Italy have finally gone all the way. On Friday 3 July at the Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly, they beat the two-time defending champions France Occitanie 9-8 in the final of the Polo Nations Cup Barnes.
A first title for Italy
It was Italy’s first win in the tournament, after previous runner-up and semi-final finishes. The fourth edition ran from 11 June to 3 July, and the heat wave that hit northern France earlier in the summer made scheduling a challenge.
The Italian team was Riccardo Paganelli (the captain and an amateur), Tomás Delfino, Bautista Fanelli and Jerónimo Fanelli. Delfino was named the professional MVP, and Paganelli took the amateur MVP award. France Occitanie were Isabelle Larenaudie, Elouan Badarello, Simon Zavaleta and Ramiro Zavaleta. The best in show horses were GT Troya, ridden by Simon Zavaleta, and Irenita Gritona, ridden by Tomás Delfino.
A one-goal win in a final tells you how close it was.
The ladies’ Nations Cup
At the same club, the OniriQ Ladies Polo Nations Cup was affected by the heat, with play suspended and then resumed on Sunday 28 June with shortened matches. Île-de-France beat Hauts-de-France Yves Delorme, the defending champions, 3-2 in the final. The Île-de-France team was Esther Dada, Megan Kawohl, Lucie Venot and Pearl Venot. Megan Kawohl was the amateur MVP of the final and Lucie Venot the professional MVP.
With the heat in mind, the shortened format may well have added to the drama. It also gave a showcase to some of the best women players in France.
The Gold Cup at Cowdray
Back in England, the league phase of the Cowdray Gold Cup is moving towards its conclusion. Results from the previous round gave us a number of tight matches, and the quarter-finals are expected on 11 and 12 July. A tournament this deep, with 19 teams, means every game counts.
A quick look at the week ahead
- Sotogrande: the summer’s tournaments continue at the Ayala Polo Club, with the Manuel Prado y Colon de Carvajal Memorial Cup and the Enrique Zobel Founder Memorial Cup both running from 2 to 12 July
- Cowdray Park: the Gold Cup league phase moves to its conclusion
- Guards: the Indian Polo Challenge Shield begins on 1 July and runs to 18 July
We will cover the quarter-finals next Monday.
Sources: Polo Times (Nations Cup), Polo Press (Nations Cup), Polo Press (Ladies Nations Cup)
