Polo Report

DISPATCHES FROM THE WORLD OF POLO

S OUTHWEST

ALISON THOMAS TOPS WOMEN’S POLO SERIES

High-point winner Alison Thomas with her first-place award: a Catena watch.

The Mid-Continent Women’s Polo

Series was played at events in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and Colorado throughout 2019. Players accumulated points for their teams’ finish placement as well as points for special awards such as Sportsmanship and MVP. The series saw 147 players compete and, if not for weather and other forces, even more would have participated.

A tournament at South Padre Island kicked off the series in January. OKC Polo (Oklahoma) followed with an arena women’s challenge and Tulsa Polo (Oklahoma) hosted a well-attended grass tournament. Dallas Polo in Texas had numerous weather delays before getting its grass tournament played. NWA (Arkansas) held its annual Chicks with Sticks arena tournament at Benton County Fairgrounds. Midland Polo (Texas) held both grass and arena women’s tournaments during its Pink Out for Polo event.

Houston Polo had four flights at their women’s tournaments, including the USPA Women’s Handicap and Texas Women’s Open. Oklahoma State University and Texas Military Polo hosted women’s arena tournaments during Fall Fandango. The final event in the series was held in December at Legends Horse Ranch at East Texas Polo Club.

After the dust settled and the points were tallied, Alison Thomas’ commitment to women’s polo earned her the coveted Catena Watch and the

Pink’s Camille Latham, Ashley Owen, April Galindo and Megan Flynn won the outdoor women’s final in Midland.

Tulsa Polo hosted a well-attended grass tournament as part of the Mid-continent Women’s Polo Series.

title of High-Point Individual with a total of 13 points. Thomas, from Oklahoma State University, competed in four Women’s Arena Challenge tournaments in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

“I enjoy traveling to new places to play polo and meet new people. As part of Oklahoma State University women’s team, I am able to travel with my friends and play in a variety of tournaments. I enjoy playing the circuit arena women’s challenges because it encourages more women to participate. My favorite tournament is the Chicks with Sticks, hosted by NWA Polo Club in Bentonville, Arkansas,

because I am from that area and my whole family is able to come watch me play,” said Thomas.

Catena’s Bill Kraft sponsored the series and provided the high-point prize. Thomas said, “The Catena Swiss watch is beautifully made with an equestrian touch that looks good with any outfit.”

Coming in second place with 11 points was Samantha Leach; third place with 10 points went to Lindsay Bellack; Grace Groznik’s nine points put her in fourth place; and Megan Flynn, Lottie Lamacraft and Noel Dallison earned eight points each, putting them in a tie for fifth place.

The clubs hope to continue the Mid-Continent Women’s Polo Series and the high-point prize this year. Follow Women’s Polo Series on Facebook and Instagram—@womenspolo.

TEXAS ARENA LEAGUE SERVES SECOND COURSE

The Texas Arena League played the second and third legs of its four-event series at Legend’s Horse Ranch in February and March before being put on hold for the coronavirus.

The February event was especially busy with Casablanca Polo at the event to measure players so they could order the new NOCSAE Casablanca NEU helmet. Casablanca Polo is the 2020 High Point Overall award sponsor for Texas Arena League. Pepper Stewart from TX Ranch N Rodeo Weekly on Farm and Ranch TV came out to shoot some footage, interview players and have a polo lesson with Brady Williams.

In keeping up with technology, the Texas Arena League used PoloSK (a polo club management web-app) during the weekend’s event. PoloSK provides detailed, electronic score keeping with real time access for spectators. JB from PoloSK was on

Robin Sanchez, right, avoids Ursula Pari’s hook in a Women’s Polo Series match.

DAVID MURRELL

Texas Military Polo Club’s Jack Crea, Karl Hilberg and Trey Crea defeated OKC CCC Ranch in the USPA Arena Amateur Cup. SMU’s Lindsay Bellack, Megan Rahlfs and Grace Grotnik, with coach Tom Goodspeed, won the 0- to 3-goal Arena Amateur Cup.

hand to support the score keepers and ensure the software performed as expected; and did it ever: game scores, team standings, player’s statistics and awards were all immediately available in real-time.

In addition to score keeping and club management, new modules in PoloSK were recently launched for the USPA Umpires, LLC for the arena/outdoor tests, umpire certification and professional umpires scheduling. For further information about PoloSK contact JB at info@polosk.com.

At the social dinner, Legend’s

Waterski America’s Cody Goetz slaps a hook on SMU’s Juan

Bueno in the Sherman Memorial.

served up chili and lots of pie while Kirk Carter from Cargill/Nutrena gave an equine nutrition talk on Body Condition Score and Topline. Kirk and Dale Brown were both available for questions from the players during the day and at the social get-together.

“This weekend at Texas Arena League really hit a high mark with activity,” said Nacho Estrada of Legend’s Horse Ranch. “Having the newspaper and Pepper Stewart’s show come out is good promotion for arena polo. But the best part is all the people— playing, watching, having fun and enjoying each other. That is what polo

is all about for me—competition and then spending time together after the game—having a good time.”

