NEWS

Cotterel Farms (12)
Jenny Luttrel-Benardoni A
Ruben Coscia 5
Juan Curbelo 5
Matthew Fonseca 2

Antelope (12)
Geoff Palmer A
Santiago Trotz 5
Jared Sheldon 4
Remy Du Celliee Muller 3

On an almost perfect early February afternoon at the Eldorado Polo Club in Indio, California, Jenny Luttrel Benardoni’s Cotterel Farms rode to an impressive 15-8 win over Geoff Palmer’s Antelope winning the Carlton and Keleen Beal Cup 12-goal tournament.

Antelope led early as Antelope’s Jared Sheldon (Team USPA) jumped out front to score easily. Cotterel Farms’ Ruben Coscia then answered, and it appeared that the tussle was going to be close. Juan Curbelo then scored for Cotterel to lead by one, but Remy Du Celliee Muller (Team USPA) replied with his first goal of the day as the first chukker ended in a tie at 2-2. Cotterel Farms led again early in the second with a counter from Matthew Fonseca, but a penalty 2 conversion from Geoff Palmer tied the game once again at 3-3. Cotterel continued to flex their muscles in the third chukker with Fonseca getting his second and Coscia counting on a penalty 4 conversion to lead by two. Muller got one back for Antelope, but Coscia with his third of the day, got the two goal advantage back. Sheldon’s second goal of the game brought Antelope to within one at the half 6-5.

Antelope saw some light in the early fourth as Sheldon grabbed his third to tie the count at six. The tied score did not last long, however, as Coscia and then Curbelo scored to get back the two-goal lead for Cotterel Farms going to the fifth 8-6. Fonseca with his third, on an absolutely brilliant set up from Coscia to the center of the goal from 45 yards out gave Cotterel its biggest lead of the game at three. A safety conversion from 65 yards for Antelope’s Santiago Trotz and a penalty 2 conversion from Palmer brought Antelope within one. Coscia, with a penalty 2 and a field goal, regained the Cotterel three-goal advantage to end the fifth at 11-8.

Coming out in the final chukker, Cotterel Farms applied relentless pressure to score four unanswered goals. Antelope was unable to recover as Luttrel-Benardoni and her Cotterel cohorts clinched the victory and the Carlton and Keleen Beal Cup. Coscia, with his steady and impacting play was the obvious choice for MVP, and Reliquia, owned by Cotterel Farms and played by Curbelo, wore the Best Playing Pony cooler back to the barn.