… the setting Santa Barbara Polo Club. It is not exactly like the Pacific Coast Open, but not a bad place to be the first week of March with temperatures in the 60 to 70’s and a cool 65 in FLand smooth 23 in Chicago. While it is a little cloudy in Santa Barbara, the Interscholastic polo kids do not see or hear weather. All they are concerned with is whether they can play. Over the past 3 days they did just that.
Five teams Interscholastic teas competed in the Western Regional Polo Finals organized and run by the Maestro John Westley and his lovely wife Wendy. They did a fabulous job of making it work despite constant rain threats. John just talked to them and said just give me this program and I guess they did because the 2010 edition was perfect.
Game Time:
San Diego vs Lakeside:
San Diego ran into a bulldozer as they took on Lakeside with a very talented Miguel Questel, definitly the big stick in this game as he never backed off . They could not stop the young gun and his hard-riding compadre Austin. The Ladies, who never stopped trying, Brittany and Tristan shared a spot and they went on to round two. The San Diego group was a little green and new to the game, but they fought all the way.
2nd game Friday
Santa Barbara vs Poway:
It was a knocker as both teams already had NY on their minds, but Santa Barbara just met a bunch of hard-riding cowboys who were a little bit away from the big city who are looking to see the big city. They could not stop the hard-riding Paulson and his band of outlaws. They just came to rob the home team and they did as the Samaniego Brothers and a Lady named Hollie were on the road and they rode by a hard-hitting Andy Busch, Jr. and Remy and daisy to head to the finals.
3rd game Sat.
Eldorado vs Lakeside:
Lakeside was strong on Friday, but were looking at the Desert Rats in a rainy climate and knew this could be trouble and it was. From the start the trio from the Desert, playing 12-goal outdoor polo, had just a well 80 5 advantage and they kept it that way early and went on to win the first chukkar easily. Miguel Questel and coach Sheldon reorganized and took Eldorado Polo Team in the 2nd chukkar by 3, but got in the game in the 3rd and closed the gap. Eldorado returned in the 4th and ruined the hope of a big city tour for Lakeside in the 4th pulling away by several points.
4th game Saturday
Santa Barbara vs. Sand Diego:
Young Andy probably had to listen to Dad harass him quite a while after Friday and he came out on fire as he and teammates scored 25 goals to wipe out any doubt that they could play polo and smoked away with the Consolation trophy.
SUNDAY FINALS:
SHOWTIME:
POWAY VS ELDORADO:
John Westley had the arena picture perfect despite the weather and a very cloudy, threatening morning turned into a smooth 70 degree Sunday with a slight breeze. However the weather, the Desert Rats were on fire in the first chukkar with Jesse Bray and Patrick Uretz smoking the field all because Ms. Brianna Galindo was doing all the work. They jumped out to a 5 to 1 lead and it looked like a runaway, however Coach Billy Sheldon smelled a rat and set the trap and the next 3 chukkers were very good polo as the young guns of Poway …Paulson and Samaniego were not gone and the war was on as they just kept coming. At one time during the game they were within 2 goals of heading East, but the rats kept coming and closed the gap to never let go. In the final chukkar they survived a scare, but Jesse Bray, Brianna Galindo and Patrick Uretz had the East Coast on their mind and headed that way in the final chukkar. Despite losing the 4th, they had enough to head east for the Interscholastic National Finals. Eldorado is the Champion of the WEST COAST REGIONAL FINALS.
IT WAS A GREAT VENTURE AND SO GOOD FOR POLO. A HUGE THANKS TO JOHN WESTLEY, EVERYONE WHO COMPETED, ALL THE OFFICIALS AND USPA PEOPLE INVOLVED AS WELL AS ALL THE PEOPLE WHO MADE IT HAPPEN.
GOOD LUCK IN THE NATIONALS :
BRIANNA GALINDO
PATRICK URETZ
JESSE BRAY
The desert rats were strong in Florida too as the Mannix boys Julian and Fred smoked Piaget in the 26- goal and head to the second round of the USPA Gold Cup. Good luck to them as well.
See ya.