December 17, 2021

North America, Polo News

St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship Announces Schedule, Players, Team Rosters

17. December 2021

ASPEN, Colo., December 8, 2021 — A Who‘s Who in polo players from around the world will compete in the much-anticipated Dec. 16-19 St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship at Aspen Valley Polo Club and Rio Grande Park.

The star-studded lineup is headed by Argentine 10-goalers Pablo MacDonough and Juan Martin Nero; 9-goalers Nic Roldan and Tommy Biddle; and 8-goalers Juan Martin Zubia and Alejandro Novillo Astrada.

The stage is set for the ninth annual St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship.

In addition to returning as title sponsor, St. Regis will return as a team sponsor with team captain Nacho Figueras, the sport‘s ambassador and St. Regis Connoisseur. Figueras will play with Melissa Ganzi and Roldan.

The seven team sponsors and rosters are:

Casablanca (15): Grant Ganzi, 3, Juancito Bollini, 4, Juan Martin Zubia, 8.

Richard Mille (17): Sarah Siegel Magness, 0, Jesse Bray, 7, Pablo MacDonough, 10.

Edmiston (16): Cable Magness, 2, Jason Crowder, 7, Sugar Erskine, 7.

Aspen Valley Polo Club (14): Alecia Seidler, 0, Juan Bollini 4T, Juan Martin Nero, 10.

ChukkerTV (14): Vinny Sangaline, 1, Martin Pepa, 4, Tommy Biddle, 9.

St. Regis (16): Melissa Ganzi, 1, Nacho Figueras, 6, Nic Roldan 9.

WPL (15): Riley Ganzi 1, Hilario Figueras 6, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 8.

The celebrity teams will feature bull rider Landon Miller, actor and director Miss Saye Yabandeh and another player to be announced, playing for ChukkerTV and actor Sterling Jones, Vinny Sangaline and Nacho Figueras playing for Aspen Valley Polo Club.

2020 World Snow Polo Championship winners WPL Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Riley Ganzi, and Hilario Figueras.

Players will take center stage at one of the world‘s top snow polo tournaments and only snow polo event in North America. It is one of Aspen‘s major international sporting events and kickoff to the holiday social season in Aspen.

For the ninth consecutive year, Aspen Valley Polo Club owners Melissa and Marc Ganzi, will host the event along with Figueras and his wife Delfina Blaquier.

In front of a local crowd and worldwide ChukkerTV audience, four days of events will be held during the final stop on the 2021 World Polo Tour.

Jesse Bray and Riley Ganzi.

The week of activities begin with a virtual draw and traditional St. Regis champagne sabering on Thursday at 7 p.m. at St. Regis Aspen Resort Hotel.

Polo action will take place Friday with preliminary qualifying games at Aspen Valley Polo Club‘s indoor arena in Carbondale. Preliminary games are 1 and 2 p.m. followed by a round robin at 3 p.m.

On Saturday at Rio Grande Park the High Alpine Cup is 1:15 p.m. The round robin will determine the fifth, sixth and seventh place teams. A Celebrity Polo Chukker will follow at 2:30 p.m.

On Sunday, the final is 1 p.m. followed by the Aspen Cup at 3 p.m. The trophy presentation is 4:15 p.m. featuring all seven teams.

Juan Bollini, Vinny Sangaline, and Nic Roldan.

A check will be presented to Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation and Calloway Young Cancer Center. The tournament is a fundraiser for the Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation, the designated philanthropic charity. Donations are welcome.

The event will follow COVID-19 guidelines. Per local state and county guidelines, all attendees must show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test result (within 48 hours prior) before entering the event.

Edmiston, a world leader in the super yacht industry will join world-class partners St. Regis, Aspen Valley Polo Club, Richard Mille, Casablanca, NetJets and World Polo League as major sponsors. Edmiston will also co-host the Dec. 28-30 Audi Ajax Cup at Highlands Mountain with Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club.

Deborah Breen, President and CEO of the Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation accepts a check for the Calloway Young Cancer Center.

Nestled at the base of the majestic Aspen Mountain, the St. Regis Aspen Resort, a five-star luxury hotel, is between the mountain‘s two primary base ski lifts and within walking distance to all of Aspen‘s shops, restaurants and entertainment. It delivers a benchmark of personalized service and attention to detail amidst the relaxed spirit of the Rocky Mountains.

