Windsor Polo Wins Madelon Bourdieu Memorial Opener

WELLINGTON, FL., March 15, 2025---Windsor Polo won its opening game of the Madelon Bourdieu Memorial opener Friday at Santa Rita Polo Farm.

By Sharon Robb

Photos by Candace Ferreira

Vero Beach-based Windsor Polo (Charlotte Peponis, -1, Max Secunda, 3, Finn Secunda, 1, Justin Daniels, 2), led for most of the game to defeat Casablanca (Taggert Mills, 0, Benji Daniels, 1, Alex Webbe, 2, Grant Ganzi, 3), 6.5-3.

Windsor Polo jumped out to a 1.5-0 lead when Justin Daniels' big hit downfield made it just in front of the goal with Charlotte Peponis tapping it through. Both teams missed scoring opportunities to end the chukker.

Grant Ganzi cut the lead to 1.5-1 converting a 30-yard penalty. Finn Secunda gave his team a 2.5-1 lead after converting a 40-yard penalty. Benji Daniels came up with the goal of the game flipping a near side goal to trail 2.5-2 tie. It was the closest Casablanca would get.

Windsor Polo took a 3.5-2 lead when Max Secunda took the ball out of the air and passed it to Finn Secunda to score in the third chukker. The remainder of the chukker was all back-and-forth play with plenty of defense but no scoring.

Finn Secunda converted another 40-yard penalty for a 4.5-2 with 4:58 left in the fourth and final chukker. Two minutes later Justin Daniels added another goal for a 5.5-2 lead. Grant Ganzi converted his second 30-yard penalty to trail, 5.5-3. In the final seconds, Finn Secunda added one more goal for a 6.5-3 final.

It was a family affair with three generations of polo and one set of brothers. British great and Hall of Famer Julian Hipwood was watching his son Max and grandson Finn from the sidelines and brothers Justin and Benji Daniels played against each other.

For Windsor Polo, Finn Secunda scored a game-high four goals. Charlotte Peponis and Justin Daniels each had one goal. For Casablanca, Grant Ganzi had two goals and Benji Daniels had one.

Casablanca and Windsor Polo Team are among a six-team field. Other teams are:

Bracket 1: The Polo School (Meredith Lovegrove, -1, Milo MacDonough, 0, Santos Bollini, 2, Matias Gonzalez, 4); Lost Creek (Kimmie Gottwald, 1, Tomas Obregon, 4, Leo Mandelbaum, 2, Willie Jumet, 1); and Camp Polo (Pearl Duncan, -1, Milly Hine, 2, Hope Arellano, 2, Mia Cambiaso, 2).

Bracket 2: Bushwood Pink (Jen Buchan, -1, Pedro Gutierrez, 5, Daren Tamplin, 0, Piers Bossom, 2) along with Casablanca and Windsor Polo.

Camp Polo's all-women's team of Pearl Duncan, Milly Hine, Hope Arellano and Mia Cambiaso is among favorites. In the women's rankings, Arellano is the only American 10-goaler and Hine and Cambiaso are 9-goalers making it a 28-goal team in women's polo.

The Memorial is played to honor Madelon Bourdieu, mother of Grand Champions Polo School Director Juan Bollini. Bourdieu, who passed away in 2009, came from a family with a strong polo tradition and was a player herself. The Bourdieu family has made significant contributions to the sport and founded two clubs in Argentina.

Last year's Madelon Bourdieu Memorial champion was La Dolfina, 4-3 winners over The Polo School, played at Valiente. The winning team was Myla Cambiaso, Alfonso Nero, Juan Cruz Marcos and Robertito Zedda. The MVP was Juan Cruz Marcos.

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.