Inside Polo 5

INSIDE POLO with Ron Allen

The stage is set for the Final 4 in the Barry Memorial Cup

George Rawlings

 

 

Hilario Ulloa  

Magoo Laprida   

 

Nic Roldan

 

 

 

INSIDE POLO with Ron Allen

 

The stage is set for the Final Four in the Barry Memorial Cup. In round three last week Audi managed to squeak out a win over fan favorite La Herradura by a one-goal margin of 10 to 9 on a goal by Nic Roldan (8) in the final two minutes to secure the first position. It was a disappointing loss for veterans Memo and Carlos Gracida playing 20-goal polo on a team with a median age of 55 years old.

 

The second position went to Zacara on a tie breaking penalty shot in the final minute to knock off Valiente 12 to 11. The match turned out to be one of the hardest fought games in the tournament. Both Facundo Pieres (10) and Hilario Ulloa (9) turned in tough performances for their winning Zacara team.

 

66 year old Kentucky patron George Rawlings (0) managed to make it onto the short list. His Crab Orchard team gets in with a 2 & 1 record and will face Zacara in the semis. He’d like nothing better than to make it to the Sunday showdown after being forced to pull his team out of the competition last year follow the USPA’s handicap change on one of his pros, which made Rawlings team ineligible.

 

The fourth and final team is relative newcomer Villa del Lago with a narrow 11-10 win over Houston’s ERG. Magoo Laprida (8) turned in an outstanding performance and was named MVP of that match. They will have to find a way to beat a well-balanced Audi team in the semis to make it into the Barry Cup finals.

 

Ron Allen is the ESPN Television commentator for the Argentine Open Polo Championships

 

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