LECHUZA PRESENTS PLANS FOR NEXT 4 SEASONS
The 2017 edition of Polo Challenge, which kicks off on January 12 in the Dominican Republic, was officially presented at Palermo on Saturday. The series will be played at Lechuza Caracas RD and Casa de Campo. Lechuza also took the opportunity to present its plans for the next four international seasons.
The 2017 Polo Challenge will be made up of the following four tournaments:
-Bronze Cup: January 12 – 28 (12 & 22 goals).
-Silver Cup: February 9 – 25 (12 & 22 goals).
-Gold Cup: March 4 – 26 (12 & 22 goals).
-Caribbean Open: March 30 – April 15 (12 & 26 goals).
10-goal players Juan Martín Nero and David “Pelón” Stirling will take part in the Polo Challenge season once again; Milo Fernández Araujo, manager of Lechuza Caracas, and Fernando Arata, manager of Casa de Campo and Polo Challenge Director, will also be in the Dominican.
This will be the second edition of Polo Challenge, and following last year’s success, there have been several improvements in infrastructure. The Dominican has become one of the preferred destination for polo players and their families alike. Besides Nero and Stirling, players such as Ignacio Novillo Astrada, Fred Mannix, brothers Santiago and Ignacio Toccalino, Francisco Bensadón, and many others will be taking part in the season.
Milo Fernández Araujo: “The quality of the fields has improved a lot; Lechuza set up three new fields and the tifton grounds at Casa de Campo have been worked on. We started from zero last year and now we are starting from seven; many organisations are looking to us. Regarding Lechuza, the plan is to play the whole Dominican season, until mid-April, and then play the season in Tucacas. We then head to Sotogrande before travelling back to Tucacas. But Lechuza is mainly aiming to play the 2018 English season; 2018 will be a very important year for the organisation. We will play the Dominican and Venezuelan seasons and we are going to add England and Spain. We are hoping to play in England for the next four or five years. We have a place rented and we are building a competitive team.”
Teams:
22-Goal:
Copa de Bronce:
Lechuza: Víctor Vargas 1, Alfredo Vargas 1, Pelon Stirling 10, Juan Martín Nero 10.
Casa de Campo Polo Team: Leo Matos 0, Ramiro Garros 6, Silvestre Donovan 7, Francisco Bensadon 8.
Alegría – El Milagro: Federico Tomasevich, Julian Mannix, Ignacio Toccalino 9, Fred Mannix 8.
Power Infrastructure: Miguel Mendoza 0, Juan Ambroggio 7, Santiago Toccalino 8, Gerardo Collardin 6.
Copa de Plata & Copa de Oro:
Lechuza: Víctor Vargas 1, Alfredo Vargas 1, Pelon Stirling 10, Juan Martín Nero 10.
Casa de Campo Polo Team: Leo Matos 0, Ramiro Garros 6, Silvestre Donovan 7, Francisco Bensadon 8.
Alegría – Sebucan: Gonzalo Mendoza 1, Julian Mannix, Ignacio Toccalino 9, Fred Mannix 8.
Cinque Terre: Alessandro Bazzoni 1, Juan Ambroggio 7, Santiago Toccalino 8, Gerardo Collardin 6.
HB Polo Team: Ludo Pailloncy 1, Lalo James 5, Gonzalo Von Wernich 7, Ignacio Novillo Astrada 9.
12-Goal:
Copa de Bronce:
Casa de Campo Polo Team: Rufino Bensadon 1, Leo Matos 0, Francisco Bensadon 8, Anton Tejada 1.
La Carmela: Roberto García 1, Rafael García 1, Jesús Arredondo 1, Juan C Marambio 5.
Pitirri: Enrique Bonetti 0, Dennis Santana 3, TBA 7, Rafael Perez Diez 1.
Costasur Polo Team: Luis Alfonso Paniagua 1, Alex Sahad 2, Ramiro Garros 6, Julio Lopez 1.
La Potranca: Tony Rivera 0, Fernando Arata 1, TBA 4, Silvestre Donovan 7.
Cinque Terre-El Milagro: Federico Tomasevich 0, Alessandro Bazzoni 1, Lalo James 5, Benjamin Araya 6.
Copa de Plata:
Casa de Campo Polo Team: Rufino Bensadon 1, Leo Matos 0, Francisco Bensadon 8, Anton Tejada 1.
La Carmela: Roberto García 1, Rafael García 1, Jesús Arredondo 1, Juan C Marambio 5.
Pitirri: Enrique Bonetti 0, Dennis Santana 3, TBA 7, Rafael Perez Diez 1.
Costasur Polo Team: Luis Alfonso Paniagua 1, Alex Sahad 2, Ramiro Garros 6, Julio Lopez 1.
La Potranca: Tony Rivera 0, Fernando Arata 1, TBA 4, Silvestre Donovan 7.
La Patrona: Oscar Quintero 0, Praxilla Trabattoni 0, Juan Jose Basualdo 3, TBA 7.
Copa de Oro:
Casa de Campo Polo Team: Rufino Bensadon 1, Leo Matos 0, Francisco Bensadon 8, Anton Tejada 1.
La Carmela: Roberto García 1, Rafael García 1, Jesús Arredondo 1, Juan C Marambio 5.
Pitirri: Enrique Bonetti 0, Dennis Santana 3, TBA 7, Rafael Perez Diez 1.
Costasur Polo Team: Luis Alfonso Paniagua 1, Alex Sahad 2, Ramiro Garros 6, Julio Lopez 1.
La Potranca: Tony Rivera 0, Fernando Arata 1, TBA 4, Silvestre Donovan 7.