Association News

On April 18, the USPA board of governors convened for the first time in history via video conference for its annual April board of governors meeting. Due to the pandemic, USPA officials decided in March to hold a virtual meeting for the safety of all those involved. Committees were encouraged to meet prior to the call and their reports were condensed into the various division presentations. Board members spoke in depth about the effect of COVID-19 on the polo community. It approved two relief programs to be launched immediately and a tournament stimulus package to be utilized once the suspension has been lifted. Additionally, due to COVID-19, the board extended the suspension of USPA events until May 15, and postponed the June 1 NOCSAE helmet mandate until Jan. 1, 2021, to allow the manufacturers adequate time to acquire a sufficient amount of product. A summary of the full events of the April meeting follow:

Secretary’s Report

USPA secretary Charles Smith ratified the previous actions of the board in his secretary’s report and presented a club action list to the board. The board approved the clubs per the list and gave a July 1 deadline to rectify any compliance issues.

Treasurer’s Report

Treasurer Steven Rudolph presented a brief financial report. He stated that the USPA is in a solid financial position but must remain vigilant in exercising prudence in spending and mindful of the macroeconomic situation.

Finance Committee

Finance Committee chairman Sam Ramirez Jr. offered a brief overview of the USPA’s financial position in relation to the global economic crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, stating the USPA’s investments are in a strong position for the current market. For the short term, to preserve liquidity at USPA Global Licensing, the USPA and USPAGL have mutually agreed upon suspension of royalties until a review of sales later in the year. The USPA’s financial advisors, Meketa Investment Group, presented the USPA’s Fund Evaluation Report for the first quarter 2020. There was consensus that the portfolio’s move to targeted investment allocations during fourth quarter 2019 facilitated performance in accordance with the board-approved investment policy through the current reporting period.

USPA Global Licensing

Michael Prince, president and CEO of USPAGL, provided an update on U.S. Polo Assn. and the global impact of COVID-19. He mentioned that in February, he updated the USPAGL board of directors that the company had delivered a record 2019, following a record 2018. U.S. Polo Assn. continued to elevate as a brand and the business had grown significantly over the past two years, reaching $1.7 billion in retail sales,

expanding into 180 countries worldwide, opening more than 1,100 retail stores and passing over five million social media followers.

The business through February 2020 was performing very strong and was on pace for another record year even though COVID-19 was negatively impacting China at the time. However, as of April 2020, most countries globally were on lock-down with the exceptions being China, South Korea and Sweden. He also mentioned that over 1,000 of the brand’s 1,100 retail stores were closed and that almost all of the brand’s department store partners globally were closed.

U.S. Polo Assn. was generating some business from e-commerce, but most consumers were focused on necessities and not apparel. He discussed how USPA royalties would be negatively impacted for the foreseeable future during these unprecedented times. He shared with the board that USPAGL is in a strong cash position and took immediate action in late February and early March to manage the crisis. He thanked the USPA for their partnership on the crisis and mentioned how he was managing royalty payments with the USPA as well as working with vendors and key licensing partners on their payments.

USPAGL has also reduced expenses and was securing additional sources of capital, such as a bank credit line and evaluating governmental stimulus packages to provide additional financial security. He also shared the support that U.S. Polo Assn. was providing around the world with its licensing partners, creating millions of face covers that would be distributed to those in need.

Chairman David Cummings reported that USPAGL management had taken prudent and responsible actions to minimize business disruption and economic impact caused by COVID-19. Cummings discussed the nominations of USPAGL directors Chip Campbell, Samuel Ramirez Jr. and Jack Shelton to three-year terms as well as Tony Coppola and Bob Puetz to one-year terms as ex-officio members.

In closing, Prince thanked the USPA again for its support and reiterated that U.S. Polo Assn. was well positioned for the long term and would come out of these challenging times stronger because of its sportinspired heritage, accessible prices and strong global partners!

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee met frequently in the weeks leading up to the April board of governors meeting to help steer various COVID-19 initiatives to present to the full board. USPA CEO Bob Puetz provided a narrative for the three COVID-19 programs and summarized each of the plans. He reported that the process began with the staff reaching out to individual clubs, assessing their various needs and concerns due to the pandemic and assigning each club a risk rating. From that point, staff proposed three different plans to the Executive Committee: the USPA COVID-19 Equine Welfare Relief Program, USPA COVID-19 Distressed Club Relief Program and the COVID-19 USPA Polo Tournament Stimulus Package.

