Polo 4 Christ Captures Silver Queen Invitational In Season Finale Thriller At Aspen Valley Polo Club; Grant Ganzi Named MVP

CARBONDALE, Colo., August 28, 2023---In a spectacular finish to the summer polo season, Polo 4 Christ won its summer polo debut Sunday in front of a packed house at Aspen Valley Polo Club.

By Sharon Robb

Polo 4 Christ (Steve Cox, Tatu Gomez Romero, 4, Polito Pieres 10, Grant Ganzi, 3) won the first sudden death overtime game of the season with a thrilling 10-9 victory over Santa Rita (Melissa Ganzi, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7, Nic Roldan, 8, Stewart Armstrong, 2) to win the third annual Silver Queen Invitational at McClure River Ranch.

Grant Ganzi, 25, who had the play of the game riding off defender Alejandro Novillo Astrada to open up space allowing Polito Pieres to score the winning goal with 5:38 left in overtime, was Most Valuable Player for the first time this summer.

"I intended to do it but I didn't think the play would turn out like that," Ganzi said. "I saw I had an inch of an edge and when that happened I just knew I had to take him out as long as I could. I looked up and saw Polito and created the space. I knew we had it. Once that happened, it was an unbelievable feeling. This is the best way to end the season, winning the last tournament and getting MVP. It was a special day."

Added Cox, "Grant is a workhorse. He plays so well and I enjoy playing with him. Tatu I brought from Denver to play. And it was a thrill to play with Polito, he is the best of the best the way he plays. I caught myself watching him play instead of playing a few times."

Polo 4 Christ led for the first five chukkers. Santa Rita rallied for three goals in the final chukker to take a 9-8 lead on Roldan's goal in the final minutes. Polito converted a 30-yard penalty with 59 seconds left to tie the game. He had one final chance in regulation but his attempt sailed wide with 10 seconds left to send the game into overtime.

"I knew the game would be really tough," Ganzi said. "I thought in the end we would edge them out a little bit because we almost scored a goal at the end but we had to go into overtime. I had confidence in our team and our game plan. That was a good feeling to have as a team."

Ensenada Gilda, played by Pieres in the sixth and overtime chukkers, and owned by Santa Rita Polo Farm, was named Best Playing Pony. Marianita, an 8-year-old bay mare played by Armstrong, was the American Polo Horse Association Best Playing Pony. Armstrong  earned Goal of The Day for his fifth chukker goal and Pieres won the ChukkerTV Viewer's Choice Award.

Aspen Valley Polo Club celebrated its tenth anniversary and enjoyed its best season, highlighted by Sunday's Summer Polo Charity Classic, benefitting the Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation. A sellout crowd of 1,200 enjoyed the food, music, polo, auction and vendors during the five-hour tripleheader.

Polo 4 Christ is part of the PoloGear Christian offering dedicated to raising awareness of the Lord and his son Jesus Christ. Twenty percent of all sales of Christian clothing are donated to Christian causes. It is the third time Cox has played for Polo 4 Christ.

"I'm not preaching, it is just a nice way to raise awareness, at least it gets people thinking," Cox said.
 

Pieres led Polo 4 Christ with a game-high seven goals. Grant Ganzi had two goals and Cox added one. For Santa Rita, Roldan and Armstrong each had three goals. Melissa Ganzi had two and Astrada had one. Polo 4 Christ led in shots on goal, 16-15. Knock-ins (7-7) and throw-ins (9-9) were event.

In the Carbondale Classic to determine third place in the two-day, six-team tournament, Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Gonzalito Pieres, 9, Tomacho Pieres, 6, Marc Ganzi, 1) defeated defending champion Mountain Chevrolet (Michael Payne, 1, Santos Bollini, 2, Martin Jauregui, 6, Nacho Novillo Astrada, 8), 11-9. Mountain Chevrolet tried to rally in the final chukker scoring the last three goals but ran out of time. Gonzalito Pieres swept the MVP and BPP honors for the second time this season.

Marc Ganzi scored a game-high five goals for Tonkawa. Gonzalito Pieres had three, Hildebrand had two and Tomacho Pieres added one. For Mountain Chevrolet, Payne, Bollini and Astrada each had three goals.

In the Just For The Thrill Of It subsidiary, NetJets (Fran Spinacci/Artemis Figueras, Pablo Spinacci, 6, Nacho Figueras, 6, Juan Bollini, 4) defeated ST8 (Jason Crowder, 5, Sugar Erskine, 6, Dominic State, 2, Hilario Figueras, 5), 9-6.

Artemio Figueras and Pablo Spinacci each had three goals for NetJets. Nacho Figueras, Juan Bollini and Fran Spinacci each had one goal. For ST8, Hilario Figueras had a game-high four goals. Erskine and Crowder each had one goal.

Players and patrons not only enjoyed competing in the tournaments but the hospitality of Melissa and Marc Ganzi throughout the season.

"Melissa is a sweetheart," Cox said. "The awards are tremendous. There is a great vibe at the club, everyone just hangs out together. No other club I've played at is like that. The entire Ganzi family is great. Their hospitality is tremendous."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
Added Grant Ganzi, "It was a great season here at the polo club. As the season progressed we were able to play a higher level of polo, more competitive level and more high goal...fast, fun, open polo. I thought it was a great summer. I think every year is better and better."

Last season in the Silver Queen Invitational final, Victory (Vinny Sangaline, Kevin Schmeits, Torito Ruiz, Pancho Bensadon) defeated 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 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 were a success. World Polo League White (Carol Farnsworth, Sterling Jones, Marc Ganzi, Juan Bollini) defeated World Polo League Purple (Enrique Bueno, Anthony Devrient, Santos Bollini, Grant Ganzi), 5-4. Farnsworth, who played well throughout the season was MVP. The awards were designed by renowned Brazilian artist Romero Britto.

The Kidz Polo, featuring Inda Pieres, Fran Spinacci and Artemio Figueras ended in a 3-3 tie. In the arena game, Polo School Pink and Polo School Black ended in a 0-0 tie with Alba Figueras saving two goals and Azu Pieres saving one.

Other 2023 tournament winners were:

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 had it 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.

Wellington, Fla.-based ChukkerTV (CTV sports) live streamed the entire 2023 polo season worldwide with announcer Dale Schwetz calling the action. Aspen Valley Polo Club was the only USPA club to live stream 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.