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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

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

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

Successful First Weekend Of The World Polo League Palm Beach Open

12. March 2020

Richard Mille Rallies Over Amaala To Win Sunday Feature Game

Over the weekend, The Palm Beach Open has been portraying polo prowess in the heart of Florida’s polo mecca, Grand Champions Polo Club, with the first five matches in the exciting third installment of the 2020 World Polo League gracing the pristine fields.

Following two epic matches between Alegría and SD Farms, followed by Colorado and J5 La Dolfina, to start the weekend’s entertainment, on Saturday 7 M arch,Seminole Casino fought tooth and nail to defeat their rivals STM, 10-7. Melissa Ganzi’s side and her band of long-time friends and 8 goaler extraordinaires, Lucas James, Alejandro Novillo Astrada and American number one, Nic Roldan, were all power, proving three 8 goalers is exactly what the doctor ordered in this high stakes, high goal thrill of a tournament.

With three goals to her name, Melissa led her team to a resounding victory despite their lower handicap, and to put the icing on the cake, Nic Roldan, for all his offensive plays and cohesive fervor, was named Most Valuable Player. What a start for this exciting team in The Palm Beach Open!

Valiente vs Casablanca 13-8

To commence a thrilling Sunday, the powerhouse foursome of Valiente, fresh from a victory under the Scone banner in The Founders Cup, came flying out the starting blocks, up against Grant Ganzi’s Casablanca. With Hilario Figueras stepping in for Valiente patron Bob Jornayvaz, polo fans on the sidelines were keen to see what magic this team could bring, up against the well-drilled Casablanca side.

From the off, both teams tested the mettle of their opponents, with power plays and lofty shots up field, but it was the Casablanca Captain, Ganzi, who was the first to find the uprights, putting his boys in black ahead 1-0, with 5 minutes to go. Valiente spent the first chukker forming two man plays, then three man plays, each time extending their time in front of goal, getting closer and closer to a conversion. Diego Cavanagh was the first to convert for Valiente, against increasingly strong wind, placing a set of ones on the board, with plenty of more action to come. He quickly followed with a second penalty, and a neat field goal from the main man himself Adolfo Cambiaso, putting Valiente ahead, 3-1, so as the first chukker ended, the play, having seemingly slowed down due to numerous whistles blown, started to pep-up, with Valiente going strong.

It was clear Valiente meant business going into the second period, but Casablanca had synergy and they meant to use it. The father/son Cambiaso duo had settled into a nice rhythm, but Hilario Ulloa and Rodrigo Andrade, Casablanca’s own perfect pairing, ensured they made hard work of any Valiente gains. The penalty whizz Cavanagh put a fourth goal on the scoreboard for Valiente and as the chukker continued, the goals mounted. Following some stern words, with extra passionate gesticulation thrown-in from Andrade and Cambiaso, Valiente headed into the third chukker with 6 goals to Casablanca’s 2.

A lot can happen in polo, so with seven and a half minutes before half-time, perhaps Casablanca could turn this around? Would the polo fates be that kind? Unfortunately for Casablanca; no. As the teams wound down to half-time, Valiente still led, 8-3, with a veritable whitewash underway.

Three chukkas to go and plenty of time to climb the scoreboard for Casablanca and Juancito Bollini had just the ticket, beginning the long road back to potential victory for Casablanca with a converted penalty 3. But unsurprisingly, the Cambiaso duo, with the help of young Figueras well and truly put their foot on the throttle with field goals and penalties off Cavanagh’s mallet, ending the fourth chukker 10-4 ahead, followed by the fifth with 12 goals to Valiente’s name to only 5 in response from Casablanca. Passions were flying, but despite a perfectly placed neckshot goal from Ganzi just a minute into the sixth and final chukka, Casablanca didn’t have the gumption needed to overpower the sheer Valiente might. So, with one qualifying match under their belts, Valiente had the win 13-8.

Richard Mille vs Amaala 15-7

Up next, thrilled spectators on the sidelines were set to see a clash of titans, with Richard Mille up against Nacho Figueras’s Amaala. And wow, these spectators were not disappointed. Amaala began the showdown with some quick stickwork, but the young might of the Castagnola brothers, Camilo and Barto, was sure to be a force to be reckoned with, a fact they proved in the first minute of play. Barto, with a handy, lofty shot, placed the ball perfectly through the posts, with no one on his tail to make the first, all-important mark on the scoreboard. Richard Mille continued their initial onslaught with a second goal, completely dismantling Amaala’s defense. The 8 goaler Tincho Merlos however, came back for Amaala with a beautiful penalty conversion, and as if by magic, Amaala were back in the game. As the clock wound down to the chukker end, with Richard Mille leading 3-1, a small mistake from Camilo Castagnola saw Facu Llorente find a gap, racing towards goal, ensuring his Amaala side was back in the game, 3-2 to finish the first period.

