Category Archives: Polo

Pieres Power Carries the Day for Orchard Hill

March 9, 2015 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Ezequiel Martinez Ferrario, Alejo Taranco, Polito Pieres, Facundo Pieres and Adolfo Cambiaso. Photos: Liz Lamont Images/Phelps Media Group.

Wellington, FL – March 8, 2015 – Sunday was a cauldron of excitement at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC), with four high-stakes matches in the 26-goal USPA Piaget Gold Cup. Audi defeated Engel & Völkers 11-7; Alegria was victorious over Las Monjitas 9-8, and Coca-Cola clinched a 10-8 win over Lechuza Caracas.

In the featured match on Engel & Völkers field, Orchard Hill pushed ahead of Valiente to win 14-12. Ezequiel Ferrario was named Most Valuable Player. The Best Playing Pony award went to Jackie, owned by Las Machitos. The horse carried Polito Pieres to his five goals in the pivotal fourth chukker. This was Orchard Hill’s second 26-goal tournament win on the Engel & Völkers field. The team was awarded the C. V. Whitney Cup one week ago.

If polo was a card game, and you knew the deck had a pair of Piereses and a Cambiaso in it, how would you play your hand?

That was the question of the day on Engel & Völkers field Sunday. The answer kept changing from chukker to chukker, as the three 10-goalers took turns being the wild card. (That includes Polito Pieres, who is rated 10 in Argentina and may be on the bullet train to the same destination in this country.)

Between the two of them, the Pieres cousins scored an astounding 13 goals for Orchard Hill, with the team’s other point made by patron Steve Van Andel. Valiente’s scoring was more evenly spread out, as often is the case. All four teammates made goals, with the most (four) courtesy of Adolfo Cambiaso.

Even though it held the Cambiaso card – and played it to its advantage – it soon became clear that for Valiente the game was going to be about containing Facundo Pieres. Cambiaso kept after him nonstop, escalating the pressure throughout the match. At times the game was as physical as it was mental, with an occasional smattering of whistles, bumps and vocalizations punctuating the play.

That came as no surprise to anyone, least of all Van Andel. “Whenever you have the best players in the world going against each other, it’s going to be a tough game – and it was,” he said. “These are all tough teams, but Valiente is super tough.”

Nonetheless, Orchard Hill kept its opponents at bay, with Valiente trailing by a point for the first two chukkers. Valiente perked up in the third, with Alejo Taranco putting on some serious hustle to make a goal. Cambiaso followed that up, tying the game at 6-all at the end of the first half.

As Polito Pieres noted, “It was a very tough first half. We were tied, and neither one of the teams wanted to lose.”

That came into hyper focus as the second half opened. The vibe was on the verge of pandemonium as the Piereses went on a communal scoring frenzy. Polito Pieres owned the fourth chukker just about outright, scoring four consecutive goals within the first two minutes and adding a fifth point after Facundo Pieres contributed one. It remained a purely Pieres chukker, with Valiente completely shut down from scoring and Orchard Hill doubling its lead to 12-6.

How did that happen?

“I really don’t know,” said Facundo Pieres, shaking his head in amazement. “We came into a good momentum in the fourth chukker. Polito was unbelievable! He scored four goals in a row. We won all the throw-ins.”

In Van Andel’s estimation, “That fourth chukker was something else! We got a couple of good breaks, and then once you get the momentum you keep going, so it worked out.”

The fifth chukker was almost a mirror image of the fourth. This time Orchard Hill was scoreless and Valiente was the shot-caller, making four goals to tighten the gap to 12-10. A field goal and a penalty point by each team in the sixth chukker brought the final score to 14-12 for Orchard Hill.

Bracket play in the USPA Piaget Gold Cup will resume Wednesday at IPC, with Alegria taking on Engel & Völkers.

Alegria Means Happiness with a Win over Las Monjitas

Alegria overcame a midgame lapse in concentration to outscore Las Monjitas three goals to one in the sixth chukker for the win 9-8 in the second round of the USPA Piaget Gold Cup at International Polo Club. The win for Alegria equalized their record at 1-1 for the tournament.

*Facundo Sola, Sterling Giannico, Camilo Bautista and Mariano Aguerre*

Alegria lost their first round match in the USPA Piaget Gold Cup in a vocal game against Audi. Mariano Aguerre, who scored the game-winning goal today on a neck shot in the sixth chukker, was all smiles after the win. “We had a bad game against Audi; it is good to see that we are back on track. We enjoyed it today.”

Alegria started the match well, Hilario Ulloa scored with a run dribbling the ball between defenders from midfield. Ulloa looked like a racecar driver weaving around highway cones as he made his way to goal between the neon orange-clad defenders. Aguerre added another goal on a broken play. Multiple players’ mallets shot in the air to appeal for the foul but Aguerre put his mallet down on the ball and scored. Las Monjitas scoreless throughout the first chukker, but Eduardo Novillo Astrada finally got a point on the board for the orange team when he muscled his way past the Alegria defender with a man on his hip trying fruitlessly to ride him off the ball. But despite some moments of brilliance, the first half produced few goals. Alegria led 4-2 at halftime.

Las Monjitas went on a scoring spree after the halftime break. Astrada gave his team a jolt with a high speed run to goal on a long legged gray mare. Facundo Sola kept the momentum flowing with two more field goals, supported by Camilo Bautista blocking out the defenders. Las Monjitas added a penalty two goal in the fourth for a 4-0 scoring run. At the conclusion of the fourth chukker Las Monjitas was in proud possession of a two- goal lead and the Alegria players were looking bewildered at the sudden turn in events.

Ulloa commented after the match, “We just fell asleep! We were playing really well the first half. I think we did a great job, but then in the fourth chukker we just fell asleep and they were scoring easy goals and winning the throw-ins.”

Alegria clawed their way back into contention in the fifth chukker and headed into the sixth chukker only down by one goal with Las Monjitas leading 7-6.

With their backs against the wall and facing elimination from the tournament if they lost, Alegria found a spark with a goal by Julian Mannix, assisted by a pinpoint pass from Sterling Giannico. Giannico added another goal to give Alegria the lead at 8-7. With plenty of time left in the chukker, Aguerre solidified the win by adding another goal, a smart move from the Alegria field general as Las Monjitas was awarded a penalty two at the end of the chukker. Final score was 9-8 in favor of Alegria.

Alegria faces Engel & Völkers in the third round, do or die Piaget Gold Cup match for both teams on Wednesday, March 11 at International Polo Club Palm Beach.

Audi Takes the Wheel
Defeats Engel & Völkers 11-7

Audi defeated Engel & Völkers 11-7 in bracket play for the Piaget Gold Cup at the International Polo Club Palm Beach.

Engel & Völkers leapt into action right from the start and Kris Kampsen scored first goal of the game with lightening accuracy. Fred Mannix quickly responded by running in a goal for Audi, setting the tone early for Audi’s fast-paced play. Both teams were evenly matched, riding hard and showcasing the speed and athleticism of their mounts.

In the second chukker, Audi took control of the match, with back-to-back goals scored by Rodrigo Andrade and Gonzalito Pieres. Pieres proved to be lethal from the penalty line, converting sequential penalty shots to confirm Audi’s lead 5-1. Mannix rocketed out of the bowl-in to score the final goal of the chukker 6-1.

After several wide goal attempts by Mariano Gracida (substituting for Jared Zenni), Santi Torres succeeded in gaining some ground by scoring with a cut shot through traffic. Then Kampsen surged into a breakaway to put Engel & Völkers three goals behind at the end of the end of the half.

Torres took advantage of broken play by Audi to drive a goal in and make the score 6-4. The game slowed down at this point, with players in close contact and fighting for position on every play. Kampsen began the fifth chukker strongly, adding another goal to Engel & Völkers’ tally and placed the team within striking distance at 6-5. But Pieres converted with a lofted neck shot, and Audi pulled away from Engel & Völkers with a two-goal lead.

Andrade made what was undoubtedly the shot of the game, a giant lofted neck shot to goal that brought the score to 8-5. From there, Audi simply dominated the game, scoring three unanswered goals to cement their lead 11-5. Matias Magrini tapped a goal in, and Carlitos Gracida made the final goal of the game to end the sixth chukker 11-7.

Mannix felt that Audi’s horsepower has played a large part in their success this season.

“I’ve got some super horses here this year, so it’s making a huge difference,” Mannix said. “All the players on this team do. If you look at the way Gonzalito [Pieres] is mounted, and Marc [Ganzi] is mounted very well, and Rodrigo [Andrade] is a beast – he’s got some very powerful, strong horses. I think the combination of everything together allows us to play in a way we want to play. We’re not feeling any external pressure how we should or shouldn’t play. It’s more like how we want to play.”

Audi patron Marc Ganzi is already looking ahead to Thursday, March 12 when Audi will go head to head with Las Monjitas at 10 a.m. at International Polo Club Palm Beach.

“We’ll watch some video tonight and see what we did right and what we did wrong,” said Ganzi. “Then we’ll practice probably on Tuesday and Wednesday. Then we’ll have a practice team, FlexJet, who’ll sort of mimic what Las Monjitas is going to do. We’ll watch a little video on Wednesday night and get ready for a big game on Thursday. It’s a big game. If we win it, we win the bracket and we get to take next weekend off, which will be good for the horses.”

Coca-Cola defeated Lechuza Caracas in bracket play for the USPA Piaget Gold Cup at the International Polo Club Palm Beach.

Coca-Cola scored right away, with a conversion by Julio Arellano. With lightning speed and accuracy, Gillian Johnston accelerated into a breakaway and shot a pass to Pelon Sterling, who sent it to Sugar Erskine. Erskine drove it in to pull Coca-Cola ahead of Lechuza Caracas 2-0. A penalty conversion by Juan Martin Nero put Lechuza Caracas into contender status. Arellano took charge and scored his second goal of the match, making the score 3-1 at the end of the first chukker.

Johnston took off flat-out from the bowl-in, scoring again for Coca-Cola. Agustin Garcia Grossi dodged defenders to begin closing the gap 4-2. Sterling hit a strong backshot to Erskine, who sealed the deal with a neck shot. Victor Vargas scored his first goal of the game, swiftly pulling Lechuza Caracas along to make the score 5-3. Sterling hit a penalty five from the point of the infraction, shooting a pass to Arellano, who maneuvered through traffic to score. Garcia Grossi ran the ball into the goal mouth to score the last point of the second chukker and make the score 6-4.

The third chukker was a battle of wills, with both teams making numerous wide attempts on goal. A challenge by Coca-Cola on ball placement awarded resulted in a penalty four, which Arellano converted with a lofted shot to make the score 7-4. Arellano continued his streak from the penalty line in the fourth chukker, trotting up to take the penalty shot and doubling Coca-Cola’s lead to 8-4. Garcia Grossi followed up his cutshot by tapping the ball in to chip away for Lechuza Caracas.

Nico Pieres followed up Garcia Grossi’s efforts with a penalty conversion, walking up to the ball in his signature style. Garcia Grossi once again put the ball through the uprights in traffic, ending the fourth chukker 8-7. Coca-Cola came out guns blazing in the fifth chukker, with every member of the team touching the ball before Erskine put it into the goal. Erskine won the bowl-in and made a beautiful run down field to score, with Johnston assisting by taking out the defender.

