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September 2021 Polo Players' Edition- Polo Report
POLO REPORT
DISPATCHES FROM THE WORLD OF POLO
Karson Bizell puts the hook on Kerstie Allen in the final of the second event of the Mid-Continent Women’s Polo Series in Dallas.
©Murrell Photography
SOUTHEAST
THE second event in the Mid-Continent Women’s Polo Series was played July 17, at Dallas Polo Club in Red Oak, Texas. Despite being midsummer in Texas, the weather was mild as four teams competed for the club’s Women’s 4-goal Invitational: Dallas Polo Club (Allison Booker, Calyste Hanks, Lizy Ayala, Syd Hagens and Taylor Hooten), 10X Polo (Kelly Coldiron, Kerstie Allen, Dani Gibson and Katerina Katova), LeasePlan (Lisa Yanskey, Verity Cameron, Kate Howe and Karson Bizell) and Precious Metals (Whitney Walker, Ally Vaughn, Kitana St Cyr and Elyse Warren).
“To be on the field with such a great group of women is an honor. It’s been several years since I’ve played a women’s tournament and it just leaves me wanting to play more!” Lease- Plan’s Lisa Yanskey said. “I came into this tournament honestly expecting the play to be a little slower so that I could re-evaluate my abilities and that simply wasn’t the case. These women played fast and challenging which made it even more fun. My horses were wonderful, and it’s really cool to work for a company that supports our team and sees the value in sponsoring the sport.”
10X’s Kelly Coldiron, Kerstie Allen, Katerina Katova and Dani Gibson won the women’s event in Dallas.
©Murrell Photography
“This was my first field tournament, and it didn’t disappoint. I have been learning and playing arena polo with Legends Polo Club now for a little over a year, and the opportunity that has afforded me to better my game is invaluable,” Dallas Polo Club’s Taylor Hooten noted. “This was so much fun and I can’t wait for the opportunity to play alongside these women in some of the upcoming events.”
The first game saw 10X Polo take on LeasePlan in an evenly-matched handicap game. 10X Polo pulled away with the win, advancing to the final against Precious Metals, which defeated Dallas Polo Club.
The final was a nail-biter with a tie at the end of regulation and a shootout to determine the winner. Ultimately, 10X Polo came away with the win. LeasePlan’s Lisa Yanskey was given the Sportsmanship award, and Ally Vaughn of Precious Metals took the MVP trophy. Kelly Coldiron’s mare Zetta won Best Playing Pony.
In addition to the lady’s tournament, the club hosted a mixed open the following day, consisting of many of the women who attended the first day and pros like Bil and Will Walton.
“Dallas Polo Club was honored to host this tournament. I can’t speak highly enough of the women that participated in this event, and the skill they brought to the field. The camaraderie between the teams was evident to all, and made this talented group even more fun,” said LeasePlan’s Verity Cameron.
In the Mid-Continent Women’s Polo Tournament Series, individuals gain points toward end-of-year awards by participating in these tournaments. Points are based on the number of teams and a team’s rank in the tournament, with additional points for MVP and sportsmanship winners.
Gardenvale’s Jack Kiely presses the line while Savanna’s Milo Dorignac comes in to challenge.
©Milagros Martinez
NORTHEAST
GARDENVALE ACES USPA OFFICERS CUP
Gardenvale rode the wave of victory straight through to the final of the USPA Officers Cup at Mashomack Polo Club in Pine Plains, New York, July 24.
Seven teams started the tournament hoping for a chance to have their names engraved on the trophy. While Gardenvale (Connor Finemore, Nico Bongiovanni, Jack Kiely, Tavi Usandizaga) finished at the top after preliminary rounds, finalist Savanna (Nicolas Bienstock, Milo Dorignac, Juanse Olivera, Gaston Lisioli) had to win a shootout to earn its spot.
Gardenvale began the final with a handicap goal and Kiely and Usandizaga added to it with two goals each in the first chukker. Olivera and Lisoli put Savanna on the board in the second and kept Gardenvale from scoring. Lisoli continued to chip away at the deficit in the third with a penalty conversion, but Finemore and Usandizaga fought back, each scoring to increase the difference to four heading into the halftime break.
Kiely and Usandizaga continued to widen the gap in the fourth. Lisoli converted a Penalty 3 but Usandizaga and Olivera answered back, giving Gardenvale a six-goal advantage, 11-5. Gardenvale tightened the noose in the fifth with three goals but Savanna kept fighting. Dorignac shot through a big goal and Olivera scored a hat trick in the final chukker, but it wasn’t enough and Gardenvale celebrated the 14-9 victory.
Gardenvale’s Tavi Usandizaga, Connor Finemore, Nico Bongiovanni and Jack Kiely won the USPA Officers Cup.
