June 30, '04: It was finals time over the weekend and there were some good ones. The 12-goal come to an end in Santa Barbara and the second finals was in San Diego for the 10 and 4 goal. In S.B. it was Reata becoming the only double winner of the season as they did it by 1 over Tuscany Oaks with the Hammer Mike Micallef playing an outstanding game. He did it to win their first finals. Long Beach did what they have not been doing well, they played no-foul polo and they crushed Gehache to win the consolation finals.

In San Diego where the fields are probably playing better than S.B. as they are really good this year. It was a barn burner in the 4-goal finals as Big ED Masterson and boys took the lead early and let Ellen Greenhill back in. Then went up, then screwed up a penalty at the end of 1st O.T. and then went into the 6th chukker in double O.T. and put it away with tired horses and tired players. MRS. Greenhill and troop won the finals and took the Pacfic Classic home. In the 10-goal finals it was Pretty Lady Lisa Bosstick and Surfer Doc (Scott Dlugos) taking on NO NO Norma and Georges Daou. It was a very good game with each chukker until the 5th. Even then The Doctor Gaston Von Wernich started to operate and cut a couple of major artries to redirect the blood flow. It was Georges Daou on the wrong side as they pulled out a 2-goal run to the title. There is a new tournament that starts this week as Tritech joins the fray and a new Patron Emilio Socal brings new weapons to town with Agustin Zavaleta and Curt Hughes joining in the war where the surf meets the turf. Anyone interested in a fun month of polo whether it be 10- or 4-goal this is the place to be, San Diego. Contact Heather at 858 481 9217 for a real deal.

Santa Barbara is closed for 10 days to renew the fields so come to polo where the surf meets the turf at SAN DIEGO POLO CLUB. See ya.

June 20, '04: Taking The High Road. It looks like the Tuscany Oaks (T.O.) squad will get to their second finals this year and have a chance for a trophy for the first time in several years. They have the King of 12-goal and they might just get there. They are 2 and 0 with a win over Mansour yesterday. They only have a game left with Long Beach who is not out of it, but in a tie. They might need some goals as they were surprised by the Golden Falcons when Mr. Amin put on a clinic of taking out the big stick. We knew he could do it, but has not been doing it lately. Well Amin did it today in surgical fashion and Hugo Barabucci recovering from the amazing crash with Bob Fell the other day put a win by the Grant's Farm side in the other bracket. In the running are Reata and Gehache as they both control their destiny. Both BTA and Piocho are out of it with Piocho losing to Gehache today. BTA lost their second to Klentner Ranch. This leaves little hope for anyone else to challenge Tuscany in the finals of the final 12-goal of '04. It's like this

T.O. 2 & 0
G.F. 1 & 1
L.B. 1 & 1
C/M 0 & 2

Gehache 2 & 0
Reata 1 & 0
K.R. 1 & 1
P.R. 0 & 2
BTA 0 & 2

Down south it was Stormin' Norma Owen getting another fleecing on field 1. Norma and the Palomino (Jason Crowder) have not had very much luck on field 1 as they lost by 15 goals in 2 games. Either Georges Daou is not playing as good as he thinks or they are not on the same field. The Silver Fox (Harry Collins) came storming through again and buried No No Norma and team again. It was Madison/Surfer getting by Gypsy/Voyager in the other one. Doc VonWernich (Gaston) did surgery on the side for Lisa Bosstick and the real Doc (Scott Dlugos) as they head to the finals against we do not know who until this Friday night.

See ya at polo

June 19th, '04: A Very Long Day - BTA & KLENTNER RANCH & GOLDEN FALCONS were all wishing they were at the beach. There was no sun in Santa Barbara and these teams had no sunshine in them . They were all soundly drilled by many goals on this absolutley gloomy day . It was a little wild in the Tuscany game as therir Patron Bob Fell decided to eliminate 7 -goaler Hugo Barabucci in one of the wildest wrecks I have seen in a while three people were involved and Brad Blake escaped because he was in the left lane as Bob Fell came in hard from the slow lane upending Hugo and his own horse as they both rolled and both players were on the ground for several minutes. Tthe horses were talking about CA drivers. All were well, just showing us their acrobatic skills I guess. It was Reata with Hammer Mike M. still in town before his trip stomping on BTA and they are all from Texas, but it was a Reata day. Then Gehache with another. Mike Schellar did the same to Klentner Ranch and drubbed them into yesterday as well. Sunday is a new day however and it looks like it could be sunny "not really" but there are 4 on tap like this:

10 a.m klentner ranch vs bta
10 a.m gechachie vs piocho ranch
1 p.m long beach vs golden falcons
3 p.m tuscany oaks vs chadmar

Down south No No Norma won. It was a big win as they slid by last week's champs of the Gypsy/Voyage. It was Surfer/Madison drubbing Rancho Valencia. Sunday it's NO NO Norma storming the field for the Silver Fox (Harry Collins) which she will never find as they play Rancho Valencia and DAOU/NORMA at 3 PM and Surfer & Figi get together for the first game.

