ENGLISH VERSION BELOW
En la final de la 25° edición del Polo Open de France, disputada el domingo 21 de septiembre en Chantilly Polo Club, el equipo Octogone, integrado por Alexis Morange, Justo Laulhé, Louis Hine y David “Pelón” Stirling, recibió el Standing Rock Fair Play Award en reconocimiento a su conducta ejemplar, deportividad y excelencia en la equitación a lo largo de todo el torneo.
El galardón, otorgado por los árbitros, distingue a los equipos que se destacan por su respeto hacia las reglas, la disciplina y la actitud positiva en la cancha. En esta ocasión, Octogone no solo se llevó el premio Fair Play, sino también la victoria en la final frente a Kazak, imponiéndose por 9 a 6. A pesar de que Pelón Stirling sufrió una caída en el segundo chukker que le provocó una lesión en el hombro, el uruguayo regresó al juego y lideró a su equipo hacia el triunfo.
Durante las tres semanas que duró el certamen, los árbitros evaluaron a los equipos en base a su espíritu deportivo, su conducta hacia los jueces y su disciplina dentro y fuera de la cancha. El proceso de evaluación, supervisado por Chantilly Polo Club, fue llevado adelante por un panel internacional de árbitros compuesto por Jason Dixon, Ben Turner, Henry Fisher y Peter Wright (Reino Unido), Pepe Araya y Martín Inchauspe (Argentina) y Clément Gosset (Francia).
El prestigioso trofeo fue entregado a Octogone por el Chief Umpire, Peter Wright, quien destacó: “Fue un honor presentar el Standing Rock Fair Play Award este año en el Open de Francia. Octogone fue un merecido ganador, demostrando un espíritu deportivo excepcional y un profundo respeto tanto hacia los oficiales como hacia sus rivales durante todo el torneo. Este premio es único en el polo, ya que pone en valor la integridad, el juego limpio y el respeto hacia los caballos, los adversarios y los árbitros. En su segundo año en Chantilly, confío en que su importancia continuará creciendo.”
Por su parte, Benoît Perrier, Polo Manager de Chantilly Polo Club, celebró la consolidación de esta iniciativa, asegurando que “fue un gran éxito. El equipo Octogone realizó un torneo fantástico con un espíritu ejemplar”.
Desde su creación en 2024, el Standing Rock Fair Play Award ha recibido una respuesta sumamente positiva de jugadores, árbitros y clubes, lo que ha permitido su expansión internacional en alianza con distintas organizaciones de polo. Hoy, el Standing Rock Polo Team, liderado por el patrón suizo Philipp Müller, respalda la entrega del premio en Inglaterra a través de la HPA en la serie Victor Ludorum, en el Open de France, en el New Zealand Open mediante la Asociación de Polo de Nueva Zelanda y en Australia con la Asociación de Polo de Nueva Gales del Sur.
ENGLISH VERSION
Octogone is presented with the Standing Rock Fair Play Award at the French Open 2025
At the final of the 25th Polo Open de France held at Chantilly Polo Club on Sunday September 21st, team Octogone (Alexis Morange, Justo Laulhé, Louis Hine, and David ‘Pelon’ Stirling) was awarded the Standing Rock Fair Play Award for demonstrating exceptional conduct, sportsmanship and horsemanship throughout the tournament.
Emerging as winners of the thrilling final match played against team Kazak, which ended 9-6, Octogone was chosen by the umpires as the recipient of the Standing Rock Fair Play Award, due to the respect for umpires, positive attitude and discipline the team upheld for the duration of the competition. Despite Octogone’s Pelon Stirling suffering a fall in the second chukker and injuring his shoulder, he refused to give up, and despite the pain, he got back on his horse and led his team to victory.
Throughout the three weeks of the French Open tournament, all teams were judged based on specific criteria. They were evaluated on their sportsmanship, such as shaking hands before and after the game, respecting the opposition, assisting an opposing player who drops his or her mallet, and admitting when the ball was out or when it was a goal for the other team. Another key criterion was their conduct towards the umpires, which included respecting decisions without arguing, acknowledging the goal judges, ensuring that only the captain addressed the officials, thanking the umpires regardless of the outcome, providing suitable umpire ponies, and refraining from any public criticism of officials after matches. The third aspect considered was discipline on and off the field, demonstrated by avoiding shouting or cursing, ensuring the welfare of ponies by not overusing the whip and by offering water after the game, being punctual, maintaining positive body language, and showing a helpful and sporting attitude with officials and other teams. In essence, the award celebrates teams who embody the core values of integrity and fair play.
The group of professional umpires for the French Open consisted of Jason Dixon, Ben Turner, Henry Fisher and Peter Wright from the UK, Pepe Araya and Martin Inchauspe from Argentina, and Clement Gosset from France. The umpires evaluated and scored teams after every match, with Chantilly Polo Club overseeing the scoring and calculations to ensure the process was fair and transparent.
The prestigious Standing Rock Fair Play Trophy was presented to Octogone by Chief Umpire Peter Wright during the finals ceremony. Wright remarked: “It was an honour to present the Standing Rock Fair Play award this year at The French Open. The recipients, Octogone, were worthy winners, showing outstanding sportsmanship and respect to both the officials on the field and their opponents throughout the tournament. The Standing Rock Fair Play Award is unique in polo for shining a light on integrity, sportsmanship and respect for umpires, opposition and our equine partners. In its second year at Chantilly, I hope and expect that its ongoing importance will continue to grow.”
Polo Manager of Chantilly Polo Club, Benoit Perrier, echoed this enthusiasm for the award by describing the second year of the initiative as “a great success,” highlighting that “the team Octogone had a fantastic tournament with exemplary spirit.”
Since its inauguration in 2024, the Standing Rock Fair Play Award has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from players, umpires and polo clubs. Its success has driven its expansion internationally, in partnership with more clubs around the world, inspiring teams to strive for the highest standards of excellence and integrity in the sport.
The Standing Rock Polo Team, led by Swiss Patron Philipp Müller, has pledged to support the presentation of the Fair Play Award through the HPA’s Victor Ludorum series in England, at The French Open, with the New Zealand Polo Association during the New Zealand Open, and with the New South Wales Polo Association in Australia.
