Hoisting the historic cup high are TriTech’s Jesse Bray (2), Matias Obregon (4), Gaston VonWernich (5), and Chris Maloney (1), following a 7th chukker overtime win against Hanalei Bay’s Nick Morrison(1), Jason Crowder (5), Mariano Fassetta (6), Ron Bonaguidi (0) and substitute Meaghan Scanlon (0) in the Spreckels Cup. To see all the hundreds of incredible tournament and social shots by San Diego Polo Club’s official photographer Dominick Lemarie and his incredible high speed cameras and lenses, click here.
TriTech started hot with 3 goals in the first three minutes of the game while Hanalei Bay had 0 in the first chukker. TriTech led the first half 6 to 3 with Cricket hitting a penalty good, VonWernich scoring two, and Obregon one.
Hanalei Bay comes back from behind in the second half with 4 goals in the fourth chukker. Fassetta hits back to back goals right off. Crowder hit a penalty shot to tie them up, then he scores a goal just seconds before the buzzer to give Hanalei Bay the lead of 7 to 6 over TriTech.
Fassetta scored a goal in the first minute of the fifth chukker pushing up Hanalei Bay to 8. TriTech’s Bray scored one, that was followed by a penalty conversion by Cricket tying it 8 all. Morrison got on the board before the buzzer for Hanalei Bay to recapture the lead 9 to 8.
The sixth chukker starts with Scanlon, (substituting for Bonaguidi in the second half) scoring to move Hanalei Bay up to 10. TriTech’s VonWernich scored bringing his team up to 9. With only :15 left on the clock, Bray cuts it through to score another for TriTech, and the game is tied 10 all. The 7th chukker overtime lasts just a minute when VonWernich punches a shot through the goalposts to end it victoriously for TriTech.
Best Playing Pony “Penelope”, owned by Gaston VonWernich, received awards presented by Mrs. Jeanne Canty, President of California Thoroughbred Foundation, and Sofia Lopez-Velarde of La Martina presented the saddle.
Hanalei Bay’s teammates each received La Martina polo boots presented by La Martina’s Sofia Lopez-Velarde to Meaghan Scanlon, Jason Crowder, Mariano Fassetta, Nick Morrison and Ron Bonaguidi.
Alice Collins presented the Willis Allen award to Jesse Bray, voted best ‘under 30’ all around player based on horsemanship and sportsmanship this season.
Earlier in the day, San Diego Polo Club founder member Harry Collins joined the 6 goal trophy presentation with Krista Bonaguidi (-1), Chris Collins (1), Juan Curbelo (4), and Christopher Collins (2) as Hanalei/Southwind won 3 to 2 over La Pasion’s team of Lokesh Tantuwaya (0), Alvaro Tadeo (3), Joseph Stuart (4), Tracee Brunetti (-1). Three generations of the Collins family enjoyed the Sreckels Cup season finale on a field named for their patriarch Willis Allen.
The game was scoreless until midway through the second period when La Pasion’s Tadeo had a good penalty conversion. Tadeo saved two out of the goal mouth of Hanalei/Southwind, but Curbelo followed scoring on a safety tying it 1 all at the end of the second.
Curbelo scored again and Stuart answered with one for La Pasion so they stayed tied, 2 all, at the end of the third period. The fourth chukker saw several ‘so close but missed’ opportunities. With a minute to go, Curbelo hit his third of three in the game to win it for Hanalei Bay/Southwind.
Veteran Olympic rider Guenter Seidel and the 8 year old, Dutch Warmblood, “UII”, owned by Dick and Jane Brown of Rancho Santa Fe, performed a dressage musical freestyle on an open field between matches. Seidel and UII were the 2008 U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Developing Horse Champions and have moved up into the Intermediaire division. Seidel has performed for San Diego Polo Club crowds previously aboard Aragon, Metropolitan, and Princeton. San Diego Polo Club crowds were also entertained by anthem singer Ashley Zavala, a 16 year old country music artist from Murietta, and local San Diego group Crosswinds Band during the 7th chukker part
Polo continues with the Patti Fitzgerald-Rauld Memorial Women’s Tournament on October 10 & 11, and Fall polo on the grass though November 1. The Arena School continues with lessons and chukkers on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and Saturday mornings.
San Diego Polo Club
14555 El Camino Real
Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067
(858) 481-9217