WELLINGTON, FL., February 17, 2025---Quite on Z held off defending champion Amaro Polo to win the Top Pony 8-Goal opener Sunday at Grand Champions Polo Club.
By Sharon Robb
Quite on Z (Alecia Seidler, -1, Joao Pedro Souza, 2, Artemio Figueras 2, Lucio Ocampo, 5) led for most of the game to knock off Amaro Polo (Scott Sorbaro, 0, Michael Armour, 0, Nick Manifold, 2, Kris Kampsen, 6), 13-12.
The second eight-goal tournament of the season lived up to expectations between two formidable opponents in a roller coaster game. Trailing 13-12 with 12 seconds lef, Amaro Polo had a chance to tie the game and send it into overtime but couldn't capitalize.
Amaro Polo jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the opening chukker behind Kampsen. After settling down, Quite on Z scored four unanswered goals in the second chukker. Souza converted a 40-yard penalty to tie the game, 3-3, and was awarded a penalty-one to take the lead, 4-3, for the first time. Quite on Z never trailed after that with Ocampo adding another goal to end the chukker at 5-3.
Both teams exchanged goals early in the third chukker. Kampsen scored with 2:56 to cut the lead to 6-5, but Quite on Z came back with goals from Ocampo and Figueras, off a long pass from Ocampo, to extend its lead and take an 8-5 advantage into halftime.
Amaro Polo outscored Quite on 3-1 in the fourth chukker to trail 9-8 going into the fifth chukker.
The roller coaster ride continued in the fifth and sixth chukkers with Quite on Z maintaining its two goal lead, 11-9, going into the sixth while Amaro Polo missed two scoring opportunities, one from the field and one from the penalty line.
Figueras' goal with 5:02 left gave Quite on Z a 13-9 lead putting the game out of reach or so it seemed. Amaro Polo clawed its way back for three unanswered goals to cut the lead, 13-12, but could get no closer.
Ocampo led Quite on Z with six goals, Figueras had four amd Souza had two. The team was also awarded a penalty-one. Kampsen scored a game-high seven goals including five penalty conversions. Manifold and Armour each had two goals and Sorbaro added one.
Tournament bracket play continues this week in the five-team league. After bracket play and all teams have had two games, the teams will be ranked 1-5 based on record. A single player shootout will be used as a tiebreaker. Top two teams advance to the final. Third and fourth place teams will play a subsidiary final.
The first eight-goal tournament of the season was the Aspen Valley Cup won by Quite on Z (Ricky Bueno, -1, Joao Pedro Souza, 2, Artemio Figueras, 2, Lucio Ocampo, 5) for the second consecutive year with a 12-7 win over Newport.
In last year's final, Amaro Polo led from start to finish to win the Top Pony 8-Goal Tournament. Amaro (Scott Sorbaro, 0, Nick Manifold, 2, Kris Kampsen, 6, Michael Armour, 0) jumped out to a 7-2 halftime lead against Victory Polo (Tiffany Armstrong, 0, Kevin Schmeits, 0/Vinny Sangaline, 1, Leo Mandelbaum, 2, Tommy Collingwood, 5) and went on to win the four-team tournament, 11-9. Kampsen, rated at 6 goals for 23 consecutive years, was named 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, 20, and 26-goal leagues, 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 either Grand Champions and Santa Rita Polo Farm.
The 26-goal World Polo League is the club's highlight of the season. 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 10-goalers Pablo MacDonough, Juan Martin Nero and Tommy Panelo.
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.