Jaeger-LeCoultre - Dubai Polo Club

Jaeger-LeCoultre
triumph in sunset showdown
Lucy Monro
Tariq Albwardy secured victory for Jaeger-LeCoultre
in the closing seconds of a thriller that took the
action to the wire at the inaugural Sunset Polo
International at Desert Palm, Dubai.
42
EQUESTRIO May/June 2011
May/June 2011 EQUESTRIO
43
Photo: © Allan Greenfield.
Spo t l i g h t
SUNSET POLO INTERNATIONAL
DESERT PALM, DUBAI, UAE, 22 - 25/03/11
Spo t l i g h t
Photo: © Allan Greenfield.
LEFT: Najieb Khoury leads the field with possession for Equestrio.
Photo: © Kit Houghton.
Photo: © Allan Greenfield.
BELOW: Renaud Pretet, Brand Director for Jaeger-LeCoultre, presents Ali Albwardy
with a limited edition Reverso Grande Taille in Steel ito honour his contribution to polo.
C
aptaining the squad that entered the final
unbeaten in their three qualifying matches,
Tariq had form on his side but the final
against Equestrio, captained by Tariq’s father Ali Albwardy,
was a hard-fought contest to the last.
Set to become an annual event, the inaugural Sunset
Polo International in association with AES took place during
the week prior to the Dubai World Cup with the final on the
eve of the world’s richest race. The latest in a long line of
Dubai firsts, sunset polo moves the sport from an afternoon
occasion to evening event, adding - if such a thing is possible
- even more edgy glamour to the sport of kings. The brainchild
of Peter McCormack, the man behind the UAE Nations Cup,
the format has proved hugely successful in the UK and the
addition of the Sunset Polo International to the UAE polo
calendar brought a stylish twist to the country’s end of season
sporting celebrations.
LOGSDAIL AND JAEGER-LECOULTRE WIN OPENERS
Four teams lined up to contest the inaugural tournament.
On the opening day Equestrio, captained by the ‘father of polo
in Dubai’ Ali Albwardy, took on Jaeger-Le Coultre, led by Ali’s
eldest son Tariq. For Logsdail London Desert Palm resident
Wilf Laugher led an international squad that saw tournament
sponsor, AES International’s Sam Instone, take to the saddle
for his first tournament. For Quintessentially Thomas Ciasen’s
support included Saudi patron Amr Zedan.
First blood of the opening day went to Logsdail London
with Laugher’s quartet enjoying narrow victory, 6:5, over
Quintessentially in a match that went to the wire. Equestrio
fought hard against Jaeger-LeCoultre taking the lead in the
second chukka, but Tariq Albwardy’s squad were swift to
reply and at the final bell rode out the winners, 8:6.
EQUESTRIO ON FORM
Equestrio, captained by Dubai Polo Team patron Ali
Albwardy, powered their way to victory over Logsdail London
on the second day of action.
45
EQUESTRIO November/December 2009
May/June 2011 EQUESTRIO
45
46
EQUESTRIO May/June 2011
Photo: © Lucy Monro.
TIMELY SUNSET TRIUMPHS
As temperatures soared Desert Palm positively glowed
beneath the Arabian sun as an exotically international crowd
assembled on Dubai’s most exclusive polo terrace for a
sunset showdown.
The afternoon’s opener saw Logsdail London and
Quintessentially do battle for the Zabeel Cup, the prize for
the Trainers’ Cup. Dubai’s many-time champion trainer,
Zabeel Stables’ Satish Seemar, was on hand accompanied
by a posse of racing’s great and good, including twice World
Cup-winning trainer Bob Baffert, to preside over the occasion.
BELOW: Logsdail London line up under the captaincy of Wilf Laugher.
RIGHT: Clockwise from top - Tariq Albwardy captains Jaeger-LeCoultre;
Michel Nseir on the ball for Equestrio; Jan Bladen in full swing for Jager-LeCoultre.
May/June 2011 EQUESTRIO
47
Photo: © Allan Greenfield.
Photo: © Lucy Monro.
SCENE SET FOR SUNSET SHOWDOWN
On the third day of play wins from Equestrio and JaegerLeCoultre set the scene for a father and son showdown in
the final.
Ali Albwardy’s eldest son Tariq led Jaeger-LeCoultre
to a 6:4 victory over Logsdail London in the day’s opener
before Ali led the Equestrio squad to a 7:5 triumph over
Quintessentially on the third and last day of play-offs. Ali
and Tariq, both of whom have their names on two of polo’s
most prestigious high-goal trophies, the Queen’s Cup and
the Gold Cup, would lead their quartets out an hour before
sunset the following day to do battle for the big one.
Photo: © Allan Greenfield.
Spo t l i g h t
A dominant force from the outset, Ali Albwardy’s squad
owned the turf for the first half of a sprightly encounter to
clock up a 5:0 lead before Logsdail found a response.
Ultimately captain Wilf Laugher put Logsdail on the
scoreboard towards the end of the second chukka, but Ali
replied almost instantly for Equestrio to maintain the score
difference, 6:1, at half-time.
