NEWS

Wrapping up the summer season at Beverly Polo Club (The Plains, Virginia), the conclusion of the Regional President’s Cup featured Dragonfly/Pineapples (sub. Andy Hertneky, sub. Santiago Gonzalez, Merrall Echezarreta, Marcos Bignoli, Martin Ravina) and Point to Point/Highfields (sub. Liam Lott, sub. Duilio Diaz, Francisco Rodriguez-Mera, Michael Smith Liss). After narrowly falling to Point to Point/Highfields in the National Eight Goal final, the spirited rivalry resumed in their second consecutive 8-goal final, as strong defensive play and a five-goal contribution from 4-goaler Ravina lifted Dragonfly/Pineapples to a redemptive 8-6 victory and Regional President’s Cup title.

Undefeated throughout bracket play, Dragonfly/Pineapples were once again faced against a formidable Point to Point/Highfields fresh off their National Eight Goal and 14-goal Eastern Challenge victories. “They’ve played well and we’re pretty even,” shared Bignoli. “We’ve beat them in the bracket games, and they beat us in the [National Eight Goal] final.” Ravina added, “Point to Point/Highfields is a great combination of young and experienced players. We’ve had a good run of winning games, it’s been a season with very competitive teams, and we started playing better and better every game. I think the keys to staying undefeated were the horses and playing more games together.”

Adding an extra lift for Dragonfly/Pineapples was the return of sponsor Hertneky. “Andy was injured, and he was finally able to jump back in the last two games, which was great,” noted Bignoli. He continued, “Audrey Wilde filled in for him in the first two games, which was really helpful, and she played well, so she has credit for getting us to the finals.” Similarly, Ravina shared, “We missed Andy all season and I was very happy to have him back for the last tournament. He’s the reason why I’m here in Virginia!” Grateful to be back on the field, Hertneky said, “Audrey Wilde and Santiago Gonzalez really did their part to move the game forward. It was a pleasure to get back to a game that we all love and particularly satisfying to just get back on the ponies and go for a ride.”

Opening the scoring, Point to Point/Highfields’ Diaz struck first, but Dragonfly/Pineapples’ Ravina found his offensive rhythm early and posted three goals in the first chukker, including a 60-yard conversion to give his team a 3-1 advantage. Responding with a shutdown defensive second, contributions from Diaz and Smith Liss quickly erased Point to Point/Highfields’ deficit to tie the match 3-all. Looking to make a statement entering the break, it was now Dragonfly/Pineapples’ turn to display their defensive abilities, holding Point to Point/Highfields to a single scoring drive, as goals from Ravina and Echezarreta gave Dragonfly/Pineapples a 6-4 lead at the horn.

With re-aligned rosters and substitutes on both teams, Ravina detailed Dragonfly/Pineapples’ strategy. “Every game is different, but we try to learn from our mistakes. In the final, we tried to secure the ball as much as possible, but at the same time hit it hard and run to try and confuse Point to Point/Highfields.” Playing in the number two position, Echezarreta stated, “My role was made simple playing with Martin Ravina and Marcos Bignoli. Our goal was to play simple polo, stick with your man, make backshots with angles, and win the field going to the goal. The season had a lot of strong teams, as evidenced by the multiple overtime games, so a little luck never hurts!”

Trading goals between Point to Point/Highfields’ Smith Liss and Ravina, Dragonfly/Pineapples took their narrow two-goal lead into the fifth. Setting the tone for a statement victory, a goal from Echezarreta put Dragonfly/Pineapples firmly in control to overcome a final response from Diaz, ending the contested match 8-6 to claim the Regional President’s Cup.

Playing in the number four position, Point to Point/Highfields’ Michael Smith Liss was awarded Most Valuable Player for his contributions on both sides of the ball, including scoring two goals. “It was a great honor to be recognized as the MVP during this game,” said Smith Liss, “I was absolutely not the most valuable player on the field, but I do feel I had my best game of the season and for my handicap played well. Without the trust and confidence of the other players on the field, I wouldn’t have had the chance to be considered MVP. It’s been a fantastic season in Virginia for us as a team, as well as myself individually. Of the three 8-goal tournaments, we were in all three finals, and won two of the three. I’ve been riding and playing more often, and my string of horses and the organization has continued to improve and is in a very good place. The athletic ability and performance of the horses and the team around me has given me the confidence to push harder and be more of an impactful contributor on the field.”

Lolita, a 9-year-old mare (Viento Norte x Signo) owned by Martin Ravina was named Best Playing Pony. “It feels great to have a BPP award because it takes a lot of work to have a good horse,” said Ravina. “We bred this horse back home in Argentina, with my father, and I’ve known her since she was a baby. Her father Signo comes from El Overo Lucas Monteverde.” Ravina continued, “I played her in the last chukker all the way. Lolita is very comfortable, runs well and no matter what, she always stops where you want her to stop. She has a cool brain, so she is very relaxed.”

Reflecting on the Dragonfly/Pineapples victory, Hertneky expressed, “The key to our success is that we play as a team. We like each other and go out to win every time, but always keep in mind we are playing a game and need to enjoy the sport. Marcos Bignoli’s leadership and steady hand has been important to this team. Point to Point/Highfields had a great year, with a strong team at different levels, it was great to be able to compete against such a strong team and come out with a victory.” Echezarreta noted, “Point to Point/Highfields were really solid across all their positions, so it was important to not let anyone go free—counting men and limiting mistakes were key to winning. It was really satisfying to beat a team as strong as Point to Point/Highfields. We had split our games so far this season, but it was nice to finally win the most important one at the end.”

Bignoli also shared, “The Regional President’s Cup is a prestigious tournament, and it feels good to win, and with Andy coming back and being able to play, the win was good for him, so I’m happy about that.” Also grateful to end the summer season in Virginia on a winning note, Ravina, who won his second consecutive title added, “It felt great to win today because we fought a lot throughout the season to get a trophy and it wasn’t going to be fun to walk away empty handed.”