OCTOBER 2019
Tonkawa unstoppable in Silver Cup action $5.00 US/$5.50 Canada
CONTENTS
P L AY E R S’ E D I T I O N
O CTO B E R 201 9
VOL. 23,
FEATURES
NO. 2
DEPARTMENTS
28 Silver shines
6
by Sharon Robb
Tonkawa captures historic title in Aspen
34 Banking on it by Gwen Rizzo
Association News USPA Bulletin Governor spotlight
12 Instructors Forum
FMB dominates Santa Barbara season
by Eugene “Tiger” Kneece
14 Equine Athlete
OCTOBER 2019
OUR COVER Tonkawa’s Mason Wroe outpaces the defense in the Silver Cup final. Photo by Shelley Heatley
by Heather Smith Thomas
18 22 24 40
Polo Scene News, notes, trends & quotes Polo Development Intercollegiate/Interscholastic Polo in the Pampas
42 60 62 46
Polo around the Globe Calendar Yesteryears Polo Report
by Ernesto Rodriguez
U.S. Polo Assn. victorious in Hall of Fame Challenge Cup
Tonkawa unstoppable in Silver Cup action $5.00 US/$5.50 Canada
OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN SIGNED COLUMNS ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHORS AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE PUBLISHERS OF THIS MAGAZINE.
2 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
P L AY E R S’ E D I T I O N THE
OFFICIAL MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE
UNITED STATES POLO ASSOCIATION
Editor & Publisher
GWEN D. RIZZO
Contributing Editors
HEATHER SMITH THOMAS, ERNESTO RODRIGUEZ, ALICE GIPPS, CHRIS ASHTON, TOM GOODSPEED
Editorial Board BOB PUETZ, TONY COPPOLA, TOM BIDDLE, DAWN WEBER, AMI SHINITZKY
Art Director DAVID BEVERAGE Prepress PUBLISHERS PRESS Advertising & Editorial Offices USPA Member Subscription Inquiries (800) 232-8772 OR FAX (888) 341-7410 ldolan@uspolo.org
General Subscription Inquiries 6008 REYNOLDS RD LAKE WORTH, FL 33449 (561) 968-5208 gwen@poloplayersedition.com
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E-mail: info@poloplayersedition.com ©Copyright 2019 by United States Polo Association.. No part of this issue may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic or electronic process without written permission of the publisher. Paul Brown illustrations are ©2018 and are reprinted by permission of Paul Brown Studios, Inc., P.O. Box 925, Hedgesville, WV 25427. Subscription rates: $45/one year, $78/two years. Other countries (air mail), $78 drawn on U.S. bank/one year, $144 drawn on U.S. bank/two years. (GST:134989508). Subscription problems call (561) 968-5208. VOL. 23, No.2 POLO Players’ Edition (ISSN #1096-2255) is published monthly by Rizzo Management Corp. 6008 Reynolds RD, Lake Worth, FL 33449 for U.S. Polo Association, 9011 Lake Worth RD, Lake Worth, FL 33467. Periodicals postage paid at West Palm Beach, FL and additional mailing offices. (USPS: 079-770). POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Polo Players’ Edition, 6008 Reynolds RD, Lake Worth, FL 33449. Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement No. 40612608. Canada Returns to be sent to Imex Global, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2.
4 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
U S PA B U L L E T I N
Tournament Database Launches The USPA recently launched a new online tournament database, providing a central location for electronic tournament applications, roster entry and tournament results. After logging into the member portal on uspolo.org and viewing their profiles, club delegates can access the database by clicking on the tab titled “Tournaments.” You will then be given the option to select “Tournament Application Form” or “Roster/Results Entry.” Tournament Application Form Online applications for national, sanctioned and circuit tournaments are only accessible to clubs that are in good standing with the USPA. Club dues must be paid for the current year and club insurance must be up to date. Using the drop-down options, select the type of tournament you would like to host and fill in all fields as they apply to your tournament. If you are applying for a circuit or national event with a boardset handicap level, the goal level will be set automatically and you will not be able to adjust it. If the event does not have a board-set handicap level, you can manually adjust the levels to your desired limit by sliding the handicap bar or typing it in. All information on the second page must be completed before given the option to advance to the final pages. Once an application is submitted, it will automatically be sent out for approvals and processing. The club delegate will be notified via email when the application is approved or denied. If the application is approved, delegates will be sent an approval email with a link prompting them to submit team rosters. Roster /Results Entry Once the tournament year and title have been selected, you will be directed to the roster entry page. When entering rosters, full names, handicaps and membership status will be pulled directly from the USPA membership database. All team members must be registered or affiliate players with a proper handicap rating to be eligible to participate in any USPA event. If players are in good standing, their names will show up in green. If players are not in good standing, their names will show up in red. If the team is eligible to participate in the tournament and the aggregate team handicap falls within the limits specified for that tournament, the team will be highlighted in green. If the aggregate team handicap does not fall within the specified limits, it will be highlighted in red. 6 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Once all team rosters have been entered, continue to “Enter/Edit Games” and “Enter Tournament Details.” If you have any questions about the tournament database, please contact tournament coordinator, Kaila Dowd at (561) 517-1652 or via email at tournaments@uspolo.org. National Tournaments Available USPA Member Clubs are encouraged to apply for one of the prestigious national tournaments listed below that are available to be awarded for 2020: 1. National Twenty Goal (16-20 goal) 2. North American Cup (16-20 goal) 3. Continental Cup (12-16 goal) 4. Eastern Challenge (12-16 goal) 5. Heritage Cup (12-16 goal) 6. Regional Classic-Western (10-14 goal) 7. Association Cup (4-8 goal) 8. National President’s Cup (4-8 goal) 9. Regional President’s Cup (4-8 goal) 10.National Arena Chairman’s Cup (9-12 goal) 11.National Arena Delegate’s Cup (6-9 goal) 12.National Sherman Memorial (3-6 goal) 13.National Arena Amateur Cup (0-3 goal) 14.National Arena Challenge Cup (any level) The USPA offers several benefits for hosting a USPA national tournament, including awards provided for the winners and runners-up, a customized Best Playing Pony blanket, promotional assistance provided through weekly member email, web and social media, as well as umpire reimbursement through USPA Umpires, LLC. Additionally, winners will be published in the USPA Blue Book. Annual Meeting The 2019 USPA Board of Governors and Annual Member Meeting will be held October 17-19 at the La Quinta Resort and Club in La Quinta, California. Committee and LLC meetings will be held on Thursday and Friday, Oct 17 and 18. The board of governors meeting will take place on Saturday, Oct. 19. The USPA is planning several social events to highlight and recognize local polo clubs. In addition, the USPA would like to welcome all members and delegates to stay for a Delegates Forum on Sunday, Oct. 20. USPA club delegates are offered a $750.00 meeting travel reimbursement for attending. Guests may call 800-598-3828 and refer to the USPA Annual Meeting or by Code ZUSP to select dates within the contracted nights. You may also book your room at the following link:
U S PA B U L L E T I N
https://book.passkey.com/go/USPolo 2019. A schedule and additional details on the meetings are available on uspolo.org. If you have any questions please contact meetings@uspolo.org. Governor-at-Large Results The following is the list of governorat-large candidates who have been elected for office by the playing members of the association. The list is in alphabetical order and is in no way reflective of the order in which the candidates received votes: Julio Arellano Steve Armour Chrys Beal Mike Carney Cecelia Cochran Pamela Flanagan Tom Gose Chris Green Vicky Owens Peter Rizzo Robin Sanchez Charles Smith Please join the association in congratulating this group and extending a sincere thanks to all the candidates for their participation in the election and passion for the sport of polo. Member Discount Benefit The USPA has created a new discount program through TentCraft, a custom event tent and outdoor marketing production company for all of your tent and signage needs. TentCraft products are 100% American made and offer a higher-quality solution to your normal pop-up tent and signage needs. They have created a sales and purchasing website exclusively for USPA member clubs and members, making the design and purchasing process almost effortless! Visit the USPA portal here: wp.tentcraft.com/uspolo. Women in Polo: The Palm Beaches USPA Global Licensing Inc., the official licensing arm and broadcaster of the USPA, proudly partnered with the Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council to sponsor a new television and digital show “Women in Polo: The Palm Beaches.” The program highlights six women polo players from varied backgrounds who have impacted and
advanced the sport of polo. The program is a 30minute in-depth look at the inspirational and fearless female polo players of yesterday, today and tomorrow. The show was released in conjunction with USPAGL’s Women’s Initiative, “Inspiring Others,” a year-long campaign celebrating female polo players and supporting women’s training programs, charities, tournaments, lifestyles and fashion. The launch was also uniquely timed with Women’s Equality Day, celebrated on Aug. 26. “Women In Polo: The Palm Beaches” will reach over 100 million households across a national audience. It debuted Labor Day weekend on the TVG Network, which focuses on equestrian sports. In addition to the national broadcast, the show will air on ThePalmBeaches.tv and be available in Palm Beach County hotels and resorts, as well as on content provider Roku. USPAGL will feature the show in many of the 1,100 U.S. Polo Assn. retail stores that span 166 countries, as well as on multiple digital platforms, including the company’s website at uspoloassnglobal.com, IGTV and YouTube, impacting millions of consumers and sports fans globally. • Published by the United States Polo Association Offices at 9011 Lake Worth Rd., Lake Worth, Florida 33467 • (800) 232-USPA Chairman: Chip Campbell President: Tony Coppola Secretary: Stewart Armstrong Treasurer: Sam Ramirez Chief Executive Officer: Robert Puetz
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 7
U S PA B U L L E T I N
teams exemplify the values of NYTS by demonstrating excellent horsemanship skills, understanding the importance of playing as a team, being a good sport and playing to their current handicaps. Congratulations to the 2019 NYTS National Championship players!
Middle School Tournament participants and mentors at Marlan farms in 2018.
Cecil Smith Cup participants: Western Region team: Bayne Bossom, Grant Palmer, Riley Jordan, Johann Felhaber Central Region team: Grayson Price, Vance Miller, Regan Smith, Joe Post Florida team: Landen Daniels, Benji Daniels, Hope Arellano, Jack Whitman Eastern team: Aiden Meeker, Winston Painter, Reed Miller, Parker Pearce
Gardnertown Polo Club Middle School Champions: Sami Iahn, Saralyn Painter and Danielle Scott. Trey Ramirez is not pictured.
NYTS Championship The 2019 NYTS National Championship took place at New Bridge Polo Club in Aiken, South Carolina, Sept. 5-8. The NYTS program is pleased to welcome back several returning players as well as a group of new players to the championship weekend. The 24 players selected for the championship
Girls Championships participants: Black: Summer Kneece, Alana Benz, Lila Bennett, Athena Malin White: Anna Alworth, Jenna Tarshis, Hope Kerley, Sophie Grant Full results will be featured next month.
Intercollegiate/Interscholastic Middle School Players and parents: if you are interested in participating in the Middle School League, registration is now open on uspolo.org! Tournaments are open to players in 5th-8th grade. We have 14 tournaments going on across the country. Tournaments are filled on a first-come, first-served basis so be sure to get your registration form in today! I/I Start-up & Enhancement Fundraising Program The I/I fundraising application is open to all intercollegiate and interscholastic teams looking to hold a fundraiser to support their I/I team. If you are interested in applying for a reimbursement grant of up to $1000, please visit the I/I webpage on uspolo.org for more details. If you are a college team looking to update your tack, make sure you apply for the USPA I/I funding grant! Schools can apply for up to $2000 for new equipment for the club. If you are interested in applying, make sure to get your team’s application in by Oct. 15! Applications can be found on uspolo.org’s I/I section.
8 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
U S PA B U L L E T I N
Joe Muldoon A liaison for the benefit of polo
F
ormerly one of the highest-rated amateurs in polo at 5-goals, USPA Eastern Circuit Governor Joe Muldoon has tried a multitude of equestrian sports, from foxhunting and steeplechase racing to show jumping and dressage. At 6-feet, 5-inches, his athleticism and versatility is impressive. Born in the nation’s capital of Washington D.C. and raised in Poolesville, Maryland, Muldoon grew up immersed in his family’s equestrian way of life, naturally gravitating to adrenaline-filled disciplines
Ashley and their children. Participating in a variety of sports, Muldoon remains an active skier and wind surfer and still wants to learn new activities such as snowboarding and kite surfing. Accustomed and genuinely concerned with representing the interests of others, Muldoon serves the USPA membership on the Finance, Constitution and Team USPA Committees. Alongside his younger siblings, Charlie Muldoon, executive director of Umpires LLC, and his sister Mary, the Muldoon family is actively carrying on the legacy of their father ‘Big Joe.’
What is your equestrian background and how did you become involved in polo??
Joe and Ashley Muldoon
before his father’s venture into polo captured his full attention. Playing intermittently during summers and time off throughout college, his skill and love for the game grew as he traveled across the United States and overseas to South America, Europe and Australia. Receiving a Juris Doctor degree from his father’s alma mater, Georgetown University Law Center, Joe began his law career on Capitol Hill as an associate counsel for the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, all the while maintaining his connection with the sport. Practicing legislative law and government relations on behalf of multi-national agribusiness and later transportation interests for much of his career, Muldoon is distinguished by his friendly disposition and warm smile. Looking for a change from the increasingly strident daily politics in Washington, Muldoon transitioned into helping clients with their real estate goals in 2012. He also enjoys a vibrant life outside of the office with his wife
My father was a life-long trainer of horses for show jumping and foxhunting and as a result I’ve ridden my entire life. I won my first leadline class when I was 18 months old and I began foxhunting on a leadline when I was just 4. I rode in pony club, participated in gymkhanas and three-phase events, and I also competed in horse shows and ran steeplechase races into my teenage years. Around that time, my father finally bought his first polo pony and I was hooked and immediately became addicted to the game. Imagine, at the time I loved playing football, but here was a contact sport that you could play on horseback! This sport was made for me. My mom was also a horse person and she did a lot of high-level dressage. Her trainer was [Lithuanian] Jonas Irbinskas, [a two-time winner of the U.S. National Eventing Championships]. At a young age I thought I was a pretty good rider, but she convinced me to take a lesson with him. At the time I didn’t really believe that I needed dressage lessons. I had always considered dressage as the boring part of being a pony clubber that we had to get through so we could do the fun stuff like jumping, but riding with Jonas really helped me as a rider and opened my eyes to a more precise way of riding and communicating with the horse. One of my favorite memories of playing polo with my family is winning the National 8-Goal Association Cup in 1983 for Gone Away Farm with my father, Charlie and Mary at Potomac Polo Club.
How did your love for polo influence your career path? I always hoped and assumed that my life would POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 9
ALEX PACHECO
U S PA B U L L E T I N
amazing experience to see high-goal polo for the first time and I had the opportunity to watch and meet some of the great players of the day, including Billy Linfoot, Cecil Smith, Roy and Joe Barry, and others. I returned home even more inspired.
Why did you decide to start a polo school at the Potomac Polo Club?
Charlie, Mary and Joe Muldoon accept their father’s award when he was inducted into the Polo Hall of Fame in 2010. They are flanked by Steven Orthwein and John Walsh.
continue to be filled with horses. When I first entered college at Cornell University, I had originally planned to go on to veterinary school after graduation. I thought that it would give me the lifestyle that I wanted. After transferring to the University of Arizona, I interned one summer for a top horse vet, foxhunter and polo player named G. Marvin Beeman in Colorado who, at that time, was the president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, and one of the top veterinarians in the country. He seemed to have what I wanted to achieve, but he opened my eyes to ways in which the vet industry had changed and I decided that I should choose another path to support my polo habit. I eventually applied and was accepted into Georgetown University Law School and was fortunate to land a job on Capitol Hill right out of law school. Living on a farm within commuting distance from Washington, D.C. allowed me to develop my career in federal government relations while being able to continue to ride and play polo in the evenings and on weekends.
Who inspired you at the start of your polo career? When I was 16, I met Jim McGinley, a 7-goal polo player from New Zealand, when he came to Potomac Polo Club as a guest of the owner, Tommy Dowd. He was a total horseman and I was always impressed by the way that he trained, cared for and prepared his fine string of Thoroughbred mares. He even did his own shoeing and floated their teeth. Jimmy was scheduled to play later in the summer on a team with Dr. Billy Linfoot in the U.S. Open Polo Championship and he invited me to come along to watch and help out. It was an 10 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
When my father first got involved in polo in the early 1970s, he played at Potomac Polo Club, which at the time was the only polo club in the state of Maryland. The facilities included a single field and a huge arena, both located on owner Dowd’s farm near Potomac where Friday night polo under the lights had become a social tradition. Unfortunately, just as my family was getting more and more interested in the game, many of the club players, including the owner, were starting to age out and retire. In 1978, with an impending development planned for the old facility, my father stepped up and provided new grounds for the club 10 miles further out in the country. For all of these reasons, the club was decreasing in membership and had gotten down to less than 10 active members. I was worried we would not have enough people to play so I decided to start teaching in 1978 and created the Potomac Polo School. All that was required was for [students] to bring boots and a helmet and the school would provide everything else. Overtime I put together a string of lesson horses made up of a few retired polo ponies, a few quiet quarter horses, which were borrowed or boarded at home, plus a few more solid horses from the local auction. When I went to law school, I passed the polo school on to my brother Charlie and my sister Mary after him, but now they each have their own operations. Charlie instructs at Summerhill Polo and Mary teaches at Red Eagle Polo Club. After 40 years, we are still introducing new folks to polo every summer.
How has your family supported charities through polo? The Muldoon family has a long tradition of supporting charities through polo. Over 30 years ago, my father and Christian Zimmerman, the former chair of the Argentine Polo Association, created an annual high-goal charity match played by some of the best players in the world. They volunteered to play in order to raise money to support a spinal cord research foundation, the MedStar Washington Hospital Center and other
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groups at the Potomac Polo Club. The annual Washington International All-Star Match was an amazing and well-attended event, which kicked off with a black-tie gala held the night before in downtown Washington D.C., and included amazing 30-goal-and-up polo. This match featured many of the best players in the world at that time, including brothers Juan Carlos and Alfredo Harriott, Gonzalo Pieres Sr. and Eddie Moore. Another charitable organization, Family House, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, heard of our success with our event and asked us to help consult and advise it in establishing a polo charity match of its own. We soon had committed to bringing two teams to play the only game in Pittsburgh on the second weekend in September. This year was my 36th year of playing in the annual Family House Polo Charity Match. Family House is a wonderful charity that provides housing for families of patients undergoing long-term medical operations, transplants and other procedures. We’ve helped raise millions of dollars for Family House and I’ve played in all 36 matches. It’s my favorite kind of polo and I plan my year around it. What can be better than helping others while doing something you love?
