There was a big leadup to the Folded Hills Pope Challenge Final. In order to play in the final, there was a three-way shoot-out on the Friday before between Antelope, BenSoleimani.com, and Dundas 2 to secure a spot against Antelope Jr. on Sunday. The final ended up being a father vs. son matchup between Antelope and Antelope Jr.
The 4 PM match started a little slow as the teams warmed up and felt out how they were going to play. However, halfway through the first chukker, Antelope came out with the first goal from Maco Llambias which Grant Palmer quickly rebutted. The second chukker showed strong defense and clean play with only one goal and one foul the entire seven and a half minutes. The last chukker of the half put Antelope in the lead with two strong penalty shots and another goal from Maco Llambias, ending the half with a score of 4-2.
To start off the second half, Antelope Jr. kicked it into gear scoring five goals total. Felipe Vercillino played this chukker on Best Playing Pony, Sandunga, and made it count with one coast to coast goal and another one from 60 yards out. Antelope tried to turn it back around in the fifth chukker with a nice field goal from Jimmy Wright, but Antelope Jr scored another two goals to keep a steady lead of 9-6 going into the final chukker. Each team scored two goals in the last chukker to maintain the gap in score, but one goal stood out with an impressive cut shot from Grant Palmer. The match finished at 11-8 to Antelope Jr.
Antelope Jr. played cohesively as a team that knows each other very well and they reaped the rewards. Most valuable player, Grant Palmer, commented on the match, “It was a very physical game – by continuously passing the ball up the field we were able to stretch our opponents and come out with the win.” The Folded Hills Pope Challenge Final boasted excellent polo and regardless of missing spectators, all players brought their best.
Photos: © David Lominska / polographics.com
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About Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club
Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club is the premier destination for summer polo. Players and Patrons from all across the globe call Santa Barbara their home for the summer, bringing world class polo to the Southern California coast. No spectators will currently gather for matches due to COVID-19. We are taking all precautions during the 2020 season including weekly testing, face-masks, and social distancing. Please visit the Spectator Information page for more information.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit our website, www.sbpolo.com.
