The second leg of the 2022 Gauntlet of Polo was settled in the most dramatic fashion. On Sunday 27 March, Pilot beat Park Place 11-10 in overtime in the USPA Gold Cup final at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, Florida.
A match that went the distance
The two teams were first and second in the Gauntlet’s scoring table, and the final lived up to that billing. Pilot led 8-6 after the third chukker, but Park Place fought back, and the score was tied at 9-9 and then again at 10-10. The sixth chukker was goalless, which sent the match to overtime.
It took just 42 seconds of extra time. Facundo Pieres scored the golden goal, his tenth of the afternoon, to win it. He was named Most Valuable Player, and his pony Open Azarenka took both Best Playing Pony and the Argentine Bred Best Playing Pony award.
The line-ups
Park Place had Cody Ellis, Josh Hyde, Hilario Ulloa and Juan Britos, the same four who beat Scone in the C.V. Whitney Cup final a month ago. Pilot’s side was built around Pieres and MatÃas Torres Zavaleta, with Curtis Pilot and Mackenzie Weisz completing the team.
Back on the podium
The win returned Pilot to the podium at the club for the first time since 2019. They went into the final unbeaten, and the result sets up a very interesting finish to the Gauntlet. Park Place hold the Whitney Cup and have reached two finals, while Pilot have the Gold Cup and a player on a remarkable run of form. Pieres has been among the leading scorers all season, and a ten-goal final is a performance that stays in the memory.
The next step
The Gauntlet ends with the U.S. Open Polo Championship in April, and both teams will want to finish the season with the biggest trophy in American polo. If this final is anything to go by, it will be well worth watching.
Sources: U.S. Polo Association
