2021 USPA Annual Report by United States Polo Association

Annual Report

2021 United States Polo Association

Dallas Polo’s Vaughn Miller Jr. during the 2021 U.S. Open Arena Polo Championship. ©Sean Paul Franget

United States Polo Association

2021 Annual Report

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Chairman’s Let ter

Serv ices Div ision

Arena Commit tee

Armed Forces Commit tee

Board and Staf f Development Commit tee

Club and Membership Administration Commit tee

Constit ution Commit tee

Diversit y, Equit y and Inclusion Commit tee

Equine Welfare Commit tee

Finance Commit tee

Handicap Commit tees

High-Goal Commit tee

Horse Registry Commit tee

International Commit tee

Rules Commit tee

Safet y Commit tee

Tournament Commit tee

Women’s Commit tee

Communications Department

USPA Polo Development, LLC

Club Development

Intercollegiate/Interscholastic Commit tee

Player Development

USPA Umpires, LLC

USPA Global Licensing Inc.

Board of Governors

Div isions, Commit tees & LLCS

USPA Staf f

The Numbers 2021 2

Given the name Trébol by Memo Gracida, Felipe “Pipe” Vercellino’s chestnut stallion was sired by Ellerstina’s Open Especial (Sportivo x Luna) and out of Petaca, and carries the bloodline of one of Gracida’s greatest mares of all time. ©David Lominska

CHAIRMAN’S LETTER

As chairman of the United States Polo Association, it is my responsibility and pleasure to present the 2021 Annual Report on behalf of the USPA Board of Governors and share my thoughts regarding our Association. My primary duty as chairman is to articulate a vision and build a consensus behind that vision. In so doing, I give direction to our board and committee chairs in order to increase the USPA’s effectiveness. I believe that together we have accomplished a great deal and I am certain we can accomplish even more in the coming year.

Assuming office in October 2019, my focus was on aligning the governance of our Association’s committees and LLCs. We were able to accomplish that and in the process recommitted the USPA to operating as a “board directed, staff executed” organization. Everyone is in agreement on this organizational concept and the USPA’s volunteer leadership and professional staff are energetically working together as a team moving forward. As a starting point toward building a consensus behind a shared vision, I wrote an essay in 2019 entitled “The Sunday Field” which made three key observations. First, I noted that team sponsors are indispensable and critically important to polo because they are the backbone of the sport. Having a Sunday field is fundamental in attracting new sponsors because it sets the aspirational hook which draws players to our sport. Second, I opined that the Association needs to do a better job of introducing new players to polo and helping them develop. We need to improve the coaching experience for new players if we want to be as successful as possible. I support the creation of a USPA polo academy in connection with the Sunday field, the focus of which would be player improvement utilizing top quality polo ponies for instruction. Finally, I asserted that we should do a better job of recruiting prospective team sponsors to become a part of our community. The polo world is an inclusive one, but those who are not already involved do not clearly know how to navigate entry into the sport. I believe we have to do a better job of guiding them. These are the basics for a healthy polo ecosystem and they are needed across the country to replenish our ranks as the baby boomers like me inevitably age out of active participation as players and sponsors. Life is full of challenges and 2020 brought us a big one—the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, with the bad, sometimes the good presents itself. In this case, the suspension of polo for three months gave rise to a budget surplus which the Association used to develop and fund the USPA COVID-19 Relief Package to sustain USPA Member Clubs and help members care for 4

CHAIRMAN’S LETTER

their equine partners. To encourage member clubs to play polo, the Association also developed the COVID-19 USPA Polo Tournament Stimulus Package, which offered a free professional umpire, $2,500 in prize money, and trophies for the first two USPA tournaments hosted by a USPA Member Club after the pandemic-related suspension ended. TSP, which has now been expanded and renamed the Tournament Support Program, has directly resulted in explosive growth in tournament polo in America. More than 350 USPA events (i.e. USPA tournaments) were played in 2021, a 30% increase over 2020 and the largest annual total in USPA history. We have seen a corresponding increase in the number of member clubs hosting USPA events, the number of teams entering each event and consequently the number of members participating. In 2021, the USPA has bolstered or added other programs, such as the Tournament Prize Money Matching Program and the Bridge to High Goal Initiative, to further stimulate the growth of tournament polo that TSP set in motion. During the 2021 USPA Fall Committee, Board of Governors and Annual Member Meeting, the board approved rule changes designed to ensure a level playing field in events, leagues, and series of events by reducing preexisting tensions between the USPA Outdoor Rules and the USPA Handicap Policy, in order to best support a team owner’s investment in the sport. It is worth emphasizing again that rules have more to do with how much we enjoy polo and how we play to win than any other aspect of the game. They also impact the development of young players. All over the world young players are having more difficulty than ever reaching a 10-goal handicap. The rules, and the style of play resulting from those rules, have everything to do with this issue. The Association is focused on developing rules that return polo to a passing game that uses all four players. It is my sincere belief that this will help solve the problem of stymied player development. As I mentioned in this letter last year, I have frequently had the great pleasure of traveling to Wellington, Florida, for the winter season to compete against the best players in the world. No other sport has given me such pleasure, helped expand my friendships and enriched my life like polo. I wish a similarly enriching experience for everyone in American polo. To that end, I have been singularly focused in 2021 on my vision of seeing Wellington become the Buenos Aires of American polo for all levels of the sport—a place where we all come together to compete for championships at all handicap levels while building lifelong friendships. To achieve this vision, I have been working to build consensus among the USPA leadership and alignment among our Member Clubs in Florida. We are now committed as an Association to acquiring a Sunday field in Wellington: a field on which we can all compete or aspire to compete; a field with the stature of Field 1 at Palermo in Buenos Aires; a field we will control in perpetuity. This will give the USPA the leverage to more confidently and proactively oversee coordination of national tournaments with maximum team participation at all handicap levels across many different Member Clubs, while simultaneously ensuring stability for the sport for years to come. Ultimately, I want to use the Association’s financial resources to make the game better, more fun to participate in and to watch. I also want to enable American polo to be on par with Argentina by developing high-goal players organically. This starts with solid fundamentals all across the country at the low-goal level. However, it requires an aspirational component in order to attract players of all ages toward higher achievement—a pathway to improvement through the stiffest competition. Let’s continue to work together to make polo better in the year to come. Sincerely,

Stewart Armstrong

SERVICES DIVISION Extended into 2021 to expanded in 2022 under a new name— support and incentivize the Tournament Support Program. USPA tournament play, The exclusive livestreaming platform the COVID-19 USPA Polo for USPA Official Events, Global Polo Tournament Stimulus TV, has continued to evolve since its Package (TSP) continued inception to offer content engaging to to make a significant both polo players and new fans of the impact on the sport and sport. Livestreaming 23 tournaments drive positive trends at and 140 games throughout the all levels (outdoor, arena, year, the broadcast was elevated in women’s, military, etc.). 2021 with a greater variety of on-air Taking advantage of graphics including penalty and horse benefits, which included lists. waived fees for the first two USPA tournaments, Although enforcement of the NOCSAE over half of the 378 helmet mandate was postponed to tournaments in 2021 allow manufacturers adequate time to utilized TSP or the market a sufficient amount of product, Tournament Prize Money the mandate officially went into effect Matching Program. on May 1, 2021. All USPA members Requiring a minimum must wear a NOCSAE-compliant of four teams to qualify, TSP also helmet in all actual outdoor and arena directly resulted in a higher average polo games at USPA Member Clubs, number of teams in 2021 at 4.5 as well not just USPA events. As of August as an increase in host clubs. A record 2021, a third helmet, Instinct Askari, year for USPA tournaments, 24 host clubs either hosted a USPA tournament for the first time in 2021 or for the first time in the last three years. Arena polo experienced especially significant growth and ended the year with a 45% increase in tournaments played as well as all national tournaments awarded through 2022. Continuing BOOM! Cult’s Alejandro Nordheimer and Robert McGinley celebrate a win in the to support member U.S. Open Arena Polo Championship clubs, TSP will semifinal. ©Sean Paul Franget be extended and

The USPA Services serves as the central hub for administrative and operational tasks within the Association. Staff members in the Services Department have numerous responsibilities that act to keep the Association functioning, while providing open lines of communication between the board, governors, committees, club delegates, members and employees. The continued effort to strengthen and improve relationships both inside and outside the Association can be seen in the USPA’s positive impact on the sport through dedicated leadership, tournament and handicap support, and communication and committee relations. Making the best of an unprecedented year in 2020, the resilient polo community bounced back and demonstrated flexibility as many players prepared teams and strings to complete postponed and rescheduled tournaments during the 2021 winter season. Initially scheduled to be hosted by Oak Brook Polo Club (Oak Brook, Illinois), the 2020 National Youth Tournament Series Championship relocated to Port Mayaca Polo Club (Okeechobee, Florida) and the International Polo Club Palm Beach (Wellington, Florida) at the start of the high-goal season. Picking up where they left off (with some roster adjustments) nearly a year later, the 2020 USPA Gold Cup and U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship semifinals and finals served as a pre-season warmup for the competitors. Among the national tournaments canceled in 2020, the U.S. Open Arena Polo Championship returned for the first time since 2018 and closed out 2021 as the final livestreamed tournament.

SERVICES DIVISION made the list of NOCSAE approvedhelmets joining Casablanca NEU and Charles Owen Sovereign. All helmets can be recognized by an SEI/NOCSAE logo attached to the outside of the helmet, which is not to be removed. There are three USPA-approved variances for the NOCSAE-compliant helmet rules still in effect for 2022, which can be seen on the USPA website. Ushering in a change in leadership within the USPA, long-time volunteer Chris Green became the first Chief Operating Officer/In-House Counsel on July 1, 2021. Serving as chairman of the Rules/Rules Interpretation Committee and a governor-at-large, Green possesses a solid understanding of the rules and is focused on helping the USPA staff execute leadership’s vision for the Association. A USPA member for over 40 years, Green believes the key to attracting more players to the game is by creating the best experience possible for the existing membership. For the first time in over a year, the USPA Fall Committee, Board of Governors and Annual Member Meeting was held in person at the Boar’s Head Resort in Charlottesville, Virginia. Zoom links were made available to membership for those unable to attend in person. Filling two vacancies on the board, former Circuit Governors Erica GandomcarSachs and Bob McMurtry were appointed as the newest governorsat-large. Realigning the circuit boundaries, the Border and Rocky Mountain circuits were absorbed bringing the total Circuits down to 11. Stepping down from their respective circuits, David Ragland and Trey Schott were thanked for their service while the USPA welcomed incoming Circuit Governors Jorge Vasquez (Midstates), Mike Carney (Great Plains) and Cliff Yandell (Central).

La Indiana’s Nico Escobar and Daily Racing Form’s Jared Zenni during the 2020 USPA Gold Cup final. ©David Lominska

Grateful to be back on fields and in arenas around the country after a year of uncertainty, the polo community organically produced a record year for USPA tournaments foreshadowing an optimistic future for the sport. Recognizing the ongoing need and making the decision to extend TSP into 2021, the Association prioritized the health of the sport 7

as a whole and generated greater participation from players and clubs alike. Rising to the occasion in the face of adversity, USPA Services’ ability to adapt played an important role in helping polo not only thrive but experience exponential growth.

ARENA COMMITTEE

In 2021, the Arena Committee continued to expand upon the progress and initiatives developed in previous years. The Committee’s work to stimulate the growth of arena polo at all levels improved both the quality and quantity of arena tournaments. Arena polo continues to prosper across the country, and in total 97 USPA arena events were awarded in 2021 and all 11 national arena events were played with four or more teams. There was a 45% increase in the number of arena tournaments from 67 in 2020 to 97 in 2021. There was also an increased interest in arena leagues across the country due to the success of the Pacific Coast Arena League and Texas Arena League.

National arena tournaments continue to be a sensation around the country and in 2021 there was an increased demand and level of competition for USPA arena tournaments. Several 2021 national arena tournaments were among the most sought-after tournaments and the demand for hosting prestigious arena events has increased significantly throughout the country. The National Arena Amateur Cup (NAAC) took on a new innovative format in 2019 that created an opportunity to showcase the accessibility of amateur polo and incentivized amateur players to

©Sean Paul Franget

participate longer and more frequently in USPA tournaments, at their home clubs, circuits and nationally. Throughout the year, players from all over the country accumulated points by playing in any USPA arena event. All amateur players rated -1 to 3 goals are eligible to qualify and the point system is based on the number of teams entered and the team standings.

USPA ARENA EVENTS WERE [+45%] AWARDED IN 2021

In 2019, the inaugural year, 131 players landed on the NAAC leaderboard and four teams were invited to participate in the 8

championship. In 2020, 336 players landed on the leaderboard and six teams were invited to participate. In 2021, an impressive 641 players landed on the leaderboard and had an opportunity to earn one of the coveted spots in the championship hosted by Legends Polo Club in Kaufman, Texas. The NAAC Host Tournament Committee placed the 24 finalists on one of eight teams. Qualifying over two days of competitive play, GET It Done and JD Boss Polo went head-to-head in the NAAC final on Sunday, November 7. A high-scoring fast-paced game, JD Boss Polo battled throughout the match to retain their undefeated record in the tournament and capture the NAAC trophy 19-16. Twilight Polo Club (Middleburg, Virginia) utilized the Tournament

ARENA COMMITTEE California) for the first time since 2011, with games played at Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.

Hotels At Sea’s Tolito Fernandez Ocampo Jr. and Tareq Salahi greet the crowd after their National Arena Chairman’s Cup win. ©Tony Gibson

Prize Money Matching Program to support two coveted 12-goal national arena events: the 2021 National Arena Chairman’s Cup, which offered $10,000 in prize money, and the United States Arena Handicap, which offered $40,000 in prize money. The National Arena Chairman’s Cup final came down to a thrilling finish between Hotels at Sea and Liberty Hall. The tournament concluded with Hotels at Sea defending their 2020 title, defeating their opponents in the final seconds of play with a two-point goal. Fueled by this victory, Hotels at Sea’s teamwork propelled them to their second consecutive national tournament final appearance in the United States Arena Handicap. After advancing in a narrow victory in the semifinals, Hotels at Sea defeated Core Real Estate 18-14 to claim the championship title. Returning for the first time since 2018, the prestigious U.S. Open Arena Polo Championship featured six competitive teams, a level of participation that had not been seen since 2003. The premier arena polo competition in the United States featured $50,000 in total prize money as part of the USPA’s Tournament Prize Money Matching Program. The 12- to 14-goal tournament was hosted by California Polo Club (Los Angeles,

Establishing themselves as early powerhouse favorites in the roundrobin semifinals, BOOM! Cult sought to continue early domination in the U.S. Open Arena Polo Championship final, while Dallas Polo looked to capture their first title with exceptional team chemistry. Ultimately, Dallas Polo’s strategy of preventing Pelon Escapite from controlling the game saw the Texas trio ride to a 14-10 victory. Helping to produce more intercollegiate/interscholastic champions out of Texas and coaching the Texas A&M intercollegiate team to multiple national championships, Michael McCleary was named the recipient of the 2021 Russ Sheldon Award. The Russ Sheldon Award was created by the Arena Committee in 2015 to be presented annually to a member who has made an outstanding contribution to arena polo. The future of arena polo is bright as the sport continues to thrive and grow, attracting hundreds of spectators and players to the fast-paced and competitive game each year. Arena polo continues to prosper across the country and the Arena Committee is constantly looking for new ways to help improve and enhance the sport.

NATIONAL ARENA AMATEUR CUP STATISTICS: 2019

131 2020

336 2021

641

USPA ARENA EVENTS WERE AWARDED IN 2021 PLAYERS QUALIFIED, SIX TEAMS WERE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE. PLAYERS QUALIFIED, EIGHT TEAMS WERE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE

2021 Amateur Cup champions: JD Boss Polo - Javier Insua, Sophie Michels, Rehan Kumble. ©David Murrell

2021 U.S. Open Arena Polo Championship winners: Dallas Polo - Rob Payne, Will Walton, Vaughn Miller Jr. ©Kerri Kerley

ARMED FORCES COMMITTEE

The Armed Forces Committee (AFC) has been working over the past few years to increase USPA military tournaments and USPA membership, especially new active - dut y and active - reser ve component military personnel members. As an incentive to join, free membership has been offered to active-duty military players since 2016. Only seven circuit military tournaments were held in 2016, the first year the events were available, making growth a focus for the Committee in 2017 and 2018. The Committee’s hard work and dedication to the cause raised that number to 23 circuit events in 2017, 34 in 2018, 42 in 2019, 28 in 2020 and 33 in 2021.

