NEWS

The highly anticipated, star-studded World Polo League (WPL) Polo Pride lived up to expectations this past Sunday, May 29, at Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington, Florida.

In an enthralling final, Eau Hotel (Talbot Logan, Emma Boers, Rosanna Turk, Grant Ganzi*) defeated defending champion Seminole Casino Coconut Creek (Haley Schaufeld, Sterling Jones, Vinny Sangaline, Juan Bollini) 5-4 in overtime in the second annual event benefitting the "It Gets Better Project."

Semfinal play took place earlier in the weekend to determine which teams would compete in the coveted WPL Polo Pride final. In first the semifinal, Eau Hotel’s Boers rode in ruthlessly, scoring all of her team’s three goals and spearheading a successful offensive effort to triumph over Wellington Equestrian Real Estate 3-2 and earn her team a spot in the final. In the following semifinal, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek narrowly defeated World Polo League, 6-5, with Bollini scoring back-to-back goals in the final two minutes.

Heading into the featured final, both teams were prepared for a fun and competitive match. After a scoreless opening chukker, Sangaline scored back-to-back goals to give Seminole Casino a 2-0 lead. Turk's goal cut the lead to one to end the half 2-1 in favor of Seminole Casino.

Entering the second half, Boers tactfully scored twice while Turk also found her way to the goal to put Eau Hotel in the lead for the first time at the end of the third chukker, 4-2.

Eager to settle the score, Sangaline came back on the field ready to catalyze his team’s offense with a goal early in the fourth chukker to cut the lead to 4-3. A minute later, he scored again to tie the game 4-all. As regulation time dwindled, the teams remained deadlocked, forcing overtime. But rising to the occasion, Boers explosively scored the winning goal for Eau Hotel to secure the 5-4 victory.

Boers, 27, was named Most Valuable Player. The British player based in Ascot scored three goals, including the game-winner. In the semifinals, she also scored three goals.

Boers underwent spinal surgery three years ago and was coming off an 18-month layoff of playing competitive polo.

"After a time out from polo, for me to come back and play yesterday I just tried to get back into it as quick as I could," Boers shared. "It made me even more determined to push harder. We were all out on the field, guns blazing. We were all hungry to win.”

"It means a lot winning it today," she continued. "I'm incredibly proud. It was very close. There was not one moment where I thought 'Oh God, we've got this.' We just had to keep going and luckily we managed to put it through in the final seconds."

Rated 5-goals among women and 1-goal in the men's ratings, Boers has represented England in South Africa and Zambia. She has also played in Argentina, France, Spain, Ireland, Malaysia and Thailand.

"The horses were absolutely incredible," Boers said. "The whole set up was amazing. The amount of work, money and sponsors they put into the tournament was incredible. It just felt amazing how much support we had on and off the field. It was mind-blowing and quite overwhelming. It means a lot [that] I'm even able to come back and play an event like this."

Actor Sterling Jones, who competes on snow, sand and grass, was awarded Most Improved Player. Jones' cheering section included Pitch Perfect actresses Rebel Wilson, Anna Kendrick and Kelley Jakle.

"It was a completely different level this year," Jones remarked. "It keeps getting bigger and better. We're getting some A class players from around the world [..] flying in all the way from London and showing us how it's done. It's impressive. This isn't a joke charity game, this was for real and it's nice. The name of the game was speed, speed, speed. Personally, I am just honored to play with such badass polo players out there. It's great to play alongside Grant Ganzi and have him give you some pointers while you're out there."

Muse, owned by Pablo Spinacci and played by Dan Batchelor, was the tournament's Best Playing Pony.

According to tournament organizers, 16 players, including pros Grant Ganzi, Jason Crowder, Sugar Erskine and Juan Bollini as well as five women from around the world, raised the bar in only the second year of the tournament's existence.

"There is a great competitive spirit," said co-host and guest announcer Marc Ganzi. "Of the teams this year versus last year, you can just see how everyone has brought their energy up and brought the horses up. It's just been incredibly good, fun, fair polo this weekend. I love how everyone came to compete."

In the Just For The Pride Of It subsidiary game, World Polo League (Alice Walsh, Cale Newman, Dan Batchelor, Sugar Erskine) defeated Wellington Equestrian Real Estate (Sarah Rainbolt, Richard Prather, Gonzalo Llosa, Jason Crowder), 3-2.

Newman, polo manager of Grand Champions, clinched the win when he converted a 30-yard penalty shot in sudden death.

In addition to Newman's game-winner, Batchelor and Walsh each had one goal. Rainbolt, who just started playing polo one week ago, scored her first career goal. Llosa also scored for Wellington Equestrian Real Estate.

The Tom Ford Effing Fabulous Awards for best falls of the tournament went to Sangaline and Llosa.

Polo, parties, drag shows, a panel discussion about "LGBTQ In Athletics," DJ Troubles, great food and newest sponsor Fifty States Vodka made for an enjoyable and jampacked, event for players, fans and sponsors while also helping to kick off June’s Pride month.

The three-day activities opened Friday night, May 27, at Santa Rita Polo Farm with the "Night at the Emerald City,” where the theme was the Wizard of Oz. Entertaining drag queens played the Good Witch and Bad Witch. Many guests dressed the part and danced the night away.

The panel discussion featured Sterling Jones; Mr. Hospitality PR & Communications Director and author Violet Camacho; Grand Champions polo manager Cale Newman; Boers and other polo players Vinny Sangaline and Agustin Arellano.

The "It Gets Better Project" was founded in the U.S. by gay activist and author Dan Savage and his husband Terry Miller. It is a non-profit with a mission to uplift, empower and connect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth around the world.

Internationally-renowned Brazilian pop artist Romero Britto designed the unique tournament awards. Britto lives in Miami and has a studio in the Wynwood Arts district.

*Grant Ganzi is Team USPA alumnus. Team USPA is a USPA program designed to enhance and grow the sport of polo in the United States by identifying young, talented American players and providing mentored training and playing opportunities leading to a pool of higher rated amateur and pro players and the resultant giveback to the sport of polo.

All photos courtesy of ©Candace Ferreira.