October 27, 2023

Polo News

Georgetown University Club Polo Splits the Bill with Harvard

27. October 2023

In a formidable debut of skill and teamwork, the Georgetown Men’s Polo team defeated Harvard in their first match of the season, winning 12-1. Team captain Ford Middendorf together with Benedikt Jaenecke were unremitting in their offensive and passing strategy against the Crimson, with major assists and goals from Alfonso Pla Zobel de Ayala and Muhammad Bin Talal.

In spite of the adverse weather conditions that persisted throughout the match on Saturday, October 21, the Hoyas had the Crimson trailing from the start. Jaenecke led the team with eight goals, Middendorf contributed two, and Pla Zobel de Ayala and Bin Talal each scored one.

The Hoya women achieved their breakout goal of competing together for the first time after significant roster turnover, but were unfortunately not able to secure the win against the more seasoned Harvard team, with a final score of 15-4. Returning member and captain Ashley Parekh guided new members Camila Navarro-Delavega, Lucienne Bacon, and Marley Simpson through their first match on Sunday, October 22. Despite heavy losses in the first chukker, Georgetown was able to tie and win the second and third chukkers, respectively, though unfortunately not by enough to recover the overall score.

The Georgetown men will look to build on their strong start to the season at the University of Virginia Fall Tournament. They take on UVA at 6:00 PM on Thursday, October 26, with the winner advancing to the final match on Sunday, October 29, against either Cornell University or the University of Kentucky. Meanwhile, the women’s team will return to Georgetown with their sights set on preparing for upcoming non-conference matches.

The club thanks Harvard University for inviting them, Anja Eckbo for housing accommodations, as well as Hoya coach Gus Fraga-Errecart.

Text by Lucie Bacon
Photos by Gus

In a formidable debut of skill and teamwork, the Georgetown Men’s Polo team defeated Harvard in their first match of the season, winning 12-1. Team captain Ford Middendorf together with…

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Banyan Cup begins friday at Santa Rita Polo Farm

27. October 2023

WELLINGTON, Fla., October 26, 2023—The fourth medium goal tournament of the fall season begins Friday at Santa Rita Polo Farm.

The Banyan Cup opens with a preliminary round robin at 4:30 p.m. The scores carry over into Sunday‘s final at 10 a.m. The four-chukker Just For The Fun It game is Saturday at the Pony Express Field at 10:30 a.m.

The old USPA rules for round robin play will be used for the Banyan Cup. The game will be played on the flat. The winner of the first three chukkers will sit on Sunday.

Rosters and sponsors are:

Victory (His) (14): Kevin Schmeits, Santos Bollini, 2, Sugar Erskine, 6, Martin Jauregui, 6.

La Fe (13): Sebastian Mandelbaum, Juan Bollini, 3 (Friday), Louis Devaleix, 2 (Sunday), Grant Ganzi, 3, Nic Roldan, 8.

Victory (Hers) (16): Becky Schmeits, Jason Crowder, 5, Pablo Dorignac, 5, Tomacho Pieres, 6.

In last year‘s Banyan Cup tournament, Roxbury Raiders (Josh Silverman, 0, Jason Crowder, 5, Santos Bollini, 2, Tommy Biddle, 5) led from start to finish to defeat Aspen Valley Polo Club (Juancito Bollini, 4, Sugar Erskine, 6, Nic Roldan, 8, Tito Gaudenzi, 2), 8-6, to win their fall debut. Santos Bollini, 24, a senior at Palm Beach State College, was MVP. Bollini scored a team-high five goals, all in the first half.

The Banyan Cup is named after the Banyan Tree which can cover about 14,500 square feet of space, grow branches as high as 80 feet and thrive over two and a half centuries. As it grows, the banyan tree produces aerial roots that hang down and take root wherever they touch the ground.

The nation‘s largest and most innovative polo club celebrating its 17th anniversary, is hosting both medium and high goal tournaments this season. The action is free (with the exception of special events) and open to the public.

Among the season highlights are the Nov. 7-15 USPA North American Cup and Nov. 11-21 USPA National 20-Goal Championship and Nov. 18 doubleheader featuring the Legends of Polo Carlos Gracida Memorial and International Cup featuring GCPC USA putting its undefeated 11-game win streak on the line against Spain.

In last year‘s International Cup, GCPC USA won its 11th consecutive title with a 6-5 win over Switzerland. Tomas Ruiz Guinazu, 39, a member of the 2022 Swiss National Team, was named Most Valuable Player after dominating the game.

