polo tournament — Empire Polo Club

Tournament play slated for Friday in the USPA Constitution Cup and the USPA Congressional Cup

March 7, 2018 by Alex Webbe

US team member Shane Rice will be joining Evergreen for the Constitution Cup tournament after competing in England in international cup play last week.

Action resumes at the Empire Polo Club this weekend with a total of nine teams competing at the 4-goal and 8-goal level.

Five teams will be competing at the 8-goal USPA Constitution Cup as a strong Spindrift team (John Bickford, Luis Saracco, Tan Khan and Iggy Deltour) attempting to win back-to-back trophies, following their USPA 8-goal General Patton Cup win two weeks ago. Spindrift will open with a Friday match against Lockton (Tim Kelly, Bryan Middleton, Andres Gonzalez and Alejandro Gonzalez). The second match of the day will pit ReMax (Dayelle Fargey, Jared Sheldon, Gordon Ross and Matthew Fonseca) against Granite Bay (Eric Hammon, Alvaro Tadeo, Marcos Llambias and Catlin Dix). Evergreen (Tom Sprung, Carlitos Galindo, Juan Jo Gonzalez and Shane Rice) received a first round bye.

Sunday will see Evergreen face Spindrift while Granite Bay and Lockton lock horns in he second round of Constitution Cup play.

Two of the four 4-goal teams will take the field on Friday in the USPA Congressional Cup with La Herradura (Caroline Anier, Gina Padilla, Meghan Gracida and Carlos Hernandez) playing the Buffalos (Ross Adam, Tim Rudy, Felipe Sordelli and Riley Jordan) to get the tournament underway.

Empire (Rob Scapa, Erik Wright, Jim Wright and Kiki Hiller) is scheduled to battle Prima Polo (Robert Payne III, Jenny Alter, Toto Socas and Todd Randall) in Saturday’s only 4-goal game.

A full compliment of four games at both the 4-goal and 8-goal level will be featured in Sunday competition.

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://empirepolo.com or call 760-342-7755.

With seconds on the clock, Spindrift scores for 10-9 win in USPA General Patton 8-goal final

February 26, 2018 by Alex Webbe

The 2018 USPA General Patton 8-goal Cup winner (L to R) Leslie Tims, John Bickford, Juan Curbelo and Luis Saracco.

A large and enthusiastic crowd was on hand and it was a back-and-forth battle that put an exclamation mark at the end of an exciting day of polo at the Empire Polo Club Sunday afternoon. In the final game of the day, Spindrift (Leslie Tims, John Bickford, Juan Curbelo and Luis Saracco) rebounded from a last chukker rally by STG (John Ziegler, Tommy Costello, Max Menini and Francisco Guinazu) to win the 2018 USPA General Patton 8-goal Cup.

Juan Curbelo opened the scoring with a goal from the field for the early Spindrift advantage, but fouls proved costly in the early goings. Penalty goals from STG’s Max Menini and Francisco Guinazu closed out the chukker with STG on top, 2-1.

Curbelo tied it at 2-2 with his second goal of the game, but STG countered with a 40-yard penalty goal from Guinazu for a fragile one goal advantage, 3-2. Leslie Tims scored the final goal of the period, leveling the score at three goals apiece, 3-3.

The Spindrift defenders were on their game in the third. Shutout defense coupled with a pair of 40-yard penalty conversions from John Bickford gave the lead to Spindrift, 5-3.

Two more penalty goals from Bickford and a goal from the field from Luis Saracco and a second consecutive scoreless chukker for STG saw Spindrift expand their lead to five goals, 8-3, with just two periods of regulation play remaining.

The STG offense came alive in the fifth with Menini opening with a goal from the field followed by two penalty goals from Guinazu, 8-6. Bickford converted a penalty shot from the 30-yard mark, 9-6, with Menini adding the final goal of the period. Spindrift continued to lead but a storming STG team appeared to have morphed into attack mode, and trailed by just two goals, 9-7.

The momentum remained with STG as the final chukker got underway. Guinazu’s fifth goal of the day had STG within a goal of the lead, 9-8, and Tommy Costello’s first goal of the afternoon had it all even at 9-9. Both teams pressed frantically for the winning goal and with 13 seconds on the clock it was Saracco executing the winning shot for the 10-9 win.

All five of Bickford’s five goals came on penalty shots and earned him MVP honors. Saracco and Curbelo each scored twice and Tims added a goal for the Cup. Guinazu was STG’s top scorer with five goals (four on penalty conversions). Menini scored three times (twice on penalty shots) and Costello was credited with a goal in the loss.

Curbelo’s Curbelo’s Briza was named Best Playing Pony.

Following a weekend off, polo returns to the Empire Polo Club on March 9^th with the 8-goal USPA Constitution Cup and on March 19^th with the USPA Congressional Cup.

