Rocky Mountain Open Starts Friday; Ten-Goaler Polito Pieres Returns To Aspen Valley Polo Club

CARBONDALE, Colo., August 16, 2023--Polito Pieres, the highest ranked American polo player at ten goals, makes his summer polo debut on Friday when the Rocky Mountain Open gets underway at McClure River Ranch and High Mesa.

By Sharon Robb

Pieres, the first American to be rated at 10 goals since Adam Snow in 2003, is coming off his second consecutive Queens Cup title in Britain, playing for first-time winner Murus Sanctus (Corinne Ricard, Polito Pieres, Alejandro Muzzio, Marcos Araya). Pieres was MVP.

At the end of the high goal season in England, he was raised to 10 goals, only the fourth player in the United Kingdom to hold 10 goals along with Camilo Castagnola, Facundo Pieres and Hilario Ulloa. In the U.S. he is part of a very elite group of legendary polo players, 24th American and 54th overall player in the history of U.S. polo to be rated at 10 goals.

Pieres is a top player in the 26-goal World Polo League that begins its sixth season in February at Grand Champions Polo Club. Born in Connecticut and raised in Argentina, he has won the Argentine Open, British Open, Deauville Gold Cup, Tortugas Open and Hurlingham Open. In several U.S. and international tournaments he plays alongside and against cousins Facundo, Nico and Gonzalito Pieres, also playing in Aspen.

The eighth tournament of the summer polo season will feature five teams. Pieres will make his summer debut with Melissa Ganzi, Alejandro Novillo Astrada and Stewart Armstrong on Santa Rita.

With the breath-taking 12,965-foot summit of Mount Sopris as a backdrop, the Rocky Mountain Open is one of eleven tournaments the club is hosting in July and August. The world's destination spot for summer polo attracts some of the world's top players, sponsors and world-class horses.

Action opens Friday with the qualifying games. At 10 a.m. at McClure River Ranch, NetJets, ST8 and Santa Rita will play a nine-chukker round robin. At 1 p.m. at High Mesa, Tonkawa plays Mountain Chevrolet. The winners advance to Sunday's final at 11 a.m.

Team rosters for the Rocky Mountain Open are:
Mountain Chevrolet (19): Michael Payne, 1, Sugar Erskine, 6, Tomacho Pieres, 6, Martin Jauregui, 6.

NetJets (18): Vinny Sangaline/Santos Bollini, 2, Pablo Spinacci 6, Nacho Figueras, 5, Hilario Fiueras, 5.

Santa Rita (19): Melissa Ganzi, Polito Pieres, 10, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7, Stewart Armstrong, 2.

ST8 (18): Dominic State, 2, Jason Crowder, 5, Nacho Novillo Astrada, 8, Juan Bollini, 3.

Tonkawa (18): Jeff Hildebrand, Marc Ganzi, 1, Gonzalito Pieres, 9, Nic Roldan, 8.

Last season NetJets (Melissa Ganzi, Jason Crowder, Nic Roldan, Juan Bollini) knocked off Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Marc Ganzi, Tomacho Pieres, Gonzalito Pieres), 7-6, in overtime.  Roldan scored the winning goal with 5:51 remaining in overtime and was named Most Valuable Player for the third time.

The Rocky Mountain Open is named after the the Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, formed 80 million years ago. They are a major mountain range and largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch 3,000 miles in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada to New Mexico in the southwestern United States. Of the 100 highest major peaks of the Rocky Mountains, 78 (including the 30 highest) are located in Colorado.

The 2023 season has attracted some of the world's top pro players including Martin Jauregui, making his Aspen debut; Gonzalito Pieres, Polito Pieres, Juan Martin Nero, Nic Roldan, Alejandro and Nacho Novillo Astrada, Tomacho Pieres, Nacho Figueras, Hilario Figueras, Sugar Erskine, Pablo Spinacci, Jason Crowder and Grant Ganzi, as well as world-class horses.

The highlight of the season is the August 27th Summer Polo Charity Classic, benefitting the Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation. It is the club's summer marquis event and one of the city's most anticipated social summer events. The event has raised $3 million since it began in 2016 including $1 million last year.

Other summer tournaments remaining are the Carbondale Classic, Triple Crown of Polo-Aspen and Silver Queen Invitational.

Seven 2023 champions have already been crowned.

Victory Polo (Becky Schmeits, Grant Ganzi, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Juan Bollini) won the Independence Cup with a 4-3 win over Mountain Chevrolet (Riley Ganzi/Santos Bollini, Michael Payne, Nic Roldan, Jimmy Seward).

In the ChukkerTV Cup final, Santa Rita (Melissa Ganzi, Tito Gaudenzi, 2, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7, Juan Bollini, 3) defeated Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Jimmy Seward, 3, Tomacho Pieres, 6, Martin Jauregui, 6), 9-7.

M.A.G. Polo (Govinda Quish, Dominic State, 2, Nic Roldan 8, Jason Crowder, 5) defeated NetJets (Santos Bollini, 2, Marc Ganzi, 1, Nacho Figueras 5, Hilario Figueras, 5), 8-7, to win the Craig Sakin Memorial.

NetJets (Ale Poma 1, Nacho Figueras, 3, Marc Ganzi, 1, Nic Roldan, 8) won the Basalt Handicap with an 11-8 win over ST8 (Melissa Ganzi, Dominic State, 2, Nacho Novillo Astrada, 8, Juan Bollini, 3).

Casablanca (Grant Ganzi, 3, Hilario Figueras 5, Nic Roldan, 8, Stewart Armstrong, 2) won the Emma Challenge Cup with a 9-5 win over Los Amigos (Melissa Ganzi, Martin Jauregui, 6, Alejandro Novillo Astrada 7, Juan Boliini, 3).

Mountain Chevrolet (Michael Payne, 1, Pablo Spinacci, 6, Hilario Figueras, 5, Martin Jauregui, 6) defeated NetJets (Santos Bollini, 2/Marc Ganzi, 1, Nacho Figueras, 5, Gonzalito Pieres, 9, Stewart Armstrong, 2), 12-9, to win the High Alpine Cup.

Travieso (Teo Calle, 1, Grant Ganzi, 3, Martin Jauregui, 6, Nic Roldan, 8) won the Mount Sopris Cup tournament with a thrilling 9-8 victory over Santa Rita (Melissa Ganzi, 0, Hilario Figueras, 5, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7, Juan Bollini, 3).

Last summer Aspen Valley Polo Club finished its most successful and historic season in club and Rocky Mountain Circuit history with a record 13 tournaments.

Wellington, Fla.-based ChukkerTV (CTV sports) will live stream the entire 2023 polo season Mountain Standard Time with announcer Dale Schwetz calling the action. Aspen Valley Polo Club is the only USPA club live streaming its entire summer schedule.

The family-friendly club welcomes spectators. All matches, food and refreshments are free and open to the public.
 
Since Marc and Melissa Ganzi resurrected the club and polo in 2014, 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, Kids Polo, Kids Wheely Polo, Gymkhana, 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 on more than six world-class fields. There are also indoor and outdoor polo arenas.

The Polo School is for all ages and ability levels amd operates in Carbondale. For more information on tournaments or Polo School contact Director of Operations Juan Bollini at 561-346-1099 or club manager Cale Newman at 561-876-2930.

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.

When not playing or watching polo, there's all kinds of outdoor activities in a true adventurer's playground including hiking, mountain biking, paddle boarding, water rafting, swimming, fly fishing and golf.