list of changes, click here.
Photograph: Juan Martin Nero goes back to 10 goals. By ©www.imagesofpolo.com
Wed 21st Sep 2016Tortugas Open Schedule Triple Crown Begins Next Week
The first of the Argentine high goal Triple Crown tournaments, the Tortugas Open is scheduled to begin on Tuesday 27 September. Six teams in two leagues will compete for The Fernet Cup, which is due to conclude on Saturday 15 October. Only two teams remain unaltered from the 2015 line-up in this year’s edition, namely La Dolfina, also the only 40 goal team in the tournament and Ellerstina, the second highest handicap team on 39 goals with the Pieres quartet. La Aguada Las Monjitas, is a new team configuration for this season, entirely composed of Novillo Astradas. Whilst Coronation Cup winner and Hurlingham Polo 1875 brand ambassador, Fred Mannix Jnr, has entered again but with 10 goaler Guillermo ‘Sapo’ Caset replacing Cristian Laprida and with newly rated 10 goaler Hilario Ulloa, Alegria’s handicap has gone up to 37. The Heguy’s Chapaleufú doesn’t feature in the draw, leaving Ignacio Heguy to take a spot on a new team entry of El Paraiso with Agustin ‘Tincho’ Merlos, Sebastian and Ignacio Toccalino. Washington, the lowest handicapped team in the tournament who have failed to make the Final of the Jockey Club Open complete the team entries.
The first games will be between La Aguada Las Monjitas and El Paraiso on Tuesday 27 September and on the same day Alegria face Washington. Ellerstina and La Dolfina will each play the winner and the loser of each of these first games in the days that follow. Click here for a schedule of the games and full team listings.
Zone A
El Paraiso (35): Agustin Merlos (9), Ignacio Toccalino (9), Ignacio Heguy (9) & Santiago Toccalino (8)
La Aguada Las Monjitas (35): Alejandro Novillo Astrada (8), Eduardo Novillo Astrada (9), Miguel Novillo Astrada (9) & Ignacio Novillo Astrada (9)
La Dolfina (40): Adolfo Cambiaso (10), David Stirling (10), Pablo MacDonough (10) & Juan Martin Nero (10)
Zone B
Alegria (37): Guillermo Caset (10), Hilario Ulloa (10), Lucas Monteverde (9) & Fred Mannix (8)
Ellerstina (39): Facundo Pieres (10), Gonzalito Pieres (10), Pablo Pieres (10) & Nicolas Pieres (9)
Washington (33): Diego Cavanagh (8), Ezequiel Ferrario (8), Facundo Sola (8) & Alfredo Cappella (9)
Photograph: The 2015 winners of the Tortugas Open, La Dolfina. By ©www.imagesofpolo.com/ Eduardo Grunberg
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