Labor Day Challenge, Battle of the Sexes Highlight Holiday Weekend At Aspen Valley Polo Club

CARBONDALE, Colo., August 29, 2019---Aspen Valley Polo Club has added another week to its summer polo schedule with the inaugural Labor Day Challenge and Battle of the Sexes Plus One.

Six teams will compete in the Labor Day Challenge which gets under way on Friday with two semifinals.

In the opening semifinal at 10:30 a.m. at Sopris Mountain Ranch, McClure River Ranch and La Karina will play first. The winner sits and Flexjet plays the last six chukkers.

In the second semifinal at 2:30 p.m. at McClure River Ranch Field Two. Audi and Los Amigos will play first. The winner sits and Mountain Chevrolet plays the last six chukkers.

The winners advance into Sunday's championship final of the Labor Day Challenge Cup at 11 a.m. followed by the two subsidiary finals, the Just For The Love Of It Cup at 12:30 p.m. and Just For The Thrill Of It Cup at 2 p.m.

The team rosters are:

McClure River Ranch (19): Pablo Spinacci, Jared Zenni, Juancito Bollini, Stewart Armstrong.

La Karina (17/18): Brian Boyd/Santos Merlos, Carlitos Gracida, Lucas Lalor, Sebastian Merlos.

Flexjet (18): Melissa Ganzi, Alejandra Foster, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Hilario Ulloa.

Mountain Chevrolet (19): Michael Payne, Kris Kampsen, Alfredi Bigatti,
Juan Bollini.

Los Amigos (18): Paul Foster, Gussie Busch, Tincho Merlos, Nacho Novillo Astrada.

Audi (18): Lauren Sherry, Marc Ganzi, Salvador Ulloa, Nic Roldan.

On Labor Day, the Battle of the Sexes Plus One will pit the women against the men with a twist at McClure River Ranch at 11 a.m. McClure River Ranch Pink (Melissa Ganzi, Alejandra Foster, Lauren Sherry, Juan Bollini) will play McClure River Ranch Cream (Paul Foster, Brian Boyd, Marc Ganzi, Stewart Armstrong).

Aspen Valley Polo Club fans and players will help celebrate Labor Day, a day set aside to pay tribute to working men and women, that have helped provide the social, political and economic backbone of this country. It has been celebrated as a national holiday in the United States and Canada since 1894.

Coming off its most successful summer season, Aspen Valley Polo Club lined up a star-studded field of players including Hilario and Salvador Ulloa, Sapo Caset, Alejandro and Nacho Novillo Astrada, Tincho and Sebastian Merlos and Nic Roldan for the summer to compete with and against patrons and amateur players.

The 2019 summer tournament champions are: Los Amigos Red (Paul Foster, Nacho Novillo Astrada, Juancito Bollini, Juan Bollini), Carbondale Classic; Los Amigos Blue (Alejandra Foster, Alfredo Bigatti, Pablo Spinacci, Juancito Bollini), Rocky Mountain Handicap; Mountain Chevrolet (Michael Payne, Grant Ganzi, Hilario Ulloa, Salvador Ulloa), Rocky Mountain Open; La Karina (Brian Boyd, Lauren Sherry, Carlitos Gracida, Sebastian Merlos), Mount Sopris Cup; Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Juan Martin Obregon, Sapo Caset, Mason Wroe), 119th USPA Silver Cup; Los Amigos Red (Alejandra Foster, Gabriel Gracida, Juan Bollini, Paul Foster), High Alpine Cup; Los Amigos Blue (Alejandra Foster, Alejandro Poma, Salvador Ulloa, Juan Bollini), Emma Challenge; Piocho Ranch (Gussie Busch, Nacho Figueras, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Tom Barrack), Basalt Handicap; La Karina (Brian Boyd, Carlitos Gracida, Sebastian Merlos, Kris Kampsen), USPA North American Cup; Mountain Chevrolet (Michael Payne, Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini, Nacho Novillo Astrada), ChukkerTV Challenge; Los Amigos Red (Hilario Figueras, Paul Foster, Lucas Lalor, Nacho Novillo Astrada), Craig Sakin Memorial; and Piocho Ranch (Tom Barrack, Gabriel Gracida, Nacho Figueras, Salvador Ulloa), the season-opening Independence Cup winners.

With the majestic 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 its biggest schedule featuring 20-goal polo for the first time and two new additional fields at McClure River Ranch.

Since Marc and Melissa Ganzi founded the club in 2014, polo has increased in popularity in Aspen and surrounding cities with the club’s offerings of various weekly grass and arena tournaments, Tuesday Arena & Asado Nights, Kidz Polo, The Polo School headed by former 8-goaler Juan Bollini, and Polo On Demand. In addition, the club offers practice sessions for teams competing in the club tournaments.

"We want to make Aspen Valley Polo Club the place for this Valley," said co-owner Marc Ganzi, who grew up in Aspen. "The gates are open, the food is free, the drinks are free and your first polo lesson is free if you want to come take one and try the game. Our approach is come as you are. We prefer flip flops over high heels. We just want to get people to appreciate the horses and the Valley."

Aspen Valley Polo Club has had a positive impact in the area hosting kids polo camps, teaching lessons and several charitable events at the club that have benefitted local charities.

Aspen Peak Magazine has featured the club and its polo and charity events several times and recently featured players Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini, Tony Calle and Nic Roldan in a cover story.

The Ganzis are avid players and patrons and "have created a polo paradise" according to Piocho Ranch patron Tom Barrack. "You can go all over the world but you can't have these kind of people, players and horses in this setting. It's really a gift." Players, sponsors, community leaders and fans share Barrack's sentiments.

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. An added feature is the club's Jumbotron which made its debut last summer for the fans' enjoyment, Aspen Valley Polo Club Boutique and new electronic scoreboard.