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CONTENTS
P L AY E R S’ E D I T I O N
J A N U A R Y 2 0 21
VOL. 24,
FEATURES
DEPARTMENTS
28 Fun in the Sun
Polo Classic held in Scottsdale, Arizona
6
Association News USPA Bulletin Intercollegiate Spotlight
32 Women’s Extravaganza
Over two dozen teams compete in Houston
12 Instructors Forum
38 Sweet Music
by Julio Arellano
14 Ask an Umpire 16 Equine Athlete 18 Polo Scene
Five String Farm wins Women’s Arena Open
42 Young Guns
Casablanca captures national titles
News, notes, trends & quotes
24 Polo Development 26 Intercollegiate/Interscholastic 44 Polo in the Pampas
J A N U A RY 2 0 2 1
TION P L AY E R S’ E D I
NO. 5
Iconica Triumphs in Texas Women’s Open
OUR COVER
by Lucas Noel
Iconica’s Hope Arellano carries the ball in the Women’s Texas Open final.
62 Calendar 64 Yesteryears
Photo by Kaylee Wroe
50 Polo Report Stage Hill Prevails in Chairman’s Cup
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OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN SIGNED COLUMNS ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHORS AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE PUBLISHERS OF THIS MAGAZINE.
2 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
NANO’S POLO MALLETS P L AY E R S’ E D I T I O N THE
OFFICIAL MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE
UNITED STATES POLO ASSOCIATION
Editor & Publisher
GWEN D. RIZZO
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©Copyright 2021 by United States Polo Association.. No part of this issue may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic or electronic process without written permission of the publisher. Paul Brown illustrations are ©2018 and are reprinted by permission of Paul Brown Studios, Inc., P.O. Box 925, Hedgesville, WV 25427. Subscription rates: $45/one year, $78/two years. Other countries (air mail), $78 drawn on U.S. bank/one year, $144 drawn on U.S. bank/two years. (GST:134989508). Subscription problems call (561) 968-5208. VOL. 24, No.5 POLO Players’ Edition (ISSN #1096-2255) is published monthly by Rizzo Management Corp. for U.S. Polo Association, 9011 Lake Worth RD, Lake Worth, FL 33467. Periodicals postage paid at West Palm Beach, FL and additional mailing offices. (USPS: 079-770). POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Polo Players’ Edition, 9011 Lake Worth RD, Lake Worth, FL 33467. Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement No. 40612608. Canada Returns to be sent to Imex Global, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2.
U S PA B U L L E T I N
•Final video must include score and time bug (if applicable) •Should include tournament name, trophy name, teams’ and players’ names and logos, if available. •All sponsorable/advertising programming must be pre-approved •Send final video to Matt Baran at mbaran@uspolo.org and Shannon Stilson sstilson@uspagl.com. Please allow 48 hours for review, approval and posting. Additional notes: •The GPTV production department reserves the right to edit videos and if necessary, add logos for the association and Global Polo TV platform. •All videographers must obey the rules of the club they are filming and follow the filming guidelines set forth by the United States Polo Association. •Once the content/video is obtained by Global Polo TV, it will go into the company’s archives where all rights are reserved. •Clubs have the opportunity to add play-by-play commentary to the game for a small fee. Polo Development Initiative The Polo Development Initiative grant program is designed to facilitate the growth of polo by empowering clubs and polo schools with grant-based ANDREW MEIER
Filming Guidelines Due to the increased interest in video on-demand and livestreamed games, the USPA Communications Department and Global Polo Entertainment/Global Polo TV are pleased to present guidelines that will allow USPA member clubs to submit an application to film USPA tournaments that can be uploaded to Global Polo TV for “on-demand” viewing. At the sole discretion of USPA/GPE, these games will be available for free to all subscribers once approved by USPA and GPTV staff. Basic guidelines for a minimum of one camera and approval process include: •Camera to be located on the center field with camera shooting with the sun on your back. Camera should have a 20x zoom. •Camera(s) must be on a tripod and the shot steady. It’s preferred to have the cameras elevated at least 10 feet off the ground, if possible. •Announcer audio must be of clear quality with the announcer speaking directly into a dedicated microphone. Announcer audio levels should be between -6 db and -12 db. They must not exceed 0 db. •Minimum resolution: 1280 x 720 or 3840 x 2160 (if possible) •Preferred frame rate: 29.97 •Minimum bitrate: 15mbps •Preferred formats (codecs): h.264 or ProRes422 •Audio: Stereo
6 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
U S PA B U L L E T I N
reimbursable awards. Improving the quality of the polo-playing experience, promoting the sport of polo and advancing the sustainability and growth of club membership are the specific purposes of the program. Long-term investment in the sport of polo, including expenditures for capital improvements, fixed assets, club infrastructure and regional cooperation among clubs are important to the sustainability of polo at the club level. The deadline for 2021 PDI application submission is Sunday, Jan. 31. Applications can be found on the association tab of uspolo.org. Collegiate Partnership Program U.S. Polo Assn., the official brand of the USPA, will once again outfit competitive collegiate polo players through its nationwide Collegiate Partnership Program. This season, the sport-inspired global brand welcomes Morehouse College, its first member of historically black colleges and universities, to the program. It also welcomed the University of Kentucky. Over 40 teams, from schools spanning from the East Coast to the West Coast, small and large enrollments, and state schools to the Ivy League, participate annually. The partnership involves U.S. Polo Assn. providing collegiate polo teams with branded face covers, performance jerseys, game whites and gear bags along with a financial donation. In turn, the players wear official U.S. Polo Assn. gear while practicing in the area as well as during campus life whether that be virtually or in-person. U.S. Polo Assn. has continued to support these amazing college polo teams and student athletes even as activities have been limited due to COVID-19 restrictions. “As the official brand of the United States Polo Association, it’s an honor to partner with these amazing student athletes, particularly during these difficult times for sports and colleges,” explained USPAGL President and CEO, J. Michael Prince. “They not only represent the future of the sport of polo but are the future leaders and visionaries of America. We couldn’t be more thrilled to add Morehouse College and the University of Kentucky to our Collegiate Partnership Program.” “Being a part of the U.S. Polo Assn. Collegiate Polo Program is great exposure for us as students, as well as for our team and our school as we continue to play and promote the sport this season,” said Jayson Palmer, a Morehouse College senior. “As the first HBCU school to join the program, we look forward to proudly wearing our U.S. Polo Assn. gear and living up to the U.S. Polo Assn. core values.”
There is no doubt that COVID-19 has hit sports teams and universities hard from both an academic and athletic perspective. While some schools have not reopened in person or have opted to keep contact sports sidelined this year, the need to keep student athletes practicing and working together is critical to their development and advancement on and off the field. “The UK polo team is thrilled to partner with U.S. Polo Assn. this year and to proudly represent the brand both on and off the field,” said Federico Puyana, president of the University of Kentucky Polo Club. “This is an exciting opportunity for the club, and one that we feel will be beneficial for everyone involved. We know this is just the beginning of something great for our team and for the U.S. Polo Assn. brand.” As a former I/I alumni from the University of Virginia, Carlucho Arellano, USPA executive director of Services, is proud to see the brand support these young up-and-coming polo players. “Student athletes need support now more than ever and the USPA is proud to have our U.S. Polo Assn. brand partner with these schools,” Arellano said. “While this year is unlike any other with fewer schools playing and practicing on college grounds, we are thrilled to have Morehouse College and UK as valuable additions to our polo roster as we look to expand our list of schools for years to come.” The spring board of governors meetings will take place the week of Monday, April 12 through Friday, April 16, 2021, and each committee will have a virtual participation component. 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
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 7
U S PA B U L L E T I N
National Youth Tournament Series The National Youth Tournament Series qualifier tournaments will begin in early spring. USPA members born after Jan. 1, 2002 with a minimum minus1-goal handicap are eligible to participate. Clubs
interested in hosting a tournament this year should contact NYTS@uspolo.org to discuss scheduling. All applications for NYTS tournaments will be submitted through the USPA tournament portal available to club delegates. Oak Brook Polo Club will host the NYTS National Championships in early September. Team USPA After a delayed start, the Argentina polo season provided many opportunities for Team USPA members to play. Six Team USPA members were supported in tournaments, ranging from 14- to 24-plus-goals. The higher-level polo available to players encourages a competitive atmosphere, motivating players to improve their game and learn from new mentors and players. Polo Development Initiative The PDI grant program is designed to facilitate the sustainability of polo by empowering clubs and polo schools with grant-based reimbursable awards. The success of the sport depends on the success of its clubs. The USPA PDI application guidelines and PDI application are available online at uspolo.org. All applications must be submitted online. The application deadline is Jan. 31. Please contact Pam Mudra by email at pmudra@uspolo.org if you have any questions regarding the PDI program.
Intercollegiate and interscholastic teams must secure a string of horses for tournament play.
8 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Intercollegiate/Interscholastic A quick reminder that all I/I teams must secure a string of horses for tournament play. Tournaments will be played from early February to mid-April. Intercollegiate academic paperwork, coaching requirements and entry fees are due Jan. 15. Interscholastic paperwork, coaching requirements, and tournament entry fees are due Jan. 5. Make sure to renew your USPA player memberships for 2021 before participating in any games. If you need assistance completing the paperwork by the deadlines, please contact Ali Davidge at adavidge@uspolo.org.
U S PA B U L L E T I N
A Dream Deferred The journey to national championships by Jewel Connelly/United States Polo Association
Point Loma Nazarene celebrates after winning regionals early last year.
While the start of the 2019-2020 academic school year held both the promise of new beginnings and the opportunity for a stellar tournament season, college life and athletics, as students knew it, turned out to look very different. Rising to the top of their regions fueled by a competitive fire for polo and collegiate pride, 10 intercollegiate polo teams (men: Cornell University, University of Virginia, University of North Texas, Southern Methodist University, Oregon State University and women: Cornell University, University of Virginia, University of Kentucky, Texas A&M University, Point Loma Nazarene University) earned their places in the 2020 National Intercollegiate Championships, only to have their hopes of raising the historic trophies disrupted by COVID-19. For underclassmen the dream was put on hold while for graduating seniors the cancellation signified an abrupt and disappoint-
ing end to their intercollegiate career. Sacrificing and investing so much time and effort on the often rocky road to nationals, four teams in particular were looking forward to proving themselves; with Point Loma a first-time qualifier and UK a wildcard recipient. Overcoming some obstacles to reach this point, each of these team’s achievements, both seen and unseen, and the lasting friendships they formed along the way have sustained them through the challenging times and made it all worthwhile. A former interscholastic polo player (Poway and Lakeside) and freshman with a vision to start an intercollegiate polo team, Molly Agee took charge and founded Point Loma Nazarene Polo team her sophomore year. Now an incoming senior, she has invested countless hours and worked tirelessly to build a competitive women’s team over the past two years. Establishing a team at her small university in POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 9
ESSENCE CAPTURED-LORI SORTINO
U S PA B U L L E T I N
Oregon State’s Joel Potyk races down the boards.
Nazarene, California, Agee struggled to find players with experience to fill out the roster, landing only two—Addy Fuller and Sydney Falk—for the 2019-2020 season. “This was our second year competing, but this is the first time we had people who had experience playing polo on the team,” Agee said. “Having experienced players gave us a lot of confidence and we had a strong win at regionals, but also the time we have spent together outside of polo has made us a really tough team and close friends.” While coach Nicole Bankhead focused on helping the inexperienced women improve their riding skills, Agee and her fiancé Garrett Bankhead (Nicole’s son and also a polo player) coached the team together. Since all the new participants were freshman and were prohibited by the university from having cars on campus, Agee drove the team to practice at Lakeside Polo Club (Lakeside, California) twice a week until a university van was provided a month before regionals. Entering college with a strong foundation in interscholastic polo and three-day eventing, Agee’s endeavor to start a brand-new polo team was a substantial undertaking but one she is grateful to have experienced. “I ran the entire program and did everything you can think of, including finances, marketing, finding players, coordinating horses and practices and driving teammates to and from the barn,” Agee said. Beginning the 2020 fall semester online, Agee is
10 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
preparing for the likelihood of not playing her senior year as two team members will not be returning this year for personal reasons. “All the struggles we went through, including one of our teammates having an unexpected health issue at regionals, have made us stronger, but we were able to end our season really well,” Agee said. Facing similar obstacles in the Western region with new players in the men’s division, the men’s team at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, is especially devoted to the sport, making a lengthy drive off-campus and doing whatever it takes to attend qualifying games. Renting a 12-passenger van, the team travels an hour and a half (60 miles) to practice near Portland weekly, making each practice roughly a six-hour commitment. “Our coach Brandon Alcott provides all the horses,” senior Joel Potyk said. “It’s a pretty hefty price to pay for every practice, and for our coach to haul in all the horses.” Due to the geographical isolation of the campus, Oregon State rents horses for its games, which in the past has posed a challenge for the beginner players. “Our team is comprised of three men [Joel Potyk, Wyatt Weaver, Andrew Hobson] who had never played or ridden previous to coming to college,” Potyk revealed. “However, all of us come from some athletic background and have decent hand-eye coordination so we picked up polo pretty fast.” Although spending a lot of time first learning how to ride, the team struggled with riding some of the other university horses. “Cal Poly had some very difficult horses and we had a hard time playing in tournaments there in the past,” Potyk said. “I was expected to play a particular horse of theirs but we had a surprise for regionals, which caught them off guard. We sent a couple of our freshman players to weekly riding lessons so in the final, one of them played the horse and I was able to play an awesome horse and do well.” Historically having difficulty filling the Oregon State men’s roster, the fall semester produced 20 new members for a total of 30 between both men’s and women’s teams. “Headed by women’s team captain Erin Bush, we held a free ‘Intro to Polo’ clinic for potential players, which began in the classroom with rules, foot mallets, basic swings etc., and provided pizza for everyone,” Potyk shared. “Then we shuttled everyone up to a mounted practice led by our coach Brandon Alcott. We also created a really nice flyer and posted it all over campus, worked with advisers in the agricultural department to distribute it to their mailing
U S PA B U L L E T I N
Members of the University of Kentucky’s men’s and women’s teams
lists and did paid, targeted advertising on Facebook.” Proud of the progress and effort his team has made, Potyk is hopeful to have another opportunity to compete at nationals with one more season of eligibility. “Everyone is so committed with the time put in on a weekly basis, they don’t think twice about leaving on a Thursday evening and driving all night to reach the arena at noon and start playing,” Potyk said. “It’s what we have to do to play and it’s worth it.” Doing whatever it takes for the team is a resonating theme at the heart of the I/I community, including waking up early in the morning to drive to regionals at 4 a.m. like the women’s University of Kentucky polo team. Just beginning her college career in 2019, Lila Bennett was ecstatic to join her friend Louisa Huber from Garrison Forest School on the UK team. “We arrived on campus in Lexington, Kentucky, and hit the ground running because our team was young and we really wanted it,” Bennett said. “We reached out to Anna Palacios, who lives in New York, and she became our remote coach. We wanted someone who was going to invest time in us and she would send us weekly drills and we’d send her back videos of us doing them.” Starting to condition the horses the second week of January for regionals in March, the women got their string completely fit by the middle of February and were able to scrimmage twice a week.
