The Elegante Polo team celebrates their 11-8 win over Tulun in the 2013 Choice of Champions USPA Masters Cup.
(Photo courtesy of Georgette Escobar)
By Whitney Webbe
Elegante Polo (Robert Kiger, Tito Robledo, Armando Huerta and Tom Blake) outscored Tulun (Victor Wolf, Javier Guerra, Omar Sosa and Juan Guirlanda) 11-8 in the consolation match of the 2013 Choice of Champions USPA Masters Cup Sunday morning at the Santa Clara Polo Club in Wellington.
Tulun received two goals by handicap, but three unanswered goals from Tito Robledo had Elegante Polo leading 3-2 after the opening chukker.
Robert Kiger converted a penalty shot to stretch the Elegante Polo lead to two goals, 4-2 just two minutes into the second period. Omar Sosa scored Tulun’s first goal from the field in the final 15 seconds of the chukker. Elegante Polo continued to lead, 4-3.
Tulun’s Victor Wolf tied it up at 4-4 with a penalty goal in the opening minute of the third. Armando Huerta gave the lead back to Elegante Polo, 5-4, with less than two minutes left to play in the first half. Wolf’s second goal of the chukker had it all even at 5-5 at the halfway mark.
Tom Blake scored on a 60-yard penalty shot in the opening minute of the fourth chukker as Elegante Polo took the lead back, 6-5. Consecutive goals from Robledo extended the lead to three goals, 8-5. Tulun was held scoreless.
Blake had Elegante Polo on top by four goals, 9-5, with a goal from the field in the opening seconds of the fifth. Omar Sosa got Tulun back on track with a pair of goals cutting the Elegante Polo lead to two goals, 9-7. Kiger and Wolf exchanged penalty goals to close out the period with Elegante Polo on top, 10-8.
Tulun continued to press the attack in the final period of play, but had no success. Blake scored the final goal of the game on a 280-yard run for the 11-8 final.
Robledo was credited with a game high five goals for Elegante Polo. Blake scored three times; Kiger converted two penalty shots; and Huerta added a goal for the win and was named MVP. Sosa and Wolf scored three goals apiece, and Tulun got two goals by handicap.
Charlie Armstrong’s Estrango, played by Tito Robledo, was honored as Best Playing Pony.