|
|
 |
|
PoloThe Equestrian Aid Foundation Announces the 2012 Sidelines Annual Equestrian Tetrathlon
Bruce Duchossois and Scot Evans have dedicated their time as Co-chairs for the event to help raise awareness in the equestrian community and raise funds to assist those in need. The Tetrathlon will focus around a “Wild, Wild West” theme, the Gold Rush. The highlight of the evening will be the world-class horsemen and women in the greatest discipline switch to ever be anticipated. The four disciplines include dressage, reining, show jumping and polo. “This is our major fundraiser for the year,” said Co-chair Duchossois. “This event brings all disciplines together to participate in the fundraiser and give back to the equestrian community.” Ellerstina Wins 2011 Tortugas Open Final in Argentina with Last Second Goal
La Dolfina and Ellerstina were playing out the additional 30 seconds in the last chukker of the Final of the Tortugas Open in Argentina on Saturday 15 October 2011. La Dolfina, who led throughout the match, missed a big chance to seal what could have been their first title in the opening competition of the Triple Crown in Argentina, when Adolfo Cambiaso failed to convert a 60-yard penalty, with less than a minute to go on the clock. In a dramatic final chukker, Facundo Pieres scored two goals that allowed Ellerstina to tie at 13-13, after being outscored by La Dolfina during the whole game. But with only two seconds left on the clock and with everyone expecting extra time, Gonzalo Pieres Jr took the ball and scored the goal that meant not only a 14-13 win over La Dolfina, but also Ellerstina’s fifth consecutive title in the Tortugas Open. Ellerstina have now won a total of six Tortugas Open Finals, with five of them consecutively (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011). This win also keeps Ellerstina’s hopes alive of completely a back-to-back Triple Crown victory as they now prepare for the second leg of the title – the Hurlingham Open, from October 18 – November 6, 2011. Team Audi Victorious in Julius Baer Beach Polo World Cup Sylt 2011
New champions have been crowned at The Julius Baer Beach Polo World Cup Sylt after the Audi team of Siegfried Grohs from Germany and Argentina’s Gastón Maiquez overcame Julius Baer in the final to take the title. After two close chukkas, the Julius Baer team of Germany’s Sven Schneider and fifteen year old Lukas Sdrenka opened up a 5-3 lead in the third, but six handicap Gastón Maiquez kept his side in the match scoring three unanswered goals to lead 5-6 going into the fourth chukka. The final chukka saw Maiquez in devastating form, scoring two more goals to take a 5-8 lead and despite a late surge from team Julius Baer, Audi held on, eventually winning 7-8. Maiquez performance saw him named the Julius Baer Leading Scorer, and with Julius Baer contributing €200 for every goal scored by the Leading Scorer, Maiquez’s outstanding total of 14 goals over the tournament raised €2,800 towards the event’s official charity, Coastal Protection Foundation Sylt. When combined with additional donations made during the weekend, over €15,000 was handed over to the charity by Julius Baer during the prize giving ceremony. Julius Baer to Face Audi in the Julius Baer Beach Polo World Cup Sylt 2011 Lukas Sdrenka from Team Julius Baer competes for a high flying ball Saturday 11 June 2011 — On the opening day of the Julius Baer Beach Polo World Cup, played on the stunning island of Sylt in Northern Germany, team Julius Baer saw off strong opposition to win Pool B and will now go on to face Audi in The Final on Sunday 12th June. The six teams in the competition were split into two Pools and under the American Tournament system, played each other in a series of two chukka matches. The Julius Baer team of fifteen year old Lukas Sdrenka (Handicap 0) and Sven Schneider (3) both from Germany came through to win Pool B, whilst their opponents in The Final will be the Audi team of Argentina’s Gaston Maiquez (6) and Germany’s Siegfried Grohs (0). Established in 2008 and now in its fourth year, the Julius Baer Beach Polo World Cup is Germany’s most popular polo event and is watched by over 10,000 spectators during the weekend. The tournament has strong links with the community of Sylt and is a leading supporter of the Coastal Protection Foundation Sylt; a charity established to protect the eroding coastline around the island. South Africa Wins First International Weekend at International Polo Club Palm Beach
