Green Gates retain title
On Sunday 12 September, Noor Khadra’s Green Gates retained The Autumn Nations Trophy, the last tournament of the 2021 Victor Ludorum Series. Green Gates have had a strong season at Guards, including wins at the Duke of Cornwall Trophy and the Mountbatten Cup. Romilla Arber’s Four Quarters Black delivered a tough opposition and the match was tighter than the final 6-4 scoreline implied, but in the end Green Gates’ success lay in their strong team work. Isidro Strada, who was later named the Most Valuable Player, created a strong partnership with Cesar Crespo but every player contributed to this win. Louis Hine, who earlier in the day had won the Schools’ Copenhagen Cup with Wellington College – ironically playing against Noor, a member of the Stowe school team – was strong in defence, producing some great ride-offs against Felix Esain and Benjamin Urquiza. The Polo Times Best Playing Pony prize was awarded to Strada’s eight-year-old Guadalupe Sandy Lane.
The Autumn Nations Trophy Final Teams:
Green Gates (12): Noor Khadra (0), Louis Hine (2), Cesar Crespo (4) & Isidro Strada (6)
Four Quarters Black (12): Romilla Arber (0), Emanuel Arber (1), Felix Esain (5) & Benjamin Urquiza (6)
Photograph: Action from The Autumn Nations Trophy.
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