La Natividad are champions at Tortugas again. On Saturday 28 October they beat La Hache La Roca 15-10 in the final of the 83rd Abierto de Tortugas, the second leg of the Argentine Triple Crown.
A second straight title
The Tortugas Open ran from 10 to 28 October at the Tortugas Country Club. La Natividad were the defending champions, and they confirmed their form with a comfortable win in the final. Their line-up was Camilo Castagnola, Facundo Pieres, Bartolomé Castagnola Jr and Pablo Mac Donough. La Hache La Roca, in the group stage, had fielded Pablo Pieres, Hilario Ulloa, Guillermo Caset and Francisco Elizalde.
The trophy at stake was the Copa Emilio de Anchorena.
A record for Mac Donough
The individual story of the final belonged to Pablo Mac Donough. This was his twelfth Tortugas title, which makes him the most successful player in the history of the tournament, ahead of Alberto Pedro Heguy and Facundo Pieres. It is quite a record to hold in a tournament with such a long history, and he did it alongside the Castagnola brothers and Facundo Pieres.
The Triple Crown picture
With Hurlingham won by La Dolfina three weeks earlier and Tortugas now in the hands of La Natividad, the last leg of the Triple Crown looks wide open. The Argentine Open at Palermo begins next, and neither of the two great families can complete a sweep. That makes the Palermo final the one everybody wants to see, with the two sides having shared the first two prizes between them.
For us, one of the pleasures of following Argentine polo is how quickly the narrative shifts. A few weeks ago La Dolfina looked untouchable. Now La Natividad have a claim to be the team with the best momentum, and the final stage of the season should be well worth watching.
What comes next
The Argentine Open traditionally finishes in early December. We will bring you the result, and a look at the contenders, as soon as the final has been played.
Sources: Prensa Polo
