The Celebrity Ranch Polo Team won their second game of the season, on Saturday May 12, 2012, with a 10 – 8 victory over the visiting Bel Aire Polo Club on what turned out to be a perfect afternoon for polo in the Hemet, CA area. With the victory, Celebrity Ranch won the British Cup.
Playing at Celebrity Ranch, the home group (Geraldine Strunsky, Susie Edland, and Scott Walker) took advantage of a very slow start by Bel Aire (Jenn Hagstadt, Brooke Faber, and Justin Lorehn) as Edland and Strunsky asserted themselves with a goal each and led by two with just 150 seconds gone in the first chukker. Lorehn got things going for the visitors and scored a beauty from 30 yards as Bel Aire seemed to get over the opening jitters that consumed them at the outset. Walker grabbed his first of the day in the last minute and the ‘Celebs’ led by a count of 3 – 1 after the first.
Walker’s counter to end the first seemed to elevate his teammates as Strunsky and Edland absolutely dominated Bel Aire during the first half of chukker number two, with Edland getting her third and fourth goals of the contest. However, with Jorge Vasquez coaching, the LA group came back as Faber counted two of her own and the home lead was now a pair. Another last minute goal by the hosts – from Edland – allowed them to lead by three at 6 – 3.
The third period was played pretty much even as Bel Aire, now settled in, was able to put strong defensive pressure on Celebrity Ranch. With Strunsky and Edland covered by the aggresive Lorehn and Faber, Walker was able to score twice. Faber, with a penalty two conversion and a field goal, countered for the visitors and it was 8 – 5 in favor of the home team at the end of three.
At the start of the fourth, it appeared that Bel Aire was done as Edland and Walker (penalty 2) scored and the lead was now five. If Bel Aire looked like they were finished, it also looked like Celebrity Ranch thought they had it won – hardly. With Lorehn playing the best polo of his life, the hosts were now in a battle as the very aggresive Faber led the charge and scored three goals to narrow the lead to a pair. However, the aggresive play landed them in trouble as fouls took the ball away and gave it to Celebrity Ranch. Without the ball, it’s tough to score, and the final was 10 – 8 for the home team, and Celebrity Ranch had won the British Cup.
Polo continues next Saturday, May 19 with the Camp Pendleton Cup and the Inter Service Military Team, and on June 16 with the Temecula Cup and the return of the Bel Aire Polo Club.
Celebrity Ranch will travel to the Will Rogers Polo Club for two games on June 2 (against Will Rogers – the Celebrity Ranch Cup) and June 23 (against Santa Barbara – the Royal Cup).