Aiken Junior Polo Final

The rain held off on Saturday and it made for an awesome day for junior polo at Powderhouse field. The day started with the little ones, also known as the leadline division, making their way to the field with the help of their parents. Announcer, Charlie Herrick, made it even more amusing with his commentating like it was a high intensity 20 goal game. These kids, ranging in ages from 2 to 5 years old, were all smiles as they played a little friendly polo. Abby Capps, Bailey Capps, Danny McCarthy, Santiago Gonzalez, Lucas Gonzalez, Ash Guttierez and Jersey Cogan have some well known parents around town, but moms and dads were more than happy to take time out of their day to spend some quality time with the kids. All the leadline ponies were awarded Best Playing Pony and received a nice big package of carrots for keeping it nice and easy with the tots. It was great to see the parents involved and the kids playing nice.







After the little ones finished up their game, the older ones made their way to the field. I found that these chukkers were even more entertaining at times than high goal polo. You could see the smiles on their faces and sense of camaraderie between opposing teams. The winner of the round robin game was Silverstone Farm. This stellar team was comprised of Kegan Walsh, Jason Wates, Ashley Ragucci, & Malia Bryan. The winning team was given an extra boost by Jason Wates' Best Playing Pony, "Ya Mon" and MVP, Kegan Walsh.







Tess Pimsner assisted in giving mom and spectators a little nervous rush when she fell off her pony Rita. Tess received the "Real Estate" Award for her fall since she was the only player to really get a good look at the homestead. Pony and player were fine and when asked later Tess said, "Most people thought I wouldn't finish the chukker with Rita, but I wanted to." Although she is a very persistent player, her and her team couldn't pull out the win for C-Spear. Tess, along with Maggie Boyle, Louis Biarritzi, & Taylor Freeman made up the team for C-Spear who put up a valiant effort.







They say nice guys always finish last, but that wasn't such a bad thing for Sam Leguizamon who received the "Sportsmanship" Award for always being the guy to help someone out. Anytime a younger player was having trouble or needing assistance, he was always there to help guide and teach them. Although El Aguila Farms team, comprised of Sam and his sister, Sabrina Leguizamon along with Wesley Bryan and Matt McGhee finished last, it was made known that it's not about winning...good sportsmanship is key to great polo.

Aiken Junior Polo isn't just for polo families. It's open to anyone! If you would like more information on the program, please contact Karen Reese at hilltopfarmpolo@aol.com.

The Birds Are Heading South For Winter...And So Is Polo!

We were a bit disappointed the last Sunday game of the fall season couldn't be played at Whitney Field [due to field conditions] however Powderhouse Field was a more than acceptable substitute. The CMP girls set up shop on the sunny side of the field to watch Polo Cops/C-Spear and Aiken Horse battle it out. The Aiken Horse team of Gary Knoll, Pam Gleason, Luis Galvan, and Nigel Allcock together had a 3-goal team and therefore started off the game with one point due to the handicap difference with the Polo Cops/C-Spear team of Kathy Roberts, JD Cooper, Jason Wates, and Geoff Cameron.



During the first chukker, Nigel Allcock received two technical fouls and was forced to leave the field for the remaining 63 seconds of that chukker due to "choice words to the umpire" as APC manager, Craig Fraser so eloquently put it. If a third technical foul would have been received by Allcock, he would have been ejected from the rest of the entire game. As irony would have it, he took a spill in the 4th chukker and was unable to finish the game anyway due to a knee injury. Taylor Freeman stepped in to finish up the game, but could not help turn Aiken Horse's luck around as Polo Cops/C-Spear defeated them 9-5.



The CMP prizes for the last fall Sunday game were all about taking care of some of Sunday polo's largest supporters. Every Sunday at Whitney Field, the Groat and Schaumann families are always in attendance at their parking spot usually with extra friends as well. They are social members of Aiken Polo Club and after hearing they brought baked brie, we knew they were a shoe in for the Best Tailgate Spot that day! Christian Schaumann, who works at the Aiken Brewing Company, said he was looking forward to using the Prime gift certificate to check out the competition...and take the wife Molly out for a lovely meal of course!



