CARBONDALE, Colo., July 19, 2018---The fifth tournament of the summer polo season begins Friday at Sopris Mountain Ranch.

The Emma Challenge Cup, featuring five teams, gets under way Friday with one game at 11 a.m. MST. La Karina, (Brian Boyd, Alejandra de la Vega, Nacho Novillo Astrada, Stewart Armstrong) winners of last weekend's Basalt Challenge, plays Los Amigos (Paul Foster, Carlitos Gracida, Pablo Dorignac, Gabriel Gracida).

The second game will feature three teams in a round robin: Piocho Ranch (Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini, Nacho Figueras, Tom Barrack); Mountain Chevrolet (Michael Payne, Melissa Ganzi, Lucas Lalor, Juan Bollini); and Sopris Mountain Ranch (Jeff Desich, Rich Desich, Pablo Spinacci, Kiko Belastegui) is Saturday at 11 a.m.

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The polo world is mourning the tragic sudden death of Jesus "Chuy" Baez.

The well-liked polo player and groom at Grand Champions and Aspen Valley Polo Clubs was killed in an accident at the Aspen club earlier this week.

Baez, 60, born in Mexico City of hard-working parents Jose and Petra, was part of a large, loving family. Baez will be remembered for his infectious smile, gift for working with horses and humility that set him apart from others. 

He grew up around horses and started working with them when he was 8 years old. He played polo for 25 years and groomed for two of the nation's top polo clubs until his death.

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CARBONDALE, Colo., July 22, 2018---For the second time in three years, La Karina captured the Basalt Handicap Sunday at Aspen Valley Polo Club.

In a hardfought, physical contest La Karina (Brian Boyd, Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini, Lucas Lalor) led 4-3 at the half and never relinquished its lead for a stunning 8-5 victory over Piocho Ranch (Marc Ganzi, Carlitos Gracida, Nacho Figueras, Tom Barrack) in La Karina's season debut.

It was the first time Piocho Ranch, winners of the Independence Cup and Craig Sakin Memorial, lost a championship final this season. 

Grant Ganzi, a member of Team USPA, was named the game's Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row. Ganzi had a game-high four goals including two penalty conversions. 

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CARBONDALE, Colo., July 22, 2018---Los Amigos Red won the inaugural Sopris Saturday on a picture-perfect day at Sopris Mountain Ranch.

In a close game, Los Amigos Red (Alejandra de la Vega, Gabriel Gracida, Nacho Novillo Astrada, Paul Foster) edged Mountain Chevrolet (Michael Payne/Mauro Amavet, Carlitos Gracida, Marc Ganzi, Juan Bollini), 9-8.

With 1:30 remaining and the game tied, 8-8, Astrada hit a long ball to Paul Foster who scored the game-winner. Foster, enjoying one of his finest seasons, was named Most Valuable Player.

Foster and his wife Alejandra de la Vega shared scoring honors with a game-high three goals each. Gracida had two goals and Astrada added one goal.

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CARBONDALE, Colo., July 21, 2018---After a week's absence, Piocho Ranch returns to the championship final of the Basalt Handicap Sunday at Aspen Valley Polo Club.

Standing in its way will be La Karina, 2016 winners of the Basalt Handicap eager to return to the winners' circle.

On Friday, Piocho Ranch (Hilario Figueras, Carlitos Gracida, Nacho Figueras, Tom Barrack), winners of the season's first two tournaments and last weekend's Just For The Love Of It subsidiary game, defeated Los Amigos Blue (Alex Gooding, Stewart Armstrong, Nacho Novillo Astrada, Paul Foster), 8-6, to advance into Sunday's final.

Hilario Figueras scored a team-high four goals for Piocho Ranch. His father, Nacho Figueras, added three goals and Barrack scored one goal.

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CARBONDALE, Colo., July 19, 2018---The fourth tournament of the summer polo season begins Friday at Sopris Mountain Ranch.

The Basalt Handicap, featuring four teams, gets under way Friday with two games at 11 a.m. and noon.

In the opening game, Piocho (Hilario Figueras/Marc Ganzi, Carlitos Gracida, Nacho Figueras, Tom Barrack) plays Los Amigos (Paul Foster, Alex Gooding, Nacho Novillo Astrada, Stewart Armstrong). Both teams are rated at 13 goals.

In the second game of the doubleheader, La Karina, making its season debut, (Brian Boyd, Grant Ganzi, Lucas Lalor, Juancito Bollini) plays American Polo Horse (Alejandra de la Vega, Riley Ganzi/Melissa Ganzi, Pablo Dorignac, Juan Bollini). La Karina is rated at 11 goals and American Polo Horse, making its debut as a new summer team sponsor, is 10 goals.