Nero took advantage of a Coca-Cola miscue, shooting a pass to Vargas, who drove it in for a goal. The sixth chukker was fraught with big runs and goal attempts, but no points were scored. Coca-Cola ultimately got the better of Lechuza Caracas, and the match ended 10-8.

Erskine said he considered the game a close call but said it still had the element of fun that Coca-Cola’s play is known for. “We had fun, and obviously it was close enough to where it could have gone either way,” he said.

Arellano attributed Coca-Cola’s success to solid teamwork by each of its players. “Everybody played really, really well, especially Sugar,” he said. “He came out and played great defense today right off the bat, and that was key. Everybody else did their part, and did what they were supposed to do.”

International Polo Club Palm Beach Fast Facts

What: Created by players for players, the International Polo Club Palm Beach was born out of the dream to build a facility to showcase the incredible skills of the ponies and players that dominate the sport.

Members and guests enjoy panoramic views of the action from field side box seats or lawn and terrace seating. Sponsors and fans convene at The Winners Circle to congratulate the players during the awards presentation following the games.

Gourmet brunches, après polo celebrations and the prerequisite charitable events will take place in The Pavilion, designed to accommodate large parties, corporate clients, as well as family and friends.

Featured Highlights:

Herbie Pennell Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 1-4, 2015

Joe Barry Memorial Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 4-25, 2015

Ylvisaker Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 28 – February 22, 2015

Iglehart Cup – 20 Goal
Feb. 28 – March 8, 2015

USPA C. V. Whitney Cup – 26 Goal
Feb. 15 – March 1, 2015

Piaget USPA Gold Cup® – 26 Goal
March 4-22, 2015

111th Maserati U.S. Open Polo Championship® – 26 Goal
March 25 – April 19, 2015

Directions:

From the Turnpike:
Take the Lake Worth Exit
Head west on FL-802 W/Lake Worth Rd toward Hooks Rd
Continue to follow Lake Worth Rd (3.9 miles)
Turn right onto 120th Ave S
Destination will be ahead on the left (0.4 miles)

From I-95:
Exit Forest Hill Blvd, head West
Make Left turn onto 441/St Rd 7
Make Right turn onto Lake Worth Rd
Make Right turn onto 120th Ave S
Destination on Left

Information:
3667 120th Ave S, Wellington, FL 33414
International Polo Club Palm Beach: 561-204-5687
Mallet Grille: 561-282-5340
Spa & Fitness Center: 561-282-5288
Tennis Pro Shop: 561-795-7228
Polo Operations Office: 561-282-5283
Polo Hotline: 561-282-5290

Website:
www.internationalpoloclub.com

For Tickets:
http://internationalpoloclub.ticketleap.com/

Hotels:
Hampton Inn & Suites – (561) 472-9696 – Approximately 2 miles
Hampton Inn – (561) 472-5980 – Approximately 4 miles
Four Seasons Resort – (561) 582-2800 – Approximately 9 miles
The Breakers – (561) 655-6611 – Approximately 9 miles
Kimpton Tideline Ocean Resort & Spa – (561) 540-6440 – Approximately 9 miles

Management:
John Wash – President of Club Operations
jwash@internationalpoloclub.com
561-282-5353

MEDIA CONTACT:
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
12012 South Shore Blvd #105
Wellington, FL 33414
561-753-3389 (phone)
561-753-3386 (fax)
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
PhelpsMediaGroup.com

Phelps Media Group, Polo

Tonkawa Captures Iglehart Cup

March 8, 2015 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Facundo Obregon and Gonzalo Deltour. Photos: Liz Lamont Images/Phelps Media Group.

Wellington, FL – March 7, 2015 – A single point made all the difference in both games Saturday at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. Tonkawa trotted off with the Iglehart Cup, and CT Energia rode home with the Glenn Hart Cup. Tonkawa defeated Palm Beach Illustrated 12-11, and CT Energia bested Tackeria 10-9 in the finals of the 20-goal tournament and subsidiary.

In the Iglehart Cup, Gonzalo Deltour was named MVP and his horse, Manca, was Best-Playing Pony. Joao Paulo Ganon was MVP and his horse Lilli was BPP in the Glenn Hart.

What do you do when everything is at stake, and absolutely everything is going against you? If you’re playing for Tonkawa, you ignore it and push on until you win.

In the same comeback-kid mode with which it won the semifinals four days ago, Tonkawa trailed for the first two chukkers, evened the score at the top of the third and then slammed the door on Palm Beach Illustrated. The first half ended with Tonkawa leading by one point and eventually winning by the same margin.

At the outset things were looking pretty grim for the quartet in white. Although Inaki Laprida scored in the first chukker, it turned out to be Tonkawa’s only goal for the period. Immediately afterward a costly foul resulted in an automatic point for Palm Beach Illustrated, which slid into a one-point lead. With Tonkawa still scrambling to get its balance in the second chukker, its nemesis capitalized on a rapid-fire succession of goals by Jared Zenni and Facundo Obregon (the latter on a slick Michel Dorignac assist).

Palm Beach Illustrated’s coastal surge didn’t last long, however. Laprida and Deltour, both seven-goal powerhouses, synced their playbooks in the third chukker. They made the majority of Tonkawa’s goals, generally by passing or through defensive moves that enabled the other to score. Deltour tied the game at 5-all in the third chukker and then ramped it up to make three more goals in a row. He was the game high-scorer with seven goals.

On fire and nowhere near running out of fuel, Deltour was as fierce on defense as he was on offense. Going for the “fear factor,” as announcer Gus Whitelaw put it, Deltour stormed the field like a fighter pilot, swooping in wherever the ball went. He seemed to delight in giving Michel Dorignac (not one who is easily intimidated) a run for his money. Deltour stole the ball from him, lost it on a bounce but stayed on his trajectory. He snatched the ball back as though he had planned it that way and ran it to goal.

With that Tonkawa moved into the lead and never looked back. The gap widened to four points in the fifth chukker when Deltour sent a high-flyer to Jeff Blake. Blake slapped it in, making the score 9-5. By then Palm Beach Illustrated hadn’t scored since the second chukker. Facundo Obregon and Zenni reactivated their team’s verve with a couple of goals, but to no avail, as Deltour and Laprida had melded into an impenetrable wall of power.

Undaunted, Dorignac poured the pressure on. He worked his way through a pack of white shirts, zigzagging as though trying to outfox a sniper (not a bad idea with Deltour and Laprida closing in on him). Dorignac found a window and passed the ball to Tommy Collingwood, whose shot to goal narrowed Tonkawa’s lead to one point (10-9). Another goal by each team ended the match 11-10.

The challenge of playing in a final was compounded by the light but steady rain throughout the game. Players said the field held up fine, but maneuvering a horse and mallet was something else. Blake said the conditions made the game challenging.

With their reins as slippery as seaweed and the ball behaving like a tennis ball as it bounced and skidded on a whim, how did Tonkawa’s players manage to seize control of the game?

“I really don’t know,” said a soggy Deltour with a wry smile.

“We started to slip behind, and then we just started hitting balls and playing better together, all of us. That’s it.”

Blake said his teammates “started in the rain and kept it together. Both teams played really hard. It could have been anyone’s game, but we came out with one more goal.”

CT Energia Squeaks by Tackeria in Glen Hart Cup Final

CT Energia finished the season on a high note, winning the Glen Hart Cup 10-9 over Tackeria, hosted by International Polo Club Palm Beach. The Glen Hart Cup is a new tournament for 2015 and is the second tier tournament to the 20 goal Iglehart Cup. Hart was the longtime pro for Skey Johnston and a much-loved fixture in the polo community, who passed away last year.

The weather was wet and windy to start the match, but that did not deter the players. Matt Coppola delivered a goal from the field for Tackeria that was followed in short order by Joao Paolo Ganon juking and jiving through the defenders for a score for CT Energia. The score was even at 2-2 at the end of the first chukker.

The rain came down even harder in the second chukker and started to affect the players. Nick Manifold scored early for CT Energia. The Tackeria team had several drives down field that stymied by the rain, finally evening up the score on a penalty two at the close of the chukker.

Conditions improved and so did the scoring in the third chukker. Ganon met the pack on a handy horse for a steal and a goal and was followed quickly by Alessandro Bazzoni scoring on the south end. Tackeria got a goal from Pelon Escapite but Ganon ran the ball coast to coast on a big brown horse to close out the half strong for CT Energia with a 6-4 lead.

Ganon continued his scoring ways after the halftime break, but then Malcolm Borwick put in two field goals for Tackeria, aided by the strong blocking from his teammates. The Tackeria teamwork led to two more goals from Alejandro Gonzalez in the fifth chukker. The Tackeria momentum was checked momentarily by a penalty one against them, but then Coppola tied the match at 9 all for Tackeria on a nearside with an assist from Escapite.

Tommy Biddle, substituting in this match for Kris Kampsen, scored a penalty four from the 60 yard line to make the score 10-9 in favor of CT Energia at the beginning of the sixth chukker. The teams battled it out for the remainder of the sixth chukker but Biddle’s goal proved to be the go ahead goal; CT Energia clung to the lead for the victory.

Joao Paolo Ganon was selected MVP, he led all scorers with five goals. His beautiful mare Lily was awarded Best Playing Pony.

CT Energia patron Alessandro Bazzoni said as he carried the trophy away, “It was nice to win a game this season. Now we have to get ready for next season!”

The USPA Piaget Gold Cup resumes Sunday at IPC, with four games. At 10 a.m. Audi plays Engel & Völkers and Alegria faces Las Monjitas. Coca-Cola plays Lechuza Caracas at noon, followed by Orchard Hill versus. Valiente in the featured match at 3 p.m.

International Polo Club Palm Beach Fast Facts

Featured Highlights:

Herbie Pennell Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 1-4, 2015

Joe Barry Memorial Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 4-25, 2015

Ylvisaker Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 28 – February 22, 2015

Iglehart Cup – 20 Goal
Feb. 28 – March 8, 2015

USPA C. V. Whitney Cup – 26 Goal
Feb. 15 – March 1, 2015

Piaget USPA Gold Cup® – 26 Goal
March 4-22, 2015

111th Maserati U.S. Open Polo Championship® – 26 Goal
March 25 – April 19, 2015

Directions:

From I-95:
Exit Forest Hill Blvd, head West
Make Left turn onto 441/St Rd 7
Make Right turn onto Lake Worth Rd
Make Right turn onto 120th Ave S
Destination on Left

Website:
www.internationalpoloclub.com

For Tickets:
http://internationalpoloclub.ticketleap.com/

Management:
John Wash – President of Club Operations
jwash@internationalpoloclub.com
561-282-5353

MEDIA CONTACT:
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
12012 South Shore Blvd #105
Wellington, FL 33414
561-753-3389 (phone)
561-753-3386 (fax)
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
PhelpsMediaGroup.com

Phelps Media Group, Polo

Orchard Hill Harvests Another 26-Goal Win

March 6, 2015 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Sugar Erskine and Polito Pieres. Photo: Liz Lamont Images/Phelps Media Group.

