SebiLion Captures Grand Champions Cup Spring Season Opener; Sebastian Mandelbaum MVP

WELLINGTON, FL., April 28, 2025---SebiLion won the first tournament of the spring season Sunday at Grand Champions Polo Club.

By Sharon Robb

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.

Teenager Sebastian Mandelbaum, at 18 the youngest player on the field, earned Most Valuable Player honors after scoring a game-high five goals. A senior at King's Academy, Mandelbaum plans to attend Lynn University.

"I want to stay close to home so I can play more polo and improve," Mandelbaum said.

Nestle, played by Alejandro Novillo Astrada in the first, third and sixth chukkers, and owned by Santa Rita Polo Farm, was Best Playing Pony.

"I was really happy to play," Mandelbaum said. "It's a great environment to play. I'm happy I get to play with such good players at this level. I had a great team with great chemistry."

Trailing by as many as three goals (3-0 and 5-2) in the first half, SebiLion came alive in the second half. With Kaia Polo leading 5-4 at the half, SebiLion outscored them 6-3 in the second half.

"We were all very calm," Mandelbaum said. "We didn't panic. That's important to stay calm when you're playing."

Playing well together as a four-man team, SebiLion scored four goals in the fourth chukker. Sebastian Mandelbaum scored back-to-back goals to open the fourth chukker. Mandelbaum took a pass from his father Leo and scored off a belly shot to tie the game, 5-5. A minute later, Mannix saw Mandelbaum was open and sent a long pass to the teenager who scored off a difficult angle to take the lead for the first time, 6-5.

SebiLion never trailed after that, building off its momentum and balanced team play. SebiLion had leads of 8-5 in the fourth, 9-6 and 10-6 in the fifth. Kaia Polo had its chances to score but couldn't capitalize.

"I think me, Freddie, Alejandro and my dad had really good chemistry," Mandelbaum said. "We made a lot of plays where there were a bunch of passes between us so we could put the goals in. Those were our best plays whenever we were passing the ball."

Sebastian Mandelbaum led scoring with a game-high five goals. Mannix had three and Astrada added two. For Kaia Polo, Austin led with three goals. Toccalino had two goals and Gracida added one. The team picked up two goals on handicap.

In the subsidiary, 3 Graces Polo (Rebecca Cohen, 0, Tomacho Pieres, 6, Marc Ganzi, 1, Martin Jauregui, 6) defeated Grand Champions (Haley Schaufeld, 0, Sugar Erskine, 6, Santos Bollini, 2, Jason Crowder, 5), 9-8.

With 4:55 left in the sixth chukker, Jauregui scored what turned out to be the winning goal. 3 Graces Polo had leads of 6-2 in the third chukker and 8-5 in the fifth chukker before Grand Champions rallied in the fifth chukker. Erskine tied the game at 8-8 early in the sixth chukker.

Ganzi led scoring with five goals, Cohen had three and Jauregui added one. For Grand Champions, Santos Bollini had four goals, Schaufeld had three and Erskine one goal.

In opening day action on Friday, Kaia Polo and SebiLion advanced to the final with impressive wins. Kaia Polo defeated Grand Champions, 10-6, and SebiLion topped 3 Graces Polo, 9-8, in overtime.

In the first game, Kaia Polo controlled most of the game pulling away for a 6-2 lead in the third chukker before ending the half at 6-3. Kaia Polo continued to dominate in the fourth chukker with leads of 7-3 and 8-4 before Grand Champions clawed its way back in the fifth chukker to trail, 8-6. Toccalino and Austin scored goals in the sixth chukker to put the game away.

Toccalino scored a game-high five goals, Austin and Gracida each had two and Bollini had one. Santos Bollini and Schaufeld each had three goals for Grand Champions.

In the second game, the lead changed hands nine times in regulation. 3 Graces Polo started out with a 3-0 lead on handicap. It took SebiLion six minutes in the opening chukker to erase the deficit, tying the game, 3-3, on Sebastian Mandelbaum's goal with 1:06 left. From then on neither team had more than a one-goal lead.

With 3 Graces Polo leading 8-7 after Pieres scored late in the fifth chukker, the teams got defensive in the final chukker with Sebastian Mandelbaum scoring the only goal with 47 seconds left to tie 8-8 and send the game into overtime. It didn't take long for big-hitting Mannix to hit an 82-yarder with 6:40 left in overtime to clinch the win.

SebiLion got balanced scoring from its lineup. Mannix led with three goals and father and son Leo and Sebastian Mandelbaum each had two goals and Astrada had two. For 3 Graces Polo, Ganzi and Pieres each had two goals and Cohen added one.

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, celebrating its 18th anniversary, 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.