Brookshire Captures ChukkerTV Cup; Nic Roldan Named MVP
CARBONDALE, Colo., July 11, 2022----Brookshire won its Aspen Valley Polo Club debut Sunday at McClure River Ranch Stadium.
By Sharon Robb
Playing summer polo for the first time at Aspen Valley Polo Club, Brookshire (Scott Wood, Jason Crowder, Nic Roldan, Juan Bollini) held off Los Amigos (Paul Foster, Vinny Sangaline, Gonzalito Pieres, Nacho Figueras), 11-7, to win the ChukkerTV Cup.
Brookshire, coming off the 26-goal World Polo League winter season in Wellington, Fla., led the game from start to finish to win the second tournament of the summer season. Los Amigos, last weekend's Independence Cup winners, was making its second consecutive championship final appearance.
Nic Roldan, the second highest rated American, was named Most Valuable Player. He also earned the Tom Ford Award for best goal of the day.
"Nic was on fire," Bollini said. "Nic is playing ten goals, he is playing very well."
Added Roldan, "We had fun, it was a fun game, open and not a lot of fouls. The field played great and my horses played well. I was happy with that. I think we had a fun and really good team."
After the teams exchanged goals early in the first chukker, Brookshire pulled away 2-1, 4-1 and 5-2 in the first half behind Roldan's four goals and one by Crowder.
Brookshire outscored Los Amigos, 6-5, in the second half. Roldan added three more goals including one from 155 yards out in the fourth chukker and 120 yards out in the fifth chukker.
"I've always been known for hitting the long ball, but I think it was just one of those days where they were all going in," Roldan said.
Los Amigos cut Brookshire's lead to three goals four times in the second half but could get no closer.
"Our team jelled," Roldan said. "We had a good system. We were well-positioned. Jason played really well today. He was opening up a lot of space for myself. Juan was great in the back on defense. He played great and was definitely the MVP on Friday."
At 60, Bollini is playing well above his rating and shows no signs of slowing down.
"Los Amigos was good but we played very strong as a team," Bollini said. "It was competitive good, clean polo. We never gave up. I am happy that Marc and Melissa are giving me the opportunity to play polo at my age. The only thing I know how to do is be competitive from my heart. I am enjoying it."
Despite being early in the season, the competitive level of teams has increased from past years.
"I think everyone just wants to hit the ground running and go for it," Roldan said. "The polo is becoming more and more competitive in Aspen. A lot of members want to play faster and more competitively and that's great for the club. We have some great tournaments coming up. We have a lot of good players out there and the level of horses has improved. It's going to be a great summer."
Roldan had a game-high seven goals and Crowder added four, including three in the second half. Pieres led Los Amigos with three and Foster added two. Sangaline and Figueras each had one.
In the Just For The Love Of It subsidiary round robin, La Karina (Brian Boyd, Marc Ganzi, Torito Ruiz, Tomacho Pieres) defeated Victory (Kevin Schmeits, Pancho Bensadon, Nacho Novillo Astrada, Gaby Gracida), 3-1.
In early games, Victory defeated Mountain Chevrolet (Michael Payne, Sugar Erskine, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Alex Gooding), 4-2, and La Karina topped Mountain Chevrolet, 4-2, making the third round robin game a true final.
In the final, La Karina opened the defensive matchup with a 1-0 lead in the opening chukker on Ruiz goal with 3:27 left. La Karina added two more goals in the final two minutes from Ganzi and Pieres for a 3-0 lead. Bensadon opened the third chukker with an 80-yard goal off the throw-in to cut the lead to two goals but La Karina's defense held tough including two defensive goal stops by Pieres.
Philanthropist, best-selling author and humanitarian Lexie Potamkin and film and television actor and producer George Hamilton presented the post-game awards. One Arm Bandit John Payne and his family provided the post-game entertainment with his 15-time Specialty Act of the Year.
In opening tournament play on Friday, Brookshire defeated La Karina, 8-4, behind four goals each by Bollini and Roldan to advance into the final. Los Amigos won the three-team round robin with a 5-3 win over Mountain Chevrolet. In earlier games, Mountain Chevrolet defeated Victory, 5-3, and Victory and Los Amigos tied, 4-4.
Aspen Valley Polo Club opened its ninth season last weekend with Los Amigos (Paul Foster, Marc Ganzi, Gonzalito Pieres, Tomacho Pieres) winning the Independence Cup with a round robin victory over Casablanca (Alejandra Foster, Grant Ganzi, Torito Ruiz, Nic Roldan) and NetJets (Melissa Ganzi, Nacho Figueras, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Juan Bollini).
The world's destination spot for summer polo has attracted some of the world's top players as well as world-class horses.
With the majestic 12,965-foot summit of Mount Sopris as a backdrop under a bright summer sky, polo has returned to the valley July through September with a record thirteen tournaments.
Other summer tournaments are this week's 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.
Wellington, Fla.-based ChukkerTV is live streaming the entire 2022 polo season Mountain Standard Time with announcer Dale Schwetz calling the action.
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.
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 or General Manager Cale Newman at 561-876-2930.
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.