Aspen Valley Polo Club opened its doors to the monks of Drepung Loseling Monastery and made history teaching them how to play polo.

The monks took time out from their Mystical Arts of Tibet tour to learn foot mallet polo and play arena polo with some of the world’s top players including Argentines Tincho Merlos, Julio Novillo Astrada, Lucas Lalor and American Nic Roldan.

Wearing the traditional sarong-like antarasavaka, sport shoes, t-shirts, polo jerseys and helmets, the monks were first introduced to foot mallet polo by longtime polo umpire and commentator Dale Schwetz. They quickly progressed to arena polo where Schwetz and Carlitos Gracida umpired and helped teach. Many of them had never been on a horse.

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The halfway point of the summer polo season at Aspen Vallley Polo Club will feature the Emma Challenge and USPA National Youth Tournament Series (NYTS) Tournaments.

The fifth medium goal tournament of the 10-tournament season has attracted five teams with top players and brothers Sebastian and Tincho Merlos, Julio Novillo Astrada and Nic Roldan.

The two-day tournament gets under way Friday with two games. The opening game at 11 a.m. MST features Flexjet against Aspen Valley.

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In one of the most exciting games of the summer polo season, La Karina rallied in the second half to defend its’ title in the Basalt Handicap Sunday at Aspen Valley Polo Club.

Trailing 7-3 in the fourth chukker, La Karina bounced back with six goals including four in the fifth chukker, to defeat Flexjet, 9-8.

“That was unbelievable,” said La Karina team captain Brian Boyd. “They were a really good team, tough as hell. It’s definitely one of my great wins in my 20-year career.”

It was La Karina’s first tournament victory of the season.

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Tincho Merlos and Nic Roldan, fresh off playing in England, will make their summer debut in this weekend’s Basalt Handicap Cup at Aspen Valley Polo Club.

After three successful tournaments, the fourth week of the summer polo season gets under way Friday with a season-high five teams.

Competition begins Friday to determine Sunday’s finalists. In the opening game at 11 a.m. (MST), two-time summer tournament winner Travieso, featuring Argentine 9-goaler Tincho Merlos, will play La Karina at Sopris Mountain Ranch Field.

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Travieso is making a name for itself at Aspen Valley Polo Club.

Following the winning tradition it started at Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington, Fla., Travieso is already the winningest team at this summer’s polo season in Aspen.

The foursome of father-and-son Teo and Tony Calle, Lucas Lalor and Carlitos Gracida defeated La Karina, 10-8, to defend its title in the Craig Sakin Memorial and win back-to-back tournaments. Last week Travieso won the ChukkerTV Challenge Cup.

Melissa Ganzi of La Karina, playing well above her handicap, was named Most Valuable Player.

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After two successful season-opening tournaments, the third week of the summer polo season gets under way Friday with the Craig Sakin Memorial Cup.

Two first round games are scheduled for Friday. La Karina, led by 9-goaler Sebastian Merlos, plays Casablanca at 11 a.m. at Sopris Mountain Ranch.

In the second game, Tonkawa plays Travieso at 3 p.m. at High Mesa Field.

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Travieso, building on a winning polo tradition in its’ short history, captured the ChukkerTV Challenge Cup Sunday at Aspen Valley Polo Club.

In front of a good local crowd, Travieso was relentless leading from start-to-finish for a 13-9 victory over Tonkawa.

The foursome of Alex Gooding, Teo Calle, Sebastian Merlos and Brian Boyd had chemistry from the opening chukker against Tonkawa’s Segundo Merlos/Santos Bollini, Julio Novillo Astrada, Marc Ganzi and Jimmy Seward.

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The ChukkerTV Challenge Cup, with two new teams making their summer polo debut, gets under way Friday.

After Aspen Valley Polo Club’s successful season-opener last weekend, the ChukkerTV Challenge Cup begins Friday with two games scheduled at Sopris Mountain Ranch.

Travieso makes its’ debut against Casablanca at 11 a.m. and Tonkawa, also making its’ debut, will play Flexjet, winners of last weekend’s Independence Cup.  

Friday’s winning teams advance into Sunday’s final at 11 a.m. (MST) followed by a fun Kids’ Foot Mallet Exhibition and subsidiary final at 1 p.m. Kids Polo is scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. at Sopris Mountain Ranch.

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Flexjet captured the season-opening Independence Cup Sunday at the Aspen Valley Polo Club Arena.

Flexjet (Melissa Ganzi/Secundo Merlos, Sebastian Merlos, Carlitos Gracida) defeated Casablanca (Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini, Lucas Lalor), 6-4, in the championship final of the round-robin.

La Karina (Brian Boyd, Marc Ganzi, Julio Novillo Astrada) finished third after losing to Flexjet, 8-6, and Casablanca, 7-6.

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The much-anticipated summer polo season begins on Sunday with the Independence Cup at Aspen Valley Polo Club.

With the breathtaking 12,965-foot summit of Mount Sopris as a backdrop, some of the world’s best polo players will compete during the nine-tournament season that runs through August.

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