During the halftime divot stomping, we spotted a woman with a straw hat and a light green sweater tossed around her shoulders. It was a perfect outfit to suit the sunny weather yet still a fully functional fall get-up. Little did we know, she was also apart of the Groat/Schmaumann camp! Jeannie Groat was awarded Best Dressed and a 25% off gift certificate to Equine Divine!



Our Polo Pooch of the Day belongs to some of the most important people involved at Aiken Polo Club...the people who keep the polo fields in shape, Debbie and Pat! We have watched their golden retriever, Zack, grow up over 3 polo seasons now. We figured it was time he got to partake in those Bone-i-Fide Bakery goodies. [Speaking of Bone-i-Fide Bakery, we hear they are under new ownership. Be sure to tune in next week to the CMP blog for a full report! Most of the polo might be heading south, but we still have some tricks up our sleeve for winter here!]



We would like to say thank you on behalf of the Aiken Polo Club to all of the club members, loyal spectators, sponsors, players, teams, game help, grooms and catering for their hard work and support. Another great polo season must come to a close, but the spring season kicks off in April [just about the time when the Florida weather starts to get too hot!]

The CMP gals will be sticking around Aiken for the winter and plan to keep blogging ever so often, so please drop us an email at cmp.ohmy@gmail.com if you wish to be notified when a new blog is posted over the winter!

Until mid-April, Marco...

POLO!

Burnt Mill Gets Burned by Duck Hill Farm 8-7 in Fall Invitational Finals

The sun was shining bright to let us know that there would be no rained out game this week! After two weeks of no Sunday polo due to rain & wet fields, the spectators were in good spirits and happy to return to the regular Sunday routine. Whitney Field Sunday regular, Jan who moved to Aiken from up north was heard saying "This is the life...barefoot in November!" as she lounged on the sidelines sans shoes. We couldn't agree more! It was also perfect weather for the Fall Classic Invitational finals between Burnt Mill and Duck Hill Farm.



Although the fields weren't wet, we still managed to have a couple players come unseated from their horses throughout the game. Bill Paterneti was the first player to start the trend shortly into the first chukker with Marcos Onetto following suit in the second chukker. Horses were okay and both players played the entire game, so no serious injuries that we're aware of. After those spills, the fans certainly had their work cut out for them during halftime divot stomping.



Although Kris Powers has been a previous winner of one of our weekly prizes [Best Dressed a few weeks ago] we couldn't deny that her tailgate spot was the best this past Sunday. They were celebrating Kris' birthday with a "princess party" if you will. The ladies were sporting tiaras on their heads and letting the wine flow freely! When getting photographed, Kris said "Everyone take off your tiaras but me!" as she wanted to make sure everyone knew who the Birthday Girl was! We hope she enjoys the gift certificate to Prime Steakhouse as her prize for winning Best Tailgate Spot.



As for our Polo Pooch of the Day, we choose Flora, an Irish terrier from Lydia Bibeau's puppy party. We hope the other dogs in the group, Coco Plum and Spartacus weren't too jealous! Flora was a rescue from Chicago and is considered the "red devil of the household" per Lydia after losing 8 pairs of Italian shoes and 2 handbags to Flora's chompers. Flora is owned by Peter Bibeau of Buckley Farms and was wrangled by Lydia. We choose Flora for her spunky personality and enthusiasm. Treats & toy provided by the CMP Gals to the winning dog.



At the end of the day, it was Duck Hill Farm defeating Burnt Mill 8-7 after a very close game. The game MVP award went to Federico Wulff and Best Playing Pony was presented to John Gobin's Coronita. Lindsey and honorary CMP gal Amanda Hersey [filling in for Jessica, who snuck off to Florida for a few days] were spotted presenting the trophies to the winners and finalists of the Fall Classic Invitational.



The final fall tournament for APC is a 4 goal tournament that is taking place this week, assuming the rain from Hurricane Ida passes over quickly. Check out http://www.aikenpoloinfo.com/ for the schedule & team rosters. [While you're on the Update Center's website, be sure to check out how you can become a Aiken Polo Club member! Full, social, or parking members get 2 tickets for every Sunday and complimentary access to the hospitality tent! It isn't too early to sign up for the 2010 Spring & Fall polo seasons!]