Wellington, FL – March 5, 2015 – The second leg of the 2015 Triple Crown of polo took off in full force Thursday at the International Polo Club Palm Beach, which hosted three of the day’s four matches. In opening day play for the 26-goal USPA Piaget Gold Cup, Orchard Hill defeated Coca-Cola 13-12 and Lechuza Caracas won over Valiente 14-13 (both in overtime). Las Monjitas defeated Engel & Völkers 18-8, and Audi took Alegria 16-13.

After its second consecutive 26-goal win of the season, Steve Van Andel burst into the Orchard Hill tent with big news for the team: “I got the penalty one, so I have to buy dinner tonight!”

Facundo Pieres lobbed a quick comeback: “And I get to pick the place!”

Van Andel, erupting in laughter, surely would have granted Pieres three wishes if he had a genie in a bottle. Who wouldn’t for a teammate who had just scored 10 goals, including the overtime punch that won the match?

The first two chukkers offered not even an inkling that the game would go down to the wire. Other than two points by 10-goaler Pelon Sterling, Coca-Cola was hard-pressed to muster an offense. Orchard Hill ran its opponents ragged for a sustained stretch, making six goals (four of them courtesy of Pieres).

Coca-Cola regrouped and went all-out with its defense. Suddenly it seemed that Sterling had devoted his life to pressuring one Pieres or another (cousins Facundo and Polito Pieres both played for Orchard Hill). Sterling had ample opportunity to do so, as most of the time a Pieres was either running the ball down the field or passing it to his counterpart. As the point spread widened, Sterling ratcheted up the ante. In the middle of the second chukker he tried to fend a determined Polito Pieres off the ball, engaging him in mallet play so intense that announcer Gus Whitelaw quipped, “It sounds like a sword fight out there!” The winner of the duel was Pieres & Co., with Polito Pieres pulling off a tag-team pass to Facundo Pieres, who scored.

A seismic shift happened in the third chukker. With Sterling leading the charge, Coca-Cola decided to make it a contest. In a blaze of red (jerseys, saddle pads and leg wraps), the team racked up three goals and was awarded a fourth as an automatic goal, all the while keeping Orchard Hill scoreless. By the end of the first half, Coca-Cola had gone from trailing by four points to tying the game (6-6). That set the tone for the rest of the match, with Coca-Cola remaining revved on both defense and offense.

Orchard Hill systematically slid back into scoring mode. As Van Andel explained, “Coca-Cola played man-to-man really well, and we had a couple of bad breaks. After that it takes a little while to get your momentum back, and that’s what happened.”

The second half played out like a clip from “Groundhog Day,” with the score ping-ponging from tied to a one- or two-point lead and then back to a tie. The last three chukkers were almost indistinguishable from one another. Each chukker ended in a tie (8-all at the end of the fourth chukker; 9 after the fifth and 12 at the end of the sixth). Both teams scored twice in the fourth (a field goal and a penalty) and three times in the sixth (two field goals and a penalty). Each got a point in the fifth, with Polito Pieres scoring from the field and Coca-Cola being awarded another automatic goal.

Parallels aside, the second half was fraught with nail-biting moments, regardless which team one was rooting for. The sidelines were electric as Gillian Johnston accelerated into going-going-gone on one of her gray speed sticks. Taking a pass from Julio Arellano, she opened her horse up, moving light years ahead of the pack to run the ball into goal. Arellano, meanwhile, took over the Facundo-Polito watch from Sterling, trying mightily to shut down any Pieres passing.

A fired-up Sugar Erskine kept Coca-Cola in the game to the very end. With less than two minutes left in the sixth chukker, he tied the score at 12, where it stood at the end of regulation play. Coca-Cola saw a glimmer of hope when Facundo Pieres’s first shot on goal in overtime went wide, but he didn’t let that stand for long. A whistle on an Erskine play handed the game to back to Orchard Hill, with Facundo Pieres scoring from the line.

The victory was frosting on this season’s winning streak by Orchard Hill, which won the 20-goal Joe Barry Cup in January and clinched the 26-goal C. V. Whitney Cup last Sunday. As Facundo Pieres observed, four days is a very short time between two 26-goal games.

“It’s always hard (playing) the first game of a tournament after winning a tournament,” he said. “It’s hard for everybody to come back. When you win a tournament you’re happy, and sometimes you need a little bit of rest for the horses.” On top of that, he said, Coca-Cola is always a formidable opponent. “We knew this was going to be a tough game, and it was. I think under all those circumstances, we did pretty good beating them.”

Lechuza Caracas Defeats Valiente in Epic Overtime Finish

Lechuza Caracas had the benefit of a little luck and a lot of skill to defeat defending champion Valiente 14-13 in a thrilling sudden death overtime finish in the first round of the USPA Piaget Gold Cup, hosted by the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC).

“That was a tough game. Both teams played very well,” said a jubilant but exhausted Juan Martin Nero after the match. “We were lucky that Nico made the penalty four (to tie the match at 13-all) and then in the extra chukker I got lucky, very lucky!”

Ten-goaler Nero created his own luck throughout the match, most importantly in the sudden death overtime period when he sent the game-winning goal soaring over the heads of the Valiente defenders from nearly 80 yards out from goal.

The game was spectacular from start to finish. Agustin Garcia Grossi started the scoring off with a beautiful back shot that centered the ball on the goal line for teammate Nico Pieres to tap in. The first half was fast and flowing on the Lechuza Caracas field. The umpires were diligent in calling delay of game penalties when players tapped the ball too often in attempts to slow down the pace, which encouraged the teams to hit passes to teammates and open up the game. As a consequence, almost all the goals in the first half came from the field.

Despite the home field advantage, Lechuza trailed Valiente by a goal heading into halftime. Valiente enjoyed a 6-5 lead behind the hot stick of Guillermo Terrera, who had four first-half goals

Pieres quickly equalized the score after halftime on a neck shot. From then on it was a neck-and-neck race to the finish, with neither team yielding more than a one-goal lead to the other. Both patrons contributed to the scoring in the fifth. First Victor Vargas hit a strong cutshot to goal on the north end, and then Bob Jornayvaz retaliated by following up Adolfo Cambiaso for a goal shot. The teams battled to an even score of 10-all at the end of the fifth chukker.

Cambiaso came out in the sixth on a mission to make things happen. He controlled the play at the boards, and then muscled by the defenders on a speedy horse to send a neckshot to goal. Lechuza countered with a pair of goals from Pieres, only to see Terrara win the subsequent lineup and immediately run to goal to tie the score again at 12-12. With just over a minute remaining, Lechuza fouled and Valiente was awarded a penalty five from midfield. Cambiaso marshaled his troops, gave them their instructions and marched the ball downfield. Nero made the hook on Cambiaso, but Jornayvaz was perfectly positioned to stroke the ball though the goal and give Valiente the lead, 13-12.

As the teams rode back to the lineup, a few spectators started to leave, thinking the game was essentially over. But then disaster struck for Valiente. A costly foul in the bowl-in by the team in blue resulted in a penalty awarded in favor of Lechuza with just seven seconds remaining before the warning horn. The ball was first placed on the center line for a penalty five, but Lechuza challenged. Based on the instant replay, the ball was moved up to the 60-yard line for a penalty four. Pieres walked his horse up to the ball, as calm as if he was practicing on his own farm in Argentina, and sent the ball high and straight through the goal posts to send the game into overtime.

Cambiaso won the first bowl-in of the overtime period, but as he ran to goal the ball took a bad bounce and was backed away by a Lechuza defender. Pieres took possession of the ball and arrowed a pass to Nero. Nero broke the hearts of the Valiente players as he sent a perfect shot to goal to win the match 14-13 for Lechuza.

Instant replay was crucial in the match, especially on the last call for Lechuza that resulted in a penalty four for the team. “That was the first challenge we ever won!” said Nero.

Pieres played a strong game for Lechuza, scoring a game high of 10 goals and sending it into overtime on the key penalty four conversion. What thoughts were running through his mind as he rode his horse up to the ball for the final penalty shot? “I knew I had to put that one in because if not, I had to give a barbecue to Flaco!” he said, referring to teammate Grossi.

Lechuza and Valiente next play on Sunday in the second round of the USPA Piaget Gold Cup at IPC.

Las Monjitas Wins with Authority
Defeats Engel & Völkers 18-8

Las Monjitas defeated Engel & Völkers 18-8 in bracket play in the USPA Piaget Gold Cup at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC).

The match started off with Engel & Völkers in the lead by two points due to their handicap. It quickly took the initiative to increase that lead with Kris Kampsen scoring the first goal on the field from the bowl-in. Kampsen continued to increase the Engel & Völkers lead by converting a penalty shot later in the chukker. Facundo Sola promptly went to work closing the gap, scoring three goals by the end of the first chukker to make the score 4-3.

For the rest of the half, Las Monjitas held a commanding lead. Combining an excellent passing game with an uncanny ability to read plays, Sebastian Merlos racked up four goals. Eduardo Astrada and Sola each scored once, with both frequently assisting Merlos on the way to the goal mouth. Engel & Völkers fought valiantly as Las Monjitas’s lead grew. A major defensive effort by his teammates allowed Matias Magrini to drive in a goal during the second chukker. The first half ended 9-5 in favor of Las Monjitas.

Las Monjitas continued its dominance in the fourth chukker. Astrada scored on an assist from Camilo Bautista, and Sola demonstrated his skill from the penalty line to make the score 11-5. Astrada made what was undoubtedly the play of the game, dribbling the ball on bounces before driving it in to goal. An aggressive defensive play by Jared Zenni helped Santi Torres thread the needle to put another point on the scoreboard for Engel & Völkers, making the score 14-6. Torres again wove through traffic for Kampsen to tap the ball through the uprights, ending the fifth chukker 15-7.

Torres made an impressive trick play to start out the sixth chukker, hitting the ball under the belly of the defender’s horse as he dodged around him and drove in a goal. Merlos ran the ball in to score, and Astrada added two more goals to his tally by the end of the chukker. Ultimately Las Monjitas sewed up the game 18-8.

Merlos credited his team’s strategy and increased time playing together for its success.

“It was a very tough beginning. We knew they were going to be very alert and ready, so it was very important to win the ball at the throw-ins,” said Merlos. “Our horses went great, and I think we took advantage of that. I’m very comfortable with the team. We are starting to know each other. Obviously we always need to fix little mistakes, but since our first match we are a much better team.”

Audi Calls the Shots, Defeats Alegria Assist Card 16-13

Audi defeated Alegria Assist Card 16-13 in bracket play in the USPA Piaget Gold Cup at the International Polo Club Palm Beach.

The match took off to a running start with Fred Mannix exploding into a gallop out of the throw-in to drive in a goal and make the score 2-0 (with Audi’s one-goal handicap). Gonzalito Pieres demonstrated his penalty shooting prowess by sinking two shots in a row. Alegria Assist Card fired back with three goals, narrowing Audi’s lead to one point. Pieres and Rodrigo Andrade added more goals to Audi’s tally, ending the first chukker 6-3 for Audi.