“We took an entire Saturday and clipped all eight of our horses that we were bringing to regionals,” Bennett recalled. “We were exhausted, but we were so proud that they were each in such great shape. It was so cool to see our hard work pay off with just how amazing our horses looked.” Unexpectedly losing a seasoned teammate who had to step down from the team for the winter semester, the UK women continued to prepare and look ahead to a competitive weekend at regionals. Not overlooking the importance of practicing penalty shots, each member of the team made sure they could make three Penalty 2 and 3 conversions in a row before leaving the arena. Playing an incredibly tight game against the University of Virginia in the regional final, UK made significant and noticeable progress since the last time they played each other at the Fall Invitational at UVA, even though they lost the game. “We all grew as players during the season and it really showcased itself during the regional final,” Bennett said. “After watching both game tapes, Anna praised us on how much we had improved between those two games.” Impressing the National Host Tournament Committee after such a close game, UK was awarded a wildcard, only to have its hopes dashed with the postponing of nationals. (continued on page 63) POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 11
INSTRUCTORS FORUM
Close play Women’s polo requires focus and discipline By Julio Arellano
It is great to see women’s polo really growing. Recently, I’ve had some opportunities to coach women’s teams. It’s not hard to believe, but women are definitely more apt for coaching then men are. While women’s and men’s polo may have differences, I try not to coach differently. The coaching I’ve done for [my daughter], Hope’s teams has been for tournaments like the U.S. Women’s Open and the women’s Texas Open, so I try to get them to play like we do in men’s high-goal polo, playing that style. The difference is you typically don’t have the really big hitters so they are playing a lot closer together, following each other up and doing a lot more rotation. I’ll stay with the basic principles of man-to-man coverage because women have gotten so good, that, like in mixed polo, you don’t want to be chasing your opponent. It is always the player that gets free that will hurt you. Women’s polo is still the same style and uses the same ideas. In women’s polo there is no Tommy Biddle that will hit 150-yard shots so when you are going for the long passes don’t go beyond about 60 yards. If you get beyond the point where the hitter can reach you for a pass, turn around and follow behind. The key is to hit and run. Go to an open area, mark the man and keep the ball moving. Use your horsepower and open the game up. Don’t slow it down and make it into a lower-goal match. In Houston, Hope took some of my old high-goal mares. I would tell her to look for an open area and do a quick release, even if nobody’s there. It is the No. 1s job to get there, it’s not the hitter’s job to find the No. 1 to hit to. Because players are generally marked much closer in women’s polo, the first person might not be able to get the hit, so someone has to be next. Everybody follows in behind and gets a slot. It is similar to when you are driving down the highway and you don’t want to leave an opening where somebody from the next lane can come in. Everybody has got to be matched up with an opponent, following one behind the other—No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and back. It’s rare that the No. 1 is going to get the ball and run the whole way down the field and score. So, it’s super important to have everybody back each other up. If the No. 1 misses or can’t get to the ball, the No. 2 is right behind her to pick it up, then the No. 3 and then the back. If you 12 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
leave an opening between your players, the opponent can come in and get the ball if your player loses it. Women tend to be much more disciplined and you see this when they are both playing with you and against you so take that into consideration when strategizing. The closer marking sometimes bunches the game up a bit so you have to try to open it up. In the higher-goal flights of women’s polo, you generally have two stronger players and two that aren’t as experienced so mark up your players according to ability. As a coach, I put the best player marking the best player on the other team, or the second-best player can mark the best player if they are really well-mounted and can mark another player really well. If the other team has its strongest player at No. 4 and we have a lower-goal player at No. 1, I’m not going to match them up. A lot of women’s polo is played as four chukkers rather than six. That means you can’t have a weak first or second chukker like you do playing a six-chukker match, which allows time to recuperate. If you’re down 3-0 in the first, there is very little chance you are going to come back. You have got to plan out your team’s horses so you don’t have a very weak chukker. There is no warm-up chukker. You’ve got to get right into the game that first chukker, period. Just like in mixed polo, it is difficult to play a horse that is just a runner with no handle, or a horse that is tough to play. Handiness is making a comeback. Even in Argentina, the game is changing in the sense that players need something that can run like a high-goal pony and still be as handy as a six-goal pony. You can’t just have handle without speed, and you can’t have speed without handle. In the higher-levels of both women’s and mixed polo, you have to be, not just wellmounted but, really well-mounted. Overall, game strategy is not much different then in mixed polo. When knocking in, again, you generally don’t have really long-ball hitters so you have to take that into consideration. It makes the field a little smaller and makes it harder. You can’t hold the ball and wait for your players to line up, then hit a 100-yard pass from a standstill. It is a much quicker release. The players are more concentrated, so there are not as many places to go. When Hope knocked in, she would pick one of two sides and look for the No. 2 as long as that player stays
INSTRUCTORS FORUM
within reach. If the other players were focused on marking our No. 4, she could still reach the No. 2. If you are being marked closely, you lose the opponent with anticipation and quick reaction time. Being well mounted also helps to shake an opponent. Without someone who can hit 100-plus yards, you don’t want to hit down the center because if it doesn’t work out and the play turns, you don’t want the opposing team to have a shot on goal. When defending, because you are unlikely to have someone that can boom really powerful back shots, the team has to anticipate shorter back shots by playing closer. Still, use back shots rather than turning every ball. If everyone has their man beat and is in range, a back shot is a good option. Strategies for taking penalties are not much different from mixed polo either. If the penalty is from midfield, sometimes you opt for a tap followed by a big hit while other times the hitter goes for a big hit right off the bat. Hope could often get 60 or even 80 yards, helping open up and stretch the game out. On Penalty 4s, Hope practices taking penalties a lot so she can hit a 60-yarder in one shot. Most women that are rated 7, 8 or 9 goals can hit 60s really well. I saw another team use a different strategy that worked pretty well for them. A teammate would ride next to the hitter, and when the hitter hit the 60, if it didn’t reach the goal the teammate would be on the line running flat out so nobody could come in without crossing the line. If you are defending penalties, it is never easy to stop a ball. The team has to be prepared if the opponent is going to hit down the middle with a 60, using the strategy mentioned above with the hitter’s teammate running down the line. So, I tell the defending players not to stand sideways and risk fouling. One defender is on the 30-yard line, another is on the 40 and the other two are by the goal posts. They should be more worried about the ball bouncing then trying to stop the 60. If you foul, the other team will be given an open goal from the spot so it is imperative defenders pick up their opponents first before going to the ball instead of just looking to stop the ball. In lower-levels, whether mixed or women’s polo, if you have a 2- or 3-goal player that just plays summer polo or is a weekend warrior, they likely won’t be as effective hitting the 60s as a 7- or 8-goal player playing professionally year-round. With Penalty 2s and 3s, women tend to be better then men because they focus more on hitting well and hitting straight then trying to get the big hit. Men generally try to hit too hard.
Throw-ins are treated the same as in mixed polo. You have somebody focusing on defense, somebody that is going forward looking for a pass and somebody, who is good with the ball to stay out. Like in mixed polo, teams often want to have the two best players playing No. 3 and 4. They want ball control and then can go from there. You need to have strength in the back, particularly with knock-ins and set plays. You can’t have a weaker player knocking in because then you are not going to go anywhere. Most women can ride well, can carry the ball and at least get one hit and move at speed, but few of them can get that initial big hit. So, you want to have stronger players playing No. 3 and 4. Women’s polo is still growing and handicaps are getting readjusted bi-annually because sometimes women are rated based on their mixed handicaps. So, it is not unusual in some of these tournaments to see really lopsided scores. Often times this happens in preliminary games when the winner will have to play a much tougher team in the final. In games like that, I was never able to turn it on and off. If you do, the horses won’t be quite as ready and you won’t be as sharp mentally for your next game. So, you’ve got to play every game hard and you can’t think about the score. You can’t go easy on a weaker team. •
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 13
ASK AN UMPIRE
Quick change Adapting to arena after playing or umpiring outdoors By Dana Fortugno
Even the best players have difficulty switching from grass to arena polo.
You have an outdoor game at 3 p.m. and then an arena game at 6 p.m. Whether you’re an umpire or a player, that can be a confusing transition. For the most part, polo is still polo and you will make it through but there are some significant pitfalls that will mess you up—I am willing to bet on it. To be honest (I know of no other way), arena polo is a completely different game than outdoor polo. I’m talking about the rules. It takes 37 rules to govern outdoor polo and only 18 to govern arena polo. Something must be different—right? If you have played both types of polo for many years, your brain likely has categorized both nicely and you can switch back and forth seamlessly—at least before all the changes. In the past five years, we have so many rules changes outdoor and now indoor that your trusty old brain doesn’t seem to help as much as it did years ago (when there were no changes, ever). Good times. We have umpires who literally must umpire an outdoor game and an arena game in the same day. Yes, they are humans, so this can be a problem. We must train them to be able to do that and do it well. Professional umpires can make mistakes and can be forgiven for some mistakes but when it comes to the 14 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
rules, there is no forgiveness and no room for error. Our professional umpires have a team and resources behind them to help. I am part of that team and we create the resources they use. The most recent resource (a work in progress, like everything else on my desk) is a quick conversion guide (memory refresher) for outdoor to arena polo. It’s available to everyone in text and video format on the USPA website under arena rules in the video rule book. I need to say that there is no substitute for reading the rules or watching all the rules videos on the video rule book. In fact, when I was traveling every weekend to umpire, I would read the entire arena rules on the plane when going to an arena event. I did that every time and seldom made a rules error, but I never did both outdoor and arena in the same day—that’s a new challenge. We want our umpires to read all the rules, of course, but we need even more help when there is no time to read all 18 arena rules before the event. This guide is meant to be an umpire’s little helper. It has many of the more significant differences between outdoor polo and arena polo. It’s based on the errors we have experienced this past year and on things that outdoor players struggle with
ASK AN UMPIRE
Quick guide to arena rules • There is no improper blocking rule. • When the ball goes out, the whistle sounds and stops time, every time. • Change of possession when the ball goes out is an option for the host tournament committee, and if you use that option and you’re awarded a free hit between the center and the goal when going short, you get that hit at the center, in the middle of the arena. • Throw-ins are always from the center to the boards, and always somewhere between the 15-yard lines. • The distance a player needs to enter the right of way is shorter, in fact the entire game is generally more compact that way. • Similarly, turning the ball is seldom a foul because there is usually not enough room to get up enough speed by the trailing player for it to be dangerous or to deprive that trailing player of a nearside play. • Delay of game does not have the one-tap restriction, it only has the five-second restriction. • Abruptly slowing or stopping on the boards is a foul if it is dangerous to players coming in from behind. • The right of way along the boards (when the ball is between the boards and the hitter) belongs to the player following the ball (going in the same direction) even if the hitter has the ball on the nearside. • Hooks are legal only below the horse’s back (in most arena polo) and no hooking the offside back shot if any part of mallet is above the horse’s back. • The last 30 seconds of each period, not including overtime, is just the last 30 seconds of the period. • Penalty shots are taken the same period that they occurred. • Each arena has a unique goal box, so a goal may be different depending on where you’re playing. • If a player falls off, the whistle sounds and time stops. • The hitter gets two approaches on a penalty shot. • A goal can be one point or two points when hit from outside the 25-yard line and scored directly or off the wall. • The Penalty 1 has a throw-in as part of it. • Teams keep their direction for the entire period and then switch after each period. • There is a continuous play option.
when playing arena polo. Penalty procedures are so different, you need to read them or see the video. We are certain there are more but these are the ones that cause the most trouble to the outdoor brain. How can this help? Read the rules or watch the videos at least once. Then, review the text guide provided or watch the short video guide a few minutes before you enter the arena. This will help get your brain orientated to arena play and refresh all the things you already know but need to awaken in that area of your brain where they reside. It’s almost like working two jobs in the same day and putting on a hat for each. When you change hats, your mindset also changes. It helps. When I put on a suit, my brain automatically goes into trial mode and even the basic evidentiary objections start to run through my head. That’s why
I try not wear suits anymore because it has that effect on my brain. When I put on swim shorts, nothing runs through my brain and that’s the way I like it. Anyway, this is a real and measurable phenomenon, so use it to your advantage. We do. Never depend on your intelligence, it will fail you no matter how smart you are. You must use brain strategies if you want to master these kinds of things. Think of it this way, if you can be reminded of one play that’s unique to the arena and that saves you a foul and you win by one goal, it was well worth it. •
Dana Fortugno
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E Q U I N E AT H L E T E
Body scores How do your horses measure up when it comes to weight? By Gwen Rizzo
When you own a horse, you are responsible for keeping the horse adequately fed, watered, exercised, vaccinated and in good mental and physical health. Anything short of that is neglect. Owning horses is an expensive luxury not everyone can afford. Before you take on the responsibility of owning a horse or horses, determine if it is something you can afford. The cost to maintain horses continues, whether or not your finances remain stable. If at some point you determine you are unable to—or can no longer afford to—properly care for your horse, waste no time in finding someone who can. Don’t assume you can turn horses out or leave them to take care of themselves. Horses may begin to lose weight, their feet will continue to grow and before you know it, they are in poor condition. The worse they get, the harder it is to get them back into good health so it is important to ask for help immediately when you are finding it hard to make ends meet. People who neglect animals are often animal lovers who meant well but were unable to face giving up their animals to someone for proper care. If you are unable to find someone willing and able to take on the responsibility, contact a reliable, proven horse rescue or even local authorities. It is important to remember some horses lose weight quicker than others. If you are starting to notice some of your horses are beginning to lose weight, increase calories they are taking in. Giving more grain may make some horses too hot, so try throwing them another flake or two of hay. If you notice just one horse looking thin, there may be a reason. Some horses are just not easy keepers and require more food then others of the same size. Other issues may also be at play, such as disease, dental problems or parasites. If you feed several horses together, one horse may be lower in the pecking order and may not get as much food as the rest of the horses. If the horses are separated during feed times, have your veterinarian examine the horse to see what may be causing the weight loss. Horses that are stressed or are in cold climates may lose weight faster and may need more food to maintain a good body condition. 16 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Reporting equine neglect or abuse An anonymous tip line has been established for tips regarding equine abuse or neglect. The USPA Equine Welfare Committee encourages anyone making a report to first reach out to police or local animal control to report the issue. If you would like to also report to the USPA, please leave as much detail as possible in your message, including the city and state the animals are located in as well as the horse owners name, if known. Reports will be kept confidential, however you may leave your name and phone number if you are willing to be contacted for additional information.
Anonymous Tip Line—866-563-5534. Though neglect most often involves underweight horses, obesity is also a danger. If all of your horses are overweight, try gradually cutting back on their feed. If only one horse is overweight, the horse may not require as much food as the rest of your horses. If the horses are being fed together it may be the top of the pecking order and is getting more than its fair share. It may also indicate a medical problem requiring examination by your veterinarian. Thirty-eight years ago at Texas A&M University, Dr. Don Henneke developed a standardized system to objectively evaluate a horse’s body condition based on the amount of body fat stored in particular areas. Instead of using subjective terms like thin and fat, which mean different things to different people, the Henneke Body Condition Score chart focuses on the amount of stored fat in six areas of a horse’s body: along the neck, withers, ribs, behind the shoulder, the crease down the loin and the tail head. Each area is not only viewed, but palpated, and the areas are scored between 1 (little or no fat) and 9 (very fat). Because conformation defects or injuries may effect one of the six areas, an area can be excluded from consideration when scoring. The scores for the areas are usually similar so you would not have one area score a 7 and another score a 2 on the same horse. The scores are added up and divided by the number of areas considered to determine a body condition score. An acceptable range is from 4 to 7, with 5 being ideal.
E Q U I N E AT H L E T E
Six areas of body fat storage to consider
Score Description 1. Poor. The horse is emaciated. The spinous processes (backbone), ribs, tail head and hooks and pins all project prominently. The bone structures of the withers, shoulders and neck are easily noticeable, and no fat can be felt anywhere. 2. Very Thin. The spinous processes are prominent. The ribs, tail head and pelvic bones stand out, and bone structures of the withers, neck and shoulders are faintly discernible. 3. Thin. The spinous processes stand out, but fat covers them to midpoint. Very slight fat cover can be felt over the ribs, but the spinous processes and ribs are easily discernible. The tail head is prominent, but individual vertebrae cannot be seen. Hook bones are visible but appear rounded. Pin bones cannot be seen and the withers, neck and shoulders do not look obviously thin. 4. Moderately Thin. The horse has a negative crease along its back and the outline of the ribs can just be seen but can be easily felt. Fat around the tail head feels slightly spongy. The withers look rounded and the shoulder and neck blend smoothly into the body. 5. Moderate-the threshold level of body condition. The back is level. Ribs cannot be seen but can be easily felt. Fat around the tail head feels slightly spongy. The withers look rounded and the shoulder and neck blend smoothly into the body. The polo pony shown above is about a five, an ideal condition. 6. Moderate to Fleshy. There may be a slight crease down the back. Fat around the tail head feels soft and fat over the ribs feels spongy. There are small deposits along the sides of the withers, behind the shoulders and along the sides of the neck. 7. Fleshy. There may be a crease down the back. Individual ribs can be felt, but there is noticeable fat between the ribs. Fat around the tail head is soft. Fat is noticeable in the withers, the neck and behind the shoulders. 8. Fat. The horse has a crease down the back. Spaces between the ribs are so filled with fat that the ribs are difficult to feel. The area along the withers is filled with fat, and fat around the tail head feels very soft. The space behind the shoulders is filled in flush and some fat is deposited along the inner buttocks. 9. Extremely Fat. The crease down the back is very obvious. Fat appears in patches over the ribs and there is bulging fat around the tail head, withers, shoulders and neck. Fat along the inner buttocks may cause buttocks to rub together, and the flank is filled in flush. Adapted from Henneke Body Condition Score (1983).
The Henneke chart is relevant despite the breed, age or sex of an animal. This method is still widely accepted and used among veterinarians, law enforcement and horse organizations and rescues. Acceptable body conditions differ depending on the equestrian discipline. And there is a marked difference between fit and lean and underfed. By and large, high-goal horses are some of the fittest horses
in the sport, but when you see photos of them their ribs are barely visible, their flanks are nice and round with no bones protruding, their withers look round and the shoulders and necks blend smoothly into their bodies. They easily score a 4, if not a 5. If your horses do not fall between a range of 4 to 7, it is time to find out why. Contact your veterinarian at once. • POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 17
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SNICKERS HEAD SATISFIES Pony honored at Florida Subhead Thoroughbred Expo
FOR DECADES, OCALA, FLORIDA has been best known as a Thoroughbred racing and breeding paradise. With its rolling hills and gentry manor, Ocala has recently drawn horse lovers of various disciplines, leading to the growth and repurpose of locally-bred Thoroughbred horses. Incredible personalities, intuitive learners and eye-catching athleticism make the Thoroughbred phenomenal in every equestrian sport. The Florida Horse Park annually hosts the Thoroughbred Transformation Expo organized by Run for the Ribbons Charity, giving owners and trainers the opportunity to show off their majestic animals in disciplines beyond their original racing careers. During this year’s expo, the facility was jammed packed with Off-The-Track-Thoroughbreds participating in dressage, jumping, barrel racing, freestyle riding and polo. Riders of all ages and levels competed to be the best in their division. The polo division was set up with several polo pros and longtime patrons of the game, with competitors showing off their abilities and horsemanship skills. The players and horses were judged on playing ability as well as their ability to execute a set of drills as a team. With such a tough field of competition, my 12-year-old Thoroughbred mare Kherianna’s Hope (barn name Snickers) and I stepped onto the field with high hopes and an incredible bond. I originally fell in love with the horse in Wellington years ago at my first Women’s tournament with Sunny Hale. Unfortunately, Snickers got lost in the selling and trading of performance horses that so often occurs. I was told she had been relocated in the upper East Coast and my parents ordered me to stop pestering them about her. Years later, my Dad learned of her location by chance and made his move. On Christmas Eve, Snickies was loaded onto the trailer and headed for our farm, St. George Plantation just outside Ocala. When I first saw her that Christmas morning, I was so shocked and almost did not recognize her. Snickers and I became better acquainted and bonded at an even deeper level, as I spent as much time with her in the paddock and stall as I did on her back. We swam in the lake, went trail riding in the woods and orange groves, and our mornings were filled with sets and stick and ball sessions. Lessons turned into practice games and finally tournaments. I played Snickers without hesitation and learned I could always rely on her to get me to the play. Months before the expo, Snickers was diagnosed with a corneal abscess that became extremely difficult to heal. Six months of administering medications and several surgeries later, Snickies was healed. We were finally ready to compete again. On the first day of the expo, competitors were given a set of drills to showcase their horses’ abilities, while on the second day, those abilities were showcased in a game. The competition was fierce but the connection I have with Snickers brought me confidence and joy. Win or lose I was going home with Snickers, which is better than any trophy or title. After the game, we made our way to the arena. Snickers and I had won No. 1 Best in Show! Exhausted but euphoric, we trotted to the stage to accept the ribbon and give a backstory on Kherianna’s Hope, the best friend, teacher, and teammate a girl could possibly ask for. —Ava-Rose Hinkson
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TIP YOUR HAT Helmet rule now in effect
BEGINNING THIS MONTH, all players in any USPA event or club event are required to wear helmets that meet the NOCSAE ND050 Standard Performance Specification. Helmets that meet the Safety Equipment Institute NOCSAE ND050 standard will have a logo attached to the outside of the helmet. Do not remove this logo. As of press time, only two helmets—Casablanca NEU and Charles Own Sovereign—meet the NOCSAE ND050 standard. Coincidentally, these two helmets also pass the standard required by the Hurlingham Polo Association, the governing body for the sport in England. Helmets from other companies are currently being tested and the USPA will update the approved helmet list when those helmets have met the standard. Facemasks can be attached to an approved helmet provided they are deemed an authorized accessory by the helmet manufacturer. If you
attach a facemask that is not the helmet manufacturer’s authorized accessory, it will void the NOCSAE certification for that helmet. The USPA is not directly affiliated with any helmet manufacturer. Manufacturers set their own pricing and may offer discounts to USPA members, youth players and for bulk orders. Please contact manufacturers directly for more information. Helmets may be purchased directly from the manufacturer or through authorized retailers. Some helmets are available off the shelf, while custom design orders can take 4 to 6 weeks or more. If a player is not wearing an NOCSAE ND050 certified helmet during a match, the umpire shall remove the player from the game and give a delay of game penalty to the player’s team. The removed player may return to the game if a NOCSAE ND050 certified helmet is worn. Please refer to the rule book to read Rule 4 in its entirety.