The USPA COVID-19 Equine Welfare Relief Program provides immediate financial relief to support USPA clubs, intercollegiate/interscholastic programs, polo schools and private polo instructors that are struggling to maintain proper upkeep for their horses and are in desperate need of assistance to provide their horses proper nutrition.

The USPA COVID-19 Distressed Club Relief Program is designed to support distressed clubs that have experienced a significant financial loss from March 15 to May 31 and are struggling to maintain the essential infrastructure of the club. The support will be focused on non-equine care related costs.

The COVID-19 USPA Polo Tournament Stimulus Package is an effort geared to stimulate clubs and boost the polo community as the country emerges out of the COVID-19 crisis. Through the USPA Polo Tournament Stimulus Package, the USPA will provide various means of support to clubs for their first two USPA tournaments after the suspension has been lifted.

The board unanimously supported each of the programs and requested they be launched as soon as possible. Information, guidelines and applications for each of the programs are available at uspolo.org/newssocial/news/uspa-covid-19-relief-package.

In addition to the COVID-19 programs, the board postponed the NOCSAE June 1 deadline to January 1, 2021. The decision was based on the inability of the helmet manufacturers to operate or produce product due to the COVID-19 pandemic work restrictions.

The board approved the Executive Committee’s recommendation to extend the suspension of all USPA Polo Events through May 15, and recommended clubs continue to suspend club events through that same period. The board empowered the Executive Committee to make individual determinations subject to the law and local jurisdiction going forward.

The board approved a donation to support the National Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame and to build a line item into future USPA budgets for an annual museum contribution.

Services

Mr. Stanislawski, chairman of the Audit Committee, gave a brief report and noted the annual audit is projected to be clean. He mentioned that as the chairmanship for the Audit Committee is on an annual basis, Mr. Habib Narsrullah will be taking over after this meeting. Stanislawski noted his personal term on the Audit Committee would be expiring next year and the committee is continuing to look for a replacement member, ideally a USPA member with a CPA degree.

Mr. Rizzo, chairman of the Board and Staff Development Committee, noted the committee will be looking into the limited liability company structure to see if it is still effective. He mentioned there is a strong need for a compliance officer.

Executive Director of Services Carlucho Arellano gave an overview of the Services Department and provided updates from various committees. He noted the Equine Welfare Committee had successfully drug tested 24 horses in Florida and 48 horses in California. The Horse Registry Committee had worked with Diego Cappella (Cappella Photography) to design a horse catalog for the Gauntlet of Polo. Arellano gave a brief overview of the tournament database, which was launched last year to streamline the applications and results for USPA tournaments. He reported that the High-Goal, Handicap and Rules Committees had been very active throughout the beginning of the year. The Arena Committee has continued to focus on arena development through the National Arena Amateur League and other initiatives. He reported that due to COVID-19 all international events have been suspended for the year, however, the International Committee was successful in supporting the women’s India trip and the Federation of International Polo Ambassadors Cup. He noted the committee still has plans to support miscellaneous events like the Butler International Cup that is set to take place in September at the Oak Brook Polo Club.

The board approved a motion from the Armed Forces Committee for circuit military tournaments (0- 3 Arena—Adm. Chester W. Nimitz; 3-6 Arena—Gen. Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller; 0-4 Outdoor—Gen. George S. Patton; 4-8 Outdoor—Gen. George S. Brown) to have handicap levels listed as recommendations and that clubs are able to request these tournaments out

side of the recommended handicap levels.

The board approved a motion from the Safety Committee to align the rules with the decision to postpone the NOCSAE helmet mandate to Jan. 1, 2021.

The board approved the 2021 national and sanctioned tournament applications as presented. The full list can be found at uspolo.org/assets/pdf/2021- Tournament-Applications.pdf.

USPA Umpires, LLC

Charles Muldoon, executive director of Umpires, LLC, gave an overview of the Umpires, LLC performance to date. He reported that under the leadership of Fergus Gould, Western regional umpire director, 10 umpires were officiating in Indio, California, on a rotating basis between Eldorado and Empire Polo Clubs, umpiring up to 30 games per week.

