By Alex Webbe
In a reversal of fortunes, Jan Pamela/Parrot Heads defeated previously unbeaten Equus & Company 12½ to 11 in the finals of the 2012 Jan Pamela 12-goal Pro-Am Sunday morning at the International Polo Club in Wellington.
Equus & Co. handed Jan Pamela/Parrot Heads a 12-10½ defeat in the opening match of the tournament. Jan Pamela/Parrot Heads returned the favor by defeating Equus & Co. by one-and-a-half goals on Sunday.
Jan Pamela/Parrot Heads received one-half goal by handicap but managed only one penalty goal from Steve Dalton in the opening chukker. Equus went up 4-1½ as Andres James scored twice and teammates Adrian Wade and Garrick Steele managed single goals.
Second period play saw the two teams exchange goals with Dalton scoring on two more penalty conversions for Jan Pamela/Parrot Heads while James added a goal from the field and Wade scored on a penalty shot for Equus and Co. At the end of the second chukker, Equus & Co. continued to lead, 6-3½.
Jan Pamela/Parrot Heads took control of the game in the third chukker, shutting out the Equus & Co. attack while scoring four times. Roni Duke opened the third period with a goal from the field followed by three goals from Jeff Blake (one on a 60-yard penalty shot). The first half ended with Jan Pamela/Parrot Heads in the lead, 7½ to 6.
For the second consecutive chukker the Jan Pamela/Parrot Heads blanked the
Equus & Co. offense while providing offensive punch of their own. Two penalty conversions from Dalton had the Jan Pamela/Parrot Heads leading 9½ to 6.
Dalton added two more goals to the Jan Pamela/Parrot Heads total in the fifth, but Equus & Co. responded with a penalty conversion from Wade and a goal from the field from James. Jan Pamela/Parrot Heads continued to lead, 11½ to 8.
A pair of penalty goals from Wade brought Equus & Co. to within 1½ goals of the lead. Duke scored her second goal of the game, however, and in spite of a final goal from James; Jan Pamela/Parrot Heads rode on to the 12½ to 11 victory.
Dalton’s seven goals led the Jan Pamela/Parrot Heads attack. Blake added three goals and Duke scored twice for the win. Jan Pamela/Parrot Heads also received ½ goal by handicap.
Wade and James scored five goals apiece for Equus & Co. Steele added a goal in a losing effort.
Jeff Blake was named MVP while Andres James’s Leche received Best Playing Pony honors.