110 SIDELINES JANUARY 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
U.S. vs. U.K. Polo Rivalry Lives On
By Carrie Wirth
The U.S. vs. U.K. rivalry lived on at the International
Cup Tournament at the Grand Champions Polo
Club in Wellington, Florida, as both the U.S. and
Great Britain were on a quest to win the coveted
International Cup over Thanksgiving weekend. Marc
and Melissa Ganzi hosted the teams from the U.K. for
a long holiday weekend that culminated in a perfect
afternoon of polo. The Ganzi’s not only hosted the
event, but the couple, known as the “frst family” of
Wellington polo, both played on their respective U.S.
teams.
The U.S. women’s team and the U.K. women’s
team kicked off the afternoon with their match, which
resulted in a 7-2 win for Great Britain. When it came
time for the U.S. men’s team to face off against their
British counterparts, the pressure was on! A near
capacity crowd chanted “USA, USA” and the men
fought long and hard. Ultimately, Team USA edged
out the U.K. with an 8.5-6 victory.
“Any time you play England you know you’re in for
six chukkers of a war when these two countries get
together,” said Team USA’s Marc Ganzi.
Eight-goaler Nic Roldan was named Most Valuable
Player fnishing the game with an impressive
contribution of fve goals for Team USA.
“It’s a different feeling when you are representing
your country and wearing red, white and blue,”
Roldan said. “We knew it would be a battle and it
was.”
The game attracted a variety of celebrities and
dignitaries including American rapper Vanilla Ice,
who watched from the VIP tent with family and
friends and presented the team awards during
the post-game festivities. Wellington Mayor Bob
Margolis handled the coin toss for both games.
Richard Le Poer and Jeff Hall
MVP Nic Roldan and 2012 Miss
Universe, Lubica Stepanova,
contestant from The Slovak Republic.
Rapper Vanilla Ice presents Marc
Ganzi with the winning trophy.
Team USA MVP
Nic Roldan, Carlos
Gracida, Jr., Marc
Ganzi and Jeff
Hall.
All photos by
Alex Pacheco
Game MVP Nic Roldan beats England’s
Tom Morley to the ball.
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