Military Polo Club LLC (Poteet, Texas) and played at Legends Polo Club (Kaufman, Texas) due to heavy rain in San Antonio, Texas. Five competitive teams descended upon the arena, consisting of at least one active, retired or honorably discharged military serviceman, woman or family member on each team. Villa Ecleto captured a 14-6 victory

Sarasota Polo Club (Sarasota, Florida) hosted the 2021 National Outdoor Commander-inChief Cup at the 10- to 12-goal level with four teams participating. Tito’s Handmade Vodka defeated Hillcroft 13-8 to take the championship. The arena counterpart, the 2021 National Arena Commander-in-Chief Cup was hosted by Virginia Polo Inc. (Charlottesville, Virginia) and featured four branches of the military competing for the coveted bronze trophy. Two dominant semifinal victories pitted Army against Navy in the final, with a commanding second half that propelled Army to a 14-9 triumph.

in the final over Legends Polo Club, securing their position in the annals of Allied Services Cup history. The Churchill-Roosevelt Cup was played between British and U.S. military players at New Bridge Polo & Country Club (Aiken, South Carolina) in conjunction with the high-goal arena Townsend Cup. The U.S. team of Army, Navy and Coast Guard personnel defeated British Armed Forces 11-8 in a close match.

Tito’s Handmade Vodka’s Maddie Grant on a breakaway in front of a packed crowd during the National Outdoor Commander-in-Chief Cup final at

The inaugural National Arena Allied Services Cup was hosted by Texas

Sarasota Polo Club. ©Julio Aguilar

ARMED FORCES COMMITTEE

USPA Armed Forces Petty Officer Alex Jenkins, U.S.

2021 National Arena Commander-in-Chief Cup champions: Army

Navy Reserve, salutes during the Churchill-Roosevelt

- Warrant Officer 2 Joe England, Maj. Amos Peterson and Pfc Zak

Cup opening ceremonies. ©Shelly Marshall Schmidt

Coleman. ©Oana Moore

The Committee continues to financially support circuit and national military events each year through the Military Incentive Program. In 2020, the AFC increased the number of circuit events supported through this program significantly and continued to support more events in 2021. The AFC also continues to support numerous military events and clinics throughout the country. One positive development on the international military polo front occurred in August 2020, when the Federation of International Polo (FIP) formally established an International Military Polo Committee whose mission includes facilitating greater numbers of international military polo events. The USPA designated Mark Gillespie as its representative. The first meeting took place in 2021 with members from the U.S., United Kingdom and Argentina. The FIP Military Polo Committee’s first objective is to gather a comprehensive picture of

military polo activities and resources around the world to have a baseline for future coordination. The AFC awarded the 2021 General George S. Patton Jr. Award to Daniel Keating in recognition of

CIRCUIT MILITARY TOURNAMENTS 2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

34 28

23 42 33

his work creating opportunities for military members and their 11

families to become involved in the sport of polo. Keating was presented with the award during the USPA/ Polo Training Foundation award ceremony held at Virginia Polo Inc. in October. Keating was praised for his decades of supporting polo for military personnel attending the U.S. Navy War College in Newport, Rhode Island, and hosting events where teams composed of military personnel and veterans could play. Many military polo players started at Keating’s polo club, and he continues to welcome military personnel to try their hand at the sport. Also noteworthy, Keating is the first individual to receive the Patton Award who has never served in the military.

B O A R D A N D S TA F F D E V E L O P M E N T C O M M I T T E E

The current Board and Staff Development Committee (BASDC) was established and approved by the board of governors in 2017. Its members are a small but varied group of individuals with experience in business, ties to many USPA committees and interests in the sport of polo.

The purpose of the Committee is to study and offer recommendations to the Association on the establishment and continuous improvement of an effective, efficient, and resultsdriven organizational structure. The Committee provides advice and support to the Association’s staff and offers advisory support to the Association’s chairman and Board of Governors. The Committee studies USPA mission statement objectives and has authored several key policies. It advises on best corporate practices, processes and recommendations to achieve stated goals, correct deficiencies and ensure consistency, continuity and clarity in all areas of the Association. At the 2021 Fall Board of Governors Meeting, the USPA board unanimously approved an updated Committee mission statement:

The USPA Board and Staff Development Committee (BASDC) provides advice and support to the Association’s Board of Governors, Executive Committee, and management, including the COO. The BASDC will offer recommendations or endorsements relating to the consistent use of generally accepted best corporate practices, policies, and procedures. BASDC’s primary

advisory purpose includes review Board approved HR policies and procedures; ongoing Staff professional development and succession; and Organizational Charts. When requested by Board or Staff leadership, the BASDC will provide feedback and recommendations regarding Board and Staff matters, questions, concerns, and opportunities. In 2021, the Committee reviewed and endorsed the board-approved process concerning USPA staff annual salaries and bonuses; reviewed the process for use of the USPA Censure Policy; assisted in the creation of the USPA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and its mission statement which was approved by the USPA board; endorsed Agapito Morgan as DEI Committee chair; reviewed and endorsed the job description for the USPA COO/In-House Counsel and other staff positions; considered publishing the USPA Rules in a Spanish version; and reviewed the USPA Communication Policy and other policies and procedures, when requested. In 2021, BASDC members included Elizabeth Brayboy, Zacharias Grob, Leighton Jordan, Peter Rizzo, Sheryl Sick, Daniel Walker and Agapito Morgan.

Kitana St-Cyr during the Southwestern Circuit Women’s Challenge at Dallas Polo Club in Red Oak, Texas. ©David Murrell

C L U B A N D M E M B E R S H I P A D M I N I S T R AT I O N C O M M I T T E E

Prior to the Spring Board of Governors, Committee and LLC Meetings, the Club and Membership Administration Committee reviewed all existing USPA Member Clubs to confirm their compliance with the requirements set forth in the USPA Constitution and By-Laws. At the beginning of May, the Executive Committee reviewed and approved a list including 217 clubs (190 Active, 13 Provisional, 12 Affiliate and two Associate). Included on the list were four clubs that had applied as new clubs in the beginning of the year. There were also eight clubs terminated for noncompliance (three Active, three Provisional, one Affiliate and one Associate). An additional four clubs applied in the second half of the year bringing the total 2021 new clubs to eight.

The Committee was also tasked with reviewing the USPA circuit distribution. Committee members considered where the borders between circuits fell, the number of clubs and members per circuit as well as inter-circuit travel possibilities. After review, new circuits were proposed at the Fall Committee, Board of Governors and Annual Member Meeting. The new circuit alignment decreased the total number of circuits from 13 to 11 and aligned all

PRO-RATED USPA MEMBERSHIP: Any member joining for the first time after September 1 of any given year will receive membership at half price, however it will still expire on December 31.

Women’s polo arrived in the Santa Ynez Valley for the Pacific Coast Circuit Women’s Challenge-A-Flight hosted by La Herradura Polo Club LLC in California. ©Chantal Hasse

borders on state lines. The clubs previously forming the Border Circuit were distributed between the Pacific Coast Circuit and Southwestern Circuit and the clubs formerly part of the Rocky Mountain Circuit were transferred into the Great Plains Circuit. The Committee has been tasked with developing a plan to consistently review the circuits to assess any need for future changes. The Individual Membership category for Social Non-Playing Members was evaluated, and it was determined that the category should be renamed the “Non-Competing Membership.” The goal of the change is to encourage individuals who are taking lessons

C L U B A N D M E M B E R S H I P A D M I N I S T R AT I O N C O M M I T T E E

or playing in only club-level polo to join the USPA. The Non-Competing Membership category will include the same benefits as Player Members, except the right to vote, hold a handicap or participate in USPA tournaments. The Committee was asked to investigate an option for pro-rated membership for members that sign up near the end of the year. The option was approved by the USPA board and applies to any member joining for the first time after September 1 of any given year. New members that fall into this category will receive membership at half price, however, it will still expire on December 31. The Committee believes this option will encourage members considering joining the Association for the first time to join immediately rather than wait until the beginning of the year.

8 NEW USPA MEMBER CLUBS IN 2021 5965 Camino del Rey LLC Bonsall, California

Ligonier Polo Association Ligonier, Pennsylvania

Greater Milwaukee Polo Club Hartford, Wisconsin

Patagones Polo Club Wellington, Florida

Indian Mound Polo Club Wellington, Florida

Rancho Polo LLC Thermal, California

La Herradura Polo Club LLC Santa Ynez, California

Springbok Polo Club Middleburg, Virginia

CIRCUIT ALIGNMENT The new circuit alignment decreased the total number of circuits from 13 to 11 and aligned all borders on state lines.

Central

Eastern

NT NU

Florida

Great Plains

Hawaiian Islands

ON WA

Mid States OR

Northeastern

WI MI

LA FL

VA NC

SC MS

NH MA CT RI NJ DE

WV KY

TN AR

OK NM

Southwestern

PA IL

Southeastern

Pacific Coast Pacific Northwest

NB MT

MD OC

PE NS

CONSTITUTION COMMITTEE

The Constitution Committee met throughout the year to assess governing documents and propose edits to the delegates and board of governors. After a comprehensive review, the Committee recommended and the delegates’ approved the following clarifying changes to the Constitution:

• Language was added to specify that the Executive Committee will be appointed annually at the Fall Board of Governors meeting. • The Nominating Committee clause was revised to specify that the Committee will now serve a three-year term. • A club category was added for other polo entities. • Club delegates now have the right to deny or approve the members affiliated with their club. • Clarifying language was added to the proxy voting requirements. • Language was added to clarify that a member will be automatically converted to Player Only Member status if they file a suit against the Association or one of its subsidiaries or affiliated entities. • Language was added to allow for one nomination to be accepted for a candidate for circuit governor in circuits with fewer than four Active Member Clubs. • Language was added to specify that if the USPA receives more than one nomination from the same club for a governor-at-large candidate the final nomination will be officially counted. 16

CONSTITUTION COMMITTEE

©David Lominska

The Club and Membership Administration Committee along with the Constitution Committee proposed, and the board approved, realigning and reducing the number of circuits from 13 to 11. After the Fall Board of Governors Meeting, 11 circuits now represent the membership of the Association and the By Laws were updated to reflect this change. The additional approved changes to the By Laws are summarized below: •

Language was added granting authority to the board to vote on allowing a regular board meeting to be conducted by video or electronic technology. Additional language was added to allow the Executive Committee to approve video or electronic participation by individual board members who are unable to attend Regular Board Meetings.

•

Language was added to clarify that a circuit governor vacancy is filled in accordance with the Constitution, if the vacancy occurs because a candidate is not properly nominated by the circuit’s delegates or because no properly nominated candidate received the minimum number of delegate votes. Additionally, a circuit governor vacancy caused by any other reason(s) is filled as follows: the delegates of the affected circuit first make nominations to the Executive Committee; the Executive Committee then makes a recommendation to the board of governors; the board of governors then votes on the nominated candidates.

• Language was added recognizing the position of Circuit Ambassador within the By Laws. • All references to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) have been updated to refer to the Chief Operating Officer (COO). • Language was added to clarify that the USPA chairman nominates Advisory Committee chairs for board approval annually. • The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee was added as a standing committee. • A new section was added to describe the Finance Committee and its membership’s required composition. •

Language was added to clarify that officer nominations are made before the fall Regular Board of Governors Meeting. Additional language was added to require that in the event there are three tied votes by the board on the chairman position, the tie will be broken by the Nominating Committee chair.

• Language was added to state that any vacancy in an officer position will be filled by the board’s approval of a candidate who is first nominated by the Nominating Committee or a candidate who is thereafter nominated in writing by seven board members. • The membership category previously named “Social Non-Playing Members” has been renamed “Non-Competing Members.” • Language was added to clarify that a member will be automatically converted to Player Only Member status if they file a suit against the Association or one of its subsidiaries or affiliated entities. • Revisions have been made to recognize that the United States Olympic Committee has officially been renamed the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

D I V E R S I T Y, E Q U I T Y A N D I N C L U S I O N C O M M I T T E E

In the spring of 2021, the USPA board of governors established the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee to explore and support initiatives within the polo community that promote the sport to a diverse group of individuals, provide opportunities for new polo experiences and change the perception of polo to one of inclusivity. Committee members have focused on creating a mission statement that focuses on six key areas: 1. Increasing awareness within the USPA and polo community of the importance of DEI and encouraging member (club and individuals) engagement in DEI initiatives. 2. Exploring and supporting DEI-specific events at USPA Member Clubs that actively promote recruitment of diverse participants in the sport of polo by engaging diverse communities through events, networking and strategic partnerships. 3. Providing mentored support (in an advisory capacity) to the USPA board of governors and the polo community as it relates to DEI discussions and initiatives. 4. Developing strategic partnerships and relationships that complement efforts to achieve greater DEI throughout all areas of polo. 5. Recognizing and communicating DEI “success stories” at USPA Member Clubs to the greater polo community through USPA Communications pathways, and beyond. 6. Establishing the appropriate DEI narratives to two separate and distinct audiences: internally to USPA members, staff, committees, volunteers and polo clubs and externally to organizations, communities and fanbase that are not active within the polo ecosystem.

Students practiced their mallet skills on the ground with DEI Committee member Dale Johnson. ©John Turney

D I V E R S I T Y, E Q U I T Y A N D I N C L U S I O N C O M M I T T E E In September, the Committee partnered with the Detroit Polo Club (Howell, Michigan) to host an introductory polo clinic for students of Detroit Horse Power, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that teaches urban youth to ride and care for horses as a way to develop skills that will set them up for future success. The clinic structure, developed by Emmalyn and Paul Wheaton of the Detroit Polo Club, will provide a template for future collaborations. Highlighting the pilot event and encouraging clubs to host a similar initiative, the communications department wrote a featured article which included interviews with the participants.

A pilot event with Detroit Horse Power introduced 10 local high school students to the sport of polo. ©John Turney

The Committee is looking forward to supporting an event with Charm City Polo in 2022 in the Virginia or greater Washington, D.C. area to bring a wider awareness to the athletic and leadership development program’s goal to make polo accessible to all. In 2022, Committee members will begin to connect with stakeholders from international polo groups to assess where the USPA can assist other organizations with their diversity, equity and inclusion goals, while also continuing to support individual members and USPA Member Clubs.

The interactive curriculum for the day included three stations, including the hitting cage. ©John Turney

For student Elijah Anderson, the event was his first exposure to the sport of polo. His initial impression that he would not enjoy it was quickly reversed from the moment he picked up a mallet. ©John Turney

E Q U I N E W E L FA R E C O M M I T T E E

The Equine Welfare Committee reviewed and approved changes to the USPA Equine Drugs and Medications Rules. Corticosteroids were transferred from the “Prohibited Drugs and Substances” category and into the “Restricted Use Medications” category. Any Responsible Party using corticosteroids will now be required to submit a USPA Medication Report Form and their use will only be permitted if they do not exceed the allowable levels.

The Committee provided educational presentations during the USPA Fall Committee, Board of Governors and Annual Member Meeting in October. Topics included equine emergency preparedness, body conditioning scores and the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover.

©David Murrell

FINANCE COMMITTEE

In October 2021, the Finance Committee presented the 2022 USPA budget to the board of governors for approval at the Fall Committee, Board of Governors and Annual Member Meeting. The annual budget is prepared each year by first obtaining strategic guidance from the board of governors and officers and then working with committees and staff leadership to align the budget with this guidance. USPA staff revises the budget based on a formal review system highlighted by input from the Finance Committee, Executive Committee, board of governors, and other USPA committees.

The 2022 USPA budget includes the USPA’s highly successful Tournament Stimulus Package which began during the initial COVID-19 pandemic as support for clubs, players and their horses. In recognition of the program’s ongoing value, for current and future budgets, the program was renamed the Tournament Support Program. Added to the 2022 USPA Budget were additional funds in areas such as arena polo, the Club and Membership Administration Committee, Horse Registry Committee, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and Bridge to High Goal Initiative which is designed to support polo between 12 and 16 goals. During 2021, in accordance with the USPA’s Large Expenditures Policy, the Finance Committee met several times to discuss and analyze financial aspects of a project to purchase property in the Wellington, Florida, area. The Committee provided its approval to the board to sign a purchase contract based on a review of the vision plan for the property as well as financial numbers. The Finance Committee will remain involved as the project moves forward.

The Finance Committee’s primary ongoing responsibility is management of the USPA’s investment portfolio. The Committee holds meetings during the year with Meketa Investment Group, the USPA’s advisors for the portfolio, to review current and future outlooks and manage the portfolio allocations and balance in accordance with the USPA’s investment policy. On December 31, 2021, the portfolio balance under Meketa management carried $193,600,000, showing an 11.9% return for the year. During 2021, the USPA added $3,000,000 to the investment portfolio. The portfolio’s longterm (10 year) return of eight percent remains favorable to the USPA’s conservative investment target of five to seven percent.

