WPL Wins High Alpine Cup; Alejandro Novillo Astrada MVP; St. Regis, Richard Mille Play Sunday In St. Regis World Snow Polo Final

ASPEN, Colo., December 19, 2021---World Polo League captured the High Alpine Cup to kick off festivities Saturday at Rio Grande Park.

By Sharon Robb

Photos by Candace Ferreira

In front of a soldout heated VIP tent and worldwide ChukkerTV audience, World Polo League (Riley Ganzi, 1, Hilario Figueras, 6, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 8) edged Edmiston (Jason Crowder, 7, Sugar Erskine, 7, Cable Magness, 2), 3-2, and Aspen Valley Polo Club (Alecia Seidler, 0, Juan Bollini, 4T, Juan Martin Nero, 10), 4-3, in round robin play. In the other match, Edmiston defeated Aspen Valley Polo Club, 5-2.

Argentine 8-goaler Alejandro Novillo Astrada was Most Valuable Player.

Aspen Valley Polo Club (Sterling Jones, Riley Ganzi, Nacho Figueras) won the Celebrity Chukker with a 2-1 victory over ChukkerTV (Miss Saye Yabandeh, Landon Miller, Alejandro Novillo Astrada). Actor Sterling Jones scored the winning goal with 30 seconds left.

After competing in the qualifying matches on Friday at Aspen Valley Polo Club's world-class indoor arena, it was the first day teams got the chance to compete on snow.

World Polo League, the 2020 St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship, jumped out to a 2-1 lead in the first chukker. Cable Magness tied the game, 2-2, with a quick goal to open the chukker. Hilario Figueras scored the go-ahead goal with 2:22 left. Figueras scored all three of his team's goals. Magness scored his team's two goals.

In the second round robin matchup, Crowder's hot mallet gave Edmiston a 2-1 lead in the first chukker. Edmiston never relinquished the lead building a 5-1 advantage before Edmiston won 5-2. Crowder led scoring with three goals. Erskine and Magness each had one. Seidler and Bollini each scored one goal for AVPC.

In the third and final round robin game, Novillo Astrada scored the winning goal with 22 seconds left after a tightly contested matchup. AVPC had a 2-0 lead in the opening chukker before Figueras and Novillo Astrada scored to tie the game.

The High Alpine Cup determined the fifth, sixth and seventh place teams in the seven-team tournament.

Actress and singer songwriter Kelley Jakle, who starred in the "Pitch Perfect" series and several Lifetime movies, sang a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem on opening day. Flag bearer Hannah Hayden carried the American flag on horseback during the pre-game ceremony.

On Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m., two-time champion Richard Mille (Sarah Siegel Magness, 0, Jesse Bray, 7, Pablo MacDonough, 10) will take on one-time champion St. Regis (Melissa Ganzi, 1, Nacho Figueras, 6, Nic Roldan, 9) in the ninth annual championship final for the coveted cup. Richard Mille has won the title twice in 2018 and 2019 and St. Regis won in 2013, the tournament's first year.

The doubleheader will continue with the Aspen Cup at 3 p.m. featuring Casablanca (Grant Ganzi, 3, Juancito Bollini, 4, Juan Martin Zubia, 8) and ChukkerTV (Vinny Sangaline, 1, Martin Pepa, 4, Tommy Biddle, 9). The trophy presentation is 4:15 p.m.

Richard Mille, the official timekeeper of the tournament, is a luxury Swiss watch brand. Founded in 1999, the brand applies a three-part philosophy: the sharpest cutting-edge technology, three-dimensional constructions shot through with pure mechanics, and hand-finishing. MacDonough is Brand Ambassador for Richard Mille and wears his specially-designed RM 53-01 Tourbillon in every polo game he plays.

Nestled at the base of the majestic Aspen Mountain, the St. Regis Aspen Resort, a five-star luxury hotel, is between the mountain's two primary base ski lifts and within walking distance to all of Aspen's shops, restaurants and entertainment. It delivers a benchmark of personalized service and attention to detail amidst the relaxed spirit of the Rocky Mountains.

The final stop on the 2021 World Polo Tour has been one of the most competitive in the tournament's nine-year history featuring several of the world's top players.

The event is following COVID-19 guidelines. Per local state and county guidelines, those attending the games must show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test result (within 48 hours prior) before entering the event.

One of the world's top snow polo tournaments is the only snow polo event in North America. It is one of Aspen's major international sporting events and kickoff to the holiday social season in Aspen.

For the ninth consecutive year, Aspen Valley Polo Club owners Melissa and Marc Ganzi, is hosting the event along with Figueras and his wife Delfina Blaquier.

After Sunday's games, a check will be presented to Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation and Calloway Young Cancer Center. The tournament is a fundraiser for the Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation, the designated philanthropic charity. Donations are welcome.

In addition to 2020 champion World Polo League (Riley Ganzi, Hilario Figueras, Alejandro Novillo Astrada), other past winners include: Richard Mille (2019, Edouard Pan, Pablo MacDonough, Louis Jarrige); Richard Mille (2018, Marc Ganzi, Martin Pepa, Pablo MacDonough); U.S. Polo Assn (2017, Grant Ganzi, Juancito Bollini, Nic Roldan); Flexjet (2016, Melissa Ganzi, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Juan Bollini); U.S. Polo Assn. (2015, Grant Ganzi, Nic Roldan, Juancito Bollini); Piaget (2014, Marc Ganzi, Jeff Hall, Nic Roldan); and St. Regis (2013, Nacho Figueras, Nic Roldan, Brandon Phillips).

The sport was first played on a frozen lake in St. Moritz, Switzerland, created by Swiss hotelier and polo visionary Reto Gaudenzi in 1985 and has been growing in popularity ever since, attracting thousands of spectators and top players from around the world. In addition to St. Moritz, it's played in winter sports communities Aspen, Cortina, Italy, Kitzbuhel, Austria, Courchevel, France and Tianjin, China.

Since Marc and Melissa Ganzi resurrected the Aspen Valley Polo Club and polo in 2014, 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 Wheely 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.