Los Amigos Red Wins Carbondale Classic; Juancito Bollini Most Valuable Player

CARBONDALE, Colo., August 26, 2019---Los Amigos Red won its third tournament of the summer polo season and is now the winningest team with two grass tournaments remaining.

Los Amigos Red (Paul Foster, Juancito Bollini, Juan Bollini, Nacho Novillo Astrada) led from start-to-finish to defeat La Karina (Carlitos Gracida, Gussie Busch, Brian Boyd, Sebastian Merlos), 8-4, to capture the Carbondale Classic Sunday in front of a good crowd at McClure River Ranch.

For the second week in a row, Juancito Bollini, 23, was named Most Valuable Player. He was also MVP for Los Amigos Blue, winners of the Rocky Mountain Handicap title.

Matsu, a 6-year-old bay mare played by Nacho Novillo Astrada in the fifth chukker and owned by Wellington, Fla.-based Santa Rita Polo Farm, was Best Playing Pony.

Juancito Bollini scored a game-high four goals. Astrada had three goals and Foster added one goal. For La Karina, Gracida and Merlos each had two goals.

After a scoreless opening chukker, Los Amigos Red jumped on La Karina for a 3-0 lead and never trailed. Despite a potent lineup, La Karina was shut out in four chukkers.

"It was all about positioning," Juancito Bollini said. "On defense all our back shots were received by our players. I think that was the difference and why we did better. We were able to switch from defense to offense in a quick way. That's what did it."

Paul Foster and Nacho Novillo Astrada are repeat winners of the Carbondale Classic. Last year Los Amigos Blue (Brian Boyd, Nic Roldan, Nacho Novillo Astrada, Paul Foster) came from behind and scored four goals to defeat Casablanca (Carlitos Gracida, Grant Ganzi, Stewart Armstrong, Alejandro Novillo Astrada), 11-9.

In the Just For The Thrill Of It Cup subsidiary final, McClure River Ranch (Alejandra Foster, Lucas Lalor, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Stewart Armstrong)edged Mountain Chevrolet (Lauren Sherry, Michael Payne, Alfredo Bigatti, Kris Kampsen), 6-5.

Alejandro Novillo Astrada was Most Valuable Player. iPod, a 7-year-old Chestnut gelding played in the fifth chukker and owned by Astrada, was Best Playing Pony.

Astrada scored a game-high four goals. Foster and Lalor each had one goal. For Mountain Chevrolet, Bigatti and Kampsen each had two goals and Sherry had one.

Lalor scored the tying goal from a standstill with 41 seconds left in the fifth chukker. Astrada scored the winning goal with 4:59 remaining in the game.

On Saturday at McClure River Ranch, Audi (Marc Ganzi, Pablo Spinacci, Nic Roldan, Jared Zenni) and Flexjet (Melissa Ganzi, Tincho Merlos, Grant Ganzi, Hilario Ulloa) played to a 17-17 tie in the 20-goal Just For The Love Of It Cup. Melissa Ganzi scored the tying goal after a nice run in the closing seconds. She finished with seven goals in two games to lead scoring. Roldan and Marc Ganzi each finished with six goals.

Jared Zenni, who scored four goals and played well defensively, was selected Most Valuable Player. Tatum Channing, played by Spinacci, was Best Playing Pony.

The teams tied 8-8 in their opener on Thursday with Grant Ganzi scoring in the final minute to tie the game.

The Carbondale Classic is named after the town of Carbondale, where Aspen Valley Polo Club is located. The picturesque town is located 170 miles west of Denver and 14 miles from Aspen in the heart of Colorado's breathtaking central Rocky Mountains, resting in the shadow of the 12,953-foot Mount Sopris.

Coming off its most successful summer season, Aspen Valley Polo Club lined up a star-studded field of players including Hilario and Salvador Ulloa, Sapo Caset, Alejandro and Nacho Novillo Astrada, Tincho and Sebastian Merlos and Nic Roldan for the summer to compete with and against patrons and amateur players.

Los Amigos Red joins other 2019 summer tournament champions: Los Amigos Blue (Alejandra Foster, Alfredo Bigatti, Pablo Spinacci, Juancito Bollini), Rocky Mountain Handicap; Mountain Chevrolet (Michael Payne, Grant Ganzi, Hilario Ulloa, Salvador Ulloa), Rocky Mountain Open; La Karina (Brian Boyd, Lauren Sherry, Carlitos Gracida, Sebastian Merlos), Mount Sopris Cup; Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Juan Martin Obregon, Sapo Caset, Mason Wroe), 119th USPA Silver Cup; Los Amigos Red (Alejandra Foster, Gabriel Gracida, Juan Bollini, Paul Foster), High Alpine Cup; Los Amigos Blue (Alejandra Foster, Alejandro Poma, Salvador Ulloa, Juan Bollini), Emma Challenge; Piocho Ranch (Gussie Busch, Nacho Figueras, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Tom Barrack), Basalt Handicap; La Karina (Brian Boyd, Carlitos Gracida, Sebastian Merlos, Kris Kampsen), USPA North American Cup; Mountain Chevrolet (Michael Payne, Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini, Nacho Novillo Astrada), ChukkerTV Challenge; Los Amigos Red (Hilario Figueras, Paul Foster, Lucas Lalor, Nacho Novillo Astrada), Craig Sakin Memorial; and Piocho Ranch (Tom Barrack, Gabriel Gracida, Nacho Figueras, Salvador Ulloa), the season-opening Independence Cup winners.

With the majestic 12,965-foot summit of Mount Sopris as a backdrop, Aspen Valley Polo Club is one of the busiest and fastest growing USPA-sanctioned clubs in the nation.

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, Tuesday Arena & Asado Nights, Kidz Polo, The Polo School headed by former 8-goaler Juan Bollini, and Polo On Demand. In addition, the club offers practice sessions for teams competing in the club tournaments.

Aspen Valley Polo Club has had a positive impact in the area hosting kids polo camps, teaching lessons and several charitable events at the club that have benefitted local charities including the Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation.

The Ganzis are avid players and patrons and "have created a polo paradise" according to Piocho Ranch patron Tom Barrack. "You can go all over the world but you can't have these kind of people, players and horses in this setting. It's really a gift." Players, sponsors, community leaders and fans share Barrack's 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, Aspen Valley Polo Club Boutique and new electronic scoreboard.