Along the Sideboards

By Alex Webbe

April 6, 2009

Early surprises rocked the opening rounds of the 2009 US Open as Gold Cup champion Lechuza Caracas fell to White Birch and an “all pro” Black Watch foursome came up short with an underachieving Las Monjitas team.

Audi began Open play by hammering Zacara 15-8 as the Pieres brothers seemed to have their way with a talented Zacara lineup. Orchard Hill downed Pony Express to mark only its second win in 26-goal play this winter (and that win was over an Audi team that had already qualified for the semifinals and were saving their horses), but will be facing a hungry Audi lineup this Friday.

The finals of the WCT (Women’s Championship Tournament) attracted large crowds of spectators and supporters as Audi (Melissa Ganzi, Gillian Johnston, Sunny Hale and Danika Rice) took top honors in a four-team field.

Rumors have Tommy Lee Jones leaving Wellington, temporarily. The word round the barns is that the Texas actor will be playing polo in Argentina next winter. Ray Mayor from Boulder, Colorado has been named as the man who will be leasing the San Saba facility in Wellington where he and his polo-playing son, Grant, will further hone their skills in the saddle. Nacho Novillo Astrada is said to be going out to Santa Barbara with the Mayer clan this summer.

Tim Gannon is taking a more active part in helping to promote the Hobe Sound Polo Club. Efforts are being made to create some summer polo activities on the property while they continue to host Saturday morning polo for Junior Players thru April.

And speaking of Junior Polo, the ESCUE team of Hayden Walsh, Shahmir Quraeshi, Sahir Quraeshi and Tommy Collingwood took the 2009 Port Mayaca Junior Invitational. Hayden Walsh was named MVP.

The Gulfstream Polo Club is offering summer polo (June, July and August) for $750.00 a month as clubs look for alternate approaches to the current economic challenges.

The 14-goal Flying Cow polo league is said to be in trouble. Word has it that Outback Polo has been approached about taking over operations next year.

The early success of the South Beach Women’s Polo Cup has six teams signed up to participate in its debut tournament. Sunny Hale, the game’s highest rated female player (5-goals in the arena/beach) is expected to be playing, while the Miami Beach Polo World Cup is rumored to have Nacho Figueras and a 16-goal Black Watch team taking the beach in May (May 1-3) for the three aside competition.

The USPA Umpire program is taking a hit this summer. Aiken is hiring outside the program and The Villages is going to the private sector for umpires as well. The closure of the Royal Palm Polo Club ended any USPA umpire possibilities there, and there don’t appear to be any new possibilities on the near horizon.