HPC Newsletter: 9.15.24

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

KING’S CUP

The Fall polo season at the Houston Polo Club kicked off with a bang with 4 teams playing on Farish Field for a double header Sunday presented by American National!

Eureka’s Rene Campos carries the ball down the field on Ingeniera

Team Eureka faced off against Hicks & Johnson LLC/Traveller’s Rest for the first game of the day. Due to the handicap difference, Eureka was awarded .5 of a goal to start the match and team captain, Jorge Cernadas was quick to score the first goal from the field ending the chukker with Eureka leading 1.5 to 0. Hicks & Johnson LLC/Traveller’s Rest’s Robert Orthwein responded in the second chukker with a goal of his own to end the chukker trailing 1 to 1.5. Eureka answered with a strong offensive push with back to back goals from teammates Rene Campos and Jorge Cernadas giving them a 3.5 to 1 lead going into the last chukker. Both teams worked hard on defense in the fourth chukker, but Eureka’s Joao Aranha was able to sneak another goal in for his team. As the clock ticked down, Hicks & Johnson LLC/Traveller’s Rest’s Tiffany Orthwein scored the last goal of the chukker, ending the game with Eureka taking the win 4.5 to 2.
As the first game’s players shook hands on a match well played, the tradition of the champagne divot stop commenced! Spectators walked onto the field enjoying the complimentary champagne presented by American National, stomping divots, and getting a new look at the Mossy Ineos Grenadier along with the Shoppa’s John Deere tractor. The between game break began to wind down, and it was time for the crowd to return to their seats as the second game’s players began warming up for the start of their game.

3L Energy Solutions/C-Bar Thoroughbreds’ Bryan Middleton takes the ball on a coast to coast run on the Best Playing Pony of the day, Zonda

To start the second game, BCI/CW Petroleum was awarded a .5 of a goal due to the handicap difference between the teams, but 3L Energy Solutions/C-Bar Thoroughbreds’ Vaughn Miller Jr. was the sole scorer in the first chukker by converting a penalty 3 to give his team a 1 to .5 goal lead. To start the second chukker, Miller converted a penalty 4, but BCI/CW Petroleum broke with ice on their side of the scoreboard after being awarded a penalty 1. Cara Kennedy followed up the penalty 1 with an impressive nearside neck shot to take a lead 2.5 to 2. Miller responded yet again, by converting another penalty 4 followed by a goal from Bryan Middleton returning the lead to 3L Energy Solutions/C-Bar Thoroughbreds ending the second chukker. BCI/CW Petroleum’s Chad Bowman tried to fire up a comeback with the first goal of the third chukker, but the husband and wife duo, Bryan and Carin Middleton answered with back to back goals ending the chukker 6 to 3.5. BCI/CW Petroleum’s Matt Thake was first to score in the final chukker, but the 3L Energy Solutions/C-Bar Thoroughbreds team scored 3 back to back goals surging to a 9 to 4.5 lead. In the last minute of the game, BCI/CW Petroleum was awarded another penalty 1 goal, but it was too little too late as 3L Energy Solutions/C-Bar Thoroughbreds took home the win with the final score of 9 to 5.5.

Winning team: 3L Energy Solutions / C-Bar Thoroughbreds
Bryan & Carin Middleton, Vaughn Miller Jr., Nick Dunbar
presented by Shannon Galvin & Ashley Aguilar with American National