December 2021 Polo Players' Edition- Polo Report

POLO REPORT

DISPATCHES FROM THE WORLD OF POLO

CENTRAL

GUERRENO LEADS IN 6- AND 12- GOAL EVENTS

Alfredo Guerreno won the 12- and 6-goal flights of the USPA Sportsmanship Cup and the 6-goal Constitution Cup. Additionally, he was named MVP twice.

THE CHICAGO Polo Association held a full season of competitive USPA tournaments at several different levels. The events were held at one of eight clubs that make up the association, including Arranmore Farm, Barrington Hills, Blackberry, Chicago International, Las Brisas, Morgan Creek, Oak Brook and Peoria/Bettendorf Polo Clubs.

Lakewood’s Rachel Lewenauer, Joan Carlos Brugue and Paul Nourbash won the USPA Arena Amateur Cup.

The action began with the 0- to 3- goal Arena Amateur Cup final July 24 at Barrington Hills Polo Club. Lakewood (Rachel Lewenauer, Joan Brugue, Paul Nourbash) edged Lydia Farm (Megan West, Emily Smedlund, Ryann Ray), 6-4, for the title. Brugue led Lakewood with four goals. Nourbash and Lewenauer each scored once. Barrington Hills took third place over ILM. The event was also a celebration for John Rosene’s 81st birthday.

Oak Brook/Due West’s Will Mudra, Kelsey Bray, Madison Jordan and Inez Onetto won the NYTS Qualifier.

The next day, five teams competed in an NYTS qualifier. The teams were divided into two brackets. In preliminary rounds, Las Brisas (Robby Mooney, Brianna Jordan, Dolores Onetto, Grace Mudra) advanced to the final over Oak Brook Polo Academy (Chuck Cunningham, Ramon Caro, Robby Pizarro, Josh Escapite) and BCI (Sean Murphy, Cara Kennedy, Winifred Branscum, Woods Kemmler), while Oak Brook Polo/Due West (Inez Onetto, Kelsey Bray, Madison Jordan, Will Mudra) advanced over Beaver Creek/Font Polo (Bella Vangel, Hayden Boeh, Maximo Font, Aiden Meeker).

In the final, Oak Brook came on strong right from the start, holding Las Brisas silent for the first half, while Will Mudra and Bray combined for three goals. Madison Jordan added one before Grace Mudra put Las Brisas on the board in the third. Grace Mudra followed with another goal in the fourth but her brother Will Mudra struck for Oak Brook. Brianna Jordan ended the scoring but it wasn’t enough and Oak Brook took the 5-3 win.

Brianna Jordan, Madison Jordan, Will Mudra, Aiden Meeker, Grace Mudra, Josh Escapite, Ramon Caro and Kelsey Bray were named all-stars. Meeker’s Jasmine took Best Playing Pony honors.

Six teams competed in the USPA Women’s Challenge final. Oak Brook (Inez Onetto, Dolores Onetto, Brianna Jordan, Jenna Davis) topped St. Louis / Barrington (Kendra Pannhausen, Kelsey Bray, Megan West, Amanda Bray) and Flying Changes/ILC (Katie Berger, Jennifer Leffingwell, Samantha Falbe, Emilia Malvicino) in Bracket I, while BCI/IEPM (Paige Billek, Cindy Apitz, Cara Kennedy, Grace Mudra) topped Go Polo (Frances McGinley, Ryann Ray, Madison Jordan, Courtney Rohs) and Beaver Creek (Caroline Stauffer, Adrienne Purves, Bella Vangel, Meghan Okerlund) in Bracket II.

Oak Brook’s Brianna Jordan, Inez Onetto, Dolores Onetto and Jenna Davis won the Woman’s Challenge final.

Oak Brook began with a half-goal handicap. A defensive battle ensued, leaving the teams off the scoreboard in the first chukker. Mudra broke through Oak Brook’s defense in the second chukker before Davis responded to put Oak Brook on the board, ending the first half 1½-1. Davis went on a scoring spree in the third, tallying three in a row to jump ahead, 4½- 1. Inez Onetta found the mark in the fourth while BCI/IEPM continued to be kept off the board. Oak Brook took the 5½-1 win.

Inez Onetto was MVP and her Paulina was Best Playing Pony.

Beaver Creek’s Gonzalo Novillo Corvalan, Alfredo Guerreno, Chris Vangel and Lindor Novillo Corvalan won the Sportsmanship Cup.

On Aug. 29, Beaver Creek (Chris Vangel, Gonzalo Corvalan, Alfredo Guerreno, Lindor Corvalan) defeated Oak Brook (Toto Obregon, Mariano Gutierrez, Horacio Onetto, Jim Drury) for the USPA Sportsmanship Cup title. Beaver Creek began with a handicap goal, which Onetto quickly matched to open up the scoring. The Corvalans and Guerreno all responded with goals to take an early 4-1 lead. Onetto slammed in a Penalty 4 early in the second, but Lindor Corvalan shot back with three in a row, including two penalty conversions. Gutierrez finished the chukker with a goal, leaving Oak Brook trailing, 7-3. Onetto traded goals with Guerreno in the third ending the half with Beaver Creek doubling up Oak Brook, 8-4.

Onetto went into overdrive, scoring three goals in the fourth, but Lindor Corvalan and Guerreno tallied to stay in control. Lindor Corvalan traded goals with Drury in the fifth and Obregon traded goals with Guerreno in the sixth, keeping Beaver Creek on top, 12-9, for the win.

Lindor Novillo Corvalan was MVP and Alfredo Guerreno’s big chestnut mare Shakira was Best Playing Pony.

Morgan Creek/ Good Thunder’s Bill Patterson, Tod Rackley, Alfredo Guerreno and Dean Kleronomos won two 6-goal events.

In the 6-goal B Flight of the Sportsmanship Cup, Morgan Creek (Bill Patterson, Tod Rackley, Alfredo Guerreno, Dean Kleronomos) defeated Brinker Hill/ Sanfilippo (Kelcey Roberts, Lisa Sanfilippo, RJ Roberts, Pedro Manion, Lindor Novillo Corvalan), 7-5. Brinker Hill led 4-3 at the half until Guerreno came through with four goals in the last two chukkers, while Brinker Hill was held to one. Guerreno was high-scorer and earned MVP honors, while his Estrella was Best Playing Pony.

