Quarter-final madness at Chantilly

Three matches decided by a single goal, two extra-time thrillers, followed by a fourth quarter-final in which the defending champions found themselves three goals down before turning the match around: the Open de France BARNES quarter-finals delivered one extraordinary scenario after another.

They even brought into play a rule so rarely used that nobody could remember seeing it applied before at Chantilly: the widening of the goals after a first scoreless extra chukker.

Akasha, Jolly Roger, Kazak and Octogone are through to the semi-finals. But every one of them had to fight for their place.

Akasha take it all the way

It would have been difficult to make Akasha–Talandracas any tighter. Never more than a single goal separated the two teams throughout the first five chukkers, and they were still locked at 9–9 going into the last.

Akasha nevertheless appeared to have done the hard part when they moved two goals clear at 11–9. Talandracas had other ideas. Hugues Carmignac first produced a superb goal to bring his team back within one before Juan Martín Zubia levelled at 11–11. Extra time.

At that stage of a match, the slightest mistake can prove fatal. Akasha were awarded a 60-yard penalty and Tommy Beresford, who scored eight goals in the match, made no mistake: 12–11, golden goal and the first ticket to the semi-finals.

Jolly Roger bring down the unbeaten Clinova

A few hours later, Clinova and Jolly Roger produced almost the same scenario. 2–2, 3–3, 4–4, 5–5: the two teams traded blows without either managing to break clear.

Jolly Roger also had to contend with the loss of Nicolas Tomasevich, who was hit by the ball and eventually replaced by Juan Cruz Araya in the third chukker. It was a setback, but one that did not prevent Niclas Johansson’s Swedish team from staying in touch with a Clinova side that had arrived in the quarter-finals unbeaten.

The match finally swung Jolly Roger’s way in the last chukker, 8–7. And while the line-up promised an intriguing duel between the two Alfredos, Cappella and Bigatti, the man of the match was Manuel Plaza de Ayala.

The 35-year-old Argentine, a familiar face at the Open de France, a former winner of the Abierto Juvenil and selected for the Argentine national team last year, scored seven of Jolly Roger’s eight goals. A huge performance that carried Niclas Johansson’s team into the semi-finals.

Jolly Roger had brought down one of only two teams to emerge unbeaten from the opening phase and, despite being forced into a mid-match substitution, booked their place in the final four.

Two extra chukkers – and goals twice as wide

And then came Essso–Kazak.

A match that began at full throttle gradually developed into an arm wrestle. Essso, led by the ever-dangerous Guillermo “Sapo” Caset, and Kazak, inspired in particular by their two young talents Pedro Chavanne and Leon Donoso, were locked at 6–6 at the end of the fifth chukker.

Then nothing: not a single goal in the first extra chukker, the sixth of the match. It was certainly not for lack of opportunities. Caset, one of the tournament’s most formidable marksmen – and still its leading scorer with 31 goals – missed a corner that could have settled it, while a shot from Pedro Chavanne struck the post.

That brought into play a rule as spectacular as it is rarely required: for the second extra chukker, the goals were doubled in width, from 7 to 14 metres. A first on the Chantilly grounds.

And it was finally Pedro Chavanne who brought the suspense to an end: 7–6 to Kazak.

The young Argentine and 16-year-old Chilean Leon Donoso once again showed why so much is expected of them. But in a match where every ball mattered, the two patrons, Sébastien Aguettant for Kazak and Ian Gallienne for Essso, also played crucial roles at back, producing a number of vital defensive plays.

There still had to be a winner. After this most improbable of endings, it was Kazak.

Sainte-Mesme dared to dream, Octogone kept their cool

Octogone might have expected a slightly easier ride in the last quarter-final. They had not reckoned with the fighting spirit of Robert Strom and his team.

Sainte-Mesme kept the defending champions under pressure for a long time and even led 8–5 in the fourth chukker, Strom scoring their eighth with a magnificent cogote, the spectacular under-the-neck shot.

Once again, the “kids” played leading roles. Fermín MacDonough and Dante Castagnola were instrumental in Sainte-Mesme’s impressive resistance, with MacDonough scoring five goals himself.

But Octogone are defending champions for a reason. Hazel Jackson first pulled them back to 8–6 before the end of the fourth chukker, setting in motion a comeback subsequently orchestrated by Pelón Stirling’s experience and polo brain, Louis Hine’s speed and Hazel’s clearing work, repeatedly opening the road for her teammates.

And, fittingly, it was captain Alexis Morange who scored Octogone’s ninth goal to put his team back in front.

Pelón Stirling then sealed the result with an extraordinary individual play. Starting inside his own half and racing down the boards, he reached the 30-yard line and unleashed a shot from seemingly nowhere to make it 10–8 with two and a half minutes left on the clock. Even the goal judge, the flagman, did not see it coming.

A masterstroke at the decisive moment. And Pelón Stirling is certainly a master of his craft.

