The second event of this year’s Gauntlet of Polo has produced a new winner. On Sunday 26 March, Scone beat the defending champions Pilot 8-6 in the USPA Gold Cup final at the National Polo Center in Wellington, Florida.
A late change that worked
Scone is the team of Australian patron David Paradice, and it went into the final with a change of personnel. Pelón Stirling, a nine-goal player, was injured, and Tomás Panelo, rated eight goals, came in to replace him. Because the swap lowered the team’s rating, Scone were given a one-goal handicap adjustment for the match. As it turned out, Panelo fitted in very well.
How the match went
Scone led through the first two chukkers and then held on while Pilot narrowed the gap in the third. Pilot did well to stay in touch, and they won the fifth chukker 1-0, which kept the pressure on. Scone, though, took the sixth and final chukker, and that was enough to close out the match at 8-6. For a final between two sides full of high handicaps it was a low-scoring game, and the defending champions never quite found the extra gear they needed.
What it means
The Gold Cup comes between the C.V. Whitney Cup, which Valiente won a month ago, and the U.S. Open Polo Championship in April. That gives the Gauntlet its shape: three tournaments with different winners can still produce a clear picture of who is playing best. Scone have now put a Gold Cup trophy in the cabinet, and they will go to the U.S. Open as one of the sides to watch.
The USPA has also been promoting the Gauntlet as a showcase for the Wellington facility, which the association took over last autumn, so each final is another test of how the new set-up works for players and spectators. Judging by the crowds and the quality of the polo, it has got off to a good start.
Later this week we will look at the Westchester Cup, which brings England to Florida to face the USA at the same venue.
Sources: PoloHUB