Alegria Assist Card was “snake-bit,” as announcer Toby Wayman called it, in the second chukker with several penalty shots going wide. Andrade drove a long pass downfield for Marc Ganzi, who finished the job and made the score 7-3. Fred Mannix flipped another goal in for Audi. The rest of the chukker proved thrilling as both teams fought to assert dominance in ride-off after ride-off at a wide-open pace.

Pieres continued his hot streak from the penalty line, racking up three more conversions in the third chukker. Alegria Assist Card gained two goals from the field, making the score 11-6 at the half. In the fourth chukker Pieres was the driving force for the Audi team, completing a penalty conversion and assisting Andrade on a goal to make the score 13-6. Hilario Ulloa converted two penalty shots in the fourth and fifth chukkers to make some headway against Audi’s lead.

Andrade picked up a goal as the fifth chukker continued to showcase the athleticism of horses and players in high-octane ride-offs. Julian Mannix made a remarkable play, picking up Ganzi’s backshot to score for Alegria Assist Card. Andrade shot an impressive cut shot to end the chukker 15-9.

Alegria Assist Card was awarded a penalty one to make the score 15-10 in the sixth chukker. Julian Mannix led the charge in the Alegria Assist Card comeback, converting to bring his team within three points of Audi. Ulloa dodged defenders to drive the ball in for a goal. Andrade made the final goal of the match off the goal post to end the chukker 16-13.

Ganzi said he felt his team’s strategy going into the match paid off in its success. “We had a really outstanding first half, and we set the tone early. We were prepared to match their physicality, and I think they were surprised by that,” said Ganzi. “We’re not really known as a physical team, and today we were extremely physical. They’re such a good team, and we have a lot of respect for them.”

Pieres concurred with regard to strategy. “We knew it was really important for us to win this game, and we came with a good strategy,” he said. “I think we won this game in the first five chukkers.”

Play continues Sunday at IPC at 10 a.m., with Alegria Assist Card taking on Las Monjitas and Audi playing Engel & Völkers. Coca-Cola will battle it out with Lechuza Caracas at noon, and Orchard Hill will take on Valiente in what promises to be a spectacular feature match at 3 p.m.

International Polo Club Palm Beach Fast Facts

Featured Highlights:

Herbie Pennell Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 1-4, 2015

Joe Barry Memorial Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 4-25, 2015

Ylvisaker Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 28 – February 22, 2015

Iglehart Cup – 20 Goal
Feb. 28 – March 8, 2015

USPA C. V. Whitney Cup – 26 Goal
Feb. 15 – March 1, 2015

Piaget USPA Gold Cup® – 26 Goal
March 4-22, 2015

111th Maserati U.S. Open Polo Championship® – 26 Goal
March 25 – April 19, 2015

Directions:

From I-95:
Exit Forest Hill Blvd, head West
Make Left turn onto 441/St Rd 7
Make Right turn onto Lake Worth Rd
Make Right turn onto 120th Ave S
Destination on Left

Website:
www.internationalpoloclub.com

For Tickets:
http://internationalpoloclub.ticketleap.com/

Management:
John Wash – President of Club Operations
jwash@internationalpoloclub.com
561-282-5353

MEDIA CONTACT:
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
12012 South Shore Blvd #105
Wellington, FL 33414
561-753-3389 (phone)
561-753-3386 (fax)
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
PhelpsMediaGroup.com

Competitions, Polo

Palm Beach Illustrated and Tonkawa Clinch Spots in Iglehart Cup Final

March 4, 2015 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Facundo Obregon and Kris Kampsen. Photo: Liz Lamont Images/Phelps Media Group.

Smooth Sailing for Palm Beach Illustrated in 10-7 Win over CT Energia

Wellington, Florida – March 3, 2015 – Palm Beach Illustrated and Tonkawa will advance to the 20-goal Iglehart Cup Final on Saturday at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC). In Tuesday’s semifinals, Palm Beach Illustrated bested CT Energia 10-7 and Tonkawa took Villa del Lago 13-8.

If a polo match had a mantra, this one would have been slow and steady wins the race. Palm Beach Illustrated’s play was a textbook example of how to win a polo game with drama-free determination – and still keep things interesting.

Regardless whether it was leading, trailing or tied, Palm Beach Illustrated kept cruising around the field with cool-headed control and consistency. There weren’t more than a handful of whistles during the entire match, and only two goals were made on penalty shots. That’s not to say there weren’t some supersonic ride-offs and mano-a-mano moments, but all in all it was a relatively smooth ride to victory.

“I was confident from the beginning that we were going to do well. We were patient and leading for the entire game,” said Michel Dorignac, noting that his teammates have been working well together and playing consistently in their last few games. “So far it’s been great fun. I think one of the reasons is that it’s a very balanced team. Everyone on the team can play polo, take the men and carry the ball. So we only have to hit and run and be smart. That’s it.”

As easy as he made it sound – and as easy as Palm Beach Illustrated made it look much of the time Tuesday – high-goal polo is never a cakewalk. The game began in fits and starts, with CT Energia trying its darnedest to give its opponents a few gray hairs. CT Energia made some initial headway, scoring once in each of the first two chukkers and mounting a strong defense that thwarted Palm Beach Illustrated from scoring in the second.

“We missed six or seven (shots on goal) in the second chukker,” said Jared Zenni. “But after that we started making a little more space for each player so that they had more time and could really define the goals.”

That adjustment worked as intended for Palm Beach Illustrated. The team made two goals in the third chucker and kept its opponent off the board. In the opening moments of the second half, Tommy Collingwood stretched Palm Beach Illustrated’s lead to three points. That triggered a collective comeback by CT Energia, with three of its members contributing to a beautifully orchestrated goal. Nic Manifold stopped the ball long enough for Kris Kampsen to come through with a powerhouse of a backshot. As the pack scampered downfield, Manifold read the play perfectly. He took the ball on a breakaway, surprising his opponents by backing off just before the goal mouth to allow super-scorer Joao Paulo Ganon to finish the play and score.

For a time it looked like CT Energia was getting its groove back. The team jumped into the mix at the top of the fifth chukker with three quick goals from the field, two of them by an energized Alessandro Bazzoni. Then with the ball suddenly hurtling toward him, Kampsen – with the wingspan of a pterodactyl – stabbed it out of the air and sent it into goal. That brought CT Energia into true contender status, with only one point separating it from the leader. Palm Beach Illustrated wasn’t about to let that stand for long, however. Dorignac made his third and fourth goals of the day in the final chukker, with the game ending 10-7 for Palm Beach Illustrated.

Collingwood attributed his team’s success to discipline. “We kept pushing forward, playing open, listening to our teammates, everybody doing his part of the job,” he said. “We got a few lucky bounces off the horses that maybe helped out, but I think we just played really well.”

The much-anticipated 26-goal USPA Piaget Gold Cup opens Thursday at IPC with four high-octane matches starting at 10 a.m. and continuing throughout the day. The lineup: Orchard Hill vs. Coca-Cola; Valiente vs. Lechuza Caracas; Engel & Völkers vs. Las Monjitas, and Alegria vs. Audi.

Tonkawa Takes Command, Defeats Villa del Lago 13-8

Tonkawa defeated Villa del Lago 13-8 in the semifinal of the Iglehart Cup at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC).

The match started off with dominant play by Polito Pieres, fresh off a win in the C.V. Whitney Cup with his Orchard Hill squad. In his high-octane style, Pieres went on a scoring spree, using his teammates as battering rams to run the ball up the field. Villa del Lago racked up three goals in the first chukker.

The game took a quick turn in the second chukker, however. Tonkawa gained momentum when Gonzalo Deltour took off on a hot streak, scoring his team’s first goal on a nearside neckshot. He followed that up with two penalty conversions to tighten Villa del Lago’s lead to one point (4-3).

Tonkawa took control in the third chukker, driving in goal after goal and keeping a wide-open pace. A high-speed goal by Agustin Obregon and a penalty conversion by Pieres kept Villa del Lago in the match, tying the score 6-6 at the half.

The fourth chukker remained tight as Tonkawa and Villa del Lago fought for control, but Tonkawa pulled ahead 9-7. Inaki LaPrida and Deltour demonstrated brilliant team work in the fifth chukker, hitting passes seamlessly on the run and racking up three more goals. The sixth chukker was a pitched battle as each team went all out. Villa del Lago put its passing game to work. Julian de Lusarreta crushed a pass to Pieres, who sent it to Obregon for a run into goal, sewing up a 13-8 victory for Tonkawa.

“It was a tough match. Today we had the lineup that we didn’t have the last tournament,” said Deltour. He typically plays the number two position but was number one in the match against Villa del Lago. All in all, he said, “We played good open polo. My thanks to my teammates. They played really well.”

International Polo Club Palm Beach Fast Facts

Featured Highlights:

Herbie Pennell Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 1-4, 2015

Joe Barry Memorial Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 4-25, 2015

Ylvisaker Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 28 – February 22, 2015

Iglehart Cup – 20 Goal
Feb. 28 – March 8, 2015

USPA C. V. Whitney Cup – 26 Goal
Feb. 15 – March 1, 2015

Piaget USPA Gold Cup® – 26 Goal
March 4-22, 2015

111th Maserati U.S. Open Polo Championship® – 26 Goal
March 25 – April 19, 2015

Directions:

From I-95:
Exit Forest Hill Blvd, head West
Make Left turn onto 441/St Rd 7
Make Right turn onto Lake Worth Rd
Make Right turn onto 120th Ave S
Destination on Left

Website:
www.internationalpoloclub.com

For Tickets:
http://internationalpoloclub.ticketleap.com/

Management:
John Wash – President of Club Operations
jwash@internationalpoloclub.com
561-282-5353

MEDIA CONTACT:
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
12012 South Shore Blvd #105
Wellington, FL 33414
561-753-3389 (phone)
561-753-3386 (fax)
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
PhelpsMediaGroup.com

Phelps Media Group, Polo

Orchard Hill Thunders to 16-13 Win in C. V. Whitney Cup Final

March 2, 2015 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Ezequiel Martinez Ferrario and Hilario Ulloa. Photos: Liz Lamont Images/Phelps Media Group.

Defeats Alegria with a Double Dose of Pieres Power

Wellington, Florida – March 1, 2015 – Orchard Hill galloped away with the C. V. Whitney Cup on the Engel & Völkers field Sunday at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC), besting Alegria 16-13 in the 26-goal tournament final. Orchard Hill’s Facundo Pieres was named MVP and his sixth-chukker mount, NutraSweet, won Best Playing Pony. The Stella Artois “She’s a Thing of Beauty” Horse of the Tournament award went to Los Machitos Maradona, ridden in the third chukker by Alegria’s Mariano Aguerre.

It was a stunning victory over Alegria, the defending champion of the United States Open Polo Championship, Orchard Hill, rode off with its second trophy of the 2015 IPC season, having won the Joe Barry Cup in January.

It was clear from the get-go that this was going to be a high-scoring game – but whose game was anybody’s guess until Orchard Hill slowly but surely established its dominance. The first chukker was a scoring blitz for Alegria, with Julian Mannix slamming in four goals in the first couple of minutes. Keeping an eye on him from the sidelines was enough to give one a case of whiplash. Mannix blazed from one end of the field to the other and scored, only to follow up with the same act in the opposite direction. Then he did it all over again.

