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A Relief for Polo Fans in Wellington

Hah!

I can’t believe how tough the summer was. Long and devoid of live Polo action. A torture if you know what I mean.

So thankfully, Grand Champions Polo Club had always been first to reemerge on the horizon of bliss, hosting the first matches of the Fall Season. No different this year.

Pablo Spinacci getting ready to hit the ball

Even though Troy’s and my own predicament was extended by three days, the Monday game kept all the promises of good Polo. The game was played at Santa Rita Polo Farms.

If you haven’t been following our social media posts: we were held hostage by a downpour, resulting in wet fields that were unplayable in a safe manner. So we waited it out.

Barbarossa Leather vs. NetJets in the Pedro Morrison Memorial at Santa Rita Polo Farm

We are spoiled.

During the days of the “old” Palm Beach Polo and the International Polo Club BG (Before Ganzi), we had to wait until January. That’s right. Cruel punishment for an aching polo fan.

So here it is, at last.

Nice game! And good to be back by the field.

What can I say? Pure Heaven!

It was a Round Robin, meaning three teams competed for the trophy, each playing two matches of three chukkers each.

We were treated to a total of nine chukkers during this afternoon, and it was nice to watch.

Juan Bollini of Barbarossa Leather

First, NetJets played Barbarossa Leather, then NetJets went on to compete against Casablanca. The winner always gets to sit out during the second game, so they can compete in the third and final round.

Finally, in the last leg of the tournament, Barbarossa defeated Casablance to win the Pedrom Morrison Memorial Trophy.

Who will reach the ball first? Sugar Erskine of NetJets and Juan Bollini of Barbarossa Leather

If you go to the event’s gallery page here, you’ll see a ton of more photos. Better ones, lol!

I always try to take as many pictures as I can, so we have many to choose from. Most of them turn out alright, so I’m sharing them here, and on social media.

Tension mounts, as the Umpire is getting ready to toss the ball

And while I’m not a professional or even minimally trained photographer, I take pictures for the sake of memories. I don’t want to stress too much over photos because I want to enjoy the game.

But I’m still having trouble with my phone’s camera. It’s difficult for me to post live pics on Instagram or facebook, because having only very limited vision makes it difficult to switch to different cameras.

In Polo it pays to have your eyes everywhere, at all times. Larry Austin for NetJets.

So, if you’re looking for quality photos, you can find them from Sheryel Ashfort, Alan Fabricant and others. They are the true heroes of picture taking. Their photos are outstanding, and they know what they’re doing.

Amazing how a little 3 1/2″ white orb can elicit so much attention and excitement!

That being said, my blog isn’t about the game facts. You can find those on their respective pages, where the individual photo galleries are.

For professionally covered games at Grand Champions, I recommend reading Sharon Robb’s emails for an accurate and well written overview of the games.

Casablanca and NetJets: two familiar teams that are very well established and skilled!

I’m here to share the love for the game. To entice new fans and to help make this sport a favorite pastime for many more people, from all walks of life.

I feel blessed and privileged to be a small part of the “polo family”, and I would like you to come and feel the same!

Can you enjoy Polo games in Wellington, even if you don’t live nearby? Absolutely! Just go to ChukkerTV.com to watch live. We recommend it!

Photos | Tournaments | Teams | Players | Organizations

*We are amateur photographers, so feel free to grab any photos you like and share for personal use. Please give proper credit to poloinwellington.com. 

For commercial applications send us an email: tiw@poloinwellington.com

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