3 Graces Polo Captures The Memorial Season-Ender; Nic Roldan Named MVP

WELLINGTON, FL., May 26, 2025---On a perfect day for the spring season finale, 3 Graces Polo captured its first medium goal polo tournament Sunday at Grand Champions Polo Club.

By Sharon Robb

Photos by Candace Ferreira

In front of a good crowd, 3 Graces Polo (Rebecca Cohen, 0, Santi Toccalino, 7, Nic Roldan, 7, Juan Bollini 3), making its debut in a spring tournament final, defeated Sebilion (Sebastian Mandelbaum, 0, Mariano Gracida, 4, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7, Martin Jauregui, 6), 13-11.

Nic Roldan scored a season-high ten goals, including 160- and 140-yarders, and was named Most Valuable Player. Cohen and Sebastian Mandelbaum received awards in recognition of their polo organizations.

"I was really happy for Rebecca winning the tournament," Roldan said. "This was a good weekend to win. It's always a good feeling to win. Rebecca did really well. She was really excited. It was fun. We had a nice system going."

Ensensada Bailanta, a 7-year-old Bay mare (Dolfina Wembley Clone 1/Dolfina Cuartetera 02) played by Toccalino in the third and sixth chukkers, and owned by Santa Rita Polo Farm, was Best Playing Pony.

3 Graces Polo, a first-year team started by accomplished dressage rider Rebecca Cohen, won a six-goal tournament during the winter season. But winning the medium title was the highlight for Cohen, who only started playing  two years ago with The Polo School.

"I never thought I would be winning a tournament," Cohen said. "I was really happy about it. It was amazing playing with them. It was really fun, too. I did three of the five weeks and we never even made a final. My team always lost, so it was nice to win.

"We were excited," Cohen said. "Juan was so happy. I was thankful for Nic and Santi and thanked them a few times. They were so good and it was really fun to be on the field at the same time. It was just fun to be able to win when you haven't in a while."

For Roldan, it was a perfect way to wrap up the spring season, playing well and having fun with his teammates. "It was a good way to end the month," Roldan said.

At 42, Roldan is playing better than ever at a high level. He credits his disciplined lifestyle and fitness regimen with personal trainer Jeremy Fedoruk, founder of Wellington-based Athletic Enhancement Group Inc. Fedoruk trains several polo players and is currently training MMA superstar Kayla Harrison for her June 7 UFC 316 bantamweight co-main event in Newark, N.J.

"It's all about discipline, it's the most important thing in anything you do," said Roldan. "I feel stronger than ever. I think I have still got plenty of years of high level polo."

3 Graces Polo led for most of the game. 3 Graces Polo jumped out to 3-0 and 4-2 leads in the opening chukker with Roldan scoring all four goals, including one from 160 yards out with 3:47 left in the chukker.

Sebilion came back to tie, 4-4, in the second chukker after Jauregui scored from 80 yards out from the corner of the field at a walk and again in the third chukker, 5-5, on Jauregui's 60-yard penalty conversion with 4:08 left.

Roldan converted a 30-yard penalty to regain the lead, 6-5. 3 Graces Polo never trailed after that. Roldan's U.S. Open teammate Santi Toccalino followed with a goal after a 120-yard pass from Bollini and Roldan then scored from 140 yards out with 37 seconds left for an 8-5 halftime lead.

While Sebilion outscored 3 Graces Polo, 6-5, in the second half, it still wasn't enough to capitalize. Cohen scored with 10 seconds left in the fourth chukker to extend her team's lead, 10-7.

Gracida scored with 48 seconds left in the fifth chukker to trail 10-9 going into the sixth but Roldan converted a 30-yard penalty and then connected with Toccalino for another goal and 12-9 lead with 3:17 left. Gracida scored to cut the lead to 12-10 but Roldan converted another penalty-two for a 13-10 lead with less than a minute to play. Mandelbaum scored the final goal with 28 seconds left.

In addition to Roldan's scoring barrage, Toccalino had two goals and Cohen added one. For Sebilion, Sebastian Mandelbaum and Jauregui shared scoring honors, each with four goals. Jauregui eas 4-for-4, converting four 60-yard penalty conversions. Gracida had two goals and Astrada added one.

In the subsidiary game, Newport (Gene Goldstein, 0, Jason Crowder, 6, Fred Mannix, 7, Tommy Collingwood, 5) defeated Sebilion Too (Leo Mandelbaum, 2, Tomacho Pieres, 6, Sugar Erskine, 6, Matias Gonzalez, 4), 13-10.

Newport led from start-to-finish and never allowed Sebilion into the game offensively in the first half. Newport led 5-2 after two chukkers and 7-3 at the half. Newport never relinquished its lead in the second half and only got stronger.

Newport got balanced scoring from its lineup. Crowder led with four goals, Mannix and Goldstein each had three and Collingwood added two. Newport picked up one goal on handicap. For Sebilion, Pieres had four goals, Gonzalez had three, Leo Mandelbaum had two and Erskine added one.  

The Memorial is held in honor of Memorial Day, (originally known as Decoration Day), a Federal holiday on which those who died in active military service are remembered, traditionally observed on May 30 but now officially observed on the last Monday in May.

In last year's The Memorial season finale, Newport (Tucu Paz, 2, Sugar Erskine, 6, Tomacho Pieres, 6, Jason Crowder, 5) won for its fourth consecutive title. SebiLion (Sebastian Mandelbaum, 0, Grant Ganzi, 3, Fred Mannix, 7, Tommy Collingwood, 5) finished second and Aspen Valley (Santos Bollini, 2, Leo Mandelbaum, 2, Nic Roldan, 8, Juan Bollini 3) was third in the two-day round robin tournament.

This year Newport and Sebilion finished with two tournament wins. Newport won back-to-back tournaments--the Casablanca Spring Challenge and Sun Cup.

In the Casablanca Spring Challenge, Newport (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. Crowder was MVP.

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, Leo Mandelbaum, 2, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7, Jason Crowder, 5) in an overtime thriller, 15-14 for the Sun Cup. Mannix was MVP.

SebiLion also has two tournament wins. In last weekend's Eastern Challenge, SebiLion (Sebastian Mandelbaum, 0, Mariano Gracida, 4, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7, Fred Mannix, 7) took the lead early in the fifth chukker and never relinguished it for a 10-8 victory over Newport (Gene Goldstein, 0, Jason Crowder, 5, Santi Toccalino, 7, Tommy Collingwood, 5).

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.