Change of venue does nothing to deter polo's Midhurst Town Cup players

Only three miles away, Ambersham’s lighter, better-draining soil enabled cars and lorries to be parked without fear of getting stuck, and the all-important Midhurst Town Cup polo match to go ahead.

For Stella Artois and Las Monjitas, two of the teams entered for this year’s Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup, the Town Cup match was a first outing on Cowdray turf and an opportune warm-up for the British Open Championship, which began two days later. 

Stella Artois has been formed by two Australian patrons, Stirling McGregor and Gillon McLachlan.  McLachlan is a competent four-goal amateur, while McGregor at two goals is also higher handicapped than most patrons in the Gold Cup.

Having signed up seven-goal Nico Pieres, the younger brother of Gonzalito and Facundo, both ten-goal players from the famous Pieres dynasty, and eight-goaler Alejandro Agote, Stella Artois are well-balanced. 

Las Monjitas have been brought to the UK for the first time by Colombian patron Camilo Bautista, who has taken on Nachi Heguy, a nine-goal player, as his No2, Eduardo Novillo Astrada, the highest-handicapped player on the field at nine goals, at No3, and Francisco Elizalde, five goals, at back.

 For those watching polo for the first time, the match was a free-flowing exhibition of quality polo with little fouling, and commentator Terry Hanlon was able to explain the rules and the moves as the six chukkas progressed.