Casablanca Wins Emma Challenge Cup; Nic Roldan Named MVP; Next Up High Alpine Cup

CARBONDALE, Colo., July 31, 2023--Casablanca won its first tournament of the summer polo season Sunday at Aspen Valley Polo Club.

By Sharon Robb

Casablanca (Grant Ganzi, 3, Hilario Figueras 5, Nic Roldan, 8, Stewart Armstrong, 2) won the five-team tournament with an impressive 9-5 victory over Los Amigos (Melissa Ganzi, Martin Jauregui, 6, Alejandro Novillo Astrada 7, Juan Boliini, 3) on McClure River Ranch Field 1.

For the third time this season, American 8-goaler Nic Roldan was named Most Valuable Player. Best Playing Pony was awarded to 8-year-old Bay mare Shale, played by Alejandro Novillo Astrada and owned by Wellington-based Santa Rita Polo Farm.

"Nic has been playing amazing," Ganzi said. "I feel like if he makes a final, he's probably going to win it. He is one of those guys. The club here suits him. He hits the ball hard and here the ball travels that much further and that definitely does help him. Here in the summer it just suits him. He's doing all these outdoorsy things and for him mentally it puts his mind at rest. It's always a pleasure playing with Nic."

Casablanca broke open a close came in the fourth chukker, 3-1, to take a 7-4 lead in the fifth chukker. Los Amigos would get no closer than three goals  in the second half.

"It was a fun tournament, fun Friday and fun Sunday games," said Ganzi, Brand Ambassador for Casablanca. "We didn't change much in those last few chukkers. We changed the knock-ins, Nic started knocking in. We just wanted to continue to open the game up a little bit."

"It was fun playing with my teammates," Ganzi said. "Friday I thought we played better as a team. It just seemed everything clicked. It's been fun playing with Hilario the last two weekends, I hadn't played with him before. I hadn't played with Stewart for a couple years, it was fun playing with him, he is a fun, positive player."

Casablanca got balanced scoring from its lineup. Ganzi led with a game-high four goals, Figueras had three and Roldan had two goals. Astrada led Los Amigos with three goals.

Last season Roldan and Ganzi were members of Emma Challenge Cup champion Tonkawa along with Jeff Hildebrand and Blas Bensadon.

In the Just For The Thrill Of It subsidiary, NetJets (Ale Poma, 1, Nacho Figueras, 4, Gonzalito Pieres 9, Marc Ganzi, 1) won the three team round robin. NetJets defeated ST8 (Dominic State, 2, Jason Crowder, 5, Sugar Erskine, 6, Pablo Spinacci, 6), 6-4, and Mountain Chevrolet (Vinny Sangaline, 1, Michael Payne, 1, Tomacho Pieres, 6, Nacho Novillo Astrada, 8), 4-3. In the other round robin match, ST8 defeated Mountain Chevrolet, 7-3. Marc Ganzi led with seven goals for the day, five penalty converions and two from the field.

For the second Sunday in a row, fans were treated to a Wheelie Polo exhibition by four of the best players, Fran Spinacci, Inda Pieres, Silver Novillo Astrada and Artemio Figueras.

On Saturday, Victory Polo won the Just For The Love Of It Cup with a 7-6 win over World Polo League. Two entertaining kids polo games followed.

In the qualifying matches, on Friday  Los Amigos advanced with a 9-6 shocker over NetJets in a regulation game. In the three-team round robin Casablanca clinched it with a 9-2 over ST8 and Mountain Chevrolet, 5-1. Casablanca outshot ST8, 12-5.

Other summer tournaments are the High Alpine Cup, Mount Sopris Cup, Rocky Mountain Open, Carbondale Classic, Triple Crown of Polo-Aspen and Silver Queen Invitational.

Five 2023 champions have already been crowned. The other four 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).

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.

Los Amigos won three tournaments and Brookshire and NetJets each won two tournaments. Los Amigos won the season-opening Independence Cup, High Alpine Cup and Triple Crown of Polo-Aspen making the Texas-based team the winningest team during the 2022 season.

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, the 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.