©Milagros Martinez
Tavi Usandizaga was named MVP and his Viuda Negra was Best Playing Pony. Gardenvale earned the $2,500 prize money--part of the USPA tournament stimulus package--which it donated back to the club.
Just a day prior, the club held its 22nd annual International Polo Challenge. Five teams competed in the event. After the 2020 event was canceled, 500 eager spectators gathered under the tent to cheer the teams on. In the end, NIHI Santo Tomas, Costa
Rica (James McBride, Juanse Olivera, Harry Zurcher, Ronald Zurcher) went home with the trophies. McBride was presented with the Mathias Guerrand- Hermès Sportsmanship Award.
The tournament benefits the Mashomack Barns Preservation and NY State Troopers Foundation.
Dracarys’ Chetan Krishna, Joseph Schwartz, Kris Kampsen and Horton Schwartz won the Old Westbury Cup.
DRACARYS TAKES OLD WESTBURY CUP
Back-to-back 6-goal tournaments were held at the Meadowbrook Polo Club in Old Westbury, New York, in early August.
In the first event, three teams entered The Old Westbury Cup. A round robin was held over two days, with scores following over from the first day. Dracarys (Chetan Krishna, Joseph Schwartz, Kris Kampsen, Horton Schwartz), Meadowbrook (Glen Lostritto, Adam Lipson, Vlad Tarashansky, Agustin Bottaro, Juan Redlich) and Country Farms (George Fox, Esteban Panelo, Henry Zavaleta, Mrinal Dansingani) battled it out with Dracarys taking first place, while Meadowbrook was second and Country Farms was third. Kris Kampsen was MVP.
The following week, the club held the Al Bianco Memorial. In the final, Marjing (Billy Howard, Tomas Ferrari, Henry Porter, Gates Gridley) took on Passmore (Damien Vanderwilt, Nacho Cabrera, Frankie Ayala, Santi Novillo Astrada). Marjing enjoyed a slight edge through the match, leading 3-2 at the half. Marjing outscored Passmore, 2-1, in the third but Passmore rallied in the final chukker, scoring three to Marjing’s two goals. But it was just short of what the team needed and Marjing hung on to win, 7-6.
Al Bianco’s son John presented the trophies. Damien Vanderwilt, who contributed three goals, was MVP.
In the subsidiary, IGEA (Glen Lostritto, Adam Lipson, Agustin Bottaro, Juan Redlich) edged Meadowbrook (Glenn Sam Lostritto, Mrinal Dansingani, Esteban Panelo, Henry Zavaleta), 7-6.
Marjing’s Henry Porter, Tomas Ferrari, Gates Gridley and Billy Howard won the Al Bianco Memorial at Meadowbrook Polo Club.
TRIO OF EVENTS IN GREENWICH
Greenwich Polo Club in Greenwich, Connecticut, is celebrating its 40th anniversary by holding three 16-goal events: the East Coast Bronze Cup, the East Coast Silver Cup and the East Coast Gold Cup. The highest-rated polo on the East Coast saw closely matched teams, with three separate quartets celebrating victory in front of sold-out crowds.
White Birch’s Chris Brant, Juanse Olivera, Pablo Llorente and Mariano Aguerre won the East Coast Bronze Cup at Greenwich.
©Peter T. Michaels
The East Coast Bronze Cup was held June 6-20 with four teams playing each of the other teams with the two best records advancing to the final. In the final, White Birch (Chris Brant, Juan Olivera Jr., Pablo Llorente Jr., Mariano Aguerre) came from behind to defeat Palm Beach Equine (Scott Swerdlin, Constancio Caset, Juan Redlich, Raul Colombres), 11-8. Brant was MVP and Aguerre’s Odelay was Best Playing Pony.
In preliminary games, White Birch defeated Altaris (Jamal Nusseibeh, Milo Dorignac, Joaquin Panelo, Valerio Zubiaurre), 14-9; Palm Beach Equine 10-7; and Level Select CBD (Andrew/Max Gundlach, Santi Torres, Pedro Falabella, Enrique Zavaleta), 9- 8. On the other side, Palm Beach Equine defeated Level Select CBD, 11-7; and Altaris, 17-11. Altaris edged Barton, 11-10.
Altaris’ Joaquin Panelo, Valerio Zubiaurre, Milo Dorignac and Jamal Nusseibeh won Greenwich’s East Coast Gold Cup.
©Peter T. Michaels
Next up was the East Coast Silver Cup scheduled from June 24-July 4. IGEA (Adam Lipson, Constancio Caset, Juan Redlich, Gringo Colombres) took Palm Beach Equine’s spot on the roster.
