All good things come in threes. La Dolfina Sancor Seguros left little doubt. The 40-goal quartet made up of Adolfo Cambiaso, David Stirling, Pablo Mac Donough and Juan Martín Nero showed its greatness on Palermo’s Field No. 1 as it defeated Ellerstina Piaget 13-12 to win the 122nd Argentine Open. The team achieved the unprecedented feat of winning Argentina’s Triple Crown for the third consecutive year, and remains unbeaten after 35 matches.

Step one: Tortugas

Twenty-seven is a number with multiple meanings. In mathematics it is the perfect cube (3x3x3); it is the atomic number of cobalt; there are 27 signs of the zodiac in Indian astrology; there are a minimum of 27 outs in a game of baseball; the human hand has 27 bones; and there is a 27 Club, refering to at least 50 famous musicians that died at that age, including Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Brian Jones, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse.

The Tortugas Open is the first leg in the Triple Crown. La Dolfina’s 11-9 defeat of Ellerstina was the team’s 27th consecutive victory in three seasons, a figure never reached before in Argentina’s high-handicap. And the team was not done yet.

The tournament, which began in 1930 at the oldest country club in South America, began on Tuesday, September 29 with a clash between Alegría and Chapaleufú in Group A. The match was even in the first two chukkers, but a third brilliant period from Cristian Laprida—the newest member of the pinkshirted Alegría team—allowed his quartet to take a three-goal lead (7-4). Within 14 minutes, the Heguy cousin’s experience took over, led by a colossal Ignacio (seven goals in the afternoon) to edge ahead (10- 9). But in the last two periods, the aim of Fred Mannix (six goals in the match) allowed Alegría to keep its victorious pace 15-11.

A day later, Group B activity began with the clash between the two formations of La Aguada. The match could have gone either way. LA Las Monjitas, with Juan Ignacio Merlos replacing his injured brother Sebastian, took a 2-0 lead in the opening chukker.

La Aguada evened the score in the next period and went ahead in the fifth, closing 8-5 thanks to the work of Agustín ‘Tincho’ Merlos. But a renewed effort by the orange-shirted LA Las Monjitas (Alejandro Novillo Astrada shone with six goals) forced overtime after tying 10-10 at the end of regulation time. In overtime, the golden goal came from Tincho Merlos (the sixth of the match) to give the triumph to La Aguada.

Rain forced a slight alteration of the schedule, pushing the next game to October. Ellerstina Piaget, just a week after being crowned at the Jockey Club (see page 42), started at full steam in Tortugas thanks to a resounding 20-12 defeat of La Aguada in Group B. And as was seen in the Jockey Club final, Facundo Pieres, still wearing the No. 4 jersey, was the main weapon in La Zeta’s attack, converting eight goals (six from the field) and renewing an interesting tactic in which players do not respect the four fixed positions but instead rotate continuously.

Just 24 hours later was the debut of the reigning champion: La Dolfina. In a show of force more than usual, Adolfo Cambiaso scored 11 goals in the afternoon for a broad 20-11 win over Chapaleufú, which did not offer much resistance, perhaps saving itself for Palermo.

The first finalist was decided on October 10. And it was another display of consistency and practicality by La Dolfina, looking like a well-oiled machine. The quartet made clear its 40- goal handicap against a dangerous opponent like Alegría. And after a steady start (3-2 in the opening chukker), a 4-0 burst in seven minutes condemned Alegría’s chances. The rest of the match had the Cañuelas squad dominating in all aspects on the road to its fifth straight final in Tortugas.

The next afternoon, Ellerstina did what it needed to reach the 10th final in a row in the first leg of the Triple Crown. The Piereses made it necessary to leave behind La Aguada 17-10, a result more auspicious in figures than what was in the field. The strength of Facundo Pieres (top scorer with nine goals) was the key to clear success against an opponent that, had it been more accurate in front of its rival’s goals at the necessary times, would have offered the first surprise of the season.

The Emilio de Anchorena Cup was settled on Saturday, October 17 on the Tortugas Club’s Field No. 7. It was the sixth time Ellerstina would meet La Dolfina for the title. La Zeta (Ellerstina) took the trophies in 2005, 2011 and 2012; the last two were for Cambiaso & Co. The match began with a slight advantage for the men in black (Ellerstina), who closed the opening 14 minutes with a 4-3 lead. But a storm was brewing.

In the third chukker, the power of La Dolfina appeared to take the 6-4 advantage. Pablo Mac Donough produced notable plays, David Stirling was everywhere with the help of his teammates and Cambiaso was unstoppable against the opponent’s target (scoring 10 goals in the afternoon). At back, Juan Martín Nero played by the book, stopping Ellerstina’s drives to goal. Ellerstina equalized the score in the fifth after Facundo Pieres appeared in all sectors of the field and his cousin Pablo converted every chance he had (four goals in the match).

But La Dolfina hammered in four goals to lead 11-7 with less than 10 minutes of action. La Zeta had chances to get close on the scoreboard, but Facundo missed some crucial penalties (he missed six in seven chukkers) so the final bell formalized the 11-9 win, giving La Dolfina its third consecutive celebration in Tortugas.

In addition to the champion cup, Cambiaso received two trophies when Chocolate, owned by Valiente Polo, was awarded the best horse of the tournament and Fax Cherokee was named best Argentine Polo product.

It’s getting to be a nice habit of winning Tortugas, a tournament we were denied earlier. This final we won without playing too well, and that is also good. We are not counting the games we won but instead continue to look forward to new challenges. That is what keeps us focused,” the No. 1 (top scorer of the tournament with 29 goals) said with a measured smile while on the podium.

Step two: Hurlingham

In the second leg of the Triple Crown, La Dolfina Sancor Seguros was minutes way from losing for the first time in three years. But it scored in the knick of time to defeat Ellerstina Piaget 15-14, winning Hurlingham’s Open and increasing its unbeaten streak to 31 victories.

It seemed to be the appointed day: that day the polo community around the globe fears and craves at the same time. That day that marks the end of the dynasty of La Dolfina Sancor Seguros. The day that ends the Cañuelas quartet’s victorious streak, which began October 3, 2013, when it succeeded in the Tortugas Open, and downed La Aguada Las Monjitas 13-8.

From there, Adolfo Cambiaso’s squad strung together 27 victories, getting the titles in Tortugas, Hurlingham and Palermo 2013, Jockey Club, Tortugas, Hurlingham and Palermo 2014 and Tortugas 2015. After three more wins in Hurlingham it reached the final on Saturday, November 7 against Ellerstina Piaget. For the first time in a long time, La Zeta seemed to have everything at its disposal to defeat its nemesis. In fact, for seven chukkers, the Pieres cousins savored the taste of victory. But, against a true champion, nothing can be said until the last bell.

The 122nd edition of the Hurlingham Open, the second leg of Argentina’s Triple Crown, began on October 20. Due to rain, the initial games were played on the fields the Argentine Polo Association owns in Pilar, 35 miles from the capital, rather than on the fields owned by the traditional Hurlingham Club, located west of Buenos Aires.

La Dolfina, just 72 hours after winning the Tortugas, faced Washington Murus Sanctus, one of the teams coming from the qualifying tournament. It was almost a clash between Adolfo Cambiaso’s A and B strings as the club from the small town in the province of Córdoba is where the crack athlete from Cañuelas trains his young horses.

Washington showed no fear in its debut in a major tournament and played head to head for the first 21 minutes, when the match was closer than the 7-4 score indicated. A lethal 6-1 fourth chukker had Cambiaso (eight goals in the afternoon) shine and Juan Martín Nero (seven) allowing La Dolfina to take a relaxing advantage.

While Washington tried to close the gap, led by Facundo Sola (best scorer with 10), the champions won by a wide 22-12 that left smiles on both sides. Also on opening day, there was family feud between La Aguada ICBC and La Aguada Las Monjitas ICBC. The first four episodes were for La Aguada, thanks to a hot Agustín Merlos. The next three chukkers marked the LA Las Monjitas reaction with Ignacio Toccalino as leader (five celebrations). The teams were tied at 11 in the final minute. A 40-yard penalty for La Aguada Las Monjitas was flubbed by Toccalino. Just when overtime seemed inevitable, Tincho Merlos scored his eighth goal of the day giving the victory to La Aguada.