Logsdail found form when play resumed in the third
chukka, but the mountain they faced was too steep to climb
and at the final bell Ali led Equestrio out victorious, 6:3.
Jaeger-LeCoultre, captained by Tariq Albwardy, rode
out the favourites for their encounter with Quintessentially
and lived up to expectations. They led the first chukka 2:0,
increased their lead to 3:0 by the end of the second, and
closed the third with a five-goal lead, 5:0.
Things didn’t change much in the final chukka. JaegerLeCoultre added a further goal to their tally, 6:0, but
Quintessentially saved honour and the threat of a duck, in
the closing seconds sending the ball through the JaegerLeCoultre posts for the first and only time on the final bell, 6:1.
Equestrio were the
first to open their
account with Ali scoring
a fast field goal in
the opening minutes
of the match.
BELOW: Ali Albwardy captains Equestrio. Left to right, Michel Nseir, Ali, Najieb
Khoury and Helen Tatham.
May/June 2011 EQUESTRIO
49
Photo: © Alan Greenfield.
Photo: © Lucy Monro.
Spo t l i g h t
Logsdail London, captained by Wilf Laugher, dominated play
from the outset to triumph 10:4 over their opponents.
Logsdail lost no time asserting their authority with Wilf
Laugher scoring more or less straight from the throw-in.
A penalty provided the second goal for Laugher’s squad
followed by a field-goal that closed the first chukka 3:0 in
Logsdail’s favour.
The second chukka opened as the previous had done
with a goal in the opening minute followed by a successfully
converted penalty that extended Logsdail’s lead to 5:0.
Qunitessentially’s situation worsened before it got better with
Logsdail notching up another goal to go ahead 6:0 before
Thomas Ciasen’s team found any reply. At half-time the
scoreboard read 6:1.
Logsdail continued as they had begun when play resumed
with Laugher finding his mark between the Quintessentially
posts yet again but on this occasion Ciasen found quick
reply, 7:2. Another Qunitessentially goal appeared to bode
well for the beleaguered squad and the third chukka closed
8:3 in Logsdail’s favour with Quintessentially down but most
definitely not out.
Hopes raised for Ciasen’s quartet were rapidly dashed in
the final chukka, however, as Laugher and his team dominated
proceedings from the off. Ciasen scored on the final bell, but
the scoreboard said it all, 10:4 to Logsdail London.
50
EQUESTRIO May/June 2011
With just seconds to go
Equestrio rose to the occasion
to equalise, 6:6, and extra-time
appeared to be on the horizon.
But it was not to be.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: AES’ Sam Instone gets his hands on the trophy at
the first attempt; Erwan Charpy, Bob Baffert and Satish Seemar present the awards;
Phil and Sarah Bond battle for possession.
Photo: © Allan Greenfield.
Next up was the big one, the father and son sunset
showdown. Equestrio and Jaeger-LeCoultre, captained by
Ali and Tariq Albwardy respectively, lined up to do battle in
what was eagerly anticipated to be one of the season’s great
thrillers. It did not disappoint.
Equestrio were the first to open their account with Ali
scoring a fast field goal in the opening minutes of the match.
Tariq replied almost immediately for Jaeger-LeCoultre to level.
Play was fast throughout with end-to-end charges very much
the order of the day, but neither team was able to add to their
tally during the opening chukka which closed level at 1:1.
Father and son added two goals apiece in the second
chukka which was a tit-for-tat affair that saw the two squads
still inseparable at half-time, 3:3.
When play resumed Jaeger-LeCoultre found the form they
had been looking for, breaking the stalemate to move ahead
by two goals, 5:3 and then, as Equestrio struggled to find a
reply, opening the gap further to 6:3 by the end of the third
chukka. The final seven minutes of play delivered goals
aplenty. Najieb Khoury brought Equestrio back into the
Photo: © Allan Greenfield.
Photo: © Allan Greenfield.
Spotlight
Photo: © Allan Greenfield.
game with a fine goal from a penalty and Ali Albwardy did
likewise moments later to bring his team within striking
distance of the title once again, 5:6. With just seconds to
go Equestrio rose to the occasion to equalise, 6:6, and
extra-time appeared to be on the horizon. But it was not
to be.
With just six seconds left on the clock a foul from Equestrio
delivered the opportunity that Jaeger-LeCoultre had been
waiting for and Tariq Albwardy sent the resulting penalty
squarely through Equestrio’s posts to secure the win for his
team, 7:6.
Sunset Polo now moves to the UK for the summer season
but will return to Desert Palm in 2012 to provide razzle,
dazzle and great polo once again on the eve of the Dubai
World Cup.
52
EQUESTRIO May/June 2011
TEAMS
Jaeger-LeCoultre
Tariq Albwardy
Jon Bamford
Jan Bladen
Cedric Couche
Logsdail London
Wilf Laugher
Cariane Hoffie
Phil Bond
Sam Instone
Equestrio
Ali Albwardy
Najieb Khoury
Michel Nseir
Helen Tatham
Quintessentially
Thomas Ciasen
Amr Zedan
Sabine Schaffer
Sarah Bond