Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex speaks about the charitable work of Sentebale following the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup 2022 held at the Aspen Valley Polo Club on August 25, 2022 in Aspen, Colorado. (Footage by Kyle Hermsen/Getty Images for Sentebale)
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC7THWExWQc[/embedyt]aspenvalleypoloclub
Richard Miller talks about raising funds for Sentebale’s vital work in Southern Africa at the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup 2022 at the Aspen Valley Polo Club on August 25, 2022 in Aspen, Colorado. (Footage by Kyle Hermsen/Getty Images for Sentebale)
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eziqR2ENqX4[/embedyt]
ASPEN, COLORADO – AUGUST 25: (INTERVIEW) (COMPILATION) Dan Carter discusses the power of sport and philanthropy during the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup 2022 at the Aspen Valley Polo Club on August 25, 2022 in Aspen, Colorado. (Footage by Kyle Hermsen/Getty Images for Sentebale)
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SnfgAfpqmk[/embedyt]
ASPEN, COLORADO – AUGUST 25: (INTERVIEW) (COMPILATION) Nacho Figueras discusses his role as an ambassador for Sentebale during the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup 2022 at the Aspen Valley Polo Club on August 25, 2022 in Aspen, Colorado. (Footage by Kyle Hermsen/Getty Images for Sentebale)
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmyAGnXtwDU[/embedyt]
- 1. September 2022
ASPEN, COLORADO – AUGUST 25: (INTERVIEW) Marc Ganzi explains the importance of Sentebale cause during Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup 2022 at the Aspen Valley Polo Club on August 25, 2022 in Aspen, Colorado. (Footage by Kyle Hermsen/Getty Images for Sentebale)
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7cDDq9tsJw[/embedyt]
ASPEN, COLORADO – AUGUST 25: (INTERVIEW) Ashley Van Metre of the U.S. Polo Assn. Team and Malcolm Borwick of the Royal Salute Team talk about the importance of the polo event to Sentebale during the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup 2022 at the Aspen Valley Polo Club on August 25, 2022 in Aspen, Colorado. (Footage by Kyle Hermsen/Getty Images for Sentebale)
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0taghmnGRsE[/embedyt]
La Karina defeated Spindrift in the final of the Rocky Mountain Open by a score of 10-9. Carlitos Gracida named Most Valuable Player.
By: Rebecca Baldridge
Photos by ChukkerTV
La Karina (Brian Boyd, Carlitos Gracida, Stewart Armstrong and Juan Bollini) met Spindrift (John Bickford, Gussie Busch, Jared Zenni and Horacio Heguy) on Field One at McClure River Ranch yesterday to vie for the title in the Rocky Mountain Open.
Spindrift got off to a rocky start and couldn’t make it to the goal in chukker one. Their first foul came barely a minute into the game, with several more to follow, and allowed La Karina’s Gracida to rack up three goals on penalties. In the second chukker the tables were turned, and La Karina couldn’t find the goal. Gussie Busch and Jared Zenni each knocked one in on penalties to end the chukker at 2-3 in favor of La Karina. In the third chukker, each team scored, while Brian Boyd also knocked one in on a penalty two to make it 5-3 for La Karina at the half.
In chukker four, it was back and forth on the penalties again, but Spindrift roared to life in the fifth, with Jared Zenni and Gussie Busch bringing Spindrift within a goal until Gracida scored on a penalty two. The chukker ended 7-8, with La Karina ahead. At the beginning of the final chukker, Gracida brought the score up to 9. John Bickford found the goalposts, and a shot by Horacio Heguy tied things up at 9 all. The final blow for Spindrift came from yet another penalty shot by Gracida, and La Karina edged out Spindrift with a final score of 10-9.
Carlitos Gracida, who scored 8 of his team’s 10 goals, was named MVP. Seven-year-old Open Maradona, owned and played by Stewart Armstrong in the second chukker, was the Best Playing Pony.
In the Just for the Fun of It, subsidiary of the Rocky Mountain Open, White Claw (Lauren Sherry, Vinny Sangaline, Pablo Spinacci, and Nacho Novillo Astrada) took on La Indiana (Michael Bickford, Michael Payne, Nacho Badiola and Tincho Merlos).
White Claw started the match on a strong note, with Vinny Sangaline and Nacho Novillo Astrada scoring while holding off La Indiana to end chukker one 2-0. The head start failed to hold though, and White Claw was unable to get on goal for the next two chukkers. La Indiana’s Payne and Bickford both found the goal in the second and third chukkers to end the half at 4-2 in favor of La Indiana.
