POLO REPORT DISPATCHES FROM THE WORLD OF POLO SOUTHEAST
KATIE ROTH
PEACH TREE PREVAILS IN PRESIDENTS CUP
SIG’s Matt Coppola tries to handle the bouncing ball with support from Andrew Scott, who rides off Peach Tree’s Hope Arellano. SIG’s Willie Hartnett follows behind.
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each Tree defeated SIG, 9-6, to take the regional Presidents Cup at New Bridge Polo & Country Club in Aiken, South Carolina, May 16. Five teams competed in the event. Peach Tree (Randy Rizor, Hope Arellano, Lucas Arellano, Marcos Onetto) started off on the right foot, downing Foxdale Equine (Hugh Worsham, Charlie Caldwell, Julian Daniels, Tommy Huber), 12-7. It fell to Upatoi Green (Alea Crespo, Jake Flournoy, Alan Martinez, Trevor
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Reeves), 14-10, in its next game but was still able to advance to the semis, where it edged Foxdale Equine, 15-14 to earn a spot in the final. On the other side, SIG (Deep Singh, Andrew Scott, Matt Coppola, Willie Hartnett) topped Hardscrabble (Mason Lampton, Ian Schnoebelen, Pelon Escapite, Polo Baez), 10-7. SIG fell hard to Foxdale Equine but advanced to the semis where it slipped Upatoi Green, 11-10. In the final, Peach Tree began
with a one-goal handicap and quickly added to it with Onetto and Hope Arellano picking up goals. A Penalty 2 conversion by Onetto in the second pushed Peach Tree’s lead to 4-0. Hartnett sunk a Penalty 3 to put SIG on the board and Coppola followed with a goal, ending the chukker with Peach Tree on top, 4-2. A scoreless third for SIG allowed Peach Tree to increase its lead to four, 6-2, on a Penalty 2 from Onetto and a goal from Lucas Arellano.