September 2021 Polo Players' Edition

SEPTEMBER 2021

Klentner clinches USPA Silver Cup

$5.00 US/$5.50 Canada

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7 goal players to play 14 and 20 goal polo in the second half of October 2021 and March 2022 for 2-3 weeks.

Professional fees can be discussed individually.

ONE

4 goal polo professional is to be in Delhi, India, starting the first week of September 2021 to end March 2022.

Remuneration can be discussed individually.

Job includes training of young horses for polo, riding, and playing tournaments from 6 to 14 goal.

Return fare, boarding and lodging, and local transportation will be provided.

2022 1/1 Tournament Season

OCTOBER 6 Intent to Compete Deadline & Coaches' Requirements Entry Fee Due: December 1 All teams must submit the Intent to Compete form by October 6, 2021 to be eligible to compete.

For more information, please visit the 1/1 pages on the USPA website, or email Amy Fraser at afraser@uspolo.org.

CONTENTS

P L AY E R S’ E D I T I O N

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 21

VOL. 25,

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

28 Silver Stars by Gwen Rizzo

6

Klentner Ranch captures historic title

NO. 1

Association News USPA Bulletin COO/In-house counsel

34 Pro Plan Photos by Alice Gipps

14 Instructors Forum

Thai Polo takes two of three 22-goal events

By Pedro Marcos Bignoli

16 Ask an Umpire 18 Equine Athlete

By Heather Smith Thomas SEPTEMBER 2021

20 Polo Scene News, notes, trends & quotes

24 Polo Development 26 Intercollegiate/Interscholastic 40 Polo in the Pampas

OUR COVER Klentner clinches USPA Silver Cup

Santi Toccalino led Klentner Ranch with seven goals in the Silver Cup final Photo by Shelley Heatley

by Lucas Noel

58 Yesteryears 62 Calendar 42 Polo Report 10X Triumphs in Women’s Series Event

$5.00 US/$5.50 Canada

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

OP OR COMP CLINTON, SC

Jeep DODGE//

A.AIVI

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

Contributing Editors

HEATHER SMITH THOMAS, ALICE GIPPS, LUCAS NOEL, C. MAYBE ORTIZ, SARAH EAKIN

Editorial Board

ROBIN SANCHEZ, TONY COPPOLA, TOM BIDDLE, DAWN WEBER, AMI SHINITZKY

Art Director DAVID BEVERAGE Prepress WALSWORTH Advertising & Editorial Offices USPA Member Subscription Inquiries (800) 232-8772 OR FAX (888) 341-7410 ldolan@uspolo.org

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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.

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VOL. 25, No.1 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).

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4 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

�

BENTLEY SCOTTSDALE

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-STALKING STICK RESORT.

U S PA B U L L E T I N

Are You NOCSAE Compliant?

As of May 1, USPA members must wear NOCSAEcompliant helmets in all actual outdoor and arena polo games at USPA member clubs, not just USPA events.

The USPA Rules Committee has learned some USPA members and some USPA member clubs mistakenly believe that NOCSAE-compliant helmets need only be worn in USPA events. That is a misconception. NOCSAE-compliant helmets must be worn in all actual outdoor and arena polo games (not including practice games) at USPA member clubs, not just USPA events and not just games umpired by USPA professional umpires, but all actual games.

These rules apply to you unless you qualify for one of the existing variances and you have signed the applicable USPA waiver and acknowledgment.

USPA Outdoor Rule 4a and USPA Arena Rule3a(2) each state, “[n]o player may participate in any USPA Event or Club Event in anything other than a proper uniform, including a protective helmet with a chin strap, which must be worn in the appropriate manner specified by the manufacturer of the helmet. ... Effective May 1, 2021, the protective helmet required by this rule for players must be certified to meet the NOCSAE ND050 Standard Performance Specification for Newly Manufactured Polo Helmets.”

The terms “USPA Event” and “Club Event” are each defined in Part I of the USPA Tournament Conditions, and these definitions make clear that every actual polo game is either a club event or a USPA event. The USPA Rules and Tournament Conditions apply to all USPA members and at all USPA member clubs. And both USPA Outdoor Rule 11b and USPA Arena Rule 1d state, “no USPA Member Club or Host Tournament Committee may adopt any variance” from the rules requiring NOCSAE-compliant helmets.

USPA members and USPA member clubs each agree annually to comply with all USPA rules and policies. Thus, if you are a USPA member, you must wear a NOCSAE-compliant helmet in all actual polo games, both outdoor and arena. And if you run a USPA member club, you must require your players to wear NOCSAE-compliant helmets in all actual polo games, both outdoor and arena.

As of Oct. 1, there will be only three USPAapproved variances from the NOCSAE-compliant helmet rules.

Casablanca and Charles Owen have assured the USPA that all existing orders for NOCSAE6 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

compliant helmets will be filled by Oct. 1. For that reason, the USPA Executive Committee has decided to terminate all existing variances from USPA Outdoor Rule 4.a and USPA Arena Rule 3.a(2)—the NOCSAE-compliant helmet rules, which took effect on May 1—except for the three variances set out below, which are now in effect and will remain in effect: First, any new member who joined the USPA for the first time on or after May 1, or who rejoined the USPA on or after that date following an absence of at least two years, and who does not possess a NOCSAE-compliant helmet, may nevertheless participate in a USPA event or club event using a protective helmet that is not a NOCSAE-compliant helmet, if he or she provides definitive proof that on a date within 30 days of joining or re-joining the USPA but no more than six months previously, he or she ordered a NOCSAE-compliant helmet, which has not yet been delivered, provided that each such affected USPA member first executes in writing (a) a waiver of liability in favor of the USPA and its member clubs for any claims that might arise from the use of a helmet that is not a NOCSAE-compliant helmet, and (b) an acknowledgment that this variance will expire as to him or her when the NOCSAE-compliant helmet he or she has ordered is delivered.

Second, any USPA member who can demonstrate that he or she does in fact possess a NOCSAEcompliant helmet that has been damaged, and who provides definitive proof that he or she has ordered another NOCSAE-compliant helmet no more than six months previously, which has not yet been delivered, may nevertheless participate in a USPA event or club event using a protective helmet that is not a NOCSAE-compliant helmet, provided that each such affected USPA member first executes in writing (a) a waiver of liability in favor of the USPA and its member clubs for any claims that might arise from the use of a helmet that is not a NOCSAE-compliant helmet, and (b) an acknowledgment that the variance will expire as to him or her when the NOCSAE-compliant helmet he or she has ordered is delivered.

(Note: this variance can be applied when a NOCSAE-compliant helmet is damaged during a game to allow the USPA member to finish the game in a non-compliant helmet, provided that each such affected USPA member (1) agrees to promptly provide after the game proof of purchase for a new NOCSAE-compliant helmet, and (2) executes in writing (a) a waiver of liability in favor of the USPA

DAVID MURRELL

U S PA B U L L E T I N

and its member clubs for any claims that might arise from the use of a helmet that is not a NOCSAE-compliant helmet, and (b) an acknowledgment that the variance will expire as to him or her when the NOCSAE-compliant helmet he or she is ordering has been delivered.)

Third, any USPA member who is age 13 years old or younger and whose head is not large enough to use a currently commercially available NOCSAEcompliant helmet may nevertheless participate in a USPA event or club event using a protective helmet that is not a NOCSAE Compliant Helmet, provided that (1) this proposed variance will expire when two NOCSAE-compliant helmets are commercially available in a smaller size that fits the affected USPA member; (2) that each such affected USPA member’s parent or guardian first executes in writing (a) a waiver of liability and (b) an acknowledgment that the variance for their child or ward will expire when two NOCSAE-compliant helmets are commercially available in a size that fits the affected USPA member and the child or

ward is able to take delivery of one such promptlypurchased NOCSAE-compliant helmet; (3) the noncompliant helmet is always worn with a chin strap and in the appropriate manner specified by the helmet manufacturer; and (4) the affected USPA member uses appropriate eye protection (i.e., a face mask or safety goggles).

If you have any questions about how the NOCSAE-compliant helmet rules apply to you or your club, or about how any existing variances may apply to you, please contact USPA Membership and Handicap Director Lindsay Dolan for clarification.

Remember, NOCSAE-compliant helmets must be worn in all actual outdoor and arena polo games (not including practice games) at USPA member clubs, not just USPA events and not just games umpired by USPA professional umpires. All actual games.

NOSCAE compliant helmets have a NOCSAE logo indicating it is SEI certified.

Newest Global Ambassador U.S. Polo Assn., the official brand for the USPA, welcomes American polo player Matt Coppola as the POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 7

DAVID LOMINSKA/POLOGRAPHICS.COM

U S PA B U L L E T I N

Matt Coppola is U.S. Polo Assn.’s newest global ambassador.

brand’s newest global ambassador. Coppola, now 26, has been playing professionally since he was 14 years old and played in the 2011 U.S. Open Polo Championship semifinals at the age of 16. Today, he is one of the highest-handicapped American players.

The scope of Coppola’s year-long role as global brand ambassador is designed to shine the spotlight

8 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

on the dynamic crop of young and talented polo players. Coppola will be outfitted in U.S. Polo Assn. apparel and gear both on and off the field.

“U.S. Polo Assn. is proud to welcome professional polo player Matt Coppola to our outstanding roster of global brand ambassadors for 2021,” said J. Michael Prince, president and CEO of USPA Global Licensing. “Coppola is an exceptional polo player who has come up the ranks quickly in the U.S. He is an excellent representation of what our brand is all about—sport-inspired, youthful, vibrant and fun.”

Born and raised in Wellington, Florida, by show jumper Jesse Coppola and professional polo player Tony Coppola, he developed a love for horses at a young age. Coppola travels the United States and Argentina to play professional polo throughout the year and works with his father to help give racehorses a second career in polo. Coppola is also a graduating member of Team USPA, a prominent program developed and managed by the USPA to develop young American polo players for the highest levels of competition.

“I could not be more excited to represent U.S. Polo Assn., with whom I have worked over the years through the brand’s sponsorship of the Gauntlet of Polo,” said Coppola. “As a professional polo player, it’s meaningful for me to represent a brand that’s authentically connected to polo and gives back to the sport and its players.”

Coppola has competed in the 2019, 2020 and 2021 Gauntlet of Polo competitions in Wellington and has triumphed in many of these prestigious tournaments. With a shooting accuracy of more than 70 percent, Coppola, playing for Las Monjitas, ranked second out of all the players in the 2019 Gauntlet of Polo and first for shooting accuracy in the U.S. Open Polo Championship. In 2021, he played in the Gauntlet of Polo with Park Place, alongside Andrey Borodin, Hilario Ulloa and Juan Britos, winning the prestigious C.V. Whitney Cup and making the final of the U.S. Open Polo Championship.

To learn more about Coppola and to see him play in these exciting events, visit globalpolo.com.

High School Sports Polo Awards The winners in girls and boys polo were named honorees for the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards national show, presented by U.S. Polo Assn.

With 103 High School Sports Awards programs in the books, 24 honorees were chosen for the 2021 national USA TODAY High School Sports Awards.