Since 2012, the U.S. has beaten England, Chile, Mexico, South Africa, Uruguay, Brazil, Azerbaijan, France, Argentina twice and Switzerland in the annual battle for the coveted cup.

The fall medium goal schedule features six tournaments. In addition to this weekend‘s Oct. 24-29 Banyan Cup the two remaining medium goal tournaments are the Nov. 1-5 Fall Plates and Nov. 8-12 Casablanca Fall Cup.

Winners of the first three medium goal tournaments are Fall Classic, Maltese Falcons (Melissa Ganzi, Jason Crowder, 5, Juan Bollini, 3, Nic Roldan, 8); Tackeria Invitational, Aspen Valley (Govinda Quish, Jason Crowder, 5, Sugar Erskine, 6, Nic Roldan, 8); and Pedro Morrison Memorial, Amaro (Scott Sorbaro, 0, Louis Devaleix, 1, Nic Roldan, 8, Kris Kampsen, 6). Roldan has been MVP for all three tournaments.

The well-organized fall tournaments attract players from all over the world including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Uruguay, San Salvador, Switzerland, Spain, England, France, India, Mexico, Azerbaijan, New Zealand, Nigeria, Uzbekistan, South Africa and United States.

The Grand Champions Fall Invitational League is geared toward improving a player‘s polo skills at every level. Roster lineups change from tournament to tournament with evenly-matched teams featuring pro and amateur players. It‘s also a great opportunity for players and sponsors to prepare for the winter season highlighted by the 26-goal World Polo League, now entering its sixth season at Grand Champions.

The fall league features: stick-and-ball sessions during the week; two medium tournament games every weekend; ambulance and USPA umpires for all tournament games; world-class polo fields; club-sponsored social events every weekend for all players; and top-of-the-line trophies for all teams every weekend.

Grand Champions Polo Club and Santa Rita Polo Farm is the largest and most unique private 102-acre polo facility in Wellington with 212 stalls in nine self-contained barns, two exercise tracks, five climate-controlled tack rooms, vet room, staff quarters, guest house and four polo fields with state-of-the-art underground irrigation, short work arena and stick-and-ball fields.

Grand Champions Polo Club and Santa Rita Polo Farm cater to men, women and youth polo players at all levels. Its‘ expert staff can customize a complete playing experience including horses, pros and certified umpires in addition to lessons and practice sessions as part of its‘ Polo On Demand program at the turnkey facility.

Grand Champions and Santa Rita Polo Farm hosts polo tournaments ranging from six to 26-goal in addition to special events at its well-manicured 11 fields during the fall season. Admission is free and open to the public.

Wellington-based ChukkerTV (CTV Sports) is live streaming the entire fall season worldwide. Grand Champions is the only USPA club that is live streaming all its games. ChukkerTV‘s state-of-the art technology also features team challenges and instant replay which made their debut at Grand Champions in January, 2014.

The Polo School, a 501c3 organization and stand-alone USPA club, is dedicated to teaching polo to all ages, particularly grass roots youth. Its mission is to provide individuals opportunities in polo at every economic and ability level. The Polo School operates in Wellington January through June and October through November. For more information on the Fall Leagues or Polo School contact Juan Bollini at 561-346-1099 or Cale Newman at 561-876-2930.

Grand Champions Polo Club is located at 13444 Southfields Road in Wellington. For more information about the upcoming season visit www.gcpolo.com.

By Sharon Robb
Photos by Candace Ferreira

2023 Banyan Cup Schedule

Friday 10/27
4:30 p.m. Victory Polo His vs La Fe vs Victory Polo Hers
at Santa Rita Polo Farm

Saturday 10/28
10:30 a.m. Just For The Fun Of It
at Pony Express

Sunday 10/29
10 a.m. Banyan Cup Final
at Santa Rita Polo Farm

WELLINGTON, Fla., October 26, 2023—The fourth medium goal tournament of the fall season begins Friday at Santa Rita Polo Farm. The Banyan Cup opens with a preliminary round robin at…

Polo News

10 YEARS AFTER: THE GALLOPS ARE BACK IN OMAN

27. October 2023

Back to Birthplace of the Gallops in the Sultanate of Oman from the 17th to 25th of February 2024! Discover the pink, ochre, and white dunes of the Wahiba Sands also known as the Sugar Dunes.

