As a sport mainly reserved for the University level, arena polo is growing in popularity at all goal levels and in his role as USPA Arena Committee Chair, Dan Coleman is taking the reins to cultivate arena style play across the country. “This is not a sport for rich people. I come from a small town where there are ranch kids, a few horses, and three arenas. You can come with a little bit of money and play. This is the inclusive side of our sport.” Dan has been playing arena polo for ten years and plans to continue working on its growth around the world.
Returning to the arena after their win in the Bryan Morrison Cup against England, $D team’s captain Tommy Biddle (10) and Will Tankard (4) joined up with Dan Coleman (1) to start the tournament off taking on Golden Zebra. Bringing their own horses from Virginia, Golden Zebras’ Jay Fetner (1), Cote Zegers (5) and Gonzalo Fucci (6) played hard to close the gap 9-4 at the half, but towards the third chukker, $D found their rhythm and rode away victorious with a final score of 16-12.
Tommy Biddle, proving his well-deserved 10-goal handicap with several two pointers from far beyond the center of the arena, scored 14 of the 16 goals for the team. According to teammate Will Tankard, “Tommy hits the ball farther than anyone and if he gets the ball in the red zone he is most likely going to score. He has so much touch in the small plays, but can still contain his power to be graceful in the big plays.” (Photo left: 10-goal arena phenom Tommy Biddle dominated the first two games helping $D secure their spot in the U.S. Open Polo Championship final.)
One win down, one more to go…on Wednesday night $D took on the I/I Polo team sponsored by the USPA and composed of Nik Feldman (3), Todd Thurston (4) and August Scherer (5). Selected by the I/I Polo program, these three up-and-comers have travelled around the world to showcase their talents and give light to what high school and college polo programs are working towards. After competing all winter and spring in intercollegiate polo, the I/I team had youth and recent experience on their side.
The I/I Polo team seemed to have all the tools to give $D a run for their money with Thurston (University of Virginia), a member of Team USPA training and development program, along with Feldman (Cornell) who played for the winning U.S. Arena Handicap team last year and Scherer (Southern Methodist
University) who, just a few months ago, returned from England with a victory for the I/I program in the Intercollegiate International Challenge Cup. Scherer came out swinging with five goals in the first chukker, but with little horsepower, the short-held lead started slipping away in the second with $D up 12-5 at the half. The experienced, in-sync $D team moved ahead with a score of 24-11. With two wins out of the gate, $! D advanced to the U.S. Open Arena Polo Championship final. (Photo right: I/I Polo’s Nik Feldman tries to catch up to $D team’s Dan Coleman as he goes to goal.)
Thursday evening brought two games to the arena at Country Farms Polo Club to decide who would make an appearance in the knockout tournament final of the U.S. Arena Handicap, and the coveted U.S. Open Arena final. In the first game of the U.S. Arena Handicap, the I/I Polo team held their own against the pros going into the second half tied 7 all, and played steady in the third chukker, but Golden Zebra came out ahead 16-12.
With $D Ranch already holding their slot in the Open final, they watched in anticipation as Equueleus challenged the defending National champions of Cedar Croft.
Equueleus, made up of Joe DiMenna (0), Brandon Phillips (6) and Joao Paulo Ganon (8) entered the arena, ready to take on the defending champions of Cedar Croft. Cedar Croft’s Kris Kampsen (7), joined by Felipe Viana (6) and Robert Ceparano (2) dominated the first half with 4 goals in the first chukker and went uncontested in the second with 6 goals, putting the defending champs in a comfortable position at the half with 10-2 score. In the secondhalf, Equueleus rallied back outscoring Cedar Croft 9-3. Ganon went on a hot streak, after Phillips 75-yard goal, scoring 6 of the 9 earned points. However, Equueleus’s strong effort wasn’t enough to make a comeback. Cedar Croft managed to sneak a few goals past to win by two points. The defending champs guaranteed their spot in the U.S. Open Arena final with a score of 13-11, putting Equuleus in the U.S. Arena Handicap final.
Saturday gave way to both the U.S. Arena Handicap and the U.S. Open Arena. Golden Zebra coming out ahead in knockout tournament, took home the U.S. Arena Handicap title with a score of 16-14. Cote Zegers earned MVP and Best Playing Pony honors with Laucha (owned by Daniel Tognini) played in the second chukker.
