USPA National Arena Chairman’s Cup Begins Tuesday At Aspen Valley Polo Club
CARBONDALE, Colo., August 16, 2016---Aspen Valley Polo Club will host the prestigious USPA National Arena Chairman’s Cup that gets under way Tuesday.
The two-day, 8-12-goal outdoor arena tournament features several top players including arena-ranked 9-goalers Nic Roldan and Agustin (Tincho) Merlos, 8-goaler Julio Novillo Astrada and 7-goalers Tomacho Pieres and Juan Bollini.
It is the first time the nation’s fastest-growing USPA polo club has hosted the event.
The action begins Tuesday with two round robin games at 5 and 6:30 p.m. followed by a Lamb Roast Asado. The winners will advance into Thursday’s championship final at 5:30 p.m.
The teams and player rosters are:
Aspen Valley Polo Club: Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini, Lucas Lalor.
Audi: Marc Ganzi, Hilario Figueras, Nic Roldan.
Flexjet: Melissa Ganzi, Carlitos Gracida, Juan Bollini.
Grand Champions Polo Club: Olivia Merlos/Santos Merlos, Will Jacobs, Agustin (Tincho) Merlos.
La Karina: Ace Boyd, Jonathan Gracida, Julio Novillo Astrada.
Sopris Mountain Ranch: Segundo Merlos, Stewart Armstrong, Tomacho Pieres.
The last time the tournament was held was 2006 at Great Meadow Polo Club in The Plains, Va. Some of America’s most notable names have competed including Billy Linfoot, Tom Goodspeed, Allan Scherer and Will Farish.
Arena polo is played in an open-air enclosure, instead of a larger grass field. It’s played with three players per team. Arena polo is the intercollegiate form of the game, more affordable, easy to learn and fun to watch for spectators.
Aspen Valley Polo Club is one of the busiest polo clubs hosting various grass, indoor and outdoor arena tournaments and has been the hottest ticket during the 2016 summer season.
Polo has increased in popularity in Aspen and surrounding cities with the club’s offerings of various weekly tournaments, Gladiator Arena Polo, Kids Polo and The Polo School at the club owned by Marc and Melissa Ganzi since 2014, in addition to practice sessions for teams competing in the weekend tournaments.
ChukkerTV, leaders in polo broadcasting, is live streaming the USPA National Arena Chairman’s Cup along with the remainder of the 2016 summer season in Aspen.
ASPEN VALLEY 2016 SUMMER SCHEDULE
Aug. 16-18, Tuesday, USPA National Arena Chairman’s Cup, round robin games 5 and 6:30 p.m.; Thursday, Final, 5:30 p.m.
Aug. 19-21, Rocky Mountain Open
Aug. 24-28, The Carbondale Classic
CLUB ADDRESS: 3275 County Road 100, Carbondale, Colo. 81623
POLO HOTLINE: 970-710-1663
ASPEN VALLEY POLO CLUB
The exclusive Aspen Valley Polo Club is one of the nation’s fastest-growing polo clubs. It offers polo in the summer for players and spectators. The Polo School is available to adults and juniors. It offers individual and group lessons for all levels and ages. For spectators there are great field side views for tournament action, indoor and outdoor arenas and also the Aspen Valley Polo Club Boutique. Everyone is welcome to watch polo in a relaxed atmosphere with complimentary food and refreshments. Admission and parking are free. For Polo On Demand price rates of group and private lessons, arena chukkers, grass chukkers and individualized “Polo Experience” packages email aspenvalleypolo@bellsouth.net or log onto www.aspenvalleypoloclub.com