Barrossa takes Champions Cup; Rocky
Mountain High wins Lions Cup in OT

By Alex Webbe

Jesse Bray, substituting for an injured Ernie Ezcurra, scored ten goals as Barrossa (Erik
Wright, Jef Graham, Santiago Trotz and Jesse Bray) smothered Trinity (Rick Paicius,
Robin Paicius, Clemente Zavaleta and Agustin Zavaleta) in the finals of the 2012
Champions Cup finals at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California Sunday afternoon.

Bray scored three goals from the field in the opening chukker while the Barrossa
defense limited Trinity to a single penalty goal from Clemente Zavaleta. Barrossa
looked strong as they took the early 3-1 lead.

Second chukker goals from Bray and Graham had Barrossa ahead, 5-1 before Trinity
could respond. A pair of goals from Clemente Zavaleta kept them close, trailing
Barrossa by two goals, 5-3.

Bray put Barrossa in the lead, 6-3 in third chukker play, but a penalty conversion and a
goal from the field by Clemente Zavaleta had Trinity within a goal at 6-5, but that would
be as close as they would get for the balance of the afternoon. Another goal from the
field from Bray was complimented by a penalty goal from Santiago Trotz. Barrossa left
the field after the first half with an 8-5 lead.

Action settled down in the second half, with Trotz scoring the only goal of the fourth
chukker. Trinity was blanked and Barrossa moved further in front, 9-5.

Bray exploded in the fifth period, picking up three more goals from the field and a
penalty goal. Trinity was unable to get on the scoreboard for the second consecutive
chukker, falling behind 13-5.

Clemente Zavaleta scored the first goal of the sixth chukker on a penalty conversion
and added another goal from the field, but the Trinity rally stalled. Trotz scored the
final goal of the game from the field as Barrossa rolled over Trinity 14-7 for the 2012
Champions Cup title and the tournament’s top prize money.

Bray’s ten goals were a game high. Barrossa teammate Trotz scored three times and
Graham added a goal in the win.

Clemente Zavaleta scored all seven of the Trinity goals. To no one’s surprise, Bray was
named MVP while Ernie Ezcurra’s mare, Sharapova, ridden by Bray, was honored as
Best Playing Pony.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH 9, CASA SOMBRES 8 OT

Rocky Mountain High (Noh Sprung, Roxy Keyfauver, Kimo Huddleston and Cybele
Jordan) needed an overtime goal to score its hard-fought 9-8 win over Casa Sombres
(Bolko Kissling, Conrad Kissling, Ernesto Bautista and Ashton Wolf) in the finals of the
Empire Polo Club’s Lions Cup 4-goal tournament earlier in the day.

In a defensive-minded first period, Casa Sombres scored the only goal of the chukker
with Ernie Bautista scoring from the field. Rocky Mountain High trailed early, 1-0.

Second chukker goals from Bautista and Bolko Kissling went unanswered as Casa
Sombres extended its lead to three goals, 3-0 as Rocky Mountain High was having
difficulties in organizing an effective attack. Ashton Wolf scored the first goal of the third
chukker to put Casa Sombres on top, 4-0 when Rocky Mountain High found its offense.
Consecutive goals from Noah Sprung, Roxy Keyfauver and Kimo Huddleston had them
back in the game, trailing Casa Sombres by a single goal, 4-3, at the end of the first
three chukkers.

Casa Sombres rallied in the fourth, picking up single goals from Bolko Kissling, Bautista
and Wolf. Huddleston scored twice (once on a penalty shot) to keep it close, but Casa
Sombres left the field with a 7-5 edge with one chukker left in regulation play.

Penalty goals from Huddleston and Jordan were topped off by a go-ahead goal from the
field from Keyfauver for an 8-7 Rocky Mountain High advantage, but Bolko Kissling kept
the Casa Sombres hopes alive with his third goal of the game to tie it up at 8-8, forcing
a sudden-death overtime chukker.

A goal from the field from Huddleston made short work of the extra period as Rocky
Mountain High rode away with the 9-8 first place finish.

Huddleston led all scoring with five goals. Keyfauver added two goals and Sprung and
Jordan each scored a goal in the victory.

Bolko Kissling and Bautista scored three goals apiece for Casa Sombres. Wolf was
credited with two goals in the loss.