Countdown Begins For St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship, Tickets On Sale

CARBONDALE, Colo., December 3, 2019---The countdown begins for the much-anticipated St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship, one of the world's top snow polo tournaments and only snow polo event in the U.S.

In front of an expected sellout crowd and worldwide ChukkerTV audience, action begins Wednesday, Dec. 18, with qualifying games at Aspen Valley Polo Club and continues Thursday and Friday at Rio Grande Park.

An evening of fun is set for Tuesday, Dec. 17, with the always entertaining draw and team introduction during a cocktail reception at St. Regis Aspen Resort where team pairings and sponsors will be announced.

For the seventh consecutive year, Aspen Valley Polo Club owners Melissa and Marc Ganzi, will host the star-studded event along with polo ambassador and St. Regis Connoisseur Nacho Figueras and his wife Delfina.

The event has joined St. Moritz as one of the world's top snow polo tournaments and one of Aspen's major international sporting events. It is the only snow polo event in North America, final stop on the World Polo Tour and kickoff to the holiday social season in Aspen.

The snow polo tournament is a major attraction for the local community, attracts fans from all over the world, and is a major allure for the Aspen community and surrounding areas.

Last year's winner was first-year sponsor Richard Mille (Marc Ganzi, Martin Pepa, Pablo MacDonough). The trio won the six-team tournament with a 6-5 victory over Flexjet (Melissa Ganzi, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Juan Bollini). MacDonough was MVP.

Past winners of the event include: 2017, U.S. Polo Assn. (Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini, Nic Roldan); 2016 Flexjet (Melissa Ganzi, Jesse Bray, Jason Crowder); 2013, St. Regis (Nacho Figueras, Nic Roldan, Brandon Phillips); 2014, Piaget (Marc Ganzi, Jeff Hall, Nic Roldan); and 2015, U.S. Polo Assn. (Grant Ganzi, Nic Roldan, Juancito Bollini).

The sport was first played on a frozen lake in St. Moritz, Switzerland, created by Swiss hotelier and polo visionary Reto Gaudenzi in 1985 and has been growing in popularity ever since, attracting thousands of spectators and top players from around the world. In addition to St. Moritz, it's played in winter sports communities Aspen, Cortina, Italy, Kitzbuhel, Austria, Courchevel, France and Tianjin, China. In the U.S., snow polo is held exclusively in Aspen.

Aspen Valley Polo Club had its most successful and historic summer season in club and Rocky Mountain Circuit history. The club hosted several 20-goal tournaments including the 119th USPA Silver Cup and USPA North American Cup, attracted some of the world's top players 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.