Tag Archives: Professional Polo

June 27, 2016 · 9:32 pm

POLO: WHITE BIRCH WINS THE WATERBURY CUP

White Birch 2016 Monty Waterbury Cup

White Birch players hold up the Monty Waterbury Cup for the 3rd year in a row! Hilario Ulloa (Deuce), Mariano Aguerre (Back), Peter Brant (Chevy) and Santino Magrini (Ace) 

Balladeer’s Blog continues its coverage of the world’s OLDEST team sport – Polo. The 2016 Monty Waterbury Cup has wrapped up at the Greenwich Polo Club.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The storied WHITE BIRCH Polo Team took on GOOSE CREEK – Official Balladeer’s Blog Name – the VIRGINIANS – for the 2016 title. In the First Chukker White Birch started the scoring with a goal from Hilario Ulloa but Goose Creek came charging from behind to take a 3-1 lead.

Greenwich Polo ClubChukker Number Two saw the Virginians outscore the team from Connecticut 2 goals to 1 for a 5-2 advantage. In the Third Chukker White Birch exploded for 4 goals – 3 from Ulloa and 1 from Mariano Aguerre – while Goose Creek could muster just 1. Both teams went into Halftime tied up 6-6.   Continue reading →

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April 26, 2016 · 11:21 pm

POLO: ORCHARD HILL WINS THE U.S. OPEN

Orchard Hill

The victorious Orchard Hill team: Steve Van Andel, Facundo Pieres, Julian de Lusarreto and Juan Martin Nero.

Balladeer’s Blog continues its coverage of the world’s OLDEST team sport – Polo. The 112th U.S. Open has wrapped up at the International Polo Club in Palm Beach.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – Orchard Hill – the Clubmen as they’re known to readers of Balladeer’s Blog – took on the Dubai Gushers for the 2016 title. In the First Chukker the Clubmen took a quick 1-0 lead off a Facundo Pieres goal just 30 seconds in. As is often the case the Polo Grounds were fecund with Facundos and soon the Gushers tied the score at 1-1 when Facundo Sola swatted in a goal from the field and later made a 40-yard penalty shot for a 2-1 Dubai lead. Adolfo Cambiaso made it 3-1 to end the opening Chukker.

Scoring in the Second Chukker got started with a 30-yard penalty shot from Pieres to make the score 3-2. Rashid Albwardy put the Gushers up 4-2 with a goal from the field but Pieres pulled Orchard Hill to within a goal with less than a minute left, ending the Chukker with a score of 4-3.

International Polo ClubJulian de Lusarreta managed the first goal of the Third Chukker, tying things up at 4-4 and his teammate Juan Martin Nero went on to put the Clubmen on top 5 goals to 4 with a shot rocketed in from ONE HUNDRED YARDS OUT! Facundo Pieres notched a pair of penalty shots later in the Chukker for a 7-4 Orchard Hill advantage but Cambiaso scored the lone goal for Dubai in the Chukker, making the score 7-5 in favor of the Clubmen going into Halftime.     Continue reading →

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July 26, 2015 · 4:57 pm

POLO: WHITE BIRCH WINS BUTLER HANDICAP

Balladeer’s Blog continues its coverage of the world’s OLDEST team sport.

The victors and the vanquished on stage after the match.

The victors and the vanquished on stage after the match.

Mere weeks after winning the Waterbury Cup the storied WHITE BIRCH polo team won the Butler Handicap, clobbering AIRSTREAM by a score of 16-9 in the championship match. The Greenwich Polo Club was the scene of the action.

When White Birch wins my female readers like to see pics of their player Hilario Ulloa.

When White Birch wins my female readers like to see pics of their player Hilario Ulloa.

White Birch rode onto the polo grounds playing like a team possessed on both offense AND defense.

They swatted in 3 goals in the 1st Chukker, an amazing 5 in the 2nd Chukker and 2 more in the 3rd to head into Halftime with an intimidating 10-4 lead over their opponents from Airstream.  Continue reading →

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July 22, 2015 · 8:05 pm

POLO: FINAL MATCHUP SET FOR THE BUTLER HANDICAP

Balladeer’s Blog continues its coverage of the world’s OLDEST team sport.

Airstream NomadsThe other team playing in the championship match of the Butler Handicap at Greenwich Polo Club has been established. The AIRSTREAM NOMADS defeated the K.I.G. LIVERYMEN to advance to Thursday’s title game against Greenwich’s own WHITE BIRCH.

The Airstream team:

The Airstream team: Peter Orthwein (Ace), Guillermo Aguerro (Deuce), Michel Dorignac (Chevy), Mariano Gonzalez (Back)

The first Chukker ended in a 2-2 tie and set the pace for the rest of this defense-heavy match. At the end of Chukker number 5 Airstream held a 7 to 4 advantage over K.I.G. In the 6th Chukker the Liverymen shut out the Nomads and tied the game at 7-7, forcing a Golden Goal sudden death situation.    Continue reading →

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July 17, 2015 · 7:32 pm

POLO: WHITE BIRCH CONTINUES TO ROLL AS THE BUTLER HANDICAP BEGINS

When White Birch wins my female readers like to see pictures of their player Hilario Ulloa.