As for the competition, 22 teams played over the course of the weekend in the three levels of play.

The C Flight round robin on Friday evening had Polo Girls (Kitana St-Cyr, Katerina Kotova, Caroline Woodman) and Oklahoma (Don Gruntmeir, Tori Summers, Kim Buttram) fall to SMU JV (Adriana Arguello, Sophia Garvin, Lindsay Bellack).

The USPA Admiral Nimitz and General Puller military tournaments continued with Polo InterActive (Wyatt Myr, James Glew, Jose Velez) and Notorious P.O.N.Y. (Javier Insua, Zoe Lehmer, Devan Groves) moving on to the final of the Nimitz at Midland Polo Club. Legend’s Horse Ranch (Nacho Estrada, Kim Buttram, August Scherer) will move on to the final of the Puller against Williams Polo (Brady Williams, Mark Osburn, Wyatt Myr) who won in a shoot-out against Dallas Polo Club (Will Walton, Wendy Stover, Allison Bowker).

At Legend’s, TAL began the 0- to 3- goal USPA Arena Amateur Cup with Bar-Spur (Ryan Owen, Mark Osburn, Brady Williams) defeating Tulsa Polo Club (Greg Summers, Karen Summers, Don Gruntmeir); Texas Military Polo Club (Trey Crea, Jack Crea, Karl Hilberg) defeating OKC CCC Ranch

DAVID MURRELL

Polo Interactive’s MVP Wyatt Myr, James Glew and Jose Velez won the Admiral Nimitz during the March Texas Arena League.

Bar Spur’s Ryan Owen, Brady Williams and Mark Osburn won the Amateur Cup at Legend’s Horse Ranch.

(Kelly Coldiron, Rob Phipps, Oscar Bermudez Jr.); and SMU Women (Grace Grotnik, Meghan Rahlfs, Lindsay Bellack) defeating Waterski America (Ismael Vazquez, Trenton Werntz, David Werntz).

In the 3- to 6-goal USPA Sherman Memorial, OKC CCC Ranch (Kelly Coldiron, Greg Summers, Roxy Keyfauver) defeated Texas Military (Karl Hilberg, Jack Crea, Trey Crea) while SMU Men (Barrett Coke, Luke Klentner, Juan Bueno, Tomas Herrera, Joe Coors) took the win over Waterski America (Rob Phipps, Cody Goetz, Wyatt Myr).

The Nutrena Best Playing Pony winners included Rocket, played by Stephanie Massey (in both the 0-3 and 3-6); Solitario, played by Barrett Coke and owned by SMU Polo; Solita, played by Javier Insua; Burgundy, played by Wyatt Myr; Demi, played by Rob Phipps and owned by Kelly Coldiron; Mataco, played by Grace Grotnik and owned by SMU Polo; Nugget, played by Trey Crea; and Renee, played by Greg Summers.

Summers said, “The Shaylers from Superior Equine Sports Massage Therapy worked on Renee this weekend. She played so well and just had an overall calmness to her. She is always a nice mare, but the body work clearly made a difference in her. I credit her excellent chukker to the work they did on her.”

The Galvin Agency MVPs were Wyatt Myr (in both the 0-3 and 3-6), Barrett Coke, Greg Summers, August Scherer, Karl Hilberg, Javier Insua, Meghan Rahlfs and Mark Osburn.

The Catena Sportsmanship award winners were Trenton Werntz, Katie Anderson, Wyatt Myr, Karen Summers, Oscar Bermudez Jr., Javier Insua, Kelly Coldiron, Tres de la Paz, and Cody Goetz.

Players and teams in the Texas Arena League will continue racking up points toward the end-of-league awards while simultaneously gaining points toward the USPA National Arena Amateur Cup.

In a hasty move to outwit the weather, the league’s third leg played in March, was moved from Midland Polo Club to Legend’s Horse Ranch at East Texas Polo Club.

Four USPA single-elimination arena tournament finals were held.

In the 0- to 3-goal Admiral Nimitz military tournament, 11 teams started the tournament. All teams participating in the USPA military tournaments must have at least one player with a military connection. In the final, Polo InterActive (Jose Velez, James Glew, Wyatt Myr) defeated Notorious P.O.N.Y (Javier Insua, Devan Layton, Zoe Lehmer).

Polo InterActive’s Velez is having success in his first year playing in Texas Arena League. “General Sun Tzu said, ‘Every war is won before it is ever fought.’ I live by that quote and that is why our team has found common ground and won all of our games so far, including the Admiral Nimitz. In the League, I have enjoyed meeting people, working as a team player and winning. It’s not about me and needing to score, it’s about playing the game.”

James Glew won the Galvin Agency/American National MVP; Ichiban, played by Wyatt Myr, was named Nutrena Best Playing Pony; and Devan Groves Layton was the Catena Sportsmanship award winner.

“Ichiban played two amazing chukkers for me in this tournament. I give credit for all my horses preforming better due to Nutrena’s Triumph Complete alfalfa nuggets and Pro Elite Topline Advantage. They are all looking and playing great and I’m looking forward to seeing how Ichiban does in the upcoming grass season,” said Myr.

Ten teams started in the 3- to 6-goal Gen. Puller military tournament. In an extremely tough and tight final Legend’s Horse Ranch (Kim Buttram, Nacho Estrada, August Scherer) fell to Williams Polo (Mark Osburn, Brady Williams, Wyatt Myr).

“Winning the finals of both military tournaments is really special to

me,” said Wyatt Myr. “My father served in the U.S. Army and was a member of the Caisson Color Guard. He took care of Blackjack, who was the riderless horse at JFK’s funeral procession. Horses and the military have a history in my family.”

Nacho Estrada’s Zama, played by August Scherer, was Nutrena Best Playing Pony; Myr was named Galvin Agency/American National MVP; and Kim Buttram won the Catena Sportsmanship award.

Karl Hilberg, USPA Armed Forces committee chairman, is very excited for the turnout of these events, which saw 21 of 30 players that were military family members or members of the military in the Nimitz and 25 of 33 in the General Puller, the most in any military tournament in a long time.

In addition to the Military tournaments, Texas Arena League has an end-of-league award for High-Point Player with a military connection.

In addition to the military finals, the USPA Southwest Circuit Arena Amateur Cup and Sherman Memorial finals were played.

The 0- to 3-goal USPA Amateur Cup was played as a round robin. Six teams started the competition after being knocked out of the Nimitz or joining the TAL at the second event. The round robin pitted Texas Military (Karl Hilberg, Gal Shweiki, Jack Crea) against Waterski America (Chris Jones, Trenton Werntz, Morgan McBride filling in for Ismael Vazquez) and Bar-Spur (Ryan Owen, Brady Williams, Mark Osburn). Bar-Spur worked hard to hold both teams at bay and come out with the victory.

“Playing Texas Arena League has been such a great experience. My wife played the last two years at every location and I came in for the Midland Polo Club events,” said Ryan Owen. “This year Ashley has made it possible for me to play at every event. We’ve got some great camaraderie on the BarSpur team. Brady, Mark and I are all Texas Tech Polo alumni. I’m hoping I’ll be up there in the NAAC points to participate at OC Polo Club too.”

Chris Jones was named Galvin Agency/American National MVP; Karl Hilberg won the Catena Sportsmanship award; and Platinum, played by Brady Williams, was the Nutrena Best Playing Pony.

The 3- to 6-goal Sherman Memorial started with five teams and came down to two teams steeped in the military: Waterski America (Chris Jones, Rob Phipps, David Werntz filling in for Cody Goetz) and Texas Military Polo Club (Karl Hilberg, Gal Shweiki, Jack Crea). Between the two teams, every

Dallas Polo’s Wendy Stover hooks JD Polo’s Ariel Mancebo in the second match of the Masters Cup at Legend’s Horse Ranch in Texas. Legend’s Horse Ranch’s August Scherer carries the ball along the wall in a Gen. Puller match during the Texas Arena League. DAVID MURRELL DAVID MURRELL

DAVID MURRELL

Waterski America’s Chris Jones, Rob Phipps and David Werntz won the Sherman Memorial in Texas. Not shown is Cody Goetz. JD Polo’s Tres de la Paz, Javier Insua and Ariel Mancebo played in the Masters tournament, ultimately falling to Dallas Polo Club.

player is either active duty, retired military or has family members in service. Waterski America pulled out the W with huge scoring from both David Werntz and Chris Jones. Jack Crea won the Catena Sportsmanship award; Chris Jones was the Galvin Agency/American National MVP and David Werntz’s Argenta was the Nutrena Best Playing Pony.

In addition to these finals, the USPA Arena Challenge and Arena Masters started at this TAL event.

In the Friday evening C-Flight match, Polo Girls (Katerina Kotova, Kitana St-Cyr, Michael Miazza filling in for Caroline Woodman) defeated Bar-Spur/Legend’s (Taylor Hooten, Ricardo Sanchez, Amanda Osburn).

For Osburn, this was her first time playing a polo match since college.

“I was excited to find out about the Friday night C-Flight. I haven’t played since college and I’m very rusty. But it was so fun and I’m happy to be back in the game,” she said.

The 0- to 3-goal USPA Arena Challenge started with two games. A round robin saw Elite Motion & Performance (Dani Gibson, Walker Rainey, Stephanie Massey Colburn), Prestonwood (James JB Long, Umair Kaimkhani, Vaughn Miller/Vance Miller) and Texas Tech (Ricky Moore, Amelia Fisher, Ariel Mancebo) play off. In the final match of the round robin, Texas Tech was able to keep Prestonwood at bay to win the match. Catena Sportsmanship winner was Amelia Fisher; Galvin Agency MVP was Ariel Mancebo; and Nutrena Best Playing Pony was Sweetie, owned by Prestonwood and played by JB Long.