Core Real Estate’s John Gobin riding United States Arena Handicap final Best Playing Pony Chrome. ©Tony Gibson

HANDICAP COMMITTEES

H A N D I C A P R AT I N G B R E A K D O W N US MALE

AFF MALE

US FEMALE

OUT

ARENA

OUT

ARENA

OUT

ARENA

10T

AFF FEMALE

W. OUT W. ARENA

OUT

ARENA

W. OUT W. ARENA

105

128

130

105

156

123

256

113

107

201

326

1,5

n/a

1.5T

n/a

219

297

204

286

163

0,5

116

n/a

0.5T

n/a

493

351

108

252

359

740

467

-0,5

n/a

106

n/a

-1

597

263

908

479

n/a

198

441

374

320

453

239

310

SNP

*AFF (Affiliate) = Non-U.S. citizen

HANDICAP COMMITTEES

All three of the USPA Handicap Committees (outdoor, women’s, arena) reviewed handicaps for all USPA players as required by the USPA Handicap Policy. The Outdoor Handicap Committee held its regular meetings in April and September, the Women’s Handicap Committee in April and October, and the Arena Handicap Committee held its annual meeting in October. Committees also approved handicaps of new and reinstated members throughout the course of the year on an as-needed basis. The annual review of the USPA Handicap Policy took place and a number of changes were proposed. The committees decided to adjust the schedule for handicap meetings and change dates to better accommodate the needs of polo around the country. Players who compete between the fall handicap and spring handicap meetings will be reviewed at the spring meeting and their changes will be effective December 1. Players who compete between the spring handicap meetings and fall handicap meetings will be reviewed at the fall handicap meeting with their changes going into effect May 1 of the following year. Additional Handicap Policy changes were made to unify the three committees in regards to processes and procedures.

16-year-old Summer Kneece was raised in both outdoor and arena women’s handicaps in 2021. ©Larry Johnson

In the annual outdoor handicap changes, American Jesse Bray was raised to 7 goals. ©David Lominska

HIGH-GOAL COMMITTEE

keep the GAUNTLET OF POLO at 22 goals and to allow entries to either participate in the full series or in individual tournaments. Most of the participants felt that some type of prize money would be important. The High-Goal Committee presented their findings to the Tournament Committee which supported this recommendation. The joint recommendations were then presented to the Executive Committee which also endorsed the recommendation.

The 2021 GAUNTLET OF POLO built on the success from the previous two years which kept the High-Goal Committee engaged and active throughout the winter season. After the annual HighGoal Committee election in January, Annabelle Gundlach and Justin Klentner were reelected to their positions of HighGoal Team Owners while Julio Arellano and Nic Roldan were elected to fill the positions of High-Goal Professionals. The first major initiative brought forward by the Committee was to make a recommendation on the goal level and format for the 2022 GAUNTLET OF POLO. The High-Goal Committee sent out a nationwide survey to possible high-goal stakeholders for their input on goal level, format and the importance of prize money. The survey yielded a respectable level of participation with the majority of teams requesting to

The Committee continued its efforts from years past and polled the GAUNTLET teams to gain feedback on the high-goal umpires. The USPA Umpires, LLC evaluated the feedback from the teams to help elevate each umpire’s performance for the future.

Team owner Curtis Pilot in action during the GAUNTLET OF POLO. ©David Lominska

The Committee met and discussed the Rules Committee proposals for 2022 and provided valuable feedback. The 2022 rule changes greatly influence the selection of high-goal teams so extra effort was made to ensure all changes were understood and teams were supportive of the proposals. Throughout the year, the Committee provided a platform for discussion on many essential topics related to highgoal polo and its continued growth and support. The board passed revisions to the High-Goal Committee Policy which empowered the chair to have greater input in selecting committee members. The High-Goal Committee continues to work diligently to act as the liaison between high-goal teams and the Association.

HIGH-GOAL COMMITTEE

Scone’s Adolfo Cambiaso captured his ninth U.S. Open Polo Championship title in 2021. ©David Lominska

HORSE REGISTRY COMMITTEE

In 2021, the Horse Registry Committee completed horse catalogs for the GAUNTLET OF POLO® and the Pacific Coast Open, detailing information such as age and breeding. In total, the catalogs included 830 entries and were compiled from information provided by the players. This dataset marked the inaugural year of the USPA capturing players’ string information for top horses competing in the United States. From this benchmark, the USPA Horse Registry Committee will look to analyze and utilize this data in educating players and spectators about the top horses playing polo in the U.S. as well as breeding and bloodline trends throughout the sport.

Sally drew the eyes of the polo community after receiving the 2018 Willis L. Hartman Trophy for the U.S. Open Polo Championship final, the most prestigious Best Playing Pony award in the United States. ©David Lominska

HORSE REGISTRY COMMITTEE

PACIFIC COAST OPEN

249

HORSES CATALOGED

63 %

BETWEEN 8-12 YEARS OLD

20% 74%

80% MARES

AMERICAN THOROUGHBRED

ARGENTINE POLO BREEDING

GAUNTLET OF POLO

581

HORSES CATALOGED

76%

BETWEEN 8-12 YEARS OLD

16% 77 %

85%

MARES

AMERICAN THOROUGHBRED

ARGENTINE POLO BREEDING

TOP BREEDER:

Ellerstina S.A. TOP AMERICAN BREEDER:

G-String Polo Ponies 27

I N T E R N AT I O N A L C O M M I T T E E

After international events came to a halt in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Committee started off the year cautiously optimistic. Originally, the Committee planned to return to England to compete in Polo in the Park highlighting the Bryan Morrison Trophy, a high-goal arena match played on English soil, but travel restrictions postponed the event for another year. The Committee regrouped and invited England to partake in the sister tournament, the Townsend Challenge Cup in October. Held over two consecutive days, the International Arena Showcase, featuring the Townsend Cup and the Churchill-Roosevelt Cup, was hosted at New Bridge Polo & Country Club in Aiken, South Carolina. In the USPA Armed Forces versus British Armed Forces Churchill-Roosevelt Cup the USPA Armed Forces defeated the British Armed Forces 11-8. The Townsend Cup took place on Sunday, October 10, between the USA (Pelon Escapite, Geronimo Obregon, Winston Painter) and England (Julian Daniels, Eden Ormerod, Robin Ormerod). The match was a fast, open game from start to finish with both teams showcasing true skill throughout. Ultimately, the USA was able to edge out the competition winning 18-15. Making its debut in 2020, the Butler International Cup received financial support from the International Committee for the second year in a row. Hosted by Oak Brook Polo Club (Oak Brook, Illinois) in association with the Chicago Polo Association, the Butler International Cup attracted five teams. A record season-ending crowd

USA’s Hope Arellano carries the ball on the nearside at full speed during the Women’s Nations Cup. ©Matias Callejo

of nearly 1,000 spectators came out to watch USA defeat Jamaica 6-3 in the conclusion of the 10-day tournament. The final 2021 event for the International Committee was the Women’s Nations Cup (Copa de las Naciones) which took place December 13-17 at the Campo Argentino de Polo Palermo in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Representing the USA, Hope Arellano, Meghan Gracida, Dawn Jones, Kylie Sheehan and alternate Maddie Grant, competed against teams from England and Argentina. Due to a last-minute injury, Maddie Grant replaced Meghan Gracida in the tournament. The USA team faced England in the first match where they were narrowly defeated by 1.5 goals. USA jumped back into play the following day against host country Argentina, where another

hard-fought match ended in favor of their opponents 9.5-7. The games were fast, open and evenly matched. The event ignited a hunger for more international women’s polo matches in the future, proving that the United States is a strong force on the field. 2022 will be a dramatic year for the International Committee with all efforts focused on the XII FIP World Polo Championships slated to take place in Wellington, Florida, October 26 through November 6. Eight teams will compete for the world championship title and the Committee could not be more thrilled to host it on American soil for the second time.

I N T E R N AT I O N A L C O M M I T T E E

A record Oak Brook Polo Club season-ending crowd of nearly 1,000 spectators came out to watch USA defeat Jamaica 6-3 in the Butler International Cup final. ©Andrew Meier

“Although we weren’t able to pull off a win this time, we were able to play competitive games that came down to small, fixable mistakes on the field, not lack of preparation or competitiveness. I truly feel that the Americans have the talent to be dominant on the international level in women’s polo.“ -Kylie Sheehan, USA Team, Women’s Nations Cup

USA (Winston Painter, Geronimo Obregon, Pelon Escapite

The U.S. Women’s Nations Cup team played on

and coach Tiger Kneece) once again topped England to

the historic Campo Argentino de Polo Palermo

add an eighth American engraving on the prestigious

in Buenos Aires, Argentina. ©Matias Callejo

Townsend Cup. ©Larry Johnson

RULES COMMITTEE

Other rule changes developed and approved in 2021 replace the terms “whip” and “spurs” with the term “artificial aides (riding crop and spurs),” and make clear that abusive use of artificial aides will not be tolerated in American polo (USPA Outdoor Rule 5 and Arena In 2021, the Rules Committee developed, Rule 14.f); and allow a and the board of governors approved, player who is off the field during the execution of rule changes designed to ensure a a defended penalty to level playing field in events, leagues, and series of events, while supporting return to his or her proper sponsors’ investments in polo, by reducing position before or after play is called, as long preexisting tensions between the USPA as that player returns Outdoor Rules and the USPA Handicap unobtrusively by a route Policy. For example, USPA Outdoor that is on the field and no Rule 1 will now allow rostered teams closer than 30 yards from to continue to play together if team the spot where the ball members’ handicaps are raised on an is placed for the penalty emergency basis during an event because shot (USPA Outdoor Rules their current handicaps do not accurately 36 & 37).

reflect their level of play, even when such emergency raises push the team handicap over the upper handicap limit of the event, leagues and series of events in which the team is competing. Such teams can now continue to compete, but they must give their opponents any difference between their respective team handicaps.

The Arena Rules Subcommittee of the Rules Committee met frequently in 2021 and revamped the procedural provisions of the arena rules to bring them more in line with those of the outdoor rules in an ongoing effort to make the USPA Rules more internally consistent for the benefit of players, spectators, and umpires alike. The board of governors approved all the Subcommittee’s recommendations.

Through its representatives on the International Rules Subcommittee, the Rules Committee continued to collaborate with the Hurlingham Polo Association and the Argentine Association of Polo in a cooperative effort to improve and standardize the rules of international polo, while keeping in mind the USPA’s main focus is and should be on polo in America; American polo has its own unique history and traditions; and the vast majority of USPA members will continue to play and compete exclusively in America under the USPA outdoor and arena rules.

RULES COMMITTEE

Megan Flynn rushes along the boards during a Texas Arena League event at Brookshire Polo Club in Brookshire, Texas. ©David Murrell

SAFETY COMMITTEE

The Safety Committee continued to update the membership on the status of helmets that pass the NOCSAE ND050 Standard Performance Specification. To date there are three helmets that pass the standard: Casablanca NEU, Charles Owen Sovereign and Instinct Askari. Multiple variances for the requirement were created for members who have either recently joined the Association and have not yet received their helmets, or for those ordering new helmets to replace damaged ones, and to accommodate minors whose heads are smaller than the helmets available on the market. The USPA Injury Reporting Survey was put back into circulation, and members were asked upon renewal if they had sustained a polo-related injury the previous year. During the 2021 USPA Fall Committee, Board of Governors and Annual Member Meeting in October, a report was made on the results from the survey which was completed by 49 members. The results provided demographical and statistical information regarding injuries in the sport. It was suggested that instead of trying to gather data from the entire membership, that the Committee create focus groups at large USPA Member Clubs and track the data directly at those clubs. Discussion was reopened on an Inclement Weather Policy that would provide clubs with information regarding when to postpone games. The Committee is also considering the creation of a recommended timeline for when players can safely return to playing polo after a serious head injury. For both items the Committee will research the practices of other sports and propose recommendations for the sport of polo. 32

SAFETY COMMITTEE

A storm rolls in during a U.S. Open Polo Championship match at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. ©David Lominska

Gillian Johnston’s custom NOCSAE helmet. ©David Lominska

NOCSAE helmets are designated with a small rectangular sticker on the back. ©David Lominska

TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE

NATIONAL TOURNAMENTS

Throughout 2021, there was an increased demand and level of competition for USPA tournaments with 396 USPA tournaments awarded. The Tournament Committee focused on making timely decisions to recommend awarding national events responsibly through careful consideration and deliberation. In an effort to preserve the history and tradition of the sport of polo and the most prestigious tournaments the USPA has to offer, an emphasis on tracking the success of national events has helped the Committee make educated decisions.

TOURNAMENT NAME U.S. OPEN POLO CHAMPIONSHIP® USPA GOLD CUP® C.V. WHITNEY CUP® U.S. OPEN WOMEN’S POLO CHAMPIONSHIP® BUTLER HANDICAP® MONTY WATERBURY® NORTH AMERICAN CUP® NATIONAL TWENTY GOAL® U.S. OPEN WOMEN’S HANDICAP® USPA WOMEN’S ARENA OPEN® SILVER CUP®

The Committee met in April and October of 2021 to carefully discuss the awarding of 2022 national and sanctioned tournaments. USPA national events are the most prestigious tournaments in the United States, and in order for clubs to be considered as a host site, the club must apply a year in advance. In April, 46 national and sanctioned event applications were considered by the Committee for 2022 and recommended to the board of governors for approval, leaving only three to be awarded in October.

USPA AMERICA CUP® HERITAGE CUP™ U.S. OPEN ARENA POLO CHAMPIONSHIP® EASTERN CHALLENGE® USPA WOMEN’S ARENA HANDICAP® NATIONAL ARENA CHAIRMAN’S CUP UNITED STATES ARENA HANDICAP® ROSSMORE CUP CHAIRMAN’S CUP NATIONAL INTER-CIRCUIT CHAMPIONSHIP

The Tournament Committee and the board also approved revisions to the Tournament Stimulus Package (TSP) and the Prize Money Matching Program. The USPA created TSP to help member clubs host USPA events when the United States was emerging from the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Continuing to support member clubs with increased TSP benefits, the USPA has extended and expanded TSP under a new name in 2022— the Tournament Support Program.

H. BEN TAUB MEMORIAL NATIONAL OUTDOOR COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF CUP NATIONAL ARENA DELEGATE’S CUP NATIONAL EIGHT GOAL ASSOCIATION CUP DELEGATE’S CUP NATIONAL PRESIDENT’S CUP REGIONAL PRESIDENT’S CUP REGIONAL PRESIDENT’S CUP

With the support of USPA tournament programs the Committee has seen a positive increase in the number of tournaments played, teams entered per tournament, players participating in USPA tournaments, host clubs awarded tournaments and an overall improvement in the quality of tournaments. In 2021, 42 national tournaments were played with an average of 5.6 teams entered per tournament.

REGIONAL PRESIDENT’S CUP REGIONAL PRESIDENT’S CUP REGIONAL PRESIDENT’S CUP NATIONAL YOUTH TOURNAMENT SERIES GIRLS’ CHAMPIONSHIP® REGIONAL PRESIDENT’S CUP NATIONAL SHERMAN MEMORIAL ALLIED SERVICES CUP NATIONAL ARENA COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF CUP

The Tournament Committee is looking forward to another successful year of growth in 2022. The Committee will continue to carefully review the placement of national tournaments, preserve their prestige, promote involvement from USPA members and member clubs, and stimulate the growth of tournament play at all levels.

NATIONAL AMATEUR CUP NATIONAL YOUTH TOURNAMENT SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP® NATIONAL ARENA CHALLENGE CUP NATIONAL ARENA AMATEUR CUP

TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF TOURNAMENTS RECOMMENDED BY THE COMMITTEE, APPROVED BY THE BOARD AND PLAYED IN 2021. HOST CLUB

CITY/STATE

GOAL LEVEL # OF TEAMS FINAL GAME

International Polo Club Palm Beach

Wellington, Florida

18 to 22

Scone (14) - Park Place (13)

International Polo Club Palm Beach

Wellington, Florida

18 to 22

Scone (13) - Tonkawa (10)

International Polo Club Palm Beach

Wellington, Florida

18 to 22

Park Place (11) - Scone (10)

International Polo Club Palm Beach

Wellington, Florida

18 to 22

BTA/the Villages (6) - Hawaii Polo LIfe (5)

Port Mayaca Polo Club

Okeechobee, Florida

18 to 22

Old Hickory Bourbon (12) - Postage Stamp Farm (9)

Port Mayaca Polo Club

Okeechobee, Florida

16 to 20

Old Hickory Bourbon (8) - Postage Stamp Farm (7)

Grand Champions Polo Club

Wellington, Florida

16 to 20

Casablanca (12) - Seminole Casino Coconut Creek (7)

Grand Champions Polo Club

Wellington, Florida

16 to 20

Seminole Casino Coconut Creek (12) - Casablanca (11)

Houston Polo Club

Houston, Texas

16 to 20

Ketel One Botanical (5) - T Squared Energy (0.5)

Virginia Polo, Inc.

Charlottesville, Virginia

15 to 18

Ace Sportswear (11) - Boothwyn Pharmacy (10)

Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club

Carpinteria, California

15 to 16

Klentner Ranch (14) - Farmers & Merchants Bank (12)

Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club

Carpinteria, California

12 to 16

BenSoleimani.com (14) - Santa Clara (11)

Port Mayaca Polo Club

Okeechobee, Florida

12 to 16

BTA (10) - Postage Stamp Farm (6)

California Polo Club

Los Angeles, California

12 to 16

Dallas Polo (14) - Boom! Cult (10)

Beverly Polo Club

The Plains, Virginia

Greenhill (11) - Beverly (10)

Virginia Polo, Inc.

Charlottesville, Virginia

10 to 14

Bad Ass Polo (13) - La Jefa (6)

Twilight Polo Club

The Plains, Virginia

9 to 12

Hotels at Sea (18) - Liberty Hall (16)

Twilight Polo Club

The Plains, Virginia

9 to 12

Hotels at Sea (18) - Core Real Estate (14)

Eldorado Polo Club

Indio, California

8 to 12

Sapa (13) - BenSoleimani.com (4)

Myopia Polo Club

South Hamilton, Massachusetts 8 to 12

Del Rancho/Husaria (11) - Black Oak (9)

Sarasota Polo Club

Sarasota, Florida

8 to 12

Hillcroft (10) - Glen Farm (5)

Houston Polo Club

Houston, Texas

8 to 12

ML Bar Ranch (11) - Horsegate/Tonkawa (8)

Sarasota Polo Club

Sarasota, Florida

Tito’s Handmade Vodka (13) - Hillcroft (9)

Commonwealth Polo Club

Paris, Kentucky

6 to 9

Orea Polo (12) - Three Trees (10)

Beverly Polo Club

The Plains, Virginia

4 to 8

Beverly 2 (11) - Kingland/Pineapples (9.5)

New Bridge Polo & Country Club

Aiken, South Carolina

4 to 8

LBL (12) - SIG/Chukkers of Hope (10)

Houston Polo Club

Houston, Texas

4 to 8

Vintage Polo (8) - Rocking P (4)

New Bridge Polo & Country Club

Aiken, South Carolina

4 to 8

LBL (11) - UN-STA-BLE (10)

Port Mayaca Polo Club

Okeechobee, Florida

4 to 8

Gardenvale/Horseware (10) - Skaneateles (9)

Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club

Carpinteria, California

4 to 8

Rancho Polo/Zahedi Chogan (14) - Klentner Ranch (12)

Beverly Polo Club

The Plains, Virginia

4 to 8

Pineapples/Kingland (10.5) - Royal Bank Canada/Wiseman/Sotheby’s (10)

New Bridge Polo & Country Club

Aiken, South Carolina

4 to 8

Peachtree (9) - SIG (6)

Tinicum Park Polo Club

Erwinna, Pennsylvania

4 to 8

Weidel (12) - New Hope (11)

Oak Brook Polo Club

Oak Brook, Illinois

4 to 8

Girls Purple (6.5) - Girls Pink (5)

Brandywine Polo Club

Toughkenamon, Pennsylvania

4 to 6

Hawkwood (8)- Landhope Farms (6.5)

Boston Polo Club

Georgetown, Massachusetts

3 to 6

Avid (16) - Boston Polo (10)

Texas Military Polo Club LLC

Poteet, Texas

2 to 5

Villa Ecleto (14) - Legends (6)

Virginia Polo, Inc.

Charlottesville, Virginia

0 to 5

Army (14) - Navy (9)

Empire Polo Club

Indio, California

0 to 4

La Fortuna/Blazers (7) - Hanalei Bay (5)

Oak Brook Polo Club

Oak Brook, Illinois

0 to 4

Eastern Region (8) - Wild Card (6)

Brandywine Polo Club

Toughkenamon, Pennsylvania

0 to 3

Marlan Farm (19) - Taylor Hill Farm (2)

Legend’s Polo Club

Kaufman, Texas

0 to 3

JD Boss Polo (19) - GET It Done (16)

TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE

TOURNAMENTS AWARDED

TOURNAMENT STIMULUS PROGRAM/ PRIZE MONEY MATCHING PROGRAM

396

ARENA 97 [91 played]

299 [72 played]

Over 50% of USPA tournaments awarded used the Tournament Stimulus Package or the Prize Money Matching Program.

OUTDOOR

46 WOMEN’S TOURNAMENTS [+21%] 33 MILITARY TOURNAMENTS [+18%] 200 PRIZE MONEY TOURNAMENTS

107 180 [180 played]

CLUBS ENROLLED TOURNAMENTS

541,100

TOTALING: $

Alyson Poor of Villa Ecleto leads the pack in U.S. Open Women’s Handicap competition at Houston Polo Club. ©David Murrell

PRIZE MONEY AWARDED (21% PMMP)

WOMEN’S COMMITTEE Houston Polo Clu b ( Houston, Tex as) successfully hosted the 2021 U.S. Open Women’s Handicap played at the 8- to 12-goal level in conjunction with the Texas Women’s Open played at the 16- to 20goal level. Eleven teams entered to compete in the U.S. Open Women’s Handicap the most teams entered in a USPA women’s tournament all year! After eliminating their opponents in the first round of play, Ketel One Botanical defeated T Squared Energy in the final. Concluding an exceptional weekend of elite women’s polo, the Texas Women’s Open final featured undefeated Engel & Volkers Houston and Rocking P, a team they had previously defeated in bracket play. In search of redemption, Rocking P’s determination came to fruition as they claimed the victory 6.5-5.

Marking another strong year of growth for women’s polo in the United States, the Women’s Committee saw an increase in the number of women’s tournaments held throughout 2021. A total of 46 USPA women’s tournaments were awarded throughout the year, many of which were eligible for funding from the Women’s Tournament Incentive Program. The widelyutilized program provided a reimbursement for any club that hosted a USPA women’s tournament in an effort to increase the number of women’s tournaments played in the United States. The budget for the Women’s Tournament Incentive Program increased in 2021 as did the amount reimbursed per tournament, incrementally, according to goal level. Hosted by Port Mayaca Polo Club (Okeechobee, Florida) and the International Polo Club Palm Beach (Wellington, Florida), the 2021 U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship attracted five competitive teams and some of the top-rated players in the world. After four days of fierce competition and close games, BTA/ The Villages and Hawaii Polo Life emerged as the two strongest teams in the tournament for the second consecutive year. Each boasting an undefeated 3-0 record, the finalists met on the U.S. Polo Assn. Field. Locked in a tie after three chukkers of play, the teams battled down to the wire with BTA/The Villages claiming the game-winning goal in the last minute of regulation time. Preventing Hawaii Polo Life from sealing a historical three-peat, BTA/ The Villages, the only all-American team in the tournament, claimed the trophy 6-5 and earned its place as the new champion.

Virginia Polo Inc. (Charlottesville, Virginia) successfully hosted the 2021 USPA Women’s Arena Handicap and the USPA Women’s Arena Open. Both events drew four competitive teams and attracted some of the highest-rated women’s arena players i n t he cou nt r y, i nclud i ng m a ny intercollegiate/interscholastic alumni. After an action-packed weekend of fast-paced women’s polo, Bad Ass Polo defeated La Jefa 13-6 in the USPA Women’s Arena Handicap final while Ace Sportswear defeated Boothwyn Pharmacy 11-10 in the USPA Women’s Arena Open final.

Honored for serving as a role model in the polo community, Erica Gandomcar-Sachs was named the 2020 Louise Hitchcock Woman of the Year, an annual award presented to an individual who goes above and beyond to support women’s polo for the greater good, demonstrating a significant level of involvement and leadership. Commissioned by the Committee, a bronze based on Louise Hitchcock, wife of 10-goaler Thomas Hitchcock Sr., was created by Rich Roenish of Walking R Holdings for the USPA Woman of the Year award. The Committee will also have individualsized awards made to present to previous winners of the award.

Olivia Reynolds and Courtney Asdourian shake hands after competitive play in the Eastern Circuit Women’s Challenge at Maryland Polo Club. ©Tisa Della-Volpe

C O M M U N I C AT I O N S D E PA R T M E N T

The Communications Department focused on highlighting and promoting USPA Official Events through livestreamed coverage on Global Polo TV and executing a digital and print media strategy through uspolo.org, social media, email marketing and print collateral. In 2021, uspolo.org had over 698,000 unique visitors reflecting an increase of 29% generated through the creation of news, interest articles and tournament detail pages. Accomplishing a large amount of work with a small team, the department prides itself on being the main news source for polo in the U.S. With the goal of creating a more sustainable future for the department, the team made changes to streamline and perfect the flow of news given the rise in tournaments.

GAUNTLET OF POLO Prior to the start of the 2021 GAUNTLET OF POLO, the balance of the 2020 USPA Gold Cup was played, including the semifinals and final which were postponed nearly a year due to the pandemic. The 2021 GAUNTLET OF POLO landing page ranked in the top five most visited pages with 17,000 total visitors, serving as a hub of information for the three prestigious tournaments on uspolo.org. Introducing innovative features each year to elevate the landing page, the USPA Communications Department focused on integrating the allnew GAUNTLET OF POLO Horse Registry in 2021. A growing database with all information provided by the players, the GAUNTLET Horse Registry detailed each player’s string and provided information such as breeding, age, sex and owner. As the registry develops, it will continue to serve as an easily accessible

Jack Whitman celebrating his golden goal to capture the 2021 C.V. Whitney Cup with Park Place. ©David Lominska

C O M M U N I C AT I O N S D E PA R T M E N T source of information valuable to horse owners, breeders and polo spectators alike. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the USPA Communication Department pivoted to hosting livestreamed virtual draw parties on Global Polo TV. Featuring indepth pre-recorded interviews related to each GAUNTLET tournament, intro videos for the teams and a draw party emcee, viewers were able to take part and catch a glimpse behind the scenes as representatives of each team drew for tournament position while remaining safe.

Interscholastic participants are all smiles during a summer tournament at Mountain View Polo Club in West Virginia. ©Laura Goddard

USPOLO.ORG Constantly evolving to better serve the needs of the membership, uspolo.org had 2.4 million total page views in 2021 averaging three pages per visit. In addition to the homepage, top visited pages included Tournaments, Search and Learn to Play. Focusing on key areas of the website, USPA partner, International Polo Academy helped to implement new features to enhance the overall user experience. For example, the scoreboard now features dynamic time zones that adjust to a specific user’s region, while the tournament calendar has a blue box identifier to designate national USPA tournaments. Other website enhancements included improved sea rch f u nc t iona l it y ( page a nd document results), greater flexibility on search terms and accessibility for the visually impaired (WCAG 2.1 Level AA and ADA compliant). Identifying areas of the website that could be more intuitive or efficient, the department ’s changes have directly contributed to the website’s increased visibility.

Simultaneously focused on drawing new people into the sport and increasing user-friendliness, uspolo.org will undergo a refresh on the homepage and Learn to Play pages in 2022. Int roducing new elements, t he homepage will feature an engaging highlight video which will immediately showcase t he ac t ion of t he spor t. Other future improvements include an upgraded news section for important articles, eliminating sliders and adding a tournaments module which links directly to Tournament Detail Pages. Uspolo.org also unveiled several new pages in 2021 including the FIP World Polo Championship landing page. With the eyes of the polo world focused on Wellington, Florida, in October 2022, the communications team is looking forward to the tournament’s return to the U.S. and welcomed the opportunity to craft a landing page that will serve as the hub of information for teams, fans and international press.

USPA Official Events Bouncing back stronger than ever from the effects of 2020, in 2021 the USPA livestreamed 23 USPA Official Events, encompassing 149 games exclusively on Global Polo TV’s OTT Platform. A fan favorite for his enthusiastic commentary, Toby Wayman voiced the play-by-play while Cody Offen provided the color commentary on the broadcast. Featuring fieldside correspondent Dale Schwetz and special guest announcers throughout the year such as Tommy Biddle for the U.S. Open Arena Polo Championship, the broadcast gave viewers the opportunity to learn from past champions and gain valuable insights on the strategy of the game. With the goal of elevating the broadcast every year, the Communications team focused more attention on the new live on-air graphic package, especially during semifinals and finals in 2021. Introducing horse list graphics at the beginning of each chukker and final, the department continued to push

C O M M U N I C AT I O N S D E PA R T M E N T

Tournament Coverage Providing top-tier tournament coverage at USPA Member Clubs across the country, the Communications team created nearly 100 tournament recaps in 2021. As restrictions lessened with the COVID-19 pandemic, USPA Member Clubs continued to take advantage of the USPA Polo Tournament Stimulus Package which was extended into 2021. All USPA tournaments are featured on the tournament calendar on uspolo. org with top-tier tournaments distinguished at the top by month.

viewers to become more familiar with the horses as recognizable athletes. Specifically during the GAUNTLET OF POLO and Santa Barbara 16-goal season, the announcers encouraged viewers to access the horse catalogues on uspolo.org for additional information on the players’ strings. Also new to the broadcast in 2021, penalty graphics were added underneath the scoreboard with yardage. Emphasizing tournament and player information, the Communications Department provided the announcers with scripts prior to each livestreamed tournament detailing the tournament’s history, previous winners, rosters, fast facts, format, schedule, club information and important USPA announcements. Informed on every aspect of the tournament, the announcers were well prepared and able to bring more depth to the livestream. Also, utilizing IPA to elevate the broadcast, individual and team statistics were included on the roster and halftime graphics.

Promoting top-tier and livestreamed tournaments through uspolo.org, social media coverage and email marketing, the Department aims to highlight both players and their polo ponies by capturing unique moments behind the scenes. Defined as all USPA national tournaments and circuit and sanctioned-events 12 goals and above in 2021, top-tier tournaments representing a variety of goal levels are used to draw new players and fans into the sport. Widely promoted across various USPA channels, toptier tournament coverage includes a Tournament Detail Page, final recap, social media coverage on all platforms, email marketing through the weekly “This Week in Polo” e-newsletter and a press release. Additionally for livestreamed tournaments, horse list graphics are distributed via Instagram and Facebook stories for semifinals and finals. Due to the increase in the number of tournaments played because of TSP, moving forward with consideration for a more sustainable future for the Department, the Communications team will shift the focus of top-tier coverage to national and livestreamed tournaments only (all goal levels) in 2022.

Featured Articles And Polo Pony Highlights Giving fans greater insight into the lives and journeys of the sport’s most influential players as well as the greater polo community, 23 featured articles were written in-house in 2021 highlighting a variety of levels and clubs. As part of the continued effort to produce more content aligned with livestreamed USPA Official Events, the Communications team identified corresponding people and facets of the sport that would enhance the broadcast and educate viewers. Topics chosen in 2021 included polo club management, Harvard Polo’s partnership with a veteran organization, the all-new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee’s event with Detroit Horse Power, incoming USPA COO/In-House Counsel Chris Green and circuit governors, as well as select Meet the Club articles. The team continues to be dedicated to showcasing diversity within the sport and positioning polo as an inclusive sport for all. Directing fans to the GAUNTLET OF POLO Horse Registry released in early 2021, 11 horse features were published during the Florida winter season as well as one during the Pacific Coast Open. Featuring a high-goal polo pony selected by the players themselves, horse features are often reused for several seasons as viewers are first introduced to an equine athlete and able to follow them through multiple tournaments. Produced with the help of Global Polo TV, horse feature videos provide fans a glimpse into high-goal barns and highlight the horses competing during the livestream broadcast. In this way, viewers can connect on a deeper level with the horses as they watch them compete. Another important initiative to further recognize the polo

C O M M U N I C AT I O N S D E PA R T M E N T pony in all USPA tournament results (tournament calendar, recap articles, etc.) is through highlighting Best Playing Ponies in all levels of play.

