Saturday, November 14, 2009, will mark the start of the most important polo tournament in the world, the 116th Argentine Open Polo Championship (Abierto Argentino de Polo, or just "El Abierto"), that will take place until December 5, 2009. This tournament, held every year at the Campo Argentino de Polo in Palermo (Av. del Libertador & Dorrego), brings together the best polo players in the world, and it is one of the oldest and most prestigious events in the international polo calendar. It is also one of the main social events in Buenos Aires.

"Abonos" (full set of tickets for the 7 dates) for the 116th Argentine Polo Open are on sale through Ticketek Argentina until November 13th, 2009. Tickets for the individual matches will continue, subject to availability after the sale of the "abonos", from November 14th to December 5th, 2009. Tickets for the main matches and the best seats can get sold out in just a few hours, specially for the final match on December 5th.

Participating teams:

Zone A:
Ellerstina Etiqueta Negra: Facundo Pieres 10, Gonzalo Pieres (Jr) 10, Pablo Mac Donough 10, Juan Martín Nero 10. Total: 40.
Pilará Piaget: Agustín Merlos 10 , Santiago Chavanne 8, Sebastián Merlos 9, Marcos Heguy 10. Total: 37.
Indios Chapaleufú II: Alberto Heguy (Jr) 8, Ignacio Heguy 9, David Stirling (Jr) 8, Eduardo Heguy 9. Total: 34.
Alegría: Frederick Mannix (Jr) 6, Francisco Bensadón 8, Juan I. Merlos 9, Luke Tomlinson 8. Total: 31.

Zone B:
La Dolfina Peugeot: Adolfo Cambiaso (Jr) 10, Lucas Monteverde (Jr) 10, Mariano Aguerre 10, Bartolomé Castagnola 10. Total: 40.
La Aguada Tupungato Winelands: Javier Novillo Astrada 9, Eduardo Novillo Astrada (Jr) 9, Miguel Novillo Astrada 10, Ignacio Novillo Astrada 9. Total: 37.
Chapa Uno Hope Funds: Rodrigo Ribeiro de Andrade 8, Hilario Ulloa 8, Bautista Heguy 9, Francisco de Narváez (h) 9. Total: 34.
El Paraíso: Guillermo Caset (Jr) 8, Ignacio Toccalino 8, Mariano González 8, Alejandro Novillo Astrada 7. Total: 31.

Fixture:

Date 1
Saturday, November 14 (Zone A):
2:00 PM: Ellerstina vs Alegria (1)
4.00 PM: Pilará vs Indios Chapaleufú II (2)
Results:
Ellerstina 20 - Alegria 15
Pilará 16 - Indios Chapaleufú II 15

Date 2
Sunday, November 15 (Zone B):
2:00 PM: La Dolfina vs El Paraiso (3)
4:00 PM: La Aguada vs Chapa Uno (4)
Results:
La Dolfina 21 - El Paraiso 8
La Aguada 13 -Chapa Uno 9

Date 3
Saturday, November 21: SUSPENDED DUE TO RAIN
Date 4
Sunday, November 22: SUSPENDED DUE TO RAIN 
Date 3
Friday, November 27: SUSPENDED DUE TO RAIN 

New dates:
Date 4
Saturday, November 28 (Zone B)
2:00 PM: La Aguada vs El Paraiso
4:00 PM: La Dolfina vs Chapa Uno
La Dolfina 15 - Chapa Uno 14 

Date 3
Wednesday, December 2 (Zone A)
2:00 PM: Pilará vs Alegria
4:00 PM: Ellerstina vs Indios Chapaleufu II
For organization reasons, the 6th date will be played before the 5th date:

Date 6
Saturday, December 5 (Zone B)
2:00 PM: El Paraiso vs Chapa Uno
Result: El Paraiso 13 - Chapa Uno 12
4:00 PM: La Dolfina vs La Aguada SUSPENDED DUE TO RAIN 

Date 5
Sunday, December 6 (Zone A):
2:00 PM: Alegria vs Indios Chapaleufu II
4:00 PM: Ellerstina vs Pilará

The match suspended on December 5 will be played on:
Monday, December 7
5:00 PM: La Dolfina vs La Aguada

For the first time in its 116 years of history, two 40-goal teams will meet at the final of the Argentine Open. 

Final: Saturday, December 12
5:00 PM: ELLERSTINA vs LA DOLFINA

LA DOLFINA champion of the 116th Argentine Open.
With a golden goal by Mariano Aguerre in the supplementary chukker, La Dolfina defeated Ellerstina in the first 80-goal final in this historic tournament. 

