PTJan/Feb 2010 p34-37 Home & Abroad JM YC PJ GM MB 21/1/10 17:23 Page 5
Dominican Republic
Argentina
Swinging among the palms
Brits abroad forge ahead
THERE WAS PLENTY of excitement for members Kampsen, a veteran of three Miami Beach Polo
of the fledgling polo community on the Caribbean World Cups, the sponsor’s own side could only
island of the Dominican Republic in December. manage third place in the final rankings after three
Hometown hero Bobby Jimenez led his side to days of action, leaving Team Sotogrande and Team
victory in the first annual Cap Cana Beach Polo Lifestyle Companies to fight it out in the final on
World Cup on Juanillo Beach (pictured), and the Sunday 13 December.
tournament’s sponsor, luxury resort Cap Cana, Dominican Jimenez scored the first of Team
announced that construction was Sotogrande’s goals on route to
to begin in 2010 on a full-size
The tournament
a 2-1 victory, with Costa Rica’s
polo ground at the hotel, which included players of Luis Escobar completing the
sits on the coast at the eastern
more than eight
scoring for the side to lift the
tip of the island.
different nationalities
country’s first beach polo
The west of the country trophy. However, there was ENGLAND’S LUCY Taylor, Nina Clarkin and
borders Haiti, which in January was devastated by consolation for Team Lifestyle Companies – despite George Gemmell finished a respectable third
the horrific earthquake. The Dominican Republic, their disappointment in the final, team captain alongside Nina’s husband John Paul in the
which shares the same island and was the first to Martin van Scherpenzeel of Holland was named 10-14 goal Copa Primavera (Spring Cup) at
offer aid, is the Caribbean’s largest tourist most valuable player, while the best playing pony the Novillo Astradas’ La Aguada estancia
destination. Polo is sure to provide another string to prize went to Lion King, a mount played by the near Open Door this December.
its bow, already popular in particular as a place for side’s Canadian talsiman, Todd Offen.
golfing holidays and for baseball tours from the
United States. On the evidence of the beach polo –
Finalists
USA
the game has great potential already.
Sotogrande (13): Whites lose on white stuff
The tournament featured players of more than
Bobby Jimenez 3; Alfredo Vargas 3; Luis Escobar 8
eight different nationalities, who formed the six
Lifestyle Companies (12):
three-man sides that battled for the inaugural Cap
Martin van Scherpenzeel 2; Luis Alfonso Paniagua / Pablo
Cana trophy. Despite featuring America’s Kris Cabrera 3; Todd Offen 7
AUDI (MELISSA GANZI, Kris Kampsen and
Juan Bollini, in red) made a successful return
to the Piaget Polo on the Snow tournament in
Aspen, Colorado, this December, beating
Piaget (Marc Ganzi, Nacho Figueras and Nick
Roldan) in the final, 5-3.
Australia
Polo shines bright to record numbers in NSW and Victoria
MORE THAN 3,000 supporters gathered in Centennial Park late last year, in the Next on the agenda for Australian polo fans was Victoria’s Stella Artois
shadow of Sydney's Aussie Stadium and the Sydney Cricket Ground, to soak up Portsea Polo showpiece at Point Nepean, just over 60 miles and two hours’
the 30-degree heat at Paspaley Polo in the City. The event showcased some of driving along the coast from Melbourne. More than 5,000 spectators watched
the country’s top polo talent – human and equine – in a glamorous and Greg Keyte lead Team Land Rover clinch a one-goal victory over a Glen Gilmore-
thoroughly enjoyable spectacle, writes Henrietta Hawke. captained Stella Artois side, before the Australian captain packed his bags and
The polo was intermingled with events such as a goal-scoring competition swapped the heat for the wintry scenes of St Moritz.
on an RM Williams wooden horse, and "dash for a drink". The latter involved
elegantly clad women sprinting and scrambling for a bottle of champagne, Polo in the City finalists
while the men played a devious game of tripping each other up and riding Champagne Mumm (14): Ric McCarthy 4; Ed Goold 4;
each other off in a race for a case of beer. Andrew Blake-Thomas 4; Ed Matties 2
With the teams locked at 5-5 in the final, Team Mumm beat Ernst and Ernst and Young (14): Sam Hopkinson 6; Robert Ballard 4;
Young to win the head-sized silver trophy by the narrowest of margins. Adam Meally 3; Shane Fagan 1
www.polotimes.co.uk January/February 2010 37
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