Grand Champions Polo Club

North America, Polo News

Tamera, Casablanca, Richard Mille and Orea Polo Team Advance To Semifinals of The Triple Crown Of Polo

14. April 2021

Photos by ChukkerTV

WELLINGTON, FL, April 13, 2021— The semifinals of The Triple Crown Of Polo are set after Tamera scored a narrow 9-8 victory over Seminole Casino Coconut Creek Monday morning while Casablanca defeated Pampa Norte by 11-9 in the afternoon match. Richard Mille will face off with Casablanca and Orea Polo Team will meet Tamera in the semifinals set for Wednesday April 14th.

Seminole Casino Coconut Creek (Melissa Ganzi, Nic Roldan, Francisco Elizalde, and Alejandro Novillo Astrada) met Tamera (Ale Poma, Santi Torres, Diego Cavanaugh, and Jejo Taranco) on Monday morning. With both teams rated at 25 goals, the match was played on the flat.

Tamera was playing a defensive game out of the gate and marking up well, but Seminole Casino Coconut Creek managed to disarm their efforts with some quick plays. Alejandro Novillo Astrada drew first blood for Seminole Casino Coconut Creek and Nic Roldan outran Jejo Taranco with slightly more than a minute left on the board to end the first period with Seminole Casino Coconut Creek up 2-0. Tamera continued to press hard, but Francisco Elizalde, substituting for Juan Martin Zubia, meshed well with Roldan and Novillo Astrada and the trio held Tamera off. Novillo Astrada converted a Penalty 4 and a Penalty 3, and with 1:28 left on the clock Elizalde sent a backshot to Roldan, who put it through the posts.

Just as it was looking like Tamera would end another period without scoring, Jejo Taranco took the ball to goal just as the 30-second horn sounded to get Tamera on the board 5-1. Starting to click in the third chukker, Tamera kept Seminole Casino Coconut Creek away from the posts while Santi Torres scored back-to-back goals to end the half 5-3, gaining on Seminole Casino Coconut Creek.

Seminole Casino Coconut Creek‘s frustration continued in the fourth period as they fought unsuccessfully to get on goal. Tamera’s offense was growing stronger, and Diego Cavanaugh got out in front to score just over a minute into play. Ale Poma got the equalizer and with 36 seconds left on the clock Cavanaugh put Tamera into the lead for the first time in the game.

Cavanuagh made another successful shot on goal at the beginning of the fifth chukker, putting Tamera ahead by two, but Novillo Astrada answered by evading Jejo Taranco and scoring for Seminole Casino Coconut Creek. With 53 seconds on the clock, Ale Poma drew on some heavy horsepower to get out in front and run the ball downfield, scoring what was surely the most impressive goal of the day. Novillo Astrada and Roldan scored to tie the game back up, and with just over 3 minutes left to play it was anyone’s game. Ale Poma came back with a quick answer, putting Tamera ahead at 9-8 and it looked like the outcome would come down to possession. With 1:29 on the clock, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek knocked the ball over the boards, losing possession and their chance for a victory. Tamera defeated Seminole Casino Coconut Creek by 9-8. Alejandro Novillo Astrada was the high scoring player of the day with five goals to his credit.

At 3 pm, Casablanca (Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini, Barto Castagnola, and Juan Martin Nero) took to the field against Pampa Norte (Waqqas Al Siddiq, Santiago Loza, Magoo Laprida, and Pedro Falabella). Casablanca, a 26-goal team, ceded four goals to Pampa Norte on handicap.

Pampa Norte found themselves stymied by Casablanca’s defense from the get-go in the first chukker and were unable to get on the board. Grant Ganzi and Juancito Bollini chipped away against Pampa Norte’s four-goal lead on handicap and the chukker ended with Casablanca down 4-2. Pampa Norte ramped up their defense in the second period, limiting Casablanca to a Penalty 6 conversion from Barto Castagnola.

Waqqas Al Siddiq put the first goal on the board for Pampa Norte, which maintained their lead of two goals going into the third chukker. Another conversion on a Penalty 6 from Castagnola plus a goal from Juan Martin Nero tied the score at 5-5. Magoo Laprida got out in front to put the ball in, but Nero scored his second equalizer to end the half in a 6-6 tie.

Barto Castagnola put the first ball through the posts in the second half, but Waqqas Al Siddiq got out in front to pick up the ball and send it through the uprights in answer. Another goal from Nero put Casablanca back in the lead at 8-7. The fifth period saw both teams battling to keep possession and get goals on the board. However, it was a replay of the first chukker for Pampa Norte and Casablanca kept them off the goal while Juancito Bollini took the ball through to put his team ahead 9-7. Al Siddiq scored his third goal of the match, putting Pampa Norte within striking distance at 9-8, but a pair of back-to-back shots from Grant Ganzi gave Casablanca a difficult-to-overcome three goal lead. Pedro Falabella scored a final goal for Pampa Norte, but the match ended with Casablanca victorious by 11-9.

2021 Triple Crown of Polo Livestream Schedule

Wednesday 4/14
Semifinals
TBA Richard Mille vs Casablanca
TBA Orea Polo Team vs Tamera

Saturday 4/17
4pm Final

All games streamed live on http://www.chukkertv.com

Photos by ChukkerTV WELLINGTON, FL, April 13, 2021— The semifinals of The Triple Crown Of Polo are set after Tamera scored a narrow 9-8 victory over Seminole Casino Coconut Creek…

North America, Polo News

Richard Mille and Orea Polo Team Tally Wins In Triple Crown of Polo; Play Continues Today With Doubleheader

13. April 2021

By: Rebecca Baldridge
Photos by: ChukkerTV

WELLINGTON, FL, April 12, 2021— Richard Mille defeated Santa Rita by 11-8 in Sunday’s first match while Orea edged out White Birch 10-9.

