The Fip Ladies European Polo Championship 2023 in Punta Ala – U.S. Polo Assn Trophy – scheduled to take place from July 5 to 9 at the Punta Ala Equestrian Center, will kick off at 6:00 PM with the traditional horse and athlete parade at the Punta Ala Marina. The parade, enriched by the presence of vintage cars and attended by Sandra Mucciarini, Councilor of the Municipality of Castiglione della Pescaia, will be followed by a cocktail at the Punta Ala Yachting Club.

THE TOURNAMENT

The competition will span three days, starting at 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM. Four national teams will compete: Italy, England, Germany, and France. It begins on Thursday, July 6, with the draw determining the matchups for the opening matches: Italy, led by coach Franco Piazza and team captain Alessandro Giachetti, will face England, while in the other match, France and Germany will compete. Alice Coria, Maitena Marrè, Camila Rossi, and Ginevra Visconti are the athletes chosen to wear the blue jersey. The teams will return to the field on Saturday, July 8, for the second day, where the winning teams from the first match will face the losers. Sunday, July 9, will feature the finals – of which RaiSport will broadcast a comprehensive summary in the days following the event – and the award ceremony. Each of the four federations has submitted a list of 10 players, but only four girls from each team will play. For England: Kristina White, Beanie Bradley, Rosanna Turk, and Rebecca Walters. For Germany: Clarissa Marggraf, Marie Haupt, Svenja Hölty, and Eva Brühl. For France: the sisters Luci and Pearl Venot, Margaux Perruchot, and Ambra Ploix.

DEFENDING CHAMPION ITALY

The upcoming event in Punta Ala will be the fourth edition of the Women’s European Polo Championship. The first took place in 2017 in Chantilly, France, with Italy emerging victorious. In the following year at Villa Sesta, Tuscany, Italy secured the second position behind Germany. In 2021, the first year when the European Championship served as qualification for the Women’s World Championship, Italy claimed its second gold medal in Milan, preceding a fourth-place finish in the World Championship in Argentina.

THE PARADE

The matches will be preceded by the customary parade of horses and athletes in Punta Ala Marina on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 5, enriched by the presence of vintage cars. Sandra Mucciarini, Councilor of the Municipality of Castiglione della Pescaia, will also participate. The parade will be followed by a cocktail at the Punta Ala Yachting Club.

EVENTS

The five-day program in Punta Ala is filled with events to complement the European Championship schedule. On Friday evening at Gallia on the Beach, a charity dinner is scheduled to raise funds for Operation Smile Italy ETS Foundation. The closing dinner will take place on Sunday at the “La Vela” restaurant.