Who will come out on top at Kitzbühel and St. Moritz 2019?
As the colder weather closes in, thoughts inevitably turn to the snow polo season and the alpine arena of Kitzbühel. The recent team announcements have generated a buzz of excitement ahead of the 17th annual event, scheduled to run from 17 – 20 January 2019. Bendura Bank will be looking to defend their hard-won title, returning with last year’s winning line-up of Melissa Ganzi, event organiser Tito Gaudenzi and 2018 top scorer and MVP Alejandro Novillo Astrada. The task of defending their title will not be easy, however. Returning to the field will be Adrian Laplacette Jr, Thomas Winter, and Valentin Novillo Astrada, with plenty of scores to settle after well-matched games and narrow defeats last year. New faces will also be there to threaten Bendura Bank’s bid for a second win, with French seven-goaler Pierre Henri Ngoumou heading up the Bernd Gruber team. You can find the complete team list below.
With a host of prestigious sponsors on board for 2019, the signature glamour of snow polo will be at Kitzbühel in full force. The action will play out in the immaculate arena with VIP events also being held at the ‘Casino Kitzbühel’ and Kitzbühel Country Club, with free entry to the side-lines meaning anyone can go and rub shoulders with stars from the polo world and beyond.
Meanwhile in St. Moritz, the action is set to run from 25 – 27 January, with Badrutt’s Palace Hotel, Cartier, Maserati and Azerbaijan Land of Fire all competing for the coveted Cartier Trophy. 10-goal legend Juan Martín Nero will be returning to the ‘Home of Snow Polo’ as part of the Cartier team, alongside Tito Gaudenzi as well as Grant and Mark Ganzi.
Tickets for both events are available now and are selling fast, so be sure not to miss out. Click here for tickets to Kitzbühel and here for St. Moritz. Polo Times and our sister publication The Polo Magazine will be on hand as Official Media Partners, so make sure you keep an eye on our social media feeds for more exciting news!
The 17th Bendura Bank Snow Polo World Cup Kitzbühel Teams:
Bendura Bank (12):
Melissa Ganzi (1/USA)
Alejandro Novillo Astrada (8/ARG)
Tito Gaudenzi (3/CH)
Engel & Völkers (12):
Kutlay Yaprak (1/TUR)
Augustin Kronhaus (4/ARG)
Adrian Laplacette Jr. (7/ARG)
Kitzbühel Country Club (12):
Sebastian Schneberger (2/GER)
Aki van Andel (3/NL)
Valentin Novillo Astrada (7/ARG)
Bernd Gruber (12):
Alexandre Sztarkman (2/FR)
Grant Ganzi (3/USA)
Pierre Henri Ngoumou (7/FR)
Corum (10):
Eckhardt Juls (0/GER)
Patrick Maleitzke (4/GER)
Juan Ruiz-Guiñazu (6/ARG)
Maserati (10):
Marc Aberle (1/GER)
Thomas Winter (5/GER)
Caspar Crasemann (4/GER)
Photograph: The snow polo season is just around the corner, book your tickets now to avoid disappoinment. Courtesy of Snow Polo World Cup Kitzbühel