WELLINGTON, FL., February 11, 2025--3 Graces led from start to finish to win the Metropolitan Cup 6-Goal final Monday at Grand Champions Polo Club.
By Sharon Robb
Photos by Candace Ferreira
3 Graces (Rebecca Cohen -1, Artemio Figueras 2, Justin Daniels 2, Juan Bollini 3) defeated Victory Polo (Kevin Schmeits 0, Bruce Gottwald, -1, Segundo Caimi, 4, Marcos Bignoli 3), 7-4.
For the second year in a row, teenager Artemio Figueras, playing well above his 2-goal handicap, was Most Valuable Player. He scored a game-high four goals. Mas Dalessandro, played by Marcos Bignoli in the opening chukker and purchased from Kris Kampsen three days ago, was Best Playing Pony.
Figueras, 15, has been playing polo since he was three, following in the footsteps of his father Nacho and brother Hilario.
"I just like polo," Figueras said. "I love horses and the polo community is fun. Hopefully, I will play the most goals possible. Whatever comes is okay."
From the opening chukker, the chemistry was evident on 3 Graces. Cohen, Figueras and Bollini were teammates on last year's league winner The Polo School.
"We have Juan who is very good at the back, Justin is very good at stretching the team forward and we have a very good No. 1 with Rebecca so I think we are a very balanced formation," Figueras said.
Figueras opened the game with an early goal with 6:03 left in the opening chukker with an assist from Cohen. Two minutes later, Bollini threaded the needle just inside the right goal post for a 2-0 lead. Gottwald cut the lead to one with 1:05 left in the first chukker.
3 Graces started pressing hard in the second chukker, disrupting the momentum Victory Polo was trying to build. Daniels' goal with 2:14 left gave 3 Graces a 3-1 advantage. With a minute left, Caimi scored on a great angled shot just inside the post to trail, 3-2.
With 5:30 left in the third chukker Caimi scored off a rebounded shot to tie the game at 3-3. It was the closest Victory Polo would come as 3 Graces pulled away with back-to-back goals including a penalty conversion from Figueras to end the chukker with a 5-3 lead.
Late in the fourth and final chukker, Bollini tapped in a goal and Figueras converted another penalty shot for a 7-3 advantage. Bignoli scored the final goal.
In addition to Figueras' four goals, Bollini had two goals and Daniels added one. Caimi led Victory Polo with two goals and Gottwald and Bignoli each had one goal.
Nine teams, including defending champion The Polo School, competed. Several of the teams were comprised of past and current players from The Polo School including Rebecca Cohen, who started two years ago.
In last year's final, The Polo School held off Bushwood Pink to win. The Polo School (Rebecca Cohen, -1, Artemio Figueras, 1, Facha Valent, 3, Juan Bollini, 3) came from behind to defeat Bushwood Pink (Jen Buchan, -1, Scott Sorbaro, 0, Santiago Mayano, 2, Kris Kampsen, 6), 4.5-4, to win. Figueras, who scored three goals including the game-winner, was 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 leagues, 26-goal World Polo League, 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.
The 26-goal World Polo League, that begins next Monday with a 32-goal final for the All-Star Challenge Riemenschneider Memorial, is the highlight of the season for the club. The WPL, the only 26-goal polo played outside of Argentina, is now entering its seventh season with some of the world's top players including 10-goalers Pablo MacDonough, Juan Martin Nero and Tommy Panelo.
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, 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 Juan Bollini at 561-346-1099 or Cale Newman at 561-876-2930.