April 24, '02: It was a super U.S. Open in a lot of ways not known to many people. There were so many things people do not know and they are things I want to tell people.

Royal Palm Polo is there because of one man's dream. His name was John
T Oxley (J.T.O.). He was one of the few people who loved polo as much as money and wanted it more. The only other people this dedicated to our sport that I have
known were Bill Ylivasker (Wild Bill) and Carlton Beal (C.B.). They were rich men in their own way and they made polo their own way. Two of them, C.B. and J.T.O., never saw their dreams or visions happen, but somehow I think they know it did happen.

I do not think we will ever see it again. We may, but the only
one I see that has these visions now is maybe John Goodman. He may be the
man of our future as like the other three men, he loves polo in a way no other one of us will know. The first three men saved polo in the U.S.A. and made it what it is today.

C.B. built and paid for polo in the West. J.T.O. made Argentina a place in polo in the U.S.A. and was the first real supporter of Argentines in America. Wild Bill made palm Beach what it was 2 years ago, the center of the Universe for polo.

Well these 3 men tried so hard to make polo extraordinary and now its finished for that part. C.B. had the Open in California twice before he left us and Wild Bill had seen it happen in Palm Beach. Unfortunately he was not at the controls or it would have been something we would never believe, but would have because he did it that way. Unbelievable. J.T.O. who had visions of a packed stadium, the best polo in the World and the U.S. OPEN in his amazing stadium did not get to see it. It did happen in 2002, 40-goal polo, the biggest Open ever, right there in his stadium and it was not a dream, but a dream come true. I salute these three Wisemen because they made my polo world so much better.

The Open ?

Was it the best? I would say YES
Was it the biggest. Yes
Were the fields the best? NO, but OK.
Was it the fastest? Maybe.
Were there fans? Yes
Was it market extreme? No
Was it covered well? No
Will it be remembered? I hope so.

There were a lot of things about the 2002 Open that were great. The number of
Teams, the close games and the finals. To make the Open much better . . . try field-side concessions, announcers, club hospitality, times of games and
facilities to make it happen. I think it will happen, we just need
people to care that it does.

See ya in 2003 -- Steve Crowder

It was a great Open. The fields and some promo could have been Better, but it was a lot of games and a big project. It did come down to a whole lot of work for Wonder Woman as her Coke Team beat Jedi who
had Cambiaso, who has won the last 3 Opens, Memo who has won 16 of the
last 22 Opens and Julio Arellano who has 3 on his mantle. Gillian did it with a down home team who among all 25 goals of them have never won the Open at all. Quite a feat. And by the way, Wonder Woman Gillian Johnson was the outstanding amateur of this winter season and not just in the Open. The only game she lost in the 26 goal was her leader's fault. They tried to have her change her program or she would have swept the 26 goal tournaments. Well done to both Teams. Jeff Hall and Miguel Astrada should be the best 2 pros in the Open by my accounts.

Just my opinion.

Steve Crowder

April 13 ,2002 : Today the 2 teams playing the consolation finals have won
25 U.S.Opens and they will not be their tomorrow. That's the way it is
and of all the players in the finals will be only 3 Opens won by all of them together and its all one person, Julio Arellano. It just goes to show polo is like all sports, you can last longer but not forever as even though a horse is your legs even they can not carry you forever. It is time for the new boys and Wonder Woman (Gillian Johnson) to make their place in polo history now, as in tomorrow, and they will. Gillian Johnson will not be the first woman to win the Open, she will be the first amateur woman to win the Open. I screwed up as in a previous article as I know Sunny Hale was the first woman to win the Open. I think it will be the game of the year, but I can not see the boys from Orchard Hill beating Coke. Not tomorrow or any other day. I will tell you on Monday,

See ya at the finals.
Steve Crowder

April 11, '02: You cannot win the 2002 Open with two 10-goalers and you might not win with 1. We shall see soon. I don't think it's possible, but maybe.

Pee Wee polo did have their head of the class at work in South Florida in the form of Jeff Hall. He buried his buddies from the Wolf Pack (Frederick Mannix and Daniel Roenisch. A lesson in the most important part of winning polo . . . take the man then the ball. He did it again today shutting down 10-goaler Sebastian Merlos same as Nachi Heguy on Sunday as Orchard Hill downed the Merlos double 10's to the sidelines.

