Audi/Millarville-2016 Bobby Barry Cup winners-(L to R)-Grant Ganzi, Julian Mannix, Nic Roldan and Freddie Mannix. (Photo by Alex Pacheco)
Audi/Millarville (Grant Ganzi, Nic Roldan, Julian Mannix and Freddie Mannix) rode onto the field at the International Polo Club with guns blazing Tuesday afternoon in the final of the Bobby Barry Cup, scored the first three goals of the game and rode on to record a 13-10 victory over Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Gonzalo Deltour, Sebastian Merlos and Mason Wroe).
Julian Mannix scored the first goal of the game two minutes into the first chukker of play for the early 1-0 Audi/Millarville lead. A minute later teammate Nic Roldan added a goal from the field and then converted a 40-yard penalty shot to put Audi/Millarville on top, 3-0. A great individual effort by Sebastian Merlos put Tonkawa on the scoreboard with 2:37 left in the chukker, 3-1. Audi/Millarville team captain Julian Mannix scored the final goal of the chukker that had Tonkawa trailing, 4-1.
A reorganized Tonkawa team roared back onto the field in second chukker action with Gonzalo Deltour scoring in the opening 30 seconds of play cutting the Audi/Millarville lead to two goals, 4-2. Mason Wroe had Tonkawa within a goal of the lead at the 2:10 mark and a second goal by Deltour leveled the score at 4-4 with 1:18 on the clock. For the second straight chukker Ganzi closed out the scoring, with Audi/Millarville in front, 5-4.
Second chukker goals from Roldan (60-yard penalty conversion) and Freddie Mannix were countered by a single goal from Wroe as Audi/Millarville stretched their lead to two goals at the end of the first half, 7-5.
Fouls were costly to both teams as the second half got underway. Deltour scored back-to-back 40-yard penalty shots that tied the game at 7-7. Roldan scored his fourth goal of the game and his first goal from the field to give the lead back to Audi/Millarville, 8-7. Deltour’s third penalty goal of the chukker tied the game again, at 8-8.
A determined Audi/Millarville team got back into the game in the fifth period. Roldan opened the scoring with a 60-yard penalty goal, 9-8, and teammate Freddie Mannix scored a goal from the field on the ensuing throw-in to make it 10-8, Audi/Millarville. Deltour scored on a 30-yard penalty shot followed by another score from Roldan (penalty goal) that left Audi/Millarville riding an 11-9 score.
Deltour cut the Audi/Millarville lead to a single goal in the opening seconds of the sixth chukker, but that was where it ended for them. Roldan added another penalty goals and scored the final goal from the field as Audi/Millarville ran off with the 13-10 victory for the 2016 Bobby Barry Cup.
Roldan scored five of his game-high eight goals for the win, earning him MVP honors. Julian Mannix and Freddie Mannix scored two goals apiece with Ganzi adding a goal for the win. Deltour led the Tonkawa attack with seven goals (four on penalty conversions). Wroe was credited with two goals and Merlos added a goal in the loss.
Merlos’ horse, Gato, was named Best Playing Pony.