The second half of the match started off with both teams frustrated and unable to score, but White Claw poured on the steam in the fifth chukker, with goals from Sangaline, Lauren Sherry and Pablo Spinacci taking the score to 5-4 for White Claw at the horn. The sixth chukker was tight. Michael Bickord tied things up on a penalty three, but White Claw drew ahead on a penalty five by Nacho Novillo Astrada. Payne managed to tie it up again, but a penalty four goal by Novillo Astrada won the match for White Claw with a final score of 7-6.
In the Caras Cup Final on McClure River Ranch Field One, McClure River Ranch (Alejandro Poma, Marc Ganzi, Juan Martin Nero and Juan Bollini) took on Tonkawa (Paul Foster, Jeff Hildebrand, Nic Roldan and Polito Pieres) in the first match of the round robin. Scores carried over from Friday, and McClure River Ranch went on to win by 9-7. In the second match, Seminole Casino (Melissa Ganzi, Alejandra Foster, Pablo MacDonough and Alejandro Novillo Astrada) defeated Tonkawa by 11-10. In the final game of the round robin tournament, Seminole Casino defeated McClure River Ranch by 6-5 to win the title. Alejandro Novillo Astrada took the MVP title for the tournament, and the Best Playing Pony was Matsu, owned by Santa Rita Polo Farm and played by Juan Martin Nero.
While admission is traditionally open and free to the public, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the club to close to spectators for the foreseeable future. AVPC has taken this step out of an abundance of caution. Players and staff have been tested in 3 rounds at sister club Grand Champions Polo in Florida since March and will continue to be tested throughout the 2020 summer season.
We are closely following the guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The CDC strongly recommends that individuals protect themselves and their communities by minimizing the time spent with others in large groups, and by avoiding close contact with other individuals, especially those who are sick.
AVPC has also implemented testing for the Carbondale Fire Department, which stations an ambulance field side during all tournaments.
The CDC also recommends that you:
* Always wear a face mask in public areas.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after being in a public place, blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If you cannot wash your hands, use hand sanitizer. • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Stay home if you are unwell, except to seek medical assistance.
Although Aspen Valley Polo Club will be closed to spectators, ChukkerTV will livestream the entire 2020 polo series so fans can still enjoy the best polo of the US summer season. ChukkerTV was the first to introduce state-of-the-art live streaming technology and instant replay in January 2014 at Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington, Florida.
2020 Aspen Valley Summer Polo Series
August
Carbondale Classic 8/28 – 8/30
September
The Triple Crown of Polo Aspen 9/1 – 9/6
The Triple Crown of Polo Colorado 9/11 – 9/13
After three days of snow polo action at the St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship, fans will get a chance to party with the players for a good cause.
Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation, the designated philanthropic charity for the snow polo event, will host the „White Hot Party With The Players,“ on Friday, Dec. 20th, 6-9 p.m. at the new W Aspen Hotel. Fans will get the opportunity to meet some of the world‘s best polo players and enjoy music mixed especially for the W Aspen Hotel. General admission tickets are $200. VIP tickets are $1,000 and include perks such as Beverly Hills Caviar, bottomless champagne and other exclusive benefits. Also for sale are tickets to join British 6-goal player Malcolm Borwick for a one-hour polo lesson on polo horses on Dec. 20th at 9 a.m. at Rio Grande Park. The experience is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and limited to 10 people at $750 per ticket. To purchase tickets or browse the online auction items, go to bidpal.net/snowpolo.
Borwick is the Royal Salute World Polo Ambassador. Recently, Pernod Ricard announced a „standout new addition“ Royal Salute Snow Polo Edition, available for a limited time throughout December. „The Snow Polo Edition is a standout new addition with an extensive depth of flavour and fresh new look,“ said Royal Salute Master Blender Sandy Hyslop, who developed the limited-edition blend. „Being at the helm of the blending team behind Royal Salute, I‘m always looking for new inspiration, and snow polo has proven to be one of the richest sources yet for creativity and innovation. To capture the apposition of the intensity of the game against the graceful elegance of the backdrop associated with snow polo, it felt like the perfect opportunity to craft the very first blended grain whisky in our portfolio and I couldn‘t be prouder of the result.“ Added Borwick, „Snow polo is a spectator sport like no other with each match delivering an undeniably thrilling atmosphere, set in the breath-taking scenery of immaculate snow-peaked mountains. Royal Salute understands polo and the lifestyle it represents both on and off the field so well, it‘s an honour to be able to help open up the world of polo through the Royal Salute Polo Collection and the global partnerships it has formed over the last ten years.“
All proceeds from the party and auction benefit the Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation.
