Ellerstina wins 125th Hurlingham Open polo crown

The 125th Hurlingham Open came to a close last weekend, with the world’s two greatest teams taking to the field, Ellerstina vs La Dolfina. At the end of the cracking finale, it was Ellerstina that mounted the podium for the third consecutive year.

Unsurprisingly, the match attracted huge polo crowds from around the world and the battle was no disappointment. From the first throw-in, it was fast and fraught. Throughout the eight chukkas, there was a total of four yellow cards, two for Nico Pieres and two for Adolfo Cambiaso.

Pieres began the scoring for Ellerstina with a goal one minute into the first chukka. La Dolfina came back fighting, scoring four goals in the next two chukkas to end the second chukka 4-1 ahead. With the teams coming across fairly even over the next two chukkas, it wasn’t until after half-time that Ellerstina really ramped up their play.

Between the fourth and the seventh chukka, Ellerstina scored seven goals to take the score to 10-7 in their favour, four off the stick of the recently promoted Polito Pieres, who now plays off 10 goals. Cambiaso and Pablo Mac Donough scored two goals to one penalty goal in response from Polito, but with Cambiaso sent off the field in the seventh chukka with his second yellow card, the tables had truly turned in Ellerstina’s favour.

As the clock wound down in the eighth chukka, Nico Pieres scored the twelfth goal for Ellerstina and as La Dolfina brought the score to 12-11 with over a minute to go, it looked like play might have gone into a ninth chukka, but the polo gods were not going to be that kind and with the final bell, Ellerstina lifted the trophy for the third consecutive year.

Having scored the decisive goal, Nico Pieres was named the match’s Most Valuable Player, whilst his pony Open Guillermina (by Optimum and Open Geisha) was awarded the Best Playing Pony rug. Juan Martín Nero was presented with the Fair Play Award, whilst Polito Pieres took home the honours of the Top Scorer of the Tournament. The 125th Hurlingham Open Final Teams: Ellerstina (40): Polito Pieres (10), Gonzalito Pieres (10), Nico Pieres (10) & Facundo Pieres (10)

La Dolfina (40): Adolfo Cambiaso (10), David ‘Pelòn’ Stlring (10), Pablo Mac Donough (10) & Juan Martín Nero (10)