WELLINGTON, FL., March 12, 2025----The World Polo League resumes Thursday with the third 26-goal tournament of the season at Grand Champions Polo Club.
By Sharon Robb
Four teams will compete in the Palm Beach Open. Play begins Thursday with Travieso playing Tonkawa at 3 p.m. Tonkawa is making its WPL season debut.
Action continues Saturday with a doubleheader. At 10 a.m. Maltese Falcons plays Travieso and at 3 p.m. Tonkawa plays Casablanca. Casablanca and Maltese Falcons will also play on a day to be determined. Every team plays each other. The two best records advance 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 Palm Beach Open team lineups are:
Casablanca (26): Grant Ganzi, 3, Rufino Bensadon, 8, Sapo Caset, 9, Hilario Figueras, 6.
Maltese Falcons (22): Melissa Ganzi, Nic Roldan, 7, Gonzalito Pieres 8, Santi Toccalino, 7.
Tonkawa (26): Jeff Hildebrand, Mackenzie Weiss, 6, Pablo MacDonough, 10, Juan Martin Nero, 10.
Travieso (26): Tony Calle, 3, Pipe Vercellino, 7, Fred Mannix, 7, Juan Martin Zubia, 9.
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, 20, 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.