AMERICAN HANDICAPS

This report is from the Polo Times news letter.
Gonzalito goes under the spotlight in the US.

There were a number of handicap changes made during the annual handicap meeting in Aiken, South Carolina, recently, but none more controversial than that affecting Gonzalito Pieres. Rated at the ultimate 10 goals in both Argentina and the UK, Gonzalito remained at nine goals after the spring handicap meeting held after the Florida high-goal season this spring. However, Gonzalito's ensuing trip to Santa Barbara with the Audi team encouraged USPA officials, once again, to give closer scrutiny to his handicap, after his side swept all before them, winning three major 20-goal tournaments on the West Coast. In the initial handicap vote, according to one insider, the handicap committee voted 11 to 4 to move the talented Argentine to the 10-goal rating once held by his father and currently held by his brother, Facundo. However, the change would have killed off the winter Audi entry, in which Gonzalito plays alongside one-goaler Marc Ganzi and his brothers, Nicholas (6) and Facundo (10). Another vote was taken a few days later and his nine-goal rating was upheld. Hence, the Pieres brothers will be allowed to compete with Audi for the 2009 Florida winter season.
Another regular Audi team member also saw his handicap change: Joseph Stuart went up from three to four goals. Fred Mannix Jr went down from seven to six goals, Jason Crowder and Mariano Uranga both went from six goals to five.
Indicative of renewed interest in arena polo, Shane Rice had his arena handicap raised from six to eight goals and Jason Crowder's arena rating went from six to seven goals.