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The two most prestigious French polo teams faced each other this afternoon in the final of the Marta & Lucien Barrière Gold Cup: the team from La Baule, Brittany Polo Club and the local team, Talandracas, already six times winner of this Coupe d’Or. With two teams like these, each one having an impressive “resume”, one could only expect an exceptional final. The 2000 or so spectators were not disappointed. If, in the end, it was Brittany Polo Club who lifted the Gold Cup for the first time, further writing their history, it was above all polo that emerged as the big winner of this mythical tournament.

One could only expect a great game because beyond Deauville, these two teams are successful outside France, being the only two French teams of this century to have won the two most prestigious titles in Europe: the Queen‘s Cup at Windsor, in the royal club of Guards and the Gold Cup (British Open) at Cowdray.

Talandracas‘ iconic captain, Edouard Carmignac was presented with the Queen‘s Cup by Prince Harry in 2011. That year he played with two Argentine Open winners, Milo Fernandez Araujo and Lucas Monteverde. In 2014, he was again in the final with Polito Pieres, Juan Martin Nero and Santiago Stirling, but lost to Zacara.

After winning the Gold Cup for the first time in 2009 with Facundo and Gonzalito Pieres, Jean-François Decaux lifted the coveted British trophy again last year with a team consisting of no less than Adolfo and Poroto Cambiaso and Diego Cavanagh. 

For this Gold Cup Marta & Lucien Barrière, the two finalist captains had, as usual, recruited great players: Benjamin Urquiza and Diego Cavanagh for Brittany Polo Club and Rufino Bensadon and Juan-Martin Zubia for Talandracas, who play at the highest level in Argentina, in particular in the Abierto, a world elite tournament. Winning in Deauville was therefore a matter of prestige for these great professionals, which explains their commitment on the field this afternoon in Deauville.

The game lived up to its promise and never, until the end of the third chukker, was the gap greater than 1 goal. The scoreboard showed a perfect tie (6-6) when the teams returned to the field after the half time. It was then that Brittany took off to take a 3-goal advantage. But it was not over yet thanks to the genius of Rufino Bensadon, who brought back the game on his own. His opponent Benjamin Urquiza scored again (10-9). However, that wasn‘t the end of the story as Rufino Bensadon had the equaliser at the end of a 60-yard penalty with just seconds to go… yet the ball went just wide of the posts leaving Brittany victorious.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game and that the score would be close,“ said champagne-covered Diego Cavanagh. We went into the last chukker with a three-goal lead, which is always good at this stage of a game. But then Rufino Bensadon put on a real show, he was unstoppable when he went off dribbling the ball and scored three goals that made us having doubts. He‘s an incredible player, full of talent, very quick, almost impossible to ride-off. He was on fire in that last chukker, he put Talandracas back in the game yet fortunately it ended well for us.”

In these very close games, it is often the horses that make the difference and it was indeed a mare ridden by Diego in the last chukker that was crowned best Argentine pony of the final: „DS Soprano is a mare of Benjamin Urquiza, that he gave me in the last chukker in exchange for one of mine. The mare is very easy to handle, very explosive“.  A winning exchange! Tomorrow, Diego, Soprano, their teammates and their opponents will leave for Chantilly to prepare for the Engel & Völkers French Open, a tournament of the same level, but with sixteen teams and after this performance in Deauville, Brittany Polo Club is now one of the favourites: „First of all, we‘ll celebrate this victory this evening as we should, savouring the fact of having won this tournament and we‘ll wait until tomorrow to start thinking about the French Open.“ Following this Diego, like most of the protagonists of these tournaments, will fly to Argentina to prepare for the biggest event of the season: the Triple Crown.

The doors of the Deauville International Polo Club closed on this beautiful game which is perfectly in line with the legend of the Marta & Lucien Barrière Gold Cup. A particularly successful season both from a sporting point of view and in terms of attendance. Deauville is a place where people learn to love polo.


Battle between the two pillars of the teams: Diego Cavanagh and Juan-Martin Zubia!

 

Brittany Polo Club : 
Jean-François Decaux (1)
Benjamin Urquiza (6, 7 goals of which 3 penalties)
Diego Cavanagh (8, 3 goals)
Roberto Iturrioz (1)

Talandracas :
Hugues Carmignac (1, 2 goals)
Rufino Bensadon (7, 7 goals of which 4 penalties)
Juan-Martin Zubia (8)
Édouard Carmignac (0) 

Progression Brittany Polo Club :
2/0, 4/4, 6/6, 9/6, 10/9

MVP : Rufino Bensadon
MVP Amateur : Hugues Carmignac

BPP AACCP (best Argentinian playing pony of the final) : DS Soprano ridden Diego Cavanagh and belonging to Benjamin Urquiza, 9 years old by Dolfina Popular

BBP of the final: Peregrino Bandita, a mare belonging to Rufino Bensadon, daughter of Open Bandera played in Palermo by Pablo Mac Donough.

 

Photos by R&B Presse / Pascal Renauldon
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ASPEN, COLORADO: On the 25th August 2022, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, Co-Founding Patron of Sentebale, returned to the stunning grounds of Aspen Valley Polo Club to play in the 2022 Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup. Each year, the Polo Cup raises awareness and funds to support Sentebale’s work with children and young people in Southern Africa whose lives have been affected by extreme poverty, inequality, HIV/AIDS and recently COVID-19.
 
The Sentebale Team claimed victory in a fast-paced round robin tournament featuring Royal Salute and U.S. Polo Assn. Their win was the result of a spectacular team effort which saw every player scoring at least one goal. The team was captained by the charity’s ambassador and Argentine polo player, Nacho Figueras, who played alongside The Duke of Sussex, Grant Ganzi, and Steve Cox.
 
The Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup is the charity’s annual flagship fundraising event, which over the last decade has raised around £10million to support Sentebale’s work in providing vulnerable children and young people in Lesotho and Botswana with access to vital health services, care and support, and skills to be self-sufficient and thrive.
 
Around 200 guests, including former All Black rugby player and ISPS Handa Ambassador Dan Carter were treated to an afternoon of polo at the foothills of the majestic Mount Sopris before dining at The St. Regis Aspen Resort. Carter delivered a speech to guests followed by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex and Nacho Figueras.
 
Prior to concluding The Duke’s speech, he introduced a music video written and produced by three young artists from Lesotho commissioned by Sentebale titled, “We Are The Future”. The story is grounded in the agency of young people, who are thechangemakers at the centre of solutions that they know work best for their communities. Over the years Sentebale’s ways of working have evolved, yet the focus has remained the same – to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable children and young people. The charity has learnt that by listening to young people and working in a way that they lead, have agency, and are empowered is the key to driving sustainable outcomes for communities and future generations.
 
Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, Co-Founding Patron of Sentebale said,At Sentebale we strive to break generational cycles of trauma and stigma every day. By educating and empowering young people to know their status and to know they can live long, healthy lives while on medication, we aim to end HIV once and for all.”
 
Midori Miyazaki, International Executive Director of ISPS Handa said, “On behalf of my Chairman Dr Haruhisa Handa, our gratitude goes to the Sentebale team, the Aspen Valley Polo Club, the players, and all the other sponsors and spectators who made this event possible. It’s been a true platform to showcase how the ‘power of sport’ can bring us together, to make a difference in the lives of the children in Lesotho and Botswana who need your support as they overcome the challenges that come with HIV and AIDS. Our thanks to ISPS Ambassador and Rugby Legend Dan Carter, for representing us and for being the incredible voice of the ‘power of sport’ making a positive difference in the world. To The Duke of Sussex, he is, as ever, the ultimate inspiration and we salute his unwavering commitment in being the light of hope to those who are suffering around the world, and we look forward to benefiting from his vision and insight for many years to come.
 
