7-goaler Marianito Obregon
La Herradura (Guillermo Steta, Marianito Obregon, Carlos Gracida and Jason Crowder) won the first tournament of the Santa Barbara Polo Club’s 20-goal season with a 12-10 win over Mansour (Ben Soleimani, Rico Mansur, Adam Snow and Santi Von Wernich) Sunday afternoon in the finals of the El Encanto Polo Classic I.
Mansour received two goals by handicap from the 20-goal La Herradura team with team captain Ben Soleimani adding to it with the first goal from the field for a 3-0 lead. Marianito Obregon responded with consecutive goals to end the chukker with Mansour on top, 3-2.
Single goals from Rico Mansur and Santi Von Wernich extended the Mansour lead to three goals, 5-2. Jason Crowder kept La Herradura from getting shut out with his first goal of the game. At the end of the second period, Mansour continued to lead, 5-3.
A pair of goals from Carlos Gracida in the third chukker tied it at 5-5 and a goal from the field from Crowder put La Herradura in the lead, 6-5. Mansur tied it up at 6-6 to close out the chukker.
La Herradura took Mansour to school in the fourth chukker as the teamwork of the La Herradura lineup picked them apart. Goals from Obregon and Gracida had La Herradura ahead by two goals, 8-6. Adam Snow scored his first goal of the day to bring Mansour to within a goal, 8-7. Gracida and Obregon added single goals again for a three goal, 10-7 advantage.
Defenses tightened on both sides in the fifth. Obregon and Snow exchanged goals and the chukker ended with La Herradura on top, 11-8.
Gracida’s fifth goal stretched the La Herradura lead to four goals, 12-8 in the final chukker. Mansour continued to press, picking up goals from Snow and Von Wernich, but the La Herradura defense held as they celebrated the 12-10 victory.
Gracida and Obregon scored five goals apiece for La Herradura. Crowder added two goals in the win. Snow led the Mansour attack with three goals. Mansur and Von Wernich scored two goals apiece and the team received two goals by handicap.
“I thought the team played well,” said Obregon. “The opportunity to ride onto the field with a player like Carlos Gracida is a real honor,” said the 7-goaler. “I’m really looking forward to the summer season here.”
Marianito Obregon was named MVP while Carlos Gracida’s 10-year-old gray Mexican Thoroughbred received Best Playing Pony honors.