Tag Archives: Gauntlet of 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  

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: PILOT VS LAS MONJITAS. Pilot – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Troubleshooters – had already won the first two titles in the 2019 Gauntlet of Polo and were going for history against Las Monjitas – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Black Habits.

In the First Chukker the Troubleshooters put the Black Habits on notice regarding what they were up against. Pilot seized a 4 Goals to 1 lead. The teams exchanged a Goal apiece in Chukker Number Two for a new tally of 5-2.

Las Monjitas made their move in the Third Chukker, notching a desperately needed shutout of their opponents while swatting in a Goal of their own. 5-3 was the score going into Halftime. 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  

FIRST SEMIFINAL: LAS MONJITAS VS TONKAWA FARMS. This Match pitted Las Monjitas – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Black Habits – against Tonkawa Farms – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Cavalry.

The two teams went blow for blow and Goal for Goal in the First Chukker, which ended in a 2-2 tie. In the Second Chukker the Black Habits outscored the Cavalry 3 Goals to 2, grabbing a 5-4 edge.

The Third Chukker was just as tight, but more defense-heavy. Tonkawa Farms knocked in a pair of Goals to the 1 mustered by their opponents. Going into Halftime the score stood at 6-6. 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  

FIRST QUARTERFINAL: PILOT VS DAILY RACING FORM – Undefeated Pilot – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Troubleshooters – rode into action against the Defending Champions of the U.S. Open, Daily Racing Form – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Stat-Hounds.

Pilot has already won the first two titles in the 2019 Gauntlet of Polo and is going for history.

The Stat-Hounds had it all over the Troubleshooters in the First Chukker, scoring 2 Goals while shutting out their opponents. In the Second Chukker neither defense could keep the ball out from between the Uprights. The teams exchanged 3 Goals apiece for a new tally of 5-3 in favor of DRF.

Chukker Three saw Pilot thwack in 3 more Goals while limiting the Stat-Hounds to just 1 Goal of their own. The result was a 6-6 Halftime deadlock. 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  

ROUND THREE, DAY TWO: FIRST MATCH – LAS MONJITAS VS PARK PLACE. Las Monjitas – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Black Habits – rode against Park Place – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Cossacks.

The First Chukker saw the Black Habits dominate the Cossacks on both sides of the ball, swatting in 4 Goals while limiting their opponents to 1. In the Second Chukker the defenses clamped down, forcing the teams to settle for just 1 Goal each for a 5-2 Las Monjitas lead.

The Ball flew between the Uprights like shrapnel once again in the Third Chukker with Park Place outscoring the opposition 3-2. Heading into Halftime the Black Habits held a 7-5 advantage. 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  

ROUND THREE, DAY ONE: FIRST MATCH – ICONICA VS LA INDIANA. In this Match Iconica – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Creators – rode against La Indiana – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Indians.

I often praise Polo for the way men and women can play on the same team. In this Match Maureen Brennan rode into action as part of Iconica’s foursome.

The Creators put the ball between the Uprights 3 times in the First Chukker, compared to the 1 lone Goal mustered by the Indians. In the Second Chukker La Indiana outscored their opponents 2 Goals to 1 to pull within 4-3.

Chukker Number Three saw the Indians shut out Iconica while swatting in another Goal for themselves, producing a 4-4 tie at Halftime. 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  

ROUND TWO, DAY FIVE: FIRST MATCH – EQUULEUS VS COCA COLA. Equuleus – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Constellations – rode into action against Coca Cola: Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Red Colossus.

I often praise the way both women and men can play on the same team in Polo. Gillian Johnston was part of Coca Cola’s foursome and scored 3 Goals in this Match. 

In the First Chukker the Red Colossus dominated on both sides of the ball, notching 4 Goals while limiting the Constellations to just 1. The Second Chukker saw the two teams score 2 Goals each, making the new tally 6-3 with Coca Cola on top.

Equuleus fought back to within 1 in the Third Chukker, putting 3 goals between the Uprights to the 1 mustered by their opponents. The Red Colossus held a mere 7-6 edge come Halftime. 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  

ROUND TWO, DAY FOUR: FIRST MATCH – ASPEN VS SANTA CLARA. In this Match Aspen – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Eighty-Fivers – rode against Santa Clara – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Saints.

The Eighty-Fivers were all over the Saints in the First Chukker, outscoring them 3 Goals to 1. In the Second Chukker the scoring slowed down as the teams mustered just 1 Goal each for a 4-2 Aspen lead.

The offenses matched each other 2-2 in the Third Chukker, giving the Eighty-Fivers a 6-4 advantage at Halftime. 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  

ROUND TWO, DAY THREE: FIRST MATCH (OF THREE) – CESSNA VS SD FARMS. Starting the day’s action was this Match pitting Cessna – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Citations – against SD Farms – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Magnates.

The two teams spent the First Chukker feeling each other out, as the tentative offenses were limited to just 1 Goal apiece. In the Second Chukker the Magnates swatted in a pair of Goals to the 1 notched by their opponents to grab a 3-2 edge.

The Third Chukker saw the Citations and SD Farms exchange 2 Goals each for a 5-4 Magnates lead at Halftime.   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  

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. 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  

ROUND TWO, DAY ONE: ICONICA VS COCA COLA. This Match pitted Iconica – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Creators – against Coca Cola – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Red Colossus.

I’ve often praised Polo for the way that women and men can play on the same teams and this Match features Maureen Brennan as one of Iconica’s foursome and Gillian Johnston as one of Coca Cola’s foursome.

In the First Chukker the Red Colossus doubled-up on the Creators, scoring a pair of Goals to the 1 managed by their opponents for a 2-1 edge. The Second Chukker was a back and forth affair in which each team notched 2 Goals, making the score 4-3 with Coca Cola still on top.

Chukker Number Three saw the Red Colossus put another pair of Goals between the Uprights, while Iconica was limited to just 1. Coca Cola held a 6-4 advantage going into Halftime.   Continue reading →