Mount Sopris Cup Begins Friday At Aspen Valley Polo Club
CARBONDALE, Colo., August 8, 2025---Aspen Valley Polo Club's seventh tournament of the summer season begins Friday with the Mount Sopris Cup at McClure River Ranch.
By Sharon Robb
With spectacular mountain views, the fun begins Friday with three teams playing a round robin on the flat. At 11 a.m. action begins with Audi (Enrique Guzman, Jason Crowder, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Juan Bollini), Mountain Chevrolet (Michael Payne, Grant Ganzi, Nic Roldan, Hilario Figueras) and Los Amigos (Alejandra Foster, Sugar Erskine, Tomacho Pieres, Nacho Novillo Astrada) competing.
The top two teams advance into the final with the third team playing in the Dee Jensen Memorial against The Setai.
Action continues on Saturday with Kidz Polo on the Barn Field at 11 a.m. followed by fun at Kodiak Lake, 3:15-8 p.m.
The Mount Sopris Cup winds up on Sunday with the final at 11 a.m. on Field One followed by the Dee Jensen Memorial at 1 p.m.
Last year heavy rain cancelled the Mount Sopris Cup final. The last winner was Travieso in 2023, in its summer polo debut. Travieso (Teo Calle, 1, Grant Ganzi, 3, Martin Jauregui, 6, Nic Roldan, 8) won the five-team tournament with a 9-8 victory over Santa Rita (Melissa Ganzi, 0, Hilario Figueras, 5, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7, Juan Bollini, 3).
"I think this has been the best thing to ever happen to us in a very long time, coming back to Aspen, which we consider to be our home almost," Teo Calle said after the win. "We have been coming here for so many years and we love it. We really feel part of the polo community here."
The Mount Sopris Cup is named after the breath-taking 12,965-foot Mount Sopris, located in western Pitkin County, south of Carbondale and southwest of the confluence of the Crystal and Roaring Fork rivers.
Mount Sopris is notable for having two summits, East Sopris and West Sopris, that are one-half mile apart and have the same elevation of 12,965 feet. It dominates Aspen Glen’s southern skyline and offers spectacular hiking, picnicking and camping opportunities. It is named for Richard Sopris, a former mayor of Denver and part of the first European expedition in the Roaring Fork Valley.
Nestled in the awe-inspiring Rocky Mountains, Aspen Valley Polo Club is a summer destination for polo, players and horses.
The club's 12th season kicked off the July Fourth weekend with world-class polo and unforgettable summer vibes. The club always features busy weeks of lessons, practice sesssions and tournament games.
Among this season's highlights is the new "Polo Is Beautiful" Beach Club on Sundays; Tuesday's Twilight Polo Nights and Drone Show, an exclusive series through August 26; and Aug. 17th Summer Polo Charity Classic to benefit Aspen Valley Health Foundation.
Other highlights are the Aug. 21-24 Triple Crown of Polo-Aspen and Silver Queen Invitational doubleheader and August 26 Aspen Arena Series Final.
The remaining summer tournaments are the August 7-17 Rocky Mountain Open, August 14-17 Carbondale Classic and Aug. 28-31 season-finale Maroon Bells Cup.
To open the 2025 season, Wellington-based 3 Graces Polo, making its Aspen debut, won both the Independence Cup (Rebecca Cohen, Nacho Novillo Astrada, Nic Roldan, Juan Bollini) and ChukkerTV Cup (Rebecca Cohen, Nic Roldan, Alejandro Novillo Astrada). McClure River Ranch (Roberto Poma/Ale Poma, Grant Ganzi, Nic Roldan, Hilario Figueras) won the Craig Sakin Memorial. Mountain Chevrolet (Michael Payne, Sugar Erskine, Nic Roldan, Grant Ganzi) won the Basalt Handicap. Audi (Grant Ganzi, Nic Roldan, Juan Bollini) won the Emma Challenge Cup. The Setai (Silver Novillo Astrada, Jason Crowder, Nic Roldan, Alejandro Novillo Astrada) won the High Alpine Cup.
The family-friendly club on 15 acres of pristine land welcomes spectators of all ages. All matches, food and refreshments are free (with the exception of special catered events) and open to the public including dogs on leashes.
Unlike any other summer polo destination in the world, the local culture offers shops, incredible culinary scene, art museums, music and nightlife in addition to hiking trails, mountain biking, whitewater river rafting, kayaking, golf and fly fishing.
Last year Aspen Valley Polo Club celebrated its 11th anniversary and enjoyed its best season on the Rocky Mountain circuit, highlighted by the Summer Polo Charity Classic. This year's event is scheduled for Sunday, August 17th.
The day will feature polo, champagne, caviar and luxuruous food by Caribou Catering. For those interested in purchasing tickets, sponsoring a table, donating an item for the live auction or volunteering for the event, contact Amy Kaiser Pendarvis, Events Coordinator, at 970-544-1126 or apendarvis@aspenvalleyhealth.org.
Last year's event raised the most money in a single-day polo event in the United States. The event hit the $1 million mark with about $700,000 going to Aspen Valley Hospital operations. It was the second time the event hit the $1 million mark since it was created in 2016.
There is also the new weekly "Polo Is Beautiful" Beach Club, open every Sunday during the summer season from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. VIP Beach Club tickets are available at aspenvalleypoloclub.com. Ticket holders are treated to handcrafted cocktails, traditional Argentine asado with a variety of meats including steak and sausages and always entertaining live DJ music. The Beach Club showcases lounge spaces furnished by Arhaus on beach sand and also Cold Plunge pools by Crystal River Spas, beach chairs and umbrellas with great fieldside views.
If you can't make it to the games in person, Wellington, Fla.-based ChukkerTV (CTV sports) is live streaming the entire 2025 polo summer season Mountain Standard Time with announcer Dale Schwetz calling the action. Aspen Valley Polo Club is the only USPA-sanctioned club to live stream its entire summer schedule.
With a vision for the community and surrounding areas, the Ganzi family resurrected the club and polo in 2014. Since then polo has increased in popularity in Aspen and surrounding cities with the club's offerings of various weekly grass and arena tournaments, Kidz Polo, "Polo Is Beautiful" Beach Club, Tuesday Night Twilight Polo Series and Drone Show, Kidz Wheelie Polo, Gymkhana, Christmas In July, The Polo School at AVPC and Polo On Demand.
In addition, the club offers practice sessions for teams competing in the club tournaments on more than six world-class fields. There are also indoor and outdoor polo arenas.
Aspen Valley Polo Club caters to men, women and youth polo players at all levels. Its' expert staff can customize a complete playing experience including horses, pros and certified umpires in addition to lessons and practice sessions as part of its' Polo On Demand program.
For more information on leagues or Polo School contact Polo School Director Juan Bollini at 561-346-1099.