Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II accompanied by Arnaud M Bamberger, Executive Chairman Cartier Ltd, Jock Green-Armytage, Chairman of Guards Polo Club and 2013 Cartier Queen's Cup Champions Lyndon Lea in Jersey 2 and his winning Zacara Polo Team Facundo Pieres Jersey 1, Rodrigo Andrade 3, Matt Perry 4.
ZACARA Polo Team Wins 2013 QUEEN'S CUP
Story by Diana Butler, Guards Polo Club Photography by Celine Genonceau
Z acara beat El Remanso in a thrilling contest to win Cartier Queen’s Cup. Most Valuable Player Facundo Pieres adds this prestigious trophy to his collection at last. Lyndon Lea’s Zacara team produced a great game of polo on The Queen’s Ground at Guards Polo Club to win their first Cartier Queen’s Cup trophy.
They defeated the Hanburys’ El Remanso 15-9. Zacara had impressed throughout the league stages of the competition and did not disappoint today. Ten-goaler Facundo Pieres was the undisputed star of the final and was rewarded with the Most Valuable Player prize. He seemed more delighted though to receive the Best Playing Pony Award from HM The Queen for his horse Galatica whom he had played in two chukkas this afternoon. Surprisingly this was the first time that this undisputed star of polo has won the Queen’s Cup. Pieres was a member of the winning Ellerston team in 2008, but was sidelined for the final due to injury and had to sit on the sidelines and watch the game as a spectator.
This final score did not do justice to El Remanso who played hard throughout the six chukkas. They were leading 2-1 after the first chukka and kept Zacara to 3-3 at the end of the second. The damage was done in the third, when Pieres and Rodrigo Andrade scored five goals between them to only two in reply from El Remanso. However, when they failed to score in the fourth it became clear that this was going to be Zacara's day. David Stirling and Guillermo Terrera never gave up the fight though – at one point Terrera produced a fabulous shot to goal, picking up the ball in mid air and driving it down the field to goal. Such play was much appreciated by the several thousand people who were watching this match.
This Cartier Queen’s Cup final was not the only game of the day. In the morning, Talandracas defeated Les Lions in a close game in extra time to win the Cartier Trophy – the subsidiary final. With the scores at 10-all at the end of the sixth chukka, it was a chance for extra time and a golden goal scenario. This was secured by the only 10-goaler on the field, Juan Martin Nero, to give Talandracas victory and the opportunity for patron Edouard Carmignac to receive the Cartier Trophy from HM The Queen later in the afternoon.
Cartier UK enjoyed 27 wonderful years of sponsoring polo through the Cartier International Day but last year saw the move to the prestigious high-goal Queen’s Cup tournament. Cartier is honoured to support this event for the second year. The tournament itself began on Wednesday 22nd May, commencing three weeks of electrifying high-goal polo. This world-leading tournament concluded today with this historic final played in the presence of HM The Queen. With 16 teams entering this most prestigious of tournaments, including seven of the greatest exponents of the sport in the world- those illustrious 10-goal players - all expectations were exceeded.
Cartier Queen’s Cup Final 2013 Teams
Zacara: Facundo Pieres (10); Lyndon Lea (1); Rodrigo Andrade (8); Matt Perry (3). El Remanso: A Paterson (2); George Hanbury (3); Guillermo Terrera (7); David Stirling (10).
Cartier Cup Final Subsidiary Final
Talandracas: Juan Jauretche (5); Lucas James (7); Juan Martin Nero (10); Edouard Carmignac (0). Les Lions: Henry Fisher (4); Agustin Merlos (9); Sebastian Merlos (9); Joachim Gottschalk (0).
