By Alex Webbe
It’s always difficult to predict how well a team will play with no coordinated preparation time before a major match. We recently witnessed the US team fall to England in the hotly contested Westchester Cup at the International Polo Club in Wellington in which a realigned US team took the field against a veteran English side. Such was the case when three American players were flown to the All England Polo Club at Hickstead, England for the Arena Polo Test Match. England took the match15-9 with 9-goaler Nacho Gonzalez in the lineup for the host team.
“They were very gracious,” said Charlie Muldoon (5), who flew in from Maryland, “they couldn’t have treated us better.” But Muldoon did admit that the difference in rules left the Americans flat-footed from time to time.
“The reaction time wasn’t there,” said Muldoon. “When a penalty shot was taken or a ball went out of the arena, they knew where to go and what to do. We had to think about it before we moved, and we lost that second or two that are so crucial in a game of this magnitude.”
Shane Rice (8) opened the scoring for the US on a penalty goal, but England came right back with goal of its own. Rice scored again before England’s Ryan Pemble (5) put two goals in for England to put them up 3-2. Rice scored the final goal for a 3-3 score at the end of the first chukker.
“We tried a number of the horses we rode in a small arena,” said Muldoon, “and found that in the larger arena they just didn’t have the power we needed.”
Pemble continued his hot streak into the second chukker, scoring two early goals before the Americans could respond. A goal from Billy Sheldon (7) cut the English lead to 5-4, but the US horses just couldn’t hold up to the faster mounts of the English team. England accounted for three of the next four goals, and the United States found itself trailing 8-5 at halftime.
The third chukker wasn’t much better for the US team. Nacho Gonzalez (9) scored the opening goal of the chukker, quickly followed by a goal from Sheldon. Gonzalez scored again after weaving his way through traffic to put England up 10-6. A free hit to Howard Smith (6) made it 11-6 before the US could mount another attack on the English goal. With Rice passing the ball to Muldoon and then Muldoon passing the ball back to Rice. Rice’s shot at goal went through the pony’s legs but was knocked away just short of goal. The field reversed with Smith hammering a shot at goal. The ball went wide but was picked up by Pemble and driven in with twelve seconds left on the clock. England left the arena with a 12-6 lead.
“It was difficult to remember all of the different rules,” said Muldoon. “On one particular play there was a rule against tapping that both Shane (Rice) and I forgot about. We brought it in and the whistle sounded. The English scored on the penalty shot, and we were instantly down another goal. Those were some of the things that happened,” he added.
Rice drove toward the English goal at the opening of the fourth chukker. He was hooked as he lined up the shot but Muldoon was there to put it in. The lead was cut to 12-7, but time suddenly became the friend of the English.
Another US shot at goal rebounds to Smith and passed to Pemble. Pemble sent it ahead to Gonzalez who scores to make it 13-7 and answering a potential American rally.
Sheldon converted a penalty goal and Muldoon added another from the field to make it a 13-9 contest. England scored the last two goals of the match as the US players struggled to get back into the game.
“I feel certain that if we played them again, we could win,” said Muldoon, stressing how the Americans struggled adapting to the differences in arena polo rules between the two countries. “It was a great experience,” he said, “and it was very well organized,” he added. “I’m looking forward to a return match.”
The international arena match was the second in six months, as the English sent a team to compete for the John R. Townsend International Challenge Cup in September. The United States managed to defeat the visitors 16-14, with the English having to make adjustments to the American rules.
There is no doubt that such competitions will only foster future competitions between the two countries with international polo being the ultimate winner.