Competition was fierce on the field and in the arena as the sun shone down on the Santa Barbara Polo Club. The second 12 goal tournament, the Ramsey Asphalt Pope Challenge, kicked off on Friday with two matches.
After narrowly missing the victory in the previous tournament, Klentner Ranch came back with a vengeance defeating U.S. Polo Assn. 13-7. The father-son Klentner duo scored a combined six goals, keeping their team in the lead for the entirety of the game. In the second match of the game, Farmer & Merchants Bank took on a modified Antelope squad. The mastermind of the team, Santi Trotz, has been sidelined with an injury and was replaced by Joe Henderson. FMB came to the field determined to win and successfully defeated Antelope 12-9.
The second round of the Ramsey Asphalt Pope Challenge pitted the winners of the Friday matches against each other. Leigh Brecheen handed the reins over to Lucas Escobar for Farmers & Merchants Bank team after a spill early in the game. The altered lineup proved to be a challenge for the Klentner Ranch crew. FMB defeated Klentner Ranch 12-9.
In the feature 3:00 match between Antelope and U.S. Polo Assn., young Grant Palmer took his father’s position on the team and led the team on the offensive front, scoring four of the team’s nine goals in his first 12 goal tournament match. On the opposing team, Uretz, a member of Team USPA, added seven goals to his team’s tally, leading U.S. Polo Assn. to victory 12-9 over Antelope.
