August in Normandy means polo at the Hippodrome de la Touques, and this year’s Barrière Deauville Polo Cup produced a worthy final. The Barrière Polo Team won the Coupe d’Or, the event’s major 16-goal title, after trailing for much of the match in wet conditions.
The Coupe d’Or final
Barrière, captained by Isabelle Larenaudie, were made up of the Zavaleta family: Simon, Juan Martin and Ramiro. They faced Los Dragones Rouges, who fielded Sam Sztarkman, Jules Legoubin and the brothers Bartolomé and Bautista Bayugar. At times Barrière were four goals behind, and they only led briefly before the final chukker.
The turning point came early in the fifth and last chukker, when Simon Zavaleta put his side ahead. Juan Martin Zavaleta then converted two penalties to seal it. He was named Most Valuable Player after scoring ten goals in the final. This was Barrière’s first win in the Coupe d’Or and Larenaudie’s first victory in a 16-goal tournament.
The Ladies Polo Cup
The first title of the week went to women. On Friday 25 August, Augustinus Bader beat Bar du Soleil 4-3 in the Ladies Polo Cup, defending their title. The winning side included Paloma Lauro, Aurelie Molitor, Anais Rezkallah and the Argentine professional Lía Salvo, and each scored once. Anais Rezkallah was named Most Valuable Player. Bar du Soleil had Megan Manubay, Leah Kawamoto, Polina Nazarova and Milagros Sanchez, and they pushed the winners to the last whistle.
A golden goal for the Coupe de Bronze
The Coupe de Bronze also went to extra time. Standing Rock of Switzerland beat Mungo 8-7, with Jaime Roberts scoring the golden goal and taking the MVP award. It rounded off a weekend of close finishes.
Why Deauville matters
Deauville has become one of the main stops for the European circuit after the English high-goal season. The setting on the racecourse, the sea air and the Normandy crowds make it a more relaxed occasion than Cowdray or Guards, but the polo is serious, and it offers a chance for the best French and Swiss teams to take on international professionals.
We think the Coupe d’Or is among the most underrated trophies in the game, and this year’s final showed why.
Sources: POLO+10 (Coupe d’Or final), POLO+10 (Ladies Polo Cup)
