L top R-American 8-goaler Julio Arellano on the ball with Villa Del Lago 5-goaler Agustin Obregon in pursuit. Coca-Cola went on to win a hotly contested game, 15-14 in the 2016 final. (Photo by Alex Pacheco)
The first tournament draw of the IPC season took place with little fanfare Monday afternoon as Annabelle Gundlach’s Postage Stamp Farm team (Annabelle Gundlach, Brandon Phillips, Mariano Aguerre and Kris Kampsen) drew a bye in the three-team field.
Villa Del Lago (Jim Zenni, Carlucho Arellano, Hilario Ulloa and Agustin Obregon) will start the 2017 20-goal tournament season with the opening game of the 2017 Herbie Pennell Cup on Thursday, December 29th when they face Mt. Brilliant (Bo Goodman, Jason Crowder, Julian Daniels and Santiago Chavanne). The winner of the Thursday contest will play Postage Stamp Farm in the tournament final on Sunday, January 1st, the first stadium match of the year.
The 2017 Herbie Pennell will be Postage Stamp Farm’s maiden appearance in the 20-goal IPC season, having competed in the 20-goal Butler Handicap, Monty Waterbury Cup and East Coast Open at the Greenwich Polo Club this past summer.
Jim Zenni is looking to break a five-year drought in the Pennell Cup, having appeared in each final from 2012-2016 only to come up short. Packing Argentine 10-goaler Hilario Ulloa, Wellington’s own Carlucho Arellano and Agustin Obregon, he’s hoping to bring the silver home this year.
The defending champion Coca-Cola team (a victor over Villa Del Lago in January of 2016, 15-14) is sitting out the first tournament of the year, and won’t be on hand to defend their title.
The Pennell Cup is the first of four 20-goal tournaments scheduled to be played at the International Polo Club this winter, followed by the Joe Barry Memorial Cup, the Ylvisaker Cup and the Iglehart Trophy.