LivingPolo: news & lifestyle

There's no stopping the Wallerstein Girls Only Cup (not even a hurricane!)

Extreme weather conditions on Saturday, but event goes ahead

Team Rolls-Royce Motor Cars captained by Princess Anna Oettingen-Wallerstein and her daughter Yoanna take the title of the fourth international ladies tournament in a nail biting final at Wallerstein Castle.

The tropical temperatures on Friday and Saturday created joyful and relaxed atmosphere amongst the players. Circulation and low blood sugar difficulties after the chukkers were treated with a cool bath in the swimming pool and plenty of Pimm's. The international players, who immediately jumped on their horses after a five-hour traffic jam in the blistering heat, showed a remarkable and sportive effort.

Four out of the six teams had equally balanced handicaps and it was therefore difficult to forecast the winning team. In this year's Girls Only tournament, a professional male player accompanied every team to try out something new and create additional speed to the games. The male player had to pass the ball by the third contact to his teammates and was not allowed to score within the 60-yard line.

The team of the international clothing retailer Falke, with a -1 team handicap played an extraordinary tournament and secured third place. They defeated the titleholder 2011, team Desert Palm sponsored by Ali Albwardy unexpectedly, who's strongest player had to be exchanged due to health problems. The champagne team Ruinart, as the 'best losers' got the chance to play the semi-final and lost narrowly against the strong Acqua di Parma team.

The wonderful Asado-evening on Friday was a delightful finish of an exciting and heated day for all players and grooms in the princely castle park. White emblazoned tables on the green lawn in front of the Orangerie, with fireplaces and flambeaus were a highlight of the weekend. The 130 guests partied and danced underneath a clear starry sky until early morning.

A typical Bavarian brunch took part on Saturday with 'Wallersteiner Weibier', 'weiwurst' and brezels in the woods with an archery competition for the Girls Only players, won by Maria Johansson with 8 stronghits in the bulls' eye. The guests sported dirndls, lederhosen and kilts for the occasion.

On Saturday evening however, a hurricane of biblical force stroke Wallerstein and the lavishly pink

dressed guests, leaving a path of destruction. With great assistance from 30 tireless and energetic helpers, who started cleaning the Polo grounds at 5 o'clock in the morning on Sunday, the tournament could be continued, even though accompanied by heavy rainfall.

"The childrens' match, Los Indianos from Munich versus the regional Fischpanzer team, was especially important to us. Tough and hard training and incredible anticipation could not get disappointed" so Prince Carl-Eugen zu Oettingen-Wallerstein. "The Los Indianos, with the talented Grabosch brothers andLara Schwarz played a fantastic game." They won by one goal against the Fischpanzer team with Annabel Beyer-Morgenstern, Sophia and Benni Jaenecke, Lukas Neureiter and Eugen Oettingen-Wallerstein. This match was a highlight of the weekend and especially entertaining for all spectators.

Despite the extreme weather conditions or maybe due to exactly that reason, the atmosphere amongst theplayers was wonderful. "It was important for us, as long as the safety of the players and the horses was guaranteed, to continue the tournament under all circumstances" explained Princess Anna zu Oettingen-Wallerstein. With a great deal of improvisation, positive attitudes from the guests and with a 'the show must go on' approach, the tournament could get played to the end. "This pink, extreme weekend will go into the (polo) history of the princely House Wallerstein and we will tell our grandchildren about it," declares Col. Justin Stanhope-White.

A large contribution to the tournament was the commentator Jens 'Günni' Thomsen, who turned the slightest sorrow into a smile. "I arrived in Wallerstein with a station wagon and left with a convertible," since his car was buried underneath a tree, hit by lightening.

In the exciting and fast final, team Acqua di Parma with Isabel Beyer von Morgenstern, Caroline Link from Thailand, Charlotte Sweeney, Team Rolls-Royce Motor Cars captained by Princess Anna OettingenWallerstein and her daughter Yoanna take the title of the fourth international ladies tournament in a nail baiting final at Wallerstein Castle.

