Nacho Figueras scores winning goal in Piaget Snow Polo
By Alex Webbe
There were only six chukkers of polo played this year but the action was situated in the centrally located Wagner Park in the posh resort town of Aspen, Colorado before hundreds of enthusiastic spectators. Despite the appearance of two of polo’s top players in 10-goalers Facundo Pieres and Gonzalito Pieres, it was Nacho Figueras, the face of Ralph Lauren Polo, who scored the winning goal for his St. Regis team.
A round-robin format was created for the three teams competing, Audi (Melissa Ganzi, Juan Bollini and Facundo Pieres), Piaget (Marc Ganzi, Kris Kampsen and Gonzalito Pieres) and an all-pro team in St. Regis (Brandon Phillips, Nic Roldan and Nacho Figueras). Each team would play four chukkers, two against the other two teams competing.
A light snowfall and the dramatic backdrop of Aspen Mountainset the stage for the opening round of play as St. Regis and Piaget rode ontothe snow covered Wagner Park.
Brandon Phillips scored the first goal of the day for St.Regis while Piaget was held scoreless in a 1-0 game. Nacho Figueras closed out the mini-game with his first goal of the match for the opening 2-0 win.
With Piaget holding the field for the next two chukkers, St.Regis rode to the sidelines and the warm and friendly hospitality of the fieldside VIP tents.
Scoring got underway from the opening throw-in with Juan Bollini connecting on a pass downfield to Melissa Ganzi who scored for an early 1-0 Audi lead. Marc Ganzi tied it p for Piaget with a goal in the second chukker, but a penalty conversion from his wife Melissa gave the game to Audi, 2-1.
The final showdown would feature St. Regis and Audi, both sporting 1-0 records and hoping to secure a win in the final two chukkers ofplay.
The snow continued to fall, adding to the overnight accumulation that continued to hamper the play of the players, with no goal being scored in the first period of action. It was Figueras who was finally to escape a disciplined Audi defense in the final chukker and score the only goal of the match for a 1-0 St. Regis victory.
Nic Roldan was named MVP while Open Quarzo, owned by Halo Polo, picked up Best Playing Pony honors.