The Queen’s Cup, one of the most prestigious polo tournaments around the world, resumed its activity on Saturday with two matches. A total of 11 teams up to 22 goals are taking part of the competition. The current matchday featured a win by Valiente over Emor and by Park Place over last year’s runners-up La Indiana.

VALIENTE 11-7 EMLOR (at Flemish Farm)

Rob Jornayvaz’s Valiente team started their 2018 Queen’s Cup campaign with a good win over Spencer McCarthy’s Emlor on the impressive Castle Ground at Flemish Farm. This was in spite of them seeing their number two Hugo Lewis having to retire in the fifth chukka after his horse slipped. His place was taken by fellow Englishman Jack Hyde, who went to score Valiente’s only goal in the sixth chukka. Luckily for Valiente, the eight goals they had shot through in the first two chukkas, off the sticks of Lewis, Magoo Laprida and Adolfo Cambiaso – to none in reply from Emlor – had given them a comfortable cushion. Emlor’s Tincho Merlos got into the game in the third, going on to score five of his team’s seven goals and although McCarthy and Diego Cavanagh added to this tally, this was very much Valiente’s game.

Valiente: Rob Jornayvaz Jr. 1, Hugo Lewis 4 (2 goals) (Replaced by Jack Hyde 4, 1 goal), Magoo Laprida 7 (4), Adolfo Cambiaso 10 (4). Total: 22.
Emlor: Spencer McCarthy 0 (1 goal), Diego Cavanagh 8 (1), Tincho Merlos 9 (5), Nacho González 5. Total: 22.
Score Valiente: 5-0, 8-0, 9-2, 10-5, 10-6, 11-7.
Umpires: Tim Bown and Peter Wright. Third man: Jason Dixon.

PARK PLACE 9-8 LA INDIANA (Royal Windsor Horse Show Cup, at The Queen’s Ground)

Andrey Borodin’s Park Place registered their first 22-goal game this afternoon, collecting the Royal Windsor Horse Show Trophy in the process. They narrowly defeated La Indiana in a fast-paced match on The Queen’s Ground, but this was a close game and could have gone either way. Michael Bickford’s team had a 2-1 advantage after the first chukka, including one of two goals off the stick of the patron in this match, only for Park Place to go ahead 4-3 after the second. Juan Britos had a strong game for Park Place, scoring five of his team’s goals and working brilliantly with Hilario Ulloa and Tommy Beresford throughout the six chukkas to ensure the blue shirts stayed ahead. It was not the same story for La Indiana’s Facundo Pieres. He was injured during the match and although he was able to continue to play, this 10-goal star had to miss the match presentations to have treatment. He also received a yellow card in the third chukka.

Park Place: Andrey Borodin 0, Juan Britos 7 (5 goals), Hilario Ulloa 10 (2), Tommy Beresford 5 (2). Total: 22.
La Indiana: Michael Bickford 1 (2 goals), Alec White 4, Nic Roldan 7 (1), Facundo Pieres 10 (5). Total: 22.
Score Park Place: 1-2, 4-3, 5-4, 7-5, 8-6, 9-8.
Umpires: Jason Dixon and Julian Appleby. Third man: Tim Bown.

The Queen’s Cup will resume on Sunday with the following order of play:
12pm: Les Lions vs Monterosso, at Coworth Park 2.
3pm, The Kerry Packer Trophy: La Bamba De Areco vs Talandracas, at The Duke’s Ground.