In a match game for the Arena Challenge, Legend’s Horse Ranch (Katie Anderson, Meghan Rahlfs, Nacho Estrada) fell to Horsegate (Nick Stefanakis, Lance Stefanakis, Anson Moore). Galvin Agency/American National MVP went to Meghan Rahlfs; Lance Stefanakis was named Catena Sportsmanship winner; and the Nutrena Best Playing Pony was Zama, owned by Nacho Estrada.

In 3- to 6-goal action, the USPA Arena Masters got underway with two matches and the TAL Challenge added a fifth game to the day.

Horsegate (Anson Moore, Sloane Stefanakis, Lance Stefanakis) defeated Elite Motion & Performance Pixies (Amanda Massey, Dani Gibson, Stephanie Massey Colburn) in the first game of the Arena Masters. Catena Sportsmanship winner was Sloane Stefanakis; Nutrena Best Playing Pony was John Wayne, owned by Javier Insua and played by Amanda Massey; and American National/Galvin Agency MVP was Anson Moore.

Dallas Polo Club (Michael Farrah, Will Walton, Wendy Stover) was victorious over JD Polo (Javier Insua, Ariel Mancebo, Tres de la Paz) in the second match of the Masters tournament. Nutrena Best Playing Pony was Negrita, owned by Horsegate and played by Ariel Mancebo; Will Walton was the Galvin Agency MVP; and Wendy Stover was Catena Sportsman.

In the TAL Challenge, PTF Dream Team (Amanda Massey, Walker Rainey, Stephanie Massey Colburn) was defeated by UNT (Umair Kaimkhani, JB Long, Vaughn Miller Jr). Vaughn Miller Jr. was American National/Galvin Agency MVP; Stephanie Massey Colburn took the Catena Sportsmanship award; the Nutrena Best Playing Pony was Cookie, played by Vaughn Miller; and Wendy Stover won the #FanFavorite at this third event.

COVID-19 has left the league in limbo for the time being. So far the league has surpassed all expectations with camaraderie, competition and fun. Its award sponsors have been exceptional and very involved.

Amanda Massey of Elite Motion and Performance is the sponsor of the Most Improved Award, new for 2020.

“I’m also just excited to play in Texas Arena League. This is my third year competing in the event,” said Massey, “I love playing with my sister and Dani. Being the only all-women team in the 6 goal has been challenging but also has forced us to play together as a team.”

JIM BREMNER

Luna Polo’s Bauti Von Wernich, Diego Llaregli, Alexis Payan and Jennifer Alexy won the 4-goal Congressional Cup. James Miller presents Barefield’s Hernan Tasso, Juan Martin Obregon, Agustin Arellano and Mark Mulligan with Inter-Circuit trophies.

C ALIFORNIA

LUNA POLO CAPTURES CONGRESSIONAL CUP

Jennifer Alexy led her Luna team to victory in the 4-goal Congressional Cup at Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, on March 15.

Six teams competed in the tournament with the top two teams moving on to the final. Luna (Jennifer Alexy, Alexis Payan, Bauti Von Wernich, Diego Llaregli) met Zahedi Chogan (Sy Zahedi, Meghan Gracida, Russell Stimmel, Francisco Guinazu) in the final. Diego Llaregli put Luna on the board in the opening minutes of the match. Alexy followed with a goal of her own while Zahedi Chogan was struggling to reach the goal.

Zahedi Chogan switched to defense in the second, stopping all of Luna’s drives but it remained scoreless despite some nice runs, ending the half with Luna ahead 2-0. A well-positioned Alexy jumped on a pass and sent the ball through the uprights for the only score of the third, increasing the difference to 3-0. Zahedi Chogan got on the board in the final chukker thanks to a Penalty 3 conversion from Stimmel.

Alexy responded by taking possession of the ball, crossing mid-field and carrying the ball between the posts. Zahedi Chogan was unable to make up any ground and Luna Polo took the 4-1 victory. Alexy was high-scorer with three goals.

The teams were ready for more polo when the coronavirus ended the season.

FLORIDA

BAREFIELD PREVAILS IN INTER-CIRCUIT FINAL

Barefield took the title in the 12-goal National Inter-Circuit Championship at Sarasota Polo Club in Sarasota, Florida, on March 15.

After six hard-fought, round-robin games, Barefield (Mark Mulligan, Agustin Arellano, Hernan Tasso, Juan Martin Obregon) and Tito’s Handmade Vodka (Alan Martinez, Trevor Niznik Reeves, James P. Uihlein, Joe Wayne Barry) emerged to face off in the National Inter-Circuit Championship final. Going into overtime in its first match-up, the thrilling final came down to the wire, with Barefield narrowly capturing the title with an 8-7 victory.

A choppy pace at the start of the game resulted in penalty opportunities for both teams, but it was Tito’s Handmade Vodka who took the early lead on a Penalty 3 conversion from Martinez. Securing two consecutive goals in the second chukker, Martinez landed the first field goal of the game to end the chukker 3-1. Barefield finished the half strong due to Tasso, who quickly retaliated with back-to-back goals to open the third, bringing the team back within one goal, 4-3, at the close of the half.