General Admission and tailgating are free with a $20 parking fee. VIP is $30 per person with a reservation. Call 760-393-7298 for VIP reservations. Entrance is on Ave. 50 between Madison St. and Monroe St. Visit http://www.EmpirePolo.com for more details

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

Evergreen goes to 2-0 in USPA Sportsmanship Cup Competition

January 21, 2018 by Alex Webbe

The Empire polo team (L to R)-Jim Wright, Erik Wright, Rob Scapa and Eileen Duffy with representatives of the Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa at the Empire Polo Club Sunday afternoon. Empire edged Granite Bay, 8-7, in a United States Polo Association Sportsmanship Cup match.

Empire (Rob Scapa, Eileen Duffy, Erik Wright and Nicolas Maciel) rebounded from a humiliating 12-3 loss in USPA Sportsmanship play on Saturday to record a hard-fought 8-7 win over Granite Bay (Eric Hammon, Alvaro Tadeo, Jenny Alter and Diego Cruz) Sunday afternoon at the Empire Polo Club, bringing an end to a day loaded with polo action.

Granite Bay drew first blood, however, with Alvaro Tadeo scoring the first goal of the match for the early 1-0 lead. Empire countered with a goal from Jim Wright to end the first chukker in a 1-1 tie.

Erik Wright’s first goal of the day gave Empire their first lead of the day, 2-1, but Granite Bay continued to press their attack. An empire foul sent Tadeo to the penalty line where he converted from 60-yards out for the final goal of the period to make it 2-2.

Both teasms played disciplined defense with Jim Wright and Tadeo exchanging goals in the third. At the midway point, the score remained level at 3-3.

Pressure from Empire in the fourth chukker resulted in a pair of Granite Bay fouls. Jim Wright took advantage of the Granite Bay errors, converting from 40-yars and 60-yards respectively. The Empire defenders held firm, shutting out the Granite Bay attack for the first time all day. After four periods of play, Empire had taken a two-goal, 5-3 advantage.

Granite Bay erupted for three consecutive goals in the fifth with goals from Diego Cruz, Tadeo and Eric Hammon boosting them into the lead, 6-5. Jim Wright countered with back-to-back goals for Empire, ending the period on top of Granite Bay, 7-6.

Erik Wright opened the scoring in the sixth with his second score of the day, extending the Empire lead to two goals, 8-6, but there was no quit in Granite Bay. Tadeo scored for the fourth time, but time was on Empire’s side as they held on for the 8-7 win.

Jim Wright led all scoring with six goals (two on penalty conversions). Erik Wright added a pair of goals for the win. Tadeo led the Granite Bay attack with three goals from the field and a penalty goal. Hammon and Cruz each added a goal in a losing effort.

Evergreen 8, Hanalei Bay 7

Earlier in the day, Carlitos Galindo dazzled the Sunday crowd by scoring seven times in leading Evergreen (Tom Sprung, Carlitos Galindo, Juan Jo Gonzales and Bayne Bossom) to their second tournament win in as many days as they outlasted Hanalei Bay (Krista Bonaguidi, Ashton Wolf, Taylor Freeman and Ian Schnoebelen) in a hotly-contested 8-7 win.

Although Hanalei Bay received one goal by handicap, an aggressive Evergreen defense held them scoreless from the field in the opening two chukkers. Single goals from Galindo and Bayne Bossom had Evergreen in front, 2-1, after the first. A pair of 40-yard penalty goals from Galindo in the second period extended the Evergreen led to three goals, 4-1.

A goal from Ashton Wolf in the third cut the Evergreen lead down to two goals in the third, but their defense was unable to shut down Galindo. His fourth goal on the day ended the first half with Evergreen leading by three goals, 5-2.

A re-focused Hanalei Bay team took the field in the fourth chukker and appeared to be in sync. Consecutive goals from Ian Schnoebelen, Wolf and Taylor Freeman went unanswered. The fourth period ended with Evergreen and Hanalei Bay all even at five goals apiece.

Goals were hard to come by in the fifth with both defenses stepping it up a notch. A single 40-yard penalty goal from Galindo accounted for all of the scoring as Evergreen edged out to a narrow 6-5 lead with once period remaining in regulation play. Freeman and Galindo traded goals in the sixth, each scoring twice, as Evergreen escaped with the 8-7 win.

Galindo’s seven goals set the pace for the day. Bossom added a goal for the Evergreen victory. Freeman scored a team-high three goals for Hanalei Bay. Wolf added a pair of goals, Schnoebelen scored once and the team received one goal by handicap in the loss.

All four teams will return next week for the completion of the 2018 USPA Sportsmanship Cup.

Saturday’s Sportsmanship Cup results: Evergreen 12, Empire 3; and Hanalei Bay 13, Granite Bay 6.

