The first Annie Colquhoun-Denvers Tribute Polo Cup, organized by Rabii Benadada, was played on the beautiful grounds of the Palmeraie Polo Club earlier this month. The three-day tournament ended with the Royal Cavalry of Oman team emerging as champions, after defeating the Bordeaux team by 5 to 0.
The Royal Cavalry of Oman team is composed of Alraissi Jamar (0), Al Balushi Hussain (1), Al Hadrami Haitam (0), and Al Bulushi Mashal (1). Meanwhile, the opposing team’s lineup included Hachchach Mohamed (1), Khalid Al Suwaiket (0), Robert Gray (1), and Hichame Zine (0).
The tournament featured teams from six competing countries – the Kingdom of Morocco, USA, Netherland, France, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Czechoslovakia, the United Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Sultanate of Oman.
The two other teams are the Horbach Polo and PGH Polo teams. The former signed up Slavik Horbach (0), Eda Horbach (0), Kelly Coldiron (1), and Samantha Leach (1) as their members. The latter, on the other hand, is graced with Nourdean Anakar (1), Natascha Scholten (1), Taissir Kadiri (1), and Brittany Hall (1) in their team.
In the final, the Royal Cavalry of Oman and Bordeaux French teams started the game with great enthusiasm. They matched each other goal for goal for most of the first and second chukkas. However, the Royal Cavalry of Oman ended the third chukka with a small lead – and by the end of the fourth, overran their opponents.
A lot of celebrities and famous personalities were witnesses to the amazing event. “This is something that is in the national spotlight,” Rabii says. “It is an event that brought teams from many great countries to Morocco.”
This event was a tribute to the late Annie. She was an icon of polo for over 35 years, whose husband Nicholas was chairman of HPC the London Polo Club for 24 years, as well as a past chairman of the Hurlingham Polo Association and past president of the Federation of International Polo. She will be remembered as part of the history of polo forever.