Richard Mille (Marc Ganzi, Jeta Castagnola, Pablo Mac Donough, and Paco de Narvaez) took on Santa Rita as play continued in the World Polo League’s Triple Crown of Polo. Richard Mille, rated at 26 goals, ceded two goals to Santa Rita on handicap.

Both teams started the match feeling each other out and it was three and half minutes before the first goal, by Santa Rita’s Clemente Zavaleta, went up on the board. Jeta Castagnola and Pablo Mac. Donough got down to work and compensated for the two-goal advantage on handicap and ended the chukker trailing Santa Rita by 3-2. Richard Mille went on the offensive in the second period with Castagnola and Mac. Donough each scoring a pair of goals. Playing a powerful defense as well, they succeeded in keeping Santa Rita off the board. The third chukker offered Santa Rita more frustration, as Richard Mille continued to win throw-ins and dominate the field. Goals from Marc Ganzi and Castagnola ended the half with Richard Mille in the lead 8-3.

Santa Rita came back to play more cohesively and aggressively in the third chukker, with Zavaleta and Robert Strom both contributing goals while Ganzi put Richard Mille’s only score on the board. The team in white dominated the fourth chukker as well, keeping Richard Mille away from the posts as Zavaleta converted a Penalty 2 and Strom knocked the ball through the posts with 15 seconds left on the clock and brought Santa Rita within striking distance at 9-7.

Richard Mille, feeling Santa Rita breathing down their collective necks, dialed up the intensity. De Narvaez and Mac Donough took the score up to 11 within the first two minutes of play. Nacho Figueras made a beautiful shot that missed the goal by a hair, and several other potentially decisive shots for Santa Rita went just wide. Zavaleta converted a Penalty 2, the last goal of the match, and Richard Mille won by 11-8.

In the second match of the day, Orea (Sugar Erskine, Justin Daniels, Torito Ruiz, and Nacho Novillo Astrada) met White Birch (Chris Brant, Facu Llorente, Mariano Aguerre, and Santi Tocalino). Both teams played off a 23-goal handicap.

The match got off to a quick start but Orea managed to give away two goals on penalties, with Santi Tocalino convertaing a pair of Penalty Fours. Sugar Erskine knocked in the first goal of the day for Orea, with Justin Daniels following up. The second chukker started with a foul in favor of Orea, but Daniels’ shot bounced off the post. Orea fouled almost immediately, sending Santi Tocalino to the line to convert a Penalty 2. Erskine took the ball downfield to score, and Nacho Novillo Astrada made an impressively angled shot from 52 yards to put Orea in the lead by one.

Mariano Aguerre tied the score up at 4, but with 10 seconds on the clock Toro Ruiz swept the ball through the posts to put Orea back in the lead at 5-4. Mariano Aguerre made a fantastic lofted shot from 80 yards out to put White Birch back in the lead briefly, but a pair of goals from Sugar Erskine ended the half with Orea leading 7-5.

Both teams battled to little effect in the fourth chukker with neither able to score. The back and forth continued in the fifth chukker and it wasn’t until 3:12 that Toro Ruiz was able to knock the ball in for Orea and take the score up to 8-5. With one minute left to play, Aguerre scored for White Birch and the period ended with Orea leading 8-6.

The final chukker started with Aguerre taking the ball from the throw-in and making a coast-to-coast run to score. Less than a minute later, Santi Tocalino put the ball through and tied the score at 8-8. Daniels offered a quick answer, putting Orea back in the lead and Penalty 3 conversion from Ruiz put the score at 10-8. With 1:17 on the clock, Aguerre made another spectacular shot to put White Birch within one. With seconds left to play, Aguerre attempted another shot from a distance but it was intercepted by Ruiz. Orea defeated White Birch by 10-8.

Bracket play continues today, Monday April 12 with Seminole Casino Coconut Creek meeting Tamera at 11am. Casablanca takes on Pampa Norte at 3pm, after their game on Sunday was rescheduled due to inclement weather.

2021 Triple Crown of Polo Livestream Schedule

Monday 4/12
11am Seminole Casino Coconut Creek vs Tamera
3pm Casablanca vs Pampa Norte

Wednesday 4/14
Semifinals

Saturday 4/17
4pm Final

All games streamed live on http://www.chukkertv.com

By: Rebecca Baldridge Photos by: ChukkerTV WELLINGTON, FL, April 12, 2021— Richard Mille defeated Santa Rita by 11-8 in Sunday’s first match while Orea edged out White Birch 10-9. Richard…

North America, Polo News

Tamera, Orea, and Casablanca Rack Up Wins as Triple Crown of Polo Continues

12. April 2021

By: Rebecca Baldridge
Photos by: ChukkerTV

WELLINGTON, FL, April 10, 2021— Tamera beat Richard Mille 14-6 on Sunday, April 4, while Orea took down Pampa Norte 13-9 on Monday afternoon and Casablanca squeezed by White Birch 13-12 on Thursday as play continued in the Triple Crown of Polo.

Last Sunday afternoon, Richard Mille (Marc Ganzi, Jeta Castagnola, Pablo Mac. Donough, and Paco de Narvaez) faced off against Tamera (Salvador Lockey, Santi Torres, Diego Cavanaugh, and Jejo Taranco) as play continued in the World Polo League’s Triple Crown of Polo. Both teams were rated 26 goals.

