The new kid on the block is getting ready to go up against the defending champion in Saturday’s final of the Colorado Open Polo Championship presented by J5 Equestrian. Scone Polo earned a spot in the final against Valiente by defeating Hawaii Polo Life 11-7 in round 3. Both teams came into the game standing 1-1. In Wednesday’s other game Valiente, who was already through to the final, defeated Colorado 7-5.
In a dominant opening chukka, Scone’s David Paradice, Augusto Romero and Agustin Nero each made a goal while holding Hawaii off the scoreboard to race out to a 3-0 lead. Scone maintained their three-goal advantage at the end of every chukka in the game, with Hawaii unable to string together enough goals to get within reach.
The clean game saw just six combined fouls between the two teams, with the clock rarely stopping, leaving the two teams to battle it out in open play. Utilizing a balanced offence that saw all four Scone players each score at least two goals, Scone was content to trade goals with a Hawaii team that was paced by Diego Cavanagh’s game-high five goals. Sitting back defensively to protect their lead, Guillermo Terrera effectively managed the game, hitting more accurate passes downfield to Nero, Romero and Paradice, allowing them to play a larger offensive role in the victory.
With Scone shooting 9-for-14 from the field, Hawaii needed to counter with an accurate attack of their own but missed some chances in front of goal, preventing them from mounting a comeback. Late fouls for Scone conceded two penalty 2 opportunities for Cavanagh, but ultimately it wasn’t enough.
The final takes place at 5:20 p.m. Saturday in conjunction with PoloFest Denver, an all-day music and entertainment festival. Both events will be held at Denver Polo Club in Sedalia. Tickets and information: polofest.com
ROUND 3 AWARDS
SCONE v. HAWAII
MVP: Agustin Nero ($1,000)
BPP: Casper, owned and played by Tommy Collingwood ($1,000)
VALIENTE v. COLORADO
MVP: Gallego Ferrario ($1,000)
BPP: XUXA, owned and played by Adolfo Cambiaso ($1,000)