WELLINGTON, FL, January 19, 2021— Dundas defeats World Polo League (WPL) by 8-4 in the first match of the Aspen Valley Cup 8-Goal.
The winter season at Grand Champions Polo Club got underway on Sunday with the first game of the Aspen Valley Cup 8-Goal tournament. Dundas (Sarah Magness, Fran Spinacci, Mariano Fassetta, and Robertito Zedda) faced off against World Polo League (Santos Bollini, Nico Harriet, Gussie Bush and Grant Ganzi) at Santa Rita Polo Farm.
Dundas, with a team handicap of 7, started the match with one goal on the board and led throughout the match. Sarah Magness found the goal early in the first chukker, with follow-up from Robertito Zedda, and Dundas ended the first period in the lead at 3-0. The Dundas defense held in the second chukker, while 12-year-old dynamo Fran Spinacci took the offensive to score another goal for the team in white.
With 29 seconds remaining in the chukker, Gussie Busch score the first goal of the day for WPL. Mariano Fassetta started the third chukker on a positive note, scoring a goal for Dundas in the first thirty seconds. WPL fought hard to get on the board, racking up a fair number of fouls, but couldn’t make headway against Dundas’ strong defense. Robertito Zedda found the goal just after the thirty second horn, ending the half with Dundas in the lead 6-1.
WPL came back determined in the second half, with Nico Harriet scoring the first goal of the fourth chukker. Zedda put the ball between the posts in response to maintain a five-point lead at the end of the period, which ended 7-2. In the fifth chukker, WPL was able to mount a successful defense and keep Dundas from scoring while Grant Ganzi found the goal for his team, narrowing WPL’s lead to four goals.
Sarah Magness bookended her performance with Dundas’ final goal of the match, while Santos Bollini scored for WPL. Despite Bollini’s goal, WPL couldn’t find the momentum to overcome the Dundas defense and went down in an 8-4 defeat. Robertito Zedda was the high scoring player of the day, with 3 goals.
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.
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.
Images: © Grand Champions Polo Club
Aspen Valley Cup Live Stream Schedule
Thursday 1/21
1 p.m. Bushwood vs WPL
3 p.m. Beverly Equestrian vs Dundas
Sunday 1/24
12 p.m. Bushwood vs Dundas
3 p.m. Beverly Equestrian vs WPL
Thursday 1/28
3 p.m. Bushwood vs Beverly Equestrian
Saturday 1/30
12 p.m. Subsidiary Final
3 p.m. Aspen Valley Cup Final
All games streamed live in Eastern Standard Time on https://www.chukkertv.com
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!