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We wish you all the best health, happiness and polo in 2021! POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 19
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HALL OF FAME Newest inductees to be honored next year
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM of Polo and Hall of Fame in Lake Worth, Florida, recently announced the newest inductees. For over three decades, the museum has hosted an annual black tie gala in mid-February to honor each year’s inductees. The gala, which regularly sells out, is the museum’s largest fundraiser each year. Due to the global pandemic, this year’s ceremony will not be held, however the current plans are to honor the inductees next year. Congratulations to the following inductees:
HELEN CRUDEN
Julio Arellano Hall of Fame Julio fought his way to the top echelon of polo, rising to a 9-goal handicap in 2003, and maintained a 7- to 9-goal handicap for decades. He competed in and won the top American competitions, including three U.S. Open Championship titles (1992, ’95 and 2010), the Gold Cup, C. V. Whitney, Monty Waterbury, Northrup Knox, Silver Cup, Butler Handicap and more. In international competition, he twice represented his country in the Westchester Cup and played in the 1997 Coronation Cup. Three horses he owned and played were awarded the Hartman Trophy for best playing ponies of the U.S. Open (Mulan-2001, Malia-2005 and True-2010). Arellano is being recognized, not only for his skill as a player and horseman, but for his efforts to give back to the sport as a sought-after coach and in service to the USPA. He was twice elected to the board of governors and is currently serving as a Governor-at-Large. Julio has also been a mentor to many up-and-coming-players, including his siblings, as well as his own children.
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John F. “Jack” Ivory (1924-2004) Hall of Fame Jack started playing polo at the age of 10, then, like most American poloists of his generation, he put his polo career on hold after enlisting in the war effort. After the war in 1946, Jack became captain of the team known as the Ivory Rangers. In 1955, he attained a 7 goal handicap, a rating he maintained until 1971, while also making a reputation as a handy 8-goal player in the arena. Throughout the 40s and 50s as a hard working polo professional, he played nearly non-stop polo while owning his own club and managing and co-managing several other polo clubs. During that time, he played for the West in the 1947 East-West Series, and won two National Senior Indoor Championships. The versatile Jack Ivory wore many hats. He trained horses, instructed, conducted polo clinics and served on various USPA committees in the 50s and 60s. His passion for the sport also drove him to do as much as he could to promote it, which he did by contributing to numerous publications and making appearances on radio and television. Paul Wollenman Iglehart Award A veterinarian for the past 45 years, Paul has cared for some of the nation’s finest polo horses. Known for his sound and practical advice as well as ingenious solutions to complicated injuries, he has spent most of a lifetime striving to improve the care and welfare of the horses that make polo possible. In his free time, he enjoyed the sport personally as an amateur player, reaching a 2-goal handicap. He has worked in an advisory capacity for the USPA’s Equine Welfare Committee and mentored Team USPA and National Youth Tournament Series participants. In that capacity, he has given lectures and taught young players on horse care in Sheridan, Wyoming, in addition to helping with their veterinary needs. Bert Beveridge (1902-1987) Iglehart Award Starting in polo in the 1940s, Beveridge was committed to the sport for 30 years. He founded Boca Raton Polo Club with his brother A. D. Beveridge and rejuvenated San Antonio Polo Club in the early 1950s. Beverage sponsored teams in the U.S. Open, Silver Cup, Butler Handicap, Inter-circuit and Twelve Goal as well as others, helping invigorate the sport while giving several noted players their start in polo. Attaining a 3-goal handicap, he notched wins in the Silver Cup (1960, 1961), the 1957 National Handicap, the 1953 12-goal Inter-Circuit Cup and was a finalist in the U.S. Open. Additionally, he served on the USPA board of governors from 1953 to 1957. His son, Robert D. Beveridge was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006.
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Silverada Horses to Remember Originally named High Hope Silver, the stunning gray Thoroughbred mare was foaled in 1990. She was out of Current Hope by Flower Pot. A racing career was not in the cards for her and she was purchased by Judith Baker, who started the handy mare in polo. She caught the attention of noted polo professionals, trainers and players alike. Vicki Armour was impressed with the mare and arranged for Raul Roldan to try her for Bob Daniels. Bob purchased her for himself and renamed her Silverada, but she had caught the eye of 10-goaler Gonzalo Heguy who asked to play her in the East Coast Open. She won Best Playing Pony in the 1994 East Coast Open and the 1996 Sterling Cup before gaining international acclaim. Heguy took the mare to Argentina, playing her three chukkers in the 1996 Argentine Open. The petite powerhouse earned the Lady Susan Townley Cup for Best Playing Pony of the Argentine Open as well as an award for best type mare and was part of the string that won Heguy an award for best mounted player. Little Mary Horses to Remember Little Mary was one of two mares August Belmont loaned to the American team during the 1909 international matches against Great Britain. Played by Larry Waterbury, the American team went on to win both matches. A grand looking pony, there was certainly nothing diminutive about her. She was a good-sized mare, standing well over 15 hands and up to any weight. Played prior to any known awards being established, she was cited by experts of her era as among the three greatest polo ponies of that time. She was immortalized in the famed Haseltine bronze “The Big Four” that depicts Waterbury on Little Mary along with the other team members and their famed mounts. This sculpture is used as the emblem for the Museum of Polo.
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SWEET! Fundraising opportunity offered by bakery
TICO’S FAMILY BAKERY in Glen Rock, Pennsylvania, is now offering an opportunity for intercollegiate and interscholastic teams to raise money for their clubs. The bakery makes Whoopie Pies, an oversized cake-like sandwich filled with fluffy crème. After ordering, customers can select the USPA interscholastic or intercollegiate club of their choice on the checkout page. The selected club will then receive 10 percent of the profit from the sale. Tico’s Family Bakery was founded by Holly Holleran, the former coach of Skidmore College Polo Club and Virginia Polo, Inc. The whoopie pies are based on recipe’s from Holleran’s grandmother, dating back to the 1930s. Featured in New York Times, the whoopies are available in four packs or by the dozen in flavors including chocolate, peanut butter, pumpkin and red velvet. They are shipped nationwide via FedEx in decorative gift boxes with handwritten gift notes. Taking advantage of the fundraising opportunity, Work to Ride’s interscholastic program has already raised much-needed funds this year. The Tico’s 10% program is available year-round. Tico’s ships delicious, gourmet whoopie pies for any special occasion, including care packages at school, birthdays, holidays or as business gifts. Interested interscholastic and intercollegiate teams can visit Tico’s website, ticoswhoopies.com or contact Holleran at 877-TICO-LUV (842-6588); or by email tico@ticoswhoopies.com for more information on the program. The global pandemic has been difficult for some of the school programs. Some schools are not allowing club sports or organizations to be active. In these cases, polo programs have come to a screeching halt. Without polo being played, some clubs are not receiving student dues to support their programs and can use any help they can get. If you can, contact the school program of your choice to offer support, whether it is to donate equipment, supplies, feed or best of all, cash. Some schools have come up with creative ways to fund raise. Tico’s whoopies is another way to help out. So, you can order a sweet treat for yourself or for someone else and help an intercollegiate or interscholastic team at the same time. How sweet is that? •
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P O L O D E V E L O P M E N T, L L C
Trickle down Up-and-coming players learn from Argentina’s best By Hayley Heatley
Harrison Azzaro, Cubi Toccalino, Nico Escobar and Lucas Escobar
High-level playing opportunities available in Argentina create a competitive atmosphere that pushes young players to improve their game and learn from the top players in the country. Fortunately, the main season in Argentina coincides with a slower season for polo in the United States, giving players the chance to invest in their training without conflicting with playing jobs. Argentina’s initial high-goal tournament schedule was modified, but more tournaments were added as the season went on, giving the players a chance to compete outside of local practices. As players looking to attain their highest possible handicap, Team USPA members have worked diligently over the past several years to identify the best opportunities for themselves to improve. Brothers Nico and Lucas Escobar are no strangers to Argentina. They have been coming to ride and play in the main season for several years. In
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2018, Lucas represented the United States in the Junior Nations Cup alongside Bayne Bossom, Keko Magrini and Landen Daniels. That same year, Nico stepped into the Nations Cup game to play for an injured player on the North American team. This year the Escobars have been based out of the La Aguada Polo Club. Nico’s tournament lineup included a 16 goal at La Aguada, the 18- to 20-goal Sojo tournament and the 24-goal Provinicia. Lucas also played the 16 goal at La Aguada and the Provinicia. The time spent in the saddle has been valuable to both players. Playing practices on a daily basis at La Aguada has promoted consistency at a high-goal level for both boys. Harrison Azzaro came to Argentina with an intense focus on playing the best polo possible. His dream of one day playing the Argentine Open with his brother has served as his motivation for improving. Azzaro is also based out of La Aguada, surrounded by the Astrada and Toccalino families who serve as his mentors. He learned from his father, former 10-goal player Mike Azzaro, to surround himself with the best players possible to push him in his career. Azzaro played in the 18- to 20-goal Sojo tournament as well as the La Aguada 16goal tournament. Graduating Team USPA member Jared Zenni began the season with his eyes on qualifying for the Copa Cámara de Diputados. The Cámara is considered one of the most important tournaments in Argentina and can lay a path for teams looking to eventually qualify to play the Argentine Open. Zenni’s team, La Irenita, included Horacio Fernández Llorente, Gonzalo Del Tour and Michel del Carril. The foursome entered the Copa Pilar qualifying tournament and finished second in their bracket. The team fell to El Overo/UAE (Guillermo Willington, Jacinto Crotto, Tomas Panelo, Lucas Monteverde), 10-8, in its first game in the Copa Pilar. However, La Irenita rallied, winning its second game against Trenque Lauquen (Roberto Bilbao, Dylan Rossiter, Marcos Rooney, Matias Magrini), 9-5, and its third game against Madrugada Pilarchico
P O L O D E V E L O P M E N T, L L C
(Alejo Aramburu, Juan Jose Bouquet Roldan, Simon Prado, Manuel Alberto Crespo), 10-6. The 2-1 record set the team up to play against La Quinta (Luke Tomlinson, James Beim, Juan Ambroggio, Lucas Lalor) in the qualifying game. Zenni clenched La Irenita’s place in the Cámara with an overtime penalty goal. Sixteen teams, handicapped between 24 and 30 goals, will compete for the Cámara de Diputados title. Costi Caset came to Argentina early in the season to prepare for the Copa Pilar. Caset and his team, La Cañada Cria Don Valentin (Facundo Llosa, Facundo Obregon, Jesse Bray), started off with two convincing wins against Martindale La H (Fernandez Llorente, Nicolas Recaite, Facundo Ezequiel Retamar Carnero, Juan Cruz Losada), 11-4, and La Ensenada Betania (Juan Calafell Campos, Manuel Calafell Campos,
Felipe Marquez Ochoa, Bautista Arrastua, Raul Laplacette), 9-7. After falling short, 7-9, in its qualifying match against Martindale (Manuel Fernández Llorente, Agustín Canale, Benjamín Urquiza, Rodrigo Rueda), Caset quickly set his sights on the next tournament. The team entered into the Provincia tournament and was scheduled to play the semi-final round at press time. Playing high-level polo consistently for two to three months during the Argentina season is an integral part in achieving career goals as professional polo players. The availability of horses and the numerous polo fields within a short drive from each other provide an unparalleled experience. The relationships formed during these important learning years will provide a solid foundation in the sport going forward. •
Above: Juan Carlos Harriett, Cubi Toccalino, Nico Escobar, Lucas Escobar and Harrison Azzaro Left: Costi Caset
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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
Up to Middle School tournament competition starts in 5th grade By Amy Fraser
PJ DeAngelis was an all-star in his first year playing middle school tournaments.
In the spring of 2019, the I/I staff received an email from one of our I/I umpires and college alums, Jim DeAngelis. Enclosed in the email was not a question about the I/I Tournament Conditions or a suggested change, but an attachment from Jim’s son, PJ. In the letter, PJ laid out his reasons for why the I/I middle school tournaments should extend eligibility to polo players currently in the fourth grade. His justifications were genuine: some fourth graders are better players than fifth graders, some fourth graders know how to tack horses and some even know the pieces of tack better than some adults. His strongest argument though, was that
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some fourth graders just want to play! To PJ’s disappointment, the rules for middle school did not change and he was not eligible to play in the fall 2019 Middle School League. To no one’s surprise, PJ’s was the first registration the I/I staff received for the 2020 middle school season–his fifthgrade year. When the schedule shook out, PJ was able to play in three middle school tournaments during his first year of the middle school league. Polo is a family affair in the DeAngelis family, Jim and wife Julie met while playing polo in Newport, Rhode Island, and have played for years together. “I was hoping the kids would love the horses too,” remarked Julie. “We are so thankful that they do! Polo is even better playing as a family.” Older sister Sophia has played her way through the Middle School League and now competes at the Interscholastic level for the Yale Polo & Equestrian Center teams. One of the main differences between the I/I tournaments and the Middle School League is the absence of the split-string format in the latter program. Instead of the teams sharing all the horses playing in the game between themselves, Middle School League players can bring their own horses or rent appropriate ones to solely play. When asked which horses he was excited about playing at the YPEC tournament, PJ listed Bella, Ruleta, Pamela, Lohan and Paige. The advantage of playing a tournament at your home club sits in the knowledge of the horses and the facility. “I was most excited to play in the tournament at Yale because I could ride the horses that I love and [I] know the arena. Plus, I was close to home and the teams sounded fun.” I/I staff recommends players be ready for tournament polo when signing up to play in a middle school tournament. Not only do players need to know the rules, but they need to be ready to play in unfamiliar arenas and possibly new horses. PJ was fortunate enough to be able to bring familiar horses from YPEC to the tournament at Gardnertown Polo Club. “I got to play Yale horses, which was great!” he exclaimed. “Bella and Ruleta were perfect.” Horses are not the only possible new teammates at
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
a middle school tournament. Players enter as individuals and the hosting club creates teams in an effort to make the playing field as even as possible. This tournament conditions also foster new friendships and responsibilities among the players. “I was both excited and nervous to play against kids I didn’t know,” clarified PJ. “On one hand, I would be able to play with the big kids, but on the other hand there was a lot of pressure because I was the youngest and they were people I’d never met before.” Getting a tournament off and running takes commitment from more than just club managers and umpires. Club members, parents, and siblings pitch in to keep the tournaments running smoothly. “Both Sophia and PJ have been involved with middle school and I/I polo. It is a family affair. Jim coaches the kids and I help with the horses,” explained Julie. “Meeting other ‘polo peeps’ from around the region is great too. Our kids have developed wonderful friendships. Having the opportunity to play competitive polo and meet new kids and families involved with polo is one of the biggest benefits. PJ and Sophia have had a blast with the middle school tournaments.” At the end of the day, the goals of the Middle School League are as simple as that: have fun, make friends, and get a good first experience playing tournament polo. If your 5th-8th grade player is interested in
playing or your polo club would like to host a middle school tournament, contact Emily Dewey at edewey@uspolo.org. •
PJ DeAngelis handles a bouncing ball on the grass.
PJ and sister Sophia, center, competed in a tournament at Yale Polo & Equestrian Center.