Aspen Valley Polo Club, the nation‘s fastest growing polo club, has a longstanding relationship with the Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation. The club annually hosts the Chukkers, Champagne and Caviar event in front of a sellout crowds and helped to raise more than $600,000 this summer for priority programs and services at Aspen Valley Hospital. The foundation‘s signature fundraising event has raised over $1.6 million in the past three years. The St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship is one of the world‘s top snow polo tournaments and only snow polo event in the U.S. In front of an expected sellout crowd and worldwide ChukkerTV audience, action begins Wednesday, Dec. 18, with qualifying games at Aspen Valley Polo Club and continues Thursday and Friday at Rio Grande Park. For the seventh consecutive year, Aspen Valley Polo Club owners Melissa and Marc Ganzi, will host the star-studded event along with polo ambassador and St. Regis Connoisseur Nacho Figueras and his wife Delfina. The event has joined St. Moritz as one of the world‘s top snow polo tournaments and one of Aspen‘s major international sporting events. It is the only snow polo event in North America, final stop on the World Polo Tour and kickoff to the holiday social season in Aspen. The snow polo tournament is a major attraction for the local community, attracts fans from all over the world, and is a major allure for the Aspen community and surrounding areas. The sport was first played on a frozen lake in St. Moritz, Switzerland, created by Swiss hotelier and polo visionary Reto Gaudenzi in 1985 and has been growing in popularity ever since, attracting thousands of spectators and top players from around the world. In addition to St. Moritz, it‘s played in winter sports communities Aspen, Cortina, Italy, Kitzbuhel, Austria, Courchevel, France and Tianjin, China. In the U.S., snow polo is held exclusively in Aspen.
Aspen Valley Polo Club had its most successful and historic summer season in club and Rocky Mountain Circuit history. The club hosted several 20-goal tournaments including the 119th USPA Silver Cup and USPA North American Cup, attracted some of the world‘s top players and had record crowds every weekend. The 20-goal World Polo League‘s Triple Crown of Polo tournament featured five teams and several top players. With the majestic 12,965-foot summit of Mount Sopris as a backdrop, Aspen Valley Polo Club is one of the busiest USPA-sanctioned clubs in the nation.
Since Marc and Melissa Ganzi founded the club in 2014, polo has increased in popularity in Aspen and surrounding cities with the club‘s offerings of various weekly grass and arena tournaments, Tuesday Arena & Asado Nights, Kidz 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.
Since 2014, Aspen Valley Polo Club has had a positive impact in the area hosting kids polo camps, teaching lessons and several charitable events at the club that have benefitted local charities including the Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation.
By Sharon Robb
Click Here To Purchase Tickets:
www.eventbrite.com
2019 St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship Dec. 17-20
12/17 At St. Regis Resort Aspen
8 p.m. Team Presentation/Draw and Cocktail Party
12/18 at Aspen Valley Polo Club
11 a.m. Barn tour & Blacksmith work station
11:30 a.m., Round Robin Game 1
1 p.m., Round Round Game 2
12/19 Press Day at Rio Grande Park
12 p.m. VIP Tent Opens
1:15 p.m. High Alpine Cup, playoff for fifth and sixth place.
2:30 p.m Celebrity Polo Chukker
12/20 at Rio Grande Park
12 p.m. Meet the Players
1 p.m., The Final
3 p.m. The Aspen Cup
4:15 p.m. Trophy Presentation
© Thomas Wirth
All articles loaded
No more articles to load
CURRENT ISSUE
POLO+10 01/2025
The Topics: Tournaments and people, polo news and lifestyle – the new issue of POLO+10 World brings you stories from the whole polo universe.
CURRENT ISSUE
POLO+10 WORLD 01/2025
The Topics: Tournaments and people, polo news and lifestyle – the new issue of POLO+10 World brings you stories from the whole polo universe.
POLO+10 PLAYERS LIST
For players only: The biggest players data base in the world. Subscribe now and receive invitations to polo tournaments all over the world.
- Registration POLO+10 players data base
+10 WORLD: POLO CLUBS & TOURNAMENTS
POLO+10 REAL ESTATE
- 6 June 2024
- 10 November 2023
- 31 March 2023
POLO+10 PUBLISHES YOUR TOURNAMENT MAGAZINE!
Would you like to have your own magazine for your tournament?
Feel free to contact us!
POLO+10 produces your tournament magazine.
Please write to
hello@poloplus10.com