Diego Cavanaugh ran the ball downfield to put the first goal on the board at 6:28 while Pablo MacDonough converted a Penalty 2 to score Richard Mille’s first goal of the day. An answer came from Santi Torres and Jeta Castagnola responded with final goal from the field to end the chukker 2-2. Tension grew during the second chukker as Richard Mille gained the advantage. MacDonough got out in front to put the ball through at 4:30, while Tamera was unable to get on the board. The chukker ended with Richard Mille leading 3-2 but the tables were turned during the next period. Richard Mille was unable to score while Santi Torres converted a Penalty 2 for Tamera. After a fierce defensive battle, the half ended in a 3-3 tie.

Jejo Taranco started the fourth chukker with a lofted shot on goal at 6:25, putting Tamera in the lead. Santi Torres converted a Penalty 2 and with 3:52 on the clock, Diego Cavanaugh battled through a crowd in front of the goal to put the ball through the posts. With 2:32 left to play, he picked up a ball left behind by Torres and made a neck shot on goal, taking the score up to 7-3. With Richard Mille on the back foot, Castagnola was able to convert a penalty and score, but Torres ended the chukker with a goal at 9 seconds on the clock that put Tamera ahead 8-4. In the fifth chukker, Richard Mille battled to get by the Tamera defense, but the pressure was starting to show. Tamera converted three penalties and Santi Torres also scored from the field, putting the team ahead 12-4 at the end of the period.

Richard Mille came back stronger in the final chukker, and the teams alternated goals. Pablo MacDonough scored first, but Santi Torres came back with the answer. Marc Ganzi made a great shot to put another goal on the board for Richard Mille, but the response by Diego Cavanaugh saw Richard Mille go down to Tamera 14-6. Santi Torres was the high scoring player with 8 goals to his credit. Salvador Lockey was named the Most Valuable Player while Lady Blue, owned by Santi Torres, was the Best Playing Pony.

On Monday, Orea (Sugar Erskine, Justin Daniels, Torito Ruiz, and Nacho Novillo Astrada) met Pampa Norte (Waqqas Al Siddiq, Santiago Loza, Magoo Laprida, and Pedro Falabella). Orea, a 23-goal team, ceded one goal on handicap to 22-goal rated Pampa Norte.

The match began with both teams feeling each other out, and each scored their first goal from the penalty line on a Penalty 2. Back-to-back goals from Toro Ruiz, always an exciting player to watch, put Orea in the lead 3-2 at the end of the first chukker. Pampa Norte put up a struggle in the second period, with several near misses, and couldn’t penetrate Orea’s defense to make it to the uprights. Sugar Erskine put the first ball between the posts, with Ruiz adding another goal to take the score up to 5-2 with Orea in the lead. They started to run away in third period, again with Erskine scoring first followed by Ruiz, who also converted a Penalty 6. Magoo Laprida successfully shot from the penalty line to put another goal on the board for Pampa Norte, who had yet to score from the field. The half ended with Orea leading by 8-3.

Pampa Norte came back in the fourth period obviously rejuvenated, with Magoo Laprida scoring two goals from the field. Orea, however, lost a bit of steam and managed only one goal from a Penalty 4. This slight lapse in energy disappeared in the fourth period as Toro Ruiz exploded into action with three goals from the field and one from the penalty line. Magoo Laprida, doing all the heavy lifting for Pampa Norte, converted a Penalty 3 and added a goal to end the period with Pampa Norte trailing Orea by six goals, at 13-7. They rallied with a strong defense in the final chukker to keep Orea off the board, and Laprida took another two balls through the uprights. Unfortunately, it was too late and Orea’s lead was too large. Orea defeated Pampa Norte by 13-9. Toro Ruiz was the high scoring player, responsible for 10 of his team’s 13 goals, while Magoo Laprida scored 8 of Pampa Norte’s 9 goals.

Thursday afternoon White Birch (Chris Brant, Facu Llorente, Mariano Aguerre, and Santi Tocalino) took to the field against Casablanca (Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini, Barto Castagnola, and Juan Martin Nero). Casablanca, a 26-goal team, ceded three goals on handicap to White Birch.

Casablanca started the match on a hot streak, with three goals from Barto Castagnola and one from Juan Martin Nero, all from the field. White Birch made no headway against Casablanca’s defense and the period ended 4-3. The teams alternated scoring in the second period, with Santi Tocalino take two balls through the uprights for White Birch while Nero and Juancito Bollini scored to keep Casablance in the lead 6-5. The third chukker saw more back and forth play with lesser result. Chris Brant scored from the field while Grant Ganzi converted a Penalty 2 to end the half with Casablanca still one goal in the lead at 7-6.

White Birch came back in the second half determined to turn the tables on Casablanca. Their defense was effective, keeping the team in black off the board, while Santi Tocalini converted a pair of Penalty Twos to put White Birch in the lead for the first time. Another goal from Brant early in the fifth chukker put White Birch in the lead by 2. Casablanca, sensing the threat, redoubled the offense. While Facu Llorente was able to score again for White Birch, Juancito Bollini contributed a pair of goals from the field while Castagnola and Nero also found the posts to take back the lead at 11-10. Castagnola ran the ball to goal to take the score up to 12-10 early in the final chukker but a pair of goals from Brant tied things up again. Barto Castagnola knocked in the final shot to win the match for Casablanca at 13-12. Castagnola was the high scorer of the match with 5 goals to his credit.

2021 Triple Crown of Polo Livestream Schedule

Sunday 4/11
10am Richard Mille vs Santa Rita
1pm Orea Polo Team vs White Birch
4pm Casablanca vs Pampa Norte

Monday 4/12
11am Seminole Casino Coconut Creek vs Tamera

Wednesday 4/14
Semifinals

Saturday 4/17
4pm Final

All games streamed live on http://www.chukkertv.com

By: Rebecca Baldridge Photos by: ChukkerTV WELLINGTON, FL, April 10, 2021— Tamera beat Richard Mille 14-6 on Sunday, April 4, while Orea took down Pampa Norte 13-9 on Monday afternoon…

North America, Polo News

Newport Wins Top Pony 12-Goal Title; Michel Dorignac Named MVP

7. April 2021

WELLINGTON, FL, April 6, 2021— Newport defeated Ellipse by 17-13 on Sunday to take the Top Pony 12-Goal title.

