Maureen Brennan’s Goose Creek team came to Aiken, South Carolina, with the goal of defending its title in the USPA Silver Cup. It succeeded in doing so with style in a highly competitive October 19 final game with a nail-biter of an ending.

The 2008 USPA Silver Cup was unique in that women’s teams dominated this 20-goal tournament. The Silver Cup is the oldest tournament in the U.S. Polo Association’s arsenal, dating back to 1900. A woman had not won the tournament until 2004 when Leigh Ann Hall won it with the Pueblo Viejo team. Since then it has been won by women’s teams in three of the last four years. Chrys Beal’s BTA squad won it in 2006 and Brennan’s Goose Creek team took it in both 2007 and 2008.

The eight teams from last year were reduced to five in 2008. It’s interesting to note that four of the five participating teams were led by women patrons. Aside from Brennan, Barb Uskup led the Barrington team, 1-goal Gillian Johnston led her Bendabout quad, and Christine Cato was at the helm of her Brigadoon team. Bob Daniels was the odd man out with his Pony Express foursome. Aside from the 19-goal Goose Creek team, all the teams carried 20 goals.

Joining Brennan, who comes from Charlottesville, Virginia, was Aiken transplant 8-goal Adam Snow; and brothers 6-goal Martin and 5-goal Jose “Cote” Zegers of Santiago, Chile. Goose Creek got off to a great start, beating Daniels’ Pony Express team 10-7 in the first game of the tournament. Pony Express, with Argentineans 8-goal Nicolas Roldan and 7- goal Tomas Goti and 5-goal Canadian Brandon Phillips led 7-3 at the half, but Goose Creek tied the match in the fourth and took the lead in the fifth while effectively shutting Pony Express down in the second half.

The next game had Uskup’s Barrington team taking on Johnston’s Bendabout team. Barrington took an early lead and never relinquished it. Barrington won with an 11- 8 advantage. Goose Creek’s second game was against Cato’s Brigadoon team. Goose Creek jumped ahead 4-1 after the first period and that would be the closest Brigadoon would come. Goose Creek held a 7-4 halftime lead and went on to win 15-7.

Pony Express’ second match was against Barrington. It was a low-scoring first half until the third, when Pony Express scored three while allowing Barrington a single goal. Pony Express held onto a three-goal lead until the fifth, when Barrington came within one. But a pair of goals to Barrington’s one in the final chukker gave Pony Express the edge it needed. Goose Creek took its only loss in the next match, against Bendabout, after having already secured a place in the semifinal. Goose Creek started strong in the first leading 4-1 but Bendabout bounced back to take a 5-4 lead after two. With the teams tied at the half Bendabout took a one-goal edge in both the fourth and fifth periods and increased it to 14-12, when the final horn sounded. The last of the preliminary games had Brigadoon taking its first win, soundly defeating Barrington 15-11. Barrington scored the only goal of the first, but Brigadoon scored five to Barrington’s two in the second. Brigadoon held a 7-6 lead at the half, but scored another five in the fourth chukker. Barrington attempted a comeback with four in the fifth chukker, but Brigadoon scored another two to hold on to a comfortable lead. The teams traded goals in the sixth, but Brigadoon had the win. Barrington’s second loss eliminated the team from the semifinals, advancing the remaining four teams. Pony Express would meet Bendabout, while Goose Creek challenged Brigadoon.

Pony Express owned the first chukker, but Bendabout owned the second. Pony Express took a 2-1 advantage in the third for a slight halftime lead. It increased its lead in both the fourth and sixth to take the 13-11 win, advancing to the final.

The second semifinal had Goose Creek dominating in both the first and second periods. Brigadoon kept pace in the third chukker but wasn’t able to cut its deficit, so Goose Creek held a 7-3 advantage at the half. Brigadoon again kept pace in the fourth, but Goose Creek added two in both the fifth and sixth while holding Brigadoon to one, taking the 12-5 win and a step closer to the Silver Cup trophy.

The final was played under bright Carolina blue skies. But because of rain the previous day causing a damp field, the match was moved from Meadow Hill Farm to Loughrea Plantation. The last-minute move necessitated relocating sponsors’ tents and getting the word out to the many out-of-town visitors. Game time was pushed from 3 to 4 o’clock, and with a lot of effort and cooperation everything was moved over in time for the game to begin.

Goose Creek began with a one-goal handicap, but Tomas Goti wasted no time in evening the score. Martin Zegers easily converted a Penalty 2 early in the second, but Brandon Phillips responded to keep the game tied. Goti scored again in the third and Phillips converted a Penalty 4 while holding Goose Creek scoreless, giving Pony Express a halftime advantage.

