Windsor Capital tops Hawks in Skins Game Benefit
By Diane Hensley
INDIO –-Eldorado Polo Club’s 16th annual Polo Skins Game benefiting Rancho Mirage’s Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center was “awesome” by all accounts Sunday. Cooperative weather, first class food, and the equine spectacle of the season went off without a hitch, according to Polo America President Randy Russell.
Windsor from left to right: Jason Crowder, Clemente Zavaleta, Pat Nesbitt and Joseph Stuart.
From left to right: Hawks – Julian Mannix, Daniel Roenisch, Barbara Sinatra, Joe Henderson and Kyle Fargey.
Tailgaters began lining the east side of the clubhouse field just after 11 a.m. as guests streamed into the clubhouse for the $150 luncheon catered by Le St. Germaine. The six-goal Governor’s Cup final was played at 11:30 a.m., and a junior polo exhibition followed starring Eldorado’s next-gen players. Grooms marched in the Hundred Horse Polo Parade and the centerpiece Skins Game match pitted the undefeated Windsor Capital and second-place 12-goal team The Hawks.
“This is amazing,” said Shawn Comstock, 19, of Minneapolis, who tailgated with friends on Spring Break next to the bigger-than-life sized blow-up Ford truck on display fieldside.
“Polo is awesome,” Comstock said.
“We’re having a great time, there’s sunshine, hot dogs and beer all around, even if we don’t have our own Ford truck.”
Ford Trucks, Club Car, Griffin Ranch and Eldorado Polo Club sponsored the $4,000 per chukker Skins Polo Game that has long benefited the Children’s Center. Windsor Capital claimed its second consecutive Skins match victory, winning 4 of 6 chukkers and doubling the Hawks $16,000 to $8,000.
“Everyone out there played a great game today,” Windsor Capital patron Pat Nesbitt said. “We were undefeated in March, so this tournament really capped a great month for us.”
Windsor’s Nesbitt, Clemente Zavaleta, Joseph Stuart and Jason Crowder found themselves down two goals in the sixth after the Hawks’ Julian Mannix and Joe Henderson pounded in two from the field. Nesbitt led the comeback for Windsor with 4:43 remaining. Crowder hit a penalty 5 shot from midfield as Nesbitt positioned downfield for the reception. Evading the Hawks’ Dan Roenisch, Nesbitt darted right away from the pack and headed for goal as Mannix rode up for the hook. Nesbitt outtimed his mallet and necked the shot in from 40 yards.
“Coming back from two goals down was tough but it always feels really great when you can do that,” Nesbitt said.
Stuart connected with another accurate pass from Crowder for a cross-goal neck shot and Windsor’s second field goal with 3:02 left on the clock. Zavaleta grounded the Hawks on a penalty five conversion in the last 30 seconds.
“Our secret weapon was really Clemente today, but the Hawks played us pretty tough. We’re all feeling pretty great right now,” Crowder said after the match.
As the ceremonial checks were presented to players after the match, Nesbitt immediately donated the team’s first $4,000 back to the Children’s Center as he’d done last year.
“On behalf of our team, we’re pleased to present the Barbara Sinatra center with this donation,” he said.
In Governor’s Cup play, O.C. Polo (Robin Paicius, Matias Obregon, Tomas Obregon and Jessica Bailey) defeated the Hawks (Julian Mannix, Pat Uretz, Carlitos Galindo and Joseph Stuart) 10-9. Top scorers were the O.C’s Tomas Obregon with 5 goals and the Hawks’ Mannix, also with five goals.
In 2007, Grant’s Farm/Windsor Capital, joining Nesbitt, Andy Busch, Jason Crowder and Mariano Fassetta, routed Tri-Tech to take the entire purse of $24,000. In 2006, Mansour (Ben Soleimani, Henry Zavaleta, Federico Von Wernich and Agustin Zavaleta) shut out Windsor Capital’s Nesbitt, Fassetta, Crowder and Joseph Stuart $24,000 to zero, with Zavaleta earning MVP honors. And, in 2005, Fish Creek and Tri-Tech shared the championship equally at $12,000 apiece.
SKINS POLO GAME
GOALS SCORED
WINDSOR CAPITAL
Pat Nesbitt (1), Jason Crowder (5), Joseph Stuart (3), Clemente Zavaleta (3)
HAWKS
Julian Mannix (1), Kyle Fargey (2), Joe Henderson (5), Dan Roenisch (0).
PRIZES AWARDED: WINDSOR CAPITAL $16,000, HAWKS $8,000
Chukker 1: (3-0) WINDSOR CAPITAL $4,000, sponsor Ford Trucks
Chukker 2: (3-0) HAWKS, $4,000, sponsor Griffin Ranch
Chukker 3: (3-0) WINDSOR CAPITAL, $4,000, sponsor Club Car
Chukker 4: (2-1) WINDSOR CAPITAL, $4,000, sponsor Eldorado Polo Club
Chukker 5: (2-1) HAWKS, $4,000, sponsor Eldorado Polo Club
Chukker 6: (3-2) WINDSOR CAPITAL, $4,000, sponsor Henry Trione Vineyards