The trouble is there is no 10 on Sunday, so what will he do? Someone will know as soon as 3 p.m on Sunday. Orchard Hill with Steve Van Andell, Jeff Hall , Julio Arellano and 10- goaler Russo Heguy will take on the Wonder Woman (Jillian Johnson) and her 3 knights (Coke). Coke rolled over California's Los Banditos with their 2 ten-goalers, Memo Gracida and Mike Azzaro, meeting the same fate as the Merlos. It was all Banditos until it was time to shut the door and then Mr. Astrada and Wonder Woman (Jillian Johnson) said adios to Mr. Open, (Memo Gracida) tied the score. Wonder Woman then set the stage in O/T and took it down and left it as she blew Azzaro away for Miguel to put it away, they won for Coke 10 to 9. She will be the first woman in the finals of the Open and probably the best woman player to ever play in the U.S. Open. There are probably no 1 goal men who can carry her tacos right now. Ask Mike Azzaro and Dave Dollinger. I predict Coke will win the Open as I think the best player in the U.S. today may well be Miguel Astrada, The Iceman.

Be there Sunday. It will be a big day.

--Steve Crowder

April 8th, '02: Well, the final four are in line and the 1 o'clock game was all they said it would be as the Superman of polo, Adolfo Cambiaso will not be in the finals for the first time in a few years. It was the woman of Coke who was the superwoman of polo as she drilled some outstanding shots to her high-goalers yesterday in a real thriller. The Coke gang heads to the final four against the King of the Open, Memo gracida, who has a wall full of Open trophies and it should be as good as they get. They better be watching Miss Johnson, as the macho men from Argentina did not and paid the price.

The 3 o'clock was a sad day at the park as the Wolf Pack (Millarville) never fired the big guns at the back. They could not get the ball to the Wolves and the might Millarville Team found out just how good there old buddy Jeff Hall is. He gave the boys a lesson in taking the man and Frederick Mannix found out the most as Jeff was there to put the halt on the Frederick's trigger and cut it down to a low roar. Daniel Roenisch was free a lot and did some damage on the offense, but had trouble finding the big sticks going the other way. All in all the Canadians were very successful and proved that West Coast polo is still in town. They did impress the east as a definite threat to Southern hospitality and in red as they went down to 15-9.

The final four hook up on Wednesday. Here is the line-up:

Coke vs Los Banditos
Orchard Hill vs Lechuza

It shows to be . . .

9 Americans still standing
1 Canadian
5 Argentines
1 superstar Mexican-American

Head South and see for yourself.

Canada Day

April 6th, '02: Tomorrow will be one of the biggest days for the Canadian rookies in their lifetime to date. They take on Orchard Hill, who just happens to have an old compadre on their side (Jeff Hall). It's odd, but 3 players who started in Indio, CA in the Pee Wee polo program back in 1988 will be gunning for the other in the biggest and most prestigious tournament in North America. It's the U.S. Open and the Wolf Pack Daniel Roenisch and Frederick Mannix will have to have their triggers on full automatic. I do not believe anyone on this coast has ever doubted these boys will be ready and they know their friend Jeff Hall will be returning fire. It will be a shootout at 12 o'clock noon. On the West Coast even with the clock change, they will be at Boca Raton and the green grass will have smoke shadows on it. We can only hope the Canadians can beat the now Texan Hall (Jeff Hall) and we will be on their side and they still call Eldorado Polo Club home (at least part of the year).

Will it be horses or fire power? This is the final chance to make the final four teams that move to the semifinals. That's quite a feat when 99% of the best polo players in the world are here. So, lets rock and roll for the Wolf Pack and hope the Millarville squad has rule 18 on their site. Look it up!! May they pick that fruit today.

Be here or be here in mind and soul.