Sainte-Mesme had dared to dream for four chukkers. Octogone simply waited for their moment. Still unbeaten, the defending champions will face Akasha in Thursday’s semi-final.

Semi-finals

Thursday, 17 September

Jolly Roger King of Polo (SWE) vs Kazak (FRA)

Akasha (FRA) vs Octogone (SUI)

And now for the women

With the men’s final four decided, the Women’s Open de France SkinCeuticals now takes over the Chantilly grounds.

The tournament gets underway on Tuesday at noon with Augustinus Bader–Swee, followed at 5:00 pm by WhyNot, featuring Hazel Jackson. The Englishwoman certainly has no time to put her feet up at Chantilly.

With 28 players representing 14 nations and four former winners of the Argentine Women’s Open, the women’s tournament adds another dimension to the final week of Chantilly’s World Polo Festival.

The men are now two matches away from the title. The women are about to begin their campaign. At Chantilly, the decisive week can begin.

Quarter-final results

Akasha 12–11 Talandracas (after extra time)

Akasha: Alexandre Garese – FR, 0; Ciro Urturi – ARG, 3 (1 goal); Facundo Fernandez Llorente – ARG, 7 (2 goals); Tomas Beresford – UK, 7 (8 goals, including 1 penalty)

Talandracas: Hugues Carmignac – FR, 1 (2 goals); Gonzalo Ferrari – ARG, 7 (2 goals); Juan Martin Zubia – ARG, 8 (6 goals); Edouard Carmignac – FR, 0

BPP (Best Playing Pony): Irenita Musical (Dolfina Cuarteto x Irenita Sinfonia), played by Facundo F. Llorente.

Progression Akasha: (0–1) 2–2 / 4–5 / 7–7 / 9–9 / 11–11 / 12–11

Clinova Circulare 7–8 Jolly Roger King of Polo

Clinova Circulare: Raja Karim – UK, 0 (3 goals); Milo MacDonough – ARG, 2; Felix Esain – ARG, 6 (2 goals); Alfredo Cappella – ARG, 8 (2 goals)

Jolly Roger King of Polo: Niclas Johansson – SWE, 0; Nicolas Tomasevich – ARG, 3 (1 goal, replaced by Juan Cruz Araya in the third chukker – 0 goals); Manuel Plaza de Ayala – ARG, 6 (7 goals); Alfredo Bigatti – ARG, 7

BPP: Dolfina Imputada (Dolfina Guitarrero x Dolfina Acusada), played by Manuel Plaza de Ayala.

Progression Jolly Roger King of Polo: 2–2 / 3–3 / 4–4 / 5–5 / 8–7

Essso 6–7 Kazak (after two extra chukkers)

Essso: Ian Gallienne – FR, 0; Patricio Gaynor Jr – ARG, 3; Guillermo Caset – ARG, 8 (5 goals); Javier Guerrero Jr – ARG, 6 (1 goal)

Kazak: Sébastien Aguettant – FR, 0; Pedro Chavanne – ARG, 5 (4 goals); Leon Donoso – CHI, 5 (1 goal); Teodoro Lacau – ARG, 7 (2 goals)

BPP: Espi Talinda, played by Leon Donoso.

Progression Kazak: 3–1 / 4–3 / 4–4 / 5–4 / 6–6 / 6–6 / 7–6

Octogone 10–8 Sainte-Mesme

Octogone: Alexis Morange – FR/SUI, 0 (1 goal); Hazel Jackson – UK, 2 (1 goal); Louis Hine – UK, 6 (6 goals); David “Pelón” Stirling – URU, 8 (2 goals)

Sainte-Mesme: Fermín MacDonough – ARG, 3 (5 goals); Robert Strom – FR, 5 (2 goals); Dante Castagnola – ARG, 3 (1 goal); Clemente Zavaleta – ARG, 5

BPP: Open Bikini (Ellerstina Picaro x Ellerstina Chalina), played by David “Pelón” Stirling.

Progression Octogone: 1–2 / 3–2 / 5–4 / 6–8 / 10–8

Finals Day – Sunday, 20 September

From 11:00 am at Terrain d’Honneur 1 & 2, l’Orangerie.

Three finals in a single day, entertainment, the Rallye d’Aumale, stands and food trucks: the highlight of three weeks of competition.

11:00 am – Village and Polo Lounge open
12:00 pm – Open de France Ladies’ Final
3:00 pm – Open de France BARNES Final
5:30 pm – Trophée Castel Final

The club is also opening its doors to anyone wishing to try polo through a taster session. All information is available at poloclubchantilly.com/polo-school.

Practical information

Getting to the Polo Club

Simply search for “Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly” in your GPS or navigation app. All major navigation systems will guide you directly to the club entrance.

Match broadcasts

All Open de France BARNES matches will be filmed and available on replay on Pololine TV. From the quarter-finals onward, matches will also be broadcast live.

Results and statistics

Live scores, results and full tournament statistics will be available on the Polo Club’s website and via the ChukkerApp, which also provides coverage of all tournaments played at Chantilly throughout the season.