The tournament was played as Team Up for Tony, a fundraiser for Tony Sekera, who was injured in a riding accident in 2017 that left him paralyzed from the chest down. For the second year, $50,000 was raised for Sekera’s long-term care thanks to the USPA’s matching funds prize money. Winners in both flights donated their prize money.

Morgan Creek/Good Thunder also prevailed in the final of the 6-goal Constitution Cup on Sept. 14. They played Las Brisas (Jennifer Leffingwell, Chris Vangel, Gordan Wallace, Juan Martin Obregon). Morgan Creek gave Las Brisas a half-goal handicap but Guerreno’s two goals in the first went unchallenged, putting Morgan Creek in the lead. Neither team reached the goal in the second, ending the half, 2-½.

Rackley increased the difference in the third but Obregon answered back with two, coming within a half goal. Guerreno’s lone goal in the last chukker sealed the deal for Morgan Creek/Good Thunder.

Alfredo Guerreno was MVP and Juan Martin Obregon’s Pantera was Best Playing Pony.

Las Brisas’ Matias Obregon, Juan Martin Obregon, Juan Gutierrez and Larry Aschebrook won the 12-goal Constitution Cup.

In the 12-goal Constitution Cup, Las Brisas (Larry Aschebrook, Juan Martin Gutierrez, Juan Martin Obregon, Matias Obregon) edged Polo Park Zurich (Richard Harris, Pedro Manion, Toto Obregon, Mariano Gutierrez), 9-8.

Las Brisas led 3-2 after the first seven minutes. It maintained the difference when Juan Martin Obregon traded goals with Mariano Gutierrez in the second. Juan Martin Obregon scored twice in the third but was countered by three tallies from Polo Park Zurich, that tied the match, 6-6. Matias Obregon took over in the fourth, scoring a hat trick while Polo Park Zurich was silenced. Toto Obregon and Mariano Gutierrez scored in the fifth and final chukker, while holding Las Brisas scoreless, but the team fell just short and Las Brisas hung on for the win.

Grace Mudra tries to get past Chad Bowman in Chicago.

©Karl Knapp

PACIFIC COAST

RANCHO POLO WINS PC PRESIDENTS CUP

Rancho Polo/Chogan’s Torrey Ripinsky, Jason Crowder, Ale Gonzalez and Sy Zahedi won the JHHE Wickendon Cup.

©David Lominska/PoloGraphics.com

Rancho Polo/Chogan (Ale Gonzalez, Sy Zahedi, Jason Crowder, Torrey Ripinsky) topped Klentner Ranch (Justin Klentner, Jacob Klentner, Jesse Bray, Dominique Mielle/Tony Uretz) in the USPA Regional Presidents Cup.

In the first chukker, Crowder put three goals on the board added to one from Zahedi to take a quick 4-1 advantage. The team kept up the pressure to maintain the lead. Held scoreless from the field in the first half, Klentner stayed within reach after Bray converted four penalties. The half ended with Rancho ahead, 9-5.

Klentner tried to close the gap in the second half, but Rancho Polo continued to answer back. Bray managed to bring the team within two goals going into the final chukker. He converted his final penalty in the sixth, but it wasn’t enough, and Rancho Polo/Chogan was the winner, 14-12.

Crowder was high-scorer with 10 goals on the day and was named MVP, while his 9-year-old mare Fanta was Best Playing Pony. The team also won $2,500 in tournament stimulus prize money from the USPA.

Cheval Athletics/SBPRC’s Mia Bray, Cory Williams, Elise Purdue and MVP Judith Baker won the women’s tournament in Santa Barbara.

©Shelley Heatley

Action continued with the Cheval Athletics Women’s Invitational, with three teams battling for the title on Oct. 5. Cheval Athletics/SBPRC took an early lead in the first game. Despite a valiant effort from Gipsy/World Gym the team was eliminated while Central Coast and Cheval met in the final. In a defensive battle, Cheval held a twopoint

lead until the final chukker. Sierra Dunbar brought Central Coast within one with only a few minutes left. In the final moments of the game, Bray capitalized on a spot hit, passing to Judith Baker who rode out the line to pick up a Penalty 1 for Cheval. The team made the most of the center hit that followed, scoring with seconds to go to win by three.

Judith Baker was MVP and Mia Bray’s Gossip was Best Playing Pony. Baker said, “I feel so honored to be selected as MVP for this tournament. I am very lucky to be able to play in my late 70s, let alone be getting on the trophy stand! I have many great supporters in my teammates and friend, George Dill, for mounting me on such safe, nice horses.”

The same day, FMB Too!/Seattle challenged Rancho Polo/Chogan (Ale Gonzalez, Sy Zahedi, Jason Crowder, Torrey Ripinsky) in the Jackson Hole Horse Emporium Wickenden Cup. FMB Too!/Seattle (Will Busch, Cameron Smith, Santi Wulff, Henry Walker) started out on fire. However, Rancho Polo/Chogan changed the tide in the fifth chukker when Gonzalez hopped on Best Playing Pony, Pumba, and scored back-to-back goals to end on top, 12-10.

Seattle’s Taylor Olcott, Felipe Vicente, Cam Smith, Dayelle Fargey won the Last Chance Cup.

©David Lominska/PoloGraphics.com

The season ended with the appropriately named 1-goal Last Chance Cup. Eight teams played off over two days. Defending champion World Gym and challenger Seattle Polo both showed dominance in the opening quarterfinal games. Moving with confidence into the semifinals, both teams won their match-ups with ease. In the end, Seattle Polo proved too tough to beat. In the first of two chukkers, Seattle shut out World Gym, 4-0. Tony Uretz scored a tricky goal at the start of the second chukker to put World Gym on the board, but Seattle answered back with two more to take the 6-1 lead.

Cameron Smith was MVP and Santi Wulff’s Peticion, played by Melanja Jones, was Best Playing Pony. In the consolation Second Chance Cup, Klentner Ranch took home the trophies with a shootout win in the semifinal and a close win against Central Valley in the final.

