Valiente tops GSA 8-6 to take Ylvisaker Cup
Wellington father and son combine to win high goal event.
WELLINGTON — After being rained out and disqualified in its first two attempts to win it, Valiente finally captured the Ylvisaker Cup on Sunday at International Polo Club Palm Beach. The foursome of Bob Jornayvaz, Bautista Panelo, Santi Torres and Adolfo Cambiaso defeated GSA, the comeback team of the tournament, 8-6.
GSA’s Henry Porter, Dylan Rossiter, Mariano Gonzalez and Matias Magrini nearly did it again, taking a 4-3 halftime lead. GSA had worked its way through the 13-team tournament with a wild card, shootout and overtime win. But it was unable to work its magic one final time.
Cambiaso got hot and Valiente turned it on in the second half, holding GSA scoreless until the 2:39 mark of the fifth chukker. Cambiaso scored four second-half goals, including three on penalty shots, and Torres added another goal in the sixth chukker. GSA could get no closer than two goals with 3:42 left in the game.
Cambiaso, ranked No. 1 in the world, finished with six goals and was named Most Valuable Player. Macarena, owned and ridden by Gonzalez, was selected Best Playing Pony.
GSA, sponsored by Global Student Accommodation, was making its high goal finals debut at IPC. The team got balanced scoring from Rossiter and Gonzalez, each with two goals, and Porter and Magrin with one each.
George Haas Cup: Wellington’s Marc and Grant Ganzi of Audi became the first father and son to win a high goal tournament in the club’s history when Audi captured the subsidiary final. It was also Grant Ganzi’s second Haas Cup, after winning with Audi at 15.
Nico Pieres and Nic Roldan and the Ganzis led Audi to a 14-9 victory over Travieso (Mackie Weisz, Tony Calle, Sebastian Merlos, Tomas Garcia del Rio) in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader. Pieres was named Most Valuable Player and Flor, ridden by Del Rio, was Best Playing Pony.
Roldan scored a game-high seven goals. Pieres and Marc Ganzi each scored three and Grant Ganzi added one. Del Rio was leading scorer for Travieso with four.
At 15, Weisz, who substituted for team sponsor Teo Calle, was the youngest player on the field.
Busy week ahead: This week, two new tournaments will begin at IPC. The 20-goal Iglehart Cup opens Wednesday at noon with Coca-Cola playing Prestige Worldwide.
The 26-goal season opens with the C.V. Whitney Cup Wednesday at 3 p.m. with Daily Racing Form playing Valiente. On Thursday at 3:30 p.m., Grand Champions Polo Club plays Colorado. Only four teams entered. The subsidiary and final are Sunday at noon and 3 p.m.
Also this week at Grand Champions Polo Club, the Sterling Cup begins Friday with two games. Tonkawa plays Flexjet at 10 a.m., and SD Farms plays Dutta Corp at noon. The final is March 17th. Cambiaso and Sapo Caset of Tonkawa head the eight-team field.