See ya. --Steve Crowder

It was a big day for the Lechuza boys as the owls from Caracas flew by the Everglades on their way to first in their bracket. So for the future it is like this on Sunday: Millarville plays Orchard Hill in the first quarter finals and the winner plays Lechuza in the semis. In the other game it is good old Coke going against Jedi which should be a very tough game. The winner of this plays Los Banditos in the other semis on Wednesday. So there will be some action and with a little bit of luck the California teams could meet in the finals, but its a very tough road. Millarville has Fredrick Mannix and Daniel Roenisch and Orchard Hill has Jeff Hall all from Pee Wee polo at Eldorado Polo Club. Just a little bit of history. Dave Dollinger's Los Banditos have not had to play a hard game yet and got the bye. So we won't know how good they are till then. Well come on down.

On day 10 of the U.S. Open it was game 1 at 11:00 AM with the 2 unbeaten teams meeting for the numero uno and dos. It was the Coke Pokes getting a good bead on the Wolf Pack. They fouled without fear as the boys from the North were feeling a blue Northerner on a very hot day. When they went to the penalty line F.M. (Frederick Mannix) missed a 3 and the big sticks were out of the park at 60 yards going 0 an 6 and they lost by 3. Well it was not the end of the World. Maybe F.M. and D.R. (Daniel Roensich) wanted more games. They have at least 1 more as the winner had a chance for a bye on Sunday, but this way they can have 3 instead of 2.

Both Frederick and Daniel had there triggers cocked today as they scored all the goals and some were incredible. F.M picked up a ball and made a 50 yard cut with 3 ft of goal space. D.R. slung his taco on a F.M. miss and blazed it by the Cokers. They need the horse power to deal with Coca Cola and the trophy group, but they ain't done yet as we head into the final 6. Quite a mark when you have 15 teams and probably the top 20 players in the world here.

In the 1 o'clock it was just a practice game attitude for Los Banditos as they wait for the final draw and blew their air on Texas Polo .
as of now you have :

BRACKET [a] 1. Coke 2. Millarville
BRACKET [b] 1. Los Banditos 2. Orchard Hill
BRACKET[C ] Everglades,Jedi,Lehuza or Pony Express ( we will know tomorrow )5 p.m. e.s.t.

Book your ticket to the party at the U.S. OPEN

Sunday was a big day for C Spear and Orchard Hill as they were playing for #2 in their bracket. It was the best game of the Open thus far. The fruit pickers got by the Ranch hands in O/T. It was quite a show. Now we have 24 players and 8 teams outside looking in and 12 players with some big dreams. There are 16 players waiting for the big show to start this Sunday morning, 7-days after the Easter sunset. It's a long time until next year, but some more boys joined that list yesterday as Mega and C Spear fell to the minus section and now become sideline experts. So far, for the Big Show you have Coke, Millarville, Orchard Hill and Los Banditos. Jedi, Everglads and Lechuza are waiting to cross that line.

It is polo time. Come and see those ponies run!

--Steve Crowder

The 1 o'clock was a walk in the park as California's, Los Banditos, did a tap dance on the Broward Yacht. No contest at 12-6. This bracket will be won by Los Banditos and still have a battle for 2nd with Orachard Hill and C Spear duking it out at 3:00 Sunday, March 31st.

The 3 o'clock started out and finished fast as throw-ins were the key and horsepower was the difference. The Coke Cowboys rode heard on the farmers from Grants Farm and they move into the trophy round . On Wednesday, April 3rd, 11:00 am, we will soon know who is uno and who is dolce as they have a date with the Wolf Pack from Millarville. This game will feature the 2 best amateurs (for their handicaps) on this planet, Jillian Johnson at 1 goal and Frederick Mannix at 5 goals. Come see the show. It's Open Time!

--Steve Crowder.

Day 6 started out as expected. Orchard Hill did the Texas stomp on Texas Polo 12 to 8. This put Orchard Hill at 2 - 1 and Texas Polo is now 0 - 3.

The 1:00 match included a little bit of Eldorado Polo as Auggie the doggie, Agustin Zavaleta, had his taco smoking. He and one old boy name Pick Alberdi lead Brad Schlei's cousin to a big upset over the ponies of Pony Express to put both teams at 1 - 2.