“I think we had a really bad first chukker,” said Facundo Pieres. “We lost all the throw-ins, and Julian (Mannix) was scoring and scoring.” He characterized Alegria’s ability to score from the throw-ins as, “Mistakes from us – mostly from me. So I knew that I had to not go crazy about it and that good things were going to come, and they did. We just had to keep playing the same game.”

That was easier said than done, however. Alegria started mixing things up left and right, taking every opportunity to scramble the lineup. “It was a lot of changing around who was on who,” said Steve Van Andel. “They changed, we changed, they changed. It started out that Julian (Mannix) was on me. Then he was not on me. Then someone else was.”

The points kept racking up in rapid succession on Alegria’s side of the board until something seemed to awaken a sleeping tiger in Pieres. The 10-goaler pounced on the field and made three goals, effectively putting the brakes on Mannix’s scoring streak by the end of the first chukker.

Alegria was clinging to a slim lead as the second chukker opened 5-4. It crept forward with a field goal by Sterling Giannico, but the team didn’t score again until the second half. Meanwhile, Orchard Hill reaped a scoring bonanza from its pair of Piereses (cousins Facundo and Polito), who each made two field goals in the second chukker.

The third chukker opened 8-6 for Orchard Hill, which maintained the lead all the way to the final horn. Alegria tried at every turn to thwart its opponent, savoring a spate of hope when Hilario Ulloa made a string of five goals in the second half. But even that wasn’t enough to counter the sustained Pieres push that kept Orchard Hill in a three-to-four-point lead at the end of every chukker from the third on.

With the speed and agility of an antelope, Facundo Pieres scored in every chukker, making a phenomenal nine points for Orchard Hill. What may have appeared to be a one-man show, however, was the result of countless assists by his teammates (in particular Polito Pieres, who doggedly ran interference for him). The same could be said in principle for Alegria’s teamwork, although it wasn’t calibrated as tightly as the Orchard Hill machine. All told, every player on the field scored at least once, a major achievement in a 26-goal tournament final.

Van Andel said he thought Orchard Hill got the advantage by staying with the men longer. “But I’ll tell ya,” he added. “It was anybody’s game. It was tough.”

Polito Pieres agreed that it was an extremely difficult game. “That team is four pros, and we knew they were going to be very tough. That’s why we weren’t surprised when they changed and tried new tactics,” he said. “But we came strong on them, and the four of us played well together as a team. We always support each other, and that’s how we won it.”

Lechuza Caracas Puts It All on the Field
Defeats Las Monjitas 12-11 in OT

Lechuza Caracas triumphed over Las Monjitas 12-11 in overtime in the final of the Les Armour Cup at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. The Most Valuable Player honor was awarded to Nico Pieres and Best Playing Pony was Patagonia, ridden by Sebastian Merlos.

The match kicked off with an energetic start as Nico Pieres drove in the first goal for Lechuza Caracas within the first 25 seconds of play. After Facundo Sola matched Pieres’ goal, Lechuza Caracas organized their defensive players to give Pieres room to score again and ended the first chukker with a one-goal lead.

From there on out, it was anyone’s game with Lechuza Caracas and Las Monjitas staying within two goals of each other for the rest of the half. Overall, the fast pace set in the first chukker was maintained. Although the players would become tightly clustered, it was only seconds before a player would explode out into a run.

At the start of the second half, it was Sola and Sebastian Merlos who took charge, scoring for Las Monjitas. Pieres’ skill from the penalty line kept Lechuza Caracas in the match with two important penalty conversions to stay within two points of Las Monjitas. However, it was late in the fifth chukker when things got Western. Sola went off on a hot streak, scoring two goals in succession to make the score 11-7 in the early minutes of the sixth chukker.

Victor Vargas dodged defenders to take the ball within feet of the goalmouth and Pieres backed him up to score. A penalty conversion by Pieres narrowed the lead to two goals. Juan Martin Nero maneuvered through traffic to drive a goal in, and a penalty conversion in the last minute of the sixth chukker tied the game 11-11. What looked like a done deal was now up for grabs by either team.

Overtime continued the wide-open pace that characterized the entire game. Nero made an attempt on goal, but the shot went wide, putting the ball in Las Monjitas possession. After some play by both sides, it was Pieres who drove in the goal that sealed the victory for Lechuza Caracas.

Pieres credited his team’s determination for their win.

“The game finished in the last seconds of the last chukker, so we wanted to put everything on the field, and that’s what we did,” said Pieres.

Vargas said that his team has improved with every game and he shared that he looks forward to the upcoming USPA Piaget Gold Cup.

“The lineup is better because we put [Agustin] Garcia Grossi in the back and Juan Martin [Nero] at number three,” said Vargas. “Juan Martin has more of a view of the game, and Agustin plays well in the back. We’ll see what happens in the Gold Cup. But this game was a very good test for us.”

Play continues Tuesday, March 3 at 10 a.m. with CT Energia taking on Palm Beach Illustrated and Villa del Lago facing off with Tonkawa in the semifinals of the Iglehart Cup.

International Polo Club Palm Beach Fast Facts

Featured Highlights:

Herbie Pennell Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 1-4, 2015

Joe Barry Memorial Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 4-25, 2015

Ylvisaker Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 28 – February 22, 2015

Iglehart Cup – 20 Goal
Feb. 28 – March 8, 2015

USPA C. V. Whitney Cup – 26 Goal
Feb. 15 – March 1, 2015

Piaget USPA Gold Cup® – 26 Goal
March 4-22, 2015

111th Maserati U.S. Open Polo Championship® – 26 Goal
March 25 – April 19, 2015

Directions:

From I-95:
Exit Forest Hill Blvd, head West
Make Left turn onto 441/St Rd 7
Make Right turn onto Lake Worth Rd
Make Right turn onto 120th Ave S
Destination on Left

Website:
www.internationalpoloclub.com

For Tickets:
http://internationalpoloclub.ticketleap.com/

Management:
John Wash – President of Club Operations
jwash@internationalpoloclub.com
561-282-5353

MEDIA CONTACT:
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
12012 South Shore Blvd #105
Wellington, FL 33414
561-753-3389 (phone)
561-753-3386 (fax)
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
PhelpsMediaGroup.com

Competitions, Polo

Las Monjitas, Lechuza Caracas Slide into Position for Les Armour Final

February 27, 2015 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Facundo Sola, Segundo Merlos, Nic Roldan and Miguel Novillo Astrada. Photo: Liz Lamont Images/Phelps Media Group.

Sola Seals the Deal for Las Monjitas in OT with 12-11 Win over FlexJet

Wellington, FL – February 26, 2015 – Las Monjitas defeated FlexJet 12-11 in overtime during the semifinal of the Les Armour Cup at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC) on Thursday.

Play began in fits and starts, with the first few goals made on penalty shots or conversions. Sebastian Merlos scored the first field goal, tapping the ball in to tie the game 2-2. The match continued tightly contested, with neither team ever able to secure more than a two-goal lead.

Facundo Sola chalked up two back-to-back goals in the second chukker for Las Monjitas. Gonzalito Pieres, who demonstrated his penalty shooting prowess throughout the game, promptly converted to retie the score. After a stretch of back-and-forth play that saw the score tied (and untied) several times, Sola and Sebastian Merlos pulled Las Monjitas into an 8-6 lead at the end of the third chukker. But during this game, no lead was safe.

FlexJet showed tremendous mental toughness in the fourth chukker, carrying the ball with determination to tie the game 8-8. The father-and-son Merlos duo had the play of the day in the fifth chukker. Sebastian Merlos hit a pass out of the air to his son, Segundo Merlos, who drove the ball in to score. Nic Roldan and the FlexJet squad played power polo throughout the fifth chukker as they fought to stay in the game.

On a challenge by Las Monjitas, an important call was overturned in the final chukker through the use of instant replay Then Sola scored, and FlexJet immediately responded with an incredible play. Pieres hit a backshot out of the bowl-in, and Roldan accelerated with astounding speed to drive a goal in, prompting announcer Toby Wayman to dub him “the magic man – now you see him, now you don’t.”

With the score tied 11-all, it came down to a penalty shot to determine whether the game would go into overtime. The shot went wide, and the teams headed back to their tents to regroup and strategize. Just seconds into overtime a whistle blew, and the call was challenged. The ruling of no foul was upheld. In the resulting bowl-in Sola made a break for it, slamming in a goal to end the match 12-11.

Segundo Merlos was thrilled with his debut in 26-goal polo. “I think it was very good experience, and playing with these guys that play amazing is so different,” he said, his face awash in excitement. “You feel like the game is so much faster than in low-goal. I really enjoyed it.”

Sebastian Merlos was pleased with Las Monjitas’s performance, particularly given that it was only second game the team had played together. Still, he said there is room for improvement in the final.

“I think we had good second, third and fourth chukkers, and then we fouled a little bit too much, especially Facundo and myself,” he said. “When we have position on the ball, we are a very good team. When we don’t have position on the ball, we are a little bit too anxious to get the ball back.”

The Les Armour Cup Final will be held Sunday at the International Polo Club Palm Beach, with Las Monjitas taking on Lechuza Caracas at noon. The 3 p.m. feature match will pit Alegria against Orchard Hill in the C. V. Whitney Cup Final.

In Flying Finish, Lechuza Caracas Defeats Coca-Cola 9-8

Lechuza Caracas led for only two minutes and change in the Les Armour Cup semifinal, but its timing was perfect. Nico Pieres scored the go-ahead goal with 2:39 left in the sixth chukker to give Lechuza its first and last lead of the game (9-8) over Coca-Cola, propelling Lechuza into the Les Armour Cup Final.

Pieres, who scored all six of his goals in the second half, made no excuses for the slow start. “We started very badly, maybe especially me and Juan Ma,” he said afterward.

“Si!” interjected 10-goal player Juan Martin Nero, as quick as Pieres to own a mistake.

Pieres reflected for a moment. “But then we changed a bit and started hitting the ball and scoring some goals, and I think that was the difference in the game,” he said.

Both teams started tentatively in the first chukker. With significant changes in their rosters from the previous year, Lechuza and Coca-Cola appeared to still be adjusting to new teammates. Coca-Cola got on the board with a goal by Pelon Stirling but then saw several shots go wide of goal. Victor Vargas broke the scoring drought for both teams with a run to the south goal to start the second chukker. That seemed to galvanize his opposition, as Julio Arellano then went on a four-goal run to put Coca-Cola in the lead 5-1 at the end of the second chukker.

Play continued in the same theme in the third chukker. Coca-Cola stayed on the offensive but several drives went wide of goal. Arellano scored again to give Coca-Cola a huge 6-1 lead. Vargas was finally able to score for Lechuza in the closing moments of the third, giving hope to his team and tightening the gap to 6-2. As the teams rode off the field for halftime, announcer Toby Wayman quoted his father, polo legend Tommy Wayman: “It’s better to go into halftime down a couple goals so you come out hungry.”

Those tactful words were prophetic, as Lechuza outscored Coca-Cola 3-1 in the fourth. Shots by Pieres and Nero found the mark, countered only by a beautiful run to goal by Gillian Johnston on one of her stunning gray horses.

