2006 USPA Governor’s Cup Champions at the Mashomack Polo Club
Smithfield Farm (10)-Longfield Farm (9)
A polo game is normally 6, seven minute chukkers. So throw-in some pony changes and a half-time, you can usually figure 90 or so minutes. Well, that would be a normal polo game. But let Smithfield and Longfield take the field against each other, (our version of the Hatfields and the McCoys) and you have 180 minutes of anything but normal.
The English may have flown home last week, but the bloody civil war was this week. We had a total of three wrecks, a whole lot of bruising, and one intimate affair with a goal post, all in one afternoon. And if you want to know how it feels to hit a goal post at speed and wind up completely out of the saddle and now able to use your horse’s ears for reins, just ask Duke Buchan. (btw…Duke…that horse is a keeper). The only good news is that all are fine, well……. outside of Juan Olivera, who will be doing more pool time(good thing he recently purchased one) than anything else for a few days. Juan did have to be brought to the hospital after the match. he checked out ok…but unfortunately, he failed his pre-purchase exam.
The first half was all Smithfield Farm, as they finished up the first three chukkers 6-2, holding the talented mallet of Enrique Zavaleta to a single goal in 3 chukkers and denying Juan Olivera of any good looks at goal.
MVP Julio Ezcurra was on fire with some awesome shots from difficult angles and scored the game high seven goals. Teammate Sam( looking like a pro) Ramirez slapped in three to give Smithfield enough of an edge to hold off the comeback that was to follow in second half action. The first half had two spills. One was Bebe’s horse who just flat out stumbled while going flat out and the other was a controversial play that may be the source of some spirited conversations for weeks to come, or at least until the next game gets played.
In fact, the first controversial call was a technical against Longfield for giving one of the Smithfield players a free neck adjustment from a well placed elbow. That elbow drew a technical and cost Longfield two goals in the resulting play. In the end, I think those two goals may have been a larger wound then the bruising on Andres’ jaw.
The second colorful call was In the closing minutes of the third chukker, Juan Olivera headed down to the end line, on the line, to try to quickly turn the ball right back towards goal. Smithfield’s Erhbetti, quickly pursued on the near-side at a slight angle. (slight would be a contestable word). Juan then may have turned a bit right before he actually turned the ball. ( the words “may” and “a bit” are gifts). However, Andres did not seem to be making an attempt to check, as you would anticipate the player turning towards goal. (the words “did not seem” are a gift as well). So we have a collision, Juan gets knocked down, and is unable to finish the game.
Now a foul was obviously the call, but the call was not so clear cut. If Juan had stayed absolutely true to the line, and was then knocked down…dangerous foul…against Smithfield. But if Juan turned before the line changed, and did not respect the flow of the old line to clear, foul Longfield.
The umpires, in that they noted Andres made no attempt to check in their observation, identified that there were two dangerous plays…Juan starting his turn a tad early and Andres coming in a little too hard. In that a horse went down, a number 3 penalty for Longfield was awarded, as opposed to a number two, in light that Juan had some level of responsibility in the collision. The umpires felt that Andres was careless in his approach(making no attempt to check) and due to the result of the play, his actions not only negated Juan’s responsibility, but justified an open goal penalty. Off-setting fouls and a throw-in, which was considered, may have opened the door for even more aggressive play. So now Longfield, losing a player on a foul, has the option to find a substitute, sit down the next highest rated player, or re-configure their team. Option two would have been certain doom for Smithfield as that would mean Julio Ezcurra would have been sat down. Longfield, in a show of true sportsmanship, did not elect to act on that option which would have been certain demise for Smithfield. However, their chosen option wasnt a whole lot better for Smithfield. Thanks to our being reminded by one of our sharper members, Chris Green(also an attorney), Longfiled had to finish the last two minutes of chukker three with a substitute for Juan. Now in those final two minutes of first half, Longfield missed two open goal opportunities…..you may want to remember that number….because Longfield would like to forget them both.
Then at half-time, Longfield sat down Bebe, and mounted a hard- riding, man taking, Amy Wisehart (our token minus one woman player who can take out most any man player), which allowed Enriques’ brother, Agustin Zavaleta at 5 goals to join the Longfield squad who was now also long in talent. Smithfield sensed this was not a good thing.
Brothers Agustin and Enrique got busy in chukker #4. They won chukkers four and five, but not as handily as they may have on another day. The back breaker was number 6. Longfield had worked back within a goal and momentum had shifted to Longfield. But Julio and a Best Playing Pony by the name of Symphony, who played two chukkers for Julio, helped Julio to successfully conduct a Smithfield victory, as Julio matched the single sixth chukker goal by Longfield with the able hard riding assistance of John Klopp, Sam Ramirez, and Andres Erhbetti. I mean hard riding is just not enough of an adjective to convey the spirit that these two teams display when they come up against each other. Smithfield vs Longfield raises the stakes well above any trophies they may be playing for.
Congratulations to both teams for a hard fought contest and we would like to thank all the six participating teams that defined this wonderful tournament.
Peter Williams’s Buckleigh Farms
Kim Folley’s Stone Rows Farm
Bruce Colley’s Supersize
Don Langlois’s Buena Vista
John Klopp’s Smithfield
Duke Buchan’s Longfield.
Coaching Chukkers
The next game of the day was a rather refreshing one after the three hour test of intensity. We moved to another field and a totally different spirit. It was our first match in our coaching chukker program. Back to the days when just being on a horse and swinging at a ball is the trophy in itself. We have a super new group of members who exhibited a great deal of potential and a high level of enthusiasm.
We would like to welcome our newest Mashomack members in training.
Our Coaching Chukker Teams were:
Blue
#1 Oakleigh Thorne
#2 Abby Vietor
#3 Chris Green
#4 Tatin Zubiarre (coach)
White
#1 Alan Topal
#2 Conner Pardel
#3 Neil Goldman
#4 Felix Martinez (coach)
Umpire & Clinician-Tom Goodspeed
The Chalk-talk Agenda:
Our Motto Field Awareness
Field Play Knock-in Strategy
Malletwork 1-5
Equitation Lower leg
Rules Line of the Ball/Point of Origin
The group all did fantastic. We started with chalk-talk and then moved to the ponies, where Tatin and Felix captained their teams. We focused on knock-in strategies this week and had about a forty minute chukker of nothing but pure fun. We have a lot of previous riding talent in this group. Conner Pardel shows junior jumpers and eventors and was nearly unstoppable when en route to goal. You may recognize a very familiar Millbrook/Mashomack name in the roster. That would be Oakleigh Thorne, whose father was the backbone of this program for many years. Oakleigh Jr and his wife Parker Gentry have recently taken up mallets this summer under the guidance of Don Langlois and his pro Tatin. Unfortunately, Parker could not make coaching chukkers, so she played some club chukkers earlier in the day and did really well. The group has signed up for six sessions that run every saturday afternoon.
Another fairly new recruit is Matias Bullrich, who did not make coaching chukkers, but did make and did great in a 12 goal practice on Sunday. Matias is in training with Michel Dorginac and is considering entering a team in the Eddie Moore. In any event, Matias did very well on Sunday as he and Michel joined up with Bruce Colley & Felix Martinez.
Eddie Moore Team Entries: Somewhere between six- eight teams
Smithfield-confirmed
Buena Vista-confirmed
Longfield-confirmed
Bulltick-confirmed
Burnt Mills-confirmed
Tupungato ??
Polo Do/Supersize ??
Paul Quirk ??
Team Entry Deadline is this Wed/Draw is 12 noon on Wed in Polo Office