Aspen Valley Polo Club will chase an unprecedented ninth title at the 13th annual Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships Saturday at WestWorld.
By Sharon Robb
In front of an expected sellout crowd of more than 12,000, Melissa Ganzi, Grant Ganzi and Nic Roldan will play Napa Valley Polo Team, led by Argentine Manuel Crespo and teammates Jared Sheldon and Vladimir Rivkin, in the featured match at 2 p.m.
In last year’s event, Aspen Valley Polo Club (Marc Ganzi, Grant Ganzi, Nic Roldan) defeated the Wales Polo Team (Ricky Cooper, Jason Crowder, Pete Webb), 8-5, to capture the coveted Molina Cup. Roldan had a game-high six goals.
“It’s always a great event to be part of,” said Roldan, a fourth generation polo player. “I love Scottsdale and its fans. The crowd is second to none, the energy is always high and the atmosphere is electric. I love coming here, not just for the competition, but to be around so many people who have embraced the sport and lifestyle that surrounds it.”
There are four other matches scheduled during the fun-filled day presented by Gila River Resorts & Casino. They are:
10 a.m., New Orleans Polo Club vs. Cave Creek Equine.
Noon, Arizona Polo Club, led by Andres Camacho-Castilla vs. Wales Polo Team, led by Ricky Cooper and Pete Webb.
4 p.m., Nashville Polo Team vs. Pride World Polo Team
6 p.m., Sonoma County Polo Team vs. El Paso Polo Team.
Actor Sterling Jones, seen in the new drama series Found, Barbie, NCIS and Grey’s Anatomy, will captain the World Pride Polo Team. Jones plays at both Grand Champions and Aspen Valley Polo Clubs on grass and snow surfaces.
“Last year was my first year to play The Scottsdale Polo Party and I was blown away,” Jones said. “It’s a profound honor to play and captain a Pride Team. Visibility and inclusivity are crucial, and it’s disheartening to see the ongoing prejudice faced by the queer community. While I may never fully understand the roots of this hate, I am committed to advocating for change. Our goals are simple: peace, love and equality.”
It will be the first time organizers are hosting a first-ever night polo match. “Polo After Dark” and elegant Dinner Under the Stars was planned in partnership with the City of Scottsdale.
“This year’s lineup features some of the most talented and recognizable names in the sport,”said event founder and Scottsdale public relations executive Jason Rose. “It’s a rare opportunity to see so much star power in one place, and we couldn’t be more excited to host these players here in Scottsdale.”
The most attended polo event in the United States is one of the most extravagant outdoor sports spectacles in not only Arizona but the United States and has helped increase polo’s exposure and popularity.
Rose continues to raise the event’s bar every year since he started it in 2011. Ticket sales along with food and beverage sales for the 2023 set records for revenue.
“One day we will look back on the amazing Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships and history will show just what a contribution this man Jason Rose and the event have made to the world of polo,” said Wales captain Ricky Cooper. “It is simply the best polo event in the world, pure unrivaled entertainment, a diverse and compelling social safari that brings together so much action into one day of power-packed polo promotion.”
The Polo Party will feature a sneak preview of Barrett-Jackson’s 2024 World Greatest Collector Car Auction, fashion shows, luxury brand vendors, divot stomping, Mini Horses, Scottsdale Horse Show, exhibition lacrosse match between Brophy Prep and Notre Dame Prep, two top high school teams in Arizona and Grimaldi’s Pizza Bistro.
The all-day musical entertainment will feature a live Arizona Opera performance, acclaimed tenor and opera singer James Valenti, acoustic guitar showcase in the Sanderson Lincoln Black Label Lounge and DJ Jai Wolf in the Casa Amigos Day Club.
The event has grown every year with about a quarter of a mile worth of tents that are set up.
Aspen Valley Polo Club finished a successful summer season in club and Rocky Mountain Circuit history this past summer. With the majestic 12,965-foot summit of Mount Sopris as a backdrop, Aspen Valley Polo Club has become the world’s destination spot for summer July through August and snow polo in December.
Since Marc and Melissa Ganzi resurrected the club and polo in 2014, polo has increased in popularity in Aspen and surrounding cities with the club’s offerings of various weekly grass and arena tournaments, Arena & Asado Nights, Kidz Polo, Kids Wheely Polo, Christmas In July, The Polo School headed by former 8-goaler Juan Bollini, and Polo On Demand. In addition, the club offers practice sessions for teams competing in the club tournaments.