HPA Releases End of Season List
The Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA) has released the 22 Goal and Victor Ludorum End of Season handicap list, which sees changes made to players’ outdoor handicaps for 2020. Whilst these handicap changes are subject to ratification by the Stewards, there is a great array of amendments following an exciting and yet controversial 2019 season.Starting at the top, there have been a number of demotions. David ‘Pelón’ Stirling has seen his handicap lowered from 10 to 9 goals, whilst Agustin Merlos will now play off an 8 goal handicap. Both Fred Mannix Jnr and Chris Mackenzie have also seen their handicaps lowered, from 7 to 6 goals apiece. In more positive news at the upper end of the scale, our September issue interviewee Alfredo Bigatti will play off 8 goals in 2020, whilst his friend Juan Britos will join him at 8 goals. The most controversial pairing of the 2019 season, brothers Bartolomé and Camilo ‘Jeta’ Castagnola have both been raised to 7 goals, following their impressive and some would say under-handicapped play this season. They are joined at 7 goals by Juan Ambroggio and Martín Podesta. Moving down the list, Park Place’s 2019 back Benjamin Urquiza has been raised from 5 to 6 goals, Cowdray’s medium goal powerhouse Pedro Harrison has been raised to 5 goals and Argentine Coronation Cup number one Alfonso Pieres will play off a 5 goal handicap for 2020. British young guns are the really exciting factor in this year’s End of Season Changes, as both Ollie and Marcus Cork see their handicaps raised. Ollie has been raised to 4 goals, whilst Marcus will play off 2. James ‘Jimbo’ Fewster, who played for La Indiana this season, has also seen his handicap rise to 4 goals, whilst young Will Harper has been raised to 3. In one family alone, three children have seen their handicaps rise this season – 16-year-old Ned Hine has been raised to 3 goals, his sister Milly to 2 goals and youngest brother Louis to 1 goal. Rises have also come for James Mann, Hugo Taylor, Luke Wiles, Angus Rowan-Hamilton, Ed Walker, Alex Webb, Saskia Meadows, Fred Thame & Nico van Oppen.For the full list, please click here, and don’t forget to check out our in-depth look at the handicapping system in the September issue of Polo Times now. Click here now to subscribe!
