WPL: Triple Crown of Polo

“They say it’s like one in a thousand games we have our chance. We happened to have an unbelievable day”

Waqaas Al-Siddiq

Santos Bollini & Waqaas Al-Siddiq in action during the Final

Underdogs Up the Ante Defending champions knocked off top spot

23 MAR 16 APR FINAL

World Polo League Triple Crown of Polo Final Teams

Pampa Norte Biotricity (20)

Waqaas Al-Siddiq (0) Pipe Vercellino (7) Inaki Laprida (7) Martin Jauregui (6)

Richard Mille (25)

Santos Bollini (2) Grant Ganzi (3) Pablo MacDonough (10) Juan Martin Nero (10)

Saturday 16 April was a bumper day of action at Grand Champions Polo Club, with Seminole Casino Coconut Creek starting off the day with a 16-12 win against Casablanca in The Sterling Cup Final, followed by The Santa Rita Abierto Work To Ride fundraiser. Before The Triple Crown of Polo Final between underdogs Pampa Norte Biotricity and defending champions Richard Mille could get underway, Team Fastrax skydivers displayed the American and World Polo League flags while landing at midfield during the National Anthem.

Richard Mille, The World Polo League Triple Crown of Polo defending champions, were knocked off their top spot by Pampa Norte Biotricity at Grand Champions Polo Club. Pipe Vercellino led his team to victory, scoring four goals and was named Most Valuable Player, while Juan Martin Nero scored eight goals for Richard Mille in an attempt to retain the title. Vercellino commented on his team’s win, “For me this was really important. It was 26goal, the highest level after Argentina and highest level here in the U.S. To win the last tournament of the World Polo League is amazing for me playing the first time in the league. To win a tournament is incredible. It can’t be better to finish the season like that.” Going into the tournament Pampa Norte Biotricity were the underdogs, with just a 20 goal handicap, but this played into their favour as they started the Final with a five goal handicap advantage and they led for the first two chukkas. Richard Mille bounced back with four unanswered goals which left them trailing by just one goal at halftime, 8-7. Naysayers were proven wrong in the second half as Pampa Norte Biotricity continued to lead, refusing to let Richard Mille get ahead and finished the Final with a score of 14-13.

This was World Polo League’s last grass tournament of the 2022 season, with the remaining 26 goal tournament, The WPL Beach Polo World Cup in Miami Beach, being played in, you guessed it, Miami Beach.

MVP

Pipe Vercellino “For me this was really important. It was 26-goal, the highest level after Argentina and highest level here in the US”

Pipe Vercellino

Photography by Candace Ferreira Juan Martin Nero in pursuit of MVP Pipe Vercellino

World Polo League 2022 Results

All-Star Challenge: Audi beat White Birch Tommy Hitchcock Legacy Memorial: Seminole Coconut Creek Casino beat Brookshire Polo Founders Cup: Audi beat Seminole Casino Coconut Creek Palm Beach Open: Catamount beat Richard Mille

BPP

World Polo League Best Playing

Pony: Open New Zealand, played by Inaki Laprida

BPP

APHA Best Playing Pony: Matsu, played by Juan Martin Nero

BPP

Argentine Best Playing Pony:

Irenita Subaru, played by Pablo MacDonough