Newport (Gene Goldstein, Milo Dorignac, Michel Dorignac, and Nick Manifold) met Ellipse (Jack Whitman, Toly Ulloa, Robi Bilbao, and Louis Devaleix) Sunday morning to vie for the title in the Top Pony 12-Goal tournament. Newport ceded one goal to Ellipse on handicap.

The match started with a foul in the first 20 seconds of the game, setting the tone for what was a penalty-heavy match. Milo Dorignac put the first goal on the board for Newport, but Ellipse ended the chukker ahead 3-1 on penalty conversions by Robi Bilbao. Michel Dorignac converted a Penalty 2, putting Newport in striking distance, but field goals by Jack Whitman and Toly Ulloa kept Ellipse in the lead. Nick Manifold found the posts with 23 seconds on the clock and the period ended 5-4 with Newport nipping at Ellipse’s heels.

A goal by Robi Bilbao put the score up to 6 but it was quickly answered by Nick Manifold, keeping Ellipse’s lead down to one goal until Toly Ulloa converted a Penalty 2. Milo Dorignac evaded Toly Ulloa to put the ball through with 2:18 left on the clock but a final penalty conversion by Bilbao ended the half with Ellipse leading 8-6.

The penalties really started to stack up in the fouth chukker, with Ellipse adding two goals from the line. However, Newport was the greater beneficiary of penalities, with Michel Dorignac converting three penalties after starting the chukker with a goal from the field. Ellipse started the fifth chukker with a penalty conversion, but Michel Dorignac racked up another hat trick with one goal from the field and two successful penalty shots to put Newport into the lead for the first time in the match at 13-11.

Although Toly Ulloa and Robi Bilbao were able to score from the field, the continued fouling cost Ellipse the match as Dorignac converted another four penalties during the final chukker to win the match for Newport 17-13. With his baker’s dozen goals, Dorignac was named the MVP of the match. Purdon Guri Canina, ridden by Michel Dorignac and owned by Sebastian Merlos, took the Best Playing Pony award.

Images: ©Grand Champions Polo Club

WELLINGTON, FL, April 6, 2021— Newport defeated Ellipse by 17-13 on Sunday to take the Top Pony 12-Goal title. Newport (Gene Goldstein, Milo Dorignac, Michel Dorignac, and Nick Manifold) met…

North America, Polo News

Seminole Casino Coconut Creek and White Birch Victorious as Triple Crown of Polo Continues

5. April 2021

WELLINGTON, FL, April 3, 2021— Seminole Casino Coconut Creek overcame Santa Rita 15-9 yesterday while White Birch beat Pampa Norte 12-11 in overtime play.

Seminole Casino Coconut Creek (Melissa Ganzi, Nic Roldan, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, and Adolfo Cambiaso) met Santa Rita (Robert Strom, Nacho Figueras, Clemente Zavaleta, and Horacio Llorente) Friday morning as play continued in the World Polo League’s Triple Crown of Polo. Seminole Casino, with a team handicap of 26 goals, ceded two goals to Orea, a 24-goal team, on handicap. Adolfo Cambiaso subbed for Juan Martin Zubia.

Although Santa Rita started the match with a two-goal advantage, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek made short work of that lead. Melissa Ganzi scored the first goal of the day and Alejandro Novillo Astrada followed up with another. With 4:58 left on the clock, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek took the ball from the throw-in and Nic Roldan put the ball through the posts with an assist from Ganzi. Clemente Zavaleta made a shot from 80 yards to end the chukker in a 3-3 tie.

Nic Roldan put Seminole Casino back in the lead early in the second period, and Novillo Astrada backed Ganzi to finish a goal when her ball bounced off a pony. Roldan knocked in two more goals to firmly establish Seminole Casino Coconut Creek‘s lead at 7-3, with Santa Rita failing to score in the period. Nacho Figueras broke Santa Rita’s dry spell seconds into the third chukker, but forty seconds later Adolfo Cambiaso took the ball from the bowl-in and passed it to Roldan, who made one of his epic long shots to goal. With another goal from Novillo Astrada, the half ended with Seminole Casino leading by 9-4.

Seminole Casino Coconut Creek was off to an auspicious start to the second half of the match, with each member of the team scoring as Santa Rita continued to struggle. With a 13-5 lead going into the fifth chukker, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek eased off on the pressure. Melissa Ganzi scored one goal, while Santa Rita played their best chukker of the match. With 1:45 on the clock Horacio Llorente took the ball through the uprights, and Nacho FIgueras finished the period by scoring a goal with 55 seconds left to play. Santa Rita fought back in the final chukker with Frenchman Robert Strom contributing back-to-back goals to take the score up to 9-14, but in the last seconds of the game Melissa Ganzi scored to end the match with Seminole Casino Coconut Creek winning by 15-9. Nic Roldan was the high scoring player with six goals to his credit.

Action continued at in the afternoon when White Birch (Chris Brant, Facundo Llorente, Mariano Aguerre, and Santi Toccalino) met Pampa Norte (Waqqas Al Siddiq, Santiago Loza, Magoo Laprida, and Pedro Falabella). White Birch, a 23-goal team, ceded one goal to Pampa Norte, a 22-goal team.

The match started with a foul in favor of Pampa Norte, and Magoo Laprida converted a Penalty 2. Both teams were battling ferociously, and Pampa Norte gave up two goals on penalties with Santi Toccalino going to the line. With 2:33 on the clock Toccalino made a superb run to goal, taking the score to 3-2, and in the last minute of play Chris Brant took a shot from the near side to end the chukker 4-2 with White Birch in the lead.

