Polo Report

DISPATCHES FROM THE WORLD OF POLO

N ORTHEAST

STAGE HILL PREVAILS IN CROSSMAN CUP

JACQUELINE MILLER PHOTO. C 0M

Stage Hill/Pony Up’s Federico Wulff, Amanda Poor, Rick Salter, Aurelia Rus and Steve Rudolph won the 2-goal Crossman Cup title at Myopia Polo Club.

STAGE HILL/Pony Up edged Galaxy in a tough overtime match to capture the 2-goal Crossman Cup title at Myopia Polo Club in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, Sept. 9.

Stage Hill/Pony Up (Aurelia Rus/Steve Rudolph, Rick Salter, Amanda Poor, Federico Wulff) faced Galaxy (James Grayken, Addie Politi, Jennifer Williams, Bautista Crotto) in the final. Galaxy began with a handicap goal but Poor put Stage Hill on the board with the only ball to cross the goal line, ending the defensive first chukker, 1-1. Galaxy was again shut out in the second while Rudolph hit the mark for Stage Hill/Pony Up. The half ended with Stage Hill/Pony Up on top, 2-1.

Crotto put Galaxy on the board in the third, but Salter and Poor gave it the one-two punch to keep Stage Hill/ Pony Up doubled up on Galaxy, 4-2. The teams continued to battle in the fourth until Crotto decided to take matters into his own hands, powering through the Stage Hill/Pony Up defense with a pair of goals in the fourth to force overtime.

Rounding out a total team effort, Wulff shot through the golden goal to ensure Stage Hill/Pony Up the win.

Earlier in the season, Stage Hill’s Wulff, Poor and Rudolph joined forces with Longmeadow’s Reed Miller to form Stage Hill/Longmeadow. The team went on to celebrate the 4-goal Tuckerman Cup victory. Rudolph was honored as Sportsmanship winner.

JACQUELINE MILLER PHOTO.COM JACQUELINE MILLER PHOTO.COM

Stage Hill/Longmeadow’s Reed Miller, Federico Wulff, MVP Amanda Poor and Steve Rudolph won the 4-goal Tuckerman Cup. Del Rancho/Black Oak’s Nachi Viana, Manuel Mazzocchi, Johann Colloredo-Mansfield and David Strouss won the Chairman’s Cup.

In other action, Del Rancho dominated the USPA tournaments. In the club’s 8- to 12-goal Chairman’s Cup, played from July 12-Aug. 3, four tough teams played off.

Del Rancho/Black Oak (Johann Colloredo-Mansfield, Manuel Mazzocchi, David Strouss, Nachi Viana) stumbled in its first match, falling to Folly Fields (Terri Campbell, Stephen Burr Jr., Marcos Onetto, Adam Snow, Chelsea Messinger), 9-8. Things looked up from there. Del Rancho/Black Oak topped Galaxy Polo (James Grayken, William Grayken, Pedro Falabella, Martin Jauregui, Jennifer Williams), 10-6, then got the best of Longmeadow (Kurt Miller, Ruben Coscia Sr., Reed

JACQUELINE MILLER PHOTO.COM Longmeadow’s Reed Miller handles a bouncing ball under pressure from Galaxy’s Martin Jauregui in the Cyril Harrison Cup. Miller, Federico Wulff, Ari Dogani), 11-8, advancing it into the final against Folly Fields. After edging Del Rancho/Black Oak, Folly Fields defeated Longmeadow, 11-9. It’s last game against Galaxy Polo wasn’t played. In the other preliminary match, Longmeadow edged Galaxy Polo, 8-7.

The final match was just as close as the first time these two teams played. Onetto and Snow combined for six goals in the first half, including four penalty conversions, countered by four goals from Viana and one from Colloredo-Mansfield, giving Folly Fields a one-goal advantage at the half.

A strong fourth chukker performance by Viana put Del Rancho/Black Oak up, 8-7, an advantage the team held onto until the final horn, winning 12-11. Nachi Viana was MVP and his Pichi Canta was Best Playing Pony.

Del Rancho/Black Oak kept the momentum into the 8-goal Forbes Cup on Aug. 16. Three teams competed over two weeks to determine a winner. Del Rancho/Black Oak defeated Longmeadow/Heritage Farm (Charlie Hutchinson IV, Reed Miller, Tiger Kneece, Federico Wulff), 11-6, before falling to Galaxy (Stephen Burr Jr., James Grayken, William Grayken, Marcos Onetto, Adam Snow), 12-6. Del Rancho played Galaxy a second time

JACQUELINE MILLER PHOTO.COM MURRELL DAVID

Del Rancho/Black Oak’s Manuel Mazzocchi, Nachi Viana, Johann Colloredo-Mansfield and David Strouss won the Forbes Cup. Celebrity Cruises’ Tareq Salahi, Marcos Bignoli Jr. and Tolito Ocampo won the 12-goal Arena Chairman’s Cup.

and this time took the 6-5 win. The teams met again in the final and Del Rancho/Black Oak again took a narrow victory, 8-7, for the title. Johann Colloredo-Mansfield was MVP while Adam Snow’s Nuri was Best Playing Pony. Stephen Burr Jr. was recognized with the Sportsmanship Award.

