Bruce Bayley in the driver’s seat,
Alex Cole and Tarquin Southwell do battle for supremacy
with More 2014
Polo &Josh Woolley trying to slow him down
A Winter Of Discontent
Barbados crushes Cheshire hopes of a series win on their
annual tour
E
By Corey Greaves Photos by Lisa Davis
ach year as the British winter chill reaches its zenith,
a Cheshire polo team with supporters, like migrating
snow birds head south to not only soak up the rays and
let their hair down (which I must add they are exceedingly
good at) but to play some serious polo; thereby continuing a
long-standing polo rivalry that has been in existence for more
than 30 years.
The ebbs and peaks in their respective fortunes over the
years gives each tour a purpose; either to maintain the previous
year’s win or to avenge the defeat. This year was no different,
as with only a final game victory in 2012 to their name, the tour
for 2013 they hoped would improve on that record and capture
a series victory for them as well. However as they went in
search of a better result in the 2013 Hyundai Cheshire Tour,
than their 2-1 series loss in 2012, they found more heat than
they had bargained for in sunny Barbados. It could be said that
2012 was red hot as Barbados set afire the polo field with their
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robust performances. 2013 though was absolutely scorching,
as the Barbados teams were relentless and dropped only one
match in the four-game series.
The Cheshire team this year was anchored by professionals
Tarquin Southwell, and Barbados stalwart Oliver Taylor; Josh
Wooley, Steve Jones, Richard Thomas and Will Paddon interchanged in the supporting roles. Rain this time did not dampen
play, so all four games in the series were contested.
Barbados was determined to set the stage for the week’s performances from the get go, and even though Cheshire opened
the scoring in the first match, a superb performance by Pablo
Crespin who converted six goals on the day and engineered
Barbados’ fight from behind to go up in the game. The final
outcome was not a reflection of the game’s nervous and erratic start; where Barbados did not manage to trouble the scoreboard in the opening chukker. In front of a capacity crowd,
Crespin with Alex Cole, Christian Chavez and Bruce Bayley
in support gallantly defended the home turf against a very eager Cheshire team, whose defences initially held firm against
the home team attacks. Oliver Taylor and Josh Wooley threw
down the gauntlet scoring for Cheshire as Barbados missed
several opportunities in this opening salvo.
A fierce battle ensued over the next two chukkers as Barbados settled into their stride and started a more organized counter-attack. Both teams fought hard to defend as well as add to
their scores. Though they trailed by a half goal at the start of
the final chukker, the Barbados defence held firm as Crespin
and Chavez found gaps in Cheshire’s line as a result the home
team proceeded to comfortably win this opening game 8-5 ½.
Having let the victory slip away from their grasp in the first
game, Cheshire were determined to ensure that the same thing
did not happen in the second game at the Lion Castle Polo Estate. Rhys Odle, Philip Atwell, Adam Deane and Jeff Evelyn
The ever present Cheshire Tour supporters
Polo & More 2014
took to the field to represent Barbados, while for the visitors
the team was Tarquin Southwell, Josh Wooley, Steve Jones
and Will Paddon. Once again there was a half goal advantage
to the visitors which also meant that a draw was not going to
be an option, and there would be a winner; decisively or not.
Despite being kept off the scoreboard in the first chukker of the
game, Cheshire led by Southwell with four goals and Wooley
with two managed to level the series at one game apiece.
The series was now level going into game three. Barbados fielded Jason O’Selmo, George Gemmel, Adam Deane
and Marc Atwell, while the Cheshire team comprised Richard
Thomas, Steve Jones, Will Paddon and Oliver Taylor. The majority of the first chukker was one of missed opportunities, but
Paddon broke through in the final minute with a goal to put his
team ahead.
The combination of Deane and Atwell found the target for
Adam Deane in control of the ball
whilst Howard Taylor tries to slow his progress
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