La Lechuza Caracas defeats Audi
WELLINGTON, FL – From the thundering of the horses’ hooves to the pops of champagne corks, International Polo Club Pam Beach (IPC) culminated its 2011 Palm Beach Polo Season on Piaget Field, Sunday, April 17th with the coveted USPA 107th U.S. Open Polo Championship Finals in front of nearly 10,000 fans, the largest crowd at IPC since the club’s inception.
The final match between Lechuza and Audi came after earlier upsets in the 107th U.S. Open, which ran from March 27th to April 17th. Las Mojitas defeated the powerful Crab Orchard team, led by 10-goaler Aldolfo Cambiaso, in a highly anticipated quarterfinal match that left Crab Orchard behind and moved Las Mojitas to face Lechuza in the semifinals. Lechuza fought for an 11-10 victory in overtime, which ultimately led them to face Audi in the final.
The opening ceremony of the final match kicked off with a parachute team and special flyover before handing it off to Lou Galterio, an all-time favorite amongst IPC’s national anthem performers. Actor George Hamilton and IPC member Collete Hanley, who turns 100 years old on May 1st, threw the coin toss, marking the official start of the final match. The nearly 10,000 spectators watched as Lechuza defeated the worthy contender Audi 8-6. Juan Martin Nero was named MVP while Audi’s Rodrigo Andrade’s chestnut gelding Zoltan, garnered Best Playing Pony honors. Just two years following the tragic loss of its 21 horses, this 2011 US Open victory gave Lechuza its second title of the season (having won the C.V. Whitney Cup in February), ending the season in much-deserved triumphant style.
Commencing on January 2nd, IPC welcomed record-breaking crowds all season long as it hosted major tournaments and world-class events, including the highest-goal polo played in the U.S. Over 100,000 polo enthusiasts descended upon IPC over the 16 week season to take in world class polo, and to enjoy the club’s various hospitality options including viewing boxes in the grand stands, the field side Wellington Zone, it’s very popular tailgating spots as well as the field side Champagne Brunch in the club’s newly built Nespresso Lodge, the epicenter of the Polo Season where guests enjoy the best in polo, entertainment and cuisine.
Fantastic weather was the perfect backdrop to Sunday Brunch and Polo in the Nespresso Lodge, where sold out crowds were treated to gourmet brunches presented by International Polo Club Catering, a Nespresso Café, weekly fashion boutiques and beauty bars, DJs, live musical performances such as Mary Wilson of The Supremes to benefit Autism Speaks, and special events such as YMCA’s Polo for Pedro. Nespresso, the Official Coffee of IPC and of the Palm Beach Polo Season, is in their fourth year of partnership with IPC
Club Sponsor Piaget continues to be instrumental through their support of Polo, and is now in its sixth year of partnership with the club. The Official Jewelry and Timepiece of IPC and the Palm Beach Polo Season, Piaget is also the title sponsor of the prestigious USPA Piaget Gold Cup, another highlight of the 2011 season in which the final match of the cup went into sudden-death overtime before awarded Audi an exciting 10-9 win.
Veuve Clicquot, celebrating its third season as a sponsor of IPC, known internationally for its classically styled and full-bodied Champagne, is the perfect bubbly for Sunday Polo, while IPC’s newest partner, Ferrari, was also a perfect fit for Sunday festivities during the 107th U.S. Open, escorting notable guests onto Piaget Field in a new model Ferrari each Sunday for the opening ceremony. Other sponsors included The Ritz-Carlton, Miele, Florida Builders, Lucchese, Coca Cola, Franklin Crystal, Penny Black, HSBC and Morgan Stanley.
IPC’s luxe accommodations and fast-paced tournament action were once again a magnet for polo elite, socialites and celebrities including Giuliana and Bill Rancic, Betsey Johnson, Kelly Bensimon, Carson Kressley, Venus Williams, Tinsley Mortimer, Audrina Patridge, Mena Suvari, Jon Secada, Cheryl Burke, Aiden Turner, Gabrielle Anwar, Ingrid Hoffman, Larsa Pippen, Ali Fedotowosky and Roberto Martinez, Chad Henne, Mary Wilson and Cicely Tyson amongst others.
For sports enthusiasts looking for one more way to experience IPC this weekend (April 22-24), they will be hosting the First Annual International Weekend featuring Rugby, Field Hockey, Croquet, Cricket, Tennis, Golf and more all leading up to a special Easter Sunday Brunch & Polo. Please visit www.internationalpoloclub.com
About International Polo Club Palm Beach
International Polo Club Palm Beach is located in Wellington, Florida – in the heart of South Florida’s famed horse country. Founded in 2002, IPC is host to major tournaments and world-class events throughout the Palm Beach Polo Season, including the Highest Goal Polo played in the U.S. and such prestigious competitions as the Iglehart Cup, Joe Barry Memorial Cup, Ylvisaker Cup, C.V. Whitney Cup, and Piaget Gold Cup, culminating with the playing of the coveted U.S. Open Polo ChampionshipTM. The world’s polo elite descend upon Wellington each season to enjoy their love of the sport and the lifestyle in the most prominent and well-equipped polo facility in the nation. IPC features eight manicured polo fields and the Piaget Field, the Nespresso Lodge, private boxes and viewing stands, tennis courts, a croquet field, a state-of-the-art spa, a lushly landscaped pool deck, après polo celebrations and a fabled gourmet Sunday brunch. To learn more about IPC and their exclusive membership and sponsorship opportunities please visit www.internationalpoloclub.com.
About Piaget
Piaget has stood as an icon of excellence and creativity since its founding in 1874, elevating the manufacture of fine jewelry and timepieces to an absolute art. The firm is known for its legendary Piaget Polo timepieces, as well as for its ultra-thin movements, artistic dials and complications including chronographs, tourbillons and perpetual calendars. Piaget is one of the only remaining watchmakers that designs and crafts its own cases, bracelets and movements. For more information, please visit www.piaget.com.
About Nestlé Nespresso
Nestlé Nespresso, the worldwide pioneer and market leader in highest-quality premium portioned coffee, introduces consumers to the world’s finest Grand Cru coffees to be enjoyed in the comfort of their own homes and savored outside the home, in locations such as gourmet restaurants, upscale hotels, luxury outlets and offices. As a company, Nespresso is driven by core competencies that enable it to create highest quality Grand Cru coffees, long lasting consumer relationships, and sustainable business success. The Nespresso offer focuses on its unique Trilogy, the unmatched combination of exceptional coffee, smart and stylish coffee machines and personalized customer service. Together, these three elements deliver moments of pure indulgence – the Nespresso Ultimate Coffee Experiences. Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, with more than 4 500 employees, Nestlé Nespresso SA sells products in more than 50 countries directly to its customers. At the end of 2009, it operated a global retail network of more than 190 exclusive boutiques in key cities around the world. For the fourth consecutive year, Nespresso is one of the fastest growing brands within the Nestlé Group and one of its “billionaire brands”. In 2009, Nespresso achieved global sales of CHF 2.77 billion, maintaining an average annual growth rate of 30 percent since 2000. For more information, visit www.nespresso.com
About Veuve Clicquot
Founded in 1772, Veuve Clicquot is among the most prestigious Champagne Houses. Its extensive holdings, many originally purchased by Madame Clicquot, stretch throughout the top-rated areas of the Champagne region and are exceptional in size and quality. As in Madame Clicquot’s day, bottles age in the House’s vast, vaulted cellars in Reims, portions of which were constructed some 2,000 years ago by the Romans. The remarkable Madame Clicquot (1777-1866) is considered one of the first business-women of the modern era. Widowed in 1805 at the age of 27, Madame Veuve Clicquot (born Ponsardin) defied every convention of the day to take the helm of her late husband’s small Champagne House. She personally supervised cellar activities and introduced innovative production techniques still used today. Champagne Veuve Clicquot is known internationally for its classically styled and full-bodied Champagne. For more information, please visit www.veuve-clicquot.com
About International Polo Club Catering
International Polo Club Catering offers a new level of sophistication and service for those looking to plan an unforgettable special event on site at International Polo Club Palm Beach or at any event destination of their choosing. This impeccable catering team prides itself on providing the avant-garde culinary trends and flawless service that International Polo Club is world-renowned for. To contact IPC Catering, please call Julie Larson at 561.452.7747.
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2 Day Workshop w/ Sharon Salzberg & Mark Epstein - Meditation: Tools for Awakening Mindfulness and Compassion
World Dressage Masters CDI 5* Presented by International Polo Club Palm Beach
Fantastic end to the season! Very excited to meet George Hamilton! And Lou Galterio is the most amazing National Anthem singer I have ever heard!!!
