The Polo Report
By Steve Crowder
KEN WALKER MUST BE A PROUD MAN TODAY AS HIS SONS won the 2013 Silver Cup over the North American Legends in Santa Barbara, a place KW is very much the reason it is here today. Today’s game may have been one of the oldest finals we have had in many years. Both teams were well over 150 mark and it was very good polo. The dribble went away and it was a pass and attack game. This may not be the best idea against Danny and Henry Walker as that is there m.o. Let ’em run and take no prisoners. We tried it last Sunday and came out in second place same as today. They are very good at the running game. Henry had an amazing game as he constantly blocked out a big gun to free his man. Danny just kept coming. He missed a lot of goal shots early, but he made plenty in the end and set it up for a drop shot for the next man.
It started out close with F&M missing 3 of 4 goal shots in the first chukker, but made one and finished tied. Again in the second, they jumped out in front, but the La Heredura crew tied it up. Finally in the 3rd they were up 1 going into 1/2 time and gained another one in the 4th winning 2 to 1. In the 5th it was Carlos Gracida showing the way as he rallied LH back by a 3 to 2 margin. Trailing by 1 again, they seemed to close the door in the 6th, but Lucas Criado and Inaki Laprida had no intentions of giving in and they kept up the speed game suitable for the Walkers. They just overpowered at the end to win by 1. It was a very good final and well worth watching. There were a few fouls, but a lot of running and passing which is what makes polo fun. We had a very weak crowd, but that is Santa Barbara. The best Polo in CA. San Diego’s 8-goal gets 2500 people in their crowds on a Sunday afternoon and we get a 100 non-polo people. Someone needs to work on this.
Today’s game was also unique in the fact that 2 sets of brothers all in the 50 + area of age were playing on an extreme level. The Gracida’s, Carlos and Memo, 20 goals for 20 years probably never played here together, but have both been here and won many times. The Walker’s, Henry and Danny, are from here and at their peak were 8 goals total. I think that was the high point, but polo was not their career. Ken had better things for them to do. Maybe it was the age, as it was good, fairly clean polo on a bouncy field. They kept running and hitting. I liked it.
Hope you did as well. See you next Sunday when the Grandaddy of them all starts … the PACFIC COAST OPEN. There are 12 games to go, so be HERE and have a very good time.
See ya Next Sunday