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The Agency wins Aspen World Snow Polo Championship behind Ganzi’s three-peat effort

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The Agency wins Aspen World Snow Polo Championship behind Ganzi’s three-peat effort

From left to right, Pierre Henri Ngoumou, Grant Ganzi, and Jason Crowder hoist the St. Regis Cup after winning the St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship with The Agency on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, at Rio Grande Park in Aspen.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

Grant Ganzi sure has winning the World Snow Polo Championship down pat.

In the final on Thursday of the 12th annual event produced by the Aspen Valley Polo Club, it was Ganzi who led The Agency to win the St. Regis Cup — a third straight title for the young polo star at Aspen’s Rio Grande Park.

It could also have been a third for Hilario Figueras, one of Ganzi’s teammates each of the past two years, but an injury to the former left Ganzi chasing the three-peat on his own.

“I’m missing my back-to-back teammate, Hilario Figueras. We are wishing him the best,” he said. “He had a fall in Argentina, so he couldn’t make it. But he’s doing well, and he’s like a brother to me, so I miss him, and I want to dedicate this to him. So shout out to my friend, Hilario.”

Ganzi, the son of AVPC founders and owners Marc and Melissa Ganzi, has now won the Aspen snow polo championship five times in its 12-year history. His first came in 2015, and the second was in 2017, both with U.S. Polo Assn.

After a dry spell that saw his sister, Riley Ganzi, win the title with World Polo League in 2020, Grant finally returned to the top in 2022 with Blade and Bow, winning alongside Hilario Figueras and Thomas Biddle Jr.

Ganzi won the 2023 title with team Casablanca, Hilario Figueras, and Nic Roldan. Roldan, the top-ranked American polo player, has also been part of five Aspen snow polo championships, including his own three-peat from 2013-2015, the first three years of the tournament under the leadership of the Ganzis and AVPC.

Facing St. Regis in the final on Thursday alongside teammates Jason Crowder (who also won in 2016) and Pierre Henri Ngoumou, Ganzi went off with seven goals to lead the way in a 9-7 win for The Agency, a real estate company led by founder and CEO Mauricio Umansky. It was their first time taking part in Aspen snow polo.

Ganzi was named the most valuable player.

Alejandro Novillo Astrada of team St. Regis, left, fights for the ball against The Agency’s Jason Crowder during the final of the St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, at Rio Grande Park in Aspen.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Aspen Valley Polo Club plays Edminston in the High Alpine Cup during the St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, at Rio Grande Park in Aspen.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

“It was a pleasure to represent The Agency, and I really wanted to win. I think it was pretty clear. I was just happy that the last one went in, and that was an important one,” he said. “I had a good cheering squad, and it motivated me to play better.”

The St. Regis team was formidable, featuring a roster that included Nacho Figueras (father of Hilario), Alejandro Novillo Astrada, and Tony Calle. Both The Agency and St. Regis advanced to Thursday’s final after winning in the semifinals on Wednesday.

Ganzi said the key to winning Aspen snow polo is having the right teammates.

“Just playing with the right people,” he said. “Playing with friends, playing with good people, playing with people who play similar polo, and just moving the ball.”

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The Aspen World Snow Polo Championship, with St. Regis as the title sponsor, is one of the only snow polo events in North America and second to only the original snow polo tournament hosted each year in St. Moritz, Switzerland. It is also the final stop on the 2024 World Polo Tour.

With its high-class VIP tent, Aspen snow polo has become a popular stop for many celebrities in recent years, with actresses Rebel Wilson and Anna Kendrick again joining the crowd. Kendrick even helped hand out the awards after the tournament. Snowboarder Shaun White, who will launch The Snow League in Aspen this March, was also enjoying the action on Thursday.

“This is the best year, by far,” Grant Ganzi said of the growth of Aspen snow polo. “The footing on the field was actually amazing, and the tent was awesome. We had a great vibe. And honestly, I actually helped plan a little bit of stuff. More social stuff, not polo stuff, but it’s been going great. We had a really good social schedule and a great polo schedule, so I’m blessed.”

acolbert@aspentimes.com

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