Neither team was able to score from the field in the second period, and all the goals were made from the penalty line – one by Toccalino on a Penalty 4 and two by Magoo Laprida. Magoo Laprida took the ball through the posts after 20 seconds of play, evening the match up at 5-5, but Toccalino found the uprights again to keep White Birch ahead by 6-5 at the half.

Both teams were firing on all cylinders in the second half, and it was nip and tuck all the way through, making for an exciting game. Santi Toccalino started the fourth chukker by converting a Penalty 3, while Loza sank an impressive under-the-neck cut shot. Pampa Norte cut loose with everything they had in the fifth chukker. They played a strong defense that kept White Birch down to only a Penalty 3 by Mariano Aguerre, wihile Loza scored two goals and Magoo Laprida contributed a goal from the field and one from the penalty line.

Down by 10-8 at the beginning of the final chukker, White Birch knew they had a fight on their hands. Facundo Llorente came through for the team, knocking in two goals to even the score at 10-10, and with 2:31 remaining Santi Toccalino converted a Penalty 2 to put White Birch ahead by 11-10. It was too early to celebrate though, as a whistle at 18 seconds sent Magoo Laprida to the penalty line to tie the score and send the game into overtime. Less than a minute into the seventh chukker, Facundo Llorente scored to win the match for White Birch. Santi Toccalino and Magoo Laprida were the high scoring players with seven goals each.

Photos by ChukkerTV

2021 Triple Crown of Polo Livestream Schedule

Sunday 4/4
4pm Tamera vs Richard Mille

Monday 4/5
11am Pampa Norte vs Orea Polo Team

Thursday 4/8
4pm White Birch vs Casablanca

Friday 4/9
11am Tamera vs Seminole Casino Coconut Creek

Sunday 4/11
11am Richard Mille vs Santa Rita
4pm Casablanca vs Pampa Norte

Monday 4/12
4pm Orea Polo Team vs White Birch

Wednesday 4/14
Semifinals

Saturday 4/17
4pm Final

All games streamed live on http://www.chukkertv.com

WELLINGTON, FL, April 3, 2021— Seminole Casino Coconut Creek overcame Santa Rita 15-9 yesterday while White Birch beat Pampa Norte 12-11 in overtime play. Seminole Casino Coconut Creek (Melissa Ganzi,…

North America, Polo News

Casablanca Beats Orea Polo Team in Overtime on First Day of Bracket A Play in the Triple Crown of Polo

3. April 2021

By Rebecca Baldridge
Photos by ChukkerTV

WELLINGTON, FL, April 1, 2021— Casablanca defeated Orea Polo Team by 13-12 today in overtime as Bracket A play began in the Triple Crown of Polo.

Casablanca (Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini, Barto Castagnola, and Juan Martin Nero) took on Orea Polo Team (Justin Daniels, Sugar Erskine, Torito Ruiz, and Nacho Novillo Astrada) in the first Bracket A match of the World Polo League’s Triple Crown of Polo. Casablanca, with a team handicap of 26 goals, ceded three goals to Orea, a 23-goal team, on handicap.

Orea Polo Team started the game with three goals on the board but committed a pair of fouls off the bat that let Barto Castagnola convert two penalties in as many minutes of play. Castagnola followed up with a goal from the field, eroding Orea’s advantage on handicap and tying the score at 3-3. Justin Daniels converted a Penalty 2 and just as the horn sounded, Juan Martin Nero took the ball through the posts to end the first period in a 4-4 tie.

Orea came out strong in the second chukker, managing to contain Casablanca as they struggled to replicate their performance in the first period. Justin Daniels scored Orea‘s first goal from the field, with Nacho Novilla Astrada taking the ball through the posts barely a minute later. Juan Martin Nero fought back with a goal at 2:22, cutting Orea’s lead to one, but Toro Ruiz converted a Penalty 6 to put Orea back in the lead by two goals.

Barto Castagnola went to the penalty line after 30 seconds of play in the third chukker, startling both himself and his teammates as a Penalty 2 went wide. Toro Ruiz took control of the ball, making a spectacular angled neck shot from 90 yards and followed up with a second goal to take the score up to 9-5 in Orea’s favor Castagnola took another Penalty 2 shot, this time putting the ball through to end the half at 9-6.

Casablanca got their mojo back in the fourth chukker, playing a determined defense and scoring three unanswered goals. Juancito Bollini picked up a pass from Grant Ganzi to take the ball through the uprights at 6:48, followed by another Penalty 2 from Castagnola. A goal from Nero ended the chukker with the score even at nine goals apiece. The fifth chukker was a battle of attrition, with both teams fighting to get on goal with relatively little success. Torito Ruiz converted a Penalty 4, while Castagnola scored an equalizer with 31 seconds left to play.

The final chukker began with a 10-10 tie on the board. Following a nice approach by Ruiz, Justin Daniels picked up the loose ball and knocked it in, putting Casablanca slightly on the back foot. With 4:54 on the clock, Sugar Erskine got a length-and-a-half lead on Juancito Bollini and made a brillian neck shot at speed, putting Orea ahead at 12-10. However, with a team like Casablanca there’s no room for overconfidence. Erskine managed to hook Bollini on a play, but Nero was left open, which is always dangerous. He took the ball to goal, and with 2:08 left to play Barto Castagnola evened the score at 12-12.

Orea attempted to sustain the pressure but the buzzer sounded with the game still tied. Play went into overtime and it took Juan Martin Nero only 12 seconds to run the ball to goal and secure the win for Casablanca. Barto Castagnola was the high scoring player of the day with seven goals.