The ever-present Castagnola brothers were first out the gates in the second chukker, with older brother Barto receiving a perfectly poised pass from Camilo to open scoring in the period and putting Richard Mille 4-2 ahead. Camilo, keen for a slice of the pie, wasted no time in scoring his third goal of the afternoon and so began Richard Mille’s ongoing assault. Figueras was determined to ensure Richard Mille didn’t run away with the match too easily, but with two missed goal opportunities, it was seemingly impossible for the cascade of Castagnola power shots to falter. Furthermore, when you’re backed up by one of the best players in the world, in the form of 10 goaler Pablo Mac Donough, it’s going to take some serious collaboration to overcome this mountain of horsepower and skill.

Going into the third, Amaala were on the back foot, letting Richard Mille play their game, and Camilo Castagnola was more than happy to add salt to the wound with a fourth goal from a converted penalty 4. With fresh enthusiasm, Amaala’s Llorente and Merlos went for power play over close-range stick work, but Barto Castagnola’s horsepower ensured Merlos’ efforts were all effort with no cigar, making matters even worse for Amaala as Camilo Castagnola scored a goal from a seemingly impossible angle to make it 7-2 to Richard Mille. This was Richard Mille’s game and they weren’t going to let anyone take their thunder. As one of the WPL’s newest additions, these new kids on the block meant business – could The Palm Beach Open title be within their grasp at such an early stage?

The Mille might was as fresh as a daisy going into the second half. With an 8-2 lead, Amaala had a lot of ground to make-up and a Castangola blitzkrieg to overcome, but one thing’s for sure; they were keen to make ground. Llorente had his head in the game, coming back with the first score of the second half for Amaala, 8-3, but Mac Donough had other ideas, capitalizing on a little error from Amaala and scoring a ninth goal for Richard Mille. And on and on it went; with three minutes left to play in the fourth, Barto found the posts again to make double figures, thus ending the period 10-5, still in Richard Mille’s favor.

Despite trying with all their might, Amaala just couldn’t convert effort to goals, trying time and time again to out maneuver Richard Mille’s power foursome. Play in the fifth continued along the same tack, as the boys in black continued to power through Amaala’s handy work.But, with a nice little penalty conversion from Amaala, they narrowed the score to 10-6; could they narrow it further? If the Castagnola’s had anything to do with it, no they could not! It was to and fro up and down the field, until Barto ultimately overcame Juan Britos to run away with an 11th goal, 11-6.

With only one chukka to go, Richard Mille remained 5 goals ahead, a large, but not insurmountable score to overcome for Amaala, or so it seemed at the outset. Unfortunately for Amaala, it was one, two, three for Richard Mille who, with 1½ minutes remaining were ahead 14-6. Llorente secured a seventh goal for Amaala, but Richard Mille did exactly what they had planned to do; win their first Palm Beach Open match and win they did, with a whopping 15-7 final score.

As the sun began to set on Grand Champions Polo Club, Woods, a beautiful grey, owned and played by Nacho Figueras was named the World Polo League Best Playing Pony, whilst Subaru, played by Pablo Mac Donough was awarded the American Horse Association Best Playing Pony rug. Young Barto Castagnola picked up the Most Valuable Player honors, a sure sign of things to come in this exciting tournament.

2020 WORLD POLO LEAGUE SCHEDULE

Palm Beach Open

Wednesday 3/11 10:30AM Richard Mille vs Casablanca

Wednesday 3/11 4PM STM vs SD Farms

Thursday 3/12 10AM J5/LaDolfina vs Seminole Casino

Thursday 3/12 1PM Alegria vs Colorado

Thursday 3/12 4PM Valiente vs Amaala

Saturday 3/14 1PM J5/LaDolfina vs SD Farms

Saturday 3/14 4PM Seminole Casino vs Alegria

Sunday 3/15 10:30AM Casablanca vs Amaala

Sunday 3/15 1PM STM vs Colorado

Sunday 3/15 4PM Richard Mille vs Valiente

Semifinals 3/18-3/19

Mar. 28-Apr. 18, Triple Crown of Polo

Apr. 6-12, U.S. National Mixed Doubles Polo Championship

Apr 9-12 World Polo League Beach Polo World Cup, Miami Beach

World Polo League

Co-founded by Grand Champions owner and president Melissa Ganzi and Valiente Polo Farm owner Bob Jornayvaz, the World Polo League is the only 26-goal polo in the world outside of Argentina. The WPL is preserving the highest level of polo and its rich, hallowed tradition in the U.S.

The WPL, with 11 tournament-quality fields to play on, featured the Feb. 6-16 All-Star Challenge won by Valiente; Feb. 19-March 1 Founders Cup, March 4-22 Palm Beach Open and March 28-April 18 Triple Crown of Polo.

The WPL schedule also features the unique April 6-12 U.S. National Mixed Doubles Championship, created by Jornayvaz. It pairs men and women players. There is also the April 9-12 WPL Beach Polo World Cup in Miami Beach.

The World Polo League attracts a large international field of players from all corners of the world including Australia, Chile, India, Mexico, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Argentina, Canada, Ecuador, Brazil, Switzerland, France, Germany, Uruguay, Venezuela, Azerbaijan, South Africa, Nigeria and England.

www.gcpolo.com

www.worldpolo.org