October 2021 Polo Players' Edition- Clean Sweep

Clean Sweep

Klentner Ranch Dominates Santa Barbara High-Goal Season

Photos by Shelley Heatley

MVP Jesse Bray and Best Playing Pony Disney.

Klentner Ranch ended the 16-goal season at Santa Barbara Polo Club in Carpinteria, California, with wins in all three main events: the Robert Skene Memorial, the USPA Silver Cup and the Pacific Coast Open. After defeating Farmers & Merchants Bank in the finals of the first two events, Klentner Ranch faced the team again, this time in the semi-final of the Pacific Coast Open.

In the semi-final, Farmers & Merchants jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first period, but four goals by 8-goal Santi Toccalino in the second helped Klentner level the score. The game was riddled with fouls, making it difficult to get a flow going. Ten open-goal penalties were awarded between the teams and Farmers & Merchants Bank players received seven yellow cards and a red card in the match. Klentner led 8-6 going into the half.

In the fourth, Toccalino was injured when he collided with Matt Walker and had to be replaced by Tomas Garcia Del Rio, who had been playing for Antelope, which was out of contention. The line-up change didn’t slow the team down a bit. It went on to outscore Farmers & Merchants Bank, 10-4, in the second half to advance to the final.

In the other semi-final, BenSoleimani.com faced Lucchese. Both teams were 2-2 before the game began. BenSoleimani.com had Ryan Kerley filling in for Ben Soleimani, who was sitting out after apparently receiving a red card in a previous game. Despite the team line-up change, Bensoleimani.com controlled the game throughout and played well as a team. It advanced with a 13-7 score.

In the final, Garcia Del Rio was still in the saddle for the injured Toccalino, however, he fit nicely into the team, having a similar playing style as Toccalino.

It was another foul-riddled match, with Garcia Del Rio pounding in three goals in the first and one in the second—all but one penalty conversions. Meanwhile, BenSoleimani.com was unable to get on the board. Alberdi sunk a penalty in the third but Bray and Garcia Del Rio added penalty conversions of their own. Wulff scored from the field late in the chukker to end the half, 6-2, in favor of Klentner.

BenSoleimani.com cut the difference to two, 7-5, in the fourth. Garcia Del Rio sunk a Penalty 2 early in the fifth but Alberdi answered with a pair of penalty conversions to bring his team within one. A short field goal by Garcia Del Rio late in the chukker made the difference two going into the final seven minutes. Bray split the uprights in the sixth to increase the lead but another pair of open goal penalty conversions by Alberdi brought BenSoleimani.com back within one with just 37 seconds on the clock. The teams came back to the throwin with time slipping away. Bray shot out of the line-up with the ball. Wulff looked to the umpires for a foul, but there was no whistle and Bray was by himself headed to goal. Bray sent the ball between the posts with just two seconds on the clock. It was the third PCO title for the team.

Klentner Ranch’s injured Santi Toccalino, Jesse Bray, Tomas Garcia Del Rio, Jake Klentner and Justin Klentner celebrate their third Pacific Coast Open victory.

Bray was awarded MVP and his 15-yearold

gray mare Disney wore the Best Playing Pony blanket home. Bray also received brand new halters and lead ropes, the award for Best String of the Season.

“To receive Best String of the Season means a lot to me, and it’s probably my favorite award to win,” Bray said.

Other awards included Best Argentine Bred horse, which went to Ben Soleimani’s Machitos Abeja, played by Iñaki Laprida. Santi Toccalino was awarded the Robert Skene MVP of the Season for his dominating performance throughout the summer.

BRACKET 1

Farmers & Merchants Bank: 16

Danny Walker: 2

Lucas Criado: 7

Lucitas Criado: 4

Matthew Walker: 3

Lucchese: 15

John Muse: 0

Facundo Obregon: 6

Jeff Hall: 6

Kristos Magrini :3

Santa Clara: 15

Luis Escobar: 5

Nico Escobar: 5

Lucas Escobar: 4

Federico Escobar: 1

BRACKET 2

Klentner Ranch: 16

Jake Klentner: 1

Santiago Toccalino: 8

Jesse Bray: 6

Justin Klentner: 1

Antelope: 16

Grant Palmer: 1

Santiago Troz: 4

Tomas Garcia del Rio: 8

Segundo Saravi: 3

Bensoleimani.com: 16

Ben Soleimani: 0

Tomas Alberdi: 4

Iñaki Laprida: 7

Santiago Wulff: 5