FLORIDA

GALAXY SHINES IN SEASON-OPENER

Galaxy’s Mike D’Ambrose, Roberto Narvaja, Brad Limehouse and Charly Quincoces won Week 1.

A near-capacity crowd took in the season-opening tournament final, with Galaxy Home Solutions swiping an 8½-8 victory over UnitedHealthcare in the pro-pool event at The Villages Polo Club in The Villages, Florida, Oct. 3. The 6-goal pro-pool continues each week through Nov. 21.

Galaxy (Mike D’Ambrose, Roberto Narvaja, Brad Limehouse, Charly Quincoces) was shut out by United- Healthcare (Ava Hinkson, Meghan Okerlund, Cruz Bilbao/Mateo Bilbao, Frankie Bilbao) in the first chukker of the final, while Cruz Bilbao cruised to goal twice. Mateo Bilbao scored early in the second before Quincoces scored Galaxy’s first goal, added to a half-goal handicap. Okerlund scored for United- Healthcare to end the second ahead, 4-1½. Narvaja and Limehouse traded goals with Hinkson and Cruz Bilbao in the third to end the first half with UnitedHealthcare ahead, 6-3½.

Okerlund increased the difference early in the fourth, but a goal by Limehouse and two from D’Ambrose brought Galaxy within a half-goal, 7- 6½. Cruz Bilbao tallied a lone goal in the fifth. A pair of goals by Narvaja, while UnitedHealthcare was held at bay, gave Galaxy the win. Mike D’Ambrose was MVP.

In the consolation, Arden’s Fine Jewelers (Cameron Smart, Midge Ellison, Alfredo Guerreno, Tony Vita, Kim Smith) and Citizens First Bank (Loryn Butterworth, Miguel Lis- Planells/Irene Lis-Planells, Paige Boone, Nick Johnson, Lou Pendas) tied 8-8, which is where it was left.

Citizens First Bank (Midge Ellison, Michael Payne, Alfredo Guerreno, Charly Quincoces) got the best of Fross & Fross Wealth Management (Jimmy Wetter, Meghan Okerlund, Paige Boone, Tony Vita) in Week 2. Guerreno started off the scoring and was followed by a goal from Quincoces. Vita answered back with two in a row to end the first tied, 2-2. Okerlund put Fross & Fross ahead with back-toback goals before Ellison and Payne struck to knot the score, 4-4. Vita and Payne traded goals in the third to end the half even, 5-5.

Citizens First Bank’s Midge Ellison, Michael Payne, Alfredo Guerreno and Charly Quincoces won The Villages pro-pool Week 2.

The back-and-forth continued in the second half. Vita scored in the first minute of the fourth and Wetter followed up with another, but Guerreno matched them both. Payne got in the last word to give Citizens a narrow, 8- 7, advantage. Fross & Fross leveled the score in the fifth after Okerlund and Vita scored while holding Citizens to one from Quincoces. Citizens turned up the heat in the last period with Guerreno, Payne and Quincoces finding the mark. With a three-goal deficit and time running out, Boone scored her first goal, but it wasn’t enough and Citizens banked its first tournament title of the season.

In the consolation, Arden’s Fine Jewelers (Mike D’Ambrose, Casey Hoskins, Brad Limehouse, Nick Johnson) edged The Villages Insurance (Ava Hinkson/Lou Pendas, Loryn Butterworth, Diego Diaz, Frankie Bilbao), 8½-8.

Midge Ellison was MVP and Michael Payne’s Silverado, an 11-yearold gray gelding, was Best Playing Pony.

The Villages Insurance’s Alfredo Guerreno, Paige Boone, Midge Ellison and Jimmy Wetter won Week 3.

Week 3 saw The Villages Insurance (Jimmy Wetter, Midge Ellison, Paige Boone, Alfredo Guerreno) down Galaxy Home Solutions (Michael Payne, Meghan Okerlund, Brad Limehouse, Nick Johnson), 11-6. The action began with Limehouse and Payne sandwiching goals around one from Guerreno. Ellison and Johnson swapped goals in the second, keeping the game level, 3-3, after two periods.

Payne broke the tie in the third. With just over two minutes left, The Villages Insurance shot back with goals from Boone and Ellison to take a 6-4 lead into the half.

Galaxy was unable to dig out of the hole it was in during the second half. Wetter split the uprights while Galaxy was held off the board until late in the fourth, when Johnson scored. The Villages Insurance defense clamped down in the fifth, while Ellison and Guerreno increased the difference, to take a 9-5 lead into the final chukker. Wetter added to the difference early in the sixth. Limehouse found the target at the halfway mark but Boone ended the scoring, leaving The Villages Insurance ahead for the win. Jimmy Wetter was MVP and F1, an 8-year-old gray gelding owned by Nick Johnson and played by Paige Boone, was Best Playing Pony.

Fross & Fross’ Juan Valerdi, Charly Quincoces, Petra Sobotova, Lou Pendas and Thom Fross won the fourth Pro-Pool event.

In the consolation, Fross & Fross (Lou Pendas, Ava Hinkson, Chavelo Briones, Frankie Bilbao/Cruz Bilbao) edged UnitedHealthcare (Mike D’Ambrose, Miguel Lis-Planells, Tony Vita, Charly Quincoces), 6-5.

On Oct. 24, Arden’s Fine Jewelers (Midge Ellison/Cameron Smart, Lord Lyall, Roberto Narvaja, Alfredo Guerreno) fell to Fross & Fross (Thom Fross, Petra Sobotova, Lou Pendas, Charly Quincoces, Juan Valerdi), 10-8. Arden’s began with a handicap goal but Fross neutralized it just two minutes into the match. Narvaja and Ellison responded to take a 3-1 lead after the first seven minutes. Fross & Fross evened the score in the second with unanswered goals by Sobotova and Quincoces. Valerdi struck in the third with the only goal of the chukker, ending the half, 4-3, for Fross & Fross.

Narvaja leveled the score early in the fourth and goals by Smart and Valerdi later in the chukker kept it tied, 5-5. Guerreno shot through backto-back goals in the fifth but Valerdi tallied to keep it close, 7-6, going into the last period. Fifteen seconds into the sixth, Quincoces tied the score before Valerdi put Fross & Fross on top. Smart answered but a penalty conversion by Valerdi gave the team back the lead with just over two minutes remaining. Seconds later, Quincoces struck again, giving the team the 10-8 advantage. The Fross & Fross defense went into overdrive, turning back all of Arden’s runs, and hanging on for the win.