Dana Fortugno, Eastern regional umpire director, was brought in this year to help manage the East Coast. There were 249 games officiated throughout Florida during the months of January, February and March. Fortugno continues to make updates to the video rule book and all 2020 changes have been implemented. Umpires, LLC is utilizing a new scheduling app called PoloSK. The new platform provides immediate up-to-date information regarding all facets of managing the umpire program.

It was noted that all umpire contracts were paid in full and the umpires continue to be engaged to help the polo community. They are offering virtual rules reviews for any clubs requesting them.

The board approved the following revised mission statement for the Umpires, LLC:

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 consistent interpretation of the rules on the field and training, 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.

keting, provided an update for USPA Global Licensing Inc. sports marketing and Global Polo Entertainment. GPE was created to market and promote USPA’s most prestigious tournaments. The idea was to not only change the trajectory of high-goal polo by developing the Gauntlet of Polo, but enhance team participation, build attendance and public awareness, attract corporate sponsors and promote U.S. Polo Assn.’s authentic connection to the sport.

In 2020, the goals were simple; build off the positive momentum from the 2019 Gauntlet of Polo. GPE set out to deliver 100% satisfaction to the sponsors (including U.S. Polo Assn.), to create a premium broadcast for CBS Sports and Eurosport (which is now postponed to 2021), continue to build upon momentum of the Gauntlet with media and on-site fans, increase social media assets via the production department and execute a marketing plan for on-site attendance.

In November 2019, GPE launched a production department that would help support the newly created Global Polo TV, which is the premier destination for polo content around the world. Global Polo TV is a television format platform that provides the United States Polo Association with a distribution channel for the thousands of hours of livestreamed polo coverage. Since the most recent COVID-19 measures (suspending polo in the U.S.) to protect the sport of polo, fans, players, horses and staff, Global Polo TV created a weekly custom schedule that incorporates best plays of live games, stories of polo athletes and archived games from the USPA vault. To date, Global Polo TV surpassed the initial goal of 5,000 subscribers and continues to create new content, like the most recent

show, “Inside the Boards,” which showcases what polo players around the world are doing for charity and fun.

USPA Communications

Matt Baran, director of communications, reported on the USPA Communication Department. He noted the USPA continues to be very active on all social media platforms in order to engage and grow followers. Since the Fall Board of Governors and Annual Member Meeting, USPA social media platforms have grown 11%. The communications team has been working with all departments to provide updates relating to the COVID-19 crisis on social media, the member email blast “This Week In Polo” and uspolo.org.

He reported the SEO strategy continues to be successful and helps drive searches related to the USPA and polo to uspolo.org. There was a 12% increase to the “News” section, 79% increase to “Learn to Play” page and 56% increase to the club landing page. Other notable pages that were built include: 2020 Gauntlet of Polo, National Arena Amateur Cup and XII FIP World Polo Championship. A major focus for the department is to continue to provide USPA member club and tournament coverage. Since the Fall Board of Governors and Annual Member Meeting, 105 clubs have been featured in articles, 62 tournament recaps have been written, 36 tournament detail pages built and 182 news articles created.

The department has been working to execute new areas of development on the USPA Polo Network. Major changes were made to improve the on-air graphics, slow-motion replays, highlights before breaks, as well as, an additional announcer in the booth.

Additionally, the Annual Report has been completed and mailed out with the April Polo Players’ Edition. The department is creating an average of eight to 10 articles per week that are sent out through the member email blast. The click rate is 41% and open rate is 28%, significantly above industry averages. Communications Manager Cristina Fernandez, took the lead on creating horse features in conjunction with the GPE production department during the winter season in Wellington, Florida. The videos and interviews help expand the polo fan base by branding top players and horses, prompting fans to watch in person or on the livestream. they relate to the COVID-19 crisis. Specifically, the Polo Development staff has developed contingency strategies for hosting the 2020 National Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Championships in the fall of 2020. These tournaments were initially scheduled to be held in the spring in Charlottesville, Virginia, and Houston, Texas, respectively. With respect to junior polo, the staff has been working to adapt the National Youth Tournament Series to COVID-19 restrictions. Currently, all NYTS tournaments are on hold until restrictions for play are lifted. The staff has developed three contingency plans for the season and ultimately the NYTS Championship is slated to be hosted in Chicago in September.

Polo Development, LLC

Executive Director of Polo Development Justin Powers presented a summary of the current endeavors of USPA Polo Development, LLC, as

In addition to the adjustments to polo development brought on by the onset of COVID-19, Powers also updated the board of governors on the Intercollegiate/Interscholastic Committee structure, policy development and strategic planning process, currently being finalized by the strategic planning group.