U S PA B U L L E T I N

Boys Polo

Girls Polo

Piers Bossom—Will Rogers Polo Club (Pacific Palisades, California)

Hope Arellano—Indian Mound Polo Club (Wellington, Florida)

Landen Eckbo Daniels—Myopia Polo Club (South Hamilton, Massachusetts)

Gracie Brown—Bluewater Creek Polo Club (Rogersville, Alabama)

Lucas Escobar—Santa Clara Polo Club (Wellington, Florida)

Sunny Diller—Maui Polo Club (Makawao, Hawaii)

Maximo Font—Barrington Hills Polo Club (Wacounda, Illinois)

Ariadne Dogani—Boston Polo Club (Georgetown, Massachusetts)

Riley Jordan—Fair Hills Polo & Hunt Club (Topanaga, California)

Sophie Grant—Maryland Polo Club (Jarrettsville, Maryland)

Ryan Kerley—Eldorado Polo Club (Indio, California)

Summer Kneece—Aiken Polo Club (Aiken, South Carolina)

Aiden Meeker—Crestview Polo Club (Aiken, South Carolina)

Reagan Leitner—Aiken Polo Club (Aiken, South Carolina)

Winston Painter—Gardnertown Polo Club (Newburgh, New York)

Robyn Leitner—Aiken Polo Club (Aiken, South Carolina)

Lance Stefanakis—Houston Polo Club (Houston, Texas)

Lillian Lequerica—Houston Polo Club (Houston, Texas)

Vlad Tarashansky—Meadowbrook Polo Club (Old Westbury, New York)

Maya Miller—Maui Polo Club (Makawao, Hawaii)

Mackenzie Weisz—Southampton Polo Club (Water Mill, New York)

Lindsey Morris—Garrison Forest School Polo Club (Owings Mills, Maryland)

Jack Whitman—Port Mayaca Polo Club (Okeechobee, Florida)

Bridget Price—Pecan Acres Polo Club LLC (Simonton, Texas)

Girls and boys polo was included with winners in 26 other sports that were featured in the first USA TODAY High School Sports Awards national show on Aug. 5.

The competitors listed above were nominated for the National Athlete of the Year in girls polo and boys polo. Several awards span across all sports and classifications, including awards for the Team of the

Year, Coach of the Year, and finally, the Male and Female Athletes of the Year.

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 Operating Officer: Chris Green

POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 9

LARRY JOHNSON

U S PA B U L L E T I N

I/I teams are eligible for up to $2,000 reimbursement through the I/I fundraising program.

I/I Season Kicks Off Sept. 1 I/I teams, keep an eye out for start-of-the-season information! You will be receiving emails on requirements and dates in the coming weeks. All information will also be posted on the I/I page at uspolo.org.

Middle School Tournaments Do you have a group of youth players in 5-8th grade? If so, sign up now to host a middle school tournament at your club any time throughout the year.

Contact Emily Dewey at edewey@uspolo.org for more information.

Players interested in participating in a Middle School League tournament, go to uspolo.org to find a tournament near you.

Interscholastic Funding Intercollegiate teams may apply for up to $2,000 in tack and equipment through the I/I Funding Pro10 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

gram. For funding guidelines and to apply, visit the I/I pages on uspolo.org. Deadline to apply: Oct. 1 All intercollegiate and interscholastic teams may apply for up to $2,000 in fundraising reimbursement.

The new updated program offers a two-tier approach as well as staff and committee support. To learn more about the program and to apply, visit the I/I pages on uspolo.org. Deadline: rolling If you have any questions about the fundraising programs, please contact Ali Davidge at adavidge@uspolo.org.

I/I Clinics The I/I clinic program is now open for I/I teams to apply for reimbursable funds up to $1,500 to host a clinic this fall. To learn more about the program please contact Amy Fraser at afraser@uspolo.org.

U S PA B U L L E T I N

Chris Green Chief Operating Officer/In-house Counsel

Instrumental in writing and implementing rules, which effect polo at all levels, Chris Green has spent the last six years behind the scenes learning the inner workings of the association before stepping into the role of chief operating officer/in-house counsel on July 1. A member of the USPA for over 40 years, Green was first introduced to the game in his 20s in Kentucky and now plays both outdoor polo at Giant Valley Polo Club (Hamden, Connecticut) and arena at Gardnertown Polo Club (Newburgh, New York). Mentoring, umpiring and helping to mount Gardnertown’s interscholastic and middle school players, the governor-at-large has actively shaped the future of polo, volunteering his time and expertise on several USPA committees over the years.

Born in Lexington, Kentucky, Green grew up in the horse racing industry, briefly attending Princeton University before coming home to breed and train Thoroughbreds for the racetrack. Returning to college after deciding to make a career change, the poetry enthusiast and avid reader studied English at the University of Kentucky and went on to earn a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. Taking a hiatus from polo to focus on law school and starting a new career as a litigator, Green and his family moved to the Hudson Valley in New York where he has been a partner in the international law firm Boies, Schiller Flexner LLP since 2003.

Thoughtful with his responses and possessing a quiet charm, Green’s genuine love for polo is felt from the first conversation with him. Bringing a solid understanding of the rules as chairman of the Rules/Rules Interpretation Committee and a wealth of knowledge in sports law, Green is looking forward to helping the association draw more players to the game by creating the best experience possible for its existing members.

What attracted you to the role of COO/ in-house counsel?

I’ve always loved playing polo and being around the game because I love horses. I grew up around racehorses and I’ve always had a really deep

BOIES SCHILLER FLEXNER LLP

by United States Polo Association

Chief Operating Officer/In-house Counsel Chris Green

connection with them. I started volunteering for the USPA in 2015 as a member of the Rules Committee and became chairman of that committee in 2018, a role I’ve really enjoyed. Then in 2019, I was asked to run for governor-at-large and over the course of the last few years, I’ve become more involved in the USPA’s governance as a member of the Arena and High Goal Committees and a regular guest at the Executive Committee’s monthly meetings. When the opportunity arose to apply for the COO position, I was excited about it because at this point in my life the idea of getting out of the office into the fresh air and being involved more directly in something that I enjoy so much, with people I enjoy so much, is very appealing to me.

What qualities or experiences from your past make you most suited for this position?

First and foremost, I know horses and understand the game of polo. Through the Rules Committee I’ve had the privilege of working on rules, which impact polo at all levels. Second, I have worked within the USPA long enough to understand how it operates POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 11

U S PA B U L L E T I N

CLD PHOTOGRAPHY

people and groups all approach problems from different perspectives. I think my training as a lawyer will help me to deal with that effectively and try to build consensus, which is the hallmark of Chairman Armstrong’s leadership approach. When practicing law, you frequently are dealing with someone who’s dissatisfied about something, whether it’s your client or their adversary, and you have to try to understand that dissatisfaction and come up with a method of solving the underlying problem.

As in-house counsel, I can keep a finger on the pulse of various legal issues the association encounters and work with outside lawyers to deal with those issues in an efficient and potentially less-costly way. I’ve practiced sports law for clients such as the NFL and NASCAR, and I’ve tried cases about equine issues before federal juries, so I feel pretty well positioned to add value in that role. My 25 years of experience practicing law will not only help me as in-house counsel, but it should also enable me to be a more effective ambassador for the sport.

Chris Green is proud to call Gardnertown and Giant Valley his home clubs.

and how it is structured, and to be comfortable dealing with the participants, volunteers and staff, many of whom I’ve worked with very closely.

I think the COO is someone whose job it is to deal with the various constituencies within the polo ecosystem—sponsors, amateur and professional players, as well as the volunteers, various committee chairs, the board, officers and the chairman. Those

12 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

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

I grew up on Greentree Stud, a Thoroughbred breeding farm in Lexington, Kentucky, where my father was the farm manager. I also spent a lot of time at Keeneland Racecourse where my maternal grandfather was one of the principal co-founders and first president. Deciding to withdraw from Princeton University and the more traditional educational path, I became involved in the Thoroughbred industry full time—buying, selling, breeding and ultimately training Thoroughbred horses. After working on several farms in Lexington, I went to the racetrack to learn from Ohio-based trainer James E. Morgan before training on my own for a few years.

When I began to appreciate how difficult it was to succeed as a horse trainer without asking too much of the horses in your care, I decided to finish my

SMILEPEACELOVE PHOTOGRAPHY

U S PA B U L L E T I N

undergraduate degree and go to law school.

I didn’t start playing polo until my late 20s when my friends Bruce Hundley, Billy Hilliard, and Hilary Boone persuaded me to come out and play with them. I played at the Kentucky Horse Park with the Lexington Polo Club for eight or nine years. I had to give up polo when I went to the racetrack and while I was starting my law career, but I started playing again around 2000 at Mashomack Polo Club [Pine Plains, New York]. I used to see polo trailers drive by my house every Sunday morning on their way to Mashomack and I couldn’t bear not to follow them.

After trying a few different clubs in New York, I finally settled at Giant Valley Polo Club in Hamden, Connecticut, where I’ve been playing outdoors for the last eight to 10 years. During that same period of time, I’ve been playing in the arena at Gardnertown

Polo Club [Newburgh, New York]. Gardnertown and Giant Valley are my polo homes.

What are the most important initiatives you want to focus on as incoming COO? I view the USPA in much the same way as Chairman Stewart Armstrong—it’s a board-driven, staff-executed organization. As such I think the officers, Executive Committee and the board should determine the association’s vision and set its priorities and then it’s the responsibility of the staff to execute that vision. My role is to help the staff execute on the vision of the volunteer leadership. I am very much a process person by virtue of being a lawyer and slightly OCD, so I want to make sure the USPA has the

Chris Green with grandson Max; youngest daughter Phoebe; middle daughter Chloë; wife Susan, holding granddaughter River Rose; granddaughter Desi; and oldest daughter Ashby

(continued on page 54) POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 13

INSTRUCTORS FORUM

No i in team Be a good teammate and opponent

By Pedro Marcos Bignoli

DOUGLAS J. VERGARA

As a professional umpire I get a front row seat to a lot of polo. Some of the bigger, high-goal organizations are spending millions of dollars and take their polo more seriously than ever before. The players are fitter and utilize massage therapists, kinesiologists and personal trainers. They also spend

Polo is a team sport.

Pass to your teammates, be humble and be open to learn.

a lot of time and effort to breed the finest horses, often using embryo transfer or even cloning. Fields are much better now allowing for better performance by horses and players.

On the other end of the spectrum are the weekend warriors, playing low-level club polo. Some come to the field unorganized, often running late. They and their horses are disheveled. They run out on the field without a plan and without knowing where to line up for plays. They lack focus. In my experience, everyone wants to play well but some are more willing to work for it than others.

Polo is a chess game, a thinking game. It is not always about who has the fastest horses or is the strongest player. Natural talent isn’t always needed either. It is more about attitude. If you are willing to learn, take time to prepare and are organized, you can be a better player than someone with more natural talent and better horses who is not willing to put the work in.

14 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

One of the most important aspects of good polo is horsemanship, however many players don’t take the time to really learn how to ride. Horsemanship is not just about balancing on top of a horse.

Communication with your horse is crucial but players often don’t know how to ask their horse to do something correctly, or they don’t understand when a horse is trying to tell them something. Not knowing how to ask leaves the horse confused and the player frustrated when the horse doesn’t respond. If your horse is not stopping, shaking its head, hesitant to turn or is leaping, for instance, it may be trying to tell you it is hurting somewhere.

Spending time learning how to listen as well as ask the right way will lead to a better partnership with your horse and will make your time with that horse more enjoyable. Try setting aside one day a week or even one day a month to work on nothing but improving your riding. If you can take a riding lesson with a pro or even a trainer in a different discipline, such as equitation, even better. Any time spent learning how to ride better will never be wasted.

Back at the barn, take good care of your horses.

