<img src=”http://www.polobarn.com/scrowder.jpg”/> 5 Hours and 22 minutes is what it takes to see some of the best horses in North America and the best players in the World. They were all on real polo fields green with real grass. The fields were fast, a little bouncy and we had an inch of rain at 8 a.m. this morning. From 11 a.m. until 5:22 p.m. they flew with few diviots and no tractors mowing. They just put the divots back in and continued on. There was an announcer at each game, flaggers who put the ball down where it went out and wearing clean clothes. All lines marked and yes they did have boards painted red and standing up. They had a bit of rain during this time and a lot of wind, but hey no dirt flying by. It was just amazing to witness what can happen if people really like their polo and they are willing to make it first class and patrons who are willing to pay for it. Just like most things in life you get what you pay for. Otherwise your just getting robbed like when you pay the gas companies and the PTF, you just pay and no difference or improvement is made. You just pay and do not receive.
The Polo was good in game 1. It was a Flying Galindo (Hector), he is actually where the name came from losing in the last chukker to Black Watch. Hector and another desert boy, Jeff Hall, let it slip and they got beat in the end, but they have another chance come Saturday.
In game two it was Bendabout led by probably the most famous Lady Player today, Gillian Johnston. She has another desert boy of the past playing on her team in the form of Mariano Gonzalez. He was the main reason they won. Mariano’s foul shots were weak, but his field play was outstanding. So Bendabout heads to round two with a + in their Win column. Gillian was MVP of the day I would say as they beat Lechuza Caracas. In the final 3 hours it was Adolfo Cambiaso and Crab Orchard ruining the Sticks debut in the Gold Cup as in “Nick the Stick” (Nick Roldan). He played well, but just needed a coach as he had a very big job with Jeff Blake, a summer boy in Ca., who ruined his day. It was all very fun and a crowd from 600 at game 1:00 to 1100 at game 3:00. People like action and they just like nice places and clean places with no dust, no dirty flaggers, no water trucks spraying you and grass. It is amazing. Grass its cheap to plant and grow. Try it. I bet you can do it.
Winners of round 1 thus far in the USPA Piaget Gold Cup 26-Goal at IPC:
Black Watch
Bendabout
Crab orchard
tba
All first round winners have a bye until next week. See ya.
Wed. Mar. 5
11:00 am Black Watch def. Orchard Hill 13-12
1:00 pm Bendabout def. Lechuza Caracas 14-12
3:00 pm Crab Orchard def. Pony Express 11-8
Thu. Mar. 6
10:30 Zacara vs. White Birch*
(rescheduled from Tue. March 4) Game 1
Sat. Mar. 8
12:00 pm Las Monjitas vs. Lechuza Caracas Game 5
Game 6
Sun. Mar. 9
10:00 am Isla Carroll vs. Loser Game 1 Game 7
TBA Skeeterville vs. Orchard Hill
TBA Audi vs. Pony Express Game 8
Tue. Mar. 11
3:00 pm Las Monjitas vs. Bendabout
Game 10
Wed. Mar. 12
10:00 am Isla Carroll vs Winner Game 1
Game 9
12:00 pm Audi vs. Crab Orchard Game 11
3:00 pm Skeeterville vs. Black Watch Game 12
Sat. Mar. 15
TBA Quarterfinal
TBA Quarterfinal
Sun. Mar. 16
10:00 am Quarterfinal
3:00 pm Quarterfinal
Tue. Mar. 18
12:00 pm Bracket I 3rd Place vs. Bracket II 3rd Place
3:00 pm Bracket III 3rd Place vs. Bracket IV 3rd Place
Wed. Mar. 19
12:00 pm Semifinal
3:00 pm Semifinal
Sun. Mar. 23
10:00 am Butler Handicap Final
3:00 pm Gold Cup Final
The Teams:
Audi
Melissa Ganzi A
Gonzalo Pierres 9
Juan Bolini 7
Paco de Narvaez 9
25
Bendabout
Gillian Johnston 1
Miguel Novillo Astrada 10
Alejandro Novillo Astrada 7
Mariano Gonzales 8
26
Black Watch
Niel Hirsch A
Pablo MacDonough 9
Matias MacDonough 9
Nacho Figueras 6
24
Crab Orchard
Jeff Blake 6
Nachi Heguy 9T
Adolfo Cambiaso 10
George Rawlings 1
26
Isla Carroll
Magoo Laprida 7
Marcos Di Paola 8
Facundo Pieres 10
John Goodman 1
26
Lechuza Caracas
Victor Vargas 1
Sebastian Merlos 10
Pite Merlos 9
Nicolas Espain 6
26
Las Monjitas
Camilo Bautista A
Eduardo Astrada 9
Javier Astrada 9
Nacho Astrada 8
26
Orchard Hill
Steve Van Andel A
Hector Galindo 8
Lucas Criado 9
Jeff Hall 8
25
Pony Express
Bob Daniels A
David Stirling 8
Nicolas Roldan 8
Matias Magrini 10
26
Skeeterville
Will Johnston 1
Adam Snow 9
Julio Arellano 8
Owen Rinehart 7
25
White Birch
Inaki Laprida 4
Lucas Monteverde 9
Mariano Aguerre 10
Peter Brant 3
26
Zacara
Lyndon Lea 1
Mike Azzaro 9
Carlos Gracida 9
Tommy Biddle 7
26