Altaris was getting stronger as the competition went on. It defeated White Birch, 10-7, before ousting Level Select CBD, 11-7, and IGEA, 14-11. It moved on to the final with the only undefeated record. Filling the other final spot was not as easy. IGEA edge Level Select CBD, 11-8, but fell to White Birch, 19-14. White Birch then fell to Level Select CBD, 10-8. This left these three teams in a tie, each with 1- 2 records. It took a shootout to determine a winner, with IGEA advancing.
IGEA’s Gringo Colombres, Costi Caset, Juan Redlich and Adam Lipson topped the East Coast Silver Cup in Greenwich.
©Peter T. Michaels
Rain postponed the final but when it finally relented, IGEA edged Altaris, 10-9, in overtime. Gringo Colombres, scored the winning goal and was MVP. His Coquito was Best Playing Pony.
Two additional teams: Ellipse (Louis Devaleix, Roberto Bilbao, Carlos Ulloa, Lucas Diaz Alberdi) and Faraway (Hutton Goodman, Henry Porter, Kris Kampsen, Julian Daniels) joined
the East Coast Gold Cup. Rain continued to be an issue, delaying the start a week.
The teams, divided into two brackets, played across bracket and earned two points for every win. The top four teams, based on points, advanced to the semifinals.
Level Select’s Santi Torres gets the hook on White Birch’s Mariano Aguerre in the East Coast Bronze Cup.
©Peter T. Michaels
Preliminary games had White Birch edging Level Select CBD, 9-8; Ellipse slipping White Birch, 12-11; Altaris defeating Level Select, 10-7; IGEA beating Faraway, 12-11; and Ellipse besting Altaris, 13-11. White Birch beat Faraway, 11-9; IGEA narrowly edged Level Select, 13-12; Altaris slipped Faraway, 12-11; and Ellipse beat IGEA, 11-8.
Ellipse, the only undefeated team, eliminated White Birch in the first semifinal, while Altaris ousted IGEA in the second semi. In the final, Altaris, determined not to let another final slip through its fingers, was down by one in the waning minutes when a young Milo Dorignac became a hero, tying the score to force overtime and giving the team another chance. In the overtime chukker, Joaquin Panelo connected with the goal to give Altaris the 12-11 win. Sixteen-year-old Milo Dorignac was named MVP and his Leona was Best Playing Pony.
IGEA edged Level Select CBD, 12- 11, for third place honors.
Pinkard Properties’ Justin Pimsner, PJ Orthwein, Liv Berube and Sophie Grant won the Constitution Cup at Maryland Polo Club.
EAST
PINKARD PROPERTIES CAPTURES MD TOURNEY
Pinkard Properties aced the 6-goal USPA Constitution Cup at the Maryland Polo Club in Jarrettsvile, Maryland, July 25. Three teams competed in the event.
Pinkard Properties began with a one-goal handicap and held onto it for the win. In the final, Pinkard Properties (Liv Berube, Sophie Grant, Justin Pimsner, PJ Orthwein) took on Quiet Creek Farm (Olivia Reynolds, Hanna Reynolds, Nate Berube, Herndon Radcliffe). After Pinkard Properties received a one-goal head start, neither team was able to reach the goal in the first 14 minutes of the match. Not so quiet, Nate Berube struck first early in the third and Hannah Reynolds followed with a goal, but Grant and Pimsner responded with goals of their own, leaving Pinkard Properties on top, 3-2, at the half.
Radcliffe put Quiet Creek ahead in the fourth, scoring two goals including a Penalty 2 conversion. Orthwein leveled the score early in the fifth, but Radcliffe struck again to put Quiet Creek back in the lead, 5-4. Pinkard Properties managed to control the last seven minutes, keeping Quiet Creek away from the goal while Grant and Orthwein struck again for the 7-5 win.
In earlier games, Dovecote (Louisa Huber, Max Hempt, Tom Huber, Jake Brown) was eliminated.
Sophie Grant was named MVP and Nate Berube’s Fireball was Best Playing Pony.
Hawkwood’s Barclay Knapp, Kathy Fowser, Leandro Berrios and Francisco Llosa won the Arby Dobb Cup at Tinicum Park Polo.
©D. Jean Vergara
HAWKWOOD SOARS IN ARBY DOBB CUP
Hawkwood topped a five-team line-up to take the title in the 4-goal Arby Dobb Cup at Tinicum Park Polo Club in Erwinna, Pennsylvania, July 24.
The teams played off with Hawkwood (Barclay Knapp, Kathy Fowser, Leandro Berrios, Francisco Llosa) defeating Arby Dobb (Rhea Lowenthal, Nate Berube, Trevor Reeves, Tim Cheromcka), 7-5, in the first playoff match. Berrios led the scoring with five goals. Llosa contributed two, including a Penalty 3 conversion.