 South African Polo Team at International Weekend at International Polo Club Palm Beach. Photo Credit: Lila Photo Wellington – South Africa showed off its toughness and strength by winning four sports, including men’s rugby and polo, to defeat the United States 11-10 and capture the inaugural International Weekend championship Sunday at International Polo Club Palm Beach. The polo match was the deciding factor for the International Weekend, a series of seven sports between teams from South Africa and the U.S. South Africa rallied from a four-goal deficit to beat the U.S. 7-4 in the series finale and clinch the overall title. South Africa earned two points in polo, men’s rugby, tennis and women’s rugby. The United States won the golf, croquet and women’s field hockey competitions. Wayne Ferreira of South Africa, a former Top 10 singles player, was caught up in the excitement of the entire weekend, watching rugby, cricket and polo in addition to playing three tennis matches. “I play an individual sport so to play on a team and a team representing your country, is very special,” said Ferreira. “It’s been a wonderful weekend.” South Africa Takes 8-7 Lead over the United States during International Weekend at IPC
 South America rugby players and staff celebrate their victory at the first annual International Weekend. Photo Credit: Lila Photography Wellington, FL (April 23, 2011) – Fueled by their rugged rugby “sevens” and scintillating tennis, South Africa took an 8-7 advantage over the United States after the first day of the inaugural International Weekend Saturday at International Polo Club Palm Beach. Four men’s rugby teams featuring world-class players rarely seen in South Florida entertained an appreciative crowd of more than 500 spectators. The hard-hitting, fast-paced sport was compared to American football without pads and drew frequent applause from the crowd. Top-seeded South America, featuring several young Brazilian national 7s players, defeated No. 2 seed South Africa 24-14 in the final. They were joined by the U.S. and Great Britain as the four teams played in a round-robin to determine the final seedings. South Africa, led by Emerging Springboks Earl Lewis and Cameron Peverett, rallied from a 12-0 deficit to defeat the USA 33-12 in a first-round match. “Spectators who had never seen rugby before had a sense of awe about the sport,” said Gavin Curtis, head coach of the Fort Lauderdale rugby club who refereed the tournament. “Rugby people said what a great facility this is.” 2nd Annual International Gay Polo Tournament Continues to Be a Hit! Team PMG vs. Team Palm Beach Rox / Polo Gear USA. Photo Credit: Alyson Sanderford/PMG Wellington, FL – April 2, 2011 – The Second Annual International Gay Polo Tournament, presented by Grand Champions Polo Club, was held today, April 2, at the beautiful Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington, FL. This event, in its second year, was a huge success both on and off the field with both players and spectators enjoying a fun day of exciting polo competition. Two matches were held Friday morning to decide which teams would play when on Saturday. Team Palm Beach Rox/Polo Gear and Team Phelps Media group proved victorious over their opponents: Team Pure Thoughts Horse Rescue and Team Wellington Equestrian Realty. After being named Friday’s winners, Team Palm Beach Rox/Polo Gear USA and Team Phelps Media Group competed for the ultimate bragging rights and the title of GPL tournament winner in today’s 3:00 p.m. game. The first game of the day began at 1:00 p.m., as the consolation game of the tournament. Team Pure Thoughts Horse Rescue and Team Wellington Equestrian Realty faced off for third and fourth place honors. After four chukkers of polo, scores were tied at two goals apiece. Talbot Logan from Wellington Equestrian Realty scored two goals during regulation, while John Wigdahl and Professional player Joey Casey each had one for Pure Thoughts Horse Rescue. The officials decided to have a shoot off to decide the tie game, where each player got a shot on goal. Team Pure Thoughts Horse Rescue proved the best, as they scored two more goals than Wellington Equestrian Realty to land them with the game’s win and third place in the tournament. 2011 Challenge of the Americas Raises $275,000 for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation Mason Phelps, Mary Ross and Brian O'Connor at the 2011 Challenge of the Americas Photo Credit: Susan J. Stickle Photography Wellington, FL – March 22, 2011 – The tenth annual Challenge of the Americas competition and Gala were held Saturday evening, March12, at the beautiful International Polo Club Palm Beach. Held as a benefit for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and Play for P.I.N.K., the event raised approximately $275,000 in support of research to help find a cure for this disease that has affected so many lives. The Challenge Gala got underway following an exciting evening of equestrian competition that included the first ever four-on-four polo match, where Team Vanderbilt-Ingram proved victorious. Following polo the musical quadrille team challenge commenced with Team Purina USA earning the winning score in this fantabulous event. This year’s gala, a sold-out affair with almost 600 in attendance, featured an evening of dinner and dancing and was held in the New Nespresso Lodge just off Piaget Field at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. The sit-down dinner, silent auction and dancing was enjoyed by top riders, trainers and judges from the equestrian