HB Lions secure resounding win
With Christmas on the near horizon, the final arena matches of 2019 are taking place across the country. The HPA Winter Victor Ludorum 8 Goal Final was amongst these fixtures, with two teams convening to compete yesterday, Sunday 15 December. The match was originally scheduled to take place at Westcroft Park Polo Club, but with a waterlogged arena, the Final was moved to Glebe Farm, in the heart of Berkshire. With players, ponies and spectators ready for the off, the two teams made their way into the pristine arena, under the watchful eye of umpire Howard Smith. HB Lions were the first to make their mark on the scoreboard, taking a resounding 6-0 lead in the first chukka. Richard Blake Thomas had his work cut out for the Speculation team but began to make waves in the second chukka. Going into half-time, HB Lions were still in the lead 10-3, but what had a been relatively disjointed and messy play from the Speculation side, began to come together in a more cohesive pattern.
Blake Thomas led his team up the scoreboard, but with HB Lions still holding a 12-6 lead going into the final chukka, the gap was just too great to overcome. At the final bell, HB Lions left the field with the trophy and a 14-12 final score. Ben Simms, for his consistent and passionate play, was awarded The Polo Magazine Most Valuable Player honours, whilst Tia, owned and played by Richard Blake Thomas was named the Polo Times Best Playing Pony.
The HPA Winter Victor Ludorum 8 Goal Final Teams:HB Lions (8): Hugo Baldwin (1), Ben Simms (2) & Niall Donnelly (5)Speculation (8): Greg Webb (1), Hilali Noordeen (1) & Richard Blake Thomas (6) Photograph: HB Lions are the resounding winners of The HPA Winter Victor Ludorum 8 Goal. By Polo Times