The first round was completed the following day. Ellerstina suffered more than necessary to surpass Magual Pire Hue Lodge. In fact, the team that entered the contest by the qualifier tournament led 9-8 when the first half was completed thanks to a huge effort by Alejandro Muzzio (six goals in the match). Just when horses began to be repeated, the speed differences and disparities in handicap (39 against 31) began to appear.

Nicolás Pieres was the top scorer for La Zeta, ending with a 15-13 win but with few things to celebrate. Neither that game, or the next left a good taste. Alegría Assist Card triumphed over Chapaleufú Cardón 19-18, suggesting a festival of goals and a good game. Actually, it was a locked game, full of infractions and friction. Hilario Ulloa led the winners with 13 goals (11 penalties) and Julián de Lusarreta, replacing the injured Bautista Heguy, shined for the losers.

The second round, also in APA’s Alfredo Lalor complex, began with a surprise: Washington defeated La Aguada 13-12. The rookie team started like a whirlwind and in 14 minutes outscored its opponent 6-1 with Facundo Sola as the main weapon (eight goals in the afternoon). La Aguada began a slow comeback and tied 12-12 in the last chukker. A calm Sola reappeared and managed to break the tie with 55 seconds to the final bell. There was enough time for a safety shot in favor of La Aguada, but Tincho Merlos missed.

A while later, there was no room for another bombshell. Trailing 2-1 after the first chukker, La Dolfina gritted its teeth and left no doubt against La Aguada Las Monjitas. It harvested a second win in the tournament by a wide 18-7, with 11 Adolfito goals in a match that ended with yellow cards for both teams because of excessive talking.

The next day, Alegría added its second celebration, although, as in its debut, the victory was just by a single goal: this time 15-14 against Magual. The eight chukkers were extremely even and although Canadian Fred Mannix’s team maintained control of the score, it could never escape beyond three goals (7-4 in the middle of the match). Hilario Ulloa added 11 goals, and was MVP of his squad.

The evening got colder and colder, an unusual temperature for the month of October (austral spring). Ellerstina did not offer too much to warm those present and against Chapaleufú only showed flashes of the great defensive performance displayed in the final of Jockey Club Open. Facundo Pieres increasingly pushed forward from the back position to find the rival’s target nine times, winning by a wide 18-10.

The rain forced a postponement and the first finalist was not decided until October 31, back at the host club’s fields. La Dolfina showed an unexpected lineup when, in the middle of the sixth chukker, Cambiaso aggravated a left hamstring injury and was replaced by Brazilian Rodrigo Ribeiro de Andrade.

The team did not seem to miss its ace and completed another successful job against La Aguada by a convincing 16-10 to enter the Hurlingham’s sixth consecutive final. A day later, Ellerstina showed its best side to dispatch Alegría by 19-11 thanks to a bright beginning in which it lead 12-1 after the third. Polito Pieres stayed close to the opponent’s goal and his cousin Facundo organized La Zeta from the back. After the overwhelming start, Ellerstina let up and allowed Alegría to be a part of the game.

While the eighth Hurlingham final between Ellerstina and La Dolfina was expected on November 12, the two remaining matches were completed in Pilar. La Aguada Las Monjitas came from behind in the middle of the seventh chukker to defeat Washington 13-12. Chapaleufú also closed with a celebration after overcoming Magual 11-10 in a much-disputed clash.

In the final, Ellerstina did everything necessary to take control of the match, leading for 49 minutes and putting La Dolfina on the defensive. Brothers Gonzalo and Facundo Pieres formed an unstoppable team to escape 12-8 in the fifth chukker, even after Facundo suffered a nasty fall in the fourth. That was the change in momentum La Dolfina needed.

David Stirling began to push and force penalties that Cambiaso easily converted (eight goals, seven from the penalty line). La Dolfina was closing the gap but was still trailing. With seven minutes left, Ellerstina was up 13-11 and it looked like the longest unbeaten streak of Argentine polo would be cut short.

Pablo Mac Donough scored a few seconds into the last period but after a great run, Polito Pieres took back the two-goal lead for La Zeta with less than five minutes on the clock. Uruguayan Stirling put himself in the superhero’s suit and tied it at 14-14. It looked like an extra chukker would be needed until La Dolfina forced a 60-yard foul. With a minute and 20 seconds left, Cambiaso split the uprights to lead 15-14. Ellerstina could not react and allowed Cambiaso & Co. not only to accumulate the 31st consecutive win but to raise The Ayrshire Cup for the ninth time.