Lesotho and Botswana, have the second and fourth highest HIV infection rates globally. The road to ending AIDS as a global health threat by 2030 continues to experience gains and setbacks. In Botswana, rates of adult HIV prevalence have been halved in the last 20 years and, in what the World Health Organization has called a “remarkable achievement”, the country is on its way to becoming the first African country to eliminate mother-to-child transmissions of HIV. In 2021, Lesotho met the UNAIDS targets of over 90% of people living with HIV knowing their status, over 90% enrolling on treatment and over 90% of those on treatment with viral load supressed. Botswana and Lesotho show that the virtual elimination of HIV is within sight and is possible. Yet for the past two-and-a-half years, young people and their families having to navigate two global health pandemics – COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS. It has compounded many of the social challenges facing children and young people and exacerbated existing inequalities.  Adolescent girls and young women continue to be exposed to risky behaviours and practices in efforts to provide security and a livelihood, there has been a rise in early and unintended pregnancies and gender-based violence cases across Lesotho and Botswana, and Sentebale youth advocates have reported a decline in mental health and wellbeing amongst their peers due to increasing levels of unemployment and a lack of youth-friendly information and services available.
 
The funds raised from this year’s Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup are essential to ensuring the progress made in recent years is maintained. Sentebale’s holistic package of support for vulnerable children and young people focusses on four key areas: strengthening the social and emotional wellbeing of those living with or affected by HIV; working with communities to provide young people with access to health and social services; driving youth advocacy to improve health, education, and social protection; and building individuals skills and livelihoods so they are more resilient, self-confident and empowered members of their communities. This layered approach is supporting positive health outcomes, improving access to education and services, and is nurturing children and young people to thrive.
Sentebale is enormously grateful to all the players and partners for their support in making this year’s event possible including, title sponsor, ISPS Handa, team sponsors Royal Salute and U.S. Polo Assn., venue hosts, Aspen Valley Polo Club and The St. Regis Aspen Resort.
 
 

 

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex plays polo during the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup 2022 on August 25, 2022 in Aspen, Colorado. © Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Sentebale

 

Dinner speech by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup 2022:

“Thank you, Dan, for the kind introduction.

Good evening everyone! We are delighted to be back in Aspen on behalf of Sentebale, supporting our vital work with children and young people across Southern Africa whose lives have been affected by extreme poverty, inequality, and HIV/AIDS.

I want to give a special thanks to our title sponsor and partner, ISPS Handa, whose commitment and support of our work started back in 2014. Midori is an avid supporter of our work and we are so grateful for Dr Handa’s belief in our mission.

Thank you also to Royal Salute for your continued support, you’ve been with us for many years and the Sentebale Polo Cup wouldn’t be the same without you. It really is amazing how far Malcolm and others will travel for your whiskey!

Thank you to The St. Regis, for your exceptional hospitality and enduring partnership; and to the U.S. Polo Assn. who truly embody what ‘polo for good’ is all about. Special thanks from Sentebale to Michael Prince for your support too.

Finally, I especially want to thank Melissa and Marc Ganzi for being the most incredible hosts – and friends – of Sentebale. Thank you to everyone who has played their part in making this year’s event possible – those of you who have given up your time to play, and those of you from our charity team who have come all this way to ensure a smooth and successful event.

Before I continue, I’d like to take a minute to acknowledge a great loss to our polo community. Many of you know by now that our friend Chevy died unexpectedly and tragically earlier this week. Many of you played with him, and I remember taking the field with him back in 2019 at the Royal Charity Polo Cup.

Chevy was taken far too young. He was accomplished both on and off the pitch as the former captain of the England Under-21 team, as a brilliant leader in the healthcare industry, and as a renowned philanthropist who played a vital role in getting Malaysians vaccinated during the pandemic. He and his wife are expecting a baby soon and were planning to take some time to celebrate their family’s joy after this week. Whatever support you can give Chevy’s wife I know will be so well received.

I found a quote that Chevy gave a number of years back that I wanted to share with you. He said, “Some people are simply just happy with what they’re doing. But personally, I believe I’m here in this world to do something that’s hopefully beneficial. I want to leave behind a legacy – a good and positive one.”

Let’s make sure his words stay with us and guide us, not just for this week, but every day as part of our busy lives

My dear friend Prince Seeiso and I founded Sentebale 16 years ago in honour of our mothers, with a mission to support many of the most vulnerable young people on the planet – and to give them care and help them thrive.

In Sesotho, the language of the Basotho – the word Sentebale means “forget-me-not”. Next week is the 25th anniversary of my mother’s death, and she most certainly will never be forgotten. I want it to be a day filled with memories of her incredible work and love for the way she did it. I want it to be a day to share the spirit of my mum with my family, with my children, who I wish could have met her.

Every day, I hope to do her proud. She was tireless in her work to support and destigmatise those experiencing HIV/AIDS. Fittingly, her favourite flowers were “forget-me-nots”.

I hope we can remember my mother’s legacy by recommitting to those we serve, whoever and wherever that may be. For Sentebale, our commitment is to ending HIV and providing meaningful care and support for the children and young people whose lives have been affected by this disease. Because they too will never be forgotten.

We do this holistically, by promoting social-emotional wellbeing, community health services, youth education, and skill-building. Every day, when we see the smiles of the children we serve, we know that the work can’t stop. This is the next generation.

Today, Sentebale operates in Lesotho and Botswana, which have the second and fourth highest HIV infection rates globally. But we’re making huge progress, largely because we listen to and partner with their youth. In Lesotho, we’re meeting UNAIDS targets, and now over 90 percent of people living with HIV know their status, 90 percent of those who know their status are enrolled in treatment, and 90 percent of those in treatment have a suppressed viral load.

In Botswana, rates of adult HIV prevalence have been halved in the last 20 years and, in what the World Health Organization has called a ‘remarkable achievement’, the country is on its way to becoming the first African country to eliminate mother-to-child transmissions of HIV. This is huge!

Botswana and Lesotho show that the virtual elimination of HIV is within sight, and is possible to eradicate.

These gains are remarkable, and are largely owed to the determination and resilience of the Basotho and Botswana people and their communities.

Yet, the fight is not over and we cannot falter now, especially after the past two-and-half years.

During the pandemic, children and their families have had to navigate the hardship of two global health crises – COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS – which have left the communities we serve with a number of complex social challenges to tackle. High levels of unemployment, children dropping out of school, a rise in teenage pregnancies and gender-based violence, and more.

The funds raised from this event will go a long way towards bringing care, hope, and opportunity to the children and families who need it most.

At Sentebale we strive to break generational cycles of trauma and stigma every day. By educating and empowering young people to know their status and to know they can live long, healthy lives while on medication, we aim to end HIV once and for all.

By being here today, you are a part of our journey. So, we thank you. I thank you. And if she were here, I know my mother would thank you too.

Before we eat, I would like to introduce “We Are The Future,” a song and music video created by three inspiring young Basotho artists. It is their story, and their message, that I leave you with tonight.”

Photos by Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Sentebale
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We had to wait until the very last minutes of this „semi-final“ between Barrière and Brittany Polo Club to know the finalists of the 2022 Marta and Lucien Barrière Gold Cup. It will be a battle between the two biggest French teams, the only ones to have won, in this 21st century, the British Gold Cup (Brittany Polo Club) and the Queen‘s Cup (Talandracas), the two most prestigious titles outside Argentina

The two big powerful teams of Sunday‘s final were nevertheless greatly challenged by a smaller team, the winner of the Silver Cup: Barrière, whose captain Isabelle Larenaudie was making her first appearance at this level. The team she formed with the Zavaleta family came very close to being a spoilsport today. If they had won, all three teams would have had to go battle it out in a shoot-out: the famous penalty shots where nerves often play the main role. Brittany Polo Club’s men didn‘t want to go through that. The team in black was held up from start to finish by the Zavelatas, who were all very inspired and never let go of their opponents! Most of the time, the gap between the two teams was only one goal. Sometimes two. At the end of the game, Ramiro Zavaleta put the two teams back on the same level with a magnificent and intelligent goal and it took a great Diego Cavanagh to snatch the victory with a few seconds left on the clock scoring his only goal of the game! The Zavaleta‘s disappointment was sad to witness at the prize-giving ceremony, but this fine team still leaves Deauville with the Silver Cup and high hopes for the upcoming French Open.

See you on Sunday at 5.30 p.m. to know the outcome of this beautiful edition of the Gold Cup… and on Saturday at the same time for the Bronze Cup whose finalists will be known tomorrow.

Barrière: Isabelle Larenaudie (0) Ramiro Zavaleta (4,2 goals) Juans-Gris Zavaleta (7, 5 goals) Simon Zavaleta (5, 1 goal)

Brittany Polo Club: Jean-François Decaux (1) Benjamin Urquiza (6, 6 goals) Diego Cavanagh (8, 1 goal) Roberto Iturrioz (1, 2 goals)

Progression Brittany Polo Club: 1/0 – 2/1 – 4/3 – 6/5 – 9/8

Photos by R&B Presse / Pascal Renauldon
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CARBONDALE, Colo., August 25, 2022—-With the summer polo season winding down, Aspen Valley Polo Club will host its biggest weekend at McClure River Ranch.

A tournament doubleheader is scheduled for Friday and Sunday with the Triple Crown of Polo-Aspen and Maroon Bells Cup.

The highlight of the weekend is Sunday‘s Summer Polo Charity Classic for the Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation. Last year‘s event raised more than $500,000 after a year‘s hiatus because of the pandemic. It is the club‘s summer marquis event and one of the city‘s most anticipated social summer events.

Six teams will compete Friday in the two-day tournament. Preliminary round robin action for the ninth and tenth tournaments of the summer will be held at McClure River Ranch Fields 1 and 2. 

At 10 a.m. on Field 1, Santa Rita (Melissa Ganzi, Alejandra Foster, Gonzalito Pieres, Alejandro Novillo Astrada) will play Victory (Kevin Schmeits, Vinny Sangaline, Torito Ruiz, Nacho Novillo Astrada) in the Maroon Bells Cup. It will be a continuous game with Friday‘s score carrying into Sunday.

Also on Friday, four teams will compete in the Triple Crown of Polo-Aspen on Field 2. Los Amigos (Paul Foster, Jason Crowder, Grant Ganzi, Nic Roldan) plays McClure River Ranch (Lauren Sherry, Pablo Spinacci, Pancho Bensadon, Stewart Armstrong) at 11:30 a.m. followed by La Karina (Brian Boyd, Michael Payne, Gonzalito Pieres, Sugar Erskine) playing Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Marc Ganzi, Tomacho Pieres, Juan Martin Nero) at 1 p.m.


Jason Crowder and Gonzalito Pieres.

Action continues on Sunday Funday with the Just For The Thrill Of It at 10 a.m., Maroon Bells Cup at 11:30 a.m., Kidz Wheely Polo at 1 p.m. and Triple Crown of Polo-Aspen.

Last year Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Marc Ganzi, Gonzalito Pieres, Juan Bollini) defeated NetJets (Alejandra Foster, Gussie Busch, Nic Roldan, Nacho Figueras), 9-8, in overtime to win the Aspen leg of the Triple Crown of Polo. Pieres was MVP.

In the Maroon Bells Cup, White Birch (Chris Brant, Grant Ganzi, Torito Ruiz, Mariano Aguerre) defeated Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Jimmy Seward, Nic Roldan, Nacho Novillo Astrada), 8-7, in the final. Aguerre was MVP.


Juan Martin Nero and Kevin Schmeits.

The Triple Crown of Polo, an ESPN2 television series, was created in 2005 by David McLane, known for Pro Beach Hockey, Women of Wrestling and Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, to help promote polo in the U.S. The show was seen in 129 countries.

Designed by Tiffany & Co., the Triple Crown of Polo trophy is comprised of three separate trophies that fit perfectly together to create an entire polo scene that is breathtaking in sterling silver.

The spectacular trophy was created for the ESPN2 event that had stops at Sarasota Polo Club, Las Colinas Polo Club in Dallas and Santa Barbara Polo Club the first year in 2006 and Sarasota and New Bridge Polo and Country Club in Aiken, S.C. in 2007 during its heyday before it went on hiatus.

Tournament winners will be inscribed on the trophy and added to an impressive list of teams that feature several top players including Sebastian Merlos, Mike Azzaro, Tommy Biddle, Adam Snow, Nic Roldan, Matias Magrini, Jeff Hall, Mariano Gonzalez, Michel Dorignac and Kris Kampsen.


Tomacho Pieres and Nic Roldan.

The Maroon Bells Cup is named after North America‘s most photographed mountain peaks. Nestled in the Elk Mountains near Aspen and featuring great hiking trails and fishing holes, the iron-rich Maroon Bells are so beautiful that more than 300,000 people typically visit them in the summer months alone.

Aspen Valley Polo Club kicked off its ninth season eight weeks ago. So far, Los Amigos and Brookshire have each won two tournament titles.

In the season-opener Los Amigos (Paul Foster, Marc Ganzi, Gonzalito Pieres, Tomacho Pieres) won the Independence Cup with a round robin victory over Casablanca (Alejandra Foster, Grant Ganzi, Torito Ruiz, Nic Roldan) and NetJets (Melissa Ganzi, Nacho Figueras, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Juan Bollini). Los Amigos (Paul Foster, Marc Ganzi, Gonzalito Pieres, Nacho Figueras) won its second tournament of the season with a 6-4 victory over Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Brian Boyd, Nacho Novillo Astrada/Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Jason Crowder). Pieres was MVP.

Brookshire (Scott Wood, Jason Crowder, Nic Roldan, Juan Bollini) won its club debut in the ChukkerTV Cup with an 11-7 win over Los Amigos (Paul Foster, Vinny Sangaline, Gonzalito Pieres, Nacho Figueras). Brookshire (Scott Wood, Ale Poma, Nacho Figueras, Torito Ruiz) won its second tournament of the season in the Basalt Handicap with a 12-7 win over Mountain Chevrolet (Michael Payne, Stewart Armstrong, Nic Roldan, Alex Gooding). 

McClure River Ranch (Marc Ganzi, Jason Crowder, Pancho Bensadon, Stewart Armstrong) won the Craig Sakin Memorial with a 9-8 victory over Santa Rita (Melissa Ganzi, Vinny Sangaline, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Juan Bollini).


Grant Ganzi and Torito Ruiz.

Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Nic Roldan, Grant Ganzi, Blas Bensadon) won the Emma Challenge with an 11-8 victory over defending champion Los Amigos(Paul Foster, Vinny Sangaline, Nacho Figueras, Tomacho Pieres). 

La Karina (Lauren Sherry, Brian Boyd, Torito Ruiz, Tomacho Pieres) won the Mount Sopris Cup with a 9-8 win over NetJets (Melissa Ganzi, Vinny Sangaline, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Juan Bollini). 

Last weekend, NetJets (Melissa Ganzi, Jason Crowder, Nic Roldan, Juan Bollini) won the NetJets Rocky Mountain Open with a 7-6 overtime win over Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Marc Ganzi, Tomacho Pieres, Gonzalito Pieres). Roldan earned his third MVP title of the season. Brookshire/Mountain Chevrolet (Michael Payne, Fran Spinacci, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Nacho Novillo Astrada) won the Carbondale Classic with a 6-5 win over La Karina (Brian Boyd, Pablo Spinacci, Pancho Bensadon, Stewart Armstrong) for third place. Nacho Novillo Astrada was MVP. 

The world‘s destination spot for summer polo has attracted some of the world‘s top players, sponsors and world-class horses.

With the majestic 12,965-foot summit of Mount Sopris as a backdrop under a bright summer sky, polo has returned to the valley July through September with a record number thirteen tournaments.


Nacho Novillo Astrada and Nacho Figueras.

Other summer tournaments remaining are the Silver Queen Invitational and Ute Challenge.

Wellington, Fla.-based ChukkerTV will live stream the entire 2022 polo season Mountain Standard Time with announcer Dale Schwetz calling the action.

Last summer Aspen Valley Polo Club finished a successful and historic season in club and Rocky Mountain Circuit history and is on its way of topping that this season. 

