Quite on Z moved into the favorite’s role after its victory in the USPA Bronze Trophy 12-Goal Tournament Sunday at Grand Champions Polo Club.
By Sharon Robb
Photos by Candace Ferreira
In the featured stadium match in front of a good crowd, Quite on Z (Alecia Seidler, -1, Artemio Figueras, 2, Joaquin Panelo, 6, Hilario Figueras, 5) stunned Casablanca (Matias Gonzalez, 4, Santos Bollini, 2, Grant Ganzi, 3, Juan Bollini, 3), 11-7, to remain defeated.
Panelo swept Most Valuable Player and Best Playing Pony honors. His horse, Patrona, was the Grand Champions Best Playing Pony.
Yatay Malvon, a gelding, played by Hilario Figueras and bred and owned by the Figueras family, was the American Polo Horse Association Best Playing Pony.
The game marked the return of Hilario Figueras, 25, playing his first game of the season after a three-month layoff. He was injured in a fall while playing in Argentina and is now fully recovered. His cousin Lucio Ocampo had filled in for him in the Quite on Z lineup.
“It was great for me,” Figueras said. “I was very much looking forward to it. I decided to play yesterday just to get back into a rhythm again and get ready for the 26-goal and upcoming 8 and 12 goals that I am playing with Quite on Z.
The chemistry is evident on Quite on Z with Figueras playing with his younger brother Artemio, longtime friend Joaquin Panelo and patron Alecia Seidler.
“Chemistry-wise, I have been playing with Alecia for the past two years. Obviously, I have been playing with Artemio my whole life. I love playing with him. He’s playing very well and hitting the penalties very good. With Joaquin, I have known the Panelo family since I was a little boy. Last year in Argentina we played together in most of the Argentine tournaments there so we knew what to do basically. We already had chemistry from before.”
Sunday’s hardfought game was close in the first half. Quite on Z had leads of 2-1 and 3-2. After two lead changes the teams were tied at the half, 4-4.
Quite on Z dominated the final two chukkers after playing to a 5-5 fourth chukker. Quite on Z scored three unanswered goals in the fifth chukker to pull ahead, 8-5, and never trailed after that leading 10-6 and 11-6 in the sixth chukker.
“The Casablanca team was pretty tough,” Figueras said. “We had respect for them. We stayed focus and did everything we needed to do.”
Artemio Figueras scored a game-high seven goals, including five penalty conversions, for Quite on Z. Hilario Figueras had three goals and Panelo added one. Gonzalez led Casablanca with four goals. Santos Bollini had two goals and Ganzi had one.
Tournament action continues this week, weather permitting.
Last year’s winner was Maharlika (Gina Padilla, 0, Miguel (Miki) Astrada Jr., 2, Santino Magrini, 4, Matias Magrini, 6) who defeated Los Altos (Alvaro Fernandez, 0, Keko Magrini, 6, Memo Gracida, 3, Luis Saraco, 3), 13-9, at La Herradura Polo Club in Santa Ynez, Calif.
It is the first time Grand Champions, the nation’s largest club, is hosting the USPA Bronze Trophy 12 Goal Tournament.
Established in 1980, the Bronze Trophy is a prestigious national tournament played at the 8- to 12-goal level. Originally hosted at Gulfstream Polo Club (now defunct) until its closure, the tournament relocated in 2015 to New Bridge Polo & Country Club in Aiken, S.C.
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, 26-goal World Polo League, The 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.
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. 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.