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the Queen’s Ground to the delight of a sell-out crowd of more than 8,000.
It came as no surprise when Cambiaso, with his little-known two-goal team-mate Francisco Vismara blocking, opened the scoring with a field goal in the first two minutes. Les Lions II came back immediately when Agustin Merlos found the posts straight from the throw-in. Merlos then got through to equalise thanks to Mackenzie, who blithely took out MacDonough to clear the way. From then on throughout the match Mackenzie repeatedly thrilled the crowd with his hard riding, blocking, hooking and stealing the ball from Cambiaso and MacDonough. He was nothing short of brilliant. MacDonough retook the lead for Dubai with a long-range under-the-neck shot, but Agustin Merlos equalised again from the throw-in, taking a backhand pass from Mackenzie. Cambiaso converted a 30-yarder to end the first chukka with Dubai ahead 3-2.
Both teams tightened their defences in the second and all the scoring was on penalties, with three conversions leaving the score 5-3 to Dubai. Les Lions II held Dubai scoreless in the third. Agustin Merlos converted a spot penalty, then brother Sebastian worked his way through the pack to equalise. Another spot conversion by Agustin put Les Lions II ahead 6-5 at half-time.
Guards gossip
◗ YOUNG BRITISH PROS Edmund Parsons and Max Routledge were among those to reach the semi-finals, Ed with La Bamba de Areco (beaten by Dubai) and Max with Lechuza (beaten by Les Lions II). Other home players in the fray included Malcolm Borwick and James Beim (Enigma, which reached the quarter-finals), Nacho Gonzalez (Emlor: the team’s first foray into 22-goal), Max Charlton and George Meyrick (The Telegraph: heroically formed at the last minute by Charlton), Jonny Good (Les Lions), William Beresford (Loro Piana), Ollie Cudmore (Zacara), George and Charlie Hanbury (El Remanso) and England captain Luke Tomlinson (Talandracas).
Is he praying or cursing? Agustin Merlos sighs. Below: Agustin (right) reaches as Chris Mackenzie blocks
Dubai came back in the first chukka with a sharply angled field goal from a good 80 yards out by MacDonough to tie the match up again. Cambiaso found the posts to give Dubai the lead before Agustin Merlos scored from a scrum to equalise. Cambiaso hit a safety 60 to end the chukka 8-7 to Dubai.
In the fifth period Mackenzie took a pass from Sebastian Merlos to equalise before Dubai retook
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◗ SIX OF THE 14 teams fielded brothers. Four reached the quarter-finals or beyond: Piaget (Bautista and Marcos Heguy), El Remanso (George and Charlie Hanbury), La Bamba de Areco (Gonzalito and Facundo Pieres) and Les Lions II (Sebastian and Agustin Merlos). Les Lions I (Eduardo and Nachi Heguy) and Zacara (Eduardo and Javier Novillo Astrada) didn’t make the quarters.
◗ AT 17, CHRIS Mackenzie (below) is one of the youngest pros to play high-goal in England. The South African won great admiration for his performance in the final. “He’s a real machine,” said one of his nine- goal teammates. “I think he’ll go far,” said the HPA’s David Woodd. Two days later, the HPA raised his handicap from three to four. “I’ve played for the national team at home, but not in an open,” said Chris. “My father [Buster, best handicap 7] captained the first
team, and I hope to be on it in the future.” Chris rode South African Thoroughbreds in the final. “My father gets them from racing studs at home and retrains them as polo ponies,” he said. “Beebop and Nellie went particularly well for me.”
◗ AFTER THE SEMI-FINALS Guards and
Polosaleroom.com staged a stallion parade and embryo auction. Seven embryos went up for sale, plus the stallion Mr Coffee, once owned by the late Gabriel Donoso. The 10 stallions on parade (fees from £500 to £1,000) were All Gold and Osh Kosh (owned by Alan Kent), Cassanova (Mark Tomlinson), Clark and Mister Coffee (Great Trippetts Farm), Dance Night (JP Clarkin), Dijon (Charlie Hanbury), Mister Superb (Claire Tomlinson), Open Maestro (Gonzalo Pieres/Fernando Riera/Emma Tomlinson), Valentino (Emma Tomlinson) and Zorro (Stephanie Gore).
◗ To see the results and teams in full, go to the tournaments section at
www.polotimes.co.uk
www.polotimes.co.uk July 2010 31
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