IT was polo all the way at the Bunclody Polo Fest 2021 where a trio of tournaments was hosted, attracting 12 teams to the grounds in Wexford. Action was fast and furious and the home county teams swept not just the 0-to-2 goal Patrons’ Cup title but also went on to claim the Connolly’s Red Mills Ladies Cup.

While Wexford would rise to the top of six 0-to-2 goal teams in for the Patrons’ Cup, three ladies teams, including Waterford, were in for the inaugural Connolly’s Red Mills-sponsored tournament. Kildare’s Jennifer Healy, who scored the winning goal in the fourth chukka for a score of 3.5 to 3 with her first-ever penalty free hit, was delighted that her first attempt in a position usually occupied by a professional player was successful.

“It felt like forever coming up to (the ball) it,” noted the -1 goal player who usually plays the first of four positions. “I could feel a lot of eyes on me but I just kept it cool. I wouldn’t have done it for the last few years and it wouldn’t be often you get the chance to take it.”

Wexford dominates

The Wexford clean-up continued when the team named for the home county faced near neighbours River Slaney, coming from behind to win the Patrons’ Cup final on six goals to 4.5. Goal-scoring ran neck-and-neck until Wexford’s Luca Moore made the break-through goal at the very top of the third chukka, marking a lead that would be unbroken until the final bell.

Accepting the Patrons’ Cup from Bunclody Polo Club founder and patron Derek Hogg, Wexford captain Paddy Casey marked the turning point in the match saying: “Luca (Moore) was up in the third (chukka) and they were never going to catch us. It took us the whole season to put a team together but we have a good two-goal team.”

Meanwhile, Luca Moore (15) added: “We were a half-goal down and as soon as I scored that goal, we were leading by a half-goal.”

The half-goal was awarded to River Slaney at the start of the final, levelling the under-handicapped 0-goal team facing Wexford with the full tournament complement on two goals.

The 0-to-2 goal subsidiary final winners were LHK/Keelings with 3.5 goals to two from Wicklow while the consolation final was won by CJLaw/Workpal on six goals to five from Tyrone.

Kildare won their -1 to -3 goal round-robin tournament on 6.5 goals to six from Belfast after an earlier win against Waterford on five goals to three.