LivingPolo: news & lifestyle

15th German Polo Masters under water, but proudly played through

By Michael A. Lou, Germany Correspondent

16-year old talent Lukas Sdrenka with his Argentine 6-goaler pro Gastón Maiquez, by Michael A. Lou

The 16-year young Lukas Sdrenka (+1) scored the Golden Goal with a somewhat risky cut shot from some 50 yards away, following the shout from his Argentine team mate Gastón Maiquez (+6), who had passed the ball to him and brought his team Koenig Pilsner into the final. (3:2 in overtime against Bombardier-Aerospace).

By the strength and experience of the teams, our man on the spot considered this match already as the potential final and Dr. Piero Dillier, Team Captain of the Bombardier-Aerospace squad confirmed his evaluation before the match. Long before it turned out that these two teams would meet again next day in the final.

Koenig Pilsner under its TC Christian "Mobby" Grimme (0) with Germany's hope Lukas Sdrenka, Hamburg-based Maiquez (who won the final last year) and Argentine Octavio Olmedo (+3) against Dilliers Bombardier-Aerospace with his long time mate Lucas Labat (+6), Swiss Paul Netzsch (+1) and Gaston Gonzalez (+3).

And luckily that we took a relaxed photo of Sdrenka and Gaston before the final, because it was never fought out but stopped due to the torrential rain before at half time with a1:1 draw.

To safeguard horses and players Dillier proposed to co-organizer Jo Schneider to end the match and "split" the trophy among the finalists on Sunday evening, July 29th. So we have this time no real "the winner takes it all" shot but a tie: The 2 winners have to make up their mind: Champagne or Beer? (Showing f.l.t.r. Dr. Piero Dillier, Lucas Labat, Gaston Gonzalez, the Koenig-Pilsner sponsor, Lucas Sdrenka, Gaston Maiquez, Octavio Olmedo and TC Christian "Mobby" Grimme.)

The Polo Team of Lanson Champagne ended third after Germany's best player, Thomas Winter (+5), found back to his old strength and outplayed the Tom Tailor team 7: 4,5.

In fact, the half point advantage all other teams started with playing the Lanson Team might have been the pointer to tip the scales.

Because when the Lanson team reported its squad their youngest player Victor Beckers was at a 0 handicap, so all team at the tournament had a team handicap of 10.

Then, mid-season, Victor was raised to HC 1, causing the half point disadvantage for Lanson. And if one now considers that Lanson lost against Bombardier-Aerospace 5:5,5 and 3:3,5 against the title sponsors team Sal Oppenheim, you can also imagine that it could have been Lanson facing Koenig Pilsner in the final. Which would have made six players from Hamburg split among the two teams and showing the domination of Hamburg Polo in Germany.

Well above 10.000 spectators followed over the last two weekends the 15th anniversary of the German Polo Masters at the beautiful island of Sylt, Germany's answer to New York's Long Island or Forida's Wellington, where also US Treasurer Tim Geithner just met his German counterpart Wolfgang Schaeuble.

The Teams:

Sal. Oppenheim

Moritz Gdeke 3

Sven Schneider 3

Tatu Romero Gómez 4

Jo Schneider 0

Total: 10

Lanson

Matthias Grau 0

Thomas Winter 5

Adrian Laplacette 5

Victor Beckers 1

Total: 11

Mercedes-AMG

Harald Link 0

Christopher Winter 3

Andrew Hine 5

Oliver Winter 2

Total: 10

Tom Tailor

Uwe Schrder 0

Patricio Gaynor 4

Eduardo Anca 6

Naomi Schrder 0

Total: 10

Koenig-Pilsner 10

Christian Grimme 0

Lukas Sdrenka 1

Gastón Maíquez 6

Octavio Olmedo 3

Total: 10

Bombardier

Piero Dillier 0

Paul Netzsch 1

Lucas Labat 7

Gastón Gonzales 2

Total: 10