2021 Triple Crown of Polo Livestream Schedule

Thursday 4/1
10am Casablanca vs Orea Polo Team

Friday 4/2
11am Seminole Casino Coconut Creek vs Santa Rita
4:30pm White Birch vs Pampa Norte

Sunday 4/4
4pm Tamera vs Richard Mille

Monday 4/5
11am Pampa Norte vs Orea Polo Team

Thursday 4/8
4pm White Birch vs Casablanca

Friday 4/9
11am Tamera vs Seminole Casino Coconut Creek

Sunday 4/11
11am Richard Mille vs Santa Rita
4pm Casablanca vs Pampa Norte

Monday 4/12
4pm Orea Polo Team vs White Birch

Wednesday 4/14
Semifinals

Saturday 4/17
4pm Final

All games streamed live on http://www.chukkertv.com

By Rebecca Baldridge Photos by ChukkerTV WELLINGTON, FL, April 1, 2021— Casablanca defeated Orea Polo Team by 13-12 today in overtime as Bracket A play began in the Triple Crown…

North America, Polo News

Richard Mille and Tamera Victorious as Play Begins in the Triple Crown of Polo

2. April 2021

By Rebecca Baldridge
Photos by ChukkerTV

WELLINGTON, FL, April 1, 2021— Richard Mille defeated Seminole Casino Coconut Creek by 14-13 while Tamera beat Santa Rita 10-6.

Richard Mille (Marc Ganzi, Jeta Castagnola, Pablo MacDonough, and Paco de Narvaez) met Seminole Casino (Melissa Ganzi, Nic Roldan, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, and Juan Martin Zubia in the first match of the World Polo League’s Triple Crown of Polo. Richard Mille, with a team handicap of 26 goals, ceded two goals to Santa Rita, a 24-goal team, on handicap.

Barely thirty seconds into play, Marc Ganzi got out in front to score the first goal of the day and narrow Seminole Casino’s advantage to one goal. With rain bucketing down, there was some question as to whether play could continue. Unperturbed by the foul weather, Nic Roldan slammed a long shot through the posts and followed up by taking the ball downfield straight to the goal. Marc Ganzi converted a Penalty 2 and the chukker ended with Seminole Casino leading 4-2.

Fortunately, the rain came to a halt, allowing play to continue. Less fortunately, Seminole Casino’s ability to score also came to a halt during the second period. Each member of Richard Mille contributed a goal, and by the end of the chukker Richard Mille had taken a 6-4 lead. At the start of the third chukker, Nic Roldan took the ball from the bowl-in to the goal within 12 seconds, giving Seminole Casino a shot in the arm, and in the next 40 seconds finished on a pass from Juan Martin Zubia to tie things up. Later in the period Roldan completed a hat trick, but a pair of penalty conversions ended the half with Richard Mille leading by 9-7.

In the fourth chukker, it was Pablo MacDonough who scored the hat trick, starting with an easy penalty conversion and adding two more goals. Seminole Casino once again failed to get past Richard Mille’s defense and score. Early in the pentultimate chukker, Pablo MacDonough made an impressive coast-to-coast run and passed the ball to Marc Ganzi for the finish. Seminole Casino’s Juan Martin Zubia roared to life in this chukker, scoring a hat trick of his own with a goal from Roldan as well. The final chukker saw Seminole Casino giving their all as they managed to keep Richard Mille away from the posts while Roldan and Zubia both scored. Had the team managed to capitalize on a few lost opportunities, the match might have gone to Seminole Casino. In the end though, Richard Mille won by a narrow 14-13. Marc Ganzi and Nic Roldan were the high scoring players, each with 7 goals to his credit.

In the second match of the day, Tamera (Ale Poma, Santi Torres, Diego Cavanaugh, and Jejo Taranco) took on Santa Rita (Robert Strom, Nacho Figueras, Clemente Zavaletta, and Horacio Llorente). Twenty-five goal Tamera ceded one goal to Santa Rita on handicap.

Tamera dominated play from the get-go, keeping Santa Rita away from the uprights while Ale Poma scored the first goal of the day and Santi Torres converted a Penalty 3. In the second period, Diego Cavanaugh left two Santa Rita defenders behind and made an impressively angled shot to score for Tamera. He followed up with another two minutes later to put his team in the lead at 4-0. With 40 seconds remaining to play, Clemente Zavaleta hit a neat neck shot and put Santa Rita’s first goal from the field on the board, ending the chukker at 4-2. Although Santa Rita started to play a better game in the third chukker, they were still unable to make it on goal. Tamera couldn’t score from the field either but added two goals from penalties to end the half 6-2.

The teams were back and forth for almost three minutes before Jejo Taranco gained three lengths on a pursuing Horacio Llorente and scored for Tamera. Santi Torres picked up a loose ball and put it through the uprights to take Tamera up 8-2. Clemente Zavaleta scored for Santa Rita with a successful Penalty 3 conversion, putting their third goal on the board. Tamera continued to play exceptionally well in the fifth chukker and put the score up to 10-3. Santa Rita’s Nacho Figueras battled his way to the goal to end the chukker with Tamera leading 10-4. In the final period of play, Santa Rita finally found their rhythm, keeping Tamera away from the goal. Llorente and Figueras both scored but it was too little too late, and Tamera carried the day by 10-6. Santi Torres was the high scoring player with five goals for Tamera.

