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
DAY FIVE, FIRST MATCH: LAS MONJITAS VS DAILY RACING FORM. This Match pitted Las Monjitas – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Black Habits – against the Defending U.S. Open Champions, Daily Racing Form – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Stat-Hounds. 
In the First Chukker the Stat-Hounds showed the proverbial Heart of a Champion, shutting out the Black Habits while notching a Goal for themselves. The Second Chukker saw Las Monjitas outperform their opponents 2 Goals to 1, tying things up at 2-2. 
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. 
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. 
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. 
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. 
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. 
U.S. OPEN: CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – DAILY RACING FORM VERSUS VALIENTE 
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. 
AUDI VERSUS THE U.S. POLO ASSOCIATION – Marc Ganzi led Audi – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: the Bavarians – against his son Grant, who was playing for the United States Polo Association – Official Balladeer’s Blog Nickname: The Association (Thank you to Jim Rome.) 
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