The comeback continued for Lechuza in the fifth chukker. Riding a very agile brown mare named Confu (short for Confusion), Pieres used his pony power to score two more goals and tie the match at 7-all. That seemed to have an electric effect on Arellano. He took back the lead for Coca-Cola on a nearside shot to goal – his specialty – to close out the fifth chukker with Coca-Cola clinging to an 8-7 lead.

The Lechuza team was feeling the fire now, and a penalty two conversion by Pieres retied the game at 8-all. After a series of plays at the boards, Nero sent a pass to Pieres at midfield. Pieres had a horse-length lead on his defender and ran the ball straight to goal for the score, the lead and the match.

Lechuza will face Las Monjitas in the 26-goal Les Armour Cup Final at noon on Sunday at the International Polo Club Palm Beach.

International Polo Club Palm Beach Fast Facts

Featured Highlights:

Herbie Pennell Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 1-4, 2015

Joe Barry Memorial Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 4-25, 2015

Ylvisaker Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 28 – February 22, 2015

Iglehart Cup – 20 Goal
Feb. 28 – March 8, 2015

USPA C. V. Whitney Cup – 26 Goal
Feb. 15 – March 1, 2015

Piaget USPA Gold Cup® – 26 Goal
March 4-22, 2015

111th Maserati U.S. Open Polo Championship® – 26 Goal
March 25 – April 19, 2015

Directions:

From I-95:
Exit Forest Hill Blvd, head West
Make Left turn onto 441/St Rd 7
Make Right turn onto Lake Worth Rd
Make Right turn onto 120th Ave S
Destination on Left

Website:
www.internationalpoloclub.com

For Tickets:
http://internationalpoloclub.ticketleap.com/

Management:
John Wash – President of Club Operations
jwash@internationalpoloclub.com
561-282-5353

MEDIA CONTACT:
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
12012 South Shore Blvd #105
Wellington, FL 33414
561-753-3389 (phone)
561-753-3386 (fax)
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
PhelpsMediaGroup.com

Competitions, Polo

Alegria and Orchard Hill Snag Spots in C. V. Whitney Final

February 26, 2015 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Hilario Ulloa and Sterling Giannico. Photos: Liz Lamont Images/Phelps Media Group.

Alegria Defeats Audi/Millarville 15-11 in Semifinals

Wellington, FL – February 25, 2015 – Defending U.S. Open champion Alegria defeated Audi/Millarville 15-11 Wednesday to advance to the final of the C. V. Whitney 26-goal tournament at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. In the process, Julian Mannix garnered family bragging rights over big brother Freddie Mannix, who played on the opposing Audi/Millarville team. The two Mannix brothers led all players in scoring, with Julian making eight goals and Freddie six.

Julian Mannix was pleased with the victory of his cerise-clad Alegria team but downplayed the matchup against his brother. “It was a semifinal, and (it was) in the C. V. Whitney, which is an important tournament,” he said. “You are trying to play your best and elevate yourself as much as you can. I have played against Fred before, but not with this pressure of the semifinal.”

Alegria only changed one player (Clemente Zavaleta for Sterling Giannico) due to handicaps from last year’s U.S. Open team. In this situation some teams might feel the pressure of living up to the title. But Hilario Ulloa, who plays for the Mannix organization in the U.S. and Argentina, denied there was any pressure from carrying the U.S. Open crown.

“Players change, players bring different horses, so things are different,” he said. “We had a good feeling in the first couple games of this tournament. It is a good start.”

The Mannix brothers both had the added pressure in the semifinals of taking most of the penalties for their respective teams. Julian Mannix won the penalty battle in the opening chukker, drawing first blood in the game with a safety conversion. Marc Ganzi countered with a field goal for Audi/Millarville to make it 3-1 at the end of the first chukker (with handicap goals for 24-goal Audi/Millarville factored into the score).

After the evenly matched first chukker, Alegria went on a scoring spree in the second and third. Stellar direction in the center of the field by the team general, Mariano Aguerre, and the collected presence at the back by Giannico created numerous scoring opportunities for Julian Mannix and Ulloa, who capitalized on them. Alegria led 8-5 at halftime.

Audi/Millarville came out of the halftime break energized, tying the score at 8-all behind three unanswered goals from Freddie Mannix early in the fourth chukker. The last goal in that series was a gritty, determined effort to battle through the Alegria defenders, and it looked like the tide was turning. But Alegria rallied and scored two quick goals off the mallet of Julian Mannix, with Giannico contributing another. Giannico made the hook, turned quickly to accept the pass from his teammate and smoothly slid through the defenders to put Alegria back in the lead 11-8 at the end of the fourth.

Play got heated in the fifth chukker as both teams battled to regain momentum. There was a lot of up-and-down action but not many goals, and the Audi/ Millarville team saw several shots go wide of the goal. Alegria escaped the chukker with its three-goal lead intact.

Freddie Mannix started the sixth chukker by scoring a penalty two to chip away at the Alegria lead. But Ulloa countered with two more goals, and Julian Mannix drilled an exclamation point of a shot from about 70 yards out to finalize the victory for Alegria.

Julian Mannix, getting ready to depart IPC after the game to attend his afternoon college class, said, “It was a good one to win! Just concentrate and win” (which was sound advice for any team heading into a 26-goal final).

Alegria will attempt to maintain its winning record on Sunday when it faces Orchard Hill in the C. V. Whitney Final at IPC.

Orchard Hill Digs Deep; Defeats Valiente 11-8

Orchard Hill defeated Valiente 11-8 Wednesday in the semifinal of the C. V. Whitney Cup at the International Polo Club Palm Beach.

Orchard Hill and Valiente went all out right from the beginning. This was high-octane polo at its best, with both teams separated by no more than three goals at any given point in the game. The Orchard Hill squad was firing on all cylinders throughout the first half, ending the first chukker with a three-goal lead. Throughout the next two chukkers, however, Valiente steadily gained ground. The first half ended with Orchard Hill leading 5-4.

*Guillermo Terrera, Ezequiel Martinez Ferrario, Adolfo Cambiaso, Facundo Pieres and Polito Pieres*

Instant replay was a strategic factor in the match. The fourth chukker started off with a penalty call in favor of Orchard Hill, which was overturned after review by the independent umpire. After that, Adolfo Cambiaso started to make some noise, scoring two consecutive goals that gave Valiente a slim lead.

Facundo Pieres responded by racking up two goals, tapping one in from the air in an astonishing show of skill. After Cambiaso briefly tied the score, Facundo Pieres pulled Orchard Hill into an 8-7 lead with a penalty conversion.

In the sixth chukker both teams struggled to find the goal mouth as several shots went wide. Facundo Pieres pumped up his horsepower to put a point on the board for Orchard Hill. In a crucial moment Orchard Hill challenged a penalty call, which was overturned after review. Guillermo Terrera made a goal to bring the score to 9-8, but Orchard Hill delivered the knockout punch with two consecutive goals to end the game 11-8.

The match was every bit as defensive as offensive, and patron Steve Van Andel had several defensive plays that were key to his team’s success. “For me, I get lucky once in a while, and that’s kind of nice,” said Van Andel with a chuckle. “I think both teams played man-to-man really well. It was tough to get around anybody. If you watch, the whole game was a battle.”

Facundo Pieres said he felt his team put in a Herculean effort to come back from a rough fourth chukker. “I love the way that we played in the first three chukkers and in the last two,” he said. “Hopefully we can look at what we did in the fourth chukker and not do it again.”

Polito Pieres, a major factor in many plays, credited his teammates with their play in their first tournament together. “I think it’s a good team. The four of us did well,” he said. “Steve (Van Andel) played a really good game against Bob (Jornayvez).”

The semifinals of the Les Armour Cup subsidiary begin Thursday, with Las Monjitas taking on FlexJet at 10 a.m. at the International Polo Club Palm Beach and Coca-Cola playing Lechuza Caracas at noon at Everglades Polo Club.

International Polo Club Palm Beach Fast Facts

Featured Highlights:

Herbie Pennell Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 1-4, 2015

Joe Barry Memorial Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 4-25, 2015

Ylvisaker Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 28 – February 22, 2015

Iglehart Cup – 20 Goal
Feb. 28 – March 8, 2015

USPA C. V. Whitney Cup – 26 Goal
Feb. 15 – March 1, 2015

Piaget USPA Gold Cup® – 26 Goal
March 4-22, 2015

111th Maserati U.S. Open Polo Championship® – 26 Goal
March 25 – April 19, 2015

Directions:

From I-95:
Exit Forest Hill Blvd, head West
Make Left turn onto 441/St Rd 7
Make Right turn onto Lake Worth Rd
Make Right turn onto 120th Ave S
Destination on Left

Website:
www.internationalpoloclub.com

For Tickets:
http://internationalpoloclub.ticketleap.com/

Management:
John Wash – President of Club Operations
jwash@internationalpoloclub.com
561-282-5353

MEDIA CONTACT:
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
12012 South Shore Blvd #105
Wellington, FL 33414
561-753-3389 (phone)
561-753-3386 (fax)
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
PhelpsMediaGroup.com

Phelps Media Group, Polo

Coca-Cola Clinches Ylvisaker Cup 14-13 in Hard-Fought Victory over Valiente

February 23, 2015 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Mason Wroe, Sapo Caset, Santi Torres and Julio Arellano. Photos: Liz Lamont Images/Phelps Media Group.

Wellington, FL – February 22, 2015 – Coca-Cola won the 20-goal Ylvisaker Cup 14-13 over Valiente on Sunday on Engel & Völkers field in front of a packed audience at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC). Julio Arellano, who scored 10 of the winning team’s goals, was named MVP. The best-playing pony award went to Dolfina Resta, ridden by Sapo Caset, who scored eight goals.

Caset rode in the 10-goaler seat otherwise occupied by Adolfo Cambiaso, who owns the BPP Caset piloted. Cambiaso, who has played two winning games for Valiente this season at IPC, was very much a part of Sunday’s final. Closely observing from the Valiente tent, he offered pointers to the team on breaks. Play briefly stopped in the fifth chukker, when Bob Jornayvaz appeared to have a possible injury. Cambiaso sprinted on foot full speed down the entire field and stood by Jornayvaz’s side until he remounted.

Regardless which team one was rooting for, it was an exciting (and nerve-wracking) match from start to finish. The score was tied or separated by no more than one or two points the entire time, with the play so even that neither team ever got the upper hand. It was anyone’s game at any given moment, all the way until the final moments of the sixth chukker. With the score tied at 13-all, Julio Arellano scored on a penalty, and Coca-Cola ran the clock down for a 14-13 win.

Caset kicked off the game on a scoring rampage, pounding in eight goals in the first four chukkers, many of them with Santi Torres assists. Contributing four goals of his own (all from the field) in the match, Torres played an tremendous defensive game as well, as did Mason Wroe.

“That was one of the hardest games I’ve ever played,” said Wroe. “That’s a very, very good team. Bob and Rob are so, so tough. Bob’s a warrior. Hats off to them!”