The other three teams played a round robin. Duende (Anne Oniskey, Cheryl Arnold, Gabi Maldonado, Martin Eddy) got the best of JMB (Katie Mitchum, Juan Martinez-Baez, José Cervantes, Alan Medina). Duende began with a half-goal handicap and Eddy added to it with a Penalty 4 con-
version, then a field goal. Mitchum put JMB on the board, but Maldonado answered with a goal of his own in the second. Duende won 3½-1. In the next round, JMB took on Weidel (Mark Mulligan, Juan Vidal, Richard Weidel, Joaquin Arguello). After Arquello put Weidel on the board with a Penalty 2 and a field goal, Martinez-Baez shot through a Penalty 3 for JMB. Medina scored from the field to tie the score and Martinez-Baez hit the target to give JMB the 3-2 win.
In the last round, Weidel took on Duende. Weidel needed to win by two goals to advance to the final. Rich Weidel put his team on the board, but Eddy and Maldonado shot back for Duende, adding to a half-goal handicap, ending the first 2½-1. Vidal scored early in the second and Arguello put Weidel ahead. Eddy briefly took back the lead before Vidal split the uprights to put Weidel on top. Time ran out and even though Weidel won, 4-3½, it wasn’t enough to advance to the final. The teams had 1-1 records so Duende advanced on net goals.
A consolation match was held prior to the final. Weidel faced Arby Dobb. Mulligan put Weidel on the board in the first but that would be the only scoring in the first half. Berube ended the drought in the third with back-toback penalty conversions. Arguelo converted
a Penalty 2 for Weidel, then scored from the field to take a 3-2 lead. Reeves found the mark on a Penalty 3 conversion in the last chukker, but Vidal ran to goal to give Weidel the 4-3 win.
The highly-anticipated final drew a large crowd as Hawkwood and Duende took the field. Duende began with a two-goal handicap, but a field goal by Llosa and a Penalty 1 negated the advantage. Eddy gave Duende the edge in the second with a Penalty 3 conversion, which went unanswered, ending the half, 3-2. Llosa sunk a Penalty 3 in the third to knot the score and it was the only goal of the chukker.
Hawkwood wanted the win and it showed. They gave it all they had in the last seven minutes. Llosa broke the tie and Berrios scored another. With time winding down, Llosa found the goal again while the team turned back all Duende drives.
Hawkwood was the victor. Martin Eddy was MVP and Llosa’s Soul was Best Playing Pony.
Legends’ Nacho Estrada, Verity Cameron and Don English Jr. won the Arena Amateur Cup.
GREAT PLAINS
LEGENDS SUCCEEDS IN ARENA AMATEUR CUP
Legends Polo Club came away the winner in the 0- to 3-goal Arena Amateur Cup final, played at Northwest Arkansas Polo Club in Gravette, Arkansas, July 11. The weekend tournament attracted five teams made up of a mix of players from across the Great Plains circuit as well as those from Legend’s Polo Club.
The club has a unique arena with a well-manicured turf surface and open ends. The club has been working with USPA umpires to combine some arena and outdoor polo rules for a fun and fast stadium polo experience for players and fans. A stadium polo ball was used in place of a traditional inflated arena ball.
In the final, Legends (Verity Cameron, Don English Jr., Nacho Estrada) took on Tulsa Polo Club (William Massart, Don Gruntmeir, Greg Summers). Tulsa began with a two-goal handicap, but Legends negated it in the first with unanswered goals by English and Cameron. English scored again and Estrada jumped in with a field goal and two penalty conversions. Tulsa’s first goal came from a penalty conversion from Summers. Summers added another penalty conversion in the third, but English and Estrada combined for three goals to take a 9-4 lead going into the last seven minutes. Cameron struck early in the fourth and English followed with two goals, including a penalty conversion. Tulsa was unable to reach the goal and Legends took the 12-4 win.
Greg Summers on Best Playing Pony Lolita. The mare is owned by Summers’ daughter Tori.
English was named MVP and Tori Summer’s Lolita, played by her father Greg, won Best Playing Pony.
To get to the final, Legends edged Legends II (Marcus Murphy, Jan Pieter Zweegers, Megan Rahlfs), 5-3, and crushed Horn and Hound (Leon Bechet, Bob Koehler, Jair De la Pena), 7-2. Tulsa advanced to the final with a 12-8 win over 10X Polo (Kelly Coldiron, Ann Heidman, Michael Scott). In other play, Legends II downed Horn and Hound, 8-1, to earn third place.
In club matches, Legends crushed NWA Polo Club, 14-2, and Little Egypt Polo Club of Northeastern Arkansas defeated NWA Polo Club, 12-8. After the matches, Ali and Charles Strickland treated players and guests to a barbecue.
Lonesome Wind’s Harrison Azzaro, Hunter Azzaro, Amy Azzaro and Mike Azzaro with Drea Salas, Georgia Stone and Justin Huber.
