THE HARCOURT DEVELOPMENTS QUEEN’S CUP FINAL
SUNDAY 14TH JUNE 2009 – GUARDS POLO CLUB
Text by JOANNE HEARN and Photos by Nigel Kaye
Now that the USA Open, Argentine Open and the snow season are now behind us, polo moves the focus to Europe. The Queen’s Cup offers England the first glimpse of exciting high goal polo in 2009 as it reaches its zenith today after three weeks of play from eighteen high-goal teams.
Apes Hill with her Majesty the Queen. The Team: Charlie hanbury (3), Mark Tomlinson (6), Juan Gris Zavaleta (6) and Luke Tomlinson (7).
Whilst members and their guests enjoyed a sumptuous lunch in the new clubhouse (which was officially opened by HM The Queen and the Club President, HRH Prince Philip in April) hundreds of spectators enjoyed their picnics around the Queens Ground in balmy sunshine, serenaded by the Band of the Artillery.
The two teams battling for this prestigious cup were Sumaya in red and green and Apes Hill Polo Team in orange and black. Sumaya, who ran out of ponies in last year’s final have returned with a much stronger team of ponies and this year’s team was Ahmad Aboughazale (1), Hilario Ulloa (7), Milo Fernandez Araujo (8) and Ignus Du Plessis (6). For Apes Hill, the team was Charlie hanbury (3), Mark Tomlinson (6), Juan Gris Zavaleta (6) and Luke Tomlinson (7).
The packed stands were treated to an unbelievable fast and furious game with Apes Hill scoring first then almost immediately Sumaya equalising and so it went on and by half time Apes Hill was in the lead. After a short break for half time with the crowds spilling onto the ground to tread the divots the teams returned with Sumaya attacking furiously rewarded by an early goal followed by another, which put them in the lead for the first time in the match, although not for long as Luke Tomlinson scores for Apes Hill to make all square by the end of the fourth chukka.
The fifth and sixth chukka saw aggressive play by Sumaya and as the clock ticked towards the end of the sixth, the score was 11-11 much to the delight of the crowd as the match went into a seventh chukka. Sumaya had a couple of good chances to score but it was Charlie Hanbury who scored the winning goal to give Apes Hill their first Queens Cup victory.
Her Majesty The Queen presented the Queens Cup to the Captain of Apes Hill, Luke Tomlinson. The Best Playing Pony was Russien an eight year old mare ridden by Du Plessis in the second and sixth chukka and the Best Retrained Racehorse was Garnet, a thirteen year old mare ridden by Luke Tomlinson in the fifth chukka. The Most Valuable Player was twenty year old Ignus Du Plessis.
Sumaya and Apes Hll with her Majesty the Queen.