Pablo MacDonough

North America, Polo News

Valiente wins inaugural World Polo League All Star Challenge

20. February 2019

Valiente makes history with overtime thriller and captures the World Polo League’s first tournament. Pablo MacDonough was awarded Most Valuable Player. By Sharon Robb.

On a historic day of firsts at Grand Champions Polo Club, Valiente came up big.Valiente (Agustin Nero, 6, Santi Torres, 6, Pablo MacDonough, 10, Poroto Cambiaso, 3) made history with a thrilling 10-9 overtime victory over Colorado (Rob Jornayvaz, 2, Juan Martin Zubia, 7, Rodrigo Andrade, 9, Jero del Carril, 7) Sunday in the championship final of the inaugural World Polo League All Star Challenge Draw Tournament.

With 6:34 left in overtime, Argentine 10-goaler Pablo MacDonough converted a 60-yard penalty shot to clinch the win in front of a record crowd and worldwide livestream audience. MacDonough finished with eight goals all on penalty conversions and was named Most Valuable Player for the final.

“I have never had eight penalty goals in one game, that is the first time in my life I scored so many penalties in one game,” MacDonough said. “It was good, especially the last one. I just wanted to hit the ball well and if you hit the ball well you have a chance to score. I just concentrated on putting the ball up in the air and that was it. Then you need a little bit of luck and it was on my side. “This couldn’t be any better, to win the first World Polo League tournament,” MacDonough said. “I am very happy to be part of this league. This is something good for polo here in America. I am glad to be here this season and hopefully this league is here to stay.”

Poroto Cambiaso, 13, the son of polo great Adolfo Cambiaso and youngest player in the eight-team tournament, was selected Most Valuable Player for the tournament and presented a Catena Watch by Bill Kraft, Catena USA CEO and President. It was Cambiaso’s first 26-goal tournament win in his U.S. 26-goal debut. Cambiaso scored two goals in the final and matched up well against players twice his age. “This is the first time in my life I play with Poroto,” MacDonough said. “It’s unbelievable how he understands the game. He is the future of polo.”

Valiente finished the tournament unbeaten at 3-0 and Colorado finished 3-1. Both teams are owned by Wellington-based J5 Equestrian. “Valiente is an amazing organization,” MacDonough said. “I am glad to be part of one team and I am glad to be here.” With his attacking, aggressive style of play, Torres played an integral role in the game. “That whole game was tough, every second of it,” said the 25-year-old Torres. “That team was unbelievable. I was lucky Pablo made that shot. I screwed up on the play that made us go into overtime, luckily he made that.”

After Torres fouled Andrade on a potential goal run, Jero del Carril converted a 30-yard penalty with 12 seconds left to send the game into overtime. Del Carril finished with four goals to lead Colorado’s scoring. Jornayvaz and Zubia each had two goals and Andrade added one. “The game was amazing,” said Torres, who also won the 20-goal Sterling Cup last weekend with Colorado teammates Nick Johnson, Diego Cavanagh and Jornayvaz. “That team was unbelievable. We played tough and tried to keep our man, but they are an awesome team. The whole game was tough.

AHPA Best Playing Pony of the tournament was Mini Watt played by Torres. Mini Watt was also the APHA Best Playing Pony for the championship final in the 2017 $100,000 World Cup won by Torres’ team Palm Beach Illustrated.

FEBRUARY

Feb. 20-March 3, Founders Cup

Tuesday, 2/19:
4 p.m. Scone vs. FlexjetWednesday, 2/20:
11 a.m. Colorado vs. Black Watch
4 p.m. Valiente vs. Alegria

Thursday, 2/21:
10 a.m. Scone vs. Audi
4 p.m. Flexjet vs. Grand Champions

Sunday, 2/24:
4 p.m. Audi vs. Grand Champions

Tuesday, 2/26:
4 p.m. Grand Champions vs. Scone

Thursday, 2/28:
TBD: Flexjet vs. Audi

Sunday, March 3:
4 p.m. Founders Cup Final at Grand Champions Polo Club Field 2

MARCH
March 6-24, Palm Beach Open
March 27-April 14, Triple Crown of Polo

www.gcpolo.com

Valiente makes history with overtime thriller and captures the World Polo League’s first tournament. Pablo MacDonough was awarded Most Valuable Player. By Sharon Robb. On a historic day of firsts…

North America, Polo News

St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship

6. December 2018

A Who’s Who in polo will compete in the much-anticipated Dec. 17-22 St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship. Argentine 10-goalers Pablo MacDonough and Gonzalito Pieres and 8-goalers Alejandro Novillo Astrada and Nic Roldan head a star-studded field for three days of exciting polo action at Aspen Valley Polo Club and Rio Grande Park.

MacDonough, currently competing in the Argentine Open with favorite La Dolfina, will make his Aspen snow polo debut with the Richard Mille Polo Team. Mille is the official timekeeper for the St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship. Mille created the RM 53-01 Tourbillon Pablo MacDonough for its Brand Ambassador.

Pieres, also competing in the Argentine Open with Ellerstina and brothers Facundo and Nico Pieres and cousin Polito Pieres, has played every major tournament in the world several times including the Argentine Open, British Open and U.S. Open. He was a member of the 2009 U.S. Open team with his brothers and Marc Ganzi.

Alejandro Novillo Astrada is a fourth generation player. He teamed with Melissa Ganzi and Juan Bollini to win back-to-back United States Arena Handicap tournament titles in 2017 and 2018 and was tournament MVP in 2017. He was MVP at the 2018 Bendura Bank Snow Polo World Cup Kitzbuhel which his team won. He was also a member of the 2016 Flexjet team that won the St. Regis Snow World Polo title. Roldan is coming off the fall season in Argentina where he played for La Albertina Abu Dhabi. He is the youngest player ever to win the U.S. Open at age 15 in 1998 with Escue. The third generation polo player is one of America’s top players and has competed in most of the sport’s U.S. and international polo tournaments.

Last year’s champion U.S. Polo Assn. with Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini and Nic Roldan will return to defend its title. Ganzi is a member of Team USPA and Bollini is a Brand Ambassador for U.S. Polo Assn. and newly-minted U.S. citizen. It will be Bollini’s first tournament as an American citizen. In addition to being the title sponsor, St. Regis will return as a team sponsor with team captain Nacho Figueras, the sport’s ambassador and face of Ralph Lauren playing with his son Hilario and Julio Gracida, son of Hall of Famer and former 10-goaler Memo Gracida.

In the U.S., snow polo is held exclusively in Aspen. With the breathtaking 12,965-foot summit of Mount Sopris as a backdrop, Aspen Valley Polo Club is one of the busiest and fastest growing USPA-sanctioned clubs in the nation with a membership increase of 75 percent over five seasons. 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, Gladiator Tuesdays and Asado, Kids Polo, The Polo School and Polo On Demand. All ages are welcome to enjoy polo at Aspen Valley Polo Club. Admission, food and refreshments are free for fans in a relaxed, laidback atmosphere.

By Sharon Robb

www.aspenvalleypoloclub.com

Teams St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship, Aspen:

Richard Mille
Marc Ganzi, Martin Pepa, Pablo MacDonough.

Flexjet

Melissa Ganzi, Juan Bollini, Alejandro Novillo Astrada.

St. Regis

Hilario Figueras, Julio Gracida, Nacho Figueras.

U.S. Polo Assn.
Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini, Nic Roldan.

Aspen Valley Polo Club
Sarah Magness, Jason Crowder, Jesse Bray.

Blade & Bow
Brian Boyd, Carlitos Gracida, Gonzalito Pieres.