Since Marc and Melissa Ganzi resurrected the club and polo in 2014, polo has increased in popularity in Aspen and surrounding cities and is the epicenter for polo in the valley. The club‘s offerings include various weekly grass and arena tournaments, Arena & Asado Nights, Kidz Polo, Gymkhana, Kidz 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 on more than six world-class fields. There are also indoor and outdoor polo arenas.

Aspen was founded as a silver mining town in the 1800s and was named for the abundance of aspen trees growing in the area and famous for their tall, thin trunks and golden leaves. Conde Nast Traveler‘s Reader‘s Choice Awards recognized Aspen as the No. 1 Small City in the U.S.


Jeff Hildebrand and Marc Ganzi.

The Polo School for all ages and ability levels operates in Carbondale July through September. For more information on tournaments or Polo School contact Director of Operations Juan Bollini at 561-346-1099 or club manager Cale Newman at 561-876-2930.

Aspen Valley Polo Club caters 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.

The family-friendly club welcomes spectators. All matches  are free and open to the public. Free food and refreshments are available on Sundays.

When not playing or watching polo, there‘s all kinds of outdoor activities in a true adventurer‘s playground including hiking, mountaineering, camping, mountain biking, paddle boarding, water rafting, swimming, fly fishing and golf.

By Sharon Robb
Photos by Candace Ferreira

 

Maroon Bells Cup Schedule

Friday 8/26
10am Santa Rita vs Victory
McClure River Ranch field 1

Saturday 8/27
10:30am Just For The Love Of It Cup
WPL vs Victory

11:30am Kidz Polo

Sunday 8/28
10am Just For The Thrill Of It Cup
McClure River Ranch field 2

11:30am  The Maroon Bells Cup Final
McClure River Ranch field 1

 

Triple Crown Of Polo – Aspen Schedule

Friday 8/26
11:30am Los Amigos vs McClure River Ranch
McClure River Ranch field 2

1pm La Karina vs Tonkawa
McClure River Ranch field 2

Sunday 8/28
1pm Kidz Wheely Polo

1:30pm The Triple Crown Of Polo – Aspen Final
McClure River Ranch field 1

 


 

2022 Aspen Valley Polo Club Schedule

August
Triple Crown of Polo – Aspen 8/24-8/28 
Maroon Bells Cup – 8/24 – 8/28

September
Silver Queen Invitational 8/31 – 9/4
Ute Challenge TBD

Arena Tournaments & Asado – Tuesday Evenings
Kids Wheely Polo games during select tournament halftimes

Summer Polo Charity Classic
for the Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation

Sunday August 28, 2022

Visit www.aspenvalleypoloclub.com for more details.
Games live-streamed on www.chukkertv.com 

The United States Polo Association and participating clubs are eager to announce the inaugural Florida Circuit 16-Goal Series. Spearheaded by Tournament Committee Chairman, Stevie Orthwein, the series will be played across multiple clubs, with the Championship hosted by the National Polo Center – Wellington (NPC). The participating clubs include Port Mayaca Polo Club (Okeechobee, Florida) and Sarasota Polo Club (Sarasota, Florida) as well as the Wellington Polo Tour (WPT) led by Patagones Polo Club (Wellington, Florida) and a series of private fields falling under the WPT umbrella. The USPA tournaments that comprise the series include the Joe Barry Memorial, Ylvisaker Cup, Iglehart Cup and Continental Cup. Each tournament will serve as a qualifier for the Florida Circuit 16-Goal Series Championship, with each winning team moving on to the final event at the beginning of April.  

A true testament to collaboration between South Florida clubs, there is a shared benefit in this new endeavor, allowing for participants to experience all the comforts of their home club while also having the opportunity to play in front of a large crowd at NPC. The Joe Barry Memorial and the Ylvisaker Cup will both be guaranteed three Sunday matches on NPC’s U.S. Polo Assn. Field One, while all Championship games will be played at NPC. The innovative medium-goal event is expected to draw more teams into competition than in previous years. “The Ylvisaker Cup, Iglehart Cup and Joe Barry Memorial have not been very well attended in regard to spectators and team participation the past few years,” shared USPA Executive Director of Services Carlucho Arellano. “Often the same few teams play for the first two months. We wanted to make these events National Events to add to the prestige and attract more teams. It will be more exciting to see different teams, and we’re confident that it will bring more people into the stands.” 

An initiative that began in June with the USPA’s purchase of NPC, Orthwein and the Tournament Committee were driven to make the most of the new facility. “NPC is an asset that all USPA members want to use, and we had to come up with a way where we could work together to use it,” Orthwein remarked. The Committee’s goal was to involve as many clubs and members in the area as possible to create the best possible medium-goal competition. Located three hours west of NPC, Sarasota Polo Club’s involvement is especially noteworthy given the distance, and enthusiastically welcomed and celebrated in the spirit of improving the level of polo across the circuit.

Intentionally scheduled so that no two qualifiers overlap, the series encourages participation from all interested teams and strives to make playing in any and all qualifiers possible. This also ensures that each host club will have the opportunity to take the spotlight during their qualifier and no participating club gets overshadowed. However, teams are not required to enter all four qualifying tournaments; single tournament entries are permitted. The winning team from each qualifying tournament will qualify for the Florida Circuit 16-Goal Series Championship (which will include four teams) held at NPC from Wednesday, April 5, 2023 through Sunday, April 9, 2023, with the final held on NPC’s U.S. Polo Assn. Field One. Should a team win more than one qualifier, that team will automatically advance to the Florida Circuit 16-Goal Series Championship. To reinforce the idea that all participation is encouraged, players may compete in as many events as they would like on either the same team or on different teams. Yet, if a player triumphs in more than one event but on different teams, that player must choose which team he or she would like to compete with in the Florida Circuit 16-Goal Series Championship and the other team may use a substitute. Qualifying teams must maintain at least two of their original members in order to play in the Championship.

Thrilled that the idea is taking off, Orthwein noted the importance of this series for the future of medium-goal polo, saying, “Medium-goal in the past has lacked a coordinated, prestigious event. It has always been on the back-burner. Here’s the chance to make a very prestigious event. That’s something I’d like to grow and build on at this level. At the heart of it, all the clubs want to have better polo and a more dynamic Florida season.”

The series also opens doors for a wide variety of players, including those looking to transition from low-goal to medium-goal, some who want to play at a competitive level outside of high-goal, as well as many who are eager to test the waters before taking their team to the high-goal level. “The 16-goal level is the crossroads of medium-goal and high-goal. You’re going to have a lot of surprising winners and competitive games and players who don’t normally compete at that level,” added Orthwein. “I think we are going to see some really interesting teams. The Championship being at multiple clubs allows more people to be involved,” he continued. Intended to raise the bar for medium-goal polo, the increased number of participants in the tournaments will force clubs to increase their competitive edge. “It’s a way for clubs to measure themselves and to challenge other clubs,” Arellano noted. “We’re hoping that it’s going to improve the level across the state and across the circuit.” 

Another great benefit for professional players, especially Americans, is the visibility and opportunity to showcase their talents which could lead to opportunities at a higher level in the future. Arellano shared, “We’re finding it’s a great step up for a lot of 4-, 5-, and 6-goal American players who are able to play at this level.” He continued, “They can improve their string and they can keep that competitive edge so that if they get an opportunity to play the high goal, they’re right there.” As all of the qualifiers and the Championship are National Events they will follow USPA tournament rules, meaning that many spots will be reserved for Americans, ensuring the continued development of homegrown talent.

The true beauty of the endeavor is not only what it promises for medium-goal polo, but what it promises more broadly for the sport. While the series focuses specifically on medium goal, there is room to expand to other levels. “This series of multiple clubs playing in something that culminates in a championship at NPC is a concept that could easily be translated to other levels of polo,” Orthwein asserted. The USPA’s ownership of NPC, has created possibilities for inclusion and growth in all areas of American polo.

Given the recent success of the Gauntlet of Polo, suspense is building regarding a new winter series in the Florida Circuit 16-Goal Series Championship. Enthusiasm is spreading, and many teams are already getting organized and preparing to enter qualifiers. While spots are filling fast, it is not too late to throw a hat in the ring. 

