WELLINGTON, FL, January 31, 2021 – Dundas prevailed over Bushwood on Saturday by a score of 12-9 to win the Aspen Valley 8-Goal Cup.
Dundas (Sarah Siegel-Magness, Fran Spinacci, Mariano Fassetta, and Robertito Zedda) met Bushwood (Nick McClelland, Nick Manifold, Kris Kampsen, and Michael Armour) in the final match of the Aspen Valley 8-Goal Cup yesterday at Grand Champions’ Santa Rita Polo Farm. Dundas, fielding a 7-goal team, started the match with one goal on the board.
Bushwood took control of the ball at the bowl-in, shooting on goal just 20 seconds into play, but Robertito Zedda of Dundas drew first blood of the match. Michael Armour put the first goal on the board for Bushwood, and Kris Kampsen, continuing his 100% streak on penalty shots in the Aspen Valley Cup, converted on a penalty 3. Mariano Fassetta put another shot between the posts to end the chukker 3-2 for Dundas.
Shortly into the second chukker, Kris Kampsen tied the score at 3-3 on a penalty 2. With slightly more than a minute and a half left in the chukker, Kris Kampsen deflected a shot on goal by Zedda, but Mariano Fasseta tapped it through for his second goal of the day. In the third chukker, Dundas kept Bushwood off the goal while Zedda scored to end the half 5-3 for Dundas.
Sarah Magness started the second half by successfully converting a penalty 2, with Nick Manifold answering to bring the score to 6-4. Magness knocked in another penalty shot, again on a penalty two. With less than 30 seconds of play left, Kampsen scored with an impressive neck shot to end the chukker with Dundas up 2 goals, at 7-5.
Barely twenty seconds into the fifth chukker, Robertito Zedda cracked the ball downfield to Fasetta, who found the goal to score. With 4:18 left to play, Zedda pounded the ball downfield in a spectacular long shot to put Dundas ahead 9-5. Michael Armour found the goal, with Kris Kampsen converting his third penalty shot of the day and following up with yet another goal to cut the Dundas advantage to one goal, at 9-8.
As the final chukker opened with Bushwood nipping at their heels, Dundas took the offensive. Fasetta, Spinacci and Magness each scored a goal, gaining a four-goal lead over Bushwood. Kampsen knocked in a final shot for Bushwood to end the match 12-9 with Dundas capturing the title. Kris Kampsen was the high scoring player for the game, while Robertito Zedda was named MVP. Best Playing Pony was J-5 Matilde, ridden by Zedda in the fifth chukker.
Images: © Grand Champions Polo Club
Grand Champions will host multiple tournaments throughout the season, as will World Polo League, with schedules to be released in the near future. A premier polo destination, Grand Champions and Santa Rita Polo Farm boast 18 beautifully manicured polo fields, 11 of which are tournament grade, 120 stalls spread throughout five self-contained barns, an exercise track, five climate-controlled tack rooms, a vet room, staff quarters, a guest house, and four fields with state-of-the-art underground irrigation.
Located in Wellington, FL, the world’s ultimate winter equestrian destination, Grand Champions typically hosts players from around the world. The World Polo League features top international players, including many stars of the Argentine pitch.
While Grand Champions brings international stars to Wellington, players of every level can find a home at the club. The Polo School offers instructions to beginners of all ages and will operate from January through May. Players of all experience levels can enjoy a customized polo experience including horses, pros, and certified umpires as well as lessons and practice sessions through the Polo on Demand program.
With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to impact polo this year, Grand Champions will carry on implementing the protocols that allowed polo to be safely played at the Aspen Valley Polo Club over the summer and at Grand Champtions in the autumn.
WINTER 2021 COVID-19 POLICY: The GCPC property, facilities, and events are only accessible to polo players, their immediate families, and necessary staff. This policy will remain in effect until further notice.
The GCPC family is immensely grateful and humbled by the excitement and support shown by locals and new guests over the years. We wish we could welcome everyone to the sidelines to cheer our players on; however, in order to remain in operation amidst a global pandemic, we regret to inform you that Grand Champions Polo Club events and facilities are currently closed to the public. Ultimately, our goal as a Club is to keep polo going, but our goal as a community first and foremost is to keep everyone safe and healthy.
There is nothing we would love more than to have more spectators on the sidelines and to greet new and friendly faces to the Club. Unfortunately, we cannot operate as normal and have temporarily minimized the Club’s capacity in an effort to prioritize the health and safety of our community.
MORE UPDATES TO COME SOON: For potential GCPC policy changes, we encourage our fans to continue to check our Instagram and website for more updates to come.
In the meantime, we thank you for your cooperation in this team effort to ensure we can keep playing polo, as well as keep playing our part in the community to minimize risk and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
We appreciate your loyalty and understanding and hope to see you back on the sidelines soon!
