Mon 15th Jun 2026The Cartier Queen’s Cup FinalBalanz Capital Continue Their Winning Streak
19 teams entered this year’s Cartier Queen’s Cup, all with their sights set on lifting the illustrious trophy. After 47 matches and over 900 goals scored, it was Aureus and Balanz Capital who battled it out in the Final on Sunday 14 June in front of a sold-out crowd. An incredible 101 ponies were prepped and ready for the big match on the Queen’s Ground, and what a showcase of pony powerthe Final would prove to be.
It was Balanz Capital who were crowned the 2026 Cartier Queen’s Cup champions after producing a commanding performance. Having needed an extra chukka to defeat Dubai in the Semi Finals, they made no mistake in the Final, overcoming Aureus with a powerful display of 22 goal polo, interlocking plays and flawless team communication.
Aureus started brightly, with Mark Tomlinson opening the scoring from a Teodoro Lacau pass, but Lorenzo Chavanne quickly levelled for Balanz Capital. With Lacau and Jeta Castagnola also finding the flags, the first chukka ended 2-2.
Balanz Capital edged ahead 5-4 in the second with goals from Chavanne and Ned Hine, before taking control in the third. Castagnola and Chavanne produced a devastating five-goal chukka to give Claudio Porcel’s team a 10-5 half-time lead. Aureus, who had impressed throughout the tournament and defeated La Dolfina/Marques de Riscal with a golden goal in the Semi Finals, battled hard but struggled to contain the seemingly intuitive interplays of the Castagnola/Chavanne partnership.
After a tighter fourth chukka, Balanz Capital pulled clear again in the fifth, adding four more goals to take a commanding 15-6 lead into the final chukka. Their attacking dominance was a fitting end to an outstanding campaign, with the team finishing the tournament as the highest scorers with 98 goals, 50 of these off the stick of the tournament’s top goal scorer Lorenzo Chavanne. Despite the finishing score of 17-7, Aureus are to be commended for their unstinting efforts in never giving up, right up until the final whistle blew.
Jeta Castagnola was named Cartier Most Valuable Player and also received the Cartier Best Playing Pony prize for Machitos Mamushka, a 12-year-old chestnut mare.
Earlier in the day, Akasha won the Cartier Trophy, played as the Subsidiary Final, defeating Gaston 10-9 after seven chukkas. A golden goal from Pablo MacDonough secured the victory, while Akasha’s Santiago Laborde was named Cartier Most Valuable Player after an excellent performance.
The Cartier Queen’s Cup Final Teams:
Aureus (22): Jake Coventry (2), Mark Tomlinson (5), Diego Cavanagh (8) & Teo Lacau (7)
Balanz Capital (22): Claudio Porcel (0), Camilo ‘Jeta’ Castagnola (10), Ned Hine (5) & Lorenzo Chavanne (7)
Photograph: Smiles all round as Balanz Capital finish a great Cartier Queen’s Cup campaign with a solid win. By Art of Polo
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