Richard Mille is the official timekeeper for the St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship. Mille created the RM 53-01 Tourbillon Pablo MacDonough for his Brand Ambassador.

NetJets will be an event sponsor for the second year. NetJets boasts a global network unmatched in private aviation. With more than 750 aircraft (equal to the world’s fourth largest airline), the company operates more than 313,000 flights annually worldwide. Figueras is NetJets Brand Ambassador.

Nacho Figueras and Grant Ganzi.

In addition to defending champion World Polo League (Riley Ganzi, Hilario Figueras, Alejandro Novillo Astrada), other past winners include: Richard Mille (2019, Edouard Pan, Pablo MacDonough, Louis Jarrige); Richard Mille (2018, Marc Ganzi, Martin Pepa, Pablo MacDonough); U.S. Polo Assn (2017, Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini, Nic Roldan); Flexjet (2016, Melissa Ganzi, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Juan Bollini); U.S. Polo Assn. (2015, Grant Ganzi, Nic Roldan, Juancito Bollini); Piaget (2014, Marc Ganzi, Jeff Hall, Nic Roldan); and St. Regis (2013, Nacho Figueras, Nic Roldan, Brandon Phillips).

The snow polo tournament is a major sports attraction for the local community and fans from all over the world. The breathtaking scenery, venue and great polo action is a major allure for the Aspen community and surrounding areas.

Rio Grande Park is Aspen‘s largest multi-functional park within the city‘s limits and just minutes away from the St. Regis Aspen Resort.

2020 World Snow Polo Championship awards table.

In the U.S., snow polo is held exclusively in Aspen. Snow polo is a modified version of regulation polo. Games are played on a snow-packed field surrounded by fencing to keep the ball in play. Teams have three players instead of four as in typical polo. Play consists of four chukkers. The horses have special cleated shoes to provide better traction. The ball is larger and lighter and a specific color for visibility on the snowy surface.

The sport was first played on a frozen lake in St. Moritz, Switzerland, created by Swiss hotelier and polo visionary Reto Gaudenzi in 1985 and has been growing in popularity ever since, attracting thousands of spectators and top players from around the world. In addition to St. Moritz, it‘s played in winter sports communities Aspen, Cortina, Italy, Kitzbuhel, Austria, Courchevel, France and Tianjin, China. In the U.S., snow polo is held exclusively in Aspen.

Since Marc and Melissa Ganzi resurrected the club and polo in 2014, polo has increased in popularity in Aspen and surrounding cities with the club‘s offerings of various weekly grass and arena tournaments, Arena & Asado Nights, Kidz Polo, Kids Wheely Polo, The Polo School headed by former 8-goaler Juan Bollini, and Polo On Demand. In addition, the club offers practice sessions for teams competing in the club tournaments.

By Sharon Robb
Photos by Nick Tininenko

BUY TICKETS

2021 St Regis World Snow Polo Championship Schedule

Thursday 12/16
7 p.m. Team Draw – from St. Regis Aspen Resort

Friday 12/17
Preliminary Games
1pm, 2pm. 3pm

Saturday 12/18
1:15 p.m. The High Alpine Cup
2:30 p.m. Celebrity Polo Chukker

Sunday 12/19
1 p.m. World Snow Polo Championship Final
3 p.m. The Aspen Cup
4:15 p.m. Trophy Presentation

All Games Live on https://www.chukkertv.com in Mountain Standard Time

ASPEN, Colo., December 8, 2021 — A Who‘s Who in polo players from around the world will compete in the much-anticipated Dec. 16-19 St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship at…

Europe, Polo News

2022 POLO RIDER CUP / EVVIVA POLO ST. MORITZ

17. December 2021

EVVIVA POLO ST. MORITZ back on board for the 2022 POLO RIDER CUP

Evviva Polo St. Moritz (SUI) is back on board, joining Las Brisas Polo Club of Chicago (USA), Hamburger Polo Club (GER) in the field of the 2022 POLO RIDER CUP, which will be held from 8 to 18 June 2022 at the Polo Club of Chantilly, north of Paris.