Del Rancho joined forces with Galaxy’s James Grayken, who took over for Johann Colloredo-Mansfield, in the 6-goal Governor’s Cup. Four teams played in the tournament from Aug. 19-Sept. 30.

The first playoff match saw Stage Hill (Ari Dogani, Marcos Onetto, Amanda Poor, Federico Wulff, Nick Snow) top Blue Pegasus/Blackburn (Walter Eayrs, Jennifer Williams, George Hempt, Tommy Huber Jr., Charlie Hutchinson IV, Max Secunda), 8-5. Del Rancho/Galaxy beat Avalon Farms (Margaux Buchanan, Juan Andres Viana, Tucu Maciel Talavera, CB Scherer), 7-4. Del Rancho/Galaxy had an off day, falling to Stage Hill, 76, but came back strong in its next game to hammer Blue Pegasus/Blackburn, 12-6. The last two matches saw Avalon crushed by Stage Hill, 8-1, and Blue Pegasus/Blackburn, 9-3.

Del Rancho/Galaxy defeated Stage Hill in the final. Manuel Mazzocchi was MVP and Tortuga, owned by Sergio Corro and played by Mazzocchi, was Best Playing Pony. Amanda Poor received the Sportsmanship Award.

Earlier in the season, Galaxy Polo got the best of Del Rancho in the 8goal Cyril Harrison Cup. Four teams played off over 10 days. Galaxy (James Grayken, William Grayken, Robi Bilbao, Plincho Magrini, Jennifer Williams, Martin Jauregui) started out strong, overpowering Longmeadow/ Boston Polo (Juan Alonso Massey, Reed Miller, Mark Tashjian, Federico Wulff), 9-4. Del Rancho (Estani Robledo Puch Sr., CB Scherer, David Strouss, Nachi Viana) edged Folly Fields (Stephen Burr Jr., Terri Campbell, Marcos Onetto, Adam Snow), 9-7, before downing Galaxy Polo, 14-9. Longmeadow/Boston Polo fell in its next two game, first to Folly Fields, 117, then to Del Rancho, 8-2. Galaxy slipped Folly Fields, 7-6, before meeting Del Rancho in the final.

It was a rematch of the earlier game when Del Rancho prevailed by five goals. This time was different and after a tough battle, Galaxy got the 109 edge in overtime for the title. The match was a duel between Viana and Jauregui, who contributed seven goals each for their teams, not including the overtime Penalty 2 conversion by Jauregui.

Martin Jauregui was MVP and Viana’s Reservada was Best Playing Pony.

EAST

CELEBRITY CRUISES ACES ARENA CHAMPIONSHIPS

Celebrity Cruises/Hotels at Sea sailed to victory in back-to-back arena championships at Great Meadow Polo Club in The Plains, Virginia. Both events had four team rosters.

The first was the 12-goal National Arena Chairman’s Cup on Oct. 3. In the first semifinal, Celebrity Cruises/Hotels at Sea (Marcos Bignoli Jr., Tolito Fernandez Ocampo, Tareq Salahi) edged Chetwood Park (Connor Deal, Wyatt Harlow, Adair Seager), while Twilight Polo (Doug Barnes, John Gobin, George Krabbe) got the best of Work to Ride (Brandon Rease, Daymar Rosser, Shariah Harris, Kareem Rosser) in the other semifinal. Both matches ended 10-8.

The final pitted Twilight Polo against Celebrity Cruises in a defensive, foul-riddled battle. Gobin scored the first goal, countering the handicap goal given to Celebrity. With the umpires’ whistles stopping play almost every minute, neither team could get the momentum going and there was no more scoring in the first chukker. With more fouls in the second chukker, Barnes was the only one to hit the target, ending the low-scoring first half, 21. The teams finally got rolling in the

MAISANO JOANNE MASIANO JOANNE

George Krabbe’s Coors was Best Playing Pony. John Gobin, far left, played the horse in the Arena Chairman’s Cup final. Celebrity Cruises’ Tareq Salahi, Matthew Potter and John Gobin won the Arena Challenge Cup title and $10,000.

third chukker with Ocampo scoring two-in-a-row. Bignoli found the goal soon after, giving Celebrity the 4-2 lead. The action heated up when Krabbe struck for Twilight and Gobin converted two penalties to take back the lead, 5-4. But Ocampo wasn’t done yet. He converted a penalty, then scored from the field to grab the lead back, 6-5.

MURRELL DAVID

The battle continued in the final chukker with Krabbe slamming the ball with back-to-back goals, one a two-pointer, to give Twilight a two-goal lead. Celebrity was unsinkable as Bignoli and Ocampo added a goal each, knotting the score at 8-all. Bignoli continued the pressure, hammering in two more as the time was ticking away. Twilight Polo

Arena newbie Tolito Ocampo stops John Gobin in the 12-goal Arena Chairman’s Cup. was unable to respond and ran out of time as Celebrity sailed away the winner, 10-8. The team took home the $15,000 grand prize and the trophies.