world of dressage and polo, along with generous sponsors and supporters. Held as a benefit for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation over the last ten years, the Challenge of the Americas has raised over 1.5 million since its inception in 2002. This year they will once again add a generous donation to that total. President of Play for P.I.N.K., spoke at the Gala and acknowledged all that Challenge of the Americas has done for breast cancer research. Play for P.I.N.K. (Prevention, Immediate diagnosis, New technology, Knowledge) is a grassroots organization dedicated to raising funds to fight breast cancer, by creating and promoting awareness of breast cancer through sporting and lifestyle events. They contribute 100% of all funds raised to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Team USA – Purina Mills Wins Dressage Quadrille, Team Vanderbilt-Ingram Victorious in Polo Match at 10th Annual Challenge of the Americas Team USA. All photos: Susan J. Stickle Photography March 12, 2011 – Tonight was a gorgeous evening, where Team Purina USA performed a stunning quadrille under the lights at this year’s Challenge of the Americas. In its tenth year, the Challenge of the Americas is an annual fundraiser for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and Play for P.I.N.K., and is sponsored by the International Polo Club Palm Beach. Team USA beat Team International and Team Can/America by earning the evening’s highest score of 93.95, marking their first ever win during the Challenge. It was not an easy fight, however, as Team International scored a very close 91.95. Throughout the performance, the teams were judged on impact on the audience, spacing and alignment, choreography interpretation, and harmony. This year’s United States Team featured Betsy Steiner, aboard Domingo, owned by TAH Enterprises and Trisha Hessinger, George Williams riding Sandro Simian, owned by Mitzi Presnell and Holly Shook, Pamela Goodrich showing Karateka III owned by Judy Sprieser, Bill Warren with Romantic, owned by Team Romantic LLC, Jim Koford riding Liberty, owned by Barbara Marks, and John Zopatti aboard Fabio, owned by Christina Hewitt and sponsored by Blue Marlin Farms. Terry Ciotti-Gallo handled the team’s choreography, music and coaching. The winning team completed passages, tempi changes, half passes and pirouettes, all in perfect harmony with one another. They performed to an original melody of music featuring the theme of New York, honoring the Twin Towers. The team opened with “Two Yankees”, followed by Jay-Z and Alicia Keyes’ “New York” and ended their performance with Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York”. Arenus Announces Sponsorship of Challenge of the Americas at International Polo Club Palm Beach to Benefit Breast Cancer Research Arenus will be sponsoring the polo portion of the competition which takes place March 12 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, Florida. (Photo courtesy of Sue Stickle) Wellington, FL (March 10, 2011) – Arenus, a premier provider of innovative health and nutrition products for pets and horses, is pleased to announce they are sponsors of The Challenge of the Americas, a Grand Prix International Musical Freestyle Quadrille Team Challenge and Polo Extravaganza to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and Play for P.I.N.K. (Prevention, Immediate diagnosis, New technology, Knowledge). The Challenge of the Americas will be held at the International Polo Club Palm Beach on March 12. “The Challenge of the Americas is well known in the equestrian world for its spectacular performances and the fact that it raises money to fight breast cancer. Arenus is pleased to be part of the 10th Anniversary of The Challenge of the Americas and we are excited to announce that we are sponsoring the polo playing during the event,” said Kristen Galvan, an Arenus Sales Specialist for the southeast. The Challenge of the Americas is an annual fundraiser and a one-of-a-kind affair that highlights the equestrian sports of dressage and polo. Riders competing in the event make up a “Who’s Who” of top equestrians from the United States, Canada, Latin American and Europe. The Challenge Gala, an elegant evening of dinner and dancing, gets underway immediately following The Challenge of the Americas competition. An awards presentation will be featured and guests will have the chance to meet and socialize with riders and judges. |
Wellington, FL – October 24, 2011 – The Equestrian Aid Foundation is pleased to announce the 2012 Sidelines Annual Equestrian Tetrathlon, Sunday, February 5, 2012. The second annual event will be held at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center in West Palm Beach, Florida to benefit the Equestrian Aid Foundation. The event will feature the best of Palm Beach’s restaurant fare and cocktails as well as guest chefs preparing food that will entice your palette. The event will also include both live and silent auction items in tandem with exhilarating entertainment.
