Pieres Leads World-Class Lineup For Summer Polo Season At Aspen Valley Polo Club

CARBONDALE, Colo., June 29, 2022----Argentine legend Gonzalito Pieres heads a star-studded lineup for the summer polo season that gets under way Sunday at Aspen Valley Polo Club.

By Sharon Robb

Rated ten goals in the United States, Pieres, 39, made his debut in the 1999 Argentine Open. Since then the son of former 10-goaler Gonzalo Pieres Sr. has followed in his historic polo family’s footsteps, joining brothers Facundo and Nico, along with cousin Polito Pieres at the 10-goal level. Both Gonzalito and Polito Pieres competed in the 2022 World Polo League season at sister club Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington, Fla.

Pieres has won tournaments in Spain, France, England and Argentina including the Tortugas Open, Hurlingham Open and Argentine Open. In the U.S., Pieres has won the U.S. Open, C.V. Whitney Cup champion, USPA Gold Cup and Ylvisaker Cup.

Pieres has won ten Tortugas Opens, seven Hurlingham Opens, four British Opens, three Argentine Opens and two U.S. Opens and Sotogrande Gold Cups.

Joining Pieres in Aspen will be 8-goaler Nic Roldan and 7-goaler Alejandro Novillo Astrda.

Roldan is the second highest ranked American behind Connecticut-born Polito Pieres. The fourth generation polo player is one of only two players at age 15 to win the U.S. Open. Roldan won in 1998 with Escue teammates Sebastian Merlos, Juan Merlos and Stuart Erskine. The other is Poroto Cambiaso, who won the 2021 U.S. Open with Scone teammates David Paradice, Peke Gonzalez and Adolfo Cambiaso.

Like Pieres and Roldan, Astrada is a fourth-generation player and member of a legendary Argentine polo family with brothers Eduardo, Miguel and Ignacio and late brother Javier. At Aspen Valley Polo Club he teamed with Melissa Ganzi and Juan Bollini to win back-to-back United States Arena Handicap tournament titles and was tournament MVP. He was MVP at the Bendura Bank Snow Polo World Cup Kitzbuhel which his team won. He has won the USPA Gold Cup, U.S. Open, Warwickshire Cup, C.V. Whitney Cup, Queen’s Cup, Gold Cup for the British Open, Sotogrande’s Gold Cup, Silver Cup and Bronze Cup.

Other players joining the trio are Nacho Novillo Astrada, Torito Ruiz, Pancho Bensadon, Tomacho Pieres, Pablo Spinacci, Sugar Erskine, Nacho Figueras, Jason Crowder, Juan Bollini, Grant Ganzi and 10-goaler Juan Martin Nero (the last week of the season).

Aspen Valley Polo Club, the world's destination spot for summer polo, will feature a record thirteen tournaments July through September. The season opens Sunday, July 3 with the traditional Independence Cup.

Other summer tournaments are ChukkerTV Cup, Craig Sakin Memorial, Basalt Handicap, Emma Challenge Cup, High Alpine Cup, Mount Sopris Cup, Rocky Mountain Open, Carbondale Classic, Triple Crown of Polo-Aspen, Silver Queen Invitational, Maroon Bells Cup and Ute Challenge.

The highlight of the season is the Aug. 28th Summer Polo Benefit for the Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation. Last year's event raised more than $500,000 after a year's hiatus because of the pandemic. It is the club's summer marquis event and one of the city's most anticipated social summer events.

Last summer Aspen Valley Polo Club finished a successful and historic season in club and Rocky Mountain Circuit history and hopes to top that this season.

Since Marc and Melissa Ganzi resurrected the club and polo in 2014, polo has increased in popularity in Aspen and surrounding cities with the club's offerings of various weekly grass and arena tournaments, Arena & Asado Nights, Kidz Polo, Kids Wheely 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 on more than six world-class fields. There are also indoor and outdoor polo arenas.

Wellington, Fla.-based ChukkerTV will live stream the entire 2022 polo season Mountain Standard Time with announcer Dale Schwetz calling the action.

The Polo School, for all ages and ability levels, operates in Carbondale July through September. For more information on tournaments or Polo School contact Director of Operations Juan Bollini at 561-346-1099.

Aspen Valley 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 family-friendly club welcomes spectators. All matches, food and refreshments are free and open to the public.