What have you accomplished for the Eastern Circuit that you are most proud of? The association has enacted many changes to its rules, bylaws, policies and other regulations in recent years. Needless to say, this amount of legislating can often lead to misunderstandings, misconceptions or unintended consequences, which may negatively or unfairly affect one or more of our clubs or playing members. I enjoy trying to help my members find their way through the bureaucracy in order to reach their goals and find real value from the USPA, whether it is holding successful tournaments, qualifying for financial assistance or amending undesirable regulations. Much of my effort during my first term as circuit governor was spent focusing on and supporting issues that are broader in scope and affect many other circuits as well. During this time, the USPA has implemented big changes in its leadership, programs and policies. As an example, lowering of the handicap level of our elite high-goal tournaments to 22-goals has energized those tournaments, improved the polo and provided more opportunities for young American players to play at that level. Anyone who played in or watched the games in the U.S. Open Polo Championship this past winter can attest to how much the polo has improved.
The rules continue to be adjusted to improve the competitiveness, speed and safety of the game. New tournament conditions are being used to experiment with and phase in new rules and approaches. I’m proud of the initiatives we’ve put into place to improve the safety, attractiveness and accessibility of polo for everyone.
Brothers Charlie and Joe Muldoon with Charlie’s twins
Why are you passionate about polo in comparison to all the other equestrian disciplines you’ve participated in? Many of the other horse sports have some of the same elements of polo. For example, there is nothing like the adrenaline rush of galloping down to the first fence of a steeplechase race, but polo combines more elements than any other sport all in one. For me, anything on a horse is wonderful, but polo provides mental, physical and emotional stimulation like no other sport. Horsemanship is key as your effectiveness is based on both the quality of your horses and your ability to communicate with them. Most equestrian sports require individual performances, but polo incorporates the team aspect, which I really enjoy, having played team sports my whole life. In addition, polo is one of the few sports on horseback where it is not a disadvantage to be as tall as I am! If you would like to contact Joe about your club, reach him at jamuldoon@aol.com. • POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 11
INSTRUCTORS FORUM
Field positioning Strategies for throw-ins, knock-ins and foul shots by Eugene “Tiger” Kneece
Throw-ins Throw-ins start off a lot of chukkers and start play after goals are scored so they still hold a great amount of importance. Generally, teams will talk about their strategies for the throw-ins before they go out on the field. If you are playing with a team for the first time and there is no discussion prior to the game, the No. 1s, No. 2s, No. 3s and No. 4s will likely line up along side each other. The No. 1’s main job is to beat out the opposing No. 1 and head to goal with the ball or look for a pass. The No. 2 is in a very mobile position and can go forward or back within the throw-in, as needed. The No. 3 assists the No. 2 and either wins the play or fights for the ball. The No. 4 will peel straight out and go back. This is the most basic throw-in strategy with everyone having a job assignment. One variation I do with my teams is to put the No. 4 in the No. 3’s position. The Back is usually one of your bigger, stronger players, riding bigger horses. Use that size and strength to clog up the throw-in and contain the opposing No. 2 and 3. With that scenario, if your team is lined up on the right hand side, facing the umpire, your No. 3, your quarterback who is typically the best player mounted on the best horses, lines up outside the throw-in standing by the No. 1 with his back to the umpire. As the umpire releases the ball, he tries to follow it on his mallet side. If the ball continues through the throw-in, the No. 3 follows the play and tries to win the ball. If the ball doesn’t continue through the line-up but maybe ricochets off a player and comes out, the No. 3 is ready to pick it up. If the team is lined up to the left, facing the umpire, you don’t have as much of an advantage with your No. 3 standing outside the line-up. Instead of the No. 3 being at the front and trying to follow the ball out, that player stands perpendicular to the throw-in closer to the No. 2. That way he has the freedom to turn either way quickly. Your throw-in positions may vary from player to player or from chukker to chukker. You may also want to make a change if one of your players is having difficulty with a horse, not having a good day or is consistently getting beat by the opponent. Always give the umpire a clean alley to throw the ball between the teams and don’t rush the umpire. 12 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Remember, you can’t use your whip or take full swings in the throw-ins. If a player’s horse gets nervous in the confined space of a knock-in, have that player line-up in the back where there is more room. Knock-ins When your team is taking a knock-in, your most experienced player, generally your No. 3, will be the one hitting in. The No. 4 will line up about 20 yards off the end line on the same side of the goal post as the hitter. The No. 1 and No. 2 will be equal distance from the hitter on either side of the field. How far down field depends on the ability of the hitter. I am an advocate of starting closer and then moving downfield after they hit it. That way, you are a moving target with momentum and have a better chance of beating the opponent trying to mark you. If you start too far forward, even if your hitter can strike the ball a good distance, you might have to wait on it, making it easier for the opponent to stay with you. If either the No. 1 or No. 2 are unmarked and wide open, the hitter will try for one shot off the end line to whichever player is free, and the rest of the team will fall in behind that player. If everyone is being closely marked, the hitter will tap once off the end line, which sets all the other teammates in motion, trying to beat their opponents and create open space. Meanwhile, No. 1 and 2 will continue to circle around, trying to get open. One of them may even ask the other to help cover him. The No. 2 may say, Hey, this guy is marking me. See if you can rub up next to him so I can get open. The No. 4 tries to advance downfield, looking for open space and if he finds it, asks for the ball. The hitter releases the ball then takes up the back position, so the team still has someone at defense while the No. 4 is forward. If the hitter decides the best play is to advance the ball himself, the No. 4 follows him, giving him the freedom to move the ball downfield. What you don’t want to happen is for the No. 4 to run forward, looking for a pass and the No. 3 suddenly decides to advance the ball on his own. If the No. 3 misses the ball, gets hooked or is ridden off, your back door is completely exposed and the opponent has a good opportunity to score. If your team is defending while the opponents are
INSTRUCTORS FORUM
knocking in, the No. 4 will likely mark up with the opposing No. 1 or the player going the deepest, turning back any offensive drives. The No. 3 will be the next guy, marking up with the No. 2. He will have his back to the play since he is marking the second offensive player. If the No. 4 is having trouble keeping up with the No. 1, the No. 4 should simplify, staying on the defensive side, playing deeper but still positioning himself between the No. 1 and the goal. The defending No. 1 will mark the No. 4. If the No. 4 comes beyond the 30-yard mark, the No. 1 sticks with him on his mallet side, taking away the ability for him to have a free hit. If the No. 4 stays within 30 yards of the end line, the No. 1 stays at the 30-yard line, waiting for him to pass the 30-yard mark and at that point, marks him. If you are defending the No. 3 or No. 4, stay just in front and to the side of that player with your horse facing downfield. Stay in motion. If you are at a stand still on the player’s side and he is on a quick horse or has a burst of energy, in a split second he can get out in front of you. And if you are too far away from his side, he’ll switch directions on you and have too much space. Once the play develops and he launches downfield, gradually move in, eventually becoming fully engaged. Foul shots The formula for Penalty 5s, whether from the spot or center, is very similar to knock-ins. The only variation from the center hit is that you are working with only 150 yards versus the entire field. With knock-ins, its OK to start out on the sideboards because you have lots of green field in front of you to get straightened back out toward goal. With a center hit, you are funneling your players and the ball to the center of the field, setting up for an easier shot to goal. You can go slightly to the right or left, but be careful to stay out of the corners. There are not many big hitters in the game today that can score from midfield. I’ve played a lot with Tommy Biddle and we had a set play that allowed us to score those midfield shots and win a lot of games and tournaments. Tommy could make a one-
time shot from the center. We had a sequence where we released all our players downfield and would try to win the ball and score off a long shot. It was one of the most fun plays to make. The idea was to gain yardage and put the pressure on the other team to make a mistake. If your hitter can’t get that much distance, don’t over commit by sending all three players downfield. If all three players go forward too much and the hitter doesn’t reach everybody, the other team can turn the play and comeback. That leaves only the hitter in the back position up against the other team with his teammates scrambling to catch up to the opponents who are now running toward goal. Instead, release two players and have one player hang back between the hitter and the two forward players incase something goes wrong. This way he can go forward or come back as needed. On a Penalty 4, one of the most important factors is the tee. You can usually find an elevated piece of grass, even if it means backing the ball up a bit to assist you when you hit the ball and allow you some loft. If you can get it over everybody’s heads, it makes all the difference in the world. Try for one shot to score; if you miss, its a knock-in. If you tap a Penalty 4, too many mistakes can happen. It is best to canter up to the ball. If you walk, often times you over compensate for the lack of forward momentum by swinging too hard, increasing your chances of a miss hit. You can walk up to open-goal penalties. With a 20- or 30-yard shot, you don’t need the momentum of the horse. These shots don’t require a lot of strength, just discipline and a good, easy swing. Try for the perfect contact point and follow through. On Penalty 2s, sometimes you are given the choice of a spot hit or bringing it back to the 30-yard line. If the spot hit is on a tricky angle, always elect to bring it back to the line. Every player should practice penalties, especially for those times when a game comes down to a penalty shootout. If your horse is unsettled while taking a penalty shot in a game, let another teammate take it for you. •
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E Q U I N E AT H L E T E
Horse grass CBD may be beneficial when traditional meds fall short By Heather Smith Thomas
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HERE ARE MULTIPLE species within the genus of Cannabis plants (which originated in Asia and are now grown all around the world) and also several different “strains” within those species. Hemp is the term that refers to varieties of Cannabis cultivated for non-psychotropic drug use and to produce hemp fiber, seeds (food) and their oils. Other varieties (often called marijuana) are used for medicinal purposes in humans and as a recreational drug. The cannabis plant has more than 100 chemicals called phytocannabinoids (the prefix “phtyto” means plant, or from a plant). The two main ones are cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Industrial hemp products are made from plants selected to produce abundant fiber. Some strains are bred to produce minimal levels of THC, the main psychotropic constituent of cannabis. Other strains of cannabis have been selectively bred to produce a maximum of THC, the strength of which is enhanced by curing the flower. Marijuana’s THC content is usually 10% or more (and some marijuana plants today contain much more THC than they did several decades ago—sometimes as much as 25%) but hemp must have a THC content of 0.3% or less, according to federal and state laws. At this low level, cannabis has no intoxicating effect, for people or animals. Humans have been using cannabis for various purposes for many years, but because of the mindaltering effects of THC all forms of cannabis have been illegal in the U.S. (and many other countries) until recently. With the Farm Act of 2018, industrial hemp (classified as having THC content of 0.3% or less) is no longer considered a controlled substance and is now a farm commodity, although THC remains a Schedule 1 drug with the Drug Enforcement Agency. With this change in status, hemp is now utilized for many purposes including extraction of CBD for humans and animals. Pet owners and horsemen are using multiple products in a fast-growing market—for pain relief, calming (anti-anxiety), and various medical conditions. Efficacy and safety of some of these products is questionable, however, because there has been very little research; until passage of the 2018 14 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Farm Act it was illegal to possess or conduct research on hemp as well as marijuana. CBD products for horses Today, research is trying to catch up and fill gaps in knowledge about potential uses for cannabis products in animals, efficacy, safety, dosage, etc. Several companies now sell CBD products for horses. Trish Wilhelm CVT, VCC and Chelsea Luedke, DVM, MS co-founder and chief veterinary advisor of VetCS in Centennial, Colorado, started their company two years ago. As an equine veterinarian, Luedke applies her clinical experience to product development and manufacturing high-quality CBD hemp extracts for horses, spearheading the equine research side. “We came to market with some of our products in 2018, with the purpose of creating a reliable solution for pet and horse owners,” says Luedke. “We had seen a lack of scientific evidence in many products that were offered, and health benefit claims that were obviously overreaching any FDA standards. We wanted to try to address some of those problems and clarify information on dosing, and provide transparency regarding where the products’ ingredients come from,” she says. “When we started our company, we found that many horse and pet owners were trying to adapt human products (either medical marijuana, or hemp they’d grown themselves to make homemade batches) for their animals. In dogs, for instance, they were using human CBD oils that contain xylitol (a sweetener), which is toxic for dogs. A different issue emerged when horse owners started using hemp; many were under-dosing their horses with CBD,” she says. “Often people would say they’d tried putting a few drops in the horse’s mouth and didn’t see any difference in whatever condition they were trying to treat. Also, looking at product formulations for horses, oils are hard to give to horses. When we were doing our initial studies we were using CBD isolate in oil, but these products need to be absorbed through the mucosa of the oral cavity. The horse’s gastric pH is low, which affects the bioavailability of many drugs. Formulations like gel caps and oils may absorb quite
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Benefits of CBD products are all anecdotal. It may also show up in drug tests so playing horses should not be given these products.
well in humans via the gut, but not as well in horses,” she explains. “Oil is great, except its thin enough that you can’t get it to stay in the horse’s mouth very well and it’s difficult to make sure the horse is absorbing enough of it. That’s why we came up with a paste,” she says. “Hemp pellets are going into the GI tract and getting digested first. When you figure that less than 10% of that CBD is actually being absorbed, and then you get the liver’s first-pass effect, even less is getting into the bloodstream,” she says. “Before formulating our finished products (which we are continually improving) we evaluated specific cases.” Luedke is an equine veterinarian specializing in sports medicine and lameness and had many clients who were willing to be part of her study on efficacy. These horses were given different doses, with different lengths of time in between, and different preparations. “We started with a plain isolate-in-oil formulation and then did blood work on the horses using a lab at Colorado State University to show the blood levels reached. It can be difficult to isolate these cannabinoids, especially in horses. This took some time but we wanted to go about this scientifically, to see if lame horses’ flexion scores improved compared to their baseline before we started cannabis therapy,” she says. “We were very encouraged by the response in lameness. One horse had multi-limb osteoarthritis— more than three joints painful—and had not responded to traditional therapies. I generally do not reach for CBD as a first therapy. There are many well-established and effective medications, and as an equine veterinarian I use those first. The horses in our study were some that had failed to respond to traditional medicine and we were looking for something else to
try,” says Luedke. One horse had severe osteoarthritis in a single joint in a hind limb, and the pain was significant enough that he was lying down all day and not eating well; the next alternative was humane euthanasia. “He was on 4 grams of Bute daily, along with gabapentin, and he’d also had shock wave therapy and various other local therapies for that joint— everything we could try. We were grasping at straws, in his case, so we gave him a very high dose (5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight) of CBD. Within 24 hours of the first dose the owner reported that the horse was standing up and moving, even to the point of running around his pen. He also started eating better,” Luedke says. “We did five daily doses on that horse, and then 24 hours after the last dose he started becoming lame again. We then tried different doses on him to find a dose that worked (the lowest level that would still give relief). Every horse is different and with cannabinoids (and CBD therapy in particular) you must adjust the dosage to the individual horse,” she explains. A proven use for CBD in dogs is relieving pain of osteoarthritis, and it seems to also work in horses. “In situations where it is contraindicated to inject multiple joints, such as senior horses or in insulinresistant horses, CBD works as an anti-inflammatory because it is affecting the whole system and not just a single joint. I like this aspect of CBD and this is why we came out with a hemp powder that makes it easier for daily dosing. It is 125 milligrams CBD per scoop and we typically recommend one scoop per day,” says Luedke. “This is just anecdotal, but we’ve been able to transition some horses that were not tolerating longterm use of NSAIDs (including Equioxx). They tend POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 15
E Q U I N E AT H L E T E
The FDA does not recognize CBD and Hemp products so they are not regulated. Products may vary from batch to batch and labeling may be inaccurate.
to do really well on a daily dose of CBD to keep the inflammation in their system down,” she says. Some horses are extremely sensitive to CBD and only need a small dose to get the beneficial effect. “CBD is very safe, but we don’t want to unnecessarily give high doses, even though a lethal dose has not been experimentally attainable. The main concern with using a high dose is that it would be very expensive, considering the size of a horse. Thus it is important to determine effective dose for each horse. We discovered a subset of horses that are very sensitive to CBD and get by with a low dose, such as 60 to 70 milligrams per day, as opposed to the horse with severe arthritis pain that was getting 2500 milligrams,” says Luedke. “This tells us that a lot more research needs to be done. We are currently doing a pharmacokinetic study on eight horses, using a laboratory at Colorado State University. We give them a certain dose and check their blood level at six different time points in the first 24 hours. This will tell us how long it lasts in the blood plasma. It will give us the half-life, and more insight into why different horses are affected differently. This is a small study, but a stepping stone to more research on efficacy and how to use CBD,” she says. Anecdotal reports Indications for use (diseases and problems in horses that people are treating with CBD) are mainly anecdotal studies. For instance, Luedke recently used CBD on a client’s horse at a showground when the horse was in a panic. He had recently been imported from Germany and was not adjusting well to his new environment. He was in training and not
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competing; the owner just wanted to get him off the farm and see how he did at the showground, but he was not handling it well. “This horse was climbing the stall walls and very upset. We first used traditional sedatives to help calm him. We’d given him enough Dormosedan and Torbugesic to last about an hour and it did sedate him, but after the hour elapsed he went back to panic. The stall walls were about 7-feet high but he was trying to get his legs over the top. We’d tried walking him, putting different horses next to him; we’d done everything we could think of management-wise. After several hours, however, because he was not going to be showing, we tried the hemp paste that we sell through VetCS. I gave him a quarter tube dose, which is 125 milligrams of CBD,” says Luedke. “After dosing him, I was across the aisle working with another horse and within 10 minutes all the noise and clamoring in his stall stopped. Within 10 minutes he was standing in the back of his stall, relaxed. At that point he’d been going crazy in the stall for about seven hours, with intermittent attempts by us to try to calm him. The effect of the paste lasted about 12 hours,” she says. That was a dramatic case in which the CBD showed a calming effect. “Anxiety is strongly affected by CBD. It is a very strong anxiolytic in humans and there is quite a bit of research already on this. We are using it ‘translationally’ in horses, for that effect and find that with most anxious horses something between 80 and 100 milligrams of CBD has a beneficial effect,” she explains. This makes sense because the body’s own endocannabinoid system regulates alertness. “There is a reason that CBD works to calm a horse or a human because it is affecting those receptors and regulating the level of anxiety. All mammals have an endocannabinoid system and the receptors of that system can be accessed using phytocannabinoids (CBD, THC, CBN, etc.) to alter mentation status,” she says. Treating laminitis Another indication in horses that Luedke wants to study more is laminitis. “We’ve had good success treating laminitic horses with CBD, for pain modulation. Most of these horses, we are first treating the underlying condition, whether metabolic issues or mechanical (support limb overstress) and we reach for a NSAID like Bute to control the inflammation. Some cases have not responded to these therapies and either the coffin bone continues to rotate or sink, or we can’t get the pain level under control, so we’ve used CBD as an adjunct,” says Luedke.
