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Pheasant Hollow runs past Granite Bay and Ocean Air/Backshot Ranch for Holiday Cup win

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Empire Polo Club’s 2017 Holiday Cup winner, Pheasant Hollow (L to R) Debra Vermoch, Cameron Smith, Tim Rudy and Suki Pier. The tournament win was the third of the month for Pheasant Hollow.

Building on their dominance of both Ocean Air/Backshot Ranch (Dave Carlson, Shannon Mendez, Ashton Wolf and Alonso Andrade) and Granite Bay lineup (Julie Fernandez, Caroline Anier, Eric Hammon and Goyo Mariscal) in Friday’s round-robin competition, Pheasant Hollow (Debra Vermoch, Cameron Smith, Tim Rudy and Suki Piper) finished the Holiday Cup with a 7-3 win over Granite Bay and a 9-6 victory over Ocean Air/Backshot Ranch.

Pheasant Hollow faced Granite Bay in the first two chukkers of the day and rode onto the field with a 4-2 edge from the previous day’s play (a cumulative total of goals scored determine the ultimate outcome).  Tim Rudy scored the first goal of the day followed by a 30-yard penalty goal from teammate Debra Vermoch.  Granite Bay was held scoreless for a 2-0 Pheasant Hollow advantage.

Granite Bay took control of the second period, picking up single goals from Goyo Mariscal and Eric Hammon and shutting down the Pheasant Hollow attack, but it wouldn’t be enough.  On the strength of the 5-1 lead Pheasant Hollow amassed on Friday, they would record the win, 7-3.

In the highest scoring showdown of the tournament, Pheasant Hollow and Ocean Air/Backshot Ranch matched one another goal for goal in the opening seven minutes of the third chukker of the day for a 2-2 tie.  A pair of goals from Rudy were offset by single goals from Shannon Mendez and Alonso Andrade.

Rudy pushed Pheasant Hollow ahead on a goal from the field and a 60-yard penalty conversion, 4-2.  Mendez and Cameron Smith exchanged goals, with Pheasant Hollow remaining on top, 5-3. Dave Carlson scored the final goal of the game for Ocean Air/Backshot Ranch, but the two-day total saw Pheasant Hollow celebrating the 9-6 win and the 2018 Holiday Cup title.

The final two periods of the tournament saw Ocean Air/Backshot Ranch and Granite Bay play to a 2-2 tie, giving the win to Ocean Air/Backshot Ranch on the strength of a two day total of 5-2 two day total.

Goals from Ashton Wolf and Alonso Andrade had Ocean Air/Backshot Ranch in front in the opening chukker, 2-0.  Caroline Anier got Granite Bay on the scoreboard, but trailed 2-1.

Anier’s second goal of the day went unanswered with Ocean Air/Backshot Ranch taking the win with a two-day total of 5-2.

The Holiday Cup win was the third of the month for Peasant Hollow and was powered by a total of 11 goals from Tim Rudy over the two-day event.

The Holiday Cup was the Empire Polo Club’s fourth and final tournament of the month, but plenty of action is in store with the Opening Day/Hat Day of the 2018 season and the beginning of the Stagecoach Challenge on Sunday, December 31st.

The 2018 Empire Polo season attracts players from across the country and around the world and offers there months of fast-paced polo in the beautiful and relaxed setting of California’s winter playground.

The Empire Polo Club is located at 81-800 Avenue 51 in Indio, CA.  For further information go to the club website at http://www.empirepolo.com or call 760-342-7755.

Pheasant Hollow positioned to capture their third tournament of the season

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Three-goaler Tim Rudy led the Pheasant Hollow charge Friday afternoon at the Empire Polo Club, scoring six times as he led his team to wins over Granite Bay and Ocean Air/Backshot Ranch. Final six chukkers of the round-robin are on tap for Saturday morning at 11am.

Dave Carlson made an auspicious debut in Holiday Cup play at the Empire Polo Club as he scored the first goal of the tournament for Ocean Air/Backshot Ranch (Dave Carlson, Shannon Mendez, Ashton Wolf and Alonso Andrade) but it was Pheasant Hollow (Debra Vermoch, Cameron Smith, Tim Rudy and Suki Piper) that made the opening statement.

