The official launch of the 2019 26-Goal Series, organised by Valiente and Grand Champions, with Bob Jornayvaz, Melissa Ganzi and Marc Ganzi as the principal supporters, took place at Valiente Polo Farm, in Wellington, Florida, on Friday. The series of tournaments was put together as an alternative to the US Triple Crown of Polo, which will be played at a 22-goal level as of next year. Many guests joined Bob Jornayvaz and the Ganzis in the presentation, including specialised press, important figures in the sport, and several of the world’s best players, Adolfo Cambiaso being one of them, a player who has always been in favour of 26-goal competitions.
A topic that was much discussed was whether one of the two series (USPA Triple Crown of Polo or the 26-Goal Series) would prohibit their players from competing in the opposing league. On that subject, Valiente’s Bob Jornayvaz stated: “We will not shut the door on anyone. Everyone has the freedom to act as they wish. But in terms of scheduling, I imagine that it will be difficult for a player to compete in both series simultaneously.”
The question of how this initiative was born came up during the conference, and it was stated, “Grand Champions and Valiente shared the same vision of continuing to play high-level polo after the decision to lower the high goal to 22-goals was taken – the idea of returning to polo as it was before, having a good time, hosting parties and social events, and club chukkas.”
Grand Champions and Valiente have 14 fields between them, with a few being used exclusively for high goal polo. In terms of the rules, it was stated that they would analyse the rules of different countries and choose the ones considered best for 26-goal. It is worth noting that each patron will have only one vote when deciding matters, regardless of the number of teams they present in the competition. For example, if Valiente has three teams in the tournament, the patron will still have a total of one vote.
The final of each tournament will be held at Grand Champions. Dale Smicklas will be the tournament director of the series.