Arena Polo Hits Lakeside Polo Club with Pacific Coast Arena League

The Pacific Coast Arena League (PCAL) continued its exciting summer season at Lakeside Polo Club, showcasing exceptional sportsmanship and arena fun.

LAKESIDE, CA, UNITED STATES, September 2, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Pacific Coast Arena League (PCAL) continued its thrilling summer season at its second event at Lakeside Polo Club, CA. Competitive spirit was evident in every flight, complemented by the admirable sportsmanship that defined the weekend. From new players in the C Flight to seasoned veterans in the High Goal, the action was fast-paced and filled with unforgettable moments.

Arena polo, also known as hockey on horseback, is a ball and mallet sport played on horseback. Arena polo is played in an enclosed arena with two goal mouths set into either end of the 300 by 150-foot dirt or sand arena. The game is played with teams of three players all mounted on horseback. All players are equipped with bamboo cane mallets and attempt to move the ball into their respective goals to rack up points.

Periods of play last for 7.5 minutes and are known as “chukkers”. At the end of a game, consisting of four chukkers, the team that has the highest number of goals wins. Teams must abide by all rules to ensure the safety of players and horses. Arena polo is a unique sport with both men and women and all ages competing on the same playing field, creating an atmosphere of competition and cooperation that everyone can enjoy. The action is up-close and spectators can feel the thunder of hooves as the players ride by.

“PCAL is always the best experience - Lakeside was incredibly well organized, and the atmosphere was both competitive and supportive. A special shout out to Lakeside Polo, the rain nearly took away another day, but thanks to their hard work, we were able to keep playing with just a small delay. Thank you again for hosting this incredible event at your facility.”- Lisa Gonzalez

Sponsored by Patton Legacy Sports, the B Flight continued its exemplification of the morals upheld by renowned military figure General George S. Patton Jr. through bold teamwork during play. In pursuit of the General Patton Cup, eight teams brought both grit and finesse to the arena, thrilling the crowd with tightly contested matches. The spirit of competition was strong, and the legacy of General Patton, also a legendary polo enthusiast, was felt in every chukker.

"PCAL is a terrific platform to gain valuable tournament experience in a safe and fun environment. Last year I challenged myself, playing above my weight class in A flight to help accelerate my gameplay. This year I've chosen to play B flight with my fellow OC club members and build on the foundation of skills I gained last year. Additionally, I'm loving playing my three new Argentinian ponies who are new to the arena but performing amazingly! "-Erica Chapman

The marquee matchup in the high-goal bracket saw Sermus (Garrett Bankhead, Rehan Kumble, Sean Cornell) go head-to-head with La Luna Polo (Oscar Chacon, Chuck Stanislawski, Jared Sheldon). Both teams brought their experience and unwavering intensity to the field. Fast transitions, pinpoint passes, and strong defensive play made the high goal division games a highlight of the weekend. The clash delivered high-stakes arena polo at its finest with Sermus leading the board 9-7 heading into halftime. By maintaining composure and sharp-shooting straight to goal, La Luna Polo mounted a fierce return. In the biggest upset of the weekend, La Luna came out on top with a final score of 16-23.

“PCAL was a blast - We are always lucky to play at clubs across Southern California and reconnect with friends who play at different clubs. I rode some amazing ponies from Jared Sheldon, including Bacci who was BPP on Sunday. My team is Blackwood Wines and is sponsored by the winery that my husband and I started. The Lakeside weekend was special in that our first bottles were labeled right before and I was able to share them during the tournament.” -Emma blackwood

There was no shortage of nail-biting action in the lower divisions either. In the A Flight, Sermus (Sierrah Gonzalez, Rehan Kumble, Garrett Bankhead) took on the youthful yet determined Mallet Masters (Ava Abboud, Luca Abboud, Ethan Bankhead). This match featured strong family ties and exciting rivalries alike. Ava and Luca Abboud, playing with a bond thick as blood, showed growing confidence and teamwork as both family members and teammates. While the Mallet Masters relied on smart rotations and clean execution to control the play, Sermus mounted an unrelenting offense with their sights set on goal. Sermus finished off Sunday’s morning game with a final score of 17-13 to wrap up the weekend, putting Sermus in the weekend’s winner’s circle.