We look forward to seeing everyone this Sunday, November 15th for the last Sunday polo match at Powderhouse Field for the fall season. Note: The game is NOT at Whitney Field due to unsafe field conditions. The finals for this last tournament will most likely take place next Thursday, so be sure to check the Update Center for those details!

Until Sunday, Marco...

POLO!

High Noon Showdown...VA Beach Comes Out Guns Blazing!

The CMP girls traded in their sundresses for multiple layers this past Sunday. As we walked around the sidelines, we saw we weren't the only ones! The crowd was bundled up tight in warm hats and blankets to beat the chilly air. One lady who didn't let the weather affect her outfit was Marla Scherer, looking stunning in bright red slacks & a black hat to hold in her body heat! As soon as we saw her, we knew she was our Best Dressed winner for the day! And no, we weren't being biast because she's the wife of Warren Scherer, one of Aiken Polo Club's board members...we had no idea who she was when we chose her! She was very flattered and happily accepted the prize from Equine Divine!

Although they say size doesn't matter, it did for this Sunday's Polo Pooch of the Day. As soon as Jessica saw Mr. Big, a huge bullmastiff, she pointed excitely and said, "I like this one!!" [PS if it weren't for Lindsey speaking up on some Sundays, the little dogs would never win dog of the day because Jess likes the big ones!] When we presented Mr. Big with his prize, his owner Bill gave us permission to tear open the bag of dog treats from Bone-i-Fide Bakery. Talk about mouth watering! Mr. Big scarfed down 6 treats in less than 2 minutes! It's safe to say they were a "big" hit with him!

A special edition prize [for this week only] donated from the PTF Silent Auction this past Friday was a Three Night Stay at Powderhouse Kennel for one lucky dog owner and their pet. We choose Bo Taylor to receive the prize, who is best known as Phil Staples' go-to gal and one of the best darn grooms around. We are always snapping pictures of her pooch when we go by the trailers, so we presented her with the prize while she was hard at work for VA Beach. Grooms are fans too, so we decided it was about time we let them in on some of our prize action!

Our Horsepitality award sponsored by the Carriage House Inn was presented to Bruce and Nancy Shiffler. We were greeted with a smile as the Shiffler's munched on some brunch sandwiches and mixed up some sort of wine concoction. Bruce has been coming to town for a few months on business, so we thought it might be nice to show them some of Aiken's hospitality with a complimentary Two Night "Staycation" Package. They were pleasantly surprised with winning since it was their first time at polo!

We tried to live up to our word and give away TWO free Kenny Ray "1 Hour of Personal Training" sessions, but only Karen Sfara came up to claim the prize for lucky number "16"! It was also Karen's first time at polo. She was in town visting her daughter Ali, who attends USC-Aiken. Karen decided she would give the free session to Ali since she was local and could get better use out of it. [Don't forget the lucky numbers are located on the back of the game handout you receive at the gate. They announce the winning number at halftime, so don't miss your chance to win too!]

For those of you who left your "A-game" at home for the halftime divot stomping, Miss Betty was happy to show you how it's done. She was tap, tap, tapping those divots back into the ground and received an Aiken Polo Club ball cap & a gift certificate to Sweet Cow Creamery for all her efforts. Our Best Divot Stomper certainly showed us what "respecting our elders" is all about!

We were so busy having fun with the fans that we don't have much to report about the game! I guess if you missed it, all we can tell you is that Virginia Beach came out on top, winning 10-8 against Silverstone Farms. The finals for the US Foods 8 Goal tournament are to be determined but we'll let you know as soon as we know! Either way, it's polo as usual at Whitney Field at 3PM on Sunday! The hospitality tent will up & Dan Bullington will be serving up something good for sure! See you there!

