LARRY JOHNSON
LARRY JOHNSON
Sutter Buttes’ Elise Pardue necks the ball in her game against Houston.
Billy Raab presents a saddle to Horsemanship Award winner Summer Kneece.
30 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
their marks in overtime and Sutter Buttes moved on to the semi-final round to face Maryland Polo Club (Kylie Beard, Sierra Blevins, Jordan Peterson) from Jarrettsville, Maryland, coached by Kelly Wells. Aiken Polo Club stepped into the arena for the first time in Thursday’s semi-final game against Gardnertown. Aiken took an early lead with a six-goal barrage spread evenly between Kneece, Grant and Robyn Leitner. Leudesdorff added the single score for Gardnertown, ending the chukker, 6-1. Kneece was the lone scorer for Aiken in the second chukker, adding five points to their tally. Leudesdorff added her second and third goals for Gardnertown, ending the first half, 11-3, in favor of Aiken. Aiken held Gardnertown scoreless in the third chukker while adding three Grant goals. A final Leudesdorff score could not overcome four shared goals between Kneece, Grant and Reagan Leitner, capping off the Aiken win, 18-4, and sending the team to the national final for the first time in their program’s history. Maryland Polo Club moved directly to the semifinal round against Sutter Buttes when the Maui Polo Club (Laura Coflin, Sunny Diller, Emily Coflin, Elizabeth Miranda, Nophia Pintor, Leah Melzer, Jayci Jay Magalianes) was unable to make the trip to the tournament. The California team came out strong behind two penalty scores from Pardue. Peterson