Keep them on regular vaccination, deworming and trimming and shoeing schedules. I see players trying to save money by playing horses without shoes or waiting too long in-between shoeings. This might save you a little bit of money in the short run but might cripple your horse in the long run. And if the horse slips on a wet field or trips because its feet are too long, you and the horse might get hurt.

It is also important not to overwork your horses.

Don’t stick and ball for 20 minutes in the heat and then play the same horse two chukkers. If you are playing two chukkers, just give the horse a quick warm up and make sure it has plenty of rest inbetween chukkers. Once on the field, know your horses’ capabilities and don’t ask or expect them to do things they are not capable of.

Be organized and get to the field with plenty of time to get your horses tacked up and warmed up.

Have all your equipment, including jerseys, boots, googles, etc. ready. I see too many people show up in

INSTRUCTORS FORUM

the lineup without googles on or knee guards or wearing the wrong color jersey.

Showing up late or disorganized and making your teammates and opponents wait for you is disrespectful. If you are rushing to get on the field, you are more likely to forget something, whether it is a tack adjustment or player equipment, and may put you at risk of getting hurt.

Don’t be stick and balling while the other seven players are lined up and the umpire is ready to bowl the ball in. When the ball goes over the back line or there is a penalty called, quickly get into position.

If you are defending, quickly get 30 yards from the ball.

Learn all the shots. Most players are not as comfortable making nearside shots or even back shots, so they avoid them. Set aside some time to work on your weakest shots until you master them. This will give you more tools in your toolbox. I see some talented up-and-coming players that cannot make a back shot.

Have a goal and do the work to achieve that goal. Treat practices as just that, to practice plays. Don’t just float around because it is a practice. If you are practicing with players you normally don’t play with, get organized before the ball is thrown in. Good players not only know their teammates, but their opponents as well. Decide who will play what position.

If someone on the team can hit a big ball, the offensive players should go up and look for the pass. If no one on the team can hit far, the teammates should stay closer together and circle back if the ball is missed. Talk to your teammates and don’t try to do everything yourself.

Polo is a team sport, with four players against four players. Back the ball instead of turning it and trying to keep it to yourself. That gets boring for everyone.

Use all your teammates. If you can hit a big ball, be strategic where you place it.

Hitting to the other team is not a good idea. Always have a plan, whether you are knocking it or are at the 80-yard line heading to goal. Be aware of what is going on around you and concentrate on what you are doing.

Be humble and open to learning. Every player can improve. I reached 6 goals as a professional player. I still considered it an honor when another player offered me constructive criticism. I learned some great tips from Alberto Pedro Heguy and was fortunate he cared enough to share them with me. I’ll share some of the things he shared with me.

When you are shooting to goal, if you see the mallet between the goal posts at the end of your swing and follow through, the ball will likely go through the goal.

Additionally, the mallet head will be parallel to the end line.

Know your leads. Most often, you hit from the right side so when knocking in or taking a free hit, always circle to the right with the horse on its right lead. Hit the ball at about the same time the horse’s right foot is on the ground. Start your swing when the ball is by the horse’s nose.

If you miss a goal, or miss-hit a ball, let it go and move on to the next play. Even the best players in the world miss on occasion. If you can’t let it go, you will likely be rattled and will continue to make mistakes. If you stay focused and do everything right, but still lose it, it’s OK. If you miss a play, never punish your horse for it. And don’t stop after a missed ball. Instead, keep moving forward as there may be other players running up behind you. If your teammates are in position, one of them may have an opportunity to hit the ball back up to you.

Nine out of 10 players don’t ever read the rule book but still think they know the rules better than anyone else. Don’t appeal for a foul or argue with the umpires. It will only reflect poorly on you.

With professional umpires, if you pay attention, you will learn what the umpires call and what they don’t. When I was playing professionally, I knew what fouls certain umpires called and what they didn’t and adjusted my game accordingly.

Don’t complain and always shake hands with your teammates and opponents after playing.

Be safe, have fun, be competitive and learn as much as you can.

• POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 15

ASK AN UMPIRE

Goals given Number of chukkers helps determine handicap awarded

By Dana Fortugno

Each year, there seems to be a lot of confusion when teams try to determine how much of a handicap should be awarded to a lesser-rated team.

There is a quick and easy way to figure it out, but first let me give you some background.

Handicaps are dealt with partially in Rule 19 but there are some misconceptions and things you should know if you play polo. This article is based on Rule 19, Rule 16, Arena Rule 5 and the USPA Handicap Policy starting on page 273 under Policies in the 2021 rulebook (bet you didn’t know it was there). I am going to tell you everything I know

Arena Handicap Matrix Number of Periods

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about handicaps, just so you know. I promise to keep it simple.

A handicap or rating in polo is how good you are, sort of. There are many factors that go into your polo rating like how skilled you are, how much game sense you have, your horse string, the team you are playing on and so forth. As you know, our rating system is a simple -1 to 10, with the higher the number, the better the player. To establish your rating, you are compared to other players of similar rating. For example, if you are 3 goals and you play about the same as other 3-goalers, you will likely stay at a 3 rating. A 3-goaler will play four goals sometimes and two goals other times but on a seasonal average, he or she will play 3 goals. That is a 3-goaler. It’s the same for all other ratings as well.

Of course, the rating and handicap system was designed to make polo more competitive. By having teams of similar ratings play each other, the game should be balanced and make for a good, close game.

It also makes for some flexibility in making teams for tournaments because there is usually a spread for the tournament handicap, like 10 to 12 goals or 6 to 8 goals. This means the teams that enter the tournament must fall between the lower and upper limits of the tournament rating. For example, in the 6- to 8-goal tournament, each team’s rating must be 6, 7 or 8 goals. As you probably know, a team’s rating is the sum of its players’ ratings.

If a 6-goal team plays an 8-goal team, the 6-goal team will get two points for free. We say the handicap is 2 to the 6-goal team. This allows more teams to enter the tournament and provides a way to balance out the team ratings and make for good close games—competitive games. Goals awarded by handicap count the same as goals scored on the field. Just remember, a goal is a goal is a goal.

Players rated between -1 and 2, playing in 6-goal polo and less, can have half goals too. This means a player under 2 goals may have a half goal in their rating. For example, a player might have a 1½-goal rating. We use half goals in polo 6-goals and under.

ASK AN UMPIRE

Outdoor Handicap Matrix

Why? It’s simple, it helps the lower-level games to have more options with players under 2 goals. For example, a player rated 1 that will likely stay at 1 is different than a player that is 1 and on the way to 2 (a 1½ is a better rating for that up-and-coming player than just 1). It seems to work, and at least it doesn’t hurt to try and be as accurate as possible.

Men and women are rated on the same scale across the board. Women also have a rating system for women only. It is identical to the universal system but you must be a woman to have a woman’s rating (and they start at 0 not -1). Why? Is the men’s system not good enough for them? Are they special?

The answer is yes and yes.

Women’s polo has a unique issue that is solved by having their own rating system. Most women are 2 goals or less. Go ahead get mad at me for saying that but I said “most” not “all,” and truth is a complete defense to defamation (I speak the truth). Back to woman under 2 goals. Many of these women players rated between -1 and 2 are more than just a couple goals apart, especially when playing in women-only polo. As you can guess, in order to make women’s polo more competitive, we need to get a more accurate read on each player’s true ability when playing in women-only polo. Yes, most 5-goal women are 10 in women’s polo but it’s not just a simple conversion. They are compared to each other and rated independently from their universal rating.

There is a simple conversion chart on page 281 of the 2021 rulebook for the first time a women is rated on the women-only system, but once she plays in a women’s game, she will be compared to the others for her true rating. So, two women may each have a universal rating of 2 but one may have a women’s rating of 5 and the other a 7. That makes a big difference in points awarded by handicap. All this is true for both arena polo and outdoor polo.

Now, the real reason I wrote this article: all arena polo ratings are based on four periods of play. Both, universal ratings and women’s ratings in the arena are based on four periods of play. If the game is less

Net Difference in Team Handicaps

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than four periods, you must use the arena matrix to determine the handicap for the amount of periods being played. Arena Rule 4 says “a regulation game shall be four periods …”

All outdoor polo ratings are based on six periods of play. Both universal ratings and women’s ratings are based on six periods of play. Outdoor Rule 16 says, in part, “a game shall be a maximum of 6 regular periods …” This seems to confuse many players, and that’s why I am writing about it. Last week alone I received three calls about women’s handicapping. All the callers were certain that women’s polo is based on four periods.

Why would a player think that? It’s because most women’s games are four periods. There are many reasons why women’s games are four periods; for example, the availability of horses. Anyway, it doesn’t matter how many periods they actually play, it matters what their rating is based on. Since all outdoor polo is based on six periods, if you are (continued on page 55) POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 17

E Q U I N E AT H L E T E

Cellulitis in horses Swelling of a limb is often associated with bacterial infection

By Heather Smith Thomas

Cellulitis is an inflammatory process of the skin and deeper tissues, and is commonly associated with bacterial infection. In horses, cellulitis is not very common, but it usually appears as a severely swollen limb. It typically involves only one limb, most often a hind limb. This and the fact that the leg is usually painful, makes it different from typical “stocking up” of the hind limbs.

Callie Fogle, DVM, North Carolina State University, says that cellulitis or a horse with a severely swollen limb can be a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma for veterinarians since it can be challenging to figure out the cause.

“A puncture, a tendon or ligament trauma, or an infected joint can be masked by a very swollen, lame leg,” she says. “It can also be difficult to isolate the type of bacteria causing the cellulitis, and even with appropriate, aggressive therapy, this infection sometimes does not respond quickly, or the swelling may not resolve.”

Signs of cellulitis and importance of diagnosis “Often these horses have acute, severe swelling, usually affecting an entire limb. However, there are some other things that could present this way, or problems that could be masked by the severe swelling. When a horse owner notices acute, severe swelling, it is important to have a veterinarian examine the horse and look for other possible problems,” she says.

“Radiographs and ultrasound are commonly performed to rule out a fracture and to look for sepsis or infection in a joint. It would be important to rule those things out before beginning treatment for a cellulitis,” she explains.

“Imaging would also help us look for an abscess that might result from the bacterial infection.

Another useful diagnostic test might be a culture of the serum that is oozing from the skin, or to culture a subcutaneous biopsy of deeper tissues,” she says.

“The infection in deeper tissues of the limb can result in major tissue damage, so cellulitis is not necessarily a less severe disease, but the treatment would be different from some of the other 18 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

possibilities, like fractures or soft tissue trauma. It is important that the cause of swelling is recognized early, and treated properly,” she says.

Cellulitis is most common in a hind limb, but can also occur in a front leg. “The classic form of cellulitis is unilateral, affecting just one limb, but it can affect multiple limbs. The horse may have a fever and increased heart rate. Often the swelling is firm and hard, and the leg is hot. It is usually very painful to touch. There may be breaks in the skin that ooze serum. These breaks can be caused by a precipitating trauma or from just the stretching of the skin due to the severe swelling,” explains Fogle.

“These horses are generally very lame, but often the pain occurs when advancing the limb rather than from standing on that leg; it’s difficult or painful to move the limb. Generally the horse will bear reasonable weight on the affected limb, when not being asked to move, compared to a non-weightbearing lameness that is commonly seen with a fracture or a joint infection,” she says.

Occasionally (more often with chronic rather than acute cellulitis) the veterinarian might use

E Q U I N E AT H L E T E

scintigraphy (bone scan), in which a radioactive compound is injected into the subcutaneous tissues.

