Party Pictures 4/28/05 - Casa Casuarina's Miami Beach Polo World Cup; Cheryl Howard book party; ASPCA hosted the Eighth Annual Bergh Ball

Casa Casuarina's Miami Beach Polo World Cup

Andreas Weiss and Juan Bollini

Thomas Winter

Two weekend’s ago, the Miami Beach Polo Sport World Cup tournament was held, a three-day sporting and social extravaganza (if you may) which brought the fine game to Miami for the very first time. Four teams of players and a troop of 35 horses brought in from Palm Beach battled it out for the La Martina Cup.

The first day of play, the tournament kicked off with a player’s parade along Ocean Drive. In the first match, Team Europe sponsored by Casa Casuarina and Apogee, and featuring Tito Gaudenzi, MVP of the Snow Arena Polo World Cup, Pierro Dillier of the Swiss national team, and Germany’s best player Thomas Winter, was beaten 7-4 by Team USA I, sponsored by Outback and featuring Tim Gannon, his son Chris Gannon, and the tournament’s top-ranking player, Andreas Weiss.

Brittany Daniel and Keenan Ivory Wayans

World renowned player Juan Bollini joined Melissa Potamkin and her husband Marc Ganzi for Team USA II sponsored by Southern Wine and Spirits. They drew 4-4 with South America’s Team SellJewelry, captained by SellJewelry’s CEO Chris Del Gatto who was joined by Adrian Laplacette, Raul Laplacette, and Adrian Laplacette, Jr. of Argentina’s famed polo dynasty.

On Saturday, Casa Casuarina/Apogee’s Team Europe drew 4-4 with Southern Wine and Spirits’ USA Team II. Outback’s USA Team I then played South America’s Team SellJewelry in a thrilling 13-goal match, which ended in victory for Team USA I thanks to a spectacular 6 goals scored by Andreas Weiss.

In Sunday’s finals, South America’s Team SellJewelry took the 3rd place Britto Cup by beating Casa Casuarina/Apogee’s Team Europe 4-3. In the Championship match, Outback’s Team USA I claimed the victory, beating Southern Wine and Spirits’ Team USA II 4-3, with Chris Gannon scoring the tournament’s winning goal.

Attendees, including the owner of Casa Casuarina Peter Loftin, the Mayor of the City of Miami Beach David Dermer and Fabiola Beracasa of team sponsor SellJewelry, enjoyed champagne and caviar as they took in the chukkers, with engaging match commentary by David Andrews and Reto Gaudenzi, and a summer soul soundtrack by DJ Erok.

Full shot of Corso

Off the field, the players joined their guests for a boisterous welcome party at the Hotel Victor. A private sponsors’ dinner courtesy of Apogee was followed by late night cocktails at Sky Bar. On Saturday night, Miami’s finest flocked to Casa Casuarina for the Polo Night party co-hosted by Chris Del Gatto and the beautiful Fabiola Beracasa of SellJewelry.

Nearly 600 people danced the night away in Casa’s magical poolside mosaic garden to tunes by DJ Irie, with cocktails and hors d’ouevres courtesy of Barton G. Mid-celebration, the Global Fashion Group staged a fashion show featuring Argentine models in polo-inspired attire.

Chris and Fabiola were joined by all the tournament players and sponsors, as well as Peter Loftin, Jason Pomeranc, Anthony Shriver, Mick Jones, Keenan Ivory Wayans, Brittany Daniel, Alan Roth, the Commissioner of Miami Beach Simon Cruz, David Dermer, the Chief of Police Don Deluca, “Bibs” of Quintessentially, Lisa Heiden, Sophia Joelson, George Lindemann, Micky and Leticia Grendene of Casa Tua, and Jennifer Forsyth.

Reto Gaudenzi and Bruce Orosz

Team Outback: Andreas Weiss, Chris Gannon, Tim GAnnon, and Peter Loftin

Dr. Adrian Laplacette, Adrian Laplacette, Jr., Chris Del Gatto, Marc Ganzi, and Melissa Potamkin

Tim Gannon, Chris Gannon, and Andrea Weiss

Thomas Winter, Chris Del Gatto, Dr. Adrian Laplacette, Tito Gaudenzi, Adrian n Laplacette, Jr., Raul Laplacette, and Juan Bollini

Juan Bollini, Thomas Winter, and Melissa Potamkin

The Polo Night party at Casa Casuarina, co-hosted by Chris Del Gatto and Fabiola Beracasa

L. to r.: Angelina Chen and John Bianco with Chris Del Gatto; Julian Chang and Melissa Arnold; Fabiola Beracasa and Romero Britto.

