World Polo League's Triple Crown Of Polo Tournament Begins Friday

WELLINGTON, Fl., March 28, 2019----Who will join Valiente, Grand Champions and SD Farms in the winners' circle after the fourth and final World Polo League Triple Crown of Polo tournament? Stay tuned.

The much-anticipated two-week, 26-goal season finale begins Friday with one game. In Bracket A play, Colorado will play Black Watch at 11 a.m.

Eight teams will compete for the magnificent Tiffany & Co-designed trophy. Alegria, Black Watch, Colorado and Valiente are in Bracket A. Audi and Grand Champions will join new teams Mandarina and World Polo League, making their debut, in Bracket B.

Team rosters are:

Alegria, 26: Freddie Mannix, 8, Jesse Bray, 6, Gringo Colombres, 7, Juan Martin Obregon, 6.

Audi, 26: Marc Ganzi, 2, Nic Roldan, 8, Pablo MacDonough, 10, Kris Kampsen, 6.

Black Watch, 24: Juan Cruz Merlos, 5, Nacho Figueras, 6, Pite Merlos, 8T, Tommy Biddle, 5.

Colorado, 26: Rob Jornayvaz, 2, Juan Martin Zubia, 7, Jero del Carril, 7, Adolfo Cambiaso, 10.

Grand Champions, 26: Grant Ganzi, 3, Juancito Bollini, 4, Rodrigo Andrade, 9, Juan Martin Nero, 10.

Mandarina, 22: Melissa Ganzi, A, Alfredo Bigatti, 8, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 8, Pablo Spinacci, 6.

Valiente: Alejandro (Jejo) Taranco, 8, Santi Torres, 6, Pelon Stirling, 10, TBA.

World Polo League: Agustin Nero, 6T, Guillermo Terrera, 8, Diego Cavanagh, 9, TBA.

Team sponsor Mandarina Polo & Equestrian Club is located along the Riviera Nayarit, nearly a 200-mile stretch of coastline in the Western Mexican state of Nayarit. The Mexican club and Aspen Valley Polo Club partnered last summer to benefit both clubs' growing membership.

Designed by Tiffany & Co., the Triple Crown of Polo trophy is comprised of three separate trophies that fit perfectly together to create an entire polo scene that is breathtaking in sterling silver.

The WPL tournament winners will be inscribed on the trophy and added to an impressive list of teams that feature several top players including Sebastian Merlos, Mike Azzaro, Tommy Biddle, Adam Snow, Nic Roldan, Matias Magrini, Jeff Hall, Mariano Gonzalez, Michel Dorignac and Kris Kampsen.

The Triple Crown of Polo, an ESPN2 television series, was created in 2005 by David McLane, known for Pro Beach Hockey, Women of Wrestling and Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, to help promote polo in the U.S. The show was seen in 129 countries.

The spectacular trophy was created for the event that had stops at the Sarasota Polo Club, Las Colinas Polo Club in Dallas and Santa Barbara Polo Club the first year in 2006 and Sarasota and New Bridge Polo and Country Club in Aiken, South Carolina in 2007 during its heyday before it went on hiatus.

The first three WPL tournaments during the inaugural season have thrilled record crowds, worldwide livestream viewing audiences and sponsors at Grand Champions, Valiente Polo Farm and Jan Pamela Field.

In the season-opening All Star Challenge Tournament, Valiente (Agustin Nero, 6, Santi Torres, 6, Pablo MacDonough, 10, Poroto Cambiaso, 3) earned a 10-9 overtime victory over Colorado (Rob Jornayvaz, 2, Juan Martin Zubia, 7, Rodrigo Andrade, 9, Jero del Carril, 7).

In the Founders Cup final, Grand Champions (Grant Ganzi, 3, Juancito Bollini, 4, Rodrigo Andrade, 9, Juan Martin Nero, 10), knocked off Valiente (Bob Jornayvaz, 2, Agustin Nero, 6, Santi Torres, 6, Adolfo Cambiaso, 10), 12-11 in overtime.

In last weekend's Palm Beach Open, SD Farms (Sayyu Dantata, 2, Santi Torres, 6, Guillermo Terrera, 8, Adolfo Cambiaso, 10) won its first 26-goal title in team history with an 11-6 rout of Audi (Marc Ganzi, 2, Nic Roldan, 8, Pablo MacDonough, 10, Kris Kampsen, 6). It was also the first 26-goal WPL tournament wins for Dantata and Cambiaso.

During this month's action, Grand Champions and Valiente are also launching the inaugural U.S. National Mixed Doubles Championship, featuring two men and two women with combined handicaps playing for a beautifully-designed original trophy.

The WPL is being live streamed on ESPN Deportes and ChukkerTV/Horseplay with Gus Whitelaw calling the action. For more information go to www.worldpolo.org.

Co-founded by Grand Champions owners Melissa and Marc Ganzi and Valiente Polo Farm owner Bob Jornayvaz, the World Polo League is the only 26-goal polo in the world outside of Argentina. The WPL is preserving the highest level of polo and its rich, hallowed tradition in the U.S. 

"Every tournament the polo has gotten better and better," Jornayvaz said. "The polo is exactly what we wanted. It took us a while to get the umpires in synch with the players in terms of how we were going to play. The umpires have done a phenomenal job of letting us play.

"I like the speed, the style and the flow," Jornayvaz said. "This year was all about getting the polo right and we've got the polo right. You hate to already start talking about next year but we already have more teams, we're better organized, we've got more fields.

"It was just getting the polo right and they would come. They had to know we were playing for real, the speed was real and the umpiring was the way you could only call dangerous fouls. I'm just really proud we got the polo right first. It really was a case of build it, they will come."

The World Polo League has attracted a large international field of players from all corners of the world  including  Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Nigeria, New Zealand, Uruguay and U.S.

Grand Champions and Santa Rita Polo Farm is the largest and most unique polo facility in Wellington with 120 stalls in five self-contained barns, exercise track, five climate-controlled tack rooms, vet room, staff quarters, guest house and three polo fields with state-of-the-art underground irrigation including one field for stick-and-ball with plans to build more polo fields in the future.