Mon 9th Dec 2024La Natividad Defeat La Dofina 13-11131st HSBC Argentine Open
On Sunday 8 December, La Natividad won their second Argentine triple Crown title of 2024 with a 13-11 win against La Dolfina in The 131st HSBC Argentine Open Final on Field 1 in Palermo. The 80 goal Final was a replay of this year’s Hurlingham Open Final between the two sides, which was also won by La Natividad. La Dolfina have been the team to beat for many years having reached 24 Argentine Open Finals in 25 years since the Club’s creation in 2000 – 2004 was the only year they were not in the Final – but La Natividad are creating similarly impressive statistics with this their fourth consecutive Final in which they have faced La Dolfina every time, and their third victory with previous wins in 2021and 2023. La Dolfina got off to a strong start and led 6-4 at half-time, but La Natividad turned the match around with a spectacular fifth chukka which saw the players in green and white outscore their rivals 4 goals to nil, with two from Jeta Castagnola and two from Facundo Pieres. This set the tone for the remainder of the match, which despite four consecutive goals from La Dolfina in the last chukka, saw La Natividad secure a 13-11 win. Jeta Castagnola, who scored nine goals in the Final and 34 in the tournament, was chosen as the Most Valuable Player, Guadalupe Lady Jane, played by Poroto Cambiaso, received the Lady Susan Townley Cup for the Best Playing Horse in the Final and Lovelocks Drogba, played by Barto Castagnola, received the Argentine Polo Horse Breeders Association Award for the Best Registered Player Product of the Argentine Polo Breed and Argentine Rural Society Award. A full report will be included in the December 2024/ January 2025 issue of Polo Times, click here to renew your subscription or gift a subscription for Christmas! The 131st HSBC Argentine Open Final Teams: La Natividad (40): Facundo Pieres (10), Camilo ‘Jeta’ Castagnola (10), Pablo Mac Donough (10) & Bartolomé Castagnola (10) La Dolfina Saudi (40): Poroto Cambiaso (10), David Stirling (10), Adolfo Cambiaso (10) & Juan M. Nero (10) Photograph: La Natividad, winners of The 131st HSBC Argentine Open. By Matías Callejo / AAP Press |