Tonkawa Captures Rocky Mountain Open Presented By NetJets; Gonzalito Pieres Sweeps MVP, BPP Honors

CARBONDALE, Colo., August 21, 2023--In front of a packed house, Tonkawa won its first tournament of the summer polo season Sunday at McClure River Ranch.

By Sharon Robb

Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, 0, Marc Ganzi, 1, Gonzalito Pieres, 9, Nic Roldan, 8) held off Santa Rita (Melissa Ganzi, 0, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7, Polito Pieres, 10, Stewart Armstrong, 2), 14-12, to win the Rocky Mountain Open presented by NetJets.

Gonzalito Pieres swept the Most Valuable and Best Playing Pony honors. Pieres scored a team-high five goals, four in the fifth chukker including a 130-yarder.

"Tonkawa has been playing good all season," Pieres said. "It's always good fun to play with Jeff, he loves the game and helps a lot on the field. It was a good time.

"The team we played against was really tough, they have Polito. The final was really nice with a lot of goals. It was pretty nice to win. Of all the games I played this season, I think this was the best one."

Pieres' 9-year-old chestnut mare Open Efectiva, played in the fifth chukker, was Best Playing Pony. Open Efectiva came to Wellington, Fla. two years ago.

"During the season she just kept improving and probably yesterday was her best chukker for sure," Pieres said. "We have one more week and hopefully she goes good again like that."

With Santa Rita leading 9-8 after the fourth chukker, Tonkawa broke open the close game in the fifth chukker behind Pieres' hot mallet. Tonkawa outscored Santa Rita, 4-0, in the chukker with Pieres scoring all four unanswered goals.

"It was the team opening holes," Pieres said. "The horse went really good, too, but the team played well. The team was a lot of fun to play with. It was a good team and good fun. Marc helped a lot in the back, Jeff was always in good position and Nic defends amazing and scores goals. I think he has the best back shot in polo."

Tonkawa kepts its two-goal cushion for most of the sixth chukker with Marc Ganzi sealing the win with a nice pickup from Pieres to score with 29 seconds left.

Aspen is one of Pieres' favorite places in the world.

"I have a really special time with my kids here," Pieres said. "They love it here, living at the houses at the barn with my cousin Tomacho's family, Nacho Novillo, the Figueras and Alejandro Novillo's families so we have a really nice group. The kids love it. They have polo on Tuesdays and Saturdays and Melissa organizes Gymkhana. It's like a family treat for us. And the polo is something I love to play and I feel comfortable when I am on the field. It's a fun place, it's a great atmosphere."
 
Roldan tied Pieres for team-high scoring honors with five goals. Marc Ganzi had three goals and Hildebrand added one, the first of the game. Hildebrand's goal was selected Goal of the Game.

For Santa Rita, Novillo Astrada had a game-high six goals. Polito Pieres, playing his first tournament in Aspen, had three goals, Armstrong two and Melissa Ganzi one goal.

In Friday's hardfought qualifier, Santa Rita defeated ST8, 5-3, and NetJets, 6-3, to advance into the championship final. Santa Rita outshot NetJets, 12-3. In the regulation game at High Mesa and despite a light rain drizzle, Tonkawa pulled away from Mountain Chevrolet, 5-3, at the half and held off a late rally to win, 9-8, to advance. Mountain Chevrolet outshot Tonkawa, 14-10.

Nacho Figueras was coming off participating in last weekend's charity fundraiser Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup in Singapore with longtime friend Prince Harry.

In the Roaring Fork River Cup presented by NetJets, Mountain Chevrolet (Michael Payne, Tomacho Pieres, Sugar Erskine, Martin Jauregui) defeated ST8 (Dominic State, Jason Crowder, Nacho Novillo Astrada, Juan Bollini), 5-3, and NetJets (Santos Bollini/Vinny Sangaline, Pablo Spinacci, Nacho Figueras, Hilario Figueras), 5-4, to capture the nine-chukker subsidiary round robin and inaugural trophy. NetJets also defeated ST8, 5-2.

Mountain Chevrolet had the momentum in both its round robin games. With 3:40 left in the final round robin game, Jauregui's goal from a standstill gave Mountain Chevrolet a 5-2 lead. Hilario Figueras scored the final two goals in the final minute.

On Saturday in the Just For The Love Of It Cup, McClure River Ranch (Victor Gullin, Carol Farnsworth, Santos Novillo Astrada, Sugar Erskine) knocked off WPL (Enrique Guzman, Anthony Devrient, Santos Bollini, Alejandro Novillo Astrada), 4-3. Farnsworth scored two goals in the final chukker for the upset win. McClure River Ranch was leading 4-1 early in the fourth chukker.

Also on Saturday in another fun and unique four-chukker game pitting fathers against sons, Polo School Blue (Inda Pieres, Silver Novillo Astrada, Artemio Figueras, Fran Spinacci) took on WPL (Gonzalito Pieres, Tomacho Pieres, Pablo Spinacci, Nacho Figueras). Based on the four-chukker matrix, Polo School Blue was given a 16-0 handicap advantage. Fran Spinacci, Silver Novillo Astrada and Artemio Figueras scored while Gonza Pieres scored two and Tomacho Pieres added one. The game finished 19-3 on handicap and 3-3 without the handicap.

In the third and game of the day, players moved to the indoor arena for the Kidz game which ended in a 0-0 tie. Facu and Lolo Astrada Novillo were the youngest participants.

The unique player awards for Sunday's final were designed and commissioned by renown artist Juan Garaizabal, known for his majestic large scale public sculptures that blend history with modern urban settings across the world.

In last season's Rocky Mountain Open final, NetJets (Melissa Ganzi, Jason Crowder, Nic Roldan, Juan Bollini) knocked off Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Marc Ganzi, Tomacho Pieres, Gonzalito Pieres), 7-6, in overtime to win.  

Eight 2023 champions have now been crowned. In addition to Tonkawa, they are

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).

Ten-goaler Polito Pieres, making his summer debut, was CTV Sports Viewers MVP Choice for the final. Wellington, Fla.-based ChukkerTV (CTV sports) is live streaming the entire 2023 polo season with announcer Dale Schwetz calling the action. Aspen Valley Polo Club is the only USPA club live streaming its entire summer schedule.
 
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.