For much of the new year of 2014, a good part of the country had been subjected to a rather severe onslaught of winter. At the same time, Southern California had been the very balmy exception – until Sunday as it turned out, as winter arrived in a big way with a Northern Blizzard blowing in to win the Carlton and Keleen 12 Goal Beal Cup at the Eldorado Polo Club. The Northern Blizzard, of course, was Calgary’s John Rooney and his Northern Blizzard polo team who covered Geoff Palmer’s Antelope foursome by a final count of 9 – 7.

At the outset, it seemed as if the weather was going to remain the same as a very aggressive Geoff Palmer grabbed a pass from Santiago Trotz and made a nice run to score in the early going to take a lead of one. However, the cool wind from the north started to become a factor as Joe Henderson and Tim Rudy scored from the field and Juan Curbelo added an open goal conversion and the first ended with the Rooney group leading by two at 3 – 1.

The Pronghorns warmed up in the second as Jared Sheldon counted one from the field and Trotz absolutely nailed a penalty four to tie the count at three. Rooney, perhaps used to the cold weather, turned the thermostat down with an exceptional steal to score late and the second ended with the cool wind from Canada leading 4 – 3.

The third got warmer however, as Antelope came out and dominated the period with the elusive Sheldon scoring twice from the field and Palmer converting an open goal award and Palmer and Co. lead by three at 6 – 4.

The north wind picked up in the fourth as the Rooney group applied pressure and were rewarded with a number four conversion by Curbelo and an open goal counter by Rudy. With less than a minute to go, it appeared that the chukker would end with the score tied. Didn’t happen as Sheldon got loose near the Canadian goal and pounded a deep neck shot from far right – the announcer’s ‘shot of the day’ – and it was 7 – 6 Antelope going to the fifth.

As it turned out, that was it for the Pronghorns as the snow started to fall  in the penultimate stanza with Northern Blizzard completely shutting down Antelope while Rudy converted a penalty two to tie the count at seven.

The snow stated to pile up in the sixth as Henderson converted a penalty two and Curbelo struck from the field. When it was over, it was winter in Southern California as Northern Blizzard covered Antelope and took the Beal Cup.

Curbelo was selected as the Most Valuable Player in the final and Palmer was honored as the Most Valuable Sponsor in the Beal Tournament.

2014 Carlton and Keleen 12 Goal Beal Cup – Eldorado Polo Club

Northern Blizzard 12 – John Rooney 1, Joe Henderson 4, Juan Curbelo 4, Tim Rudy 3.

Antelope 12 – Geoff Palmer, Santiago Trotz 5, Jesse Bray 4, Jared Sheldon 3.

Tony Gregg

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