SAPA POLO Igor Seyranov, Bayne Bossom, Marcos Alberdi, Jesse Bray
It’s been a long time since a team won all of the money available in the Eldorado Polo Club’s Polo Skins Game. In the 2021 event, the 25th renewal, and the fourth Rossmore at Eldorado, Sapa Polo came within 120 seconds of doing exactly that, while at the same time, winning the USPA Rossmore Cup in the process.
With a game time temperature of 77 degrees, the day was perfect weather wise, and for the first time allowed all season, a polo members only crowd lined both sides of the field and filled the allowable 30% in the clubhouse as Igor Seyranov’s Sapa Polo (Igor Seyranov, Jesse Bray 6, Marcos Alberdi 4, Bayne Bossom 2) lined up against Ben Soleimani’s Bensoleimani.com (Ben Soleimani, Juan Curbelo 5, Tomas Alberdi 4, Remy Du Celliee Muller 3) in a game in which each chukker was worth $6,000.
The start wasn’t at all suggestive of what would transpire during the afternoon as Bensoleimani.com pushed the very early play that allowed Tomas Alberdi a free shot from 30 yards to lead by one. However, Sapa got that back with a Marcos Alberdi penalty two conversion of his own and the first period ended in a tie at one forcing the game’s first money carryover and the Rossmore count at 1 – 1.
If the first frame wasn’t indicative of what would occur, the second period - for $12,000 – was. With Sapa controlling most of the play, Marcos Alberdi counted two goals – one from the field and another penalty two conversion to win the carryover Skin by a count of 2 – 0 and putting Sapa up 3 – 1 in the Rossmore.
The third period – for $6,000 – was pretty much all Sapa. Marcos Alberdi scored one from the field and Bray had a pair to nothing for Bensoleimani.com. Sapa won the money to up their count to $18,000 and they led the Rossmore at 6 – 1.
The intensive Sapa control continued in the fourth as unrelenting pressure led to four unanswered goals – Marcos Alberdi with a pair of penalty two conversions along with a field goal and Bossom with his first of the day. Sapa had now collected $24,000 and led in the Rossmore at 10 – 1.
Scoring was rather low in the fifth with each team counting one. Bossom from the field for Sapa and Tomas Alberdi with a field goal of his own for Bensoleimani.com. Like the first period, the penultimate frame ended with the count a one each, creating the second carryover of the game and the Rossmore tally at 11 – 2 to favor Sapa.
Sapa stretched the Rossmore lead to 11 goals at 13 – 2 in the sixth as Marcos Alberdi and Bossom each struck once and with the Rossmore victory assured, appeared to be in control to win the carryover $12,000 as well. However, with pride on the line – not to mention a lot of money - Bensoleimani.com pushed and Soleimani himself capped off a drive with a great effort from the right side to trail in the chukker count by just one. At this point the designers weren’t about to go away and from the ensuing throw-in at center, pushed the play the other way to force Sapa into a safety. Tomas Alberdi made no mistake as he pounded the 70 yard opportunity dead center to tie the chukker count at two and ultimately create a third carryover. The Rossmore count was now final to favor Sapa, but an overtime chukker would be needed to decide the fate of the remaining $12,000.
The extra frame didn’t last very long as Bensoleimani.com won the throw-in – deep in their own end – and pushed the play to the Sapa goal where Du Celliee Muller scored to grab the $12,000.
The final tally allowed that Sapa Polo had won the 2021 USPA Rossmore Cup at 13 - 4 and led the Polo Skins Game money count at $24,000 - $12,000.
Eldorado Polo Club President Mike Ward was on hand to present the trophies and the $6,000 checks to the winners and runners-up as well as $1,500 checks to the MVP and the Best Playing Pony.
With his very strong and supportive play in all aspects of the game, Marcos Alberdi was considered to be the MVP and I Know, owned by Bray and played in the 3rd and 6th periods, was chosen as the Best Playing Pony.
Tony Gregg