The La Martina team won the second edition of the La Martina Guards Polo Club Challenge in Argentina, played in early December. Hosted by the Novillo Astrada family at the La Aguada estancia in Open Door, the three teams featured playing members of Guards Polo Club alongside La Martina’s renowned ambassadors and members of the talented Novillo Astrada family. It was played in the usual, round robin format, creating a competitive yet friendly atmosphere.
The green-shirted La Martina team came out best, winning both of their contests. A key member of this squad was Lynly Fong, playing in this competition for the first time. She was later rewarded with the Most Valuable Player prize. Her son, Jed, also making his debut, said post-match: “My mum has been playing tournaments here since I was about 10 and so it was nice to finally be allowed to play on these fields too! The grounds here are amazing and it’s a gorgeous place so it’s fun to play a nice tournament. Winning today is just a bonus.”
Dino Dhankhar, one of La Martina’s newest ambassadors, featured strongly for the Guards Polo Club team, which also featured Club patrons Clive Reid and Elodie Avarguez . Also playing in this competition for the first time, Dino was delighted to head home with the coveted La Martina Fair Play Award. “I had a fun, fun time here and am looking forward to coming back every year,” he said. “It is an amazing feeling for any polo player to play in Argentina and it is a delight to play with the Novilla Astrada brothers who have been the best in the world for a long time. This tournament has been a great experience and great exposure for me.”
James Neighbour, Guards Polo Club’s Chief Operating Officer, was in Argentina to present the prizes. He was equally impressed with his second visit to La Aguada. “I would like to thank Adrian Simonetti of La Martina, the Novillo Astrada family and Tomas Hume of La Aguada for making everyone so welcome today. This event creates unique opportunities for our amateur players to compete on superb horses and on outstanding fields in the home of the modern game, Argentina. It is also great to have the opportunity to further expand our relationship with our long-standing partner La Martina. This brand has supported Guards Polo Club on and off the field of play for almost two decades.”
Adrian Simonetti, President of La Martina, echoed James’s words. “This tournament provides us with the very welcome opportunity to bring together our friends at La Aguada and Guards Polo Club in a celebration of these long-standing partnerships. It is a pleasure to be able to organise this for the second consecutive year and be back at La Aguada, which is like a second home to us. Thank you as always to the Novillo Astrada family for its incredibly warm hospitality and to Guards Polo Club for its enthusiastic support and for making the trip out to Argentina. We look forward to the next edition in 2025.”
To highlight the camaraderie that was evident throughout the tournament, the day concluded with drinks and an asado on the La Aguada lawns. Guards Polo Club had extended an invitation to all Club members who were in Argentina for the Open, ensuring a fabulous ambience throughout the evening, again highlighting the depth of comradeship that exists between players regardless of their handicap.
La Martina (green jersey): Lynly Fong, Jed Fong, Felipe Bargallo, Malcolm Borwick
Guards Polo Club (blue jersey): Clive Reid, Dino Dhankhar, Elodie Avarguez, Ignacio Novillo Astrada
La Aguada (burgundy jersey): Bernard Lazar, Otto Lazar, Cruz Novillo Astrada, Miguel Novillo Astrada
Images: Copyright Marcos Cerdeira
