WELLINGTON, Fla., November 4, 2024----Grand Champions won the fifth medium goal tournament of the fall season Sunday at windswept Grand Champions Polo Club.
By Sharon Robb
Photos by Candace Ferreira
Grand Champions (Miles Rich, -1, Grant Ganzi, 3, Martin Jauregui, 6, Pablo Dorignac, 4) led from start to finish to defeat Newport (Gene Goldstein, Santos Bollini, 2, Sugar Erskine, 6, Jason Crowder, 5), 10-7.
Argentine 6-goaler Martin Jauregui was Most Valuable Player after leading all players with four goals.
"Martin played unbelievable," Ganzi said. "For sure he deserved Most Valuable Player. I was happy for him. We worked really well together in the middle. We had a great connection."
Brilliant, a 9-year-old chestnut mare, played by Ganzi at the end of the fifth chukker and beginning of sixth, and owned by Santa Rita Polo Farm, was Best Playing Pony.
For the second tournament, Miles Rich, a minus-one player, was named Most Improved Player.
Ganzi was happy with the win and chemistry among teammates. It was the first time Ganzi won the Fall Plates title.
"I'm really happy with the win," Ganzi said. "I was looking at the trophy and I had never won the tournament before. I always ended up losing. I'm elated that we won it and I had a bigger smile on my face than I thought I would.
"I knew today would be a tough game," Ganzi said. "Newport has been playing really well together."
Grand Champions, playing wide open polo, jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opening chukker with goals from Ganzi and Jauregui.
Grand Champions dominated offensively, pulling away for a 3-1 lead after the second chukker and 4-2 at the half.
It was much of the same in the second half with Grand Champions leading 6-3 after the fourth and 7-3, 8-4 and 10-4 in the fifth before Newport scored three consecutive goals to close the gap in the final chukker.
"I was thrilled with the way we played," Ganzi said. "I was happy with Miles and how much he has improved."
Grand Champions got balanced scoring from its lineup. Jauregui had four goals, Ganzi three and Dorignac two goals. A penalty one was also awarded. Santos Bollini led Newport with four goals.
In the subsidiary game, SebiLion (Sebastian Mandelbaum, Tomacho Pieres, 6, Leo Mandelbaum, 2, Dominic State, 2) edged Santa Rita (Rebecca Cohen, -1, Jony Castillo, 0, Nic Roldan, 8, Juan Bollini, 3), 5-4. Pieres and Roldan each had three goals. Leo and Sebastian Mandelbaum each had one goal.
At 18, Sebastian Mandelbaum was presented an award for being the youngest player in the tournament.
In Friday's qualifying round, Grand Champions topped Santa Rita, 8-6, in the opening game with Dorignac scoring four goals. In the other semifinal, Newport defeated SebiLion, 6-4. Goldstein and Bollini each had three goals.
In last year's final, Amaro (Kevin Schmeits, Scott Sorbaro, Pedro Gutierrez, 5, Pablo Dorignac, 4) defeated Victory (Becky Schmeits, Patricio Paz, 2, Govinda Quish, Martin Jauregui, 6), 8-4, and La Fe/Dazos (David Farache, Santos Bollini, 2, Sugar Erskine, 6, Louis Devaleix, 2), 7-5, in the round robin final. Victory defeated La Fe/Dazos, 7-6, in the other game. Sorbaro was MVP.
Other 2024 fall champions were: Tackeria Invitational, Audi (Dominic State, Martin Jauregui, Marc Ganzi, Sugar Erskine); Pedro Morrison Memorial, Maltese Falcons (Melissa Ganzi, Teo Calle, Grant Ganzi, Nic Roldan) and Banyan Cup, SebiLion (Sebastian Mandelbaum, Santos Bollini, Sugar Erskine, Jason Crowder).
"I have been travelling a lot and playing in a lot of cool places, but when I've been here it's been amazing," Ganzi said.
"I'm really proud of the work Juan is doing with The Polo School and the fact it's been able to elevate players to be able to play this kind of level of polo. There is a happy medium between coaching league chukkers and usual high goal stuff we do that shows a lot of character of the club and it shows a lot of progressiveness of what we have working."
The nation's largest and most innovative polo club, is celebrating its 18th anniversary with two new additions to the fall schedule: Nov. 14 WPL Pride Polo Miami and Nov. 15-17 Beach Polo World Cup Miami. It's the first time the popular beach polo tournament and WPL Pride Polo are being held in the fall on South Beach. The Beach Polo World Cup Miami Beach is the largest and most notable Beach Polo event in the world. It features international teams and over 120 horses. Tickets are on sale.
The family-friendly club welcomes spectators of all ages. All matches, food and refreshments are free (with the exception of special catered events) and open to the public and dogs on leashes.
Among the season's other highlights are the Nov. 23 doubleheader featuring the Legends of Polo Carlos Gracida Memorial and International Cup with GCPC USA playing the Rest of the World this year.
In last year's International Cup, Spain knocked off previously unbeaten GCPC USA to snap its 11-year win streak in front of a packed house at Santa Rita Polo Farm.
The fall medium goal schedule features six tournaments and has one more remaining with this weekend's Casablanca Fall Cup.