The frozen lake at St. Moritz has staged another memorable final. At the weekend’s Snow Polo World Cup, held over three days from 26 to 28 January, Team Mackage took the trophy, and their patron Lidia Gauss became the second woman in the tournament’s history to win it.
A final settled on penalties
The deciding match went to a series of penalty shots, which is a fitting way to end a tournament played on ice, where one slip or one loose pony can swing a game. We have seen different scores quoted for the final in the official match notes, so we will not give a number. The headline result, however, is clear: Team Mackage came out on top.
For Gauss, who led the side, it was a landmark victory. Women patrons and players have become a bigger part of polo in recent seasons, from the Florida winter circuit to the English summer, and a win at one of the sport’s most glamorous fixtures is a good sign of that. Only one other woman had taken the St. Moritz trophy before her, which puts the achievement in perspective.
What makes this fixture special
Snow polo has its own rules and rhythms. The ground is ice and snow, so the ponies need special shoes, and the ball is larger and inflated to show up against the white surface. Teams are smaller than on grass and the pitch is compact, so there is little time to settle. A team’s balance between professionals and amateur patrons is part of the appeal, because the patron’s contribution can be decisive when the margins are slim.
It also helps that the event takes place in a spectacular setting, with the hotels and the mountains around the lake. For a sport sometimes seen as remote, the combination of fashion, sport and scenery has made St. Moritz one of the best shop windows polo has.
The season ahead
With St. Moritz done, the focus turns to the Florida high-goal season in Wellington, where the first big tournaments begin in February. For readers in Britain, the Guards and Cowdray fixtures are still a few months away, but the shape of the year is already forming.
We will bring you the Wellington finals as they are played.
Sources: The Rake
