Emma Challenge Cup Begins Friday At Aspen Valley Polo Club; Gonzalito Pieres, Ale Pomo Make Aspen Debut

CARBONDALE, Colo., July 26, 2024---The fifth tournament of the summer polo season begins Friday with the Emma Challenge Cup at Aspen Valley Polo Club.

By Sharon Robb

Former 10-goaler Gonzalito Pieres and Ale Poma will make their summer polo debut in Aspen. Pieres is playing for last weekend's Basalt Handicap champion Los Amigos Red.

Pieres, 41, was born into a family of polo players. He is the eldest son of polo legend Gonzalo Pieres. His brothers Facundo and Nico Pieres are also among the world's best. His sister, Tatiana, married former 10-goaler Mariano Aguerre. The former 10-goaler is now rated 9 goals.

Pieres, who competes in the 26-goal World Polo League during the winter season at sister club Grand Champions in Wellington, Fla., has won every major tournament in polo including two U.S. Opens, four British Opens, two Sotogrande Gold Cups, three Argentine Opens, seven Hurlingham Opens and ten Tortugas Opens.

Poma, who also competes in the World Polo League, is ranked 17th in the world among amateur players. The Argentine reached the semifinals of the 2022 USPA Gold Cup and 2022 U.S. Open with his Tamera team.

The Emma Challenge Cup begins Friday with two preliminary games at McClure River Ranch on Field 2. At 10 a.m., Tamara, 17, (Ale Poma, 1, Grant Ganzi, 3, Nic Roldan 8, Hilario Figueras, 5) plays Los Amigos Red, 17, (Paul Foster, Santos Bollini, 2, Tomacho Pieres, 6, Gonzalito Pieres, 9).

A three-team round robin follows at 12:30 p.m. featuring Los Amigos Blue, 17, (Alejandra Foster, Santi Toccalino, 7, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7, Juan Bollini, 3) vs. Tonkawa, 18, (Silver Novillo Astrada/Vinny Sangaline, 1, Nacho Novillo Astrada, 8, Martin Jauregui, 6, Jimmy Seward, 3) vs. Santa Rita, 18, (Fran Spinacci, 1, Pablo Spinacci, 6, Sugar Erskine, 6, Jason Crowder, 5).

Winners advance to the championship final on Sunday for an exciting day of polo complete with music and great food at McClure River Ranch Stadium at 11 a.m. followed by the Just For The Love Of It Cup at 12:30 p.m.
 
On Saturday, the Just For The Fun Of It four-chukker game is 10:15 a.m. at the AVPC Barn Field.

Last season in the Emma Challenge Cup final, Casablanca won its first tournament of the summer season. Casablanca (Grant Ganzi, 3, Hilario Figueras 5, Nic Roldan, 8, Stewart Armstrong, 2) won the five-team tournament with an impressive 9-5 victory over Los Amigos (Melissa Ganzi, Martin Jauregui, 6, Alejandro Novillo Astrada 7, Juan Boliini, 3). Roldan was MVP.

The Emma Challenge Cup is named after the town of Emma, Colo., located on Highway 82 between Carbondale and Aspen. Emma was once a sizable town in the past. The three buildings on the north side of the road are on the state historical register and preserved site. There is a church directly across the highway on the north side. There is a small trail on the north side of the road taking visitors up to the site.

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.