Two goals from Tim Rudy and a goal from Cameron Smith ended the first chukker with Pheasant Hollow on top of a 3-1 score.

Rudy’s third goal of the two-chukker mini-match had Pheasant Hollow in the lead by three goals, 4-1, before Ocean Air/Backshot Ranch was heard from again.  A single goal from Shannon Mendez closed out the period with Pheasant taking the first two chukkers of the day, 4-2.

A determined Ocean Air/Backshot Ranch team held the field for the ensuing two chukkers against a new look Granite Bay lineup (Julie Fernandez, Caroline Anier, Eric Hammon and Goyo Mariscal).

Mendez scored the first goal of the contest from the field and added a 40-yard penalty goal for the early lead.  A disciplined defense held Granite Bay scoreless.  After their first chukker of lay, Granite Bay trailed, 2-0.

Another 40-yard penalty conversion from Mendez accounted for all of the scoring in the second chukker.  Ocean Air/Backshot Ranch recorded their first win of the day, 3-0, and leveled their record at 1-1.

Pheasant Hollow returned to the field for the final two chukkers of the round-robin to face a struggling Granite Bay foursome.

Rudy scored the first goal of the chukker followed by back-to-back goals from Smith.  For the third straight chukker Granite Bay was unable to get on the scoreboard, falling behind, 3-0.

Rudy rang up two more goals in the final period, extending the lead to five goals, 5-0.  Goyo Mariscal kept Granite Bay from being shutout with the final goal of the day, but it was Pheasant Hollow with the 5-1 win.

Round-robin play will continue on Saturday, December 23 at 11AM on Field 7 for the final six chukkers of play.  Pheasant Hollow appears to be in the driver’s seat with a 4-3 advantage over Ocean Air/Backshot Ranch and a 5-1 lead against Granite Bay.

Pheasant Hollow had captured the Desert Challenge and the Coyote Classic before losing in Jackalope Cup play.  A strong finish would give them three of the month’s four tournament titles.

Pheasant Hollow, Ocean Air/Backshot Ranch and Granite Bay will play one another for an additional two chukkers apiece on Saturday with the totals of their head-on-head competition added together for the final standings.  The team with the best record will be declared the winner.

The Holiday Cup is the Empire Polo Club’s final tournament of the month with the Stagecoach Challenge being played on Opening Day/Hat Day on Sunday, December 31st.

The 2017-2018 Empire Polo season attracts players from across the country and around the world and offers fourteen weekends of fast-paced polo in the beautiful and relaxed setting of California’s winter playground.

The Empire Polo Club is located at 81-800 Avenue 51 in Indio, CA.  For further information go to the club website at http://www.empirepolo.com or call 760-342-7755.

Three new lineups for Holiday Cup

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French polo veteran Caroline Anier will join Granite Bay for the Holiday Cup at the Empire Polo Club this weekend.

Three altered lineups will take the field for the opening round of the Holiday Cup in the final tournament of the year at the Empire Polo Club.

Pheasant Hollow team (Deb Vermoch, Cameron Smith, Tim Rudy and Suki Piper),  Granite Bay (Julie Fernandez, Caroline Anier, Eric Hammon and Goyo Mariscal) and Ocean Air/Backshot Ranch (Dave Carlson, Shannon Mendez, Ashton Wolf and Alonso Andrade) will battle one another on Feld 3 in a 2pm round-robin.

The 2015 winner, Alpha Omega (Dayelle Fargey, Hayward Pardue, Eileen Duffy and John Eicher) will not be on hand to defend their title in this year’s 2-goal Competition.

Julie Fernandez, Caroline Anier, Suki Piper, Dave Carlson and Shannon Mendez will be making their first tournament appearances of the season.

Round-robin play will begin at 2PM on field 3.

The 2017-2018 Empire Polo season attracts players from across the country and around the world and offers fourteen weekends of fast-paced polo in the beautiful and relaxed setting of California’s winter playground.

