NEWS

The Out-A-Towners and NWA Polo teams faced off in a game featured during NWA Polo’s Chix With Sticks event at NWA Polo Club in Gravette, Arkansas. Out-A-Towners’ Kelsey Bray kicked off the scoring, followed by teammate Winnie Branscum with another two goals. NWA’s Alyx Swope Bell evened the score with two from the field and another from the penalty line. Bray and Branscum each added another tally, but NWA Polo would be awarded a Penalty 1 to close the score gap to one before the end of the first chukker, 5-4. Tori Summers found her mark to begin the second chukker and increase the Out-A-Towners lead, but NWA’s Jordan Cook scored from the field, traded goals with Bray, and scored again to tie at halftime 7-all. Branscum struck first in the third chukker, giving the Out-A-Towners the lead again. A pony goal tied the game for NWA, and Cook gained the lead with two from the field 10-8. Bray got her team on the board again, but a booming two-point shot from Cook increased the NWA lead to three heading into the last chukker 12-9. Bray closed the gap to two to begin the final chukker, but with defensive help from Marguerite Johnson and goals from both Cook and Swope-Bell, NWA Polo took home the tournament win with a final score 14-10.

Winnie Branscum, Kelsey Bray, Jordan Cook and Alyx Swope-Bell were nominated as tournament All Stars, and Maguerite Johnson received the Sportsmanship award. Best Playing Pony accolades were awarded to Charlene played by Tori Summers and owned by Summer’s Performance Horses.

Twelve middle school students converged at Marlan Farm in Freeland, Maryland, to compete in a four team tournament. Drumcliffe Black’s Jack Whitman opened the scoring for the weekend with two goals for his team. Drumcliffe White’s Josie Dorsey answered with three goals to give her team a slim lead after the first chukker 3-2. Whitman and Dorsey exchanged goals to begin the second chukker, and Black’s Kylie Beard found her mark to tie the game. The teams then traded goals three separate times to keep the score even 7-all. Dorsey scored a hat trick to complete the third chukker, giving her team a three-point lead heading into the fourth 10-7. Dorsey and Bivalacqua split three goals in the fourth chukker, and with the help of teammate Kymberly Pugh, held Black to a single Smith goal. White took the game, 13-8, and headed to the Sunday final.

Drumcliffe Gray and Drumcliffe Green met for the second Saturday semifinal game. Green’s Rory Knox kicked of the scoring and was matched by Gray’s Madison Jordan. A pony goal contributed the next score for Green, but Madison Jordan tied the game again. Cate Godey and Brianna Jordan each scored for Green to close out the chukker with their team ahead by two goals 4-2. Defense was the name of the game in the second chukker, and with only three goals scored between the teams. Green headed into halftime with a slim one goal lead 5-4. Godey and Grace Fleischmann traded goals to begin the second half and keep Green’s lead, but Madison Jordan’s hat trick put Gray up by two goals going into the final chukker 8-6. Green’s Brianna Jordan and Godey tied the game in the beginning minutes of the fourth chukker with a score apiece. Gray’s Fleischmann and teammate Mary Duncan opened the spread up again, but a two-point shot from Brianna Jordan tied the game once more 10-all. Gray stepped up their offense and defense in the final minutes, holding Green scoreless and adding three tallies to their score. With a 13-10 win, Gray took the second spot in the highly-anticipated final.

White came out swinging in the final game, with Bivalacqua finding the goal mouth first and teammate Dorsey nailing a two-point shot to take an early three-point lead. Gray’s Fleischmann scored twice before Bivalacqua, Dorsey, and a pony goal increased the White lead. Fleischmann aced a shot from the penalty line for Gray, and another pony goal for White ended the chukker 7-3. White took a commanding lead in the second chukker with four goals. Defensive help from teammate Pugh, held the Gray team to a single Madison Jordan penalty conversion, ending the second chukker 11-4 in favor of White. The teams traded goals in the third chukker to maintain the spread 7-all. Bivalacqua and Dorsey opened the scoring again in the fourth chukker to extend their lead to nine, but Gray was not about to give up. Four consecutive goals from all three Gray teammates was impressive, but proved to be too little too late. White rode away with the win 15-10.

Josie Dorsey, Cate Godey, Madison Jordan and Rory Knox were nominated as tournament All Stars, and Mary Duncan was presented the Sportsmanship award by her peers. Best Playing Pony accolades were awarded to Manuel played by Josie Dorsey and owned by Kelly Wells.

The USPA Middle School League continues this weekend at the Aiken Polo Club in Aiken, South Carolina.