The Women's III Argentine Open.
- By Richard Hine
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- 13 Dec, 2019
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La Dolfina Brava & El Overo Z7 UAE finalists
The Final of The III Women’s Argentine Open has been decided! In an exciting development, Founder Richard Hine’s cousin, Milly, is one of the talented players who has reached the Final which will take place prior to the men’s Argentine Open Final on Saturday 14 December. Milly, like Richard, hails from a polo playing dynasty with her father having been both England Captain and Team Manager, and her grandfather John had his own UK high goal team in the 1980s; so to see such a young British player already hailing the Palermo grounds is no surprise.
On Wednesday 11 December, the Semi Finals took place at the AAP grounds in Pilar, with the four teams fielding impressive sides, vying for spots in the coveted Final. In the first Semi Final, the all-Argentine La Dolfina Brava came up against Brit/USA team Santa María de Lobos. The ‘home’ side were by far the stronger team, leading from the off to no goals in response until the fourth chukka, when Santa María de Lobos finally found the uprights. Despite strong defence and further goals from their rivals, La Dolfina Brava easily secured their spot in the 2019 Final.
There were more Brits making an appearance in the second Semi Final, with El Overo Z7 UAE proving their strength against the lower handicapped La Dolfina Amanara. The proof was in the pudding for El Overo Z7 UAE, with the tournament’s two highest handicapped players, British Hazel Jackson-Gaona (10 goals) and Argentine Lía Salvo (9 goals), alongside their lower handicapped teammates 7 goal Clara Cassino and Brit powerhouse Milly Hine (4 goals), as they held La Dolfina Amanara goalless until sixth chukka, with 10 goals on their scoresheet. At the final bell, El Overo Z7 UAE took home the Final position with a 14-2 final score.
The Final will take place prior to the men’s Argentine Open Final on Saturday 14 December, with the team line-ups reflecting the 2018 championship Final. The III Women’s Argentine Open Final Teams:
La Dolfina Brava (29): Mía Cambiaso (7), Milagros Fernández Araujo (7), Candelaria Fernández Araujo (8) & Mili Sanchez (7)
El Overo Z7 UAE (30): Clara Cassino (7), Hazel Jackson-Gaona (10), Lía Salvo (9) & Milly Hine (4)