August 8th . . . Its Pacific Coast Open Time In Santa Barbara (CA)

Its been a year since the 2006 Pacific Coast Open started. Duende was the defending Champs and Windsor Cap. was the runner-up. Its 2007 and the same two teams are also in the same positon, but they are only watching this year. Both Patrons of Duende and Windsor, who are two of California’s finest, are on the injured list. Big Mike Hakan of Duende is just out of plaster from a serious broken leg. The Governor Pat Nesbit is very bored not playing due to a knee that does not seem to follow the Governor’s orders. There are few, but very competent teams this year as only 4 teams have entered the draw.

It’s the return of Piocho Ranch who is coming off of a big victory from this past Sunday in the America’s Cup. They bring the fire breathing Big Bird (Kris Kampsen) and a legend by the name of Memo Gracida and his son Julio, who is a young gun everyday. To top it off a pair of T’s Tom Barrack and his son TJ, who put his name in the books with a big shot to break the Grant’s Farm momentum last Sunday for a win. Dad Tom is due back in town and he is head of the class in big time Polo, so they maybe the favorites in ’07. Piocho, however, is not a shoe-in as Andy Busch and Scott Wood bring a 2 patron quartet armed with the hottest player in town and the Iceman as in Paco de Narvaez and Jeff Blake. They will not run away from the fire. Just outside of them is the Audi team who returns with their El Toro (the Bull) Juan Bollini. He has the real deal with him as 1st time vistor Gonzalo Pieres, Jr., a young gun who is already rated 10 goals in Argentina for 2 seasons, and who is so smooth. They have Ms. Polo in the form of Sunny Hale doing the work for them and the Boss Lady Mrs. Ganzi, who is on a mission. All 3 of these teams are good,, but there is one better if it all works, but its sort of harnessing a river. Its only good if its in a channel and you know where its going and they call it a Zacara. They have power, speed and talent, but do they have direction? It will either be a flood or it will be hydro- Machine powering the area of polo. They have the Bossman one of true new Patrons of world polo and 3 machines behind him powered by a stick named Nick Roldan. No matter what, it all starts Sunday at 1 p.m. with Audi and Piocho Ranch followed by Zacara and Grant’s Farm/ERG.

So come on out as San Diego is still dark . If your up north its Party Time as the Petaluma (Cerro Pampa Polo Club) will light up the bay area as the 4th annual Oyster Cup is underway. If your going, take a limo or a driver and a coat. It will be very long evening and you will see the sun come up this Sunday Morning. By then the Mercedes Cup will be rockin’ in Long Island as in the Hamptons and Canada’s finest will be battling it out in the Canadian Open in Calgary.

Wherever you are go see those Ponies run.