Guards Polo Club Official Yearbook 2017 Official Yearbook 2017 | Page 184

tournament report
the indian empire shield
Marchfield str ategy
wins Indian Empire
S
aad Audeh’s Marchfield team
produced a strong performance to
win the mighty Indian Empire Shield
at Coworth Park. They defeated Guy
Schwarzenbach’s Black Bears, who had
already hoovered up many of the 15- and
18-goal prizes this season; winning the
match 9-8.
Guillermo Terrera, who was later named
the Polo Magazine’s Most Valuable Player,
was especially impressive, producing some
fabulous runs down the field to goal, often
outpacing his Black Bears opponents.
The first chukka was really close, with
Black Bears having a one goal advantage
(2-1) going into the second. Then
Marchfield turned on the pressure, with
Federico Boudou and Terrera having a
brilliant couple of chukkas. At one point,
Audeh’s boys were 7-3 ahead and at half
time they had a comfortable 7-4 lead.
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Of course, the Bears are a talented
team and opponents can never afford to
relax when playing against them. A great
partnership between Paco O’Dwyer and
Juan Cruz Merlos saw them close the gap
to just 7-6 in the fourth. Although Manuel
Plaza’s brilliant angled shot to goal
demonstrated that Marchfield were still
very much in command of this game.
Such was the tension on the field that
penalties marred the final chukka, with
Merlos successfully converting two to
bring the Bears back into contention.
However, the final bell went before the
Bears could force extra time and it was
considered by the spectators at Coworth
Park that the best team had both won the
day and the magnificent trophy.
Zoe Jenkins, General Manager of
Dorchester Collection’s Coworth Park
Hotel presented the prizes, including
the Polo Times Best Playing Pony Rug to
Terrera and his groom, Nahuel, for Vegas.
Terrera had played this pony in the third
and fifth chukkas.
Seven teams had entered this 18-
goal contest and the sub final saw a win
for Karan Thapar’s EFG Aravali. They
defeated Simon Arber’s Four Quarters
Orange 9-6 earlier in the day.
Marchfield: Manuel Plaza (6); Guillermo
Terrera (8); Federico Boudou (4);
Saad Audeh (0). Black Bears: Guy
Schwarzenbach (1); Max Charlton (7);
Juan Cruz Merlos (4); Paco O’Dwyer (6).
EFG Aravali: Karan Thapar (0); Alfonso
Pieres (4); Alejandro Muzzio (7); Jaime
Huidobro (7). Four Quarters Orange: Simon
Arber (0); George Meyrick (6); Richard Le
Poer (6); Alejo de Tarenco Stirling (6).
guards polo club official yearbook 2017