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“This requires a high dose, usually between 400 and 500 milligrams per day, but within 24 hours of the first dose those horses become much more comfortable. The proof is there, because this is costly and people try to wean the horses off or drop the dosage down after a few days, and the horse becomes more painful again,” she says. “If you can keep a laminitic horse comfortable during the period in which you are changing all the other aspects and treating the primary problem (whether it’s taking the horse off lush pasture, addressing the feet, etc.) you can manage the pain a little better using the CBD. This can buy time to address what’s going on with the feet and provide a better outcome. There are many instances in which if you can’t control the pain, you don’t have an option to control all the other factors. Again, in practice, CBD is not my first line of treatment, but if I need something additional I will bring it on board for laminitis/founder cases,” she explains. Other applications In humans and pets, CBD can help for seizures, cancer and renal failure, but these are things we don’t have to deal with very often in horses. “The main three indications for use in horses are anxiety, osteoarthritis and laminitis. I have also used a hemp extract with success in horses with decreased appetite. I think we will find a few more applications in horses, but we’re not making a lot of claims at this point until more research is done,” says Luedke. Once there are more studies, and more literature, Drug testing and withdrawal times
Many sports disciplines prohibit use of various medications and drugs, testing the horses that compete. “I think these rulings are fair, because even though cannabis therapy is an herbal-based ‘natural’ option, it is therapeutic,” says Luedke. “The idea behind testing for medications is that we all want to compete on a level playing field. If a horse needs drugs/medication to enhance performance, it should not be competing.” Drug test rules for polo horses is fairly liberal regarding restricted substances, and in certain conditions a restricted medication can be used in “emergency” situations, but there are specified withdrawal times that must be followed for most medications and drugs. This length of time varies from 90 days for long-acting tranquilizers and psychotropics like fluphenazine and reserpine, 30 to 82 days for various anabolic steroids, 14 days for
these products will become more acceptable and some of the other applications will be discussed and addressed. “Today, however, there is a broad array of products and claims, and clarification is needed. For instance, hemp seed oil does not have any cannabinoids in it and thus has no therapeutic value,” she says. Inconsistencies and safety issues Some hemp oils have a broad spectrum of cannabinoids while others have no cannabinoids. “There are many ambiguities and marketing lingo in the hemp industry; consumers must do their own homework before buying a product. Always read labels and check the actual amounts of CBD in the bottle. Many labels just say 500 milligrams hemp oil, but that doesn’t tell you the actual concentration of CBD,” she says. “Therapeutically, we’d like hemp products to include the trace cannabinoids as well, like the ones we don’t hear about as much—CBN, CBG, CBC, etc. THC is the one we don’t want to see in high amounts for horses. It can be psychoactive at certain levels, and it must be below 0.3% to be legal,” says Luedke. People need to realize that hemp can be over 0.3% THC, especially when certain ingredients are extracted. “If you start with a plant that has 0.1% THC and extract a certain part of that plant, the amount of THC might be ten-fold higher in the extracted portion because the extract is more concentrated. Then it is 1% THC, which is illegal.” (continued on page 58)
long-acting corticosteroids, to seven days for other corticosteroids, local anesthetics, short-acting tranquilizers and sedatives, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, antihistamines and respiratory drugs. There is a section in the rules discussing herbal and “natural” products, warning that these may result in a positive drug screen test. Plant origin of any ingredient “does not preclude its containing a pharmacologically potent and readily detectable prohibited substance.” For instance, cocaine, heroin and marijuana are all derived from plants. Ingredient labeling on many herbal and “natural” products is often incomplete or inaccurate. Responsible parties and their veterinarians are cautioned against use of any products for which the ingredients and quantitative analysis are not specifically known, since they may contain a prohibited substance.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 17
POLO SCENE
N E W S • NO T E S • T R E N D S • Q U O T E S
BUTTER HEAD UP Polo makes its debut Subhead at Nebraska State Fair
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Marie Pelton carves a polo sculpture out of butter at the fair.
Spectators line up for the Aristocrat Hat Contest after making hats in the Hat Dressing Station.
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HE NEBRASKA STATE FAIR in Grand Island, Nebraska, added two new extreme events to its lineup this year: the Grand Kubota Roughstock Rodeo, Aug. 23-24, and the first-ever Nature Hill polo match, Aug. 25. Polo organizers encouraged attendees to bring picnic baskets and lawn chairs and wear a derby hat to compete in the Aristocrat Hat Contest. Those not able to bring a hat could make one in the Hat Dressing Station. The pre-event release described the event as fancy cocktails and loads of fun with a perfectly pretentious announcer, sure to make it an event not to be forgotten. And who was that announcer? Mid-States Circuit Governor Mike Carney! Carney educated the crowd about the sport, explaining the plays and basic rules throughout the match. He also had Polo Players’ Edition magazines on hand for attendees. The match was played in the infield of the racetrack in front of 225 people. The grass was a bit long, making it difficult to hit the ball at times, and parts of the field were muddy after heavy rains but it was perfect to give fair attendees a taste of the sport. Due to the smaller field, the match was played with three-man teams. Players included Nature Hill’s Ricardo Carrion, Pedro Lara and David Summers and Anderson’s Flaco Maldonado, Luis Valdez and Greg Summers. Nature Hill took the 7-6 edge under the watchful eye of umpire Josh Shelton. Attendees enjoyed the halftime divot-stomp, helping to put the field back in shape for the second half, as well as competing in the hat contest. In honor of the match, Jim Victor and Marie Pelton Food Sculpture carved a polo player and horse sculpture out of butter, which was on display in the Nebraska Building at the fair. Victor and Pelton make a variety of butter sculptures at numerous fairs throughout the U.S. They also provide food sculptures for corporate sponsors, such as Hershey, Mars, Chipotle, Kraft, Cabot, Land o Lakes and many more. They also created a butter sculpture celebrating dairy farmers and happy cows. This year’s numbers aren’t in yet, but last year, 314,805 people attended the fair, while some equine events at the fair drew almost 5,000 people. The fair featured big name musical acts, 4-H exhibits, demonstrations, pig racing, shopping, food, games and more. One of the big hits this year: Twiggy the water-skiing squirrel!
POLO SCENE
PATIENT ADVOCACY Match benefits Shock Trauma Center
ROBERT KELLER
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HE 22ND ANNUAL RONNY MAHER Memorial polo match was held at The Maryland Polo Club’s Ladew Field in Jarrettsville, Maryland, July 19. The match benefits R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland. The benefit is named for Ronny Maher. Maher rode horses and fox hunted for most of his life before discovering polo at 60 years old. While he soon became addicted to polo, he continued to fox hunt in polo’s off-season. On Thanksgiving Day in 1996, while out foxhunting, he fell from his horse over a jump and broke his neck. He was treated at the Cowley Shock Trauma Center. Tragically, after nine months he succumbing to respiratory failure at age 72. His family is grateful for the care he received and began the benefit as a way to thank the center. Over the years, the event has helped raise nearly $750,000, which the center uses to advance its lifesaving mission and invest in new capabilities in trauma and critical care. The center’s Physician-in-Chief Thomas Scalea explained, “Our dedicated teams work tirelessly to save the lives of the most critically injured and ill patients who are all victims of unscheduled tragedy. For those who make it to the roof or ambulance bay of Shock Trauma, there is a 96 percent chance of survival. These incredible odds are a direct result of the superbly orchestrated care that takes place for every patient in every circumstance.” While organizers avoided the rain that prevented the match The Party Rockers put on a fantastic from being played last performance and kept the crowd year, it couldn’t avoid dancing late into the night. this year’s sweltering heat. The match was played later in the day and chukkers were shortened for the safety of the horses and riders. Teams included Bad Ass Polo (P.J. Orthwein, Tommy Huber, Nate Berube, Max Hempt) and Dovecote (Jake Brown, Tom Huber, William Green, George Hempt). After a hard-fought game, Dovecote won 9-8. Max Hempt was MVP and Jake Brown’s Flurry was Best Playing Pony. Prior to the match, the A Capella group sang the National Anthem. During the match, guests enjoyed delicious barbecue from the local Hunt Valley Catering and refreshing cocktails. They also bid on silent auction items, including beautiful jewelery, an African safari, fly fishing, point-to-point races, dinners, topiary, housewares, clothing and more. At halftime, a divot stomp was interrupted by the arrival of the Monkton Hall Bassetts, ushered on the field and presented by their Masters Liz McKnight (a former polo player) and Keri Smyth. After the game, revelers danced to the music of The Party Rockers until late in the night.
Monkton Hall Bassetts steal the show at halftime.
Silent auction items included photography, jewelry, houseware items, clothing and much more.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 19
POLO SCENE
AND THE WINNER IS ... Players receive end-of-season awards
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HE SANTA BARBARA POLO & RACQUET CLUB in Carpinteria, California, finished up its Rincon League, a 6- to 8-goal pro-am league, which runs from July 4 to Aug. 24. It encompasses the James Colt Classic, the Summerland Cup, the Malibu Cup and the Carpinteria Cup. After the games were played, participants voted on winners for season MVP, Best String and Best Sportsman. When the votes were tallied, the winners were: Juan Monteverde receiving Season MVP, Jimmy Wright taking Best String and Igor Seyrenov being awarded Season Sportsmanship.
MVP Juan Monteverde
Jimmy Wright won for Best String
Igor Seyranov was recognized for Sportsmanship
SHELLEY HEATLEY
PARKER’S POLO MINUTE
“Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.” —Stephen Covey Since few of us possess all talents, this applies to our polo teams. Fill your team with people of different strengths or play to the strengths of the team you have. SanDiegoPolo@hotmail.com
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POLO SCENE
FUN-RAISER Benefit for diabetes research held in Ohio
THE CINCINNATI POLO CLUB in Cincinnati, Ohio, held its inaugural Junior Diabetes Research Foundation fundraiser in early August. Jolie Liston brought a team from Atlanta Polo Club for two days of fast, competitive polo. Many of the horses seen on the field on both sides were purchased from Liston, who Cinncinnati’s Keith Potter says always has a great supply of ponies for sale or lease. The event was well attended and raised significant dollars for a great cause. As fast as it was, newer players Sharon Lambert (fresh off an injury), Ben Au and Stephanie Wygle held their own and contributed to the team play. Jack Moran, whose family is directly involved with the JDRF, rose to the occasion and played to the next level. Longtime polo player Alfredo Rizo Petron has come out of retirement and is playing this season with the club. Potter said it is so great to have him as a mentor and coach. Every match this season was a fundraiser for various organizations. Earlier in the week, club members traveled to Darlington, Pennsylvania, where the Powers and Watterson families hosted a fun “Friday Night Under the Lights” on their historic skin field.
Player Pam Fischer chats it up with Franceine Potter at the JDRF fundraiser.
FRESH START Club hosts umpire rules clinic to begin season
THE TRIANGLE AREA POLO CLUB in Hurdles Mills, North Carolina, held a USPA umpire rules clinic, June 21-23. Professional umpire instructor Bradley Biddle, assisted by club coach David Brooks, instructed the clinic to 21 club members. The club’s Summer Starter club tournament was held the same weekend, giving members a chance to show how much they learned from the clinic. Brooks said the club members had a lot of fun and learned valuable lessons through Biddle’s awesome instruction. It was a great way for club members to start the season off. •
Bradley Biddle and David Brooks, center, gave an umpire rules clinic at the start of the season at Triangle Area Polo Club.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 21
P O L O D E V E L O P M E N T, L L C
Youth stars Congratulations to NYTS Champions! By Hayley Heatley • Photos by United States Polo Association
Cecil Smith Cup winners: 1st Place: Eastern Region Reed Miller Parker Pearce Aiden Meeker Winston Painter Coached by: Nick Snow 2nd Place: Florida Landen Eckbo Daniels Jack Whitman Hope Arellano Benji Eckbo Daniels Coached by: Adam Snow Special Awards: Matthew Cohen MVP: Winston Painter Sportsmanship: Regan Smith
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0 0 0 0
3rd Place: Central Region Joe Post Vance Miller III Grayson Price Regan Smith Coached by: Tiger Kneece
0 1 1 0.5
0.5 0 1 1.5
4th Place: Western Region Bayne Bossom Riley Jordan Grant Palmer Johann Felhaber Coached by: Patrick Uretz
2 0 0.5 1
Horsemanship: Hope Arellano Best Playing Pony: Chaparra (Chalina x Casino) played by Winston Painter, owned by Gabriel Crespo
P O L O D E V E L O P M E N T, L L C
Girls Championship: 1st Place: White Anna Alworth Jenna Tarshis Hope Kerley Sophie Grant Coached by: Jim Wright 2nd Place: Black Summer Kneece Alana Benz Lila Bennett Athena Malin Coached by: Jesse Bray
2 2 2 4
2 3 3 3
Special Awards: MVP: Summer Kneece BPP: Sydney, played and owned by Sophie Grant Horsemanship: Lila Bennett Sportsmanship: Hope Kerley A special thank you to Russ McCall, New Bridge Polo Club (Aiken, South Carolina), USPA Global Licensing, Texas Polo, horse providers, parents, players and the entire Aiken polo community for helping to make this event a success. Look for full coverage of the event in the • November issue.
MVP Summer Kneece and Hope Kerley in the Girls’ Championship
Florida’s Benji Eckbo Daniels and Eastern Region’s Winston Painter battle in the final of the Cecil Smith Cup.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 23
I N T E R C O L L E G I AT E / I N T E R S C H O L A S T I C
Feldman Cup Alumni compete in national tournament
MARCUS WOLVERTON
Participants in the Feldman Cup at Detroit Polo Club
The Detroit Polo Club, located in Howell, Michigan, hosted the 2019 National Intercollegiate/Interscholastic Alumni Tournament— the Feldman Cup—over the weekend of Aug. 23-25. Players from all over the Midwest, representing a variety of I/I backgrounds, converged to take part in the three-day tournament. The Sassy Spartans, made up of Michigan State University alums Emmalyn Wheaton, Erin Paulson and Morgan Wolverton, took on Flat Out, made up of Katy Escapite (University of Oklahoma), Cassie Scarfone (Michigan State University) and Paul Knapp (Oregon State University). The Spartans started out strong with goals from Wolverton and Wheaton in the first chukker. Flat Out countered with a penalty shot from Escapite to keep within one. In the second, Flat Out came out strong with two unanswered goals from Knapp and a Penalty 1
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conversion to overtake the lead, 4-2. Strong defensive play by Paulson in the third kept the Spartans close moving into the fourth, but two goals by Flat Out’s Scarfone followed by a two-point goal from Knapp placed Flat Out on top with a 10-5 win over the Sassy Spartans. In the second game of the tournament, the Sassy Spartans took on 3 Degrees Hotter, made up of Caleb Pilukus (University of Michigan), Brook Baker (University of Michigan) and Ben Lynch (University of Kentucky, West Shore—Interscholastic). 3 Degrees Hotter came out blazing as Lynch scored four quick goals to start off the game. Keeping the Spartans within reach, Paulson fired an impressive two pointer from distance to end the chukker, 4-2. Pilukus and Baker each put a point on the board for 3 Degrees Hotter in the second, but Spartan’s Wheaton quickly answered with one of her own to
I N T E R C O L L E G I AT E / I N T E R S C H O L A S T I C
MARCUS WOLVERTON
Emmalyn Wheaton with Best Playing Pony Rexy, owned by University of Michigan.
experience. “I signed up for the Feldman Cup, knowing I was rusty, but by the second day I found my focus and played hard!” Scarfone said. “I played with new teammates and reconnected with other Spartan alumni. I would love to continue playing in UNITED STATES POLO ASSOCIATION
end the chukker, 6-3, in favor of 3 Degrees Hotter. The teams matched each other goal-for-goal in the third to maintain the gap, 9-6, moving into the final chukker. An even fourth chukker, 3 Degrees Hotter was able to hold off the strong Sassy Spartans team in the last few minutes of the game to capture the victory, 11-8. The final pitted 3 Degrees Hotter and Flat Out. Once again, Lynch came out firing in the first chukker, scoring two points for 3 Degrees Hotter before Knapp was able to sink one of his own for Flat Out. Knapp continued his forward momentum into the second, securing three goals, including two impressive two pointers, followed by a penalty conversion from Escapite. Scarfone’s excellent defensive play kept 3 Degrees Hotter at bay with a solitary goal from Lynch to end the half, 7-3, in favor of Flat Out. The third saw strong team plays from Flat Out as each team member contributed at least one goal to the board. The 3 Degrees Hotter team was able to rally at the end of the chukker as Lynch added two to their tally headed into the fourth. With the scoreboard standing at 11-5 in favor of Flat Out, 3 Degrees Hotter was determined to chip away at its deficit, scoring five consecutive goals with rapid succession. Holding on tightly to its lead, Flat Out’s Knapp shot in a booming two-pointer with 30 seconds remaining. The final whistle signaled victory, with Flat Out taking the Feldman Cup trophy, 13-10. Taking the opportunity to relive the excitement of intercollegiate polo, Cassie Scarfone had a great
MVP Paul Knapp (Oregon State), Sportsmanship winner Emmalyn Wheaton (Michigan State) and Horsemanship winner Ben Lynch (University of Kentucky) POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 25
I N T E R C O L L E G I AT E I N T E R S C H O L A S T I C
the Feldman Cup annually. It was so much fun.” The familiarity between the team members of Sassy Spartans also resulted in a great team dynamic. “As a team we have played together for a collective 10 years, from Michigan State University to the Detroit Polo Club,” Wheaton commented. “Because of this we can read each other well and have confidence in our abilities as a team. It was fun to be able to play together against other great
JESSICA LIU
Emmalyn Wheaton drags the ball out of her opponent’s reach.
JESSICA LIU
Katy Escapite follows teammate Cassie Scarfone as she makes a winning breakaway.
