UK Nationals 2003

UK NATIONAL WOMEN’S POLO TOURNAMENT 2003 supported by RIMMELL

Ascot Park beat a record number of teams to win the Rimmel supported 2003 UK National Women’s Polo Tournament.  Kenney Jones hosted sixteen teams, representing 12 British Clubs, competing at 4 different levels over two days.  On the first day, HPA selectors, David Woodd and Milly Scott, joined event organizer, IWPA Chairman Pippa Grace, in the baking sunshine, to select the England Team for the European Women’s Polo Championships.

At the highest level, 1 Goal, defending champion Emma Tomlinson (2), secured a place in the National final for her patron’s Ham Carisbrook Clarita team, after beating Milly Scott’s (2) Inglesham team in the Semis.  On the other side of the draw, Victoria Grace’s (2) Ascot Park put out Sophie Cowley’s (1) RLS Burwood.  The final was an outstanding example of women polo. The crowd enjoyed end to end running polo with  Emma being joined by MVP Marianella Castagnola (1), Jayne Rumsey(-1) and Claire Mathies(-1) who played hard against Victoria and her team mates Farida Rosso-Ballduchino (1), Raffaella Agosti (-1) and MIP Jodie Kidd (-1).  The game was all tied up in the last chukka and only in the final seconds of the game, when Marianella took a surprise decision to change a pony, did Ascot Park hold onto the lead. Raffa got the final touch on a 5B Penalty shot from Victoria taking their score to 6 – 5.  Emma Tomlinson’s Mansa won the Equestrian World Best Playing Pony prize for the top league. 

In other close finals, Inglesahm won the 1 Goal Subsidiary 4-3 against RLS Burwood. Royal Berkshire drew 4 – 4 in the -2 Goal against defending champs. APPC S’Kant Merci. Kirsty Craig was awarded MVP and Louisa Clothier’s Boris won BPP. The IWPA team beat Binfield Heath 2 – 1 in the Subsidiary.  In the Roxtons sponsored -3 goal, Francesca Smith of Cambridge was awarded the Sarah Hung Crystal Bowl for Team Spirit but her team was beaten 1 to 3 by MVP Aurora May’s Tidworth.  Negrita, owned by Amber Clutton-Brock and ridden by Magdelena Escrina Traill, won BPP at this level.  Hurtwood beat Rhinefield Emlor 5 ½ to 1 despite outstanding play by the winner of the Horse and Hound Subscription for Most Promising Player, Laura Macarthy, in the subsidiary.  In the -5 goal, FHM, captained by MVP Caroline Giles, beat Cheshire 7 - 2 and Mia Randall-Coath, whose Ascot Park Andros team was beaten 5 – 2 by Cambridge in the subsidiary, was given the BPP prize for Fuci

Eight girls were selected for 3 possible combinations of England Team.  Sophie Cowley (1), Freddie Rosso-Balducchino (1), Louisa Clothier (0), Kirsty Craig (0), Sarah Wiseman (0), Laura Macarthy (-1) and Cordelia Satchell (-1) were chosen with Natalia Allen selected as Captain.  Because of the lack of women players in mainland Europe, it has been agreed by the IWPA that the final structure will match that of the highest handicap entered by one of the 7 other entering countries, Germany, France, Switzerland, Holland, Sweden, Ireland and Austria.  The Championships will take place on Dallas Burston’s Polo Grounds at the RLS Polo Club and people interested in cheering on the England side and watching the FIP 14 Goal European Zone Championships should check www.iwpa.info for more details.

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