Tolito Ocampo was MVP and Krabbe’s 14-year-old bay mare Coors, played by Gobin in the third chukker, was Best Playing Pony.

Ocampo, who was playing his first arena tournament, said, “I think we had a good plan from the beginning, and our coach gave us a lot of tactics. We played the way he told us and had good results.” When asked what he thought of playing in the arena, he said, “It’s crazy, it’s fun, it’s harder, it’s different, but once you get into how you have to play, it is a lot of fun. It’s intense. You never stop.”

In the consolation, Chetwood crushed Work to Ride, 18-6. Brandon Rease dislocated his shoulder after falling in the first chukker and had to be replaced by Tyler Burdick, and Shariah Harris was playing in place of Daymar Rosser. Connor Deal scored a game-high nine points, including four in both the first and second chukkers.

A new Celebrity Cruises/Hotels at Sea (Tareq Salahi, John Gobin, Matthew Potter) played the following week in the 6-goal National Arena Challenge Cup against three others teams. It eliminated Burdick Equine (Todd Thurston, Harrison Thomas, Tyler Burdick), 13-8, before meeting Mystique

MASIANO JOANNE MASIANO JOANNE

Arena Challenge Cup MVP Brennan Wells Marine Corps’ Walker Hobby, Jake Flournoy and Dean Daggett won the National Arena Commander-in-Chief Cup at Great Meadow.

Jewelers (Kelly Wells, Brennan Wells, Christopher Holder) in the final. Mystique advanced over Dentons Defenders (David Tafuri, Daniel Coleman, Connor Deal/Wyatt Harlow), 16-12.

The final action began with Kelly Wells striking first. Her son Brennan Wells scored the next two, one of them a two-pointer. Gobin put Celebrity on the board with back-to-back goals but Holder finished off the chukker with a goal, for a 5-2 Mystique lead. The next chukker was a battle of the No. 3s as Brennan Wells and Gobin hammered in three goals apiece. One of Brennan’s was a two-pointer, putting Mystique on top, 9-5, at the half.

Celebrity rallied in the second half, as Mystique was stopped in the third period while Gobin came alive, slamming in the next four goals, tying the score at 9-all. Salahi struck with 32 seconds left in the chukker to give Celebrity a first-time lead. Brennan Wells tied the score early in the fourth, but Gobin converted a penalty to take back the lead. Brennan got a chance from the penalty line and capitalized to once again tie the score with under two minutes left. But that’s when Gobin gave it one last effort, finding the goal twice in as many minutes to take the 13-11 win.

Brennan Wells, who put in a valiant effort with nine points, was MVP.

“Despite the results, I feel like I did a good job reading the field and understanding when I had time to control the ball and when I should release it to my teammates,” he explained. “We had a solid game plan and I couldn’t have been happier to share the field with my mom.”

Chichi, a 10-year-old gray mare owned by George Krabbe and played by Gobin, was Best Playing Pony.

“We didn’t panic after the first half and kept adjusting our strategy until we found something that clicked. Tareq did a great job of creating space and assisting offensively, while I tried to create separation between John and the defenders so he could be free to score,” explained Potter.

In the consolation, Burdick Equine tied Denton Defenders in the second (11) and third (3-3) before surging ahead in the last seven minutes with tallies from each of the players, including a pair of penalty conversions from Burdick to take the 6-5 win.

MARINE CORPS WINS COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

Played for the third consecutive year,

Marine Corps’ John Flournoy, on Best Playing Pony Magnolia, holds out Army’s Joe Meyer in the Commander-in-Chief Cup.

CHUKKERTV CHUKKERTV

Tony Coppola presents the Tackeria Invitational trophy to Casablanca’s Nic Roldan, Santi Bermudez, Grant Ganzi and Nico Harriott. Newport’s Michel Dorignac, Gene Goldstein, Juan Bollini and Horacio Heguy won the Fall Classic.

the National Arena Commander-inChief Cup brought together four teams representing three military branches, each vying for the coveted title at Great Meadow Polo Club in The Plains, Virginia. Emerging from the semifinals victorious, Marine Corps (Walker Hobby, Jake Flournoy, Dean Daggett) edged Army Black (Joe England, Terrance Donahue, Joe Meyer), 8-7, in the final on Sept. 27.

“This is currently the only military tournament, which requires all players to have served on active duty,” Daggett said. “We hope to recruit more players from the military community and thereby keep this wonderful tradition alive for years to come.”

A strong performance from Flournoy helped to secure the first spot in the final for the Marines, after defeating Army Gold (Andy Hertneky, Tom Rice, John Rice, Mark Gillespie, John Kiyonaga), 14-10. In the other semifinal, a valiant comeback from Navy (Alex Jenkins, Andrea Logan, Sang Yi) in the fourth chukker was thwarted by a gamewinning goal from Terrance Donahue, giving Army Black the 5-4 win.