The pace increased over the final three chukkers with more goals from the field as Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Barefield battled for the lead down to the final minutes of the game. Singlehandedly scoring all his team’s goals, Martinez’s fifth goal of the game extended the lead to two, but a swift response from Barefield’s Arellano restored the deficit.

Riding an explosive horse, Juan Martin Obregon scored two consecutive field goals to begin the fifth chukker, securing Barefield’s first lead at a crucial moment. Martinez converted a Penalty 2 to tie the scoreboard 6-all entering the sixth chukker. Going up against Martinez, Arellano added another field goal to the tally, but was matched yet again by the high scorer. With the title on the line and time running out, Tasso broke free to score his third goal of the game, securing the 8-7 win for Barefield.

“The key to our win was that everyone on the team played for each other,” said Mark Mulligan. “No one was selfish with the ball or thought they could win

Traveller’s Rest’s MVP Kristos Magrini, Robert Orthwein, Santino Magrini and Nachi Du Plessis won the Butler Handicap.

Best Playing Pony Los Machitos Ruspoli, played by Santino Magrini, with Sergio Escudero, Fernando Montoya, Jose Cardozo, Juan

Pérez, Suri Navarro, Eduardo Monroy and Santino Magrini

the game by themselves. We really worked well as a team and trusted each other.”

Claiming the National Inter-Circuit Championship trophy for the second year in a row, Arellano revealed his team’s winning strategy.

“We stayed close to each other and tried to finish our plays,” Arellano said. “We knew if we tried to run around and do everything we would be beaten. We did not change much after our first matchup, we just tried to come back and play our game.”

Tito’s Handmade Vodka returned to face its opponents with a revised strategy in the final, after losing its first tournament matchup with Barefield.

“After the first game, we kept our strategy the same, but they changed their strategy, which really made us work our same game plan harder,” Mulligan said. “They used James P. [Uihlein] more and that made my personal job a lot harder being that he’s such a good player to keep up with. Moving Joe Wayne Barry to the back is always a good move and I personally had to cover him when James was helping their team.”

Hernan Tasso was named Most Valuable Player. “We had to play very tight defense because our opponents were a very fast team,” Tasso said. “In the first half they had more control of the ball, but in the second half we took possession away from them to come back and end one goal ahead. It was anybody’s game, but we had the luck and scored before the end of the game.”

Mac Pie, a 12-year-old American Thoroughbred mare played by Juan Martin Obregon in the fifth chukker, was named Best Playing Pony. “I think her strong points are her mouth and agility,” Obregon commented. “She is a mare my brother Facundo bought from Diego Gross when she was 4 years old.”

Although the general public was unable to attend the game, it did not put a damper on the day for the finalists. “Overall it was a great day for polo,” Mulligan said. “We had a limited number of spectators since Sarasota Polo Club was closed to the public, but everyone said it was a fantastic game for both teams. We really all left it on the field.”

TRAVELLER’S REST ACES 22 G BUTLERS HANDICAP

Traveller’s Rest came away the winner after besting two teams to win the 18- goal Butler Handicap at Port Mayaca Polo Club in Okeechobee, Florida, from Feb. 15-March 10.

The teams played each other, eliminating Aspen (Santos Merlos, Kris Kampsen, Julian Daniels, Stewart Armstrong) and sending Traveller’s Rest (Kristos Magrini, Robert Orthwein, Santino Magrini, Matias Magrini) to face Palm Beach Equine (Scott Swerdlin, Gringo Colombres, Nico Escobar, Lucas Diaz Alberdi) in the final.

Traveller’s Rest set out to revenge its previous loss to Palm Beach Equine. Following a strong offensive sixth chukker, Traveller’s Rest solidified its place as the champion, defeating Palm Beach Equine to take the title, 10-6.

It all began at a fast pace as Santino Magrini executed an impressive rideoff to open the scoring and give Traveller’s Rest the early lead. Trading goals throughout the first two chukkers, the teams kept the tally within one. Scoring two goals in the second chukker, Palm Beach Equine was matched by Du Plessis (substituting for Matias Magrini), who provided offensive firepower for Traveller’s Rest with two consecutive field goals.

Foul trouble slowed Traveller’s Rest’s momentum in the third, and despite their best efforts, neither team was able to make a successful shot on goal. Headed into halftime, Traveller’s Rest retained a narrow advantage, 4-3. Both teams produced strong defensive plays to start the second half, with missed opportunities frequenting the

Citizen’s First’s Joe Watkins, Lord Lyall, Tony Vita and Francisco Llosa won The Villages 8-goal tournament. Amaala’s Juan Bollini, Facu Llorente, MVP Nacho Figueras and Tincho Merlos won the WPL’s Power Horse Trophy.

closely-matched game. Unable to land on the scoreboard for the second consecutive chukker, Palm Beach Equine saw its deficit grow after Du Plessis’ second Penalty 2 conversion provided the only offense in the fourth chukker.

