Zacara takes Pacific Coast Open
by Alex Webbe

Nicolas Roldan and Australian Ruki Baillieu led Zacara to a 14-10 victory over a patchwork Piocho Ranch team Sunday in the finals of the Bombardier Pacific coast Open at the Santa Barbara Polo Club in California.

With Memo Gracida still recovering from a fall suffered in the previous week's game with Zacara; and team patron Tom Barrack (broken finger on mallet hand) eager to return to the lineup, 8-goaler Julio Arellano was flown in from Wyoming to fill out the Piocho Ranch side.

The strategy seemed sound as Julio Gracida scored the first goal of the game, but the Piocho Ranch attack was short-lived. Nicolas Roldan converted two penalty shots followed by a goal from "Ruki" Baillieu to give Zacara a quick 3-1 lead.

Roldan converted a Penalty 2 to open the scoring in the second chukker and was followed by a goal from Brandon Phillips for a comfortable 5-1 advantage. Gracida scored his second goal of the match followed by a penalty conversion from Kris Kampsen to cut the lead, briefly. Closing goals from Baillieu and Roldan ended the chukker with Zacara on top of a 7-3 score.

Julio Gracida opened the scoring in the third chukker with his third goal of the match, but Baillieu negated the gain as he put Zacara back on top 8-4 to end the first half.

The fourth chukker was something of a standoff, with goals from Baillieu and Phillips giving Zacara an initial 10-4 lead before goals from Kampsen (penalty conversion) and Gracida ended the scoring with Zacara out in front 10-6.

"It is difficult to bring in a player for the finals of a tournament without giving him an opportunity to practice with the team," said Memo Gracida. "Julio Arellano is a very good player, but coming in to play strange horses and with no practice time with the team makes it very difficult."

Arellano scored his first goal of the game to open the fifth chukker followed by another penalty conversion by Kampsen, and Piocho Ranch trailed 10-8. Phillips tapped one in for Zacara before two more goals from Arellano cut the lead to one, 11-10.

It was at this point that Julio Gracida's horse pulled up lame and had to be replaced. By the time play resumed and the ball was bowled in, Piocho Ranch had lost their momentum. Goals from Roldan and Baillieu closed out the scoring in the chukker, and Zacara rode off the field with a 13-10 edge.

Piocho Ranch tried to rally in the final chukker, but a single goal from Brandon Phillips provided all of the scoring. Zacara patron Lyndon Lea took a fall with two-and-a-half minutes left in the game, and returned to action some twenty-five minutes later to finish the game.

Nicolas Roldan and "Ruki" Baillieu led all scoring with five goals apiece. Brandon Phillips scored four goals for the win.Julio Gracida led Piocho Ranch with four goals. Kris Kampsen and Julio Arellano scored three goals apiece.

Nicolas Roldan was named MVP while Julio Gracida's Petaca (played by Julio Arellano) was named Best Playing Pony.