Duende and Tuscany Oaks Farm offered the season's finest polo to date in the Vic Graber final, June 17, 2001.

Duende stuck to the line-up which won it a placein the finals of the last 12 goal tournament - Jason Crowder at 1, Kris Kampsen and mariano Fassetta at 2 and 3 and sponsor Mike Haken at back. Tuscany Oaks Farm fielded Bob Fell at 1, Matthew Gonzalez at 2, Julio Arrellano at 3 and Khai Agon at 4.

The first half showed promise of the exciting game which this match became - good strong play from Tuscany Oaks yeilding 8 goals, all fromthe field (Julio Arrellano 6; Matthew Gonzalez 2) to Duende's four (two from the field for Jason Crowder and a penalty 4 and field goal from Mariano Fassetta) - all in the first two chukkers. The score at half time was 8-4 in a half marked by superb team play between Julio Arrellano and Matthew Gonzalez.

The teamwork continued in the fourth chukker and yielded field goals to each of Arrellano and Gonzalez, capped off for Tuscany Oaks by a goal for Bob Fell taken from 40 yards out off a marvellous and huge backshot by Kai Agon. Mariano Fassetta scored for Duende, so the score going into the fifth chukker was a daunting 11-5 for the young Duende team.
The yellow and blue team has become rightly known for its come-backs, and the performance of the Mariano Fassetta/Kris Kampsen duo in the fifth and sixth chukkers was a wonderful example. Ably supported by Mike Haken at back who hit several very good saving backshots and Jason Crowder at the front working hard at controlling Julio Arrellano, these two chukkers produced six unanswered goals for Duende - including two 60 yard and one 40 yard penalty goal for mariano Fassetta and three field goals off superb Fassetta pases by Kris Kampsen.

At the end of the sixth chukker the score was 11-11 and the game was into overtime before a well warmed-up crowd on a lovely sunny Santa Barbara evening. It looked all over when Kris Kamspen made a huge run from down the field after a minute of play, but the ball went just wide of the goal and play continued with a huge drive from Jason Crowder.

With 3 minutes 51 seconds to go, Bob Fell tumbled from his horse after a knock from his teammate Kai Agon, and the crowd spent a subdued 10 minutes hoping all was well before Bob remounted to a huge roar from the crowd. Ten seconds after the game restarted Matthew Gonzalez broke away and a goal seemed certain until Mike Haken backed it away beautifully. With 90 seconds to go the game seemed to turn Duende's way with a penalty 4 awarded against Tuscany Oaks, but the hit was wide and play continued to 33 seconds from the final horn, when Julio Arrellano attempted a shot at goal from 160 yards ona penalty 5. No score, and with the board still at 11-11 a second overtime period was called.

This marathon game was by then into its third hour of play and the large spectator crowd showed its apprecitation for the courage and stamina of all eight players in this second overtime chukker by rising to its feet. The sense of excitement was very real as the umpires rolled the ball in 70 yards from the Tuscany Oaks goal.

Kampsen won the ball off the line-up, but had it stolen by Julio Arrellano, who lost it in turn to Mike Haken who produced another of his game-saving backshots. A near-side shot from Arellano looked good, but it was backed by Jason Crowder to Kris Kampsen, when the whistle blew with 5 minutes and 42 seconds to go, resulting in a throw in at 60 yards from the Duende goal. A whistle after 10 seconds of play gave Tuscany Oaks a penalty 5 shot from halfway. With 5 minutes and 32 seconds to go, Matthew Gonzalez and Julio Arrellano repeated the wonderful teamwork we had seen all afternoon with Julio's penalty shot finished to goal by a wonderful run from Matthew Gonzalez.

Best Playing Pony (professional) went to Mariano Fassetta's fifth chukker horse Bruja.

Best Playing Pony (sponsor) went to Robert Fell's fourth chukker mare Lady Bud, an Australian pony.