Landing his second Penalty 2 of the game, Escobar opened the fifth, but Traveller’s Rest held steadfast to the lead. Ending the fifth, 6-5, in favor of Traveller’s Rest, the team in red extended its advantage throughout the remainder of the game. Both teams trading penalty goals to start the sixth, Traveller’s Rest quickly began firing on goal. Following a strong goal by brother Kristos Magrini, Santino Magrini ran the ball from one end of the field to the other, increasing his team’s lead to three with just minutes remaining.

A final goal from Kristos Magrini secured the victory and the Butler Handicap trophy for Traveller’s Rest, 10-6. After scoring three goals Kristos Magrini was named MVP.

“After our opening defeat we played two more games together, which I think helped a lot,” Kristos Magrini said. “Our strategy didn’t change much at all playing Palm Beach Equine the second time, but I was playing more forward the first day and I think we were more focused in the final.”

Santino Magrini’s Los Machitos Ruspoli was named Best Play Pony.

CITIZEN’S FIRST WINS THE VILLAGES 8-GOAL

Citizen’s First overcame Arden’s Fine Jewelers in The Villages 8-goal tournament at The Villages Polo Club in The Villages, Florida, March 8.

Arden’s Fine Jewelers (Miguel Lis Planells, Paul Wadsworth, Nick Johnson, Francisco Bilboa) and Citizen’s First (Joe Watkins, Lord Lyall, Tony Vita, Francisco Llosa) first met on March 6. The teams ended in a 10-10 tie after six chukkers. Citizen’s First grew a narrow edge to a 6-2 lead after the first 14 minutes. Arden’s came back within one, 6-5, at the half.

Citizen’s held the one-goal lead until five minutes into the fifth when Arden’s leveled the score, 8-8. Citizen’s fought back, jumping out front, 10-8, in the sixth but with just over a minute left, Arden’s rallied, scoring two in a row to tie the match.

The final had Nick Johnson putting Arden’s on the board first, but Joe Watkins shot back with one of his own, added to a handicap goal. Paige Boone, replacing Lis Planells, knotted the score in the second, while Citizen’s was silenced. Tony Vita’s two goals in the third went unanswered, leaving Citizen’s ahead, 4-2, at the half. Johnson leveled the score in the fourth and scored a hat trick in the fifth, with no answer from Citizen’s. But Francisco Llosa owned the sixth chukker, scoring four in a row, including two penalties, to give Citizen’s the win.

AMAALA TRIUMPHS IN POWER HORSE TROPHY

Amaala defeated Seminole Casino, 10- 8, to take the Power Horse Trophy at Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington, Florida, Feb. 25.

Amaala (Tincho Merlos, Nacho Figueras, Facu Llorente, Juan Bollini) rallied in the sixth chukker to overcome Seminole Casino (Melissa Ganzi, Nic Roldan, Lucas James, Alejandro Novillo Astrada).

Figueras was named MVP after scoring a game-high seven goals. Twitter, an 8-year-old mare played by Figueras in the second chukker and bred by his Cria Yatay world-class breeding program in Argentina, was selected the WPL Best Playing Pony.

“She is out of a mare called Luna Nueva, daughter of Luna, which is a legendary horse that Gonzalo Pieres used to play,” Figueras said. “It is a very famous bloodline and amazing to have a horse that you bred perform well. It’s always an extra emotion.”

The lead changed hands four times

Amaala’s MVP Nacho Figueras keeps his cool while being challenged by Seminole Casino’s Alejandro Novillo Astrada in the WPL’s Power Horse Trophy at Grand Champions Polo Club.

in the game. Amaala jumped out to a 5-2 advantage behind Figueras’ lofted goal late in the second chukker.

Seminole Casino tied the game at 5-5 when Ganzi scooped up a missed Roldan shot to score. Amaala regained the lead, 6-5, in the fifth chukker and led, 7-5, before another Ganzi goal cut the lead to one, 7-6.

The teams exchanged goals in the sixth chukker before back-to-back goals by Ganzi tied the game at 8-8. In the last three minutes, Llorente and Figueras gave Amaala a 10-8 lead. Roldan scored late in the game before time ran out.

“It’s great that we can win a tournament with the name of this team and its colors,” Figueras said. “It’s a proud moment for all of us.”

Figueras was recently named Brand Ambassador for Amaala, an ultra exclusive wellness tourism destination under development located on Saudi Arabia’s Northwest Coast.

“I am very proud to be a part of Amaala,” Figueras said. “It involves wellness, sports and health. It’s really an amazing project. It’s a beautiful, fantastic part of the world.”

Figueras is helping shape the world-class polo facilities at Amaala, including design, construction, operations, marketing and event planning. He is also helping to establish the Amaala Polo Training Academy to encourage youth participation.

The Power Horse title was Amaala’s second polo title. Last month Figueras led Team Amaala to a historical 7-3 victory over Adolfo Cambiaso’s Team Alula in the two-day Alula Desert Polo tournament.