More information on dates and how to enter each event is listed below.

 


 

Florida Circuit 16-Goal Series Championship Qualifying Tournaments

Joe Barry Memorial

• Hosted and managed by Port Mayaca Polo Club 
• Tournament Dates: January 3- January 22, 2023 (Three Sundays on the NPC U.S. Polo Assn. Field One)
• Final: January 22, 2023, on NPC U.S. Polo Assn. Field One 
• Contact Laura Townsend for entry

Phone: (772) 228-0115
Email: Laura@pmpolo.com

Ylvisaker Cup

• Hosted and managed by Wellington Polo Tour
• Tournament Dates: January 20-February 12, 2023 (Three Sundays on the NPC U.S. Polo Assn. Field One)
• Final: February 12, 2023, on NPC U.S. Polo Assn. Field One
• Contact Juan Olivera for entry

Phone: 1 (561) 601-9316
Email: Wellingtonpolotour@gmail.com

Iglehart Cup

• Hosted and managed by Wellington Polo Tour
• Tournament Dates: February 10-March 5, 2023
• Contact Juan Olivera for entry 

Phone: 1 (561) 601-9316
Email: Wellingtonpolotour@gmail.com

Continental Cup

• Hosted and managed by Sarasota Polo Club
• Tournament Dates: February 26-March 26, 2023
• Contact Mason Wroe for entry

Phone: (432)559-7169
Email: Mason@sarasotapolo.com

Florida Circuit 16-Goal Series Championship

• Hosted and managed by NPC
• Tournament Dates: April 5-April 9, 2023 (All games played at NPC)
• Entry limited to the four winners of the qualifying tournaments

 


 

The United States Polo Association® is organized and exists for the purposes of promoting the game of polo; coordinating the activities of its member clubs and registered player members; arranging and supervising polo tournaments, competitions, and games; and providing rules, handicaps and tournament conditions for those events. Its overarching goals are improving the sport and promoting the safety and welfare of its human and equine participants. Founded in 1890, the USPA is the largest voluntary sports organization in North America for the sport of polo. The USPA is currently made up of more than 200 member clubs and approximately 5,000 registered player members. It annually awards and oversees roughly 50 national tournaments hosted by its member clubs. For more information, please visit uspolo.org.

About National Polo Center – Wellington

The National Polo Center – Wellington (NPC) is located in the heart of South Florida’s legendary horse country. The perpetual home for polo in America, NPC is owned and managed by the United States Polo Association to showcase the finest the sport has to offer. The Association’s premiere event, the Gauntlet of Polo, takes place from February to April each winter season showcasing the world’s preeminent teams, professional athletes and finest horses which come together for three months to battle head-to-head for the coveted C.V. Whitney Cup, USPA Gold Cup and U.S. Open Polo Championship trophies. Throughout the year, the facilities are also used to showcase USPA Member Clubs and prestigious national tournament competition.

The entrance to the club is via a palm tree-lined drive, that leads past tennis courts to the steps of the magnificent pool and Mallet Grille. The natural Florida terrain is augmented by a large lake, lush tropical landscaping and some of the most carefully manicured polo fields in the world. Spectating from the stadium, private boxes, fieldside tailgates and special hospitality tents, all overlooking the U.S. Polo Assn. Field One is an unparalleled experience. NPC invites you to experience the best polo in the country, taking place at one of the most beautiful venues in the world, the National Polo Center – Wellington.

About Sarasota Polo Club
Spanning 170 perfectly manicured acres, Sarasota Polo Club’s world-class facilities include: 45 private equestrian estates, seven Bermuda grass polo fields, a regulation-sized polo arena, a half-mile all-weather training track, stick-and-ball fields, riding trails, on-site stabling for up to 300 horses, an on-site veterinary clinic, a members clubhouse and a midfield polo pavilion.

For decades Sarasota Polo Club has been a popular destination and an important part of the Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch social scenes. In addition to polo, the club’s spectacular grounds and venues are home to a variety of community and social events including concerts, festivals, theater, sporting events, charity fundraisers, corporate meetings and elegant weddings. The entire facility, grounds, clubhouse and pavilion can be rented in part or as a whole.

About Port Mayaca Polo Club

Port Mayaca Polo Club (PMPC) located in Okeechobee, Florida, was founded with the mindset of bringing polo players together to share in the enjoyment and camaraderie of the polo lifestyle. Traditionally polo players traveled to Florida polo clubs to play on great fields and collaborate with other like-minded polo enthusiasts. In many ways, PMPC feels this concept has been lost over the years. Port Mayaca Polo Club takes this idea to heart and keeps it in mind with everything they do. The club strives to promote competition without animosity, quality without pretense, comfort without extravagance, and sportsmanship above all else. Port Mayaca Polo Club welcomes all polo enthusiasts to join in the community they have built to share in the love of the sport.

About Wellington Polo Tour

The Wellington Polo Tour (WPT) was created with the intention of offering fun, friendly and competitive 16-goal polo in the South Florida region. Hosting games across several different private fields, WPT provides the high-goal experience at a medium-goal level. In its inaugural year, WPT was a great success, with 12 teams competing and showcasing the promise of WPT’s original mission. This year, WPT looks forward to participating in the Florida Circuit 16-Goal Series to continue working to create space for competitive 16-goal polo in South Florida.

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After two years of absence, the Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad made a magnificent return with a sensational final that decided its winner only in the last seconds. A breathtaking game that saw Clinique La Prairie win this 25th edition of the Hublot Polo Gold Cup, the highest polo in Switzerland, and with it, four watches offered by the Swiss watchmaker.

Clinique La Prairie won on the wire, 9 to 7 ½, thanks to an imperial Raul Laplacette who made sure his team remained calm and concentrated in the crucial final minutes when the game could still go either way. Sébastien Le Page, the captain ofClinique La Prairie, was indeed worried: „I must admit that at the end of the third chukker, I told myself that we were going to miss this final, but we woke up for the last chukker.” Playing for the first time in Gstaad, the French captain and boss of the Swiss club Polo Park Zurich, wanted to prepare well with a specific method … sobriety: „It‘s the first time I play this level, I haven’t been drinking for the last three weeks so tonight it will be full-on champagne!“ Talking about the game, Le Page has an explanation of what made the odds turn in their favor: „This final could have gone either way, but I felt that Kielder Agro started to put pressure on themselves in the last chukker, I felt them more nervous and that‘s maybe what made the difference. The fact that they could not play with Bautista Beguerie (injured yesterday, broke his arm in the semi-final, ed.), must have disturbed them too, it must have certainly changed their strategy.” Clinique La Prairie‘s strategy was clearly based on calmness, especially that of its pillar, Argentine Laplacette: „Raul? He‘s the quiet force! It seems like he‘s in slow motion all the time, but he‘s actually always on the ball. This is the first time I‘ve played with him, but it‘s definitely not the last,“ said the French captain. But they could also count on Lucas Labat’s experience as he already won this tournament in 2019 wearing the same colors!


Raul Laplacette, the key man in this final, getting the better of the excellent Ezequiel Martinez-Ferrario. ©R&B Presse – Pascal Renauldon

The small final, the one for third place, allowed the Hublot team to leave Gstaad with a victory over the solid Gstaad Palace team. A game that was very balanced and pleasant to watch, one goal being immediately countered with another, a duel between Argentines Pedro Fernandez-Llorente in purple and Dario Musso in red, the latter missing a 40-yard penalty in the last 30 seconds that would have allowed them to battle it out in overtime. A beautiful victory for Hublot much to the delight of its captain Henry Fielding Elser, at 16 years the youngest player to ever be in this tournament.

It was a pleasure to be back at the Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad, which reunited with its public, packed at the edge of the field and captivated by the intensity of these finals. No doubt that they will come back next year, when the Saanen airfield will once again be the scene of highly competitive polo in the heart of the mountains from August 17 to 20 2023.