PACIFIC NORTHWEST
AZZAROS TAKE MASTERS CUP
The Lonesome Wind Ranch team, made up of members of the Azzaro family, triumphed in the USPA 8-goal Masters Cup at Jackson Hole Polo Club in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, July
18. Four teams signed up for the event, playing a semifinal round with winners advancing to the final two days later.
Lonesome Wind (Amy Azzaro, Hunter Azzaro/Alejandro Velez, Harrison Azzaro, Mike Azzaro) began with a three-goal handicap when it faced The Bird (Tim Kelly, Jennie Phipps, Peter Blake, Max Menini). Blake converted a Penalty 3 in the first to get the scoring started. Soon after, he was replaced by Charly Quincoces. Menini converted a Penalty 2 in the second to chip away at the handicap difference, but Harrison Azzaro found the goal to increase the lead. Kelly and Quincoces sandwiched goals around one from Mike Azzaro in the third to end the half with Lonesome Wind’s lead dwindling to one, 5-4.
Kelly and Quincoces gave Lonesome the one-two punch in the fourth, giving The Bird a first-time lead, 6-5. Quincoces increased the difference to two early in the fifth, but Mike Azzaro shot through back-to-back goals to bring the game level, 7-7. Menini scored in the last period to give The Bird the lead, but Harrison Azzaro answered to knot it back up, 8-8. Despite the tie, Lonesome Wind Ranch was awarded the victory when The Bird forfeited after a Rule 5 violation.
Harrison Azzaro was MVP, while Mike Azzaro’s Allie was Best Playing Pony. Lonesome Wind also took the $1,250 prize money, while second place took $750.
To get to the final, The Bird defeated Fair Ckats (Esther Kane, Bob Edmundson/Sarah Prinsloo, Charly Quincoces, Martin Zegers), while Lonesome Wind defeated Shootin’ Skies (Gary Roubin, Jimmy Wetter, Marcos Villanueva, Ignacio Deltour).
BTA’s Paige Boone, Frankie Bilbao, MVP Steve Krueger and Kelly Beal won the Oliver Wallop Cup.
©Kaile Roos Photography
BTA BUTTONS UP SEASON OPENER
The Flying H Polo Club in Big Horn, Wyoming, has had a full season with tournaments every week, beginning on July 10.
BTA (Paige Boone, Frankie Bilbao, Steve Krueger, Kelly Beal) won the first event, the Oliver Wallop Cup, getting the best of Parrot Heads (Pite Merlos, Roni Duke, Steven Burr, Adam Snow), 10-7. Steve Krueger was name MVP and Bilbao’s Normita was Best Playing Pony.
In the consolation Canyon Ranch Classic, Cessna (Chip Campbell, Julian De Lusarreta, Gonzalo Teves, Gillian Johnston) edged Jan Pamela (Hector Galindo, Felipe Marquez, Camp Campbell, Wayne Garrison), 11-10. Camp Campbell was MVP and Johnston’s Earwig was Best Playing Pony.
Cessna’s Lance Stefanakis, Gonzalo Teves, Alfonso Pieres and Chip Campbell won the Cloud Peak Cup.
©Kaile Roos Photography
The following week, Cessna (Lance Stefanakis, Gonzalo Teves, Alfonso Pieres, Chip Campbell) won the Cloud Peak Cup, 12-10, over Coke (Hector Galindo, Julian De Lusarreta, Gillian Johnson, Wayne Garrison). Alfonso Pieres was MVP and Stefanakis’ Pocatella won Best Playing Pony.
Myopia Seagulls (Stephen Burr, Camp Campbell, Felipe Marquez, Adam Snow) topped Manderleigh (Phillip Higgins, Will Johnston, Miguel Astrada, Lucio Benedit), 8-5, in the consolation Cloud Peak Classic.
The Villages’ Julian De Lusarreta, Alfonso Pieres, Paige Boone and Wayne Garrison won the Gallatin Ranch Cup.
©Kaile Roos Photography
Clearwater (Will Johnston, Camp Campbell, Lucio Benedit, Felipe Marquez) won the Skeeter Johnston Memorial after defeating BTA (Lance
Stefanakis, Alfonso Pieres, Steve Krueger, Kelly Beal), 15-10, in the final. Camp Campbell was MVP and Will Johnston’s Hello Kitty was Best Playing Pony.
Clearwater’s Will Johnston, Camp Campbell, Lucio Benedit and Felipe Marquez won the Skeeter Johnston Memorial.
©Kaile Roos Photography
In the consolation Everglades Classic, Coca Cola (Stephen Burr, Adam Snow, Julian De Lusarreta, Gillian Johnston) got the best of Jan Pamela (Wayne Garrison, Phillip Higgins, Miguel Astrada, Hector Galindo), 13-7. Stephen Burr was MVP and Gillian Johnston’s Sugar was Best Playing Pony.
The Villages (Julian De Lusarreta, Alfonso Pieres, Paige Boone, Wayne Garrison) celebrated victory in the Gallatin Ranch Cup. The team defeated Horsegate (Craig Duke, Frankie Bilbao, Pite Merlos, Lance Stefanakis),11-8. Craig Duke was MVP and De Lusarreta’s Hootch was Best Playing Pony.
Parrot Heads’ Roni Duke, Julian De Lusarreta, Gillian Johnston and Pite Merlos won the Moncrieffe Cup.
©Kaile Roos Photography
Manderleigh (Phillip Higgins, Chip Campbell, Felipe Marquez, Steve Krueger) took the consolation Johnny Clove Classic, 11-10, over Clearwater (Jeff Blake, Adam Snow, Camp Campbell, Roni Duke). Jeff Blake was MVP and Marquez’s W was Best Playing Pony.
Play continued in the Moncrieffe Cup. Parrot Heads (Roni Duke, Julian De Lusarreta, Gillian Johnston, Pite Merlos) beat Myopia Seagulls (Stephen Burr, Adam Snow, Frankie Bilbao, Paige Boone), 12-10. Julian De Lusarreta was MVP and G-String’s Baby Back, played by De Lusarreta, was Best Playing Pony.
Teepee’s Santos Teves, Max Barnes, Stephen Burr and Quinn Evans won the Archie MacCarty Cup at Flying H Polo Club.
©Kaile Roos Photography
Jan Pamela (Alfonso Pieres, Carlitos Galindo, Zulu Barnes and Wayne Garrison) topped BTA (KC Krueger, Phillip Higgins, Steve Krueger, Miguel Astrada), 12-9, in the consolation Budweiser Cup. Carlitos Galindo was MVP and Steve Krueger’s Valid was Best Playing Pony.
The Archie MacCarty Cup, a junior tournament, went to Teepee (Santos Teves, Max Barnes, Stephen Burr, Quinn Evans) after it downed Flying H (Abby Benton, Carter Nix, Avery Evans, Malia Bryan), 5-2. Malia Bryan was MVP and Orrin Connell’s Someday, played by Stephen Burr, was Best Playing Pony.
Oak Brook’s Tomas Obregon, Mariano Gutierrez, Horacio Onetto and Jim Drury won the Butler Challenge at Oak Brook Polo Club.
©Andrew Meier
CENTRAL
OAK BROOK WINS BUTLER CHALLENGE
The Oak Brook Polo Club season started off with rain, but after two cancellations, the Butler Challenge Cup was finally able to kick off the season at the club’s historic Prince of Wales field in Oak Brook, Illinois, on July 18 in front of a large crowd.
The tournament pitted Beaver Creek (Chris Vangel, Turner Wheaton, Alfredo Guerreno, Lindo Novillo Corvalan) against Oak Brook (Jim Drury, Tomas Obregon, Horacio Onetto, Mariano Gutierrez). Beaver Creek began with a two-goal handicap. Onetto quickly negated the handicap with back-to-back goals but Corvalan scored to keep Beaver Creek ahead at the end of the first chukker, 3-2. Onetto scored two more and Gutierrez added one, while Beaver Creek was silenced. Onetto and Wheaton traded goals in the third to end the half, 6-4, in favor of Oak Brook.
Beaver Creek’s Lindo Novillo Corvalan gets the ball under pressure from Oak Brook’s Horacio Onetto in the Butler Challenge Cup.
©Andrew Meier
Spectators took to the field during the break to stomp divots, browse the vintage and new Lamborghinis on display around the field, meet the adoptable dogs brought by PAWS Chicago and compete for best hat. Jennifer Gaeto took the Best Hat honors.
Both teams battled for control in the second half. Onetto scored to increase the lead to three, but Corvalan and Wheaton combined for three goals to knot the score, 7-7. In the fifth, Corvalan traded goals with Onetto and Obregon, ending with Oak Brook holding a slight edge, 10-9.
Onetto and Wheaton traded goals in the sixth, but Beaver Creek was not able to score again, leaving Oak Brook narrowly on top, 11-10.
Horacio Onetto was MVP and Corvalan’s Maria was Best Playing Pony.
Casa Socas’ Aquiles Ramirez Lopez, Marcial Socas, Timur Kotelnikov and Angus Harris won the Congressional Cup.
PACIFIC COAST
CASA SOCAS SECURES CONGRESSIONAL CUP
Cerro Pampa Polo Club in Petaluma, California, held the USPA Congressional Cup, July 31-Aug. 1. Four teams competed in the event.
