By Liz Leamy
Last Sunday was a day for the books as Level Select CBD, the powerhouse team based out of Barton Farms in Dutchess County, New York who clinched the 2022 East Coast Silver and Gold Cup titles earlier this summer ran away with a 10-8 victory against Los Violines, the formidable crew from Westchester County, New York in the the first-round playoffs of the 2022 East Coast Open 20-goal Championship at the Greenwich Polo Club.
Playing in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 5,000 people, the members of Level Select CBD and Los Violines, both equine and human, were clearly on their A game as they flew around the massive Conyers Farm field at super-charged speeds displaying incredible power and skill, designating this as one of the most competitive and thrilling high-goal showdowns at the Greenwich Polo Club so far this season.
Throughout the first half of this match, Los Violines, whose roster featured Kris Kampsen, the stealth Wellington, Florida six-goaler, Lerin Zubiarre, the lightning-quick Argentian seven-goaler, Marcos Garcia Del Rio, the esteemed Argentinian five-goaler and Christophe Landon, the team’s focused one-goal patron, lead in points.
However, Level Select CBD turned the game around in the second half, tying the score in the fourth and fifth chukkers.
Then, in the last few minutes of the sixth (final) chukker, Level Select CBD surged ahead of its opponent due to the superior playmanship of Max Gundlach, the team’s firecracker 19 year-old number-one player who knocked in two critical goals to put his team at the top of the leaderboard with at 10-8.
“I’m happy with how I played today. I just tried to focus on the ball and getting in the ‘zone’,” said Gundlach, who was named Most Valuable Player of the match. “It’s been a super competitive tournament and the goal was to play our best. I’m also very excited about getting the MVP Award, I wasn’t expecting it at all and it’s a huge honor.” (Gundlach, who will be attending the University of St. Andrews in Scotland this fall, shares the number-one spot on the team with his father, Andrew Gundlach, an A-ranked player who is also the Level Select CBD figurehead.)
Certainly, watching Level Select CBD firing out at full throttle against their opponent during the second half of this match was something.
This laser-focused team, featuring Gringo Colombres, the electric Argentinian eight-goaler, Joaquin Panelo, the dynamic Argentinian six-goaler, Ezequiel Martinez Ferrario, the rock-solid Argentinian six-goaler and Max and Andrew Gundlach all worked together in optimal fashion to yield substantial results.
“It was a tight game and tough to start, but then we were ‘there’,” said Gringo Columbres, reputed to be one of the most powerful and consistent players in high-goal polo today. “I’m really excited to be playing in the East Coast Open here at the Greenwich Polo Club. There is so much excitement in the air and that’s what it’s all about.”
For others there, including Steve Garvey, the famous Major League Baseball All-Star player and World Series champion, as well as Frederick Fekkai, the internationally renowned French hair hairstylist and entrepreneur, it was an unforgettable afternoon as well.
“This is an incredibly unique sport in that the athletes and horses work in tandem together. That, for me, is what makes it so great,” said Steve Garvey, who played first base for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres and was there to help support the Level Select CBD team and Kadenwood, the California-based Level Select CBD sponsoring company for whom he serves as a spokesperson. “The horses and riders seem to be ‘at one with’ the game and the eye-hand coordination is amazing to watch. This is the third polo match I’ve ever attended and I always gain a little knowledge every time.” (Garvey, a California resident, attended games in Palm Beach, Florida and Bridgehampton, New York, prior to this one.)
Garvey’s colleagues agreed.
“This match was so exciting,” said Erick Dickens, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Kadenwood, the Newport Beach, California-based parent company of the Level Select CBD brands and products. “It was incredibly competitive and everything came down to what happened in the end with Max’s outstanding level of playing. It felt like a playoff game and you could see everyone was engaged.”
Others echoed similar sentiments.
“The standard and quality of the playing here has been incredible,” said Rob Colorina, Director and Advisor of the AIAC Investment Group who works out of its offices in New York City. “It’s great to be here with so many people enjoying the game. It means a lot, especially considering the fact that we have all come through the pandemic and we’re blessed to be here.”
Vendors agreed.
“The polo is incredible, it’s a great crowd and everything is so festive,” said Julie Bliss, manager of Roller Rabbit on Greenwich Avenue, the popular retailer that was a featured vendor at the Greenwich Polo Club last Sunday and whose merchandise has emerged as a Tik Tok sensation over the past several years. “It’s been so busy and everyone is always so warm and welcoming here. Everything is so well run and I always see so many of the same people, which is really nice. It is an ideal base for us to build brand awareness as well as exposure.”
Others reiterated the same narrative.
“The polo is awesome and this is such a special place. Everyone always seems to come together and have such a great time,” said Griff Harris, a lifelong Greenwich resident who is President and Owner of Griff Harris Insurance Services based in town. “This is such a beautiful and dynamic environment and everything is so well managed and taken care of. We have to thank Peter Brant [the founder of the Greenwich Polo Club and longtime player on the White Birch team] for all of this, which is due to his vision, dedication and efforts.”
Certainly, the role Peter Brant has played in terms of helping build the Greenwich Polo Club into one of the most prominent and celebrated high-goal venues in the sport over the years has been remarkable.
Ever since he first started the Greenwich Polo Club back in 1981, Brant, his management and staff have effectively helped establish this venue as a main national summer high-goal destination with a stellar reputation, primarily due to the fact that it has consistently has featured a roster of so many of the sport’s most renowned athletes and ponies over the years, among other things.
Since its inception, thousands of people have been flocking to the Greenwich Polo Club every Sunday during the summers to watch the world-class athletes and horses and enjoy the prospect of dressing up, visiting with family, friends and work colleagues and just to be part of the whole Conyers Farm experience, something that reflects much of the spirit and essence of the town itself.
“This venue is incredible, it is so beautiful and charming. It is Greenwich,” said Steve Garvey, who graciously spent time signing autographs and chatting with the throes of fans who crowded around him after the match. “You have everything here and you can tell everyone is having a good time. You get the opportunity to see world-class athletes and spend time with family and friends. It is an inspirational environment that really makes you want to keep evolving and be the best you can be.”
Well said, indeed.
The next East Coast Open match will be held on Sunday, September 4th at the Greenwich Polo Club. For more information, please visit the club’s website at www.greenwichpoloclub.com.
