P O L O D E V E L O P M E N T, L L C
Taking the reins Tiger Kneece appointed Junior Polo Committee chair By Hayley Heatley
Tiger Kneece recently stepped into the role as Junior Polo Committee chair, a position previously held by Chrys Beal. After many years of service to the committee, Beal will now focus her efforts on continuing to grow the National Youth Tournament Series program. “Chrys Beal has done a phenomenal job laying the foundation for the Junior Polo Committee. Her enthusiasm for youth players has turned the NYTS program into one that kids across the country talk about. I appreciate her support and I am excited to continue to impact our young American players,” said Kneece. Kneece is a former 7-goal American player who now resides in Aiken, South Carolina’s horse country. During his 25-year tenure as a professional polo player, Kneece won the coveted U.S. Open, Monty Waterbury and Gold, Silver and Copper Cups.
Tiger’s daughter, Summer Kneece was MVP in the 2019 NYTS Girls’ Championship.
24 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Incoming Junior Committee Chair Tiger Kneece
His talent on the field led him to playing opportunities across the globe, including in Canada, Mexico, England, Switzerland, Germany, South Africa and Australia. Kneece excels at training polo ponies and hosts a polo school aptly named Polo Adventures. Introducing people to the sport of polo is one of the main focuses of his polo school. Kneece and his wife, Susie, work in tandem running the Aiken Polo Club, Tiger as polo manager and Susie as director of marketing. Tiger has played an active role in the NYTS program, hosting one of the largest qualifier tournaments each year in Aiken and working as a coach at the NYTS National Championship. His Aiken Youth Polo program has both a girls’ and open high-school team, both a men’s and women’s USC Aiken team and a group of younger players coming up in the ranks. The Junior Polo Committee will move forward with three focused initiatives: NYTS, the Young Player Opportunity Grant and Junior Player Development. Beal was instrumental in the development of the NYTS program and has pioneered its growth. Her drive to support young female players led to the addition of the all-girls’ division at NYTS National Championships in 2018. The NYTS subcommittee
