Grand Champions Polo Club-Casablanca Begins Ylvisaker Cup Play Friday At IPC |
By Arianna Delin, Sharon Robb for Grand Champions Polo ClubGrand Champions Polo Club-Casablanca, which made it to the Joe Barry Memorial Cup semifinals, hopes to go a step further when the Ylvisaker Cup begins Friday at International Polo Club Palm Beach.
The foursome of Grant Ganzi, Nic Roldan, Inaki Laprida and Juancito Bollini will play Valiente II, making its 20-goal IPC season debut, at 12:30 p.m.
Valiente II features Rob Jornayvaz, Matias Torres Zavaleta, Diego Cavanagh and Joaquin Panelo.
Fourteen teams will compete in four brackets over the next three weeks. The top eight teams advance into the March 12 quarterfinals.
The tournament will feature four 10-goal players: Adolfo Cambiaso, Facundo Pieres, Sapo Caset and Hilario Ulloa.
The teams are:
Bracket One:
Mt. Brilliant (20): Bo Goodman, 1; Julian Daniels, 6; Santi Chavanne, 7; Jason Crowder 6.
Grand Champions Polo Club-Casablanca (20): Grant Ganzi, 2; Nic Roldan, 8; Inaki Laprida, 7; Juancito Bollini, 3.
Orchard Hill (20): Steve Van Andel, 1; Facundo Pieres, 10; Lucas Criado, 8; Nico Escobar, 1.
Bracket Two:
Valiente (20): Bob Jornayvaz, 2; Adolfo Cambiaso, 10; Felipe Viana, 5; Victorino Ruiz Jorba, 3.
Valiente II (20): Rob Jornayvaz, 1; Matias Torres Zavaleta, 6; Diego Cavanagh, 8; Joaquin Panelo, 5.
Goose Creek (20): Maureen Brennan, 1; Mariano Gonzalez, 7; Tomas Garcia del Rio, 8; Peke Gonzalez, 4.
Bracket Three:
Coca-Cola (20): Gillian Johnston, 2; Julio Arellano, 8; Julian de Lusarreta, 7; Del Walton, 3.
Villa del Lago (20): Jim Zenni, A; Hilario Ulloa, 10; Carlucho Arellano, 5; Agustin Obregon, 5.
Horseware-Tackeria (18): Matt Coppola, 4; Juan Martin Obregon, 5; Mariano Gracida, 4; Tommy Collingwood, 5.
Equine Liquid Biocell (20): Tomas Obregon, 4; Jared Zenni, 4; Magoo Laprida, 8; Juan Valerdi, 4.
Bracket Four:
Tonkawa (20): Jeff Hildebrand, A; Sapo Caset, 10; Facundo Obregon, 6; Costi Caset, 4.
Postage Stamp Farm (20): Annabelle Gundlach, A; Brandon Phillips, 5; Kris Kampsen, 6; Mariano Aguerre, 9.
Travieso (20): Tony Calle, 2; Hugo Barabucci, 7; Sebastian Merlos, 9; Marquitos Alberdi, 2.
La Indiana (20): Michael Bickford, 1; Gringo Colombres, 6; Mike Azzaro, 6; Jeff Hall, 7.
Two other games are scheduled for Friday. Postage Stamp Farm plays La Indiana, coming off winning Sunday’s Joe Barry Memorial Cup, at 10 a.m. Orchard Hill plays Goose Creek at 3 p.m.
Last year’s final between Valiente and Orchard Hill was left unfinished because of record rainfall and schedule conflicts. The 2015 tournament was won by Coca-Cola, 14-13 winners over Valiente.
For the first time, USPA Polo Network is live streaming the IPC winter season with content provided by Wellington-based ChukkerTV, the production company for the USPA. The prestigious tournament, established in 2003, is named after visionary business leader and lifelong polo enthusiast Bill Ylvisaker.
Ylvisaker, a former captain of the Yale polo team, founded the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club.
He created the Polo Training Foundation to teach and develop young polo players.
Ylvisaker was a 7-goal rated player and won three U.S. Opens, two Coronation Cups against England and Australia, Gold Cup and four national 20-goal championships. He was chairman of the U.S. Polo Association (1970-75) and inducted into the Polo Hall of Fame in 1994. He died February 5, 2010 at age 85.
Grand Champions Polo Club 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.
Casablanca, founded by polo players who understand the needs of today’s polo players, supplies a wide variety of polo products, equipment and apparel through superior quality, value and service around the world. Behind the Casablanca brand is a serious pledge to quality, excellence and elegance.
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.
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