Alfredo Guerreno was named MVP and Valerdi’s 14-year-old chestnut mare Emmy was Best Playing Pony.

Citizen’s Miguel Lis-Planells, Roberto Narvaja, Horacio Lizaso and Frankie Bilbao finished out October with a win.

The month of October wrapped up with Citizens First Bank (Miguel Lis- Planells, Roberto Narvaja, Horacio Lizaso, Frankie Bilbao) taking down UnitedHealthcare (Liv Berube, Paige Boone, Nate Berube, Charly Quincoces), 14-12.

Lizaso got Citizen’s started, bookending goals from Quincoces and Boone, but UnitedHealthcare’s onegoal handicap kept it on top. All eyes were on Bilboa in the third as he ran from end to end, scoring three in a row and putting Cititzens on top, 5-3. Bilboa added another in the third before Boone and Quincoces fought back to within one, 6-5, at the half.

Quincoces turned up the heat in the second half, scoring twice in each of the next three chukkers but Bilboa and Lizaso kept pace, keeping United- Healthcare from making any gains. Meanwhile goals by Narvaja and Lis- Planells found the mark. Boone struck for UnitedHealthcare but it wasn’t enough and Citizens took the win.

SEMINOLE CASINO ACES FALL CLASSIC IN FLORIDA

Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington, Florida, opened its fall season with five teams competing in the Fall Classic.

The fall season gives American players that don’t have a chance to go to Argentina an opportunity to keep playing year-round. Only two of the 20 players were not U.S. citizens, boding well for American polo.

Brooke Hindle presents Fall Classic trophies to Seminole Casino’s Jason Crowder, Melissa Ganzi, Brandon Phillips and Juan Bollini.

In the first semifinal match, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek (Melissa Ganzi, Jason Crowder, Brandon Phillips, Juan Bollini) defeated La Indiana (Matt Gonzalez, Peke Neutzet, Jeff Hall, Luis Escobar), 10-8. The second semifinal pitted World Polo League (Teo Calle, Juancito Bollini, Kris Kampsen, Tommy Biddle), Newport (Gene Goldstein, Grant Ganzi, Nic Roldan, Nick Manifold) and Net- Jets (Marc Ganzi, Sugar Erskine, Pablo Spinacci, Leo Mandelbaum) in a round robin. World Polo League edged Newport, 7-6; Newport slipped Net- Jets, 5-4 and NetJets stunned World Polo League, 6-3, in the clincher.

In the final, Seminole Casino led 9- 4 early in the sixth chukker and held off NetJets for a 9-7 victory. After the first half ended 4-4, Seminole Casino outscored NetJets, 4-0, in the next two chukkers to take an 8-4 lead going into the last seven minutes. NetJets rallied with three goals while holding Seminole to one, but Seminole held on for the win.

Brandon Phillips was MVP just months after having back surgery, following a fall last February.

In the subsidiary final, Newport clinched the title with a 3-2 overtime victory over La Indiana. Manifold scored the game-winner at the 4:02 mark and was named MVP. In other rounds, Newport and La Indiana both edged World Polo League.

La Indiana’s Luis Escobar, MVP Jeff Hall, Matthew Gonzalez and Dulio Diaz won the Tackeria Invitational at Grand Champions.

The following week, four teams lined up for the Tackeria Invitational.

In preliminary games, La Indiana (Matthew Gonzalez, Dulio Diaz, Luis Escobar, Jeff Hall) held off Zahedi Chogan (Sy Zahedi, Pablo Spinacci, Juancito Bollini, Jason Crowder), 9-8, while Roxbury Raiders (Josh Silverman, Nick Manifold, Brandon Phillips, Tommy Biddle/Dominic State) defeated Loudmouth (Andrew Seibert, Santos Bollini, Sugar Erskine, Kris Kampsen), 11-8.

In the final, La Indiana rallied in the second half to defeat Roxbury Raiders, 11-9.

Trailing by two goals early in the game, La Indiana found its groove early in the third quarter when Hall tied the game, 5-5, at the 4:55 mark. Three minutes later, Escobar scored to enable La Indiana to take the lead for the first time.

The second half was all La Indiana with Hall opening the fourth chukker scoring off a broken play to extend the lead to 7-5. Cold shooting and penalties hampered Roxbury Raiders, that never came within two goals and trailed by as many as four (11-7) with 4:14 left in the game.

Jeff Hall was MVP and Nick Manifold’s Wendy was Best Playing Pony.

In the subsidiary, Loudmouth defeated Zahedi Chogan, 10-8. After a 5-5 first half, Erskine broke a 7-7 tie with 23 seconds left in the fourth

chukker when he lofted the ball past defenders for an 8-7 lead. Loudmouth never relinquished the lead with Siebert scoring the last two goals for his team and Zahedi adding one.

Zahedi Chogan’s Jason Crowder puts the pressure on La Indiana’s Matthew Gonzalez in the final of the Fall Plates trophy.

The third week had four teams competing for the Fall Plates trophy.

In an exciting final, Zahedi Chogan (Sy Zahedi, Jason Crowder, Brandon Phillips, Tommy Biddle) defeated La Indiana (Matthew Gonzalez, Marc Ganzi, Luis Escobar, Jeff Hall), 11-10, to capture the title.

In one of the best finals in club history, the well-matched teams battled back and forth. Zahedi Chogan had a two-goal lead (5-3) going into the third chukker. After that, it was anybody’s game with 6-6, 7-7 and 9-9 ties at the end of the third, fourth and fifth chukkers.

The game’s outcome came down to the final 4:52. Phillips gave Zahedi Chogan a 10-9 lead when he won the throw-in and raced downfield to score. Crowder then came up with a big defensive play, stopping Escobar’s goal run. With 3:51 left, Zahedi Chogan fouled, giving Ganzi his seventh opportunity to convert an open-goal penalty, tying the game at 10-10.

