POLO: U.S. OPEN, ROUND TWO, DAY TWO

Balladeer’s Blog continues its coverage of the world’s OLDEST team sport. Polo was already centuries old when Alexander the Great’s men played it! FOR MY PRIMER ON POLO CLICK HERE  

ROUND TWO, DAY TWO: FIRST MATCH – PILOT VS TONKAWA FARMS. Starting off Day Two action was this Match between Pilot – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Troubleshooters – and Tonkawa Farms – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Cavalry.

I’ve often praised Polo for the way women and men can play on the same teams and this Match features Malia Bryan riding as one of Tonkawa Farms’ foursome.

Pilot has already won the first two titles in the 2019 Gauntlet of Polo (formerly called the Triple Crown of Polo) and are striving to make history. The Troubleshooters got off to a fast start, putting 3 Goals between the Uprights to the 2 scored by their opponents in the First Chukker.

The Second Chukker was more of a defensive epic, with Pilot notching the only Goal to go on top of the Cavalry 4-2. The ball once more flew between the Uprights with giddy abandon in the 3rd Chukker. Tonkawa Farms outscored the Troubleshooters 3-2 to pull within 6-5 at Halftime.

In the Fourth Chukker the two teams went blow for blow and score for score, adding 2 Goals each for a new tally of 8-7 with Pilot on top.

Both defenses clamped down in the Fifth Chukker, limiting each team to swatting in 1 lone Goal apiece, making the score 9-8. The Sixth Chukker was a back and forth affair as the teams notched 2 Goals each. The Troubleshooters defeated the Cavalry 11-10.

Facundo Pieres led Pilot in scoring with 6 Goals.

ROUND TWO, DAY TWO: SECOND MATCH – POSTAGE STAMP FARM VS STABLE DOOR. Postage Stamp Farm – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Carolinians – faced Stable Door – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Jackaroos.

Both offenses seemed in gear in the First Chukker, but the Carolinians ended it with a 3-2 edge. The Second Chukker saw Postage Stamp Farm dominate the Jackaroos on both sides of the ball, limiting them to just 1 Goal while thwacking in 3 for themselves to take a 6-3 lead.

In the Third Chukker the Carolinians shone defensively, completely shutting out Stable Door while adding 2 more Goals to their tally. The score at Halftime was Postage Stamp Farm 8  Jackaroos 3.

Stable Door outscored their opponents 3-2 in the Fourth Chukker to cut the Carolinians’ lead to 10-6. The Fifth Chukker brought on more defensive perfection from Postage Stamp Farm as they once again shut out their opponents. They also added a Goal to make their lead 11-6.

In the Sixth Chukker the Jackaroos kept pace with the Carolinians, matching their 2 Goals with 2 of their own, but that was far from enough. Postage Stamp Farm won it 13-8.

Lerin Zubiaurre led the scoring for the victors with 7 Goals.