HPC Newsletter: 10.1.23

USPA KELEEN & CARLTON BEAL CUP

To kick off the month of October, HPC hosted twelve Margarita League players to showcase their polo skills on Farish Field. Margarita League teams, Lewis Jewelers and Engel & Völkers Houston battled it out as Lewis Jewelers came out on top with a 3 to 1 victory. The Margarita League was followed by 12 Goal teams, Eureka and Propaganda in what turned out to be a keep-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of game!

During halftime, spectators were welcomed onto the field to stomp divots, enjoy complimentary champagne and soak in the good weather on a Sunday afternoon. After the field was put back into pristine condition, it was time for the teams to continue the second half of the game.

Propaganda must have talked over some different strategy during halftime, as Ravina connected a 130 yard pass to teammate Fran Mera to score the first goal of the half. Eureka’s Zubiaurre responded with back to back penalty conversions holding on to his team’s comfortable lead. Propaganda’s Mera scored his second goal of the game to end the fourth chukker trailing 4 to 8. Propaganda turned on their defense in the fifth chukker, holding Eureka scoreless while Ravina added his third goal of the day through the goal posts to end the chukker trailing 5 to 8. Propaganda was starting to play more confidently on the field as Mera and Juanse Olivera scored two goals at the start of the sixth chukker to make the score 7 to 8. The crowd was on the edge of their seats as the mid chukker passed on the clock. Eureka’s Zubiaurre scored his fifth goal to keep a two goal lead, making the Propaganda fans hold their breath! Propaganda’s Mera scored his fourth goal of the game with less than two minutes on the clock to bring his team back within one goal of the lead. As the last bowl-in commenced mid field, Ravina gained ownership of the ball with one minute left, he connected with a long pass to his teammates, but it landed too far left and Eureka defenders picked it up and the clocked ticked down, as Eureka came away with a one goal win of 9 to 8!

BPP: Cloud, played by Paul Hobby,
pictured with Brooks Ballard and Alex Chavez with Engel & Völkers Houston and Taylor Shell

USPA GOVERNOR’S CUP

Rising to the top two spots of an 11 team tournament, BTA and La Portola faced off in the final of the 2023 6 Goal USPA Governor’s Cup. In the first chukker, both teams were trying to find their rhythm, as BTA committed the first foul of the game, allowing La Portola’s team captain Ignacio Saenz to convert the first open goal penalty. As the chukker played out,  BTA’s Joao Aranha converted two open goal penalties of his own, and teammate Jimmy Seward added his first goal of the game to end the chukker with BTA leading 3 to 1. La Portola changed their strategy in the second chukker, as they held the BTA team scoreless, while Saenz scored back to back goals on his Best Playing Pony Rubia, followed by a goal from Will Mudra. Following Mudra’s goal, the horn blew for halftime and the teams took a short break before the start of the second half.

BTA’s Aranha capitalized on the first bowl-in of the second half, running the ball from mid-field to tie the game. Feeding off his teammate’s momentum, Seward scored back to back goals to reclaim a two goal lead. As BTA was looking for their fourth goal of the chukker, La Portola caught BTA flat footed and Martin Munoz connected a backshot to Saenz who scored his fourth goal of the game from his 180 yard run down field! Aranha was able to respond before the chukker was over with one more goal from the field to return his team to a two goal lead of 7 to 5. Saenz was first to score in the fourth and final chukker, bringing his team within one, but BTA’s Aranha was able to capitalize on broken plays and scored back to back to goals to have a 9 to 6 score with less than two minutes remaining. Saenz didn’t give up as he scored his sixth goal of the game, but the clock ran out of time and BTA came away with the first 6 Goal tournament win of the season!

BPP: Rubia, played by Ignacio Saenz,
pictured with Cristian Gomez

Winner’s Circle