Quickly following the U.S. Arena Handicap final was the start of the U.S. Open Arena Polo Championship final. As the crowd made their way from the surrounding festivities of pony rides and face painting to the stands lining the arena, they waited in anticipation to witness the dust-up between two powerhouse teams. The freshly dragged footing felt its first shift as defending champions Cedar Croft made their way onto the sand.
After the national anthem, the microphone was handed over to world-renowned polo announcer Tony Coppola to start off the final of the historic U.S. Open Arena Polo Championship. The ball was bowled in and Cedar Crofts Felipe Viana acted quickly with a goal right out of the lineup to put his team on the score board. The first two minutes of the chukker seemed as an introduction of the two teams, feeling each other out and finding each others’ weaknesses. Halfway through the first chukker, Tommy Biddle tied the game by turning a penalty 5 for Cedar Croft into a goal for $D. Cedar Croft responded with another goal making the score 2-1. With less than one minute remaining, Kris Kampsen scored and ended the first chukker with Cedar Croft leading 3-1.
Returning in the second chukker, Biddle wasted no time in announcing his intentions to win by pulling a penalty 1 in favor of $D and following it up with a penalty 2 on Kampsen, making the score 3-3 with five minutes and 30 seconds remaining. A flurry of fouls followed as the teams battled it out like gladiators in the arena, each player hungering for the win. A minute later, Biddle, in an attempt to block a goal from a penalty 4, caused a penalty 1 in favor of Cedar Croft. However, the lead was short-lived as Biddle scored off a penalty 5, tying the score at 4-4 and following it up with another goal placing $D in the lead at 5-4 with two minutes and 18 seconds left in the second chukker. As the clock was running down, Robert Ceparano, scored, ending the second chukker with a score of 5-5.
A lengthy halftime brought the game into the night as the lights were turned on casting a bright glow into the arena. The polo players returned to the freshly dragged sand and $D started the third chukker off quickly with a goal by Dan Coleman right out of the lineup. Coleman followed up his goal with a second as Cedar Croft focused their energy on Biddle and left Coleman with an open goal to shoot from a back shot by Biddle out of the corner. Giving $D the lead at 7-5. As tensions were heated and the players’ intensity was measured, the umpires were on high alert to ensure accuracy and safety. Kampsen found the fouls and scored two goals that tied the game at 7-7, ending the third chukker.
To kick off the fourth and final chukker, Kampsen scored quickly off of a penalty 5 to put Cedar Croft in the lead at 8-7. However, Biddle answered with a quick goal straight out of the lineup to show they were not finished yet. $D grabbed the ball from a penalty 5 and as backshot to backshot was played out, Kampsen stole the ball and gave Cedar Croft the lead at 9-8. Again, Biddle responded with a goal as his name echoed through the arena. Another penalty allowed Kampsen to retake the lead at 10-9, but Biddle fought back to pull a penalty 1 and tied the game at 10-10 with one minute remaining. As the clock ticked down, Viana found the ball and maneuvered it across the arena to score, placing them in the lead at 11-10 with only 35.3 seconds remaining. As the timer raced the clock down to ten seconds, Will Tankard sought out the ball and made a breakaway to goal, but was cleared away by Kampsen and Cedar Croft covered Biddle to block his attempts at goal. The buzzer sounded a! nd Cedar Croft had hooked their way into a defended win. (Photo below: Sponsored by Zoetis, Cedar Croft’s Kris Kampsen, Doc Fredericks, Felipe Viana and MVP Robert Ceparano celebrate their win.)
Celebrations followed as Cedar Croft had done it again holding on to the U.S. Open Arena Polo Championship title with a final score of 11-10. $D fought hard and fast but could not break past the wall of defense played by Cedar Croft.
Robert Ceparano, who played a key factor in the win, was awarded Most Valuable Player. “It’s an honor just to be playing among some of the world’s best arena players like Biddle and Kampsen; and representing the local and polo community of Long Island with this award, makes this moment that much sweeter.”
Although the 10-goal phenom Tommy Biddle was unable to reclaim the National title that was stolen from him last year, he rode away with Best Playing Pony honors with Mancha played in the second chukker.
As the crowd departed and reflected on the evening’s events, Country Farms Polo Club could sense they had achieved another successful U.S. Open Arena Polo Championship event. A game known to many as an “up close and personal” experience of hockey on horseback,” looks to grow more followers at clubs and alternative venues across the country.
Cedar Croft and $D left battered, filthy and hopefully excited to return next year to do it all again.