The exhibition Carlos Thays, un jardinero francés en Buenos Aires (Charles Thays, a French Gardener in Buenos Aires), organized by the Buenos Aires government, the French Embassy, the City of Paris, will be held at Centro Cultural Recoleta until December 6, 2009, with free entrance, featuring photographs, models, plans, urban furniture, personal objects and other documents.

Charles Thays was one of the main promoters of the embellishment of urban spaces for the centenary in 1910, and one of the key figures for the protection of the natural patrimony, the production of yerba mate, and the botanical sciences.

Charles Thays was born in Paris in 1849, and died in Buenos Aires in 1934. He was known as the Greatest Gardener of Buenos Aires. He developed his work in Argentina from 1889, adopting it as his own country, studying its natural and cultural heritage.

As Director of Parks of the city of Buenos Aires, Thays designed and remodeled most of its green spaces: the Botanical Garden, the Parks 3 de Febrero, Los Andes, Ameghino, Colón, de los Patricios, Chacabuco, Pereyra, del Centenario, Lezama, Avellaneda and Intendente Alvear, as well as the squares of Congreso, de Mayo, Rodríguez Peña, Solís, Castelli, Brown, Balcarce, among others. He also built gardens in hospitals and other public buildings, and planted over 150,000 trees in the streets of Buenos Aires.

• One life, two continents: explains the private and public life of Thays in two countries: France and Argentina.
• The art of the garden: shows his main public and private designs (squares, parks, and gardens; urbanizations; estancias and residences).
• Science and technics: focused in his activities related to botanics, environment and horticulture.
• Children's corner: specially design for kids, introducing them in the parks of the past.
• Virtual walks, a video installation that takes visitors to the parks of Paris and Buenos Aires
• Exterior garden: a Welcome garden

Location: Centro Cultural Recoleta, Junin 1930

Dates: November 5 - December 6, 2009

Opening hours:

Monday to Friday, 2 pm to 9 pm

Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays, 10 am to 9 pm

Free entrance

The program is sponsored by Fundacion YPF, which contributed to the care and restoration of the Rose Garden, planting 5000 new rose bushes, restoring the irrigation systems, the electrical installations, the fountains, pergolas and paths.

Program:

October 4: Juan Falú and Ramiro Gallo. Guitar and violin duo. A mix between folklore and tango.

October 11: String quartet and oboe. Classsical musc concert. Works by Luigi Boccherini, Joan Strauss, Astor Piazzolla, Ennio Morricone, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Pachelbel.

October 18: Django Trío Jazz Concert. Will play own themes and songs by Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, Django Reinhardt and Birelli Lagrene, among others.

October 25: Classical music concert. Wind Trío. Ludwig van Beethoven, José Carli, Wolfang Amadeus Mozart, Eugene Bozza and Eric Satie.

November 1: Diego Schissi Quinteto Jazz Concert. Presenting “Tongo”, a jazz and tango project by Diego Schissi.

November 8: Quinteto Ventarron. Tango concert.

November 15: Wind quinted. Classical Music Concert.

November 22: Mario Parmisano Trio. Jazz

November 29: Classical Music concert (to be confirmed)

December 6: Gabriela Herrera Jazz Quartet

December 13: Guillo Espel Quartet. Folklore

December 20: Duo Gotico. Classical Music Concert.

The Argentina Tennis Cup, sponsored by Peugeot (Copa Argentina de Tenis Peugeot 2009), will be  played this year from December 17th to December 20th, 2009. The matches will take place on the central court of Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club, the traditional venue for Argentine Tennis.
This seventh edition of the Peugeot Argentina Tennis Cup will have the presence of some of the best national and international tennis players:

David Nalandian (Argentina)
Juan Mónaco (Argentina)
Marat Safin (Russia)
Carlos Moyá (Spain)
Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus)
Fernando González (Chile)

The Super Six format will be implemented for the first time in this tournament:

• Six participants
• Two zones of 3
• Double elimination

Schedule:
Thursday and Friday: 2 matches, starting 7.00 pm
Saturday (Semifinals): 2 matches, starting 7.00
Sunday (Final): 6.00 pm

Dates: December 17-20, 2009
Location: Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club, Av. Olleros 1510, Palermo.
Tickets: On sale through Ticketek Argentina www.ticketek.com.ar

Need help getting tickets? Contact me!