International Polo Club Palm Beach Florida

New Bridge La Dolfina Edges Skeeterville 15-14 for 2006 Ylvisaker Cup Title
Sunday on Stanford Field at International Polo Club

WELLINGTON, FL (February 19, 2006) – Ten-goaler Adolfo Cambiaso scored 10 goals, including the game-winner with 13 seconds remaining, to lead New Bridge La Dolfina over Skeeterville 15-14 in the 22-goal Ylvisaker Cup final on Stanford Field at International Polo Club Palm Beach Sunday in front of 5,110 spectators.

Cambiaso, who in 1993 at the age of 17 became the youngest 10-goaler in the history of the sport, picked up a loose ball on a bowl-in and outraced Skeeterville’s Owen Rinehart down the middle for the winning goal.

Skeeterville’s Julio Arellano scored on a tap-in after a long pass from Rinehart to tie the game at 14-14 with 55 seconds remaining. It was the ninth tie of the game.

“They kept on coming back,” said Cambiaso, who played despite a pulled thigh muscle suffered in the semifinals. “We would go ahead and they would come back. Luckily we scored last. The horse I was on in the last chukker was amazing. It was a machine.”

New Bridge La Dolfina made a slight adjustment late in the game on the throw-ins. Three-goaler Sunny Hale dropped back to cover Arellano instead of taking the first player.

“My job was to make holes for him (Cambiaso),” said Hale, who scored two goals and was named the game’s MVP. “When it works, Adolfo is able to go through.”
“I gambled and tried to pick up the ball in the gap but the ball went through,” said Arellano. “He (Cambiaso) picked it up and went down the field. When he gets the ball he doesn’t miss.”

This was the highest scoring game of the tournament, breaking the previous mark of 27 set during a first-round match.

It was the first high-goal title for New Bridge La Dolfina patron Russ McCall, who is playing in his first season at International Polo Club Palm Beach.

“Every time the team falls down, he (Cambiaso) scores a goal,” said McCall. “I’m playing with two of the greatest players in Adolfito and Matias (Magrini). I had a great time. It was a good game to play in but I’d rather win by five goals.”

Skeeterville scored four consecutive goals in the third chukker, three by Arellano, to take a 9-7 halftime lead, their largest of the game. Cambiaso responded with three unanswered goals in the fourth chukker and Magrini scored two minutes into the fifth chukker to give New Bridge La Dolfina an 11-9 lead.

Rinehart stole the ball from Hale and dribbled in from the 40-yard line to cut the margin to 11-10 with 3:45 left in the fifth chukker. Arellano converted a 30-yard penalty shot with 1:45 remaining to tie the game at 11-11.

Arellano gave Skeeterville its only lead in the final chukker (12-11) when he took a long pass from Rinehart and scored with 5:22 left. Magrini’s 30-yard penalty shot a minute later tied the game at 12-12.

Cambiaso scored on a breakaway with 3:29 left to put New Bridge La Dolfina ahead 13-12 but Stevie Orthwein tied it with his only goal of the game with 2:04 remaining.

Cambiaso raced around a pack of players and scored on a tap-in with 1:42 before Arellano tied the game at 14-14 in the final minute.

“I don’t know what we would change,” said Skeeterville patron Skeeter Johnston. “It was just a terrific final.”

Magrini finished with three goals for New Bridge La Dolfina while Hale had two goals. McCall did not score. Arellano finished with a team-high eight goals while Rinehart scored three, Johnston had two and Orthwein one.

Skeeterville advanced to the final with a 13-10 victory over White Birch. New Bridge La Dolfina reached the final with a 13-6 triumph over defending champion Pony Express.

Cortina, owned and ridden by Rinehart in the fifth chukker, was named the Best Playing Pony.

The Ylvisaker Cup is named in honor of William T. “Bill” Ylvisaker, a polo pioneer who founded Palm Beach Polo and Country Club in the late 1970s. A former Chairman of the USPA, Ylvisaker was elected into the Polo Hall of Fame in 1996. Ylvisaker, whose highest handicap was 7 goals, has won numerous major polo tournaments, including the prestigious U.S. Open in 1972.

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.

Ylvisaker Cup Scoring Leaders (through the final)

Player/Team                                                     Games Goals

Adolfo Cambiaso, New Bridge La Dolfina        6          46
Julio Arellano, Skeeterville                                6          42
Matias Magrini, New Bridge La Dolfina            6          32
Carlos Gracida, Airstream                                4          29
Mariano Aguerre, White Birch              5          28
Agustin Merlos, Reata                          4          23
Miguel Novillo Astrada, Bendabout                  4          21
Rookie Ballieu, Pony Express                           5          21
Nicolas Roldan, Pony Express              5          20

Past Champions

2006 – New Bridge La Dolfina defeated Skeeterville 15-14
2005 – Pony Express defeated Airstream 11-6
2004 – Crab Orchard defeated Black Watch 13-8
2003 – C Spear defeated Outback 11-9

International Polo Club
Palm Beach

Tournament Schedule

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Photos by David Lominska

Contact Info:

For ticket information, call (561) 204-5687

Club website at www.internationalpoloclub.com.

For information about the upcoming 2005 high-goal season, including the Stanford Financial Group U.S. Open, call the club at (561) 204-5687

International Polo Club Palm Beach is located at 3667 120th Avenue South, between Pierson Road and Lake Worth Road, in Wellington.