POLO
AN ICONIC PHOTO FROM 2017: GOLD'S PLAYER HEADING FOR A GOAL, WITH A SQUADRON A RIDER ATTEMPTING TO RIDE HIM OFF... PHOTO BY CHRIS GREER OF WESTPORT
GOLD'S DRAGOONS POLO TEAM PLAYING AT THE FAIRFIELD HUNT CLUB, 1935
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The Fairfield Hunt Club was a big factor in polo since its American inception and was affiliated with the US Polo Association in 1926. The donation, in perpetuity, of the polo field by the Rudkin family ensured an attractive venue and the club won many championships over the years. They hosted teams from Argentina, Canada, The Dominican Republic, Great Britain, Iran, New Zealand and Pakistan. The tradition lives on with the annual Gold's Dragoons Polo Cup championship game in the late summer, fought by members of Gold's Dragoons which had supplied so many foxhunters and polo players over the years. |
The 2025 game would not have been such a success if Rick Bank, Captain of the Squadron A team, had not suggested a move to 1 pm from the planned 3 pm, for the game. In the event it was a gutsy call that panned out and saved everything! By 3 pm the horses were back in their vans and the prize giving concluded at 3.30 pm...when, at 3.39 pm, the heavens opened and produced a storm of biblical proportions. By then we were all in the Club House for the polo supper and stayed dry. Special thanks to the deputy chaplain of Gold's Dragoons, The Rev. Sandy Sears, who put a good word in for us, upstairs!
The threatened afternoon storms held off and the Gold's Dragoons polo team faced off against the Squadron A polo team in this 90 year-long annual polo match-up on a warm and humid September Saturday afternoon at the Fairfield County Hunt Club. The teams were evenly matched and treated the spectators to a great afternoon of polo in this closely fought game.
In the first chukker, Gold's Dragoons #3 player Doug Anderson received a pass from teammate and #4 player Hunter Jelsch in the mouth of the goal. A Squadron A player fouled Anderson by crossing the line of the ball possessed by Anderson. Umpire Peter Williams determined that the foul was dangerous enough to warrant the most severe penalty, a Penalty One, which resulted in an automatic goal for the Gold's Dragoons team, putting the Gold's Dragoons team up over Squadron A 1-0 early in the play. In subsequent play, Gold's Dragoons #2 player Michael Joseph was fouled by another Squadron A player and Umpire Peter Williams declared the foul to be the next severe penalty, a Penalty Two. Joseph took the penalty shot from 30 yards away to an undefended goal, swung and hit the ball up into the air and through the goal posts to put the Gold's Dragoons up 2-0. Squadron A's #4 player Dig Singh fought back and scored a goal prior to the chukker ending, bringing the score 2-1 in favor of the Gold's Dragoons.
The second chukker saw more great action with Gold's Dragoons player Hunter Jelsch scoring his first of two goals. Continuing their momentum, teammate Michael Joseph hit a beautiful neck shot through the goalposts. Dig Singh and team continued to fight back for Squadron A and Singh scored his second of four goals, bringing the score at the end of the second chukker to 4-2 in favor of Gold's Dragoons.
In the third chukker, Squadron A's #3 player Senter Johnson hit a beautiful and long 100 yard shot up to teammate Dig Singh. Johnson then raced toward the goal and received a nearly 90 degree back shot back from Singh. Johnson then put the ball through the goal posts for a goal, bringing the score 4-3 in favor of Gold's Dragoons. This was a great display of teamwork on the part of the Squadron A team. Gold's Dragoons Michael Joseph fought back with his third goal, putting them up 5-3. Capitalizing on that momentum, Gold's Dragoons #4 Hunter Jelsch hit a beautiful neck shot toward his #1 player, Jack Thompson, who anticipated the play and had positioned himself in front of the goal. Thompson swung and sent the ball through the goal posts, bringing the score to 6-3. Not to be outdone, Squadron A's Dig Singh managed to score another goal, bringing the final score for the third chukker to 6-4 in favor of Gold's Dragoons.
