It was a gorgeous day this past Sunday, however, I could not finish my story due to pressing issues such as being unable to read and write late Sunday niight. Not that it really matters. It was a very good day and my business (International Polo Connection) had a very good day in Santa Barbara. We coached the Zacara, the winners of the P.C.O. Down in San Diego one of our clients team was the champs of the low goal as TRUE CHOICE/OC POLO buried Mrs. Ellen and her Monteverde squad. I do not remember much of the stor,y but Clemente Zavaleta and the Wolf man (Ashton Wolf) were so happy as they carried home the Fernando Guiterrez Bronze. It is one of the biggest bronze trophies awarded in polo in terms of size! It made me feel even better. They said Rockin’ Robin Paicius and Bullet Bob (Robert Kiger) were really going for it all.
In the 10-goal it was Mr. Pope and his Aspen Oaks Team putting the lock on Gypsy/OC as they must have never slowed up. Aspen Oaks rode off with their bronzes as well. Big Ed Pope has been an awesome adition to the San Diego Club and nobody could be more helpful than his big gun and manager Fernando Pilego, who is a flat out good guy. We are glad to see them succeed even though we would have been on another team.
In Santa Barbara it was a glorious day and we left out quite a lot of the excitement as it was the triple Crown, the showing of the new Lexus and Bombardier all in one. ESPN taped it for TV showing soon. So you may soon see it on ESPN if you were not here. It was easily the best P.C.O. finals in the last 3 years. It was fast, the field played well and it was very fun polo for everyone. No whining, laying on the ground or kicking. It was the fastest open in many years as both teams were very well mounted and ready to run. It was a very well and fairly called game by Corky Linfoot and Daryl Schwetz. A lot of this is due to one thing, the field. It was clean, fresh and untrodden on for several days. Normally they play the consolation game on the same field before the finals, but not this year. The field conditions play a big part in speed and time. You will see this on TV when ESPN airs the game. If you disagree, look up last years game which had a bad field with bad and boring polo. So maybe it will become a new way to prepare the fields for a big final. I thought it was a very good Open despite only 4 teams participating. I also disagree with some of the awards that were given. I think Nick Roldan or Kris Kampsen were the best pros of the tournament. Ruki Bailieu and Brandon Phillips were the best pros yesterday in the Finals. Tom Barrack and Lyndon Lea were equallly important in their jobs as the best players for their handicaps on their teams. This is why they were in the finals. The horses yesterday were flying because the clean field enabled them to do so. The 4th and 5th chukkers were two of the fastest chukkers in the last 12 years at SBPC. It was a fun day all around. The trophies were presented much better this year with the exception of raffle ticket winners stopping the presentation. We need to fix that, but it was a very good day. So maybe we will see you here next year and maybe we will have a party tent on field one and really have fun in the setting sun. The 2007 season comes to a close for the high-goal in Santa Barbara, but get ready to head south because they do have a party tent in San Diego and they do have a party every dang day there is polo. It is very fast and furious polo, so get on your dancing shoes, bring a designated driver and have a ball at San Diego Polo Club. It all starts this Friday so get ready to rock and roll.
See ya friday at the SDPC in Del Mar across hwy 5 from the race track.