The Houston Polo Club in Houston, Texas saw action in multiple tournaments offered at 4-, 8- and 12-goal levels, as well as several women’s tournaments played in conjunction with the U.S. Open Women’s Championships.

12 Goal

Six competitive teams vied for four 12- goal tournaments with Scott Wood’s ERG starting and finishing strong, taking two titles, and Esther Kane’s Fairplay winning the remaining two.

In the USPA Keleen & Carlton Beal Memorial, multiple games went into overtime, including the final.

Eureka and ERG met on the historic Farish Field to battle it out for the first 12-goal tournament of the season. Eureka came out strong in the first chukker as Jeff Hall put in two goals to ERG’s one. However, after the second chukker, ERG maintained the pace of the game and the lead until the fifth chukker when Eureka’s Jorge Cernadas fought back to tie.

Both teams scored once more in the sixth chukker, sending the game into overtime, much to the crowd’s delight. The seventh chukker had the audience at the edge of their seats when the umpires threw the ball in. Eureka was first to take the ball down the field, but a foul moved the ball to the center in favor of ERG. Jeff Blake worked the ball down the field with outstanding help from Tete Grahn keeping the defenders at bay. Within seconds ERG drew the foul and Patrick Uretz, under pressure, put the Penalty 3 through the goal posts to take the 10-9 victory. ERG’s Tete Grahn was MVP and Jeff Hall’s homebred, Soul, was Best Playing Pony.

The same teams met in the Texas Open final, the last 12-goal, with the same results. ERG caught Eureka standing flat footed as it jumped to a 4-0 lead in the first chukker thanks to four open-goal penalty conversions by Patrick Uretz. ERG kept up its momentum as it closed out the first half with an 11-2 lead over Eureka.

During halftime Facundo Obregon booted up for ERG’s Jeff Blake, who could not finish the game due to an injury. In the fourth chukker, ERG was left scoreless, but Eureka was still having trouble finding the goal as the teams moved into the fifth chukker with ERG maintaining an 11-3 lead. Eureka battled back with five goals but Uretz did not let up in the fifth and sixth chukkers, converting another two opengoal penalties to finish the 13-8 game as the high scorer with eight goals.

ERG walked away with the coveted Texas Open spurs, and Uretz won a welldeserved MVP award. Best Playing Pony was again awarded to Soul, played and owned by Jeff Hall.

Fairplay had success in the USPA H. Ben Taub Memorial over Fox Benton’s running Ghurka team. Ghurka came out on fire as Sugar Erskine made his presence known on the field, running coast to coast on multiple plays. Ghurka held on to a one-point lead throughout the first half, but Fairplay had a different plan for the second half.

Goals from Cote Zegers and Tano Vial left the teams tied after the fourth chukker. Penalty conversions from Vial and Ghurka’s Chris Nevins kept the teams tied going into the sixth. Vial kept pushing in the last chukker, converting two penalties and scoring another from the field. Both Nevins and Erskine scored goals to bring Ghurka within one goal with a minute left.

Ghurka took control of the throw-in and started moving the ball towards goal, getting a spot hit in the process. Erskine used the speed of his horse to move the ball further down field, but was met with a strong defense from Fairplay’s Tano Vial. As the play turned, Nevins shot on goal, but came up short and Fairplay took the 10-9 win. The crowd applauded as the teams shook hands to a great final game ending a competitive tournament in memory of H. Ben Taub.

Tano Vial was named MVP and Erkine’s Tracy was Best Playing Pony. Due to the unusual rainy spring season the club endured, the final of the USPA Western Challenge 12 Goal was moved to the fall. In June, the teams stopped at halftime with Fairplay leading the game 6-3, but a heavy rain storm forced officials to cancel the game. The last three chukkers were finally able to be played on a beautiful October day. The only change in either team’s line-up was Facundo Obregon replacing Jeff Blake on the Tonkawa team.

The last three chukkers were fast and open as the Tonkawa team whipped and spurred to overcome the 3-goal deficit. However, the well-rounded Fairplay team stood strong and defended its lead until the last horn blew. The score ended with Fairplay ahead 11-8. Vial was MVP and his mare Estrella was Best Playing Pony.

8 Goal

Lantic Bay captured two of three 8- goal titles, including the Red Oak Cup. With four teams vying for the honors, Lantic Bay met 7 Bar W/Pegasus in the final.

The teams remained tied throughout the first half, but Jared Sheldon broke the tie with a pair of goals for Lantic Bay. Nick Cifuni answered for 7 Bar W/ Pegasus in the fifth, but the goal was negated by a Penalty 2 conversion by Lantic Bay’s Tom Earl. 7 Bar W/Pegasus managed to come within one goal in the last chukker, but time was on Lantic Bay’s side and it held on for the win.

Sheldon was named MVP and Mason Wroe’s Dixie was Best Playing Pony.

The same four teams that played in the Red Oak Cup were joined by two additional teams in the USPA Regional President’s Cup. Rocking P went undefeated to secure a spot in the final while BTA secured the other spot after winning a shootout over 7 Bar W/ Pegasus when the teams ended with a tied record. In the final, Rocking P took the 11-5 win after holding BTA scoreless in the second and fifth chukkers. Marcos Villanueva was MVP after scoring six Rocking P goals and his mare Maxima was named Best Playing Pony.

The last 8-goal had winners of the first two tournaments, Rocking P and Lantic Bay, challenging each other for the trophies. Rocking P’s Marcos Villanueva scored a lone goal in the first chukker, but Lantic Bay came alive in the next two periods to take a 4-2 halftime lead.

Lantic Bay had the momentum and kept it through the remainder of the game, winning the USPA National 8-Goal 11-8. Lantic’s Jake Stimmel was MVP and Villanueva’s Argentina was named Best Playing Pony.