In the fourth and final chukker, Squadron A's #4 player Dig Singh was fouled by a Gold's Dragoons player. Umpire Peter Williams determined the foul to be severe enough to warrant a Penalty Two. Singh teed up the ball 30 yards from the goal posts and hit an easy-looking shot through the undefended goal, bringing the score to 6-5. With the score so close and the teams so evenly matched, the win could go either way. But Gold's Dragoons Hunter Jelsch picked up a loose ball and capitalized on it by scoring his second goal, bringing the score up to 7-5 in favor of Gold's Dragoons. Squadron A continued to fight back with Rodrigo Real impressively carrying the ball up more than half of the field and scoring, bringing the score to 7-6. With only minutes left to play, Squadron A fought to tie it up, but Gold's Dragoons player Michael Joseph scored his fourth goal after receiving a beautifully hit back shot from teammate Doug Anderson. Time in the final chukker ran out and the Gold's Dragoons team won the match 8-6.
Additional Gold's Dragoons team member Sophia Lopez contributed to their win, playing the #1 position for the first and third chukkers (splitting chukkers with Jack Thompson). Lopez demonstrated some good stick work and had a number of carries of the ball up the field as well as some impressive back shots. For the Squadron A team, additional players contributed to their tenacious play, including Rick Bank, who played the #1 position for the first and third chukkers, and Erin Real, who split the #1 position with Bank for the second and fourth chukkers. Both also demonstrated good stick work on offense and carried the ball up the field a number of times. Caitlin Condon played the #2 position for the first and third periods and also had some good offensive hits and helped the offensive momentum up the field. All of the players demonstrated great teamwork defensively, too, with a number of ride-offs and hooks to thwart the opposing team's offensive effort.
The MVP award for the Gavin Anderson Memorial Cup went to a well deserved Squadron A player, Dig Singh
Our 2026 polo cup final is Saturday, September 12th, at 3 pm, to be followed by a polo supper.
The threatened afternoon storms held off and the Gold's Dragoons polo team faced off against the Squadron A polo team in this 90 year-long annual polo match-up on a warm and humid September Saturday afternoon at the Fairfield County Hunt Club. The teams were evenly matched and treated the spectators to a great afternoon of polo in this closely fought game.
In the first chukker, Gold's Dragoons #3 player Doug Anderson received a pass from teammate and #4 player Hunter Jelsch in the mouth of the goal. A Squadron A player fouled Anderson by crossing the line of the ball possessed by Anderson. Umpire Peter Williams determined that the foul was dangerous enough to warrant the most severe penalty, a Penalty One, which resulted in an automatic goal for the Gold's Dragoons team, putting the Gold's Dragoons team up over Squadron A 1-0 early in the play. In subsequent play, Gold's Dragoons #2 player Michael Joseph was fouled by another Squadron A player and Umpire Peter Williams declared the foul to be the next severe penalty, a Penalty Two. Joseph took the penalty shot from 30 yards away to an undefended goal, swung and hit the ball up into the air and through the goal posts to put the Gold's Dragoons up 2-0. Squadron A's #4 player Dig Singh fought back and scored a goal prior to the chukker ending, bringing the score 2-1 in favor of the Gold's Dragoons.
The second chukker saw more great action with Gold's Dragoons player Hunter Jelsch scoring his first of two goals. Continuing their momentum, teammate Michael Joseph hit a beautiful neck shot through the goalposts. Dig Singh and team continued to fight back for Squadron A and Singh scored his second of four goals, bringing the score at the end of the second chukker to 4-2 in favor of Gold's Dragoons.