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CARBONDALE, Colo., July 15, 2018---Los Amigos Blue rallied in the sixth chukker to capture the ChukkerTV Challenge  Sunday at Aspen Valley Polo Club.

With the score tied 8-8 going into the final chukker, Los Amigos Blue (Paul Foster, Grant Ganzi, Lucas Lalor, Pablo Dorignac) outscored Los Amigos Red (Alejandra de la Vega, Riley Ganzi, Nacho Novillo Astrada, Juan Bollini), 3-1, for an 11-9 victory in front of a good crowd for its first tournament victory of the summer polo season.

Paul Foster was named the game's Most Valuable Player. Foster, who has been playing polo for nine years, scored a team-high four goals including an insurance penalty-two goal in the final minute of play.

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CARBONDALE, Colo., July 14, 2018---The ChukkerTV Challenge Cup will feature an all-Los Amigos final Sunday at Aspen Valley Polo Club.

Los Amigos Red (Riley Ganzi, Melissa Ganzi, Nacho Novillo Astrada, Juan Bollini) knocked off previously undefeated Piocho (Brian Boyd, Juancito Bollini, Nacho Figueras, Tom Barrack), 9-8, Friday in the opening round of the four-team tournament.

The opening game was a battle to the finish. The lead changed hands six times before Los Amigos Red took a 7-5 lead in the fifth chukker on Melissa Ganzi's fourth goal of the game. 

Piocho rallied in the final chukker with goals from Boyd and Figueras but Novillo Astrada scored back-to-back goals in the sixth chukker including a 60-yard penalty shot to preserve the win. 

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CARBONDALE, Colo., July 14, 2018---Los Amigos Green captured the inaugural Mountain Cup Saturday on a perfect day for polo at Sopris Mountain Ranch.

In a hotly-contested game, Los Amigos Green (Alejandra de la Vega, Melissa Ganzi, Hilario Figueras, Juan Bollini) controlled most of the second half and held on for a thrilling 12-11 victory over Los Amigos Red (Paul Foster, Michael Payne, Gabriel Gracida, Carlitos Gracida).

De La Vega and Figueras shared Most Valuable Player honors.

Both teams got balanced scoring. For Los Amigos Green, Figueras scored a team-high four goals, Bollini and Ganzi each had three goals and De La Vega added two.

For Los Amigos Red, Foster scored a team-high four goals and Payne and Gabriel Gracida each had three goals.

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The third tournament of the summer polo season begins Friday at Sopris Mountain Ranch.

The ChukkerTV Challenge opens Friday with two games at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. In the opening game, Piocho Ranch (Brian Boyd, Juancito Bollini, Nacho Figueras, Tom Barrack), riding a two-tournament win streak after capturing the Independence Cup and Craig Sakin Memorial, plays Los Amigos Red (Alejandra de La Vega, Melissa Ganzi, Nacho Novillo Astrada, Juan Bollini).

In the second game of the doubleheader, Los Amigos Blue (Paul Foster, Grant Ganzi, Pablo Dorignac, Lucas Lalor) plays Sopris Mountain Ranch (Hilario Figueras, Alex Gooding, Marc Ganzi, Carlitos Gracida).

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CARBONDALE, Colo., July 7, 2018---Los Amigos Green captured the Aspen Cup with a thrilling come-from-behind 7-5 victory over Los Amigos Blue on Saturday at Sopris Mountain Ranch.

Trailing 3-2 at the half, Los Amigos Green (Alejandra Foster, Melissa Ganzi, Carlitos Gracida, Juan Bollini) rallied in the second half to edge Los Amigos Blue (Paul Foster, Gabriel Gracida, Michael Payne, Alex Gooding).

Alejandra Foster scored a game-high four goals and shared Most Valuable Player honors with Michael Payne, who scored a team-high three goals.

The evenly-matched teams battled back and forth. Ganzi scored first for a 1-0 lead and Payne followed with a goal for a 1-1 tie at the end of the opening chukker. 

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CARBONDALE, Colo., July 8, 2018---Piocho Ranch is making a lasting impression in its first season of playing polo at Aspen Valley Polo Club.

Piocho Ranch won the fifth annual Craig Sakin Memorial with a thrilling 11-10 victory over Los Amigos Red on Sunday in front of a good local crowd for its second consecutive tournament victory. Piocho also won the season-opening Independence Cup.

Piocho Ranch (Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini, Nacho Figueras, Tom Barrack) jumped out to a big lead before Los Amigos Red (Jonathan Gracida/Alejandra Foster, Pablo Dorignac, Nacho Novillo Astrada, Paul Foster) rallied in the sixth chukker. 

