Defending Champion Lechuza Caracas Defeats Catamount 13-10
in Joe Barry Memorial Cup at Stanford Field at International Polo Club

WELLINGTON, FL (January 15, 2006) – Defending champion Lechuza Caracas used a balanced attack to defeat Catamount 13-10 before 5,143 spectators Sunday in a first-round game of the 22-goal Joe Barry Memorial Cup on Stanford Field at International Polo Club Palm Beach.           

This was the inaugural game at Stanford Field at International Polo Club. In a pre-game ceremony, Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson, Jay Comeaux, Executive Director of Stanford Private Wealth Management, and IPC General Manager Michael Brown, each hit a ceremonial first ball to christen the field.           

In other first-round action, 10-goaler Carlos Gracida scored eight goals to lead Airstream over Reata 11-10 and Techno Marine won its first high-goal game in the U.S., 12-7, over Skeeterville.     

“Always the first game is a gamble,” said Lechuza Caracas 10-goaler Sebastian Merlos, who scored four goals. “You’re trying new horses, new things. To win the first game of the season is important.”           

Merlos and patron Victor Vargas have been together seven years and Gaston Urturi has been a teammate for almost as long. Urturi led Lechuza Caracas with five goals, including three in the fifth chukker. Catamount was using their lineup for the first time.           

“That had nothing to do with it,” said Catamount 6-goaler Jeff Blake. “They played better than we did. We made a lot of mistakes and a lot of fouls. We didn’t execute our plays. They just executed very well and scored goals when they needed to.”

Vargas was pleased with his team’s performance.

“For the first game, we did well,” Vargas said. “I’m happy. Catamount is a strong team.”

Catamount could not get closer than two goals during the second. After 8-goaler Jeff Hall scored early in the sixth to cut the margin to 11-9, Merlos scored two goals in 55 seconds to put the game away. Catamount’s Todd Offen made it 13-10 with 2:20 remaining but Blake missed a 30-yard penalty shot with 1:13 left and Lechuza Caracas ran out the clock.

Vargas and Gaston Urturi scored two goals each for Lechuza Caracas (1-0). Blake and Hall led Catamount (0-1) with four goals each while Offen and patron Scott Devon added one goal apiece.
Ten-goaler Agustin Merlos led Reata (0-1) with eight goals while Santiago Allaria and Sapo Caset scored one goal each. Patron Mike Micallef did not score for Reata. Memo Gracida added two goals for Airstream, including the eventual game-winner, while Weston Gracida scored one goal. Patron Peter Orthwein did not score.

Techno Marine used a balance attack as 9-goaler Adam Snow led the way with five goals and 7-goaler Luis Escobar added four goals. Magoo Laprida scored two goals and patron Franck Dubarry had one goal for Techno Marine (1-0). Eight-goaler Owen Rinehart led Skeeterville (0-1) with three goals while Julio Arellano and Stevie Orthwein added two goals apiece. Patron Skeeter Johnston did not score.         

The tournament continues Thursday with a tripleheader. New Bridge La Dolfina plays Reata at 10 a.m. followed by Audi against Catamount at noon and ending with Pony Express against Skeeterville at 3 p.m.
The Joe Barry Memorial Cup is named after American polo legend Joe Barry, who died on May 18, 2002 at the age of 58. Born and raised in Texas, he achieved a 9-goal rating and dominated polo in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s. Barry won six U.S. Open championships, three Gold Cups, three Silver Cups as well as the Coronation and Camacho Cup trophies. One of the greatest No. 4s in polo history, Joe Barry was elected to the Polo Hall of Fame in 1999.

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.