In addition to Figueras’ seven goals, Merlos had two goals and Llorente added one goal. For Seminole Casino, Ganzi scored a team-high six goals and Roldan had three.

The season continued with 10 teams, divided into three brackets, competing in the 26-goal Palm Beach Open beginning on March 7.

The opening weekend saw Seminole Casino top STM, 10-7; Valiente defeat Casablanca, 13-8; and Richard Mille down Amaala, 15-7, in three exciting matches. Unfortunately, the coronavirus threat prevented any further matches from being played and the spring season was cancelled. —Sharon Robb

O BITUARY

DAVID RIZZO

“Davey” Rizzo died March 10 in Wellington, Florida, at 87 years old. Born David Moscarelli on Dec. 29, 1932, in Long Island City, New York, Davey learned to ride, train horses and play polo from his uncle Joe Rizzo. Over time, people referred to him as Davey Rizzo and the name stuck.

Davey went on to become a 5-goal player on the grass and 7-goals in the arena. He earned a living as a professional horseman and managed clubs, including Squadron A Armory and Meadow Brook and Old Westbury Polo Clubs. For over half a century he sold horses to a wide variety of players at every level of polo. He was inducted into the National Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame in 2010.

He was predeceased by his wife Marilyn, son Paul (Ella), sister Marie (John) and brother Vinny (Suzanne). He is survived by daughters Joan (Steven) and Lynn (Larry); sister Katherine (Pat); grandchildren David, Joseph (Tia), Madilyn (Stephano), Paul and Gary; great-grandchildren Otis, Mae and David; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations in memory of Dave may be made to the Museum of Polo & Hall of Fame, Polo Players Support Group, Inc., or Spondylitis Association of America. •

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lives, and part of their defense against predators-- relying on each other to be alert to danger. Horses are mentally healthiest and happiest when they have herd mates or buddies they can hang out with.

With domestication, we have thwarted a normal herd existence. We often confine horses, and isolate them in individual stalls or pens, denying their natural need for social interaction. Some individuals adapt better than others to an artificial existence, and some are more stressed. This stress often shows up in horses that are confined, or living alone. The innate need for moving and living in a group is frustrated and the resultant stress may be exhibited in different ways. Some horses develop stereotypies like stall walking, weaving or cribbing, or channel their anxiety into pawing or kicking the stall walls.

Change in Environment

Horses are very adaptable but they are also creatures of habit. They get used to a certain routine and find comfort and security in what they can trust and expect. Drastic changes can be very stressful for most horses, and even minor changes can be a stress for some individuals.

This is why it’s best to make major changes gradually, if possible. Young horses coming to a training stable from the farm they grew up on, horses going to a new home, racehorses going to a polo farm, etc. may do better if some of the things they are accustomed to (the type of feed, living arrangements and other facets of their lives) can be somewhat similar at first in their new environment and circumstance.

Even the horses accustomed to traveling and going to polo events often do better if you take feed and water from home, or bring a buddy they get

Stress and ulcers

Stress can lead to higher incidence of ulcers in horses. In humans, stress can result in production of more gastric acid, which can lead to stomach ulcers. In horses, stress can interfere with a horse’s normal eating habits, which in turn can hinder proper digestion. The horse is a grazing animal, programmed to eat more or less continually, and his stomach is designed to have some food in it at all times. Some horses, like some humans, handle stress better than others and keep eating. Something that might cause ulcers in one horse may not be a problem in another horse.

A few years ago, Truman Prevatt, PhD (a Florida horseman and research scientist with a PhD in mathematics and physics) and Olin Balch, DVM, MS, PhD (an endurance ride veterinarian in Idaho) worked together on a project, looking at equine ulcers, with input from many sources and studies.

In humans, the act of eating stimulates release of gastric acid. In horses, hydrochloric acid is produced continuously because under natural conditions they are eating forage continuously. “If they have to go without food, acid builds up in the stomach. The longer they go without food, the more acid buildup,” says Prevatt.

“In horses, especially athletic performance horses, ulcers show up primarily in the top one-third of the stomach, which is not protected by mucus. Therefore diet management is essential, lifestyle management is essential, and when you put horses in a trailer for long periods of time and they don’t eat while traveling, they may be at risk for ulcers. Many performance horses go for long periods without food,” says Prevatt.

A French study of 30 high-level endurance horses showed that most of them after a competitive event were diagnosed with ulcers. “Ulcers are prevalent in endurance horses and all types of performance horses, especially racehorses. But ulcers are also prevalent in broodmares at pasture. This leads us to believe we really don’t know how abnormal it is for horses to have ulcers,” says Prevatt.

Balch says the French study looked at gastric ulcers in endurance horses during their off season and during the competition season—two to three days following competition in 60-100 mile rides. None of the horses had been treated for gastric ulcers within two months, or received NSAID medication within one month of the examination, and none received electrolytes. The prevalence of ulcers during the off season was 48%, compared with 93% during the competitive season. Horses competing at longer distances showed greater severity of ulcers, visualized by scoping.