Social Media Continuing to see steady growth across all channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube), the USPA’s social media following increased by 6% overall in 2021, reaching a landmark of nearly 38K followers on Instagram alone. Focusing the social media strategy on increasing engagement, the Communication team’s efforts resulted in a 43% increase in Instagram engagement. One of the new initiatives in 2021 was highlighting player quotes from recap articles with graphics on Instagram. Similar to other mainstream sports’ accounts, the goal of these newly designed graphics was to emphasize the emotional side of the sport and allow fans to connect with players on

a more personal level. Best Playing Ponies are also featured in quote graphics and Instagram stories with photos on horse list graphics to draw attention to high-performing equine athletes in new and creative ways. A fan favorite offering exclusive behind the scenes from livestreamed tournaments all across the country, Instagram stories during semifinals and finals continued to give spectators a unique opportunity to see the players and horses up close and personal. Incorporating fun facts, on-site footage, goal clips and photography, these stories serve to both educate and entertain viewers from anywhere in the world. Taking every opportunity to highlight diversity in all aspects of the sport, the USPA social media accounts are intentional about featuring arena and outdoor polo, a variety of clubs, junior polo and players representing different ethnicities, ages and genders. Emphasizing the diversity which already exists in the sport will help to dilute any stereotypes and encourage even greater diversity. Showcasing polo from across the country, all 11 circuits were featured on social media platforms and 49% of USPA Member Clubs were promoted through articles. This is a great resource for clubs to share on their own social media accounts and tagged articles are added to existing club profiles on uspolo.org.

Polo Magazine 2021 marked the final year of the 12 issue Polo Players’ Edition Magazine, as the magazine will return to its roots in 2022 with a fresh new look. Debuting in 1975 as POLO magazine and transitioning to Polo Players’ Edition in 1997, the revitalized POLO magazine will have six bi-monthly issues annually, beginning with the February 2022 issue. Reducing the number of issues and increasing the number of pages per issue, the purpose of the redesign is to create a more modern and higher-quality printed magazine. Featuring a gold embossed seal on the cover to denote its standing as the official magazine of the USPA, POLO magazine has been redesigned from cover to cover. Also, to closer align coverage and consistency with the Communications Department, Gwen Rizzo will join the team fulltime as USPA Editor and Publisher. Hired by the magazine’s original founder in 1995, Rizzo has worked as an editor for over 25 years, and was promoted to Editor and Publisher of Polo Players’ Edition in 2004.

C O M M U N I C AT I O N S D E PA R T M E N T

Email Marketing The weekly member email “This Week In Polo” is one of the department’s most powerful tools for communicating with the membership. Consistently performing well above industry averages in 2021, the email’s average open rate was 36% and the click rate was 28%. These percentages demonstrate that the membership resonates with and values the important content they receive each week. Sent out every Tuesday afternoon to over 5,000 recipients on average, the newsletter is both timely and informative and includes topics such as Association updates, USPA tournaments, season schedules, interest articles and other polorelated news. Committees, clubs and members are encouraged to submit USPA tournament results and clubrelated material for consideration and inclusion in the weekly email. Similar to POLO magazine, the layout of “This Week In Polo” underwent a complete revamp in January 2022. The newly-designed newsletter includes features such as a POLO Spotlight which highlights a featured article from POLO magazine, Association News, GAUNTLET OF POLO section, tournament results section displaying recent winners, Best Playing Pony and Most Valuable Player photos and a monthly member survey for a fresh and dynamic look in the new year.

SOCIAL MEDIA Total Followers Per Platform



42,520



11,709 4.7 %



37,766 4,900

[Average Instagram Brand Engagement 1.9% ]

USPOLO.ORG

TOURNAMENT COVERAGE ARTICLES

470+ 23

ARTICLES CREATED ON USPOLO.ORG

FEATURED ARTICLES

BROADCAST 

23 LIVESTREAMED TOURNAMENTS 143 LIVESTREAMED GAMES

THIS WEEK IN POLO Weekly Email Blast to Members

36 % 42

[ +15% ]

OPEN RATE

28%

CLICK RATE

C O M M U N I C AT I O N S D E PA R T M E N T

Playing alongside her father Dolfina Popular in Sapo Caset’s string, Niña Loli brought second generation horsepower to Tonkawa in the 2021 GAUNTLET OF POLO. ©David Lominska

C O M M U N I C AT I O N S D E PA R T M E N T

Located in Patterson, New York, the historic and renovated cattle barn now serves as NYC Polo Club’s main clubhouse. ©Karen Dymersky

BTA/The Villages’ Kylie Sheehan running with the ball in the 2020 U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship final. ©David Lominska

C O M M U N I C AT I O N S D E PA R T M E N T

Entrusted to other players including Danielle Lussi in the 2020 Texas Women’s Open, Pretty Bird Woman once again took the field for Lussi’s U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship® debut with Polo Gear Coffee Company. ©David Lominska

POLO DEVELOPMENT LLC

2021 National Youth Tournament Series Championship winners: Eastern Region - Sophie Grant, Aiden Meeker, Winston Painter and Landen Daniels, pictured with coach Tiger Kneece. ©Kaile Roos

In 2021, USPA Polo Development, LLC moved forward with core programming aimed to develop the sport at the grassroots level, but not without first clearing some residual hurdles created by COVID-19. Starting with the Polo Development Initiative (PDI), just under $800,000 in grants were awarded to USPA Member Clubs, predominantly focused on capital improvements and infrastructure investment. Throughout the year, the PDI team guided awarded clubs on how best to navigate supply chain and labor shortage issues to complete their capital improvement projects. The impact of three years (2019-2021) of PDI support focused on infrastructure was evident in 2021 through the increased utilization of the Tournament Stimulus Package (TSP). PDI supported clubs representing the majority of clubs participating. The Intercollegiate/Interscholastic (I/I) Committee saw the greatest continued impact from COVID-19, highlighted by a second consecutive

cancellation of the National Intercollegiate Championship events. While COVID-19 continued to create challenges, the I/I support tea m a nd i nd iv idua l programs became nimble and flexible to best implement initiatives to keep the progress and forward momentum of I/I polo. Moving into 2022, the I/I community will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of I/I polo and a dedicated group of volunteers. Planning has taken place to lay the groundwork for I/I polo to continue well into the future. A n nua l ly, t he Nat ion a l Yout h Tou r n a ment Ser ies ( N Y TS) Championship is a highlight of Polo Development, and in 2021 COVID-19 created the opportunity for two championships to take place in the same year. The 2020 championship was played at Port Mayaca Polo Club (Okeechobee, Florida) and the U.S. Polo Assn. Field at the International Polo Club Palm Beach 46

(Wellington, Florida) in January and the 2021 championship graced the historic fields of Oak Brook Polo Club (Oak Brook, Illinois) in September. Outside of NYTS, 2021 saw the advancement of committee structure strategic planning with streamlined leadership in the Junior Polo Committee’s targeted subcommittees; Junior Polo, National Youth Tournament Series and Young Player Opportunity (YPO). The Team USPA Committee worked to guide the program towards its focused approach of developing higher-rated American players. The benchmark for membership is reaching a 5-goal handicap by the age of 22. In the coming year, the Team USPA and Junior Polo Committees will continue to support young American players striving to reach their greatest potential in the sport of polo.

POLO DEVELOPMENT LLC

Eastern Region’s Aiden Meeker makes a defensive play on Florida’s Hope Arellano during the 2020 National Youth Tournament Series Championship final at International Polo Club Palm Beach (Wellington, Florida). ©David Lominska

CLUB DEVELOPMENT

The Club Development Department of the USPA Polo Development, LLC is dedicated to supporting the growth of the sport of polo at the grassroots level and beyond by identifying and sharing best practices, sustainable solutions, networking opportunities and club support through the Polo Development Initiative (PDI) Program.

USPA Member Clubs have significantly improved their facilities over the course of three years. This, in turn, has supported

In 2021, the Polo Development Initiative continued its support of polo clubs across North America w it h rei m bu rsa ble g ra nts aimed predominantly at capital improvements/infrastructure and regional club cooperation. Over 60 applicants were supported in 2021 with the average award of $12,700. The 57 infrastructure projects that were supported injected a total project value of $1,459,762 into the polo community. The overwhelming focus of this infrastructure investment focused on arena development/improvements (footing, lights, roof/covering). Additional projects that were awarded included scoreboards, hitting cages and polo field maintenance equipment. Aside from the PDI program the Club Development Department continues to provide guidance to polo clubs, regional associations and circuits to aid in their development of the sport. In 2021, many clubs expressed interest in starting regional arena leagues, building off the successful models showcased in Texas (Texas Arena League) and California (Pacific Coast Arena League). The Club Development department has been working to promote and guide these initiatives which present a great opportunity to capitalize on individual clubs’ PDI-supported arena improvement projects. Through PDI and individual club investment,

Texas Arena League action at Brookshire Polo Club in Brookshire, Texas. ©David Murrell

the expansive utilization of other programs in the USPA such as Intercollegiate/Interscholastic, the Tournament Stimulus Package and professional umpires.

CLUB DEVELOPMENT

POLO DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE

AWARDS

12,7

742

AVERAGE AWARD

TOTAL FUNDS FROM USPA

I N T E R C O L L E G I AT E / I N T E R S C H O L A S T I C

In 2021, the COVID -19 pandemic continued to create challenges for the traditional I/I tournament season. At the intercollegiate level, the majority of colleges and universities maintained restrictions on travel and competition against other clubs, leaving the Committee no choice but to cancel the intercollegiate season. With travel restrictions and limitations on teams and youth sports at state and local levels, the interscholastic tournament season pivoted to run as USPA I/I Circuit Level Events hosted by the Member Clubs themselves. USPA Member Clubs stepped up to organize and hold 14 I/I Circuit Level Events with a total of 45 teams competing at the interscholastic level. From the results of these tournaments, regular season games, and video submitted to the Committee, the National Host Tournament Committee selected the top seven teams in both the Girls’ and Open divisions and invited them to the 2021 USPA Interscholastic Nationals, held at Virginia Polo Inc. in Charlottesville, Virginia (Open National Interscholastic Championship), and Aiken Polo Club (Girls’ National Interscholastic Championship in Aiken, South Carolina). Gardnertown Polo Club, coached by Bill Dencker and Dan Scott, were the Open champions while Aiken Polo Club, coached by Tiger Kneece, were the Girls’ champions. Both clubs took home the honor for the first time in their program’s history.

While intercollegiate teams were not able to compete during the 2020-2021 school year, the Committee developed ways to keep the programs engaged in polo and competing for their schools. The I/I program launched the Intercollegiate Virtual Tournament of Champions, a series of tasks and head-to-head live competition via Zoom for the teams to compete in

and earn prizes. The brainchild of Director of I/I Polo, Amy Fraser, the competition featured teams competing in penalty shootouts, a Tiki-Challenge, quiz bowls and a horsemanship riding pattern contest. Teams competed regionally with each regional winner advancing to a national level tournament. All participants received a $25 U.S. Polo Assn. gift card and prizes included gift cards to the Tackeria and Farm Vet, custom belts, arena balls, polo bandages, custom saddle pads, cordless clippers with a complete grooming package, bridles and saddles. Oklahoma State University took home the national championship after a clutch performance in the horsemanship riding pattern.

Heading into the 20212022 school year, the I/I Committee worked with college coaches during the Summer Development Series to bring the Division I/ Division II concept to life. Long discussed and debated, the goal was to create a more even playing field at both levels—ideally creating an opportunity for teams, that avoided the tournament season for fear of getting crushed by a top-tier team, to participate with their peers. The concept was for Division II teams to play through the traditional preliminary and regional structure, with the winner of each of the four regions advancing to the 50

Division II National Intercollegiate Championship hosted by Legends Polo Club (Kaufman, Texas) in March. At the Division I level, the Northeastern and Southeastern regions were combined into the East Regional and the Central and Western Regions would make the West Regional. The Division I teams will compete in either the East or West regional, with the winner and a selection of wild cards chosen to compete at the National Intercollegiate Championship, hosted by Virginia Polo Inc. (Charlottesville, Virginia) in April. As the first year of this new structure, the I/I team anticipates some bumps in the road, but hopes to learn from them and ultimately create a great model for years to come. Beyond planning for and organizing the tournaments, the I/I Committee and USPA I/I staff were hard at work on a series of initiatives, both old and new. The “College Polo 101 – On the Road” series, was back on the table for the fall of 2021. Clinicians travel onsite to college programs to work with them on club development in areas of membership retention, club structure and finances. The “I/I Ask the Expert” series continued in its second year to offer live educational presentations during the summer months on various topics including fundraising, horse care and alumni engagement. A spin off of the “I/I Ask the Expert” series, the I/I Committee began offering “Coaches’ Round Table” discussions which feature a group of panelists to discuss various issues facing coaches today. The Intercollegiate Player Clinic program grew to include Interscholastic Clinics in 2021 when the I/I Committee chose to reallocate unused tournament funds to provide clinics to all of the I/I programs. Additionally, the I/I program supported two Horsemanship Clinics instructed by Corky Linfoot that ran in

I N T E R C O L L E G I AT E / I N T E R S C H O L A S T I C

The goal of the Middle School League is to provide a venue for younger players to gain more tournament experience, while allowing them to play against competitors of their same ability.

conjunction with the Central Coast Fall Invitational and Legend’s Polo Club’s (Kaufman, Texas) Fall Fandango. Seventy-six interscholastic students earned their Varsity letter in polo through the USPA’s Interscholastic Varsity Letter program. Student athletes can work towards earning their varsity letter in polo by putting in 100 hours of riding and stick and balling, regular season game play and tournament participation. Students earn a varsity patch, pin and bars for each eligible year, and are recognized on USPA media platforms as well as within their schools. In its sixth year, the USPA Intercollegiate Polo Scholarship was awarded to six new student athletes, bringing the total number of recipients to 24 for the 20212022 academic year. Scholarship criteria is based on academics,

participation and excellence in I/I polo. 2021 recipients included: Vlad Tarashansky (University of Virginia), Ella Horton (University of Idaho), Grayson Price (Texas A&M), Taylor Nackers (University of Kentucky), Elizabeth Leudesdorff (University

88 TEAMS 16 TOURNAMENTS 76 INTERSCHOLASTIC VARSITY LETTERS INTERCOLLEGIATE 24 2020/2021 SCHOLARSHIPS $ 96,000 AWARDED IN INTERCOLLEGIATE POLO SCHOLARSHIPS 51

of Connecticut) and Olivia Reynolds (Texas A&M University). The award is auto-renewable for four years provided the students meet the eligibility requirements. The I/I Start Up & Enhancement Program, which offers funding and fundraising assistance, continues to be very popular. The I/I Committee reallocated additional unused tournament funds from the intercollegiate season and was able to offer funding opportunities to more teams in 2021. New fundraising guidelines took effect in 2021 which included an increase in the funds available per team, and the addition of a two-tier model for the fundraising program that focuses on a more in-depth proposal and a greater return on investment. 2021 also saw the sixth edition of the Intercollegiate Club Catalog – a

I N T E R C O L L E G I AT E / I N T E R S C H O L A S T I C

Houston Polo Club’s Lily Lequerica from the penalty line during the Girls’ National Interscholastic Championship. ©Larry Johnson

resource available in print and online that showcases each of the 34 USPA Intercollegiate programs. Additionally, the Interscholastic Parent Handbook was updated, which serves as a resource and introduction for families new to polo. The latest iteration offers customized pages for clubs to recognize the key role they play as the front line to new players.

The inaugural I/I Service Award was presented to Virginia Polo coach Lou Lopez for his dedication to the sport and program. In addition to the I/I Service Award being launched in 2021, the Committee also established the I/I Lifetime Achievement Award which will be awarded for the first time in 2022.

Equine welfare continues to be at the forefront of the I/I program. All horse providers for I/I sanctioned events must submit a current health documentation of any host site health requirements (such as proof of vaccinations), and any legally required paperwork (such as a proof of negative Coggins) to the USPA prior to tournament time. An on-site licensed veterinarian also conducts a

I N T E R C O L L E G I AT E / I N T E R S C H O L A S T I C pre-tournament horse inspection for each participating horse. The horses are checked for soundness and for appropriate Body Condition Score.

