Big Weekend At Aspen Valley Polo Club With Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation Summer Polo Charity Classic And Carbondale Classic
CARBONDALE, Colo., August 15, 2024---Aspen Valley Polo Club will host one of its biggest weekends featuring exciting polo and charity event.
By Sharon Robb
The Summer Polo Charity Classic, the highlight of the summer polo season, is Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The ticketed event benefits the Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation.
Last year AVPC celebrated its tenth anniversary and enjoyed its best season, highlighted by the Summer Polo Charity Classic. A sellout crowd of 1,200 enjoyed the food, caviar, champagne, music, polo, live auction and paddle raise, and vendors during a five-hour tripleheader.
Since 2016, the event has netted $3.5 million for the hospital. It is a fantastic way to support the important mission of the Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation and vital services the hospital provides to the Roaring Fork Valley community.
The charity event is a catered event by Caribou Catering for guests during the final of the Carbondale Classic, awards presentation and wheelie polo.
The Carbondale Classic, the eighth of 14 season tournaments this season, features six teams and begins Friday at McClure River Ranch Field Two and High Mesa.
On Friday, two preliminary round robin games are scheduled. The first is at 10:15 a.m. at McClure River Ranch Field Two and second game is 1 p.m. at High Mesa.
In the opening round robin, Santa Rita (12), Los Amigos (15) and Polo 4 Christ (15) will compete. Santa Rita features Fran Spinacci, 1, Santos Bollini, 2, Pablo Spinacci, 6 and Juan Bollini 3. Los Amigos' lineup is Alejandra Foster, Jason Crowder, 5, Santi Toccalini, 7, and Jimmy Seward, 3. Polo 4 Christ, making its summer debut, has Melissa Ganzi, Steve Cox, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7, and Nacho Novillo Astrada, 8.
In the second round robin, Tonkawa (16), Mountain Chevrolet (14) and Los Amigos (15) will play. Tonkawa's players are Jeff Hildebrand, Grant Ganzi, 3, Nic Roldan, 8, and Hilario Figueras, 5. Mountain Chevrolet's lineup is Michael Payne, 1, Vinny Sangaline, 1, Sugar Erskine, 6, and Martin Jauregui, 6. Los Amigos features Paul Foster, Marc Ganzi, 1, Tomacho Pieres, 6, and Gonzalito Pieres, 8.
Sunday Funday is going to be special. Action begins at 10:15 a.m. with the Just For The Thrill Of It Cup at McClure River Ranch Field Two followed by the Carbondale Classic Championship Final at 11:30 a.m. at the Stadium Field.
The Just For The Love Of It Cup follows at 1 p.m. followed by the awards ceremony and second summer Wheelie Polo Game.
On Saturday, the Just For The Fun Of It begins 10:15 a.m. at the AVPC Barn Field. Two games (the main event and other main event) are scheduled followed by Kidz Polo.
In last season's Carbondale Classic, Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Gonzalito Pieres, 9, Tomacho Pieres, 6, Marc Ganzi, 1) defeated defending champion Mountain Chevrolet (Michael Payne, 1, Santos Bollini, 2, Martin Jauregui, 6, Nacho Novillo Astrada, 8), 11-9. Mountain Chevrolet tried to rally in the final chukker scoring the last three goals but ran out of time. Gonzalito Pieres swept MVP and BPP honors for the second time this season.
The Carbondale Classic is named after the city of Carbondale, at the base of majestic Mt. Sopris and home of the thriving Aspen Valley Polo Club. Located 170 miles west of Denver and 30 miles from Aspen in the heart of Colorado’s central Rocky Mountains, the picturesque town of Carbondale was first occupied by the Ute Indians, then by silver prospectors, cattle ranchers, and potato farmers. With a strong arts and music community, the town embraces its mining, ranching, skiing, and resort identities.
So far the season-opening tournaments have been won by:
Santa Rita (Haley Schaufeld, Grant Ganzi, Tomacho Pieres, Juan Bollini) in the Independence Cup.
Casablanca (Marc Ganzi, Martin Jauregui, Nic Roldan, Grant Ganzi) in the ChukkerTV Challenge Cup.
Casablanca (Marc Ganzi, Santos Bollini, Nic Roldan, Grant Ganzi) in the Craig Sakin Memorial
Los Amigos Red (Nic Roldan, Hilario Figueras, Paul Foster, Grant Ganzi) in the Basalt Handicap.
Los Amigos Red (Alejandra Foster, Santi Toccalino, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Juan Bollini) in the Emma Challenge Cup.
Mountain Chevrolet (Fran Spinacci, Michael Payne, Pablo Spinacci, Gonzalito Pieres) in the High Alpine Cup.