Year of the Goat
Feb. 19th – 22nd, 2015
Patience and pleasure are the magic words for this Year of the Goat. The tournament was played in the beautiful and protected resort estate of Careyes – on the Mexican Pacific Coast between Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo. Players from Portugal, England, Switzerland, Italy, Argentina , USA , Canada and Mexico came to the resort and polo fields on the Pacific Coast to play in the annual celebration of the Chinese New Year. Teams were organized by the management so that everyone has a chance to be a winner. There were four teams with all playing each other. The winner would be decided by the best won-loss record or net goals if there was a 3 way tie. All four teams were 4 goals and mostly amateurs.
All the players in the Chinese New Year tournament.
Play started on Thursday, February 19 with Monterrey (Victor Setien, Jimmy Giebeler, Maxime Moelhaussen and Rogelia Igatura) playing the Agua Alta team of Alberico Ardissone, Manuel Matos, Luis Perez and Govinda Quish – Agua Alta took control with a couple of quick goals by Ardissone and Matos with 2 and one more by Perez and nothing for the Monterrey until the second half when Setien was on fire with 4 goals but not quite enough ending the game with 4 1/2 to 5.
David Buller of the USA teamin action against Geroge Sandhu of Team Careyes.
Second game with USA (Chris and Will Falk, David Buller and Diego Gonzalez) playing with all news horses were teamed up against the home team of Nico Millan, Luis Miguel Basaguren, George Sandhu and Giorgio Brignone, founder of the resort and polo club. The Falks, riding horses that were shipped in from Uruguay for the season, had a challenge adjusting to the horses while the Careyes team had the advantage – taking the game 7-4. Nico Millan leadgin the soring with 3 goals, George Sandhu with 2 and Basaguren andBrignone each contributing one each. The USA team scoring was lead by Will Falk 2 goals and Chris Falk had the other 2.
Saturday pitted Agua Alta against the USA team. Each chukker was goal for goal for each team and down to the final bell – the score was 5 to 5. A double shoot out finally decided the winner with USA scoring 7 of the eight shots from the 40 yard line. Monterrey played Careyes and exactly the same finish down to 4 goal to 4 goals with a shootout taking place the next day. Careyes taking the advantage 4 to 3.
Final day of play on a picture perfect Sunday with a gentle ocean breeze , all team with their games faces. Monterrey played USA – the Falks, Buller and Diego Gonzalez were ready to play and took the Monterey team 5 to 2 – Will Falk and David Buller leading with 2 goals each and Diego Gonzalez scoring the one. Victor Setien lead the Monterrey team with the 2 goals.
Year of the Goat celebration at the Careyes Resort.
Careyes and Agua Alta – each having a chance to win depending on their won-loss record or their net goal total. Play was fast and exciting and scoring was dead even until the 3rd chukker when Luis Perez put a score through the uprights to put the Agua Alta team ahead by one – score at the end of the 3rd chukker was 4 to 3. The last chukker was all about Ardissone when he took control of the ball and put 2 quick goals on the scoreborad to end the chukker 6 to 3.
With that lead of 3 goals the winner of the Chinese New Year tournament was Agua Alta team with net goals of 2. Second place was the home team of Careyes with one net goal.
Trophies were presented to all as well as the tradition of sabering the champagne by Giorgio Brignone, founder of the Costa Careyes resort and polo club. The season continues with the 16th Annual Agua Alta tournament starting March 28 through April 4thfollowed by the Copa de Oro – 14 to 16 goals – the best polo in Mexico.
Please see www.careyes.com