2021 Triple Crown of Polo Livestream Schedule

Thursday 4/1
10am Casablanca vs Orea Polo Team

Friday 4/2
11am Seminole Casino Coconut Creek vs Santa Rita
4:30pm White Birch vs Pampa Norte

Sunday 4/4
4pm Tamera vs Richard Mille

Monday 4/5
11am Pampa Norte vs Orea Polo Team

Thursday 4/8
4pm White Birch vs Casablanca

Friday 4/9
11am Tamera vs Seminole Casino Coconut Creek

Sunday 4/11
11am Richard Mille vs Santa Rita
4pm Casablanca vs Pampa Norte

Monday 4/12
4pm Orea Polo Team vs White Birch

Wednesday 4/14
Semifinals

Saturday 4/17
4pm Final

All games streamed live on http://www.chukkertv.com

By Rebecca Baldridge Photos by ChukkerTV WELLINGTON, FL, April 1, 2021— Richard Mille defeated Seminole Casino Coconut Creek by 14-13 while Tamera beat Santa Rita 10-6. Richard Mille (Marc Ganzi,…

North America, Polo News

Parrotheads Triumph in $50,000 National 12-Goal Final

31. March 2021

WELLINGTON, FL, March 30, 2021— Parrotheads defeated Beverly Equestrian to capture $50,000 National 12-Goal final.

Beverly Equestrian (Bill Ballhaus, Keko Magrini, Tolito Ocampo, and Hilario Figueras) met Parrotheads (Nachi Viana, Roni Duke, Jason Wates, and Felipe Viana on Sunday morning in the final match of the $50,000 National 12-Goal.

While Parrotheads put the pressure on early and made several unsuccessful shots on goal in the first two and a half minutes, Hilario Figueras got Beverly Equestrian off to a promising start by scoring the first goal of the match at 4:30. However, the promise was short-lived. Nachi Viana went to the penalty line twice in the first chukker, converting a Penalty 2 and a Penalty 3 to end the chukker 2 to 1.

Nachi scored two goals from the field in the second period, while brother Felipe converted a Penalty 3. Despite their best efforts, Beverly couldn’t make it through the Parrotheads defense and put no goals on the board. The period ended with Parrotheads leading 5-1. The third chukker saw just under two minutes of back and forth with Parrotheads pressing hard before Nachi Viana stole the ball and took it through the posts. Felipe followed up with some thieving of his own and put the ball in from the near side. Beverly found themselves down by 7-1. While they weren’t able to score from the field, a pair of Penalty Twos cut Parrotheads’ lead to 4.

The second half began with Parrotheads leading 7-3, and Beverly suffered through another frustrating chukker. Jason Wates scored from the field while Nachi Viana converted a Penalty 2, but Beverly had no luck getting near the uprights. In the fifth chukker a Penalty 2 took Parrot Heads up to 10, with Beverly lagging behind by seven goals. Tolito Ocampo made a successful shot on goal, breathing some life back into Beverly, but Nachi Viana converted a Penalty 2 to end the chukker 10-4.

Nachi began the final chukker with another goal, his eighth for the day, and was answered by Tolito Ocampo. Following a technical foul, Beverly was awarded a goal, and Hilario Figueras convered a Penalty 3 and a Penalty 2. Jason Wates knocked in the final goal just as the thirty second horn sounded, and Parrot Heads defeated Beverly Equestrian by a score of 12-8.

Nachi Viana was named Most Valuable Player, while Roni Duke’s pony Tap Dancer was awarded the prize for Best Playing Pony.

www.gcpolo.com

WELLINGTON, FL, March 30, 2021— Parrotheads defeated Beverly Equestrian to capture $50,000 National 12-Goal final. Beverly Equestrian (Bill Ballhaus, Keko Magrini, Tolito Ocampo, and Hilario Figueras) met Parrotheads (Nachi Viana,…

North America, Polo News

Casablanca and Richard Mille Advance to Final in Palm Beach Open

29. March 2021

By Rebecca Baldridge
Photos by ChukkerTV

WELLINGTON, FL, March 26, 2021— In a thrilling day of semifinal play, Casablanca is set to meet Richard Mille in the final of the World Polo League Palm Beach Open this Sunday at 4 pm.

Casablanca (Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini, Barto Castagnola and Juan Martin Nero) met Pampa Norte (Waqqas Al Siddiq, Santiago Loza, Magoo Laprida, and Pedro Falabella) yesterday in the first semifinal game.

Pampa Norte was strong out of the gate, outscoring Casablanca in the first chukker and continuing to push hard in the second. Both of Casablanca’s goals in the first period were from the penalty line, while Pampa Norte’s Pedro Falabella knocked in two from the field. In the second period Juan Martin Nero took the ball through the posts, and with just over two minutes on the clock, Barto Castagnola made a spectacular 120-yard drive to put Casablanca in the lead. A Penalty 2 from Magoo Laprida ended the chukker in a 4-all tie.

Although Casablanca was missing shots in the third period and scored only on a Penalty 3, the team was growing visibly stronger with each chukker. Juancito Bollini, Casablanca’s number two, said “We didn’t do so well in the first half and I couldn’t find my rhythm, but by the end we were like a well-oiled machine.”

The second half began tied up at 5-all, and after three minutes of hard back and forth Juancito Bollini picked up a pass from Juan Martin Nero for an easy finish and the first goal of the second half. Nero himself followed up by taking the ball from the throw-in and running away with it to escort it through the uprights with 3:37 on the clock. Pampa Norte wasn’t able to score in the fourth, and managed only one goal in the fifth chukker, while Casablanca’s Nero contributed another two goals and Barto Castagnola converted a penalty to end the period up by 10-6.

In the final chukker the team in light blue was firing on all cylinders. Nero and Castagnola had scored another goal apiece when Magoo Laprida put the ball through with 1:05 left to play. The clock was ticking down to the buzzer when, with 13 seconds remaining in the game, Grant Ganzi scored a final goal to end the match 13-7 for Casablanca. Says Juan Martin Nero, “Today was a very tough game. I think we didn’t play well in the beginning but Juancito was amazing in the last three chukkers. It was fun to play against Pampa Norte and we’re so happy to be going to the final.” Nero scored five goals in the match, and Barto Castagnola scored six. Pedro Falabella and Magoo Laprida scored three goals each for Pampa Norte.