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Fun in the Sun Polo Classic held in Scottsdale, Arizona
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The 10th annual Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championship was put on hold this year due to the global pandemic. In its place, organizers reconfigured the event, holding the Stella Artois Polo Classic presented by Kettle One. The festivities were held on Nov. 7, serving up a day filled with polo action and other entertainment in a socially-distanced setting at Westworld of Scottsdale. As part of the City of Scottsdale approved changes and after receiving certification from HealthyVerify
(a consortium that includes Arizona State University and Barrow’s Neurological Institute) the Stella Artois Polo Classic returned with a reduced capacity of 3,132, which sold out. The event, which normally sees four times that number of spectators, featured an extensive social-distancing plan, mandatory masks for guests, sanitation stations, temperature checks and, unlike previous years, an all open-air approach with tables, lattice fencing and umbrellas instead of tents to make guests as comfortable and safe as possible in
Work to Ride’s Daymar Rosser, Richard Prather and Shariah Harris defeated a Women’s All-Star team, 8-4.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 29
Marcos Bignoli Jr. scored two goals in the match supporting Arizona Equine Rescue and the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center.
an environment that was still as fun as possible. The day kicked off with Valley favorite Scottsdale Maserati’s Arizona Polo Club victorious over Mark Taylor Residential’s Denver Polo Club, 6-5. Diego Florez scored four of the Arizona team’s goals, and he, like others, said that even despite the changes for 2020, the event lived up to his usual expectations. “As always the 2020 Stella Artois Polo Classic was very well put together to allow for social distancing, but still enabled great entertainment for spectators who love polo, horses, canines, fashion and much more,” said Florez. In the featured match of the day, EPR Polo went head-to-head with Celebrity Cruises in a match supporting Arizona Equine Rescue and Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center. The higher goal match featured professional players John Gobin and Marcos Bignoli Jr., alongside Tareq Salahi. Each scored two goals apiece, resulting in a 6-4 victory over EPR Polo. The match also donated $10,000 to the benefiting charities. EPR Polo Club’s Allison Freeman and her
The day kicked off with Arizona Polo Club edging Denver Polo Club, 6-5.
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last chukker horse won the Celebrity Cruises MVP and Best Playing Pony Award. “Celebrity Cruises was thrilled to be part of the Stella Artois Scottsdale Polo Classic this year and even more thrilled that in our first year participating, we won the Molina Cup in a hard-fought 6-4 victory,” Salahi said. “The Polo Classic offered something for everyone and is an outstanding event. We look forward to defending our title next year.” In the final match of the day, alumni representing Safeway Albertson’s Work to Ride took on Sanderson Lincoln’s Women’s All-Stars, resulting in a 8-4 victory in favor of Work to Ride. Daymar Rosser scored four goals in a winning effort, followed by three from Richard Prather and one from Shariah Harris. “This was our third time coming to Scottsdale for this incredible event and it just gets better every year,” said Harris, a Work to Ride alumni. “Even though there were COVID limitations for safety, this year’s event was still a great experience. We always love coming to play in Scottsdale because the players and
people are always so welcoming, and we are looking forward to coming back for another year.” With no overhead tents or party tents, fans watched the exciting matches from a variety of seating options that included the Molina Fine Jewelers VIP Lounge, Barrett-Jackson VIP Outdoor Polo and Jazz Lounge, Lawn and Picnic Seating, elevated south seating that included RV spots and expanded sideline parking options. Fans also enjoyed a variety of shows within the show, including Phoenix Fashion week’s longest Catwalk Fashion Show, as well as the Canine Couture presented by Lugari Pet Salon, which gave 35 canines a chance to compete for prizes. Arianna Dueñez with her Shihtzu, Brownie won Best in Show; Benadette Parra with her Shihtzu, Lucky won Best Costume; Damaris Portillo with her Pug mix, Molly won Fancy Fifi; and Jason Gunawardena’s Yorkie, Enzo was awarded Bow Tie Stud. All winners received cash prizes, ribbons and gift baskets from Lugari Pet Salon.
Fans also enjoyed halftime performances by the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show; a preview of BarrettJackson’s 2021 Collector Car Auction and luxury car displays by McLaren Scottsdale, Scottsdale Maserati, Courtesy Volvo, Sanderson Lincoln, Earnhardt Genesis of North Scottsdale and dozens of others. Attendees also enjoyed another new charity experience called Million Dollar Mingle. The concept was organized and led by former NFL player AC Caswell and brought together celebrities, professional athletes, corporate executives and socialites to support local charities. R Entertainment produced a drive-in concert with local rock legend Roger Clyne to close out the event. Charities Phoenix Chapter of African American Scholar Athletes, Phoenix Children’s Museum, Hoof and Paw Rescue and Vision Lake Consulting raised money through the event for their programs and services. The Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championship looks forward to returning in November 2021. •
Aside from the three polo matches, spectators enjoyed a fashion show, dog fashion show, halftime performances, music and car displays.
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Women’s extravaganza Over two dozen teams compete in Houston Photos by Kaylee Wroe
The Houston Polo Club in Houston, Texas, hosted nearly 30 teams, participating in one or more of five women’s tournaments played from Nov. 1015. Women players from across the country filled the rosters, alongside Texas’ finest.
USPA Texas Women’s Open The USPA Texas Women’s Open drew four teams and was played off over three days. Played at the 16to 20-goal level, the two teams with the best records after two rounds moved on to the final. In round Dawn Jones’ Pretty Bird Woman, played by Clarissa Echezarreta, right, made an appearance in “The Homesman” movie. They are being challenged by BTA’s Sheila Lequerica in round two.
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one, Polo Gear Coffee (Danielle Lussi, Dawn Jones, Clarissa Echezarreta, Tiffany Busch) defeated Lockton (Kendall Plank, Tiamo Hudspeth, Cecelia Cochran, Erica Gandomcar-Sachs), 5-3. In game two, Iconica (Madi Outhier, Maureen Brennan, Kylie Sheehan, Hope Arellano) got the best of BTA (Chrys Beal, Sheila Lequerica, KC Krueger, Izzy Parsons), 5½-4. Polo Gear Coffee kept its momentum into the second round, narrowly edging BTA, 6-5, while Iconica beat Lockton, 5-3. Three days later, Iconica, coached by Julio Arellano and four-time U.S. Women’s Open winner Kristy Outhier, faced Polo Gear Coffee, coached by Luis Echezarreta, in the final. Two of Polo Gear Coffee’s players (Jones and Busch) won the event last year. The 19-goal Iconica team began with a halfgoal head start. Busch made a nice run early in the first but was stopped by Arellano. Play was choppy until Sheehan sent the ball toward goal. Busch defended but Sheehan kept fighting, riding her off, turning the ball and passing to Arellano for the first goal. Arellano, at 7 goals one of the highest-rated players in the tournament, busted out of the ensuing throw-in but couldn’t hold onto the ball. Busch made another run to goal but Iconica’s defense was relentless and the ball went wide. Close play continued in the second. A Sheehan drive was stolen by Jones, who got the ball to the other side of the field. Arellano cleared the ball but couldn’t keep if from going over the back line. Busch hit the Penalty 6, sending it into a group of players until Lussi picked it up an put it through the posts. Busch sent the ball to the other side of the field, but it was turned around by Brennan. Jones got it on the rebound, sending it wide. Iconica got it back down by Polo Gear’s goal and Outhier eased it through the goal, ending the half with Iconica ahead 2½-1. Iconica kept Polo Gear on its heels in the third. Jones came out on her paint mare, Pretty Bird Woman, who appeared in “The Homesman” a movie Tommy Lee Jones directed and starred in. Two minutes into the chukker, Brennan met the play, taking the ball along the boards. Outhier got her mallet on it, sending it up to Arellano for another goal. Arellano took the ball out of the line up with Echezarreta in pursuit. She swung through Echezarreta’s hook sending the ball forward but it went wide. Later, she intercepted a Polo Gear knockin but was unable to turn it into a goal. Busch continued to push hard, continually sending the ball forward, only to be shut down by Sheehan. Finally, Jones found an opening and
managed to reach the goal to get closer, 3½-2. The teams continued to duel, but with time slipping away, Sheehan caught an umpire’s whistle close to the Iconica goal. After the umpires conferred, a throw-in was called, Iconica dodging a bullet. With just 38 seconds left, Jones was whistled, giving Iconica a Penalty 5. Arellano hit a nice long shot to Brennan but it was turned around. Lussi drove the ball toward goal in the closing seconds but was unable to seal the deal and Iconica held on for the win. Dawn Jones was named MVP and two horses were honored: Picasita, played by Tiffany Busch and owned by Dawn Jones, was Best Playing Pony Pro; and Madi Outhier’s Law Man’s Dancer was both Best Playing Pony Amateur and AQHA Best Playing Pony. Outhier, 18, not only took home several polo
Madi Outhier won the Texas Women’s Open and the Women’s Rodeo World Breakaway Champion title in the same day.
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Iconica’s Christy Outhier (standing in for daughter Madi), Maureen Brennan, Hope Arellano and Kylie Sheehan won the Texas Women’s Open.
trophies for her and her ponies, the same day she took the Women’s Rodeo World Breakaway Champion title at the inaugural event in Arlington, Texas. Immediately after the game she hopped on a private jet to Arlington to compete. Her time of 2.05 seconds, earned her the title and $60,000. Reports called it the most groundbreaking performance of the event.
U.S. Open Women’s Handicap A dozen teams lined up in the 8- to 12-goal U.S. Open Women’s Handicap, played from Nov. 11-14. It was played as a knock-out with losing teams dropping into a subsidiary tournament after the first round, with all preliminary games played in a round-robin format. In the first round robin, Quiet Creek Farm (Josie Dorsey, Lily Lequerica, Hannah Reynolds, Olivia Reynolds) defeated Swoon/Bella Natura Medica (Isabel Artzer, Hannah Mitchell, Leigh Fulkerson, Izzy Parsons), 2½-1, and Woody’s Furs (Eloris Snyder, Grace Parker, Sarah Prinsloo, Caroline Anier), 1½-1. The second round robin saw Villa Ecleto (Morgan Tennant, Katie George, Alyson Poor, Mia Bray) overcome Roseland Polo (Ali King, Paige Luplow, Carolyn Stimmel, Maddie Grant), 3½-2 and 34 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
BCI/Sullivan Group (Cara Kennedy, Joanie Jackson, Grace Mudra, Athena Malin), 2½-2. Aspen Snowmass (Morgan McBride, Stephanie Colburn, Anna Palacios, KC Krueger) dominated Game 3, topping Forty Flowers (Lara Semmelman, Keala Panzarini, Wendy Stover, Tiamo Hudspeth), 2½, and Memorial Chiropractic/Rover’s Romphouse (Karrie Yager, Debbie Shelton, Danika Melnar, Kendall Plank), 4-1½. The last round robin had Chandler Ranch (Roxy Riggs, Megan Flynn, Karen Reese, Jenny Vargas) best Maximo’s Polo Ponies/GK Farms (Jessica Keneally, Olivia Uechtritz, Carly Persano, Audry Persano), 4-1½, before falling to Straussfeld Realty (Kelly Coldiron, Kerstie Allen, Lara Straussfeld, Roxy Keyfauver), 1½-1. Maximo’s Polo Ponies/GK Farms shut out Straussfield Realty, 3-0. With each team suffering a loss, Chandler moved on with the most gross goals. Villa Ecleto narrowly edged Quite Creek Farm, 43½, in the semifinals while Aspen Snowmass slipped Chandler Ranch, 4-3. This set up a final between Aspen Snowmass and Villa Ecleto. Villa Ecleto began with a half-goal handicap and within a minute Anna Palacios added to it with a goal. The teams battled, volleying the ball back and forth. Villa Ecleto hit the ball over its
Aspen Snowmass’ MVP KC Krueger, Anna Palacios, Stephanie Colburn and Morgan McBride won the U.S. Open Women’s Handicap.
own back line, giving Aspen a Penalty 6, but it was stopped before reaching the goal line. The battle continued, with Poor saving a ball on the goal line. The teams each had chances from the 60-yard line but were unable to convert. Krueger knocked in, passing to McBride who moved it down field before Krueger regained it, running to goal for a 2-½ lead at the end of the first chukker. It was all defense in the second, with Bray’s Penalty 3 conversion the only tally of the chukker, ending the half, 2-1½. Aspen had several good drives, but was unlucky around the goal. A defensive battle in the third, neither team could score until Bray powered ahead, scoring backto-back goals with just two minutes left for the 2-3½ lead. With 40 seconds on the clock, in a rare occurrence, teams had to wait for a cat to get off the field before finishing out the chukker. A determined Aspen rallied in the final chukker. Krueger made a run, slammed on the brakes while everyone ran past her, got settled and found the target for the first time since the first chukker to cut the deficit to a half-goal with five minutes left. Palacios drove to goal but the ball shot wide. At the 3 minute mark, Krueger couldn’t connect on a Penalty 3 but made up for it, getting the ball close to goal with Colburn finishing it up to give Aspen the
lead. Bray had a shot but it was deflected. Aspen was awarded a Penalty 6 with just 40 seconds on the clock, but Krueger’s horse didn’t help her and the ball went wide. Villa Ecleto was unable to respond and Aspen Snowmass had the 4-3½ win. KC Krueger was named MVP; Ignacio Saenz’s Chica Buena, played by Mia Bray, was Best Playing Pony Pro; Vaughn Miller Jr.’s Payasa, played by Morgan McBride, was Best Playing Pony amateur and Stephanie Colburn’s Boon Sugar Whiz was AQHA Best Playing Pony. In the consolation final, Chandler Ranch edged Quite Creek Farm, 7-6, with it being decided by a shootout. In the subsidiary final, Swoon/Bella Natura Medical got the best of Roseland Polo in a tight 7½ -7 match. The same day, Texas SBA (Alexis Barker, Cindy Madole, Sammy Ryan, Kim Hillin) Shut out both Patagonia Grill (Liz Lary, Michelle Agrons, Michelle Lawson, Sylvia Kampshoff), 2-0, and Sands Farm (Allee Crosby, Clare Bogart, Gemma Allman, Lucy Bailey), 1-0, in the final of the Farish Cup. All the goals were penalty conversions. Seven teams played off with winners of three matches, one a round robin, playing off in the final round robin. Patagonia Grill came in second after shutting out Sands Farm, 4-0. POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 35
MVP KC Krueger finds an opening in the final of the U.S. Women’s Handicap.
Sylvia Kampshoff was MVP and Mark Prinsloo’s Peligro, played by Allee Crosby, was Best Playing Pony. The Bayou City Cup Invitational was also played, with four teams playing off. Frio Ice Chests (Freida Nicole Cooney, Leigh Hemphill-Chrisinger, Rachel Lippoldt) advanced to the final after shutting down 36 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
Downtown Rotary Club (Chrsitine Laborde/Quinn van der Hoeven, Hillary Munro, Joanie Jackson), 30. On the other side, St. Regis Houston (Sam Danahy, Wendy Safchik, Audry Persano) slipped past Bemer (Gaylyn Frantz, Julie Rae, Carly Persano), 2-1, to advance. Frio Ice Chests froze out St. Regis Houston, 3-0,
for the title. Leigh Hemphill-Chrisinger was MVP and Mark Prinsloo’s Joe, played by Gaylyn Frantz, was Best Playing Pony. In the consolation, Bemer edged Downtown Rotary Club, 2-1. The final event of the women’s extravaganza was the Ladies’ Junior Invitational. Two teams played
off. JMcLaughlin (Madi Burba, Quinn van der Hoven, Joanie Jackson) and Luxury Event Trailers (Mila Cocco, Caroline Karvelsson, Lily Lequerica) tied, 2-2, and that’s how they decided to leave it. Caroline Karvelsson was MVP and Mark Prinsloo’s Acapulco, played by Madi Burba, was Best Playing Pony. •
Mia Bray gets out front with Stephanie Colburn and Anna Palacios in hot pursuit.
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Sweet Music Five String Farm wins Women’s Arena Open Photos by Dave Murrell
Four teams battled in the USPA Women’s Arena Open at Great Meadow Polo Club in The Plains, Virginia Oct. 2-4. Five String Farm (Lindsay Morris, Jessica Schmidt, Cindy Haley) crushed Work to Ride (Emmie Golkosky, Shariah Harris, Megan West), 20-5, in the semifinal.
The writing was on the wall in the first seven minutes when Five String pounded in goal after goal, amassing 12 before the chukker ended. Work to Ride teammates each scored one, ending the chukker, 12-3. Halle scored four times in the second, while Work to Ride was shut down, ending the half leading 16-3.
Cindy Halle, riding tournament Best Playing Pony Daisy, gets the hook on Shariah Harris in the semifinal.