Girls’ National Interscholastic Championship teams. ©Larry Johnson

The USPA’s Middle School Program, now in its eighth year, offered 10 tournaments across the country for players from fifth through eighth grade. New in 2021, is the option for member clubs to host multiple middle school tournaments year-round. The annual USPA International Intercollegiate Challenge Cup between USPA I/I and Schools & University’s Polo Association of Britain (SUPA) was put on hold due to travel constraints for both countries for 2021 and 2022, and should resume in 2023 in conjunction with the Townsend Cup. The eighth annual National I/I Alumni Tournament—the Feldman Cup— was hosted by Legends Polo Club in Kaufman, Texas. Two flights were offered with the Texas Mustangs in the A Flight and the Long Horned Cowgirls in the B Flight taking home top honors. Also on the alumni front, the I/I Program launched I/I Alumni Networking Events to connect polo clubs with local I/I alumni, in addition to starting the I/I Alumni LinkedIn page to keep alumni actively connected to the community.

2021 Open National Interscholastic Champions: Gardnertown - coach Bill Dencker, Winston Painter, Vlad Tarashansky, Jonathan Wallace and coach Dan Scott. ©Oana Moore

U.S. Polo Assn. continues to support intercollegiate teams through its Collegiate Partnership Program, this year supporting the teams with a sponsorship and U.S. Polo Assn. branded apparel. In addition, the Interscholastic Girls’ and Open National finals were livestreamed on Global Polo TV. This partnership has continued to grow and is expected to generate positive results for both sides.

P L AY E R D E V E L O P M E N T

The Player Development Program includes the National Youth Tournament Series (NYTS), Young Player Opportunity (YPO) Grant program and Team USPA. Encompassing a range of playing abilities and ages, the three programs provide a variety of playing and training opportunities to young USPA members. The leaders of each program work with each other throughout the year to identify new training opportunities, international playing opportunities, and discuss ways to improve the core programs of Player Development.

After restructuring the program in 2019, the Team USPA Committee has worked diligently to guide the program to a more focused approach of developing higher-rated American players. Setting a benchmark of a 5-goal handicap by age 22 and a smaller number of players in the program, the evaluation and goalsetting process has been at the forefront of the Committee’s work. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 NYTS Championship was postponed until January 2021 in Wellington, Florida, and the 2021 NYTS Championship was hosted at the historic Oak Brook Polo Club in Chicago, Illinois, in September. The Polo Development team looks forward to working closely with the polo community and various departments of the USPA to promote sustainable development of the sport.

P L AY E R D E V E L O P M E N T

Team USPA

180 UNIQUE NYTS PLAYERS 45% UNIQUE FEMALE PLAYERS 98 UNIQUE ALL-STARS 28 QUALIFIERS AT 24 CLUBS TOTAL 322 PARTICIPANTS

The narrowed focus of Team USPA allows the program to support players during crucial years of development. The program has implemented a 12-player cap achieved through annual evaluations and review of each player’s progress toward their stated individual goals. The active Team USPA members range from 16-20 years old. Notable grant support this year included high-goal tournament opportunities in Argentina and the Women’s Argentine Open. The Team USPA Committee meets regularly with members of the Junior, YPO and NYTS Committees to discuss ways to maximize support for young players through the programs.

National Youth Tournament Series Program Players aged 19 and under competed at local tournaments hosted by USPA Member Clubs throughout the summer and into early fall. Postpandemic participation bounced back and the largest championship event ever was played in Chicago, Illinois, with four teams competing in the NYTS Girls’ Championship, an all-female division, and four teams competing in the Open Division.

Despite COVID-19 challenges, the 2020 championships were played in Wellington, Florida, in January. Four teams competed for the Cecil Smith Cup thanks to the hospitality of Port Mayaca Polo Club (Okeechobee, Florida), the International Polo Club Palm Beach (Wellington, Florida) and the local polo community.

Young Player Opportunity Grant The Young Player Opportunity Grant was established as a reimbursement program to provide funding support for youth players seeking a unique training or playing experience. The purpose of the program is to enhance the level of polo that is regularly available to the individual and encourage a thoughtful and creative plan toward helping a player improve his or her playing and horsemanship abilities. The YPO program was temporarily suspended during the height of the pandemic, but is accepting applications in 2022.

Team USPA member Bayne Bossom holds a 2-goal handicap at 20 years old and played for Sapa Polo at Eldorado Polo Club (Indio, California) during the 2021 winter season. ©Kerri Kerley

2021 NTYS Girls’ Champions: Girls Purple - Saralyn Painter, Summer Kneece, Caroline Mathews, Elise Pardue. ©KaileRoos

UMPIRES LLC

The principal responsibility of USPA Umpires, LLC is to recruit, train and retain the very best professional umpires possible for USPA members. As today’s polo environment changes, USPA Umpires, LLC will continue to emphasize safety for players and horses through proper enforcement of the field rules and application of the associated procedures. The role that officials play today is ever evolving. As the USPA’s sole representative at many Official Events, umpires are being tasked with various new responsibilities, such as reporting equine welfare issues, enforcing the NOCSAE helmet requirement, managing penalties that extend beyond the end of a game and providing official scores and statistics for all games played. Each year the demand from clubs for experienced umpires increases. The USPA Umpires, LLC continually invests in innovative solutions to build on existing umpiring techniques and professional standards. Teams of professional umpires work together to positively represent themselves, the LLC and the USPA as a whole. By constantly improving the program, Umpires LLC can offer highly-trained, knowledgeable and experienced umpires. The LLC is determined to have the finest umpires and umpire training program in the world.

Tournament Stimulus Package As the country began to emerge from the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the USPA created a relief package to support and incentivize USPA Member Clubs as they returned to polo following the suspension. The Tournament Stimulus Package (TSP) evolved from the PUMP/8 program, which sent a professional umpire to

Professional Umpire Martin Pascual. ©David Lominska

officiate USPA events. The USPA enhanced TSP by providing $2,500 in prize money, free trophies for the winners and waived tournament fees normally paid to the Association. In order to be eligible, member clubs were required to have at least four teams competing in the tournament/event. Member clubs were eligible for up to two tournaments per year if they met the guidelines. The USPA extended this program through 2021 and Umpires LLC sent umpires to 114 different USPA Member Clubs and officiated 191 USPA tournaments/ events through the TSP program. Due to its popularity, the USPA has extended this program through 2022, and renamed it the “Tournament 56

Support Program.” The new TSP will include criteria for member clubs to receive benefits for a third tournament if eligible.

Professional Umpire Program Throughout the year, clubs contract one or more umpires for their polo season through the LLC. The demand for professional umpires continues to grow and in 2021 the Umpires LLC had 28 professional umpires available. These umpires were sent to 116 USPA clubs, officiating 2,670 games in 2021. Outlining objectives for the 2022 season, Umpires LLC is focusing on recruitment through the certified umpire programs for outdoor and arena polo. Umpires LLC will also source and hire some of the top international umpires for all or parts of the U.S. polo season. Another goal

UMPIRES LLC is increasing retention of current professional umpires, who spend most of the year on the road. Professional umpires frequently deal with tough situations on a daily basis and generally receive little praise for their efforts. Ongoing training continues to be an important tenant within the Umpires LLC. Game calls are reviewed daily and umpires receive support to improve calls and game management from LLC management and outside experts. A new annual boot camp took place over three days in Indian Wells, California, to prepare for the upcoming season’s rule changes and added responsibilities. The first-of-its-kind (in the polo world) immersive training camp involved all USPA professional umpires. With the guidance of many experienced professionals in their fields, the umpires developed and enhanced their skills in all areas of officiating. The specific areas of focus were consistency, knowledge of the rules, interpersonal communication skills, leadership, teamwork and technology. Team building activities and guest speakers rounded out the event, all geared toward aiding officials with an improved skill set in preparation for the upcoming 2022 season. Education was once a pure focus on the rules and procedures, but now includes techniques and hard data to help improve play calling. Game management education is focused on diffusing player anger and controlling tempers on the field in a professional and consistent manner. Utilizing several innovative technologies, Umpires LLC has improved both its efficiency and accuracy. Umpires LLC is working with other divisions within the USPA to expand and streamline the exchange of information that is possible using the PoloSK App to coordinate resources with the

needs of the member clubs and individual members. Partnering with Dartfish, Umpires LLC receive video capture and detailed statistical data services. Dartfish analytics are generated from all games the LLC records. Year to date, 372 games have been captured. Management utilizes this data to measure umpire competence and improve umpire accuracy on the difficult calls they make. Also GoPro cameras are worn by all professional umpires. This tool greatly assists the LLC in resolving player disputes regarding calls as well as providing feedback to both the umpires and the USPA on all game-related issues requiring video review and voice recording. Interacting with USPA Member Clubs and player members, the Umpires LLC is committed to providing excellent customer service around the country. The LLC provides various services to these stakeholders on a daily basis with the primary goal of continually improving the level of service and satisfaction.

Arena 2021 marked unprecedented growth in arena polo. The USPA Umpires, LLC provided umpire support at all levels, including the TSP’s 50plus tournaments, arena leagues (over 140 games) and all national tournaments. The 2021 U.S. Open Arena Polo Championship fielded six teams, which is the most in 18 years. Meanwhile, eight teams competed in the 2021 National Arena Amateur Cup. The USPA saw a 42% increase in arena tournaments played from 2020 to 2021. To meet this challenge, Umpires LLC grew the Professional Arena Umpire program to 24 umpires, and continued to train Intercollegiate/ Interscholastic (I/I) umpires to officiate 57

TSP and national tournaments. At the same time, Umpires LLC continued to cross-train more professional outdoor umpires to get arena experience. Umpires LLC is also adding arena umpire budget support for the majority of the arena events mentioned above as well as the I/I program.

Intercollegiate/Interscholastic For the fifth year, USPA Umpires, LLC provided continuing support to the I/I program. It was an abbreviated season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and none of the intercollegiate seasons were played in the spring of 2021. The interscholastic season resumed in the winter and spring of 2021 during which LLC umpires covered 54 games including the Open National Interscholastic Championship and the Girls’ National Interscholastic Championship. The intercollegiate season ramped back up in the fall of 2021 as all the major tournaments were played, which assisted in umpire training for professional arena umpires as well as certifying new amateur umpires. Umpires LLC has also increased assistance in regular season game umpiring based on availability and number of games.

OF CERTIFIED 67 #OUTDOOR UMPIRES OF CERTIFIED 51 #INDOOR UMPIRES 28 # OF PROFESSIONAL UMPIRES OF PROFESSIONALLY 2670 #UMPIRED GAMES OFFICIATED BY 116 CLUBS PROFESSIONAL UMPIRES

U S PA G L O B A L L I C E N S I N G I N C .

Despite continued challenges facing the entire retail industry amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, USPA Global Licensing Inc. (USPAGL) continued to grow the U.S. Polo Assn. brand and drive awareness of the sport of polo around the world through global broadcasts, events, digital, marketing and public relations initiatives. Through the end of 2021, U.S. Polo Assn. has expanded its reach into 194 countries worldwide with some 1,200 stores and 36 total brand sites in 18 languages.

Scone’s Peke Gonzalez reaches for the hook on Park Place’s Hilario Ulloa in the C.V. Whitney Cup final. ©Global Polo Entertainment

Digital and E-Commerce Expansion USPAGL was able to build on the strategies it implemented throughout the pandemic to generate record growth in online shopping. Fast tracking digital has resulted in the doubling of sales online, depending on the region. U.S. Polo Assn. continues to build global momentum on social media exceeding seven million followers worldwide. Digital Commerce 360, the industry’s trade bible, recently included U.S. Polo Assn.’s e-commerce business as a TOP 500 retailer for the first time ever. The brand is also making prog ress i n t he g loba l website ranking, powered by Amazon’s Alexa analytics. Both achievements further demonstrate the robust digital growth and the expansion of the brand’s overall digital relevance.

Marketing Marketing continues to drive the business and expand brand awareness as global photo shoots provide sport-inspired and fashion content worldwide. Early in the year, a polo player photo shoot took place at the International Polo Club Palm

Beach in Wellington, Florida, resulting in some of the brand’s best sportinspired style photos and footage yet. While some of the photo shoots for 2021 focused on South Florida, the highlight of the year was the Fall/ Winter Shoot in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Images featuring snowcapped mountains, fresh streams, log cabins and cozy apparel were showcased throughout social media, retail stores, print ads and billboards around the world. As always, the photo shoot included polo players and ponies, and these were provided through the generosity of Denver Polo Club (Sedalia, Colorado). This year, the team announced USPA Life, featuring the evolution of the U.S. Polo Assn. brand using eco-friendly processes and green innovations for specific product, while providing global licensees with the messaging and materials needed to be consistent and successful in 58

long-term sustainability initiatives. A partnership with 4Ocean was also announced, with the goal of removing 60,000 pounds of trash from the world’s oceans in the coming year. U.S. Polo Assn. is again running commercials on Paramount Network’s top show “Yellowstone,” television’s most watched show in 2021. Also streaming on Peacock, Yellowstone has 1.3 million Instagram followers. It’s also the highest ranking drama on cable for views and engagements on Facebook. This year, the brand’s spot is aired 45 times including in the season premier as well as the season finale. U.S. Polo Assn. continues to partner with top social media influencers in key countries around the world to engage global consumers with sport and fashion. The combination of increased elevated content and new partnerships will continue to play a major role in driving awareness and consumer advocacy.

U S PA G L O B A L L I C E N S I N G I N C .

International and Store Expansion In 2021, the brand partnered with Alpar do Brasil to fortify U.S. Polo Assn.’s presence in Brazil. Alpar has since created two different types of collections: a sport collection of athleisure, as well as casual sportswear and opened its first store in Sao Paulo. More store openings are slated for late 2022 and beyond. U.S. Polo Assn. looks forward to expanding in this new market. There were store improvements made this year in the U.S. as well as in China, India and Turkey. Many of these stores will be elevated with new signage, signature stripe detailing, new fixtures and LED screens for streaming photo shoot and game content, aligned with the new “High Energy Store” format. The brand’s global footprint has over 1,200 U.S. Polo Assn. stores, with some highlights including a flagship, five-story store on Istiklal Street in Istanbul, Turkey; a store in Bogota, Colombia, at the El Dorado Airport; and the renovation of our West Palm Beach, Florida, location.

connection to the sport of polo. Thirtyfive press releases hit the news wire this year with a variety of topics across the brand and the sport. Stories on the brand ran in Entrepreneur, Chain Store Age, Grit Daily, Polo & Lifestyles and Retail & Leisure International. In addition, various U.S. products were highlighted this year in US Weekly, Reader’s Digest, Buzzfeed, Life & Style, MSN and others.

Global Retailer of the Year U.S. Polo Assn. was honored with the Global Retailer of the Year Award at the prestigious 16th annual Global

Retailer & Leisure International (RLI) Awards held in London. The RLI Awards honor the most visionary and innovative retail and leisure concepts from across the globe. Other big winners of the night included NIKE House of Innovation and New York-based Brookfield Properties for Developer of the Year.

Nantucket Whaler The digital business continued to accelerate, with the brand’s e-commerce business and digital footprint expanding, in addition to a growing retail presence.

U.S. Polo Assn.’s Fall/Winter 2022 Collection Global Photo Shoot in the Colorado Rockies.

Earned Media This year, the brand celebrated a few more media firsts. U.S. Polo Assn. was featured in Forbes with a story highlighting the history, authenticity and style of the classic, sport-inspired brand. The brand and USPAGL President & CEO, J. Michael Prince were also featured in live TV interviews on Yahoo Finance, Bloomberg and Fox Business on various supply chain and holiday shopping trend related topics. USPAGL continued to establish meaningful relationships with fashion, lifestyle and sport editors who help tell the brand story and its authentic

Nantucket Whaler Summer 2021 Photo Shoot.

U S PA G L O B A L L I C E N S I N G I N C . The Nantucket Whaler Summer 2021 photo shoot took place in June. The content featured lifestyle and laydown photography of new and existing products and provided new content to support the brand’s email and social campaigns.

U.S. Polo Assn. Polo Player Photo Shoot.

Over the year, the brand was also featured with stories and images in print and digital publications such as Forbes, Modern Luxury, New England Living, Cape Cod Times and Palm Beach Illustrated.

The Future U.S. Polo Assn. has maintained its leadership position despite industry wide challenges. Today, the brand has 36 U.S. Polo Assn. websites and seven million social media followers with plans to grow to 100 sites and 10 million followers in the coming years. USPAGL continues to look for avenues and partnerships to expand into new global markets, and is also working on some projects that will bring entrée into new areas of the business. The team is optimistic about the U.S. Polo Assn. business and the goal is to grow by more than 100 stores annually beginning in 2022, and double revenue in the coming years.

USPA Global Licensing (U.S. Polo Assn. Brand) Events and Global Polo Entertainment USPA Global Licensing Inc. and Global Polo Entertainment (GPE) function as the media and entertainment group that specifically manages Global Polo TV (GPTV), television broadcasts, event marketing, sponsorships and strategic global polo event partnerships for U.S. Polo Assn. Global Polo TV enjoyed continued success in 2021 and a new partnership with USA Today, which created a mainstream polo award for high school female and male athletes.