In the afternoon action, Richard Mille (Marc Ganzi, Jeta Castagnola, Pablo Mac Donough, and Paco de Narvaez) took on Tamera (Ale Poma, Santi Torres, Diego Cavanaugh, and Jejo Taranco).

The match was a pitched battle from the start, with Richard Mille gaining a brief early advantage. Jeta Castagnola drew first blood while it took Tamera more than five minutes to get on the board with a goal from Jejo Taranco. Marc Ganzi converted a penalty and Richard Mille ended the period with a narrow 2-1 lead. They started the second chukker by winning a penalty challenge in the first twenty seconds of play, with the goal awarded to Paco de Narvaez. Seconds later, Pable MacDonough took the ball out of the throw-in to score, and the lead expanded to 4-1. With 2:35 on the clock, Diego Cavanaugh put the ball for a second Tamera goal on the board with an answer from MacDonough to end the chukker at 5-3 with Richard Mille in the lead.

Tamera showed their mettle in the third chukker, outscoring Richard Mille by three to one from the field and gaining on the team in black, pulling within one goal until a Penalty 4 from Jeta Castagnola improved the margin once again. The half ended with Richard Mille in the lead by 7-5.

Jejo Taranco started the second half with an important goal for Tamera, narrowing the margin to one again at 7-6 until Marc Ganzi went to the penalty line for 8-6. Ale Poma made a fabulous run to goal and put Tamera within one again and the period ended 8-7. Richard Mille began their drive to victory in fifth chukker with three goals, although Tamera continued to keep the pressure on and fight hard.

The final chukker began with Richard Mille leading by 11-9. A penalty conversion by Diego Cavanaugh cut the lead to one yet again, but two more goals from the field by Richard Mille extended their lead to four goals at 13-9. Jejo Taranco converted one more penalty, but Paco de Narvaez knocked in a final goal to end the match 14-11, sending Richard Mille to the final on Sunday. Pablo MacDonough noted that Richard Mille was prepared for a tough game, saying “Tamera has been playing well through the tournament, and they’re strong. Fortunately, when they were getting close, we responded and managed to score one or two goals and keep the gap. This gave us an advantage at the end of the game.”

By Rebecca Baldridge Photos by ChukkerTV WELLINGTON, FL, March 26, 2021— In a thrilling day of semifinal play, Casablanca is set to meet Richard Mille in the final of the…

North America, Polo News

Dundas Captures the Trophy in Sieber Memorial

22. March 2021

By Rebecca Baldridge
Photos By ChukkerTV

WELLINGTON, FL, March 20, 2021— Dundas defeated Newport by 12-10 to capture the title in the Sieber Memorial.

Dundas (Cable Magness, Juan Cruz Marcos, Hugo Taylor and Tatu Gomez Romero) faced off against Newport (Gene Goldstein, Milo Dorignac, Michel Dorignac, and Nick Manifold) yesterday in the final match of the Sieber Memorial. Newport, a 12-goal team, ceded one goal to 11-goal Dundas on handicap. The two teams had met earlier in the tournament, with Newport besting Dundas by 15-11.

Neither team wasted any time feeling out the other, and both played aggressively from the first throw-in. Newport’s Michel Dorignac, the highest rated player on the field at 6 goals, put the first goal on the board with a successful Penalty 2 conversion. With 2:41 on the clock, Tatu Gomez Romero broke away from his pursuers to put the ball through the posts and his team in the lead at 2-1. With just over a minute left to play, Michel Dorignac stole the ball from Gomez Romero to score his second goal of the chukker and tie the score at 2-all. As the clock ticked down after the 30-second horn, Englishman Hugo Taylor took control and swept the ball through the uprights to end the period with Dundas leading 3-2.

Dundas managed to stymie Newport in the second period, keeping them away from the goal and thwarting their efforts to score. Hugo Taylor knocked the ball in once again, and Gomez Romero followed up with back-to-back goals to end the chukker with Dundas leading 6-2. Newport continued to suffer in the third period, and their only goal came from a Penalty 4 shot by Michel Dorignac. Cable Magness took a successful shot on goal, reliably followed by Taylor and Gomez Romero. Dundas ended the half with a decisive lead of 9-3.

After their disappointing first half, Newport returned to the field with renewed determination and began to fight their way back, outscoring Dundas in the fourth and fifth chukkers. At the top of the fourth chukker, just over a minute into play, Gene Goldstein stayed ahead of his pursuers to sweep the ball through the goal. Less than a minute later, Michel Dorignac got out in front to score his fourth goal of the day. With 3:29 left on the clock, Nick Manifold broke away to put the ball through the posts for Newport again. At 2:27, Juan Cruz Marcos scored the only goal for Dundas, ending the period with Dundas leading 10-6.

Newport continued their hot streak in the fifth chukker, keeping Dundas off the board while racking up another three goals to put them within one goal of Dundas. Nick Manifold and Milo Dorignac shot from the field to score, while Michel Dorignac enjoyed another success from the penalty line. Going into the final chukker, it was anyone’s match. Gomez Romero took Dundas up to 11 goals on the board, but a foul by the team in black gave Michel Dorignac the opportunity to convert another Penalty 2. Unfortunately for Newport, they lost some of the momentum from the previous two chukkers and were unable to score from the field. A final goal from Gomez Romero saw Dundas defeat Newport by 12-10.

Tatu Gomez Romero was named the Most Valuable Player. Leona, played by Cable Magness in the second chukker, took the honor of Best Playing Pony.