ROVINJ BEACH POLO CUP

Transcription

1 Players from 12 nations disputed the third edition of the Rovinj Beach Polo Cup, a unique sports, tourist and social event which attracts ever more polo fans to this lovely Croatian coastal town. ROVINJ BEACH POLO CUP Agustín Kronhaus and Santiago Schweizer, in action, advancing on the offi cial box. In the background you can see the amazing city of Rovinj and its famous dome. At the end of the street parade, Bruce Colley and Uwe Zimmermann, organizer of the event, posed on a luxurious Bentley.

2 Clemente Marambio, member of the champion team, Adris, performed very well throughout the tournament. Here Johnny Good tags him. The organization of the event was a spectacle. Around the court on the beach, huge structures were mounted so that the public was comfortable behind the goal post. The matches of the Rovinj Beach Polo Cup were played on a sand surface on the Porton Biondi Beach overlooking the old town, making this a truly unique tournament in this part of the world. Twelve nations with their flags participated in the parade. Here Uwe Zimmermann, Marie- Isabel Wendeln von Fricken and Billy Steta. The exciting 6-team competition that put Rovinj in the world polo map included some 60 Argentine polo ponies, as well as a parade and fantastic entertainment, culminating in a concert by British disco pop queen, Sophie Ellis-Bextor. The winner of the final was a local team from the host company Adris. Guillermo Steta, Juan Clemente Marambio, Bruce and Davis Colley from the Adris team fought hard to defeat the Miller team, with a result of 7:4.5. The Veuve Clicquot team won third place by defeating Caprice-Mevisto 8:6.5. The Bentley team (Uwe Zimmermann s team) came fourth by beating the Franck Dubarry team. Nonetheless, the four members of the winning team went home with Franck Dubarry watches as a reward for their efforts. The matches of the Rovinj Beach Polo Cup were played on a sand surface on the Porton Biondi Beach overlooking the old town, making this a truly unique

3 The city of Rovinj is very famous for its spectacular sunsets that fall on the Adriatic Sea. The sky, the sea and its city often take a fine reddish tone. The champion Adris Polo Team, made up of Juan Clemente Marambio, Bruce Colley, Billy Steta and David Colley pep each other up before the final. The team is named after the investment group that owns the hotel chain Maistra Collection, the most luxurious hotels in the city of Rovinj, among other tourism ventures in Croatia. The winner of the final was a local team from the host company Adris, with the following line-up: Guillermo Steta, Juan Clemente Marambio, Bruce and Davis Colley. Each of the champion players received a Franck Dubarry Watch. It was a well-deserved prize for the best team in the tournament. The players celebrated their victory but at the Rovinj Beach Polo Cup was played by three players against three. In this case, the Colleys, father and son, took turns participating in the team.

4 A lot of picturesque little streets in the central part of Rovinj descend and end on the sea. Here the Editor of Polo International Magazine, María Lía Garrahan, poses in one of the many corners of the city that take your breath away. Croatia is one of the European countries that is increasingly receiving more tourists in recent years, for its historic towns, its seas, beaches and the friendliness of its people. In this bird s-eye view, you can see not only the historical centre of Rovinj with its iconic cathedral, but also its ports and crystal-clear waters. The Bentley Wein Polo Team enjoyed Royal Crown Caviar, one of the sponsors of the event. The Caprice-Mevisto Polo Team arrives at the central square by the port, at the Adriatic Hotel where the street parade ended. Santiago Schweizer, Denise Schurzmann and Alexandra Plenc.

5 Three sides of the court were completely built for the event. Of course, the fourth face was left free to appreciate Rovinj s incredible beauty. tournament in this part of the world. Other entertainment and social events surrounding polo took place in a huge arena right next to the beach. A few polo tournaments had taken place years ago in the island of Brioni. But then for many years there was nothing else, until Uwe Zimmermann saw the potential of the beautiful city of Rovinj, with its many deluxe hotels of the Maistra Collection. He decided to organize a beach polo tournament at this exclusive location. Given that there are no polo ponies in the island, he had to import horses from the 6 or 7 neighbouring countries which do have polo, including Italy, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Hungary. The Croatian authorities have been working hard at fostering tourism in the area and they have achieved a lot. They couldn t have hoped for a better ally than Uwe Zimmermann to help them in this endeavour. Zimmermann is a genius organizer. The venue was truly impressive, with LED screens everywhere, a tent for over 400 people, a VIP section sponsored by Veuve Clicquot, all set up along the beach and facing a spectacular view of the city. This is what he told Polo International of his plans for 2019: Of course I have plans to make improvements, though not in the number of teams, because 6 is the maximum. But I do plan to improve the organization, the details and the luxury. I also plan to hold the tournaments throughout two weekends. That way, all the patrons from different parts of the world can come to play the qualifying rounds the first weekend and then take the week between tournaments to do the traditional yacht expeditions to the Croatian islands, and be back on Thursday evening to play the second weekend. This year s edition included players Uwe Zimmermann and his team: from Switzerland, Cédric Schweri, his son Maxi Zimmermann and himself. They did not wait for the arrival of their fourth member, Johnny Good. Below. The entire tournament was sprinkled with many shows and luxury brands as was the Veuve Clicquot VIP box.