The young Swiss Luca Meier (7 goals during the tournament) was crowned best amateur player. ©R&B Presse – Pascal Renauldon

MVP: Raul Laplacette
Best amateur player: Luca Meier
Top scorer of the tournament: Raul Laplacette (15 goals)
BBP: Blanquita (ridden by Ezequiel Martinez-Ferrario in the 1st and 3rd chukker) by Dolfina Cuarteto (Cuartetera) and Blanquita, 8-year-old grey mare
Best groom: Claudio Marquez (team Gstaad Palace)

 

Teams and progression

FINAL:

Team Clinique La Prairie
Sébastien Le Page (0)
Facundo Kelly (+3), 1 goal
Lucas Labat (+5)
Raul Laplacette (+6), 8 goals

Team Kielder Agro
Luca Meier (+1), 2 goals
Fabian Bolantario (+4)
Ezequiel Martinez-Ferrario (+7), 5 goals
Fabio Meier (+1)

Progression Clinique La Prairie:
(advantage ½ goal for Kielder)
3/3½ – 6/5½ – 6/7½ et 9/7½

Subsidary final:

Team Hublot
Henry Fielding Elser (0)
Teo von Neufforge (+5), 1 goal
Goffredo Cutinelli-Rendina (+3)
Pedro Fernandez Llorente (+5), 4 goals

Team Gstaad Palace
Cedric Schweri (0)
Tomi Astelarra (+3), 1 goal
Joao Novaes (+5)
Dario Musso (+5), 3 goals

Progression Hublot:
2/1 – 3/2 – 4/3 et 5/4

CARBONDALE, Colo., August 15, 2022—-In front of a good crowd, La Karina won its first tournament of the summer polo season Sunday at McClure River Ranch Stadium.

The foursome of Lauren Sherry, Brian Boyd, Torito Ruiz and Tomacho Pieres led from start to finish for a thrilling 9-8 victory over NetJets (Melissa Ganzi, Vinny Sangaline, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Juan Bollini). Sherry and Pieres were tournament runners-up last year with Sopris Mountain Ranch.

Ruiz, 24, playing his third season in Aspen, was named Most Valuable Player. Ruiz scored a game-high six goals and was relentless on defense. He scored a total of 13 goals in the tournament.


La Karina‘s Torito Ruiz and Tomacho Pieres double team Alejandro Novillo Astrada. Photo by Candace Ferreira

 

„Torito just played so well,“ said sponsor-player Brian Boyd. „He is such a strong, young player and great teammate. He is a phenomenal young star. We are going to see a lot more of him in the high goal and Argentina.“

Fiesta, owned by Juan Martin Nero and played by Alejandro Novillo Astrada, was selected Best Playing Pony. 

„To be MVP is nice but what is important is to win with the team,“ Ruiz said. „The whole team played well and made me play better. It‘s always the team that makes you play better.“


Juan Bollini of NetJets tries to hook Torito Ruiz. Photo by Nick Tininenko

 

La Karina took control early jumping out to a 2-1 lead with goals from Ruiz and Pieres. After a scoreless second chukker, La Karina had another 2-1 chukker to lead 4-2 at the half. 

„I am happy we won, it was a fun game,“ Ruiz said. „The game plan was to play as a team and be organized on the field.“

La Karina shut out NetJets in the fourth chukker and out scored them 3-2 in the fifth. With 5:05 left in the last chukker, La Karina led 9-6. Astrada and Ganzi scored back-to-back goals but ran out of time to rally.


Brian Boyd of La Karina goes for the big hit as Vinny Sangaline defends. Photo by Nick Tininenko

 

„I am so happy to win such a great tournament with such tough teams,“ Boyd said. „That was a tough team, they play well together and reach each other well.

„We just went out there and had fun. Both Torito and Tomacho are so positive and encouraging. Any time we would have a broken play or make a mistake they were like ‚don‘t worry about it, get back in there, keep fighting.‘ It was a fun final.“

In addition to Ruiz‘ six goals, Pieres added three goals. For NetJets, Ganzi and Astrada each had a team-high three goals and Sangaline had two.


A good crowd enjoys Sunday game day at Aspen Valley Polo Club. Photo by Candace Ferreira

 

For the fifth consecutive Sunday, fans were treated to 18 chukkers in addition to Kidz Wheely Polo.

Boyd, who played all winter in Costa Careyes, Mexico, has been impressed with the level of play in Aspen since the July 3 season-opener.

„The pros are playing clean, open polo,“ Boyd said. „They are moving the ball instead of possession polo. The fields are playing so nicely and everyone is hitting the ball so well. Even the amateurs and patron players are hitting the ball well and running. Our Friday round robin games have been incredible and hardfought, so many teams advancing by just one or two goals. It‘s been competitive and fast with a lot of good horses.“


Torito Ruiz receives the MVP award from Juan Bollini. Photo by Nick Tininenko

 

Boyd, also president of the Aspen Valley Polo Club, has watched the club progress over nine years into a summer polo destination.

„It took a small village of us to build the club up,“ Boyd said. „Each year the club just gets better and better and that makes for good polo. It is the most fun place to play good polo in the summer in the U.S. There‘s great camaraderie within the club. One week you are playing with a pro and the next you are playing against him.“

In the subsidiary Just For The Fun Of It Cup, Los Amigos defeated El Tiburon, 8-6. Los Amigos broke a 3-3 tie after two chukkers with a 3-1 third chukker to lead 6-4 at the half and never trailed after that. The teams played to a 2-2 tie in the fourth quarter and then were scoreless in the final two chukkers.


Best Playing Pony Fiesta played by Alejandro Novillo Astrada. Photo by Nick Tininenko

 

Los Amigos got balanced scoring from its lineup. Bensadon led with three, Figueras and Gooding each had two and Foster added one. Roldan led El Tiburon with four goals and Marc Ganzi added two.

In the Just For The Thrill Of It Cup, Brookshire/Victory (Scott Wood, Kevin Schmeits, Gonzalito Pieres, Jason Crowder) held on for a 10-9 win over Mountain Chevrolet (Michael Payne, Sugar Erskine, Pablo Spinacci, Stewart Armstrong). 

Brookshire/Victory led by as many as four goals in the fourth (8-4) and fifth chukkers (9-5) before Mountain Chevrolet started to reel them in but ran out of time.


Fans enjoyed Kidz Wheely Polo during a fun day of polo. Photo by Nick Tininenko

 

For Brookshire/Victory, Schmeits had a team-high four goals, Crowder had three, Pieres, two and Wood added one.  Erskine led Mountain Chevrolet with four goals. Armstrong had three and Payne and Spinacci each had one goal.

In Friday‘s opening day qualifying round robin action, NetJets advanced into the final with a 4-3 win over Mountain Chevrolet and 5-3 victory over Los Amigos. La Karina qualified with a 4-4 tie with Brookshire/Victory and 5-4 win over El Tiburon.

Six teams competed over two days in the seventh tournament of the season.


Grant Ganzi of El Tiburon reaches to hook Pancho Bensadon. Photo by Candace Ferreira

 

Aspen Valley Polo Club kicked off its ninth season on July 3. In the season-opener Los Amigos (Paul Foster, Marc Ganzi, Gonzalito Pieres, Tomacho Pieres) won the Independence Cup with a round robin victory over Casablanca (Alejandra Foster, Grant Ganzi, Torito Ruiz, Nic Roldan) and NetJets (Melissa Ganzi, Nacho Figueras, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Juan Bollini).

Brookshire (Scott Wood, Jason Crowder, Nic Roldan, Juan Bollini) won its club debut in the ChukkerTV Cup with an 11-7 win over Los Amigos (Paul Foster, Vinny Sangaline, Gonzalito Pieres, Nacho Figueras). 

McClure River Ranch (Marc Ganzi, Jason Crowder, Pancho Bensadon, Stewart Armstrong) won the Craig Sakin Memorial with a 9-8 victory over Santa Rita (Melissa Ganzi, Vinny Sangaline, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Juan Bollini).


Nic Roldan of El Tiburon keeps his eye on the ball as Alex Gooding goes for the hook. Photo by Nick Tininenko

 

Brookshire (Scott Wood, Ale Poma, Nacho Figueras, Torito Ruiz) won its second tournament of the season in the Basalt Handicap with a 12-7 win over  Mountain Chevrolet (Michael Payne, Stewart Armstrong, Nic Roldan, Alex Gooding). 

Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Nic Roldan, Grant Ganzi, Blas Bensadon) won the Emma Challenge with an 11-8 victory over defending champion Los Amigos (Paul Foster, Vinny Sangaline, Nacho Figueras, Tomacho Pieres). Roldan earned his second MVP award of the season. 

Last weekend Los Amigos (Paul Foster, Marc Ganzi, Gonzalito Pieres, Nacho Figueras)won the High Alpine Cup with a 6-4 win over Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Brian Boyd, Nacho Novillo Astrada/Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Jason Crowder). Pieres was MVP.


Alex Gooding of Los Amigos attempts to hook Grant Ganzi. Photo by Candace Ferreira

 

Other summer tournaments are this week‘s   Rocky Mountain Open, Carbondale Classic, Triple Crown of Polo-Aspen, Silver Queen Invitational, Maroon Bells Cup and Ute Challenge.

The highlight of the season is the Aug. 28th Summer Polo Benefit for the Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation. Last year‘s event raised more than $500,000 after a year‘s hiatus because of the pandemic. It is the club‘s summer marquis event and one of the city‘s most anticipated social summer events.

Wellington, Fla.-based ChukkerTV is live streaming the entire 2022 polo season Mountain Standard Time with announcer Dale Schwetz calling the action.


Kevin Schmeits of Brookshire/Victory and Michael Payne battle for the ball. Photo by Candace Ferreira

 

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, Kidz Wheely Polo, Gymkhana, 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 on more than six world-class fields. There are also indoor and outdoor polo arenas.

The Polo School for all ages and ability levels operates in Carbondale July through September. For more information on tournaments or Polo School contact Director of Operations Juan Bollini at 561-346-1099 or club manager Cale Newman at 561-876-2930.

Aspen Valley Polo Club caters 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.

The family-friendly club welcomes spectators. All matches, food and refreshments are free and open to the public.

By Sharon Robb

 


 

2022 Aspen Valley Polo Club Schedule

August
Rocky Mountain Open 8/12 – 8/21
The Carbondale Classic 8/19-8/21
Triple Crown of Polo – Aspen 8/24-8/28 

September
Silver Queen Invitational 8/31 – 9/4
Maroon Bells Cup TBD
Ute Challenge TBD

Arena Tournaments & Asado – Tuesday Evenings
Kids Wheely Polo games during select tournament halftimes

Summer Polo Benefit
for the Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation
Sunday August 28, 2022

Visit www.aspenvalleypoloclub.com for more details.
Games live-streamed on www.chukkertv.com

The first two winners of the Barrière Deauville Polo Cup 2022 are known: the Luxembourg team Augustinus Bader for the Ladies Cup and Barrière for the venerable Silver Cup. On the women‘s part, this final was a remake of the tournament‘s opening game: same opponents, same exact verdict: 8 to 4 ½


Lia Salvo, Anais Rezkallah, Aurelie Molitor, Paloma Lauro and Adèle Renauldon winners of the Ladies Cup 2022. © R&B Presse / Pascal Renauldon

Led by Lia Salvo, Augustinus Bader, the team already held all the information to overcome GCA Group, whose game is very physical yet the Luxembourg team decided to play it differently. Thanks to their strong horse string, they were able to play a game of small passes and escape from the pack thanks to the speed and handling ability of their ponies. This was the second title for Lia Salvo, already a winner in Deauville in 2018, as was her father in the Gold Cup in 1986! Lia Salvo was of course nominated most valuable player of the final and the tournament. But a game is never won alone and one of Lia’s strengths is to use the best qualities of her teammates. A plan that revealed the talent of the young Paloma Lauro (15 years), very efficient in the attack.


Isabelle Larenaudie, Ramiro Zavaleta, Martin Aguerre jr. and Simon Zavaleta lifting the Silver Cup in Deauville.  © R&B Presse / Pascal Renauldon

The other final of the day, the Silver Cup, offered the public some great battles, spectacular and fast actions, an open play, a great show, in short, great polo. Martin Aguerre, who substituted for Juan-Gris Zavaleta, who just had a child, quickly found his bearings with the Zavalata brothers and after being noticeably dominated at the beginning of the game, Barriere took the score board from the second chukker to finish the fourth with a comfortable lead: 8 to 4 ½. That‘s when Mungo, in the fifth, began a stunning remontada… yet they ended up missing victory by just half a goal. It was a great start for Isabelle Larenaudie who played this level for the first time! She even scored a goal which turned out to be important for the final score: 8 to 7 ½.

After these first two beautiful finals, it‘s time for the Marta and Lucien Barrière Gold Cup on Monday 15th August (17H00) with a first game for the Diane Barrière Desseigne Trophy which promises to be a remake of the 2021 final, between the title holder, Dragones and Mungo.

 


 

Ladies Cup

Augustinus Bader
Paloma Lauro (2, 4 goals)
Aurélie Molitor (0)
Anais Rezkallah (1, replaced Adèle Renauldon,  injured in the semi-final)
Lia Salvo (9, 4 goals)

Groupe GCA
Marion Ambrosetti (2)
Lila Guérin (1, 1 goal)
Alicia Prat (1, 2 goals)
Maru Gimenez (5, 1 goal)

MVP : Lia Salvo

Progress Augustinus Bader
(1 ½ goal advantage for Groupe GCA)
3/2 ½ -5/2 ½ – 6/2 ½ and 8/4 1/2 )

Coupe d’Argent

Barrière
Isabelle Larenaudie (0, 1 goal)
Ramiro Zavaleta (4, 2 goals)
Martin Aguerre jr.(7, 4 goals)
Simon Zavaleta (5, 1 goal)

Mungo
Ulysse Eisensteter (0, 1 goal)
Juan Cruz Greguoli (4, 1 goal)
Pierre Henri N’Goumou (6, 3 goals)
Tete Storni (5, 2 goals)

Meilleur cheval argentin
Embrujo Tarentella (ridden by Simon Zavaleta)

Best Playing Pony
Silver Is Gold (ridden by Pierre-Henri N’Goumou)

MVP : Pierre-Henri N’Goumou

Progress Barrière : 1/1 ½ – 4/3 ½ – 6/3 ½ – 8/4 ½ et 8/7 ½

BP Polo 11-10 Green Gates Princes’ Ground

In the final day of group play in the Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup, BP Polo faced-off against Green Gates on The Princes’ Ground at Guards Polo Club. With a spot in the semi-finals on the line, 0-2 Green Gates reached the scoreboard first as two goals from Francisco Elizalde outmatched a drive from BP Polo’s Joevy Beh to take an early 2-1 lead. Finding their rhythm in the second chukka, a blitzing BP Polo began a run of four unanswered goals led by Genaro Ringa finding the line three times, as team-mate Beh hit the goal in open play to seize a 5-2 advantage. Following a response from Green Gates’ Facundo Fernandez Llorente from the field, one further goal from Ringa took BP Polo into the break with a 6-3 lead. 

Leading BP Polo with four goals in the first half, Ringa was back in action to start the fourth on a field goal, as a struggling Green Gates attack relied on Elizalde to kick-start their comeback with back-to-back goals to bring their team back within two. Working off the momentum established in the fourth, Fernandez Llorente took control of the fifth chukka by sending three consecutive goals across the line, including one from the 30-yard line, to give Green Gates the lead (8-7) for the first time in this contest. Left off the scoreboard for most of the chukka, a crucial penalty conversion from Ringa tied the match 8-all with just one chukka remaining. Exchanging drives from Green Gates’ Elizalde and Llorente at the line and BP Polo’s Alfredo Bigatti, playing in place of Rufino Bensadon, and Beh from the field, the back-and-forth sixth chukka left the teams deadlocked at 10-10 as the horn sounded to end the chukka and force this match into extra time. Contributing seven goals for BP Polo entering this extra chukka, all Ringa needed was one final shot to send the ball through the posts to claim the golden goal, an  11-10 victory and BP’s ticket to Wednesday’s semi-finals. 