“Despite the fact that scoping these horses showed competing endurance horses had more visible ulcers, there was no correlation to performance. So we are not sure how clinically relevant the scoping actually is,” says Balch. “It would be interesting to do more studies in performance horses and correlate how the horse actually does, as an athlete, with the presence of ulcers that are seen. Then we might get a better feel for what’s involved.”

“What’s interesting is the equine stomach rapidly undergoes changes in the epithelium. We see development and healing of ulcers as a relatively normal event in any horse. It’s simplistic to say that if you’ve scoped and found an ulcer, the horse has a problem. It’s better to try to correlate this with clinical signs and then make a judgment, and also realize that damage to and healing of the epithelium is normal for many horses,” says Balch. Epithelial cells have a high turnover rate and can usually heal quickly. Some level of gastric ulceration

along with. If something in the new environment and situation is the same as what they are familiar with and comfortable with, the stress of the change is not as severe and they may handle it better.

Some horses also become bonded with a certain person (like they would a herd member) and feel most comfortable when handled or ridden by that person because he/she is someone they trust. The “one-man horse” may feel ill at ease, insecure and stressed when handled or ridden by someone else.

Other things that cause stress include pain, injury, illness, etc. Anything out of the ordinary that disrupts a horse’s health or comfort level is a stress— which can lead to a cascade of detrimental effects. If a horse is stressed by one type of infection (such as a viral respiratory disease), this may hinder the immune system and open the way for another opportunistic infection (such as bacterial pneumonia).

Good health depends on many things, and the way we manage our horses (trying to reduce stresses of all kinds as much as possible) can make a big difference. Small stresses may never be recognized; some horses are stoic and seem unflappable. Yet multiple small stresses can be cumulative and push a horse over the edge. Sometimes you can’t put your finger on any one thing that causes the stress that finally made the horse sick or resulted in ulcers. At other times, it’s easy to see the big change that did it, but there may have been additional stresses that were part of that picture the horse owner was unaware of. This might be one reason some horses handle stressful events better than others; the horse that got ulcers after a trailer trip may have had some underlying stresses before that—and the transport was simply the last straw (that broke the camel’s back, so to speak). •

may be normal, and it might be reasonable to expect that ulceration will resolve under good management.

“Up to 93% of competing racehorses have been shown to have ulcers. Dr. Barney Fleming’s study in endurance horses showed about 50%. Most endurance horses are managed differently than racehorses. Most endurance horses live in pastures and have a high-fiber diet—and are not as confined when they are not working,” he says.

An individual horse’s risk will also vary, depending on temperament and lifestyle. Prevatt and his wife had two endurance horses they rode for many years. “Mine was in his mid-20s and still going. As far as I could tell, he’d never shown any of the classic symptoms of an ulcer. We trailered all over the country, but if you put a flake of hay in front of him in the trailer, he ate it. When you stop a few hours up the road, you had to put another flake in front of him; he kept eating. By contrast, my wife’s horse was a picky eater and also more readily stressed. Whenever his buddy left him, he got upset. We had to treat him for ulcers at one point,” says Prevatt.

There’s great variation among horses regarding risk for ulcers. “Horses trailered long distances that do not eat and drink while in transit are probably at higher risk. Riders who take a sport seriously do a lot of traveling. If the horse doesn’t have the personality to eat while traveling, this is a big risk factor,” he says.

Balch agrees, and says any advice about ulcer prevention has to be general. “It’s just a place to start. We are always looking for a way to tailor advice for a specific horse to get the very best performance, and this also applies to ulcer prevention,” says Balch. What works nicely for one individual may not work for another.

“Ulcers are present in many horses— not just high-level performance horses. Many horses with endoscopically observable ulcers do not show clinical disease and do not need medical treatment. For preventing or mitigating the effects of ulcers that are already causing clinical disease in a horse, management is the key,” says Prevatt. If a horse is managed in a way most like his natural environment, taking into consideration his own individual tendencies, ulcer problems can be minimized.

Stress (from pain, illness, etc.) also predisposes horses to ulcers, or even a horse being away from its friends. “Some stress is inevitable with performance and competition, but you can minimize stress by having feed in front of the horse at all times when he’s not in competition, and bringing his best buddy along to stay in an adjacent stall,” says Balch.

“I wondered how long it would take for a normal horse’s stomach (when that horse is exposed to stress), to produce clinically-relevant ulcers with the horse showing symptoms. Two studies looked into this. One showed ulcers could appear within eight days after light-toheavy training. The other study showed it only took five days for ulcers to appear after shipping, stall confinement and light exercise. These studies suggests that when horses come to competitive events with healthy stomachs, a 48-hour period of stress should not be enough in itself to initiate ulcers.” The horse can go home after competition and relax again in his familiar environment, and whatever ulceration may have begun will likely start to heal.

“There are many things we can do as horsemen and riders, to minimize some of the stress horses experience. It is very important for horse owners to realize that management procedures are paramount, in terms of making horses more comfortable. Then they are less apt to have ulcers,” says Balch.