I arrived, under a blazing blue sky, to a Palermo well populated with people eager to watch the final of the Copa República Argentina.  The two teams that had survived the other ten teams in the tournament to achieve their place in the final were the 15 goal La Estrella Enigma and the 24 goal La Dolfina (see the team line-ups below).  I took up a spot on the rail at the foot of the grand stadium to watch the players stick and ball in preparation for the match.  As I settled in and prepared to take my notes I watched the field crew hang 9 goals from handicap on the board for the La Estrella Enigma team, such an interesting format for a tournament, this was quite a deficit for La Dolfina to overcome in 6 chukkas of polo.

The first chukka began with Jaime García Huidoboro chipping away at the La Estrella lead with a goal for La Dolfina.  La Estrella answered back immediately from the field to preserve their handicap difference at 10-1.  The big guns for La Dolfina bore down and attacked La Estrella, first with David Sterling and Huidoboro working the two man game, Sterling chipped to Huidoboro and streaked downfield to receive the long pass and finish at the goal…then Huidoboro took a penalty from the spot deep in La Dolfina’s end and blasted a long ball to Charlie Hanbury who potted the 3rd…then it was Sterling working the ball downfield to find the goal to close the chukka and shrink the handicap lead from 9 to 6 goals with a score of 10-4 in favour of La Estrella.  At this pace the game would be tied at the half!

La Estrella Enigma came out for the second looking determined on defence, in fact both teams were as it took until 2:24 for the first goal.  It was La Estrella’s Matias MacDonough that was first to end the stalemate.  Then Sterling, trying to guide La Dolfina’s offence as he was working the ball up the boards, dropped it…Valerio Zubiarre pounced on it, quickly turned and ripped towards and through the goal with the ball…then as La Dolfina was again advancing, another errant ball, this one off of a hoof, Valerio again pounced and finished to regain La Estrella’s 9 goal handicap lead and finish the chukka at 13-4.

La Estrella, maintaining their 9 goal handicap, lead was looking good.  They began the 3rd chukka looking even better as Valerio’s younger brother Juan was able to notch 2 goals finishing from the #1 position with the help of strong play from his teammates behind him.  Sterling was able to score one in the chukka for La Dolfina and the teams went to their tents at halftime with the score at 15-5 for La Estrella, the 15 goal squad actually increasing their handicap lead by one over the 24 goal La Dolfina.

Wow, an exciting half of polo, end to end action, Matias MacDonough masterfully guiding the young guns before him to 6 goals from the playing field while at the same time holding the strong La Dolfina team to but 5.  Would the big guns of La Dolfina be able to rally their team?

23 seconds into the 4th chukka Serling was responding to my query, converting a penalty 4…then from the field…then picking up a kicked ball, through the goal with it…then from the subsequent throw-in straight to goal again, this time to be stopped on the goal line with a hook but Charlie Hanbury was there to finish for him and close the game to within 6 at 15-9.  La Dolfina wasn’t finished, Huidoboro collected the ball and went the length of the field to score…then teeing up a penalty 3, he converted to complete La Dolfina’s chukka long onslaught, closing the gap by 6 goals and make the score 15-11…holy smokes…what a display!

La Estrella Enigma had to be feeling the pressure after the offensive display by La Dolfina in the 4th chukka but they took the field for the 5th looking as cool as the other side of the pillow.  Immediately they pressured La Dolfina’s defence and were rewarded with a penalty 3, which MacDonough converted.  With the score 16-11 in their favour, La Estrella recommitted themselves to defence…La Dolfina rallied against them time and time again, finally Charlie Hanbury was able to break to goal, carrying the ball until the rock solid Matias MacDonough slid in and took him out but there was George Hanbury, streaking alone, he had his brother’s back and pounded the ball through the uprights to again close the gap to 4 goals, 16-12.  La Estrella desperate for more breathing room went to the offensive but La Dolfina was up to the task on defence and held them for the remainder of the chukka, the closest call coming when Valerio Zubiaurre broke free with seconds left and sliced a cut shot but millimetres wide to end the chukka.

You could feel the tension in the stadium, the game was so exciting, the suspense of the moment so great…La Dolfina had shown in the 4th what they could do in one chukka, could La Estrella hold on for one more?

The 6th and final chukka opened with Sterling showing his 9 goals, the stickwork, the horsemanship…dazzling…for this Canadian it brought to mind memories of hockey’s Great One, Wayne Gretzky, swirling, turning, such control…but still La Estrella was able to hold him off…again and again…an amazing defensive effort!  As La Dolfina turned again to attack the ball skipped off a horse and Juan Zubiaurre picked it up and screeched down the boards toward goal, smashed home the goal and sliced through the tension in the stadium, the crowd roared in delight!  Unperturbed Huidoboro immediately responded in kind and the game was within 4 goals yet again…then Charlie Hanbury straight from the throw-in and the game was within 3…conversation kicked up in the crowd…this one wasn’t over by a long shot!  La Dolfina railed against La Estrella’s defence but they couldn’t crack through again and it was Matias MacDonough who, with seconds left, struck another through and sealed the victory for La Estrella Enigma at 18-14.

Jaime Amorin Award for Best Playing Pony / Best Product Award by the Argentine Polo Horse Breeders Association: Irenita Farrista (owned by La Irenita SA, ridden by Matías MacDonough)

Thanks for reading!

Chau for now.

Dylan Foster