USPA Arena Polo Open Finals are set with
Black Watch meeting Cornell Weill

By Alex Webbe

Irish 5-goaler Mike Connelly mounted up for Cedar Croft Farm (Johnny Redlich, Horton
Schwartz) last night in 2012 USPA Arena Open competition at Country Farms Polo Club
in Medford, New York, but they were no match for a Tommy Biddle led Cornell Weill
lineup that rolled to a 14-10 win.

Biddle, the arena game’s only 10-goaler set the pace of the game in the opening
chukker as Cornell Weill jumped out to an early 4-1 start.

Cedar Croft Farm got back into the game with four second chukker goals that cut the
lead to just two goals.

“”We were up 6-1 in the second chukker,” said Biddle of the Cedar Croft Farm
rally, “and just got a little too complacent I think. Horton (Schwartz) is a very
competitive arena player,” Biddle added, “and Connelly and Redlich helped put the
pressure on us.”

Cornell Weill stretched the lead to four goals, 11-7, after the third chukker and cruised to
a comfortable 14-10 win.

“We had to keep in mind that we would be playing in the finals on Saturday night,” said
Biddle, “and we wanted to save the horses for the Black Watch rematch.”

Cornell Weill had little trouble with Black Watch in the tournament opener, beating them
by eleven goals, 18-7, but they will be facing a different trio in the Saturday night finals.
Six-goaler Kris Kampsen will be taking the place of Argentine veteran Naco Taverna,
and the entire team will enter the game with additional horsepower.

“I know that Nacho is bringing a bunch of his horses to the arena for the finals,” said
Biddle, “and the addition of Kampsen will make it a much different team.”

This was Nacho’s first arena polo competition, and he admitted that he was struggling
to adapt to the quick pace of the game and positioning in the much smaller playing area
(the outdoor field measures 160 yards wide and 300 yards long; the arena measures 50
yards wide and 100 yards in length).

Kareem Rosser was the only Black Watch player with any extensive arena experience,
having played on the winning National Interscholastic Championship team in 2011, but

Figueras is looking to shake things up for the finals with the acquisition of Kampsen.

“Kris and I have played together before, on the grass, on the beach, and I think that we
will be a different team when we enter the arena on Saturday night,” Figueras said.

Kampsen has multiple snow polo and beach polo titles to his credit. His deft mallet
work and hand-eye coordination has served him well on the smaller platforms, but until
proven different, the arena belongs to Tommy Biddle.