There is action all over CA from Petaluma to Poway. There is polo. So find it and enjoy it.

See ya.

June 18, '04: POLO & SOME MORE POLO & Laker's - Down South there are 4 teams in the ten and 9 in the 4 goal for the next 2 weeks, so look out for the Sunday wars where the surf meets the turf in San Diego. In Santa Barbara the final 12-goal continues and it's a sure thing to be active. As those who already played need to win and those who have not played want to win, so lots of action. There have been some bumps and buisness which has changed some lineups. Tim Rudy replaces Andy Busch for Klentner Ranch and Mario Sosa replaces Jeff Kazmark. Rumor is Pat Nesbitt maybe gone for Piocho for a game or 2 and Mike M. the young gun from Reata is out of the country. So look for new faces and reworked teams. Julio Aguilar had some new makeup for the week. Best of all, do not pass on the left you see what happened to the Lakers. They have been in CA so long they try to pass the car makers on the left and see what happens you go down. Just like the cars having to pass on the left because some well-educated driver is driving 60 mph in the passing lane. You know what? I know where many learned it. I spent 3 weeks in Mexico and they think thats where you ought to drive even on a tractor. I am not sure who taught who? Either a CA Lawman went there and taught them or a Mexican officer taught drivers education to our teachers of drivers education. Its so bad, the Police can not catch the men on the right speeding because they are stuck in the left lane by cars on the right. It's getting so bad in CA. Last week they had a motorcade going down 101 and they had to move to the right lane to get by. Arnold and George try buying books and education and hire some police instead of buying bullets and caskets.
Just an opinion we all have one

June 14, '04: QUEENS CUP CHAMP - FREDeRICK MANNIX, Jr. Frederick won on his second attempt at the Queen's Cup. And he won with one of the greatest players of the last two decades, who has NEVER WON IT . . . Carlos Gracida. Carlos has won every major tournament in the World, but has never put his name on the Queen's Cup. Now he has his name on the Cup along with Frederick, who played his first run outside the family colors. He is one step closer to being the next Thomas Hitchcock, Jr. as I predicted years ago. Well done Frederick and Carlos Gracida. Neither Carlos or Memo are 10-Goals anymore, but their names are still on the top of all majors played for this year.

WELL DONE!


June 14, '04: Grants Farm Topples the Oaks - Grant's Farm, just like the farmers in the valley, cut the Tuscany Oaks down hard. They were stopped for a while by the Law and then plowed on anyway and cut the rest of them down. The Farmers in the valley are having trouble with the Lawyers at times and they get stopped and it was the same in the finals. Grant's Farm was mowing the Oaks down in the 2nd and 3rd then the Officials caught the boys in white on the wrong side seven times and "Johnny Law" (Mariano Gonzalez) came through with 7 of 8 penalties to stop the flood. Then "The Bullet" named Fast-etta (Mariano Fassetta) did what he did early again disappeared from the defense and took it to the goal with blazing speed and the Oaks were plowed under just like that. Andy Busch and Josey (Joseph Stuart) were constantly on the run most of the game and Justin Klentner shut down Carlitos. That left Marian Fassetta vs. Mariano Gonzalez. Fassetta had 2 extra bullets in his rifle and it was enough to win the VIC Graber Finals in 2004. It was Andy Busch's final tournament for the 12-goal season. He did well winning all but 2 games over 6 weeks, so he will be smoking for the 20-goals. Josey, Fast-etta & Justin K. join up with Tim Rudy to try to keep their run going. Many of these games were played by the Lovely Lady Jessica Bailey who helped get them to the finals while Josey was pretending to do his school work. Now he is supposed to be ready to do his own work. We will see, but like Fassetta says, he likes the other # 1 to look at and she never complains and plays very tough. It is a real tough draw to try to win 4 games in 8 days to get to the next finals which is the Inter. Circuit and the final 12goal Tournament. Most teams have 1 game played and Tuscany has a 3 games draw so here we go.

First round

Mansour slaughtered by Long Beach
BTA one behind Gehache
Reata & subs by 1 over Piocho Ranch

2nd round

Friday 6-18-04

10.30 a.m. BTA vs Reata
10.30 a.m. Golden Falcons vs. Tuscany Oaks
3.p.m. Klentner Ranch vs. Gehache

In San Diego it was Miss Suzanne Figi, that's Gypsy Sue, winning a big one as they overpowered former teammate Lovely Lisa Bosstick and her Surfer Docs squad. Gypsy won by a teeny little bit and took home the basket of roses and the silver. It was Lisa Bosstick's time to shine as she won the Best Playing Pony on her Andy Maze horse named Jackie Chan. That did make her day just a little better. In the 4 goal it was a very sad day for the Collins family as they lost their mentor, Willis Allen, but did what he liked best. They played the game and they did what he would have been so proud of . . . they won it all and took home the # 1 prize for him. They start all over next week there as well, so jump on your horse and come play some polo right now.

See ya there.