Valiente enjoyed a two-point lead as the second chukker wound down (5-3), but it was short-lived. Another goal by Caset notwithstanding, Coca-Cola came out swinging in the third, making four goals and taking a one-point lead.

The rest of the game was effectively a declaration of war by both sides. Caset continued his scoring blizzard, making three goals in the fourth chukker. Arellano scored twice on penalties in the fourth, pulling off a repeat act in the fifth.

Sugar Erskine was his usual force of nature throughout the game, making four field goals. The rest of the time he dashed about the field like a greyhound in the final stretch, startling his opponents at critical moments as he materialized out of the vapor like a genie from an uncorked bottle.

“It wasn’t maybe the prettiest of games to watch, but it was a lot of work off the ball for us,” said Erskine. “Honestly, I couldn’t really remember anybody scoring any goals, and I looked up and it was 13-13. All I remember is playing defense all afternoon. It was obviously just one of those kind of days. It didn’t feel like goals were getting scored, but they were happening. We all did our part, and it came down to I would guess a split-second.”

Valiente played the sixth chukker like its life depended on it. Rob Jornayvaz, who returned to the lineup for the final match about being out of play for a couple weeks, tied the game at 13-all in the opening moments of the sixth. It looked like the game was headed into overtime, but a rocket of a penalty shot by Arellano ended the conversation, with Coca-Cola winning by one point.

Palm Beach Illustrated The Cover Story
Defeats Tonkawa 12-11

Palm Beach Illustrated defeated Tonkawa in the final of the Haas Cup 12-11 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. Facundo Obregon’s “Conejita” was named Best Playing Pony. Obregon was also awarded Most Valuable Player.

The final of the Haas Cup took off at a running start with Inaki LaPrida tapping the ball in on a center hit, passing to Gonzalo Deltour, who drove it in for the first goal of the game. Tommy Collingwood tied the score with a lofted shot. A penalty one was awarded to Palm Beach Illustrated, giving them the lead 2-1.

*Facundo Obregon, Gonzalo Deltour and Michel Dorignac*

The second chukker started with wide-open play that thrilled spectators. A penalty one was awarded to Tonkawa, tying it up again in a battle that continued throughout the game. Collingwood ran the ball in to put one up on the board for Palm Beach Illustrated. Michel Dorignac shot a strong pass to Obregon, who scored, ending the second chukker 4-2.

LaPrida and Deltour continued their strong teamwork, with LaPrida again setting up Deltour for a goal. A penalty one was then awarded on the next play, tying the score at 4-4. Another penalty one was awarded in the following play, giving Tonkawa the lead. Obregon converted a penalty, yet again tying the game 5-5. Obregon, who entered the Haas Cup as the third ranked player in penalty conversions, made another penalty conversion to end the half 6-5 in favor of Palm Beach Illustrated.

The start of the fourth chukker had Deltour taking a turn at the penalty line. Deltour converted to close the gap 6-6. In the following play, Deltour shot a pass to LaPrida, who scored. Jeff Hildebrand ran the ball in for a goal, extending Tonkawa’s lead 8-6. However, Obregon quickly converted multiple penalty shots to tie it up 8-8 at the end of the fourth chukker.

Then, Obregon ran the ball to goal reclaiming the lead for Palm Beach Illustrated. After several minutes of play, Deltour made a penalty conversion to put one up on the board for Tonkawa. In an impressive display of teamwork, Zenni took off on a breakaway, only to have Deltour back the ball out at the last second. Obregon was right there for his teammate, tapping the ball in for a goal.

Deltour converted for a goal, tying the score 10-10. Dorignac responded by hitting a pass to Zenni, who drove it in for Palm Beach Illustrated to once again, assume the lead 11-10 at the end of the fifth chukker. Deltour rallied to make the score 11-11, yet Collingwood scored the final goal of the match to clinch the win for Palm Beach Illustrated.

Patron Zenni was very pleased with his team’s performance. “As a team, I think we worked really well together,” said Zenni. “Our team motto is ‘try to hit it forward and then someone will always try to pick it up’. I think we accomplished our objective.”

Obregon was also happy with his team’s performance against a tough opponent. “It was a very, very tough match,” said Obregon. “Tonkawa’s a good team. But… Jared [Zenni] plays really well, and Michel [Dorignac] and Tommy [Collingwood] – they all play great. It’s a good team.”

The season continues with the semifinals of the C. V. Whitney Cup on Wednesday, February 25 with Audi/Millarville playing Alegria at noon and Valiente taking on Orchard Hill at 3 p.m. at the International Polo Club Palm Beach.

International Polo Club Palm Beach Fast Facts

Featured Highlights:

Herbie Pennell Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 1-4, 2015

Joe Barry Memorial Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 4-25, 2015

Ylvisaker Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 28 – February 22, 2015

Iglehart Cup – 20 Goal
Feb. 28 – March 8, 2015

USPA C. V. Whitney Cup – 26 Goal
Feb. 15 – March 1, 2015

Piaget USPA Gold Cup® – 26 Goal
March 4-22, 2015

111th Maserati U.S. Open Polo Championship® – 26 Goal
March 25 – April 19, 2015

Directions:

From I-95:
Exit Forest Hill Blvd, head West
Make Left turn onto 441/St Rd 7
Make Right turn onto Lake Worth Rd
Make Right turn onto 120th Ave S
Destination on Left

Website:
www.internationalpoloclub.com

For Tickets:
http://internationalpoloclub.ticketleap.com/

Management:
John Wash – President of Club Operations
jwash@internationalpoloclub.com
561-282-5353

MEDIA CONTACT:
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
12012 South Shore Blvd #105
Wellington, FL 33414
561-753-3389 (phone)
561-753-3386 (fax)
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
PhelpsMediaGroup.com

Competitions, Polo

Alegria, Valiente, Orchard Hill and Audi/Millarville Win C. V. Whitney Cup Opener

February 21, 2015 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Nic Roldan and Sapo Caset. Photos: Alex Pacheco.

Cambiaso Leads Valiente to 9-7 Win over FlexJet

Wellington, FL – February 20, 2015 – The C. V. Whitney Cup opened Friday with four matches, kicking off the 26-goal season at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC). Alegria defeated Coca-Cola 13-9, Audi/Millarville won over Lechuza Caracas 10-9, Orchard Hill took Las Monjitas 16-11 and Valiente defeated FlexJet 9-7. The resulting slate for next Wednesday’s semifinals is Alegria vs. Audi/Millarville and Valiente vs. Orchard Hill.

That will make for a busy week for Valiente, which is simultaneously preparing to play Coca-Cola in Sunday’s 20-goal Ylvisaker Cup Finals. Also on Sunday, Tonkawa will take on Palm Beach Illustrated in the Haas Cup subsidiary finals.

In his second game of the season at IPC, Adolfo Cambiaso again led Valiente to a win, this time over FlexJet. Valiente led throughout the entire game, with all four of its players scoring. Yet the victory came about in an uneven rhythm for Valiente, which in its last game steadily increased its momentum throughout, pouring it on in the second half.

This time, however, Valiente started out strong, ending the first half with a five-point lead. Then it inexplicably stalled, remaining scoreless in the fourth chukker and making only two more goals in the game.

Even Cambiaso seemed to have a hard time wrapping his head around it. “We started really good, and then in the middle we kind of slipped down,” he said. “We got it to 7-2, and then, I don’t know, we couldn’t score. Probably (FlexJet) played better the last couple of chukkers. I’m just happy that we won our first game.”

The early signs were pointing to a hands-down Valiente victory. In the first chukker the team established a two-point lead, stretching it to a three-point advantage in the second. The first half ended with a commanding five-point lead for Valiente, three of its goals contributed by Alejo Taranco.

FlexJet galloped into the fourth chukker determined to show that it meant serious business. It rapidly racked up three points, courtesy of Gonzalito Pieres and Nic Roldan. Each team scored once in the fifth and sixth chukkers.

“I’ve got to give (FlexJet) a lot of credit,” said Valiente patron Bob Jornayvaz. “We played well in the beginning, and then they really came back and sped it up – which was fine because it became a very fast game the last two chukkers. It was a great game, so much fun!”

Roldan, always a force of nature, lit the afterburners in the second half. His second goal, which came in the fifth chukker and narrowed Valiente’s lead to just one point, had a certain vehemence to it. After getting the ball away from Valiente, he whacked it so hard that his mallet head broke off and flew through the goal posts right alongside the ball.

Cambiaso reasserted himself in the final chukker. With a minute-and-a-half left in the game, he slammed the ball down the field, catching up with it as it headed toward goal. He slowed it down in front of the goal mouth and then tapped it in. Pieres answered with a field goal for FlexJet, ending the game 9-7.

“I thought Miguel and Nic and Gonzalito played really well,” said Jornayvaz. As for Valiente, he said, “This was the first game the four of us have played together. They’ve played team practices, but I haven’t even played with them because I’ve been traveling quite a bit. I feel like I know what Adolfo’s going to do, but never having played with Guillermo or Alejo before, I didn’t know what to expect today. It was just a good, hard, physical game, and we were lucky to come out on the top side.”

Orchard Hill Shines in First 26 Goal Match
Advances to C. V. Whitney Semifinals

Orchard Hill powered by a tough Las Monjitas team 16-11 to win their first 26-goal game in the C. V. Whitney Cup. The Orchard Hill lineup featured two Pieres cousins, Facundo and Polito, united on the same team for the first time, and the family connection paid off for Orchard Hill as the cousins combined for fourteen of their team’s sixteen goals.

“It was fantastic!” said Polito Pieres about playing with his cousin Facundo Pieres. The two Pieres superstars have both experienced success and are proven goal scorers on separate teams in the past, and the combination of the two high scoring players proved explosive.

Facundo Pieres seemed equally pleased after the match. “It was our first game with the 26 goal team and we brought in some new horses as well. The new horses played well so that was good. Everything with the team was fine in practice but you never know in the games so we were a little scared. But I liked it in the game! The other team was tough but I felt we had them under control, it was a good way to start.”

The first chukker started slow with most of the goals coming from penalty conversions by Orchard Hill. The lone exception was a splendid field goal set up by a bomb of a pass from Facundo Pieres at midfield to Polito, who had a horse length on his man running to goal. Orchard Hill took an early 4-1 lead and continued to outscore their orange clad opponents in the second chukker, stretching their lead out to 7-2.

Las Monjitas came alive in the third, winning lineups, hustling the Orchard Hill attackers and feeding the ball downfield. Facundo Sola got the first goal from the field for Las Monjitas, dancing around the goal post and the other Facundo (Pieres) to light up the scoreboard. Las Monjitas went on to outscore Orchard Hill 3-1 in the third chukker, but the lone goal from Orchard Hill should have got extra for style points, it was that spectacular. Facundo Pieres took the ball out of the air and went down field effortlessly tapping it out of the air around the defenders, finishing with a neck shot to goal that started with the ball a yard high in air when he hit it.