In the third chukker, Squadron A's #3 player Senter Johnson hit a beautiful and long 100 yard shot up to teammate Dig Singh. Johnson then raced toward the goal and received a nearly 90 degree back shot back from Singh. Johnson then put the ball through the goal posts for a goal, bringing the score 4-3 in favor of Gold's Dragoons. This was a great display of teamwork on the part of the Squadron A team. Gold's Dragoons Michael Joseph fought back with his third goal, putting them up 5-3. Capitalizing on that momentum, Gold's Dragoons #4 Hunter Jelsch hit a beautiful neck shot toward his #1 player, Jack Thompson, who anticipated the play and had positioned himself in front of the goal. Thompson swung and sent the ball through the goal posts, bringing the score to 6-3. Not to be outdone, Squadron A's Dig Singh managed to score another goal, bringing the final score for the third chukker to 6-4 in favor of Gold's Dragoons.
In the fourth and final chukker, Squadron A's #4 player Dig Singh was fouled by a Gold's Dragoons player. Umpire Peter Williams determined the foul to be severe enough to warrant a Penalty Two. Singh teed up the ball 30 yards from the goal posts and hit an easy-looking shot through the undefended goal, bringing the score to 6-5. With the score so close and the teams so evenly matched, the win could go either way. But Gold's Dragoons Hunter Jelsch picked up a loose ball and capitalized on it by scoring his second goal, bringing the score up to 7-5 in favor of Gold's Dragoons. Squadron A continued to fight back with Rodrigo Real impressively carrying the ball up more than half of the field and scoring, bringing the score to 7-6. With only minutes left to play, Squadron A fought to tie it up, but Gold's Dragoons player Michael Joseph scored his fourth goal after receiving a beautifully hit back shot from teammate Doug Anderson. Time in the final chukker ran out and the Gold's Dragoons team won the match 8-6.
Additional Gold's Dragoons team member Sophia Lopez contributed to their win, playing the #1 position for the first and third chukkers (splitting chukkers with Jack Thompson). Lopez demonstrated some good stick work and had a number of carries of the ball up the field as well as some impressive back shots. For the Squadron A team, additional players contributed to their tenacious play, including Rick Bank, who played the #1 position for the first and third chukkers, and Erin Real, who split the #1 position with Bank for the second and fourth chukkers. Both also demonstrated good stick work on offense and carried the ball up the field a number of times. Caitlin Condon played the #2 position for the first and third periods and also had some good offensive hits and helped the offensive momentum up the field. All of the players demonstrated great teamwork defensively, too, with a number of ride-offs and hooks to thwart the opposing team's offensive effort.
The MVP award for the Gavin Anderson Memorial Cup went to a well deserved Squadron A player, Dig Singh
Our 2026 polo cup final is Saturday, September 12th, at 3 pm, to be followed by a polo supper.
SQUADRON A PRESIDENT (LEFT) MICHAEL WITTER AND (RIGHT) GOLD'S DRAGOONS PRESIDENT, JOHN CONLIN
WINNING GOLD'S DRAGOONS TEAM
SQUADRON A TEAM
FROM THE LEFT, MICHAEL WITTER, DIG SINGH BEING PRESENTED THE GAVIN ANDERSON MEMORIAL CUP FOR GAME MVP BY GOLD'S DRAGOONS PRESIDENT, RIGHT, JOHN GELATI, GOLD'S DRAGOONS POLO CAPTAIN
Our special thanks to the sponsors and vendors who made the day possible as a contribution to the revenues going to support The Equus Effect of Sharon Ct., which helps veterans lead normal and productive lives through interactions with horses. We had a great announcer in Dana Nangle who understood that many people were attending their first polo game and she was very helpful in her explanations. We salute Megan MacDonald who sang the National Anthem a capella to open the ceremonies.
Our grateful thanks also to Mario DiPreta and his staff at the Fairfield County Hunt Club who did such stalwart work to provide such an excellent lunch on the day and polo supper. Also, thanks to Jason Canepari preparing the field for play - the best condition anyone could remember. A special salute to Ry Sousa and Lisa Cortina, who gave such good service as "flaggers" during the game to ensure that all goals were recorded correctly and to Niki Cogliano, for timekeeping and score board duties.
A GREAT DAY FOR SKIMMERS! FROM THE LEFT, RORY CAPRA, STEPHEN RYAN, CHESTER BURLEY