An excellent afternoon of hunt polo at the Beaufort Polo Club for the HSBS Ronnie Wallace Memorial Cup.  Matt Ramsden, joined by Charlie Dando, Freddie Dear and Mark Tomlinson made up the Beaufort Hunt Team.  The “All Stars” Team of Beaufort’s Luke Wiles, Stephen Hutchinson, Master of the South Tyrone, Simon Holland from the Bicester and Ralph Richardson, new Amateur Huntsman at the Middleton, meant we were set for a good match.    

A slow start in the first chukka saw no goals scored – the teams just limbering up and getting settled into the game. The first goal came for the All Stars team in the second chukka,courtesy of Luke Wiles, followed quickly by a return goal for the Beaufort team from Mark.  Charlie showed brilliant defence, fending off a near goal by Stephen Hutchinson, but there was no stopping Simon Holland when he scored in the final stages of the second chukka to take the All Stars team to a half time narrow lead.

The third chukka saw two great goals very quickly, one per team, meaning the All Stars were still slightly ahead at 3-2.

All to play for in the final chukka when a quick early goal from Freddie Dear levelled the score, however the All Stars came back immediately with another goal from Luke Wiles, followed by another in quick succession from Stephen Hutchinson.  One back from Mark then brought the Beaufort team to within one goal of their opponents, followed by brillian tplay by Freddie and another goal levelled the score in final stages at 5 apiece.

With the clock ticking and the final bell seconds away, the Beaufort had one final chance when awarded a ‘safety sixty shot’ (shot at a defended goal from 60-yard line) - taken by Mark it frustratingly went inches wide meaning the score remained level and a draw concluded as the final whistle blew.

Well played everyone, a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon of sport for a great cause.

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