PARK LIFE: TEAM ABU DHABI RAISE THEIR GAME TO WIN MINT POLO
TEAM Abu Dhabi are this year’s winners of the MINT Polo in the Park tournament at Hurlingham Park, after a fast-paced final against Gaucho Team Buenos Aires.
Abu Dhabi took an early lead in the three-day event, starting with Friday’s match against defending champions City A.M. Team New York, where Piki Diaz Alberdi, Mohammed Al Habtoor and Andrea Vianini (pictured left, left to right) showed the 32,000 spectators “what professional polo is all about”, defeating the defending champions 10-5.
The team continued their winning run on Saturday by beating Otkritie Team Moscow 12-8 – despite some “spectacular” goals by Moscow’s Ed Hitchman – before retaining the lead against a determined Buenos Aires side in Sunday’s final, where Abu Dhabi’s Al Habtoor played “at the top of his game” to secure the 8-5 victory.
As the polo finished, the Veuve Clicquot players’ after-party started, where Made In Chelsea’s Millie Mackintosh, Hugo Taylor and Spencer Matthews joined Glee actor Matthew Morrison at the Hurlingham Club to listen to a set from Razorlight’s Johnny Borrell followed by dancing until midnight.