The Evviva Polo St. Moritz team will comprise the following players:

1. Andy Bihrer (0) SUI
2. TBA (5) ARG
3. Martin Aguerre Hijo (7) ARG
4. Tommy Rinderknecht (0) SUI

Tommy Rinderknecht, Captain of Evviva Polo St. Moritz, comments: “Evviva Polo St. Moritz is very happy to return to the POLO RIDER CUP with a competitive team. Andi Bihrer and Tommy Rinderknecht, the two lawyers from Switzerland who are actively involved with the organization of the famous Snow Polo World Cup on the last weekend in January 2022, will take part in the POLO RIDER CUP again with a team led by the 7-goaler Martin Aguerre and another strong 5‑goaler. As a preparation, the Evviva team will participate, among other tournaments, in the Lawyers Polo Cup in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa in the spring of next year.”

Benoît Perrier, CEO & Co-Founder of GAME POLO, comments: “We are proud to count on the participation of Evviva Polo St. Moritz for the second edition. The organisation and line-up are structured around Martin Aguerre Hijo, with two Swiss and another Argentine player. The team is highly motivated, and its great ponies are also a strong asset for the tournament as well as a part of their experience.”

For more information, please contact GAME POLO at: neus@game-polo.com

EVVIVA POLO ST. MORITZ back on board for the 2022 POLO RIDER CUP Evviva Polo St. Moritz (SUI) is back on board, joining Las Brisas Polo Club of Chicago…

North America, Polo News

U.S. Polo Assn. Honors Olympians Suni Lee and Caeleb Dressel as Athletes of the Year Honor During 2021 Sports Illustrated Awards

17. December 2021

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla./ (December 9, 2021) – U.S. Polo Assn., the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), presented the Athlete of the Year Award during the star-studded 2021 Sports Illustrated Awards. Presented by Pepsi’s Stronger Together Initiative, the annual event took place on Dec. 7 at the new Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.

The winners of this year’s Athlete of the Year Award were Olympic Gymnast Suni Lee and Olympic Swimmer Caeleb Dressel.

This award recognizes the best female and male athletes of 2021 who have proven they are the MVPs of their sport and embody the highest level of athleticism, skill, and character by putting in unprecedented work, both on and off the field. As the presenter of this meaningful award, U.S. Polo Assn. demonstrated its commitment to showcasing athletes across the world of sports.

“It was an honor to serve as the presenting sponsor of the Athlete of the Year Award during this year’s event,” said J. Michael Prince, President and CEO of USPA Global Licensing, the worldwide licensor of the multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand. “As a global, sport-inspired brand, we were proud to recognize these athletes who have excelled in their respective sports and continue to make significant impacts on and off the field.”

For the first time in the event’s history, the Sports Illustrated Awards brought together thousands of people together in person to celebrate these athletic achievements and was broadcasted across Sports Illustrated channels and platforms.

Appearances from some of the world’s most celebrated athletes and entertainers included, Tom Brady, Billie Jean King, Brooks Nader, Camille Kostek, Chad Johnson, Candace Parker, DJ Carnage, Haley Kalil, Jasmine Sanders, JuJu Smith-Schuster, LaMelo Ball, Logan Paul, Rob Gronkowski, Caeleb Dressel, Suni Lee, Tyler Herro, and Udonis Haslem.

To watch this year’s Sports Illustrated Awards, visit www.sportsillustratedawards.com.

U.S. Polo Assn. is the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), the nonprofit governing body for the sport of polo in the United States and one of the oldest sports governing bodies, having been founded in 1890. With a multi-billion-dollar global footprint and worldwide distribution through some 1,200 U.S. Polo Assn. retail stores, department stores, sporting goods channels, independent retailers and e-commerce, U.S. Polo Assn. offers apparel for men, women and children, as well as accessories and footwear in 194 countries worldwide. Ranked the fifth largest sports licensor in License Global magazine’s 2020 list of “Top 150 Global Licensors,” U.S. Polo Assn. is named alongside such iconic sports brands as the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball. Visit uspoloassnglobal.com and @uspoloassn. For more polo content visit Globalpolo.com.

About Sports Illustrated

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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla./ (December 9, 2021) – U.S. Polo Assn., the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), presented the Athlete of the Year Award during the…