Clogau Wales retain their title in Arizona
By Victoria Elsbury-Legg
Various English teams may have been doing well in International matches recently, with the 8 goal squad of Max and Freddie Dear, Jack Mesquita and Ollie Tuthill winning the FIP 8 Goal European Championships in Chantilly and the Audi England team of Jack Richardson, Max Charlton, George Meyrick and Tom Morley beating the Rest of the World at Chester. Then their 14 goal counterparts George Pearson, Tommy Beresford, Will Emerson and Pete Webb qualified at Beaufort for a spot in Chile in 2015 at the FIP World Championships. It’s not however only team England who have been championing the cause in Great Britain’s polo scene.
Last weekend in Scottsdale, Arizona at The 4th Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships: Horses and Horsepower, Clogau Wales Polo Team headed up by Captain Ricky Cooper alongside Richard Blake Thomas, Roddy Matthews and Pete Webb (this time flying the flag for a different part of the British Isles) competed as the defending champions (having beaten the US Military team and Jeff Hall 9-8 in the 2013 season) and once again lifted the Molina Trophy at Westworld. This year, despite facing the world’s strongest female side comprising of Sunny Hale (USA), Sarah Wiseman (England), Paula Martinez (Argentina) and Caroline Anier (France) playing as Molina Fine Jewelers Woman’s All –Star Team, the team branded with the mark of the Welsh dragon won by 9 goals to 5. The ninth goal of the match was converted by Roddy Matthews on the whistle, but it was Pete Webb who galloped off the pitch having scored eight of the nine goals, meaning he not only earned the title of most Valuable Player, but Clogau Wales Polo team were Bentley Scottsdale Polo Champions for the second consecutive year.