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Polo is coming to UK

A new season is getting ready

Many news in the teams

By Alejandra Ocampos

The polo season in the United States is coming to an end; finalists for the culminating competition in Palm Beach, the 108th. US Open, will come out next Wednesday April 18, and following this, many polo players will land for a few days in Argentina, prior to heading towards the season in England. 

As usual, the British season will begin by late April. The will be hundreds of competitons of all levels, thoroghout the whole season, and the best players will be there to the delight of the fans.

En lo que respecta al alto handicap, ya se prevén importantes novedades en varios equipos,  algunos de los cuales, por razones de handicap (el máximo en Inglaterra es 22), han debido hacer modificaciones en sus filas.
Regarding high goal, many teams will showcase important news regarding their lineups, as due to handicap limits (UK maximum handicap is 22), some players had to leave in search of other horizons.

One of the most important news is a brand new team in high goal, Aravali, that usually play in medium goal. Karam Thapar's squad will be playing both the Queen's Cup and the Gold Cup, with a lineup that will feature Thapar himself plus Eduardo Novillo Astrada Jr., Marcos di Paola and Mark Tomlinson.

Ellerston will have a very interesting change. Patron, Jamie Packer will only play the Gold Cup, and his place in the Queen's Cup will be taken by Spain's Iñigo Zobel, the patron of Ayala Polo Team in Sotogrande. On his side, Harald Link will be playing just the Gold Cup with Thai Polo, with a team that it's still yet to be confirmed. 

Current Queen's Cup title holders, Talandracas, will feature a new member this year, as Chris Mackenzie will join Edouard Carmignac, Milo Fernández Araujo and Lucas Monteverde. Due to his handicap raise, the young and talented Facundo Sola, a member of Talandracas in 2011, will be playing now with Sumaya, in a lineup that will be comprised by patron Ahmed Aboughazale, Javier Novillo Astrada and Chilean player, Matias Vial. Last year's Queen's Cup runner up, Enigma, have confirmed patron Jerome Wirth, Juan Martín Nero and Matias MacDonough, plus a fourth man still TBA. Same with Loro Piana, that has already Agustín Nero and Lucas James, but havent's spotted the two other players yet. 

Meanwhile, Gold Cup winners, Zacara, will feature three of last year's players -  Lyndon Lea, Hilario Ulloa and Nachi du Plessis, plus Manuel Plaza de Ayala. On their side, Gold Cup runner up, Les Lions, have hired Matt Perry, who will join patron Joe Gottschalk, and two Merlos brothers, Agustín and Sebastián. The latter will make is 10-goal debut in England. 

Jean-Francois Decaux's squad, La Bamba de Areco, have changed one Pieres brother, as Nicolás will join Facundo, instead of Gonzalito, who will be playing for Ellerston. Dubai will try to get it big with a lineup that will feature the base of Adolfo Cambiaso and Rashid Albwardy, plus Ignacio Heguy and Alec White. It will be the same for Richard Mille, that will have Bahar Jeffri and Pablo MacDonough as in 2011, and will be joined by brand new boys Tomás García del Río and Oli Cudmore

El Remanso will also show a change. The Hanbury brothers' Charlie and George's team will hire David Stirling once again, as well as Guillermo Terrera, instead of Jaime García Huidobro, will went to Adrian Kirby's Silver Spring, along with Polito Pieres and Francisco Elizalde. Silver Spring's former member, New Zealand's John-Paul Clarkin will be playing for Ellerston. 

Teams lineups will be completed with Salkeld, with Nick Clarke, José Donoso, James Beim and Luke Tomlinson (instead his brother Mark), and Stefano Marsaglia's Azzurra-Piaget, that will feature two 2011 members, Joaquin Pittaluga and Cristian Laprida Jr., plus Alejandro Muzzio. 

The ice on the cake following the culmination of the most important high goal competitions (The Queen's Cup, at Guards Polo Club and the Gold Cup for the British Open, at Cowdray Park), will be one of the most prestigious polo events in Europe, the Coronation Cup, that will take place at Guards Polo Club on July 22, and will feature England and South Africa.  

There are a few names to be completed in a couple of teams, but most of the squads are ready, and looking forward for a new and very competitive season in England.


TEAMS CONFIRMED UK SEASON 2012

Aravali: Karam Thapar (0), Eduardo Novillo Astrada Jr. (9), Marcos Di Paola (7), Mark Tomlinson (6)

Salkeld: Luke Tomlinson (7), José Donoso (7), James Beim (7), Nick Clarke (1)

Les Lions: Joe Gottschalk (0), Sebastián Merlos (10), Agustín Merlos (9), Matt Perry (3) 

Azzurra-Piaget: Stefano Marsaglia (0), Alejandro Muzzio (7), Cristian Laprida Jr. (8), Joaquin Pittaluga (7)

Dubai: Ignacio Heguy (8), Adolfo Cambiaso (10), Rashid Albwardy (2), Alec White (2)

Sumaya: Ahmed Aboughazale (1), Javier Novillo Astrada (8), Matias Vial (6), Facundo Sola (7)

La Bamba de Areco: Facundo Pieres (10), Max Routledge (5), Jean-Francois Decaux (0), Nicolás Pieres (7)

Loro Piana: Lucas James (7), Agustin Nero (6), TBA, TBA

Zacara: Lyndon Lea (1), Nachi du Plessis (8), Hilario Ulloa (9), Manuel Plaza de Ayala (4)

Enigma: Jerome Wirth (1), Juan Martin Nero (10), Matias MacDonough (8), TBA

El Remanso: Charlie Hanbury (4), David Stirling Jr. (9) George Hanbury (2), Guillermo Terrera  (7)

Talandracas: Lucas Monteverde (9), Milo Fernández Araujo (8), Edouard Carmignac (0), Chris Mackenzie (5)

Richard Mille: Pablo MacDonough (10), Bahar Jeffri (1), Tomás García del Rio (7), Oliver Cudmore (4)

Silver Spring: Adrian Kirby (1), Jaime García Huidobro (8), Polito Pieres (8), Francisco Elizalde (5)

Ellerston: Jamie Packer (1) (Iñigo Zobel juega la Queen's Cup), John-Paul Clarkin (8), Gonzalo Pieres Jr. (10), Tomás Garbarini (3)

Thai Polo (solo la Gold Cup): Harald Link (0) and three TBAs