70
? ? ? ? ? ?? ? ?? ? ? ? ? ? ?? ? ? ? ? ? / ? ? ? ?
a team after
we ended up drawing, and so went to a run-down for a
resting his injured wrist. This was a hugely exciting match
result. With Garvy and Andreas both able to hit well over
with some breathtaking individual play from Andreas
a hundred yards we fancied our chances of getting some
Papoyans to ensure a comfortable win for Wellington.
silverware, but a horrific bounce off a divot sent the ball
71
? ? ? ? ? ?? ? ?? ? ? ? ? ? ?? ? ? ? ? ? / ? ? ? ?
Eton. This match saw Garvy return to the
Speech Day saw our now traditional polo match here
almost sideways across the pitch. Unfortunately we were
at Wellington down on Farm Field. Every year this gets
unable to make up for that and Marlborough were able to
better and better and draws more of a crowd. This year
cross the line a fraction of a second ahead of us.
we enjoyed some outstanding play from our a team joined
The shining star of our season this year was our Under
by Brazilian International Juracy Santos (4) and England
16a Team of Andreas Papoyans, Garvy Beh, Jasmine Pidgley
International Roddy Williams (5). A huge thanks goes to
and Chris Ewing. They were in action in the National
Amar Sheik for arranging these players and the umpires,
Under 16 tournament. I thought we had been jinxed by
Roddy Wood and Hamid Ali.
an e-mail Andreas sent me the day before the tournament
Before the National Girls tournament we had a warm-
saying ‘are u ready to win sum silverware ?’ However, the
up match against Heathfield, in which we tried out different
quality of polo on view at this tournament was breathtaking
combinations of players and also included Luke Walsh and
and it is without any modesty that I say most of it was due
Garvy Beh to allow Heathfield to practise against some stiff
to us ! We won our way through to the final with some
opposition. Many thanks to Tony Pidgley for allowing us to
great teamwork, Andreas seemingly everywhere on the
play on one of his pitches.
pitch and some breathtaking individual flair from Garvy. In
? ?? ? ? ? ?
oster Cup, Queen’s Club: The highlight of
the Doubles Championships at Queen’s in March, Nick
this winter’s rackets season was undoubtedly
played with captain Charlie Pickard [Bl]. They produced
Nick Hopcroft’s [Bd] success in the Senior
some decent performances in the course of the season,
H K Foster Cup at Queen’s Club in December 2008.
the highlights of which were a close 3-4 loss to Winchester
Having won the singles and doubles trophies for Junior
in December and a 4-2 win over Tonbridge in February.
Colts the previous season, Professional Noel Brett and
Gordon Hamilton-Fairley [Hg] and James Rendell [S] gained
Nick took the bold and adventurous decision to bypass the
confidence as the Second Pair, and so were disappointed to
Colts championship (for the Incledon-Webber Cup) and
lose to Rugby in the first round at Queen’s.
F
compete for the Foster Cup—the competition for the top
With Hopcroft promoted to the First Pair, Angus
16 senior boys in the country.
The gamble paid off.
Boobbyer [Pn] and James Whateley
Seeded
three in the tournament, Nick won
“At the age of 16 [Nick Hopcroft]
became … the youngest winner
in the history of the Foster Cup.”
both his first and second round
matches 3-0. In the semi-final he met
Christian Portz from Winchester,
[A] played together in the Colts’ Pair,
and won a high proportion of their
school matches. While not playing
at their best, however, they beat a
similarly underperforming Radley pair
In the Girls tournament, Wellington were able to field
the final we were up against a very physical and determined
second seed in the tournament. In a match of exceptional
at Queen’s, before losing to Harrow in the quarter final.
three teams for the first time, which is more than any other
Marlborough team. However, Chris and Jasmine played
quality Nick won 3-1; until he served the winning ace in
We look forward to a good next year.
school. The play, from all the players, was outstanding. Each
beyond their abilities and Andreas and Garvy were clearly
the final game neither player had been more than 5 points
Oliver Rendell [S] and Peter Melhuish [Bl] made
and every girl played at the very top of their game and can
the best players on view that day and we eventually came
hold their heads high and the a team came a very creditable
ahead. In the final he met Portz’s partner from Winchester,
significant progress in the Junior Colts Pair. As they began
out as comfortable winners despite some dubious play from
fourth seed Sean Knight. Playing aggressive attacking rack-
winning matches they visibly grew in confidence, and should
6th in the top division. Heathfield did outstandingly well,
Marlborough, claiming the two of our goals did not cross
ets with a strong sense of self-belief, Knight took the first
continue to improve. They were also motivated by the
thanks to their warm up against us !
the line and the Umpire, an ex-Picton parent, believing them
game and the first 7 points of the second. Nick gradually
desire to keep ahead of a promising group of Yearlings.
despite spectators protests… Thus Wellington College are
took control of things as his opponent began to make mis-
Jack Wood [Bl] and Charlie Barrow [Bn] also played at
now the National Under 16s Polo Champions !
takes, and won the next three equally hard-fought games.
Queen’s, while Connor Nurse [A], Rufus Hawkings [S],
At the age of 16 he became possibly the youngest winner
Tom Membrey [Hl], Chris Thomas [A], Ben Rogers [Bl]
in the history of the Foster Cup.
and Tom McClean all had opportunities in school matches.
The intermediate teams worked hard and saw a welcome
return to Oli Botes [Hl] (congratulations for getting into
Oxford), who promptly crashed his horse and ended up
Also congratulations to Luke Walsh for being selected
with it on top of him. No permanent damage done to either
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