The Empire Polo Club is located at 81-800 Avenue 51 in Indio, CA.  For further information go to the club website at http://www.empirepolo.com or call 760-342-7755.

Hanalei Bay takes 2017 Jackalope Cup with a pair of wins

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2017 Jackalope Cup winner, Hanalei Bay, at the Empire Polo Club (L to R)- Krista Bonaguidi, Alvaro Tadeo, Ashton Wolf and Ron Bonaguidi.

Hanalei Bay (Krista Bonaguidi, Ron Bonaguidi, Ashton Wolf and Alvaro Tadeo) had been close in the last two tournaments only to see Pheasant Hollow (Deb Vermoch, Eileen Duffy, Carlos Galindo and Tim Rudy) take top honors in both the Desert Challenge and the Coyote Classic, but the weekend belonged to them.

“We changed the way we played this weekend,” offered Hanalei 3-goaler Ashton Wolf.  “Instead of turning on the ball we started hitting backhanders to one another.  Our success was all about teamwork,” he added, “four players working together.”

Ron Bonaguidi scored the first goal of the day for an early 1-0 lead over Granite Bay (Cameron Smith, Eric Hammon, Victor Soto and Alonso Andrade) in the round-robin competition.  Cameron Smith tied the game at 1-1 for Granite Bay moments later.  Krista Bonaguidi converted a 30-yard penalty shot for the final goal of the chukker and a 2-1 Hanalei Bay lead.

Both defenses held the scoring in the second period to a minimum.  Alvaro Tadeo scored on a penalty shot for Hanalei Bay while he and his teammates held Granite Bay to a single goal from Smith for the 3-2 victory (a two-day total of 6-5).

“They’re (Granite Bay) a good team,” said Wolf.  “They all all played well,” he said, “They were tough.”

The addition of Alonso Andrade seemed to be just what Granite Bay needed as the chemistry of the new lineup carried them to back-to-back ties in Saturday’s contests against Hanalei Bay and Pheasant Hill, and when the faced Pheasant Hollow on Sunday, they picked up right where they left off.

Granite Bay scored on single goals from Andrade and Victor Soto to go up 2-0 before Pheasant Hollow could mount an effective attack.  Carlos Galindo got them on the scoreboard with the final goal of the period.  Granite Hill left the field at the end of the chukker with a 2-1 advantage.

Tim Rudy leveled the score at 2-2 as the second period got underway, and Debra Vermoch added a penalty goal for the 3-2 edge.  Soto’s second goal of the day ended the game in a 3-3 tie (a two-day total that had the teams even at six goals apiece).

The final two periods of the afternoon would see the Hanalei Bay team continue to roll.  Goals were scarce in the opening chukker as both teams concentrated on defense.  Ashton Wolf sent the ball through the Pheasant Hollow goalposts for the only score and a fragile 1-0 advantage.

Tadeo scored on a 60-yard penalty shot, 2-0, to open the scoring in the final period of the day.  Hanalei Bay stretched their lead to three goals, 3-0, with Wolf adding another goal before Pheasant Hollow could respond.  A 60-yard penalty conversion from Tim Rudy allowed them to escape the shutout, with Tadeo putting the icing on the cake with a final goal in the 4-1 rout.  The two-day total had Hanalei Bay beating Pheasant Hill by four goals, 8-4.

Wolf and Tadeo set the offensive pace for Hanalei Bay in the Jackalope Cup with five goals apiece.  Both Krista and Ron Bonaguidi added two goals each for the win.

The final four-goal tournament of the month, the Holiday Cup, is scheduled to be played at the Empire Polo Club on Saturday, December 23rd.  The two-day competition will conclude on Saturday, December 24th.

The 2017-2018 Empire Polo season attracts players from across the country and around the world and offers fourteen weekends of fast-paced polo in the beautiful and relaxed setting of California’s winter playground.