The tournament began with Baum Squad (Steve Baumhoff, Elizabeth Holson, Mehrdad Baghai, Katy McKegney, Juan Ussher) topping Wrightway (Erik Wright, Michael LaBlanc, Marco Esposto, Lucas Esposto, Nicole Hai, Jena Watson), 7-4. Baum Squad got off to a solid start, leading 3-0 in the second before Wrightway got on the board. Baum Squad answered every Wrightway goal, allowing the team to advance to the final.
Later, Casa Socas (Marcial Socas, Timur Kotelnikov, Aquiles Ramirez Lopez, Angus Harris) edged Tevis Ranch (Richard Mansfield, Elizabeth Mansfield, Michael Dawson, Gregory
LaBlanc), 6-4. Casa Socas took an early, 4-0, lead after the first seven minutes. Tevis slowly chipped away at the deficit, tying the score, 4-4, in the last chukker but Socas came through in the waning minutes with back-to-back goals to give Casa Socas the win.
In the consolation the following day, Tevis Ranch matched Wrightway in the first chukker. Tevis Ranch powered ahead in the second with four unanswered goals. Erik Wright responded with three in a row in the third while Tevis was silenced, making the difference just one, 5-4. A Penalty 1 early in the fourth increased the difference to two. but a one-two punch from the husband and wife team of Richard and Elizabeth Mansfield gave Tevis a fivegoal lead. Wright put a last goal in for Wrightway but Tevis had the win.
In the final between Casa Socas and Baum Squad, Macial Socas started the scoring, pounding in three in a row. Kotelnikov added another early in the second before Ussher put Baum Squad on the board and Baumhoff followed with one of his own. Socas finished off the chukker, giving Casa Socas a comfortable, 5-2, lead at the half. Socas increased the lead, tripling up Baum Squad, 6-2, in the third with a lone goal. Ussher fought back in the final period, hitting the mark three
times before time ran out. Casa Socas held on, narrowly winning, 6-5.
Aside from the trophies, the team went home with the $2,500 prize money, part of the USPA tournament stimulus package.
Klentner Ranch’s Jake Klentner, Jesse Bray, Patrick Uretz and Justin Klentner celebrate their Intra-Circuit Cup victory.
©David Lominska/Polographics
KLENTNER RANCH TOPS INTRA-CIRCUIT CUP
Klentner Ranch topped seven teams to capture the 12-goal Intra-Circuit Cup at Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club, June 4-20.
The teams were divided into two brackets and played a cross-bracket format. The first day of matches saw Dundas (Sarah Siegel-Magness, Mariano Fassetta, Roberto Zedda, Lucas Escobar) defeat Dundas II (Cable Magness, Jason Crowder, Geronimo Obregon, Luke Klentner), 12-9; Bensoleimani.com (Ben Soleimani, Bayne Bossom, Iñaki Laprida, Remy Du Celliee Muller) top Farmers & Merchants Bank (Danny Walker, Ryan Kerley, Matthew Walker, Lucas Criado, Felipe Vercellino), 13-9; and Antelope (Grant Palmer, Santiago Trotz, Segundo Saravi, Jimmy Wright) beat Klentner Ranch (Jacob Klentner, Justin Klentner, Patrick Uretz, Jesse Bray, Tony Uretz), 11-9.
Two days later, Bensoleimani.com edged Antelope, 11-7; Dundas II slipped FMB Too/Folded Hills (Henry Walker, Will Busch, Santiago Von Wernich, Santiago Wulff, Lucas Criado Jr.), 12-11; and Dundas beat Farmers & Merchants Bank, 13-12.
In Round 3, Antelope beat Dundas, 13-12; Klentner Ranch edged Dundas II, 10-9; and FMB Too/Folded Hills got the best of Farmers & Merchants Bank, 12-10.
The final round of playoffs had Klentner Ranch power ahead of Farmers & Merchants Bank, 15-10; Antelope edge FMB Too/Folded Hills, 7-6; and Bensoleimani.com beat Dundas II, 11-9.
In the semifinals, Klentner Ranch defeated Dundas, 12-10, while Bensoleimani.com beat Antelope, 12-10.
The final featured an early Klentner lead. Producing 13 of the first 14 shots of the game, Klentner Ranch gave Bensoleimani.com little opportunity to score, building a 3-0 lead in the first chukker with goals from the duo of Bray and Uretz. Continuing to keep their foot on the gas, Klentner Ranch exploded for a five-goal second chukker, led by Bray who added three goals and an assist to give Klentner Ranch a commanding 8-0 advantage.
“This was our fourth time playing Bensoleimani.com over the course of the season so we know each other well and felt there wouldn’t be too many surprises,” Bray said. “We controlled the majority of the throw-ins in the first two chukkers, which helped us create a big lead to start the game. After that we just tried to play smart polo without fouling too often.”
It was smooth sailing for MVP Patrick Uretz on his way to goal in the Intra-Circuit Cup final in Santa Barbara. Teammate Jesse Bray follows closely behind.
