Along the Sideboards

Along the Sideboards

By Alex Webbe

September 7, 2009

 

Grants Farm scored a 13-11 win over a game ERG team in the finals of the 2009 Bombardier Pacific Coast Open Championship Sunday at the Santa Barbara Polo Club.

 

In a see-saw game that saw the lead change hands nine times, it was Sugar Erskine that scored the go-ahead goal in the final moments of the sixth chukker to give Grants Farm a 12-11 lead, and Jeff Hall’s seventh goal of the game iced the win, 13-11.

 

ERG’s Jeff Blake was named MVP and Sugar Erskine’s 14-year-old Bay mare, Shell Rock was named Best Playing Pony (for the second consecutive time in the PCO finals!).

Jeff Hall was honored with the Bob Skene Trophy as the Season MVP.  Hall averaged over seven goals a game throughout the Open competition and led all scorers in the finals with seven goals.

 

With the completion of the Pacific Coast Open, the focus will shift back to the East Coast as five teams will be competing in the 20-goal competition at the 302 Polo Club in Aiken, South Carolina with the 2009 Monty Waterbury Cup and the USPA Silver Cup.

 

Entries include the 2008 defending Goose Creek team (Maureen Brennan, Adam Snow, Martin Zegers and Cote Zegers); Barrington (Barb Uskup, Julio Arellano, Tommy Biddle and Antonio Galvan); MavOffice.com (Tom Uskup, Julian Daniels, Horacio Onetto and Tiger Kneece); Bendabout (Gillian Johnston, Hector Galindo, Owen Rinehart and Whistle Uys); and Pony Express (Bob Daniels, Cesar Crespo, Matias Magrini and Tomas Goti).

 

The Greenwich Polo Club will be winding down its fall season with the 20-goal tournament final set for Sunday, September 13 between White Birch (1-0) and Ikepod (1-0).  Airstream and Heathcote/Cinque Terre will play in a consolation match.

 

There are unconfirmed rumors surrounding the uncertain future of the Hobe Sound Polo Club in Martin County, Florida.  The club has been touting itself as the home of 10-goaler Adolfo Cambiaso for over two years but have yet to establish itself as an operating club, or a successful real estate venture.

 

The Port Mayaca Polo Club is on track for another successful season while a third County effort, the Sunlight Ranch Polo Club is kicking off its season with “A Big Shindig” on Saturday, September 12th.  The club promises “Live Music, Food, Fun and so much more.”