Audi-Millarville Makes Debut With New Lineup Sunday in Joe Barry Memorial Cup
Arianna Delin, Sharon Robb for Grand Champions Polo Club
Audi-Millarville opens the high goal season with a talented new lineup Sunday at International Polo Club Palm Beach.
At 17, Grant Ganzi will be the youngest patron in the 20-goal Joe Barry Memorial Cup when he leads teammates Nic Roldan and brothers Freddie and Julian Mannix in their season-opener against defending champion Orchard Hill (Steve Van Andel, Polito Pieres, Peke Gonzalez, Lucas Criado) at 10 a.m.
“I am really happy to get going,” said Ganzi, a senior at St. Andrew’s School in Boca Raton. “I am really excited to have a 20-goal team for the full season and not just play one tournament here and there.”
Audi-Millarville has been practicing since late December. Ganzi and Roldan are coming off winning the St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship in Aspen as members of U.S. Polo Assn.
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| Grant Ganzi. Photo by Rob Bowman. |
“The win helped my confidence going into this season,” Ganzi said. “I didn’t win a lot at Grand Champions and didn’t win a game in 20-goal this past fall. I thought I played well, the wins just didn’t come.”
At 8 goals, Roldan, a Cardinal Newman alum, is America’s top-rated player. Mannix, an Argentine Open runner-up with Alegria in 2014, was raised to 7 goals. His younger brother Julian is rated at 4 goals and coming off an outstanding season highlighted by his talent at the penalty line.
Ganzi has played with Roldan ever since he started competing as well as Freddie Mannix. It will be the first time he has played with Julian Mannix. It will also be the first time the brothers have played 20-goal together. They played 26-goal for Hawks Polo in 2010 with then 10-goaler Mariano Aguerre.
“I think we are going to be a physical team,” Ganzi said. “Julian and I will be doing a lot of stuff we are not known for. We have a good understanding with each other even though we haven’t played with or against each other. Nic is a magician with the ball and Fred plays really well.
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| Nic Roldan. Photo by Rob Bowman |
“We have a good plan,” Ganzi said. “We are focused. We are going to play smart. We are a technical team with a lot of horse power.”
Ganzi, a third generation player, is excited about playing in front of his parents, Marc and Melissa, who are playing the 26-goal season.
“My mom will have the best seat in the middle to watch,” Ganzi said. “She gets nervous when I do a crazy play but that’s a mother’s instinct. She is a mom. My dad gives me good advice. I am going to be listening to him and my teammates and learn as much as I can.
“I’m sure I am not going to be able to sleep much the night before the game,” Ganzi said. “I know I will be up early in the morning without an alarm. I am going to be excited and nervous all at once.
“I would like the team to go well and I want to play really well,” Ganzi said. “I wouldn’t mind winning a couple games. It would be great to win one of the tournaments.”
With so much parity among the 20-goal teams, there is no clear cut favorite to win the tournament.
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| Freddie Mannix. Photo by Rob Bowman |
“I think there are a lot of good 20-goal teams and any given team can win,” Ganzi said. “It should be pretty even. It will come down to the horses in the end.”
Last year Audi (Marc Ganzi, Lucas Lalor, Nic Roldan, Freddie Mannix) won the Bobby Barry Cup, the subsidiary of the Joe Barry Memorial Cup. Audi defeated Lechuza Caracas, 12-10. Roldan was named MVP.
Audi has a rich tradition on polo. Audi, a German automobile manufacturer founded in 1909, designs, engineers, produces, markets and distributes luxury automobiles throughout the world including West Palm Beach.
Millarville is the creation of a polo brand that offers first-quality polo products for all players and horses, emphasizing the passion for the sport at all levels. Millarville offers a variety of products from leathers to high tech sport items.
Ganzi will be busy this season. He is also competing in Grand Champions Polo Club’s eighth winter season. This month he is playing with brothers Santos and Juancito Bollini and Will Jacobs for Grand Champions in the 6-Goal Metropolitan Cup.
“It’s a fun team,” Ganzi said. “I want to play as much as I can. I like playing in front of my friends. Playing a lot keeps me mentally sharp and improves my skills.”
