Guards Polo Club Official Yearbook 2017 Official Yearbook 2017 | Page 138

cartier queen’s cup
confirm his dominance in this trophy.
Ali Albwardy, patron of the Dubai team,
joined his team at the presentations to
see his son Rashid receive the cup and
a Cartier Tank Solo watch from Cartier’s
Managing Director Laurent Feniou.
Mr Feniou then presented the Cartier
Most Valuable Player prize to Julian de
Lusarreta, who had galvanised La Indiana
in the second half. This talented player,
competing in his first Cartier Queen’s
Cup tournament, also received the Cartier
Best Playing Pony prize for Volcan, a
13-year-old chestnut gelding whom he
had played in this match, but is owned by
Bautista Heguy.
Laurent Feniou had earlier presented
the Cartier Trophy – played for as
the subsidiary final – to Ludovic and
Sebastien Pailloncy, patrons of the HB
Polo team. They had defeated Sifani (rec
1 goal) 10-9, but only after a seventh
chukka. Incredibly, after some three weeks
of close matches between the 12 high-goal
teams, this was only the second golden
goal scenario in the entire 2016 Cartier
Queen’s Cup tournament.
This match was a similar format to the
main final as HB were in control in the
first half, leading 7-2. David Stirling and
Ignacio Toccalino were particularly strong
for HB Polo, while Sifani struggled to find
any answers to some good play. Everything
changed in the fourth, with Juan Gris
Zavaleta playing like a man possessed
and ensuring that the scores were level
(9-9) at the end of the sixth chukka. Not
surprisingly, Zavaleta’s brilliance earned
him a Most Valuable Player prize.
With the crowd on the edge of
their seats, the seventh chukka was a
disappointment due to the speed with
which the game concluded. David Stirling
was awarded a penalty close to goal for
HB Polo and not surprisingly this 10-goal
superstar slotted the ball home to finish
the game and win the match for HB Polo.
Laurent Feniou of Cartier, Jock Green-Armytage, Ali Albwardy and Bob Jornayvaz with the Cartier
Queen’s Cup finalists of 2016 (L-R): Julian de Lusarreta, Agustin Merlos, Nic Roldan, Michael
Bickford, Kian Hall, Rashid Albwardy, Adolfo Cambiaso, Juan Martin Nero
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Ignacio Toccalino on the attack for HB
Polo in the subsidi