On a perfect afternoon for polo, Amaro and Newport won their season openers Tuesday in the Aspen Valley 8-Goal Cup at Grand Champions Polo Club.
By Sharon Robb
Photos by Candace Ferreira
Newport (Gene Goldstein, 0, Leo Mandelbaum, 2, Michel Dorignac, 5, Vance Miller, 1) led for the most of the game to knock off defending champion Quite on Z (Alecia Seidler/Victoria Seidler, -1, Artemio Figueras, 2, Joao Pedro Souza, 2, Lucio Ocampo, 5), 10-8.
Amaro (Scott Sorbaro, 0, Michael Armour, 0, Nick Manifold, 2, Kris Kampsen, 6) rallied in the second half to defeat Pony Express (Lilli Hagemeier, -1, Finn Secunda, 1, Justin Daniels, 2, Pedro Gutierrez, 5), 11-9.
In the opening game, Newport and Quite on Z played evenly throughout the first half. The lead changed hands six times before Newport grabbed its biggest lead, 6-4, just before the half on Dorignac’s 60-yard penalty conversion with 1:45 left in the chukker.
Newport controlled the momentum in the second half allowing Quite on Z to get no closer than one goal (6-5) when Ocampo weaved his way through defenders with 4:22 left in the fourth chukker. It was the only goal of the chukker. From then on, it was all Amaro.
Amaro pulled away in the final two chukkers, taking a 7-5 lead early in the fifth when awarded a penalty one. Goldstein scored off a perfect pass from Mandelbaum for a 9-6 lead with 2:54 left.
Early in the sixth chukker, Dorignac banked a goal off the goal post for a 10-7 lead. Ocampo scored to trail, 10-8. Quite on Z had scoring opportunities late in the game but couldn’t take advantage.
Dorignac had a game-high seven goals for Newport, including four penalty conversions. Goldstein added two goals. Miller, making his Grand Champions debut, had one goal. Ocampo led Quite on Z with a team-high five goals. Souza had two and Figueras scored one.
In the second game, Amaro flexed its muscles as the early favorite with its impressive comeback in the fourth chukker.
Pony Express was cruising in the first half with leads of 2-1 after the first and 4-1 after the second chukker, where Gutierrez scored back-to-back goals. Amaro started clawing its way back with goals from Kampsen, Sorbaro and Armour to trail, 5-4 at the half.
Amaro finally took the lead, 7-6, on Armour’s second goal of the game with 2:22 left in the fourth chukker. Amaro never trailed after that pulling away with leads of 9-6, 10-6, and 10-7 in the fifth chukker and 11-7 in the final chukker before Gutierrez finished with back-to-back goals.
Kampsen scored a team-high seven goals including four penalty conversions for Amaro. Sorbaro and Armour each had two goals. Gutierrez also scored a team-high seven goals for Pony Express. Secunda added one. The seven-goal team also picked up one goal on handicap.
Action continues Saturday at 4 p.m. with Pony Express against Quite on Z. Three more games are scheduled next week with the final scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 26 at 2 p.m.
In last year’s six-team tournament, Quite on Z upset previously undefeated 90210 to win the season-opener. Quite on Z (Alecia Seidler, -1, Artemio Figueras, 1, Joao Pedro Souza, 2, Hilario Figueras, 5) rallied in the final chukker to defeat 90210 (Sarah Siegel-Magness, 0, Finn Secunda, 1, Juan Cruz Marcos, 3, Roberto Zedda, 4), 9-8, in overtime.
Hilario Figueras scored five goals including the game-winner and was Most Valuable Player. It was Figueras who converted 40-and 60-goal penalty shots in a three-team shootout to advance Quite on Z into the championship final. His horse, Helmut Newton, played in the fifth chukker and responsible for two goals, was Best Playing Pony.
During the winter polo season, the nation’s largest and most innovative USPA-sanctioned polo club nestled in the heart of the world’s winter equestrian capital, will host a wide range of tournaments: 6, 8, 12, 20, and 26-goal leagues, The Polo School Women’s Weekly Polo League, WCT Finals, several PTF junior tournaments, World Polo League, World Polo League Pride and Sunset Chukkers & Cocktails at both Grand Champions and Santa Rita.
The season’s biggest highlight is the seventh season of the World Polo League, the only 26-goal polo played outside of Argentina. This year’s star-studded lineup features some of the world’s top players including 10-goalers Pablo MacDonough and Tommy Panelo.
Other club highlights are the Jan. 30-Feb. 9 Sterling Cup (18-22 goals), Feb. 1-16 USPA Bronze Trophy (12 goals), Feb. 5-22 $100,000 World Cup (0-40 goals) and Feb. 24-March 8 Santa Rita Abierto (18-22 goals).
Other January tournaments are the Metropolitan 6 Goal Cup and Limited Edition 12-Goal Series. The Polo School Women’s Polo League gets under way Jan. 22 and runs every Wednesday through April. It is the longest running women’s league in the world.
Grand Champions tournaments attract a large international field of players from all corners of the world including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Uruguay, San Salvador, England, France, India, Mexico, Azerbaijan, New Zealand, Nigeria, Uzbekistan, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and United States.
Grand Champions and Santa Rita Polo Farm is the largest and most unique private 102-acre polo facility in Wellington with 212 stalls in nine self-contained barns, two tracks, five climate-controlled tack rooms, vet room, staff quarters, guest house and four polo fields with state-of-the-art underground irrigation and short work arena. The club has 10 well-manicured world-class fields at GCPC and Santa Rita.
The winter season will be live-streamed locally and worldwide on Wellington-based Chukker TV (CTV Sports). Grand Champions is the only USPA club live streaming all of its tournaments.
Grand Champions Polo Club caters to men, women and youth polo players at all levels. Its’ expert staff can customize a complete playing experience including horses, pros and certified umpires in addition to lessons and practice sessions as part of its’ Polo On Demand program.
The Polo School, now located at the former Pony Express facility, operates in Wellington throughout the year. The stand-alone USPA-sanctioned polo club is thriving. It is dedicated to teaching polo to all ages, particularly grass roots youth. Its mission is to provide individuals opportunities in polo at every economic and ability level. The Polo School has nurtured several junior, men and women polo players now playing in the pro and amateur ranks since its inception including most improved players Miles Rich and Rebecca Cohen.
For more information on leagues or The Polo School, contact Juan Bollini at 561-346-1099 or Cale Newman at 561-876-2930.