Alo the Sideboardsng

Along the Sideboards

By Alex Webbe

March 9, 2009

 

The Camacho Cup (Mexico vs. USA) is on tap this Friday at The Villages Polo Club and it appears that it is not the rosy picture it started out to be.  The idea of a Mike Azzaro captained high-goal team disappeared when Azzaro broke his collarbone in an on-field accident 48 hours before the Westchester Cup.  Jeff Hall and Nick Roldan were the latest to jump ship as they cited lack of horses and conflicts with commitments to USPA Gold Cup and Open teams. 

 

The US team has dropped from a 30-goal team to a 24-goal team consisting of Tommy Biddle (7), Kris Kampsen (6), John Gobin (6), and Carlucho Arellano (5).  The team representing Mexico will be Memo Gracida (8), Carlos Gracida (8), Julio Gracida (5), and Pelon Escapite (6).  By the way, aside from the Hispanic surname, Pelon was born in Texas and is a US citizen.

 

Possible additional bad news for the US Camacho Cup team:  While playing in a 14-goal game the other day, Tommy Biddle pulled a riding muscle and exited the game.  As a preventative measure, Biddle stayed out of the game, hoping that it will be healed enough for him to play at 100% on Friday.

 

Sarah Ferguson is scheduled to be on hand for the event in The Villages, to cheer on old friend and business associate Carlos Gracida.

 

White Birch’s Mariano Aguerre suffered a fall in the opening chukker of play on Saturday.  Apparently, while reaching down to collect a ball, his horse’s head bobbed up and hit him in the head.  Aguerre fell to the ground (no foul called or opposing player in the area) and remained there for some time until an ambulance arrived to take him to the hospital for further evaluation.

 

With the opening round of the 2009 USPA Piaget Gold Cup on Saturday we will see the debut of Black Watch with Sugar Erskine (7), Luis Escobar (7), Fred Mannix, Jr. (6), and Nacho Figueras (6) to join the seven other teams who have already competed in the single elimination C. V. Whitney Cup.

 

Rumors continue to circulate about the possible return of Adolfo Cambiaso to the Crab Orchard fold for the 2010 season while speculation continues about the future tournament participation of Jedi’s Erich and Torsten Koch.  The Jedi compound is currently the home for Agustin and Sebastian Merlos.  What they’re planning we can only speculate at this time.