With 2:41 on the clock, it was Phillips again fighting for possession on the end line. Biddle read the play well and forced a La Indiana blocking penalty. Phillips converted the 30-yard penalty, to give his team an 11-10 lead.

In the final two minutes, Crowder came up with two key defensive plays to stop scoring threats and Phillips ran out the clock.

Tommy Biddle, who will be inducted into the Polo Hall of Fame in February 2022, was MVP.

Biddle said, “I’m happy to be playing here with a bunch of good players. We’re not difficult to play with, we all play simple polo. I’m just happy we won.”

Sy Zahedi said, “It’s such a pleasure to play with this caliber of players on both sides.”

In the semfinals, Zahedi Chogan advanced into the championship with a 9-8 victory over Newport (Gene Goldstein, Sugar Erskine, Leo Mandelbaum, Juan Bollini) and La Indiana defeated HL Polo (Harry Landy, Kris Kampsen, Pablo Spinacci, Juancito Bollini), 13-11.

Newport won the subsidiary with a 5-3 victory over NetJets (Larry Austin, Santos Bollini, Grant Ganzi, Nic Roldan/Pablo Spinacci) in the third and deciding round of a round robin.

In other rounds, Newport edged HL Polo (Harry Landy, Kris Kampsen, Juancito Bollini, Santi Toccalino), 5-4, and NetJets and HL Polo tied 4-4.

—Sharon Robb

SOUTHWEST

VINTAGE POLO TAKES TWO 6-GOAL USPA CUPS

Vintage Polo’s Joe Bob Lequerica, Lily Lequerica, Cody Ellis and Jimmy Seward won the USPA Masters and Delegate’s Cups.

©Kaylee Wroe

Vintage Polo rose to the top of a nineteam lineup to win the 6-goal USPA Masters Cup title at Houston Polo Club in Houston, Texas, Sept. 23.

Vintage Polo (Joe Bob Lequerica, Lily Lequerica, Cody Ellis, Jimmy Seward) took on BCI/CW Petroleum (Cara Kennedy, Chris Williams, Chad Bowman, Mason Wroe) in the final.

Vintage Polo took advantage of BCI/CW Petroleum’s foul trouble, as teammates Joe Bob Lequerica and Cody Ellis converted their penalty shots to earn a 2-1 lead after the first chukker. Vintage Polo shut down BCI/CW in the second, while Joe Bob Lequerica extended the lead to 3-1 at the half.

Williams scored early in the third, but Ellis answered back to keep the difference two going into the final chukker. BCI/CW rallied in the last seven minutes with Williams, Bowman and Wroe tallying to take a first time lead. With little time left, Ellis ran the ball from the throw-in to tie the score and force overtime.

Joe Bob Lequerica scored the golden goal just two minutes into sudden death to give Vintage Polo the win.

The win earned Vintage Polo teammates beautiful belt buckles and $2,500 in prize money thanks to the USPA’s tournament stimulus. Chad Bowman was MVP and Wroe’s Catwalk was Best Playing Pony.

In the Bill Fick Ford subsidiary final, Rocking P (Bridget Price, Grayson Price, Tommy Costello, Marcos Villanueva) defeated Bearsden/ Plank Companies (Carol Farnsworth, Kendall Plank, Joe Wayne Barry, Nicolai Galindo), 5-2.

Vintage Polo held the momentum into the USPA Delegates Cup, again topping nine teams. After three weeks of competitive play, Vintage was undefeated and faced Rocking P (Bridget Price, Grayson Price, Tommy Costello, Marcos Villanueva), with the second best record, in the final.

Penalties for each team factored heavily in the opening chukker. Despite Penalty 5 opportunities for Rocking P for both teams along with a Penalty 3 for Vintage Polo, neither team could convert, ending the first scoreless for both teams. Bridget Price scored first, tallying in the second chukker, followed by her younger brother knocking in a Penalty 3.

Costello scored once more for Rocking P to take a three-goal lead before Ellis was finally able to find the goal for Vintage Polo. Villanueva’s Penalty 4 conversion took Rocking P into the half with a 4-1 lead.

Seward struck early in the third with back-to-back goals to bring Vintage within one, 4-3. The offense continued to materialize with Ellis finding the goal twice, followed by a third from Seward. A Penalty 1 awarded to Vintage Polo pushed the team into the lead, 7-4, moving into the last chukker. Unable to mount an offensive push in the second half, Rocking P’s strong second chukker resulted in their only scoring as Ellis knocked in the last goal of the match for Vintage Polo to secure the 8-4 victory.

Lily Lequerica earned MVP honors while her Blade was Best Playing Pony Amateur. Jimmy Seward’s Farolito was Best Playing Pony Pro.

ML Bar’s Abbey Benton, Drew Luplow, Fox Benton, Cody Ellis and Joe Wayne Barry won the Taub Memorial and the Texas Open.

©Kaylee Wroe

In 8-goal action, teamwork made the dream work for ML Bar Ranch as it secured the win in the USPA H. Ben Taub Memorial Cup presented by Bentley of Houston. ML Bar Ranch (Fox Benton/Abby Benton, Drew Luplow, Joe Wayne Barry, Cody Ellis) started the final with a 1-goal handicap, making Horsegate/Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Lance Stefanakis, Jimmy Seward, Shane Rice) even hungrier to get on the scoreboard.

Rice did just that, as he intercepted a ML Bar Ranch knock-in, tying the score at 1-1. However, Barry scored his first goal of the game to reclaim a 2-1 lead. In the second chukker, Rice tied the score by converting a safety. ML Bar Ranch would not back down, as Abby Benton converted an open goal penalty shot and Barry added his second goal of the game to make it 4-2. ML Bar stretched the lead to four in the middle of the third chukker, but Rice converted a pair of penalty shots to cut the difference to two, 6-4, going into halftime.

ML Bar Ranch kept its focus as it held Horsegate/Tonkawa scoreless in the fourth chukker while extending the lead 7-4 going into the fifth chukker. The teams traded goals in the fifth before ML Bar Ranch jumped ahead by six at the middle of the sixth chukker. Horsegate/ Tonkawa made a late rally, adding three goals but ran out of time. ML Bar Ranch enjoyed a comfortable 11- 8 win.