“The purpose of this imaging technique is to evaluate circulation of the distal limb— and see how well the lymphatic and venous system are working to return the blood and fluid from the distal limb. Often with cellulitis, particularly with chronic cellulitis, the function of the venous and lymphatic systems can be severely impaired,” she says.

Causes Acute cellulitis in horses is most commonly due to bacterial infection, usually with something like Staphylococcus aureus or Staphylococcus intermedius, or Streptococcus. These are common bacteria that are often found on the skin, and they’ve simply found a break in the skin to infect deeper tissues.

“Occasionally, cellulitis can be due to infection with Corynebacterium or Clostridium or a gram negative bacteria such as E. coli,” says Fogle.

Acute cellulitis can be a bit different from chronic cellulitis in which a horse suffers from repeated episodes of severe, painful limb swelling. “The swelling with chronic cellulitis may also differ from that with acute cellulitis, as it is commonly thought to be more of a primary inflammatory process, with less contribution from bacterial infection of the deeper tissues,” she explains.

“A horse that has never had a swollen limb before, that suddenly develops an acute, severe swelling of a limb and doesn’t respond very quickly to aggressive treatment can develop changes in the limb that predispose to future bouts of cellulitis. This may take different forms. Some horses may have a chronically thick leg that feels hard and fibrous like scar tissue.

That limb may always carry a bit of swelling and look just a little thicker,” says Fogle.

“Other horses resolve the swelling but seem more likely to develop subsequent episodes of acute, severe swelling of that leg. We think that these repeat episodes may be due to scarring and permanent impairment of the venous and lymphatic systems in that limb. The acute bacterial infection can start that process, and once those systems are impaired, the horse is less able to fight bacterial infections in that limb. The skin barrier to bacterial invasion in that limb is not as good as in the other limbs. That limb is more vulnerable to infection,” she says.

Owners of a horse with chronic cellulitis might notice that even a tiny abrasion, small scratch or scab on the skin can precipitate another bout of cellulitis, with the leg once again becoming swollen and painful.

“Even a small amount of bacteria is capable of starting an infection; the horse is unable to mount an appropriate immune response in that limb because of the impairment of venous and lymphatic drainage,” she explains.

Plenty of turnout is recommended for horses with chronic cellulitis, as increased circulation will help with swelling.

However, wet grass is not ideal because wet skin is softer and thus easier to nick and scrape.

Treatment “It is crucial to treat acute cellulitis right away and be as aggressive as possible, within the owner’s financial ability. Sometimes there are severe complications, especially if treatment is not begun immediately with aggressive broad-spectrum antibiotic coverage. Most of the time this will entail intravenous antibiotics, and use of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication like phenylbutazone to try to address pain and inflammation in that limb,” Fogle says.

“Steroids are commonly used by veterinarians to address minor distal limb swellings, but we can run into trouble with steroids to treat severe cellulitis because they can effectively mask whether or not we’re successfully resolving the bacterial infection in the limb. Short-term steroid use with a bout of acute (continued on page 56) POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 19

POLO SCENE

N E W S • NO T E S • T R E N D S • Q U O T E S

HEAD WE RIDE TOGETHER Subhead Campaign counters sexual misconduct and abuse

SEXUAL MISCONDUCT and abuse have long been an issue in equestrian sport, and is often ignored,

Young athletes, particularly those in elite sports, are more frequently sexually abused by coaches when they are competing at a higher level. There are several reasons for this, none of which are “she knew what she was doing.” #weridetogether.

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minimized or wrongly blamed on the victim. The equestrian community is no longer sitting idly by.

Today, leading digital media platform Horse Network, in collaboration with Wrigley Media Group and the Kehring family, has launched #WeRideTogether, a powerful new series of educational and eyeopening digital PSAs and an in-depth microsite designed to empower, inform, and unite the equestrian community. #WeRideTogether gives a voice to survivor stories, provides resources to report abuse and get help, and offers educational information for athletes, coaches, and families. The microsite will be updated on an ongoing basis to provide a safe place for survivors to share their experiences. “#WeRideTogether was developed as a multifaceted campaign to promote transparent and safe dialogue within the industry, help shift the imbalance of power between coach and athlete, and raise awareness for the many forms grooming and abuse can take,” said Lauren Kay, #WeRideTogether spokesperson. “Sadly, sexual abuse of minors is common in all sports. We are proud that the equestrian community has taken a bold step forward to be the leader in true change that all coaches and competitors can understand and embrace.”

Central to the campaign is the four-part #WeRideTogether PSA series, produced by Wrigley Media Group and distributed through Horse Network’s diverse digital platform and social media channels. The series features expert commentary from youth protection advocate and expert, Les Nichols, powerful first-person interviews from sexual abuse survivors, and more.

“Our mission at Horse Network is to grow horse sport. When we protect young athletes, we protect the future of the sport—it’s as simple as that,” said Carley Sparks, editor-in-chief, Horse Network. “We’re incredibly proud to be part of the amazing team working to shed light on this important topic and grateful to the brave survivors who have entrusted us with their stories.”

“I have devoted the better part of my life to equestrian sport—it’s part of my DNA” says Misdee Wrigley Miller, CEO, Wrigley Media Group. “Wrigley Media Group is committed to do doing our part in giving victims a voice and helping to raise awareness to an issue that has been avoided far too long.

In order for this sport to continue to thrive, it is up to us, who are immersed in its community, to facilitate change. We intend to do just that.” #WeRideTogether is a true movement and cultural shift that demands increased accountability from trainers and coaches, gives survivors a safe platform for their voice and helps diminish the stigma and fear of coming forward.

Visit weridetogether.today to learn more.

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DAMSEL IN DISTRESSED Player writes book based on her career

POLO PLAYER Dominique Mielle recently published a book “Damsel in Distressed” about her time working in the hedge fund business. Mielle was a partner and senior portfolio manager at Canyon Capital, a $25 billion fund, for 20 years. In 2017, she was named one of the “Top 50 Women in Hedge Funds” by Ernst & Young.

After retiring in 2018, Mielle decided to write the book. “I read a quote from a female finance student that stuck with me: ‘Women lack examples of successful women in investing. That makes it harder for women to visualize how a career in investing could work for them, which leads women to opt out of the career path.’ I set out to write a book for women to opt-in; women and outsiders, that is because I am also a foreigner. It’ll be the first hedge fund memoir written by a woman,” Mielle explained.

Mielle says the book took about 18 months to write and another year or so to find an agent and a publisher. She said the industry changed tremendously in the decades she worked in it. “Everything has changed; competition, technology, data, volatility and regulations radiDominique Mielle cally transformed the investing landscape. The hedge fund business was a rather secretive cottage industry, managing less than $200 billion when I started in 1998. Over 15,000 hedge funds now control more than $3 trillion in assets. It has become a mature, institutionalized business,” she explained.

As a woman in a male-dominated industry, Mielle explained what it was like to work in it. “Kind of like polo; hard work, intensely competitive, fraught with adversaries, unfair at times, lucky some others, with a lot of money at stake,” she said. “There are quite a few women at the entry and middle levels, but it’s male-dominated at the top.”

She said there are similarities between the hedge fund industry and polo. “The job of trading teaches you to accept failures. As a portfolio manager, you regularly lose money—tens or even hundreds of millions sometimes,” she said. “You are repeatedly proven wrong, publicly and unambiguously. You have to accept it as just the flip side of profitable trades, a motivation to move on, make the money back and more, find the next big win. It’s a powerful way to build resilience. I find the same requisite and reward in polo.”

Mielle played her first chukker of polo in the fall of 2011. She had taken her first riding lesson before a trip to Mongolia, which included a horseback riding trek. After the vacation she continued to take lessons at Will Rogers and would watch polo after her class. “[I] airily thought, ‘Why don’t I try this? How hard can it be? I was absolutely clueless,” she admits.

Ten years later, she is the proud owner of eight horses. She participates in the pro-pool and the 8-goal league at Santa Barbara Polo Club and occasionally plays in Indio. She says her proudest achievement so far is being named Most Improved Player in Santa Barbara in 2019.

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MOROCCAN MAGIC Polo event commemorates 200 years of friendship

A GROUP OF EIGHT AMERICAN WOMEN traveled to Morocco in late June to play in an exhibition

Aside from polo (above) the American teams toured an exhibition with Cultural Attaché Stephen Weeks (below).

They also rode camels (below, right) shopped and enjoyed local food.

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of women’s polo in Rabat and Marrakesh. The trip was organized by Michael Farah and Rabbi Benadada to coincide with a celebration of 200 years of American-Moroccan relations.

The women formed two teams, playing off against each other. Hollywood included Rosy Keyfauver, Kendra Lauren Gros, Julie Empey and Kelly Coldiron, while Beverly Hills was made up of Megan Judge, Susan Harris, Mary Linares and Kerstie Allen.

The American Embassy in Rabat, Morocco, celebrated the visitors with a dinner with Cultural Attaché Stephen Weeks. Later, Weeks gave a tour of the U.S. Embassy exhibition “Of Voice and Stone—200 years of History in the American Legation Building and Morocco” at the National Library in Rabat. The exhibition features a range of historic items representing strategic, economic and cultural ties between Morocco and the United States. Exhibition items include a lego model of the Mars Rover, a pair of Jimi Hendrix’s boots, Nawal El Moutawakel’s Olympic Gold medal and track shoes and a dress worn by pop star Lady Gaga.

“This exhibit tells the story of people-to-people relationships, of how ordinary Moroccans and Americans have accomplished extraordinary achievements together over the past years, decades and centuries,” Chargé d’Affaires David Greene said. “These achievements have left a permanent mark on our shared culture—in music, science, art, sports and so many other areas.”

The exhibition will remain at the National Library until late September, when it moves to Casablanca. It will be shown at the Department of State in Washington, D.C. in early 2022.

In addition to polo, the women went on camel rides, shopping excursions at the local markets and enjoyed traditional Moroccan food and culture.

The event has inspired the organization of the first Moroccan women’s polo team.

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POLO RIDER CUP International medium-goal tournament played in France

THE FIRST EDITION of the Polo Rider Cup was held at the Polo Club of Chantilly, north of Paris, France, June 1020. Teams, rated between 10 to 12 goals, represented 12 clubs around the world. Teams were divided into four zones, with Zones A and B playing across bracket in Group 1 and Zones D and C playing across bracket for Group 2.

Games were played as five chukkers.

Two American teams competed in the tournament: Las Brisas (Larry Aschebrook, Lukas Sdrenka, Matias Obregon, Juan Martin Obregon) from Elgin, Illinois, and Empire Polo (Clément Smith, Guillermo Li, Tito Ruiz Guiñazu, Derek Smith) from Indio, California.

Three games a day were played for the first five days.

The top two teams in each group moved on to the semifinals, while the remaining eight teams moved into a subsidiary. Las Brisas finished 1-2, while Empire finished 2-1, ranking second only to undefeated Deauville in Group 2 and earning a spot in the semi-finals.

The semifinals of the main event pitted Zürich (Richard Harris, Elena Venot, Min Podesta, Carlos Solari) against Empire and Hong Kong (Cyrille Costes, Adrien Le Gallo, Thierry Vetois, Brieuc Rigaux) against Deauville (Ulysse Eisenchteter, Patrick Eisenchteter, Pierre-Henri N’Goumou, Juan José Storni).

In the first match, Zürich took a three-goal lead in the opening chukker. Empire cut the difference to two at the end of the third and came within one, 6-5, before time ran out.

In the next semi, Deauville shut out Hong Kong, 5-0, in the first two chukkers. Hong Kong rallied in the third to come within two, 5-3. The teams traded goals in the last 14 minutes, allowing Deauville to maintain the two goal advantage, 7-5, and advance to the final.