In January, GPTV launched a pay-toview Polo Pass subscription, while continuing to offer several thousand hours of content for free to over 12,000 subscribers and access on multiple platforms including iOS, Android, Amazon Fire and Roku. All USPA members received the Polo Pass for free with a paid membership. As the official broadcaster of United States Polo Association official 60

events, GPTV broadcast over 140 livestreamed games to viewers. In addition, GPTV created strategic partnerships with international livestream providers and aired games such as the Prince of Wales Trophy, the Queen’s Cup, the French Open, the German High Goal Championship, Argentine Triple Crown, Federation of International Polo (FIP) international tournaments and more.

U S PA G L O B A L L I C E N S I N G I N C . Since its launch in late 2019, Global Polo TV has maintained strong engagement and growth with more than one million page views on the globalpolo.com website. Live games serve as the primary focus for the Polo Pass and drives new consumers to the site through a newly-developed 26-minute television show called the “World of Polo” presented by U.S. Polo Assn. The show focuses on inside polo stories and airs on beIN Sports in the United States and 11 key international markets for U.S. Polo Assn.

The National Youth Tournament Series Championship teams represented different regions of the U.S. and wore U.S. Polo Assn. jerseys throughout the competition. ©Kaile Roos

In addition to Global Polo TV, GPE also works closely with the USPA on the GAUNTLET OF POLO. In 2021, nine teams participated in the sport’s ultimate competition with Park Place winning the C.V. Whitney Cup and Scone winning the USPA Gold Cup and U.S. Open Polo Championship. A primary focus for USPAGL/U.S. Polo Assn. is to bring more exposure to the USPA’s top events and build the authentic connection between the sport and brand. For the third year in a row, GPE and USPAGL produced the most viewed program across five different networks. The 60-minute made-for-television show aired on CBS, CBS Sports Network, Eurosport, Eurosport India and beIN Sports, and garnered over 6.5 million viewers, vastly surpassed the goal of five million. USPAGL/U.S. Polo Assn. was the official apparel sponsor for the GAUNTLET and provided opportunities for top polo players to wear the brand while competing in the series. Lastly, U.S. Polo Assn. was the primary charitable partner for nine polo charities during the GAUNTLET, allowing the two finalists in each of the tournaments to select charities to represent. In addition, USPAGL’s partnership with a monthly television series

U.S. Polo Assn. Player Photo Shoot

focused on the business of sports, including philanthropy. For 12 months, the shows aired on Bally and Fox Sports Icons reaching over 15 million viewers in 2021. Each show focused on a specific topic, such as polo charities, the GAUNTLET OF POLO, women in polo, the USA Today High School Sports Awards, Intercollegiate/Interscholastic polo and the efforts of the brand globally. Furthermore, as part of the ongoing support of polo’s young athletes, U.S. Polo Assn.’s Collegiate Program is an initiative that has supported over 50 college polo teams and helped the brand connect with consumers that are up-and-coming ambassadors. In its third year, the Collegiate Partnership Program continued to grow, and the polo players showed 61

their enjoyment through posting fun social media content. Additionally, U.S. Polo Assn. supported the National Youth Tournament Series Championship by providing apparel, creative support and advertising to support the next generation of polo players. Throughout the year, USPAGL continued to support international polo through global event partnerships as well as partnerships with various polo clubs, including international clubs that support the brand’s global markets. Examples of these event partnerships included The British Gold Cup and British Ladies Cup, Royal Charity Cup, FIP European Championship, the Nations Cup, the Townsend Cup and the Argentine Open. For the first time, U.S. Polo Assn. partnered with the USA Today High School Sports

U S PA G L O B A L L I C E N S I N G I N C . Awards, which included a first-of-itskind polo award for Hope Arellano and Mackenzie Weisz. As the official brand for the United States Polo Association, it is important for U.S. Polo Assn. to support polo in the U.S. and abroad. USPAGL supported over 54 events and clubs throughout the year. Lastly, in November 2021, USPA and USPAGL were proud to announce the FIP World Polo Championships in Wellington, Florida, in fall 2022, presented by U.S. Polo Assn. The international polo event will be broadcast live on Global Polo TV and further demonstrates U.S. Polo Assn.’s commitment to support polo globally. In addition to the FIP World Polo Championships announcement, U.S. Polo Assn. also presented the 2021 Sports Illustrated Award to both a female and male athlete who represent excellence both on and off

2021 University of Michigan team members Gia Borely and Madelyn Blum. Photo Credit - @mipoloclub

Sapa’s Jesse Bray reaches for the hook on Bensoleimani.com’s Remy Mueller during the Rossmore Cup at Eldorado Polo Club in Indio, California. ©Kerri Kerley

the field. This year’s Athlete of the Year Award presented by U.S. Polo Assn. was given to Olympic gymnast Suni Lee and Olympic swimmer Caeleb Dressel and aired worldwide to over 5 million viewers.

USA Today High Schools Sports Awards presented by U.S. Polo Assn

U S PA G L O B A L L I C E N S I N G I N C .

GLOBAL POLO TV

8,500

SUBSCRIBERS

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UNIQUE SITE VISITS HOURS OF CONTENT

BOARD OF GOVERNORS

Stewart Armstrong

Anthony Coppola

Charles Smith

Steven Rudolph

CH A IR M A N

P R ESIDEN T

SECR E TA RY

T R E A SUR ER

Clifton Yandell

Joseph Muldoon

Stephen Orthwein Jr.

Michael Carney

Bill Kirton

Jorge Vasquez

CEN T R A L

E A S T ER N

F LOR IDA

GR E AT P L A INS

H AWA II A N ISL A NDS

MIDS TAT ES

Leighton Jordan

Daniel Walker

Sheryl Sick

Billy Raab

Paul Jornayvaz

NOR T HE A S T ER N

PACIF IC COA S T

PACIF IC NOR T H W ES T

S OU T HE A S T ER N

S OU T H W ES T ER N

GAL

Julio Arellano

Steven Armour

Chrys Beal

Liz Brayboy

Cecelia Cochran

Pamela Flanagan

GAL

Erica Gandomcar-Sachs

Thomas Gose

Robert McMurtry

Vicky Owens

Peter Rizzo

Robin Sanchez

OFFICER

GAL

CIRCUIT GOVERNOR

GOVERNOR AT LARGE

DIVISIONS, COMMITTEES & LLCS

SERVICES Mission Statement: Services division operates as the “hub” of all USPA functions; it maintains the administrative and operational infrastructure within which all divisions, LLCs, clubs and members participate. The services not provided by the LLCs for their operation are generally provided by Services in support of the LLCs and USPA.

Core Real Estate’s Andrew Baldwin and Hotels At Sea’s Marcos Bignoli during the United States Arena Handicap final. ©Tony Gibson

Executive Director: Carlucho Arellano Services Staff: Matthew Baran, Jewel Connelly, Lindsay Dolan, Kaila Dowd, Cristina Fernandez, Beatriz Ferreira, Gwen Rizzo

ARENA COMMITTEE Mission Statement: The United States Polo Association Arena Committee, as the successor of the Indoor Polo Association, is the primary advocate for arena polo in the United States. Through partners and programs, we develop and enhance national and circuit tournaments and arena leagues nationwide; expand the quantity and quality of national and international arena competition from the low goal to the high goal; and promote player and spectator awareness and engagement through promotion and special events to highlight arena polo as an exciting and competitive sport.

Staff: Lindsay Dolan Circuit Arena Handicap Chairs: Joan-Carles Brugue (C), John Gobin (E), Carlucho Arellano (FL), Raeann Magill (GP), Ka’aina DeCoite (HI), James Armstrong (MS), Patrick Marinelli (NE), Sherry Sheldon Gibson (PC), Brandon Alcott (PNW), David Brooks (SE), Robin Sanchez (SW)

Committee Chair: Robin Sanchez

At-Large Arena Handicappers: Bradley Biddle, Ali Davidge, Rodney Fragodt, Ronnie Hayes, Dale Schwetz, Toby Wayman

Executive Staff: Carlucho Arellano, Chris Green Staff: Kaila Dowd

ARMED FORCES COMMITTEE

Committee Members: Edward Armstrong, James Armstrong, Nicole Bankhead, David Brooks, Daniel Coleman, James Dodge, Dennis Geiler, Mark Gillespie, Tom Goodspeed, Karl Hilberg, Megan Judge, Louis Lopez Jr., Robert Lyn-Kee-Chow, Lisa Nousek, Daniel Scheraga, Mark Tashjian, Phil Van der Burgt, Jorge Vasquez, Charles Walker

Mission Statement: The mission of the USPA Armed Forces Committee, in recognition of the great history and connection between the sport of polo and our Armed Forces, seeks to create opportunities to support and perpetuate the tie between the armed forces and the polo communities through the promotion of events supporting the military community and, “The development of partnerships to increase military participation in the sport of polo.”

ARENA HANDICAP COMMITTEE Mission Statement: The mission of the Arena Handicap Committee is to create the fairest competitive environment for the various arena polo formats of the Association by acting in accordance with the USPA Handicap Policy and with the highest standards of honesty and integrity in establishing an Arena Handicap in service to any Association Individual Member entitled to such Handicap.

Committee Chair: Mark Gillespie Executive Staff: Carlucho Arellano Staff: Kaila Dowd Committee Members: Stephen Cobb, Dan Colhoun, Dean Daggett, Barbara Donahue, Jake Flournoy, Cody Goetz, Zach Grob, Allen Hoe, Joe Meyer, Pat Nesbitt, Marisa Tanner, Steve Walsh, Tony Yahyai, Madison Richardson, Andrea Logan, Todd Morelli, Mariah Smith, Nicholas Francoeur, Alexander Jenkins, Christopher Jones

Committee Chair: Tom Goodspeed Executive Staff: Carlucho Arellano 66

DIVISIONS, COMMITTEES & LLCS

AUDIT COMMITTEE Mission Statement: The purpose and primary function of the USPA Audit Committee shall be to assist the Board of Governors of the USPA (the “Board”) in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities for (a) the integrity of the USPA’s financial statements, (b) the USPA’s compliance with any legal and regulatory requirements, (c) the independent auditor’s qualifications and independence and (d) the performance of the USPA’s internal audit function and that of the independent auditors. (From the Audit Committee Charter)

Committee Chair: Tim Kelly Executive Staff: Chris Green, Susan Present Committee Members: Robert Burk, Habib Nasrullah

BOARD AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Mission Statement: The USPA Board and Staff Development Committee (BASDC) provides advice and support to the Association’s Board of Governors, Executive Committee and management, including the COO. The BASDC will offer recommendations or endorsements relating to the consistent use of generally accepted best corporate practices, policies and procedures. BASDC’s primary advisory purpose includes review Board approved HR policies and procedures; ongoing Staff professional development and succession; and Organizational Charts. When requested by Board or Staff leadership, the BASDC will provide feedback and recommendations regarding Board and Staff matters, questions, concerns and opportunities.

Committee Chair: Peter Rizzo Executive Staff: Chris Green, Susan Present

Navy’s Petty Officer Alex Jenkins, U.S. Navy Reserve and Lt. j.g. Rob DiRado, U.S. Coast Guard, strategize during the

Staff: Beverly Basist

Committee Members: Liz Brayboy, Zach Grob, Leighton Jordan, Agapito Morgan, Sheryl Sick, Daniel Walker

DIVISIONS, COMMITTEES & LLCS

CLUB AND MEMBERSHIP ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION COMMITTEE

Mission Statement: The mission of the Club and Member Administration Committee is to review and evaluate all new club applications to ensure that the applying club complies with the current standards set forth in the Constitution and the policies approved by the Board of Governors. That these clubs are strong enough, have the growth potential and longevity to support the sport of polo and strengthen the Association by its membership and deserve the rights and privileges afforded to member clubs. It is also the Committee’s duty to review and evaluate all existing clubs on an annual basis, to confirm their compliance with the existing rules and policies, in order to make recommendations to the Board of Governors on the status of member clubs in the Association.

Mission Statement: TBA

Committee Chair: Agapito Morgan Executive Staff: Carlucho Arellano, Chris Green, Justin Powers Committee Members: Agustin Arellano, Meghan Gracida, Zach Grob, Dale Johnson, Chip McKenney

EQUINE WELFARE COMMITTEE Mission Statement: The Equine Welfare Committee recognizes the value of the polo pony to the sport and advises the Association and its Membership on all aspects of the care and well-being of polo ponies. The Committee develops policies and procedures and executes programs to ensure that polo ponies are treated in accordance with humane guidelines and the highest standards of care.

Committee Chair: Steven Armour Executive Staff: Carlucho Arellano

Committee Chair: Mike Manno, DVM

Staff: Lindsay Dolan

Executive Staff: Carlucho Arellano, Chris Green

Committee Members: Edward Armstrong, David Brooks, Avery Chapman, Stephen Cobb, George Dill, Sheila Everett, Dennis Geiler, Robin Sanchez

Staff: Lindsay Dolan Equine Awards: Mary Muldoon

CONSTITUTION COMMITTEE

Equine Welfare Publications: Aimee Waters

Mission Statement: The mission of the Constitution Committee is to advise the USPA Chairman, Executive Committee, Board of Governors, Delegates and staff about all aspects of the USPA Constitution, By-Laws, Strategic Planning and Governance. The Committee shall prepare appropriate language to affect changes to the USPA Constitution and By-Laws as directed by the Board of Governors, other committees or on its own initiative. The Committee shall prepare other resolutions, opinions and documentation as required to effect efficient and stable Governance.

Distress Fund: Dawn Weber Committee Members: Neil Agate, Avery Chapman, Sue Lukashevich, Mary Muldoon, Gwen Rizzo, Robin Sanchez, Lydia Sudick, Kathleen Timmons, Aimee Waters, Dawn Weber

©Oana Moore

Committee Chair: Paul Jornayvaz Executive Staff: Chris Green Staff: Lindsey Ebersbach Legal Advisor: Jodi Pellettiere Patt Committee Members: Steven Armour, Avery Chapman, Bill Kirton, Charles Smith, Pamela Flanagan

DIVISIONS, COMMITTEES & LLCS

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chairmen: Stewart Armstrong, Chrys Beal Committee Members: Anthony Coppola, Thomas Gose, Paul Jornayvaz, Stephen Orthwein Jr., Steven Rudolph, Charles Smith, Daniel Walker

FINANCE COMMITTEE Mission Statement: The mission of the Finance Committee is to provide the USPA Chairman and Board of Governors direction for the fiscal responsibility of the USPA. This is achieved by a regular review of the organization’s financial statements along with the approval of the annual budget with submission to the full Board of Governors for approval, ensuring all are consistent with the strategic objectives and mission of the USPA. The Finance Committee also seeks to prudently manage organizational investments consistent with the duties outlined by the USPA’s Investor Policy and Guidelines.

Committee Chair: Samuel Ramirez Jr. Liberty Hall’s Dan Coleman during the National

Executive Staff: Chris Green, Susan Present

Committee Members: Avery Chapman, Bill Kirton, Liz Brayboy, Jim DeAngelis, Jim Parr, Joe Muldoon, Jake Flournoy, Bob McMurtry, Steven Rudolph, Stewart Armstrong, Daniel Walker

HIGH-GOAL COMMITTEE Mission Statement: To advise the Chairman, Board of Governors and committee chairs on all aspects of highgoal polo in the U.S. To be the communication channel between the USPA and high-goal community including club managers, high-goal team owners and high-goal professionals. To grow and promote the sport of polo at its highest level around the U.S.

Committee Chair: Will Johnston Executive Staff: Carlucho Arellano, Chris Green Staff: Lindsey Ebersbach Committee Members: Thomas Gose, James Newman, Michael Carney, Stephen Orthwein Jr., Bill Ballhaus, Pelon Stirling, Tomas Garcia del Rio, Chris Stratemann, Shannon Stilson

HORSE REGISTRY COMMITTEE Mission Statement: TBA Committee Chair: Stewart Armstrong Executive Staff: Justin Powers, Carlucho Arellano Committee Members: Trey Schott, Anthony Coppola, Stephen Orthwein Jr. 69

DIVISIONS, COMMITTEES & LLCS

INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE Mission Statement: The mission of the International Committee is to build and improve USPA membership by facilitating and promoting international polo events, including tournaments, umpire and player clinics to foster international fellowship and sportsmanship. The committee will co-operate with national polo associations, The Federation of International Polo, The Pan-American International Polo Foundation, The United States Olympic Committee and all other interested qualified groups or individuals in achieving its goals.

