ANTELOPE - Grant Palmer, Wesley Bryan, Jimmy Wright Santi Trotz
The Eldorado Polo Club’s USPA Carlton and Keleen Beal Memorial Cup 12 Goal final featured some wonderful wide open running polo created by deft setups along with some uncharacteristic missed opportunities - by both combatants.
On another perfect Southern California cloudless afternoon, with a game-time temperature of 79 degrees, Grant Palmer and his Antelope foursome (Grant Palmer 1, Santiago Trotz 4, Jimmy Wright 4, Wesley Bryan 3 sub for inj Segundo Saravi 3) lined up against John Bickford’s Cavallo Ranch (John Bickford 1, Max Menini 4, Tomas Obregon 4, Alejandro Gonzalez 3) in a game that neither team, at any time, led by more than one goal.
Cavallo Ranch took the early lead as Menini scored shortly after the opening throw-in. Antelope then responded quickly with offensive pressure that forced Cavallo into defensive mistakes that allowed Wright to convert a penalty two opportunity and he then nailed a 60 yard free throw to lead by a pair at 2 – 1. Cavallo responded with a strong force of their own that gave Obregon a successful penalty three chance that sent the contest to the second frame tied at two.
Period number two consisted of wide open running to goal polo – by both teams - capped of by many missed shots to score. The result was a scoreless stanza going to the third.
While the shared missed opportunities – both from the field and the penalty lines – continued in chukker number three, Antelope was able to go up by one in the third as Trotz scored to give Antelope its first lead of the game. Cavallo then took a one goal lead as Obregon deposited two goals – a penalty three and a field goal. Going to the half, Cavallo led at 4 – 3.
The pronghorns drew even in the fourth as Wright contributed a field goal. Obregon then gave Cavallo another lead of of one as he converted another penalty three award. On perhaps the most outstanding play of the game, Bryan, on a long set up by Wright - who was set up by Trotz with a perfect backhand from the other side of center - scored his only goal of the game. The score was tied at five after four.
In the fifth, Bickford gave Cavallo another lead of one on a penalty two spot hit courtesy of an aggressive effort by Menini to earn the opportunity. Palmer then scored his first of two in the chukker to tie the count once again, but Bickford counted another 40 yard open goal tally to give Cavallo another lead of one. Antelope got that back as the always aggressive Palmer tied the score at seven with his second from the field on a 70 yard pass from Wright leading to a perfect cut shot from 30 yards left and only 15 yards off the end line.
The final chukker, once again, saw many well earned scoring chances go for naught as both teams failed to score until Antelope was afforded a penalty three chance which Wright made no mistake on and the pronghorns led for only the second time in the contest. With no more scoring, that lead was enough, and Antelope won the USPA Carlton and Keleen Beal Memorial Cup by a final count of 8 – 7.
Karlene Beal Garber, daughter of Carlton and Keleen Beal and a member of the Polo Hall of Fame, presented the awards to the winning team.
With long and accurate passing, Wright was awarded the title of MVP and Sorpressa, owned by and played by Trotz in the sixth period, earned the Best Playing Pony blanket.
Tony Gregg
