Polo: Petworth, Jersey and Bethell silverware is won

The final of the Petworth 12-goal cup saw a tough encounter between local rivals Cowdray Vikings and Emlor C.
Emlor C with the Petworth 12 Goal Cup at Cowdray Park / Picture by www.polopictures.co.uk Clive Bennett PhotographyEmlor C with the Petworth 12 Goal Cup at Cowdray Park / Picture by www.polopictures.co.uk Clive Bennett Photography
Emlor C with the Petworth 12 Goal Cup at Cowdray Park / Picture by www.polopictures.co.uk Clive Bennett Photography

Playing alongside Lila Pearson in her Viking side were Byron Watson (3 goals) at No2, Gaston Laulhe (6 goals) at No3 and Ed Hitchman (4 goals) at back.

Laura Ormerod’s Emlor C featured the patron at No1, Jose Ramon Araya (2 goals) at No2, Jack Richardson (6 goals) at three and Henry Fisher (4 goals) at back, making two very evenly-matched teams.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In a busy first chukka, Cowdray Vikings were first to score with a 60-yard penalty accurately taken by Ed Hitchman. Jack Richardson followed up with two good field goals and Byron Watson equalised at 2-2 before the hooter blew for chukka’s end.

In chukka two, Laulhe was judged to have been impeded by Richardson on the way to the goal. A spot hit was given and Hitchman took an easy swing for 3-2 to Cowdray Vikings.

In intense heat, Emlor C failed to increase their scoreline while Cowdray Vikings capitalised on a 60-yard penalty which again Hitchman shot through to give his side a lead of 4-2 at half-time.

The frantic pace of the third chukka saw plenty of end-to-end play with Laulhe searching for every opportunity and Fisher playing an excellent game in defence. He was rewarded by being in the right place at the right time with a well-earned field goal to bring Emlor C up to 3-4.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In the fourth chukka Richardson for Emlor C missed a 40-yard penalty, with Cowdray Vikings also missing a 30-yard penalty shot at goal, but when Watson spun round and impeded a shot from Fisher ,another 40 yard was given and Fisher equalised.

Emlor C prevented a Vikings attack with Fisher hooking out Laulhe. Araya and Ormerod raced away but the ball was cleared by Watson and the hooter sounded the end of chukka four with the score 4-4.

The match went into an extra chukka but with no quick-fire solution. The teams battled on for a further five minutes, the pace so intense that Watson made a poor defensive move and was given a yellow card and a penalty 30 yard awarded to Emlor C.

Fisher sent the ball between the posts and Emlor C had won the Petworth 12 goal cup 5-4.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

From an entry of six teams, Peter Barfoot’s Maiz Dulce and Andrew Swaffield’s Alcedo met in the final of the six-goal Jersey Lilies Cup.

Millie Cooper has taken the place of Peter Barfoot, still out through injury, and was joined by Mtt Pitts (2 goals) playing at two, Jack Berner (3 goals) at three and Derreck Bratley (3 goals) at back. With Andrew Swaffield at No1, Daniel Batchelor (-1) played at two, Nick Clague (3 goals) at three and Bauti Sorzana (5 goals) at back.

Young Daniel Batchelor was first to score for Alcedo and by half-time the team were 4-0 ahead. Maiz Dulce pulled up with three goals in chukka three, answered by a 60-yard penalty from Sorzana giving Alcedo a lead of 5-3 .

A determined effort by Maiz Dulce in the final chukka saw two good goals from Matt Pitts and a 60-yard penalty by Derreck Bratley nail a victory for Barfoot’s side on a final score of 6-5.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The 15-goal Bryan Bethell Cup, open to Cowdray and non-Cowdray teams, saw an entry of six teams including King Power and El Remanso but Dr Badr-El-Din’s Golden Falcons and Alejandro Peñafiel’s Rosario made it to the final.

Golden Falcons fielded Ned Hine at the front door in place of Khalid Badr-El-Din, Tom Beim (2 goals) at No2, and six-goalers James Harper and James Beim at three and back respectively. Peñafiel played at No1 for Rosario with Hernan Muzzio (3 goals) at two, Matt Perry (5 goals) at three and Alejandro Muzzio (7 goals) at back.

In temperatures which necessitated plenty of pony changes, a blistering start saw five goals see-saw on to the scoreboard in four minutes, a last-minute goal by Hernan Muzzio ending the chukka at three goals apiece.

England players James Beim and James Harper played their usual instinctive game to give Golden Falcons a 6-4 lead to close chukka two.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Chukka three saw excellent play by Hernan Muzzio, his first goal coming within seconds. His brother Alejandro contributed another and Hernan’s next was the third goal of the chukka before the first whistle of the match was blown.

Awarded a 60-yard penalty, James Beim lofted a straight ball between the posts to make it 7-7. Rosario were on to the ball from the throw-in, the Falcons snatched it back, but Alejandro Muzzio re-claimed it and sent it forward to his brother who made another goal look easy. The score moved to 8-7 to Rosario.

James Beim demonstrated class and accuracy with a lovely run to make goal number 16. Rosario won the ball from the throw and Hernan Muzzio was racing away to take the lead to 9-8. A cheeky steal by Beim saw the No4 carry the ball to the goal posts to equalise at 9-9.

Matt Perry made his fourth of the match. Young Ned Hine won the ball from the throw in and made a measured run all the way to the goal to equalise for Golden Falcons at 10-10.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But suddenly the goals all went in favour of Rosario with Alejandro and Hernan Muzzio tying it up 13-10.

Annette Bethell presented the Bryan Bethell Cup, donated to the club in memory of her husband Bryan, father of Cowdray Park Polo Club’s polo manager Chris Bethell, to a delighted Alejandro Peñafiel.

LIZ HIGGINS

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking sports news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be among the first to know what’s going on.

1 Make this website your homepage

2 Like our Facebook page at facebook.com/pages/Sport-Sussex

3 Follow us on Twitter @SportSussex

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

4 Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

Share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!

Related topics: