Sat 25th Jan 2025Semi Finals Day in St. Moritz Super Saturday sees Kusnacht Practice and Azerbaijan - Land of Fire through to tomorrow’s Final
In the historic 40th anniversary year of this truly exceptional event, the Polo Gods have once again smiled upon the huge crowds gathered on the frozen Lake of St. Moritz which is currently covered by more than 40 cm of high-quality ice – providing the best conditions – not only for the players and ponies, but also for the 25,000 spectators who have gathered at this iconic polo venue this weekend. The great and the good of the polo community and the globe’s most elite glitterati were out in force, with sport, glamour and glitz the watchword, as always, for St. Moritz – a record number of tickets have been sold with the VIP tent sold out for today and tomorrow as well as tonight’s exclusive black tie Gala Dinner at Badrutt’s Palace. With 260 of the world’s press gathered to record this historic event, camera shutters clicked and influencers posed for selfies against the stunning alpine Engadine backdrop. Today’s action kicked off with The President’s Cup between Flexjet and Mackage in the first match of the day and the crowds were certainly in for a treat as the action heated up on the frozen lake, with both teams eager for the win. With the importance of this pivotal match, Flexjet initially had a shaky start in the first chukka, but regained composure to find their form in the second period of play, notching up two crucial goals which meant they took the lead for the first time going into the half-time break. This was in no small part down to Facundo Sola, playing off a handicap of 8 goals for Flexjet; he has well and truly found his snow legs on his second day of competition, as he orchestrated plays and asserted his dominance on the field. Mackage’s Grant Ganzi, hot from his win in The St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship in December, persistently tried to find his way through the defensive lines. But it was not over as Nic Roldan ‘The man that can’ found his sweet spot, playing with his usual effortless, elegant style and maximising any opportunities that came his way to put Mackage ahead. It was a busy morning at the office for the three highly experienced officials who were kept busy as the tension mounted on the field, but in the end, Flexjet’s half goal handicap proved pivotal as they ran out the winners 7½-7. As the sun shone down on the packed stands, the crowds were treated to a real battle of talent between last year’s finalists Kusnacht Practice and Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz newcomers TAOS. The equally balanced teams fought tooth and nail to get ahead throughout the first Semi Final, with sizzling action delighting the crowds. 2019 winner Alfredo Bigatti and five-time St. Moritz winner Max Charlton worked seamlessly together and with the support of the Bacon brothers, they held the lead until the third chukka. Kusnacht Practice came alive in the fourth chukka, cheered on by their droves of supporters; they first drew level and then moved ahead with goal after goal resulting in a 6-4 win and The One & Only Trophy. In between the Semi Finals, the spectacular Schlitteda parade made its way through the Polo Village, where performers showcased their dances. The Schlitteda is a cherished cultural tradition from the Upper Engadine, originally involving unmarried couples dressed in red and black Engadine costumes who gathered to organise a ceremonial ride on horse-drawn sleighs. After lunch, the grandstands once again filled up for the second Semi Final of the day with Azerbaijan - Land of Fire vs World Polo League battling it out for The WAMI Trophy. Laplacette cousins Raul Laplacette and Adriancito Laplacette worked seamlessly to score the first goal of the day, swiftly followed by another to build on their 1½ goal handicap advantage as Azerbaijan - Land of Fire scorched ahead. Both sides struggled to break through their opponent’s defences and a goalless second chukka saw Azerbaijan - Land of Fire leading 3½-0 going into half-time. World Polo League’s Gracida quickly got onto the scoreboard not once, but twice in the third chukka; as the crowds celebrated the uniquely exciting atmosphere of St. Moritz, with the Champagne flowing and the music pumping across the valley, there’s really only one place to be this weekend. A goal from Jason Crowder brought World Polo League tantalisingly close with 90 seconds left to play, igniting their opportunity to surge forward. However, fortune fell in favour of 2022 and 2023 champions Azerbaijan - Land of Fire as they ran out the winners, 3½-3. Reto Gaudenzi, Founder, CEO and Vice President of the Board of Evviva Polo St. Moritz AG commented on today’s matches, “Saturday Semi Finals was a full house! We had14,000 spectators today, which is record attendance for our Saturday games. We almost ran out of Perrier-Jouët Champagne… but, of course, we didn’t, because we are Swiss and organised! The VIP tent was completely full – there was not even one spare ticket which was unbelievable. Today was a day of happy people, happy horses, happy players; great polo and all in all, a fantastic Semis Day in St. Moritz.” Today’s results mean that tomorrow’s 40th Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz Final at 2.30pm will be between Kusnacht Practice and Azerbaijan - Land of Fire for The Snow Polo World Cup Trophy. The Mackage Trophy for the Subsidiary Final will be between Flexjet and World Polo League at 12.15pm and TAOS and Mackage will face each other for fifth and sixth place at 11am. The Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz 2025 Teams: World Polo League (16): Melissa Ganzi (0), Jason Crowder (5), Alejandro Novillo Astrada (7) & Mariano Gracida (4) The Kusnacht Practice (16): Eduardo Greghi (0), Francisco Belaustegui (3), Chris Mackenzie (6) & Isidro Strada (7) Flexjet (15): Jonathan Tidswell-Pretorius/Niclas Johansson (0), Pelayo Berazadi (5), Facu Sola (8) & Tito Gaudenzi (2) Mackage (16): Benji Daniels (1), Grant Ganzi (3), Nic Roldan (7) & Tommy Collingwood (5) Azerbaijan - Land of Fire (14): Elchin Jamalli (2), Tarlan Gurbanaliyev (0), Adrian Laplacette Jr (6) & Raul Laplacette (6) Taos (16): Cameron Bacon (0), Dillon Bacon (3), Max Charlton (6) & Alfredo Bigatti (7)
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