Newport Captures Casablanca Spring Challenge For Second Title In A Row; Jason Crowder MVP

WELLINGTON, FL., May 12 , 2025---Newport won its second consecutive spring tournament Sunday at windswept Grand Champions Polo Club.

By Sharon Robb

Photos by Candace Ferreira

In front of a good crowd, the defending champions (Gene Goldstein, 0, Jason Crowder, 5, Martin Jauregui, 6, Tommy Collingwood, 5) led from start-to-finish to defeat Aspen Valley (Meredith Lovegrove/Haley Schaufeld, 0, Tomacho Pieres, 6, Matias Gonzalez, 4, Nic Roldan, 7), 10-8. Newport also won last weekend's Sun Cup.

Jason Crowder turned in one of his finest all-around performances of the spring season to earn Most Valuable Player honors.

Taita Empatia, played by Tomacho Pieres and owned by Santa Rita Polo Farm, was Best Playing Pony.

Newport took control of the momentum early in the opening chukker. With a 1-0 lead on handicap, Collingwood scored and Goldstein scored back-to-back goals for a 4-0 lead with 4:22 left in the chukker. Crowder scored off two long passes (120 yards each) from Collingwood and Jauregui to lead 6-2 going into the second chukker.

Playing well as a four-man team for the rest of the game, Newport took advantage of Crowder being in the right place at the right time, either scoring or playing tight defensively on anyone with the ball. Crowder scored early in the second chukker for a 7-3 advantage. 3 Graces Polo could get no closer than three goals in the second and third chukkers as Newport led 9-4 going into the half.

In the second half, Aspen Valley shut out Newport in the fourth and sixth chukkers and outscored them 4-1, but ran out of time to rally in the sixth. The only goal scored by Newport came from Crowder on a 130-yarder to make it 10-6 with 4:33 left in the fifth chukker.

Aspen Valley came within three goals twice (9-6 and 10-7). Pieres scored in the final 18 seconds for a two-goal loss.

Crowder led Newport with four goals. Goldstein and Collingwood each had two goals and Jauregui added one 120-yard goal. Newport picked up one goal on handicap. For Aspen Valley, Pieres scored a game-high five goals. Roldan had two goals, including an 80-yarder, and Schaufeld had one.

In the subsidiary game, SebiLion (Leo Mandelbaum, 2, Sebastian Mandelbaum, 0, Fred Mannix, 7, Santi Toccalino, 7) defeated 3 Graces Polo (Rebecca Cohen, 0, Sugar Erskine, 6, Mariano Gracida, 4, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7), 10-6.

SebiLion jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the opening chukker with two goals from Mannix and one goal on handicap. In an defensive second chukker, Gracida scored the only goal. To start off the third chukker Erskine scored to tie the game, 3-3. It was the closest 3 Graces Polo would get. It was all SebiLion for the next three-and-a-half chukkers.

SebiLion took a 5-3 halftime lead with goals from Leo Mandelbaum and Toccalino.

SebiLion outscored 3 Graces Polo, 5-3, in the second half. Toccalino and Mannix scored back-to-back goals to give SebiLion a 7-3 lead. SebiLion led 7-4 after the fourth and 9-5 after the fifth chukker. In another defensive chukker, Cohen and Sebastian Mandelbaum scored the only goals.

Mannix and Leo Mandelbaum each had three goals to lead SebiLion. Toccalino had two goals and Sebastian Mandelbaum added one. SebiLion picked up one goal on handicap. Cohen led 3 Graces Polo with three goals. Erskine, Gracida and Astrada each had one goal.

Newport and Aspen Valley advanced into the final with thrilling semifinal finishes. Newport advanced with a 6-5 victory over 3 Graces Polo with Goldstein scoring the winning goal. Aspen Valley advanced with a 9-8 win over SebiLion with  Roldan scoring the game-winner.

In last year's Casablanca Spring Challenge, Newport (Gene Goldstein, 0, Pablo Spinacci, 6,  Fred Mannix, 7, Tommy Collingwood, 5) clinched the round robin tournament win with an 11-8 victory over SebiLion (Sebastian Mandelbaum, -1, Sugar Erskine, 6, Leo Mandelbaum, 3, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7). Goldstein was MVP.

Newport is coming off last weekend's Sun Cup victory. Newport (Gene Goldstein, 0, Matias Gonzalez, 4, Fred Mannix, 7, Tommy Collingwood, 5) rallied in the sixth chukker to defeat previously unbeaten SebiLion (Sebastian Mandelbaum, 0, Jason Crowder, 5, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7, Leo Mandelbaum, 2) in overtime, 15-14. Mannix was MVP.

In the spring opener, SebiLion won the Grand Champions Cup win. SebiLion (Sebastian Mandelbaum, 0, Leo Mandelbaum, 2, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7, Fred Mannix, 7) defeated Kaia Polo (Larry Austin, 0, Mariano Gracida, 4, Santi Toccalino, 7, Juan Bollini, 3), 10-8, to capture the Grand Champions Cup. Sebastian Mandelbaum was MVP.

The spring season is one of the best in the club's 18-year history. The matches are every Friday and Sunday. Admission is free and the public is welcome along with dogs on leashes.

The remaining spring schedule (subject to change because of weather) is: May 16-18, Eastern Challenge; and May 23-26, The Memorial.

During the major polo season in winter, 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, 16, 20, and 26-goal leagues, The Polo School Women's Polo League, WCT Finals, PTF youth tournaments, World Polo League, World Polo League Pride Music Fest and Sunset Chukkers & Cocktails at both Grand Champions and Santa Rita.

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 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 Polo School Director of Operations Juan Bollini at  561-346-1099 or Polo Manager Cale Newman at 561-876-2930.