Aspen Valley Polo Club Announces Schedule; Summer Polo Countdown Begins
CARBONDALE, Colo., June 5, 2019--Aspen Valley Polo Club, the nation's fastest growing club, announced its summer schedule that features the prestigious 119-year-old USPA Silver Cup.
With a breathtaking mountain backdrop, the club will host a record fourteen tournaments including the July 14-20 USPA North American Cup; July 24-Aug. 7 USPA National Arena Handicap Tournament; and July 24-Aug. 11 USPA Silver Cup.
The club, with an additional two new polo fields this season, will offer eleven grass tournaments and three arena tournaments from July 3 with the season-opening Independence Cup to the Sept. 1-8 Triple Crown of Polo in what is expected to be its most successful season.
The July 14-20 USPA North American Cup, held in past years during the fall season at AVPC's sister polo club Grand Champions in Wellington, Fla., will make its debut in Aspen. Last year's winner was Travieso in overtime in the 20-goal tournament.
The USPA North American Cup has a rich tradition in history dating back to 1974. The tournament has been a mainstay in American and Canadian polo for decades at the 16 and 20-goal level.
The July 24-Aug. 7 USPA National Arena Handicap Tournament, first played in 1980, is a national tournament played at the medium goal level. Flexjet is two-time defending champion.
With a 119-year history, the July 24-Aug. 11 USPA Silver Cup is one of the highlights of the season. Played in Santa Barbara since 2011, the USPA Silver Cup returned to the East Coast in 2017 and 2018, hosted by Greenwich Polo Club and now will be hosted by Aspen Valley Polo Club this summer. No fewer than 50 Polo Hall of Famers have won the Silver Cup.
Coming off its most successful season, Aspen Valley Polo Club is lining up a star-studded roster of players for the summer to compete with and against patrons and amateur players.
The community's biggest social event of the summer is the Aug. 11 Chukkers, Champagne & Caviar, a fundraiser for the Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation. The club's marquis charity event raised $537,200 last summer. It's held on the final day of the Rocky Mountain Open. For those interested in more information on purchasing tickets or becoming a sponsor, call 970-544-1302.
In five years, Aspen Valley Polo Club has had a positive impact in the community hosting kids polo camps, teaching lessons, several charity events and other fun events.
In 2018, La Karina and Los Amigos were the season's winningest teams, each winning three tournament titles. In 2017, Casablanca was the club's winningest team with three tournament wins.
Other 2018 grass tournament winners were: Piocho Ranch, Independence Cup and Craig Sakin Memorial; Los Amigos Blue, ChukkerTV Challenge; La Karina, Basalt Handicap, Emma Challenge Cup and Rocky Mountain Cup; Los Amigos Red, High Alpine Cup; Tonkawa, Mount Sopris Cup and Mandarina, Triple Crown of Polo.
With the breathtaking 12,965-foot summit of Mount Sopris as a backdrop, Aspen Valley Polo Club is one of the most active USPA-sanctioned clubs in the nation with a membership increase of 75 percent over five seasons.
Since Marc and Melissa Ganzi founded the club in 2014, polo has increased in popularity in Aspen and surrounding cities with the club’s offerings of various weekly grass and arena tournaments, Gladiator Tuesdays and Asado, Kids Polo, The Polo School and Polo On Demand. In addition, the club offers practice sessions for teams competing in the weekend tournaments.
The Ganzis are avid players and patrons and "have created a polo paradise" according to Piocho player-sponsor Tom Barrack. Players, sponsors, community leaders and fans share those sentiments.
All ages are welcome to enjoy polo at Aspen Valley Polo Club. Admission, food and refreshments are free for fans in a relaxed, laidback atmosphere. An added feature is the club's Jumbotron which made its debut last summer for the fans' enjoyment.