Ellerstina ended with the bitterness of having been on the verge of victory. Sad faces denoted disappointment to receive the runner-ups Ravenscroft Cup. Nor was it comforting when the Fair Play trophy, given to the Best Polo Product, went to Gonzalo Pieres for his mare Open Z Jones. “We had them and we lost it on errors,” summarized Facundo, still sore from the fall in the match.

On the other side, La Dolfina was in an uproar. Wearing blue blazers to recognize the champions, they received trophies and celebrated on the podium. Juan Martín Nero’s mare Oli Chicha was awarded with the Daniel Kearney Cup as the best horse in the final. “The celebration when you win this way is impressive,” said Pablo Mac Donough, the strategist of the team. “I do not know if the eighth chukker was the best of my life. But, I know I made two goals and that’s why they all congratulated me,” said a humble Stirling, MVP of the final.

Step three: Palermo

The first match for La Dolfina Sancor Seguros in the most important event on the planet was delayed. The rain caused the opening day to be moved three days to November 23. The delay seemed to affect La Dolfina in its match against Magual Pire Hue Lodge, coming from the qualifier, as in the opening seven minutes the match was fairly even. By the second chukker, La Dolfina was imposing clear differences against an opponent that could not sustain the pace and paid for every mistake with a goal.

The only setback for the defending champion was the departure of Uruguayan David Stirling with a blow to the hand in the seventh chukker. He was replaced by Brazilian Rodrigo Andrade. The final score marked a resounding 18-7 with Cambiaso as top scorer (seven).

That same day, on Field No. 1, La Aguada ICBC played a remarkable match to beat Alegría Assist Card 22-16. After a two-year absence, Agustín Merlos again resembled a hired gun, not respecting opposing defenses, and led La Aguada ICBC to a 7-0 start that generated surprises. The team of Canadian Fred Mannix slowly closed the gap, and recovered 15-14 at the end of the sixth chukker. La Aguada’s dominance reappeared with a spectacular Guillermo Caset to shut out Alegría 4-0 in the seventh period. Tincho Merlos scored three goals in the last (11 in total) chukker to win 22-17.

The next day, the moment fans of good polo had been waiting for arrived when, for the first time since 1999, a full quartet of Heguy family members returned to Palermo. Moreover, the name Chapaleufú Cardón reappeared in the legendary Cathedral after four years. Furthermore, it was the 30th year brothers Eduardo and Alberto Heguy played in the Argentine Open, a historic record.

Against this background, the Estrella veterans (Chapaleufú) gave their best game against a powerful team like La Aguada Las Monjitas ICBC, which premiered its original formation with a healed Sebastián Merlos. In that context, they offered an open and emotional game that just broke open in the last chukker with the great work of Ignacio Toccalino (nine goals, one less than Ruso Heguy) to decree the 17-15 victory for LA Las Monjitas and deserving applause for the eight contenders.

Earlier, on the No. 2 field, Ellerstina Piaget suffered more than necessary to break debutant Washington Murus Sanctus, the other team from the qualifier. When Washington closed the first half up 7-6, several people in the stands raised eyebrows. A blast in the fifth (4-0 for Pieres) settled the score and, from there, the course straightened for the Pieres cousins, specially thanks to nine goals coming from Facundo to reach a tight 14-10 victory.

Rain again forced the second round to be postponed until November 29. With the fields finally dry, in Group B, Ellerstina dominated Chapaleufú. After a scoreless opening chukker, it closed the following three sets with a lead of 11-4. The Heguys tried to catch up, but Pablo Pieres (nine goals) helped complete an amazing 9-1 second half, which left the final score at an unexpected 20-5.

LA Las Monjitas also maintained a winning pace, this time in front of Washington. Four weeks earlier, in Hurlingham, LA Las Monjitas beat the newcomers by a close 13-12. Now, they had to come from behind (Washington led 6-4 after the initial 21 minutes) but once Alejandro Novillo Astrada started scoring (half dozen) the team went on to an 11-8 victory.

