WELLINGTON, Fla., November 22, 2024---The Grand Champions Polo Club fall season ends this weekend with the CTV Fall Challenge Cup and Fall Classic at Santa Rita Polo Farm.
By Sharon Robb
Photos by Candace Ferreira
Grand Champions is winding down after a successful season that featured both medium and high goal tournaments.
The CTV Fall Challenge Cup is Friday at 3:30 p.m. with Santa Rita (Andres Fanjul, Rebecca Cohen, Martin Jauregui, Juan Bollini) playing Newport (Gene Goldstein, Tomacho Pieres, Pablo Spinacci, Pablo Dorignac).
The season-ending Fall Classic is Sunday at 11 a.m. with Santa Rita (Miles Rich, Rebecca Cohen, Martin Jauregui, Juan Bollini) playing Newport (Gene Goldstein, Tomacho Pieres, Pablo Spinacci, Eliza Limehouse).
Looking back on a successful season, other 2024 fall champions were: Tackeria Invitational, Audi (Dominic State, Martin Jauregui, Marc Ganzi, Sugar Erskine); Pedro Morrison Memorial, Maltese Falcons (Melissa Ganzi, Teo Calle, Grant Ganzi, Nic Roldan); Banyan Cup, SebiLion (Sebastian Mandelbaum, Santos Bollini, Sugar Erskine, Jason Crowder); Fall Plates, Grand Champions (Miles Rich, -1, Grant Ganzi, 3, Martin Jauregui, 6, Pablo Dorignac, 4) and Casablanca Fall Cup, Santa Rita (Rebecca Cohen/Phil Gutman, Jason Crowder, 5, Nic Roldan, 8, Juan Bollini, 3).
The family-friendly club welcomes spectators of all ages. All matches are open to the public and dogs on leashes.
In last year's Fall Classic, the Maltese Falcons won their team debut. Maltese Falcons (Melissa Ganzi, Jason Crowder, 5, Juan Bollini, 3, Nic Roldan, 8) led the two-day, 18-chukker round robin from start-to-finish. They defeated Casablanca (Marc Ganzi, Grant Ganzi, 3, Tomacho Pieres, 6, Martin Jauregui, 6), 7-5, in the final three chukkers to clinch the title on Aspen Field. Roldan was MVP.
The well-organized fall tournaments attracted players from all over the world. Roster lineups changed from tournament to tournament with evenly-matched teams featuring pro and amateur players.
Wellington-based ChukkerTV (CTV Sports) live streamed the entire fall season. Grand Champions is the only USPA club that live streams all its games.
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 11 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 is for all ages and ability levels and operates in Wellington year-round. The Polo School, a 501c3 organization and stand-alone USPA 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 operates year-round in Wellington. For more information on the club's leagues or Polo School contact Cale Newman at 561-876-2930.