Joe Wayne Barry was MVP while Shane Rice’s Summer was Best Playing Pony Pro and Lance Stefanakis’ Dominga was Best Playing Pony Amateur.

Tammy Livingston, center, presents trophies to Pegasus/Propaganda’s Vance Miller, Nick Cifuni, Mason Wroe and Paul Hobby.

©Kaylee Wroe

ML Bar Ranch (Fox Benton/Abby Benton, Drew Luplow, Joe Wayne Barry, Cody Ellis) made it to the final of the next event, the Livingston Memorial Cup. This time it faced Pegasus/ Propaganda (David Andras/Vance Miller, Paul Hobby, Nick Cifuni, Mason Wroe).

The score stayed close throughout the first half with ML Bar Ranch maintaining a one-goal lead, 5-4, as the teams took a break for halftime.

Entering the fourth, Pegasus/Propaganda started firing on all cylinders, tying the score, 5-5, and holding ML Bar Ranch scoreless. Cifuni scored three goals in a row at the beginning of the fifth chukker, but Ellis and Barry split the posts to stay in the game, trailing 8-7. As the sixth chukker began, Cifuni scored his sixth goal of the day, followed up by Wroe scoring from the field, giving Pegasus/Propaganda a 10-7 lead. ML Bar narrowly missed two shots on goal allowing Pegasus/Propaganda to come away with the 10-7 win.

Cifuni was MVP and his Memphis was Best Playing Pony.

ML Bar hoped to take home its second title, facing off against BTA (Steve Krueger, Nicolai Galindo, KC Krueger, Alyson Poor) in the final of the 8-goal USPA Keleen & Carlton Beal Cup.

ML Bar Ranch came out firing on all cylinders. Receiving one goal on handicap, Ellis added two more goals to claim a 3-0 lead early in the first chukker. BTA’s Steve Krueger was able to sneak one goal in for his team, but Barry responded with a goal, keeping the three-goal lead, 4-1, going into the second chukker.

ML Bar Ranch held BTA scoreless, while Barry scored his second goal of the game, giving his team a 5-1 lead. Galindo’s 60-yard penalty conversion gave BTA the momentum and KC Krueger scored one goal from the field to end the half trailing 5-3.

Ellis kept the pressure on, scoring his third goal of the game, but Galindo and Steve Krueger answered with a goal apiece to bring BTA within a goal. Ellis converted an open-goal penalty late in the fourth to maintain a two-goal lead. Ellis tallied again early in the fifth before BTA came alive with Steve Krueger and Galindo scoring three unanswered goals to tie the game at 8-8, going into the sixth chukker. Steve Krueger gave BTA a first-time lead early in the chukker with a penalty conversion, but Ellis was quick to respond to level the score yet again and force overtime. BTA managed to sneak the ball out the back of the first throw-in as Steve Krueger made a run towards goal but the ball bounced, and he had no choice but to leave it for Galindo who scored a nearside shot to win the game, 10-9, for BTA.

Steve Krueger was MVP and Cody Ellis’ Ginger was Best Playing Pony.

Chrys Beal, Halle Garrus and Kelly Beal with Beal Cup winners: BTA’s Steve Krueger, Nicolai Galindo, KC Krueger and Alyson Poor.

©Kaylee Wroe

While ML Bar was denied a second title in the Beal Cup, it got another chance in the Texas Open. ML Bar finished preliminary games tied with Pegasus/Propaganda and Tonkawa/ Horsegate, all with 2-1 records. But a shootout put ML Bar in the final. It would face BTA that had gone undefeated in preliminary play.

In an exciting match, ML Bar got the 10-9 edge to win the title. Cody Ellis was MVP and Steve Krueger’s gray mare Jolie was Best Playing Pony.

SOUTHEAST

LBL POLO TRIUMPHS IN USPA MASTERS CUP

LBL Polo’s Hardy Pemberton, Alison Patricelli, Alan Martinez and Trevor Niznik won the USPA Masters Cup at Wagener Polo Club.

©Alex Pacheco

LBL Polo led an eight-team line-up to win the 6-goal USPA Masters Cup final at Wagener Polo Club in Wagener, South Carolina, Oct. 31. The tournament was also played as the Eloy Escapite Memorial.

After 10 days of playoff games, LBL Polo (Alison Patricelli, Hardy Pemberton, Alan Martinez, Trevor Niznik) led Bracket A, while Farmer Road (Harry Caldwell, Charlie Caldwell, Marcos Onetto, Dan McCarty) led Bracket B, with the teams meeting in the final.

Farmer Road kept LBL Polo off the board in the first chukker, while Onetto sunk a Penalty 4 and McCarty shot in a field goal. Martinez put LBL on the board early in the second, but Onetto responded. Niznik and Martinez converted Penalty 3s to end the half knotted 3-3.

LBL managed to overtake Farmer Road in the third chukker when Martinez sunk a Penalty 4 then split the uprights on a run downfield. A Penalty 1 for Farmer Road kept it close. The final chukker saw Martinez increase the difference to two but Onetto found the mark to cut the difference. The teams’ defenses clamped down, with neither team able to reach the goal. LBL Polo hung on for the 6-5 victory.

Charlie Caldwell was named MVP Pro, while Dan McCarty was MVP Amateur. Charlie Caldwell’s Joseph was Best Playing Pony Pro and Alison Patricelli’s Dahlia was Best Playing Pony Amateur. Aside from the trophies, LBL Polo went home with $2,500 in prize money thanks to the USPA tournament stimulus program.

Michelle Raab and David Meunier with La Bourgogne’s Ariana Gravinese, Hardy Pemberton, Trevor Niznik and Alan Martinez.

©Alex Pacheco

The previous month, La Bourgogne (Ariana Gravinese, Hardy Pemberton, Trevor Niznik, Alan Martinez) defeated Orchard Pond/Un Sta Ble (Mary Phipps, Del Walton, Sterling Giannico, Chase Butler), 8-6, in the 6- goal USPA Constitution Cup.

In the final, a Penalty 2 converted by Giannico got the scoring started. He followed with a field goal, while La Bourgogne struggled to get through the defense. Martinez changed that in the second with back-to-back goals. Niznik put La Bourgogne in the lead but Walton leveled it and Giannico’s Penalty 4 conversion put Orchard Pond back on top, 4-3 at the half.

