KITZBÜHEL, Austria, January 14, 2025----With the Austrian Alps as a magnificent backdrop, the 22nd Bendura Bank Snow Polo World Cup begins Thursday with the teams and sponsors presentation at Hotel Kitzhof.
By Sharon Robb
With six players, Wellington, Fla.-based Grand Champions Polo Club will be well-represented by World Polo League and Bentley teams among the eight-team field.
World Polo League (Daren Tamplin, 0, Grant Ganzi, 3, Nic Roldan, 9) and Bentley (Melissa Ganzi, 0, Martin Jauregui, 5, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7) are among the eight-team international field. Bentley finished runner-up in last year's final to Intocast, 7-6, in front of a sellout crowd.
Rounding out the field are:
Bendura Bank: Jonathan Tidswell-Pretorius/Niclas Johansson, 1; Pelayo Berazadi, 6, Tito Gaudenzi, 3.
Casablanca: Glenn Lostritto, 0, Juan Redlich, 4, Naco Taverna, 6.
Engel & Volkers: Jan-Hendrik Tobbe, 0, Agustin Kronhaus, 5, Adrian Laplacette, 7.
Intocast: Matthias Normann, 1, Micky Duggan, 5, Martin Donovan, 6.
Tiger Frontier-Scaleluna: Peter Cromm/Leopold Cromm, 0, Agustin Wagner, 4, Richard Blake Thomas, 6.
Veuve Clicquot: Christian Grimme, 1, Lukas Sdrenka, 3, Gaston Maria Begueri, 6.
Melissa Ganzi was the first woman to win the Bendura Bank Snow Polo World Cup Kitzbuhel in 2018 with teammates Alejandro Novillo Astrada and Tito Gaudenzi.
Her son Grant, 26, is trying to make a little history of his own by going for a snow polo three-peat. In December, Ganzi won the St. Regis World Snow Polo Tournament in Aspen. He was a member of first-year team The Agency with teammates Pierre Henri Ngoumou and Jason Crowder. Ganzi will also compete in the Jan. 24-26 40th edition of the St. Moritz Snow Polo Tournament.
"I'm thrilled to go to Kitz and St. Moritz," Grant Ganzi said. "It's exciting to go back to both those places. I haven't been to Kitz in about five years. I'm playing with friends and that's what makes it fun for me."
The three-day tournament opens Thursday with the eight teams and sponsors being introduced in the ceremonial team presentation at Hotel Kitzhof.
Four games are scheduled for Friday at the Polo Grounds at 10:30 and 11:45 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. On Friday night, the Polo Team Captain Dinner will be co-hosted by Kitzbuhel Country Club and Polo Club Kitzbuhel.
Four more games are scheduled for Saturday. The Polo Players Gala is Saturday night.
On Sunday, four games will decide the team finishes. After the opening game for seventh and eighth place, the Kitzbuhel Country Club Cup, Casablanca Cup and coveted Bendura Bank finals will be held followed by the awards ceremony.
Intocast is going for a three-peat after winning in 2024 and 2023. The threesome of team captain Matthias Normann of Austria and Argentina duo Micky Duggan and Martin Donovan return for the third year.
For up-to-date scores go to www.kitzbuehelpolo.com.
The event was started in 2003 by Tito Gaudenzi and his father Reto with four teams and 1,000 fans. It has grown into one of the country's major sporting events, eight teams and attracts more than 15,000 fans over three days including a soldout VIP tent of 800 spectators.
During the winter polo season, Grand Champions Polo Club, the nation's largest and most innovative USPA-sanctioned polo club nestled in the heart of the world's winter equestrian capital, hosts a wide range of tournaments: 6, 8, 12, 20, and 26-goal leagues, Polo School Women's Weekly Polo League, WCT Finals, several Polo Training Foundation junior tournaments, World Polo League Pride and Sunset Chukkers & Cocktails at both Grand Champions and Santa Rita Polo Farm.
The 26-goal World Polo League that begins in February is the highlight of the season for the club. The WPL, the only 26-goal polo played outside of Argentina, is now entering its seventh season with some of the world's top players including Pablo MacDonough and Tommy Panelo.
Other high goal season highlights are the Jan. 30-Feb 9 Sterling Cup (18-22 goals), Feb. 5-22 $100,000 World Cup (0-40 goals) and Feb. 24-March 8 Santa Rita Abierto (18-22 goals).
Other January tournaments are the Metropolitan 6 Goal Cup, Aspen Valley 8-Goal and Limited Edition 12-Goal Series. The GCPC Women's Weekly Women's Polo League also gets under way Jan. 22 and runs through April 9. It is the longest running women's league in the world.
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 January through May and September through November. The stand-alone USPA-sanctioned polo 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. The Polo School has nurtured several junior, men and women polo players now playing in the pro and amateur ranks since its inception.
For more information on leagues or Polo School contact Juan Bollini at 561-346-1099 or Cale Newman at 561-876-2930.