Cavalry Cup set to light up Manyatta Polo Club in Gilgil

Kimoi Moi (left) of Dasani battles for the ball with Izzy Parsons of Fanta during the Division Three polo match at Manyatta Polo club in Gilgil Nakuru county on June 3,2018.Photo:Kipsang Joseph/Standard

A record 19 matches are lined up for Barclays Bank sponsored Rift Valley Cavalry Cup at the Manyatta Polo Club in Gilgil this afternoon.

There are 12 teams comprising 48 players in which some of them are set to rotate from one squad to the other in different stages of the competition. They will now fight it out for top spots after the Bwana Begg and Connaught Polo Championships at Nairobi Polo Club a fort night ago.

“The move will certainly benefit Kenya Polo Association in local and international championships,” said Manyatta Polo Club captain Richard Stonewigg.

Jammie Murray, handicap five, leads the Syngenta team of Kimoi Moi (2.0), Omwakwe Arunga (0.5) and Dani Murray (0.0) against B, C and D teams that boast an average handicap of 7 each in the fight for the main competition, the Rift Valley Cup.

The handicap 7.5 B squad of Henry Limb (2.5), Mbugua Ngugi (2.5), Joss Craig (1.5) and Harry Griffiths (1.0) remains the only team expected to give Syngenta a run for their money.

Archie Voorspuy (3.5) of C squad, who had an impressive form last season with a striking partnership of Izzy Parsons (2.0), Ben Stonewigg (1.0) and Chris Foot (0.5) will challenge Syngeta, B and D squads.

The D squad is led by Craig Millar (3.5) and Nairobi Polo Club vice chairman Raphael Nzomo (2.5) alongside team members Harry Stichbury (0.5) and Megan Griffiths (0.5). Players who have missed out from the Rift Valley Cup will contest in the Bell Inn Cup, the second tier tournament.

They include Mbugua Ngugi (3.5) who will team up with Nikki Ngugi (0.5), Toby Grammaticas (-0.5) and Fred Gikonyo (-2.0) to play for Barclay Card Platinum whose handicap is 0.5, the best in the second tier category.

However, they (Barclaycard Platinum) will not have it easy against Barclaycard Signature (-0.5), Barclaycard Gold -0.0), Barclaycard Classic (-0.5) and Tack Rack (-1.0).

In the Cavalry Cup, it’s a competition involving two teams that had taken part in the Rift Valley Cup. Team A will be handicap 11.5 and team B are handicap 12.0 in the round robin matches.

Handicap 5 Jammie Murray leads Team A alongside, Mbugua Ngugi (2.5), Kimoi Moi (2.0) and Izzy Parsons (2.0). Handicap 3.5 Craig Millar teams up with Archie Voorspuy (3.5), Henry Limb (2.5) and Raphael Nzomo (2.5) in team B.