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teams on horses we love!” Paul Knapp was named Most Valuable Player. Emmalyn Wheaton was elected the Sportsmanship Award recipient and Ben Lynch was recognized with the Horsemanship Award. Best Playing Pony was presented to 9-year-old Thoroughbred mare, Rexy, owned by University of Michigan Polo and played by Ben Lynch. “She is sweet and mild mannered with both the patience for a beginner and enough grit for advanced players,” Wheaton said. “This was my first time participating in the Feldman Cup and Paul Knapp’s excellent leadership made the difference for our team in this tournament,” Escapite commented. “I really enjoyed playing with my fellow alumni, it was a great experience and I can’t wait to do it again. Paul and Emmalyn Wheaton were amazing hosts and put on such a fun weekend of polo for us.” In addition to the excitement surrounding the Feldman Cup, the current Michigan State University polo team was there in support of its alumni, celebrating its 20th Anniversary. Three of the five original team members where present for the event, including players Wheaton and Paulson. Alumni action continues across the country with local circuit-level alumni events throughout the year, and the Feldman Cup will be heading to Texas in 2020. •
Silver shines Tonkawa captures historic title in Aspen By Sharon Robb
The Silver Cup has been called many names throughout its illustrious history. Originally established as the Junior Championship, it was first played in 1900. The Junior Championship attracted such historic teams as Rockaway, Cooperstown, Meadow Brook, Old Aiken and Laddie Sanford’s Hurricanes, to name a few. The 1935 Junior Championship boasted the largest field in the tournament’s history with 11 teams vying for the coveted trophy at Burnt Mills Polo Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. Aiken Knights, consisting of Dunbar W. Bostwick, Winston F. C. Guest, James F. Curtis Jr. and George H. Bostwick,
28 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
triumphed over Texas 13-3. In 1938, the Junior Polo Championship was renamed the National Twenty Goal Championship. During this period, teams such as Bostwick Field, Milwaukee, Aurora, San Antonio and Oak Brook carried the trophy home. The tournament took its present name, the Silver Cup, in 1974. Contemporary Silver Cup winners have included Bud Light, Old Pueblo, Isla Carroll, Goose Creek, Lucchese and Farmers & Merchants Bank. Many winners of the cup have been enshrined in the Polo Hall of Fame—from J. Watson Webb and Tommy Hitchcock, to Robert Skene and Cecil
Smith. In fact, no fewer than 50 Polo Hall of Famers have won the Silver Cup. Of those, W. Ray Harrington Jr. and Charles Smith have earned the most Silver Cup titles with eight wins each. The 119th edition of the Silver Cup was hosted by the Aspen Valley Polo Club, owned and operated by Marc and Melissa Ganzi and located in Carbondale, Colorado, July 27-Aug. 11. It marked the return of the cup to the 20-goal handicap level and featured six teams. The 20-goal USPA North American Cup served as a warm-up event for the Silver Cup and featured four teams. The Host Tournament Committee managing
the event (Carlucho Arellano, Tony Coppola and Peter Rizzo) held the draws for both tournaments at the St. Regis Hotel. The Silver Cup teams were divided into two brackets and teams drew for divisional round pairings and dates of play. After three preliminary rounds, teams were ranked from top to bottom and the top four teams advanced to the semifinal round. Play began on Saturday, July 27 with three action-packed games played in front of an enthusiastic crowd at McClure River Ranch, featuring two brand new, full-sized polo fields to the Aspen Valley area.
SHELLEY HEATLEY
Tonkawa’s Juan Martin Obregon keeps pace with Casablanca’s Nacho Novillo Astrada in the final.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 29
CANDACE FERREIRA
SHELLEY HEATLEY
A member of the U.S. parachute team landed on the field prior to the final.
Ranch (Salvador Lockey, Stewart Armstrong, Kris Kampsen, Alfredo Bigatti) in the third and final game of the round. Four days later, the second round had Tonkawa leading from start-to-finish to beat Audi, 10-8, in a game played at Tonkawa’s beautifully situated High Mesa Field. La Karina bounced back from its tournamentopening one-goal loss to Audi by dominating the McClure River Ranch team for a convincing 17-8 victory. The following day, Casablanca, trailing for most of the game, rallied in the sixth chukker to defeat a stubborn FlexJet team, 11-9 at the McClure River Ranch Stadium field. The third round games were played Saturday Aug. 3. Tonkawa advanced as the only undefeated team in the tournament with an 11-6 victory over McClure River Ranch. “It is super fun playing with this team,” Obregon said. “It’s been competitive and tough. The good thing is we are doing well. I am really happy to be in the semis and looking forward to our next game.” Added Wroe, “We really don’t have any dynamic, we just play polo and play as the game develops and it allows us to play. The game dictates how we play.”
Opening day action lived up to expectations despite two weather delays in the second and third games with downpours of up to two inches, yet the polo fields remained safe for continuation of the competition. The first match, a real nail-biter, saw Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Juan Martin Obregon, Sapo Caset, Mason Wroe) win it with 30 seconds left after Caset stole the ball from a melee and scored the winning goal in an 11-10 victory over Flexjet (Melissa Ganzi, Gussie Busch, Hilario Ulloa, Alejandro Novillo Astrada). In the second match, Hilario Figueras converted a clutch penalty shot in the final minute to give Audi (Marc Ganzi, Hilario Figueras, Nic Roldan, Jared Zenni) the win over a late-charging La Karina team (Brian Boyd, Carlitos Gracida, Sebastian Merlos, Tincho Merlos) for a 10-9 victory. Trailing for most of the game, Casablanca (Grant Ganzi, Lucas Lalor, Nacho Novillo Astrada, Juancito Bollini) rallied to overcome a five-goal deficit in the fifth period to win 12-11 over a feisty McClure River
30 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
FlexJet’s Gussie Busch races with Tonkawa’s Santos Merlos, who filled in for Jeff Hildebrand in the semis.
CANDACE FERREIRA CANDACE FERREIRA
Tonkawa’s Jeff Hildebrand, Juan Martin Obregon, MVP Sapo Caset and Mason Wroe
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Jason Crowder, Sugar Erskine and Gillian Johnston, shown with Carlucho Arellano and Charlie Muldoon, flew in from Wyoming for the day to watch the Silver Cup final.
The second game of the day was the La Karina-FlexJet matchup, probably the most exciting game in the tournament. La Karina dominated the first half with leads of 3-1, 5-3 and 8-5, until Flexjet came out in the fourth chukker with a 4-
1 advantage to tie at 9-9. FlexJet went on to win, 15-13. In the third game, Audi shut out Casablanca, 3-0, in the second chukker for a 5-1 advantage and went on to win, 11-6. The semifinal round was played Aug. 7
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CANDACE FERREIRA
The historic tournament dates back to 1900.
CANDACE FERREIRA
MVP Sapo Caset on USPA Best Playing Pony Pulga
in front of a lively local crowd that included visiting 10-goaler Adolfo Cambiaso. Tonkawa advanced into the final with a 14-11 victory over Flexjet in the first semifinal that featured dueling 10-goalers, Sapo Caset and Hilario Ulloa. In a wild finish in the second semifinal,
32 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Casablanca rallied for an exciting 9-8 victory over Audi in sudden-death overtime after being behind for most of the game. “I think the game was great,” said Carlucho Arellano, USPA Executive Director of Services. “Audi came out firing on all cylinders and got a nice lead. They were flying. They looked like they were a couple of gears faster than anybody else. Nacho [Novillo Astrada] and his team just kept chipping away. They were not going to go away. They definitely showed everybody they are not a team ready to fold.” The final game was played Sunday, Aug. 11 at the McClure River Ranch stadium field in front of a soldout crowd that included Gillian Johnston and other players from Wyoming flying in for the day to witness the action. In conjunction with the event, the club hosted its ever successful annual Chukkers, Champagne & Caviar fundraiser, which raised more than $600,000 this year, and nearly $2 million over the past three years at Aspen Valley Polo Club. The club’s summer marquis charity event is hosted by club owners Marc and Melissa Ganzi and the Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation. “What a great day here at the club,” Melissa Ganzi said. “It looks like we raised a lot of money for a great cause. This is what it’s all about.” The Aspen Valley weather forecast was bleak, however, blue skies prevailed by the end of the game. Pre-game ceremonies featured Denver singer and songwriter Jenny Shawhan singing the National Anthem as two members of the U.S. parachute team parachuted through blustery skies onto the polo field with the U.S. and Colorado flags. Jeff Hildebrand, who suffered two broken ribs in the third round of competition, missing the semifinals, was back in the saddle for Tonkawa as it faced Casablanca. Tonkawa came out blazing from start-to-finish for an impressive 15-10 victory and a perfect 5-0 record. Casablanca ended the tournament at 3-2, but stirred a lot of interest as all three of its wins were come-from-behind victories. Tonkawa took charge early in the game, jumping out to a 5-1 lead in the opening chukker. Behind Caset’s five goals, Tonkawa outscored Casablanca, 93, in the first half allowing Casablanca only one goal per chukker. Casablanca, known for its slow starts, came back in the second half. While Tonkawa maintained its lead, Casablanca outscored it in the second half, 7-6, but could never make up the deficit. Casablanca came within three when Astrada scored with two minutes left in the fifth chukker to trail 12-9. But Wroe came right back with a great breakaway goal to put Tonkawa back up by four, 13-
10-goaler Facundo Pieres only uses Texas Polo Luxe Edition saddles 9. Caset scored again early in the sixth chukker for a 14-9 advantage. The goal of the game came at the 4:04 mark when Ganzi hit the ball just inside the goal post to trail 14-10. Both teams had opportunities to score before Obregon converted a Penalty 3 to end the game, 15-10. In addition to Caset’s nine goals, Hildebrand and Obregon each had two goals and Wroe added one. The 19-goal team also picked up one goal on handicap. For Casablanca, Bollini led the scoring with four goals. Ganzi, Lalor and Astrada each had two goals. “It has been an incredible day of polo at the club,” said Marc Ganzi. “Great game, great champions. Tonkawa was a very worthy champion. Hats off to them and [a] great tournament.” Caset walked away with a handful of trophies. The Argentine 10-goaler dominated the game, scoring a game-high nine goals. He was the unanimous choice for Most Valuable Player. His calm and cool leadership style and his incredible mounts were instrumental in his team’s successful run throughout the tournament. The USPA Best Playing Pony was Pulga, played by Caset in the first and fourth periods. The Aspen Valley Polo Club Best Playing Pony of the Tournament was Lujan, played by Lalor. The American Polo Horse Association Best Playing Pony was Orangina, played by Astrada. “This polo has been great here,” said USPA CEO Bob Puetz. “I do not know how you can play much better than Sapo is playing right now. I want to give a big shout out to the Aspen Valley Polo Club, Marc and Melissa Ganzi, Peter Rizzo and all the people who worked so hard to put this tournament on. And the ground crews and construction crews, who miraculously changed the landscape of this mountain area and put in two worldclass polo fields within the last year. Not only world-class, but also capable of playing high-goal polo this fast. It is amazing. The future of polo in Aspen is strong.” • —Peter Rizzo contributed historical information to this story
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Banking on it
FMB dominates Santa Barbara season By Gwen Rizzo • Photos by Polographics.com
34 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
MVP Santi Toccalino led FMB to a come-from-behind Pacific Coast Open victory.
Santa Barbara Polo Club in Carpinteria, California, kicked off its highgoal season with the Belmond El Encanto Robert Skene Trophy, played July 12-21. Seven teams divided into two brackets played three preliminary rounds within their brackets to identify the winners that would advance to the final. After the playoffs, FMB Too! (Henry Walker, Santi Wulff, Benjamin Avendaño, Felipe Marquez) settled at the top alongside bensoleimani.com (Ben Soleimani, Santi von Wernich, Iñaki Laprida, Tomas Alberdi). FMB Too! was in front by five goals after 14 minutes, but Von Wernich led a bensoleimani comeback, cutting the deficit to three, 7-4, heading into the halftime break. Bensoleimani continued to make headway, and took a first-time lead in the fifth thanks to an 80-yard bomb from Von Wernich, while turning back all of its opponent’s drives. FMB Too! trailed by a goal into the sixth but with time running out, Walker knotted the score. As time ran down, Marquez got ahold of the ball and passed to a waiting Wulff, who guided the ball through the posts for the 12-11 win. Wulff put on a great performance throughout the match and was named MVP. “The idea coming into the final was to play open and classic polo. It worked well in the first four chukkers, but in the fifth they kept the ball away from us,” Wulff said. “Coming into the sixth chukker we talked with our coach, Julio Zavaleta, about strategy, including how to stay closer to the man and how to separate the other team as much as we could. I think the key of today’s win was that we remained focused and we always trusted and believed in ourselves.” Ben Soleimani’s Machitos Abeja, played by Santi Von Wernich in the sixth chukker, was named Best Playing Pony. Meanwhile, FMB (Danny Walker, Juan Monteverde, Felipe Vercellino, Lucas Escobar) got off to a rocky start, falling to Klentner and bensoleimani.com in the first two rounds of the Skene. Their third-round win over Santa Clara gave the team back some confidence, setting it on the right track for the next two tournaments. The teams moved on to the Farmers & Merchants Bank USPA America Cup, played from July 26-Aug. 11. Teams played off in two rounds before the top four teams battled in the semifinals. The semifinals saw Klentner Ranch edge Lucchese, 12-10, while FMB stopped FMB Too!, 13-10. Klentner and FMB would meet a few days later in the final. FMB had 5-goal Juan Monteverde, filling in for 7-goal Criado, out this season with an injured elbow, so it began with a two-goal handicap. The teams traded goals in the first chukker but Obregon shot in back-to-back goals to put Klentner on top. Justin Klentner sacrificed himself putting in the next goal and had to be replaced by his son, Luke. FMB took advantage as Klentner reorganized, slamming in three goals, to lead 7-5 at the half. Klentner Ranch found its groove, coming within one, 9-8, to end the fifth. Marcos Alberdi leveled the score in the sixth but with less than a minute on the clock, Monteverde ensured FMB the victory, splitting the uprights and taking the 10-9 victory. Monteverde earned MVP honors and Brookshire, Felipe Vercellino’s third chukker pony, was Best Playing Pony. The focus was then on the season’s crown jewel, the Silver Air USPA Pacific Coast Open. Monteverde continued to fill in for FMB’s Criado, who served as the team’s coach and manager for the team’s 47 horses. For its
The historic Pacific Coast Open is Santa Barbara’s crown jewel.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 35
The entire organization, including the support from family members, had a part in FMB’s success.
FMB’s Santi Toccalino, Lucas Escobar, Lucas Criado, Felipe Vercellino, Juan Monteverde and Danny Walker
first game, FMB was still trying to find its groove and fell to bensoleimani.com, 10-7. FMB Too! had a better start, defeating Lucchese, 12-9, while Klentner Ranch edged Sol de Agosto, 10-8. FMB was still working out some kinks in the second round and needed extra time to overcome Santa Clara, 14-13. Lucchese got its first win over Klentner Ranch, 11-9 and bensoleimani enjoyed its second victory, this time over Sol de Agosto, 11-6. The third round had FMB edging FMB Too!, 6-4. During the match, Vercellino injured his knee but toughed it out. By the end of the match, his knee had swollen considerably. He was later diagnosed with torn
36 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
cartilage in the knee, meaning he would be riding crutches for the remainder of the season. The round finished out with Sol de Agosto notching an 8-7 win over Santa Clara and Lucchese taking its second win, 9-7, over bensoleimani. Lucchese, bensoleimani and FMB, sporting 2-1 records, advanced to the semi final round along with Sol de Agosto (1-2). FMB, which had been playing as a 14-goal team, was now down to 8 goals without Vercellino and was scrambling to fill the void with just four days until its semifinal game. Fortunately, 8-goal Santiago Toccalino answered the call and made it from Argentina in time for a practice match before the team’s game. “We had six team changes over a four-month period. In the 16-goal we had two team changes that ultimately had Juan Monteverde and Santiago Toccalino as our substitutes,” Walker explained. Our focus for Team FMB did not change. We were a band of brothers that dedicated ourselves in preparation, focus and discipline, which allows us the best chance to win. As we compete, we do so with confidence because we have trust in each other ... We appreciate that we are blessed with a good string of horses and coach[es], Lucas Criado and Matthew Walker, which kept us concentrating on the goal at hand.”
bensoleimani.com 16 Ben Soleimani ....................A Santi Von Wernich ..............5 IĂąaki Laprida ......................7 Tomas Alberdi.....................4
FMB ........................16 Danny Walker .....................2 Lucas Criado.......................7 Lucas Escobar.....................1 Felipe Vercellino .................6 alt. Juan Monteverde...........5 alt. Santi Toccalino .............8
FMB Too!................16 Henry Walker......................2 Santi Wulff .........................5 Benjamin AvendaĂąo............3 Felipe Marquez....................6
Klentner Ranch ....16 Jesse Bray ...........................6 Geronimo Obregon.............5 Marcos Alberdi....................4 Justin Klentner ...................1
Lucchese ................16 Jorge Cernadas ...................4 Facundo Obregon ...............6 Jeff Hall ..............................6 John Muse ..........................A
Santa Clara............15 Luis Escobar .......................4 Nico Escobar.......................4 Francisco Escobar ..............A Mariano Obregon ...............7
Sol de Agosto.........16 Francisco de Narvaez ..........1 Paco de Narvaez..................7 Tomas Schwencke ...............3 Lucas Diaz Alberdi..............5
Facundo Obregon scored three goals for Lucchese in the final.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 37
Felipe Vercellino missed the semis and final with torn cartilage in his knee.
Danny Walker, with USPA CEO Bob Puetz, won Best String.
