WELLINGTON, FL., February 3, 2025---Quite on Z defended its title in the Aspen Valley Cup 8-Goal final Sunday at Grand Champions Polo Club.
By Sharon Robb
Photos by Candace Ferreira
Quite on Z (Ricky Bueno, -1, Joao Pedro Souza, 2, Artemio Figueras, 2, Lucio Ocampo, 5) blew open a close game in the fifth chukker and went to defeat Newport (Gene Goldstein, 0, Leo Mandelbaum, 2, Michel Dorignac, 5, Vance Miller, 1), 12-7.
Ocampo swept Most Valuable Player and Best Playing Pony honors. Ocampo scored five goals and dominated both ends of the field. His gray mare, Yatay Polilla, played by Ocampo in the fourth and sixth chukkers, was Best Playing Pony.
The win also avenged Quite on Z's league season-opening loss to Newport, 10-8, in the four-team tournament.
Newport controlled the momentum early in the first chukker. Goldstein took a pass from Dorignac after winning the throw-in and with one touch Goldstein gave his team a 1-0 lead.
After Mandelbaum cleared out Figueras' goal attempt, a minute later Figueras came back with a 100-yard penalty conversion to tie the game at 1-1.
Figueras scored his first goal from the field for a 2-1 advantage. The teams both missed scoring opportunities to end the first chukker.
Ocampo scored his first goal of the game off the bowl-in to open the second chukker and give Quite on Z a 3-1 lead.
Newport started clawing its way back behind Dorignac's penalty-four conversion deflected off a mallet and Goldstein's goal to tie the game at 3-3.
The teams battled back and forth in the third chukker with Quite on Z regaining the lead on Figueras' goal off a long pass from Ocampo and another Figueras goal after he came up with a steal for a 5-3 lead.
Mandelbaum and Dorignac scored back-to-back goals before Ocampo's goal with 48 seconds left to go gave Quite on Z a 6-5 halftime lead.
Ocampo scored again early in the fourth chukker to give Quite on Z a 7-5 lead. Dorignac cut the lead to 7-6 in 4:59 left in the chukker. It was the closest Newport would get with Quite on Z dominating the remainder of the game.
Quite on Z scored four unanswered goals in the fifth chukker, including three by Figueras, to pull ahead 11-6. Newport had its share of scoring opportunities, both from the field and penalty line, but was unable to capitalize and catch up in the final chukker.
In addition to Ocampo's five goals, Figueras led Quite on Z with a game-high seven goals with three penalty conversions including a 100-yarder. Dorignac led Newport with four goals, including two penalty conversions. Goldstein had two and Mandelbaum added one.
In last year's six-team tournament, Quite on Z upset previously undefeated 90210 to win the season-opener. Quite on Z (Alecia Seidler, -1, Artemio Figueras, 1, Joao Pedro Souza, 2, Hilario Figueras, 5) rallied in the final chukker to defeat 90210 (Sarah Siegel-Magness, 0, Finn Secunda, 1, Juan Cruz Marcos, 3, Roberto Zedda, 4), 9-8, in overtime. Hilario Figueras scored five goals including the game-winner and was MVP.
During the winter polo season, the nation's largest and most innovative USPA-sanctioned polo club nestled in the heart of the world's winter equestrian capital, is hosting a wide range of tournaments: 6, 8, 12, 20, and 26-goal leagues, The Polo School Women's Weekly Polo League, WCT Finals, several PTF junior tournaments, World Polo League, World Polo League Pride and Sunset Chukkers & Cocktails at both Grand Champions and Santa Rita.
The season's biggest highlight is the seventh season of the World Polo League, the only 26-goal polo played outside of Argentina. This year's star-studded lineup features some of the world's top players including 10-goalers Pablo MacDonough and Tommy Panelo and hometown favorite Nic Roldan.
Grand Champions and Santa Rita Polo Farm is the largest and most unique private 102-acre polo facility in Wellington with 212 stalls in nine self-contained barns, two tracks, five climate-controlled tack rooms, vet room, staff quarters, guest house and four polo fields with state-of-the-art underground irrigation and short work arena. The club has 10 well-manicured world-class fields at GCPC and Santa Rita.
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 Polo School, now located at the former Pony Express facility, operates in Wellington throughout the year. The stand-alone USPA-sanctioned polo club is thriving. It 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. The Polo School has nurtured several junior, men and women polo players now playing in the pro and amateur ranks since its inception including most improved players Miles Rich and Rebecca Cohen.
For more information on leagues or The Polo School, contact Juan Bollini at 561-346-1099 or Cale Newman at 561-876-2930.