A lightning-quick start in the final gave Army Black the early 3-0 advantage with goals from England. Retaliating before the end of the chukker, Marines reorganized defensively, allowing Flournoy to put the team on the scoreboard. Flournoy’s two-pointer quickly leveled the score, 3-3, before adding back-to-back goals to take a 5-3 lead. A penalty conversion by Meyer brought Army within one, 5-4, at the half.

In the second half, England restored the tie, this time at 5-5. With his teammates working tirelessly around him, Flournoy, playing the Best Playing Pony, provided the offensive spark to take back the lead, 6-5. Consecutive goals in the last chukker by Meyer switched the lead to Army, 76. Marines never give up and they didn’t this day. Daggett and Hobby muscled their way to goal, flipping the lead back in Marines’ favor in the nick of time, 8-7.

“Winning any match feels good, but representing the Marine Corps and competing against a talented opponent makes this championship particularly special,” Hobby said. “Our team captain, Jake Flournoy, set the tone in the final by creating and converting opportunities while the rest of our team followed his lead to earn a hard-fought win.”

Magnolia, owned by German Noguera and played by Flournoy, was Best Playing Pony. “She is a very lovely and spry polo pony,” Flournoy said. “In the third chukker, Magnolia was especially handy with great stamina, and she earned her title!”

F LORIDA

CASABLANCA DOMINATES FALL HIGH-GOAL SEASON

Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington, Florida, kicked off with the Tackeria Invitational. Originally scheduled for Oct. 22-25, rain forced a delay. The four teams scheduled to play had to wait a week for the fields to dry out. To keep the schedule on track, the Fall Classic, originally scheduled for the second weekend, was played as the Tackeria Invitational consolation.

The Tackeria Invitational final saw Casablanca (Nico Harriott, Grant Ganzi, Nic Roldan, Santi Bermudez) take on La Indiana (Matthew Gonzalez, Michael Bickford, Nick Manifold, Jeff Hall). Games were held at Santa Rita Polo Farm and spectators were not allowed due to COVID restrictions.

Casablanca began with a one-goal handicap and Ganzi added to it on a pass from Roldan. Soon after, more bad weather forced a brief delay. When the teams came back, Kris Kampsen was substituting for Hall. Gonzalez put La Indiana on the board and Bickford took control of a loose ball and sent it through the post to tie the score, 2-2. Kampsen took the ball from the line-up

CHUKKERTV Carlitos Gracida plays in the Legends of Polo Carlos Gracida Memorial.

CHUKKERTV

Juan Bollini, Nic Roldan, Grant Ganzi and Jeff Hall represented USA in the annual International Cup at Grand Champions.

to score early in the third. Ganzi countered with a Penalty 3 conversion but Bickford found the target with a Penalty 2 to take a 4-3 lead at the half.

Casablanca strengthened its defense in the second half, shutting it down in the fourth, while Ganzi tied the match at 4-all. Roldan put Casablanca ahead and after a Penalty 5 didn’t reach the goal line, Kampsen accidentally knocked it through the posts for Casablanca. Harriott added a goal to end the chukker ahead, 7-4. La Indiana rallied in the last chukker, with Bickford and Gonzalez splitting the posts to come within one, but Ganzi scored one more for the 8-7 win.

Ganzi was MVP and Manifold’s Machitos Canola was Best Playing Pony.

Newport (Gene Goldstein, Michel Dorignac, Horacio Heguy, Juan Bollini) met Sebucan (Marc Ganzi, Pablo Pulido, Sugar Erskine, Pablo Spinacci) for the Fall Classic. It took 14 minutes for the teams to get going fully. In the meantime, Goldstein scored a lone goal in the first and Bollini traded penalty conversions with Ganzi in the second. Spinacci owned the third, passing to Pulido to score, then scoring three in a row to end the half, 5-2.

Sebucan fought back in the fourth, with Dorignac cutting the deficit to just one, 5-4. Ganzi increased the difference to two before Newport began its comeback. Goldstein sent a neckshot through the posts then scored another. In between, Dorignac converted a Penalty 6, leaving Newport ahead, 7-6, at the end of the fifth. Pulido leveled the score in the final chukker but Bollini’s Penalty 2 conversion sealed the deal for Newport.

Dorignac was MVP and Open Moreseh was Best Playing Pony.

Casablanca continued its success into the 20-goal North American Cup and the National Twenty Goal (please see results page 42). Members of Casablanca finished the season, bringing home the victory for USA in the club’s annual International Cup. Grant Ganzi and Nic Roldan joined up with Jeff Hall and Juan Bollini for USA, taking on Argentina’s Santiago Cernadas, Pablo Spinacci, Horacio Heguy and Michel Dorignac. The Argentine born Bollini became a U.S. citizen several years ago.

USA flexed its muscle in the first 14 minutes with Roldan, Hall and Ganzi each slamming in goals, while Argentina was held to a single tally from Dorignac. Heguy traded shots with Ganzi in the third, ending the half with USA on top, 4-2.