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Work to Ride kept their heads down and kept working. Halle and Schmidt tallied early in the third before Work to Ride stopped them in their tracks and managed to put two goals on the board. Halle continued the pressure, tallying two more before the matched ended. The other semifinal was another battle between unevenly matched teams. Bad Ass Polo (Tori Picha, Posey Obrecht, Anna Palacios) faced Guapos (Marisa Bianchi, Maria Ottonello, Ruth Witmer). Bad Ass struck fast and furiously, scoring six times, including a two-pointer off the mallet of Palacios, in a matter of minutes. Biancbi put Guapos on the board to get in the game. Palacios single-handedly tallied four unanswered goals in the second, ending the half, 11-1. Palacios increased the lead by three in the third. Guapos came alive in the last period with Bianchi
converting two penalties then pounding in a twopointer, but the damage was done. Palacios added one more for good measure, ending the match with Bad Ass Polo ahead, 15-5. The final was a tighter, well-matched affair as the powerhouse Five String Farm took on Bad Ass Polo. Halle would be facing two former students—Obrecht and Palacios—while playing with Morris, another former student who is now a junior at Garrison Forest and plays on the interscholastic team. Halle explained, “[Morris] started with me in fourth grade until eighth, and she’s been on varsity all three years of her upper school career. She’s an amazing athlete and could probably excel at any sport but she narrowed it down to polo.” Palacios picked up the first goal, but Morris
Anna Palacios scored 15 goals in the final of the Women’s Arena Handicap.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 39
Robin Sanchez presents a $2,500 Catena watch to Sportsmanship winner Whitney Ross. Rebellis’ Kasey Morris Maggie Cooper and Anna Palacios won the Women’s Arena Handicap. John Gobin presents the $2,500 prize money.
countered with a two-pointer. The two kept battling, ending the first knotted, 3-3. The teams traded barbs, finishing the half with Five String Farm ahead 6-5 after a pair of goals by Schmidt. Schmidt carried the momentum into the second half, tallying back-to-back goals, while Bad Ass was kept silent. Trailing by three, 8-5, Bad Ass focused on a disciplined man-then-ball strategy. Palacios managed to make up the difference before Morris gave Five String back the lead. Obrecht reacted with three goals, putting Bad Ass ahead with time slipping away. Morris struck again, leveling the score at 11-all with her seventh goal, and forcing a penalty shootout to determine the winner. “They came out in that fourth chukker kicking some butt and we were scrambling, but we got it back together,” said Halle. Halle, who scored a dozen goals in the semis, found the target in the shootout, making it look as easy as strumming a banjo. The other players took their turns, none successfully, giving Five String Farm the win. “No one wants to end a game in a shootout, but it happens. I was really happy because I switched to Estrella in the middle of the fourth chukker. She’s an absolute couch of a horse, so that made my job a little bit easier. It’s hard to do that under pressure and I just got lucky,” Halle explained. “This was one of those games where it could have gone either way but I think not being selfish on the field and trying to get the job done worked in our favor.” Schmidtt, a former member of the University of Virginia intercollegiate team, was MVP. “I thought we played well as a team and made good passes and backshots,” she said. “We trusted each other to do our jobs and it paid off in the end. It was a lot of fun
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Women’s Arena Open winner Five String’s Jessica Schmidt, Lindsay Morris and Cindy Halle with John Gobin
playing with friends who I played against in college, which made the experience even better.” Daisy, a palomino mare owned by Doug Barnes and played by Halle, was Best Playing Pony. “Daisy was super handy and easy to hit off of but probably what I liked most about her is that she is one of those little horses that drops her shoulder into a bump and just keeps pushing,” said Halle. “I was able to get a lot of plays just because she would win the bump, but she was also very quick on the line changes.” Guapo’s Maria Ottonello recieved the Sportsmanship Award and a $2,500 Catena Swiss Watch. “It’s a real honor to have been chosen for this award from the group of women,” Ottonello remarked.
USPA Women’s Arena Handicap Four teams also competed in the USPA Women’s Arena Handicap, played the same weekend.
Certified Equine Appraisals Professionally certified equine valuations for: The semifinals had Rebellis (Maggie Cooper, Kasey Morris, Anna Palacios) topping Mystique Jewelers (Morgan Burner, Emmie Golkosky, Liz Mandros, Dominique Diroff), 16-8, and Belle Vodka (Victoria McGraw, Danielle Quinn, Jessica Schmidt) beat Twilight Polo (Caroline Chewning, Whitney Ross, Ali Stanley), 13-9. Rebellis and Belle Vodka advanced to the final. Palacios quickly erased the three-goal handicap given to Belle Vodka. Schmidt traded goals with Cooper to end the first even, 4-4. Cooper and Morris held off the opponents, giving Palacios plenty of room to fire in five goals in a row. Schmidt tallied for Belle Vodka to end the half with Rebellis ahead, 9-5. Rebellis controlled the second half, shutting out Belle Vodka while Palacios continued on her shooting spree. The team scored five goals in each of the third and fourth chukkers for the 19-5 win. Palacios led all scorers with 15 goals on the afternoon. “They key to our success this weekend was playing selfless polo. Each player was willing to sacrifice themselves to create a scoring opportunity for the team,” Palacios said. “After taking a couple of chukkers to figure each other out in the semifinal, we were able to build on our strategy to come out with a win.” Cooper was named MVP, Palacios’ Barfly was Best Playing Pony, and Whitney Ross received the Sportsmanship Award. “I was thrilled for the chance to play with Kasey and Anna in this tournament,” said Cooper. “Despite not having played together before, I thought we really came together as a team today. Everyone was making smart plays, but also setting each other up well and using solid communication.” Barfly, a 12-year-old bay Thoroughbred mare, came from Tom and Martha Gose earlier this year. “I had the opportunity to get to know Barfly when I worked for the Gose’s at Flying H Ranch Polo Club in 2016. Admittedly, I was a bit nervous about her ability to transition into arena polo, but she really came out and performed great this weekend. She has a ton of power, a huge bump and a lot of handle for her size,” Palacios said. The winning team took home a check for $2,500, as well as trophies. •
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Peter Rizzo, ASEA Certified Equine Appraiser 561.777.6448 or email: rizzo.poloworks@gmail.com
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 41
Young guns Casablanca captures national titles Photos courtesy of ChukkerTV
Casablanca’s Grant Ganzi holds out an opponent while looking for a pass in 20-goal action at Grand Champions Polo Club last fall.
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Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington, Florida, hosted a pair of 20-goal events, highlighting its fall season. Casablanca, which fielded a team of three young up-and-coming players, guided by the experienced 8-goal Nic Roldan, captured both titles. The tremendous amount of rain that plagued South Florida throughout the summer continued into the fall, forcing the schedule to be moved back a few days. The North American Cup, which dates back to 1974, took place from Nov. 15-18. Four teams competed in the event, played in a single elimination. Grand Champions has hosted the event since 2011, with the exception of 2019 when it was played at Aspen Valley Polo Club in Carbondale, Colorado. In the first semifinal, Newport (Gene Goldstein, Michel Dorignac, Sugar Erskine, Juan Bollini) advanced over Sebucan (Pablo Pulido, Pablo Spinacci, Horacio Heguy, Brandon Phillips), 13-10, while Casablanca (Henry Porter, Grant Ganzi, Nic Roldan, Juancito Bollini) advanced over La Indiana (Michael Bickford, Nick Manifold, Jeff Hall, Kris Kampsen), 13-12. The final was held three days later under ominous skies. Roldan wasted no time, negating the handicap goal given to Newport within 30 seconds. Porter followed with a goal of his own before Roldan scored on a possession play after Newport knocked it over the boards. Dorignac scored for Newport early in the second but Juancito Bollini answered. Erskine brought Newport within a goal, 4-3, as the chukker ended. Roldan backed a ball into the goal just a minute into the third and Ganzi sunk a Penalty 3. Roldan added his fourth goal, this time on a breakaway to end the half with Casablanca ahead, 7-4. Casablanca held the momentum into the second half. Erskine and Juancito Bollini traded goals in the
Sugar Erskine’s Tessita was Best Playing Pony in the North America Cup final.
fourth and Ganzi extended the Casablanca lead to four early in the fifth. Goldstein responded, then held Roldan wide, allowing Erskine to reach the goal and cutting the difference to just two, 9-7. But just when things were going Newport’s way, Porter scored a hat trick to put Casablanca ahead, 12-7. Newport kept fighting in the final period, with Erskine and Dorignac matching goals by Ganzi and Roldan, but Casablanca had the win, 14-9. Roldan was named MVP and Erskine’s Tessita was Best Playing Pony. A week later, the same four teams battled for the USPA National Twenty Goal title. The first semifinal had La Indiana defeating Newport, 13-9, while Casablanca got the best of Sebucan, 10-9. In the final, Casablanca, with Gussie Busch taking over for Porter, faced La Indiana. Ganzi struck first but Hall responded and Bickford followed with a Penalty 3 conversion to take a 2-1 lead. Kampsen added a goal after making the most of a spot hit, but Roldan took the ball out of the throw-in and Bollini got past Bickford to tie the score at 3-3. Hall broke the tie early in the third, and Kampsen converted a Penalty 4 while Casablanca was silenced, giving La Indiana the 5-3 halftime lead. Casablanca rallied in the second half with Roldan taking less than two minutes to tie the score. The teams battled for control until Bollini broke the tie with a breakaway in the last 30 seconds of the chukker. Hall leveled the score with a lone goal in the fifth. Kampsen converted a Penalty 4 to give La Indiana
back the lead but Roldan took it back and then some. He scored four consecutive goals, the last a Penalty 6 conversion, to give Casablanca a comfortable 10-7 lead with little time left. Kampsen got another opportunity from the 60-yard line to bring La Indiana within two but time ran out with Casablanca ahead, 10-8. Juancito Bollino was MVP and Bickford’s Narval was Best Playing Pony. •
Casablanca’s Nic Roldan, Juancito Bollini, Grant Ganzi and Gussie Busch won the National Twenty Goal.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 43
P O L O I N T H E PA M PA S
On a roll New Ellerstina line-up delivers first two titles By Lucas Noel • Photos by Sergio Llamera
With Hilario Ulloa’s debut, Ellerstina conquered the Tortugas Open with forcefulness. The organization from General Rodríguez defeated an alternative La Dolfina team in the final. La Dolfina included Adolfo Cambiaso and his son in its formation, but suffered the absence of 30 goals of talent in Juan Martín Nero, Pablo Mac Donough and David Stirling due to injuries. Ellerstina included Facundo Pieres as its forward, Hilario Ulloa in his classic position of No. 2, Gonzalo Pieres Jr. setting everything up from behind at No. 3
Pablo Mac Donough, Juan Martin Nero and Pelon Stirling were all out with injuries. Adolfo and Poroto Cambiaso had to play without them in the Tortugas. Mac Donough was the only one back for the Hurlingham.
and Nicolás Pieres as Back. Ellerstina was armed this season to break the hegemony of La Dolfina. And in its first exam in the Argentine Triple Crown it passed with the highest grade. In the preview of the contest, it was obviously one of the two candidates likely to lift the Emilio de Anchorena Cup at the Alfredo Lalor grounds of the Argentine Polo Association in Pilar. But when La Dolfina, the team from Cañuelas, began to run out of its usual pieces until it saw only Adolfo Cambiaso as the representative of its original quartet, the cast of General Rodríguez was simply forced to respond to the demand to be champion. The final match was an unequal duel between the defending champion in this event and winner of the
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last seven Argentine Opens. The tournament is played on the flat and La Dolfina lowered its handicap from 40 to 32 goals due to the presentation of three substitutes. Facundo, best scorer of the match (8 goals) and of the tournament (26 goals), and Ulloa did not leave the slightest loophole for any surprises to happen. Intense and highly concentrated, Ellerstina dictated the conditions of the game from the first minute. It took a four-goal advantage in the first chukker and then it dedicated itself to managing it with sufficiency
Facundo Pieres was high scorer of the Tortugas Open final with eight goals.
and hierarchy. La Dolfina started the contest knowing that it would not be able to count on Juan Martín Nero due to the broken collarbone and left wrist the Back suffered a few days before the start of the tournament. His place was taken by ‘Poroto’ Cambiaso, the son of Adolfo, and who at just 14 years old faced his first Triple Crown thanks to the fact the AAP raised his handicap from 4 to 6 goals to allow him to play the first leg of the season. (A minimum 6-goal handicap is required to compete). In the practice prior to its first match, the Cañuelas team suffered a new loss due to an abductor
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strain by Pablo Mac Donough so the Brazilian Rodrigo Ribeiro de Andrade had to join immediately. And in the fourth chukker of its debut against La Ensenada-La Aguada, David Stirling suffered the same physical problem. Tomás Fernández Llorente Jr. had to put on his boots to complete the quartet. But incredibly, that’s not the end of the injury trail. In the semifinals, with Ignacio Laprida playing instead of Llorente, Andrade suffered back problems and had to be replaced by his compatriot Pedro Zacharias. The team managed to advance over La Dolfina Polo Ranch, 10-6. Andrade was back in the saddle for the final, however, the team was still struggling with too many problems to overcome a triumph-hungry Ellerstina with an eager Ulloa, who conquered his first Triple Crown event of his career. At age 34, and in his fifth season with a 10-goal handicap, the Lincoln-born player finally lifted one of the top three trophies and added to his successful showcase of awards from the most transcendent championships abroad. This year, Ulloa took the place of Polito Pieres, who went to La Natividad to play with the Castagnola boys, last year’s revelation. A talented and committed No. 2, Ulloa did not have the titles in Argentina despite his talent. Abroad, he always made it
La Dolfina: . . . . . . . . . 36/40
Poroto Cambiaso . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Pelon Stirling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Pablo Mac Donough . . . . . . . . . .10 Adolfo Cambiaso . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Juan Martin Nero . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Ellerstina: . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Facundo Pieres . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Hilario Ulloa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Gonzalo Pieres Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Nico Pieres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
La Natividad Las Monjitas . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Camilo Castagnola . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Polito Pieres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Bartolomé Castagnola Jr. . . . . . . .9 Ignatius Du Plessis . . . . . . . . . . . .9
RS Murus Sanctus: . . . . . 35
Facundo Sola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Francisco Elizalde . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Sapo Caset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Alfredo Cappella Barabucci . . . . .8
La Dolfina Polo Ranch: . 33
Guillermo Terrera . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Juan Britos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Deigo Cavanagh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Alejo Taranco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Los Machitos: . . . . . . . . . . 31
Agustin Merlos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Ignacio Toccalino . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Mariano Aguerre . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Santiago Toccalino . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
La Irenita: . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Martin Podestá Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Facundo Fernández llorente . . . . .7 Juan Martín Zavaleta . . . . . . . . . .8 Juan Martín Zubía . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
La Ensenada La Aguada: . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Segundo Bocchino . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Alfredo Bigatti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Matías Torres Zavaleta . . . . . . . . .8 Jerónimo Del Carril . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Ellerstina’s Nico Pieres, Gonzalo Pieres Jr., Hilario Ulloa and Facundo Pieres won the Tortugas Open, the first leg of the Triple Crown.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 45
P O L O I N T H E PA M PA S
Adolfo “Poroto” Cambiaso Jr. is the youngest player to compete in the Argentine Triple Crown. The association raised him from 4 to 6 to allow him to play.
A more balanced team allowed Facundo Pieres to do what he does best: score goals!
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clear who he was: champion of the United States and British Opens, even beating a dream team composed of Adolfo Cambiaso and Facundo Pieres in Palm Beach in 2018. In that season, Valiente brought together the two best players in the world but in the U.S. Open final match it ran into the amazing Daily Racing Form. Led by Ulloa, DRF stunned with a 10-9 win and celebrated the most unthinkable victory in many years of polo. “I decided not to think about the money and chose the option to win,” he confessed in the first interviews as a new Ellerstina player. Hilario played for Las Monjitas under contract and was doing well, but did not lift cups. A couple of days after the final match of the 2019 Palermo Open, he received an invitation from the Pieres brothers. The decision was difficult because, not only was he leaving his team in Argentina, but it also meant saying goodbye to his Palm Beach contract. “I’ve been looking for this for a long time. It cost me a lot, I lost a couple of finals. I had wanted to win for a long time and today it happened. I’m very happy. I share this joy with my father (the famous horse tamer Carlos “Polito” Ulloa). He supported me the whole trip and he is the first one I have to give back to.” In Ellestina’s first experience with Ulloa, the team worked without major drawbacks. It made its debut defeating La Irenita, 21-8, and in the semifinal beat RS Murus Sanctus, 15-13. In the final match against its usual life-long rival, the team won with a difference of 10 goals, the widest margin achieved by the team in the 46 finals and 20 years of its rivalry with La Dolfina. After Hilario, the one with the biggest smile on the podium was captain Facundo. “I am happy to have won the first tournament as a team and for Hilario’s first. It is a very special year, very different from all of the rest,” he said. “But we are a bit used to it; it happened to us in England. You can’t enjoy the public, which is missed a lot, as well as the people who are next to us— friends and family. But we have to be grateful for being able to play polo.” In this way, Ellerstina conquered its 12th Emilio Anchorena Cup and stretched its advantage as the top winner of the tournament, beating Coronel Suárez with 10 (one of them under the name of Coronel Suárez II). For their part, Facundo and Gonzalo Pieres achieved their ninth title in Tortugas and are only two away from the leaders of this individual distinction, Pablo Mac Donough and Alberto P. Heguy. Facundo Pieres’ Mega Chistosa (Sportivo x Ellerstina Simpatía) was best playing Argentine bred pony in the final. In the subsidiary Sarmiento Cup final, La Ensenada La Aguada edged La Natividad Monjitas, 15½-12. La
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Palermo Protocols Although the Argentine Polo Association is fortunate to be able to carry out the Argentine Open matches at the Cathedral in the midst of the pandemic, its bottom line will suffer. There will be no ticket sales, which normally brings in between 30-40 percent of the association’s budget. Only a few people will be permitted in the stands, including members of the organization and guests of the players playing that day. Only about 20 friends and relatives per team will be permitted, leaving the usually packed stands deserted. A gastronomic walk that runs until March 30 is being held on the grounds of Palermo and will remain open during the tournament, however polo spectators will not have access to the restaurants and diners will not be able to get into the stands. The association plans to negotiate with the Buenos Aires city government to allow 600-1000 guests of the sponsors to attend matches. As for the schedule, the first matches of the day will be held at 11 a.m. rather than 2 p.m. as was the case in previous years. Previously, the schedule was set prior to the start of the tournament, however this year, the association reserves the rights to determine the schedule with shorter notice. The idea is to schedule the best matches at a central time on Field No. 1, similar to tennis competitions.
Ensenada shut out La Natividad, 8½-0, in the first seven minutes. La Natividad rallied to outscore La Ensenada, 12-7, but was unable to make up for the early deficit. Polito Pieres’ Flovero Fisura (Beautiful Bob x Soy La Figurita) was best playing Argentine bred pony. As the team moved into the second led of the Triple Crown, Ellerstina made its intentions very clear; it wants it all and it wants it this year as it extended its run to the Hurlingham Open and got just one step away from winning the Argentine Triple Crown. With authority, the quartet that this year hung up
its black jerseys and returned to its traditional blue jerseys, conquered the Hurlingham Open held in Pilar. In the final match it defeated RS Murus Sanctus, the great surprise of the competition, by 16-11. Ellerstina had eliminated La Natividad-Las Monjitas, 15-10, in the semifinals after destroying La Irenita, 22-6, in its debut. Champion in both competitions, playing well and without adversaries at its level, Ellerstina will arrive at the most important tournament in the world as a wide favorite to get a cup it has not achieved since 2012 and with chances to seize the Triple Crown as it did in 2010 Ellerstina’s Hilario Ulloa celebrates his victory with his mother, brother and father.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 47
P O L O I N T H E PA M PA S
Facundo Sola gets by Facundo Pieres on his way to goal in the Hurlingham final.
with that magnificent cast formed by Facundo and Gonzalo Pieres Jr., Pablo Mac Donough and Juan MartĂn Nero. In Hurlingham, Ellerstina showed an unquestionable supremacy as a result of its ability with ball control and the speed in making decisions. Hilario is pure energy in the midfield and Facundo comes from being the top scorer of the two championships (30 goals in Hurlingham, 56 in total). Ellerstina has an enviable firepower and so far irresistible for any defense; in the Cathedral it will appear with a total of 105 goals (average 17½ per game) and 54 conceded (9 per game). In the final match, Ellerstina erased any expectations that RS Murus Sanctus might have had.
