The British Open at Cowdray Park has got going, a heatwave has stopped play in France, and Paris has crowned a champion. It has been a busy seven days.
The Gold Cup league phase
The St. Regis British Open Polo Championship for the Cowdray Gold Cup began on Tuesday 23 June, when Gaston beat Jehangiri 12-10 and Akasha beat White Crane 14-10. Severe weather warnings caused the matches on the Wednesday and Thursday to be postponed. These are the results from the first full round of matches:
- Sujan Indian Tigers 12, UAE Polo Team 10
- Akasha 14, Signet Segavas 11
- Jehangiri 10, White Crane 8
- Black Bears 14, Valhalla 11
- Kazak 14, Jindal Steel/La Dolfina 11
- Dubai 10, Ferne Park 9
- Shoreline 12, Clinova Circulare 6
- UAE Polo Team 10, Park Place 9 (extra chukka)
- La Hechicera 14, La Dolfina/Marques de Riscal 9 (Midhurst Town Cup)
La Hechicera’s win over the Dolfina side stands out. Nineteen teams are in the competition, and with a league phase this long, the margin between a seeded place and a tough quarter-final draw can come down to a single goal.
Paris Open
At the Polo de Paris, Sainte Mesme Jaipur won the 132nd Daniel Féau Paris Open on Sunday 28 June, with a team that included Robert Strom, Clemente Zavaleta and Pacho Padmanabh Singh. The final was streamed live. This was the 132nd edition, which makes it one of the oldest events on the French calendar.
A heatwave in France
A red alert for extreme temperatures led the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly to suspend all competitions. More than half of France was under red alert, with several cities recording temperatures above 40 degrees. The club said that the safety of horses, players and equipment came first. That is the right call, and it is the kind of weather event that polo has to take seriously as summers get hotter.
Rome
At the Roma Polo Club, Bien Mirada beat Battistoni 10.5 to 5 in the Coppa Duca d’Aosta final on Saturday 27 June. The winning team was Luca Meier, Patricio Gaynor, Fabian Bolanterio and Fabio Meier. The Coppa runs each June and brings together some of the best teams in Italy.
This week
The Nations Cup at Chantilly reaches its climax on Friday 3 July, when the teams hope that the weather will cooperate. We will have the result on Monday.
Sources: Polo Times (Gold Cup update), Polo Press (Paris Open), Polo Press (Chantilly heat)
