Equuleus wins Joe Rizzo Memorial Cup, 13-12

By Alex Webbe

Equuleus (Joe DiMenna, John Bianco and Tommy Biddle) came up with four last

chukker goals to score an exciting 13-12 win over the home team in the finals of the

USPA Joe Rizzo Memorial Cup at the Country Farms Polo Club’s arena in Medford,

New York Saturday night.

Country Farms (Brett Gearwar, Bobby Ceparano and Horton Schwartz) received

three goals by handicap, with John Bianco cutting into it with the opening two goals

of the match.  Twenty-one-year-old Brett Gearwar responded for Country Farms with

consecutive goals for a 5-2 lead.  Arena polo’s only ten-goaler, Tommy Biddle, scored

the final goal of the first chukker, but Equuleus continued to trail, 5-3.

Biddle picked it up in the second frame with a goal from the field and a penalty

conversion for a 5-5 tie.  Horton Schwartz responded with a goal that gave the lead

back to Country Farms, 6-5.  Joe DiMenna drove the ball into the goal from 25-yards out

to make it 6-6, and Biddle’s third goal of the chukker gave Equuleus a 7-6 edge.  A pony

goal tied it up for Country Farms to end the first half all even at 7-7.

Biddle took control of the ball from the opening minute of the fourth chukker, scoring

twice to put Equuleus in front 9-7, but Country Farms fought back.   Schwartz converted

a penalty goal to cut the lead to 9-8.  Gearwear’s third goal on the day ended the

chukker in a 9-9 deadlock.

Once again it was Biddle with the opening two goals as the final chukker got underway,

11-9.   Gearwear and Schwartz scored consecutive goals to knot it up at 11-11and a

goal from Bobby Ceparano gave Country Farms their first lead of the second half, 12-

11.  The powerful play of Biddle took over in the final minutes of play, scoring two goals

and leading Equuleus to exciting come-from-behind, 13-12 victory.

Biddle led all scoring with ten goals (one on a penalty conversion).  Bianco scored twice

and DiMenna added a goal for the win.  Gearwear set the pace for Country Farms with

four goals, earning the University of Connecticut polo product MVP honors.  Schwartz

added there goals and Ceparano scored once.  Country Farms received three goals by

handicap and were the beneficiaries of a pony goal in the loss.

DiMenna’s mare Gringa was honored as Best Playing Pony.