The tropical temperatures on Friday and Saturday created joyful and relaxed atmosphere amongst the players. Circulation and low blood sugar difficulties after the chukkers were treated with a cool bath in the swimming pool and plenty of Pimm's. The international players, who immediately jumped on their horses after a five-hour traffic jam in the blistering heat, showed a remarkable and sportive effort.

Four out of the six teams had equally balanced handicaps and it was therefore difficult to forecast the winning team. In this year's Girls Only tournament, a professional male player accompanied every team to try out something new and create additional speed to the games. The male player had to pass the ball by the third contact to his teammates and was not allowed to score within the 60-yard line.

The team of the international clothing retailer Falke, with a -1 team handicap played an extraordinary tournament and secured third place. They defeated the titleholder 2011, team Desert Palm sponsored by Ali Albwardy unexpectedly, who's strongest player had to be exchanged due to health problems. The champagne team Ruinart, as the 'best losers' got the chance to play the semi-final and lost narrowly against the strong Acqua di Parma team.

The wonderful Asado-evening on Friday was a delightful finish of an exciting and heated day for all players and grooms in the princely castle park. White emblazoned tables on the green lawn in front of the Orangerie, with fireplaces and flambeaus were a highlight of the weekend. The 130 guests partied and danced underneath a clear starry sky until early morning.

A typical Bavarian brunch took part on Saturday with 'Wallersteiner Weibier', 'weiwurst' and brezels in the woods with an archery competition for the Girls Only players, won by Maria Johansson with 8 stronghits in the bulls' eye. The guests sported dirndls, lederhosen and kilts for the occasion.

On Saturday evening however, a hurricane of biblical force stroke Wallerstein and the lavishly pink

dressed guests, leaving a path of destruction. With great assistance from 30 tireless and energetic helpers, who started cleaning the Polo grounds at 5 o'clock in the morning on Sunday, the tournament could be continued, even though accompanied by heavy rainfall.

"The childrens' match, Los Indianos from Munich versus the regional Fischpanzer team, was especially important to us. Tough and hard training and incredible anticipation could not get disappointed" so Prince Carl-Eugen zu Oettingen-Wallerstein. "The Los Indianos, with the talented Grabosch brothers andLara Schwarz played a fantastic game." They won by one goal against the Fischpanzer team with Annabel Beyer-Morgenstern, Sophia and Benni Jaenecke, Lukas Neureiter and Eugen Oettingen-Wallerstein. This match was a highlight of the weekend and especially entertaining for all spectators.

Despite the extreme weather conditions or maybe due to exactly that reason, the atmosphere amongst theplayers was wonderful. "It was important for us, as long as the safety of the players and the horses was guaranteed, to continue the tournament under all circumstances" explained Princess Anna zu OettingenWallerstein. With a great deal of improvisation, positive attitudes from the guests and with a 'the show must go on' approach, the tournament could get played to the end. "This pink, extreme weekend will go into the (polo) history of the princely House Wallerstein and we will tell our grandchildren about it," declares Col. Justin Stanhope-White.

A large contribution to the tournament was the commentator Jens 'Günni' Thomsen, who turned the slightest sorrow into a smile. "I arrived in Wallerstein with a station wagon and left with a convertible," since his car was buried underneath a tree, hit by lightening.

In the exciting and fast final, team Acqua di Parma with Isabel Beyer von Morgenstern, Caroline Link from Thailand, Charlotte Sweeney, and Segundo Copello competed against the Rolls-Royce team with Princess Anna zu Oettingen-Wallerstein and her daughter Yoanna, Christine Thomé and Agustin Kronhaus from Argentina. The Rolls-Royce team could secure the victory with only half a goal in the end.

It was the first victory in the Girls Only tournament for Princess Anna zu Oettingen-Wallerstein. "As the host one doesn't like to win, nevertheless I was extremely delighted winning the Girly Only Cup playing the first time with my daughter." Yet she doesn't have a lot of time to enjoy their triumph, because now the hard work begins. The hurricanes damages in the historical castle park have to be cleaned up.