The Polo Development Initiative grant review process has concluded with award announcements on schedule. Finally, the Junior Committee is set to begin a strategic planning process similar to the aforementioned I/I strategic planning process to develop a committee policy and effective committee structure to implement the current junior polo initiatives (NYTS and Young Player Opportunity grant) and explore and develop new initiatives, such as the proposed Junior Open concept.

New Business

USPA Chairman Stewart Armstrong reported that both the chairs for the Arena Committee and the Women’s Committee would be stepping down. He thanked Mr. Coleman and Mrs. Gandomcar-Sachs for their work on their respective committees and their accomplishments. The board approved Robin Sanchez as the new Arena Committee chairperson and Meghan Gracida as the new Women’s Committee chairperson.

The board discussed the Fall Board of Governors and Annual Member Meeting and reported it may make a recommendation to hold it as a virtual meeting. Specific details regarding the scheduling and other various components will be looked at before making a determination. •

Published by the United States Polo Association Offices at 9011 Lake Worth Rd., Lake Worth, Florida 33467 • (800) 232-USPA Chairman: Stewart Armstrong President: Tony Coppola Secretary: Charles Smith Treasurer: Steven Rudolph Chief Executive Officer: Robert Puetz

Graduating Seniors

Congratulations to the intercollegiate and interscholastic graduating seniors! We cannot wait to see your next steps, both inside and out of the polo world. For more information on available polo opportunities, please don’t hesitate to reach out to any of the I/I staff. You can find contact information, as well as more information on polo clubs near you at uspolo.org.

Thank You!

Thank you to all of our volunteers, coaches, host sites, horse providers and parents for all of the hard work and long hours you put in this season. The I/I program and players are incredibly fortunate to have such a dedicated and passionate community.

College Catalog

Are you a high schooler looking for your next step in polo? Make sure to check out the USPA Intercollegiate Team Catalog on the bookshelf at uspolo.org. You will find information on all of the college and universities across the U.S. and Canada, as well as indepth information on the school and club programs.

Starting Interscholastic Team

Calling all polo clubs! If you have not joined in the fun of hosting an interscholastic polo team, make sure to check out what you are missing! For guidelines and requirements for starting an interscholastic program, check out the uspolo.org’s bookshelf for the Interscholastic Start Up Booklet. For more information or to ask questions about starting a team, please contact Ali Davidge at adavidge@uspolo.org.

Middle School League

Do you have 5th, 6th, 7th or 8th grade players at your club that are ready for tournament polo? Make sure to reach out to the I/I staff about hosting a USPA Middle School Tournament! If you are interested in hosting, please email Emily Dewey at edewey@uspolo.org. •

Erica Gandomcar-Sachs Propelling the legacy of polo

Erica GandomcarSachs competed in the 2017 Women’s Argentine Open.

Underneath her bubbly exterior, luminous smile and self-proclaimed big hair, USPA Rocky

Mountain Circuit Governor Erica GandomcarSachs continues to dispel assumptions with wholehearted investment to the business of polo, taking the reins from her parents and reviving the game on the family-owned facility they established together.

Carrying on the Gandomcar equestrian legacy, the vivacious Colorado native inherited her immigrant father’s deep passion for polo and diligent spirit, managing and growing both Denver Polo Club and Cottonwood Riding Club in Littleton, Colorado, alongside her sister Tara. Now surpassing three decades of USPA membership, she has more than demonstrated her longevity and commitment to the

SEBASTIAN LEZICA

sport, having assumed the leadership position at a young age. An accomplished, self-made trainer and USPA Certified Polo Instructor, Gandomcar-Sachs has dedicated her life to sharing the gift of polo with everyone, including her young daughter Sydney, while working to foster a close-knit polo community in her home state.

Eagerly stepping into the circuit governor role in 2014, Gandomcar-Sachs intentionally pursued the position out of a genuine desire to be more connected to the sport she loved. An intercollegiate polo alumna, she has competed nationwide and internationally, traveling to exotic locations, including Singapore, New Zealand, Jamaica and even Argentina to participate in the inaugural Women’s Argentine Open. A prominent advocate for women’s polo within the association, she not only chaired the Women’s Polo Committee, but cofounded the Women’s International Polo Network, a nonprofit international online community of women polo players. Taking some time out of her busy schedule, Gandomcar-Sachs opened up about how her parents’ stories shaped her polo career, and lessons learned over the past four years representing the interests of the Rocky Mountain circuit.