Martinez and Giannico swapped Penalty 3 conversions and Martinez scored from the field to tie the scoring going into the last period, 5-all. Martinez struck again but Giannico was quick with the answer. Niznik took over, shooting in two in a row with little time left. Orchard Pond/Unstable was unable to recover and La Bourgogne went home with the win.

Trevor Niznik was MVP-pro while Ariana Gravinese was MVP-amateur. Gravinese’s Jada was Best Playing Pony-Amateur, while Sterling Giannico’s Tequila was Best Playing Pony- Pro.

LBL SWEEPS NEW BRIDGE 8 GOALS

LBL Polo’s Jack Whitman, Alison Patricelli, Trevor Niznik and Alan Martinez won the 8-goal series at New Bridge Polo Club.

©Katie Roth

LBL Polo wrapped up a successful fall season of 8-goal polo at New Bridge Polo Club in Aiken, South Carolina. It took home trophies in all three of the club’s 8-goal tournaments in October and November.

LBL (Alison Patricelli, Jack Whitman, Trevor Niznik, Alan Martinez) met Skaneateles (Marty Cregg, Valentino Echezaretta, Tomy Collingwood, Cesar Jimenez) in the final of the Copa de Plata. LBL was caught by the whistle early in the match, allowing Echezaretta to sink a Penalty 2. Niznik answered with a field goal, but another LBL error allowed Collingwood to capitalize on a Penalty 4. Fouls continued to be an issue when Skaneateles converted a pair of open-goal penalties in the second. Martinez converted a Penalty 2 for LBL and Whitman and Niznik found the target, tying up the game 4-4. Echezaretta scored a pair of field goals in the third, but Martinez matched them to keep the game tied, 6-6, at the end of the first half.

Martinez and Echezaretta traded penalty conversions in the fourth. Echezaretta shot one in from the field, but a Penalty 1 for LBL kept the teams level, 8-8. Martinez went on a scoring spree in the fifth, tallying three in a row, including a pair of Penalty 2 conversions. Collingwood scored before the chukker ended to keep the game within reach. The light shined on Niznik in the final period as he ran to goal three times. Collingwood split the uprights again, but it wasn’t enough and LBL had the 14-10 win.

Trevor Niznik was named MVP and his Ryan was Best Playing Pony.

MVP Trevor Niznik leans in on Valentino Echezaretta in the final of the Copa de Plata.

©Alex Pacheco

A few days later, LBL met Un Sta Ble (Chase Butler, Hope Arellano, Del Walton, Lucas Arellano) in the final of the National Presidents Cup.

Un Sta Ble began with a handicap goal and Walton and Lucas Arellano added to it to take an early 3-0 lead. Martinez put LBL on the board with a Penalty 4 conversion and Whitman scored to keep it close, 3-2. Hope Arellano scored a Penalty 2 in the second, then followed it with a field goal. Martinez scored a Penalty 2, ending the chukker with LBL trailing, 5-3. LBL owned the third as Martinez scored two more penalties and Niznik found the mark while Un Sta Ble was held scoreless, ending the half with LBL ahead for the first time, 6-5.

Un Sta Ble fought back in the fourth, shutting down all of LBL’s dri- ves while Butler and Hope Arellano scored to get the lead back, 7-6. LBL bounced back in the fifth. While silencing Un Sta Ble, Niznik ran to goal. Then Martinez converted a Penalty 4 and followed with two field goals to take a 10-7 advantage. Un St Ble rallied in the last period when Walton scored. Hope Arellano scored back-to-back goals to level the score, 10-10, with time winding down.

Niznik came through in the end with the game winner, earning him MVP honors for the second time. Alan Martinez’s Phoenix was Best Playing Pony.

A few weeks later, LBL took the USPA Association Cup. This time it faced Sig/Chukkers of Hope (Deep Singh, Malia Bryan, Matt Coppola, Willie Hartnett).

Coppola struck first but LBL’s answer was in triplet. Martinez scored a pair of open-goal penalties and a field goal to take a quick 3-1 lead. Niznik scored from the field but backto-back goals from Coppola brought Sig within one, 4-3. Coppola kept up the pressure in the third, scoring another pair while LBL was shut down, ending the half with SIG narrowly ahead, 5-4.

In the fourth, Coppola wrapped goals around one from Martinez. But, Martinez and Niznik struck again to knot the score. Hartnett made the most of a safety to put SIG back on top, 8-7. Martinez got LBL back in the lead with a pair of goals while holding SIG scoreless but a Penalty 1 for SIG put the teams on level ground heading into the final seven minutes.

LBL managed to keep SIG away from the goal while Martinez sunk a Penalty 2 then followed with a field goal. Niznik sealed the deal with the final goal giving LBL the 12-9 win.

Martinez was named MVP and his Phoenix was named Best Playing Pony for the second tournament in a row.

MidState Roofing’s Robyn Leitner, Brinkley Erb, Reagan Leitner and Hope Arellano won $1,000 in prize money presented by Russ McCall.

©Shelley Marshall Schmidt

In other action, MidState Roofing (Brinkley Erb, Robyn Leitner, Reagan Leitner, Hope Arellano) crushed Roseland Polo (Kaylin Bender, Summer Kneece, Maddie Grant, Sophie Grant), 11-3½, in the final of the Women’s Challenge.

The final proved to be the Hope Arellano show. Though she was playing No. 4 she repeatedly pushed forwarded, scoring 10 goals, including four Penalty 2s. Robyn Leitner scored the only other goal.

Arellano’s teammates assisted with strong defense, keeping Roseland off the board until the fourth period. Kneece scored twice and Bender once, but the damage was done and Mid- State was the winner.

Hope Arellano was MVP and Sophie Grant’s Ace was Best Playing Pony.

OBITUARY

ADIE VON GONTARD

Adie von Gontard, who was active on and off the polo field for decades and was one of the sport’s colorful characters, died Oct. 1. He was 96.

“We have lost a great fan, player, terrific supporter and lifetime contributor. We are all lucky to have had him on and off the field. We will miss you my friend,” Leighton Jordan, the USPA’s Northeast circuit governor said of von Gontard, who once held the same position.