June 11, 04: Little Mac In Queen’s Cup Finals – Fearless Freddie, Jr. leads Labergore to finals of Queens Cup. Frederick Mannix, Jr. is the first kid from Pee Wee polo to make it to the finals of the British Queens Cup, one of the biggest tournaments in the World. He is all West Coast from Calgary, Canada to Indio, CA . I hope the Big Mac F.M. , Sr. is in the Queens box to see it. That would be a great moment for the Canadian Kid to bring a Giant Cup like this back to the home of the Flames who lost a big one last week. Frederick is playing with another young and rising star from the UK Luke Tomilson, who has also visited the desert with his brother a few times in the Jr. World Tournament. Their quarterback is former 10- goal superstar Carlos Gracida, who also won the U.S. Open just one year ago. So wish them the best. They will start the game at about 5 a.m. Sunday morning Califonria time. Get ‘em FREDERICK.

See ya

June 6th, ’04: Polo In The Western Riviera - From the Surf meets the Turf in Del Mar to Petaluma there was polo this weekend. The horses were running from top to bottom in the Golden State. In the 10-goal in San Diego it was Sweet Suzanne Figi joining up with Silent Chris Maloney and getting a pair of W's in the league as they stopped both the very fine Lisa Bosstick and the Surfer Doc (Scott Dlugos). They then jumped on Norma Owen’s team and then the Pretty Lady Lisa B. and Surfer Doc hammered NO NO Norma and crew on Sunday's Opening Day. So its Madison Square 1 & 1, The Gypsys 2 & 0 and Stormin’ Norma 0 & 2.

In Petaluma it was the JP show as he tried a new talent dribbling the ball which he has been working on it in Argentina. They have a new big gun about to hit the Petaluma shores . . . Tim Gannon is back in the Outback up there.

Here in Santa Barbara it was a sad weekend as the loss of part time resident and big horseman Ronald Regan lost his will to live fighting and old enemy alzheimers disease. We hope things get easier up yonder. The horse world proved it isn't over until it’s over as champion and undefeated Smarty Jones lost his first race and it cost him nearly 6 million bucks to get behind. It was the same on the polo field as last weeks champs Piocho Ranch got beaten by a length in the round of 2 in the Vic Graber by Grants Farm. Rookie Justin Klintner put the Gov. Pat Nesbitt in his pocket and the battle of the boys Julio Gracida and Joseph Stuart (Josey), who are two very talented 17 year olds, was won today by the West Coast’s own Josey as the Champs were “ambusched” by the boys in white and head to the semis against either Chadmar or BTA. BTA has a very good combo of Father & Daughter Kelli and Casey Beal some hard riding Texans from the flatlands of Midland. The way it is now in SB is as follows:

Bracket 1

Golden Falcons 1 & 1
Chadmar 1 & 0
BTA 0 & 1

Bracket 2
Grants Farm 2 & 0
Long Beach 1 & 1
Pioco 0 & 1

Bracket 3
Sprinbok 1 & 1
Reata 1 & 1
Tuscany 1 & 0


The big game Wed. will be at 11 a.m. as BTA has to smoke Chadmar to have a chance. If they do not, it will be Chadmar in the semis vs. Grant’s Farm. In Bracket 3 it will be the old man Mariano Gonzalez vs. the Fox Sapo Caset and they should put on a show Friday at 1 p.m. They both played Springbok and Tuscany Oaks won. Reata lost so if Tuscany Oaks wins they are in and if they lose it might be goals or just the fact their minus 2 and they must win by 4 to go. It was a very close game in the AM between Tuscany Oaks and Springbok. Just a very good game as no one seemed to fire they just made the plays, but Cabazon (Mariano Gonzalez) was just as tough as usual and got good help from Brad Blake.

The rest of the games are like this:

Wed. 6/9

11 am Chadmar vs. BTA
1 pm Long Beach vs. Piocho

Friday 6/11

11 a.m. winner bracket 1 vs. Grant’s Farm
1 pm Reata Vs Tuscany Oaks

Sunday 6/13

Consolation 1 p.m.
Finals 3 p.m.

Little Mac Fred Mannix, Jr. continues to light the British skies as he heads to the semis this Thursday in the QUEENS CUP in the United Kingdom also known as England.

See ya

June 5th, 04: They Are Grabbing at the Graber - Its take off at the Vic Graber Memorial. It’s tough polo just like Mr. Graber would have liked it. Friday was that way in the opening round. It was kind of blah in the first one. It seemed a little laid back as Gehache and Reata had a very calm and collected game at 11 a.m. Gehache won in the end. In the 1 p.m. it was The Golden Falcons in their debut at Santa Barbara and it was not a fun one. They lost Miguel Gutierrez and could not find the gun to replace him and ended up losing by 2 to Chadmar. In the final game of the day it was Grant’s Farm getting by Long Beach by a few to head to a very hot game on Sunday taking on the Hammer TJ Barrack and the Gracidas with the Gov. Pat Nesbitt. It should be a good one.

There are lots of 3's right now. 3 brackets of 3 and 3 teams in the first round in San Diego Polo which has opening Sunday, like yes tomorrow the 6th day of June, so be there.