Along the Sideboards
By Alex Webbe
February 15, 2010
The passing of Bill Ylvisaker, the visionary founder of Palm Beach Polo and Country Club was followed by the recent death of FIP Interim President James Ashton. Ashton died as the result of a fall while playing the Polo Escape 10-goal tournament in Thailand.
John Muse’s Lucchese team scored an exciting 12-9 win over Fred Mannix and his Hawks team in the finals of the 2010 International Polo Club’s 2010 Ylvisaker Cup.
Pancho Bensadon was named MVP, his horse, Czar, a13-year-old gelding received Best Playing Pony Honors.
Ten 20-goal teams are ready to kick off the Herbie Pennell Cup on Wednesday, February 17 while eight 26-goal teams will begin the high-goal season with the C. V. Whitney Cup on Thursday, February 17.
Teams competing in the Herbie Pennell Cup include Zacara, the Wanderers, Bendabout, Mt. Brilliant, Lechuza Caracas, Faraway Polo, and the Hawks. Joining them will be Camilo Bautista’s Las Monjitas, Joe DiMenna’s Equuleus entry and the personnel of the Ylvisaker Championship Lucchese team playing as EFG Bank with Jim Whisenand at the helm.
The C. V. Whitney field will include seven 10-goalers in Lolo Castagnola (Piaget), Pablo MacDonough (Orchard Hill), Gonzalito and Facundo Pieres (Audi), Juan Martin Nero (Lechuza), Eduardo Novillo Astrada (Las Monjitas) and Adolfo Cambiaso (Crab Orchard).
The Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame inducted its 2010 class of four players into the Hall of Fame, with living legends Julian Hipwood and Dave Rizzo being joined by the late Luis Lacey and Joe Muldoon, Jr.
Horses to Remember were Elmer Boeseke’s Red Ace and Hector Galindo’s Khaki.
Former 8-goaler and Hall of Famer Bart Evans took a tumble Sunday morning in a practice game that resulted in him being taken by helicopter to the hospital. “He was unconscious for about three minutes,” offered veterinarian Josh Hall, “and when he came to the first thing he said was ‘I’m getting too old for this sh#&’. Bart is back home, bruised but resting comfortably.