ChukkerTV Challenge Cup Kicks Off Week Two At Aspen Valley Polo Club
Arianna Delin, Sharon Robb for Aspen Valley Polo Club
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.
With the breathtaking 12,965-foot summit of Mount Sopris as a backdrop, the second of nine tournaments will feature two father-and-son duos, Teo and Tony Calle and Marc and Grant Ganzi.
The teams’ player lineups are:
Casablanca (11 goals): Grant Ganzi, Tony Calle, Lucas Lalor, Juancito Bollini.
Flexjet (11 goals): Melissa Ganzi, Lauren Sherry, Carlitos Gracida, Justo Saavedra.
Tonkawa (11 goals): Jeff Hildebrand, Marc Ganzi, Julio Novillo Astrada, Jimmy Seward.
Travieso (11 goals): Brian Boyd, Teo Calle, Sebastian Merlos, Alex Gooding.
Last season’s ChukkerTV Challenge Cup tournament champion was Melody Polo (Mariano Gracida, Cesar Gueikian, Juan Bollini, Melissa Ganzi) with wins over La Karina and Sopris Mountain Ranch in a round-robin tournament. Gueikian of Melody Polo was named Most Valuable Player.
Travieso, winners of the 2015 Craig Sakin Memorial in Aspen, has been one of the most successful polo teams in its’ short history at Grand Champions and Aspen Valley Polo Clubs.
Aspen, regarded as the “Hamptons of the West,” and prized for its’ natural beauty, has a rich history in polo for nearly forty years.
Polo has increased in popularity in Aspen and surrounding cities with the club’s offerings of weekly tournaments, five-goal coaching league, kids’ polo, Polo School and arena polo at the club owned by Marc and Melissa Ganzi since 2014. Both are avid players and patrons.
Chukker TV, leaders in worldwide polo broadcasting, is live streaming the entire 2016 schedule including the prestigious Louis Vuitton Cup and Rocky Mountain Cup.
ChukkerTV, featuring cutting-edge technology, was the first to introduce state-of-the-art live streaming technology in January, 2014 at Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington, Fla., Aspen Valley’s sister club.
ASPEN VALLEY 2016 SUMMER SCHEDULE
Friday-Sunday, ChukkerTV Challenge: Friday, 11 a.m. Casablanca vs. Travieso; 1 p.m. Tonkawa vs. Flexjet, both games at Sopris Mountain Ranch; Saturday, Kids’ Polo, 11 a.m., Sopris Mountain Ranch; Sunday, 11 a.m. Final, Kids’ Foot Mallet exhibition, 1 p.m., Subsidiary Final.
July 13-17, Craig Sakin Memorial
July 20-24, Basalt Handicap
July 27-31, Emma Challenge
Aug. 3-7, Louis Vuitton Cup
Aug. 10, ChukkerTV Arena Challenge
Aug. 12-14, Mount Sopris Cup
Aug. 10-21, Rocky Mountain Open
CLUB ADDRESS: 3275 County Road 100, Carbondale, Colo. 81623
POLO HOTLINE: 970-710-1663
http://www.hurlinghampolo.com/news/read/2232/ChukkerTV-Challenge-Cup