By Sarah Eakin
It was a family affair for the winners of the February 8-goal Outback at Hobe Sound Polo League as Palm Beach Equine featuring three of the youngest generation of ‘Gracidas’ was declared victorious in recognition of a 4-0 record in the tournament.
Julio Gracida, 22, and his cousins Carlitos, 19, and Mariano, 17, relied on their upbringing to help them on the field of play. “We’ve been taught to play the same way since we were born,” said Julio, “from the training that our fathers Carlos and Memo have given us. It was a great experience and I was very happy to get a chance to play with my cousins.”
The actual finals between Palm Beach Equine and Lockton were suspended after just one chukker due to heavy rain. No rematch was played as Lockton’s Tim Kelly and his team were already scheduled to leave Florida the following Monday.
Scott Swerdlin was awarded the MVP Amateur while Julio Gracida was awarded MVP professional for his performance in the tournament after coming on board just prior to the start. “They [Carlitos and Mariano] called me and asked me to play. They said: ‘Let’s go and have some fun.’ The fields were unbelievable at Hobe Sound Polo Club and it was a pleasure to play 8-goal on them. The organization was great. I tip my hat to Phil Heatley. It has been a very good start for Hobe Sound Polo Club.”
Carlos Gonzalez tallied eight goals against Detroit Blues in the finals of the February 4-goal Outback Polo League at Hobe Sound Polo Club to orchestrate a 9-5 victory for El Sur.
Detroit Blues lined up former MSU player Emmalyn Wheaton, South Africa’s Duncan Watson, Collin McCosh and 12-year old Steven Jenkins – both grandsons of Detroit Polo Club founder Merle Jenkins. Scores were level at half-time with Detroit Blues allowed a goal on handicap. Gonzalez added two field goals per chukker in the second half with Kelly Torres scoring in the third to give them victory.