14 Teams, led by Defending Champion Las Monjitas, Crab Orchard and White Birch, Enter the Stanford U.S. Open Championship at International Polo Club
WELLINGTON, FL (March 19, 2007) – Fourteen teams, the second-most in the 103-year history of the event, have entered the 26-goal Stanford U.S. Open Championships, the final leg of the Big Three tournaments at International Polo Club Palm Beach. The Stanford U.S. Open, which began in 1904, is the most prestigious tournament in the United States. This is its fourth consecutive season at International Polo Club.
The draw was held Monday at the club’s Mallet Grille. The complete schedule will be released in the next few days. However, the semifinals are scheduled for Wednesday, April 18 and the final is set for Sunday, April 22 at 3 p.m. on Stanford Field at International Polo Club.
Defending champion Las Monjitas, led by 9-goalers Eduardo Novillo Astrada and Ignacio Novillo Astrada, attempts to become the first repeat champion since Outback Steakhouse won three in a row from 1999-2001. There are numerous challengers standing in their way, including Crab Orchard, led by 10-goaler Adolfo Cambiaso, and perennial powerhouse White Birch, led by 10-goaler Mariano Aguerre.
There were 15 teams in 2005 and 2002 and 13 teams in 2004 and 2006.
Teams were split into four divisions and will play within their group before the quarterfinals.
Division I is made up of Tommy Lee Jones’ San Saba, Elizabeth Iorio’s Laurence-Wallace/Paladin Rally and the fourth-place team from the USPA Piaget Gold Cup.
Division II is made up of Peter Brant’s White Birch, Steve Van Andel’s Orchard Hill, which was runner-up in the 2006 Stanford U.S. Open, and the third-place team from the USPA Piaget Gold Cup.
Division III is made up of Skeeter Johnston’s Skeeterville, Scott Devon’s Catamount, Camilo Bautista’s Las Monjitas and the USPA Piaget Gold Cup runner-up.
In Division IV, Bob Daniels’ Pony Express and Torsten Koch’s Jedi are paired together again, this time with Neil Hirsch’s Black Watch and the eventual USPA Piaget Gold Cup champion.
The four USPA Piaget Gold Cup semifinalists are George Rawlings’ Crab Orchard, La Herradura, led by 16-time U.S. Open champion Memo Gracida, Victor Vargas’ Lechuza Caracas and Gillian Johnston’s Bendabout.
The world’s best players expected to compete in the Stanford U.S. Open include 10-goalers Mariano Aguerre, Miguel Novillo Astrada, Adolfo Cambiaso, Agustin Merlos, Sebastian Merlos and Facundo Pieres as well as 9-goalers Mike Azzaro, Eduardo Novillo Astrada, Javier Novillo Astrada, Lucas Criado, Carlos Gracida, Gonzalito Pieres, Pablo MacDonough, Matias Magrini, Paco de Narvaez, Juan Martin Nero and Adam Snow.
Historically, the U.S. Open has always been the grand prize of polo in North America. It is one of only three tournaments played at the 26-goal echelon, the highest-rated tournament in the United States. The others are the C.V. Whitney Cup and the USPA Piaget Gold Cup, both also played at International Polo Club Palm Beach.
The first U.S. Open title game was played in 1904 at Van Cortland Park in New York City where the Wanderers defeated the Freebooters 4 ½-3, the lowest scoring final in the history of the tournament.
Major sponsors at International Polo Club Palm Beach for the 2007 season include Stanford Private Wealth Management, Piaget, Bombardier Aerospace, Bessemer Trust, Westwind Realty, LLC, Panera Bread, Cartier, CityPlace, Florida Coast Equipment, The Mall at Wellington Green, Omar Trevino Bloodstock, Inc., Palm Beach Daily News, Palm Beach Illustrated, Palm Beach Post, Ritz Carlton Palm Beach, Roederer Estates, The Wellington Institute, Van Cleef & Arpels, Yamana Gold Inc. and Jim Corbin Illustrated Properties.
The polo matches at International Polo Club are open to the public. General admission for the Sunday games at International Polo Club Palm Beach is $15 for adults. Children under 3 enter for free. Tickets may be purchased at the gate on the day of the game or in advance at the stadium box office.
International Polo Club Palm Beach is located at 3667 120th Avenue South, between Pierson Road and Lake Worth Road in Wellington. For information, directions or ticket purchases, please call the club at (561) 204-5687 or visit the website at www.internationalpoloclub.com.
2007 Stanford U.S. Open rosters:
Bendabout (26) – Gillian Johnston (2), Alejandro Novillo Astrada (7), Miguel Novillo Astrada (10), Ignacio Toccalino (7)
Black Watch (25) – Neil Hirsch (0), Facundo Pieres (10), Gonzalito Pieres (9), Nacho Figueras (6)
Catamount (26) – Scott Devon (3), Adam Snow (9), Nicolas Roldan (8), Martin Zegers (6)
Crab Orchard (26) – George Rawlings (0), Matias Magrini (9), Adolfo Cambiaso (10), David Stirling Jr. (7)
Jedi (26) – Torsten Koch (1), Pablo MacDonough (9), Juan Martin Nero (9), Magoo Laprida (7)
La Herradura (26) – Fred Mannix Jr. (7), Memo Gracida (8), Julio Gracida (5), Kris Kampsen (6)
Las Monjitas (26) – Camilo Bautista (0), Sapo Caset (8), Eduardo Novillo Astrada (9), Ignacio Novillo Astrada (9)
Laurence-Wallace/Paladin Rally (26) – Elizabeth Iorio (0), Agustin Merlos (10), Mike Azzaro (9), Luis Escobar (7)
Lechuza Caracas (26) – Victor Vargas (1), Sebastian Merlos (10), Pite Merlos (9), Jeff Blake (6)
Orchard Hill (25) – Steve Van Andel (0), Hector Galindo (8), Lucas Criado (9), Jeff Hall (8)
Pony Express (26) – Bob Daniels (0), Pancho Bensadon (8), Carlos Gracida (9), Bautista Heguy (9)
San Saba (25) – Tommy Lee Jones (0), Toto Collardin (7), Javier Novillo Astrada (9), Paco de Narvaez (9)
Skeeterville (26) – Skeeter Johnston (2), Julio Arellano (8), Owen Rinehart (3), Marcos di Paola (8)
White Birch – Peter Brant (4), Lucas Monteverde (9), Mariano Aguerre (10), Ulysses Escapite (3)