Kopu Sparkling Water High Goal Challenge
After a one week break, the Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club kicked off the summer season with the Kopu Sparkling Water High Goal Challenge. This was a fun and friendly match to welcome our patrons and players.
Uniquely, this match was made of mixed teams. It featured familiar names such as Farmers and Merchants Bank players Danny Walker and Lucas Criado, who played alongside the grandson of a former eight goal player, eleven year old Pacquito de Narvaez. Joaquin Avendano rounded out the team at 2 goals.
On the other side of the field was Francisco Escobar’s Santa Clara Polo Team. He welcomed a new player to Santa Barbara hailing from San Diego CA, Chris Maloney. Maloney brought 6 goaler Jesse Bray. Luis Escobar, son of Francisco played back for Santa Clara.
Avendano scored the first goal of the game for FMB. Chris Maloney quickly retaliated scoring his first of four goals in the game. Paquito de Narvaez showed talent certainly runs in the family as he was the high scorer of FMB with 3 goals.
The score remained within one the whole match until the final chukker. FMB’s Danny Walker scored a neck shot from 80 yards to build the team momentum. Two goals by Lucas Criado and the final goal by de Narveaz brought FMB up by three. The game finished 10-7.
Danny Walker earned MVP for his strong performance in the last chukker. Best Playing Pony was awarded to Chris Maloney’s fourth chukker horse, Bon Filet. Maloney commented on the game, “It was a fun day of polo. I’m very happy with how my new mare played. It felt great for her to be honored with Best Playing Pony.”