Aspen Snow Polo Finals are Set

Aspen Snow Polo finals set

By Alex Webbe

In two exciting, down to the last second competitions, in the 2012 Aspen World Snow Polo Championships, the Tempus Jets and L’Hostaria eked out wins to appear in Sundays finals.

In a hard-fought back and forth affair, and with 25 seconds in regulation play remaining, it took a booming 70-yard shot by 10-goaler Tommy Biddle to score the 3-2 win over a talented Ciroc team (Pelon Escapite, Dale Schwetz and Dougie Barnes) to earn a berth in the tournament finals.

“They were a very tough team,” said Biddle. “They have a lot of arena polo experience,” he added, “and when you’re playing three-man polo, that’s the kind of experience you want.”

Following Sunday’s 1pm tournament finals, Biddle will return to preparing for the Townsend International Challenge Cup that is scheduled to be played between England and a US team led by Biddle on Saturday, January 12 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.

In the second match of the day between BP Polo (Chevy Beh, Joey Beh, Garvy Beh and James Beh) and L’Hostaria (Guillermo Steta, Carlitos Gracida and Carlos Gracida) the final score was arrived at after regulation time ended in a 4-4 tie, with L’Hostaria winning on the strength of a shoot-out.

The former 10-goaler and member of the Polo Hall of Fame found the snow conditions challenging as well as the coordinated play of the Beh family, from Malaysia.

Tournament play continues on Sunday morning with a 1pm consolation match between Ciroc and BP Polo. L’Hostaria and Tempus Jets will face-off in the tournament finals at 1pm.

After the tournament wrap-up, IPC regulars Biddle, Escapite and Gracida will be returning for the International Polo Club’s season opening 20-goal tournaments.