The second tournament of the World Polo League begins Friday at Grand Champions Polo Club.
By Sharon Robb
Four teams will open the Founders Cup with the semifinals. Travieso plays Casablanca in the morning at 11 a.m. and Alegria plays Maltese Falcons in the afternoon at 3 p.m. The winners advance to Sunday’s championship at 4 p.m. in the featured stadium game.
The WPL, the winter season’s biggest highlight, continues to make history as the only 26-goal polo played outside of Argentina.
The Founders Cup team rosters are:
Alegria (24): Nic Roldan, 7, Jason Crowder, 5, Fred Mannix, 7, Tommy Collingwood, 5.
Casablanca (26): Grant Ganzi, 3, Rufino Bensadon, 8, Sapo Caset, 9, Hilario Figueras, 6.
Maltese Falcons (25): Melissa Ganzi, Pablo MacDonough, 10, Juan Martin Nero, 10, Matias Gonzalez, 5.
Travieso (26): Tony Calle, 3, Pipe Vercellino, 7, Juan Martin Zubia, 9, Santi Toccalino, 7.
The WPL made its debut in 2018 to keep 26-goal polo alive. In September 2017, the USPA announced that 22 goals would be the maximum level of polo played beginning in 2019 with the C.V. Whitney Cup, USPA Gold Cup and U.S. Open.
The 26-goal World Polo League kicked off its seventh season on Feb. 16th making more history with a first-of-its kind matchup. Casablanca captured the first-ever WPL 32-Goal All-Star Challenge Riemenschneider Memorial.
In front of a packed house, Casablanca (Sapo Caset, 9, Grant Ganzi, 3, Tommy Panelo, 10, Juan Martin Nero, 10) led from start to finish to defeat Santa Rita (Nic Roldan, 7, Tomacho Pieres, 6, Pablo MacDonough, 10, Juan Martin Zubia, 9), 8-5. Caset led Casablanca with a game-high five goals and was named Most Valuable Player.
The remaining two WPL tournaments are the March 5-23 Palm Beach Open and March 26-April 12 Triple Crown of Polo.
In last year’s Founders Cup final, Park Place won its first 26-goal WPL title. Making its WPL debut in the Founders Cup, Park Place (Andrey Borodin, 0, Toly Ulloa, 8, Hilario Ulloa, 10, Cody Ellis, 5) led from start to finish to defeat La Irenita (Gilberto Sayao, 0, Tomacho Pieres, 6, Gonzalito Pieres, 9, Pablo MacDonough, 10), 17-14. Hilario Ulloa scored a team-high eight goals including five penalty conversions and was named Most Valuable Player
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 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.
For more information on leagues or The Polo School contact Juan Bollini at 561-346-1099 or Cale Newman at 561-876-2930.