Carbondale, Colo. – Aug. 26, 2019 – Los Amigos Red won its third tournament of the summer polo season and is now the winningest team with two grass tournaments remaining. Los Amigos Red (Paul Foster, Juancito Bollini, Juan Bollini, Nacho Novillo Astrada) led from start-to-finish to defeat La Karina (Carlitos Gracida, Gussie Busch, Brian Boyd, Sebastian Merlos), 8-4, to capture the Carbondale Classic Sunday in front of a good crowd at McClure River Ranch.
For the second week in a row, Juancito Bollini, 23, was named Most Valuable Player. He was also MVP for Los Amigos Blue, winners of the Rocky Mountain Handicap title. Matsu, a 6-year-old bay mare played by Nacho Novillo Astrada in the fifth chukker and owned by Wellington, Fla.-based Santa Rita Polo Farm, was Best Playing Pony. Juancito Bollini scored a game-high four goals. Astrada had three goals and Foster added one goal. For La Karina, Gracida and Merlos each had two goals.
After a scoreless opening chukker, Los Amigos Red jumped on La Karina for a 3-0 lead and never trailed. Despite a potent lineup, La Karina was shut out in four chukkers.
“It was all about positioning,” Juancito Bollini said. “On defense all our back shots were received by our players. I think that was the difference and why we did better. We were able to switch from defense to offense in a quick way. That’s what did it.”
Paul Foster and Nacho Novillo Astrada are repeat winners of the Carbondale Classic. Last year Los Amigos Blue (Brian Boyd, Nic Roldan, Nacho Novillo Astrada, Paul Foster) came from behind and scored four goals to defeat Casablanca (Carlitos Gracida, Grant Ganzi, Stewart Armstrong, Alejandro Novillo Astrada), 11-9.