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The team of Facundo Sola, Francisco Elizalde, Guillermo Caset Jr. and Alfredo Cappella Barabucci had a great performance and even eliminated La Dolfina in the semifinal. But in the title match, the team was downgraded to a much smaller version of the one that had been playing. The gray team failed to convert six penalties (including two from 30 and 40 yards) and did not react with mental strength to its frustration over its rival’s dominance. Except for Sapo Caset, a formidable figure despite his missed penalties, the team did not give the expected result. Ellerstina not only won, but fueled its confidence through anticipation of plays, backhanders to teammates, simple play and a high-pressure defense. With that formula, it took a four-goal lead in the third
P O L O I N T H E PA M PA S
The Ellerstina team is hoping to finish off the Triple Crown victory with a win in the Argentine Open.
chukker and increased it to four in the fourth period. Its midfield was much more balanced than previous years and allowed Facundo Pieres to dedicate himself to what he does best: scoring goals. The four players from Murus Sanctus battled back and by the seventh chukker were left with a more respectful 14-11 difference. It regained some confidence for the last period, but the ultimate prize was unattainable and Ellerstina increased its lead to 16-11 for the win. Nicolás Pieres’ Open Bisnieta (Ellerstina Picaro x Open Nieta) was Best Playing Pony. Despite this defeat, Murus Sanctus was praiseworthy. In the semifinals it took advantage of La Dolfina that again suffered the absences of Juan Martín Nero and David Stirling, defeating it, 16-12. In that duel, after an extremely even first half, Murus Sanctus began to take the upper hand from the fifth chukker, capitalizing on its opportunities and the nerves of the Cañuelas players. The Argentine Open champion committed a couple of technical fouls and after earning two yellow cards, Adolfo Cambiaso had to sit out for two minutes. Thanks to its victory, Francisco Elizalde and Alfredo Cappella Barabucci were able to live the experience of playing a Triple Crown final for the first time in their careers. Once the success of Ellerstina was consummated, Facundo did not hide his joy in the team’s corner. “I am happy. We did not expect such a start. The team is working well and being able to win the first two
tournaments of the year is a luxury,” he said. “We know what we are playing at, we trust the system. We lost some chukkers in this final against Murus Sanctus. The seventh was weak. But the team knows how to come back and I think that is essential. Besides, the horse string is good and when the team is doing well, the horses are doing better. It’s a little bit of everything. The idea is to shoot to the goal as much as possible. Trying to play a fast game generates many opportunities and we believe that it is better to shoot, whether it goes in or out of the goal, but finish the play and not leave the ball on the field. In this final we missed a couple of goals, I missed a couple of penalties, but the balance in that aspect is very good.” The truth is that Ellerstina was a comfortable champion and for the fourth time in the last five years it took its photo with The Ayrshire Cup. It played six games in the season and won all six. The king, La Dolfina will be able to count on its usual quartet in Palermo, but its performance in pursuit of obtaining its eighth consecutive title at the Argentine Open is a mystery; for the first time since 2010 it will arrive at Libertador and Dorrego Avenues without either of the two previous tournaments. The defense of the crown is at stake and this year Ellerstina’s threat is extremely concrete. In the subsidiary Drysdale Cup, La Ensendada La Aguada defeated La Irenita, 12½-10, to earn its second consecutive subsidiary title. • POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 49
POLO REPORT DISPATCHES FROM THE WORLD OF POLO NORTHEAST
JACQUELINE MILLER PHOTO.C0M
STAGE HILL PREVAILS IN CROSSMAN CUP
Stage Hill/Pony Up’s Federico Wulff, Amanda Poor, Rick Salter, Aurelia Rus and Steve Rudolph won the 2-goal Crossman Cup title at Myopia Polo Club.
S
TAGE HILL/Pony Up edged Galaxy in a tough overtime match to capture the 2-goal Crossman Cup title at Myopia Polo Club in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, Sept. 9. Stage Hill/Pony Up (Aurelia Rus/Steve Rudolph, Rick Salter, Amanda Poor, Federico Wulff) faced Galaxy (James Grayken, Addie Politi, Jennifer Williams, Bautista Crotto) in the final. Galaxy began with a handicap goal but Poor put Stage Hill on the board with the only ball to cross
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the goal line, ending the defensive first chukker, 1-1. Galaxy was again shut out in the second while Rudolph hit the mark for Stage Hill/Pony Up. The half ended with Stage Hill/Pony Up on top, 2-1. Crotto put Galaxy on the board in the third, but Salter and Poor gave it the one-two punch to keep Stage Hill/ Pony Up doubled up on Galaxy, 4-2. The teams continued to battle in the fourth until Crotto decided to take matters into his own hands, powering
through the Stage Hill/Pony Up defense with a pair of goals in the fourth to force overtime. Rounding out a total team effort, Wulff shot through the golden goal to ensure Stage Hill/Pony Up the win. Earlier in the season, Stage Hill’s Wulff, Poor and Rudolph joined forces with Longmeadow’s Reed Miller to form Stage Hill/Longmeadow. The team went on to celebrate the 4-goal Tuckerman Cup victory. Rudolph was honored as Sportsmanship winner.
Stage Hill/Longmeadow’s Reed Miller, Federico Wulff, MVP Amanda Poor and Steve Rudolph won the 4-goal Tuckerman Cup.
In other action, Del Rancho dominated the USPA tournaments. In the club’s 8- to 12-goal Chairman’s Cup, played from July 12-Aug. 3, four tough teams played off. Del Rancho/Black Oak (Johann Colloredo-Mansfield, Manuel Mazzocchi, David Strouss, Nachi Viana) stumbled in its first match, falling to Folly JACQUELINE MILLER PHOTO.COM
R E P O R T
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JACQUELINE MILLER PHOTO.COM
P O L O
Del Rancho/Black Oak’s Nachi Viana, Manuel Mazzocchi, Johann Colloredo-Mansfield and David Strouss won the Chairman’s Cup.
Fields (Terri Campbell, Stephen Burr Jr., Marcos Onetto, Adam Snow, Chelsea Messinger), 9-8. Things looked up from there. Del Rancho/Black Oak topped Galaxy Polo (James Grayken, William Grayken, Pedro Falabella, Martin Jauregui, Jennifer Williams), 10-6, then got the best of Longmeadow (Kurt Miller, Ruben Coscia Sr., Reed
Longmeadow’s Reed Miller handles a bouncing ball under pressure from Galaxy’s Martin Jauregui in the Cyril Harrison Cup.
Miller, Federico Wulff, Ari Dogani), 11-8, advancing it into the final against Folly Fields. After edging Del Rancho/Black Oak, Folly Fields defeated Longmeadow, 11-9. It’s last game against Galaxy Polo wasn’t played. In the other preliminary match, Longmeadow edged Galaxy Polo, 8-7. The final match was just as close as the first time these two teams played. Onetto and Snow combined for six goals in the first half, including four penalty conversions, countered by four goals from Viana and one from Colloredo-Mansfield, giving Folly Fields a one-goal advantage at the half. A strong fourth chukker performance by Viana put Del Rancho/Black Oak up, 8-7, an advantage the team held onto until the final horn, winning 12-11. Nachi Viana was MVP and his Pichi Canta was Best Playing Pony. Del Rancho/Black Oak kept the momentum into the 8-goal Forbes Cup on Aug. 16. Three teams competed over two weeks to determine a winner. Del Rancho/Black Oak defeated Longmeadow/Heritage Farm (Charlie Hutchinson IV, Reed Miller, Tiger Kneece, Federico Wulff), 11-6, before falling to Galaxy (Stephen Burr Jr., James Grayken, William Grayken, Marcos Onetto, Adam Snow), 12-6. Del Rancho played Galaxy a second time
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R E P O R T
Del Rancho/Black Oak’s Manuel Mazzocchi, Nachi Viana, Johann Colloredo-Mansfield and David Strouss won the Forbes Cup.
and this time took the 6-5 win. The teams met again in the final and Del Rancho/Black Oak again took a narrow victory, 8-7, for the title. Johann Colloredo-Mansfield was MVP while Adam Snow’s Nuri was Best Playing Pony. Stephen Burr Jr. was recognized with the Sportsmanship Award. Del Rancho joined forces with Galaxy’s James Grayken, who took over for Johann Colloredo-Mansfield, in the 6-goal Governor’s Cup. Four teams played in the tournament from Aug. 19-Sept. 30. The first playoff match saw Stage Hill (Ari Dogani, Marcos Onetto, Amanda Poor, Federico Wulff, Nick Snow) top Blue Pegasus/Blackburn (Walter Eayrs, Jennifer Williams, George Hempt, Tommy Huber Jr., Charlie Hutchinson IV, Max Secunda), 8-5. Del Rancho/Galaxy beat Avalon Farms (Margaux Buchanan, Juan Andres Viana, Tucu Maciel Talavera, CB Scherer), 7-4. Del Rancho/Galaxy had an off day, falling to Stage Hill, 76, but came back strong in its next game to hammer Blue Pegasus/Blackburn, 12-6. The last two matches saw Avalon crushed by Stage Hill, 8-1, and Blue Pegasus/Blackburn, 9-3. Del Rancho/Galaxy defeated Stage Hill in the final. Manuel Mazzocchi was MVP and Tortuga, owned by Sergio Corro and played by Mazzocchi, was Best Playing Pony. Amanda Poor
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DAVID MURRELL
JACQUELINE MILLER PHOTO.COM
P O L O
Celebrity Cruises’ Tareq Salahi, Marcos Bignoli Jr. and Tolito Ocampo won the 12-goal Arena Chairman’s Cup.
received the Sportsmanship Award. Earlier in the season, Galaxy Polo got the best of Del Rancho in the 8goal Cyril Harrison Cup. Four teams played off over 10 days. Galaxy (James Grayken, William Grayken, Robi Bilbao, Plincho Magrini, Jennifer Williams, Martin Jauregui) started out strong, overpowering Longmeadow/ Boston Polo (Juan Alonso Massey, Reed Miller, Mark Tashjian, Federico Wulff), 9-4. Del Rancho (Estani Robledo Puch Sr., CB Scherer, David Strouss, Nachi Viana) edged Folly Fields (Stephen Burr Jr., Terri Campbell, Marcos Onetto, Adam Snow), 9-7, before downing Galaxy Polo, 14-9. Longmeadow/Boston Polo fell in its next two game, first to Folly Fields, 117, then to Del Rancho, 8-2. Galaxy slipped Folly Fields, 7-6, before meeting Del Rancho in the final. It was a rematch of the earlier game when Del Rancho prevailed by five goals. This time was different and after a tough battle, Galaxy got the 109 edge in overtime for the title. The match was a duel between Viana and Jauregui, who contributed seven goals each for their teams, not including the overtime Penalty 2 conversion by Jauregui. Martin Jauregui was MVP and Viana’s Reservada was Best Playing Pony.
EAST
CELEBRITY CRUISES ACES ARENA CHAMPIONSHIPS Celebrity Cruises/Hotels at Sea sailed to victory in back-to-back arena championships at Great Meadow Polo Club in The Plains, Virginia. Both events had four team rosters. The first was the 12-goal National Arena Chairman’s Cup on Oct. 3. In the first semifinal, Celebrity Cruises/Hotels at Sea (Marcos Bignoli Jr., Tolito Fernandez Ocampo, Tareq Salahi) edged Chetwood Park (Connor Deal, Wyatt Harlow, Adair Seager), while Twilight Polo (Doug Barnes, John Gobin, George Krabbe) got the best of Work to Ride (Brandon Rease, Daymar Rosser, Shariah Harris, Kareem Rosser) in the other semifinal. Both matches ended 10-8. The final pitted Twilight Polo against Celebrity Cruises in a defensive, foul-riddled battle. Gobin scored the first goal, countering the handicap goal given to Celebrity. With the umpires’ whistles stopping play almost every minute, neither team could get the momentum going and there was no more scoring in the first chukker. With more fouls in the second chukker, Barnes was the only one to hit the target, ending the low-scoring first half, 21. The teams finally got rolling in the
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JOANNE MAISANO
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P O L O
George Krabbe’s Coors was Best Playing Pony. John Gobin, far left, played the horse in the Arena Chairman’s Cup final.
DAVID MURRELL
third chukker with Ocampo scoring two-in-a-row. Bignoli found the goal soon after, giving Celebrity the 4-2 lead. The action heated up when Krabbe struck for Twilight and Gobin converted two penalties to take back the lead, 5-4. But Ocampo wasn’t done yet. He converted a penalty, then scored from the field to grab the lead back, 6-5.
Arena newbie Tolito Ocampo stops John Gobin in the 12-goal Arena Chairman’s Cup.
Celebrity Cruises’ Tareq Salahi, Matthew Potter and John Gobin won the Arena Challenge Cup title and $10,000.
The battle continued in the final chukker with Krabbe slamming the ball with back-to-back goals, one a two-pointer, to give Twilight a two-goal lead. Celebrity was unsinkable as Bignoli and Ocampo added a goal each, knotting the score at 8-all. Bignoli continued the pressure, hammering in two more as the time was ticking away. Twilight Polo
was unable to respond and ran out of time as Celebrity sailed away the winner, 10-8. The team took home the $15,000 grand prize and the trophies. Tolito Ocampo was MVP and Krabbe’s 14-year-old bay mare Coors, played by Gobin in the third chukker, was Best Playing Pony. Ocampo, who was playing his first arena tournament, said, “I think we had a good plan from the beginning, and our coach gave us a lot of tactics. We played the way he told us and had good results.” When asked what he thought of playing in the arena, he said, “It’s crazy, it’s fun, it’s harder, it’s different, but once you get into how you have to play, it is a lot of fun. It’s intense. You never stop.” In the consolation, Chetwood crushed Work to Ride, 18-6. Brandon Rease dislocated his shoulder after falling in the first chukker and had to be replaced by Tyler Burdick, and Shariah Harris was playing in place of Daymar Rosser. Connor Deal scored a game-high nine points, including four in both the first and second chukkers. A new Celebrity Cruises/Hotels at Sea (Tareq Salahi, John Gobin, Matthew Potter) played the following week in the 6-goal National Arena Challenge Cup against three others teams. It eliminated Burdick Equine (Todd Thurston, Harrison Thomas, Tyler Burdick), 13-8, before meeting Mystique
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JOANNE MASIANO
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Arena Challenge Cup MVP Brennan Wells
Jewelers (Kelly Wells, Brennan Wells, Christopher Holder) in the final. Mystique advanced over Dentons Defenders (David Tafuri, Daniel Coleman, Connor Deal/Wyatt Harlow), 16-12. The final action began with Kelly Wells striking first. Her son Brennan Wells scored the next two, one of them a two-pointer. Gobin put Celebrity on the board with back-to-back goals but Holder finished off the chukker with a goal, for a 5-2 Mystique lead. The next chukker was a battle of the No. 3s as Brennan Wells and Gobin hammered in three goals apiece. One of Brennan’s was a two-pointer, putting Mystique on top, 9-5, at the half. Celebrity rallied in the second half, as Mystique was stopped in the third period while Gobin came alive, slamming in the next four goals, tying the score at 9-all. Salahi struck with 32 seconds left in the chukker to give Celebrity a first-time lead. Brennan Wells tied the score early in the fourth, but Gobin converted a penalty to take back the lead. Brennan got a chance from the penalty line and capitalized to once again tie the score with under two minutes left. But that’s when Gobin gave it one last effort, finding the goal twice in as many minutes to take the 13-11 win. Brennan Wells, who put in a valiant effort with nine points, was MVP. “Despite the results, I feel like I did
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Marine Corps’ Walker Hobby, Jake Flournoy and Dean Daggett won the National Arena Commander-in-Chief Cup at Great Meadow.
a good job reading the field and understanding when I had time to control the ball and when I should release it to my teammates,” he explained. “We had a solid game plan and I couldn’t have been happier to share the field with my mom.” Chichi, a 10-year-old gray mare owned by George Krabbe and played by Gobin, was Best Playing Pony. “We didn’t panic after the first half and kept adjusting our strategy until we found something that clicked. Tareq did a great job of creating space and assisting offensively, while I tried to create
separation between John and the defenders so he could be free to score,” explained Potter. In the consolation, Burdick Equine tied Denton Defenders in the second (11) and third (3-3) before surging ahead in the last seven minutes with tallies from each of the players, including a pair of penalty conversions from Burdick to take the 6-5 win.
MARINE CORPS WINS COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF Played for the third consecutive year, Marine Corps’ John Flournoy, on Best Playing Pony Magnolia, holds out Army’s Joe Meyer in the Commander-in-Chief Cup.