When White Birch wins my female readers like to see pictures of their player Hilario Ulloa.

Balladeer’s Blog continues its coverage of the world’s OLDEST team sport.

White Birch, possibly the most storied Polo Team in U.S. history, continues to pile up the wins here in 2015. After just having taken the Waterbury Cup without losing even one match during the event, the team carried their momentum with them into opening round play in the Butler Handicap.

That  event is being held at the Greenwich Polo Club.  Continue reading →

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June 17, 2015 · 12:00 am

POLO: WATERBURY CUP SECOND WEEK ACTION

Greenwich Polo ClubFrom Greenwich Polo Club in Connecticut came Week Two action in the battle for the Monty Waterbury Cup.

Balladeer’s Blog continues its coverage of the world’s OLDEST team sport.

When White Birch wins my female readers like to see pics of their player Hilario Ulloa.

When White Birch wins my female readers like to see pics of their player Hilario Ulloa.

MATCH ONE – The storied WHITE BIRCH team took on TUPUNGATO (The Volcano) to start things off. The 1st Chukker ended with the score tied at 2 Goals for each team. White Birch shut out Tupungato in the 2nd Chukker while taking a 4-2 lead. The 3rd Chukker started with that becoming a 5-2 lead but Tupungato came charging back to score 3 unanswered Goals. This tied the game at 5-5 but White Birch swatted in another score for a 6-5 edge going into Halftime. Continue reading →

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June 10, 2015 · 8:22 pm

POLO: WATERBURY CUP FIRST ROUND ACTION

From Connecticut’s Greenwich Polo Club it’s the 2015 Waterbury Cup. My coverage of the world’s OLDEST team sport continues.  

Waterbury CupGAME ONE – White Birch took on Airstream in First Round action. Playing for White Birch, possibly the most storied Polo team in American history, were: Santino Magrini (Ace), Hilario Ulloa (Deuce), Mariano Aguerre (Chevy) and Peter Brant (Back). Airstream’s roster was: Peter Orthwein (Ace), Guillermo Aguero (Deuce), Michel Dorignac (Chevy) and Mariano Gonzalez (Back). 

White Birch's Hilario Ulloa

White Birch’s Hilario Ulloa

When the 6 Chukkers were in the books White Birch had won this defense-heavy match by a final score of 10 goals to 7. Best-Playing Pony was Mezquiete, ridden and owned by White Birch’s Hilario Ulloa. (Pictured) Continue reading →

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April 20, 2015 · 10:03 pm

POLO: U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH RESULTS

The Champions: Bob Jornayvaz (Back), Alejo Taranco (Chevy), Guillermo Terrera (Deuce) and Adolfo Cambiaso (Ace).

The Champions: Bob Jornayvaz (Back), Alejo Taranco (Chevy), Guillermo Terrera (Deuce) and Adolfo Cambiaso (Ace).

From the International Polo Club at Palm Beach, Valiente defeated Orchard Hill for the 111th U.S. Open Championship! Valiente – the Valiants – had been to the title match in 2013 and 2014 as well and avoided becoming 3-time losers with this victory.  

The 1st Chukker saw Orchard Hill – the Clubmen – get out to a 3-1 lead but in the 2nd Chukker they went cold from the field AND when shooting penalty shots, missing no less than FOUR from the penalty line! That ultimately proved to be the difference in the match but neither team knew it yet. This sextant ended with Valiente pulling one goal closer at 3-2.  

Chukker number 3 was a comparative orgy of offense as the score went from a 4-2 Clubmen lead to a 4-4 tie and finally to a 5-4 Orchard Hill edge going into Halftime.   Continue reading →

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April 16, 2015 · 8:52 pm

POLO: U.S. OPEN SEMIFINAL RESULTS

The 111th U.S. Open continues at the International Polo Club in Palm Beach.

Orchard Hill Polo shirtORCHARD HILL VS COCA COLA – This first semifinal saw Orchard Hill – the Clubmen – end the 1st Chukker with a 2 goals to 1 lead over Coca Cola – the Red Colossus. The offenses got in rhythm in the 2nd Chukker of play during which the Clubmen went up 3-1 before the Red Colossus tied the match at 3-3. The Chukker ended with Orchard Hill on top 4-3. In Chukker number 3 the Clubmen grabbed a 5-4 lead headed into Halftime.  Continue reading →

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April 13, 2015 · 9:27 pm

POLO: U.S. OPEN SEMIFINAL MATCHUPS SET

The 111th U.S. Open continues at the International Polo Club in Palm Beach.

valiente shirtVALIENTE VS LECHUZA CARACAS – This battle for a berth in the Semifinals was all defense in the 1st Chukker, which ended in a 1-1 tie. The offenses got rolling in the 2nd Chukker, which finished with a 5-3 lead for Lechuza Caracas – the White Owls – over Valiente –  the Valiants. Chukker number 3 saw the Valiants come from behind to hold a lead of 7 goals to 6 headed into Halftime.   Continue reading →

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