After a halftime break, Dorignac split the uprights to bring Argentina within a goal, but Roldan answered with two while USA shut down any other offensive drives by Argentina. Dorignac and Roldan traded tallies in the fifth, ending the chukker with USA leading, 7-4. Argentina tried everything to make up for the difference but with USA sporting the lead, all it had to do was shut down Argentina and it did. The teams finished out the sixth without a score, leaving USA on top.

Roldan led the scoring with four goals and was named MVP. Santa Rita Polo Farm’s Belle and Delila, both played by the Argentine team, were honored as Best Playing Ponies.

The day also honored the late Carlos Gracida, who died tragically following a polo accident in 2014. The Mexicanborn player picked up his first polo mallet at 5 years old and just 20 years later was a 10-goal player. One of the sport’s best horsemen, he won more tournaments than any other player, including every major tournament in the United States, England and Argentina. He won the U.S., British and Argentine Opens in the same year on three separate occasions, including 1994 when he won Argentina’s Triple Crown. In 1988, he won Most Valuable Player in the Argentine Open final after scoring 10 goals. It was the only time a foreigner won the honor. He was inducted into the Polo Hall of Fame in 2012.

The annual Legends of Polo Carlos Gracida Memorial preceded the Inter-

Arden’s Fine Jewelers’ Ava Hinkson, Paige Boone, Nick Johnson and Frankie Bilbao won a weekly 8-goal series at The Villages. The Villages Insurance’s Ava Hinkson, Paige Boone, Nick Johnson and Frankie Bilbao won their second 8 goal.

national Cup, with Gracida’s sons Carlitos and Mariano playing on opposite teams. Mariano played on the Aspen Valley team with Michael Bickford, Nick Manifold and Sugar Erskine, while Carlitos saddled up for Grand Champions, playing alongside Pablo Pulido, Brandon Phillips and Kris Kampsen in a four-chukker match.

The match got started with Manifold trading goals with Phillips in the first chukker. Mariano “Nano” Gracida scored the next three tallies, including a Penalty 2, to put Aspen Valley ahead, 41. Pulido cut the difference to 4-2 at the half. Grand Champions focused on defense in the second half, successfully shutting down all of Aspen Valley’s drives in the third but was unable to get any closer. In the final period, Bickford found the mark. Carlitos Gracida converted a Penalty 2 but time ran out with Aspen Valley ahead, 5-3.

Nano Gracida was MVP, while Michael Bickford’s Lolo was Best Playing Pony.

ARDEN’S TRIUMPHS IN THE VILLAGES 8 GOAL

Arden’s Fine Jewelers came away the winner in a weekly 8-goal series at The Villages Polo Club in The Villages, Florida, Nov. 1. Four teams competed in the event over two days.

Arden’s (Ava Hinkson, Paige Boone, Nick Johnson, Francisco Bilbao) took on Galaxy Home Solutions (Miguel Lis Plannels, Roberto Narvaja, Horacio Lizaso, Francisco Llosa) in the final. Galaxy began with a two-goal handicap and Llosa added to it for a quick threegoal lead. Bilbao put Arden’s on the board a minute later. Johnson caught fire later in the chukker, scoring three goals in less than three minutes to give Arden’s the lead, 4-3. Llosa leveled the score early in the second, but Johnson and Bilboa struck to take back the lead, 6-4. Llosa and Johnson swapped goals in the third to end the half with Arden’s ahead, 7-5.

Bilbao and McCabe sandwiched goals around one from Lizaso in the fourth, increasing Arden’s lead to three, 9-6. It was a difference Arden’s would maintain throughout the remainder of the game. Lizaso scored in each of the last three chukkers but each goal was matched by the opponents, giving Arden’s the 12-9 victory. Johnson led the scoring with six goals.

In the consolation, UnitedHealthcare (Winship Rees, Lord Lyall, Charley Quincoces, Stuart Campbell) topped Citizen’s First Bank (Cameron Smart/Paul Wadsworth, Hunter Jelsch, Jack Kiely, Eden Ormerod), 12-10. Quincoces led the scoring with nine goals.

The Arden’s players switched into The Villages Insurance jerseys the following week but the result was the same. The Villages Insurance prevailed over Galaxy Home Solutions (Miguel Lis Planells, Chavelo Briones, Horacio Lisazo, Francisco Llosa) in the final. The Villages jumped right out in the first with Johnson scoring twice and Biblao following with one of his own. Lisazo put Galaxy on the board to end the first, 3-1. Johnson and Bilbao matched a pair of goals by Llosa in the second and goals from Llosa and Lisazo in the third, ending the half with The Villages ahead, 7-5.

Bilbao turned up the heat scoring three times, including a pair of penalties, and passed to Boone for another tally, while holding Galaxy to two, increasing its lead, 11-7. Bilbao kept up the pressure with two goals in the fifth, but Galaxy rallied with a pair of goals from Lisazo and one from Briones. Bilbao struck again in the final period, but Galaxy shut the team down and began chipping away at the deficit. Lisazo scored two in a row and Llosa closed the gap to just one but with only four seconds left, the team ran out of time and The Villages hung on for the narrow 1413 win. Boone was named MVP and Lisazo’s Something Special was Best Playing Pony.

