The French polo season has ended with a familiar name on the trophy. Talandracas beat Los Dragones in the final of the 22nd Engel & Völkers Open de France at the Polo Club de Chantilly, winning the title for the second time, twenty years after their first.
A French final
The final, played on the Honneur 1 field before a record crowd of around 2,000, was an all-French affair, a Deauville against Chantilly clash. Talandracas, captained by Édouard Carmignac, were made up of Rufino Bensadon, Juan Martín Zubia and Hugues Carmignac. Los Dragones had Sam Sztarkman, Jota Chavanne and Bautista Bayugar, with Alexandre Sztarkman also in the side.
Talandracas took control from the start and built a big lead. Zubia was named Most Valuable Player, and Hugues Carmignac received the award for best amateur player. Best Playing Pony went to the mare Peregrino La Banda, known as Bandita, ridden by Bensadon.
The road to the final
In the semi-finals, Talandracas beat La Magdeleine, the 2021 winners, after being behind early on, while Los Dragones beat Brittany Polo Club, who had gone into the tournament as favourites. The tournament ran for 18 days with 16 teams and 11 of the top 40 players.
Other winners
In the 12th French Women’s Open, Rouge Absolu Paris, led by Hazel Jackson and including Rebecca Walters, beat DS Automobile 3F. Walters was named Most Valuable Player. The Castel Trophy went to Audaz, led by Brieuc Rigaux.
What it means
For Talandracas, this takes their record in France to six Gold Cups at Deauville, a Queen’s Cup at Windsor and now two Opens de France, a remarkable list for a team that has been near the top of French polo for two decades. It is also a good sign for the French game that the final was played by two French teams, in front of a record crowd.
The organisers say the French Polo Federation and Chantilly Polo Club have put forward the idea of a Polo Nations Cup to the International Polo Federation, with details expected in June. We will be following that closely.
Sources: Polo+10, Polo Club de Chantilly
