THE BARBADOS-based Apes Hill team achieved more polo history in England yesterday by winning the Bledisloe Warwickshire Cup High-Goal Match.
Playing in the final against H&B from France, Apes Hill, who are sponsored and managed by local construction magnate Sir Charles Williams, won 8-6 after leading 4-2 at half-time of the keenly contested six-chukka championship match at Cirencester Park in Gloucestershire.
It is the second major triumph in England for Apes Hill after winning the Queen’s Cup in 2009.
Sir Charles told NATION SPORT he was delighted with the success.
“I am over the moon. This team was only put together a few weeks ago and it was a late entry. We gave up a two-goal handicap, as we started the game with a 22-goal handicap while they were at 20, but we were still able to beat them,” he said.
The members of the four-man Apes Hill team were Englishmen Mark Tomilson, a six-goal handicap player, and Ralph Richardson, a one-goal handicap, and Argentines Fernandez Llorente and Eduardo Astrada, who play off a nine-goal handicap.
The H&B players were Argentines Ludovic Pailloncy, Ignacio Toccalino, Sebastien Pailloncy and Christian Laprida.
“This means that we have now won two of the three major polo Cups in England. Imagine the value for sports tourism in Barbados as there were 10 000 people watching the Apes Hill team play,” added Sir Charles.
Apes Hill had romped into the final by easily defeating Thai-Polo from Thailand 10-5 in their semi-final on Thursday. They will begin their quest to win the Cowdray Gold Cup later this week.
Interestingly some 40 years almost to the day, Sir Charles won The Bathurst Cup in 1975.
