In exciting style, new team sponsor WPL gained its first league tournament of the wintry weather polo season Monday at Grand Champions Polo Club. With the score tied 11-eleven, Juan Bollini scored the triumphing aim with seven minutes left in overtime to enable WPL (Santos Bollini, 1, Nico Harriott, 1, Gussie Busch, 1, Juan Bollini, 5) to knock off Dutta Corp (Juanse Olivera, 1, Timmy Dutta, 2, Toledo Ocampo, 5, Tim Dutta, 0) for a interesting 12-11 victory. After two ignored scoring possibilities using each group, Bollini picked up the free ball on a damaged play and scored.
“I noticed the ball, and I had to take a threat,” Bollini said. “It was the final hazard I had to prove myself. I turned into disappointed with myself. I became not happy with the way I become playing.” Gussie Busch, 23, was Most Valuable Player after scoring a sport-excessive 8 desires and seven penalty conversions. It turned into his first tournament victory this season at Grand Champions. Busch, the son of polo player Billy Busch, 1991 U.S. Open winner with Grant’s Farm Manor teammates Andy Busch, Mike Azzaro, and Carlos Gracida, has crammed in for starter Melissa Ganzi Flexjet all through the 26-goal season in the World Polo League lineup and performed properly. “It’s been amusing playing throughout when you consider that I was downright here,” Busch said. “I enjoy playing for Melissa. One day it’s speedy as hell, and the alternative day, it’s a little slower and more controlled with the ball. But it’s a lot of a laugh.” Busch said the crew was preparing for the iciness season 6-, 8- and 12-goal leagues. Instead, it changed into his very last league tournament of the wintry weather season. He will continue to function Ganzi’s backup, if needed, for the closing weeks of the World Polo League’s Triple Crown of Polo. “We simply meshed and been going at it ever for the reason that,” Busch stated of his WPL teammates. “It’s been amusing.”
In a hotly-contested, penalty-marred sport with greater chatter than a morning talk show, the lead modified palms 14 instances earlier than going into additional time. Nevertheless, both groups led during the game, and both groups had opportunities to win in law time at the penalty line and from the sector. “The game changed into a touch sticky with all the fouls in the beginning,” said Busch, who has been gambling competitively since he turned into 12. “We, in the end, opened it up, and thank God in time beyond regulation, we pulled it out and got the win.”
Bollini, who turns fifty-seven in June, became the oldest player within the championship final. It was every other pleasant milestone, gambling above his rating and gambling along with his 19-year-old son Santos. Juan Bollini completed with 3 goals, and Santos Bollini introduced one. “My teammates were awesome,” Bollini said. “Gussie, Nico, and Santos played well. They fought till the cease. I suppose I subsequently showed up on the give-up in the final minute. I am thrilled and so happy to win a tournament with Santos. During the wintry weather polo season, Grand Champions, the state’s largest and most revolutionary USPA-sanctioned polo club, is website hosting 24 tournaments: 6, 8, 12, 20, and zero to forty desires, Sunny Hale’s Legacy WCT Finals, girls’ weekly league play, and 26-aim World Polo League tournaments at Grand Champions, Valiente Polo Farm and Jan Pamela Field.
