WELLINGTON, FL., February 8, 2025----Grand Champions Polo Club will add another page to the World Polo League history books when it hosts the first 32-goal game.
By Sharon Robb
Photos by Candace Ferreira
On Sunday, Feb. 16 at 4 p.m., the season-opening All-Star Challenge Final Riemenschneider Memorial will feature two 32-goal games with three 10-goal rated players competing for the coveted trophy.
In the 64-goal clash, Casablanca will feature Grant Ganzi (3 goals), Sapo Caset (9), Tommy Panelo, (10), and Juan Martin Nero (10) playing Santa Rita with Tomacho Pieres (6), Nic Roldan (7), Pablo MacDonough (10) and Juan Martin Zubia (9).
The 26-goal World Polo League kicks off its seventh season with the first-of-its kind matchup at the nation's largest club. The remaining three WPL tournaments are: Feb. 19-March 2 Founders Cup; March 5-23 Palm Beach Open and March 26-April 12 Triple Crown of Polo.
MacDonough and Nero were 10-goalers when they competed in the WPL's debut season in 2018. Panelo is making his GCPC debut as a freshly-minted 10-goaler.
Panelo became the newest member to the elite 10-goaler list last May. In 2024, his second winter season in Wellington, the 24-year-old played for La Dolfina with 10-goaler Poroto Cambiaso. He qualified for all three finals of the C.V. Whitney Cup, Gold Cup and U.S. Open. He won both the Gold Cup, where he was the MVP after scoring more than half of his team's goals, and U.S. Open.
MacDonough is coming off his 13th Argentine Open title. He won the 40-goal game with La Natividad for the second consecutive year. In addition, MacDonough, captain of the champion team, received the Open Cup from Argentine President Javier Milei, in what was the most applauded moment of the historic final. MacDonough has won the Argentine Open 13 times with three teams--Ellerstina, La Dolfina and La Natividad and qualified for 17 finals.
Nero has won 12 Argentine Opens, eight Hurlingham Opens and eight Tortugas Opens. His victory while playing for La Dolfina in 2015 made them the only team to win the Triple Crown for three years. His last Argentine Open win was in 2022 with La Dolfina teammates Adolfo and Poroto Cambiaso and Pelon Stirling where Nero swept MVP and BPP honors.
It will be the third year for the Richard "Remo" Riemenschneider Memorial Cup. Richard's wife Andrea chose a silver plate that had been given to his parents on their wedding anniversary to be the perpetual trophy.
On Sept. 23, 2022, the polo world lost the former Polo Training Foundation Chairman and longtime supporter. His years of service to the Polo Training Foundation, Virginia Polo Center and the USPA through volunteering, fundraising and mentoring showcase a lifelong commitment to the sport of polo. In 2016, Remo was inducted into the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame for his lifelong dedication to the sport.
The World Polo League made its debut in 2018 to preserve the hallowed tradition of 26-goal polo. In September 2017, the sport's governing body (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 WPL is the only 26-goal polo played outside of Argentina.
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, 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, particularly grass roots youth. 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.