Six teams line up for 2015 Aspen World Snow Polo Cup
By Alex Webbe
Six teams featuring some of the polo world’s top talent will be taking to the snow-covered fields to participate in the 2-15 Aspen World Snow Polo Cup sponsored by St. Regis Hotels & Resorts this December.
The St. Regis team (Brian Boyd, Carlitos Gracida and Nacho Figueras) will ride into action behind the leadership of Argentine 6-goaler Nacho Figueras. Nacho and the St. Regis team won the title in 2013 but will be making a run for the cup with New Mexico’s Brian Boyd and Carlitos Gracida.
Melissa Ganzi’s Flexjet (Melissa Ganzi, Juan Bollini and Jeff Hall) is certain to be a force again this year. A regular in the snow polo tournament in Aspen over the years, Melissa has netted no less than four titles and will be looking to add to them this year. Joined by Argentine 5-goaler Juan Bollini and American 7-goaler Jeff Hall, the Flexjet team should prove to be a formidable force.
This year will see players from three different countries coming together for this year’s snow polo tournament. Pakistan’s Bash Kazi, Argentina’s Martin Estrada and Canadian Brandon Phillips will make up the One Caribbean Estates entry, offering a touch of sunny Barbados to the Colorado competition.
Marc Ganzi is no stranger to the winner’s circle in Aspen, having played on last year’s championship Piaget team with Jeff Hall and Nic Roldan. This year he will be joined by Ricky Cooper, the captain of the Welch national polo team and America’s only 10-goal arena polo player in Tommy Biddle.
ChukkerTV will not only be livestreaming the three days of competition but they will be sponsoring a team in the event as well. Australian-born realtor Bernie Uechtritz will be joined by Argentina’s Martin Pepa and Mariano Gracida. Mariano is the brother of St. Regis 4-goaler Carlitos Gracida and son of the legendary 10-goaler Carlos Gracida. Uechtritz, a broker with Briggs Freeman Southeby’s International Realty in Dallas and is the broker of record for the sale of the 500,000 acre W. T. Waggoner Ranch. A veteran polo and polocrosse player, Uechtritz will be making his debut on the snow this winter.
Nic Roldan, America’s highest-rated player at 8-goals will be joining youngsters Grant Ganzi and Juancito Bollini on the U.S. Polo Assn. team. Roldan is a skilled stickman and will be counted on to direct the talented young Ganzi and Bollini as they make a run for the cup this year. Roldan won the 2014 tournament and will be looking to make it two in a row this year.
For tickets and more information, go to www.worldsnowpolo.net.