Nine teams, including defending champion The Polo School, will compete in the Metropolitan Cup that begins Thursday.
By Sharon Robb
The teams drew into three brackets of three. Brackets A and B play across and Bracket C plays within. The teams in Brackets A and B will be ranked and top two advance to the Semifinals. The top two teams in Bracket C will also advance.
Several of the teams are comprised of past and current players from The Polo School including Miles Rich, Rebecca Cohen and Meredith Lovegrove.
The teams are:
Bracket A:
Mangore Polo Team Pony Up (4): Rick Salter 0, Santos Teves 0, Cruz Bilbao 0, Gonzalo Teves 4.
Roseview Farms / Woodmere (6): David Sloan 0, Pablo Dorignac 4, Alex Burkland 0, Juan Villamil 2.
The Polo School (5): Meredith Lovegrove -1, Joseph Schwartz 2, Leo Mandelbaum 2, Dominic State 2.
Bracket B:
3 Graces Polo (6): Rebecca Cohen -1, Artemio Figueras 2, Justin Daniels 2, Juan Bollini 3.
TuffRider (6): Timmy Sharma 0, Benjamin Obregon 0, Joaquin Vilgre 1, Agustin Obregon 5.
Rich Properties (6): Miles Rich -1, Matias ‘Colo’ Gonzalez 4, Santos Bollini 2, Benji Daniels 1.
Bracket C:
Smithfield Farms (5): Craig Callen -1, Fran G Villamil 1, Juanse Olivera 3, Julio Ezcurra 2.
Rosalinda Polo / Gracida Homes (6): Mo Baptiste -1, Weston Gracida 1, Fernando ‘Tucu’ Maciel 3, Nico Eurnekian 3.
Victory Polo (6): Becky Schmeits -1, Kevin Schmeits 0, Marcos Bignoli 3, Segundo Caimi 4.
In opening tournament action, Smithfield Farms plays Rosalinda Polo/Gracida Homes Thursday at 4 p.m. The final is February 9.
In last year’s final, The Polo School held off Bushwood Pink to win. The Polo School (Rebecca Cohen, -1, Artemio Figueras, 1, Facha Valent, 3, Juan Bollini, 3) came from behind to defeat Bushwood Pink (Jen Buchan, -1, Scott Sorbaro, 0, Santiago Mayano, 2, Kris Kampsen, 6), 4.5-4, to win. Artemio Figueras, who scored three goals including the game-winner, was Most Valuable Player.
In the consolation game, Pony Express (Drew Quagliano, -1, Justin Daniels, 2, Santos Bollini, 2, Benji Daniels, 1.5) defeated Rafool Polo (Meredith Lovegrove, -1, Ray Rafool, -1, Garrett Smith, 2, Sugar Erskine, 5), 4-2.
During the winter polo season, Grand Champions Polo Club, the nation’s largest and most innovative USPA-sanctioned polo club nestled in the heart of the world’s winter equestrian capital, hosts a wide range of tournaments: 6, 8, 12, 20, and 26-goal leagues, Polo School Women’s Weekly Polo League, WCT Finals, several Polo Training Foundation junior tournaments, World Polo League Pride and Sunset Chukkers & Cocktails at both Grand Champions and Santa Rita Polo Farm.
The 26-goal World Polo League that begins in February is the highlight of the season for the club. The WPL, the only 26-goal polo played outside of Argentina, is now entering its seventh season with some of the world’s top players including 10-goalers Pablo MacDonough and Tommy Panelo.
Other high goal season highlights are the Jan. 30-Feb 9 Sterling Cup (18-22 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 Aspen Valley 8-Goal, currently under way, and Limited Edition 12-Goal Series. The GCPC Women’s Weekly Women’s Polo League also gets under way Jan. 22 and runs through April 9. It is the longest running women’s league in the world.
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.
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 January through May and September through November. The stand-alone USPA-sanctioned polo club 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.
For more information on leagues or Polo School contact Juan Bollini at 561-346-1099 or Cale Newman at 561-876-2930.