A reminder for the fans: For all Whitney Field Sunday games, it is a $5.00 admission per person. If you want to check out the hospitality tent, pay $15 more for complimentary food & cocktails! The hospitality tent is free to all Aiken Polo Club members! If you are interested in becoming a member of APC, please see Charlie Bostwick for details! [If he isn't on the field, he can usually be found at the announcer's stand.] Full, social, or parking members get 2 tickets for every Sunday. Prorated amounts available for the fall season, or be an early bird and sign up for next season!

Until next Sunday, Marco...

POLO!

Hunka, Hunka Burnt Mill - Winning 12-11 Against Silverstone Farms!

What a great turnout for Sunday's 3:00 game at Whitney Field! As soon as the overcast skies cleared up, out came the sun...and so did the spectators! Both sides of the field were filled with cars and fans, ready to cheer on their favorite teams. The Burnt Mill team of Bill Pattinini, Del Walton, Federico Wulff, & Marvin Slossman were burning up the field in an intense game that was back and forth in every single chukker!



With 2 seconds left in the final chukker, it was Del Walton who scored the final point to break the tied up game, leading Burnt Mill to a 12-11 victory over Silverstone Farms. Although Silverstone didn't pull out the "W" the team of Keegan Walsh, Tom Thayer, Gabriel Crespo, & Justin Pimsner gave Burnt Mill a run for their money and certainly is a team to watch for the rest of this tournament.



The Polo Pooches of the Day for this past Sunday are always on the sidelines at Whitney Field and always happy to see us when we walk by. Little Lucy and Belle belong to Mr. & Mrs. Graham. We hope the two pups have fun sharing the Bone-i-Fide Bakery goodies! If you want to pick up goodies for your own pooch, go visit Peggy at Bone-i-Fide for some freshly baked treats! Take a peek at what they're baking up...http://www.boneifidebakery.com/



Just when I had almost given up on a Best Dressed winner for the day, Announcer Bob helped me choose Ms. Stephanie Rawicki for our Equine Divine prize! Stephanie had on a very "horsey" collared top and a visor to block those rays & catch the action! She was in town visiting from Cincinnati, Ohio, so we hope she got a chance to use her gift certificate to Equine Divine before leaving town!



The Best Divot Stomper for the day was David Stinton. Looking sharp in his pink polo shirt, he was jumping all over those divots at halftime. With a red Solo cup in one hand, he did some serious work on the field and didn't spill a drop! Good job, David! He received one of those snazzy Aiken Polo Club caps and a free treat at Sweet Cow Creamery!

Our Lucky Number winner never came to claim their prize this past Sunday for the "Free 1 Hour Training Session with Kenny Ray" so I guess that means this Sunday we will have TWO lucky number winners. Just a special treat from the CMP girls! And while I really wanted to give the Prime gift certificate to the Best Tailgate Spot...I just couldn't find one that stood out this time. Let's see if you fans can step up your tailgatin' and show us how it's done!



US Foods Fall 8 Goal Tournament has another matchup this Sunday, October 18th at 12:00PM [Don't come at 3:00 - we won't be there!] Come show your support & don't forget to look for the CMP Gals, as they make their rounds & give away great prizes! We will also be presenting our special "Horsepitality" Award this Sunday! So, make sure your parking spot is full of southern hospitality and win a Two Night "Staycation" Package sponsored by the Carriage House Inn!

A reminder for the fans: For all Whitney Field Sunday games, it is a $5.00 admission per person. If you want to check out the hospitality tent, pay $15 more for complimentary food & cocktails! The hospitality tent is free to all Aiken Polo Club members! If you are interested in becoming a member of APC, please see Charlie Bostwick for details! [If he isn't on the field, he can usually be found at the announcer's stand.] Full, social, or parking members get 2 tickets for every Sunday. Prorated amounts available for the fall season, or be an early bird and sign up for next season!

Until next Sunday, Marco...

POLO!

Duck Hill Farm Gets C-Speared by Spring Season Defending Champs

As we made our rounds this past Sunday, it felt like that polo ball was following us. It seemed everywhere we went, the ball was getting knocked out of play right where we were! Luckily we are pretty spry gals and easily dodged those mallet driven bullets! One smart spectator used her lavendar perisol umbrella as a shield when one ball came her way. [The CMP gals dusted off Lindsey's own green perisol umbrella for their protection at the 3:00 game later that day at New Bridge! Thanks for the idea!]