Next fixtures: Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup Semi-Finals Wednesday 10 August
12pm: Monterosso vs BP Polo
3pm: Park Place vs Vikings   

All games are being livestreamed by Guards TV in association with Polocam TV. Go to https://guards.polocam.tv/package

 

Photos by IMAGES OF POLO

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CARBONDALE, Colo., August 4, 2022 —- Six teams will compete in the High Alpine Cup that gets under way Friday.

Preliminary round robin action for the sixth tournament of the summer season will be held at McClure River Ranch Fields 1 and 2.

In the first round robin at 10:30 a.m., Los Amigos, El Tiburon and White Claw will compete on Field 2. In the second round robin at noon, Brookshire, Tonkawa and Victory will play on Field 1. Winners of each round robin advance to Sunday‘s championship final. 

On Sunday, the Just For The Thrill Of It Cup, Just For The Fun Of It Cup and High Alpine Cup will keep fans entertained for 18 action-packed chukkers.

Sponsors and team rosters are:

El Tiburon (14): Collen Clark, Michael Payne, Pancho Bensadon, Torito Ruiz.
White Claw (10): Melissa Ganzi, Vinny Sangaline, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Juan Bollini.
Los Amigos (15): Paul Foster, Marc Ganzi, Nacho Figueras, Gonzalito Pieres.
Tonkawa (13): Jeff Hildebrand, Brian Boyd, Jason Crowder, Nacho Novillo Astrada.
Victory Polo (13): Kevin Schmeits, Grant Gant, Nic Roldan, Alex Gooding.
Brookshire (14): Scott Wood, Stewart Armstrong, Tomacho Pieres, Sugar Erskine.

 


Michael Payne and Collen Clark

 

The winner of last year‘s High Alpine Cup was Santa Rita (Alejandra Foster, Lauren Sherry, Tomacho Pieres, Alejandro Novillo Astrada) with an 8-5 victory over Victory Polo (Kevin Schmeits, Vinny Sangaline, Nic Roldan, Horacio Heguy). Astrada was MVP.

The High Alpine Cup is named after a Snowmass ski area/lift and legacy of Gwyn’s, a longtime Snowmass favorite located mid-mountain where diners experience some of the tradition and favorites from years past, in addition to a newly-envisioned take on mountain dining. 

Aspen Valley Polo Club kicked off its ninth season five weeks ago. In the season-opener Los Amigos (Paul Foster, Marc Ganzi, Gonzalito Pieres, Tomacho Pieres) won the Independence Cup with a round robin victory over Casablanca (Alejandra Foster, Grant Ganzi, Torito Ruiz, Nic Roldan) and NetJets (Melissa Ganzi, Nacho Figueras, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Juan Bollini).

Brookshire (Scott Wood, Jason Crowder, Nic Roldan, Juan Bollini) won its club debut in the ChukkerTV Cup with an 11-7 win over Los Amigos (Paul Foster, Vinny Sangaline, Gonzalito Pieres, Nacho Figueras). McClure River Ranch (Marc Ganzi, Jason Crowder, Pancho Bensadon, Stewart Armstrong) won the Craig Sakin Memorial with a 9-8 victory over Santa Rita (Melissa Ganzi, Vinny Sangaline, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Juan Bollini). 

 


Jeff Hildebrand and Marc Ganzi

Brookshire (Scott Wood, Ale Poma, Nacho Figueras, Torito Ruiz) won its second tournament of the season in the Basalt Handicap ) with a 12-7 win over Mountain Chevrolet (Michael Payne, Stewart Armstrong, Nic Roldan, Alex Gooding). Last weekend, Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Nic Roldan, Grant Ganzi, Blas Bensadon) won the Emma Challenge with an 11-8 victory over defending champion Los Amigos(Paul Foster, Vinny Sangaline, Nacho Figueras, Tomacho Pieres). 

The world‘s destination spot for summer polo has attracted some of the world‘s top players, sponsors and world-class horses.

 


Alejandra Foster

With the majestic 12,965-foot summit of Mount Sopris as a backdrop under a bright summer sky, polo has returned to the valley July through September with a record thirteen tournaments.

Other summer tournaments are the Mount Sopris Cup, Rocky Mountain Open, Carbondale Classic, Triple Crown of Polo-Aspen, Silver Queen Invitational, Maroon Bells Cup and Ute Challenge.

The highlight of the season is the Aug. 28th Summer Polo Benefit for the Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation. Last year‘s event raised more than $500,000 after a year‘s hiatus because of the pandemic. It is the club‘s summer marquis event and one of the city‘s most anticipated social summer events.

Wellington, Fla.-based ChukkerTV will live stream the entire 2022 polo season Mountain Standard Time with announcer Dale Schwetz calling the action.

Last summer Aspen Valley Polo Club finished a successful and historic season in club and Rocky Mountain Circuit history and hopes to top that this season. 

 


Gonzalito Pieres

The 2021 tournament champions were: Independence Cup, La Karina (Sugar Erskine, Brian Boyd, Marc Ganzi, Nic Roldan); ChukkerTV Challenge, NetJets (Michael Payne, Alex Gooding, Sugar Erskine, Nacho Figueras); Craig Sakin Memorial, Casablanca (Lauren Sherry, Alex Gooding, Torito Ruiz, Grant Ganzi); Basalt Handicap Cup, Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Grant Ganzi, Torito Ruiz, Jimmy Seward); Emma Challenge, Rancho Los Amigos (Paul Foster, Juan Bollini, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Gussie Busch); High Alpine Cup, Santa Rita (Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Alejandra Foster, Lauren Sherry, Tomacho Pieres); Mount Sopris Cup, NetJets (Juan Bollini, Gussie Busch, Govinda Quish, Pablo Spinacci); Rocky Mountain Open, Casablanca (Marc Ganzi, Grant Ganzi, Gonzalito Pieres, Torito Ruiz); Carbondale Classic, White Claw (Waqaas Al-Siddiq, Vinny Sangaline, Gonzalito Pieres, Nacho Badiola); WPL Triple Crown of Polo-Aspen, Tonkawa (Marc Ganzi, Jeff Hildebrand, Gonzalito Pieres, Juan Bollini); and Silver Queen Invitational, NetJets (Brian Boyd, Juan Bollini, Nacho Figueras, Pablo Spinacci).

Since Marc and Melissa Ganzi resurrected the club and polo in 2014, polo has increased in popularity in Aspen and surrounding cities and is the epicenter for polo in the valley. The club‘s offerings include various weekly grass and arena tournaments, Arena & Asado Nights, Kidz Polo, Gymkhana, Kidz 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 on more than six world-class fields. There are also indoor and outdoor polo arenas.

Aspen was founded as a silver mining town in the 1800s and was named for the abundance of aspen trees growing in the area and famous for their tall, thin trunks and golden leaves. Conde Nast Traveler‘s Reader‘s Choice Awards recognized Aspen as the No. 1 Small City in the U.S.

 


Sugar Erskine and Juan Bollini

The Polo School for all ages and ability levels operates in Carbondale July through September. For more information on tournaments or Polo School contact Director of Operations Juan Bollini at 561-346-1099 or club manager Cale Newman at 561-876-2930.

Aspen Valley Polo Club caters 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.

The family-friendly club welcomes spectators. All matches, food and refreshments are free and open to the public.

When not playing or watching polo, there‘s all kinds of outdoor activities in a true adventurer‘s playground including hiking, mountain biking, paddle boarding, water rafting, swimming, fly fishing and golf.

By Sharon Robb
Photos by Candace Ferreira

 


 

2022 High Alpine Cup Schedule

Friday 8/5
10:30am Los Amigos vs El Tiburon vs White Claw
McClure River Ranch field 2

12pm Brookshire vs Tonkawa vs Victory 
McClure River Ranch field 1

Saturday 8/6
10am Just For The Love Of It Cup
WPL vs Santa Rita

11am Gymkhana & Kidz Polo

Sunday 8/7
Just For The Thrill Of It Cup
Just For The Fun Of It Cup

The Emma Challenge Cup Final

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