Cartier Queen's Cup 2016

There are many famous polo tournaments around the world but few are as iconic as the Cartier Queen's Cup at Guards polo club in Berkshire. We were lucky to be able to attend the final this year. 

The tournament level is 22 goals per team, compared with 40 goals for the Argentine Open, but still the highest one can see in the UK. The teams disputing the final were Dubai (unsurprisingly as Cambiaso, the star player in the team, won the trophy a record 9 times already - this would make his 10th victory) against La Indiana (surprisingly, everyone had expected to see last year's winners King Power Foxes in the final). 

The match was particularly thrilling because the score was 11-11 until 15 seconds before the end. From what we were hearing around us, most people had expected the Dubai team to win by a lot so it was very exciting to see La Indiana do so well. Even people who usually did not care much about the sport were drawn into the excitement, cheering and shouting. 

In the end, Cambiaso scored a mere 15 seconds before the end. We were all secretly disappointed because had they drawn we would have had a 7th chukkas! I bet the players (and horses) were happy not to have to play an extra 7 minutes, though. 

From the stand

Award giving time...but no sign of the Queen!!

It rained heavily just before the final started - luckily it stopped in time. 

The real heroes of the game

Maya & Iris enjoying Pims and empenadas - a real British / Argentinean experience

The obligatory in-front-of-the-pitch photo