Sep 12, 2018 6:59 PM
Grand Champions Polo Club located in Wellington, Florida, has released its highly-anticipated schedule for the upcoming fall season which gets under way in October. One of the nation's busiest polo clubs will host both medium-goal and high-goal leagues highlighted by the Triple Crown of Polo Tournament and International Cup.
The medium-goal schedule features six tournaments including the season-opening Tackeria Invitational, October 11-14. The tournament has a special place in club history as the inaugural tournament when the club first opened. "The Tackeria Invitational is the perfect way to kick off the season," said Tackeria owner Tony Coppola, the legendary voice of polo and USPA President. "We are proud to be a returning sponsor with the Tackeria Invitational now in its tenth year.
Among the highlights of the season are the October 15-27 USPA North American Cup, October 24-28 USPA Fall Classic, November 1-4 USPA Fall Plates, November 3-17 USPA National 20-Goal®, November 14 Triple Crown of Polo Tournament and Romero Britto Celebration and November 24 doubleheader featuring the Legends of Polo Carlos Gracida Memorial and USPA International Cup. This year the U.S. team will put its six-year winning streak on the line against Azerbaijan.
Last year Team USA ( Grant Ganzi, Carlitos Gracida, Julio Arellano, Mike Azzaro) defeated Brazil 9-7 to capture the sixth annual International Cup event. Arellano was named Most Valuable Player for the third consecutive year. Since 2012, Team USA has defeated England, Chile, Mexico, South Africa and Uruguay in International Cup history.
"That was a great win," Arellano said. "It was a great game right to the end. This U.S. team was a lot of fun. I am always honored to represent the U.S. When Marc Ganzi asks me to participate it's always an easy yes. That's something that we are all very proud of." The well-organized fall tournaments attract players from all over the United States and world including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, England, France, India, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria and South Africa.
Grand Champions had its finest fall season in club history last year. Grand Champions was the only club in the nation to stage two USPA-sanctioned 20-goal fall tournaments and again is hosting two 20-goal tournaments this season. The Grand Champions Fall Invitational League is geared toward improving a player's polo skills at every level. Roster lineups change from tournament to tournament with evenly-matched teams featuring pro and amateur players. It's also a great opportunity for players and sponsors to prepare for the winter season.
Club owners Marc and Melissa Ganzi, both accomplished players, take pride in teaching and sharing the exciting sport of polo with anyone interested in learning. The husband-and-wife team are coming off a successful summer season at their Aspen Valley Polo Club in Carbondale, Colorado, which concludes over Labor Day Weekend. The fall league features: stick-and-ball sessions during the week; two medium tournament games every weekend; ambulance and USPA umpires for all tournament games; world-class polo fields; club-sponsored social events every weekend for all players; and top-of-the-line trophies for all teams every weekend.
The Polo School, a 501c3 organization and stand-alone USPA club, is dedicated to teaching polo to all ages, particularly grass roots youth. Its mission is to provide individuals opportunities in polo at every economic and ability level. Scholarships are available. The Polo School operates in Wellington, Florida, January through June and September through November. For more information on the Fall Leagues or Polo School contact Juan Bollini at 561-346-1099.
Wellington-based ChukkerTV will livestream the entire fall season. ChukkerTV's state-of-the art technology also features team challenges and instant replay which made their debut at Grand Champions in January, 2014. Grand Champions and Santa Rita Polo Farm host polo tournaments ranging from 6- to 26-goal in addition to special events at their well-manicured fields during the fall, winter and spring seasons. Grand Champions Polo Club and Santa Rita Polo Farm cater to men, women and youth polo players at all levels. Expert staff can customize a complete playing experience including horses, pros and certified umpires in addition to lessons and practice sessions as part of the Polo On Demand program at the turnkey facility.
2018 FALL SCHEDULE
MEDIUM GOAL LEAGUE
October 11-14: Tackeria Invitational
October 18-21: U.S. Trust Cup
October 24-28: USPA Fall Classic
November 1-4: USPA Fall Plates
November 8-11: Polo Gear Challenge
November 15-18 Pedro Morrison Memorial
HIGH-GOAL LEAGUE
October 15-27: USPA North American Cup
November 3-17: USPA National 20-Goal Championship
November 14: The Triple Crown of Polo Tournament, Romero Britto Celebration at Santa Rita Polo Club
November 24: Legends of Polo Carlos Gracida Memorial and International Cup, Team USA vs. Azerbaijan.
Effective Date: Saturday, May 16, 2020
The suspension of USPA Tournaments and Events will be lifted for USPA Member Clubs in locales where hosting polo matches and tournaments is permitted under applicable state and local laws, executive orders and similar decrees. The USPA Member Clubs in these locales are encouraged to follow all such requirements of their state and local authorities with respect to polo operations. In addition, we also encourage all USPA Member Clubs to take the precautions recommended by the CDC. We are preparing a detailed list of best practices for USPA Member Clubs as they return to hosting USPA Tournaments and Events and plan to circulate these guidelines within the next week. We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely and will notify you if we determine a different course of action is necessary.
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