Fall Plates Tournament Begins Friday At Grand Champions Polo Club |
By Arianna Delin, Sharon Robb for Grand Champions Polo ClubTravieso heads the field for this weekend’s Fall Plates Tournament at Grand Champions Polo Club.
Father and son Teo and Tony Calle will join forces with Team USPA member Jared Sheldon and Carlucho Arellano as the team to beat.
Travieso is one of the winningest teams over the past two years at Grand Champions.
The tournament begins Friday when Travieso plays Newport at 4 p.m. The tournament continues
Saturday at 10 a.m. when Riverview plays Palm Beach Polo.
The winners advance into Sunday’s final at 10 a.m. followed by the handicap final at noon.
The team rosters are:
Newport: Gene Goldstein, 1, Grant Ganzi, 1, Jesse Bray, 5, Carlitos Gracida, 4.
Palm Beach Polo: Nacho Lezica, 2, Guille Aguero, 6, Glenn Straub, A, JJ Celis, 4.
Riverview: Wes Finlayson, 3, Virginia Ingram, A, Martin Estrada, 3, Kris Kampsen, 6.
Travieso: Teo Calle, 1, Tony Calle, 2, Jared Shelton, 4, Carlucho Arellano, 5.
Kampsen returns to action after he and his wife Ali celebrated the recent birth of their first child, Rowan Alexander Kampsen.
In last year’s Fall Plates Tournament, High Ground Polo (Joe Meyer, JJ Celis, Nic Roldan, Scott Swerdlin), making its fall debut, won the Fall Plates Tournament with a 10-9 victory over Dutta Corp (Timmy Dutta, Wes Finlayson, Jesse Bray, Carlitos Gracida). Roldan was named MVP.
Wellington-based ChukkerTV, leaders in polo broadcasting, is live streaming the entire fall season worldwide with polo announcer Dale Schwetz calling the action.
ChukkerTV’s state-of-the art technology features team challenges and instant replay which made their debut at Grand Champions in January, 2014.
Grand Champions, with eleven well-manicured fields, is one of the busiest and most innovative clubs in the nation and is enjoying its finest fall season in the ten-year history of the club.
The club has now hosted seven successful tournaments. Past winners are Flexjet (MVP Riley Ganzi, Melissa Ganzi, Juan Bollini, Jason Crowder) won the season-opening Tackeria Invitational with a 7-6 victory over Casablanca. U.S. Trust (Marc Ganzi, Grant Ganzi, MVP Jared Shelton, Nic Roldan) won the U.S. Trust Cup with a 5.5-3 win over Flexjet. Casablanca (Jared Sheldon, Grant Ganzi, Tony Calle, MVP Jesse Bray) won the Fall Classic with an 11-9 victory over Flexjet. Postage Stamp Farm (Annabelle Gundlach, MVP Marc Ganzi, JJ Celis, Nic Roldan) won the Palm Restaurant Invitational with a 10-9 win over Flexjet; Palm Beach Polo (MVP Glenn Straub, Martin Estrada, Carlitos Gracida, Carlucho Arellano) won the Mt. Sopris Cup with a 7-4 win over Santa Rita; and Flexjet (Riley Ganzi, MVP Juan Bollini, JJ Celis, Juancito Bollini) defeated Audi, 7-6, in overtime to win the Pedro Morrison Memorial.
The last remaining medium goal tournament is the Nov. 11-13Polo Gear Challenge. The fall season closes out with the Nov. 12-20 USPA National 20-Goal,Nov. 16-23 USPA North American Cup and Nov. 26 Carlos Gracida Memorial Legends of Polo and fifth annual International Cup featuring Team USA against Uruguay.
Grand Champions caters to men, women and youth polo players at all levels. Its expert staff can customize a complete playing experience including horses, pros and certified umpires in addition to lessons and practice sessions as part of its’ Polo On Demand program, the only polo club in the U.S. to offer the unique program.
The Polo School, 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.
GRAND CHAMPIONS POLO CLUB
WHERE: 13444 Southfields Road, on the corner of South Shore Boulevard and Lake Worth Road, Wellington, 33414.
2016 FALL SCHEDULE
Fall Plates Tournament, Friday, Newport vs. Travieso, 4 p.m.; Saturday, Riverview vs. Palm Beach Polo; Sunday, Final, 10 a.m.; Handicap Final, noon, Grooms’ Race.
Nov. 12-20, USPA National 20-Goal
Nov. 16-23, USPA North American Cup
Nov. 26, Carlos Gracida Memorial Legends of Polo and fifth annual International Cup, Team USA vs. Uruguay.
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