USPA UMPIRES LLC

USPA UMPIRES LLC

Photo by Kaylee Wroe

WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM MAGGIE MITCHELL

Polo has exploded in the USA over the last decade. In addition to the big polo clubs, private polo fields and a growing group of players in training mean that the demand for professional umpires is also growing. USPA umpires have experience playing all over the world—Argentina, England, France, Spain, Chile, New Zealand, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Canada, and of course, the USA—and bring that breadth of polo experience to each game.

USPA’s umpire training program takes polo players through four levels of certification, culminating in the top P4 rating. In addition to the certification program, the USPA also offers ongoing professional development opportunities.

“We are consulting with experts from other fields to equip our umpires with the skills and tools they require to excel,” says Fergus Gould, USPA’s Western Regional Umpire Director. “Our goal is to create a group of highly skilled and motivated umpires to officiate at all levels across the country.”

Umpires LLC also supports the development and testing of new technology used to create an added level of accuracy to calling the game. New technology is also being developed to improve communication across the umpire teams and improve organization at the field level; it will eventually centralize game and player statistics across the USA.

In addition to training and organizing polo officials, USPA Umpires LLC is constantly recruiting new umpires. Umpire and traveling clinician Robin Sanchez has a full schedule reaching out to smaller clubs across the country to offer umpire certification and run clinics—as well as to look out for new recruits to add to the roster.

THE UMPIRES

USPA Umpires LLC’s 30 umpires have decades of polo experience under their belts. Under the LLC’s umbrella, they have found a new way to contribute to their favorite game—only on a slightly different team. On the field, they grow to trust and respect each other, and a real bond has formed among the officials. Houston Polo Club is fortunate to have USPA Umpires officiating to keep the level of play on our fields consistently some of the top polo in the country. Meet three of our umpires.

HECTOR GALINDO, P4-RATED UMPIRE

Photo by Kaylee Wroe

In his 37-year playing career, Hector has played and won almost all of the major high-goal tournaments across the USA, including the USPA Gold Cup (26 goals), the C.V. Whitney Cup (26 goals), the Silver Cup (20 goals) five times, the North American Cup (20 goals), the Pacific Coast Open (20 goals) twice, and the America Cup (20 goals). His highest goal rating was 9 goals. During that time, Hector was also a world-class horse trainer for polo ponies. Hector was inducted into the Polo Museum and Hall of Fame in 2016 in honor of his playing and umpiring career, adding to his accolades of winning Player of the Year in 1999 and PTF umpire of the year in 2016.

What is the biggest difference between being an umpire and a player?

Being an umpire gives you a different perspective of the game. You get a different feeling for the timing of the game, and you look at the game differently.

What is the most challenging aspect of umpiring?

You gotta be on it every time you are on the field. You have to be aware and quick—it’s just as if you are playing, but even more so. I still feel the rush of the game. It’s basically the same game—but I have more respect for the umpires now.

After an incredible career as a player, what made you want to be an umpire?

I love the sport—it has been my whole life. I love the players and the horses, and I also wanted to help the sport in some way. I thought my background would be helpful to the program, so I started working as an umpire in 2014. I am still playing competitively, so I balance it with the umpiring work. I work the season in Florida, and then in the summer, I go to California and Texas.

Do you play the same ponies as an umpire as you do as a player?

No, when we get to a game, the teams bring horses for the umpires. So, we are jumping on different horses we don’t know every game and having to keep up with the play. That is one of the hardest aspects of the job.

STEVE DALTON, P4-RATED UMPIRE

Photo by David Lominska

Steve Dalton started his polo career playing in Calgary, Canada. After high school, Steve learned the ropes from Carlos Galindo on the West Coast, then traveled to Texas to hone his skills. His 30-year career took him around the U.S. polo circuit—New York, Florida, California, Texas—where he reached a 6-goal rating. He also played abroad when he represented Canada in the FIP World Cup in Australia. Steve started umping full time for Umpires LLC in 2019.

Where do you officiate?

It depends on the season and your umpire rating. In the winter, we are mostly in Florida and California. In the fall, I love coming down to Houston—they treat us really well. As a P4 umpire, I qualify to officiate any level of polo in the USA. For example, Kimo, Hector, and I did the Gauntlet of Polo in 2021: the Gold Cup, the C.V. Whitney, and the U.S. Open. I also do some umping in California and in Wyoming, where I live.

What experience do you bring in as a player?

Being a player, you can read the game easier. You can anticipate plays and where the ball is going to go. That helps us in positioning ourselves properly on the field. The transition from player to umpire is fairly easy because you know the game, and you know a lot of the players.

What is the most challenging aspect of umpiring?

Making the right call and being on top of the game.

What is your favorite aspect of umpiring?

I love our umpiring team. The group of us gets along great, and you never go out there thinking you’re alone. It’s still a team sport, just a different one. I really do love the job.

KIMO HUDDLESTON, P4-RATED UMPIRE

Photo by David Lominska

Kimo grew up in Maui, Hawaii, but got a crash course in the polo lifestyle in Calgary, Canada, the summer he turned 12. Kimo returned to Calgary every summer until he graduated high school and took his polo career around the world. As a professional player, Kimo reached a 6-goal handicap, playing the majority of his 25-year polo career in Canada, New Zealand, Hawaii, and California. Kimo has umpired some of the highestgoal tournaments across the USA, including the Gauntlet of Polo, Pacific Coast Open, and Silver Cup.

As an umpire, how do you see the game differently than when you played?

Now I see the game as an umpire first. We see the bigger picture, where, as a player, you have tunnel vision: you see the line of the ball. How I think as an umpire is a little different because I am focused on the rules. When I was playing, there was just black and white, and now the game is black and white with a thousand shades of grey.

What is the most challenging aspect of umpiring?

A lot of umpiring is not about the rules of the game but about player management. Anyone can call the game and see the same plays, but one of the toughest parts—and one of my favorite parts—is dealing with the players. Some players you can talk to, and some get mad and cannot listen. They have to sort it out by themselves. Dealing with players is the same as working with horses: you have to understand what you have under you.

What is the most satisfying aspect?

Working with the players. I like teaching the young ones that you score goals with your mallet and not your mouth.

How difficult is it to work with a different horse each game?

For me, that is easy. My blessing in this game is that I came from a background where I couldn’t be picky. I can go anywhere and get on a horse. I check to see if the pony can turn right and left, and if he doesn’t, check and see which one he does better, then I adjust to that. If the horse turns left like a machine but doesn’t want to turn right, there’s no sense in me trying to go right. One of us is gonna be upset, and it’s not the horse.