Caption: Winners – 2016 Chinese New Year- Year of the Monkey – left to right – Prince Emanuale, Ernesto Trotz, Guillermo Steta, Diego Aguilar, Giorgio Brignone and Pascual Orestano Ramos, Director General Scappino.
Careyes Polo Club and Scappino hosts Tournament in Mexico
The Costa Careyes Polo Club has traditionally since 1984 hosted a tournament in celebration of the Chinese New Year. This year was the Year of the Monkey. The weather was picture perfect at the private, gated resort of Careyes, located on the Pacific Ocean. Four teams with players from Argentina, USA, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Mexico vied for the championship. Special guest for the tournament and grand celebration was Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia, Prince of Piedmonte and Venice with a historic relationship with Scappino, a men´s clothiers since the 1930´s.
Play was very competitive with first game – Team Careyes – Chris, Will and Katie Falk along with Nico Millan playing the Team from Ibiza, Spain – Gabriel Inglesias, Jesus Solorzano, Luis Olazabal and Erick Cornejo – with Ibiza winning by one goal – 8 to 7. Leading scorer for the day was Nico Millan scoring 5 goals for Team Careyes and Ibiza´s Gabriel Inglesias scoring 4, Erick Cornejo with 3 goals and Solorzano with 1.
Second game had Prince di Savoia/Scappino – one time 10 goaler, Ernesto Trotz. Giorgio Brignone, founder of the Careyes polo club, Guillermo Steta, President of the Mexican Federation, and Diego Aguilar, new patron to the Sport of Kings, against Agua Alta – named after one of the villas here in Careyes.
Guillermo Steta presenting Emanuale – Principe di Venezia with the Mexico Polo book
The team was Alberico Ardissone, Manuel Matos Gil, Diego Gonzalez and Luis Perez. Hard fought play and back to back scoring by both team with the Scappino coming up with the win – 5 to 4. Trotz was leading scorer for Scappino with 3 goals and Steta contributed 1 and Brignone with 1. Agua Alta scoring was lead by Ardissone with 2 and Luis Perez with 2.
Finals day with game faces on all the players – Consolation was Careyes against Agua Alta. The game looked like Careyes was going to be the winner but with a last minute surge of play by the Agua Alta team scoring 3 goals in the last chukker put Agua Alta on top with a 7 to 6 win. Millan was again high scorer for the day with 6 goals for Careyes – Ardissone lead the Agua Alta team with 4 goals and Perez with 3.
The championship game was up and down the field and at halftime the score was 4 to 3 in favor of the Scappino team over the visiting Ibiza team. The third chukker Trotz came alive on with horses loaned to him by Aguilar and Steta with 3 quick goals. That chukker put the game out of reach for the Ibiza team and Scappino/Prince di Savioa team was victorious – 8 to 5. Trotz with 6 goals, Steta and Brignone each with one, Inglesias with 3 and Olazabal and Solorzano each with one. A beautiful grey mare, Pepita, owned by Diego Aguilar and played 2 chukkers by Trotz, was best playing pony. Trophy presentation provided all with locally handpainted trophies, gifts from Scappino, champagne and festivities at Plaza de los Caballeros for the Chinese New year celebration.
Polo in played at the Careyes Polo Club – November through April – please see www.careyes.com.
All players at the trophy presentation for the Chinese New Year –
Team Careyes – Nico Millan, Chris, Will and Katie Falk, Team Ibiza, Erick Cornejo, Jesus Solorzano, Luis Olazabal and Gabriel Inglesias, Team Scappino-Princepe di Venezia – Giorgio Brignone, Ernesto Trotz and Diego Aguilar and Agua Alta team Manuel Matos Gil, Diego Gonzalez, Alberico Ardissone and Luis Perez – with Guillermo Seta, President of the Mexican Federation, from the Scappino team.