©David Lominska/Polographics
Bensoleimani.com reorganized and began to chip away at the lead by holding Klentner scoreless in the third, while Laprida put the team on the board with a Penalty 2 conversion. Muller followed with back-to-back goals, ending the half trailing, 8-3.
Klentner was held off the scoreboard for three consecutive chukkers, allowing Bensoleimani.com to chip away at the deficit. Muller scored a lone goal in the fourth chukker and Soleimani and Laprida scored to bring the team within two, 8-6, heading into the final seven minutes. Uretz and Bossom traded goals in the last chukker but Bensoleimani.com was unable to make up any more ground and Klenter took the 9-7 win.
After not playing with his dad for a couple years, Jake Klentner felt the win was all the more special on Father’s Day. “Being able to reunite and win together on Father’s Day is amazing!” he said. “This is the first time I’ve won this tournament and it honestly felt almost as good as winning the Pacific Coast Open because I got to do it with my dad instead of substituting for him in 2018.”
“The Pacific Coast Circuit Intra- Circuit Cup is a very difficult tournament to win, but playing with my son and raising the trophy on Father’s Day was incredible,” Justin Klentner added.
Uretz was MVP and Ben Soleimani’s 10-year-old Thoroughbred Mystery, played by Remy Du Celliee Muller, was Best Playing Pony.
Dundas II won the subsidiary final over Farmers & Merchants Bank, 11- 10. Ryan Kerley was named MVP and Geronimo Obregon’s chestnut mare Cambalache was Best Playing Pony.
Hardscrabble’s Mason Lampton Jr., Charlie Caldwell, Alan Martinez and Dennys Santana won both USPA 9-goal tournaments at Bliss.
MID-STATES
HARDSCRABBLE EXCELS IN BLISS 9-GOAL PLAY
Hardscrabble went home with two sets of trophies after winning both the USPA Congressional Cup and USPA Masters Cup at Bliss Polo Club in Northern Michigan.
Each summer for the past 11 years the club has held three competitive, fun 9-goal events during its six-week season, which runs from early July to mid-August. Just like previous years, four teams have traveled to Bliss, just south of the Mackinac Straight. The weather is just perfect for polo with temperatures in the 70s during the day and cool evenings. With 15 paddocks, the ponies do well in the cool, fresh air.
The club consists of 30 acres of sandy soil, allowing the field to be moved around to keep it fresh. Good drainage dries it quickly after rain. The teams play three times a week and enjoy water sports, golf, tennis, fishing and sightseeing at historic Mackinac Island during the days off.
This season, Hardscrabble (Mason Hardaway Lampton, Charlie Caldwell, Alan Martinez, Dennys Santana) was the team to beat. Bliss (Mason Houghland Lampton, Harry Caldwell, Pelon Escapite, Polo Baez) was a close second, nipping at its heels in the finals of both USPA events.
The teams met in the final of the Masters Cup, July 23. Mason Lampton Jr. put Hardscrabble on the board in the first, but Escapite answered. Martinez found the mark for Hardscrabble to give it a 2-1 lead at the end of the first. The teams turned up the pressure in the second with Escapite and Baez matching goals from Martinez and Santana, keeping the difference just one, 5-4. Santana and Lampton Sr. traded goals early in the third, but a pair of goals by Martinez gave Hardscrabble a comfortable 8-5 lead going into the halftime break.
Martinez wrapped goals around one from Escapite in the fourth and Santana struck again, expanding the lead to 11-6. Back-to-back goals from Charlie Caldwell were matched by Escapite in the fifth but Santana added another to expand the difference. Bliss stopped the bleeding in the sixth, turning away all Hardscrabble drives while Harry Caldwell and Escapite scored, but it wasn’t enough and Hardscrabble had the 14-10 win.
Steve Van Andel led Orchard Hill with five goals in the consolation finals of both the USPA Masters Cup and the USPA Constitution Cup.
Orchard Hill (Steven Van Andel, Chris Stratemann, Geronimo Obregon, Joe Wayne Barry) topped Bush League (Andrew Scott, Quinn Kyle, Vaughn Miller, Ulysses Escapite), 11-9, in the consolation. Van Andel lead the scoring with five goals.
Hardscrabble continued its dominance in the Constitution Cup. The tournament was played in a cross bracket format. Hardscrabble once again made the final after edging Orchard Hill and Bush League in preliminary play. It met Bliss, which had lost its first game before defeating Orchard Hill to advance to the final on August 15.
It was déjà vu as Hardscrabble took control early and held on to the lead throughout the game. Bliss gave it a good try, but it was no match for the well-oiled Hardscrabble team.
Orchard Hill faced Bush League in the consolation match. Again, Van Andel led the scoring with five goals to give his team the 8-7 edge.
A third event sponsored by Orchard Hill was also played.