In the consolation, UnitedHealth-

FRANKLIN KEITH FRANKLIN KEITH

Arden’s Lord Lyall, Paige Boone, Charly Quincoces and Nick Johnson won the last 8 goal of the season at The Villages Polo Club in Central Florida.

Galaxy’s Lauren Proctor-Brown, Monica Blazevic Miguel Lis-Planells, Irene Lis-Planells and Francisco Llosa

care (Jason Cashin, Lupe Castro, Charly Quincoces, Stuart Campbell) edged Citizen’s First Bank (Ken Williams, Liv Berube, Tony Vita, Eden Ormerod), 9-7. The following week saw three teams competing for the Arden’s 8 goal. The teams played off over two days with the scores carrying over to the second day. In the first matchup, Texas SBA (Jamie Demericas/Ava Hinkson, Loren Butterworth, Nate Berube, Francisco Bilbao) faced Fross & Fross (Liv Berube, Winship Rees, Eden Ormerod, Stuart Campbell). Texas SBA started with a one-goal handicap, which Ormerod negated in less than a minute with a Penalty 4. Bilbao sunk a Penalty 3 to keep the slight edge. Ormerod converted a Penalty 2 early in the second, but Bilbao responded with a Penalty 4 conversion. Liv Berube found the uprights with the first field goal to level the score at 3-3 at the end of the second. Nate Berube and Bilbao tallied in the third to take a 5-3 lead at the half.

Liv Berube hit the mark early in the fourth but Bilbao responded. Campbell scored to keep it close, 6-5. Bilbao increased the lead with back-to-back goals but Campbell scored again to cut the deficit. Campbell wasn’t done, shooting through three goals in the final period added to one from Liv Berube while Texas SBA was silenced. Fross & Fross’ first-time lead came when it mattered most, the last three minutes of the match, as it took the win, 10-8.

Fross & Fross then faced Arden’s

Texas SBA’s Nate Berube puts in a valiant effort to stop Arden’s Nick Johnson, with Charly Quincoces closing in.

FRANKLIN KEITH (Paige Boone, Lord Lyall, Charly Quincoces, Nick Johnson). Ormerod and Campbell swapped goals with Boone and Quincoces in the first and the teams were silent in the second. Quincoces and Johnson tallied in the third while Fross & Fross was unable to break Arden’s defense. Arden’s led 4-2 at the half.

Fross & Fross mounted a comeback in the second half, shutting down Arden’s in the fourth while Rees found the goal, but Arden’s shot back in the fifth with Quincoces and Johnson combining for a trio of goals. Meanwhile, Fross & Fross was limited to a Penalty 3 conversion from Campbell for a 7-4 Arden’s lead. Liv Berube and Ormerod kept pace with Johnston in the final period, but the damage was done and Arden’s took the 9-6 win.

Arden’s then faced Texas SBA. After giving Texas SBA a handicap goal, Arden’s wasted no time in getting ahead. Boone scored, then Quincoces and Johnson combined for five goals before Texas scored its first two field goals. Bilbao matched goals by Boone and Quincoces in the third, ending the half with Arden’s sporting an 8-5 advantage.

Arden’s kept up the pressure in the second half, holding Texas scoreless in two of the three periods while tallying three times. Demericas and Berube hit

WROE KAYLEE WROE KAYLEE

Horsegate’s Shane Rice, Toto Collardin, Sloan Stefanakis and Lance Stefanakis won the 10-goal Houston Cup. Marcy Taub presents Bill Fick Ford’s Vaughn Miller Jr., Jimmy Seward, KC Krueger and Mason Wroe the H. Ben Taub trophy.

the mark in the fifth, but it wasn’t enough and Arden’s took the win.

With wins in both of its matches, Arden’s settled at the top. Fross & Fross was runner-up while Texas SBA took third place.

The same weekend, The Villages Insurance (Agatha Herrera, Cruz Bilbao, Mateo Bilbao, Francisco Bilbao) narrowly edged Fross & Fross (Tom Fross, Lupe Castro, Luis Castro, Chavelo Briones), 9½-9, in the Arden’s Fine Jewelers Family Feud final to close out the season. Frankie Bilbao used all of his players, feeding the ball to them to carry to goal. Mateo Bilbao struck first, adding to the team’s half-goal handicap. Luis Castro put Fross & Fross on the board and Fross followed with another. Mateo Bilbao closed out the chukker with his second goal. Cruz Bilbao and Herrera took over in the second, scoring two apiece while Fross & Fross was held to one from Lupe Castro. Cruz Bilbao scored a pair of goals in the third, which were matched by Fross & Fross’ Lupe Castro and Briones. Mateo Bilbao increased the gap three minutes into the fourth. Trailing 9½-5, Lupe and Luis Castro took control, hammering in four goals in three minutes to cut the difference to a half goal but time was not on their side and The Villages took the win.

