Grand Champions Polo Club expects its finest fall polo season in club history when it opens with the Oct. 1-6 Fall Classic.
By Sharon Robb
Photos by Candace Ferreira
The 18th season will welcome two new additions, the Nov. 14-17 Beach Polo World Cup Miami and Nov. 14 WPL Pride Polo Miami. It will be the first time the popular beach polo tournament and WPL Pride Polo will be held in the fall.
The Beach Polo World Cup Miami Beach is the largest and most notable Beach Polo event in the world. It features international teams and over 120 horses.
In April 2023, Blackfin (Grant Ganzi, 3, Nic Roldan, 9, Juancito Bollini, 4) led from start to finish to defeat The Setai (Melissa Ganzi, 0, Juan Bollini, 4, Max Charlton, 10), 10-7.5 in the final of the WPL Beach Polo World Cup.
The six-team field was one of the most competitive in tournament history and attracted fans from all over the world.
“This event draws a lot of attention to the sport which is fantastic,” said Casablanca Brand Ambassador Grant Ganzi said. “It bridges the gap between people who have no idea what polo is. It’s being able to bring polo to the masses. If you put a polo event in a city that has a lot of people, obviously you’re going to gain new fans to the sport and boost polo to another level.”
Swiss polo visionary Reto Gaudenzi, the founder of the Snow Polo World Cup in St. Moritz and several other tournaments, created the Beach Polo World Cup in 2005, one year after beach polo was introduced in Dubai, and hosted the South Beach event through 2008. Reto Gaudenzi is currently on the mend from a polo accident.
Gaudenzi’s son, Tito Gaudenzi of Lifestyle Polo, resurrected the event in 2018 successfully along with World Polo League co-founder and player Melissa Ganzi, President of Grand Champions. Wellington-based Grand Champions was the host polo club and WPL was title sponsor.
Sponsor packages and tickets are currently on sale for the November event. Contact Lifestyle Polo at info@miamipolocup.com or call 1-786-328-8058.
The remaining fall tournaments will be held at the nation’s largest and most innovative polo club. The club will host both medium goal and high goal tournaments.
Among the season highlights are the Oct. 29-Nov. 6 USPA North American Cup and Nov. 4-13 USPA National 20-Goal Championship and Nov. 23 doubleheader featuring the Legends of Polo Carlos Gracida Memorial and International Cup.
In last year’s International Cup, Spain knocked off previously unbeaten GCPC USA to snap its 11-year win streak in front of a packed house at Santa Rita Polo Farm.
Spain (Nicolas “Tuki” Ruiz Guinazu, 4, Luis Domecq, 3, Pelayo “Pela” Berazadi, 5, Nicolas Alvarez, 2) upset GCPC USA (Santos Bollini, 2, Juan Bollini, 3, Nic Roldan, 8, Louis Devaleix, 1), 6-5, in overtime.
GCPC USA, with various lineups, had won every International Cup since 2012, beating England, Chile, Mexico, South Africa, Uruguay, Brazil, Azerbaijan, France, Argentina twice, and Switzerland in the annual battle for the coveted cup. But the talented Spain foursome had other ideas winning its third international tournament win in 13 months.
The fall medium goal schedule features six tournaments including the season-opening Fall Classic. The others are Oct. 8-13 Tackeria Invitational; Oct. 15-20 Pedro Morrison Memorial; Oct. 22-27 Banyan Cup; Oct. 30-Nov. 3 Fall Plates; and Nov. 6-10 Casablanca Fall Cup.
The family-friendly club welcomes spectators of all ages. All matches, food and refreshments are free (with the exception of special catered events) and open to the public and dogs on leashes.
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. For more information on tournaments or Polo School Director Juan Bollini at 561-346-1099 or club manager Cale Newman at 561-876-2930.