10 years ago, a hundred privileged riders discovered the Gallops, an extraordinary adventure across the Wahiba Sands to the Arabian Sea. Since then, the Gallops has explored other equally fascinating deserts: the dunes of Merzouga in Morocco (2018), the sands of Rajasthan in India (2019), and the lunar landscapes of Wadi Rum in Jordan (2021). For the tenth anniversary edition, the Gallops will return to their birthplace and cross the Wahiba Sands desert again. However, this edition will trace a new route to discover new breath-taking landscapes of the Sultanate.

The Gallops spirit.

The Gallops is an extraordinary equestrian, human, and cultural experience. Since 2014, this wild adventure has entered the hearts of the participants who have become addicted to the spirit of this unique raid. It is a privileged and almost confidential club but accessible to all. A rarity that should make new riders absolutely want to join. For this fifth edition, the number of participants will be reduced, making the adventure even more exclusive: seventy riders divided into fourteen teams will take their marks at the starting line.

The principle.

The principle of the raid remains the same: the participants must complete each of the five 30–40-kilometers stages in a time that is closest to an ideal set time.

It is not a race, but rather an endurance equestrian raid through spectacular desert landscapes, with a GPS as the only orientation tool. For this edition, GPS points will be deliberately reduced to make the route more challenging. The Gallops is an enormous sporting performance and a formidable challenge. The competition is there, and many come to win, but that is not what is important here.

Concern for the welfare of the horses.

The Oman Equestrian & Racing Federation is now the sole official body in Oman responsible for overseeing all equestrian activities in the Sultanate. The organisers of the Gallops will work under their aegis and select the horses. The horses will be Omani Arabian thoroughbreds and Anglo-Arabs from Omani riding schools. Their well-being is a major concern for the organisation. Five vets will be carrying out two checks per stage, and the horses are under constant surveillance by the „caravan“ accompanying them. The length of each stage will never exceed forty kilometres.

As with every edition, the level of riders will be closely monitored. Without being endurance champions, participants must be accomplished outdoor riders with a perfect mastery of the three gaits and an irreproachable knowledge of horses. In previous Gallops editions, inseparable pairs have been formed between rider and horse from their desert adventure to the point that riders have purchased their horse and imported them to be reunited together in their new forever home.

An uncharted course.

Departure from the beautiful Arabian Oryx Camp in the heart of the Golden Sands of the Sharqiya Desert. The journey will then reach the Arabian Sea via new routes and landscapes with superb shades of ochre and red, but also green. An unexpected oasis in an almost mystical silence in the middle of the desert will surprise the participants.

The raid comes to an end on a white sandy beach on the shores of the turquoise Arabian Sea, the Kowaima beach… a perfect party backdrop for the legendary and unmissable White Party that will take place under the fabulous starry sky in this magical place.

At the end of a shortened fifth leg, the riders will be taken back to Muscat, where polo players will be able to take part in a beach polo tournament, again on the shores of the Arabian Sea, in front of an expected large audience.

New for pedestrians: camel trekking.

Not everyone rides horses, however, many dream of discovering the fabulous landscapes of the Wahiba Sands while embarking on their own unique adventure. This edition, the Gallops will offer trekking stages for accompanying persons: routes of around twenty kilometres which will join the same arrival of the horses from the lunch site. In case of fatigue, two camels will follow, ready to take the exhausted walkers on their backs. For the first few stages, trekkers will be accompanied by a camel master, but after that, participants will have to find their own way with a GPS: adventure is for everyone.

A warrior‘s rest.

While in Muscat, the capital of Oman, the participants will be received at the 5* Intercontinental Hotel. In the desert, participants will sleep in bivouacs and comfortable tents where the oriental dream will continue in an exotic setting with all the logistics necessary and buffets that will delight the taste buds of adventurers after the multi-coloured sands have delighted their pupils. There are also 5* bivouacs where after night falls, traditional shows given by the particularly welcoming Bedouins in Oman, and the sumptuous White Party will punctuate this adventure with exceptional encounters and moments.

For the fifth time, the Gallops promises to be exciting and unique. A new setting to discover: deserts that are fascinating as they are full of curiosities, life, and diverse landscapes.

For more information and for registration please visit our website (gallops.fr) or contact us by email (contact@gallopsofoman.com).

Back to Birthplace of the Gallops in the Sultanate of Oman from the 17th to 25th of February 2024! Discover the pink, ochre, and white dunes of the Wahiba Sands…