Bridges built for the future between the USA and New Zealand polo
The scoreboard at Grand Champions Polo Club for the PTF [Polo Training Foundation] Holden International told a definitive story but the match had a deeper significance on the world stage as both nations competing, New Zealand as visitors, and USA as hosts, are working together to bring young players up through the ranks of the sport.
Four chukkers saw an 8-2 win for USA as the visiting ‘All-Blacks’ grew in strength in the later stages of the game. Field goals from their Captain Max Dormer in the fourth chukker and Max Parrott in the third put them on the board, after the home team established an initial 6-0 lead. “We had to play our best of course, we knew the team was good,” said the Most Valuable Player recipient, USA’s Joaquin Vilgre, who had more experience than most on the field of play, having played for Valiente as a sub in the Florida high goal four years ago. “I think we got lucky and we played well since the beginning and that’s what made us get a gap on the team. But it was a good match either way and we had to go hard because we knew it was a good team. I’m glad they came over and we could make this happen.”
The USA’s Joaqhin, Santos Teves and Rohail Khan were joined by 12-year old Antonio Villamil, who though small in stature, made a big statement in offense for the home team and took home the Best Playing Pony Award for his horse Picosita.
The All-Blacks were on the receiving end of a home court advantage, acknowledged by the MVP. “They don’t know the horses. I’ve done that before and it’s really hard to do,” Joaqhin said of the challenges facing the visiting polo team, whose opportunity to get a solid practice in had been hampered by wet weather. “But then they got comfortable and they started playing better and we tried our best not to let our guard down and then they got closer – we knew it was going to happen eventually.”
New Zealand, who hosted the USA at home last year as part of the joint initiative between the PTF and the New Zealand Polo Association to provide young players with an opportunity to build polo friendships and international experience, were gracious in defeat. Hagen Thompson received the Sportsmanship Award and Max Dormer took the time to speak at the presentation and thank their hosts as well as his mother and Team Manager, Emma Dormer.
“I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who made this Tour happen,” he said. “Marc and Melissa [Ganzi] who kindly lent us horses, Jennifer [McLeavy, PTF Executive Director] who has organized pretty much everything. Big thank you to mum…thank you to my teammates. It’s been great fun on the Tour, getting to know each other – as I haven’t actually played with any of them before and a big thank you to the American team and Jesse [Bray] for coaching us.”
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