Grand Champions Polo Club, coming off a successful winter season highlighted by the 26-goal World Polo League, opens its spring season this weekend with the Sun Cup.
By Sharon Robb
The first of six tournaments in April and May kicks off what is expected to be the best spring season in the club’s 16-year history.
In last year’s Sun Cup final, Knockers Field (Annabelle Gundlach, Marc Ganzi, Brandon Phillips, Alejandro Novillo Astrada) was impressive in its 10-7 victory over Bored Ape (Ryan Shank, Gene Goldstein, Nic Roldan, Juan Bollini/Pablo Spinacci). Astrada was Most Valuable Player.
“The spring is not as competitive as the high goal but it’s a lot of fun,” Astrada said. “We play more open and more as a team. We have fun playing and joking with each other. That makes it special.”
Several top and up-and-coming players and patrons will compete during the fun and competitive spring league.
During the spring season, amateur polo players get the chance to play with and against some of the world’s top professional polo players including Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Tomacho Pieres, Martin Uranga, Grant Ganzi, Jason Crowder and Pablo Spinacci. It is geared towards improving polo skills and having fun.
The spring league is also a great opportunity for younger players to develop and hone their skills against their peers and more experienced players.
The GCPC spring league features:
*Medium Goal practice games at least once a week.
*Stick-and-ball sessions available during the week.
*Teams get two medium goal tournament games every weekend.
*Ambulance and umpires for all tournament games.
*Complete turn-key tournament polo with some of the top professionals in the world.
*Playing polo on some of Wellington’s most prestigious and well-manicured fields.
*Club-sponsored social events every weekend for all players.
*Excellent trophies for all teams every weekend.
The spring season will be live-streamed worldwide on Wellington-based ChukkerTV (CTV Sports).
The spring schedule (subject to change because of weather) is: April 26-30, Sun Cup; May 3-7, Santa Rita Abierto; May 10-14, Casablanca Spring Challenge; May 17-21, Eastern Challenge; May 24-29, The Memorial and May 26-28 WPL Polo Pride, the highlight event of the spring season.
Grand Champions, the nation’s largest polo club celebrating its 16th anniversary, 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 nine world-class fields at GCPC and four at Santa Rita.
During the winter polo season, Grand Champions, the nation’s largest and most innovative USPA-sanctioned polo club, nestled in the heart of the world’s winter equestrian capital, hosted tournaments: 6, 8, 12, 20, and 26-goal leagues, WCT Finals, The Polo School Women’s Weekly league play and 26-goal WPL tournaments at both Grand Champions 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 thriving. It 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. November. 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 Director of Operations Juan Bollini at 561-346-1099 or General Manager Cale Newman at 561-876-2930.