Polo Pooch of the Day went to the French Bulldog we just couldn't stop petting...Tila! She belongs to Jen Murdock, whom some of you will know because she is Collin McCosh's groom. This week's special prize was a "Pampered Pooch" package at the Carriage House Inn, one of our new sponsors this spring! Since Jen isn't a local, she was excited about the free night stay in one of the Inn's Pet Friendly suites with lots of goodies for Tila included!





We spotted Devang Patel taking a break during halftime from his scoreboard keeping duties to do some serious divot stomping. So, we awarded him the Best Divot Stomper award from Sweet Cow Creamery! After all that hard work at the game, a free ice cream sounds pretty nice! Speaking of pretty nice, Gary and Sandy Seccucci had a pretty nice spot set up for themselves this past Sunday. Sometimes all you need for a Best Tailgate Spot is two nice chairs, a picnic basket of treats, and good company! As for the Free 1-hour Personal Training Session with Kenny Ray, Mark Rennie was the lucky winner with number 19 [Don't forget to check your game information sheet you receive at the gate for a number written in the bottom corner of the page. That number could make you a winner!] Mark was happy to receive the prize since he said he never wins anything!





After halftime, players and referees took the field to begin the 4th chukker but had a slight delay. Sergio Muris was taking a leisure stroll across the field and holding up the game...although we're sure he meant no harm. His act did however get a few chuckles in the announcer stand and we may have heard the phrase, "Must run in the family." It was back in the spring that we mentioned a certain relative doing the same thing....we'll let you put two and two together!





Often times we hear people joke about John Gobin's mouth piece he wears...whether it is to protect those pearly whites or to keep him quiet. It was constantly going in and out last Sunday as he could be heard giving helpful coaching to his teammates on Duck Hill Farm. The Duck Hill team roster also includes Bill Patterson, Marcus Onetto, and Bob Stanton. Despite Gobin's coaching efforts, it was C-Spear/Casa Azul [defending champions from the spring season] winning the game 12-11. The C-Spear/Casa Azul team is Eddy Martinez, Matt Sekera, Grayson Brown, and J.D. Cooper. Martinez, with less than 30 seconds in the 6th chukker, hit the ball to the boards and ended the game. If some of you were confused when this happened, don't worry we were too! We were informed that it is a new rule they have put into effect. Go to http://www.uspolo.org/ for a full detailed rules guide, which will explain it a lot more clearer than we can! [Speaking of the USPA, their annual handicap meeting in Aiken is coming up soon...we should see some of the Who's Who in polo coming into town soon!]





Here's a few of our favorite spottings at Sunday's game...

- Kathleen Gobin, working on her laptop in her SUV [we hear the farm has no internet...how do you survive without it? We'd go crazy!] and daughter Skylar in the passenger seat, cheering on her dad
- Alan Martinez, spending some time in the announcer's stand and getting a good view to check out his dad Eddy's moves on the field
- Little Pitcher Schaumann in his bright tie dye t-shirt stomping down some divots with his parents, Christian & Molly and grandpa Steve Groat [They never miss a Sunday polo game!]
- Tara Gail Bostwick, getting her food "to-go" from the hospitality tent and trotting back over to her parking spot

Also, check out the pictures from the Wednesday 12 goal finals game, sponsored by Holley Tractor at Powderhouse field... Congrats to the Willcox team for winning the finals! Most Valuable Player was Collin McCosh and Best Playing Pony was "Kali" played by Ruben Coscia!


This Sunday's polo at Whitney Field is back to it's regular time of 3:00pm. Lindsey will be missing her partner Jessica this Sunday [who is off to Atlanta for the weekend], so Lindsey is looking for a substitute to do the rounds with her. Any takers??

Don't forget: For all Whitney Field Sunday games, it is a $5.00 admission per person. If you want to check out the hospitality tent, pay $15 more for complimentary food & cocktails! The hospitality tent is free to all Aiken Polo Club members! If you are interested in becoming a member of APC, please see Charlie Bostwick for details! [If he isn't on the field, he can usually be found at the announcer's stand.] Full, social, or parking members get 2 tickets for every Sunday. Prorated amounts available for the fall season!



