HH Sheikha Maitha leads Desert Palm team to victory in Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge 2013

Impressive polo final played in presence of HRH Princess Haya

Her Highness Sheikha Maitha bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum won the prestigious Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge last Friday. HH Sheikha Maitha was a key member of the Desert Palm team which had impressed all week, coming to the final unbeaten and hot favourite for the trophy.  In this thrilling final, Desert Palm narrowly defeated last year’s winners Cartier 6.5-6.

HH Sheikha Maitha received the trophy and her winners’ prize from the patron of this event, HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Princess Haya was accompanied by Mr Louis Ferla, Managing Director of Cartier Middle East and Mr Ali Albwardy of Desert Palm.

In addition to awarding prizes to the winning team, HRH Princess Haya also presented Mariano Uranga with the La Martina Most Valuable Player Award. She also placed the La Martina Best Playing Pony Rug on HH Sheikha Maitha’s horse Salinas, which was played by Martin Valent in the 1^st and 3^rd chukkas. Meanwhile, HRH Princess Haya received a special trophy from Cartier in recognition of her long-standing support of this polo event

Four pro-am teams have been playing hard all week in this prestigious Cartier competition, now in its 8^th year, and the many illustrious guests and team sponsors, Emirates NBD, CNN and Desert Palm were today treated to two superb displays of fast paced and exciting polo. This included an earlier subsidiary final, for the Desert Palm Trophy, in which CNN defeated Emirates NBD 7.5-6.

To ensure that the players’ and ponies’ style was as elegant as their play, La Martina retained its Official Team Kit Supplier status, while the Porsche Centre Dubai, in its role as Official Car Supplier, ensured that both VIPs and players arrived on time. Pommery made a welcome return to this event this year, hosting a reception after Friday’s finals –the perfect way to conclude such a magnificent tournament.