Walker said the key to the team’s success with the new players was the horses and their care. Walker mounted himself, Criado mounted Monteverde, Escobar played five of his own horses and five from Walker and Criado, and Toccalino was mounted on Vercellino’s horses. Lucchese squeaked out a 9-8 overtime win over bensoleimani.com to advance, while FMB scored five
38 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
goals in five minutes of the first chukker on its way to eliminating Sol de Agosto, 12-8. FMB has a knack for keeping the action exciting, just as it did in its 2017 double-overtime victory over Klentner Ranch, the team’s first PCO title, and this would be no different. As the teams lined up on a warm day and the National Anthem was being sung, a coastal fog was rolling across the field, which hung around for a chukker or two. FMB won the first throw-in and ran to goal but Walker’s shot went just wide. The ensuing knock-in resulted in a goal as Jorge Cernadas pushed it between the posts just 30 seconds into the game. A Penalty 5 by Monteverde landed the ball inches from the goal line, but a persistant Cernadas was there to send it back in the other direction. Another Monteverde shot went just wide. A Penalty 2 in favor of FMB and a shot from the field also went wide. FMB was knocking but the door just wouldn’t open. A Penalty 4 conversion at chukker’s end gave Lucchese a 2-0 lead. Monteverde put FMB on the board in the second with a goal that went unanswered. Lucchese jumped out front in the third with a Penalty 2 and field goal from Facundo Obregon and a goal from Jeff Hall. Toccalino hit the target with his first goal to end the first half with Lucchese in the lead, 5-2. “At halftime, Lucas Criado concentrated on causing us to examine our play and make simple corrections. Matthew identified the change we needed to make in the throw-in. These two views were ultimately important keys to our win, as expressed by Santiago Toccalino,” explained Walker. The team was committed to stay the course and not change strategy or discipline, just to tweak a few plays. “On the throw-ins we had to fill the gap behind [me], ... push forward and challenge their defense,” explained Walker. Walker said the team didn’t concern itself with the scoreboard during the match, ultimately outscoring Lucchese 7-3 in the second half. The teams matched goals in the fourth and fifth to maintain the difference, 8-5 going into the final seven minutes. Reminded of its ability to score five goals in as many minutes in the semi, FMB kept its confidence that it could to it again. That is when it came alive. In the sixth, the team had No. 4 Escobar, the team’s captain whom Walker warmly referred to as ‘Captain America,’ push forward while Toccalino took over at the No. 4 position so he could launch balls to his forwards. Twenty-two seconds into the chukker, Toccalino took advantage of a broken play when Hall backed the ball into him. With quick reflexes, he pushed the ball
USPA CEO Bob Puetz presents Best Playing Pony honors to Jeff Hall’s Penultimo.
forward in two shots, splitting the uprights. FMB won the throw-in and Walker ran to goal, only to have Lucchese back it out of danger. Cernadas was whistled for a blocking foul against Walker. Soon after, Toccalino converted a crucial, picture-perfect Penalty 4 to bring the team within one, 8-7. Hall ran to goal but couldn’t get the angle needed to split the posts and the ball rolled over the back line. Another play by Hall through traffic was stolen by FMB. After a scuffle, Toccalino snatched the ball and sent a 100-yard pass to Walker. The ball stopped against the goal post but Toccalino got there in time to push it between the posts, evening the score, 8-8, with 2:13 left. Walker, who had tried to free the ball, got caught up against the goal post, sending his horse into a spin. Walker stuck with it until it settled and the two cantered back to the throw-in like it was no big thing. Obregon sent the ball close to the FMB goal but the green team covered the opponents like a blanket, not giving them an inch. In perhaps the Play of the Day, umpires gave FMB a mid-field hit that Toccalino shot like a rocket to goal but just as it was about to roll over the line, Obregon backed it out. Monteverde was there for the rebound, backing it through the posts for a first-time lead with 30 seconds on the board. Lucchese got the ball back toward the FMB goal and Obregon hit a direct shot that suddenly drifted left, hitting the post, changing the line and causing Cernadas, closely marked by Walker, to get caught in a foul. With 9 seconds on the clock, the umpire dropped the ball a foot from the back line for a Penalty 5 in favor of FMB. The crowd, caught up in the excitement of the game, loudly began counting down. As the ball was being hit, Hall, down by a goal, made a daring, last-ditch effort to steal it. Toccalino tapped once and wound up to send it as far away from the goal as
possible. As he did, Hall ran towards him on his mallet side and reached for the ball, but Toccalino kept his cool, beat him to the punch and sent the ball to midfield. As it landed, the horn sounded, declaring FMB the victor. Santi Toccalino was the well-deserved MVP. Walker said, “Santiago Toccalino captained us, encouraged us, helped us stay the course. [There was] not one word of criticism received. [He is] a true champion and world-class player.” Though Vercellino had to sit out the last two games, he had impressed enough previously to earn Season MVP honors. Jeff Hall’s Penultimo was Best Playing Pony and Danny Walker was honored for having the Best String. After FMB won its first PCO title in 2017, it increased its string with 16 horses flown in from Criado’s estancia in Argentina. The added horses and remaining disciplined, prepared and focused ensured the team they had the best chance to win. “Part of having the best chance includes the celebration that everyday we got to play polo, we got to have fun and we got to enjoy our families with a win or loss, and each family’s commitment to Team FMB,” said Walker. The team won five finals, including three in the 12goal series, to end with a remarkable 28-5 season record. Walker gave credit for the successful season to the entire FMB organization, including his wife Linda, Criado’s family, the rest of the teammates, 12 horse managers and grooms and the financial support of Farmers & Merchants Bank. “We need every one of these ingredients to create our goal of success—fun,” Walker explained. “We came to the beginning of the season with a plan of having fun. I admit we have achieved our goal!” • POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 39
P O L O I N T H E PA M PA S
To the extreme XPL,a new professional world circuit, just launched By Ernesto Rodriguez
COURTESY CLICK POLO
Is it possible to have a world circuit with 10goalers, competitive patrons, cash awards and TV all over the planet? There is someone who says yes with full conviction: Juan Zavalía, a former polo player and broker, who is carrying out the project of the Xtreme Polo League, a new circuit for teams up to 34 goals, played at the main venues around the world. “We want to offer one of the best shows on the
Juan Zavalía is leading up the Xtreme Polo League.
planet,” explained Zavalía. To guarantee game quality, familiar names, such as Pieres, Castagnola and Novillo Astrada, will be taking part. “Polo has failed to establish itself as a popular sport. In the last 20 years there has been much talk about its lack of innovation. No one has managed to align the necessary entities and key players. We put into motion an idea driven by a love for the sport, for its long-term sustainability and its potential growth. For that, we have planned the legal configuration and the appropriate economic framework for a fully professional league, institutionalized in a sport that has all the necessary characteristics to offer one of the best sports shows on the planet,” explained Zavalía, who himself reached a 2-goal handicap. Zavalía’s project—headed by EBI Media Holdings Ltd., the company that owns and manages the XPL— has fundamental support from the Argentine Polo Association, patrons and players. The AAP is a strategic ally since it delayed the beginning of the
40 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Tortugas Open so the initial XPL tournament could be accommodated on the calendar, which was scheduled to begin Sept. 25 at the Pilar headquarters, with the final scheduled in Palermo on Oct. 5. The contest already has seven confirmed teams. Teams cannot have more than two 10 goalers and each team member must be rated at least 4 goals. The hope is to attract up-and-coming Argentines and good foreigners, such as the British James Beim and James Harper. Negotiations are underway to include American players in the near future. “Support from patrons has been fundamental for this project to grow and take shape. And the players trusted the project because it has enormous potential,” Zavalía said. Names of the confirmed teams prove it: Ellerstina will present Facundo Pieres as franchise player along with young brothers Bartolomé and Camilo Castagnola; La Aguada will have Miguel Novillo Astrada as its anchor; Abu Dhabi and Las Monjitas have two very strong patrons such as the Emirati Faris Al Yabhouni and the Colombian Camilo Bautista, respectively; La Ensenada, Thai Polo and Pegasus are the other confirmed names to aspire to capture the inaugural XPL title. For now, the great absentee is Adolfo Cambiaso and his La Dolfina team. Cambiaso is focused on the World Polo League, the 26-goal circuit organized by his boss, Bob Jornayvaz, together with Marc and Melissa Ganzi. But he has not closed the doors to join XPL in the future. The great attraction of the tournament is generating an international structure of dates that allow polo to be packaged, in the manner of auto racing’s Formula 1, with points accumulating throughout the year. The 2020 schedule includes dates in Palm Beach (April), England (June) and France (between August and September), with a closing show in Argentina (September). “The idea is to generate a circuit that will take us to the East of the planet (United Arab Emirates, India and China), markets with a very interesting potential to popularize polo as a show. We want to take the best players to new sites to offer a premium product,” said Zavalía. “I am an expert in risk operations and I know the
P O L O I N T H E PA M PA S
COURTESY XTREME POLO LEAGUE
An XPL exhibition in London in June featured, left to right, Pablo Mac Donough, Juan Martin Nero, Alfredo Bigatti, Miguel Novillo Astrada, Bartolito Castagnola and Hilario Ulloa.
secrets of this particular world that is polo,” he said. Zavalía not only has experience as a polo player and horse seller, he was part of the Genii Capital Group when it owned the Lotus Renault F-1 team between 2008 and 2014. “[XPL] could not have been done four years ago. At this media moment, there is a window to [attract] traditional networks. It is a unique sport, with remarkable traditions and has fast-paced and adrenaline-pumping elements. You can mold it as you want and present it to an audience that has never seen it. It is a huge opportunity for the giants who fall asleep letting Netflix and other [internet streaming channels] steal the entire audience.” Each franchise will pay $50,000 to register, in addition to presenting contracts guaranteeing players salaries and organizational stability for the season. But the return is very attractive: in addition to the global exposure of their brands, teams will pay only $20,000 to participate. The quartet that wins the first tournament will receive a purse of $200,000; runner-up takes home $150,000; the winner of the subsidiary is guaranteed $100,000 while the subsidiary runner-up wins $50,000. AAP, which will provide fields, umpires and logistical support services, will raise $110,000. “We have to bring Argentine polo to the global budget of the brands, not to the local budget. It is very difficult to change the Triple Crown, which is our best. We support this new high-goal product, but with other rules and another format to be able to win new markets,” explained Eduardo Novillo Astrada, the president of the Argentine Polo Association. To avoid confusion to an audience that is new to
the game, one of the new XPL rules is that teams will not change sides after each goal, but at the beginning of each chukker. After every goal, the defending team will take a free throw from the 40-yard line. A semicircular line will be introduced 80 yards from the goals, behind which conversions will be worth two points, like in Polo Players’ Support Group’s 40goal Challenge and similar to arena polo. Games will be played on the flat and line-ups may have unlimited substitutions during the match as happens with basketball. In addition, to make the game more dynamic, chukkers will be shortened to six-and-a-half minutes as was done in Palermo’s last edition. Two sponsors have taken the lead in order to make the first step forward. Tennor Holding B.V., a global investment holding company, will be the title sponsor to support the initial tournament while organizers said the Turner group will support television images and international broadcasting. In fact, production has already begun testing new technical devices with practices celebrated in Palermo to introduce innovative approaches. Although the inaugural event in Argentina will be a milestone in the history of this new franchise, there was an early XPL experience. Last June, the Ham Polo Club in London was the scene of an exhibition match featuring high-goal professionals Juan Martin Nero, Pablo Mac Donough, Hilario Ulloa, Alfredo Bigatti, Miguel Novillo Astrada, Bartolito Castagnola and Englishman James Beim. “I am very happy for what we did. This is an idea that has been turning for years, but no one carried on. I think it is what the sport needs to enter a new era,” said Beim after that match. • POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 41
POLO AROUND THE GLOBE
Gstaad, Switzerland Clinique la Prairie takes 24th Hublot Gold Cup
KATHRIN GRALLA
Photos courtesy p.renauldon/rbpresse.com
The teams are led onto the field by a pair of Ferraris.
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KATHRIN GRALLA
The team parade through town drew a large crowd.
With perfect weather at the Saanen airfield in Gstaad, Switzerland, Aug. 25, the audience was treated to an afternoon of spectacular international polo backdropped by breathtaking alpine views. The Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad is undeniably the highlight of the international season. At 14 goals, not only is it the best polo the country has to offer, played with a lot of attitude, it is also known for its altitude: the field is located at 3,280 feet above sea level. The event is also unique in that it is played on an airport strip. The captains’ meeting and draw on Aug. 21 kicked off the festivities. The following day the games began with Hublot (Marco Elser, Marcos Antinori, Nicola Antinori, Julio Novillo Astrada) taking on defending champion Banque Eric Sturdza (Cedric Schweri, Bautista Riglos, Marcelo Pascual, Joao Novaes). The defending champ began with a half-goal handicap, which it hung onto through the first chukker, matching Hublot’s goals and leading 2-2½. Hublot scored pairs of goals in the second and third while
POLO AROUND THE GLOBE
Above: Franco Gai proves he is a stand-up guy in the parade. Banque Eric Sturdza’s Bautista Riglos pokes at the ball in full stride.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 43
KATHRIN GRALLA
shutting out Banque to take a 6-2½ lead. Banque rallied in the fourth with back-to-back goals but Hublot maintained the lead for a 6-4½ win. In the next game, Clinique la Prairie (Piero Dillier, Bautista Beguerie, Juan Manuel Gonzales, Lucas Labat) downed Gstaad Palace (Gerardo Cosentino, Ismael Iraizoz, Santiago Schweizer, Franco Gai), 9-6. Clinique led the first two chukkers (2-1, 5-2). Gstaad roared back in the third, leveling the score at 6-6. Clinique had another shot of energy in the final chukker, shutting out Gstaad and adding three more goals for the win. On Friday, the teams, wearing whites and jerseys, mounted up and met in the heart of Gstaad for the traditional parade through the town. The semis, played the next day, were fierce battles between the teams. In the first, between Hublot and Gstaad Palace, Julio Novillo Astrada scored four of six goals to ensure Hublot the win. Hublot scored unanswered goals in the first seven minutes, but Gstaad shot back with three while shutting out Hublot in the second. Unfortunately, Gstaad was out of bullets for the remainder of the game as Hublot added four more to take the win and advance to the final. The second semi had Clinique la Prairie, led by a
POLO AROUND THE GLOBE
The dog-drawn wagon was a big hit in the parade.
KATHRIN GRALLA
persistent Lucas Labat, up against two-time winner Banque Eric Sturdza, which got a half-goal head start. Banque added to it with a goal, but Clinique responded with two. Clinique added two more in the second and another in the third while Banque was stopped at one. Clinique kept its momentum in the
last chukker, outlasting Banque 3-2 to take the 8-4½ win and advance. USA’s Marco Elser and his Hublot team faced Clinique la Prairie. The teams were knotted 2-2 after the first chukker. Clinique powered ahead, 4-3, in the second and increased it to 7-4 in the third. Faced with
The tournament is played on an airstrip in the Swiss Alps, 3280-feet above sea level.
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POLO AROUND THE GLOBE
Clinique’s tough defense, Hublot struggled to reach the goal, finding an opening just once in the last chukker. Meanwhile, Clinique added three more to cruise to victory. Elser was named Best Amateur Player; 4goal Juan Manuel Gonzales was Best Scorer of the tournament with 10 goals; and Ceron, played by Julio Novillo Astrada, was named Best Playing Pony. Labat was pleased with his team’s victory. “I think this team is one of the best I’ve played with here in Europe, where I’ve been playing since 1998. The team worked together perfectly, the conditions were ideal and the organization a well-oiled machine. For me, Gstaad is one of the best tournaments in Europe,” he said. “This win wasn’t complicated because we decided to return the ball from the first shot and we didn’t waste time dribbling. I have a strong enough swing, so my job was to send the ball to my forwards to score the goals. This is the type of polo I believe in and I am convinced that in the future we must return to this kind of open game.” In the consolation match, Banque Eric Sturdza made good on its promise to try for the best result despite being dethroned in its title by ultimate winner,
KATHRIN GRALLA
Fanfare led the opening parade through town.
The ball takes a hop on Clinique la Prairie’s Clinique La Prairie. Banque edged Gstaad Palace, highlighted by an incredible 153-yard shot to goal Bautista Beguerie while from Joao Novaes, serving up excitement to those in Banque Eric Sturdza’s Joao Novaes tries for the stands. the hook. With another successful tournament in the books, organizers are excited to begin planning for the 25th anniversary edition in 2020. • POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 45
POLO REPORT DISPATCHES FROM THE WORLD OF POLO NORTHEASTERN
CLIFFORD OLIVER
U.S. POLO ASSN. VICTORIOUS IN HALL OF FAME CHALLENGE CUP
John Snyder gets out front but Pablo Dorignac and Harry Landy are in hot pursuit. Tato Bollini follows them. U.S. Polo Assn. (black) took the narrow victory in the Hall of Fame Challenge Cup.
U
.S. Polo Assn. came away the winner in the Hall of Fame Challenge Cup at Saratoga Polo Club in Saratoga, New York, July 14. The cup helps raise money for the National Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame. The tournament pitted two 4-goal teams: HL Polo (Harry Landy, Liam Palacios, Nano Melendez, Pablo Dorignac) and U.S. Polo Assn. (John Snyder, Anna Palacios, Gaston Lisoli, Tato Bollini). Dorignac struck first with a rocket
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to goal but Bollini had the answer shortly after. Snyder scored early in the second before HL Polo kicked into high gear. Landy sunk a Penalty 2 and Liam Palacios and Melendez split the uprights to take a 4-2 lead. Anna Palacios shot through back-to-back goals in the third to level the score but goals by Liam Palacios and Dorignac put HL Polo back on top, 6-4, at the half. Bollini shot back in the fourth with two in a row to tie it up but Landy
answered to take back a narrow lead. Goals by Lisoli and Bollini in the fifth went unanswered, giving U.S. Polo Assn. the 8-7 advantage going into the final period. Anna Palacios pushed the lead to two, 9-7. Dorignac fought back, hitting the target to cut the lead to one, but time ran out and U.S. Polo Assn. had the win. Bollini led the scoring for U.S. Polo Assn. with a game-high four goals. Anna Winslow Palacios’ Cicatriz was Best Playing Pony.
R E P O R T
CLIFFORD OLIVER
DAYNA STUECK
P O L O
U.S. Polo Assn.’s Gaston Lisoli, Santos Bollini, Anna Palacios and John Snyder won the Hall of Fame Challenge Cup in Saratoga.
LA BRAVA CONQUERS IN NY WOMEN’S TOURNEY Four teams made up of players from four clubs competed in the 6- to 8-goal Women’s Tournament at Southampton Hunt & Polo Club in Bridgehampton, New York, Aug. 17. Teams included Hart Agency (Jordan Mastromanico, Courtney Flynn, Slaney O’Hanlon, Emma Joinnides), La Brava (Liliana Falcone, Caroline Falcone, Catie Stueck, Kylie Sheehan), La Magnolia/VLR (Ali Bailey, Jessica Sailer, Lucy Millard, Cindy Halle) and San Ysidro (Catalina Hayata, Summer Beinhorn, Tiamo Hudspeth, Sofia Neis). After spirited play throughout the day, La Brava, coached by Andres Wiesz, prevailed. Catie Stueck was named MVP.
