WELLINGTON, FL., March 19, 2025---After losing its opener, Travieso rebounded against Maltese Falcons Tuesday in the World Polo League's Palm Beach Open.
By Sharon Robb
Photos by Candace Ferreira
Travieso (Tony Calle, 3, Pipe Vercellino, 7, Juan Martin Zubia, 9, Fred Mannix, 7) rallied in the sixth chukker to defeat Maltese Falcons (Tomacho Pieres, 6, Jason Crowder, 5, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7, Nacho Novillo Astrada, 8), 11-9, in the third game of the Palm Beach Open at Grand Champions Polo Club.
Travieso bounced back from a 10-9 overtime loss to undefeated Tonkawa. Travieso is now 1-1. Palm Beach Open action continues Thursday when Travieso plays Casablanca at 1:30 p.m.
Calle, who bruised a bone in his right hand and left the Tonkawa game in the fourth chukker, returned to the starting lineup and played well.
Travieso started off strong in the first two chukkers behind Vercellino and Zubia scoring and dominating the throw-ins. In the second chukker Travieso was awarded a penalty-one to take a 4-2 lead. Alejandro Novillo Astrada's 30-yard penalty conversion cut the lead to 4-3 at the end of the second chukker.
Maltese Falcons controlled the third chukker with Crowder scoring the tying goal, 4-4 early at 6:50. Travieso was called for shading and Pieres converted the penalty for a 5-4 lead. Pieres then turned around running from one end of the field to the other to score after beating a defender's hook for a 6-4 halftime lead.
In the opening three chukkers, Maltese Falcons outshot Travieso, 8-7, led knock-ins, 3-2, and fouls 4-3. Travieso was quick off the throw-ins, leading 8-3.
The lead changed hands six times before Travieso took the lead for good, 10-9, in the sixth chukker.
In the fourth and fifth chukkers both teams played well. Maltese Falcons extended its lead 7-4 behind Crowder. Vercellino and Zubia took turns getting Travieso back in offensive control, trailing 7-6 at the end of the chukker.
Vercellino went to the line to open the fifth chukker with a 40-yard conversion to tie the game at 7-7. The lead changed three more times. Crowder made it 8-7 when the ball popped up in the air and bounced before Crowder leaned back and scored on the near side. Vercellino turned around for a great long run with a defender close by to score on the near side for an 8-8 tie. Crowder came back at 1:48 with an 80-yarder for 9-8 lead and Vercellino hit a safety-60 to tie the game 9-9.
Vercellino shook his defender to score with 5:50 in the sixth chukker to take a 10-9 lead. Maltese Falcons had scoring opportunities but couldn't take advantage. After the courtesy pony change, Zubia scored from 80 yards out through a crowd for an 11-9 lead.
Vercellino stopped a Maltese Falcons goal run attempt and Zubia saved a goal just on the doorstep and then ate up the clock to finish out the game.
Travieso finished the game outshooting Maltese Falcons, 18-15. Travieso's throw-in dominance continued, 13-8. Maltese Falcons led in knock-ins, 7-6 and fouls, 7-6. Travieso also won both its challenges.
Vercellino scored a game-high seven goals, with four penalty conversions including a safety-60. Zubia had four goals. For Maltese Falcons, Crowder led with four goals, Pieres and Alejandro Novillo Astrada each had two and Nacho Novillo Astrada added one.
Four teams are competing in the Palm Beach Open. Every team plays each other with the two best records advancing to the final.
The WPL, the winter season's biggest highlight, continues to make history as the only 26-goal polo played outside of Argentina. The WPL made its debut in 2018 to keep 26-goal polo alive and thriving. In September 2017, the USPA announced that 22 goals would be the maximum level of polo played beginning in 2019 with the C.V. Whitney Cup, USPA Gold Cup and U.S. Open.
The 26-goal World Polo League kicked off its seventh season on Feb. 16th making history with a first-of-its kind matchup. Casablanca captured the first-ever WPL 32-Goal All-Star Challenge Riemenschneider Memorial.
In front of a packed house, Casablanca (Sapo Caset, 9, Grant Ganzi, 3, Tommy Panelo, 10, Juan Martin Nero, 10) led from start to finish to defeat Santa Rita (Nic Roldan, 7, Tomacho Pieres, 6, Pablo MacDonough, 10, Juan Martin Zubia, 9), 8-5. Caset led Casablanca with a game-high five goals and was named MVP.
Casablanca made it two in a row capturing the Founders Cup with a hardfought 14-12 win over Alegria (Jason Crowder, 5, Fred Mannix, 7, Nic Roldan, 7, Tommy Collingwood, 5). Caset earned his second MVP award.
The final WPL tournament is the highly-coveted March 26-April 12 Triple Crown of Polo.
In last year's Palm Beach Open, Casablanca defended its title. Casablanca (Grant Ganzi, 3, Hilario Figueras, 6, Rufino Bensadon, 8, Sapo Caset, 9) broke open a close game in the fifth chukker to defeat Travieso (Tony Calle, 3, Tomacho Pieres, 6, Pipe Vercellino, 7, Juan Martin Nero, 10), 11-8. Caset was MVP.
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, 16, 20, 22 and 26-goal World Polo League, The 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.
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.
For more information on leagues or The Polo School contact Juan Bollini at 561-346-1099 or Cale Newman at 561-876-2930.