
By Liz Leamy
It was an afternoon of drama, emotion and golden gamesmanship as FlyHouse edged out Ronin Capital 1210 in a thrilling high-goal showdown featuring some of the most decorated players and ponies of the sport to rack up all-important points in the first round of the East Coast Silver Cup Championships that will be taking place at the Greenwich Polo Club through to the conclusion of June.
This high-octane faceoff, featuring the likes of such renowned international players as Mariano Aguerre, Toro Ruiz, Ezequiel Martinez (Wayne) Ferrario, Felipe Miguens and Nicolas Dias Alberdi, the game’s Most Valuable Player, among others, was a memorable one as the high-energy crowd, totaling more than 4,000 people in all, rendered quite an electric atmosphere in which they cheered on the ponies and players with gusto and fervor while celebrating Father’s Day, cloudy weather aside.
“This has been a great day and we always enjoy being at the Greenwich Polo Club because the whole atmosphere here is outstanding,” said Erik Klein of Greenwich, Food Network Producer/Editor who was there with his wife, Adriane, and daughter, Talia. “This has become a tradition for our family to come on Father’s Day every year and we’ve been doing this for 10 years. [Mariano] Aguerre is playing today, which is also exciting. This is one of the best experiences to be had, bar none.”
Talia Klein, who is a junior at Syracuse University, agreed.
“I’ve been coming to matches here since I was in middle school and it is the one of the best experiences for anyone to have,” said Talia Klein, Captain of the Syracuse University Synchronized Skating Team aptly named the ‘Orange Experience.’ “It is genuinely the best time I always have here spending time with my family and friends and this is the place to go in the summer.”
Others felt similar sentiments.
“This is such a welcoming environment that involves everyone and it’s so cool to see the horses up close,” said Chace Connaughton of Greenwich who is part of the Greenwich Polo Club team and attending Fairfield College Preparatory High School. “It’s a gift to be here and there are a lot of great life lessons to be had from being part of it all. It’s an awesome atmosphere that is very exciting and also really fun.”
Certainly, the Kleins and Connaughton captured the personality and mood of the Greenwich Polo Club with their observations, especially in regard to this particular Sunday match with all of its action both on and off the field.
One of the biggest match highlights of the afternoon, meanwhile, occurred when Max Gundlach of FlyHouse flew down the field in the game’s final seconds to score a rocketlike goal that brought his team to a 12-10 victory, a moment that resonated in a big way with the crowd.
For Gundlach, it was just all about getting out there and doing his best.
“I think the halftime helped me and the horses helped me in the second half and it all ended up great in the end,” said Gundlach, who graduated last May from Georgetown University. “I just wanted to hit the ball as hard as I could and celebrate with the team at the end line and it was great.”
At the same time, it was endearing to watch Gundlach play in such stellar fashion with his father, Andrew Gundlach, FlyHouse’s patron and number one player who shares that position with him, there to experience this golden moment when it happened.
“The Greenwich Polo Club is amazing and playing here on Father’s Day has been great,” said Max Gundlach. “So many people have come out and it’s always fun to play in front of the crowd. It gives you that extra energy and excitement when you’re playing and everyone’s watching the game. It’s an awesome environment and I couldn’t be more pleased.”
Compounding the excitement of this match was the bevy of lively social activity occurring on the sidelines with so many throes of people watching from the grandstand, under tents or in cabanas on both sides the massive Conyers Farm polo field (which is the size of five professional football fields) as they could be seen having a great time chatting, laughing and catching up with one another.
At the same time, many of the spectators could be seen lining up at one of the many food trucks behind the grandstand and also checking out the clothing, accessory and business vendor stopping areas set up on the grounds.
“Going to the polo grounds is lovely for the sport of course, but it’s always absolutely lovely to see small and local businesses represented there as well,” said Talia Klein, a 2023 Greenwich High School graduate. “I, for one, always enjoy a yummy pizza from the Dough Girls and some spicy feta fries from the Gyro Uno truck, which I look forward to getting every polo season.”
Other businesses and organizations there, meanwhile, also attracted a big plethora of visitors.
Notably, FlyHouse, sponsor of the winning team at this event, attracted dozens of people at its vendor area with its interesting array of complimentary offerings such as engraved coconuts, classic fold-out fans and paper umbrellas, as they also provided extensive information on their services.
For more information on the Greenwich Polo Club, please visit their website at: www.greenwichpoloclub.com
