The Polo Report
By Steve Crowder
The Spreckels Cup is an old cup in Americas finest city, San Diego. The Club is actually located in Rancho Santa Fe near Del Mar where the Surf meets the Turf. It is a party club and so much fun. The polo parties always bring out the best in people. Past members like Brian Murphy, petty lady Lisa Bostick and Susan Figi to name a few, have been part of the history at San Diego Polo Club. They have had a mountain to climb and a lot of big games over the years. The Spreckels is one of the oldest polo trophy’s in America. I think the oldest in California since San Diego opened in 1989. I think the Spreckels Tournament has been as high as 20-goals and this year it is 8-goals. No matter what, it is always a great finals and it was this year as well. The crowd was big. San Diego Polo Club has crowds like they do in the Hampton’s. Their PR lady Lindsey, is a goldmine for anyone who wants media.
As usual it was the unexpected. The 2 stars of the tournament, in my opinion, were young two men. One is really just a boy , but not on the Polo field. His name is Colin Bancroft, the son of Hugh and Joy. They have to love it I think. He is about 15 and has his Pops desire for speed. Hugh is into race cars or was, now he likes to watch fast horses. On the other side was a young lad named David Saminego. He was also a big reason the finals went into double over time. I felt for him. He had two chances to end it in the 7th. One opportunity was a very difficult angle. The other was perfect approach, a gentle swing and it was just wide. This happens a lot as San Diego Polo Club, like many clubs, has battled to survive after being there for well over a decade. I know how bad it is. The fields are now run by a Soccer organization and maintained by them. This recent change has changed the way the fields are maintained. It is a tragedy to see these conditions. It is a perfect example why Polo and foot sports do not always work well together and for the horses sake, they really need to let someone else run the fields not a soccer coach.
On one end it was a dust bowl and on the other a gamble on the bounce. It was no doubt on young Davids mind as he took that easy swing, but it was great game. Ms. Greenhill was the a very proud Patron along with the Bancrofts as they should be. It is not very often you see 8-chukker Polo unless you are watching it on on TV from Argentina. Kirsta and the Saminegos do not have to hang their heads. It was, after all, the SPRECKELS CUP FINALS and it will always be a very tough game. Well done to Graham Bray and Bobby Puetz to make this show considering the environment.
The winners were …
Ellen Greenhill
Graham Bray
Martin Ravina
Colin Bancroft
Krista Bonaguidi
Ashton Wolf
Mariano Fassetta
David Saminego
These reason the fields are run by a soccer.org Crowder is the fields were run the last few years by a polo pro who only thought he new what he ways doing. ” it’s easy if you work hard you can do it”.. Well it isn’t that easy.. There is a science involved and the the polo pro did was pretty much killed the fields using the wrong herbicides for the turfgrass. The polo club turned the fields over because they no longer had the finances to maintain the polo fields and the expertise..Lets face it when Ellen Greenhill and Krista are your main sponsors you have a problem…Polo is dying in SD..The only thing keeping it going is the Sunday crowd. The soccer group through time will improve the fields and hopefully keep a venue for the great sport of polo to continue.