Spain defeated the Austrian team with an 8:2 in the European Championship Finale at Sotogrande and is therefore European Champion 2012. Even if they are leaving the pitch with the second place the Austrians Walter Scherb, Gerhard Hermann, Martin Bleier and Diego Braun can be more than proud of themselves. In the preliminary round they defeated Italy, Ireland and Germany – an awesome and surprising performance. While the Spanish couldn’t score the deciding goals in the first chukka and Austria was holding up to the second chukka, which ended with a score of 3:1. In the third chukka the Spanish pulled ahead with 7:2. A victory with ostentation for the favorite Spain: Gerhard Herman of the Austrian team is still satisfied. “We haven’t thought of being so successful. An inspiring impulse for the Austrian polo sport.“ Hermann, who expanded his Polo Club Schloss Niederweiden last year and already hosted his first tournament, wants to go on successfully in the upcoming season 2013.
In the petit finale the Irish asserted themselves against Italy with a 5:4. Germany finished after four lost games on the last place of the 9th FIP Polo European Championship 2012. The differences in quality of the horses were too big. The German team with Christopher Kirsch (TC), Steve Rose, Federico Heinemann and Dominik Velazquez played exclusively on rented and totally unknown horses. „The result shows drastically that polo is a sport of the horses,“ said Kirsch. To run up the flag, to be part of it and reach the best result possible – that was the mission of the German team in Sotogrande – and it was fulfilled.
The Results:
Friday, 7th of September 2012
| 17.00 pm | Italy | : |  Ireland – HPA | 4 | : | 2 |
| 18.15 pm | Austria | : |  Spain | 6 | : | 7 |
Saturday, 8th of September 2012
| 18.00 pm | Austria | : |  Italy | 7 | : | 5 |
Sunday, 9th of September 2012
| 12.00 pm | Germany | : |  Ireland – HPA | 9 | : | 10 |
Monday, 10th of September 2012
| 17.00 pm | Germany | : |  Austria | 4 | : | 8 |
| 18.15 pm | Spain | : |  Italy | 7 | : | 2 |
Wednesdy, 12th of September 2012
| 17.00 pm | Spain | : |  Germany | 15 | : | 3 |
| 18.00 pm | Ireland – HPA | : |  Austria | 7 | : | 6 |
Friday, 14th of September 2012
| 17.00 pm | Ireland – HPA | : |  Spain | 4 | : | 10 |
| 18.15 pm | Italy | : |  Germany | 8 | : | 2 |
Sunday, 16th of September 2012
| 11.00 am | Ireland – HPA | : |  Italy | 5 | : | 4 |
| 12.30 pm | Spain | : |  Austria | 8 | : | 2 |
The Pointtable (after the Preliminary Rounds):
| Team | Victories | Lost | Points | Goals | Concede Goals | Goal Difference |
| Spain | 4 | 0 | 8 | 39 | 15 | 24 |
| Austria | 2 | 2 | 4 | 27 | 23 | 4 |
| Irland | 2 | 2 | 4 | 23 | 29 | -6 |
| Italy | 2 | 2 | 4 | 19 | 18 | 1 |
| Germany | 0 | 4 | 0 | 18 | 41 | -23 |
The Standings:
1. Spain (+8)
Yago Espinosa de los Monteros (+1)
Luis Domecq (+1)
Pelayo Berazadi (+4)
Gonzalo Entrecanales (+2)
2. Austria (+8)
Walter Scherb (+1)
Gerhard Hermann (+1)
Martin Bleier (+2)
Diego Braun (+4)
3. Ireland – HPA (+8)
Stephen Hutchinson (+2)
Max Hutchinson (+2)
Richard Fagan (+1)
Santiago Torreguitar (+3)
4. Italy (+8)
Alberto Galantino (+2)
Giacomo Galantino (+1)
Goffredo Cutinelli (+3)
Edoardo Ferrari (+2)
5. Germany (+8)
Steve Rose (0)
Dominik Velazquez (+2)
Federico Heinemann (+2)
Christopher Kirsch (+4)