6 Between matches and at the end of each day, there was always a different show on the huge stage. The Mexican Guillermo Billy Steta Mondragón, a descendant of Croats, is passionate about polo and through polo he has travelled all over the world. The complete host family worked hard to make the event a success: Maxi, Krisztina, Uwe and Philipp Zimmermann. Uwe Zimmermann, the creator of this spectacular event, has being in charge of carrying it out for three years. He takes care of every detail to perfection He is also a warrior inside the polo field.

7 The Miller Polo Team was one of the finalists of the tournament. Harold Hodges, Celine Lawrence and Markus Schalldach. The Veuve Clicquot Polo Team. Frank Kirsche, Philipp Zimmermann and Agustín Kronhaus. Each of them was well accompanied for the picture. Franck Dubarry Polo Team. Narendra Singh, Marie-Isabel Wendeln von Fricken and Abby Pathak. Agustín Kronhaus tries to avoid a breakthrough that ended in goal by Harold Hodges. The area where this fabulous Bentley and the Veuve Clicquot Team passed by was a beach with a huge slope towards the sea. But a major sand movement process took place to leave the 100 by 70 meter playing field totally flat. Another of the many shows that took place both at the port and at the polo. These dancers wore the colours of the Croatian flag, made famous this year by almost winning the Football World Cup in Russia.

8 At the close of this successful tournament, a great camaraderie and friendship was formed among the whole group. Nobody missed the final toast and everyone promised to return next year. All along the Croatian coast, each town has its own colourful port with small boats that give the place its identity. Santiago Schweizer goes for a back shot to neutralize one of the many advances of the Veuve Clicquot team. Each of winners received a luxury watch by polo player Franck Dubarry. The brand bears his name. The Croatian authorities have been working hard at fostering tourism in the area, and they could not have hoped for a better ally than Uwe Zimmermann to help them in this endeavour.

9 from India, Mexico, the United States, Switzerland, Argentina, Brazil, England, The Republic of Singapore and England, amongst others. The referee was Marcelo Caivano. The organization was perfect. It all began on Friday with matches every day, since there were six teams. The first day they played at night, with illumination via huge LED screens. There were endless shows before, during and after the matches, no less than 4 or 5 a day. Not to mention the traditional street parade of the teams through the streets of Rovinj. The closing party included fireworks and a concert by internationally famous singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Everyone dressed in their best, keeping to the premise of Sparkling brillance. Maistra is continuously working to develop Rovinj as a top destination and the first choice of foreign and domestic tourists. The high-end tourism that we want to offer our guests requires highend accommodation, which is why we continue to invest to bring 95 percent of our hotel capacity to the level of four or five stars by 2020, said David Flam, marketing director at Maistra. The Rovinj Beach Cup attracts many famous people from the world of sports, music and fashion to the charming Istrian town of Rovinj. This year s guests included Eva LaRue, the American model and actor best known for her role in CSI Miami, Jo and Leah Wood, ex wife and daughter of the Rolling Stones member Ronnie Wood, and Douglas Friedman, the American photographer who worked with celebrities like Christina Aguilera, Donatella Versace and Hillary Clinton. Known as the royal sport, polo is associated with prestige and elegance which have become a recognisable aspect of our town thanks to the Rovinj Beach Polo Cup. It is our aim to take tourism in Rovinj to a new level, and events such as this one help us to become an attractive and recognisable destination for guests from all over the world, said Odete Sapac, director of the Rovinj Tourist Board. Photos: polobygarrahan.com In front of Veuve Clicquot s VIP box, the teams of Caprice-Mevisto and the team that names the box battled through an exciting match. The German Marie-Isabel Wendeln von Fricken proudly carries her flag. She dazzled with her beauty from the polo field to the port.