NEWS

The Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, hosted the seventh edition of the Champions Cup 8-goal this past Sunday, April 2. Established in 2011, the tournament format is especially unique as there is major prize money on the line—$40,000 to be exact. Teams pay an entry fee which the club matches. Unlike other money games, the only deciding factor is the final score. The victors garner seventy-five percent of the total prize money available while the runner-up collects the remaining twenty-five percent. A unique feature considering the majority of prize money tournaments are geared towards a mid- to high-goal level of polo.

2016 defending champions Lockton (Tim Kelly, Athena Malin, Bryan Middleton, Hernan Tejera, Jim Wright*) faced off against STG (John Ziegler, John Bickford, Max Menini, Ignacio Deltour) in front of a packed Sunday crowd for the most highly-anticipated event of the season. The game got off to a rocky start as Lockton quickly surrendered two goals on penalty 2 conversions to STG who took an early two-goal lead. Field goals by Bryan Middleton kept Lockton in the game, but 5-goaler Max Menini scored back-to-back goals in the second to widen the STG lead 5-2. Teams traded goals in the third maintaining the gap 7-4 at the half.

Lockton exhibited excellent defense in the fourth containing STG to a single goal, a penalty 4 conversion from Ignacio Deltour. The teams traded goals in the fifth, but a missed STG penalty 3 goal opportunity kept STG in a comfortable position 9-5 entering the final chukker. A penalty 2 conversion for STG at the beginning of the sixth, put STG in the double digits, doubling their lead over Lockton 10-5. $30,000 on the line, the combined efforts of STG’s Menini and Deltour proved unstoppable as they scored two unanswered field goals. The final score 12-5, STG claimed the 2017 Champions Cup title and the $30,000 check. Lockton did not go home empty handed however, receiving $10,000 for their efforts.

John Bickford was awarded Most Valuable Player contributing three goals on the day for his STG team. Best Playing Pony honors were presented to seven-year-old gray mare Shizy Wizzy played by Deltour and owned by Vladimir Rivkin.

*Jim Wright is a member of Team USPA. Team USPA is a USPA program designed to enhance and grow the sport of polo in the United States by identifying young, talented American players and providing mentored training and playing opportunities leading to a pool of higher-rated amateur and pro players and the resultant giveback to the sport of polo

All photos courtesy of Jim Bremner.