The Queen’s Cup came to an end on Sunday at Guards Polo Club. In the main final, La Indiana beat Park Place on The Queen’s Ground to win the title for the first time. Earlier, Emlor defeated Talandracas on The Duke’s Ground to win the Subsidiary Trophy.
FINAL QUEEN’S CUP: LA INDIANA 9-7 PARK PLACE (at The Queen’s Ground)
Michael Bickford made it third time lucky on the Queen’s Ground at Guards Polo Club this afternoon. His La Indiana team fought back from a 6-4 deficit at half-time to win the Queen’s Cup 9-7. Bickford, who has been a finalist in the previous two years, was the winning patron this time around, receiving the prestigious silver trophy from HM The Queen and Laurent Feniou of Cartier UK.
Andrey Borodin’s Park Place, who are in their first season of high-goal polo, had impressed everyone with their wonderful-to-watch, four-man polo on their road to this final, but fortune did not favour them today. In the first 1.5 minutes of the game Hilario Ulloa was on the floor following a collision with La Indiana’s Alec White. Fortunately, Ulloa got back in the saddle after a short delay and play resumed, with White spending the next two minutes in the sin bin. Meanwhile, Juan Britos, the Queen’s Cup top goal scorer (35) converted the penalty awarded for dangerous play only for Pieres to convert a penalty before the end of the chukka.
Things did not improve in the second chukka with Andrey Borodin having to be taken off the field in an ambulance after a collision with La Indiana’s Nic Roldan. He was substituted by the young Charlie Tighe, who has been playing for the Park Place team in some of their Royal Windsor Cup games this season. This change in personnel did not seem to disrupt the Park Place team too much.
The third chukka was dominated by Park Place, finding some of that previous form that had earned them a place in this final. Britos converted a penalty and then produced a lovely run to goal for the subsequent throw in. With goals from team-mates Ulloa and Tommy Beresford to only two in reply from La Indiana to make it 6-4 at half-time.
It was all change in the fourth though, with Pieres and Roldan firing through a couple of goals to none in reply from Park Place. With the scores back level once again, this was still anyone’s game. With the score all square at the start of the sixth, Pieres not only saved a Britos penalty, but fired through two goals to secure victory for La Indiana and earn himself an MVP award in the process.
Facundo Pieres, who last added his name to this high-goal trophy in 2015, was named the MVP after turning the game around in the second half. His second favourite pony, Cube, winner of the BPP prize on this day in 2015, was named top equine again today. Facundo had played her twice in this match, including the crucial fifth chukka.
La Indiana: Michael Bickford 1 (1 goal), Alec White 4, Nic Roldan 7 (2), Facundo Pieres 10 (6). Total: 22.
Park Place: Andrey Borodin 0 (Replaced by Charlie Tighe 0, 1 goal), Juan Britos 7 (3), Hilario Ulloa 10 (2), Tommy Beresford 5 (1). Total: 22.
Score La Indiana: 1-1, 2-2, 4-6, 6-6, 7-7, 9-7.
Umpires: Jason Dixon and Peter Wright.
Third man: Tim Bown.
MVP: Facundo Pieres.
BPP: Cube. Played by Facundo Pieres.
BPP by the Argentine Breeders Association: Open Galáctica. Played by Facundo Pieres.
SUBSIDIARY FINAL: EMLOR 12-9 TALANDRACAS (at The Duke’s Ground)
Emlor and Talandracas produced one of the best games of the tournament this morning in the subsidiary final match. Spencer McCarthy’s Emlor, featuring his son James in this game, took the lead for the first time in the sixth chukka to win the trophy. Appropriately for finals day, these teams had been finely balanced throughout all six chukkas and Emlor never allowed Hugues Carmignac’s Talandracas team to be more than a goal ahead at any time. By the third chukka the teams had found their rhythm and the spectators on the Duke’s Ground were treated to a display of fast, running polo. With both teams failing to find the flags at all in the fifth, they headed into the sixth chukka 8-8 and so much still to play for. Agustin Merlos, Diego Cavanagh and James McCarthy all found the flags in this chukka. This immediately shifted the balance and was enough to win the match for Emlor.
Emlor: James McCarthy 0 (2 goals), Diego Cavanagh 8 (2), Tincho Merlos 9 (7), Nacho González 5 (1). Total: 22.
Talandracas: Hugues Carmignac 0 (1 goal), Juan Gris Zavaleta 7 (1), Fran Elizalde 8 (6), Alejandro Muzzio 7 (1). Total: 22.
Score Emlor: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-8, 8-8, 12-9.
Umpires: Julian Appleby and Tim Bown. Referee: Peter Wright.
MVP: James McCarthy.