13 Teams, Led by Defending Champion White Birch, Enter
26-Goal Hall of Fame Cup at International Polo Club Palm Beach

WELLINGTON, FL (February 4, 2006) – Thirteen teams, including defending champion White Birch, have entered the Hall of Fame Cup, the first 26-goal tournament of the 2006 winter season at International Polo Cup Palm Beach. White Birch defeated Skeeterville 11-10 in the 2005 final.

Six teams will make their 2006 debut in the Hall of Fame Cup – Black Watch, Isla Carroll, Jedi, Las Monjitas, Mokarow Farm and Orchard Hill. Seven of the 11 10-goalers in the United States will be playing in the tournament.

The draw for the single-elimination tournament was held Saturday morning. The semifinals are set for Thursday, March 2 and the final is scheduled for Sunday, March 5 at 3 p.m. on Stanford Field at International Polo Club.

Skeeterville, Isla Carroll and Mokarow Farm each have a first-round bye.

In its opening game, White Birch, led by 10-goaler Mariano Aguerre and 9-goaler Lucas Criado, faces 2004 finalist Bendabout, which features 10-goaler Miguel Novillo Astrada and 9-goaler Lucas Monteverde. The winner plays Skeeterville, led by 8-goalers Julio Arellano and Owen Rinehart.

Other opening games include Las Monjitas, led by 9-goalers Eduardo Novillo Astrada and Adam Snow, against New Bridge La Dolfina, which features 10-goaler Adolfo Cambiaso. Also, Tommy Lee Jones’ San Saba, with 10-goaler Javier Novillo Astrada, plays Jedi, with 9-goaler Pablo MacDonough, in a first-round match.

The remaining first-round games are Black Watch, with 9-goalers Facundo and Gonzalito Pieres, versus Pony Express, led by 9-goaler Piki Alberdi; and Lechuza Caracas, with 10-goalers Pite and Sebastian Merlos, against Orchard Hill, led by 9-goaler Paco de Narvaez.

Isla Carroll, led by 9-goaler Eduardo Heguy, plays the winner of the Orchard Hill-Lechuza Caracas game while Mokarow Farm, featuring 10-goaler Carlos Gracida and 9-goaler Memo Gracida, plays the winner of Black Watch-Pony Express.

Ten-goalers competing in the tournament are Miguel Novillo Astrada (Bendabout), Pite Merlos (Lechuza Caracas), Sebastian Merlos (Lechuza Caracas), Carlos Gracida (Mokarow Farm), Adolfo Cambiaso (New Bridge La Dolfina), Javier Novillo Astrada (San Saba) and Mariano Aguerre (White Birch).

The tournament is named in honor of the National Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame, a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization dedicated to the preservation of the history and tradition of the sport of polo. The Museum houses an extensive collection of historic documents and treasures that include important trophies, artifacts, books, works of art and other memorabilia. The Hall of Fame, located in Lake Worth, Florida, was created to honor the heroes of the sport.

The polo matches are open to the public. General admission for the Sunday games at International Polo Club Palm Beach is $10 for adults. Children under 12 enter for free. Tickets may be purchased at the gate on the day of the game.

International Polo Club Palm Beach is located at 3667 120th Avenue South, between Pierson Road and Lake Worth Road in Wellington. For information, directions or ticket purchases, please call the club at (561) 204-5687 or visit the website at www.internationalpoloclub.com.

International Polo Club
Palm Beach