SILT – Team Land Rover Roaring Fork captured the 2003 Glenwood Cup Saturday in polo action at the Roaring Fork Polo Club at Stout Ranch on Baldy Creek.

Land Rover Roaring Fork defeated Roaring Fork Polo Club soundly, 5-3 in four high-speed chukkars.

Early in the contest, the teams appeared evenly matched. At the end of the first 71⁄2-minute chukkar, neither team had scored. There were a number of shots on goal, but hard-galloping defensive plays by both teams kept the ball from rolling through the uprights.

Victor Nunez, broke the scoreless tie in the second chukkar, making the first goal of the game for Land Rover. His older brother and opponent, Sanjo Nunez, retaliated for Roaring Fork with a penalty shot, tying the game 1-1.

Roaring Fork pushed ahead by scoring another goal, tapped in by team captain Barry Stout. Stout, who was playing for the first time since suffering a broken arm earlier in the season, rallied his teammates to keep Land Rover away from Roaring Fork’s goal, preserving his team’s advantage at the end of the second chukkar, 2-1.

The third chukkar saw Land Rover hustle back with a goal from the right-hand side of the field by Suzanne Olson. Olson, making her debut in tournament action, raised the spirits of her teammates who fought off any further attacks from Roaring Fork, ending the third chukkar at 2-2.

In the fourth and final chukkar, Wayne Ewing scored a goal for Roaring Fork, putting them ahead 3-2. The advantage was short-lived.

Land Rover team captain Hugo Nunez, of Midland, Texas, a four-goal handicapped player, turned on the power to score two goals in a row, crushing the Roaring Fork defense. Roaring Fork tried to fight back with a shot that was inches from crossing the line at the mouth of the goal, when Land Rover’s Linda Lafferty knocked it clear with a backshot to teammate Victor Nunez and out of trouble

Victor Nunez then stunned the field as he picked up a knock-in pass from his father and team captain at midfield. He galloped neck-to-neck against Roaring Fork’s Bill Stoddard, battling hard to carry the ball into the goal. The young player’s score sealed Land Rover’s 5-3 victory.

Roaring Fork Club closed the summer season with a barbecue and the awarding of trophies. Best Playing Pony went to Barry Stout’s “Sunny,” ridden by Sanjo Nunez.

The Roaring Fork Polo Club’s next event will be the World Snow Polo Championship at Wagner Park in Aspen on December 20-21. Teams from across the U.S. and abroad are expected to play in this special Christmas season event.