Polo stars expected
to shine in Aspen’s Piaget World Snow Polo Championship
By Alex Webbe
It’s 1,767 miles from Wellington to Aspen, Colorado- as the
crow flies—that seemed to have little effect on the fire power that will take
the field for the 2013 Piaget World Snow Polo Championship that will take place
on December 19th and 20th in the western ski town.
Marc Ganzi’s Audi team will take the field once again this
winter at the International Polo Club in Wellington, Florida, but under the
patronage of his fledgling Aspen Valley Polo Club, he has managed to attract
three of polo’s biggest names in 10-goalers Facundo Pieres and Gonzalito Pieres
and everyone’s favorite, 6-goaler Nacho Figueras.
Facundo Pieres went on a run after winning the United States
Open Championship for the second time this spring; playing on winning teams in
the Queens Cup and British Open as well as Spain’s Gold and Silver Cups. One of only six 10-goal players in the world,
Facundo was the number one ranked player in the game until last weekend when
Adolfo Cambiaso’s La Dolfina team won the Argentine Open, propelling Cambiaso
past Facundo into first place.
Facundo Pieres will be playing in his last tournament in
aspen before returning to Florida where he will compete in the 20-goal competition
with Steve Van Andel’s Orchard Hill team.
Facundo will join George Rawlings and his Crab Orchard team for the
26-goal tournaments.
Gonzalito Pieres has been a mainstay of the Audi team,
capturing the C. V. Whitney and the U. S. Open with them in 2009 and the USPA
Piaget Gold Cup in 2011. Gonzalito will
be joining Rodrigo Andrade on Jeff Hildebrand’s Tonkawa team in the 20-goal
before returning to Audi again for the 26-goal competition.
Nacho Figueras might not carry a 10-goal handicap on the
field but he s assuredly the most popular and most recognized player in the
world. For years Nacho was a regular on
the Black Watch team at IPC, but in recent years has lent his name and presence
to promote the game around the world. A
friend of Prince Harry, the Argentine polo player and Ralph Lauren model was
appointed Sentebale Ambassador. Nacho also
serves as St. Regis Connoisseur, and will be captaining the St. Regis polo team
in the snow polo tournament.
Gonzalito Pieres will lead the Audi team onto Aspen’s Wagner
Park, in the center of the ski resort while brother Facundo will be in charge
of the Piaget entry.
Marc Ganzi and his wife Melissa Ganzi, also an IPC regular
will also be competing.