THE All Ireland Polo Club in Phoenix Park, Dublin hosted three tournaments last weekend, each one a snapshot of what has been, is presently and will be in the development of the sport in a festival of polo for IMNDA, the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association.
New sponsors for the 4-Goal Tournament, Arco Vehicle Services came on board for the first time, retiring the former Stuart’s Garages tournament while emerging players holding a -2 goal handicap teamed up with veterans for the Challenge Trophy, a new award for entry level tournament polo established by the AIPC and Polo Wicklow.
The All Hallows Trophy tournament, established by former AIPC President Jimmy O’Mahony, traditionally awarded to the winning zero goal team.
Speaking about the Challenge Trophy, AIPC Polo Manager David Stone, explained that the new -6 Goal trophy was due to the growing number of new players, adding that the Arco Vehicle Trophy was contributed by the new sponsor.
“There are so many new people who are playing polo that we wanted to give everyone a chance to play,” said David Stone. “The Arco Vehicle Services tournament replaces the Stuart’s tournament and the Challenge trophy is a new one, a joint initiative for Polo Wicklow and the AIPC.”
CHALLENGE TROPHY
The teams in for the Challenge Trophy were El Nino, led by veteran Paul Monahan, and Tu Va, for which Caroline Keeling took point. The Challenge Trophy was presented to El Nino on a final score of nine goals to three from Tu Va.
The Arco Vehicle Services semi-final opened before a spectacle of 700 people, in for the June Party in the Park fundraiser for the IMNDA. A special trophy presented on behalf of the charity to all four teams that would move on to their respective finals – Pegus Horse Feeds, LHK Insurances, Tyrone and Horseware Ireland.
FUNDRAISER
With tickets selling for €95 per person, as well as an auction and raffle for donated prizes, IMNDA chairman Declan McDade hoped to raise a substantial sum for ongoing research into a disease with a life expectancy of approximately 1,000 days.
“Colm Murray from RTE described it as ‘the pits’,” said Declan McDade of the late broadcaster, who died from MND.
“The average life expectancy for someone with Motor Neurone (Disease) is 1,000 days. It is devastating, it is cruel and we are no nearer to finding a cure.”
The subsidiary 4-Goal final was won by Colm Kelliher, Siobhan Herbst, Francisco Acosta and Jock Thompson by a score of four goals to two from Tyrone’s Eamonn Laverty and son Daniel, Paul Ronan and Facundo Matilla.
David Stone of Pegus Horse Feeds, along with Mark and David J. Stone and Sean Connolly played in the final for the new sponsored trophy, losing to Tom MacGuinness of Horseware Ireland who teamed up with Jock Thompson and brothers James and Michael Connolly on a score line of six goals to one.
The new trophy was secured by Lar Sheeran of MIPS, who was in for Bunclody in the zero goal tournament and explained, “Paul Sweeney of Arco Vehicle Services is new to polo and agreed to sponsor the 4-Goal Tournament.
“We are good clients and have been for some time. We are delighted to have them as new sponsors and we hope they will stay with us.”
The All Hallows final was won by RITS on a score of six goals to one against Ballindenisk, and the subsidiary final won by Tyrella from County Down, scoring two and a half goals to two from Revolution and nil from Bunclody.