Las Monjitas rode the momentum from their successful third chukker into the fourth chukker, and closed within two of Orchard Hill behind goals from Facundo Sola and Sebastian Merlos. But the Pieres show resumed in the fifth chukker and stopped the Las Monjitas comeback attempt. Facundo Pieres converted two penalty shots and scored back-to-back field goals by somehow outfoxing his defenders at midfield and scoring through the unguarded goal on two brilliant runs. The four goals by Facundo Pieres in the fifth chukker gave Orchard Hill a comfortable five goal lead heading into the sixth. Las Monjitas, a team of warriors, kept on fighting to the end, but Orchard Hill maintained the lead to finish the match 16-11 and move forward to the C. V. Whitney semifinals.

Audi/Millarville Takes Tight Win over Lechuza Caracas

Audi/Millarville defeated Lechuza Caracas 10-9 Friday in the 26-goal C. V. Whitney Cup at the International Polo Club Palm Beach.

This was one of those nail-biters in which 42 minutes of polo came down to the last two minutes. With Audi/Millarville leading then by one point, 10-goaler Juan Martin Nero hit a neck shot that looked as though it was about to tie the match. With overtime nearly a foregone conclusion, the standing-room-only crowd gasped at the announcement that an independent review by the umpires had determined the shot went wide. Then with one minute remaining, Victor Vargas also shot wide, closing the door on Lechuza Caracas’s last viable chance to tie the match.

Audi/Millarville held the lead from start to finish, maintaining a three-point spread in both of the first two chukkers. Magoo LaPrida and Freddie Mannix made three goals between the two of them in the third chukker, widening the gap to five points.

The second half opened 9-4 for Audi/Millarville, which gained only one more point (made on a field goal by Rodrigo Andrade) before the final horn. Lechuza Caracas came on like gangbusters in the fifth chukker, with goals by Nico Pieres and Agustin Garcia Grossi. Grossi added another in the final chukker, with the game ending 10-9 for Audi/Millarville.

It was an impressive showing for Audi/Millarville, particularly given that the team had been put together in the past few weeks and was an eleventh-hour entry in the tournament. Friday was the first time Mannix had played a match with LaPrida and Andrade (8- and 9-goal players, respectively).

Calling it a “very pleasurable experience,” Mannix said he had ridden in two practice matches with them earlier in the week, adding, “We executed our game plan today and were able to play as a unit. We beat a very good team.” (Mannix and LaPrida meshed well in the match, creating a force to be contended with now and in the future. The two are going to be teammates next year in Argentina.)

Marc Ganzi, who played a strong, consistent game, said, “The team was put together at the last second, so there were no expectations, which is the best thing to do because you just play loose and have fun.”

Noting that his team missed several goals in the sixth, Ganzi said, “We had a chance to win by two or three (points). Rodrigo and I both had good runs but couldn’t put it in. What I like is that we played defensively really sound polo today. Most of (Lechuza Caracas’s) goals came off penalties. We didn’t give them anything easy – they had to work for everything today, and we have to take that mentality forward against Alegria.”

The C. V. Whitney Cup semifinals take place Wednesday at IPC with Alegria facing on Audi/Millarville at noon and Orchard Hill playing Valiente at 3 p.m.

Alegria at Home in the Cold Defeats Coca-Cola 13-9

Alegria defeated Coca-Cola 13-9 in the opening game of the C. V. Whitney Cup at the International Polo Club Palm Beach.

Alegria looked right at home in the morning’s chilly temperatures, which had most everyone bundled up. The game started out with Coca-Cola in the lead with a one-goal handicap. Julian Mannix and his Alegria team quickly took charge once play started, scoring their first two goals in rapid succession.

Pelon Sterling showed why he is one of the best players in the world, scoring from over 100 yards out to tie the score 2-2. Mannix flipped in a tail shot to score and end the first chukker 3-2. Mariano Aguerre scored on a breakaway to start out the second chukker.

In what was undoubtedly the play of the game, Hilario Ulloa took off on a breakaway, only to be covered by defenders, so Ulloa sent a back shot pass to Aguerre, who took the ball up field and drove it in for a goal. The speed and accuracy of these defending US Open champions was a sight to behold. Mannix followed this play up by crushing a pass to Ulloa, who was already on the run and ran the ball in to score 6-2.

Ulloa started out the third chukker with a penalty conversion. On the next play, a penalty was called and Alegria challenged the call. This was the first time that the instant replay has been utilized in a high goal game at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. Each team is awarded one challenge per half, and an additional challenge if the match goes into overtime.

The call was upheld and play resumed with a penalty five hit from the point of the infraction. After another penalty was called, Aguerre converted to put one up on the board for Alegria. Mannix picked Pelon Sterling’s pocket to turn the ball around and sting Coca-Cola, making it 9-2 at the end of the half.

In the second half, Sterling started out with a conversion for Coca-Cola, making the score 9-3. A penalty one was awarded to Alegria, which awarded them another point. Ulloa scored the lone non-conversion goal of the fourth chukker, making the score 11-3. In the fifth chukker, Sterling continued his string of conversions, scoring for Coca-Cola and working diligently to close the gap between their team and Alegria.

Alegria then scored the next two goals, continuing their scoring streak. A penalty one was called in favor of Coca-Cola, awarding them a point and making the score 13-6. Sugar Erskine knocked the ball out of the air to make a pass to Jeff Hall, who drove it in to score and end the fifth chukker. Coca-Cola warmed up in the sixth chukker, with Hall making a strong pass to Sterling to score and make it 13-8. Sterling scored the final goal of the match, but it wasn’t enough to overtake Alegria’s solid lead.

Mannix felt that this was a solid start to the 26-goal season.

“I know Hilario [Ulloa] and Mariano [Aguerre] well, and Sterling [Giannico] fit in great,” said Mannix. “It’s a good first step of the season, and it’s a long process, so we’re happy we got the first win.”

C. V. Whitney Tournament play will continue on Wednesday, February 25 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach with Alegria taking on Audi/Millarville at noon and Orchard Hill playing Valiente at 3 p.m. in the semi-finals of the C. V. Whitney.

International Polo Club Palm Beach Fast Facts

Featured Highlights:

Herbie Pennell Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 1-4, 2015

Joe Barry Memorial Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 4-25, 2015

Ylvisaker Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 28 – February 22, 2015

Iglehart Cup – 20 Goal
Feb. 28 – March 8, 2015

USPA C. V. Whitney Cup – 26 Goal
Feb. 15 – March 1, 2015

Piaget USPA Gold Cup® – 26 Goal
March 4-22, 2015

111th Maserati U.S. Open Polo Championship® – 26 Goal
March 25 – April 19, 2015

Directions:

From I-95:
Exit Forest Hill Blvd, head West
Make Left turn onto 441/St Rd 7
Make Right turn onto Lake Worth Rd
Make Right turn onto 120th Ave S
Destination on Left

Website:
www.internationalpoloclub.com

For Tickets:
http://internationalpoloclub.ticketleap.com/

Management:
John Wash – President of Club Operations
jwash@internationalpoloclub.com
561-282-5353

MEDIA CONTACT:
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
12012 South Shore Blvd #105
Wellington, FL 33414
561-753-3389 (phone)
561-753-3386 (fax)
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
PhelpsMediaGroup.com

Competitions, Polo

Palm Beach Illustrated on the Fly to the Finals, Wins Haas Cup Semifinal over Gateway Merchants

February 20, 2015 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Matias Magrini, Mariano Obregon and Michel Dorignac. Photo: Liz Lamont Images/Phelps Media Group.

Wellington, FL – February 19, 2015 – Palm Beach Illustrated used a balanced team strategy to run away from Gateway Merchants 11-7 in the Haas Cup Semifinals (Ylvisaker Cup 20-goal subsidiary) at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC) on Wednesday. Palm Beach Illustrated will advance to the Haas Cup Final on Sunday.

Palm Beach Illustrated came into the game with a solid strategy. “We planned on rotating the ball and hitting it to open places,” said Tommy Collingwood. “The idea was to just keep hitting it forward and keep a rhythm going.”

The strategy seemed to work well for Palm Beach Illustrated, which has a very balanced roster in terms of players’ handicaps. The team frequently created mismatches on coverage and had open players going to goal.

“We knew there would always be someone open, so we just kept hitting it forward or hitting the quick backshot,” said Jared Zenni, who was recently selected for Team USPA. As the players shivered in the tent after the game, Zenni added vehemently, “That was really cold today!”

The teams were playing polo in a polar vortex, but the blasts of chilled air did not slow down the match. Mariano Obregon quickly ran to goal to start the scoring off for Gateway Merchants, adding to the automatic goal awarded the 19-goal Gateway Merchants team. His score was immediately countered by an answering run from his brother, Facundo Obregon, who followed up with an awesome neckshot from 65 yards out from goal. Michel Dorignac tallied another field goal for Palm Beach Illustrated to close out the chukker (with a lot of help from Zenni, who cleared the path to goal).

Facundo Obregon continued his scoring ways through the second and third chukkers, adding two penalty goals and a field goal off a pinpoint pass from Dorignac. Matias Magrini converted a penalty 4 in the third chukker to keep Gateway Merchants in the hunt, but Palm Beach Illustrated still held a comfortable 6-3 lead to close out the half.

In the fourth chukker Facundo Obregon made two more goals, sandwiched around a Mariano Obregon field goal, for Gateway Merchants. The brothers seemed to share a genetic affinity for the same part of the polo field, as they marked each other closely throughout the game.

Until the fifth chukker, the Dorignac-to-Facundo Obregon connection produced most of the goals for Palm Beach Illustrated. But in the fifth, Zenni and Collingwood backed one another up on close plays by goal to produce a pair of field goals, bringing Palm Beach Illustrated into the final chukker with a commanding 10-4 lead. Gateway Merchants attempted a rally behind three goals from Magrini, but Facundo Obregon put an end to the comeback attempt with a coast-to-coast run on a speedy dark brown horse. The final score was 11-7 in favor of Palm Beach Illustrated.

Palm Beach Illustrated will face off against Tonkawa in the Haas Cup Finals on Sunday at noon at IPC.

International Polo Club Palm Beach Fast Facts

Featured Highlights:

Herbie Pennell Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 1-4, 2015

Joe Barry Memorial Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 4-25, 2015

Ylvisaker Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 28 – February 22, 2015

Iglehart Cup – 20 Goal
Feb. 28 – March 8, 2015

USPA C. V. Whitney Cup – 26 Goal
Feb. 15 – March 1, 2015

Piaget USPA Gold Cup® – 26 Goal
March 4-22, 2015

111th Maserati U.S. Open Polo Championship® – 26 Goal
March 25 – April 19, 2015

Directions:

From I-95:
Exit Forest Hill Blvd, head West
Make Left turn onto 441/St Rd 7
Make Right turn onto Lake Worth Rd
Make Right turn onto 120th Ave S
Destination on Left

Website:
www.internationalpoloclub.com

For Tickets:
http://internationalpoloclub.ticketleap.com/

Management:
John Wash – President of Club Operations
jwash@internationalpoloclub.com
561-282-5353

MEDIA CONTACT:
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
12012 South Shore Blvd #105
Wellington, FL 33414
561-753-3389 (phone)
561-753-3386 (fax)
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
PhelpsMediaGroup.com

Horses in the South – An Equine News Publisher

Category Archives: Polo

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Palm Beach Illustrated on the Fly to the Finals, Wins Haas Cup Semifinal over Gateway Merchants

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