For the third consecutive year the final of the 2011 United States Arena Open Championship at the California Polo Club in Los Angeles featured teams led by 7-goaler Billy Sheldon and 6-goaler Domingo Questel. This year, however, it was the father-son combination of Domingo and Manny Questel who took home the silver for the California Polo Club on the strength of a nail-biting 11-10 contest that was in question until the final seconds of the last chukker.

Ashton Wolf rounded out the Questel team. It faced Billy Sheldon, Cary Burch and Manny Rodriguez. This year it was neither Billy Sheldon nor Domingo Questel that put up the big numbers as Manny Questel scored nine times in the championship event.

After the singing of the National Anthem by Cynthia Hernandez, California Polo Club struck first with a goal from Manny Questel, but Thomson- Reuters answered with a pair of goals from Manny Rodriguez. Manny Questel closed out the first chukker scoring with his second goal on the day for a 2-2 tie. "It was an incredibly physical game," said actor Grainger Hines, who was part of a standing-only crowd that included longtime club supporters USPA Circuit Governor Denny Geiler, producer Michael Butler and actress Stephanie Powers.

There was nothing dirty about the play," said Hines, a veteran player himself, "but it was very physical."

Thomson-Reuters regrouped and took control of the second chukker, scoring three consecutive goals (two from Billy Sheldon and one from Rodriguez) for a 5- 2 lead. The California Polo Club bounced back with three straight goals of their own as Manny Questel evened the score at 5-5 to end the first half.

The strategy we went into the game with was to take out their best player," said Domingo Questel. "Although Ashton (Wolf) lined up at the No. 1 position, his sole job was to cover Billy (Sheldon)," he added.

The California Polo Club opened the second half with goals from Manny Questel and Wolf for a 7-5 advantage before Thomson-Reuters responded. A goal from Rodriguez and a penalty goal knotted it up again at 7-7, but California Polo Club's Manny Questel scored the go-ahead goal to end the chukker leading Thomson- Reuters by a narrow 8-7 edge. "There wasn't an uncontested shot taken in the whole game," said Billy Sheldon. "Any time someone looked like they were going to break loose, an opposing player appeared right alongside of them."

Cary Burch's first goal of the game for Thomson-Reuters leveled the score at 8-8 for the fifth tie of the game in the early going of the final period, but scores from Wolf and Manny Questel gave the California Polo Club a two-goal, 10-8 lead. Burch cut the lead to a single goal, 10-9, with his second goal of the chukker. Sheldon's third goal of the game had the score at 10-10 with time running out. A penalty against Thomson-Reuters put Manny Questel at the line.

I hit the ball to the right on the penalty shot and then buried it into the goal from midfield," said Manny Questel. Initially scored as a two-point shot, Referee Vicky Owens overruled the call, leaving the California Polo Club in front by a single goal with 1:20 left in regulation time.

It was the longest 80 seconds of my life," said Manny Questel after the match, and well it should have been. With less than 10 seconds on the clock Sheldon broke loose toward the California Polo Club goal only to be thwarted by a heady defensive effort from Wolf. Time expired with the California Polo Club celebrating the 11-10 victory. Manny Questel received MVP honors for his explosive offensive impact on the game while Albert, owned by Poway Interscholastic Polo and played by Billy Sheldon, was honored as Best Playing Pony.

USPA Governor-at-Large, Russ Sheldon (father of Billy Sheldon) raved about the organization and production of the tournament by the California Polo Club.

I've been to a lot of different polo clubs in my life and I will have to say that the efforts and presentation made by the California Polo Club should be heralded by the United States Polo Association as a model for other clubs to strive for."

The winning team was invited to participate in a 17-goal arena match at the Polo America Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada two weeks later. After the Arena Open final, California Polo Club's Max Duarte declared, "We are going to Vegas, baby!" But, because of a scheduling conflict Ashton Wolf was not able to attend. Instead opponent Billy Sheldon agreed to take Wolf's place for the first ever polo match in Vegas.

Domingo Questel, who is club pro and head instructor for the California Polo Club, rounded out the weekend by celebrating his birthday. Arshia Rios said, "[Domingo] has given us not only the benefit of his skill, but has provided us a role model for the true meaning of sportsmanship."

Earlier in the day, the Gladiators team of David Oles, Kerstie Allen and Ernie Darquea scored a one-sided 14-8 win over the struggling Urban Dog trio of Kim Garsed, Megan Judge and Gabby Questel in the USPA Master's Cup. Ernie Darquea was named MVP while Megan Judge's Cartagena received Best Playing Pony Honors.