Aspen Valley Polo Club Announces 2025 Summer Schedule Highlighted By Tuesday Night Arena And Twilight Polo
CARBONDALE, Colo., April 28, 2025---An exciting brand of polo returns to the valley when Aspen Valley Polo Club hosts fourteen grass and arena tournaments in July and August.
By Sharon Robb
Nestled in the awe-inspiring Rocky Mountains, Aspen Valley Polo Club has become the summer destination for polo featuring top players, horses and sponsors from around the world.
The family-friendly club on 15 acres of pristine land welcomes spectators of all ages. All matches, food and refreshments are free and open to the public except for special events.
With the magnificent 12,965-foot summit of Mount Sopris as a backdrop, the 12th season kicks off with the traditional Independence Cup on July 5.
Among season highlights is the new Twilight Polo Series featuring Tuesday Night Arena and Twilight Polo, an exclusive series from July 29 to August 26 at the nation's fastest growing club.
Other highlights are the Aug. 21-24 Triple Crown of Polo-Aspen and Silver Queen Invitational doubleheader, July 10-13 Craig Sakin Memorial and August 26 Aspen Arena Series Final.
Other summer tournaments are the July 6 ChukkerTV Cup, July 17-20 Basalt Handicap, July 24-27 Emma Challenge Cup, July 31-August 3 High Alpine Cup, August 7-10 Mount Sopris Cup, August 7-17 Rocky Mountain Open, August 14-17 Carbondale Classic and Aug. 28-31 season-finale Maroon Bells Cup.
Unlike any other summer polo destination in the world, the local culture offers shops, incredible culinary scene, art, music and nightlife in addition to hiking trails, mountain biking, river rafting, golf and fly fishing.
Last year Aspen Valley Polo Club celebrated its 11th anniversary and enjoyed its best season, highlighted by the Summer Polo Charity Classic, benefitting the Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation.
A record crowd including 250 VIP guests, enjoyed food, music, polo, auction and vendors during an exciting day of polo. Last year's event raised the most money in a single-day polo event in the United States. The event hit the $1 million mark with about $700,000 going to Aspen Valley Hospital operations. It was the second time the event hit the $1 million mark since it was created in 2016.
During the 2024 summer season, there were nine different team champions illustrating the parity of the 2024 summer season. They were:
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 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.
Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Grant Ganzi, Nic Roldan, Hilario Figueras) in the Carbondale Classic.
Los Amigos Blue (Paul Foster, Pablo Spinacci, Tomacho Pieres, Jason Crowder) in the Silver Queen Invitational.
Maltese Falcons (Nacho Novillo Astrada, Melissa Ganzi, Alejandra Foster, Alejandro Novillo Astrada) in the Triple Crown of Polo-Aspen.
Audi (Santos Bollini, Martin Jauregui, Gonzalito Pieres, Marc Ganzi) in the Rocky Mountain Open.
Maltese Falcons (Nacho Novillo Astrada, Melissa Ganzi, Alejandra Foster, Alejandro Novillo Astrada) in the season-ending Triple Crown of Polo.
Wellington, Fla.-based ChukkerTV (CTV sports) will live stream the entire 2025 polo season Mountain Standard Time with announcer Dale Schwetz calling the action. Aspen Valley Polo Club is the only USPA club to live stream its entire summer schedule.
With a vision for the community and surrounding areas, philanthropists Marc and Melissa Ganzi resurrected the club and polo in 2014. Since then 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 Wheelie Polo, Gymkhana, Christmas In July, The Polo School at AVPC 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.
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.
For more information on leagues or Polo School contact Director of Operations Juan Bollini at 561-346-1099 or Polo Manager Cale Newman at 561-876-2930.