November is a perfect time to be in the desert. The heat of the day stays around just long enough and then gives way to chilly, cozy evenings; mornings are so clear that the mountains seem close enough to touch. The fields are meticulously groomed, pristine, untouched since the season ended in April. Even the Polo Office is sparkling, organized, and there are moments when Polo Manager Susan Stovall can imagine that she has everything under control.

November has traditionally been the time of the first tournaments, the four chukker, 3 goal Roadrunner, on the first two weekends, and the four chukker, 3 goal Go Honey finishing up the month. Both tournaments were being played for the 12th time at Eldorado, but their history and traditions go back years before, when they were played in Santa Barbara.

The Roadrunner, named for one of the more famous desert denizens, was played for this year on the weekend of November 11th as one massive contest between eight talented teams that were divided into two brackets.

In Bracket I, PANENO FARMS, with Jay and Tania Paneno, Joslyn Parker, Mike Jordan, and Scott Cunningham, played CHEETAH. The CHEETAH foursome was composed of Tracy Darroll, John Snyder, Manuel Rodriguez, and Gary Pollack. Rodriguez was closed down in the first chukker, but came out hot in chukker number two and racked up three goals for CHEETAH. He was backed up by Snyder and Pollack who each scored one. PANENO's scoring was limited to Cunningham, and the result was a 7 ­ 5 CHEETAH victory.

Bracket II matched Art Cameron's RANCHO CARINOSO squad, going for its eighth pre-season win, against JACKSON HOLE HORSE EMPORIUM. JACKSON HOLE had Joe Gallemore, Roberto Ortiz, Lolo Payan, and George Gilstrap, against RANCHO CARINOSO's Paco Buxton, Fernando Flores, Jose Soto, and Art Cameron. Except for a game-high six goals by Soto, RANCHO CARINOSO was held scoreless. Payan and Ortiz combined for seven goals, more than enough for their 7 ­ 6 victory that dethroned RANCHO CARINOSO, an Eldorado legend.