The Gauntlet of Polo has opened with a repeat of last year’s final and, once more, Park Place came out on top. On Sunday 27 February, at Field 1 of the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, Florida, they beat Scone 14-11 to win the C.V. Whitney Cup for the second year in a row.
A second-half turnaround
Scone led 8-5 at half-time, but the second half belonged to Park Place, who outscored their opponents 9-3. The match was level at 8-8 after the fourth chukka, and Park Place took their first lead early in the fifth. They also won eight of the first nine throw-ins, which gave them a lot of the ball when it mattered. Scone’s Keko Magrini scored late to bring the gap back to one goal, but Juan Britos replied with a neck shot and a penalty conversion to close the match out.
The players
Park Place lined up with Josh Hyde, Juan Britos, Hilario Ulloa and Cody Ellis. Ulloa led all scorers with eight goals, converting all three of his penalty 4 attempts. Britos was named Most Valuable Player after scoring four goals and adding two assists, and his pony El Overo Indigena took Best Playing Pony. Scone fielded Adolfo Cambiaso, Poroto Cambiaso and Magrini, among others.
What it means
Scone had been the pace-setters in the previous season’s Gauntlet, taking the USPA Gold Cup and the U.S. Open, so seeing Park Place beat them again in the opening leg is a statement. Park Place now go into the USPA Gold Cup as the reigning Whitney Cup champions.
We should also note how competitive the field has been. Pilot, for example, went out in the semi-finals, which suggests that the rest of the season is likely to be an open contest. With the Gold Cup and the U.S. Open still to come, there is plenty to look forward to in Wellington.
Sources: U.S. Polo Association
