By Kerri Kerley
Due to the impending threats of Mother Nature, the decision to play the Canadian Open one day early at the Calgary Polo Club was made. On Saturday, August 26th, Tusk Energy and Palmer Ranch met face to face on the Ranch House Field, both vying for the bragging rights of the 16-goal Canadian Open Championship title.
Palmer Ranch came out strong from the very first throw in, and Tommy Biddle was pretty much unstoppable scoring 10 goals after six chukkers. Tusk gave them a run for their money, but on this day they just would come up a little short.
A final score of 12-8 would make Palmer Ranch the winners of the 2007 Canadian Open. Thank you to Gowlings for their sponsorship of the Canadian Open. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.
J.C. Palmer Cup
The finals of the 12-goal J.C. Palmer Memorial Tournament took place on August 24th between Millarville and Tusk Energy. After six exciting chukkers Millarville defeated Tusk 12 to 8.
J.B. Cross Cup
The finals of the 12-goal J.B. Cross Cup was also played on August 24th. Broward Yachts/Cam Clark Ford came out with the victory over Palmer Ranch.
Battle Of The Sexes
It was a down and out battle between the men and the women for four chukkers on August 24th. A very enthusiastic crowd was definitely cheering for a women’s victory, but unfortunately they were defeated by a mere two goals.
Chinook Downs Cup
Fred and Li-Anne Mannix hosted their annual polo match and party on August 11th at Chinook Downs. Fish Creek and Millarville went head to head in an exciting six-chukker game both vying for the coveted Chinook Downs Cup. In the end, Millarville prevailed 13-10.
After the game everyone had a great time visiting with friends, eating delicious food, and dancing all night long!
2007 President’s Ball
The evening of August 16th was reserved for everyone to put on their gorgeous gowns and trade in their whites for a tuxedo. It is so great to see all the players, grooms, girlfriends and wives dressed to the nines to celebrate the very successful Calgary Polo Club 2007 season.
Some very prestigious awards were presented throughout the evening: Rookie of the Year: Aidan Pettigrew; Sportmanship Award: Dyan Leyshon; Most Improved Player: Julian Mannix; Horsemanship Award: Tommy Biddle; and Groom of the Year: Amable Inirio (Cali Garcia’s groom).
Congratulations to all, and thanks for making it such a great year!
Big Rock Cup
The 2007 Big Rock Cup was played for on August 16 between Cam Clark Ford and Aidan Pettigrew’s Renegades. It was a very exciting four-goal game as both teams played some outstanding polo. After four chukkers Cam Clark Ford came out on top by a score of 8 to 5.
Mike Francis Cup
It was a great week for Cam Clark Ford as they also defeated Blizzard in the finals of the four-goal Mike Francis Cup on August 18th.
A Tribute to Fallen Ponies
The loss of a pet is extremely tough, but the loss of a pet that is also your teammate is unimaginable. In the sport of polo, our horses are just that, our teammates.
They get fired up for the big game, they take the bumps and the bruises, they sweat, they feel the emotions from their riders. This is what they live for… the excitement of the game. When a teammate goes down, nothing can bring a grown man to tears faster, it’s like losing their best friend, someone they really rely on and trust.
Polo, like with many professional sports has its risks and anyone that plays knows they stand a chance of being injured whenever they go onto the field. The same goes for the horses.
We take all the necessary precautions to keep them as safe and as sound as possible, from the polo wraps and tendon boots, to the high-tech gel saddle pads, and after they play its ice wraps and electrolytes and a nice, refreshing bath. We do this to prevent injuries, but sometimes the inevitable does happen.
Most polo-related injuries can be treated, but in some rare instances they do bring an end to an equine athletes life. This week was really rough on a lot of people at the Calgary Polo Club, in particular John Rooney and Scott Palmer.
They both suffered the loss of their favourite polo horses. The tragedy struck for John and his horse Replay during a Sunday afternoon 16-goal game. A bad step ended the career and life of a superstar. Replay broke her hind leg and broke John’s heart.
Remembering Replay
Replay was a beautiful 10-year-old chestnut mare with a personality all her own. John purchased her six years ago, site unseen, after Scott Cunningham discovered her at Deercreek Farms in Thermal, California.
Corky Linfoot originally owned the mare, but lucky for John, did not keep her for his own. You could always tell her from the other horses because she was always pointing the way with her ears, never missing a sight or sound.
She was always ready to play. “Whenever I got on her back she would turn her head, sniff my boot and look at me, almost like she was saying are you ready?” says John.
You could see how much confidence she gave John whenever they were together on the field. “When I played her, there was this amazing amount of power coming from underneath me, I felt like I could do whatever I wanted to.”
If the size of a horse’s heart is measured by their performance on the field, then Replay’s was the size of an elephant. She was definitely spoiled around the barn with her stall right next the tack room so she could be involved in everything that was going on.
John says she had a personality like no other – he swore she was half human! The highlights of Replay’s polo career were being named Best Playing Pony of the 2005 Canadian Open at the Calgary Polo Club, and being sent to Florida as Daniel Roenisch’s fifth chukker horse in the 2005 US Open.
Replay’s stall now sits empty and her Pelham hangs on the wall, but one thing is for sure. John and his family will never forget the time they had with her, and John will always be thankful he had the chance to play with such a talented teammate as Replay.
Rembering BB
Scott Palmer’s Saturday, Canadian Open Tournament game against Millarville was barely into the first chukker when his horse stumbled going at a very fast speed. Scott went flying over the front of her and hit the ground hard.
He was very lucky to escape any serious injury, just some minor cuts on his face, but unfortunately for his horse BB, this was her last polo game. A broken front leg brought a tragic end to her life.
BB (a.k.a. Bargain Bonnet) was a gorgeous 13-year-old dark bay Canadian Thoroughbred mare. She was homebred at Scott’s ranch near Waterton Park and was trained by Pedro Orellana.
Scott said, “She was a tough mare with a lot of heart. She was a really handy horse.” She was definitely Scott’s favourite horse and will be sadly missed both on and off the field.
The next time you are giving high-fives and shake hands with your two-legged teammates, remember to show just how much you appreciate your four-legged ones. Hats off to these amazing equine athletes!
