Aspen Valley Polo Club Five-Peats Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championship: Horses & Horsepower; Grant Ganzi Named MVP

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona, November 5, 2019--Aspen Valley Polo Club made history again winning an unprecedented fifth consecutive title at the ninth Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championship: Horses & Horsepower at WestWorld of Scottsdale.

Aspen Valley Polo Club (Melissa Ganzi, Grant Ganzi, Nacho Figueras), sponsored by Bentley Scottsdale, defeated Royal Berkshire Country Polo Club (Charlie Wooldridge, Roy Prisk, Jamie Morrison), 7-5, in Saturday's featured match in Berkshire's debut.

For the second year in a row, Grant Ganzi was named Most Valuable Player, the youngest player to be awarded the honor. Figueras led with four goals, including the tying and game-winner and Grant Ganzi had three goals.

Figueras, an ambassador for the sport, was making his second consecutive appearance in the event.

Britney, owned by Marc Ganzi and played by Figueras in the first and fourth chukkers, was Best Playing Pony.

No team has won the coveted Molina Cup five times.

In other Saturday games:

U.S. Air Force (Courtney Parker, Croix Waage, Garrett Bankhead) defeated the Marines (Natalie G., Bill Clark, Dan Faherty), 5-3, in the General George S. Patton Jr. Military Match.

Arizona Polo Club (Diego Florez/Bill Stolcup, Felipe Camacho-Castilla, Andres Camacho-Castilla) defeated Centtrip Wales Polo Team (Ricky Cooper, Pete Webb, Roddy Matthews), 12-6. Felipe Camacho led with five goals. Webb had four goals.

Southwest Wildlife (Elle Syebold, Matthew Fonseca, Marcial Socas) tied Arizona Equine Rescue (Carol Hobson, Toto Socas, Inaki Echezaretta). The charities shared the $10,000 purse, each being awarded $5,000.

In last year's successful event, Aspen Valley Polo Club first made history winning its fourth consecutive title over. Barrett Jackson-Aspen Valley Polo Club (Melissa Ganzi, Grant Ganzi, Nacho Figueras) defeated Bentley Scottsdale-Wales Centtrip (Ashley Busch, Ricky Cooper, Pete Webb), 12-5. No team had won the title four times.

In 2017, Aspen Valley Polo Club's Melissa Ganzi, Mike Azzaro and Ashley Busch defeated Bentley Scottsdale Monte Carlo Polo Team (Rommy Gianni, Tito Gaudenzi, Juancito Bollini). Ganzi was named MVP after scoring seven goals, including three penalty conversions.

In 2016, the Aspen Valley Polo Club team of Melissa Ganzi, Nic Roldan and Juancito Bollini defended its title with a 7-5 victory over Palm Beach Polo and in 2015, Roldan, Melissa Ganzi and Juan Bollini knocked off two-time reigning champion Clogau Wales, 9-5, for its first title.

The most attended polo event in the United States is one of the most extravagant outdoor sports spectacles in not only Arizona but the United States and has helped increase polo's exposure and popularity.

The popular event brings polo to the masses while providing a social backdrop for equestrian enthusiasts. The sport of polo was the centerpiece of The Polo Party.

Event founder and Scottsdale public relations executive Jason Rose continues to raise the event’s bar every year since he started it in 2011.

In addition to the polo, fans enjoyed the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show horses and world-famous Barrett-Jackson 2019 Collector Car Auction.

The event also featured “The World’s Longest Catwalk Fashion Show,” the Arizona Humane Society Canine Couture: A Dog Fashion Show Like No Other presented by Lugari Pet Salon and rugby.

The music entertainment ranged from the obo and acoustic guitar to a "hip hopera" fusion and songs from the new musical Americano.

Aspen Valley Polo Club finished its most successful and historic season in club and Rocky Mountain Circuit history. The club hosted several 20-goal tournaments including the prestigious 119th USPA Silver Cup and USPA North American Cup, attracted some of the world's top players including 10-goalers Hilario Ulloa and Sapo Caset, and had record crowds every weekend. The 20-goal World Polo League's Triple Crown of Polo tournament featured five teams and several top players.

With the majestic 12,965-foot summit of Mount Sopris as a backdrop, Aspen Valley Polo Club is one of the busiest and fastest growing USPA-sanctioned clubs in the nation.

Since Marc and Melissa Ganzi founded the club in 2014, polo has increased in popularity in Aspen and surrounding cities with the club's offerings of various weekly grass and arena tournaments, Tuesday Arena & Asado Nights, Kidz Polo, The Polo School headed by former 8-goaler Juan Bollini, and Polo On Demand. In addition, the club offers practice sessions for teams competing in the club tournaments.

Since 2014, Aspen Valley Polo Club has had a positive impact in the area hosting kids polo camps, teaching lessons and several charitable events at the club that have benefitted local charities including the Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation.