Postage Stamp Farm won its’ first 16-goal tournament of the winter polo season Saturday at windswept Grand Champions Polo Club.
The foursome of Annabelle Gundlach, Tommy Collingwood, Brandon Phillips and Jeff Blake rallied in the fifth chukker to defeat Dutta Corp, 7-5, in the championship final of the John T. Oxley Memorial Trophy tournament.
“This is my first 16-goal win and first win where we created the team,” Gundlach said. “I am thrilled with the whole tournament.
“I knew it from the first game, we played so well together. Whether we won or lost today, I would have been very happy with this team.”
Trailing 5-4, Phillips sent a long midfield pass to Collingwood who scored the tying goal with 3:22 left in the fifth chukker. In the closing seconds of the chukker, Gundlach took a perfect pass from Blake and after two nice approach shots came up with the go-ahead goal.
“It’s funny, I’ve been choking at the goal all year,” Gundlach said. “I worked on my approach and keeping my head down and it paid off today.”
After a mostly defensive battle in the sixth chukker, Blake stole the ball and with 4:19 scored an insurance goal.
Postage Stamp Farm’s Brandon Phillips congratulates teammate and MVP Jeff Blake. Photo by Alex Pacheco
Dutta Corp’s Timmy Dutta, Mariano Gracida, Carlitos Gracida and Piki Diaz Alberdi had three opportunities to score in the final chukker but could not capitalize.
“Wow, I am over the moon,” said Gundlach, playing in only her second competitive polo season. “This is sweet.”
Blake, turning in one of his best performances of the season, was named Most Valuable Player.
“We were able to stick with the game plan because Brandon kept hammering away,” Blake said. “He was sticking to the game plan and we followed his lead. Tommy worked really hard and Annabelle’s score was unbelievable.
MVP Jeff Blake of Postage Stamp Farm hits a neck shot past Piki Diaz Alberdi of Dutta Corp. Photo by Alex Pacheco
“It’s been a great tournament,” Blake said. “I have played with Brandon dozens and dozens of times. I’ve always wanted to play with Tommy and Annabelle is terrific.
“This is a huge win. Any time you win in Wellington it’s huge. The last time I won a 16-goal was last summer. It’s good to win in Wellington.”
The hotly-contested game was close from the opening chukker. Dutta Corp took a 1-0 lead on handicap. Blake’s goal through a crowd tied the game at 1-1.
The teams took turns taking the lead in the first half with each scoring one goal per chukker for a 3-3 halftime tie.
“At halftime we talked about taking our time and slowing it down a bit,” Gundlach said. “Nick Manifold who is helping coach the team told us from the outside it looked like we were dominating but we were giving it up on the bouncing balls and rushing. That’s what we took away at halftime and it paid off.”
After the teams tied again 4-4 on goals by Phillips and Carlitos Gracida, Dutta Corp took a 5-4 lead after Carlitos Gracida scored again after a nice run with 1:41 left in the chukker.
Postage Stamp Farm put it in another gear and shut out Dutta Corp in the final two chukkers.
“It took us four chukkers to figure out what was going on and then we were lucky enough to pull it off,” Collingwood said. “I’m very happy to win. It was a pleasure to play with this team. I’m happy we did well.
“They were a hell of a team,” said Collingwood. “Carlos and Mariano are always playing with so much heart, Piki is a great captain on that team and Timmy had some bad luck going to goal but we were always chasing him.”
It was the first time Postage Stamp Farm’s foursome competed together in a tournament.
“Our work ethic was great, our goals just weren’t coming,” Phillips said. “We were playing them well in the field, we just weren’t finishing.
“We just said to each other keep working, working, working for each other and the goals would come.”
Postage Stamp Farm kept its composure despite missing several scoring opportunities. The chemistry was evident even though it was the first time Collingwood and Blake played together.
“He is easy to play with and a great player,” Collingwood said of the MVP.
Tommy Collingwood of Postage Stamp Farm outraces Piki Diaz Alberdi of Dutta Corp. Photo by Alex Pacheco
Added Phillips, “We never got down on ourselves. We are four positive people. We’re not going to get down on each other as long as we are working hard and working for each other. When someone’s not yelling at you, you want to work for them. We were very lucky to put this team together, it worked out for a reason.”
Blake replaced Kris Kampsen, who was recovering from a mountain biking accident and only started playing again on Friday. Collingwood became available after competing in half of the 20-goal season.
Postage Stamp Farm had balanced scoring. Phillips had three goals, all on penalties; Blake scored two and Collingwood and Gundlach each had one. In addition to the one goal on handicap, Carlitos Gracida scored his team’s remaining four goals.
Norteno, a 9-year-old Bay gelding owned and played by Carlitos Gracida in the fourth chukker, was named Best Playing Pony.
In the semifinals, Postage Stamp Farm defeated High Ground/GSA, 15-8, to advance into the final while Dutta Corp edged Casablanca, 10-9.
John T. Oxley was a pioneer in polo. The founder of the now-defunct Royal Palm Polo Sports Club in Boca Raton played polo well into his 90s. He started playing at age 46 and won the U.S. Open twice, Sunshine League, Rolex Gold Cup, Monty Waterbury and Silver Cup. At age 83, he became the oldest player ever to win a major polo event when his team won the International Gold Cup. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994. Oxley died of a heart attack at his summer home in Tulsa, Okla. in 1996.
Best Playing Pony Norteno, 9-year-old Bay gelding ridden and owned by Carlitos Gracida. Photo by Alex Pacheco
The championship final was live-streamed by ChukkerTV, leaders in polo broadcasting. Wellington-based ChukkerTV is exclusively live streaming International Polo Club Palm Beach and Grand Champions Polo Club games during the 2016 season with polo broadcasters Toby Wayman and Dale Schwetz calling the action.
Grand Champions Polo Club is the nation’s busiest and most innovative polo clubs. The USPA-member club hosts polo tournaments ranging from six to 20-goal in addition to special events.
The club also features The Polo School, dedicated to teaching polo, particularly grass roots youth. Its mission is to provide individuals opportunities in polo. The Polo School operates in Wellington January through June and September through November.