For the third Saturday in as many tries, the Celebrity Ranch Polo Team, playing at Celebrity Ranch, were the victors over an incoming visiting team. With Julie Empey substituting for Scott Walker, Geraldine Strunsky and Susie Edland took their largest lead of the season – four goals –  into the fourth period and almost lost the contest to the Interservice Military Team (Dean Daggett, Karl Hilberg, and Parker Scott), but managed to come away with the Camp Pendleton Cup by a score of 9 – 7.

In front of a large crowd of exuberant Marines from Camp Pendleton, the ladies started very aggresively with two goals from Edland and grabbed a two goal lead before the Military could organize with Scott scoring to get within one. Strunsky got that back to again lead by a pair, but Scott replied with his second and it was 3 – 2 Celebrity Ranch after the first.

While the second chukker was comprised of open and fast polo, scoring was at a premium as the only goal went to the men – and yes, it was now a battle of the sexes – as Hilberg got going and showed everyone that he could indeed play polo.  As a result, it was tied at three going to the half.

The third was not at all good for the men, as unfortunate circumstances put them out on their weakest horses and the ladies responded by absolutely dominating the chukker with four unanswered goals. It was obvious from the start, that in a game of horses, the men were going to be in trouble. Empey counted two – one on a 40 yard neck shot from the wall that was awarded ‘the shot of the day’ – Edland scored once, and Strunsky coverted a penalty two. As a result, the home team went to the last chukker leading by their largest margin ever at 7 -3.

The ladies came out in the fourth and  once again scored quickly and it was now 8 – 3 and everyone thought it was over. That thought however, didn’t appear to be part of what the men were thinking – they were, afterall, the Interservice Military Team – as they then took complete control of the procedings with Hilberg scoring two goals to come within three. With the ladies now looking somewhat confused, the hard striking Scott scored from the floor and then pounded a penalty three and it was, all of a sudden, a one goal game at 8 – 7. With just over a minute left, Scott, knowing that the game was on the line, jumped on an opportunity in his own end that would have given him a clear floor and possibly the tying goal. However, Strunsky pushed the line and Scott was called on the right-of-way infraction. The penalty two was converted and Celebrity Ranch,  just barely, won the Camp Pendleton Cup.

Polo will return to Celebrity Ranch on Saturday, June 16 with the Temecula Cup and the Bel Aire Polo Club. On Saturday June 2, the Celebrity Ranch Polo Team will travel to the Will Rogers Polo Club to play Will Rogers for the Celebrity Ranch Cup and they will also play at Will Rogers on June 23 against Santa Barbara for the Royal Cup.

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