Von Gontard’s playing career stretched some 35 years. It included the final season at Blind Brook in Purchase, New York, in 1967 and the inaugural season at Greenwich, Connecticut in 1981. His career’s top victory came in 1952 when he played No. 2 on the Blind Brook team that won the National 12-goal. He was one of the scorers in a 6-5 victory over Fairfield. For Blind Brook, Tommy Glynn (the first Iglehart Award winner) was at No. 1, Cyril Harrison played No. 3, and the Back was Jack Crawford.

Teams that von Gontard played on won Northeast circuit titles, and the Forbes Cup for the New England championship.

An undated article is headlined, “One Polo Rider Paces Two Victories” and reports von Gontard having, a marathon performance in a charity doubleheader at Ox Ridge. “First von Gontard helped Westport snap Ox Ridge’s undefeated streak at six wins, 8-6, in a game limited to six chukkers. Then, in the second game he came right back and scored four goals to pace the Greenwich Pitchforks to a 12- 6 triumph over Fairfield.”

One night at Squadron A he tallied 11 goals, and scored 14 in a game in Virginia. Polo was always a family affair. His son Adie III was a teammate for many years.

“We loved playing with each other. We always had a great time together. He would play 2. I started at Back and got to be 4 goals and then played 3. He would play with me, but never against me. That’s the kind of man he was,” he said.

Daughters Eugenie and Vicky took care of the horses. “Dad would say, ‘work hard or look pretty.’ We had a lot of responsibility but the world was our oyster. We would travel to Chicago for the East--West game. We got to see the country through polo,” said Vicky.

“We would travel to and from the games on the horses. It was an hour trip,” Eugenie added, “Often we would stop for ice cream on the way home. It was a great life, always an adventure.” Their mother watched all the games. According to Vicky, she had an eye to buy the best polo ponies.

“My love for polo was created by my family, the Busches, Orthweins, Reisingers,” Adie von Gontard once said.

Friends frequently helped hot walk their horses, but they were not paid.

In fact von Gontard charged them $1 per horse for their labor! The elder von Gontard used his gift of gab to recruit helpers. One was cousin Peter Orthwein, who was recruited for a match at Myopia.

“Adie told me his knee wasn’t feeling so good and he wanted me to play for him. I put on my white breeches and went to Massachusetts with him. We got there and he said he was feeling a little bit better and would I groom for him for one chukker. Then he said it would only be for one half,” Orthwein laughingly recalled. “I told him I would only play until we were losing. Well we never trailed!”

The St. Louis club was where von Gontard first played. He played there with his brother (Hall of Famer Paul) competing in low goal.

Playing at Georgetown University he developed a passion for collegiate polo, which he carried with him all his life. After moving to Greenwich, von Gontard played at the Squadron A Armory in New York City. He once explained the games as fun and rough and tumble. Then, von Gontard met Fred Collins who invited him to play at Blind Brook, near Greenwich.

Von Gontard and his Greenwich Pitchforks team were mainstays at the club. The team was named for the Pitchfork Land and Cattle Company, of Guthrie, Texas, owned by his wife’s family. He and Marie “Mamie” Williams were married for 69 years.

Following Blind Brook’s closure, he played at the Fairfield County Hunt Club in Westport, and the Ox Ridge Hunt Club in Darien, both in Connecticut.

Von Gontard played for the Pitchfork team in Texas and Oklahoma. “It was four on a team inside. It was like hockey, you had to wait for the ball. You couldn’t cross the line,” he once said.

Internationally he played in Montreal, Jamaica and Mexico. Von Gontard also competed in the Cup of the America’s games in Argentina, where he recalled playing against some generals.

While a fierce competitor, it wasn’t all about winning. Sitting in a trophyfilled den he stated, “Some of the most fun I had were practice games in Ox Ridge’s indoor ring. The idea was to play the game. I made so many friendships with players that went beyond polo. There were hunting trips, weekend parties with friends that I have to this day,” he said weeks before his death.

“He wanted to win but not at all costs,” stated the younger von Gontard, who noted his father was imperturbable on the field. “He never got mad on the field. He never cursed. Afterwards he might say, ‘We lost because of the umpires.’”

Following the 1981 season, he retired, saying it was because he could no longer bounce. Up until the day he hung up his at age 56, he retained a handicap of 4 goals.

Quarter horses from Pitchfork were his mount of choice. “We trained them ourselves,” noted Adie III “We took ranch horses and made them polo horses.”

Off the field von Gontard contributed a heartfelt devotion to polo. He was a governor of the USPA’s Northeastern circuit in 1967-1968. As chair of the association’s Communications Committee, he served as managing editor of the USPA’s newsletter, and was a charter patron of the Polo Training Foundation. In 1962, von Gontard was a founding member of the Metropolitan Polo Group whose stated purpose was to encourage and promote a high level of polo participation by players and spectators alike in the metropolitan area. Von Gontard later headed the organization.

In addition, he was an A umpire. Following his retirement, von Gontard often attended games at Greenwich. Jordan recalled, “He knew all the players, their handicaps, everybody on the field. Adie was the one who would watch the game from the sideline and comment on every player, every play and on the umpiring. He was very keen with a great knowledge of the game.”

Von Gontard noted changes in polo since his playing days. “We would hit long balls.Today they dribble between riders. But don’t print that for a few years because I’ll get in trouble,” he joked. “It’s gotten more professional. Polo was more of a society game. You only had one pro, now you have three. But it’s also a lot better.” He noted another difference was players mostly made trips to other clubs or they came to his. “Now they play each other at one club,” he said.

Father and son are pictured on the cover of, and inside “The Evolution of Polo” by the late Horace Laffaye at a practice game in the 1970s with Bill and Billy Ylvisaker. The von Gontard men, and Bennie Gutierrez, were the models for one of the first advertisements of Polo Ralph Lauren, galloping their horses. The elder von Gontard also was pictured playing on his horse in an advertisement for Kidder Peabody. Von Gontard always displayed elan. His sense of humor was illustrated by a sign on the front of his barn office: “Manure out back. B.S. inside.”

—Peter Herman