Photography by Ian Gavan for Getty Images final day at the Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge at the Desert Palm Hotel on February 22, 2013 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The event takes place under the patronage of HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE Ruler of Dubai. The Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge is the most celebrated tournament in the desert and one of three Cartier hosts each year including the Royal Cartier International Windsor Polo and Saint-Moritz Snow Polo event.  

Impressive polo final played in presence of HRH Princess Haya

Dubai, 23 February, 2013: Her Highness Sheikha Maitha bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum won the prestigious Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge today. HH Sheikha Maitha was a key member of the Desert Palm team which had impressed all week, coming to the final unbeaten and hot favourite for the trophy.  In this thrilling final, Desert Palm narrowly defeated last year’s winners Cartier 6.5-6. HH Sheikha Maitha received the trophy and her winners’ prize from the patron of this event, HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Princess Haya was accompanied by Mr Louis Ferla, Managing Director of Cartier Middle East and Mr Ali Albwardy of Desert Palm. In addition to awarding prizes to the winning team, HRH Princess Haya also presented Mariano Uranga with the La Martina Most Valuable Player Award. She also placed the La Martina Best Playing Pony Rug on HH Sheikha Maitha’s horse Salinas, which was played by Martin Valent in the 1st and 3rd chukkas. Meanwhile, HRH Princess Haya received a special trophy from Cartier in recognition of her long-standing support of this polo event Four pro-am teams have been playing hard all week in this prestigious Cartier competition, now in its 8th year, and the many illustrious guests and team sponsors, Emirates NBD, CNN and Desert Palm were today treated to two superb displays of fast paced and exciting polo. This included an earlier subsidiary final, for the Desert Palm Trophy, in which CNN defeated Emirates NBD 7.5-6. To ensure that the players’ and ponies’ style was as elegant as their play, La Martina retained its Official Team Kit Supplier status, while the Porsche Centre Dubai, in its role as Official Car Supplier, ensured that both VIPs and players arrived on time. Pommery made a welcome return to this event this year, hosting a reception after Friday’s finals –the perfect way to conclude such a magnificent tournament.

Cartier Polo Dubai Challenge 2013 DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - FEBRUARY 22:  Final day at the Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge at the Desert Palm Hotel on February 22, 2013 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The event takes place under the patronage of HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE Ruler of Dubai. The Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge is the most celebrated tournament in the desert and one of three Cartier hosts each year including the Royal Cartier International Windsor Polo and Saint-Moritz Snow Polo event. Photography by Ian Gavan/Getty Images for Cartier. . . . . . . . . . Ian Gavan 2013 Getty Images

CARTIER INTERNATIONAL DUBAI POLO CHALLENGE TEAMS 2013 Desert Palm:  HH Sheikha Maitha Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum (UAE)0;Guillermo Healy (1); Martin Valent (ARG) 5;Facundo Castagnola (ARG) 6. Cartier: Adriano Agosti (CH) 0; Saeed Bin Drai (UAE) 0; Mariano Uranga (ARG) 6; Juan Jose Brane (ARG) 7. DESERT PALM TROPHY CNN: Faris Al Yabhouni (UAE) 0; Jonathan Munro Ford (AUS) -1; Juan Ambroggio (ARG)7; Chris Hyde (UK) 6. Emirates NBD: Amr Zedan (KSA) 0; Saad Audeh (JOR) 0; Ignacio Heguy (ARG) 9; Rodolfo Ducos (ARG) 4.

 

 

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UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF

HRH PRINCESS HAYA BINT AL HUSSEIN,

WIFE OF HH SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL MAKTOUM,

VICE-PRESIDENT AND PRIME MINISTER OF THE UAE AND RULER OF DUBAI

 

 

Teams all set to play in Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge 2013

Desert Palm Retreat and Polo Club February 18 - 22 February 2013

Dubai, Tuesday 19 February 2013 – The four pro-am teams in the Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge were at Desert Palm this evening for the event’s official opening ceremony and shirt presentations. Players, patrons and sponsors mingled, all keen to discuss the next four days of fast paced polo. Among the players was the Cartier team patron Adriano Agosti, who already has a great record in Cartier events, having won the Cartier International titles in both Dubai and China in 2012.

This year sees a new member of the Desert Palm team, Her Highness Sheikha Maitha Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, daughter of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Although Her Highness was unable to attend this opening ceremony she will be in action tomorrow in Desert Palm’s first game of the 2013 season. They face the title sponsors Cartier, and as Louis Ferla, Regional Managing Director Cartier Middle-East, India & Africa said in his welcome address: “May the best team win!”

The Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge is held under the patronage of HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Every match will be played at Ali Albwardy's Desert Palm estate, home to one of Dubai’s premier boutique retreats, Desert Palm by Per AQUUM. To ensure that the players’ and ponies’ style is as elegant as their play, La Martina has been reappointed as the Official Team Kit Supplier, while the Porsche Centre Dubai, in its role as Official Car Supplier, will see that both VIPs and players arrive on time. Pommery returns too in 2013, hosting the cocktail reception after Friday’s finals – always the perfect way to conclude a magnificent tournament.

 

CARTIER INTERNATIONAL DUBAI POLO CHALLENGE TEAMS 2013

Cartier: Adriano Agosti (CH) 0; Saeed Bin Drai (UAE) 0; Mariano Uranga (ARG) 6; Juan Jose Brane (ARG) 7.

Emirates NBD: Amr Zedan (KSA) 0; Saad Audeh (JOR) 0; Ignacio Heguy (ARG) 9; Rodolfo Ducos (ARG) 4.

CNN: Faris Al Yabhouni (UAE) 0; Jonathan Munro Ford (AUS) -1; Juan Ambroggio (ARG)7; Chris Hyde (UK) 6.

Desert Palm:  HH Sheikha Maitha Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum (UAE)0;Guillermo Healy (1); Martin Valent (ARG) 5;Facundo Castagnola (ARG) 6.

 

 

 

To keep up-to-date with the action during the tournament go to: http://www.guardspoloclub.com/the-club/cartier-dubai or follow on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Guards-Polo-Club/23499484952 or via Twitter @guardspoloclub

 

*The players’ opinion