IPC sets playing schedule for seasonopening tournament
By Alex Webbe
The playing schedule for the opening tournament of theseason at the International Polo Club has been finalizes as Gillian Johnstonand her Coca-Cola team (Gillian Johnston, Jeff Hall, Julio Arellano and NickMorrison) look to register their third consecutive win in the Herbie PennellCup.
Villa Del Lago/Casablanca (Jim Zenni, Inaki Laprida, PolitoPieres and Agustin Obregon) will open the tournament on Thursday, January 2ndwith a 3PM game against Palm Beach Illustrated (Jared Zenni, Facundo Obregon, MagooLaprida and Tommy Collingwood). The contestwill the Most Valuable Player of the Argentine Open in 9-goaler Polito Pieresand feature father against son with the young Jared Zenni’s Palm BeachIllustrated entry facing his father’s Villa Del Lago/Casablanca lineup.
Second day action will take place on Friday, January 3rdas Coca-Cola attempts to defend their 2013 title against Lechuza Caracas (VictorVargas, Mariano Aguerre Juan Martin Nero and Nico Espain). Victor Vargas’s Lechuza Caracas team isexpected to introduce the season’s first 10-goal player in Juan Martin Nero, ifNero has successfully recovered from a fractured thumb he suffered in therecently played Argentine Open.
The final of the tournament will open the Sunday season atthe International Polo Club, with the winners of Thursday and Friday’s matchesmeeting in the 3PM stadium game on January 5th. A consolation match between the losers of theprevious games will take place at noon.
The 2014 Herbie Pennell Cup marks the kick-off of the 2014high-goal polo season and is the first of four 20-goal tournaments.