Somerville Livingstone-Learmonth 2020

Howling winds and horizontal rain greeted the players for the first league game of the Somerville Livingstone-Learmonth Trophy 6 Goal. Hascombe Stud proved formidable against Noon Giraffe. Hascombe pounced early on in their game, sending through goal after goal, meaning it wasn’t until the second chukka that Noon Giraffe were able to make their mark. With such a strong start, Hascombe won 7 – 4.

Hascombe Stud’s second league game, this time against Beaufort, was a much closer affair. The first chukka was without goals, so it wasn’t until the second chukka when a field goal for Beaufort saw any numbers added to the scoreboard. The score was levelled following a 30yrd penalty by Tom Beim; 1 – 1. In the third, Hascombe went ahead with a 60yrd penalty by Tom Beim, only to have Beaufort reply, 2 – 2. The fourth was the same, with a penalty to Hascombe followed by a goal by the Collie brothers to end the score 3 – 3, meaning a fifth chukka was required. Victory came in the form of a goal by Robbie Slatter, giving Hascombe their second win of the tournament.

The league game between Senzaltro and Noon Giraffe was a tight contest. Noon Giraffe were the first to add to the scoreboard with a penalty by Tommy Severn, which Lucy Coddington responded to with a field goal. Martin ffrench-Blake secured another penalty for Noon Giraffe, but Lucy replied again with a goal to make it 2 – 2. A second before the final bell, Noon Giraffe managed to send the ball across the line to make it 2 – 3. In the second, Lucy drew the teams level once again, 3 -3 and a further two goals to Senzaltro made it 5 – 3. Noon Giraffe were given a penalty 3, which Tommy Severn sent straight to goal, only to have it stopped by Jack Aldridge. The third chukka featured a lot of back and forth but neither team were able to take the ball across the line. In the fourth, Tommy brought Noon Giraffe closer and Siobhan made it 5 – 5. With barely a minute left and it looking like a fifth chukka would be inevitable, a team goal by Noon Giraffe, finished neatly by Siobhan, secured them the win, 6 – 5.

Beaufort had a strong start in their league game against Senzaltro, making their mark early on with two goals in the first chukka. By the time Senzaltro had added to the scoreboard, Beaufort were ahead 4 – 1. The third chukka was without goals for either side, meaning Senzaltro only had the fourth to catch up. Despite managing to score 2 – 4, the game concluded in the home side’s favour.

Persistent torrential downpours forced the remaining league games to be cancelled, sending Beaufort into the Final against Hascombe Stud and Noon Giraffe against Senzaltro for the Subsidiary Final.

The sun finally showed its face for the Final of the Somerville Livingstone-Learmonth Trophy, having been hidden behind rain clouds all week. Beaufort were handed a penalty early into the game, but the shot by Marcus Collie was blocked by the strong Hascombe Stud defence. Max Hutchinson then drove the ball down the field and left it to Arabella Oppenheimer to finish, making it 1 – 0. George Deverall then had a great run to goal, pulling the ball round the field but it just went wide. In the second, Arabella took an unplanned dismount but after a long walk to the pony lines she remounted, and the game continued in earnest. There was lots of back and forth between the teams, but George managed an impressive solo run to goal to score 1 – 1. He attempted to repeat the feat when the first bell went, bringing the ball close to goal for Tom to try and score, but it just went wide. Hascombe managed to secure another goal to make it 2 – 1. In the third, Tom Beim sent through a penalty for Hascombe to extend their lead, 3 – 1. With the final seconds of the chukka counting down, Arabella took another shot to goal but the bell went before it could go through the posts. With only a chukka left to make up the difference, Marcus Collie scored a great goal to make it 3 – 2. Hascombe went to reply, bringing the ball down to the other end of the field but it went wide. However, Max firmly secured the win with an under the neck shot to bring the final score to 4 – 2 for Hascombe Stud.

Noon Giraffe faced off against Senzaltro for the Subsidiary Final. The first chukka ended with no goals for either side, so it wasn’t until the second chukka that Noon Giraffe managed to sneak past the opposition’s defences to score. In the third, Martin ffrench-Blake made it 2 – 0 and a penalty by Lucy Coddington made it 2 – 1. Senzaltro stopped and turned on the ball, attempting to level the score, but it was too late and Noon Giraffe were the winners.