The Polo School Win Florida
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By Arianna Delin, Sharon Robb for Grand Champions Polo ClubThe fact Wellington is a hotbed for young, talented polo players was never more evident at the recent Florida USPA Interscholastic season-opener at Polo West Arena. Some of the state’s best players competed in two four-chukker games. In the first game, The Polo School (Lucas Escobar, Christian Weisz, Juanse Olivera, Nico Escobar) defeated Palm Beach Polo (Benji Daniels, Landon Daniels, Justin Daniels), 12-3.
Weisz and Olivera shared scoring honors with four goals apiece. Nico Escobar added three goals. Landon Daniels, the youngest of three brothers, scored two goals. In the second half of the doubleheader, Grand Champions Open (Santos Bollini, Grant Ganzi, Matias Gonzalez) defeated Grand Champions Girls (Alyssa Tranchilla, Riley Ganzi, Rachel Kelly), 15-2. Bollini scored a game-high six goals. Ganzi had five and Gonzalez added four. Riley Ganzi had two goals. Neither score was indicative of the mad skills all four teams exhibited. The girls team had an advantage playing a strong boys team in preparation when they face another girls team in post-regular season play.
Most of the players have grown up in polo playing with and against each other. “It’s a lot of fun playing with your friends, it’s just amazing to play against them and have good memories with them,” said Nico Escobar, 15, son of polo great Luis Escobar. “The competitive level is great. There are a lot of good players here and that makes it fun.” Gonzalez, 17, who spent the summer playing in the Hamptons, enjoyed being back home playing with friends.
“It’s great seeing everybody again, I haven’t been with them the whole summer,” Gonzalez said. “When we put our team together we just said may the best team win. “The competitive level here is because of the horses, players, field, opportunities, everything put together makes it 100 percent,” Gonzalez said. The horses were provided by Grand Champions Polo Club and The Polo School.
Grand Champions Polo Club President and USPA Florida Circuit Governor Melissa Ganzi, a longtime supporter of grass roots polo, has played a key role in developing young players through The Polo School and by hosting several kids tournaments every year along with the Polo Training Foundation. “The kids get to focus on a different arena of polo by playing in the arena against their peers,” Ganzi said. “I’m always impressed with our kids’ skill level. This allows them to showcase some of their skills against kids their own age and also their sportsmanship.”
New USPA CEO and former Interscholastic/Intercollegiate Chairman Duncan Huyler presented the player medals after the game. Polo Gear co-founder Gary Fellers, who played polo for nearly 40 years from zero to 26-goal, provided a food truck for the players, coaches, family and friends and facility. The regular season continues on Saturday, Nov. 14 with Game 3 at 10:30 a.m. and Game 4 at 11:30 a.m. Grand Champions Open will play The Polo School and Palm Beach Polo will play Grand Champions Girls.
The USPA’s Intercollegiate/Interscholastic program helps to promote and grow the sport by providing exposure to the sport; organized competition at regional and national levels with an emphasis on sportsmanship, fairness and safety. It also helps with recruiting at college and scholastic institutions and coordinating activities of member schools and players. The Intercollegiate/Interscholastic polo competition is played under USPA arena rules. Each team features three players and alternates. The Polo School at Grand Champions, a 501c3 organization, is dedicated to teaching polo to all ages, particularly grass roots youth. Its mission is to provide individuals opportunities in polo. The Polo School operates in Wellington January through June and September through November.
2015 FALL SCHEDULE Friday-Sunday: USPA Fall Plates; Nov. 4-15: USPA North American 20-Goal Cup; Nov. 11-22: USPA National 20-Goal Tournament; Nov. 28: Carlos Gracida Legends of Polo Memorial and International Cup, Team USA vs. South Africa. |
