Wed 11th Feb 2015 Cartier Challenge celebrates 10th anniversary Royal players take to the pitch at Desert Palm, Dubai For the first time in the tournament’s history, six teams will contest The Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge at Ali Albwardy’s Desert Palm Polo Club and Resort in Dubai. To mark the event’s tenth birthday, five players from ruling families will join a host of professionals including the 10 goaler, Pablo MacDonough in the week-long tournament. HH Sheikha Maitha, the winner of the 2013 trophy in her debut year, will look to clinch another victory with her UAE team featuring Lucas Monteverde, Sandra Schneider and Santi Stirling. She will face tough opposition from the Cartier White side of HRH Princess Azemah Bolkiah, HRH Prince Bahar Jefri Bolkiah and Joaquin Pitaluga. Their fourth player is yet to be announced. Rashid Albwardy – last year’s winner of The British Open – and Alan Meeker, whose American firm is behind the cloning of some of the world’s greatest polo ponies, will head up the home side, Desert Palm. They will be joined by 8 goaler Diego Cavanagh and young English player, Tom Brodie. Sibling rivalry may be fierce when Rashid faces his brother Tariq on the Cartier Red team. The elder of the Albwardy brothers will be joined by Guards Polo Club patron Clive Reid, Martin Valent and Matias Zavaleta. The remaining teams are Abu Dhabi (Faris Al Yabhouni, Al Shamsi, Fredo Capella and Ernesto Oscar Trotz) and in the green shirts of Guards (Amr Zedan, HRH Prince Abbas bin Ali bin Nayef, Pablo Casero and Pablo MacDonough). The tournament begins on Saturday 14 February and will conclude with an exciting Final on Sunday 21 February. Photograph: Pablo MacDonough in action at Dubai Polo Club. By Tony Ramirez/ www.imagesofpolo.com

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