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WELLINGTON — Pilot rallied in the second half to capture the USPA Gold Cup Sunday at the National Polo Center.
Before a near-sellout crowd, the foursome of Curtis Pilot, Mackie Weisz, Lorenzo Chavanne and Jeta Castagnola knocked off La Dolfina Scone (David Paradice, Rufi Merlos, Jesse Bray, Poroto Cambiaso), 10-6, on U.S. Polo Assn Field One.
Trailing 5-2 at the half, Pilot allowed La Dolfina Scone only one goal in the second half to finish the second leg of the Gauntlet of Polo undefeated with a 6-0 record. La Dolfina Scone finished 5-1. It was the second Gauntlet final La Dolfina Scone lost.
More polo: Victory Polo/Eastern Hay defeats La Dolfina at US Open Women's Polo
Chavanne, 18, swept Most Valuable Player and Best Playing Pony honors. The lanky Argentine scored a team-high seven goals, including one penalty conversion, to earn his first MVP honor in the Gauntlet of Polo. Last year, he made his Gauntlet debut with Coca Cola.
"It was an amazing match," Chavanne said. "We started a bit slow. We knew the game was going to be tough, but we had a lot of patience.
"The first half they were better than us. They were winning 5-1 and 5-2 and then we started to say 'we are here, come on, let's play, vamo vamo.' We just played polo."
Chavanne's horse Tyson, who he played three times in the final, was Best Playing Pony. His horse Open Texas was the Argentine Best Playing Pony.
It was Pilot's third USPA Gold Cup title and second for patron Curtis Pilot and teammate and King's Academy alum Mackie Weisz, who was playing with a broken left hand securely wrapped. The pair won in 2022. Pilot is also the only team to win the entire Gauntlet of Polo and $1 million.
"This is our third Gold Cup, but it feels like the first one," said Curtis Pilot, the tournament's Sportsmanship Award winner. "The first three chukkers were really tough. I'm not sure exactly what went on and all that, but all the boys got together and started talking.
"We changed a few things obviously. When Jeta started getting free, it stretched out the field and that made all the difference in the world."
La Dolfina Scone dominated the first half, leading 5-1 until Chavanne scored with 39 seconds left in the third chukker.
Both teams entered the final as the two highest field goal scoring teams, (averaging two more than any other team), averaged 21 shots per game and were the only teams that shot above 50 percent in the tournament.
Instead, Pilot converted one-of-10 shots (10 percent shooting) and La Dolfina Scone 1-of-5 shots (20 percent shooting). La Dolfina Scone converted 4-of-4 penalty shots and had nine knock-ins in the first half.
Pilot bounced back in the second half dictating the game with flawless long passing and great player rotation while disrupting La Dolfina Scone's offensive attack and holding Cambiaso, who has won three of the last five Gold Cups, to only two goals from the field. La Dolfina Scone went scoreless in the fourth and fifth chukkers.
Pilot jumped out early in the fourth chukker with Weisz scoring at the 7:16 mark with a little help from his horse kicking the ball. Back-to-back goals from Chavanne in the next three minutes tied the game at 5-5. Pilot took the lead for the first time in the fifth chukker on a Weisz goal with an assist from Chavanne. Pilot never trailed after that, leading 8-5 going into the sixth chukker.
"The fourth chukker was our chukker," Pilot said. "It gave us the momentum and we never looked back."
Pilot finished shooting 43 per cent (9-of-21 shots) and La Dolfina Scone 25 per cent (2-of-8). Pilot led in throw-ins, 11-6 and Pilot led knock-ins, 14-6. Castagnola finished with a game-high 10 goals.
The team earned $75,000 for winning the second leg of the Gauntlet of Polo. The third leg of America's Triple Crown, the U.S. Open, is already under way. Dutta Corp won the opening leg C.V. Whitney Cup.
