Polo d’Elegance Charity Polo Match Recap
March 23rd, 2013 at Empire Polo Club
By Alex Webbe
Photos by Jim Bremner and Shannon Wilsey
There have been rumblings of high-goal polo returning to the desert, but it took the Empire Polo Club and polo’s poster boy, 6-goal player and internationally known model for Ralph Lauren Polo, Nacho Figueras, to make it a reality.
Two 18-goal teams took the field at the Empire Polo Club on Saturday, March 23rd for the Polo d’Elegance Charity Match to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Coachella Valley.
Nacho arrived in plenty of time to sit with various media representatives and promote both the event and the sport of polo. Nacho’s participation in the Polo d’Elegance event supports his efforts to spread and popularize the game of polo and combines with his ongoing donation of time in support of charitable causes.
The game itself brought more goals to the Empire fields in a single game than have been seen there in a while. Once a hotbed for high goal winter polo, the Empire Polo club hosted one of polo’s first 40-goal games featuring eight 10-goal polo players.
Although there were no 10-goalers on the field, there was plenty of action as Nacho led his Beverly Hills polo team (Nacho Figueras, Bash Kazi, Kris Kampsen and Mariano Fassetta) to an 11-8 win over Trinity (Dr. Rick Paicius, Jose Donoso, Juan Jaramillo and Marcelo Abbiati) in a four chukker exhibition match.
Trinity’s Rick Paicius scored the opening goal of the game in the first chukker but Nacho Figueras responded with two goals to give his Beverly Hills team an early 2-1 lead.
Juan Jamarillo and Nacho Figueras
Mariano Fassetta added three more goals to the Beverly Hills total in the second frame and Kris Kampsen scored his first goal of the game. Trinity got another goal from Paicius, but Beverly Hills held a commanding 6-2 advantage at the end of the second chukker.
Trinity got its offense on track in the third period of the game. A pair of goals from Marcelo Abbiati and single goals from Juan Jaramillo and Paicius were answered by goals from Bash Kazi, Fassetta and Kampsen. With one chukker left to play, Beverly Hills had a three goal lead, 9-6.
The two teams exchanged goals in the final chukker with Paicius and Jose Donoso scoring for Trinity while Beverly Hills received goals from Kazi and Kampsen.
Paicius was credited with four goals for Trinity. Abbiati scored twice while teammates Donoso and Jaramillo added single goal s in the loss. Fassetta registered four goals for Beverly Hills; Kampsen scored three times while Figueras and Kazi each scored twice for the win.
The Polo d’Elegance event would not have been possible without the help and support of the sponsors, polo players and vendors. Bash Kazi sponsored the Beverly Hills Polo Team and Rick Paicius sponsored the Trinity Team. Nacho Figueras, Kris Kampsen, Mariano Fassetta, Marcelo Abbiati, Jose Donoso and Juan Jamarillo all donated their time to play in the Polo d’Elegance Charity polo match. Casablanca sponsored the team jerseys and some of the player prizes. Bellatrix Restaurant and Tito’s Handmade Vodka sponsored the VIP Gold Lounge. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Coachella Valley received a portion of the proceeds from the event.
Trinity Polo Team’s Marcelo Abbiati, Jose Donoso, Juan Jamarillo, Rick Paicius, Miss Empire, Beverly Hills Polo Team’s Bash Kazi, Mariano Fassetta, Nacho Figueras and Kris Kampsen.
About Empire Polo Club
Located near Palm Springs, California, Empire Polo Club offers polo players and spectators a five-star experience. The world-class event and sports facility boasts 12 grass polo fields, an indoor arena, two exercise tracks and onsite stabling for more than 500 horses. Fragrant rose gardens, refreshing fountains and unique statuary surround the polo fields and add to the beauty and uniqueness of the polo grounds. For more information visit www.EmpirePolo.com.