“Playing the first leg of PCAL at OC was a success. Playing in the super fast, competitive high goal match on Friday night was a great experience. And then playing in the A Flight was even better. This year, I teamed up with the Abboud siblings and we already kicked off the first game doing pretty well together as a team. I’ve played a lot against Luca during PCAL and occasionally against Ava so it’s great to play with them this year. All three of us have been through the Lakeside high school program so it’s pretty neat that we are playing together. It has been a great experience so far playing with those two.”-Ethan Bankhead

The C Flight, sponsored by the Polo Training Foundation (PTF), provided both steady ground and an encouraging environment for developing arena polo talent. New players stepped into the arena and impressed all with their determination, horsemanship, and willingness to learn. These matches are critical in fostering the next generation of competitive polo players and the support from the PTF ensures that the sport's future is in capable hands. With an astounding 8 teams in this division, PCAL continues to provide no shortage of opportunities for up-and-coming players.

"Playing polo tournaments is so fun! It is really great to meet and watch experienced players so I can imagine myself playing like them one day. It was also so great to have many of the Poway Polo Club players come to cheer us on. I hope we can play more PCAL games this year and in the future," -Shelby Kokjohn, 12 years old.

In addition to bracket play awards, several special recognitions were given out at the conclusion of the weekend. Coveted Best Playing Pony awards were bestowed upon fifteen awesome equine athletes, who earned a special treat: a bag of premium horse cookies and gift certificate to Jackson Hole Horse Emporium — a proud sponsor of PCAL and favorite among polo ponies and players alike.
“Fifty Shades” Jonas Pettersson
“Sole” played by Fawn Rinalduzzi & Erica Chapman, owned by Erica Chapman
“Happy” Summer Miner, owned by Christina Cantu
“Caviar” Jared Sheldon, owned by George Dill
“Cinderella” Garrett Bankhead, owned by George Dill
“Bonita” Abby Purdy
“Zambezi” Rehan Kumble, owned by George Dill
“Ghost Faced Killah” Ajay Clark
“Sylvie” Whitney Messens
“Brandy” Alex Chisholm, owned by Nicole Bankhead
“Lovely” Katie Moore, owned by OC Polo Club
“Bacci” Emma Blackwood, owned by JGMP Equestrian
“Lobo” Josie Geiller Allen
“31” Cinderella Von Falkenhausen, owned by George Dill
“Callie” Ethan Bankhead

The PoloGear USA Most Valuable Player (MVP) toolkits were awarded to players who demonstrated exceptional skill, strategic prowess, and teamwork throughout all their games. With performance as sharp as their new gear, these outstanding players left a strong mark on the league:
Rehan Kumble
Lisa Gonzalez
Darin Bankhead
Garrett Bankhead (x2)
Ethan Bankhead
Clay Reed
Joseph Miner
Woody Dunham
Kat Greenbaum
Josh Hemedes
Summer Miner
Luka Abboud
Zoey Tornillo
Fawn Rinalduzzi

The Polo Training Foundation (PTF) continues to support polo development through their sponsorship of the 2025 PCAL Sportsmanship Award. Exemplifying grace and integrity on the field, the recipients of the PTF Sportsmanship Award took home a beautiful Henry Koehler lithograph, honoring the spirit and artistry of the game.
Chuck Stanislawski
Kelsey Galarza
Shelby Kokjohn
Oscar Chacon
Luca Abboud
Zoey Tornillo
Leigh Bertea
Jonas Pettersson
Brittany Post
Suzette Culp
Emily Cardinale
Yiyi DeWar
Shira Engel
Katty Wong
Rehan Kumble

As the Pacific Coast Arena League continues to roll right through the summer, fans and players alike can expect more thrilling action, memorable performances, and well-deserved awards that honor the best of the very best in arena polo. Spectators and players alike are encouraged to stay tuned for the next and final leg of the 2025 PCAL season— where passion meets performance and the arena never sleeps.

Robin Sanchez
US Arena Polo
robin@usarenapolo.com
Visit us on social media:
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Other

California Arena Polo League - PCAL (Pacific Coast Arena League) heats up in Southern California

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.