BARTON FARM WINS TWO TITLES IN NY Barton Farm came away with two tournament wins at Mashomack Polo Club in Pine Plains, New York, this summer. In the 8-goal Officers Cup, played from June 14-30, Barton Farm topped nine teams to come away with the title. Barton Farm got off to a great start, going 3-0 in preliminary play to advance to the final. On the other
La Brava’s Liliana Falcone, Carolina Falcone, MVP Catie Stueck and Kylie Sheehan, with coach Andres Weisz and Lisa Falcone
side, Smithfield earned its spot after going 3-1. In the final, Barton Farm (Andrew Gundlach, Nico Diaz Alberdi, Pedro Falabella, Henry Zavaleta, alt. Max Gundlach) faced Smithfield (Zack Grob, Nick Beinstock, Robi Bilbao, Julio Ezcurra, alt. John Klopp). It was a close game throughout but Barton Farm was able to stay one step ahead. Beinstock got the scoring started but Diaz Alberdi countered with a Penalty 4 conversion. Ezcurra struck early in the second, but Falabella, Diaz Alberdi and Zavaleta all hit the mark to jump ahead, 4-2. Smithfield shot back with Bilboa and Ezcurra combining for three goals, including two penalty conversions, to take back the lead. Diaz Alberdi ended the half with back-to-back goals, putting Barton Farm back in the lead, 6-5. Falabella and Diaz Alberdi traded goals with Bilboa and Ezcurra in the fourth to maintain the difference. Barton charged ahead in the fifth, adding three goals while holding Smithfield to one from Grob. Diaz Alberdi added another in the sixth to give Barton a comfortable four-goal lead, 12-8. Smithfield kept fighting and goals by Bilboa and Ezcurra brought the team within two goals, but time was not on its side, and Barton Farm took the 12-10 win. Diaz Alberdi, who scored a game-
high seven goals, was named MVP and Falabella’s Huvita was name Best Playing Pony. In the Officers Cup Handicap, Gardenvale (Shane Finemore, Juanse Olivera, Matt Coppola, Agucho Zavaleta, alt. Connor Finemore) got the best of Hawk Hill (Felipe Tro, Segundo Merlos, Dylan Rossiter, Philip Mactaggart), 9-6. Gardenvale was led by Juanse Olivera, who tallied five goals on the day. Gardenvale and Barton Farm carried their momentum into the Eddie Moore Memorial. The teams met each other in the final on July 28 when Barton Farm narrowly edged Gardenvale in overtime. In the final, a Penalty 2 by Falabella put Barton Farm on the board. Shane Finemore responded to get Gardenvale’s scoring going. Falabella got another chance from the 30-yard line, which he seized. He then followed with a field goal to put Barton ahead by two. Olivera split the uprights for Gardenvale, but Falabella answered. Zavaleta increased the lead in the third, but a Penalty 2 conversion by Coppola kept Gardenvale in the game, 5-3, at the half. The teams focused on defense in the fourth, with both teams shutting down any offensive drives. Barton made critical errors early in the fifth, giving Gardenvale a pair of Penalty 2s,
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Barton Farm’s Henry Zavaleta, Pedro Falabella, Nico Diaz Alberdi and Max and Andrew Gundlach won Officers and E. Moore titles.
which Coppola easily converted, tying the score at 5-all. Gardenvale then caught the umpires’ whistles and Barton Farm was awarded a Penalty 1. Falabella added another to take a twogoal lead into the sixth chukker. Falabella struck again, early in the chukker but Coppola shot back with three in a row to knot the score as the horn sounded, forcing overtime. Once again, the umpires’ whistles stopped the play in sudden death, awarding a Penalty 2 to Barton Farm. Falabella coolly sent the ball between the posts for the win, 9-8. The lion’s share of the prizes went to Falabella, who scored eight of his team’s goals, including four penalties. He was named MVP and his Bolocco was Best Playing Pony. In the consolation, Shekomeko (Guy Merison, Oli Merison, Maxi Chenaut, Tatin Zubiaurre) fell to Buena Vista (Don Langlois, Bauti Crotto, Luis Galvan, Adam Justin), 107. Crotto, who scored a game-high six goals, was named MVP. A Gardenvale team (Connor Finemore, Shane Finemore, Juanse Olivera, Jack Kiely) also made it to the final of the 4-goal USPA Constitution Cup. It met Windswept/ Roseview (David Sloan, Bruce Colley/Oli Merison, Bauti Crotto, Patricio Farias). Six teams played off over two weeks to determine the finalists. Gardenvale
48 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Roseview Farms’ Patricio Farias, Oli Merison, Bauti Crotto and David Sloan won the 4-goal Constitution Cup.
sailed through the preliminaries, getting the best of Bandoleros (Brien Nick, Felipe Ruz, Drew Gale, Luis Galvan), 9-4½; Jujubrook (Max Gundlach, Julian Steinberg, Luciano Vasquez, Henry Zavaleta), 7½-5; and Hawk Hill (Felipe Tro, Jaime Bourdieu, Segundo Merlos, Phillip Mactaggart), 7½-4. Windswept started out slow, falling to Smithfield (Adam Klopp, Milo Dorignac, Agucho Zavaleta, John Klopp), 8-4½, before downing Hawk Hill, 8½-5, and Jujubrook, 5½-3. The final began with Farias scoring a lone goal in the first before the game became riddled with fouls. Crotto converted a Penalty 2 in the opening minutes of the second chukker before Olivera put Gardenvale on the board. Kiely sunk a Penalty 4, leveling the score at 2-2 at the half. Crotto’s Penalty 4 and Shane Finemore’s field goal kept it tied, 3-3, at the end of the third. Another Penalty 2 in favor of Windswept went wide. Windswept/ Roseview was awarded a Penalty 1 in the fourth, giving it a slight edge but Kiely hit the target to knot things up again. Both teams tried to gain the edge but time ran out with the teams locked in a tie. The overtime period was anticlimactic when the umpires awarded Windswept a Penalty 2, which Crotto easily converted, giving
Windswept/Roseview the win. Crotto, who contributed a gamehigh four goals, all from the penalty line, was name MVP and Olivera’s Frutilla was Best Playing Pony.
STAGE HILL CAPTURES MYOPIA’S FORBES CUP Myopia Polo Club in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, experienced a Snow storm in August when 4-goal brothers Adam and Nick Snow combined for eight goals to win the 8-goal USPA Forbes Cup. Stage Hill (Amanda Roberts, Steven Burr, Adam Snow, Nick Snow) overcame Longmeadow/ Folly Fields (Terri Campbell, Reed Miller, Marcos Onetto, Manuel Mazzocchi), 10-6, in the final. Four teams competed for the title. The tournament was played from August 2-14. Stage Hill took the first round of action against Longmeadow/ Folly Fields in an impressive 13-9 win on the club’s historic Gibney Field. The Snow brothers worked well together in the back, using all of their players and scoring 10 goals from the field. Stage Hill went on to win all of its preliminary matches to secure its place in the final. Black Oak (Annie Colloredo-Mansfield, Estani Puch,
R E P O R T MICHAEL GREEN
P O L O
Stage Hill’s Nick Snow, MVP Stephen Burr, Amanda Roberts and Adam Snow won the Forbes Cup in Myopia.
Stage Hill back to within a goal, 4-3. Onetto and Nick Snow traded goals in the third to end the half with Longmeadow ahead, 5-4. Everything changed in the second half. Adam Snow leveled the score, 5-5, in the fourth. Nick Snow gave Stage Hill a first-time lead in the fifth and Burr sunk a Penalty 3 while Longmeadow was silenced. Stage Hill carried its momentum into the sixth when the Snows combined for three goals, doubling Longmeadow’s score, 10-5. Onetto managed to split the uprights before the horn, but Stage Hill had the win.
ANDREW KATSAMPES/WWW.AKACTIONPHOTO.COM
Felipe Viana, Johann ColloredoMansfield) was eliminated after failing to secure a win, leaving Del Rancho (David Strouss, Justin Daniels, Nachi Viana, CB Scherer) and Longmeadow/ Folly Fields vying for the other final spot. Longmeadow/ Folly Fields prevailed. In the final, Burr struck first, countering the one-goal handicap given to Longmeadow/Folly Fields. Miller and Mazzocchi added goals to take back the lead, 3-1, after the first seven minutes. Onetto increased the lead early in the second, but back-toback goals by Adam Snow brought
Windmill’s Marcos Bignoli, Matthew Morgan, Kirstan Lamont, Dennys Santana, Cheryl Arnold and Rhea Lowenthal
Stage Hill’s Amanda Roberts leads the pack while Longmeadow’s Manuel Mazzocchi moves in to challenge. Robert’s teammate Stephen Burr follows.
Burr, playing his best game of the tournament, was named MVP and Adam Snow’s sleek, dark brown Nurey was Best Playing Pony. EASTERN
WINDMILL PREVAILS IN PRESIDENTS CUP Windmill captured the USPA Presidents Cup, Aug. 10, at Tinicum Park Polo Club in Erwinna, Pennsylvania. Windmill (Kirstan Lamont, Matthew Morgan, Cheryl Arnold, Rhea Lowenthal, Marcos Bignoli, Dennys Santana) took on Duende Stars Aligned (Ann Oniskey, Val Washington, Antonio Campos, Juan Martinez Baez) under the watchful eyes of umpires Leandro Berrios and Domingo Guerrero. The exciting and fast-paced game started with Windmill blowing in five goals in the first 14 minutes, while Duende Stars Aligned was held to one. Duende Stars Aligned firmed up its defense in the third chukker, blocking Windmill from reaching the goal and heading into the half with Windmill ahead, 5-1. Hundreds of spectators enjoyed the club’s traditional halftime events, including the champagne divot stomp and hitting a ball off Charlie Chukker,
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 49
R E P O R T D. JEAN VERGARA
P O L O
Arby Dobb’s Antonio Campos, Tim Cheromka, Cheryl Arnold, Rhea Lowenthal (kneeling) and Dennys Santana and Iota’s Barclay Knapp, Val Washington, Leandro Berrios and Juan Martinez Baez competed in the Arby Dobb Cup. With them is Antonio Campos, far left, Daniel Arnold, center, and, front, sponsors Mike Brady and Mr. and Mrs. Greg Krug.
the club’s aluminum polo pony. Duende Stars Aligned regrouped at halftime and began a comeback. It was able to tally in each chukker, scoring a total of five times, but Windmill kept turning, scoring four goals in response to maintain the lead, 9-6. Cheryl Arnold was named MVP and Antonio Campos’ Jupiter was Best Playing Pony. Earlier, the club hosted the USPA Arby Dobb Cup from July 24-27. The tournament was sponsored by longtime supporters Greg Krug and his family’s Arby Dobb Farm and Mike Brady, who is famous for his homemade pies he bakes for every game throughout the season. Three teams played off to determine the finalists. In Game 1, Sonata (Kirstan Lamont, Ann Oniskey, Juan Vidal, Stephen Scott) fell to Arby Dobb (Rhea Lowenthal, Cheryl Arnold, Antonio Campos, Dennys Santana, Tim Cheromka), 5-1. Sonata teammates, playing only their second match together, improved tremendously but couldn’t overcome Iota’s (Barclay Knapp, Val Washington, Leandro Berrios, Juan Martinez Baez) strength, falling, 7-3. Arby Dobb met Sonata in the final, while Dave Halliday and Guillermo Aguero wore the striped shirts. Arby Dobb, starting with a handicap advantage, jumped out with three goals in the first chukker. It added another in
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the second before Berrios put Iota on the board. Martinez Baez added another for Iota, then followed with a Penalty 3 conversion and a pair of goals in the third, changing the tone of the game and taking the lead, 5-6. In the last chukker, Arby Dobb regained its composure, making the most of a free hit from the center and guiding it through the posts to level the score, 6-6. The team kept pressing and Campos managed to get the ball and send it through the posts for the win. Santana, who scored over half his team’s goals, was named MVP and Campos’ bay mare, Florida, was named Best Playing Pony.
TRIANGLE PLAYERS ENJOY BUSY SUMMER Members of the Triangle Area Polo Club in Hurdle Mills, North Carolina, had a busy summer season with numerous tournaments at home and at area clubs. The season began with a women’s team traveling to Seneca Polo Club in Poolesville, Maryland, to compete against teams from Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. Later in the month, the club hosted a rules clinic (see page 20) in conjunction with the club’s annual Summer Starter tournament.
Chapel Hill’s Leslie Brooks races to catch The Hill’s Maeren Honacher in the Constitution Cup.
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Suncreen’s Molly Matthews Peggy Baron Antolin and Amy Dunlap won Flight B of the Summer Starter.
Skeeters’ Natalia Hernandez, Leslie Brooks and Maeren Honacher won the Flight A Summer Starter.
Visit Chapel Hill’s Tammy Havener, David Brooks and Leslie Brooks traveled to Darlington Polo Club for polo under the lights.
Hickory Furniture Mart’s Leslie Brooks, Carson Tucker and Maud Eno won the Southeast Women’s Challenge.
Sunscreen (Peggy Baron-Antolin, Molly Matthews, Amy Dunlap) downed Sunburn (Nicole Romach, Maud Eno, Mark Hauser), 5-2 in Flight B. Skeeters (Leslie Brooks, Maeren Honacher, Natalie Hernandez) prevailed over OFF and Citronella in Flight A. The club also made its annual journey north to visit friends at the historic Darlington Polo Club in Darlington, Pennsylvania. The club’s Visit Chapel Hill team played in the Friday night match under the lights but when lightening began lighting up the night and rain moved in, the teams were tied. The teams tried to resume the next day, but the pesky storms prevented it. In celebration of Independence Day, the club hosted the USPA
Constitution Cup. In preliminary play, Firecrackers came from behind to defeat Liberty, 8-6, and Sparklers overcame a four-goal deficit to best Freedom, 9-7. Firecrackers and Sparklers met in the final, matching each other in the first chukker, 2-2. Maeren Honacher pushed Sparklers ahead, 6-3, after a pair of two-pointers. Maud Eno and Carson Tucker added goals to another from Honacher for a 7-5 halftime score. Honacher started off the third chukker with a bang, scoring her seventh goal, but Firecrackers exploded with Brooks tallying four and Eno and Carson one each to take the 11-8 lead. Firecrackers kept popping, adding five more to win, 16-8. Honacher was named MVP and
Blue Boy, played by Leslie Brooks and owned by David and Leslie Brooks, was named Best Playing Pony. A ladies team made a road trip to Mountain View Polo Club in Charles Town, West Virginia. Leslie Brooks joined newcomers Maud Eno and Molly Matthews, making their debut appearance for a Triangle road team. The team played well, falling a goal short in both games. Matthews was named tournament MVP. Mountain View was a great host for the club’s first trip there, though it won’t be the last. The season wrapped up with the USPA Southeast Circuit Women’s Challenge. In the first match, Rocking B Saddle Shop (Maeren Honacher, Tatiana Wolf, Sheana Funkhouser) took a 6-5 lead over Hickory Furniture
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POLO REPORT
The Hill’s Maud Eno, MVP Molly Matthews and Leslie Brooks went to Mountain View Polo in West Virginia.
Mart (Leslie Brooks, Maud Eno, Carson Tucker) in the first half. Hickory came storming back to take a 9-7 lead. It continued on its roll to pull away, 13-8. The second game had Rocking B roar past The Hill 97.9, 17-4. In the third game, The Hill was eager to prove its strength, taking an early 4-2 lead over Hickory Furniture Mart. Hickory turned the tables, taking a 73 into the half. In the second half, just when The Hill began to gain momentum, Hickory would take over, eventually taking the 12-6 victory and the title. Carson Tucker was MVP and David and Leslie Brooks’ Hot Rod, played by Maud Eno, was Best Playing Pony. The club finished out the summer with practices and lessons and prepared for its fall opening in midSeptember. PAC I F I C C OA S T
OC POLO HOSTS PCAL The Orange County Polo Club in Silverado, California, hosted the final Pacific Coast Arena League of the tournament season. Over 100 players from five clubs participated in the
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Rancho Silverado’s Bekah Segien, Shelley Geiler (with Coco Geiler Allen) and Spencer Hurtt won the Arena Challenge Cup.
multi-tournament high-point series in collaboration with the host clubs: California, Lakeside, Poway and Orange County. The first game of the morning was an exciting Arena Challenge Cup round robin B Flight match. It featured OC Polo (Blake Bertea, Heather Perkins, Sy Zahedi), Rancho Silverado (Bekah Segien, Spencer Hurtt, Shelley Geiler) and Poway (Brenda Phillips, Gillian Young, Rik Crane). The teams were closely matched with each team winning one leg, but ultimately Rancho Silverado emerged the winner. Perkins was named MVP; Fifi, owned by Jennifer Alexy and played by Geiler, was selected as Best Playing Pony; and Crane was Best Sportsman. Next up was the Arena Sportsmanship Cup, pitting OC Polo (Sofia Chamberlain, Mark Calayag, Colleen Newton/Lauren Helpern) and Lakeside (Davey Kral, Fran Johannsen, Zoey Newton, Abby Purdy). The Lakeside team emerged victorious. MVP went to Abby Purdy, Best Playing Pony was Wolfie and Sofia Chamberlain won Best Sportsmanship. The Arena Masters Cup featured California Polo (David Chun, Cara Stechmann, Ricardo Caravetta) challenging this season’s undefeated Poway team (Sydney Morris, Emily Andre, Jasmine Lu). Poway retained its
title, led by MVP Sydney Morris. David Chun’s Lady McQueen won Best Playing Pony and Cara Stechmann won Best Sportsmanship. Lunchtime was another highlight of the day; the smells and tastes of the authentic Argentinian barbecue had players and spectators thrilled. The afternoon’s first A-Flight featured the 3- to 6-goal Gen. Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller match. Titan Polo (Paige Kufahl/Kylie Kufahl, Kim Foy, Andrew Scott) came up against Family Affair (Nicole Bankhead, Kelli Newton, Garrett Bankhead). It was an incredibly tight game with Scott and Garrett Bankhead tying for most goals with nine each! It came down to an exciting penalty shootout but Nicole Bankhead sealed their victory with two shootout scores! MVP honors went to Garrett Bankhead; La Perla, owned by Shelley Geiler and ridden by Kelli Newton, was Best Playing Pony and the sportsmanship award was awarded to Kim Foy. The second A-Flight match saw Arizona (Amelia Perry, Martin Morey, Dan Faherty) take on Lakeside (Andy Schnoebelen, Ethan Bankhead, Molly Agee). Molly Agee, who controlled the match and scored an impressive 14 of her team’s 21 goals, earned MVP honors. Bankhead’s Louis was named Best Playing Pony and Amelia Perry
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R E P O R T
Poway’s Sydney Morris, Jasmine Lu and Emily Andre were undefeated in the Arena Masters Cup.
Family Affair’s Nicole Bankhead, Garrett Bankhead and Kelli Newton won the Gen. Lewis Puller match.
Quite on Z’s Luquitas Criado, Felipe Vercellino, Alonzo Andrade, Alecia Seidler and Paige Beard won the James Colt Classic.
DAVID LOMINSKA/POLOGRAPHICS
Lakeside Polo’s Fran Johannsen, Davey Kral, Abby Purdy and Zoey Newton won the Arena Sportsmanship Cup.
was named Best Sportsman. The final match of the day and season was in C Flight, between OC Polo (Mary Linares, Allie Bushong/Brad Smith, Dave Myrick/Don Collie) and a young talented AZ/Poway (Benjamin Faherty, William Faherty, Remy Glasgow). William Faherty was named MVP, OC Polo’s Rafiki, played by Allie Bushong, was named Best Playing Pony and Remy Glasgow was Best Sportsman. A huge thank you to all of our certified umpires and Umpires, LLC professional umpire Cristian Vasquez for keeping the games safe, fair and fun! We look forward to the final PCAL gathering of the season when participants celebrate the year-end awards on Sept. 14 at the Orange County Polo Club.