The Empire Polo Club is located at 81-800 Avenue 51 in Indio, CA.  For further information go to the club website at http://www.empirepolo.com or call 760-342-775

Hanalei Bay takes the early lead in Jackalope Cup; a strong showing by Granite Bay has them in the mix

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A new Granite Bay lineup (Cameron Smith, Eric Hammon, Victor Soto and Alonso Andrade) made immediate waves in the opening two chukkers of Saturday’s opening round of round-robin play in the 2017 Jackalope Cup at the Eldorado Polo Club by playing Hanalei Bay (Krista Bonaguidi, Ron Bonaguidi, Ashton Wolf and Alvaro Tadeo) to a 3-3 tie.

Krista Bonaguidi scored the first goal of the day on a 30-yard penalty conversion, 1-0, that was countered by a goal from the field from Granite Bay’s Eric Hammon, 1-1.  Alvaro Tadeo took the lead back for Hanalei Bay with his first goal of the day, 2-1, but Granite Bay continued to battle.  Hammon’s second goal of the chukker had the teams all even at 2-2 after the opening seven minutes of play.

Snow-capped mountains set a majestic backdrop for the polo action at the Empire Polo Club.

Tadeo scored the first goal of the second period as Hanalei Bay see-sawed their way back into the lead, but it was not to be.  A determined Granite Bay attack managed to break through the Hanalei Bay defenders, with Cameron Smith scoring the final goal of the wo-chukker mini-match for a 3-3 draw.

The addition of Alonso Andrade appeared to be just what the Granite Bay team needed as a concerted offensive effort resulted in a goal from the field from Victor Soto for the early lead against defending champion, Pheasant Hollow (Deb Vermoch, Eileen Duffy, Carlos Galindo and Tim Rudy), 1-0.  Consecutive goals from Debra Vermoch, Tim Rudy (60-yard penalty conversion) and Carlos Galindo, however, had Pheasant Hollow on top of a 3-1 score as the chukker ended.

Hanalei Bay’s Ashton Wolf supplied three goals in Saturday’s Jackalope Cup action.

Soto and Galindo traded goals in the fourth period of the day, as Pheasant Hollow continued to hold a two-gal advantage, 4-2, when the momentum shifted.  After having suffered late loses in last week’s competition, Granite Bay supported back-to-back goals from Andrade with a solid defensive effort that left the game all even at 4-4 at the end of the contest.

The final two periods of the day saw Hanalei Bay securing their first win of the season over Pheasant Hollow in a nip-and-tuck match.  Rudy scored the first goal of the final mini-match of the day, 1-0, when the Hanalei Bay defense stepped it up.  A single goal from Ashton Wolf was the only other score in the chukker, 1-1, and both teams rode off the field for fresh mounts for the final period of the day.

A goal from Ron Bonaguidi opened the last chukker of the afternoon with Wolf adding two more goals.  Granite Bay got single goals from Rudy and Galindo, but it was Hanalei Bay with the 4-3 lead as the chukker ended.

Granite Bay had their best showing of the young season as they tied both Hanalei Bay and Pheasant Hollow in head-on-head competition on Saturday.  Hanalei takes a 4-3 lead (against Pheasant Hollow) and a 3-3 tie with Granite Bay into Sundays finals round of play.  Pheasant Hollow, the winner in the first two tournaments of the month (Desert Challenge and Coyote Classic) finds itself on unfamiliar ground with one tie and one loss after the first day’s action.

In Round-robin play, all the teams will play one another for another two chukkers with the totals from Saturday being added to the goals scored on Sunday.  The team with the best record will take the cup.

Jackalope Cup play is scheduled to get underway in a round-robin format, once again.  Competition will kick-off on the Empire Polo Club’s Field 7 at 11:30AM.

The final four-goal tournament of the month, the Holiday Cup, is scheduled to be played at the Empire Polo Club on Saturday, December 23rd.  The two-day competition will conclude on Saturday, December 24th

The 2017-2018 Empire Polo season attracts players from across the country and around the world and offers fourteen weekends of fast-paced polo in the beautiful and relaxed setting of California’s winter playground.

The Empire Polo Club is located at 81-800 Avenue 51 in Indio, CA.  For further information go to the club website at http://www.empirepolo.com or call 760-342-7755.