The shoot out at 3 pm was the one everybody wants to hear about out West . The Mannix mystery is becoming a full-scale bio as fearless Freddie Mannix had his cannon wide-open and the 10-goalers found it a very well seasoned shooter for his age. The Wolf Pack Daniel Roenisch and Frederick Mannix were on fire and they had some 16 goals behind them when they need it. Frederick must have scored 6 or 7 goals and when he missed, Daniel was next. The game was tied at 3 all in the third and White Birch lost a 10-goaler to an injury and could not find a 10-goal sub. They had to use a 7-goaler to finish the 3 rd and got behind. They changed to a 10 -goal twosome and still had trouble going into the fifth. Then Peter Brant did not take the 5th and got 2 technicals and was put to pasture for the rest of the chukker. Millarville cruised to a 5 goal lead and held it in the 6th for most of the chukker. White Birch made a run, but it only lasted for a little bit as Daniel nailed a pass to Frederick and he shut the door on White Birch. Millarville is now 3 - 0 and will go to the quarter-finals no matter what happens next round.

The Canadians have made one big impression on all people who know polo. The 3 best young male players in the U.S. Open all blew in from the North. Brandon Phillips who is 23, Daniel Roenisch who just turned adult and the dynamo, who will be the next real threat from North America to be 10 goals before he is 22 a 18 yr old, named Fredrrick Mannix. You will know his name soon.

Come and see the Open or buy a tape and sit back and relax.

--Steve Crowder

The Cream is the real boys who are stepping up to the plate. Four 10-goalers faced off today and it was a Merlos oriented Lechuza team who were the last boys standing. They were down by 4 in the 5th and had a quart for the fifth and came back and had a sip of champagne as they cut the legs off of Cambiaso and Heguy to win 12 to 11 at the end. So far, this was the best game of the 2002 U.S. Open. Lechuza is now 2 - 1

Game 2 was the Coke boys going on a Michelob diet and putting away the foam and rolling the bubbles of cold fresh Diet Coke as they won in an easy 11 to 9 victory. They are some bad dudes led by the best player in the Open for her handicap, Miss Jillian Johnson. Coke is now 2 - 0.

Game 3 was not a game as two first round winners met and the California boy, Dave Dollinger, showed why the West is West as they were on the East-side of the sun. C Spear could not see Los Banditos as they were led by the second best player of the day, Brandon Phillips, another Canadian leading the charge to blow by 14 -4. This put Los Banditos as the Cream on top of the bottle at 2 - 0.

The big thing in the Open is everyone has 4 players, and 3 very good players, but they must have 4 players playing team polo. That was the case today as there were only team players from 10 goals to 1 goal. It was and is a team sport and if the low-goal players do not get to be part of the team they will not be a team and it showed today.

See ya at the open

Game 2 is a Coke over a Michelob. It is still too early for the Champagne of beer as to the 3 p.m. special, we'll see if it's the little Bandits of Calif. surf or mountain man Tommy and the C Spears from the Wyoming Rockies.

The Wolf Pack is back in action on Thursday and they have a pair of tens to draw to, but let their guns blaze, it's a showdown at 3 p.m.
We hope you can make it. If not put a little tug for the old Millarville jug.

See ya at the Open.

In the one o'clock Eldorado was there in the form of Mannix and Roenisch. They have a 10-goaler too, but they were the top guns again today. You would find no one to deny just how good. Frederick Mannix, Jr. is dynamite on a stick and D.R. was putting up a good show. But the other half of the Wolf Pack was pulling the trigger today and he needed to as they slipped by Aspen in O/T to win 8 - 7. Millarville is now 2 -0 (the only ones undefeated).

The 3 o'clock had a little taste of the desert as Mariano Gonzalez and Pancho Bensadon were on fire for the opener and jumped out to a 7 - 1 lead for the divot stomp and coasted in to finish 10 - 7 against Texas Polo.

Well guess what? The Wolf Pack turned into some young guns today as Frederick Mannix was the hero of the day as he scored the winning goal with 4 seconds to go. But it was the other young gun Daniel Roenisch who was on full automatic as the cannon from his right hand was at full fire nearly the whole game. He was the work horse and delivered the ball at rocket speed to the front.

