Mon 23rd Apr 2012Lyndon Lea's Zacara win the US Open Zacara deny Lechuza Caracas their second straight US Open title with 10-8 win
LANCASHIRE-BORN PATRON Lyndon Lea led his Zacara side to the US Open title at International Polo Club Palm Beach on Sunday.
His star-studded team – which included Argentine 10-goaler Facundo Pieres, former American 10-goaler Mike Azzaro and eight-goaler Magoo Laprida – beat defending champions Lechuza Caracas 10-8 in a thrilling final in Florida.
After an even opening to the game, Zacara took a narrow 5-4 lead into half-time against Victor Vargas’s Lechuza, who also included 10-goalers Juan Martin Nero and Guillermo Caset and five-goaler Facundo Obregón.
Zacara extended this lead in the second half and led 8-5 at one point before controlling the latter stages to win the title and deny Lechuza their second straight US Open crown.
Azzaro, who scored four goals for Zacara, won the MVP award. The American has now won the US Open six times, which puts him level with Adolfo Cambiaso for the most wins at the tournament by an active player.
Lyndon Lea’s 10-year-old chestnut mare Lelani, played by Facundo Pieres, won the best playing pony honours.
This latest win is the second big success in the last 12 months for Lea, after he led Zacara to the British Open for the Gold Cup at Cowdray Park last summer.
A full report of the US Open will feature in the June issue of Polo Times.
Picture: Winning patron Lyndon Lea, by James Mullan
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