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CARBONDALE, Colo., July 7, 2018---The stage is set for the championship final of the second tournament of the summer polo season at Aspen Valley Polo Club.

Piocho and Los Amigos Red will play in the final of the fifth annual Craig Sakin Memorial Sunday at 1 p.m. following the Just For The Love Of It subsidiary final at 11 a.m.

In the opening qualifying game on Friday, Piocho (Juancito Bollini, Grant Ganzi, Nacho Figueras, Tom Barrack) defeated Flexjet (Melissa Ganzi, Juan Bollini, Marc Ganzi, Alex Gooding), 12-9, to advance.

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CARBONDALE, Colo., July 5, 2018---The second tournament of the summer polo season begins Friday at Sopris Mountain Ranch.

The fifth annual Craig Sakin Memorial begins Friday with two games played on the flat at 11 a.m. and noon.

In the opening game, Piocho (Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini, Nacho Figueras, Tom Barrack) plays Flexjet (Melissa Ganzi, Marc Ganzi, Alex Gooding, Juan Bollini) at 11 a.m. MST.

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CARBONDALE, Colo., July 2, 2018---The much-anticipated summer polo season gets under way Tuesday with the Independence Cup at Aspen Valley Polo Club.

Piocho will take on Aspen Valley Polo Club at 3 p.m. (Mountain Standard Time). It will be live streamed by Wellington, Fla.-based ChukkerTV at 5 p.m. (EST) in South Florida with veteran broadcaster Dale Schwetz calling the action.

Piocho is led by Nacho Figueras, polo's ambassador known for promoting the sport to the masses and face of Ralph Lauren. Figueras, a frequent player at Aspen Valley Polo Club, will be joined by Tom Barrack, Carlitos Gracida and Georgetown University-bound Riley Ganzi, at 18, the youngest player in the final.

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CARBONDALE, Colo., June 23, 2018---Aspen Valley Polo Club, one of the nation's most scenic polo clubs, is preparing for what's expected to be its most successful season when it kicks off July 3 with the Independence Cup.  

With the majestic 12,965-foot summit of Mount Sopris as a backdrop, Aspen Valley Polo Club has been one of the fastest growing clubs in the nation over the last four seasons.

"Everything is great and we have never been more ready for the season," said Brian Boyd, Aspen Valley Polo Club president and La Karina patron. "The reality is that this has been a building block process and it's gotten better every year.

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CARBONDALE, Colo., May 15, 2018---Aspen Valley Polo Club, with breathtaking mountain backdrops for playing polo, announced its 13-tournament schedule for the upcoming summer season.

The 2018 expanded season features ten grass tournaments including the inaugural Aug. 31-Sept. 2 Triple Crown of Polo Trophy and three arena tournaments highlighted by the July 24-Aug. 7 USPA National Arena Handicap. 

It will be the first year the club will host a tournament on Labor Day Weekend, the same weekend as the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Experience that will feature music legend Lionel Richie and platinum-selling, Grammy-winning Zac Brown Band along with local favorite Michael Franti and Spearhead. 

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U.S. Polo Assn. defeated defending champion Flexjet in a rematch of last year's final to win the St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship Sunday at Rio Grande Park.

In front of a record crowd including a sold out VIP tent and worldwide ChukkerTV audience, U.S. Polo Assn. reclaimed the coveted trophy it won in 2015 and avenged last year's loss to Flexjet by controlling most of the game and holding off a fourth-chukker rally for a thrilling 5-4 victory. 

U.S. Polo Assn. (Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini, Nic Roldan), making its fourth finals appearance in five years, relied on its team chemistry to jump out to a 4-1 halftime lead. Flexjet (Melissa Ganzi, Juan Bollini, Alejandro Novillo Astrada) found its offensive punch in the second half, outscoring U.S. Polo Assn., 3-1, but ran out of time.

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In a rematch of last year's final, Flexjet will meet U.S. Polo Assn. Sunday in the St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship at Rio Grande Park.

The game will be live streamed by ChukkerTV at 1 p.m. MST (3 p.m. EST) to a worldwide audience. The consolation game featuring Aspen Valley Polo Club and St. Regis will follow at 2:30 p.m.

A sellout VIP tent and large grandstand crowd is expected for Sunday’s festivities.

Defending champion Flexjet returns team captain Melissa Ganzi, the first woman to win the St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship, with new teammates Juan Bollini and Alejandro Novillo Astrada. The trio won the United States Arena Handicap title in Aspen this past summer.

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