What made you want to become a circuit governor?

Polo is in my blood. My parents, John and Chris Gandomcar, started the Denver Polo Club over 35 years ago, so I grew up involved in all aspects of the sport, from grooming, to sponsorship and marketing, once I took over the business. I served as a board member on the USPA Marketing, LLC and I thought about the position years prior to being elected. I was not only one of the younger circuit governors stepping in at the time, but also one of only two women. For me, the fun part about the position was that I got to be directly involved and had a voice in the sport I’m passionate about. The amount of work that is completed at the USPA on a volunteer basis is incredible because regardless of how different everyone’s background is, they give their time because they genuinely love polo.

What is your equestrian background and how did you become involved in polo?

I started riding when I was 2 or 3 years old, but my dad was the first one to put a polo mallet in my hand when I was 8. I tried jumping prior to polo, but

I’m such an adrenaline junkie and jumping was only 30 seconds of fun whereas polo is a two-hour adrenaline rush.

My dad fell in love with the sport while growing up in Iran. His father had a textile factory right on the walls of the racetrack and in the center of the racetrack was the polo field. My dad would go over and watch his father ride and play polo. My mom was from a small town in Iowa and her father was a veterinarian. They met in Greeley, Colorado, and at the time they were by no means wealthy—she was a small-town farm girl and he left home at a young age.

My dad would go riding with his friends down the High Line Canal, which runs through the middle of the property where our main facility sits now. He fell in love with the land, formerly a junkyard, and on a $10,000 loan from his parents, he was able to purchase it in 1982. Little by little my parents built it up, never in their wildest dreams thinking they wanted to build their own polo club. When friends would ask if they could keep a horse there they would build a barn or a stable to accommodate them and now over 300 horses later, here we are!

Every dollar that my parents made went right back into growing the business. My dad had friends from other countries so he would host international charity matches and invite teams from India, Pakistan and England, and we would have a tournament every weekend. As a kid, my job was to flag during games and my sister Tara would groom so the whole family was involved. Polo was our dad’s passion, but we also had other equestrian disciplines at our Cottonwood Riding Club facility, including western, jumping and dressage.

How did your college experience influence your career path?

Just before I went off to Colorado State University, my parents stopped playing polo. At that time, the economy took a downturn, so they shifted their focus to the hunter/jumper business. Prior to college, I had only ever played outdoor polo so playing intercollegiate polo at CSU was my first experience playing arena. I learned a lot in the arena and being on the team gave me the opportunity to travel and meet people outside of Colorado. The experience also gave me my own name and polo identity.

When I started college, I wanted to be a cardiologist or a neurosurgeon, but I switched my major to speech communication and journalism and graduated in 2003. Towards the end of my college career, I knew I would take over the family business, so when I returned from college, I started to slowly bring polo back to our facility.

What is the biggest goal you hope to accomplish for the Rocky Mountain Circuit?

I have one state in my circuit, but we have prominent polo families established within Colorado, including the Jornayvazes, Ganzis and Bellissimos. It’s my challenge and vision to have these three passionate families work on a project together for the greater good of polo and equestrian sport. Next year we host the Silver Cup, the Colorado Open and the Federation of International Polo Women’s Invitational, so to have three high-goal tournaments here is incredible and everybody is working together to make it possible. We have a team mindset so we view it as Rocky Mountain Polo or Colorado Polo, not specifically Denver Polo Club, Aspen Valley Polo Club or Valiente.

To encourage travel, I schedule to shut down our club for a few weeks and send the players away to play at other clubs. The field and facilities were closed and last year, we caravanned up to Boulder, Colorado. People also go up to AVPC for a couple weeks and the Ganzis have a program where you can opt to bring your horses or not. If you want to play with Adolfo Cambiaso, Nacho Figueras or just enjoy green horse polo you can do that all in the same week because we play -2 to 20-goal polo in the region. In the future, we are planning to take a group up to Wyoming as well.

What hobbies do you enjoy outside of polo?

I love live music and sports as well as hanging out with family and friends during the off season. I also get a chance to travel and play in various tournaments so it’s nice to be able to have enough hours in the day to

Erica GandomcarSachs with daughter Sydney