Balladeer’s Blog continues its coverage of the world’s OLDEST team sport.
FOR MY PRIMER ON POLO CLICK HERE
Polo’s U.S. Open was first played in 1904 and has become one of the most prestigious events on the Polo calendar. Moreover, it is the third of the Big Three Polo Matches held in the U.S. each year.
Valiente – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: the Valiants – come into the U.S. Open having already won the first two titles in the American Triple Crown – the U.S. Polo Association Gold Cup and the C.V. Whitney Cup. If the Valiants can win the Open as well they will have taken that Triple Crown.
Yesterday’s opening match at the International Polo Club in Palm Beach was full of drama. The Defending Champions of the U.S. Open, Orchard Hill – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: the Clubmen – played Valiente as the Polo World sat riveted.
FIRST CHUKKER – Polito Pieres swatted in a Goal from the field to give Orchard Hill a 1-0 lead but the next Toss-In saw Valiente’s Adolfo Cambiaso tie things up at 1-1. Facundo Pieres scored a Goal on a Penalty Shot from 40 yards out to put the Clubmen back on top 2-1. His teammates Jota Chavanne and Polito Pieres each scored a Goal from the field but the Valiants’ Diego Cavanagh scored on two separate 40-yard Penalty Shots to make the score 4-3 in favor of Orchard Hill.
SECOND CHUKKER – Besides trailing on the scoreboard Valiente lost Matias Torres Zavaleta to an injury in the opening Chukker. Pablo Spinacci replaced him and accomplished the seemingly impossible task of shutting out Facundo Pieres of the Clubmen, whose only scores in the Match came from Penalty Shots. This Second Chukker was typical of that kind of stellar defense and ended with Orchard Hill on top by just 5-4.
THIRD CHUKKER – The Valiants thwacked in 2 Goals to the 1 scored by the Clubmen in Chukker number Three, leaving the count all tied up at 6-6 as the two teams headed into Halftime. Continue reading
NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) 
NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) DIVISION THREE 
The death count from the Muslim fascist terror attack in St Petersburg has risen to 14 dead with nearly 50 more of the injured still hospitalized. 
TITIKANOHIMATA – The god of flying foxes, animals which figure very prominently in the myths and culture of Bel-Ren. 
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS – Despite the title of this gospel, Nicodemus doesn’t even show up until section five. This alternate scripture started out as 
Yes, it’s the time of year for Balladeer’s Blog to resume its coverage of Polo, the world’s OLDEST team sport! How old?
BUTLER HANDICAP: The International Polo Club in Florida was the site of the 2017 Butler Handicap. The two teams battling for the cup yesterday EACH HAD A FEMALE PLAYER ON THEIR TEAM. One of the things I like about Polo is that it has men’s only leagues, women’s only leagues and mixed play. 
America’s laughably hysterical Trump-haters are as silly as religious fanatics with the way they act like they’re fit to judge what constitutes “love” and “hate.”
NAVAJOS CELEBRATE PRESIDENT TRUMP ENDING OBAMA’S KILLING OF THEIR JOBS – The Navajo Nation is looking forward to working with United States President Donald Trump, who has already swept away many of Obama’s job-killing Executive Orders. 
NORDENHOLT’S MILLION (1923) – Written by J.J. Connington (Pen name for Alfred Walter Stewart). This is a riveting but downbeat Future History novel with many story elements which were ahead of their time. 
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