Until this Sunday, Marco...


POLO!

Winfield, Foxdale Equine Both Blew Their Competitors Away!

The finals for the APC Fall 4 goal tournament were held at 11AM Sunday morning at Powderhouse field. Winfield defeated Natural Soda 5 - 3. The "Baltimore Bachelor" Jeff Embow was the top scorer for Winfield, while Cindy Kelly was named the unofficial MVP by APC club manager, Craig Fraser for her "stellar defensive work." That's how you "shake & bake," right Cindy? The winning team received $150 gift certificates to Floyd & Green and the finalists, Natural Soda, received $50 gift certificates to the Willcox restaurant. Congratulations to Winfield and thanks to all the teams who played in the APC Fall 4 goal!

For the 3PM game at Whitney Field, Crestview met up against Foxdale Equine in a match for the APC 12 goal sponsored by Holley Tractor. The Crestview team in their memorable & bright pink jerseys was Keegan Walsh [substituting for patron, Alan Meeker], Omar Cepeda, Alan Martinez, and John Eicher. Foxdale Equine in white jerseys took the field with Hugh Worsham, Ruben Coscia, John Gobin, and Phillip Staples. It must have been all that wind but during the game, 3 of the 4 Crestview team members took a spill off their horses. Luckily all players and horses were okay! Omar was the only one who stayed in the saddle from Crestview. Maybe the falls had them a bit shook up, because after going into sudden death overtime Foxdale won the game 14-13 with a penalty shot. Their win takes them to the finals on Wednesday at 4PM against The Willcox team at Powderhouse field.

If we had a prize to give out for most dogs at a spectator spot, it would have gone to Tiger & his crew...and the 5-7 dogs lounging in their tailgate area. Instead, we dubbed him as the "Best Pooper Scooper" for the day! Great job keeping up with all those pooches, Tiger! Speaking of pooches, our favorite pick was Gunter, a beautiful doberman that we saw as an itty bitty pup last spring and now he's HUGE! Polo Pooch of the Day wins treats from Bone-i-Fide Bakery and Gunter couldn't wait to get his paws on them!

In the 2nd chukker when Alan Martinez took a fall off his horse, we were too busy choosing our Best Dressed winner to even notice. [Sorry, Alan! You know we love you!] Ms. Chris Powers had on the cutest skirt with ribbons & bows on it...she said she got it off Ebay! I love a stylish bargain shopper who doesn't even have to leave the house! A surprise for two of our adult divot stompers was free access to the hospitality tent, which we awarded to Jan Leek and her daughter Ali, who was celebrating her birthday! Our little divot stomper award from Sweet Cow Creamery went to Halle Parks, who was so enthusiastic about her stomping she kept right on after the game was over!

Best Tailgate Spot this week went to a group that never misses a Sunday polo match. They are always cheering on the teams and are to blame for Charlie Bostwick's nickname, "Chucky 3 Sticks." They are a very enthusiastic group made up of Ben Young, Sara Hair, John Gustavson, Andy Brown, Brittany Rush [and this week Megan & Tim, visiting from Columbia!] Not to mention, they are always quick to offer us CMP gals a cold beverage as we make our regular trail around the field!



A reminder to all of our Sunday regulars, polo at Whitney field this Sunday will be at 12:00pm so that you can also catch the 20 goal finals for the USPA Monty Waterbury at New Bridge Polo Club at 3:00pm. For all Whitney Field Sunday games, it is a $5.00 admission per person. If you want to check out the hospitality tent, pay $15 more for complimentary food & cocktails! The hospitality tent is free to all Aiken Polo Club members! If you are interested in becoming a member of APC, please see Charlie Bostwick for details! Full, social, or parking members get 2 tickets for every Sunday. Prorated amounts available for the fall season!

Until this Sunday [at 12:00pm - don't forget the time change!], Marco...

POLO!

A few pics from Sunday, September 20th...

Sorry for the delay...
Jessica's computer is back in business =)

Stay tuned tomorrow for the blog from last Sunday...