The first leg of the Gauntlet of Polo is well under way at the National Polo Center in Wellington. Nine teams are playing in three brackets of three, with pool matches running through 20 February, and a semi-final stage to follow. The prize money for the title is $25,000, and the tournament, which started life as the US Handicap, is the traditional curtain-raiser for the high-goal season.
Early results
Play began on Friday 13 February, and these are the results we have for the opening days:
- Pilot 19, Coca-Cola 12
- La Dolfina Tamera 12, Park Place 11
- The Dutta Corp 10, Clearwater 6
- DUS 8, Clearwater 7
- Coca-Cola 16, BTA 13
- La Dolfina/Scone 12, Park Place 9
Pilot’s win over Coca-Cola stands out. Curtis Pilot’s team (Camilo Castagnola, Lorenzo Chavanne and Mackenzie Weisz make up the rest of the side) scored 19 goals, which is a serious statement in a 22-goal match. Park Place, by contrast, have lost both of their opening matches and will need to bounce back. Remember that results from the later pool matches decide the semi-finals, so we will not draw too many conclusions yet.
Ylvisaker Cup: Catamount
On Sunday 22 February, Catamount beat Zapican BMW 13-12 in the final of the Ylvisaker Cup, the second of four qualifiers for the NPC 16-Goal Championship. Catamount went through the 15-team event unbeaten, with seven wins from seven. Poroto Cambiaso played in place of his father Adolfo, alongside Mia Cambiaso, Scott Devon and Santiago Torres. Torres was named MVP, and the best playing pony was Dolfina Alula, ridden by Poroto Cambiaso.
The four qualifiers, the Joe Barry Memorial, the Ylvisaker Cup, the Iglehart Cup and the Outback Cup, feed into the championship final, which is scheduled for 12 April. Las Brisas have already won the Joe Barry Memorial and Catamount now have the Ylvisaker Cup, so both have a strong claim on a place.
What to watch
With the semi-finals due in midweek, the contest to reach the final looks open. The three brackets mean each team plays only two matches in the pool stage, so one bad afternoon can end a campaign. That is part of what makes the Whitney Cup so exciting to watch, and it is also why the early scorelines carry so much weight.
We will bring you the final and the reaction as soon as it is played.
Sources: Polo Times (Whitney Cup), Polo Times (Ylvisaker Cup), Polo Press
