Adventures in Argentina – continuing my epic account.
Day 2
In the morning, we went to Aperos Pilar for more tack shopping. Lunch was very pleasant, al fresco dining at Pilar square.
Peter T and Camilla both played 4 chukkas in the afternoon. It was a bit of a warm-up game to get to know the horses and how the field play like. There were some players from England in the game as well, and some Argentinian pros who really smacked the ball around.
Immediately after polo, we raced to the AAP grounds, where we watched the second semifinal of the Camara de Diputados, the second highest level of polo in the world. La Irineta beat Pedrinho Zacharias’ Cañuelas team 16-13.
It was an incredibly fast match and much closer in standard than the result showed. It was one of the best matches I have seen in years.
Agustin invited us to the house that Shyam Mehta, Bob Shrinivas from India and Kuhan were staying in, for a barbeque. It was a wonderful close to another magical day in The Argyland.
Day 3
Polo was early for the weekend, starting at 9:30 AM as they knew everyone would want to go into Palermo for the semi-finals. Peter T got slotted into a much faster 12-goal game, while Camilla stayed in a friendly low-goal knock about.
Then it was off to Logi Polo to pick up some equipment that had been ordered. We had a quick lunch at a service station then it was off to Palermo, for the first of two games.
We watched La Hache Cria defeat La Equina on field #2 at Palermo. It was a super quick game, and nobody was quicker than young Rufino Bensadon. The 22-year-old 8-goaler was sensational.
Then we climbed the steep steps of the Palermo grandstand to watch La Dolfina vs La Hache.
It was a virtual semi-final, one that pitted the defending champions against a finalist of the last two triple crowns, the Hurlingham and the Tortugas Opens.
40 goals vs 39. It doesn’t get much better than this, I can tell you.
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La Hache started the better but could not build a lead. Poroto was keeping La Dolfina in the game. But is was the old lion, Adolfo Cambiaso who brought it home. 16-12 didn’t tell the whole story though as La Hache had taken an 8-7 lead in the 5th chukka, before Polito imploded.
The post game fun were the parties below the famous grandstand. As ever, it was a congregation of the polo world. I met the Jamaicans, Shane Chin and Lesley Ann Masterton, and umpires Nico Scortichinni and JJ Diaz Alberdi, and the famous horse dealer Castor Fernandez Ocampo.
Hanging with NRG podcaster Glen Gilmore was like sitting next to a lightning rod. With Glen, we met Tommy Beresford, Eduardo Novillo Astrada, Facundo Sola, and Argentine legends Ernesto Trotz and Marcos Heguy.
It was also good to see some players who have played in Malaysia before. We also ran into Juan Cruz Araya Martelli, Manuel Crespo, and Tomas Gandara.
Day 4
It was polo again in the morning. Then again it was a quick lunch and then a race into Palermo.
We watched the first game on the second field. It was great to see the Clinova La Irenita boys take on the once mighty Ellerstina. Facu Fernandez Llorente, Tomasito Fernandez Llorente, Matias Torres Zavaleta and Isidro Strada have all played in Malaysia or Thailand. It was good to see these boys doing so well as open players. They were not embarrassed by the final score of 13-7 despite the loss.
Watching La Natividad play La Ensenada was watching quicksilver – you never knew what they would do next. Jeta and Barto Castagnola had a few moves I never knew existed. I have long admired Pablo Mac Donough and Facundo Pieres. To see these players with the next gen Castagnolas was a real treat. There is nothing they can’t do.
At the Argentine Open level, the passing is not in front of the player to run on to. It is stick to stick. Any ball that comes within 5 yards of a player will become his, no matter if it is on the ground, bouncing, or in the air above his head.
The La Natividad team were exceptional in their 17-14 win over La Ensenada. Despite the three goal difference, the win was never in doubt for La Natividad.
It is going to be quite the final on Saturday when La Dolfina play La Natividad. I’m really looking forward to it.
Related Links:
Epic Argentina
Argentine Open Polo Tour 2023
Recent PBITG Links:
Vienna and the Spanish Riding School
IGEQ Conference
A Farewell for Cody
RIP Uva
Add Riding to Your Polo
Sixth Asian Gold for Abdullah AlSharbatly
Saudi Gold
Qabil Realises 25-year-long Dream
Asian Games Team Dressage
Malaysia Declared AHS-Free
KLAP Open 2023
A Day At The Races II
Polo 101
Youthful Perspectives
Julian Lancia: Learning
Feeding Napier
Julian Lancia: Campeones Otra Vez
TSJJ Cup and the EIA Round-Up
8 Team for the TSJJ Cup
Player and Equipment Bags
The KLAPtomaniacs
Shandur Top Chaos Theory
A Blog-in-the-garden
Shandur Bound
Royal Tour of Chitral and the Shandur Polo Festival
Burma-Malaya and Stevenson Cups
Speeding Up
And We Are Racing
A Day at the Races
Hannah Yeoh visits KLPC
Fuelling Up
FEI Sustainability Handbook for Event Organizers
My BTSC
R.I.P. Mr. A
What-The-Fish
Malaysian Polo 2023
The Prophet’s Thumbprint
Argentina: A Quantum Leap
Authentically Australia
FRICking Amazing
The Cycle
KLAP and the KL Youth Polo Academy
Stable Science
A Sexy MVP
Level 3
KL Academy of Polo partners with International Polo Academy
Bad Helmets
Be Careful What You Wish For
The Flying FRICsters
Pony Clubbing at KL Academy of Polo
Helmet Safety
The Cost of Horses
