The polo season in the United States is stepping into its last stages; the USPA Gold Cup is in the last week of competition, prior to the ice of the cake, the US Open. And what’s coming next is the always attractive and much anticipated season in England, which will bring some interesting news this year, and will see at least twelve teams ready to compete in the 22-goal tournaments, that will begin, as usual, with the Prince of Wales Trophy, hosted by the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club.
Among the most significant news within the season is that the Castagnola brothers, Barto and Camilo, will play in different lineups, as they did in 2021. The eldest brother will play for a renewed UAE foursome, the current title holders of The Queen’s Cup, while Jeta will join Dubai, who is back to British high goal after two years absence.
Scone, the runner up of the 2021 Queen’s Cup, will be back, as well. Australia’s David Paradice’s foursome has hired the Cambiaso father and son duo once again, and a fourth player yet TBA. “We’re still trying different alternatives”, Adolfo Cambiaso told to PoloLine.
Meanwhile, Park Place will land in England with two squads. Andrey Borodin’s organisation will put Park Place and Park Place Vaara on the field. Both lineups will have 10-goalers each, and it is worth noting that both of them are members of Ellerstina – Facundo Pieres will play with the former while Hilario Ulloa will join the second team.
King Power will participate within high goal, with the lineup that was anticipated James Harper in the interview he gave to PoloLine a few months ago, which includes Nico Pieres. Together, James and Nico won the Gold Cup for the British Open in 2021, with Thai Polo. Harper, currently one of the best British players, has also been appointed as captain of the English team who will play against Uruguay in the Coronation Cup, next July.
Spain and France will bring their representatives for the 2022 season in England. The Spaniards will land for the first time in British polo with Alejandro Aznar’s Marqués de Riscal, the winners of the high goal Gold Cup, in Sotogrande, last year. Aznar will be joined by Guillermo Caset, Segundo Cernadas and Santiago Laborde. France will be represented through two lineups – La Magdeleine, with Pablo MacDonough’s comeback to the British high goal, and Corinne Ricard’s Murus Sanctus, will have Facundo Sola and Alfredo Cappella back together again, alongside Corinne and Marcos “Cacu” Araya.
The winners of the 2020 Queen´s Cup, Great Oaks, led by Dillon Bacon, have put a new team together. Cruz Heguy will remain within the lineup, with the addition of two experienced players, such as James Beim and Juan Martín Nero. Meanwhile, Charle Wooldridge’s Twelve Oaks, usual contenders in medium goal, will land in British high goal for the first time ever.
Alessandro Bazzoni and his Monterosso foursome will be back in England, with a lineup that will include his flagship player, Cubi Toccalino, in addition to Pelon Stirling and a brand new arrival, no less than Matias “Colo” González, one of the best players of the past Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series, and winner of the Bentley Emirates Silver Cup with Habtoor Polo.
Although it is expected that perhaps a couple of teams will join the list, one thing is for sure – the 2022 polo season in England is definetly not to be missed. With new faces, well-known teams, some brand new lineups, but as atractive and competitive as always.
2022 SEASON IN ENGLAND – CONFIRMED TEAMS
PARK PLACE: Andrey Borodin, Facundo Pieres, Fran Elizalde, Will Harper.
PARK PLACE VAARA: Josh Hyde, Hilario Ulloa, Juan Britos, Santos Merlos.
UAE: Barto Castagnola, Lukin Monteverde, Tommy Beresford, HH Sheikha Maitha.
DUBAI: Rashid Albwardy, Camilo Castagnola, Matt Perry, Jerónimo del Carril.
GREAT OAKS: Dillon Bacon, Cruz Heguy, James Beim, Juan Martín Nero.
LA MAGDELEINE: Alexandre Garese, Pablo MacDonough, Facundo Fernández Llorente, Ollie Cudmore.
MURUS SANCTUS: Corinne Ricard, Facundo Sola, Marcos Araya, Alfredo Cappella.
KING POWER: Top Srivaddhanaprabha, Nicolás Pieres, Mackenzie Weisz, James Harper.
MARQUES DE RISCAL: Alejandro Aznar, Santiago Cernadas, Santiago Laborde, Guillermo Caset.
SCONE: David Paradice, Adolfo Cambiaso, Poroto Cambiaso, TBA.
TWELVE OAKS: Charlie Wooldridge, Joaquin Pittaluga, Magoo Laprida, John-Paul Clarkin.
MONTEROSSO: Alessandro Bazzoni, Cubi Toccalino, Pelon Stirling, Matías Gonzalez.
2022 SEASON IN ENGLAND – 22-GOAL TOURNAMENT DATES:
PRINCE OF WALES TROPHY (Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club): Aprin 30 – May 14.
TRIPPETTS CHALLENGE (Trippetts / Cowdray Park Polo Club): May 6-15.
THE QUEEN’S CUP (Guards Polo Club): May 17 – June 12.
WARWICKSHIRE CUP (Cirencester Park Polo Club): Junie 14-18.
GOLD CUP FOR THE BRITISH OPEN (Cowdray Park Polo Club): June 21 – July 17.
TALACREST POW CHAMPIONSHIP (Guards Polo Club): August 1-14.