Two Queen’s Cup titles! Great Oaks Les Lions took a narrow 9-8 win over Park Place Vaara to win the Queen’s Cup for the second time (the first being in 2020) following a very intense final on The Queen’s Ground at Guards Polo Club. The match was decided in extra chukka after a successful play by James Beim.

It was a very hard fought final. Park Place Vaara held the lead throughout most of the match, but the gap was never greater than three goals. Vaara took an early 3-1 lead, with goals by Hilario Ulloa, Santos Merlos and Juan Britos, while Cruz Heguy scored Great Oaks Les Lions’ single goal in the last seconds of the chukka after a neat pass from Juan Martín Nero.

Eighteen-year-old Heguy deserves a special mention, being one of the best performing players of the current British season so far. Cruz managed to score six goals for his team. While he was unable to convert a few penalties, Cruz is a fast rising star, honoring the remarkable legacy of the Heguy family. Park Place Vaara’s 16-year-old Santos Merlos, son of Sebastian and grandson of the legendary Héctor “Cacho” Merlos also perfomrmed exceptionally. Like Cruz, he demonstrated that he is fit to represent his family’s polo blood and history.

In the final, Park Place Vaara seemed to have the final under control. Hilario Ulloa and Juan Britos, the lethal duo who have been playing together since the season in Palm Beach, were on point. But Great Oaks Les Lions never gave up. In the third, both teams converted a penalty each – Juano Britos and Cruz Heguy for Park Place Vaara and Great Oaks Les Lions, respectively – meaning Park Place Vaara held a 5-3 lead by half time.

Dillon Bacon’s team took off in the fourth when Cruz Heguy narrowed the gap down to just one goal (4-5). Two hard fought chukkas followed. The fifth started with a spectacular goal by Vaara’s Santos Merlos to re-take the two goal advantage. The chukka ended with Vaara leading 7-5. This was extended to 8-5 tahnks to a spot penalty converted by Juan Britos in the sixth and last chukka. Park Place Vaara seemed to have control of the final, but Great Oaks Les Lions pushed back once again. Going into the last chukka 3-down was not a detterent for Great Oaks. Juan Martín Nero stepped up to convert a 60-yard penalty and a field goal to close the gap down to one goal (7-8). Finally, with only seconds left in regulation time, Cruz Heguy came through to tie the game 8-all, sending the match into extra chukka.

It was in that extra chukka when seasoned British player, James Beim, who last claimed the title in 2019, made a fantastic play that ended up in the 9-8 win and the second Queen’s Cup title for Great Oaks Les Lions.

Prior to the final, King Power defeated UAE 9-7 to win the Subsidiary Cartier Cup.

The Queen’s Cup saw fifteen teams, up to 22 goals, compete.

THE QUEEN’S CUP – FINAL: GREAT OAKS LES LIONS 9-8 PARK PLACE VAARA

Great Oaks Les Lions: Dillon Bacon 2, Cruz Heguy 5 (6 goals), James Beim 6 (1), Juan Martín Nero 9 (2). Total: 22.

Park Place Vaara: Joshua Hyde 0, Santos Merlos 4 (2 goals), Hilario Ulloa 10 (2), Juan Britos 8 (4). Total: 22.

Score Great Oaks Les Lions: 1-3, 2-4, 3-5, 4-6, 5-7, 8-8, 9-8.

Umpires: Julian Appeby & Peter Wright.

Third Man: Tim Bown.

MVP: Juan Martín Nero.

BPP: Lavinia Ambar, played by Hilario Ulloa.

Best Polo Argentino Bred: Lavinia Ingenua (Clarin x Unitaria), bred by Mónica Isla de Ulloa, owned by Hilario and Carlos Ulloa, ridden by Hilario Ulloa.

SUBSIDIARY CARTIER CUP: KING POWER 9-7 UAE

UAE: HH Sheikha Maitha 0, Barto Castagnola 9, Lukin Monteverde 6, Tomás Beresford 7. Total: 22.

King Power: Top Srivaddhanaprabha 1, Nicolás Pieres 9, Mackenzie Weisz 5, James Harper 7. Total: 22.

The Queen’s Cup – Teams & Fixture

IMAGES:

Subsidiary Cartier Cup, King Power vs. UAE

Queen’s Cup final, Great Oaks Les Lions vs. Park Place Vaara