Maui Polo Club, Makawao, Maui, Hawaii. Sunday, November 5th 2000.
After some heavy rains during the week prior to the game, we were greeted by a very nice sunny Sunday afternoon of Polo, on the slopes of the dormant volcano Haleakala.
This year was the 8th annual Maui Animal Aloha Center Heineken Benefit Game. The Maui Animal Aloha Center provides therapeutic riding for handicapped people, and their traveling troupe of animals (including 2 miniature horses) provide animal education to schools on Maui as well as retirement homes and hospitals.
The 2 teams played for the Maui Cup, the oldest and most coveted trophy in Hawaii.
The 6 chukker game was the best game of the season, the field was completely surrounded by parked cars, some areas 3 deep, including some fans that travelled from the Kauai Polo Club, their annual pilgrimage to Upcountry Maui.
Kimo Huddleston once again proved to be almost unstoppable, but in this game he had to work extra hard. The teams went into the first chukker with high expectations. Kimo scored quickly in the first chukker, followed by another goal from Derek Naauau. PoloLio got on the scoreboard in the second chukker on a penalty shot, and then they tied the game with another penalty .
The third chukker was scoreless. On the fourth Kimo scored again, carrying the ball with ease from midfield, and passing the ball up to Derek, who finished the job. The score now was 3 to 2 in favor of Brandywine.
The fifth chukker was an amazing display of horsemanship and hitting, DeCoite and Manoa playing some great polo, and Kimo delighted the crowd by hitting some balls 100 plus yards. The game was tied at 4 in the 5th chukker.
Both teams played great defense in the 6th and final chukker, it showed in the low scoring numbers, at the end of the day, Brandywine, scoring the lonely goal in the 6 chukker, took the Maui Cup Home, with a final score of 5 to 4.