Kim Mullahey

IRELAND’S David Stone and his son Mark, Jack Armstrong and Denis Connolly lost out in the international tournament against Canada by half a goal last weekend at the All Ireland Polo Club (AIPC) in Phoenix Park.

Despite chasing the heels of the visiting Canadians Mackino Takuji, Andrew Rivkin, Baljit Sierra and Brendon Stenzel, the higher-handicapped Irish (at two goals against Canada’s average of one) finished a closely-fought final on a score of two goals to Canada’s three and a half at the end.

The two-day tournament began with Tyrone’s Eamonn Laverty, son Dan Laverty, Emmet Connolly and Fecundo Matilla taking on Pegus Horse Feed, the same team that would go on to represent Ireland in the international final.

Canada lost to Colm Kelliher, Jamie McCarthy, Keelan McCarthy and Siobhan Herbst of LHW/Kelliher Insurance. Patron Colm Kelliher’s team went on to face Tyrone, winning the Pakistan Cup in their final on a very lopsided score of six goals to one.

The international tournament between Ireland and Canada marked the second leg of competition that began in August at Toronto.

The Irish won before an estimated crowd of around 5,000 people in attendance in the inaugural Polo for Fun league. The league was founded in conjunction with Irish representatives on a new international committee based in England at the Horse Guards Polo Club. Lord Charles Beresford is the Irish international team manager and Paul Ronan is chairman of the Polo for Fun league.

“[International polo] has been something we didn’t do enough of,” said Eamonn Laverty, who represented the 0-2 Goal Polo for Fun team at Toronto.

“It was going very well up until 10 years ago and we are trying to start it up again. It could help compare our standards to what is out there in participating countries.”

The standard of the Canadian team at an average of just one goal should have been a clear advantage for Ireland but Brendon Stenzel dominated the field when he converted two Irish fouls into goals on penalties and followed up with a field goal that travelled the length of the field at the AIPC.

The Irish began their rally in the second chukka with a goal by Denis Connolly and continued in the third with a penalty goal by Mark Stone, but faded in the fourth chukka with just one more assisted field goal by David and Mark Stone.

“I thought it was a really open game and the horses they loaned us were fantastic,” said Canadian Patron Andrew Rivkin. “We would love to do it again. We really had a super time.”