Inside Polo 15

INSIDE POLO by Ron Allen

 

Valiente is ready to defend their title in the Gold Cup in Florida. Team Captain Bob Jornayvaz will be playing with two 10 goalers on his squad, Adolfo Cambiaso and Pelon Stirling regular teammates on La Dolfina in Argentina. New to the team this year is young 6 goaler Santi Torres who won the Pacific Coast Open with Adolfo last summer in California.

 

All four players have logged plenty of playing time together. However, last month they were knocked out of the Whitney Cup in the first round. Of the eleven teams only one other features a pair of 10s, Piaget featuring Sapo Caset and Miguel Astrada.

 

Jornayvaz started playing polo in Denver in the 1980s and then took a break to establish a highly successful mining company in Utah and then returned to polo with a vengeance. He has become a major polo powerhouse in high goal competition in recent years.

 

The Gold Cup is the second leg of the American Triple Crown. The first 26-goal title went to Alegria last week. The grand finale will be the U.S. Open, which starts in April with the same eleven teams competing.

 

Valiente: Defending Gold Cup Champion

Bob Jornayvaz, Adolfo Cambiaso, Pelon Stirling, Santi Torres

 

 

Ron Allen reports on high goal polo for Pololine TV and ESPN