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

Evergreen takes Stagecoach Challenge behind nine goals from Carlitos Galindo

January 7, 2018 by Alex Webbe

2018 Stagecoach Challenge winners-Evergreen (L to R), Juan Jo Gonzalez, Bayne Bossom, Carlitos Galindo and Tom Sprung were undefeated in two days of competition at the Empire Polo Club.

Evergreen (Tom Sprung, Carlitos Galindo, Juan Jo Gonzales and Bayne Bossom) and Hanalei Bay (Krista Bonaguidi, Ashton Wolf, Taylor Freeman and Ian Schnoebelen) rode into Sunday’s final of the 2018 Stagecoach Challenge at the Empire Polo Club with high-scoring offenses that had averaged about 13-goals-per game (Evergreen 13; Hanalei Bay, 12.6) after three games, setting the stage for a high-scoring championship match that would feature some of the tournament’s top scorers, and they didn’t disappoint.

Carlitos Galindo rocked the Hanalei Bay defenders in first chukker action that saw him score three consecutive goals for the early 3-1 edge (Hanalei Bay received one goal by handicap). Taylor Freeman scored Hanalei Bay’s first goal from the field to end the first with Evergreen holding on to a 3-2 advantage.

Fouls by Hanalei Bay got them into trouble early in the second period, and Evergreen made them pay. Galindo converted a penalty shot from 60-yards while teammate Bayne scored on a 30-yarder. Both Galindo and Bossom added goals from the field as Evergreen rocketed out to a 7-2 lead. Ashton Wolf scored the final goal of the period, but Hanalei Bay trailed by four goals, 7-3.

Hanalei Bay, (L to R)-Krista Bonaguidi, Ian Schnoebelen, Ashton Wolf and Taylor Freeman.

Hanalei Bay scratched their way back into the game in the third, cutting the lead back to 7-5 on goals from Wolf and Freeman (a 40-yard penalty conversion), but it wasn’t to be. Galindo added a penalty goal and a goal from the field with Juan Jo Gonzalez scoring his first goal of the day on a penalty shot to give Evergreen a commanding 10-5 halftime lead.

The Hanalei Bay defense stepped it up in the fourth, holding Evergreen scoreless for the first time all day, but were unable to capitalize on it. A single goal from Wolf was all they could muster, offensively, and continued to trail, 10-6.

Bossom’s single goal in the fifth for Evergreen was the only score of the period as solid defensive efforts slowed down both attacking efforts. The Evergreen led returned to five goals, 11-6, with one period left in regulation play.

Gonzalez added a goal and Galindo scored twice (one on a penalty shot) while an impotent Hanalei Bay attack was unable to mount a successful scoring effort for the second consecutive chukker. When the final horn sounded it was Evergreen with the convincing 14-6 victory.

Carlitos Galindo led all scoring with an impressive nine goals. He also finished the tournament as high-scorer with a total of 26 goals in four games. Bossom added three goals and Gonzalez scored twice for the win. Wolf scored three times for Hanalei Bay. Freeman added two goals and the team received one goal by handicap.

Empire 7, Granite Bay 5

In a noon Stagecoach Challenge consolation game, it was Empire (Rob Scapa, Eileen Duffy, Erik Wright and Nicolas Maciel) sneaking past Granite Bay (Eric Hammon, Julie Fernandez, Alvaro Tadeo and Goyo Mariscal), 7-5.

First chukker goals from Nicolas Maciel (substituting for Jim Wright) and Rob Scapa went unanswered as the Empire defenders turned aside one assault after another. The first chukker ended with Empire on top, 2-0.

The Empire polo team of Erik Wright, Nicolas Maciel, Rob Scapa and Eileen Duffy downed Granite Bay in the consolation match.

Maciel’s second goal of the day extended the Empire lead to three goals, 3-0, before Granite Bay found their offense. Countering with goals from Eric Hammon and Alvaro Tadeo, Granite Bay came within a goal of the lead, 3-2, as the period ended.

Goals were scarce in the third as both defenses held. A single 30-yard penalty conversion by Erik Wright accounted for all of the scoring as Empire left the field at the end of the first half on top of a 4-2 score.

A fourth period goal from Maciel was supported by a defense that held Granite Bay without a goal for the second consecutive chukker. After four periods of play, Empire remained in the lead, 5-2.

Granite Bay came alive in the fifth, with goals from Tadeo and Goyo Mariscal, 5-4, but Empire answered back. Single goals from Maciel and Wright restored their 3-goal lead, 7-4, with one period left to play.

The defensive tone of the game carried into the final chukker, with Granite Bay’s Julie Fernandez accounting for the only goal in a 7-5 Empire victory.

Maciel led the Empire attack with four goals. Wright scored twice and Scapa accounted for a goal in the win. Tadeo’s two goals were a team high for Granite Bay. Single goals were scored by Fernandez, Mariscal and Hammon.

