The final day of the 2013 season at the Eldorado Polo Club in Indio, CA saw two final games played – the Polo Skins Game and the Pacific Coast Circuit Governor’s Cup.
The 19th annual Polo Skins Game – played just like a golf skins contest and with $4,000 available for each ‘skin’ – featured Ben Soleimani’s Mansour facing – off against Ron Mathison’s Highwood.
With the first chukker ending in a tie at three goals apiece, the first carryover of the day was created and the second would be worth $8,000 to the winner.
With a 2 – 1 ‘victory’ in the second frame, Mansour collected the money available and banked the $8,000.
Soleimani and Co. dominated the third period and grabbed another skin by a count of 4 – 1 and had $12,000 collected at halftime.
If Mansour dominated the third, Highwood owned the fourth and controlled throughout to take the money with a 5 – 1 ‘win’ to take the $4,000.
The second carryover of the afternoon was created in the fifth chukker as both teams scored once only and the sixth was now worth $8,000.
Mansour managed to hold on in the sixth and used a 2 – 1 advantag to grab the $8,000 and dominated in the financial department with a final count of $20,000 to just $4,000 for Highwood. As well as controlling most of the money, Mansour was victorious in the overall game score with a 13 – 12 advantage.
Mansour’s Santiago Von Wernich was selected as the MVP and Santiago Wulff’s mare, Ji Ji, was chosen as the Best Playing Pony.
2013 Polo Skins Game – Eldorado Polo Club
Mansour (12) – Ben Soleimani, Santiago Wulff 5, Santiago Von Wernich 5, Patrick Uretz 2.
Highwood (12) – Scotty Cunningham (for injured Ron Mathison), Doug Blumenthal (for injured Jake Stimmel) 2, Marcello Rodriguez-Abbiati 5, Santiago Trotz 5.
The Governor’s Cup final saw Madelyn Cobb’s Coldwell Banker Menlo go up against Reg Whyte’s Thermal in the traditional four chukker Governor’s Cup format.
Thermal led early by counts of 2 – 1 after one and 4 – 3 at the half.
The third period, however, was controlled by Coldwell Banker as they scored four times before Thermal was able to reply, and the chukker ended with Cobb and Co. leading with a count of 7 – 6.
The Coldwell Banker momentum carried into the fourth as they outscored Thermal by one at 2 – 1 and earned a 9 – 7 victory.
Because of his very underrated ability and strength, Coldwell Banker’s Joseph Stuart was, once again, voted as the MVP, and Jared Sheldon’s gray mare Cheeky was picked as the Best Playing Pony.
2013 Pacific Coast Governor’s Cup – Eldorado Polo Club
Coldwell Banker Menlo (6) – Madelyn Cobb, Joseph Stuart 3, Jared Sheldon 3, Conrad Kissling.
Thermal (6) – Reg Whyte, Emma Stachowicz -1, Fergus Gould 4, Nicolas Maciel 3.
Tony Gregg