WELLINGTON, Fla., February 23, 2024–The 34th annual Sieber Memorial will highlight league play in March.
By Sharon Robb
The second 12-goal tournament of the winter season at Grand Champions Polo Club gets under way Saturday at noon when Casablanca plays Dead End/Westheaven 12. The final is March 8 at 4 p.m.
The tournament is named in honor of polo player Robert J. Sieber, Jr., who died in a polo-related accident August 22, 1984 at Oak Brook, Ill. He was 29. His legacy continues with the annual tournament.
The tournament was first created by the Oxley family and first played at the now-defunct Royal Palm Polo Sports Club in Boca Raton and later resurrected by Marc and Melissa Ganzi at Grand Champions. The last game held at Royal Palm before it closed was the Sieber Memorial final.
“I want to thank the Ganzi family and Grand Champions for putting this on,” said Rob’s brother John Sieber. “It means a lot to our family. The horses are great, the players are great. I want to make a special thanks to all the playing sponsors and captains.
“There is an old saying, ‘give from your heart and it will come back to you,'” Sieber said. “I hope for the Ganzi family, and not just for this tournament, but for all the polo they have given so much to, I hope it comes back to them tenfold for everything they have done.”
Five teams have entered the tournament. Sponsors and team rosters are:
Dead End/Westheaven (12): Evan White, 2, Max Torokvei, 0, Santi Llavalol, 5, Manu Villamil, 5.
Amaro Polo (12): Scott Sorbaro, 0, Nick Manifold, 2, Juan Sanchez Elia, 4, Kris Kampsen, 6.
90210/Bentley Estates (10): Sarah Siegel-Magness, 0, Cable Magness, 1, Geronimo Obregon, 5, Robert Zedda, 4.
Hawaii Polo Life (12): Mia Cambiaso, 2, Facundo Frayssinet, 2, Agustin Nero, 5, Tatu Gomez Romero, 3.
Casablanca (12): Grant Ganzi, 3, Santos Bollini, 2, Wes Finlayson, 3, Juancito Bollini, 4.
Last season Dundas won the title for the third consecutive year. Dundas (Miki Novillo Astrada, 1, Mia Cambiaso 2, Roberto Zedda, 3, Geronimo Obregon, 5) broke open a close game in the second half to defeat Senvest Excalibor (Richard Mashaal, 0, Evan White Jr., 1, Santiago Llavalol, 5, Pedro Falabella, 6), 13-6.
Mia Cambiaso, the oldest daughter of Argentine great Adolfo Cambiaso, was selected Most Valuable Player. Her horse, Dolfina Fantasia, was Best Playing Pony.
The Top Pony 8-Goal and Halo Polo 6-Goal leagues will also begin. The four-team 8-goal tournament begins Monday with Rafool Polo playing Victory Polo at 1 p.m. The six-team 6-goal tournament kicks off Wednesday with Pony Express playing Casimiro at 1 p.m.
The 8-goal sponsors and team rosters are:
Amaro Polo (8): Scott Sorbaro, 0, Michael Armour, 0, Nick Manifold, 2, Kris Kampsen, 6.
GCPC: Govinda Quish, 0, Sugar Erskine, 6, TBA, TBA.
Rafool Polo (7): Ray Rafool, -1, Santos Bollini, 2, Facha Valent, 3, Juan Bollini, 3.
Victory Polo (7): Kevin Schmeits, 0, Tiffany Armstrong, 0, Leo Mandelbaum, 2, Tommy Collingwood, 5.
In last year’s 8-goal final, Grand Champions Polo Club needed an overtime chukker to win. GCPC (Fran Spinacci, 0, Miki Novillo Astrada, 1, Antonio Aguerre, 1, Max Charlton, 6) defeated Orea Polo (Petra Sobotova, -1, Justo Mourino, 3, Justin Daniels, 2, Mati Busquet, 4), for a thrilling 10-9 overtime victory. Miki Novillo Astrada, 16, the son of Argentine great and former 10-goaler Miguel Novillo Astrada, was named Most Valuable Player.
The 6-goal sponsors and team rosters are:
Victory Polo I (6): Becky Schmeits, -1, Govinda Quish, 0, Dami Belardinelli, 2, Jason Crowder, 5.
Pony Express (4.5): Drew Quagliano, -1, Justin Daniels, 2, Benji Daniels, 1.5, Santos Bollini, 2.
The Polo School (6): Rebecca Cohen, -1, Artemio Figueras, 1, Facha Valent, 3, Juan Bollini, 3.
Victory Polo II (6): Kevin Schmeits, 0, Patricio Paz, 2, Garrett Smith, 2, Leo Mandelbaum, 2.
Bushwood Pink: Jen Buchan, -1, Scott Sorbaro, 0, Kris Kampsen, 6, TBA.
Casimiro (6): Steve Cox, 0, Miki Novillo Astrada, 2, Fran Spinacci, 2, Tatu Gomez Romero, 3.
In last year’s 6-goal final, Brookfield Farm rallied in the final chukker to win the Halo Polo Trophy. Brookfield Farm (Sophia Doble, -1, Facundo Frayssinet, 2, Grant Ganzi, 3, Alex Webb, 2) edged Santa Rita (Artemio Figueras, 0, Fran Spinacci, 0, Florencio Lanusse, -1, Pablo Spinacci, 4), 6-5.5. Grant Ganzi, 24, swept Most Valuable Player after scoring five goals including the game-winner and Best Playing Pony honors for Ocasion.