In Group A on November 30, La Aguada scored its second success by downing Magual 17-10. The first half came from the books: very hard in defense and effective in the attack (Tincho Merlos was the best scorer with seven) to lead 7-1. It maintained the pressure in the second half to complete the task.

On Field No.1 it was clear that even straining, La Dolfina had no opposition. Alegría struggled to take control for eight chukkers (gigantic task of Hilario Ulloa converting 10 goals), but could not cope with Cambiaso & Co. who won 16-14. On December 5, Group A was decided.

The day began with Alegría’s deserved victory with a solid 18-11 win against Magual in which Hilario Ulloa shone again, contributing 13 goals, a sum that allowed him to close as the Open’s best scorer with 36 goals in three matches. The action then moved to the Cathedral where La Dolfina recovered from a hesitant start against La Aguada (2-3 after finished the first 14 minutes) to finish 13-10, thanks to eight goals from Cambiaso. La Dolfina signed its ticket to the 11th consecutive final in Palermo.

The next day, in a clash of generations, Washington demonstrated its maturity to overcome Chapaleufú 15-12, getting its second win in its first season of the Triple Crown (it celebrated against La Aguada at Hurlingham). The Heguys, who were without the injured Bautista (replaced by South African Ignatius Du Plessis), were left to question their future.

Then the action moved to Field 1 for the clash between Ellerstina and La Aguada Las Monjitas to decide the best in Group B. La Zeta was relentless against an opponent who physically suffered (Cubi Toccalino fell several times and Sebastian Merlos suffered an old injury in his right knee). Facundo Pieres was vital both defending and attacking (eight goals) for the 16-12 victory that put the men in black in their ninth final in 10 years in Palermo.

The final, on Saturday, December 12 was divided into two distinct halves. The first four chukkers were all for La Dolfina, showing a perfect game with rarely seen speed and accuracy. The strategic capacity of Mac Donough and multiplicity of Uruguayan Stirling, coupled with the defensive capacity of Nero, allowed Adolfito to shine. Thus, the 8-4 score (an unusual difference between these teams so evenly matched) seemed short when the initial 28 minutes were completed under a light rain that threatened to get heavier. But heavy rains did not arrive and La Zeta reassembled it forces.

Facundo Pieres took the helm of Ellerstina, well supported by his older brother Gonzalito, and later his brother Nicholas and cousin Pablo appeared in the game. Risking each bowl-in as if it were the last, the Coronel Rodriguez quartet entered into the final chukker down by only two goals (12-10). Everything would be decided in seven minutes.

Polito Pieres narrowed La Dolfina’s lead to just one 1:23 into the last chukker. In a war of nerves, Cambiaso converted a penalty from 40 yards (his sixth conquest of the afternoon). Finished business? No, Ellerstina hit again and when the clock marked 1:30 left, Facu Pieres got his sixth goal of the game to bring the score to 13-12 for La Dolfina. La Zeta tried its last attack and with 30 seconds to finish, Polito and Nico Pieres both missed the final shot on the same play just a few feet from its rivals goal. The final bell sparked an ovation for winners and losers.

La Dolfina held its ninth win in the most important tournament on the planet. In addition, La Dolfina notched an unprecedented third consecutive year in the Triple Crown. Legendary team Coronel Suárez has the record for four wins, but without continuity (1972, 1974, 1975 and 1977). A fact that reaffirms La Dolfina’s final reign: if you add the two games for winning the 2014 Jockey Club Open title, La Dolfina owns an unbeaten streak of 35 matches, an unprecedented figure in the high handicap.

'When receiving trophies, Juan Martín Nero added two awards to his personal showcase: the Lady Susan Townley Cup for the best horse in the final thanks to the mare Falta Nut, and the Argentine Association of Polo Breeders Best Product Award because mare Oli Chicha.

I am surprised and flattered by these trophies. It is an honor for me and all the people working with me to help me in the breeding and care of my animals,” Nero said.

The Gonzalo Tanoira award for the MVP of the tournament had an exclusive name: Adolfo Cambiaso. “We are far beyond what I dreamed when we put together the team. We played against Ellerstina, a great team, and against history. We show our best polo of the whole contest and entered in the books,” admitted the smiling and tired No. 1 as he made his way down from the podium.

By Ernesto Rodriguez • Photos by Sergio Llamera