In the consolation, Galaxy Home Solutions (Irene Lis-Planells, Monica Blazevic, Miguel Lis-Planells, Francisco Llosa) edged United Healthcare (Sue Doyle, Jamie Demericas, Lauren Proctor-Brown, David Eldredge), 4-1½.

S OUTHWEST

HORSEGATE CELEBRATES SEVERAL WINS IN TX

The Houston Polo Club in Houston, Texas, held a full schedule despite starting out dodging inclement weather from numerous storms that hit the surrounding area. Four 10goal and three 6-goal events kept the players busy.

The 10-goal tournaments got underway with the Houston Cup final on Sept. 20. Horsegate (Lance Stefanakis, Sloan Stefanakis, Toto Collardin, Shane Rice) met Kanthaka (Phillip Kampshoff, KC Krueger, Mason Wroe, Guille Usandizaga) in the final.

With Tropical Storm Beta creeping up in the Gulf, the game was played at high noon.

Usandizaga kicked off the scoring but Collardin answered. Wroe converted a Penalty 4 but Lance Stefanakis scored three in a row. Usandizaga and Wroe combined for three goals to take back the lead, 5-4, at the half.

There seems to have been some strategy changes during the halftime break, and it worked. Horsegate’s Collardin and Rice amassed three of their own while holding Kanthaka scoreless to take back the lead, 7-5. Stefanakis wrapped goals around one from Kampshof in the fifth and Rice swapped goals with Wroe to keep Horsegate on top, 107. Sloan Stefanakis increased the lead early in the sixth. Usandizaga responded but Collardin found the mark. KC Krueger’s Penalty 2 brought Kanthaka closer as time was winding down. Usandizaga got in one more goal before time expired with Horsegate on top, 12-10.

Lance Stefanakis was MVP and Rice’s Furiosa was Best Playing Pony.

Bill Fick Ford (KC Krueger, Vaughn Miller Jr., Mason Wroe, Jimmy Seward) downed Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Lance Stefanakis, Toto Collardin, Nacho Badiola), 9-4, in the 10-goal H. Ben Taub final, Oct. 9. Collardin scored the first goal, countering a one-goal handicap given to Bill Fick Ford. Wroe handled a Penalty 4 but Badiola responded. Miller got the last word, ending the chukker with Ford out front, 32. Collardin scored a lone goal in the second to level the score, 3-3. The third chukker was limited to a Penalty 4 from Wroe, ending the half with Ford narrowly ahead, 4-3.

Seward and Badiola traded goals in

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BTA 2’s Chrys Beal, KC Krueger, Juan Martin Obregon and Mason Wroe won the 10-goal Keleen & Carlton Beal Cup. Horsegate’s Lance Stefanakis, Sloan Stefanakis, Toto Collardin and Shane Rice won the 10-goal Texas Open.

the fourth, but then Tonkawa was shut down. Meanwhile Wroe and Miller tallied in the fifth to take a 7-4 lead. The team widened the gap in the sixth with goals by Krueger and Seward to win 9-4.

Vaughn Miller Jr. was MVP and Jeff Hall’s Sevillana was Best Playing Pony.

Two weeks later, on Oct. 23, BTA 2 (Chrys Beal, KC Krueger, Mason Wroe, Juan Martin Obregon) edged BTA 1/Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Steve Krueger, Nacho Badiola, Kelly Beal) in the 10-goal Beal Cup final. It was a family affair with three members of the Beal family and two married couples going head-to-head.

BTA 1/Tonkawa began with a onegoal handicap, which was quickly negated by a goal from Obregon. The second chukker saw Hildebrand and Badiola score to take the lead. Wroe split the uprights with a Penalty 4, but Kelly Beal responded. The third chukker was a repeat of the second, except this time it was BTA counting a trio of goals—two from Wroe and one from Obregon— while BTA 1/Tonkawa was held to a single Penalty 2 conversion from Hildebrand to level the score at 5-5 at the half.

BTA 2 took advantage of the halftime break, coming back strong in the fourth, while holding BTA 1/Tonkawa scoreless. Obregon found the target with back-to-back strikes and KC Krueger added another to take an 8-5 lead. They kept the momentum in the fifth, with Wroe sandwiching goals around a BTA 1/Tonkawa Penalty 1. Steve Krueger found the goal early in the sixth but Wroe answered with one of his own. Steve Krueger sunk a Penalty 4 and Hildebrand followed by converting a Penalty 2. Down by two, Steve Krueger struck again but the team ran out of time and BTA 2 took the trophies.

Mason Wroe was MVP and Juan Martin Obregon’s Ladilla was Best Playing Pony.

In the last 10-goal of the season, Horsegate again took home the trophies after winning the Texas Open.

Defending champion Tonkawa (Paul Hobby, Vaughn Miller Jr., Nacho Badiola, Mason Wroe) was being challenged by Horsegate (Lance Stefanakis, Sloan Stefanakis, Shane Rice, Toto Collardin) in the final.