The final day saw Empire fall to Hong Kong, 6-5, in the main subsidiary to determine third place. The teams were tied, 5-5, going into the last chukker when Thierry Vetois scored the game-winner for Hong Kong.

In the final, both teams were undefeated. Zürich outscored Deauville, 2-1, in the first chukker. The teams traded goals in the second, maintaining the one-goal difference. Zürich shut out Deauville in the next two chukkers while slamming in seven goals for a comfortable 10-3 lead going into the last seven minutes.

Zürich got in one more goal to end the match 10-4. Min Podesta led Zürich with six goals, ably assisted with four goals from Carlos Solari.

Polo Park Zürich went undefeated throughout the event, eventually taking the title.

Empire fell to Deauville in its first match, above, but rallied and went all the way to the semis.

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P O L O D E V E L O P M E N T, L L C

Championships ahead NYTS qualifier season recently concluded

By Hayley Heatley

Winnie Branscum, August Schneekloth, JB Long, Robby Mooney, Daniel Gallegos, Ariel Loza, Boyett Watridge, Allyssa Morgan, Kelsey Bray and Woods Kemmler in St. Louis

The National Youth Tournament Series qualifier season officially begins each year on March 1, complimenting the schedule of the indoor intercollegiate/interscholastic season. As the summer

Bill Dencker’s Nube, ridden by Saralyn Painter, was Best Playing Pony at Gardnertown.

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heats up, there are often as many as four qualifier tournaments taking place per weekend. At each qualifier, all-stars are selected based on four criteria: horsemanship, sportsmanship, playing ability at current handicap and ability to play as a member of a team. From the compiled list of all-stars, the national teams are selected to play in the NYTS National Championship Cecil Smith Cup and the NYTS Girls National Championship.

This season ended Aug. 1, marking a successful year of tournaments across the United States and Canada. The NYTS Qualifiers are USPA circuit events organized and hosted by USPA member clubs.

The program provides young players, aged 19 and under, with an opportunity to play with and against their peers in competitive outdoor polo. The resilience shown by member clubs, youth players and their families over the past two years is commendable.

Thank you to the host clubs: Aiken Polo Club Big Horn Polo Club

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Rolando Llamas, Simone Harper, Kyla Douglas, Morgan Manos, Ruby Decker, Angus Harris, Ajay Maturi, Lucas Esposto, Marco Esposto, Timur Kotelnikov, Helena Bache and Liliana Gonzalez competed at Cerro Pampa.

Black Diamond Polo Club Chicago Polo Association/Las Brisas Polo Club Bloomfield Polo Club Cerro Pampa Polo Club Eldorado Polo Club Empire Polo Club Gardnertown Polo Club Giant Valley Polo Club International Polo Club Lancaster Polo Club Maryland Polo Club Maui Polo Club Midland Polo Club Myopia Polo Club Nashville Polo Club Prestonwood Polo Club Roseland Polo Club/King’s Family Vineyard South Bay Polo Club Southampton Polo Club Spa City Polo Club St. Louis Polo Club Tinicum Park Polo Club

Will Schneider, Sabine Stobbe, Nadia Stobbe, Finlay Ramson and Chet Neslon were all-stars at Black Diamond.

Three teams competed in the Southampton NYTS qualifier.

The NYTS Championship games begin Sept. 8 at Chicago Polo Association member clubs in the Chicago area and the finals of both the Girls and Open divisions will be played at the Oak Brook Polo Club on Sunday, Sept. 12. Oak Brook was once the home of elite professional polo and hosted the U.S. Open Polo Championship for 24-years.

Full coverage of the NYTS National Championships will be in next month’s issue.

• For more information on the National Youth Tournament Series, please visit uspolo.org.

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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

Alumni Networking Event connects former I/I members with local clubs

By Ali Davidage • Photos by Pat Michaels

Players and coaches representing UVA, CSU, Cornell and WTR caught up with friends before the game.

“I haven’t done this in eight years!” This may be the favorite comment overheard at the inaugural Alumni Networking Event held at Seneca Polo Club in Poolesville, Maryland, in July. I/I program officials were excited to hold the event, which saw graduates of both the intercollegiate and interscholastic programs playing chukkers and mingling with other alumni, some for the first time in years.

The newly-formed I/I Alumni Engagement Committee, made up of young I/I alumni from programs across the country, has worked for the last year on initiatives to bring alumni back to the sport.

Chaired by Kareem Rosser, a Work to Ride and Colorado State University alumnus, the group has focused its efforts on how to best support and connect I/I alumni with clubs in their area after graduation, as well as connect alumni with each other.

The group was excited to launch one of its first initiatives, an alumni engagement event, at Seneca Polo Club. Maryland is a hotbed of I/I talent and allaround fun, skilled polo. The club’s beautiful arena, with rolling hills serving as a backdrop, provided the

26 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

perfect setting to invite alumni back to the arena to mingle and network as well as tune up on some polo.

The event started Friday night with ‘Back to the Game’ chukkers, which included a wide range of ages and experience, allowing players who had not been playing to dip their feet back into the game. Next came a competitive round robin of recent alumni.

While chukkers were going on, alumni mixed and mingled, sharing old polo stories, discussing new jobs, catching up with friends they hadn’t seen in a while, and exchanging business cards.

Mark Gillespie, an I/I supporter and the chair of the USPA’s Armed Forces Committee, traveled from Virginia with two alumni to take part in the night of networking. Mark, who was the first to extend a warm welcome to anyone interested in playing with the crew at the Army Polo Club, said, “This was a great way to make connections and I had a lot of fun. I would encourage anyone who gets the chance to attend an alumni networking event to do so.”

Jessica Schmitt, a recent alumnus from the University of Virginia and member of the Alumni

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

I/I Alumni in the Maryland, D.C. and Pennsylvania area came together for networking and polo fun at the first Alumni Networking Event.

Engagement Committee, shared her excitement to continue forward with the program.

“I am really excited for the future of these alumni events. I made lifelong friends in I/I and I’m hopeful we can reconnect a lot of alumni to foster more friendships and continue their ability to play postcollege. Being able to play with great friends that I haven’t been able to play with before made the Seneca event that much more special,” she said.

Like many adults that played varsity or club sports in college, graduating and finding their way in the work force can take up any spare time and often leave former collegiate players without a way to continue in their favorite sport of polo. However, just because you must take a break, does not mean you cannot come back!

After the success and fun had at the networking event at Seneca, the committee worked on putting together an alumni networking toolkit—a how-to clubs can utilize to put on an event of their own. The toolkit includes a basic format of the event, ideas on how to engage the local alumni and informational handouts. Additionally, USPA support will include reimbursement towards food, personalized postcards sent to alumni in the area about the event and staff support on how to maximize alumni involvement in the club.

Along with the alumni networking toolkit, the committee is working on several other projects, including the Polo Alumni Network on LinkedIn, alumni contacts at all schools, and other ways to stay

in touch as players find their way after college.

Rosser said, “The first alumni engagement event was a great success. I enjoyed reconnecting with old friends and getting back in the saddle. I am looking forward to working with my fellow committee members on ways to expand our networking events across the USPA.” If you or your club are interested in learning more about attending or hosting an I/I alumni networking event, email Ali Davidge at adavidge@uspolo.org. For more information on current I/I teams and alumni check out Polo Alumni Network on LinkedIn or the Intercollegiate/Interscholastic pages at uspolo.org. •

Just like the good old days, players competed against old teammates and competitors.

POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 27

Silver Stars Klentner Ranch captures historic title

By Gwen Rizzo

28 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

named the Silver Cup in 1974. Traditionally, it has been played at the 20-goal level but last year was dropped to the 16-goal level. It was played at the same level again this year and again was sponsored

by Farmers & Merchants Bank.

The tournament began on July 25 with six teams divided into two brackets. Klentner Ranch (Jake Klentner, Santi Toccalino, Jesse Bray, Justin Klentner) got off to a good start, beating Santa

Klentner Ranch’s Jake Klentner reaches to hook FMB’s Lucitas Criado in the Silver Cup final.

POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 29

DAVID LOMINSKA/POLOGRAPHICS

While most were focused on Olympic gold in late July and early August, Klentner Ranch was focused on Silver. The team went 4-0 to get to the final of the USPA Silver Cup at Santa Barbara Polo Club in Carpinteria, California, Aug. 8, where it earned the top spot on the podium.

The historic tournament began in 1900 and was first called the Junior Championship. It was renamed the Twenty Goal in 1938, before being

DAVID LOMINSKA/POLOGRAPHICS

Klentner Ranch’s Jesse Bray, Justin Klentner, Jake Klentner and Santi Toccalino won the Silver Cup and Robert Skene Memorial.

Clara (Luis Escobar, Nico Escobar, Lucas Escobar, Federico Escobar), 11-8, in its opening game. The first round finished out with Lucchese (John Muse, Facundo Obregon, Jeff Hall, Kristos Magrini) edging Bensoleimani.com (Ben Soleimani, Tomas Alberdi, Iñaki Laprida, Santiago Wulff), 15-13, and Farmers & Merchants Bank (Danny Walker, Lucas Criado, Lucitas Criado, Matthew Walker), slipping Antelope (Grant Palmer, Santiago Trotz, Tomas Garcia del Rio, Segundo Saravi), 8-7.

The second round had Farmers & Merchants Bank slip Bensoleimani.com, 8-7; Antelope beat Santa Clara, 14-12; and Klentner Ranch crush Lucchese, 19-11.

With 2-0 records, Klentner Ranch and Farmers & Merchants Bank had already earned spots in the semifinals. Nonetheless, Klentner Ranch continued its dominance in the third round, downing Farmers & Merchants Bank, 16-11. Lucchese defeated Antelope, 12-9; and Santa Clara earned its first victory, edging Bensoleimani.com, 11-10. Antelope and Santa Clara tied on record, both finishing 1-2, however Antelope’s second round defeat of Santa

30 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

Clara put it in the semis along with Lucchese that finished with a 2-1 record.

The first semi-final saw Farmers & Merchants Bank rally to best Lucchese, 15-14, after trailing by six going into the second half. The other semi-final saw Klentner Ranch oust Antelope, 13-10.

Bensoleimani.com and Santa Clara—the teams that didn’t qualify for the semi-finals—played the USPA America Cup final, held prior to the Silver Cup final.

In the America Cup final, defending champion Santa Clara was made up of two sets of brothers: Nico and Lucas Escobar and their father Luis and his brother Federico. Hoping to celebrate again this year, the team faced a determined Bensoleimani.com, looking for its first victory.

Bensoleimani.com adjusted its line-up, moving Iñaki Laprida forward, hoping to increase its chances.

Santa Clara started with a one-goal handicap and Lucas Escobar added to it in the first chukker with a Penalty 2 conversion. Luis Escobar traded goals with Iñaki Laprida later in the chukker to end, 3-1.

Ranch wasted no time with Bray, riding 8-year-old Cell Tower, a pretty bay mare, putting in the first goal in just 13 seconds. He tapped in another goal at the chukker’s halfway mark while under pressure from Matthew Walker. With just a minute left, Klentner brought the ball to the goal mouth, but Matthew Walker backed it in the nick of time. Twenty seconds

MVP Jesse Bray with his Best Playing Pony Cell Tower

AGUS FONDA

Bensoleimani.com’s new strategy began to pay off in the second and third periods. Laprida, leading from the front, scored twice in the second and Alberdi contributed three in the third, helping the team gain a 7-4 advantage at the half.

