YPO Challenge Cup opens with four games polo magazine

By Alex Webbe

Four games kicked off the 2012 YPO Challenge Cup at the Grand Champions Polo
club with players arriving from all over the world for a weekend of friendly competition in
Wellington, Florida.

Power Horse (Melissa Ganzi, Juan Bollini, Adrian Laplacette and Walter Scherb) scored
an 8-7 win in the tournament opener over Agua Caliente (Alejandro Poma, Nic Roldan,
Marc Ganzi and Juan Borja) in the morning match with La Placette leading the way with
five goals.

Roldan opened the scoring with a goal from the field for Agua Caliente, but Laplacette
countered with a goal of his own for Power Horse fir a 1-1 first chukker.

Three more goals from Laplacette in the second period were complimented by a goal
from the field from Scherb as Power Horse move out to a 5-2 lead. Poma scored Agua
Caliente’s only goal of the chukker.

Scherb converted a penalty goal in the third period while the Power Horse defense held
Agua Caliente scoreless in the third. The first half ended with Aqua Caliente trailing, 6-
2.

Melissa Ganzi put Power Horse ahead 7-2 with her first goal of the game in the fourth.
Aqua rallied back with a penalty goal from Marc Ganzi and a goal from the field from
Borja, but could get no closer. After four chukkers of play Power Horse continued to
hold the lead, 7-4.

Agua Caliente came alive in the fifth on both offense and defense. Three consecutive
goals from Marc Ganzi went unanswered, and the period ended in a 7-7 tie.

Both defense buckled down in the final chukker as attack after attack was turned aside.
A penalty goal from Laplacette was the deciding score as Power Horse left the field with
a hard-fought 8-7 victory.

Laplacette led all scoring with five goals. Scherb scored twice and Melissa Ganzi added
a goal for the win.

Marc Ganzi set the pace for the Agua Caliente attack with four goals. Poma, Roldan
and Borja scored single goals in a losing effort.

AUDI POLO 7, CANADA POLO 6

Audi Polo (Roy Moed, David Krantz, Lucas Lalor and Jeff Hall) eked out a 7-6 win

over Canada Polo (Robin Melton, Jason Crowder, Joey Casey and Kingsley Ward) in
the second game of the day in a balanced attack that had every member of the team
scoring.

Single goals from Moed and Krantz got Audi Polo out to an early start, with Crowder
getting Canada Polo on the scoreboard. Audi Polo led 2-1 after the first chukker.

Canada Polo got back into the game in the second with a penalty goal from Melton and
another goal from the field from Crowder. Lalor scored Audi Polo’s only goal of the
period for a 3-3 deadlock.

Audi Polo shut down the Canada Polo offense in the third while picking up goals from
Krantz and Lalor. After the first half, Audi Polo sat on top of a 5-3 score.

Ward cut into the Audi Polo lead in the fourth chukker with a goal from the field, but Audi
Polo rebounded with goals from Krantz and Hall. The Audi Polo lead was extended to
three goals, 7-4.

Long runs and errant shots at goal had both Audi Polo and Canada Polo frustrated in
the fifth period. The score held at 7-4 with one chukker left to play.

Canada Polo stormed back in the sixth chukker with single goals from Melton and
Crowder, but they were unable to get any closer as Audi Polo held on for a narrow 7-6
win.

Krantz led the Audi Polo team with three goals. Lalor scored twice and Hall and Moed
added single goals.

Crowder scored three times for Canada Polo. Melton added two goals and Ward
scored once in the loss.

ENDEAVOR/LONGFIELD 8, FAR NIENTE 7

Far Niente (Brian Street, Steve Cox, Nacho Badiola and Diego Coscio) received one
goal by handicap and added a goal from the field from Badiola in the opening chukker.
Endeavor/Longfield (Hannah Buchan, Larry Austin, Juan Redlich and Jeff Hall) got two
goals from the field from Buchan for a 2-2 tie after the first seven minutes of play.

Two more goals from Buchan went unanswered in the second period as Far Niente
was unable to break through the Endeavor/Longfield defense. At the end of the second
period Endeavor/Longfield held a 4-2 advantage.

The Far Niente defense tightened in the third chukker, holding Endeavor/Longfield to
a single goal from Buchan, but was unable to mount an attack of its own. Endeavor/
Longfield left the field at the end of the first half with a 5-2 lead.

Goals from Street and Cox brought Far Niente to within a goal of the lead, 5-4, but
that was where the offense stalled out. Endeavor/Longfield continued to lead, but the
advantage was narrowed to a single goal.

Street tied it up at 5-5 with the opening goal of the fifth chukker, but Endeavor/Longfield
struck back. Goals from Buchan and Hall ended the period with Far Niente trailing by
two goals, 7-5.

Badiola converted a penalty goal for Far Niente in the sixth, cutting the Endeavor/
Longfield lead to a single goal, 7-6. Hall extended the Endeavor/Longfield back to two
goals with his second goal of the day, 8-6. Badiola scored the final goal of the game as
Endeavor rode off the field with the 8-7 win.

Buchan led all scoring with six goals for Endeavor/Longfield. Hall added two goals for
the victory.

Badiola was credited with three goals for Far Niente. Street scored twice and cox
added a single goal.

HEATHCOTE/CERTIFIED 12, PONY EXPRESS/TUFF RIDER 11

The final match of the day was a high-scoring affair with Heathcote/Certified (Steve
Lefkowitz, Mike Borrico, Juan Bollini and J. J. Celis) outlasting Pony Express (Bob
Daniels, Timmy Sharma, Tomas Goti and Omar Sosa) in a 12-11 shootout.

The two teams exchanged goals in the opening chukker, with Goti and Sharma (penalty
goal) getting on the scoreboard for Pony Express/Tuff rider. Heathcote/Certified
responded with a goal from the field from Lefkowitz and a penalty goal from Borrico for
a 2-2 tie.

Borrico converted a penalty shot for Heathcote/Certified in the second period and
Daniels answered with a penalty goal for Pony Express/Tuff Rider. With neither team
scoring from the field, the second chukker ended in a 3-3 deadlock.

Sharma scored from the field to open the third chukker but Heathcote/Certified picked
up a goal from the field from Celis and a penalty goal from Lefkowitz. The first half
ended with Heathcote/Certified defending a narrow 5-4 lead.

Celis (penalty goal) and Lefkowitz added goals in the fourth period while Pony Express/
Tuff rider picked up a single goal from Goti. Heathcote/Certified extended its lead to
two goals, 7-5.

Two more goals in the fifth from Celis were countered by a pair of goals from Pony
Express/Tuff Rider as Daniels scored on a penalty shot and Goti scored his second on

the day. Heathcote continued to lead by two goals, 9-7.

Celis scored two more times in the sixth chukker while Pony Express/Tuff Rider fought
valiantly, picking up a pair of goals from Sosa and single goals from Daniels and
Sharma. Pony Express/Tuff Rider fell short however as Heathcote/Certified rode off
with the 12-11 win.

Celis scored six times for Heathcote/Certified. Lefkowitz and Borrico scored three goals
apiece.

Goti led the Pony Express/Tuff Rider offense with four goals. Daniels added three
goals. Sharma and Sosa scored two goals apiece.