In an effort to cut its deficit, Martin Zegers converted a Penalty 2 in the opening minutes of the fourth, but Goti responded. Snow connected with the goal, but Nic Roldan responded. Just when it seemed like Pony Express might be, well, getting their goose, Martin Zegers hammered in a pair of goals to tie the score at 6. Goose Creek had the momentum and suddenly took a two-goal lead in the fifth with goals by Martin Zegers and Brennan. Pony Express’ Roldan and Phillips answered to keep the game tied at 8. Brennan and Zegers combined again in the sixth, but Roldan and Phillips shot back to keep it tied. Time ran out with the teams at a 10-all stalemate.

The fans were getting a full dose of competitive polo. Goose Creek, with hometown hero Snow, was favored to win, but Pony Express was holding its own. Once umpires Rick Sears and Horton Schwartz lined the teams up for overtime, anticipation was mounting. With the ball in play, Brennan grabbed a loose ball and sent it to Martin Zegers. Zegers looked up and saw Snow open and headed to goal. Zegers passed him the ball, and Snow finished the job, sealing the win for Goose Creek.

Brennan was named amateur MVP, and her mare Papita was honored as amateur best playing pony. Martin Zegers, who led all scoring with six goals, five from the penalty line, was named most valuable professional player for the second year in a row. Snow’s ba mare, Amy, took professional best playing pony honors, something she has done on numerous occasions.

Polo fans enjoyed a celebration in the Linehan Builders pavilion area. Guests dined on a variety of international delicacies prepared by executive chef Elaine Marks. The celebration continued long after the last goal was scored. Aside from Linehan Builders, other sponsors included 302 Polo, Mercedes-Benz of Augusta, Tandem by the makers of Polyglycan, and Melinda Brewer Equestrian Art. Plans are already underway for the 2009 Silver Cup, also played in Aiken. The Silver Cup was an North American Polo League event, the last one before the NAPL announced it would suspend operations.

Brigadoon Takes Monty Waterbury

The Silver Cup was part of two 20-goal events in Aiken this fall. The other event was the Monty Waterbury Cup, which also has a long history, dating back to 1922. A sixth team, the all-pro New Bridge team, came in for the Monty Waterbury but didn’t play the Silver Cup. With a six-team lineup in the first event, the teams were divided into two brackets and each team played each of the other teams in the opposite bracket. The top four teams advanced to the semifinals.

Each of the teams in Bracket A—Brigadoon, Bendabout and New Bridge—finished with 2-1 records. In Bracket B, Bendabout finished 2-1, while Goose Creek had 1-2 and Barrington had 0-3. All the 2-1 teams would advance to the semis. Bendabout faced Pony Express, while Brigadoon faced New Bridge. Brigadoon edged New Bridge 13-12 in a squeaker while Bendabout defeated Pony Express 12-9. Brigadoon then faced Bendabout for the championship. The final got off to an even start, with goals traded by Brigadoon’s Tiger Kneece and Bendabout’s Owen Rinehart. Brigadoon exerted its dominance in the second with consecutive goals by Arellano, Kneece and Daniels to push their lead to 5-1.

Bendabout’s Gillian Johnston, who played strong throughout the tournament, scored a hat trick to put Bendabout in the game. Teammates Hector Galindo and Owen Rinehart followed up with goals to give Bendabout the edge, 6-5.

Johnson scored a pair in the fourth while Kneece was held to one. Brigadoon changed the tide in the fifth when the team went on a scoring spree, nailing four unanswered goals to take a two-goal lead. In the sixth, Galindo tied the score with a pair of penalty conversions. Aiken’s own Tiger Kneece saved the day for Brigadoon, when he executed a beautiful play by picking up a wayward ball after Arellano lost control of it on the way to goal. Tiger maintained his composure under pressure and slammed it through the uprights to seal the victory for Brigadoon 11-10.

Player Rick Hartnett and his daughter, Taryn, representing sponsor Morgan Stanley, awarded the Monty Waterbury trophy to the winning Brigadoon team. The winners also received crystal vases courtesy of Crystal Engravers of Aiken. Silver Leaf, played by Johnston, took amateur best playing pony honors presented by UPS; and Lexi, played by Hector Galindo, took pro best playing pony honors. UPS also presented the MVP honors to Julio Arellano for the pro MVP and Johnston for amateur MVP.

All present were treated to a festive fall barbecue prepared by executive chef Jacqui Sutherland of Aiken’s own Stir the Pot as a sultry Carolina evening was enjoyed by all at the grand New Bridge clubhouse to celebrate Brigadoon’s victory in a tournament named to honor one of polo’s most famous icons, Monty Waterbury. 302 Polo, presented by Mercedes-Benz of Augusta and New Bridge Polo Club, were the hosts of the event.