Nico Escobar got Santa Clara rolling again with a pair of field goals in the fourth to bring the team within one, but he was matched by Laprida who got back the three-goal lead. Bensoleimani.com kept up the pressure with Alberdi adding two more and Soleimani adding one to enter the final seven minutes holding a five-goal advantage. The team held on for the 14-11 win. It was the third time Ben Soleimani has added his name to the trophy. His Restoration Hardware team won it in 2013 and 2018.

Alberdi, who contributed five goals, was MVP and Open Kilovatio, a 13-year-old Argentine gelding owned by Ben Soleimani and played by Laprida, was Best Playing Pony.

The Silver Cup final was set with Klentner Ranch facing Farmers & Merchants Bank. The match-up had three father-son duos on the field. Justin Klentner and his son Jake faced Danny Walker and his son Matthew and Lucas Criado and his son Lucitas. It would prove to be a real battle between worthy adversaries that had experienced some tensions in an earlier match; however the umpires kept things in check and handed out a bevy of yellow cards–eight in fact—throughout the game.

Once the ball was thrown in to start play, Klentner

POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 31

SHELLEY HEATELY

A neck shot deflected off Santi Toccalino’s leg, bouncing into his goggles, which cut the bridge of his nose. It didn’t keep him down long.

later, Klentner Ranch was awarded a Penalty 3 but Toccalino couldn’t connect, allowing Farmers & Merchants to breathe a sigh of relief.

Early in the second, Lucitas Criado carried the ball to the goal but a bad bump by Justin Klentner nearly sent him into the goal post. He responded with a windmill of his mallet in protest, earning him a yellow card. The team was awarded a Penalty 1 and Justin Klentner was given a yellow card for dangerous riding. FMB was given a free hit from midfield and sent the ball to goal but it went off a horse and rolled just wide. Danny Walker was whistled for an uneven ride-off a little over three minutes into the chukker. He was given a yellow card and Klentner benefited from a Penalty 2. Thirty seconds later, Danny Walker passed the ball to Lucitas, who sent the ball through the posts. Lucitas followed with

32 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

another goal, hitting the ball on the bounce and sending it 100 yards. Late in the chukker, an umpire’s whistle stopped play but no foul was declared and the ball was throw-in. Bray took the ball and sent it to Toccalino who found the goal with just three seconds left in the chukker. That tipped the scales, giving Klentner a 4-3 lead.

Lucitas knotted the scored early in the third on a neck shot from about 45 yards after a pass from Danny Walker. Bray took back the lead a minute later but Lucitas fired from 125 yards to tie the score once again. Later in the chukker, time was called after Toccalino took a hit in the face. A neck shot by Lucitas bounced off his knee guard and hit the frame of his goggles. The lens cut his nose and sent blood dripping down his face. Tough as nails, Toccalino was back on his horses a few minutes later, sending the ball to Bray. Jake Klentner held out the opponent, allowing Bray a clear path to the goal.

With a minute left in the chukker, Justin Klentner was called for a bad bump on Lucas Criado, rocking him. It earned him his second yellow for dangerous riding and sent him off the field for two minutes.

FMB was awarded a Penalty 2 and Matthew Walker easily converted it, leveling the score at 6-all. But it was short-lived as Jake Klentner found the goal with just four seconds left in the half, giving Klentner Ranch the 7-6 advantage.

It was clearly still anyone’s game. Bray increased the lead to two early in the fourth, but Lucas Criado responded, carrying the ball along the backline with his teammates taking out the opponents and slipping it between the posts. Toccalino won the ensuing throw-in and took the bouncing ball straight to goal.

Bray got the ball back to the other side of the field, leaving the ball just in front of the goal line before it was cleared but Toccalino recovered it and sent it through the posts for the 10-7 lead, the biggest difference thus far.

The last two chukkers were bogged down with fouls, with seven of nine goals, including five Penalty 2s, scored from the penalty line.

Danny Walker jumped on the loose ball and sent it through the goal after Bray lost control of it, but Bray answered back, taking the ball through traffic to hit the mark. FMB got closer after being awarded another Penalty 2. Two minutes later, Klentner was awarded a Penalty 3 after Toccalino fouled Lucas Criado, who responded by reaching over Toccalino’s horse. Toccalino converted the penalty, regaining the three-goal advantage, 12-9, going into the final seven minutes.

FMB had its work cut out for it, but it was up for

SHELLEY HEATELY

the challenge. Lucitas converted a pair of Penalty 2s and before you knew it, only a single goal separated the teams. Toccalino slipped a Penalty 2 of his own between the posts but Danny Walker negated it with his own Penalty 2 to keep the difference one, 13-12, with 2:30 left. Bray was also given a yellow card on the play. FMB was running out of time and with under a minute left, Lucitas got impatient and was whistled for an uneven ride off. He was given his second yellow card and Justin Klentner was given his third, this time for unsportsmanlike conduct. Both were sent off the field for the remainder of the game.

Toccalino sunk the Penalty 4 awarded on the play, ensuring Klentner Ranch the victory. The teams played three on three for the remaining 36 seconds.

Required to serve two minutes in the penalty box, Justin Klentner and Lucitas Criado will have to sit out the remaining 1:24 of their first Pacific Coast Open games.

Jesse Bray was named MVP and his mare Cell Tower wore the Best Playing Pony blanket home.

It was the second time Farmers & Merchants Bank

and Klentner Ranch faced each other in a final this season. The teams met each other in the final of the Robert Skene Memorial. Again, Klentner Ranch was undefeated, while Farmers & Merchants Bank advanced after winning a shoot-out between tied teams.

Farmers & Merchants led in the first chukker after Lucitas Criado traded penalty conversions with Santi Toccalino, and Danny Walker scored two in a row.

Toccalino turned up the pressure, single-handedly scoring nine goals in the next two chukkers. His efforts gave Klentner the 10-6 lead at the half.

Lucitas Criado scored back-to-back goals in the fourth, kick-starting a comeback. The team managed to outscore Klentner, 7-5, in the second half but was unable to overcome the first half deficit, ultimately falling, 15-13.

Santiago Toccalino, who scored a dozen goals in the afternoon, was named MVP, while Lucitas Criado’s Rococo was named Best Playing Pony.

Action continues with the Pacific Coast Open, played from Aug. 15-29.

•

Jesse Bray contributed six goals and was named MVP in the Silver Cup final.

POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 33

Pro Plan Thai Polo takes two of three 22-goal events Photos by Alice Gipps

Thai Polo’s Nico Pieres put in an MVP performance on his way to his first British Gold Cup title. He is followed by teammate 15-year-old Louis Hine.

34 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

As the high-goal season in Florida was beginning to wind down, teams were gearing up for the British high-goal season with a large number of teams entered in the three main events. Thai Polo, made up of four pros, including two young brothers, gave it all they had and earned two titles.

The 22-goal season began with the Prince of Wales Trophy, May 19-29, held at the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club near Windsor, England.

Twelve teams divided into two brackets began the tournament. Teams played two matches within their bracket. Monterosso (Alessandro Bazzoni, Ignacio Toccalino, David Stirling, Mackenzie Weisz) and Thai Polo (Rufino Bensadon, Ned Hine, Louis Hine, Alejandro Muzzio) earned spots in the final.

Coming of some surprise was Scone (1-1), fresh off its U.S. Open victory, and defending champion Park Place, again led by Facundo Pieres with two wins, didn’t make the final cut. It was good to see the 18-year-old American Weisz playing impressively throughout the tournament, helping Monterosso go 2-2. Andrew Hine’s sons Ned and Louis played solidly for Thai Polo as well.

An initial dry spring was followed by weeks of wet weather, but clouds finally cleared revealing sunny skies for the first final. Thai Polo began with a onegoal handicap and Bensadon added to it with a Penalty 2 conversion seconds into the match. Cubi Toccalino put Monterosso on the board after a pass from Weisz, but Ned Hine responded. Toccalino converted a Penalty 2 but Louis Hine answered, ending the chukker with Thai Polo ahead, 4-2.

Stirling drove to goal early in the second with Weisz finishing it off. Toccalino and Bensadon traded penalty conversions, allowing Monterosso to get closer, 5-4. The teams traded goals in the third with Toccalino capitalizing on Thai Polo’s mistakes, ending the half with Thai Polo leading by one, 7-6.

Toccalino sunk his fifth open-goal penalty conversion to knot the score and Stirling swapped goals with Ned Hine to end the fourth tied, 8-8. The fouling continued in the fifth with Bensadon converting a pair of Penalty 2s and a field goal while holding Monterosso to a Penalty 3 conversion, giving Thai Polo the two-goal advantage, 11-9, going into the sixth period. An early Penalty 3 was stopped by Muzzio, but two minutes later, Toccalino carried the ball through traffic to goal. Less than a minute later, he sunk a Penalty 3, tying the score.

With just over two minutes left, Weisz converted a Penalty 2 to give Monterosso the lead, 12-11. But 30 seconds later, Weisz was whistled on a play and Bensadon hit the mark on the ensuing Penalty 4,

tying the match again. Bensadon shot to goal just before the warning horn, but the ball went wide, allowing Monterosso to breathe a sigh of relief as the game was sent into overtime.

The ball was thrown in at the 40-yard line with Monterosso going short. Stirling came out with the ball but over cut to goal and it was cleared by Thai Polo. Both teams had end-to-end runs before a Penalty 5 was called in favor of Thai Polo just two minutes into the chukker. The team made the most of it, with 15-year-old Louis Hine picking up a pass from Muzzio and running it through the posts for the win.

Rufino Bensadon was MVP and Louis Hine’s Irenita Dama (Open Trueno x Irenita Princesa) was Best Playing Pony. Bensadon’s Luca Penélope (River Slaney x Gete Moon) was Best Argentine Bred Horse.

Next up was the Queen’s Cup, June 1-27, at Guards Polo Club. A total of 15 teams played, divided into three brackets. It was the most teams in nearly 10 years. The teams played the other four teams in their bracket in preliminary rounds before moving on to the quarter final rounds. A highlight of the tournament was the amount of young players, including four talented 15-year-olds, competing. It was also good to see spectators in the stands after the pandemic kept them away in 2020, however it was a light crowd compared to previous years.

Defending champion Dillon Bacon, playing this year as Great Oak, finished 2-2 in preliminary play and would not get the chance to defend the title.

While Scone (David Paradice, Poroto Cambiaso, Isidro Strada, Adolfo Cambiaso) wasn’t as successful in the first tournament, it improved in this event and eventually made it to the quarterfinal with a 3-1 record where it met King Power (Hugo Lewis/ Charles Cooney, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, Hilario Ulloa, Francisco Elizalde). Scone advanced to the semifinal round with a 9-7 win, meeting Monterosso (Alessandro Bazzoni, Ignacio Toccalino, David Stirling, Mackenzie Weisz), the only team it

Thai Polo’s James Harper, Nico Pieres, Ned Hine and Louis Hine won the British Gold Cup at Cowdray Park.

POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 35

Persistent rains continued through the British Gold Cup final.

UAE’s Tommy Beresford didn’t shy away from covering Scone’s Adolfo Cambiaso in the Queen’s Cup final.

36 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

lost to in preliminary play. Never to be counted out, this time Scone prevailed, 11-8.

