ASPEN, Colo., December 12, 2023—For the first time in the 11-year history of the St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship, the world‘s greatest polo player will compete.
Adolfo Cambiaso will join fellow 10-goaler Juan Martin Nero among a star-studded field for the Dec. 14-17 event.
Cambiaso will be making his U.S. snow polo debut in the only snow polo tournament held in North America. He has competed on snow in Argentina
Cambiaso and Nero are coming off the final of the 130th Argentine Open at Palermo where their La Dolfina Saudi team lost to La Natividad, 13-10, in the final.
Cambiaso, born in Canuelas, Argentina, is ranked at 10 goals in Argentina, United Kingdom and United States at age 48. He has been ranked 10 since 1994. Since then he has won prestigious tournaments all over the world.
Cambiaso has won 18 Argentine Opens, 14 Hurlingham Opens, nine Tortugas Opens, nine U.S. Opens and eight British Opens. In 2000 he founded La Dolfina, which turned into a legendary team.
Nero, regarded as the best back in the sport, was born in Trenque Lauquen, Argentina. He made his Argentine Open debut in 2004 and since then has built an impressive resume. He is rated 10 goals in Argentina and the U.S.
Nero has won 12 Argentine Opens, 10 Hurlingham Opens, nine Tortugas Opens, two U.S. Opens and two British Opens as well as the Gold Cup Deauville in France, the Gold Cup in Sotogrande, Spain, Snow Polo World Cup in St. Moritz, Switzerland and Queen’s Cup in the UK.
Cambiaso will join Marc Ganzi and Jason Crowder on the 17-goal Aspen Valley team. Nero will play on defending champion Blade & Bow, an 18-goal team, with Scott Wood and Pablo Spinacci.
The snow polo event is one of the world‘s top snow polo tournaments and final stop on the World Polo Tour.
For the eleventh consecutive year, Aspen Valley Polo Club owners Melissa and Marc Ganzi will host the world-class event which has joined St. Moritz as one of the world‘s top snow polo tournaments and one of Aspen‘s major international sporting events and social event.
The festivities begin Thursday with the draw party and traditional champagne sabering at the St. Regis.
Preliminary qualifying round robin games are Friday at Aspen Valley Polo Club‘s state-of-the-art indoor arena beginning at 1:30 p.m .
Action moves to Rio Grande Park on Saturday where the High Alpine Cup at 1:15 p.m., inaugural Potamkin Charity Chukker at 2:30 p.m. and Celebrity Polo Match at 3:15 p.m. will be held. On Sunday the championship final is 1 p.m. and Aspen Cup at 3 p.m. followed by the awards ceremony.
VIP tickets can still be purchased for the event. Ticket information can be found at aspenvalleypoloclub.com. The games are free for spectators standing around the arena sidelines. The event is a fundraiser for the Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation. Donations are welcome.
Winners of the past ten tournaments are: 2022, Blade & Bow (Grant Ganzi, Hilario Figueras, Tommy Biddle); 2021, Richard Mille (Sarah Siegel Magness, Jesse Bray, Pablo MacDonough); 2020, World Polo League (Riley Ganzi, Hilario Figueras, Alejandro Novillo Astrada); 2019, Richard Mille (Edouard Pan, Pablo MacDonough, Louis Jarrige); 2018, Richard Mille (Marc Ganzi, Martin Pepa, Pablo MacDonough); U.S. Polo Assn.; 2017, (Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini, Nic Roldan); 2016, Flexjet (Melissa Ganzi, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Juan Bollini); 2015, U.S. Polo Assn. (Grant Ganzi, Nic Roldan, Juancito Bollini); 2014, Piaget (Marc Ganzi, Jeff Hall, Nic Roldan); and 2013, St. Regis (Nacho Figueras, Nic Roldan, Brandon Phillips).
With the majestic 12,965-foot summit of Mount Sopris as a backdrop, Aspen Valley Polo Club has become the world‘s destination spot for summer and snow polo.
Since Marc and Melissa Ganzi resurrected the Carbondale-based club and polo in 2014, polo has increased in popularity in Aspen and surrounding cities with the club‘s offerings of various weekly grass and arena tournaments, Arena & Asado Nights, Kidz Polo, Kids Wheely Polo, The Polo School headed by former 8-goaler Juan Bollini, and Polo On Demand. In addition, the club offers practice sessions for teams competing in the club tournaments.
By Sharon Robb
Photos by Candace Ferreira
