Grand Champions Polo Club Announces Dates for Women’s Championship Tournament

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WELLINGTON, FL – February 4, 2013 – The eighth annual Women’s Championship Tournament, the only women’s polo event-of-its-kind in the world, will be hosted by Grand Champions Polo Club, April 3-6.

The final and subsidiary final will be held Saturday, April 6.

“Grand Champions Polo Club is excited and honored to host the WCT for the second consecutive year,” said Piaget player-patron Melissa Ganzi.

Ganzi and her husband Marc will host the four-day event that showcases the best women’s polo players.

Last year’s round-robin tournament featured seven teams with players from all over the world including South Africa, Jamaica and Hawaii.

“We are the LPGA of women’s polo,” said WCT founder Sunny Hale. “Women come to play from all over after qualifying.”

Hale and her Goose Creek team won last year’s 3-6 goal championship title with a 5-3 victory over Prima. Hale was named Most Valuable Player after scoring five goals. Hale was joined by Julia Smith, Maureen Brennan and Clarissa Echezaretta on the winning team.

In the 0-2 goal championship final, Speedwell defeated Oakley 8, 7-3. Vero Beach-based Tiffany Busch was named Most Valuable Player.

“This isn’t little backyard polo,” Busch said. “Between putting together awesome teams and the caliber of horses, this is the big time for women. You have got to come and you got to come prepared. If you bleed a little bit, that’s OK.”

Hale said in addition to the women’s tournament, a junior girls’ tournament will be held in conjunction with the event.

Last year a junior girls’ game was held and attracted several up-and-coming junior players including Mia Cambiaso, the daughter of 10-goaler Adolfo Cambiaso; Jackie Casey, the daughter of player and top coach Joey Casey; and Riley Ganzi, the daughter of Marc and Melissa Ganzi, all members of the champion Catena team, 1-0 winners over Grand Champions.

“We have the template for the largest women’s series in the world but I was so excited about organizing the junior girls’ game for the first time,” Hale said. “We want to take it a step further and have a tournament for junior girls.

“This is truly the next generation of players and to have their player-fathers bringing them is what I want to open the door for,” Hale said.

Hale is the first woman in U.S. history to win the U.S. Open Polo Championship with Tim Gannon’s Outback in 2000. The seven-time Player of the Year is the most decorated woman’s polo player. Her highest ranking has been five.

Hale is regarded as one of the top woman’s players in the world and currently rated at 3 goals.

Hale’s most recent appearance at Grand Champions Polo Club was as a member of the U.S. women’s team that lost to powerful Great Britain in the International Cup doubleheader on November 25.

The growth of women’s polo is skyrocketing, spearheaded by the Women’s Championship Tournament series founded in 2005 to consolidate women’s polo and promote high quality competition throughout the world.

A Women’s Tournament Committee was created to encourage and increase the participation of women in the USPA, polo’s national governing body, to improve the standard of women’s polo.

The USPA U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championships and Women’s U.S. Handicap are both qualifier events for the 2013 WCT Championship event.

The WCT Finals perpetual trophy is on display at the Lake Worth-based National Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame. It was presented to the WCT from Bill Kraft of Catena USA.

GRAND CHAMPIONS POLO CLUB

WHERE: On the corner of South Shore Boulevard and Lake Worth Road, Wellington.

INFORMATION: There are great field side views for tournament action at the home base of pro teams Audi and Piaget. Everyone is welcome to watch polo during the spring and fall tournament season and other special events including the Buzz Welker Memorial Junior Tournament, Women’s Championship Tournament and Gay Polo League Tournament.

Sharon Robb for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International

MEDIA CONTACT:
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
12012 South Shore Blvd #105
Wellington, FL 33414
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pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
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