TWIN PALMS BASKS IN SUMMERLAND CUP WIN Each summer, Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club holds its 8-goal Rincon League, made up of four tournaments over two months, parallel with its highgoal season. This year a fifth tournament was added. The season began July 4 with the James Colt Classic. Six teams were divided into two brackets. After three playoff rounds between the teams, Quite on Z (Alecia Seidler/Paige Beard, Felipe Vercellino, Luquitas Criado, Alonso Andrade) and Sapa (Igor Seyranov, Charlie Walker, Joaquin Avendaño, Juan Monteverde) reached the final.
Quite on Z came from behind over a scrappy Sapa, after giving it a handicap goal to start. The teams traded goals through the first four chukkers, with Monteverde and Vercellino putting in five goals for their teams. Andrade added one from the field to tie the teams 6-all going into the fifth chukker. Sapa came out on fire, holding Quite on Z scoreless while adding three goals, giving it a strong position going into the sixth ahead, 9-6. Quite on Z was not daunted. Luquitas Criado scored a field goal, followed swiftly by Vercellino to bring the team within one. With less then a minute on the clock, Luquitas scored again to tie the match and force overtime. Quite on Z was awarded a Penalty 5
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P O L O
R E P O R T
Twin Palms’ Graham Bray, Mia Bray, Ulysses Escapite, Pepe Rodriguez and Winston Painter won the Summerland Cup.
from just past the center to start the overtime. Vercellino tapped it forward, then smacked a long shot to the left side of the field, reaching Criado who scored the game-winner from about 60 yards. The final score was 10-9. Luquitas Criado was MVP and Monteverde’s pretty chestnut Minima was Best Playing Pony. To get to the final, Quite on Z downed Novis (Ivan Weiss, Jim Wright, Santiago Trotz, Jef Graham), GSB Law (Leigh Brecheen, Dominique Mielle, Agustin Molinas, Segundo Saravi Cisneros) and Whitehall Ranch/Why Not (Hana Grill, Sterling Giannico, Alejandro Gonzalez, Bill Lane). Sapa defeated Twin Palms (Mia Bray, Graham Bray, Chris Maloney, Ulysses Escapite) and GSB Law while falling to Novis. In the Summerland Cup, played July 18-27, Klentner Ranch (Luke Klentner, Justin Klentner, Jake Klentner, Toly Ulloa) joined the fray and Novis was renamed Barrossa. Round 1 of the playoffs had GSB Law edging Whitehall Ranch/Why Not in OT, Sapa defeating Klentner Ranch, 12-9, and Twin Palms topping Barrossa and Quite on Z in a round robin, while Barrossa defeated Quite on Z. Twin Palms’ Chris Maloney was replaced in the match by Pepe Rodriguez due to injury. In Round 2, Twin Palms defeated
54 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Klentner Ranch’s Tony Uretz, Luke Klentner, Justin Klentner, Toly Ulloa and Jake Klentner won the Montecito Cup.
GSB Law and Sapa in a round robin, and Sapa defeated GSB Law. Whitehall/Why Not topped Barrossa, while Quite on Z got the best of Klentner. Round 3 had GSB Law defeat Barrossa, which defeated Klentner Ranch. In the semis, Twin Palms remained undefeated after beating Whitehall/ Why Not, while Quite on Z advanced over Sapa. Twin Palms’ Mia Bray went down in the fifth chukker, breaking her collarbone. She was replaced by Winston Painter. Twin Palms still had the two subs in the lineup for the final. Quite on Z led by a goal after the first chukker, and Vercellino increased it to 5-2 in the second chukker while playing Best Playing Pony Brookshire. Neither team reached the goal in the third, ending the half with Quite on Z ahead by three. The tides changed in the second half as Twin Palms rallied with three unanswered goals in the fourth to tie the score at 5-all. Twin Palms kept up the pressure in the fifth with three successful runs to goal for a 8-5 lead. Quite on Z answered with a goal and then converted a Penalty 4 to keep it close, 8-7. Goals by Graham Bray and Painter put Twin Palms comfortably ahead, 10-7, halfway through the final chukker. But Quite on Z didn’t stay quiet. Vercellino split the uprights and Luquitas Criado followed with another
to bring the team within one, 10-9, with less than a minute left. Quite on Z initially got the ball out of the line-up but Painter turned it back for Twin Palms as the clock ran out. Painter was named MVP for his heroics. The following weekend, five teams played a single-elimination Montecito Cup, Aug. 1-3. Klentner (Luke Klentner, Justin Klentner, Jake Klentner, Toly Ulloa) earned a spot in the final over Barrossa (Grant Palmer, Jim Wright, Santiago Trotz, Jef Graham) and Sapa (Igor Seyranov, Maxamilliano Reynosa, Joaquin Avendaño, Juan Monteverde) in a round robin, while GSB Law (Leigh Brecheen, Sarah Magness, Agustin Molinas, Segundo Saravi Cisneros) advanced over Whitehall Ranch/Why Not (Hana Grill, Sterling Giannico, Alejandro Gonzalez, Bill Lane). The final had Klentner Ranch top GSB Law, 11-7. Tony Uretz substituted for Justin Klentner as the team powered through the first half, leading 5-3. The team increased the lead by five, 9-4, in the fourth after scoring four and giving up a single penalty conversion. Klentner kept up the momentum to cruise to victory. Toly Ulloa was MVP and Manteca, a 10-yearold Quarter Horse owned by Marcos Alberdi and played by Ulloa, was Best Playing Pony. The same teams, with some minor
R E P O R T DAVID LOMINSKA/POLOGRAPHICS
P O L O
Danny Walker, center, presents the Malibu Cup to Antelope’s Jef Graham, Santi Trotz, Jimmy Wright and Grant Palmer.
line-up changes, moved on to the Malibu Cup, also played in a singleelimination format. Cory Williams took the place of Sarah Magness on GSB Law, Winston Painter filled in for Justin Klentner on Klentner Ranch and Leon Schwencke took over for Maxamilliano Reynosa on Sapa. Sapa got the best of GSB Law and Klentner Ranch in round robin play, while Barrossa eliminated Whitehall/ Why Not. In an exciting final, Sapa started out strong, leading 5-3 at the half. The teams traded goals in the fourth, leaving Sapa ahead by two, 7-5. Wright and Trotz struck in the fifth, knotting the score at 7-all. Barrossa went ahead by two early in the sixth, but Sapa cut the difference to one with two minutes left. Desperate to keep Sapa from scoring, Barrossa knocked the ball over its own back line, giving Sapa a Penalty 6 and a chance to tie the score with under a minute on the clock. Monteverde seized on the opportunity, lifting the ball out of reach and through the posts to tie the score and force overtime. In sudden death, both teams missed scoring opportunities before Trotz got possession at midfield, pushed it closer and shot from 80 yards. The ball found the mark, giving Barrossa the 10-9 win. Monteverde was MVP and Jimmy Wright’s Chava was Best Playing Pony.
Sapa’s Sam Farahnak, Juan Monteverde, Luquitas Criado and Igor Seyranov won the Carpinteria Cup.
Klentner Ranch sat out the last tournament, The Carpinteria Cup. Each team played the other teams over two weekends with the top two teams advancing to the final. In the first round, Whitehall/Why not defeated GSB Law while Sapa defeated Antelope (formerly Barrossa). Antelope rebound in Round 2 to defeat GSB Law and Sapa got its second win, this time over Whitehall/Why Not. The final round had Whitehall/Why Not edge Antelope, 9-8, to secure a spot in the final, while Sapa earned its way with a third win, this time over GSB Law, 12-10. For Sapa, which had fallen by a goal in two finals, the third time was the charm, but it wasn’t much easier as Whitehall/Why Not took it into overtime. It only took Whitehall 14 minutes to overcome the two-goal handicap it gave Sapa, as it leveled the score, 5-5. Whitehall carried the momentum into the third and fourth chukkers, with Sterling Giannico and Alejandro Gonzalez combining for eight goals to lead, 13-8. Juan Monteverde turned the tide in the fifth, scoring a pair of field goals but the team was still trailing by four, 14-10 going into the last chukker. Sam Farahnak cut the deficit to three early in the sixth with a well executed back shot. Sapa went on to
score two more goals with just two minutes left. With just 20 seconds on the clock, Sapa was awarded a Penalty 2 and Luquitas Criado cooly slipped it through the post to force overtime. In sudden death, Juan Monteverde wasted no time in shooting through the pack to reach the goal and win the game, 15-14. Monteverde was named MVP and Cremela, owned by Lucas Diaz Alberdi and played by Monteverde, was Best Playing Pony. In the consolation, Antelope defeated GSB Law, 9-8. BORDER
ARIZONA TRIUMPHS IN FELHABER MEMORIAL Arizona topped a six-team lineup to take the Frank Felhaber Memorial, also played as the USPA Arena Challenge Cup, at El Caso Polo Club in Rancho Naranjo, New Mexico, Aug. 3-4. The tournament honored Frank Felhaber, a wonderful father, grandfather, husband, uncle and friend, who died last December after battling Alzheimers. Four of the six teams competing included members of his family. The tournament was an amazing tribute to an honorable man. The matches began with a round robin between Rancho Naranjo (Fritz
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 55
R E P O R T KERRI KERLEY
P O L O
Arizona’s Diego Flores, Johann Felhaber and Carol Moore won the Frank Felhaber Memorial, aka the USPA Arena Challenge Cup.
Felhaber, Franz Felhaber, Barbara McCrimmon, Alec Felhaber Sr.), El Caso (Lance Easterling, Cole Easterling, Francesca Felhaber, Julian Martinez, Pete Chavez) and Arizona (Diego Flores, Johann Felhaber, Carol Moore). In Round 1, Rancho Naranjo gave El Caso a two-goal head start but it was a drop in the bucket as Rancho Naranjo turned on the faucets. Fritz Felhaber slammed in five goals in a matter of minutes. When he took a break, Franz Felhaber took over, crushing three more into the goal. Francesca Felhaber scored El Caso’s first goal from the field but Fritz and Franz shot back with three more. To add insult to injury, a pony kicked in a goal for Rancho to put the team up, 12-3. Francesca managed one more goal before the round ended for a 12-4 final score. El Caso stayed up to take on Arizona. Diego Flores shot in two goals early in the chukker. Chavez put El Caso on the board but Johann Felhaber answered with a goal. Arizona bumped up the pressure in the next chukker with Johann Felhaber tallying four goals and Flores adding another two for a 9-1 final. The last round pitted Arizona against Rancho Naranjo in a pitch battle. Johann scored first but Franz answered with two. Moore scored, Johann followed with another and Flores shot through three in a row, ending the
56 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Remax’s Dayelle Fargey, Tim Rudy, Gordon Ross and Ryan Kerley won the Calgary Cup.
chukker with Arizona ahead 6-2. Rancho stopped the bleeding in the next chukker, allowing just a single goal and matching it, ending the round with Arizona ahead, 7-3. In the next round robin, Rancho Naranjo 2 (Niklaus Felhaber, Robert Bruton, Alec Felhaber Jr., Cole Felhaber), Sante Fe (John Nance, John Watson, Amelia Peny) and 101 (Walker Rainey, Dan Faherty, Will Faherty, Ben Faherty) faced off. In the first round, Rancho took on Sante Fe, which began with a half-goal handicap. Nance added to it, but Niklaus shot in back-to-back goals for a slight edge. Niklaus added two more in the next chukker. Peny found the mark to end the round with Rancho ahead, 4-2½. In the second round, 101 began with a goal-and-a-half and Ben Faherty added to it. Peny responded, but Dan Faherty added a trio of goals for a 5½-1 score. Before the next chukker could be played, the skies opened up, raining out the remainder of the round robin. The next day, with the sun back in the sky, Arizona took on Rancho Naranjo 2. Johann Felhaber added to Arizona’s half-goal handicap with five goals in a row before the horn stopped him. Johann started right back up again in the second, adding two more. Moore added two of her own, while the team shutout Rancho, ending the round with Arizona ahead, 9½-0. Rancho then
faced 101, but still had trouble getting its footing. Meanwhile, Dan Faherty shot in the only goal of the chukker, added to a two-goal handicap. Alec Felhaber scored two in a row in the next chukker but a Penalty 2 by Dan Faherty gave 101 the 42 win. In the last round, Johann Felhaber found the target and the team was awarded a Penalty 1 before Flores traded goals with Ben Faherty, ending the chukker 3-2 in favor of Arizona. Dan Faherty scored the only goal of the second chukker to knot the score, 3-3. The last match of the day was between Sante Fe and El Caso. John Nance and Amelia Peny overcame the two-goal handicap given to El Caso in the first seven minutes. Nance went on to score the next six goals. Pete Chavez found the mark in the final chukker while Sante Fe was shut down, ending with Sante Fe ahead, 8-3. Arizona, which went undefeated, took first place, while 101 took second place. PAC I F I C N O R T H W E S T
REMAX BEST IN CALGARY CUP After trailing by three, Remax rallied in the last period to win the 4-goal Calgary Cup at Calgary Polo Club in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
R E P O R T
KERRI KERLEY
P O L O
Somerset defeating Blizzard, 7½-5; Remax defeating Somerset, 8-5½; and BD&P defeating Blizzard, 9½-4. BD&P made it to the final of the next tournament, the USPA Pacific Northwest Players Cup/ Roenisch BD&P’s Ian Schnoebelen, James Kidd, Rob Stenzel and Saul Torres Memorial. Play won the Players Cup/Roenisch Memorial, taking home $12,000. began on Aug. 18 with Remax Remax (Ryan Kerley, Dayelle Fargey, defeating Somerset, 7-4, and Blizzard Tim Rudy, Gordon Ross) took on BD&P edging BD&P, 9-8. Blizzard also doubled (Ian Schnoebelon, James Kidd, Saul up Somerset, 8-4, and Remax downed Torres, Rob Stenzel) in the final. Rudy BD&P, 8-3. Blizzard picked up its third got the scoring started, but Stenzel and win, this time over Remax, 4-1, and Kidd had the answer to end the first BD&P topped Somerset, 6-2½. with BD&P ahead, 2-1. BD&P doubled Blizzard and BD&P met in the final. up Remax’s score in both the second Rooney struck first but Ian Schnoebelen and third chukkers with Schnoebelon shot back and Stenzel scored back-toand Stenzel countering single goals by back goals for a 3-1 BD&P lead. Neither Fargey in each chukker. It appeared, team could reach the goal in the second BD&P might coast in for the win, but but BD&P dominated the third with Remax had other plans. Down 6-3 with three unanswered goals from Stenzel seven minutes remaining, Fargey found and Schnoebelen, to put BD&P ahead, the target and Rudy followed with three 6-1. Blizzard began to rally in the final in a row, including a Penalty 2 chukker with Aly Rooney and Carin conversion, all while shutting BD&P Middleton adding goals but they ran out down. When the final horn sounded, of time and BD&P cruised to a 6-3 Remax held the 7-6 lead. victory. The winners went home with a The consolation pitted Blizzard (Aly bounty of gifts including paintings by Rooney, Carin Middleton, Bryan Jan Roenisch, silver trophies and Middleton, John Rooney) against $12,000. In the consolation, Remax Somerset (Lesley Tims, Heidi Clark, downed Somerset, 6-3½. Russel Stimmel, Kyle Fargey). Rooney scored a lone goal in the first and Bryan OBITUARY Middleton scored early in the second but Stimmel and Fargey responded to knot the score. The Middletons both scored Peter Jan Winkelman, 78, passed away at in the third, while Somerset was held to his home in Southern Pines, North a single goal from Stimmel. Tims and Carolina, on July 23. Memorial services Stimmel hit the target in the fourth, but were held Aug. 2 in the Walthour-Moss goals by the Middletons and Aly Rooney Foundation Preserve surrounded by the kept Blizzard ahead for the win. pines with friends attending on Preliminary games began with horseback. A reception followed at the BD&P defeating Somerset, 8-4½; Remax Wymouth Center for the Arts and defeating Blizzard, 5-4 and BD&P, 8-6;
PETER WINKELMAN
Humanities in Southern Pines. Winkelman was born Aug. 29, 1940 in Syracuse, New York. He spent his youth between Southern Pines and Skaneateles, New York. He graduated from the Judson School in Arizona and then Syracuse University in 1965. Winkelman worked in his family’s heavy construction firm, D.W. Winkelman Co. Inc. and was also involved in many ancillary companies and professional organizations. An avid rider and accomplished horseman, Winkelman’s love for horses evolved into a lifelong passion for fox hunting and polo. A founding member of the Skaneateles Polo Club and a member of the former Gulfstream and Palm Beach Polo Clubs, he was also a member of the USPA and an ambassador for the Federation of International Polo. He was a lover of life with an infectious smile and laugh. He was kind, humble, generous and charming. Peter was predeceased by his parents, Marguerite and Dwight Winkelman, his brother, Dwight William “Cappy” Winkelman II, and his first wife, Sally Acheson Winkelman. He is survived by his wife, Maryanne Strickland Winkelman and his four children: Tracy Winkelman, Louisa Cohlan (John), Janet Winkelman and Peter “PJ” Winkelman (Karen), and seven grandchildren; Wesley, Alexander (Stoney), Jackson, Caila, Harrison, Louisa, and Margaret (Marlee). •
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(continued from page 17)
People buying cannabis products need to be careful. “Make sure the company creating the product has certificates of analysis (COAs) to show what is actually in that product. There are probably at least 16 different tests for things you would potentially look for, with the most important being potency. This would address the cannabinoid profile, making sure there are not high levels of THC. I think that if you had even 0.2% THC in a hemp product and were giving a lot of it to a horse, it would show up on a drug test. The drug test can pick up quantities in parts per million.” At VetCS the manufacturing process uses fractional distillation and removes all the THC, so the final product has zero percent THC. “We know that CBD has some therapeutic properties and we need to figure these out, including safety issues and dosing ranges. We haven’t seen any adverse side effects with the doses we’ve been giving, and these were horses that are closely monitored—assessing appetite, manure production, behavior, etc. When more numbers of horses are given a product, however, there may be chance for side effects—if different interactions occur with medications they are on, or considering individual sensitivities, etc.” Some individuals should not be given cannabinoids and these include young animals and pregnant or lactating mares. “This would include any horses under a year of age because they are still maturing their own endocannabinoid system. This is the same for young humans; if we interfere with their immature system with either synthetic or plant-based cannabinoids, we might possibly interrupt the maturation of their own ECS (endocannabinoid system),” says Luedke. Pregnant or lactating mares should not be given anything that has not been proven safe for the embryo, fetus or foal. At this point there are still many gaps in our knowledge, and a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about these products, so it is important for horse owners to do their homework and find out what we do know. “Today it’s still a little bit the Wild West regarding current products on the market because there are no regulations; the FDA does not recognize these products,” she says. There is minimal oversight or quality control and that leaves it up to consumers to do their homework and look at the companies’ COAs. If these are not posted on the company’s website, ask to see them. Make sure the content corresponds with what’s stated on the label and that there are no contaminants. Checking for presence of residual solvents, pesticides, microbial contaminants and heavy metals is 58 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