On the other side, UAE Polo Team (HH Sheikha Maitha, Tomas Panelo, Polito Pieres, Tommy Beresford), led by HH Sheikha Maitha bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the daughter of the ruler of Dubai, went 3-1 in preliminary rounds, falling only to Murus Sanctus-La Magdeleine (Matt Perry, Sapo Caset, Facundo Sola, Alexandre Garese), 15-10. The two teams met again in the quarters, where UAE got the 10-9 edge. Advancing to the semifinal, UAE faced UAE II (Jaime Huidobro, Hugo Taylor, Lucas Monteverde Jr., Alfredo Capella). UAE advanced with a 13-10 win.

During the tournament, Juan Martin Nero broke his leg falling with his horse after turning in front of oncoming traffic. Adding insult to injury, he received two yellow cards for the incident. He was replaced for the remaining games, but hopefully will be healed up in time for the Argentine Triple Crown.

Heavy clouds returned for the final match with rain forecast but miraculously it held off.

Adolfo Cambiaso passed to Poroto early in the chukker to score first. Soon after, Adolfo was hit in the arm by Beresford and Scone was awarded a Penalty 2, which Adolfo converted. UAE took over in the second half of the chukker with Beresford and Pieres finding the target. Strada opened the third with a goal and Adolfo followed, chipping a ball over Pieres’ head and into the goal. The action went back and forth before Pieres carried the ball through traffic to score at the end of the chukker, bringing it close, 4-3.

One of the umpires came off his horse early in the third. With Cambiaso carrying the ball in his direction, the players stopped to allow the umpire to remount. The umpire dropped the ball for Cambiaso, who hit it once then missed it. UAE jumped on the ball and a Scone mistake gave UAE a Penalty 2, which Beresford easily converted to knot the score at 4-all. At the halfway mark, Paradice got a ball in the backside, requiring a few minutes to shake it off. Scone was awarded a Penalty 5 from mid-field, which Strada sent nearly to the goal.

Adolfo got a piece of it about 10 yards out, deflecting it wide. UAE brought the ball to the other side of the field, but Strada accidentally knocked it out and UAE was awarded a Penalty 6. Beresford shot was off Strada’s horse. UAE got the ball back and Pieres necked it to goal with two minutes left in the half.

Pieres then brought the ball to the other side, passing to Maitha, who carried it through the posts.

Umpires called Maitha for a crossing penalty, so the

goal didn’t count. Later, with seven seconds on the clock, UAE was awarded a spot hit and shot to goal, but it was wide. UAE carried a narrow 5-4 lead into the half.

The UAE defense was making Adolfo work and he was struggling a bit, uncharacteristically missing balls and not able to get distance on the balls he was hitting. In the fourth, UAE was awarded a Penalty 2 after a hard bump by Poroto shook Panelo’s horse, earning Poroto a yellow card. Beresford converted the penalty then nearly found the goal from the Penalty 5 midfield hit that followed. Pieres helped it through the posts giving UAE a three-goal lead. Late in the chukker, UAE cleared a Poroto shot in front of the goal then got the ball to the other end of the field where Pieres fired, doubling up Scone, 8-4.

The play went back and forth, Scone unable to break through the UAE defense since the second chukker. With just over a minute remaining, Poroto got the ball by the goal and flicked a back shot through the posts but Pieres responded, taking the ball from the throw-in and running unchallenged straight to goal to maintain a four-goal difference heading into the last seven minutes.

Thai Polo’s Louis Hine, Ned Hine, Rufino Bensadon and Ale Muzzio won the Prince of Wales Trophy to start the season.

UAE’s Tommy Beresford, Polito Pieres, HH Sheikha Maitha and MVP Tomas Panelo won the Queen’s Cup.

POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 37

Thai Polo’s Ned Hine played lights out all season, including in the Prince of Wales Trophy final.

UAE’s JB Bleach, an 11-year-old chestnut mare, proved herself in the Queen’s Cup final, earning Best Playing Pony honors.

38 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

NANO’S POLO MALLETS An early possession play in the sixth allowed Adolfo to shoot to goal but it went wide. With just over four minutes remaining, Scone was whistled on a play and UAE was awarded a Penalty 2, which Pieres easily converted. It was the nail in Scone’s coffin, separating the teams by five goals. Scone continued to struggle for control, but a persistent UAE defense wouldn’t allow it. At the two-minute mark, Scone was awarded a Penalty 2.

Adolfo handed over the duty to Poroto, who found the goal. With a minute remaining, one of Adolfo’s strongest hits went into Beresford’s back, bouncing wide. After a minute to catch his breath, Scone was awarded a Penalty 6. Adolfo’s attempt went wide. Time ran out with UAE holding the trophies.

The 21-year-old Tomas Panelo was named MVP while UAE’s JB Bleach, an 11-year-old Chestnut mare played by Polito Pieres, was Best Playing Pony. Bred

by James Beim, he sold the mare to pro Emma Boers, apparently saying the mare wasn’t up to his level of play. She sold it to UAE, and the mare more than proved herself in one of England’s biggest tournaments.

An emotional Panelo was anxious to celebrate with his family members, including his 99-year-old grandmother.

Team coach Lucas Monteverde was happy for Sheikha Maitha. “To play the Queen’s Cup against the best player in the world and win it, I am very happy for her,” he said.

In the subsidiary, Park Place (Juan Britos, Andrey Borodin, Will Harper, Facundo Pieres) defeated King Power, 129. Borodin was out with an injury, so he was replaced by Emily Johnson.

The British Open Gold Cup at Cowdray Park Polo Club began immediately after. Adolfo and Poroto Cambiaso were on the Next Generation team when it won in 2020 and were hoping for a repeat, this time with Scone.

Thirteen teams divided into three brackets competed over several weeks.

UAE carried the momentum into the semifinal, where it defeated Great Oaks Les Lions (Guillermo Terrera, Dillon

Bacon, Barto Castagnola, Cruz Heguy), 12-10, to reach the final. It faced a revamped Thai Polo (Louis Hine, Ned Hine, Nico Pieres, James Harper) that crushed Scone, 12-4, in the semifinal.

The final was played July 25 under a persistent rain. Two minutes into the game, Thai Polo opened the score after Ned Hine left the ball for Harper, who necked it between the posts. Nico Pieres followed, outrunning Beresford and hitting the ball out of the air to end the chukker, 2-0. Ned Hine scored early in the second to increase the difference before the game was temporarily called because of heavy rain. Once back in play, Beresford sunk a Penalty 4 to put UAE on the board. Polito Pieres passed to Panelo to bring UAE within one, 3-2, but Louis Hine gave the team a 5-2 lead at the half.

The wet conditions impacted scoring throughout the game, but the teams kept pushing, trading goals. The Hine brothers each scored in the fourth, increasing the lead. Beresford responded with back-toback goals to bring UAE within three, 74. Louis Hine scored a back shot early in the fifth and Nico Pieres scored another.

Panelo tallied to get UAE closer but time was not on UAE’s side. Beresford converted a penalty late in the chukker to bring the team within two, 9-7, but the clock ran out with Thai Polo on top.

Nico Pieres, winning his first Gold Cup title, was MVP and his 9-year-old Argentine mare, Open Lourdes (Virgin x Sportivo) was Best Playing Pony. Emily Pearson, daughter of Lord Cowdray presented the trophies.

After the season, handicap changes were announced. Going down are Juan Martin Nero and Pablo Mac Donough from 10 to 9 goals; Alejandro Muzzio from 8 to 7 goals; Jack Richardson and James Biem from 7 to 6 goals; and James Beh from 1 to 0. Going up are Jeta Castagnola from 8 to 9; Poroto Cambiaso from 7 to 8; Tomas Panelo from 6 to 8; Lucas Monteverde Jr. from 5 to 6; Cruz Heguy, Mackenzie Weisz and Ned Hine from 4 to 5; Hugo Taylor from 3 to 4; Louis Hine from 2 to 4; and Max Voelker from 0 to 1.

•

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P O L O I N T H E PA M PA S

Happy ending Family relieved with Pedrito Heguy’s long-awaited recovery

By Lucas Noel

Eduardo Heguy’s son, Pedrito is going through the last stages of his recovery after having suffered a double fracture at the base of his skull in February.

The image published by Eduardo Heguy himself on his social media networks on the day Pedrito finally returned home describes, as no words can do, the ordeal and anguish this traditional polo family has lived through during these months.

The videos posted by @rusoheguy in May, when his son came back home, and the last week of July, when they traveled to the family residence in La Pampa, are a triumph of emotion, science, strength and faith behind an 11-year-old boy who had the entire polo community in Argentina on tenterhooks.

Pedrito’s grandparents, including Alberto Pedro Heguy (above), were happy to spend time with him during his recovery.

“And one day Pedro returned to La Pampa.” With that sentence ‘Ruso’ and his wife Paz Manau shared once again the immense joy of their loved ones and of all those who prayed for the health of one of their four children. It is the cold winter season in Argentina, but Pedrito was locked up for too many days beyond any pandemic quarantine, so there is no way to keep him still.

“It is incredible how many people he has mobilized, people who knew him and many who didn’t, from here in Argentina and from many parts

40 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

of the world. We are eternally grateful,” affirms an emotional Eduardo.

Earlier, on May 1, it was an unforgettable day when he went back home to Pilar. There he was reunited with his sisters 15-year-old Pampa and 9year-old Luján, while his 17-year-old brother Cruz had traveled to England to play his first season in the high handicap. His father filmed Pedrito in the garden kicking a soccer ball with his left foot, a sign of his miraculous rehabilitation.

“He walks more, he moves better, he goes out, he goes back and forth. And he is very careful, always with his [head] protector,” clarified a happy Papa Heguy. As soon as he returned home, Pedrito also began to practice some golf shots, but his daily routines were far from playful. He does kinesiology, therapy, speech therapy sessions and uses the protector at all times as a precaution. “He only takes it off to sleep. He is doing well, thank God. Much better than we imagined. Step by step,” explained Eduardo.

Fortunately, that Friday, February 5, is getting further away every day. That is the day Pedrito suffered a very hard fall while playing a family polo tournament at the Chapaleufú Club in Intendente Alvear, La Pampa. The impact was extremely dangerous because he could not break away from the stirrups and fall far from the horse, but hit the ground with force in the form of a whiplash. He was rushed to various medical centers. First in the town itself, then to the city of General Pico and finally to the provincial capital in Santa Rosa.

The first days were critical, with a brain operation needed to relieve pressure. He had bone fractures in the base of his skull and remained in a medicallyinduced coma for more than a week. Subsequently, he was transferred in a medical plane to Austral hospital, in the town of Pilar, province of Buenos Aires. And some time later, in a second stage of rehabilitation was moved to the Fleni sanatorium in Escobar. He stayed there until the long-awaited return home 84 days after the accident.

Throughout this process, there were daily prayer chains from family, friends, relatives and sports colleagues all over the world. An enormous amount

P O L O I N T H E PA M PA S

Ruso Heguy, his wife Paz and daughters Pampa and Luján were happy to have Pedrito home after 84 days. A helmet helped protect his head during his recovery.

of messages of solidarity to Ruso—former 10-goaler and four-time champion of the Argentine Open with Indios Chapaleufú II—were always answered with, “The energy that reaches us from everywhere is wonderful.”

Joy shook the atmosphere with his arrival home, to his room, reuniting with his dog, Loli, not to mention the constant calls to his grandparents, the legendary Alberto Pedro Heguy—17-time champion of the Argentine Open with the legendary Coronel Suarez team—and Silvia Molinari who traveled from La Pampa and spent three days at the home of another of their champion sons, Pepe Heguy, to enjoy time with their grandson. After having followed minuteby-minute the details of the distressing story and seeing how he evolved within the expected parameters, they were able to visit, listen and see him again, all happy and reunited as a family.

