Avatar Financial Captures Rocky Mountain Open; Ryan Cronin MVP; Summer Polo Charity Classic A Success
CARBONDALE, Colo., August 18, 2025---Avatar Financial won its summer season polo debut Sunday at Aspen Vallley Polo Club.
By Sharon Robb
In front of the largest crowd of the season, Avatar Financial (Ryan Cronin, Hilario Figueras, Nic Roldan) rallied in the fifth chukker to defeat Los Amigos Red (Alejandra De La Vega Foster, Grant Ganzi, Sugar Erskine, Santi Toccalino), 9-6, and win the Rocky Mountain Open.
Cronin was named Most Valuable Player after scoring three goals in the final two chukkers.
"It was a great weekend and tournament," said Cronin, an avid player at Grand Champions Polo Club and The Polo School in Wellington, Fla. "Glad to be a part of it."
Alba, a 9-year-old Chestnut mare, owned and played by Alejandra Foster, was the Aspen Valley Polo Club Best Playing Pony.
Class Act, a 7-year-old dark bay mare played by Sugar Erskine, bred (Open Quarzo and Rebecca) and owned by Wellington-based Santa Rita Polo Farm, was the American Polo Horse Association Best Playing Pony.
The sold out Summer Polo Charity Classic, benefitting Aspen Valley Health Foundation, was a smashing success featuring Polo 101 with announcer Dale Schwetz and umpire Gaston Dorignac followed by a lively auction led by 30-year veteran David Goodman.
The lead changed hands six times before Avatar Financial took control in the fifth chukker .
The opening two chukkers were defensive with goal saves by both teams. Roldan opened the chukker saving Toccalino's goal attempt. Erskine scored the only goal of the chukker on a near side neck shot with 2:16 left.
After a few missed scoring attempts by Avatar Financial, Los Amigos Red took a 2-0 lead on Toccalino's goal with 3:42 remaining in the second chukker.
Roldan opened the third chukker converting a safety to cut the lead to 2-1. Two minutes later Roldan scored again to tie the game, 2-2. Foster regained the lead, 3-2, for Los Amigos Red with a goal with two minutes left.
Figueras' goal to open the fourth chukker tied the game again, 3-3. Erskine scored back-to-back goals in the final two minutes to give Los Amigos Red its biggest lead, 5-3, of the game, but it was shortlived.
Avatar Financial took over the momentum scoring five unanswered goals in the fifth chukker.
Figueras ignited the rally by scoring to trail 5-4 and Roldan scored for a 5-5 tie. Cronin scored a goal off the post to take the lead for good, 6-5. Goals by Roldan and Cronin extended the lead to 8-5, before Toccalino scored to trail 8-6.
Avatar Financial's stingy defense shut out Los Amigos Red in the sixth chukker while Cronin scored again with 49 seconds left to ice the win.
In addition to Cronin's three goals, Roldan led scoring with four goals and Figueras added two. Erskine led Los Amigos Red with three goals, Toccalino had two and Foster added one.
In Friday's qualifier, Figueras and Cronin scored back-to-back goals in the final two minutes of the game to give Avatar an 8-6 win over Los Amigos Blue. In the second semifinal, Los Amigos Red scored four unanswered goals in the fifth and sixth chukkers for a 10-6 victory over The Setai. Alejandra Foster subbed for her husband Paul in the second half and scored five goals for Los Amigos Red.
In the club's other polo action earlier in the week:
In Tuesday night's Twilight Series before the exclusive Drone Show, Los Amigos Blue (Alejandra Foster, Tomacho Pieres, Santiago Toccalino, Juan Bollini) defeated Los Amigos Blue (Jason Crowder, Grant Ganzi, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Paul Foster), 10-6. Alejandra Foster scored a game-high nine goals.
In the The Polo School Saturday Chukkers, Polo School White (Aaron Abelman, Tomacho Pieres, Sugar Erskine, Lorenzo Ramirez, Sky Gillespie, Santi Gonzalez, Gaston Dorignac) defeated Polo School Green (Ming Chan, Jason Crowder, Sterling Jones, Juan Bollini, Gastoncito Dorignac), 6-4. Gillespie and Ramirez each had three goals for the winners. Jones led with two goals for Polo School Green.
Also on Saturday in Kidz Polo, World Polo Yellow (Lorenzo Novillo Astrada, Benja Toccalino, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Santi Toccalino, Santi Gonzalez) and World Polo White (Cande Toccalino, Mia Pieres, Tomacho Pieres, Gastoncito Dorignac) played to a 1-1 tie.
Among the 2025 season's highlights are the new "Polo Is Beautiful" Beach Club on Sundays and weekly Twilight Polo Nights and Drone Show, an exclusive series through August 26.
The "Polo Is Beautiful" Beach Club is 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.
Other highlights are the Aug. 21-24 Triple Crown of Polo-Aspen and Silver Queen Invitational doubleheader, August 26 Aspen Arena Series Final and Aug. 28-31 season-finale Maroon Bells Cup.
The club's 12th season kicked off the July Fourth weekend. 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 with an 11-10 overtime victory over defending champion Los Amigos Red. The Setai (Silver Novillo Astrada, Jason Crowder, Nic Roldan, Alejandro Novillo Astrada) won the High Alpine Cup. Audi (Jason Crowder, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Juan Bollini) won the Mount Sopris Cup.
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, Arena & Asado Nights, Kidz Polo, "Polo Is Beautiful" Beach Club, Twilight Polo Series and Drone Show, Kidz Wheelie Polo, Gymkhana, Christmas In July, The Polo School at AVPC and Polo On Demand.
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.
