The 24th Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad began with two qualification matches which enjoyed the ideal conditions of a warm sun and a fresh mountain breeze—perfect for the horses, and happy horses made for beautiful games.

Italy’s Nicolas Antonori scored the very first goal of the 2019 edition in which his team, Hublot, held a lead against defending champion Banque Eric Sturdza. Despite today’s result, Cedric Schweri and his teammates need not fret, for there is still a chance for them to return next Sunday for the final.

But to do that they will have to face the winner of today’s second game, Clinique la Prairie, where the three Argentineans made a considerable impression on the Saanen aerodrome green. Most notably was the 6-goaler Lucas Labat for his smart plays and skill in sending the ball down the field. Gstaad Palace managed to break Clinique la Prairie’s 5-2 lead in a burst of three goals, but after they leveled the playing field to 6-6 the men of Liechtenstein captain Gerardo Cosentino could not register any goals in the fourth period. They will face Hublot in the semi-final next Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
This first day saw already an impressive public turnout, assurance that one can expect the final to be well attended! Tomorrow is rest day, or almost, for there will be a magnificent parade of the teams through the streets of Gstaad.

Progression Hublot : 2-2 ½ / 4-2 ½ /6-2 ½ ans 6-4 ½
 
Hublot : Marco Elser (ITA, h0), Marcos Antinori (ITA, h3), Nicolas Antinori (ITA, h4, 4 goals) and Julio Novillo Astrada (ARG, h7, 2 goals)
 
Banque Eric Sturdza : Cedric Schweri (SUI, h0), Bautista Riglos (ARG, h3, 1 goal), Marcelo Pascual (ARG, h5, 1 goal) and Joa0 Novaes (BRE, h5, 2 goals)

At the Hublot Polo Gold Cup Captains’ meeting, held in the magnificent Gstaad Palace, a draw determined the opening two games of Thursday.
 
As per the will of the hat, the titleholder Banque Eric Sturdza, led by Cedric Schweri, will open this edition against Hublot at 1:30 p.m. Then, at 3:00 p.m., Gstaad Palace will face Clinique La Prairie. These two qualifying matches will decide which teams will play in the semi-finals on Saturday, which are also set to begin at 1:30 p.m.
 
On Friday, teams will meet in the heart of Gstaad for the traditional parade.

You can find the full digital version of the 2019 Magazine by clicking on this link

Magazine POLO-2019

Last week, during the Clinique La Prairie Garden Party, Polo Club Gstaad President Pierre Genecand presented the 24th edition of the Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad in the presence of press and guests. The Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad will be played from August 22nd to the 25th. Following a welcome speech from Simone Gibertoni, CEO of Clinique La Prairie, Pierre Genecand presented the title partner, Hublot (whose sponsorship contract has just been extended by three years), as well as the three other team sponsors: Banque Eric Sturdza, Gstaad Palace and of course, Clinique La Prairie. You can download the press kit from this link.

Media kit English

The ‘‘Sport of the Kings and King of Sports’’ is back in Gstaad, at Saanen Airport, from August 22nd to 25th for four glamorous days dedicated to the oldest team sport: the Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad!

Today, the ‘‘kings’’ of this sport, are not the English princes or maharajas anymore, but real athletes, mostly Argentineans, who go through a rigorous physical and technical training in order to play a high-level polo tournament like the Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad. But aren’t the real kings of this sport actually the horses? They are the first polo athletes, raised and selected since the beginning of the last century (still in Argentina) to become the best accomplices, even the ‘‘legs’’ of their riders. Lively, intelligent, playful, fast, tough, brave, these equine “rugby players” are very endearing horses. The player has hardly thought of an action that his horse answers and sometimes even anticipates as it knows perfectly the game and its rider. Sometimes also called ‘‘ponies’’, they adapt to all the conditions and therefore to the altitude of 1000m of this highest summer tournament in the world.

Almost a hundred of these little horses will establish their camp for a week on the grounds of Saanen airport to help the sixteen players of the four teams who dream of winning this coveted trophy of the international polo circuit. Three teams, Clinique La Prairie, Gstaad Palace and Hublot will try to overthrow the one of Banque Eric Sturdza and his Swiss captain, Cedric Schweri, unbeatable since he won his first title in 2017: ‘‘Well, I wouldn’t say that the Hublot Polo Gold Cup is my only goal of the season, but it’s one of my favourite tournaments since it’s the most important one in Switzerland and, of course, as a Swiss player, I am honoured to be a participant. I’m as ready as I can be, I mean it would be amazing to win for the third time”. He will count this year on the Brazilian Novaes brothers to win a new victory in this 2019 edition.

Remembering the final 2018 won on a knife edge by the team Banque Eric Sturdza after an incredible ‘‘remontada’’ when Cedric Schweri and his team were led by three goals, it looks like, once again, it will not be easy for the Swiss captain even though his combativeness got the upper hand. The competition will be strong. The Swiss captains of Clinique La Prairie, Piero Dillier and Andy Bihrer, for example, have called on Lucas Labat, the Argentinian handicap 6 player, who is playing at the highest level on all continents. Julio Novillo Astrada (h7), who is said in his country that he is certainly the strongest player of this renowned family who won the prestigious Argentinean Open, will return to Gstaad for Team Hublot and American Captain Marco Maximilian Elser. As for the captain of the Gstaad Palace team, Gerardo Cosentino of Liechtenstein, he will introduce three new Argentinean players to the cosmopolitan public of Gstaad, including handicap 6 Franco Gai.

Beyond this thrilling sport – and all the more spectacular in Gstaad on a field close to the public – the Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad is a unique experience in the Swiss sports calendar that goes beyond the competition: a stunning setting of greenery, on an by alpine peaks surrounded airport that becomes a polo club for a single weekend, a rare proximity with players and horses, a VIP village and exhibitors with original luxury products to discover, a friendly atmosphere, a public dining area, a playground for children and, on Friday, a picturesque animation in the streets of Gstaad with the parade of teams. A different way to live high level polo!

* The handicap corresponds to the level of the polo player (it oscillates between -2 and +10). Handicaps evolve according to the performances of the player during the games and the progress recorded during year. The highest handicap in Europe is 7 (England). The handicap 10 is currently held by 9 Argentines and an Uruguayan.

Press Release, Thursday, May 16th, 2019

The preparations for the tournament is in full swing and we are looking forward to welcoming you in Gstaad for the 24th edition of the Hublot Polo Gold Cup from August 22nd to 25th.

The Polo Club Gstaad wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The 24th Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad will take place from August 22nd to 25th 2019.

We are looking forward to seeing you!

What a finale! Probably the most beautiful in twenty-three editions of the Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad. Incredibly intense to the point that the audience (2000 spectators again) completely got caught up in game and greatly cheered from the sidelines. Although Cedric Schweri and his teammates of Banque Eric Sturdza were able to raise the trophy for the second year in a row, they truly had to fight for it.