The thirtieth St. Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow ended on Sunday with a final that no one could have scripted any tighter. Cartier, led by patron Jonathan Munro Ford, beat the Ralph Lauren team 2-1 in extra time on the frozen lake to hold on to their title for a second year running.
Four teams, four days
The tournament is an 18-goal event played from 30 January to 2 February, with four teams and plenty of British interest: nine British players took part, along with Guards Polo Club’s manager Glen Gilmore and the New Zealand eight-goaler JP Clarkin. Cartier were Munro Ford, Max Charlton, Chris Hyde and Hissam Ali Hyder. Ralph Lauren fielded Michael Bickford, Jamie Morrison, Nacho Figueras and Ruki Baillieu. BMW (Richard Davis, Jonny Good, Tarquin Southwell and JP Clarkin) and Deutsche Bank (Karan Thapar, Ryan Pemble, Oli Hipwood and Glen Gilmore) completed the line-up.
Opening day brought a 7-6 win for Cartier over Deutsche Bank and a 5-4 win for Ralph Lauren over BMW. Cartier stayed unbeaten through the week, and on Saturday they beat Ralph Lauren 5-3 in the group stage, which set up a rematch for the trophy.
A final decided by one goal
The Sunday game was a very different affair. Cartier could not take control, and nothing went on the board until the third chukka. After a fierce five-chukka battle the match went into extra time. There it was Hyder who found the winning goal, which also earned him the most valuable player prize. In the subsidiary final BMW finished third, beating Deutsche Bank 5-4.
Why it matters
Scores such as 2-1 are normal in snow polo, where goals are scarce and a single mistake can decide a game. The setting is part of the appeal: the frozen lake at St. Moritz, high in the Engadine, with the mountains behind, and thousands of spectators watching in unusually mild temperatures for the time of year. The trophy is known as the golden mallet, and the thirtieth edition felt like a proper celebration of it.
For British players the week is also a useful early-season outing, and it follows England’s win in China a fortnight ago. The Wellington season is in full swing now, so the next headlines will come from Florida.
Sources: Polo Times: Cartier retains title in St Moritz, Polo Times: Teams revealed for St Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow, Europa Star: Cartier wins the 30th St Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow