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| Julian Mannix. Photo by Rob Bowman |
ChukkerTV, leaders in polo broadcasting, will live stream International Polo Club Palm Beach and Grand Champions Polo Club games worldwide with polo broadcasters Toby Wayman and Dale Schwetz calling the action.
ChukkerTV’s state-of-the-art technology will also feature team challenges and instant replay which made their debut in Grand Champions in January 2014.
The tournament is named after Joe Barry, a big-hitting 9-goal ranked American player, born and raised in Truscott, Tex., and one of the most well-liked in the game. He dominated polo in the 1960s and 1970s.
The six-time U.S. Open winner was inducted into the Polo Hall of Fame in 1999. He also won three Gold Cups, three Silver Cups as well as Coronation and Camacho Cup trophies. Barry died on May 18, 2002 at age 58.
GRAND CHAMPIONS 2016 WINTER SCHEDULE
16-Goal: March, Santa Rita Abierto; April, John T. Oxley Memorial Trophy.
12-Goal: January, The Limited Edition 12-Goal: Sunday, Postage Stamp Farm vs. SD Farms, noon; Jan. 11, Monday, Flexjet vs. Goose Creek, 1 p.m.; Jan. 12, Tuesday, Mt. Brilliant/Faraway Polo vs. Travieso, 1 p.m.; Jan. 14, Thursday, Valiente vs. Goose Creek, 10 a.m.; Jan. 15, Friday, Mt. Brilliant/Faraway Polo vs. Dutta Corp., 11 a.m.; Travieso vs. Palm Beach Equine, 3 p.m.; Jan. 16, Saturday, Postage Stamp Farm vs. Valiente, 11 a.m.; SD Farms vs. Flexjet, 3 p.m.; Jan. 19, Tuesday, Flexjet vs. Postage Stamp Farm, 11 a.m.; High Ground vs. Palm Beach Equine, 3 p.m.; Jan. 20, Wednesday, SD Farms vs. Goose Creek, 3:30 p.m.; Jan. 21, Thursday, Dutta Corp. vs. Travieso, 3 p.m.; Jan. 22, Friday, High Ground vs. Mt. Brilliant/Faraway Polo, 11 a.m.; Flexjet vs. Valiente, 3 p.m.; Jan. 23, Saturday, Postage Stamp vs. Goose Creek, 3 p.m.; Jan. 24, Sunday, High Ground vs. Travieso, 10 a.m.; Palm Beach Equine vs. Dutta Corp., noon; Jan. 26, Tuesday, Valiente vs. SD Farms, 3:30 p.m.; Jan. 27, Wednesday, Dutta Corp. vs. high Ground, 11 a.m.; Palm Beach Equine vs. Mt. Brilliant/Faraway Polo, 2 p.m.; Jan. 30, Saturday, Championship Final, 3 p.m.; February, USPA Sieber Memorial Trophy; March, $50,000 National 12-Goal Tournament and Top Pony 12-Goal Series; April, Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame Challenge Cup.
8-Goal: January, Aspen Valley Cup: Wednesday, Jan. 13, Altair vs. Odosan, 3 p.m.; Sunday, Jan. 17, Travieso vs. SD Farms, 11 a.m.; Tuesday, Jan. 19: Travieso vs. Odosan, 3 p.m.; Sunday, Jan. 24: Altair vs. SD Farms, noon; Tuesday, Jan. 26, Travieso vs. Altair, 3 p.m.; Sunday, Jan. 31, Championship Final, 10 a.m.; February, USPA Cyril R. Harrison Trophy; March, The Limited Edition 8-Goal Series and USPA Regional President’s Cup; April, USPA Association Cup.
6-Goal: January, Metropolitan Cup: Jan. 16, Saturday, Escue Polo vs. Grand Champions, 10 a.m.; Patagones vs. Shamrock, noon; Jan. 20, Wednesday, Pony Express vs. The Polo School, 4 p.m.; Jan. 23, Saturday, Pony Express vs. Escue Polo, 11 a.m.; The Polo School vs. Grand Champions, 1 p.m.; Jan. 27, Wednesday, Shamrock vs. The Polo School, 3:30 p.m.; Patagones vs. Pony Express, 4 p.m.; Jan. 30, Saturday, Championship Final, 1 p.m.; February, Halo Polo Trophy; March, Madelon Bourdain Memorial; April, Las Acacias.