Bridgehampton Polo: the 1998 season
Bridgehampton Polo Club: opening day July 18, 1998
Concentration, complex maneuvers, speed and polished teamwork marked the opening day of the Mercedes Benz Polo Challenge at the Bridgehampton Polo Club. Both Revlon and Tri-State Mercedes Benz put together strong, coordinated teams, Revlon starting with a one-goal handicap. Mercedes took a strong four goal lead in the third chukker, and kept a lead throughout the game. After six chukkers of swift lunges and turns, long shots and well executed defensive plays, the match went to Mercedes, 10 goals to 7.
The quality of play further enhanced what has now become “the best polo played in America,” according to John Hughes, professional umpire and former high-goal player who officiates at Bridgehampton Polo.
Off the field, in the tent, the celebration of polo continued. Moguls and media stars and big names were there. Just about everyone was there—well, not the Sultan of Brunei. But if rumors are true and he buys in Southampton, you can bet he will up the stakes, including stables of horses (but we hope not wives). He’s an ardent polo player.
Bridgehampton Polo Club: July 25, 1998
White Birch and Two Trees, both strong, taut teams, faced off on Saturday for an exciting afternoon of polo. It was close throughout the match, and in the final chukker Two Trees found and then lost two opportunities to score. White Birch successfully defended, preventing goals both times, and went on to score a last goal of their own, making the final score 10 to 8 in their favor. White Birch’s Mariano Aguerre again demonstrated his superb offensive skills. White Birch will go on to the semifinal round of the Hampton Cup tournament while Two Trees will play in the quarter final round.
Tom Hughes, umpire at the match, and the man with the best polo knowledge in town, called it “a tight game, a close game, a well-played game”. When asked about the high number of fouls in the first half, Hughes said the players were keyed up, anxious in the way players can be at the start of a game. Umpires call fouls “to keep it safe, to keep emotions from getting dangerous”.
Meanwhile, for the spectators in the tent on a splendid Hamptons afternoon, things were relatively safe—at least considering the champagne, the cigars and the leggy young beauties in attendance. Beside that, sportswriters don’t comment on dangerous emotions off the field. Hampton Cup final to be played Saturday, August 1st.
Bridgehampton Polo Club: August 3, 1998
While President Clinton calmly played golf down the road at the Atlantic, the action at Bridgehampton Polo was anything but calm. In a highly charged match to determine the winner of the Hampton Cup, Tri-State Mercedes Benz faced White Birch after both teams came through their qualifying rounds undefeated.
Proving again that polo can be both dazzling and dangerous, play on the field was tense and highly physical. In the fourth chukker, young Jeff Blake went down with some facial injuries. Although he continued for a time, going back in bandaged, the injuries turned out to be serious, and he is being treated for a concussion, broken nose and broken face bone. After close scoring, Blake’s absence changed the dynamic for White Birch, and Mercedes moved ahead to win the match, 12 to 10, and take the Hampton Cup.
Professional umpire and polo expert Tom Hughes called the game “wide open and physical, with hard bumps, big ball hitting and plenty of running”.
Play ran late, but the crowd under the tent stayed on. A good polo match apparently trumped the Presidential fundraisers.
Bridgehampton Polo Club: August 10, 1998
At moments it looked like an equine hockey game—with horses turning on a dime and players rushing toward the goal. When it was over, RR&A was the decisive winner over Sotheby’s, 13 goals to 8. On the winning side, play was driven was Pite Merlos’ offense, leading him to score 8 of RR&A’s 13 goals. David Rubin played a strong, accurate game, as did Jeff Hall, a young player on the move.
Tom Hughes. the former high-goal polo player and now professional umpire who officiates at Bridgehampton Polo, called it a good game and pointed out that once RR&A took its three goal lead in the second chukker and maintained a strong defense, Sotheby’s was never able to close the gap.
On the spectator side of the sideboards, in the shade of the tent, with a southeast breeze, it was another glorious day. With graceful movements, a glass of champagne, and perhaps a thought or two about play and positioning, the crowd under the tent continued the longest running party of the summer.
Bridgehampton Polo Club: August 17, 1998
Two Trees faced Revlon in the first semifinal of the Mercedes-Benz Challenge Cup at last Saturday’s benefit afternoon.
Revlon’s offensive moves through the first half of the match were successfully contained by Two Trees. Even with long passes and hard riding, the score remained close. Two Trees began to move ahead in the second half, and by the start of the sixth chukker was leading, 8 to 5. But demonstrating the speed and unpredictability of polo once again, that last chukker changed everything.
Frederic Roy, editor of The Morning Line, the definitive polo newsletter, observed that Two Trees seemed to loosen up on the defense, lifting their guard enough to permit Christian LaPrida to perform at his “personal best”. LaPrida scored three goals to tie the score 8-8, and with only fifteen seconds remaining a sudden death chukker looked almost certain. Then LaPrida, in a burst of energy motivated by the ticking clock, surged through to score a final goal—and a 9 to 8 victory by Revlon over Two Trees.
It was an exciting finish to another impressive day of polo. The predicted rain showers stayed away—the crowd in the tent showed up, raising money for “Daddy’s House Social Programs”.
Still to come: the final match of the season to determine the Mercedes-Benz Challenge Cup champion, with Revlon competing against RR&A.
Bridgehampton Polo Club: August 24, 1998
RR&A is a team that has been defining itself and improving with each match this season. On Saturday, their moons and stars lined up perfectly. The team’s training, discipline and perseverance paid off with a decisive win over Revlon. Revlon began with a one-point handicap, but RR&A quickly moved ahead and held their lead throughout the match. The final score was 13 to 5, and the coveted Mercedes Cup was awarded to the RR&A players.
Play was fast and physical with some good power hitting by both teams—but RR&A controlled the game. Pite Merlos, one of the highest ranked players in the world, demonstrated his considerable equestrian skills. David Rubin confirmed his strength as both a player and organizer, and Todd Offen, a rising star, played an outstanding game.
Professional umpire Tom Hughes told me that RR&A could have beaten anyone that day. Their structure had “come together perfectly and their horses peaked”.
Saturday’s action capped an exciting, unpredictable season for Bridgehampton Polo. Helmets off to Tom Hughes, Neil Hirsch, Lauren London and the others who organized the 1998 season; to David and Jane Walentas of Two Trees Farm; to Frederic Roy of the The Morning Line for getting the polo news out to us—and to David Schembri and Carol Goll of Mercedes Benz for making it all possible.