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Tony Coppola presents the Tackeria Invitational trophy to Casablanca’s Nic Roldan, Santi Bermudez, Grant Ganzi and Nico Harriott.
the National Arena Commander-inChief Cup brought together four teams representing three military branches, each vying for the coveted title at Great Meadow Polo Club in The Plains, Virginia. Emerging from the semifinals victorious, Marine Corps (Walker Hobby, Jake Flournoy, Dean Daggett) edged Army Black (Joe England, Terrance Donahue, Joe Meyer), 8-7, in the final on Sept. 27. “This is currently the only military tournament, which requires all players to have served on active duty,” Daggett said. “We hope to recruit more players from the military community and thereby keep this wonderful tradition alive for years to come.” A strong performance from Flournoy helped to secure the first spot in the final for the Marines, after defeating Army Gold (Andy Hertneky, Tom Rice, John Rice, Mark Gillespie, John Kiyonaga), 14-10. In the other semifinal, a valiant comeback from Navy (Alex Jenkins, Andrea Logan, Sang Yi) in the fourth chukker was thwarted by a gamewinning goal from Terrance Donahue, giving Army Black the 5-4 win. A lightning-quick start in the final gave Army Black the early 3-0 advantage with goals from England. Retaliating before the end of the chukker, Marines reorganized defensively, allowing Flournoy to put the team on the score-
Newport’s Michel Dorignac, Gene Goldstein, Juan Bollini and Horacio Heguy won the Fall Classic.
board. Flournoy’s two-pointer quickly leveled the score, 3-3, before adding back-to-back goals to take a 5-3 lead. A penalty conversion by Meyer brought Army within one, 5-4, at the half. In the second half, England restored the tie, this time at 5-5. With his teammates working tirelessly around him, Flournoy, playing the Best Playing Pony, provided the offensive spark to take back the lead, 6-5. Consecutive goals in the last chukker by Meyer switched the lead to Army, 76. Marines never give up and they didn’t this day. Daggett and Hobby muscled their way to goal, flipping the lead back in Marines’ favor in the nick of time, 8-7. “Winning any match feels good, but representing the Marine Corps and competing against a talented opponent makes this championship particularly special,” Hobby said. “Our team captain, Jake Flournoy, set the tone in the final by creating and converting opportunities while the rest of our team followed his lead to earn a hard-fought win.” Magnolia, owned by German Noguera and played by Flournoy, was Best Playing Pony. “She is a very lovely and spry polo pony,” Flournoy said. “In the third chukker, Magnolia was especially handy with great stamina, and she earned her title!”
FLORIDA
CASABLANCA DOMINATES FALL HIGH-GOAL SEASON Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington, Florida, kicked off with the Tackeria Invitational. Originally scheduled for Oct. 22-25, rain forced a delay. The four teams scheduled to play had to wait a week for the fields to dry out. To keep the schedule on track, the Fall Classic, originally scheduled for the second weekend, was played as the Tackeria Invitational consolation. The Tackeria Invitational final saw Casablanca (Nico Harriott, Grant Ganzi, Nic Roldan, Santi Bermudez) take on La Indiana (Matthew Gonzalez, Michael Bickford, Nick Manifold, Jeff Hall). Games were held at Santa Rita Polo Farm and spectators were not allowed due to COVID restrictions. Casablanca began with a one-goal handicap and Ganzi added to it on a pass from Roldan. Soon after, more bad weather forced a brief delay. When the teams came back, Kris Kampsen was substituting for Hall. Gonzalez put La Indiana on the board and Bickford took control of a loose ball and sent it through the post to tie the score, 2-2. Kampsen took the ball from the line-up
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Carlitos Gracida plays in the Legends of Polo Carlos Gracida Memorial.
Juan Bollini, Nic Roldan, Grant Ganzi and Jeff Hall represented USA in the annual International Cup at Grand Champions.
to score early in the third. Ganzi countered with a Penalty 3 conversion but Bickford found the target with a Penalty 2 to take a 4-3 lead at the half. Casablanca strengthened its defense in the second half, shutting it down in the fourth, while Ganzi tied the match at 4-all. Roldan put Casablanca ahead and after a Penalty 5 didn’t reach the goal line, Kampsen accidentally knocked it through the posts for Casablanca. Harriott added a goal to end the chukker ahead, 7-4. La Indiana rallied in the last chukker, with Bickford and Gonzalez splitting the posts to come within one, but Ganzi scored one more for the 8-7 win. Ganzi was MVP and Manifold’s Machitos Canola was Best Playing Pony. Newport (Gene Goldstein, Michel Dorignac, Horacio Heguy, Juan Bollini) met Sebucan (Marc Ganzi, Pablo Pulido, Sugar Erskine, Pablo Spinacci) for the Fall Classic. It took 14 minutes for the teams to get going fully. In the meantime, Goldstein scored a lone goal in the first and Bollini traded penalty conversions with Ganzi in the second. Spinacci owned the third, passing to Pulido to score, then scoring three in a row to end the half, 5-2. Sebucan fought back in the fourth, with Dorignac cutting the deficit to just one, 5-4. Ganzi increased the difference to two before Newport began its come-
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back. Goldstein sent a neckshot through the posts then scored another. In between, Dorignac converted a Penalty 6, leaving Newport ahead, 7-6, at the end of the fifth. Pulido leveled the score in the final chukker but Bollini’s Penalty 2 conversion sealed the deal for Newport. Dorignac was MVP and Open Moreseh was Best Playing Pony. Casablanca continued its success into the 20-goal North American Cup and the National Twenty Goal (please see results page 42). Members of Casablanca finished the season, bringing home the victory for USA in the club’s annual International Cup. Grant Ganzi and Nic Roldan joined up with Jeff Hall and Juan Bollini for USA, taking on Argentina’s Santiago Cernadas, Pablo Spinacci, Horacio Heguy and Michel Dorignac. The Argentine born Bollini became a U.S. citizen several years ago. USA flexed its muscle in the first 14 minutes with Roldan, Hall and Ganzi each slamming in goals, while Argentina was held to a single tally from Dorignac. Heguy traded shots with Ganzi in the third, ending the half with USA on top, 4-2. After a halftime break, Dorignac split the uprights to bring Argentina within a goal, but Roldan answered with two while USA shut down any other
offensive drives by Argentina. Dorignac and Roldan traded tallies in the fifth, ending the chukker with USA leading, 7-4. Argentina tried everything to make up for the difference but with USA sporting the lead, all it had to do was shut down Argentina and it did. The teams finished out the sixth without a score, leaving USA on top. Roldan led the scoring with four goals and was named MVP. Santa Rita Polo Farm’s Belle and Delila, both played by the Argentine team, were honored as Best Playing Ponies. The day also honored the late Carlos Gracida, who died tragically following a polo accident in 2014. The Mexicanborn player picked up his first polo mallet at 5 years old and just 20 years later was a 10-goal player. One of the sport’s best horsemen, he won more tournaments than any other player, including every major tournament in the United States, England and Argentina. He won the U.S., British and Argentine Opens in the same year on three separate occasions, including 1994 when he won Argentina’s Triple Crown. In 1988, he won Most Valuable Player in the Argentine Open final after scoring 10 goals. It was the only time a foreigner won the honor. He was inducted into the Polo Hall of Fame in 2012. The annual Legends of Polo Carlos Gracida Memorial preceded the Inter-
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Arden’s Fine Jewelers’ Ava Hinkson, Paige Boone, Nick Johnson and Frankie Bilbao won a weekly 8-goal series at The Villages.
national Cup, with Gracida’s sons Carlitos and Mariano playing on opposite teams. Mariano played on the Aspen Valley team with Michael Bickford, Nick Manifold and Sugar Erskine, while Carlitos saddled up for Grand Champions, playing alongside Pablo Pulido, Brandon Phillips and Kris Kampsen in a four-chukker match. The match got started with Manifold trading goals with Phillips in the first chukker. Mariano “Nano” Gracida scored the next three tallies, including a Penalty 2, to put Aspen Valley ahead, 41. Pulido cut the difference to 4-2 at the half. Grand Champions focused on defense in the second half, successfully shutting down all of Aspen Valley’s drives in the third but was unable to get any closer. In the final period, Bickford found the mark. Carlitos Gracida converted a Penalty 2 but time ran out with Aspen Valley ahead, 5-3. Nano Gracida was MVP, while Michael Bickford’s Lolo was Best Playing Pony.
ARDEN’S TRIUMPHS IN THE VILLAGES 8 GOAL Arden’s Fine Jewelers came away the winner in a weekly 8-goal series at The Villages Polo Club in The Villages, Florida, Nov. 1. Four teams competed in the event over two days.
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The Villages Insurance’s Ava Hinkson, Paige Boone, Nick Johnson and Frankie Bilbao won their second 8 goal.
Arden’s (Ava Hinkson, Paige Boone, Nick Johnson, Francisco Bilbao) took on Galaxy Home Solutions (Miguel Lis Plannels, Roberto Narvaja, Horacio Lizaso, Francisco Llosa) in the final. Galaxy began with a two-goal handicap and Llosa added to it for a quick threegoal lead. Bilbao put Arden’s on the board a minute later. Johnson caught fire later in the chukker, scoring three goals in less than three minutes to give Arden’s the lead, 4-3. Llosa leveled the score early in the second, but Johnson and Bilboa struck to take back the lead, 6-4. Llosa and Johnson swapped goals in the third to end the half with Arden’s ahead, 7-5. Bilbao and McCabe sandwiched goals around one from Lizaso in the fourth, increasing Arden’s lead to three, 9-6. It was a difference Arden’s would maintain throughout the remainder of the game. Lizaso scored in each of the last three chukkers but each goal was matched by the opponents, giving Arden’s the 12-9 victory. Johnson led the scoring with six goals. In the consolation, UnitedHealthcare (Winship Rees, Lord Lyall, Charley Quincoces, Stuart Campbell) topped Citizen’s First Bank (Cameron Smart/Paul Wadsworth, Hunter Jelsch, Jack Kiely, Eden Ormerod), 12-10. Quincoces led the scoring with nine goals.
The Arden’s players switched into The Villages Insurance jerseys the following week but the result was the same. The Villages Insurance prevailed over Galaxy Home Solutions (Miguel Lis Planells, Chavelo Briones, Horacio Lisazo, Francisco Llosa) in the final. The Villages jumped right out in the first with Johnson scoring twice and Biblao following with one of his own. Lisazo put Galaxy on the board to end the first, 3-1. Johnson and Bilbao matched a pair of goals by Llosa in the second and goals from Llosa and Lisazo in the third, ending the half with The Villages ahead, 7-5. Bilbao turned up the heat scoring three times, including a pair of penalties, and passed to Boone for another tally, while holding Galaxy to two, increasing its lead, 11-7. Bilbao kept up the pressure with two goals in the fifth, but Galaxy rallied with a pair of goals from Lisazo and one from Briones. Bilbao struck again in the final period, but Galaxy shut the team down and began chipping away at the deficit. Lisazo scored two in a row and Llosa closed the gap to just one but with only four seconds left, the team ran out of time and The Villages hung on for the narrow 1413 win. Boone was named MVP and Lisazo’s Something Special was Best Playing Pony. In the consolation, UnitedHealth-
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Arden’s Lord Lyall, Paige Boone, Charly Quincoces and Nick Johnson won the last 8 goal of the season at The Villages Polo Club in Central Florida.
ed with a Penalty 4 conversion. Liv Berube found the uprights with the first field goal to level the score at 3-3 at the end of the second. Nate Berube and Bilbao tallied in the third to take a 5-3 lead at the half. Liv Berube hit the mark early in the fourth but Bilbao responded. Campbell scored to keep it close, 6-5. Bilbao increased the lead with back-to-back goals but Campbell scored again to cut the deficit. Campbell wasn’t done, shooting through three goals in the final period added to one from Liv Berube while Texas SBA was silenced. Fross & Fross’ first-time lead came when it mattered most, the last three minutes of the match, as it took the win, 10-8. Fross & Fross then faced Arden’s
Texas SBA’s Nate Berube puts in a valiant effort to stop Arden’s Nick Johnson, with Charly Quincoces closing in.
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care (Jason Cashin, Lupe Castro, Charly Quincoces, Stuart Campbell) edged Citizen’s First Bank (Ken Williams, Liv Berube, Tony Vita, Eden Ormerod), 9-7. The following week saw three teams competing for the Arden’s 8 goal. The teams played off over two days with the scores carrying over to the second day. In the first matchup, Texas SBA (Jamie Demericas/Ava Hinkson, Loren Butterworth, Nate Berube, Francisco Bilbao) faced Fross & Fross (Liv Berube, Winship Rees, Eden Ormerod, Stuart Campbell). Texas SBA started with a one-goal handicap, which Ormerod negated in less than a minute with a Penalty 4. Bilbao sunk a Penalty 3 to keep the slight edge. Ormerod converted a Penalty 2 early in the second, but Bilbao respond-
Galaxy’s Lauren Proctor-Brown, Monica Blazevic Miguel Lis-Planells, Irene Lis-Planells and Francisco Llosa
(Paige Boone, Lord Lyall, Charly Quincoces, Nick Johnson). Ormerod and Campbell swapped goals with Boone and Quincoces in the first and the teams were silent in the second. Quincoces and Johnson tallied in the third while Fross & Fross was unable to break Arden’s defense. Arden’s led 4-2 at the half. Fross & Fross mounted a comeback in the second half, shutting down Arden’s in the fourth while Rees found the goal, but Arden’s shot back in the fifth with Quincoces and Johnson combining for a trio of goals. Meanwhile, Fross & Fross was limited to a Penalty 3 conversion from Campbell for a 7-4 Arden’s lead. Liv Berube and Ormerod kept pace with Johnston in the final period, but the damage was done and Arden’s took the 9-6 win. Arden’s then faced Texas SBA. After giving Texas SBA a handicap goal, Arden’s wasted no time in getting ahead. Boone scored, then Quincoces and Johnson combined for five goals before Texas scored its first two field goals. Bilbao matched goals by Boone and Quincoces in the third, ending the half with Arden’s sporting an 8-5 advantage. Arden’s kept up the pressure in the second half, holding Texas scoreless in two of the three periods while tallying three times. Demericas and Berube hit
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Horsegate’s Shane Rice, Toto Collardin, Sloan Stefanakis and Lance Stefanakis won the 10-goal Houston Cup.
the mark in the fifth, but it wasn’t enough and Arden’s took the win. With wins in both of its matches, Arden’s settled at the top. Fross & Fross was runner-up while Texas SBA took third place. The same weekend, The Villages Insurance (Agatha Herrera, Cruz Bilbao, Mateo Bilbao, Francisco Bilbao) narrowly edged Fross & Fross (Tom Fross, Lupe Castro, Luis Castro, Chavelo Briones), 9½-9, in the Arden’s Fine Jewelers Family Feud final to close out the season. Frankie Bilbao used all of his players, feeding the ball to them to carry to goal. Mateo Bilbao struck first, adding to the team’s half-goal handicap. Luis Castro put Fross & Fross on the board and Fross followed with another. Mateo Bilbao closed out the chukker with his second goal. Cruz Bilbao and Herrera took over in the second, scoring two apiece while Fross & Fross was held to one from Lupe Castro. Cruz Bilbao scored a pair of goals in the third, which were matched by Fross & Fross’ Lupe Castro and Briones. Mateo Bilbao increased the gap three minutes into the fourth. Trailing 9½-5, Lupe and Luis Castro took control, hammering in four goals in three minutes to cut the difference to a half goal but time was not on their side and The Villages took the win. In the consolation, Galaxy Home
Marcy Taub presents Bill Fick Ford’s Vaughn Miller Jr., Jimmy Seward, KC Krueger and Mason Wroe the H. Ben Taub trophy.
Solutions (Irene Lis-Planells, Monica Blazevic, Miguel Lis-Planells, Francisco Llosa) edged United Healthcare (Sue Doyle, Jamie Demericas, Lauren Proctor-Brown, David Eldredge), 4-1½. SOUTHWEST
HORSEGATE CELEBRATES SEVERAL WINS IN TX The Houston Polo Club in Houston, Texas, held a full schedule despite starting out dodging inclement weather from numerous storms that hit the surrounding area. Four 10goal and three 6-goal events kept the players busy. The 10-goal tournaments got underway with the Houston Cup final on Sept. 20. Horsegate (Lance Stefanakis, Sloan Stefanakis, Toto Collardin, Shane Rice) met Kanthaka (Phillip Kampshoff, KC Krueger, Mason Wroe, Guille Usandizaga) in the final. With Tropical Storm Beta creeping up in the Gulf, the game was played at high noon. Usandizaga kicked off the scoring but Collardin answered. Wroe converted a Penalty 4 but Lance Stefanakis scored three in a row. Usandizaga and Wroe combined for three goals to take back the lead, 5-4, at the half.