Two Sunday wins give World Gym league title

January 7, 2018 by Alex Webbe

The World Gym team of (L to R)- Tom Schuerman, Todd Randall, Claudia Uretz and Wiley Uretz finished two days of competition with an undefeated record for the title in the week’s 1-goal competition at the Empire Polo Club Sunday.

In the second day of 1-goal league competition at the Empire Polo Club, World Gym (Claudia Uretz, Sydney Jordan, Tom Schuerman and Wiley Uretz) recorded wins over the Flaming Chickens (Joey Gallemore, Devon Gallemore, Victor Soto and Hayward Pardue) and Grande Prairie (Ross Adam, Lolo Payan, Craig Nelson and Suki Piper) to take first place in the six-team field Sunday afternoon.

The Flaming chickens opened the noon round-robin scoring a narrow 3½-3 win over Grande Prairie behind the offensive push of Victor Soto.

Soto and Grande Prairie’s Lolo Payan exchanged goals in the opening chukker of the four-period mini-match with Soto giving the lead to the Flaming Chickens with the final goal of the chukker for a 2½-1 lead (Flaming Chickens received one-half goal by handicap).

Soto’s third goal of the match had the Flaming chickens on top, 3½-1 before Grande Prairie responded. Consecutive goals from Payan ended the game with the Flaming Chickens riding off with the win, 3½-3.

World Gym 5, Grande Prairie 2

World Gym exploded for four first chukker goals against a shell-shocked Grande Prairie lineup. Two goals apiece from Wiley Uretz and Tom Schuerman were complimented by shutout defense as World Gym went up, 4-0.

Tod Randell’s first goal of the day made it 5-0, World Gym with Grande Prairie struggling for an answer.
Grande Prairie got single goals from Craig Nelson and Payan in the final period, but it was World Gym riding off the field at the end of the contest with a 5-2 victory.

World Gym 4, Flaming Chickens 2½

It was Wiley Uretz with the hot hand as the final two chukkers of the round-robin got underway. He former college All-American scored the first three goals of the chukker while the World Gym defenders held the Flaming Chickens scoreless.

Soto and Devin Gallemore scored the first two goal of the final chukker, cutting the World Gym lead to one -half goal, 3-2½. Tom Schuerman scored the final goal of the game for a 4-2½ win.

Club Polo Cabo takes consolation

Earlier in the day, Club Polo Cabo (Tony Yahyai, Scott Walker, Domingo Questel and Alyssa/Ella/Clair) defeated Gold Rush (David Barnett, Manny Rodriguez, Jeffrey Rewald and Zinta Rewald) and Vashon (Stephanie Davidson, Juan Martin Gutierrez, Kim Bergman and Jessica Bailey) to win the consolation 1-goal round-robin.

Club Polo Cabo got first chukker goals from veteran Domingo Questel and Club Polo Cabo team captain Tony Yahyai while Gold Rush had to settle for a 30-yard penalty conversion. After the first seven minutes of play Club Polo Cabo held a narrow 2-1½ advantage (Gold Rush received one-half goal by handicap).

Questel’s second goal of the match extended the Club Polo Cabo lead to 2-1½, with Gold Rush in hot pursuit. Disciplined defense held Gold Rush to another penalty goal that had Club Polo Cabo escaping with the 3-2½ victory.

Vashon 4, Gold Rush 2½

In the second mini-match of the morning, Vashon handed Gold Rush their second defeat of the day in a 4-2½ bout.

Vashon rattled off the first three goals of the opening chukker with Juan Martin Gutierrez scoring twice and Kim Bergman adding a goal, 3-½ (Gold Rush received one-half goal by handicap). Jeffrey Rewald got Gold Rush on the scoreboard with his first score, 3-1½.

Jeffrey Rewald cut into the Vashon lead with his second goal of the match, 3-2½, but it wasn’t to be. Gutierrez scored the final goal of the match for the 4-2½ win.

Club Polo Cabo 4, Vashon 3

The final two chukkers of the round-robin pitted Club Polo Cabo against Vashon, with the winner capturing the consolation round-robin.

Club Polo Cabo picked up goals from Yahyai and Questel while Vashon countered with a pair of goals from Gutierrez. After their first chukker the two teams remained tied at 2-2.

Bergman’s second goal of the day and first of the game had Vashon on top, 3-2, but Club Polo Cabo wasn’t through. Two goals from Questel (one on a penalty conversion) ended the game with Club Polo Cabo riding of with the win, 4-3.

Tournament play slated for Friday in the USPA Constitution Cup and the USPA Congressional Cup

With seconds on the clock, Spindrift scores for 10-9 win in USPA General Patton 8-goal final

Evergreen goes to 2-0 in USPA Sportsmanship Cup Competition

Evergreen takes Stagecoach Challenge behind nine goals from Carlitos Galindo

Two Sunday wins give World Gym league title

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