Category Archives: Polo

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  

DAY FOUR: PILOT VS STABLE DOOR. Pilot – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Troubleshooters – took on Stable Door – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Jackaroos. Pilot has already won the first two titles in the newly-rechristened Gauntlet of Polo (formerly the Triple Crown of Polo). The Whitney Cup and the USPA crown have already been taken by the Troubleshooters.

Pilot never really let the Jackaroos in this Match. The First Chukker saw the Troubleshooters knock in 4 Goals while shutting out Stable Door.

In the Second Chukker the Jackaroos finally got on the scoreboard as they exchanged a Goal apiece with their opponents, making it a 5-1 tally. Pilot shut out Stable Door again in the 3rd Chukker while putting two more Goals between the Uprights. Headed into Halftime the Troubleshooters were on top 7-1. Continue reading →

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  

DAY THREE, FIRST MATCH: PARK PLACE VS OLD HICKORY BOURBON. Park Place – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Cossacks – took on Old Hickory Bourbon – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Distillers.

The First Chukker saw the Cossacks and the Distillers go blow for blow and Goal for Goal, ultimately ending in a 2-2 tie. In the Second Chukker the teams continued to put the ball between the Uprights with giddy abandon, resulting in a 5-4 edge for Park Place.

A defensive epic was in store for Chukker Number Three. The only Goal scored in the entire Chukker came from Old Hickory Bourbon. Headed into Halftime things were knotted up at 5 Goals apiece. Continue reading →

Balladeer’s Blog continues its coverage of the world’s OLDEST team sport. FOR MY PRIMER ON POLO CLICK HERE

DAY TWO, FIRST MATCH: TONKAWA FARMS VS POSTAGE STAMP FARM. Tonkawa Farms – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Cavalry – took on Postage Stamp Farm – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Carolinians.

The Cavalry doubled-up on the Carolinians 2 Goals to 1 in the First Chukker, then manhandled them for 4 unanswered Goals in the Second Chukker to grab a 5-1 lead.

The Third Chukker saw the teams exchange a Goal apiece as Tonkawa Farms headed into Halftime with a comfortable 6-2 advantage. Continue reading →

Balladeer’s Blog continues its coverage of the world’s OLDEST team sport. FOR MY PRIMER ON POLO CLICK HERE 

OPENING MATCH: COCA COLA VS LA INDIANA – The opening Match of the 2019 U.S. Open pitted Coca Cola – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Red Colossus – against La Indiana – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Indians. 

La Indiana outperformed Coca Cola in the First Chukker, which ended with the Indians on top 3 Goals to 1. The Second Chukker saw La Indiana continuing their offensive strategy of involving all Four Horsemen at once, confusing the defense of the Red Colossus for a 5-2 lead.

In the Third Chukker Coca Cola began to counter the Indians’ offensive strategy and also got their own offense rolling, thwacking in 3 Goals to the 1 mustered by La Indiana. The score going into Halftime was Indians 6  Red Colossus 5. Continue reading →

Balladeer’s Blog continues its coverage of the world’s OLDEST team sport. FOR MY PRIMER ON POLO CLICK HERE  

U.S. OPEN: CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – DAILY RACING FORM VERSUS VALIENTE

Valiente – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Valiants – were the defending champions of the U.S. Open and had taken last year’s Triple Crown of Polo. Daily Racing Form – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Stat-Hounds – defied the odds and derailed the seemingly unstoppable Valiente juggernaut.

FIRST CHUKKER – Valiente grabbed an early lead by way of a pair of Goals from Facundo Pieres. Daily Racing Form responded with a Goal of their own as the opening Chukker ended with the defending champs on top 2-1.

SECOND CHUKKER – This time around it was the Stat-Hounds who swatted a pair of Goals between the Uprights while limiting their opponents to just 1. The score was now knotted up at 3-3.

THIRD CHUKKER – DRF seized their first lead of the Match, once again outscoring the Valiants 2 Goals to 1. Going into Halftime the Stat-Hounds led Valiente by a count of 5-4. Continue reading →

Balladeer’s Blog continues its coverage of the world’s OLDEST team sport. FOR MY PRIMER ON POLO CLICK HERE  The 115th U.S. Open rolled along with its Semifinal clashes now in the books. 

FIRST SEMIFINAL – DAILY RACING FORM VERSUS THE U.S. POLO ASSOCIATION: “Complacency” was the byword of one of the oddest Semifinal matches in U.S. Open history. First up Daily Racing Form – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Stat-Hounds – faced the United States Polo Association – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Association (Thank you to Jim Rome).

The Stat-Hounds’ biggest problem through Chukkers One and Two was staying awake. They confounded and kicked around the hapless, outclassed Association so thoroughly that the two opening Chukkers ended with Daily Racing Form on top 3-0 and 6-0 respectively.

In Chukker Number Three USPA showed signs of emerging from their collective coma by actually swatting in a Goal for themselves. Going into Halftime the Stat-Hounds led the Match by a count of EIGHT Goals to ONE!

Chukker Number Four saw the Association trying to capitalize on a seemingly complacent DRF team. USPA put 3 Goals between the Uprights compared to just 1 from the Stat-Hounds, whose lead had now been cut to 9-4. Continue reading →

Balladeer’s Blog continues its coverage of the world’s OLDEST team sport. FOR MY PRIMER ON POLO CLICK HERE  The 115th U.S. Open rolled along with the final two teams for the Semifinals being determined.

GAME ONE: FLEXJET VERSUS AUDI – Two Ganzis, one of the First Families of Polo, were in action in this opening Match while a third played in the second one. Melissa Ganzi led the quartet from Flexjet – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Aviators – against Marc Ganzi and his foursome from Audi – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Bavarians.

FIRST CHUKKER – Things got off to a slow start on the offensive side. Both teams’ defenses were on top of their game and limited their opponents to just 1 Goal. The First Chukker ended in a 1-1 tie.

SECOND CHUKKER – The Bavarians managed to outdo the Aviators this time around. Audi swatted in 3 Goals compared to the 2 scored by Flexjet. The score now stood at 4-3 with the Bavarians on top.

THIRD CHUKKER – Audi dominated this Chukker on both sides of the ball, shutting out the Aviators while thwacking 2 more Goals between the Uprights. Going into Halftime the Bavarians led Flexjet by a tally of 6-3.

FOURTH CHUKKER – To start the 2nd Half the Aviators acted like they had just been playing possum the first three Chukkers. Flexjet notched FIVE Goals while limiting Audi to just 1! The Aviators had gone on top 8-7. Continue reading →