With a 4-5 final victory over Team Cartier, the team Maserati led by Italian Rommy Gianni secured the Cartier Trophy of the Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz for the first time. 13,000 enthusiastic spectators and well over 100 media professionals watched polo sports on a level that had hardly ever been seen on snow.
“Every game was like a final,” said Maserati-Teampatron Rommy Gianni after his team's victory against Team Cartier. Maserati's victory ended the dominance of Team Cartier, which had won the coveted “Cartier Trophy” three years in a row.
Maserati and Cartier had already made their ambitions for a tournament win clear in their first games on Friday. The tournament was opened by three-time winners Cartier and the Swiss-Brazilian team Perrier-Jouët. The more experienced team Cartier prevailed 6:3.
The second game was more contested and ended with a 3-2 victory for Maserati over Melissa Ganzi's Badrutt's Palace Hotel team. On Saturday, Badrutt's Palace Hotel achieved their first victory in an exciting game over five Chukkas: Mariano Gracida scored the decisive golden goal for 6:5.
There was also a fifth Chukka in the fourth match of the tournament. Here it was Gonzalez who scored the golden goal and won the game for Cartier 5:4 against Maserati. Despite the defeat, Maserati could be satisfied. Thanks to their victory in the direct encounter against Badrutt's Palace Hotel, they were able to look forward to the final.
Sunday would see the same pairings as Saturday. After four high-class games under blue skies against the unique backdrop of the Engadin mountains, the social highlight was on Saturday evening: On Snow Polo Night, the polo family celebrated in the fully staffed ballroom and King's Club of Badrutt's Palace Hotel until the early hours of the morning.
Back on Lake St. Moritz on Sunday, the spectators spread around the playing field and cheered on the teams frenetically despite the now somewhat unfriendly weather.
Small final: Badrutt's Palace Hotel vs. Perrier-Jouet
As on the previous day, the Argentinean 9-goaler “Tincho” Merlos was decisive in the match and secured another victory for Badrutt's Palace Hotel in the small final. After scoring the first goal, he countered Perrier-Jouët's goal with a wonderful solo ride along the gang and scored 2-1.
Perrier-Jouët equalized 2:2 in the third Chukka with a penalty. However, in a game marked by fouls, the Yellows failed to take the lead. This was followed by a “Safety 60” for the Blaues, which would have missed the goal if Gaudenzi had not intercepted him in the air and diverted him cleanly between the goal posts.
After another goal from Merlos and a replica from Perrier-Jouët, the Chukka ended 4:3 for Badrutt's Palace Hotel. In the last Chukka, the Yellows awarded two penalties. Badrutt's Palace Hotel sensed victorious air and sealed the final score of 5:3 with a goal from Merlos. Ganzi, Merlos, Gaudenzi and Gracida won the La Martina Cup.
Cartier Trophy final: Maserati vs. Cartier
Saturday's game was tough, but the Maserati duo Musso-Menendes, supported by Vazquez and Gianni, had learned their lessons and knew how to get around Hyde and Gonzalez on the snow. Hyde and Gonzalez broke through the wall of Maserati players in white right at the start and scored a goal each. Musso returned with two goals for Maserati and equalised 2:2 at the end of the first Chukka.
The second Chukka was difficult for both sides. There was only one goal from Menendes for Maserati. Cartier received a total of five penalties but was unable to convert any; Maserati only received one penalty in the entire Chukka. Gonzalez and Hyde were able to escape a few times thanks to their strong horses, but the Maserati defenders stuck to the strategy they had followed throughout the weekend: keeping the best opposing players covered at all costs. At the end of the first half, Maserati had a 3-2 lead.
At the start of the third Chukka, there was a penalty for Gonzalez from Cartier. The now mealy and somewhat uneven playing field made the game difficult for players and horses. Thanks to a few decisive mistakes by three-time winner Cartier, Maserati was able to extend the lead to 5:3 at the start of the fourth Chukka.
Cartier repeatedly showed a nice teamwork, the players passed the ball back and forth, up and down the field. Hyde converted two penalties and was able to reduce the gap to 5:4. A minute before the end, it even seemed as if Cartier would even out and put the game in an additional chukka.
But it wasn't meant to be. Maserati stuck hard on the heels of the “red devils”, kept up the pressure until the last second and won the 32nd Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz and thus the Cartier Trophy.
Tournament report: Katie Vickery, Lucy Wilson, Polo Times. Editor: Christian Gartmann.
Pictures of the Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz 2016 can be downloaded at www.flickr.com/photos/snowpolostmoritz/
Since spring 2014, Christian Gartmann has been responsible for media and communication for the St. Moritz Snow Polo World Cup. Around 180 media professionals from five continents were accredited for the 2016 event.