Port Mayaca Holiday Family Cup

Port Mayaca Polo Club (PMPC) located in Okeechobee, Florida, hosts a range of tournaments from fun weekend chukkers to competitive world-class polo. Every year during the December holiday season, PMPC holds the Holiday Family Tournament. Each team entered must consist of at least two family members to be eligible to compete. It is a fun start to the season and always draws in several teams. This year’s competition featured six teams over three days of competition, culminating in the final on New Years Eve. 

In a close final match, undefeated Horseware (Barry Finnegan, Tom McGuinness, Hugo Lloret, Segundo Merlos) won the 2017 Holiday Family Cup defeating Patagones (Benjamin Avendano, Santiago Avendano, Joaquin Avendano, Lorenzo Merlotti) in the final. Starting with an advantage due to handicap, Patagones held on to a narrow lead at the half. Following the break, two goals by Hugo Lloret put Horseware ahead. Joaquin Avendano ended the chukker with a field goal to maintain the narrow margin moving into the final chukker. Lloret was again able to convert two penalties to push Horseware ahead. Two great field goals by Benjamin Avendano, who would later be named Most Valuable Player, closed the gap, but the horn sounded before the ball could be thrown in, and Horseware dethroned defending champions Patagones with a final score 6-5.5. Best Playing Pony honors were presented to Guri Mario owned by Segundo Merlos.