There seems to have been some strategy changes during the halftime break, and it worked. Horsegate’s Collardin and Rice amassed three of their own while holding Kanthaka scoreless to take back the lead, 7-5. Stefanakis wrapped goals around one from Kampshof in the fifth and Rice swapped goals with Wroe to keep Horsegate on top, 107. Sloan Stefanakis increased the lead early in the sixth. Usandizaga responded but Collardin found the mark. KC Krueger’s Penalty 2 brought Kanthaka closer as time was winding down. Usandizaga got in one more goal before time expired with Horsegate on top, 12-10. Lance Stefanakis was MVP and Rice’s Furiosa was Best Playing Pony. Bill Fick Ford (KC Krueger, Vaughn Miller Jr., Mason Wroe, Jimmy Seward) downed Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Lance Stefanakis, Toto Collardin, Nacho Badiola), 9-4, in the 10-goal H. Ben Taub final, Oct. 9. Collardin scored the first goal, countering a one-goal handicap given to Bill Fick Ford. Wroe handled a Penalty 4 but Badiola responded. Miller got the last word, ending the chukker with Ford out front, 32. Collardin scored a lone goal in the second to level the score, 3-3. The third chukker was limited to a Penalty 4 from Wroe, ending the half with Ford narrowly ahead, 4-3. Seward and Badiola traded goals in
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BTA 2’s Chrys Beal, KC Krueger, Juan Martin Obregon and Mason Wroe won the 10-goal Keleen & Carlton Beal Cup.
the fourth, but then Tonkawa was shut down. Meanwhile Wroe and Miller tallied in the fifth to take a 7-4 lead. The team widened the gap in the sixth with goals by Krueger and Seward to win 9-4. Vaughn Miller Jr. was MVP and Jeff Hall’s Sevillana was Best Playing Pony. Two weeks later, on Oct. 23, BTA 2 (Chrys Beal, KC Krueger, Mason Wroe, Juan Martin Obregon) edged BTA 1/Tonkawa (Jeff Hildebrand, Steve Krueger, Nacho Badiola, Kelly Beal) in the 10-goal Beal Cup final. It was a family affair with three members of the Beal family and two married couples going head-to-head. BTA 1/Tonkawa began with a onegoal handicap, which was quickly negated by a goal from Obregon. The second chukker saw Hildebrand and Badiola score to take the lead. Wroe split the uprights with a Penalty 4, but Kelly Beal responded. The third chukker was a repeat of the second, except this time it was BTA counting a trio of goals—two from Wroe and one from Obregon— while BTA 1/Tonkawa was held to a single Penalty 2 conversion from Hildebrand to level the score at 5-5 at the half. BTA 2 took advantage of the halftime break, coming back strong in the fourth, while holding BTA 1/Tonkawa scoreless. Obregon found the target with back-to-back strikes and KC
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Horsegate’s Lance Stefanakis, Sloan Stefanakis, Toto Collardin and Shane Rice won the 10-goal Texas Open.
Krueger added another to take an 8-5 lead. They kept the momentum in the fifth, with Wroe sandwiching goals around a BTA 1/Tonkawa Penalty 1. Steve Krueger found the goal early in the sixth but Wroe answered with one of his own. Steve Krueger sunk a Penalty 4 and Hildebrand followed by converting a Penalty 2. Down by two, Steve Krueger struck again but the team ran out of time and BTA 2 took the trophies. Mason Wroe was MVP and Juan Martin Obregon’s Ladilla was Best Playing Pony. In the last 10-goal of the season, Horsegate again took home the trophies after winning the Texas Open. Defending champion Tonkawa (Paul Hobby, Vaughn Miller Jr., Nacho Badiola, Mason Wroe) was being challenged by Horsegate (Lance Stefanakis, Sloan Stefanakis, Shane Rice, Toto Collardin) in the final. Horsegate came to the field prepared and ready to go, as it jumped ahead 3-0 after the first chukker. Tonkawa’s 5-goal Nacho Badiola put the first two goals on the board, converting two open-goal penalties, only to be answered by Horsegate’s Shane Rice, converting a 60-yard penalty shot to maintain his team’s 4-2 lead going into the third chukker. Tonkawa teammates Mason Wroe and Badiola wouldn't give up, as they came within Horsegate’s 1-
goal lead in the middle of the third chukker, but Horsegate managed to sneak two more goals through the posts to end the first half with a 7-4 lead. Spectators enjoyed their halftime divot stomp, talking with friends and taking advantage of the beautiful weather. Nothing like November in Houston! As they finished putting the field back into good condition, spectators were able to grab their complimentary champagne on their way back to their seats. The teams were ready to go for the second half, as Badiola scored his fourth goal of the day, trying to catch the Horsegate lead. But unfortunately for Tonkawa, the MVP of the game, Toto Collardin, kept his offensive push as he answered Badiola with a goal of his own, maintaining Horsegate’s threegoal lead going into the fifth chukker. Rice extended Horsegate’s lead to four, but Badiola and Wroe would not give up as they put one goal in a piece to stay in the game going into the sixth and final chukker. Lance Stefanakis and Collardin did not break under pressure as they scored a goal each to take back their four-goal lead. Tonakwa’s Badiola was able sneak one last goal in before time expired, giving Horsegate the 11-8 victory and earning the winning spurs of the Texas Open! Toto Collardin was MVP and Mason Wroe’s Rihanna was Best Playing Pony.
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Horsegate’s Grace Parker (subbing for Nick Stefanakis), Lance Stefanakis, Toto Collardin and Anson Moore won the Penny Cup.
KAYLEE WROE
In 6-goal action, Horsegate (Grace Parker, Lance Stefanakis, Toto Collardin, Anson Moore) edged Pegasus/Propoganda (Paul Hobby, David Andras, TJ Elordi, Mason Wroe), 7½-6, in the Penny Cup final on Oct. 1. Pegasus shot out of the gate in the first chukker with Hobby slamming in a pair of goals, Andres sunk a Penalty 4 and Elordi split the uprights, easily countering the half-goal handicap given to Horsegate. Collardin struck for Horsegate to get it in the game. Wroe pounded in a pair of goals in the second but they were matched by a Penalty 2 from Moore and a field goal from Collardin, ending the half with Pegasus/Propaganda, ahead, 6-3½. Horsegate owned the second half, keeping Pegasus from reaching the goal while Moore and Collardin found the target in the third to bring the team within a half goal, then finished it off with goals in the fourth, including a Penalty 1, to take the lead and the win. Mason Wroe was MVP and Collardin’s Vengala was Best Playing Pony. Two weeks later, two different teams clashed in the final of the Delegates Cup. Three players under 20 years old played. Sullivan Group/Vintage 2 (Joe Bob Lequerica, Joanie Jackson, Nick
Rockstars/Vintage’s MVP Shane Rice, Jimmy Seward, Lily Lequerica and Roxy Mounter won the USPA Delegates Cup.
Brown Bears/BPC’s Grace Mudra, Chino Payan, Martin Munoz and Ignacio Saenz won the USPA Master’s Cup.
Cifuni, Cody Ellis) took on Rockstars/Vintage (Roxy Mounter, Lily Lequerica, Jimmy Seward, Shane Rice). Neither team could find the goal in the first seven minutes. Rice got the scoring started in the second, wrapping field goals around a Penalty 1 for a 3-0 advantage after two chukkers. Sullivan Group rallied in the second half, with Ellis scoring twice and Jackson converting a Penalty 3. Seward scored for Rockstars to keep it on top, 43. The final chukker was a battle. Ellis tied the score with a Penalty 2 but a Penalty 1 for Rockstars gave it the lead. Rice scored an insurance goal to give Rockstars/Vintage the 6-4 win. In the consolation Red Oak Cup,
Rover’s Romphouse (Debbie Shelton, Tiamo Hudspeth, Robert Orthwein, Tom Crea edged BCI/Kanthaka, 5½-5. Rockstars/Vintage also made it to the final of the Masters Cup, but this time it faced Brown Bears/BPC (Grace Mudra, Chino Payan, Martin Munoz, Ignacio Saenz). The teams matched each other in the first half with Payan scoring for Brown Bears, only to be matched by Seward for Rockstars. Payan scored again in the second, but Rice had the answer. The first half ended, 2-2. Brown Bears doubled up Rockstars in the third, with Munoz and Saenz tallying while Rockstars were silenced. Rice brought Rockstars within one early in the sixth but Munoz responded. Mounter sunk a Penalty 3 to get closer but the team ran out of time and Brown Bears/BPC had the 5-4 win. Shane Rice was named MVP and Cody Ellis’ Gato, a 6-year-old gelding, was Best Playing Pony. “This is his first season of tournament polo and he has given everything I asked of him. I can’t wait to see what his future has in store,” said Ellis. Sullivan Group/Vintage Polo 2 (Cody Ellis, Nick Cifuni, Joanie Jackson, Isabel Artzer) won the subsidiary. •
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 61
CALENDAR
January-February JA N UA RY 1 - 10 Coachella Cup (8) Empire, Indio, CA
J A N U A R Y 17 - 3 0 Constitution Cup (6) Hobe Sound, Hobe Sound, FL
F E B R U A R Y 11 - 2 7 Mahogany Cup (18) Port Mayaca, Okeechobee, FL
JA N UA RY 2 - 10 Stagecoach Challenge (4) Empire, Indio, CA
J A N U A R Y 19 - 31 Stirling Cup (20) Grand Champions, Wellington, FL
F E B R U A R Y 1 2 - 14 Texas Arena League Two Wishes, Lockhart, TX
JA N UA RY 2 0 - F E B RUA RY 7 Ylvisaker Cup (18) International, Wellington, FL
F E B R U A R Y 1 2 - 21 USPA Gen. Patton Jr. Tournament (4,8) Empire, Indio, CA
Mack & Madelyn Jason Memorial (8) World Gym Tournament (4) Eldorado, Indio, CA J A N U A R Y 2 - 16 George S. Patton Cup (4) Hobe Sound, Hobe Sound, FL J A N U A R Y 3 - 17 Joe Barry Cup (18) International, Wellington, FL JA N UA RY 6 - 9 Beetlejuice Cup (2) Sunset, Loxahatchee, FL JA N UA RY 6 - F E B RUA RY 1 Wanderers Club Cup (4) International, Wellington, FL
JA N UA RY 2 6 - F E B RUA RY 13 Limited Edition 12 Goal Series The Metropolitan Cup (6) Grand Champions, Wellington, FL J A N U A R Y 2 9 - 31 Arena Admiral Chester Nimitz Legends, Kaufman, TX JA N UA RY 2 9 - F E B RUA RY 7 Carlton & Keleen Beal Cup (4, 8, 12) Eldorado, Indio, CA USPA Presidents Cup (8) Empire, Indio, CA
J A N U A R Y 8 - 17 Arena Women’s Challenge (6) Boston, Georgetown, MA
JA N UA RY 3 0 - F E B RUA RY 7 USPA National Amateur Cup (4) Empire, Indio, CA
JA N UA RY 12 - 2 4 S. Orthwein Memorial Family Cup (6) Port Mayaca, Okeechobee, FL
F E B R U A R Y 3 - 17 Congressional Cup (6) Hobe Sound, Hobe Sound, FL
JA N UA RY 12 - F E B RUA RY 2 Gold Coast Feed Challenge (6) International, Wellington, FL
F E B RUA RY 3 - 2 9 The Winter Equestrian Cup (4) International, Wellington, FL
J A N U A R Y 1 3 - 17 Arena Challenge Cup (4) Boston, Georgetown, MA
F E B RUA RY 4 - 27 The Woodcock (8) USPA Heritage Cup (14) Port Mayaca, Okeechobee, FL
J A N U A R Y 14 - 31 Palmetto Challenge (14) Port Mayaca, Okeechobee, FL JA N UA RY 15 - 2 4 USPA Sportsmanship Cup (4, 8) Empire, Indio, CA J A N U A R Y 1 5 - 31 Aspen Valley Cup (8) Grand Champions, Wellington, FL J A N U A R Y 16 - 2 4 Coachella Valley Officers Cup (4, 8) Eldorado, Indio, CA
62 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
F E B RUA RY 6 - M A RC H 1 Horse Scout Challenge (8) International, Wellington, FLI F E B RUA RY 10 - 13 Sunset Polo Classic (2) Sunset, Loxahatchee, FL F E B R U A R Y 1 0 - 14 2020 USPA Gold Cup (22) International, Wellington, FL F E B R U A R Y 1 0 - 21 Iglehart Cup (18) International, Wellington, FL
Fish Creek Constitution Cup (4, 8, 12) Eldorado, Indio, CA F E B R U A R Y 1 3 - 14 NYTS Empire, Indio, CA F E B R U A R Y 16 - M A R C H 6 The Grand Champions Cup (16) The Top Pony 8 Goal Halo Polo Trophy (6) Sieber Memorial Trophy (12) Grand Champions, Wellington, FL F E B R U A R Y 17 - 2 0 Ladies Tournament Hobe Sound, Hobe Sound, FL F E B R U A R Y 17 - M A R C H 7 C.V. Whitney Cup (22) International, Wellington, FL F E B RUA RY 18 - M A RC H 7 The Founders Cup WPL, Wellington, FL F E B R U A R Y 19 - M A R C H 5 Governors Cup (6) Hobe Sound, Hobe Sound, FL F E B RUA RY 2 6 - 2 8 Texas Arena League Two Wishes, Lockhart, TX F E B RUA RY 2 6 - M A RC H 7 USPA Congressional Cup (4, 8) Empire, Indio, CA USPA Spreckels Cup (2, 8, 12) Eldorado, Indio, CA
Note: All dates are subject to change. “USPA” refers to tournaments sponsored or sanctioned by the United States Polo Association.
(continued from page 11) “Emily [Dewey, I/I tournament manager] called me while I was in class and gave me the bittersweet news,” Bennett said. “I called Louisa [Huber] and Avery [Evans] immediately and we were elated to hear that we made it, and so many people saw the hard work we put in and dedication to this past year and season.” Intending to bring their horses to nationals after how well they performed at regionals, the UK team returned to campus for the 2020-2021 school year with the announcement of the NIC cancellation in August. Fortunately for this team made up of two juniors, one sophomore and three new freshmen, they will have an opportunity to qualify once more. “We are looking forward to all the time we have left to play with each other and really maximizing our time to improve on the skills we each excel at,” Bennett said. Reserved for only the most competitive teams, the wildcard has given promising teams a second chance to compete against the best in the country for the championship title. Qualifying on a wildcard its first year and coming back to decisively win the 2020 regional final against SMU, the men’s University of North Texas polo team has the advantage of experience and family. Practicing at his own Prestonwood Polo Club (Oak Point, Texas), Vaughn Miller Sr. coaches his two sons Vance and Vaughn Miller Jr., along with Andrew Scott and D’Angelo Lopez, a team with a history of success in interscholastic polo. “I started to play polo at 13 years old and I played all four years of high school,” Scott said. “I met the Millers at the 2016 Open National Interscholastic Championships and that’s the year they won their first title.” Coming off another win in the 2018 ONIS, Vance Miller joined the UNT team ready to carry forward the momentum with competitive zeal. Integrating himself into the dynamic already established between the brothers, Scott worked to play his role in support of the team captain. “As the No. 2 I always try to get the ball to Vaughn because when the ball is on the end of his mallet he is going to work magic with it,” Scott said. Putting considerable time and hard work into practice, the UNT team made a lot of improvement with both Millers receiving all-star recognition after the regional final. Disappointed about not getting to compete at nationals but looking forward to the future, Scott is especially anticipating the return to
KALIE ROOS
U S PA B U L L E T I N
play and reuniting with fellow players from different universities. “I know quite a few intercollegiate players from interscholastics, like the Klentners’ at SMU,” Scott said. “Intercollegiate tournaments bring us all together and you get to see a lot of the same people in different places you travel.” Experiencing countless hours of practice, disappointing losses and celebratory moments together all while balancing coursework and social life, the men and women of I/I share a bond which transcends their campuses and extends out into the greater I/I alumni community. A common thread regardless of which team a player belongs to is the sense of family and the appreciation for what I/I has brought into their lives, existing well-beyond the four years of college. “We all get along in the I/I program and it’s a big family,” Scott remarked. “It teaches you about sportsmanship and what you might need to focus on personally in your free time and during the off season to get yourself to the next level.” Bringing together people that may never have met otherwise, I/I polo has sparked a lot of friendships and even served to introduce many new people to the sport, both on campus and in the surrounding community. Although the 2020 NIC was not played, I/I student athletes already know the benefit of perseverance and will continue to push themselves and their teams to reach new heights in the time that remains. “I think the most important thing is to enjoy your time playing I/I polo because it goes really fast,” Agee commented. “The biggest thing I’ve taken from the program is making connections and developing great relationships, so we should remember to appreciate every moment and the time we have with our teammates.” •
UNT’s Andrew Scott plays the No. 2 position.
POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 63
Y E S T E RY E A R S
Game of games What other sports owe to polo By Spaldings Athletic Library Polo Guide, 1923
While 40,000 Americans vented their joy and woe vociferously at the Polo Grounds, observing the changing fortunes of the Giants and the Yankees, 15,000 citizens a few miles away were not less intently observing an international contest of the even more exciting game out of which baseball derived. To many Americans, baseball seems to be the oldest living inhabitant and polo the swank intruder, the exotic importation of its rich patrons. They forget that polo is the progenitor of all games played with a bat and ball, and that the young heroes who disport themselves in the world series are but continuing one variety of play which existed as much as 2,000 years ago on the plains of Persia. Polo, the recreation of Persian horsemen of the days of Julius Caesar, the sport of Indian gentlemen of the time of Charlemagne, the game of the Chinese before Alfred the Great gave rise to the English pancake legend, is still much the same. Baseball, golf, tennis, squash, the humble shinny of the boys, hockey, lacrosse, perhaps even basketball, are the offspring of this original invention, or at least such are the probabilities of history. Who first contrived polo is uncertain, but it is known that before the Christian era, in the higher civilizations of Asia men raced their horses about an oval plot of ground, chasing a small ball toward a baffling goal. It might have been supposed that pedestrians would have invented the sport before cavaliers took it to themselves, but this seems not to have been true. The man on horseback was the originator. Perhaps it was because in the olden time in Persia only the rich and the great were permitted the luxury of play. If that be so, the modification of polo to meet the requirements of men with lean purses is a part of the democratization of sport. At any event, it is true that millions participate in baseball, tennis, golf and hockey, while those who practice polo can be numbered by dozens or, at most, hundreds. But the thrill remains unabated. In recent years race horses have gained speed and broken old records. Men can run faster and jump higher than ever before. Team play in many sports has been developed marvelously. Athletic records exist only soon to be broken by oncoming generations, and yet in its fashion, polo remains supreme. Nowhere else is the strength and swiftness and intelligence of finely bred horses so perfectly blended with man’s deftness and courage. No other game has the dash and brilliance. It is football and horse racing and golf combined into a very acme of sport. But it is for the few. Now, as in other ages, only the highly privileged may play. A veritable fortune is required to maintain the ponies necessary, while the maintenance of the field calls for a king’s ransom. Nevertheless, a democratic age should foster this game, at once so superbly interesting in itself and so rich in its suggestion of the historic beginnings of man’s effort to be happy. • 64 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
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