WELLINGTON, Fla., January 31, 2024--The Limited Edition 12-Goal Series got underway Monday with Quite on Z continuing its winning ways.
By Sharon Robb
Photos by Candace Ferreira
A day after winning the Aspen Valley 8-Goal Cup, Quite on Z (Alecia Seidler, 0, Artemio Figueras, 1, Keko Magrini, 6, Hilario Figueras, 5) knocked off defending champion Wind Swept (Jason Crowder, 5, Harrison Reicher, 0, Tincho Merlos, 7, Govinda Quish), 9-4, in the opener at Santa Rita Polo Farm.
The two balanced teams had a couple good runs in the opening two chukkers but couldn't take advantage playing to a 0-0 first chukker and 1-1 second chukker.
Quite on Z started to control the tempo and physicality in the third chukker while showing more offense for a 3-0 advantage and 4-1 halftime lead. It was all Quite on Z in the second half, outscoring Wind Swept, 5-3.
Artemio Figueras scored a game-high six goals including three penalty conversions for Quite on Z. Older brother Hilario Figueras added three. Argentine former 10-goaler Tincho Merlos was held to two goals. Crowder and Reicher each had one.
The Limited Edition 12-Goal Series features four teams. The other two are 90210 Polo and Amaro Polo.
In last year's 12-goal final, Wind Swept rallied in the final two chukkers to capture its first Limited Edition 12-Goal Series title. Wind Swept (Harrison Reicher, 0, Rufino Merlos, 1, Tincho Merlos, 7, Baldo Palomeque, 4) scored six unanswered goals in the second half and won, 13-10, over Oriflamme (Jason Crowder, 5, Frankie Bilbao, 4, Benn Shepherd, 0, Jason Warren, 3).
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 Polo League, WCT Finals, several PTF junior tournaments, World Polo League, World Polo League Pride and Sunset Chukkers & Cocktails at both Grand Champions and Santa Rita.
The season's biggest highlight is the sixth season of the World Polo League, the only 26-goal polo played outside of Argentina, featuring some of the world's top players including 10-goalers Pablo MacDonough, Jeta Castagnola and Juan Martin Nero, former 10-goaler Gonzalito Pieres, Alejandro Novillo Astrada and hometown favorite Nic Roldan, the second highest ranked American at 8 goals.
Other high goal season highlights are the Sterling Cup (20 goals), USPA Butler Handicap (18-22 goals), Feb. 7-24 $100,000 World Cup (0-40 goals) and Feb. 27-March 10 Santa Rita Abierto (20 goals).
With the Aspen Valley 8-Goal already decided, the remaining January tournaments are the Metropolitan 6 Goal Cup and Limited Edition 12-Goal Series. The Polo School Women's Polo League got under way on Jan. 24 and runs through April playing every Wednesday at Santa Rita Polo Farm. It is the longest running women's league in the nation.