Chairman: Jeff Hall Executive Staff: Carlucho Arellano Staff: Lindsey Ebersbach Committee Members: Dr. Richard Caleel, Cecelia Cochran, Luis Escobar, Zach Grob, Steve Krueger, Mason Wroe

NOMINATING COMMITTEE Mission Statement: The Nominating Committee shall consist of seven Registered Players, five of who shall be members of the Board of Governors and four of who shall be Circuit Governors. This Committee will meet annually to consider and nominate a slate of Officers. This slate of Officers is to be conveyed to the Secretary of the Association at least two weeks in advance of the Board of Governors meeting prior to the Annual Meeting.

OUTDOOR HANDICAP COMMITTEE Mission Statement: The mission of the Outdoor Handicap Committee is to create the fairest competitive environment for outdoor polo of the Association by acting in accordance with the USPA Handicap Policy and with the highest standards of honesty and integrity in establishing an Outdoor Handicap in service to any Association Individual Member entitled to such Handicap.

Committee Chair: TBA Executive Staff: Chris Green Staff: Lindsey Ebersbach Committee Members: Cecelia Cochran, Michael Carney, Paul Jornayvaz, Stephen Orthwein Jr., Sheryl Sick, Dennis Geiler, Jim DeAngelis

Committee Chairman: Chris Stratemann Executive Staff: Carlucho Arellano, Chris Green Staff: Lindsay Dolan

Whitehall Ranch’s Chloe Torres, Allie Azzaro and Erica Gandomcar-

Circuit Outdoor Handicap Chairs: Peter Alworth (C), Charles Muldoon (E), Toby Wayman (FL), Greg Summers (GP), Ka’aina DeCoite (HI), Bo Goodman (MS), James DeAngelis (NE), Graham Bray (PC), George Dill (PNW), Pelon Escapite (SE), Kelly Beal (SW)

At-Large Outdoor Handicappers: Tommy Biddle, Jeff Blake, Haley Bryan, Steve Dalton, Mariano Gonzalez, Fergus Gould, Ignacio Novillo Astrada, Dale Smicklas

DIVISIONS, COMMITTEES & LLCS

RULES/RULES INTERPRETATION COMMITTEE Bryce Catalyst’s Garrett Bankhead.

Mission Statement: The mission of the Rules Committee is to advise the USPA Chairman and Board of Governors about all aspects of the USPA Rules and Rules Interpretations.

©Kaile Roos

Committee Chair: TBA Committee Vice Chair: Thomas Gose Executive Staff: Carlucho Arellano, Chris Green, Charles Muldoon Staff: Lindsey Ebersbach

SAFETY COMMITTEE

Committee Members: Stewart Armstrong, Jesse Bray, Michael Carney, Cecelia Cochran, Melanja Jones, Anna Winslow Palacios, Billy Raab, Jeffrey Scheraga, Trey Schott, Toby Wayman

Mission Statement: The mission of the Safety Committee is to advise the USPA Chairman and Board of Governors of all safety aspects of polo through injury research, injury prevention and testing of protective gear, as well as communication of safety information and safety recommendations to polo players and polo officials.

Arena Rules Subcommittee Subcommittee Chair: Daniel Scheraga Executive Staff: Carlucho Arellano, Chris Green, Charles Muldoon

Committee Chair: James A. Ulibarri, MD

Staff: Lindsey Ebersbach

Committee Vice Chair: Dr. Thor Norregaard

Subcommittee Members: Bradley Biddle, Emily Dewey, David Eldredge, Amy Fraser, Tom Goodspeed, Robin Sanchez, Daniel Scheraga, William Crisp

Executive Staff: Carlucho Arellano Staff: Lindsay Dolan

Ex-Officio Member: Cindy Halle

Committee Members: Julio Arellano, Chrys Beal, Avery Chapman, Anthony Coppola, Robert Donahey, Robin Sanchez, Sherry Sheldon Gibson, Dr. Kelly Wong

STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE Mission Statement: TBD Committee Chair: Stewart Armstrong Executive Staff: Chris Green Staff: Lindsey Ebersbach Committee Members: Julio Arellano, Britt Baker, Liz Brayboy, Maureen Brennan, Michael Carney, David Cummings, Marc Ganzi, Thomas Gose, Stephen Orthwein Jr.

SUNDAY FIELD COMMITTEE Committee Chair: Stewart Armstrong Executive Staff: Carlucho Arellano, Chris Green, Susan Present Staff: Lindsey Ebersbach

Committee Members: Anthony Coppola, Leighton Jordan, Stephen Orthwein Jr., Steven Rudolph, Daniel Walker

DIVISIONS, COMMITTEES & LLCS

TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE

WOMEN’S POLO COMMITTEE

Mission Statement: To promote the sport of polo in the United States through responsible consideration and recommendation for the approval of tournament matches and events. It is the Tournament Committee’s responsibility to preserve the history and tradition of the sport of polo; encourage interest in the sport of polo; elevate the standards of play; promote involvement and the overall vitality of the game; and stimulate the growth of tournament play at all levels by hosting USPA Sanctioned, Circuit and National tournaments at USPA Member Clubs. The Tournament Committee promotes an emphasis on sportsmanship, fairness and safety, while expanding the opportunities for professionals, amateurs, umpires, clubs, sponsors and spectators.

Mission Statement: To encourage and increase the participation of women in all aspects of polo, to improve the standard of women’s polo throughout the USA and to facilitate the communication and networking of women in polo all over the world. We will encourage all polo players to never compromise their integrity or dignity on or off the field.

Committee Chair: Meghan Gracida Executive Staff: Carlucho Arellano Staff: Kaila Dowd

Committee Chair: Michael Carney

Committee Members: Chrys Beal, Olivia Berube, Mia Bray, Cecelia Cochran, Lesley Ann Fong-Yee, Monica Ganley, Stormie Hale, Kirsten Ludwig, Erica Gandomcar-Sachs, Arshia Rios, Robin Sanchez, Joanne Smicklas, Gillian Young, Courtney Asdourian, Paige Beard, Dawn Jones, Pamela Flanagan

Executive Staff: Carlucho Arellano, Chris Green

YOUNG PLAYER’S COMMITTEE

Staff: Kaila Dowd

Mission Statement: To generate a voice within the USPA to provide input on opportunities, initiatives, rules and policies in an effort to help provide fresh solutions to the challenges young players face in polo today.

Committee Members: Steven Armour, Edward Armstrong, Stewart Armstrong, Jessica Bailey, Graham Bray, Maureen Brennan, Anthony Coppola, Erica Gandomcar-Sachs, Melanja Jones, Jennifer McLeavy, James Newman, Stephen Orthwein Jr., Peter Poor, Charles Smith, Daniel Walker

Chairman: Todd Thurston

WOMEN’S HANDICAP COMMITTEE

Executive Staff: Justin Powers

Mission Statement: The mission of the Women’s Handicap Committee is to create the fairest competitive environments for women’s polo of the Association by acting in accordance with the USPA Handicap Policy and with the highest standards of honesty and integrity in establishing a Women’s Outdoor and/or Women’s Arena Handicap in service to any female Association Individual Member entitled to such Handicap(s).

Committee Members: TBA

USPA POLO DEVELOPMENT, LLC Mission Statement: Develop, institute and manage USPA programs that grow polo through education, development and assistance, thereby fortifying clubs and membership. This includes the development of players of all ages, coordinating youth tournaments, as well as the administration of Polo Development Initiative (PDI) grants to clubs.

Committee Chair: Maureen Brennan Executive Staff: Carlucho Arellano

Executive Director: Justin Powers

Staff: Lindsay Dolan

Staff: Ali Davidge, Emily Dewey, Amy Fraser, Hayley Heatley, Pam Mudra, Amanda Snow

Circuit Women’s Handicap Chairs: Megan West (C), Marisa Bianchi (E), Paige Boone (FL), Karson Bizzell (GP), Jess Cole (HI), Emmalyn Wheaton (MS), Amanda Poor (NE), Mia Bray (PC), Sheryl Sick (PNW), Sophie Grant (SE), KC Krueger (SW) At-Large Women’s Handicappers: Hope Arellano, Jessica Bailey, Cecelia Cochran, Pamela Flanagan, Posey Obrecht, Anna Winslow Palacios, Alyson Poor, Kylie Sheehan

DIVISIONS, COMMITTEES & LLCS

INTERSCHOLASTIC & INTERCOLLEGIATE COMMITTEE

POLO DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE COMMITTEE

Mission Statement: The mission of the Intercollegiate/ Interscholastic (I/I) Committee of the United States Polo Association (USPA) is to promote and grow the sport of polo by providing maximum exposure to the sport; recruiting collegiate and scholastic institutions; coordinating activities of member schools and players; providing for organized competition including sponsoring and administering regional and national tournaments with an emphasis on sportsmanship, fairness and safety; and by effectively utilizing funding for the benefit of I/I activities.

Mission Statement: The mission of the Polo Development Initiative (PDI) Committee is to implement the PDI program; a grant-based program allowing USPA Member Clubs to thoughtfully present applications that address specific, club-based, sustainability needs.

Committee Chair: Bob McMurtry Executive Staff: Justin Powers Staff: Pam Mudra Committee Members: David Brooks, Jim DeAngelis, Michael Carney, Robin Sanchez, Julio Arellano, Sheryl Sick

Committee Chair: Liz Brayboy Staff: Amy Fraser, Emily Dewey, Ali Davidge

TEAM USPA COMMITTEE

Leadership Group: Cindy Halle, Miranda Luna

M ission St atement: T he m ission of t he Tea m USPA Committee is to improve the sport of polo in the United States by developing the talents/skills of young American players through mentored training and playing opportunities, ultimately leading to a pool of higher-rated American players.

National Host Tournament Committee Members: Liz Brayboy, Cindy Halle, Miranda Luna, Daniel Scheraga, Robert Lyn-Kee-Chow, Chris Green Tournament & Regular Season Committee: Cindy Halle, Daniel Scheraga, Robert Lyn-Kee-Chow, Beth Supik, Tony Condo, Melanja Jones, Steven Armour

Committee Chair: Mason Wroe

Program & Club Sustainability Committee: Liz Brayboy, Carolyn Stimmel, Emmalyn Wheaton, Kareem Rosser, Heather Perkins

Executive Staff: Justin Powers Staff: Amanda Snow

Funding & Awards Committee: Miranda Luna, Tom Wisehart, Yaz Grotnik, Lezlie Hiner

Committee Members: Mariano Gonzalez, Steve Krueger, Stewart Armstrong, Stephen Orthwein Jr.

Coaches’ Representatives: Mark Tashjian (Intercollegiate), Tiger Kneece (Interscholastic)

USPA UMPIRES, LLC

JUNIOR POLO COMMITTEE

Committee Chair: Tiger Kneece

Mission Statement: The mission of the USPA Umpires, LLC, is to support all aspects of the umpire services and programs within the United States Polo Association. This includes the training and certification of all umpires, the interpretation of the rules, the education of the players regarding the rules and rules updates and the support of the USPA professional umpires. The LLC aspires to create a safe, rules driven environment in every club it touches, with the goals of achieving respect and treating all participants fairly.

Executive Staff: Justin Powers

Committee Chair: Thomas Gose

Staff: Amanda Snow

Committee Members: Stewart Armstrong, Graham Bray, Cindy Halle, William Raab

Mission Statement: To cultivate and promote junior polo throughout the United States by providing the organizational structure to support junior polo training opportunities, tournaments and international competitions. The program will utilize USPA Certified Polo Instructors, experienced Team USPA members and other qualified mentors and opportunities.

Committee Members: Miguel Novillo Astrada, Chrys Beal, Ali Davidge, Carolyn Stimmel

Executive Director: Charles Muldoon Staff: Bradley Biddle, Deb Ferro, Jennifer Furlow, Fergus Gould, Maggie Mitchell 74

U S PA M I S S I O N

The Association has been organized and exists for the purposes of promoting the game of polo with an overarching goal of improving the sport, coordinating the activities of its Member Clubs and Registered Players, arranging, allocating, and supervising polo tournaments, competitions, and games and providing rules, handicaps, and conditions for those tournaments, competitions, and games, including the safety and welfare of participants and mounts.

U S PA A N D U S PA G L S TA F F

OPERATIONS Chris Green – Chief Operating Officer & In-House Counsel Lindsey Ebersbach – Director, Governance and Operations

SERVICES Carlucho Arellano – Executive Director of Services Matthew Baran – Director of Communications Lindsay Dolan – Membership and Handicap Director Cristina Fernandez – Communications Manager Jewel Connelly – Communications Coordinator Kaila Dowd – Tournament Manager Beatriz Ferreira – Membership Office Administrator Gwen Rizzo – USPA Editor and Publisher

CORPORATE-FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION Susan Present, CPA, CGMA, CFE – Chief Financial Officer Kelly Vanderwerff – Controller Deanna Sullivan – Accounting Coordinator Beverly Basist, SHRM-CP – HR Director/IT Liliana Gopalakrishna – Assistant Controller Barb Dostal – Administrative Assistant

POLO DEVELOPMENT LLC Justin Powers – Executive Director of Polo Development Amanda Snow – Director of Player Development Hayley Heatley – Player Development Program Manager Pam Mudra – Polo Development Initiative Manager

INTERCOLLEGIATE/INTERSCHOLASTIC Amy Fraser – Director of Intercollegiate/Interscholastic Polo Ali Davidge - Intercollegiate/Interscholastic Program Coordinator Emily Dewey - Intercollegiate/Interscholastic Tournament Manager

UMPIRES LLC Executive Director – Charles Muldoon Arena Umpire Director – Bradley Biddle Western Regional Umpire Director – Fergus Gould Maggie Mitchell – Umpires Executive Administrator Jennifer Furlow - Umpires Financial Analyst Deb Ferro – Administrative Assistant

USPA GLOBAL LICENSING INC. Chip Campbell – Chairman Sam Ramirez Jr. – Treasurer J. Michael Prince – President and Chief Executive Officer Shannon Stilson – Vice President of Marketing Marianne De La Torre – Associate Manager Global Broadcast & Events Allison Annear – Senior Event Marketing Manager

THE NUMBERS | 2021

M E M B E R S P O P U L AT I O N B Y C I R C U I T

NORTHEASTERN

758 30 CLUBS

PACIFIC NORTHWEST

CENTRAL

286

306

19 CLUBS

17 CLUBS

ROCKY MTN.

118

PACIFIC COAST

5 CLUBS

852

GREAT PLAINS

207

MIDSTATES

292 19 CLUBS

EASTERN

573 26 CLUBS

10 CLUBS

28 CLUBS

BORDER

122 9 CLUBS

SOUTHWESTERN

SOUTHEASTERN

597

280

26 CLUBS

15 CLUBS

FLORIDA

560 24 CLUBS

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS

NO AFFILIATION

3 CLUBS

2 CLUBS

118

4888

TOTAL USPA MEMBERS

*Numbers Specify USPA Members per Circuit

219

TOTAL USPA CLUBS

THE NUMBERS | 2021

M E M B E R S H I P P O P U L AT I O N B Y A G E 253

71+

548

61-70

865

51-60

693

41-50

798

31-40

825

21-30

4,888

879

11-20

0-10

TOTAL MEMBERS

2965 1923

1733

2862

3071 1940

2092

3240

3323 2077

2050

3331 1936

3159

3020 1829

2000

1605

1759

2500

1847

3000

2765

2752

3500

3401

MALE VS. FEMALE MEMBERSHIP

1500 1000 500 0 TOTAL

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

4511

4370

4867

4988

5267

5451

5400

5332

5011

4595

4888

WOMEN MEN

THE NUMBERS | 2020

2 0 2 1 U S PA S P E N D I N G : O P E R AT I O N S / I N V E S T M E N T S

3,000,000

21%

IN V EST MEN T A DDI T IONS

$11,200,000 O P E R AT I N G R E Q U I R E M E N T S

$14,200,000 T O TA L

79%

2 0 2 1 O P E R AT I N G R E Q U I R E M E N T S PER ENTITY

$2,400,000

SERV ICES

24%

$3,300,000 UMPIRES LLC

$2,800,000 POLO DEV ELOPMEN T L LC

21%

$2,700,000

25%

C O R P O R AT E

$11,200,000 T O TA L

Marlan Farm’s Brennan Wells during the National Arena Challenge Cup at Brandywine Polo Club in Pennsylvania. ©Elizabeth Hedley

United States Polo Association® 9011 Lake Worth Road Lake Worth, Florida 33467 (800) 232-USPA ∙ uspolo.org