Horsegate came to the field prepared and ready to go, as it jumped ahead 3-0 after the first chukker. Tonkawa’s 5-goal Nacho Badiola put the first two goals on the board, converting two open-goal penalties, only to be answered by Horsegate’s Shane Rice, converting a 60-yard penalty shot to maintain his team’s 4-2 lead going into the third chukker. Tonkawa teammates Mason Wroe and Badiola wouldn't give up, as they came within Horsegate’s 1goal lead in the middle of the third chukker, but Horsegate managed to sneak two more goals through the posts to end the first half with a 7-4 lead.

Spectators enjoyed their halftime divot stomp, talking with friends and taking advantage of the beautiful weather. Nothing like November in Houston! As they finished putting the field back into good condition, spectators were able to grab their complimentary champagne on their way back to their seats.

The teams were ready to go for the second half, as Badiola scored his fourth goal of the day, trying to catch the Horsegate lead. But unfortunately for Tonkawa, the MVP of the game, Toto Collardin, kept his offensive push as he answered Badiola with a goal of his own, maintaining Horsegate’s threegoal lead going into the fifth chukker. Rice extended Horsegate’s lead to four, but Badiola and Wroe would not give up as they put one goal in a piece to stay in the game going into the sixth and final chukker. Lance Stefanakis and Collardin did not break under pressure as they scored a goal each to take back their four-goal lead. Tonakwa’s Badiola was able sneak one last goal in before time expired, giving Horsegate the 11-8 victory and earning the winning spurs of the Texas Open!

Toto Collardin was MVP and Mason Wroe’s Rihanna was Best Playing Pony.

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Horsegate’s Grace Parker (subbing for Nick Stefanakis), Lance Stefanakis, Toto Collardin and Anson Moore won the Penny Cup. Rockstars/Vintage’s MVP Shane Rice, Jimmy Seward, Lily Lequerica and Roxy Mounter won the USPA Delegates Cup.

In 6-goal action, Horsegate (Grace Parker, Lance Stefanakis, Toto Collardin, Anson Moore) edged Pegasus/Pro-

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poganda (Paul Hobby, David Andras, TJ Elordi, Mason Wroe), 7½-6, in the Penny Cup final on Oct. 1. Pegasus shot out of the gate in the first chukker with Hobby slamming in a pair of goals, Andres sunk a Penalty 4 and Elordi split the uprights, easily countering the half-goal handicap given to Horsegate. Collardin struck for Horsegate to get it in the game. Wroe pounded in a pair of goals in the second but they were matched by a Penalty 2 from Moore and a field goal from Collardin, ending the half with Pegasus/Propaganda, ahead, 6-3½.

Horsegate owned the second half, keeping Pegasus from reaching the goal while Moore and Collardin found the target in the third to bring the team within a half goal, then finished it off with goals in the fourth, including a Penalty 1, to take the lead and the win.

Mason Wroe was MVP and Collardin’s Vengala was Best Playing Pony.

Two weeks later, two different teams clashed in the final of the Delegates Cup. Three players under 20 years old played. Sullivan Group/Vintage 2 (Joe Bob Lequerica, Joanie Jackson, Nick

Brown Bears/BPC’s Grace Mudra, Chino Payan, Martin Munoz and Ignacio Saenz won the USPA Master’s Cup.

Cifuni, Cody Ellis) took on Rockstars/Vintage (Roxy Mounter, Lily Lequerica, Jimmy Seward, Shane Rice). Neither team could find the goal in the first seven minutes. Rice got the scoring started in the second, wrapping field goals around a Penalty 1 for a 3-0 advantage after two chukkers.

Sullivan Group rallied in the second half, with Ellis scoring twice and Jackson converting a Penalty 3. Seward scored for Rockstars to keep it on top, 43. The final chukker was a battle. Ellis tied the score with a Penalty 2 but a Penalty 1 for Rockstars gave it the lead. Rice scored an insurance goal to give Rockstars/Vintage the 6-4 win.

In the consolation Red Oak Cup, Rover’s Romphouse (Debbie Shelton, Tiamo Hudspeth, Robert Orthwein, Tom Crea edged BCI/Kanthaka, 5½-5. Rockstars/Vintage also made it to the final of the Masters Cup, but this time it faced Brown Bears/BPC (Grace Mudra, Chino Payan, Martin Munoz, Ignacio Saenz). The teams matched each other in the first half with Payan scoring for Brown Bears, only to be matched by Seward for Rockstars. Payan scored again in the second, but Rice had the answer. The first half ended, 2-2. Brown Bears doubled up Rockstars in the third, with Munoz and Saenz tallying while Rockstars were silenced. Rice brought Rockstars within one early in the sixth but Munoz responded. Mounter sunk a Penalty 3 to get closer but the team ran out of time and Brown Bears/BPC had the 5-4 win.

Shane Rice was named MVP and Cody Ellis’ Gato, a 6-year-old gelding, was Best Playing Pony.

“This is his first season of tournament polo and he has given everything I asked of him. I can’t wait to see what his future has in store,” said Ellis.

Sullivan Group/Vintage Polo 2 (Cody Ellis, Nick Cifuni, Joanie Jackson, Isabel Artzer) won the subsidiary. •