We are midway through the Pope Challenge 12 goal here at Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club, and once again Antelope has bounded ahead of the other teams with a 2-0 record, followed by Long Beach and La Karina/ Mansour at 1-1 and Gehache at 0-2.

In the first round of games Antelope defeated La Karina/ Mansour (Lisle Nixon champion) 9-7. The powerful Antelope defense held the usually high scoring La Karina/ Mansour offense to just 2 goal from the field, as the remainder of the La Karina/ Mansour goals came on penalty shots.

In the other first round game, Gehache jumped out to a 6-5 lead at halftime, led by 4 goals from Mariano Uranga, but Danny Walker’s four 4th chukker goals for Long Beach turned the momentum the other way and Long Beach ran away to a 14-7 victory.

The second round games took place against the backdrop of the Steve Clarkson Super 7 Quarterback Clinic. Football legend Joe Montana was spotted inquiring about polo pony bloodlines while taking a break from coaching  up and coming quarterbacks.

The game between Antelope and Mr. Cecils/ Gehache was a goal scoring fiesta. The young guns on each team took turns showing off thier goal scoring talents as Antelope’s Marianito Gracida and Mr. Cecils/ Gehache’s Glencito Holden scored 7 and 6 goals, respectively.  Although both teams played very well, Antelope won in the end 17-13.

For the first time in several years, the next game featured three Walkers on the field, as brothers Danny and Henry Walker took the field with Danny’s son Matt, as well as Justin Klentner, for Long Beach against La Karina/ Mansour. The family connection was strong in the first half as Long Beach led 6-4 going into the halftime break, but Santi Wullf and Santi von Wernich of La Karina/ Mansour took charge in the second half,  outscoring Long Beach3-0 in the 4th chukker in route to an 11-8 victory.