important. “Hemp absorbs and amplifies whatever is in the soil. There may be pesticides, herbicides, etc. in those plants and those contaminants will be very concentrated in areas of the plant that we extract the cannabinoids from. It’s scary because this is such a new thing that people don’t know what to look out for. If the advertising sounds good, horse owners are likely to buy a product, but ultimately it comes down to lab analyses and making sure they are based on that specific batch,” she says. “That’s why every single label we send out has a lot number and expiration number and those can then be referenced to the COAs that we have on each batch. This is important because some companies may only batch test one batch per year and batches may vary in what they contain. Also because hemp farming was not legal across state lines until this past January, there’s a wide variety of different plants and biomass being marketed. You don’t know where it was grown, and it’s common to have extraction labs combine large batches of plants to be more efficient,” she explains. The plants on the same farm from year to year can also vary greatly in their THC content, depending on growing conditions. “Therefore the most important thing is batch testing and making sure this information is available,” says Luedke. Beth Coney, DVM has a practice in central Kentucky with racehorses and sport horses and does chiropractic and sports therapies and a little sports medicine. She says there a number of products now available that contain CBD and these are considered nutraceuticals. “This means they are not food and they are not drugs and therefore they are not controlled by the FDA. There is no guarantee that what you purchase has accurate labeling.” You are on your own, and it’s truly buyer beware. “These products are being used for chronic pain, and there have been studies in dogs that show CBD can help control arthritis pain. The problem in looking at these studies, however, is that a study might have been done with one particular product, and other products may be very different. We don’t know how much CBD is in any particular brand,” she explains. “In veterinary medicine we have not yet done the necessary research to establish what the effective doses might be, or how quickly the CBD is absorbed, or how long it lasts in the body,” says Coney. “A study in dogs with arthritis used 2 milligrams per kilogram of body weight and 4 milligrams per kilogram. Effective dose must be established, along with any side effects, and what doses are ineffective and what is an optimal dose. Studies can be done on various products but we need to have an established,
E Q U I N E AT H L E T E
consistent product (always containing the same amount of active ingredient). That’s the trouble with nutraceuticals; it is difficult to have a consistent product,” she explains. “Horse owners also can’t be absolutely sure that the CBD product they purchase doesn’t contain minute traces of THC, which is a prohibited substance. If a drug test comes up positive for CBD, in many jurisdictions such as Kentucky horse racing, it’s a Class B offense. If the test is positive for THC it’s a Class A offense and you are banned. Also, we don’t know if there might be contaminants in a product because we don’t always know where the CBD came from. You are trusting the manufacturer, and ‘natural’ doesn’t mean safe or without side effects,” Coney says. There are anecdotal reports that CBD has efficacy for certain conditions, but it won’t be legal for horse owners to use during or before a competition, unless and until we are able to establish the pharmacology. “If people want to experiment with CBD for an old retired horse in their back yard that is never going into competition, that’s fine. They discuss it with their veterinarian--who could assess the horse objectively to make sure the animal has no conditions that would make it to where it should not receive the product, and that the animal is appropriately monitored, to see if there is any change, and make sure the horse’s blood work and chemical panel remain normal.” “Don’t assume that just because it’s from a plant that it’s safe,” she says. Anything that has a pharmacologic action, has the possibility of negative effects. Also, every individual (horse or human) is different in how it handles or tolerates certain drugs or products. More research needed Most people don’t take time to look into the background on all the products being advertised; we need more studies and accurate labeling. Now that hemp products are legal, however, there can be more research; this will open up more funding. CBD for animals is an infant industry. There are anecdotal claims for efficacy, but no published controlled studies. “If you look on the internet for CBD oil, advertising and testimonials tell you it will do all sorts of beneficial things for your horse. It may be that CBD does have good pharmacology; it looks very promising in terms of some beneficial action, but we have to measure that. We also need to do the research to make sure there are no harmful side effects, and how much to use. Is the dosage for dogs different than what we should use for horses?” asks Coney. “I would love to have another modality to help
horses with chronic desmitis or navicular or chronic arthritis pain. But we first need the research,” she says. The traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have been through all the studies and tests and we know their actions, and have consistency of ingredients in products. “I ask my clients whether they would rather chew some willow bark, take some arnica or take an aspirin. Only the aspirin has a consistent amount of acetylsalicylic acid. They all have the same ingredient and the willow bark and arnica are natural, but if you want to be safe and know the effective dose, you should choose the aspirin,” says Coney. “We have been working with a company based in Ireland, and Ireland is investing a lot of money into university-level testing and allowing hemp research,” says Luedke. “They have a robust equine industry. It’s interesting to us, because our company is U.S. based and people are reaching out to us from other countries to spend research money that otherwise we’d have to come up with ourselves. I am hoping that the legality will now allow more grants for research and help speed things up,” says Luedke. The amount of research in veterinary medicine has been good, the past few years, but most of it has been for companion animals like dogs and cats because that’s where the biggest market is. The horse industry may be the last to catch up, but the international research will be helpful. “We are excited about the future, however, and realize we also have a lot to learn about the other cannabinoids, especially CBG and CBC. I think those will also be very useful for horses. Our goal at VetCS is to not just focus on CBD but also make specific formulations that will be very safe and effective for horses. We have a lot more to learn, and this will be an exciting avenue for horse owners,” says Luedke. •
Traditional drugs have been studied and tested. We know their actions and have consistency of ingredients.
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CALENDAR
October S E P T E M B E R 1 - NOV E M B E R 1 Keleen and Carlton Beal Cup Houston, Houston, TX SEPTEMBER 8-OCTOBER 6 Pro-Pool League Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, CA S E P T E M B E R 13 - O C T O B E R 3 Sherman Memorial (3-6) Boston, Georgetown, MA S E P T E M B E R 21 - O C T O B E R 5 Copa de Plata (8) New Bridge, Aiken, SC SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 12 Governors Cup (4-6) Houston, Houston, TX SEPTEMBER 28-OCTOBER 6 Wickendon Cup (8) Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, CA OCTOBER 1-6 Women’s Tournament Aiken, Aiken, SC O C T O B E R 1 - 31 National Twenty Goal Grand Champions, Wellington, FL OCTOBER 2-5 Thoroughbred Makeover Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY OCTOBER 2-6 Women’s Arena Open & Handicap Virginia Polo, Charlottesville, VA O C T O B E R 2 - 13 National Eight Goal Houston, Houston, TX Governor’s Cup (6) Aiken, Aiken, SC OCTOBER 3-6 Women’s Tournament Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, CA Arena Amateur Cup Triangle Area, Hurdle Mills, NC OCTOBER 4-6 Gen. George S. Patton (0-4) Honolulu, Waimanalo, HI
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O C T O B E R 4 - 13 Intra-Circuit Cup (8-12) Willow Bend, Little Elm, TX Intra-Circuit Cup (8-12) Point Clear, Silverhill, AL OCTOBER 4-20 USPA National Copper Cup (12) New Bridge, Aiken, SC OCTOBER 5 Beginner Polo Clinic Mountain View, Charles Town, WV Presidential Cup (0-2) Congressional, Rockville, MD Beach Polo Classic at Brant Beach Tinicum, Park, Erwinna, PA Arena Challenge Cup (0-4) Skull Valley, Skull Valley, AZ 10th Veuve Clicquot Classic Will Rogers, Los Angeles, CA OCTOBER 5-6 7th Polo in the Pines Atlanta, Atlanta, GA Southern Hotel Cup New Orleans, Folsom, LA OCTOBER 6 Grand Finale Banbury, Middleburg, VA
O C T O B E R 9 - 13 Congressional Cup (4-8) Maui, Makawao, HI O C T O B E R 9 - 19 USPA Constitution Cup (6) Wagener, Wagener, SC O C T O B E R 10 - 13 Women’s Arena Challenge Barrington, Wacounda, IL O C T O B E R 10 - 2 6 USPA Presidents Cup (4-8) New Bridge, Aiken, SC O C T O B E R 11 - 1 3 Sherman Memorial (3-6) Newport, Newport County, RI O C T O B E R 11 - 2 0 Officer’s Cup (4-8) Aiken, Aiken, SC OCTOBER 12 Paigahs Seahorse Cup (0-2) Mountain View, Charles Town, WV O C T O B E R 12 - 13 Last Chance Tournament (0-1) Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, CA Governors Cup (0-4) Two Wishes, Lockhart, TX USPA Sherman Memorial (6-9) Seneca, Poolesville, MD
Houston Cup Houston, Houston, TX
Middle School League Lakeside, Lakeside, CA
Polos, Polo and Polio Play Polo, Granville, OH
Middle School League Aiken, Aiken, SC
OCTOBER 7 Congressional Cup Honolulu, Waimanalo, HI O C T O B E R 8 - 13 Women’s Arena Challenge (0-8, 8-14) Aiken, Aiken, SC O C T O B E R 8 - 19 Tortugas Open (40) Tortugas, Buenos Aires, Argentina OCTOBER 9 H. Ben Taub Memorial Houston, Houston, TX
Middle School League Garrison Forest, Ownings Mills, MD Retro Classic New Orleans, Folsom, LA O C T O B E R 14 ABC Tournament Honolulu, Waimanalo, HI O C T O B E R 15 - 3 0 National Copper Cup New Bridge, Aiken, SC
CALENDAR
October O C T O B E R 16 - 2 0 Officer’s Cup (4-8) Maui, Makawao, HI O C T O B E R 19 EPoNA Arena Tournament Seneca, Poolesville, MD O C T O B E R 19 - 2 0 Middle School League Barrington Hills, Wacounda, IL George S. Patton Jr. San Antonio, San Antonio, TX Harvest Cup New Orleans, Folsom, LA OCTOBER 20 Tito’s Vodka Challenge Houston, Houston, TX OCTOBER 20-27 National Arena Commander in Chief Texas Military, Poteet, TX O C T O B E R 21 Nalo Polo League Honolulu, Waimanalo, HI O C T O B E R 2 2 - NOV E M B E R 3 Delegates Cup Houston, Houston, TX O C T O B E R 2 2 - NOV E M B E R 9 Hurlingham Open (40) Hurlingham, Buenos Aires, Argentina OCTOBER 24-27 Masters Cup (4) Honolulu, Waimanalo, HI O C T O B E R 2 4 - NOV E M B E R 3 Players Cup (4) Aiken, Aiken, SC OCTOBER 25-27 Mustang Madness Central Coast Polo, Los Osos, CA O C T O B E R 2 5 - NOV E M B E R 3 USPA Bronze Trophy (12) New Bridge, Aiken, SC OCTOBER 26 Fall Classic & Barbecue Seneca, Poolesville, MD I/I Alumni Tournament (0-4) Garrison Forest, Owings Mills, MD
Poloween & Annual Chili Cookoff Lakeside, Lakeside, CA OCTOBER 26-27 USPA Commander-in-Chief Cup (5-8) Central Texas, Lockhart, TX Middle School League Gardnertown, Newburgh, NY USPA Mardi Gras Cup New Orleans, Folsom, LA OCTOBER 27 Poloween! Franklin Polo, Nashville, NT Hallow’s Eve Cup Houston, Houston, TX OCTOBER 28 Colin Ogawa Memorial Cup Honolulu, Waimanalo, HI O C T O B E R 3 0 - NOV E M B E R 3 Womens Challenge Maui, Makawao, HI O C T O B E R 31 Poloween Arena match Great Meadow, The Plains, VA NOV E M B E R 1 - 2 Victory Cup Hopkins Farm, Simpsonville, SC N OV E M B E R 1 - 10 Aiken Fall Cup (2) Aiken, Aiken, SC NOV E M B E R 1 - 3 0 National Amateur Cup Orange County, Silverado, CA NOV E M B E R 2 Bentley Scottsdale Championships Westworld, Scottsdale, AZ NOV E M B E R 2 - 3 USPA Constitution Cup (-2-2) Central Texas, Lockhart, TX USPA Sportsmanship Cup New Orleans, Folsom, LA NOV E M B E R 3 Fall Tournament Mixed Adults Mountain View, Charles Town, WV Texas Open Houston, Houston, TX
N OV E M B E R 9 - 10 Middle School Tournament Central Coast, Los Osos, CA 6th Annual Hering Cup Lakeside, Lakeside, CA N OV E M B E R 10 Harvest Cup Houston, Houston, TX N O V E M B E R 11 - 17 U.S. Open Women’s Handicap Houston, Houston, TX N O V E M B E R 1 5 - 16 Victory Cup County Park, Johns Island, SC N O V E M B E R 1 5 - 17 Women’s Arena Challenge (6-9) Newport, Newport County, RI N OV E M B E R 15 - 3 0 International Cup Grand Champions, Wellington, FL N O V E M B E R 16 Polo in the Park Centennial Park, Sydney, Australia N O V E M B E R 16 - 17 Club Tournament (-2-2) Central Texas, Lockhart, TX USPA Constitution Cup New Orleans, Folsom, LA N O V E M B E R 16 - D E C E M B E R 14 Argentine Open (40) Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina N O V E M B E R 17 Houston Women’s Polo Championship Houston, Houston, TX NOV E M B E R 2 0 - 2 4 SW Circuit USPA/PTF Seniors Houston, Houston, TX NOV E M B E R 2 3 - 2 4 USPA Teddy Roosevelt (2) Two Wishes, Lockhart, TX NOV E M B E R 2 9 - 3 0 Victory Cup Fredericksburg, TX NOV E M B E R 3 0 - D E C E M B E R 1 Thanksgiving Matches New Orleans, Folsom, LA
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 61
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Ship shape Traveling with horses from Sydney to London
When the Ashton brothers brought their horses from Sydney, Australia to London in 1935, someone pointed out that it took guts to bring horses on such a voyage. Norman Perkins, who also brought horses on the six-week journey, clarified at the time that it certainly took a good deal of thinking it out. Perkins, who ran Arthingworth Hall, a private polo club in Market Harborough, noted that in order to get ready for the trip, he prepared for any emergency and brought the proper food and supplies. He also didn’t want to take any risks with the stalls so they were ready for any weather after leaving the port. “Just before sailing in Sydney, I bought two beautiful [Thoroughbred[ mares, winners on the flat. Both were by a great horse called Bacon. I decided to The Ashton ponies were exercised in a small ring on board.
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Ponies were lifted on board by a sling.
bring them with me on the Imperial Star, of the Blue Star Line, and my luck was in from the start,” he wrote to the Polo Monthly in June 1936. “Contrary to my orders, the boxes were flat on the deck and I insisted that the makers raise them three inches off the deck or I would take off the ponies. The ponies were slung on board amongst every kind of noise, but looked at nothing. “The man I engaged to look after the ponies did not turn up. I was faced with looking after them myself, with some help from a splendid bosun, who had travelled with ponies of Salmon Backhouse and Deed from the Argentine. I told the captain before sailing he would have a record calm voyage because I am on board and he said, Impossible! and I told him to wait and see. Every day was calm.” Perkins luck improved when they docked at Melbourne and a young fellow named Scot Morton came on board. He had been at Geelong Grammar School and was turned over to Perkins to help with his horses, a job he did splendidly. “After leaving Adelaide, we had the ponies out on deck nearly every day on matting and fed them on it. They did not come out on cold, windy days. The boxes were covered over top and sides with rubber waterproof cloth in case of rain or seas coming overboard,” he explained. The stalls were boarded up halfway up in front and the top half was covered by a canvas awning, which
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could be adjusted to regulate the flow of air at night. The stalls had wings at the sides to stop head and stern winds working their way in, and also an extended partition between the boxes so the ponies could not see one another and they could eat in peace. The were fed similarly to the Ashton ponies and the food was taken away as soon as they stopped eating so they would be hungry for the next meal. When the shipped docked at Sydney, Perkins purchased some beautiful New Zealand clover hay called Marlborough. It was dead calm in the Bay of Biscay and Channel. Perkins was concerned about the sudden drop in temperatures at night. “In case a pony became stopped up inside and we could not find out what was wrong, I had all the necessary medicines with me,” he explained. The stalls allowed plenty of room for turning around and where they stood on deck, there seemed less movement than elsewhere on board. With a full cargo area, the ship was very steady. To keep flies off, they used very light imitation silk sheets with fringe and when they got into the Bay, they put on Australian sheets with straps so they wouldn’t come off.
The ponies didn’t like the ship’s hard water so they were given water that had been boiled. The cook was very good, and also supplied carrots and lettuce.
Every day of the voyage was calm.
Stalls were large enough to allow the horses to turn around and they were on a quieter area of the ship.
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Stalls were boarded halfway up in front and covered in a canvas awning to regulate the flow of air at night.
A great deal of thought went into ensuring horses were safe while on board.
Norman Perkins with his mare Behala on board the ship
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Perkins kept his horses’ front shoes on and raised the back of the stalls up a bit since the weight didn’t get thrown on the front feet very often. For someone not too familiar with having their horses on a ship, Perkins suggested bringing the horses on board hungry the first day they come on deck and for several days, putting their feed on the matting so they could put their heads down. “That keeps them quiet, as one never knows what they are suddenly going to see in the way of sailors, washing waving in the breeze, or somebody plunging into the swimming pool, and a huge shower of spray suddenly appearing,” he said. The horses were of great interest to the passengers and crew. Once in London, after they were trailered to their destination by Lep Transport Co., Perkins said they enjoyed grass like they had never seen it before and seemed to love the sight of a mallet and ball. One of his mares, Behala, was adored on the turf in Australia and was admired in London by everyone as a gorgeous picture. She and her sister, Maloona, were just as sensible and quiet in London as they were with all they went through since leaving their home thousands of miles away. They were stabled in London with the only son of Devon, the greatest Australian racing pony that ever went to India and won masses of races there, including the Civil Service Cup at Lucknow twice. Perkins felt he had never been as lucky as he had on this particular voyage. He had decided to take the trip only four days before sailing and took great responsibility to make it all happen. He was appreciative to all those who helped him, including the staff of the Blue Star in Sydney, Chief Officer Cramb, who had been very good to him, the bosun and the stable hand Morton. •