& More 2015
Sibling rivalry Jimmy vs Nico Roberts
John Bunn executing
a near-side backhand
Jimmy Roberts
Hickstead substitute Nico Roberts on the ball with
John Bunn attempting to hold off Jeff Evelyn
T
our places are highly sought after for the now infamous AEPC tour
of the Apes Hill Polo Club. After careful consideration, plans were
made for Ricky Cooper of Clogau Wales Polo Team and Steve
Rigby to join forces with tour veterans John Bunn, Seb Dawnay and Bobby
Dundas for a week of polo and partying, at what has become a firm highlight of
the AEPC calendar since its inauguration in 2006.
How wrong can you be! Bobby announced he was to set off to row the
Atlantic with Fergus Scholes, Henry Brett and James Glasson (I mean who
says yes to such an idiotic idea); Ricky Cooper broke his shoulder in
December and didn’t recover in time; and Seb Dawnay snapped his riding
muscle - although he did make the tour thankfully after 4 months off!
This year saw the introduction of a new format, including what proved to
be a brilliant first match – aptly named the “April Fools Challenge”. Polo is
all about playing with good friends, but when JB and Seb Dawnay joined
forces with Sir Charles’ eldest son Stephen and his wife Linda to go up
against their son and daughter, Oliver and Camilla, with Pablo Crespin
and Marc Atwell, the family rivalry made for an exciting game; fraught with
danger and potential boiling points, it was a fantastic match to play and to
watch. Even though the final score saw our AEPC team miss victory by 1
goal, a great game was had by all.
For our next match, the team consisted of Bill Dillane, Nico Roberts, Seb
Dawnay and John Bunn. Pitted against an ICBL Barbados team of Stewart
Gill, Marc Atwell, Jamie Roberts and Pablo Crespin, it was never going to
be an easy game. The first 8-goal match is always a tough one as it is our
first foray onto grass for the season, after a winter of arena polo. Starting with
½ a goal on handicap, AEPC held their ground well in the early stages. It
was a hard fought match played with great gusto, and the teams were neck
and neck throughout the match until being pipped at the post by a Jamie
Roberts 60 yard penalty with 5 seconds on the clock.
Finals day, and despite Teddy Williams being unfortunately sidelined through
injury, AEPC came out focused for the big match! Seb was especially keen
to set the record straight having given away the dreaded penalty in the
closing moments of the previous match, and Steve Rigby joined the tour
and proved a very useful addition in the number 1 slot. The first chukker
finished one a piece, and no goals were scored again until late in the third,
when the AEPC were put behind by the smallest of margins at 3 to 3½.
However, the final chukker went firmly in our favour with 3 unanswered
goals to pick up the trophy 6 goals to 3½.
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