Pilot designated its $2,500 charity check from U.S. Polo Assn to Philadelphia-based Work To Ride. La Dolfina Scone designated its $2,500 to Replay Polo.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Pilot wins second leg of Gauntlet of Polo, defeating La Dolfina Scone
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Before a near-sellout crowd, the foursome of Curtis Pilot, Mackie Weisz, Lorenzo Chavanne and Jeta Castagnola knocked off La Dolfina Scone (David Paradice, Rufi Merlos, Jesse Bray, Poroto Cambiaso), 10-6, on U.S. Polo Assn Field One.
Trailing 5-2 at the half, Pilot allowed La Dolfina Scone only one goal in the second half to finish the second leg of the Gauntlet of Polo undefeated with a 6-0 record. La Dolfina Scone finished 5-1. It was the second Gauntlet final La Dolfina Scone lost.
More polo: Victory Polo/Eastern Hay defeats La Dolfina at US Open Women's Polo
Chavanne, 18, swept Most Valuable Player and Best Playing Pony honors. The lanky Argentine scored a team-high seven goals, including one penalty conversion, to earn his first MVP honor in the Gauntlet of Polo. Last year, he made his Gauntlet debut with Coca Cola.
"It was an amazing match," Chavanne said. "We started a bit slow. We knew the game was going to be tough, but we had a lot of patience.
"The first half they were better than us. They were winning 5-1 and 5-2 and then we started to say 'we are here, come on, let's play, vamo vamo.' We just played polo."
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Chavanne's horse Tyson, who he played three times in the final, was Best Playing Pony. His horse Open Texas was the Argentine Best Playing Pony.
It was Pilot's third USPA Gold Cup title and second for patron Curtis Pilot and teammate and King's Academy alum Mackie Weisz, who was playing with a broken left hand securely wrapped. The pair won in 2022. Pilot is also the only team to win the entire Gauntlet of Polo and $1 million.
Curtis Pilot wins tournament's Sportsmanship Award
"This is our third Gold Cup, but it feels like the first one," said Curtis Pilot, the tournament's Sportsmanship Award winner. "The first three chukkers were really tough. I'm not sure exactly what went on and all that, but all the boys got together and started talking.
"We changed a few things obviously. When Jeta started getting free, it stretched out the field and that made all the difference in the world."
La Dolfina Scone dominated the first half, leading 5-1 until Chavanne scored with 39 seconds left in the third chukker.
Both teams entered the final as the two highest field goal scoring teams, (averaging two more than any other team), averaged 21 shots per game and were the only teams that shot above 50 percent in the tournament.
Instead, Pilot converted one-of-10 shots (10 percent shooting) and La Dolfina Scone 1-of-5 shots (20 percent shooting). La Dolfina Scone converted 4-of-4 penalty shots and had nine knock-ins in the first half.
Pilot bounced back in the second half dictating the game with flawless long passing and great player rotation while disrupting La Dolfina Scone's offensive attack and holding Cambiaso, who has won three of the last five Gold Cups, to only two goals from the field. La Dolfina Scone went scoreless in the fourth and fifth chukkers.
Pilot jumped out early in the fourth chukker with Weisz scoring at the 7:16 mark with a little help from his horse kicking the ball. Back-to-back goals from Chavanne in the next three minutes tied the game at 5-5. Pilot took the lead for the first time in the fifth chukker on a Weisz goal with an assist from Chavanne. Pilot never trailed after that, leading 8-5 going into the sixth chukker.
"The fourth chukker was our chukker," Pilot said. "It gave us the momentum and we never looked back."
Pilot finished shooting 43 per cent (9-of-21 shots) and La Dolfina Scone 25 per cent (2-of-8). Pilot led in throw-ins, 11-6 and Pilot led knock-ins, 14-6. Castagnola finished with a game-high 10 goals.
The team earned $75,000 for winning the second leg of the Gauntlet of Polo. The third leg of America's Triple Crown, the U.S. Open, is already under way. Dutta Corp won the opening leg C.V. Whitney Cup.
Pilot designated its $2,500 charity check from U.S. Polo Assn to Philadelphia-based Work To Ride. La Dolfina Scone designated its $2,500 to Replay Polo.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Pilot wins second leg of Gauntlet of Polo, defeating La Dolfina Scone
Continue reading...