Paul Anton and Jorge Brugo with a friend

Romero Britto, Lisa Sayfie, an Tim Gannon

Ivana, TJ, Jason Pomeranc, and Ali Wise

Carolina and Julie Gaudenzi

Photographs by Sergio Echeverria, Alex Pacheco, Seth Browarnick/Red Eye Productions, & Patrick McMullan

A book party for Cheryl Howard's In The Face of Jinn

Brian Grazer and Gigi Grazer

Renee Zellweger, Cheryl Howard Crew, and Ron Howard

Rebecca De Mornay

Cheryl Howard Crew's novel In The Face of Jinn was inspired by her own visits to India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan in 1996 and 1997. Her research involved traveling for three months with local guides, staying with a Pakistani family of villagers, and driving overland with two retired Pakistani military officers (recommended by a CIA operative) who smuggled Crew into the remote and forbidden North West Frontier on the Afghan border. Adopting the mandatory customs and attitudes of this isolated region allowed her to experience firsthand the very complicated and dangerous situation in Central Asia — from the very spiritual and extraordinarily humane, to tribal life and the subjugation of women, to the Afghan warlords and Taliban that posed a threat long before 9/11.

Click image to order

Cheryl Howard Crew was born and raised in Southern California. Although she grew up with two sisters, she admits to being a tomboy at heart thanks to her adventurous father, a chemical and aerospace engineer, an astronomer, a marksman, a pilot (at the time of his death purported to be the oldest competitive aerobatic pilot in the world), and a mountain climber.

She has always been fascinated by various cultures and their histories, and has traveled extensively throughout Europe, as well as Japan, New Zealand, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Egypt, South Africa, Argentina, Uruguay, Australia, and Mexico. Her travels to Central Asia in 1996 and 97 inspired her to write In The Face of Jinn. In The Face of Jinn is her first published work of fiction.

Since 1975, Cheryl has been married to her high school sweetheart, director Ron Howard. Together, they have raised their four children in Los Angeles and Connecticut. Cheryl and her family currently reside in Armonk, New York.

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi

Ron Howard and Cheryl Howard Crew with George Lucas and his daughter

Henry Winkler and Brian Grazer

Lara Flynn Boyle

Photographs by wireimage

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals hosted the Eighth Annual Bergh Ball at The Plaza Hotel, “ IN THE DOG HOUSE”

Allison Aston and Jill Rappaport

Denise and Larry Wohl

Edwin and Michele Sayres

Last week the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) held its Eighth Annual Bergh Ball at the Plaza Hotel. The glamorous black tie dinner dance was the last ball to be held at the hotel before its conversion to condominiums. The evening raised over $500,000 and was attended by a dedicated crowd of 400 animal lovers that support the ASPCA’s mission “to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States.”

ASPCA dogs playing

Among the guests were Chuck and Ellen Scarborough, Jill Rappaport, Somers and Jonathan Farkas, Cynthia and Dan Lufkin, Margo MacNabb and James Nederlander, Linda and Benjamin Lambert, Marty Richards, Amy Fine Collins, Arriana and Dixon Boardman, Debbie Bancroft, Elaine Sargent, Mary and Martin Puris, Allison Aston, Larry and Michele Herbert, Sale Johnson, Dawn Mello, Chappy Morris, Douglas Hannant and Frederick Anderson, Mark Gilbertson, Richard Turley, Hunt Slonem, Ashley Stark, Melissa Berkelhammer, Dr. Cotterill, Lacey Tisch, Joanna Baker, Melissa Stanley, Marisa and Silvano Marchetto and ASPCA President Edwin Sayres and his wife Michele.

For the décor, Robin Bell, senior designer at McMillen Inc. and Ron Wendt Design celebrated Oscar de la Renta, Betsey Johnson, Isaac Mizrahi, Zac Posen and Lilly Pulitzer's portrayal of the theme In the Dog House. As guests proceeded to the cocktail hour in the Terrace Room they were greeted by the soft sounds of a baby grand piano and adorable dogs for adoption. The designer doghouses, which were previewed in the windows at Bergdorf Goodman, were on display in the room and set the tone for the evening. Each doghouse was presented in the evening's auction, raising a total of $19,000. Zac Posen’s whimsical beehive design was the highest bid, which sold for $5,000 to co-chairmen James Nederlander and Margo MacNabb. Wistful stark white doghouses were the centerpieces on the dinner tables in the Grand Ballroom were the Steven Scott Orchestra played as couples danced.

The ASPCA was founded by Henry Bergh in 1866, a philanthropist and diplomat who recognized the inhumane treatment suffered by many animals in our society. Horrified by the rampant cruelty he observed toward working horses, as well as stray cats and dogs, Bergh and some of New York City's Philanthropists signed the charter to help prevent inhumane treatment of animals.

The first humane organization established in the Western Hemisphere, today the ASPCA is one of the largest societies dedicated to the humane treatment of animals having one million supporters. By encouraging reverence for life and respect for all animals and living creatures who deserve care and protection, the ASPCA seeks to perform its greatest service. The ASPCA provides national leadership in humane education, government affairs and public policy, shelter support, and animal poison control. Their NYC headquarters on East 92nd Street houses a full-service animal hospital, animal behavior center and adoption facility. The Humane Law Enforcement department enforces New York's animal cruelty laws and is featured on the reality television series Animal Precinct on the Animal Planet Network. Please visit www.aspca.org for more information.