The battle between the old and the new amateur king was more of a draw this time. Andy Busch scored as much as Frederick, so they neither took too much from the other. Frederick give Andy a fat lip to go with his loss, but it was a taco not a fist. He has not eaten that many Wheaties yet.

It was a great game for the kids. For me it was a loss, as I was the Coach for the other team. It brings tears to our eyes to see these Eldorado kids get right in the face of anyone from 10 to 4, there are no 2's and say "" draw sucker." They are the Young Guns of North American polo and no matter what happens during the balance of the Open, they've made their mark and they will be back.

By the way the score was 7 to 6 and Millarville was never in the lead until the 6th chukkar and with 4 seconds left on the clock.

The second game was Everglades kicking the ponies as they beat Pony Express easily by a score of 9 to 5 working hours.

The third game of the day had a 22-goal team Broward Yacht losing to a 26-goal team. As Texas Polo had a major problem with a Sugar and a Pepe and had a lot of luck as the Sugar from South Africa and the Pepe had another handicap named Glenn get in the road one to many times. Broward Yachts lost 8 - 7.

See Ya.

SteveMarch 19, 2002: Tomorrow is the first day of the U.S. Open 2002 in Boca Raton, FL. There have probably been 10 amateurs who have surpassed 5 goals during the past two decades. This is a very small number when there have probably been close 30,000 polo players cross over and through North America during that period of time.

On March 20, 2002 we will have a match between the old, and the not that old. At the age of 39 and a winner of a U.S. Open and just about ever other major tournament in the continent, Andy Busch will take the field with his team Grant's Farm Manor.

An 18 year old dynamo from North of the U.S. border, who I think is on his way to being the next Hitchcock on the continent, will play for his team Millarville. He is fast and quick as a coiled rattler and so damn tough you would think he was a 30 year-old ranch hand made of rawhide. His name is Frederick Mannix.

These two 5-goal Amateurs will meet on Wednesday at high noon in one of the first matches of U.S. Open. Andy will play the # 4 position and Frederick at the # 1 position for his team. We shall see if experience prevails or if youth speed and the new eye will conquer. We will know by the time you read this, but we will let you know a.s.a.p. Mark my word, if not tomorrow it will be soon that the kid from Calgary, Alberta, Canada will be the best player in North America before this decade ends. I'm not talking about amateurs that will be before the calendar turns to (3). Hey cheer for him Eldorado.

See ya at the Open!"" ITS OPEN TIME ""

March 19th, 2002: There is a special feeling that comes with any Open. Not matter if it is the Pacific Coast, The British or even the Argentine Open. It's different and the U.S. Open is the same. It's Different.

We have just finished the first 26 goal which was won by Lechuza of Venezuela, but it ain't the same even though we do not have a trophy. Its still the Open and it's not just another silver plate its the OPEN. It moves around some but it maybe a while before it returns to California as there are just so many more patrons and high-goal players in Florida at this time of the year. Its all about money. The horses are here, the players are here, and there is very little polo outside the U.S during this time of the year. Australia is the only other major player during the Winter Season. Its that special time, no matter where it is. It hasn't started, so everybody has a chance and everybody wants it . The facts are :

there are 60 players
there are 520 horses
there are 130 grooms
there are 35 truck drivers
there are 55 trucks and trailers
there are 20 substitute players
there are 14 referees and umpires
there are 60 umpire horses
there are 120 other people shoers, vets, managers & spares
and another 500 press people, flaggers, grounds keepers
personal drivers, personal trainers ,ambulance drivers and feed men, hay haulers and manure removers just to make this one tournament happen. The Open is comprised of about 30 games of the most exciting polo you will see in the U.S.A.

Its about 1500 people to make it happen and it is exciting.

Eldorado and the West Coast will have its signature on the Open. We have some old boys from Indio here in Florida, Jeff Hall, Mariano Gonzalez, Agustin Zavaleta, Dave Dollinger and of course the Wolf Pack Frederick Mannix and Daniel Roenisch. And they all feel the tingle of the US OPEN. It starts on March 20th and it's cup time on the 14th of April. The Open is held only 3,633 miles from Indio or 7 hours by air, so come on down.

--Steve Crowder