4 Goal

Bad Luck & Trouble/Dunbar Capital had nothing but good luck, coming out with two out of three 4-goal tournament wins. A field of eight teams rounded out the competitive league, but three teams exchanged spots in the finals of the three tournaments.

The season began with the Autumn Classic as the two undefeated teams, Bad Luck and Trouble/Dunbar Capital and Tylee Farms, faced off in the final. Bad Luck and Trouble/Dunbar Capital squeaked by with a narrow 7-6½ victory. Jake Stimmel substituted for an injured Hernan Tejera on the Tylee Farms team.

Tylee Farms came looking for redemption in the USPA Master’s Cup, going undefeated again, and this time met the well-organized Latino Polo team led by Mark Prinsloo. The half-goal system worked in Tylee Farms’ favor this time as it won 8-7½. On Tylee Farms, Luis Echezarreta replaced Hernan Tejera and Carol Farnsworth substituted for Al Pepi in the final.

The last tournament, the Penny Cup, is a new club tournament created in honor of Penny Dillingham, a great friend and long time supporter of the club. Latino Polo was looking to win a final as it matched up against the strong Bad Luck & Trouble/Dunbar Capital team. But Bad Luck & Trouble/Dunbar Capital came out on top of a 4-2½ score to win the copper Moscow Mule mugs.

Women’s tournament

The club closed out its season with a bang by hosting the U.S. Women’s Open Championship presented by Freccianera. The Women’s Open was played at the 26 goal (women’s handicap) level, while the USPA Women’s Handicap was played at the 18-goal level. The club also held the 6- goal Farish Cup Invitational, the 0-goal Bayou City Cup, and a WCT Junior Invitational. A total of 72 ladies had the week of polo all to themselves.

Three final matches were played on November 14. Between games, the audience enjoyed a champagne divot stomp, margarita contest and barbecue. The WCT Junior Invitational and the U.S. Open Women’s Championship final were played on the following afternoon.

Bayou City Cup

The Bayou City Cup had three teams tie in round-robin play, so the game was decided with a coin toss. In the end, Maida’s Martha Jirsch, Barlee Flanders and Michelle Ludwig took the prizes.

Farish Cup

The Farish Cup had five teams playing semifinal games on Friday afternoon, followed by the final on Saturday morning. Fairplay and Crave Cupcakes played a great final, ending the game in a tie. Another tense shootout decided the winner with Crave Cupcakes coming out on top.

Fairplay’s Esther Kane was named MVP and Black Velvet, owned by Paul Hobby and played by Taylor Shell, was Best Playing Pony.

USPA Women’s Handicap

The USPA Women’s Handicap had six competitive teams playing this year. Games started on Wednesday, with the final played on Saturday. In the 18-goal final, Freccianera faced off against Pescatore. Pescatore had the lead at halftime, but Freccianera came to play in the third chukker. Two goals from Lia Salvo and a goal from Rebecca Clark tied the teams at 7-7 as they went back to the trailers to get on their last-chukker horse. In the fourth chukker, the Freccianera team pulled together once again and scored two goals to Pescatore’s one to take home the title.

MVP honors went to Lia Salvo, while Blackie, owned by Crystal Cassidy and played by Salvo, was named Best Playing Pony pro. Estrella, owned by Mark Prinsloo and played by Megan Rahlfs, was Best Playing Pony amateur and Bucky, owned by Sheila Lequerica and played by both Sheila and Salvo, was Best Playing American Quarter Horse.

U.S. Women’s Open

The WCT Junior Invitational game preceded the U.S. Women’s Open final, so people had the opportunity to see the talent in this young group of eight ladies that play on the HPC middle school and high school interscholastic teams. BCI came away with the win over W-S, but the talent on both teams was impressive.

The last game of the season was the U.S. Open Women’s Championship final between a tough Northern Trust team and an aggressive Rocking P/The Plank Companies team. The teams played fairly evenly the first two chukkers with Northern Trust maintaining a narrow one-goal lead.

The momentum changed in favor of Rocking P/The Plank in the third chukker when Caroline Anier sunk a Penalty 2, followed by a beautiful coast-tocoast run from teammate Dayelle Fargey. Meanwhile, Northern Trust was silenced, giving Rocking P the 5-4 lead.

In the fourth, Northern Trust quickly found itself in trouble as it had two Penalty 1s called against it. Suddenly, Rocking P/The Plank had a three-goal advantage, but Northern Trust was not finished playing yet.

Northern Trust’s Julia Smith scored a goal from the field, then teammate Kristy Outhier converted a Penalty 2 to bring the team within one at 7-6. As the 30-second horn blew, Outhier took one last shot on goal from the field, but Anier was there to clear the ball as it bounced off the post. As the ball was nearing the boards, a Northern Trust player fell off her horse and the whistle blew, stopping the clock.

When the ball was bowled in Rocking P/The Plank was caught by the whistle. Northern Trust was given a Penalty 2, which Outhier converted to send the game into overtime.

The crowd was on the edge of their seats as the women lined up for the overtime chukker. Northern Trust’s Sarah Wiseman took control immediately, sending the ball towards goal. Anier was there to clear the ball to the corner, but Smith intercepted Anier’s clearing shot and hit a beautiful neck shot to win the U.S. Open Women’s Championship.

Northern Trust took home soft Yeti coolers and MVP Kristy Outhier took home a Texas Polo saddle. Taxi, owned and played by Kendall Plank, was Best Playing Pony amateur, while Moon, owned and played by Kristy Outhier, was Best Playing Pony pro. Outhier’s Reata took home the Best Playing American Quarter Horse trophy.

By KC Krueger • Photos by Kaylee Scherbinski