The ERG team (in white) heads for the goal box in mass to score one of their 16 goals in its win over Lucchese in the Piaget Silver Cup final. (Photo by Vince Agapito)
Scott Wood’s ERG Polo team outran Lucchese on Sunday to win the Piaget Silver Cup 16-7 on Sunday at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club.
Lucchese had a slim lead 5-4 after the second chukker, but in the third chukker ERG held the usually high powered Lucchese offense scoreless while reeling off four goals to take an 8-5 lead into halftime.
ERG blew the game wide open in the fourth chukker, as Sebastian Merlos and Paco de Narvaez controlled the ball in the midfield and then sent Miguelito Torres on the run for three quick goals.
ERG brought more horses then any other team and it looked like they were using them to best advantage, as they were running at a high rate of speed for most of the match. Every time a Lucchese player would head out for a pass there was always an ERG defender there to chase them down.
Torres put in another goal in the fifth chukker to seal the deal.
Miguelito Torres, who was high scorer of the match and whose explosive runs to goal made a huge difference in the game, was named the tournament MVP.
The best polo pony was Carta Blanca, ridden by Paco de Narvaez and owned by Scott Wood.
The Lucchese America Cup also opened on Sunday. Grants Farm found its rhythm against Mansour and won 14-7. Unfortunately Jared Sheldon of Mansour had a horse trip and fall with him in this match and had to sit down with a cracked collarbone. In the Audi vs Piaget game, Melissa Ganzi’s Piaget team narrowly beat Marc Ganzi’s Audi team 11-10
The Lucchese America Cup continues on Friday, with Lucchese playing Mansour at 2 p.m. and ERG playing Audi at 4.
