Aspen Valley Polo Club Hosts Tripleheader, Summer Polo Charity Classic In Exciting Season Finale
CARBONDALE, Colo., August 24, 2023--Aspen Valley Polo Club will end its tenth summer season anniversary in style with its biggest weekend of polo.
By Sharon Robb
The Summer Polo Charity Classic, benefitting the Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation, will entertain a sellout crowd of 1,200 with good food, music and polo.
The club's marquis event is one of the city's most anticipated social summer events. The event has raised $3 million since it began in 2016 including nearly $1 million last year.
While the social event of the summer season is going on, fans will watch two exciting tournaments--the Silver Queen Invitational at 11 a.m. and Carbondale Classic at 1 p.m., followed by the Just For The Thrill Of It at 3 p.m. In addition to the fundraiser which is a closed, sellout event, fans are welcome to watch from the stadium or fieldside.
Six teams will compete in two round robin qualifiers on Friday. At 10:30 a.m. at High Mesa, ST8, Polo For Christ and Tonkawa will play. At 3 p.m. at McClure River Ranch Field 2, Mountain Chevrolet, NetJets and Santa Rita will play. The winners will advance into Sunday's Silver Queen Invitational final at 11 a.m. The next highest finishers will play for third place in the Carbondale Classic at 1 p.m. The Just For The Thrill Of it will wind up action at 3 p.m.
Team rosters are:
Mountain Chevrolet (17): Michael Payne, 1, Santos Bollini, 2, Nacho Novillo Astrada, 8, Martin Jauregui, 6.
NetJets (16): Fran Spinacci/Artemio Figueras, Juan Bollini, 4, Nacho Figueras, 6, Pablo Spinacci, 6.
Santa Rita (17): Melissa Ganzi, Nic Roldan, 8, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7, Stewart Armstrong, 2.
ST8 (18): Dominic State, 2, Jason Crowder, 5, Hilario Figueras, 5, Sugar Erskine, 6.
Tonkawa (16): Jeff Hildebrand, Tomacho Pieres, 6, Marc Ganzi, 1, Gonzalito Pieres, 9.
Polo For Christ (17): Steve Cox, Grant Ganzi, 3, Polito Pieres, 10, Tatu Gomez Romero, 4.
Steve Cox, a frequent player at both Aspen Valley Polo Club and its sister club Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington, Fla., and Tatu Gomez Romero, a third generation polo player, will make their summer debut.
Last season in the Silver Queen Invitational final, Victory (Vinny Sangaline, Kevin Schmeits, Torito Ruiz, Pancho Bensadon) led from start to finish to defeat Los Amigos (Paul Foster, Nic Roldan, Marc Ganzi, Tomacho Pieres), 11-9. Ruiz was MVP.
Last year's Carbondale Classic winner was Brookshire/Mountain Chevrolet (Michael Payne, Fran Spinacci, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Nacho Novillo Astrada) with a 6-5 win over La Karina (Brian Boyd, Pablo Spinacci, Pancho Bensadon, Stewart Armstrong). Nacho Novillo Astrada was MVP.
The Carbondale Classic is named after the city of Carbondale, at the base of majestic Mt. Sopris and home of the popular Aspen Valley Polo Club. Located 170 miles west of Denver and 30 miles from Aspen in the heart of Colorado’s central Rocky Mountains, the picturesque town of Carbondale was first occupied by the Ute Indians, then by silver prospectors, cattle ranchers, and potato farmers. With a strong arts and music community, the town embraces its mining, ranching, skiing, and resort identities.
The third annual Silver Queen Invitational is named after the Silver Queen Gondola. The popular gondola takes about 15 minutes to get to the top of the 11,212-foot Aspen Mountain and offers spectacular views of the Maroon Bells Mountain. It is a must while in town during a winter or summer trip. It opened in 1987 and is the longest single-stage gondola in the world. It travels 2.5 miles to the top of Aspen Mountain and drops people off among hiking and biking trails, a full-service restaurant and the live-music stage.
On Saturday, the final Just For The Love Of It Cup and Kidz Polo will begin at 11 a.m. at AVPC.
The world's destination spot for summer polo attracted some of the world's top pro players including 10-goaler Polito Pieres, Martin Jauregui, making his Aspen debut; Gonzalito Pieres, 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.
Eight 2023 champions have already been crowned. 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).
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.
Aspen Valley Polo Club is on track to finish its most successful and historic season in club and Rocky Mountain Circuit history. Polo returns to Aspen in December with the St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship.
“I think the club will continue to flourish and it will continue to grow,” Marc Ganzi said. “It is a sport that has a lot of tradition and has a lot of history. I think we are sort of writing our own history in the Aspen Valley.”
Aspen was founded as a silver mining town in the 1800s and was named for the abundance of aspen trees growing in the area and famous for their tall, thin trunks and golden leaves. Conde Nast Traveler’s Reader’s Choice Awards recognized Aspen as the No. 1 Small City in the U.S.
Wellington, Fla.-based ChukkerTV (CTV sports) is live streaming the 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.
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.