Spectators line the fence to watch Cartier overcome Bank Hoffman 4-2 in a match for third and fourth place, the Mercedes AMG Cup. .

Despite frigid temperatures, more than 10,000 spectators enthusiastically toughed it out at the final matches of the Cartier Polo World Cup on snow in St. Moritz, Switzerland, on January 30. The final pitted Simon Holley’s Maybach against John Manconi’s Siemens in a fastpaced match. In the match, Maybach declared its first snow polo victory on the winning end of a 7-6 score. Maybach was led by former 10-goaler Alejandro “Piki” Diaz Alberdi, claiming his sixth snow polo title. Diaz Alberdi led the scoring throughout the three-day tournament with 13 goals. Diaz Alberdi set the pace in the final with five goals in the first three periods, but his well-balanced teammates certainly contributed to his freedom to score.

Cool eyes: Jaime Huidobro		The Cartier trophy at the 21st Cartier Polo World Cup on snow
Chris Hyde, Simon Holley, Maybach’s Leon Hustinx, Cartier’s Horst Edenhofer, Piki Alberdi and Nacho Gonzalez

Argentine Diaz Alberdi was joined by England’s 6-goalers Nacho Gonzalez and Chris Hyde at back and Holley out front. Siemens didn’t make it easy, keeping pace the entire match with Canadian Manconi’s teammates, Argentines 8- goaler Juan Jose Brane, playing with broken fingers, and 4-goaler Oscar Mancini and Chilean 7-goaler Gabriel Donoso scoring two goals apiece. Maybach edged ahead in the final chukker on goals by Gonzalez and Hyde. Diaz Alberdi, Brane and Gonzalez were named best players.

The Mercedes AMG Cup, a match for third and fourth place, was played before lunch, with Cartier outscoring Bank Hoffman 4-2. British 1-goaler Tony Pidgley’s Cartier team boasted 8-goal Chilean Jaime Huidobro, 5-goaler Jack Kidd and 4-goaler Tim Brown. BothPidgley and Brown had never played in St. Moritz, getting their first taste of the Maloja wind playing cat and mouse with the ball on the frozen lake. With the experienced Pidgley and Huidobro, Cartier adjusted to the conditions to overcome Bank Hoffman’s Swiss Piero Diller, German Thomas Winter (gamely filling in for an ill 7-goal Lucas Labat), and Argentineans 6-goaler Cristian Bernal and 7-goaler Ignacio Tillous. Huidobro led the scoring with three goals for Cartier.

On the way to the final Maybach stopped Cartier 7-2 and Siemens slipped past Bank Hoffman 7-6. Then Bank Hoffman defeated Cartier 7-4 and Siemens bested Maybach 5-4. Chosen for the all-star team were Pidgley, Gonzalez, Donoso and Bernal.

The lake, 5,900 feet above sea level, freezes to 7-10 inches thick and carries an infrastructure of more than 2,000 tons for the polo matches. Blanketed with inches of white snow, it requires a bright red inflatable ball, larger than the typical polo ball.

Along with the exciting polo, bobsleigh and skeleton races were also held in the area. Additionally, many social events were thrown, including a dance and an official player presentation complete with fun skits. A polo village was set up for shopping, and the matches were filmed by Argentine Fox Sports, which broadcast to other South American markets. Germany, Australia and New Zealand also presented shows on snow polo in St. Moritz.

In the final, Siemens’ John Manconi successfully defends against Maybach’s Chris Hyde as the ball goes wide of the goal. Maybach slipped past Siemens 7-6 for the Cartier trophy.

The splendid polo ground of St. Moritz as Siemens edges Maybach 5-4.

— Photos by swiss-image.ch/Guenter Schiffmann