“Thank you very much. I am already perfect. Thanks a lot to all those who prayed for me,” Pedrito says these days on social networks, touching the right side of his head. He refers to the area operated on after the first hours of the accident to mitigate the pressure.

The last intervention he underwent in July was the one in which a plastic prosthesis was placed in the area, which is the final surgical part of the

recovery process planned by the medical team that takes care of him, headed by neurosurgeon Roberto de Rosa and therapist Silvio Torres.

Pedrito knows everything that has happened to him since February. Many things he does not

remember, something that the doctors maintain as positive. But even so, his father told him everything, even showing him some images of the day-to-day recovery early on, and videos, like the greeting he sent to grandfather Alberto Pedro asking him to “get his f**king horses ready.”

•

Doctors implanted a prosthesis in Pedrito’s skull during his final surgery in July.

POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 41

POLO REPORT DISPATCHES FROM THE WORLD OF POLO

SOUTHEAST

MURRELL PHOTOGRAPHY

10X TRIUMPHS IN WOMEN’S SERIES EVENT

Karson Bizell puts the hook on Kerstie Allen in the final of the second event of the Mid-Continent Women’s Polo Series in Dallas.

T

HE second event in the Mid-Continent Women’s Polo Series was played July 17, at Dallas Polo Club in Red Oak, Texas. Despite being midsummer in Texas, the weather was mild as four teams competed for the club’s Women’s 4-goal Invitational: Dallas Polo Club (Allison Booker, Calyste Hanks, Lizy Ayala, Syd Hagens and Taylor Hooten), 10X Polo (Kelly Coldiron, Kerstie Allen, Dani Gibson and Katerina Katova), LeasePlan (Lisa Yanskey, Verity Cameron, Kate Howe

42 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

and Karson Bizell) and Precious Metals (Whitney Walker, Ally Vaughn, Kitana St Cyr and Elyse Warren).

“To be on the field with such a great group of women is an honor. It’s been several years since I’ve played a women’s tournament and it just leaves me wanting to play more!” LeasePlan’s Lisa Yanskey said. “I came into this tournament honestly expecting the play to be a little slower so that I could re-evaluate my abilities and that simply wasn’t the case. These women

played fast and challenging which made it even more fun. My horses were wonderful, and it’s really cool to work for a company that supports our team and sees the value in sponsoring the sport.”

“This was my first field tournament, and it didn’t disappoint. I have been learning and playing arena polo with Legends Polo Club now for a little over a year, and the opportunity that has afforded me to better my game is invaluable,” Dallas Polo Club’s Taylor

R E P O R T

MURRELL PHOTOGRAPHY

MILAGROS MARTINEZ

P O L O

10X’s Kelly Coldiron, Kerstie Allen, Katerina Katova and Dani Gibson won the women’s event in Dallas.

by participating in these tournaments.

Points are based on the number of teams and a team’s rank in the tournament, with additional points for MVP and sportsmanship winners.

NORTHEAST

GARDENVALE ACES USPA OFFICERS CUP Gardenvale rode the wave of victory straight through to the final of the MILAGROS MARTINEZ

Hooten noted. “This was so much fun and I can’t wait for the opportunity to play alongside these women in some of the upcoming events.”

The first game saw 10X Polo take on LeasePlan in an evenly-matched handicap game. 10X Polo pulled away with the win, advancing to the final against Precious Metals, which defeated Dallas Polo Club.

The final was a nail-biter with a tie at the end of regulation and a shootout to determine the winner.

Ultimately, 10X Polo came away with the win. LeasePlan’s Lisa Yanskey was given the Sportsmanship award, and Ally Vaughn of Precious Metals took the MVP trophy. Kelly Coldiron’s mare Zetta won Best Playing Pony.

In addition to the lady’s tournament, the club hosted a mixed open the following day, consisting of many of the women who attended the first day and pros like Bil and Will Walton.

“Dallas Polo Club was honored to host this tournament. I can’t speak highly enough of the women that participated in this event, and the skill they brought to the field. The camaraderie between the teams was evident to all, and made this talented group even more fun,” said LeasePlan’s Verity Cameron.

In the Mid-Continent Women’s Polo Tournament Series, individuals gain points toward end-of-year awards

Gardenvale’s Tavi Usandizaga, Connor Finemore, Nico Bongiovanni and Jack Kiely won the USPA Officers Cup.

USPA Officers Cup at Mashomack Polo Club in Pine Plains, New York, July 24.

Seven teams started the tournament hoping for a chance to have their names engraved on the trophy. While Gardenvale (Connor Finemore, Nico Bongiovanni, Jack Kiely, Tavi Usandizaga) finished at the top after preliminary rounds, finalist Savanna (Nicolas Bienstock, Milo Dorignac, Juanse Olivera, Gaston Lisioli) had to win a shootout to earn its spot.

Gardenvale began the final with a

Gardenvale’s Jack Kiely presses the line while Savanna’s Milo Dorignac comes in to challenge.

POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 43

P O L O

R E P O R T

Dracarys’ Chetan Krishna, Joseph Schwartz, Kris Kampsen and Horton Schwartz won the Old Westbury Cup.

handicap goal and Kiely and Usandizaga added to it with two goals each in the first chukker. Olivera and Lisoli put Savanna on the board in the second and kept Gardenvale from scoring. Lisoli continued to chip away at the deficit in the third with a penalty conversion, but Finemore and Usandizaga fought back, each scoring to increase the difference to four heading into the halftime break.

Kiely and Usandizaga continued to widen the gap in the fourth. Lisoli converted a Penalty 3 but Usandizaga and Olivera answered back, giving Gardenvale a six-goal advantage, 11-5.

Gardenvale tightened the noose in the fifth with three goals but Savanna kept fighting. Dorignac shot through a big goal and Olivera scored a hat trick in the final chukker, but it wasn’t enough and Gardenvale celebrated the 14-9 victory.

Tavi Usandizaga was named MVP and his Viuda Negra was Best Playing Pony. Gardenvale earned the $2,500 prize money--part of the USPA tournament stimulus package--which it donated back to the club.

Just a day prior, the club held its 22nd annual International Polo Challenge. Five teams competed in the event. After the 2020 event was canceled, 500 eager spectators gathered under the tent to cheer the teams on.

In the end, NIHI Santo Tomas, Costa

44 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

Marjing’s Henry Porter, Tomas Ferrari, Gates Gridley and Billy Howard won the Al Bianco Memorial at Meadowbrook Polo Club.

Rica (James McBride, Juanse Olivera, Harry Zurcher, Ronald Zurcher) went home with the trophies. McBride was presented with the Mathias GuerrandHermès Sportsmanship Award.

The tournament benefits the Mashomack Barns Preservation and NY State Troopers Foundation.

DRACARYS TAKES OLD WESTBURY CUP Back-to-back 6-goal tournaments were held at the Meadowbrook Polo Club in Old Westbury, New York, in early August.

In the first event, three teams entered The Old Westbury Cup. A round robin was held over two days, with scores following over from the first day. Dracarys (Chetan Krishna, Joseph Schwartz, Kris Kampsen, Horton Schwartz), Meadowbrook (Glen Lostritto, Adam Lipson, Vlad Tarashansky, Agustin Bottaro, Juan Redlich) and Country Farms (George Fox, Esteban Panelo, Henry Zavaleta, Mrinal Dansingani) battled it out with Dracarys taking first place, while Meadowbrook was second and Country Farms was third. Kris Kampsen was MVP. The following week, the club held the Al Bianco Memorial. In the final, Marjing (Billy Howard, Tomas Ferrari,

Henry Porter, Gates Gridley) took on Passmore (Damien Vanderwilt, Nacho Cabrera, Frankie Ayala, Santi Novillo Astrada). Marjing enjoyed a slight edge through the match, leading 3-2 at the half. Marjing outscored Passmore, 2-1, in the third but Passmore rallied in the final chukker, scoring three to Marjing’s two goals. But it was just short of what the team needed and Marjing hung on to win, 7-6.

Al Bianco’s son John presented the trophies. Damien Vanderwilt, who contributed three goals, was MVP. In the subsidiary, IGEA (Glen Lostritto, Adam Lipson, Agustin Bottaro, Juan Redlich) edged Meadowbrook (Glenn Sam Lostritto, Mrinal Dansingani, Esteban Panelo, Henry Zavaleta), 7-6.

TRIO OF EVENTS IN GREENWICH Greenwich Polo Club in Greenwich, Connecticut, is celebrating its 40th anniversary by holding three 16-goal events: the East Coast Bronze Cup, the East Coast Silver Cup and the East Coast Gold Cup. The highest-rated polo on the East Coast saw closely matched teams, with three separate quartets celebrating victory in front of sold-out crowds.

The East Coast Bronze Cup was

R E P O R T

PETER T. MICHAELIS

PETER T. MICHAELIS

P O L O

IGEA’s Gringo Colombres, Costi Caset, Juan Redlich and Adam Lipson topped the East Coast Silver Cup in Greenwich.

PETER T. MICHAELIS

PETER T. MICHAELIS

White Birch’s Chris Brant, Juanse Olivera, Pablo Llorente and Mariano Aguerre won the East Coast Bronze Cup at Greenwich.

Level Select’s Santi Torres gets the hook on White Birch’s Mariano Aguerre in the East Coast Bronze Cup.

Altaris’ Joaquin Panelo, Valerio Zubiaurre, Milo Dorignac and Jamal Nusseibeh won Greenwich’s East Coast Gold Cup.

held June 6-20 with four teams playing each of the other teams with the two best records advancing to the final. In the final, White Birch (Chris Brant, Juan Olivera Jr., Pablo Llorente Jr., Mariano Aguerre) came from behind to defeat Palm Beach Equine (Scott Swerdlin, Constancio Caset, Juan Redlich, Raul Colombres), 11-8.

Brant was MVP and Aguerre’s Odelay was Best Playing Pony.

In preliminary games, White Birch defeated Altaris (Jamal Nusseibeh, Milo Dorignac, Joaquin Panelo, Valerio Zubiaurre), 14-9; Palm Beach Equine 10-7; and Level Select CBD (Andrew/Max Gundlach, Santi Torres, Pedro Falabella, Enrique Zavaleta), 98. On the other side, Palm Beach Equine defeated Level Select CBD,

11-7; and Altaris, 17-11.

Altaris edged Barton, 11-10.

Next up was the East Coast Silver Cup scheduled from June 24-July 4. IGEA (Adam Lipson, Constancio Caset, Juan Redlich, Gringo Colombres) took Palm Beach Equine’s spot on the roster.

Altaris was getting stronger as the competition went on. It defeated White Birch, 10-7, before ousting Level Select CBD, 11-7, and IGEA, 14-11.

It moved on to the final with the only undefeated record. Filling the other final spot was not as easy. IGEA edge Level Select CBD, 11-8, but fell to White Birch, 19-14. White Birch then

fell to Level Select CBD, 10-8. This left these three teams in a tie, each with 12 records. It took a shootout to determine a winner, with IGEA advancing.

Rain postponed the final but when it finally relented, IGEA edged Altaris, 10-9, in overtime. Gringo Colombres, scored the winning goal and was MVP. His Coquito was Best Playing Pony.

Two additional teams: Ellipse (Louis Devaleix, Roberto Bilbao, Carlos Ulloa, Lucas Diaz Alberdi) and Faraway (Hutton Goodman, Henry Porter, Kris Kampsen, Julian Daniels) joined

POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 45

R E P O R T D. JEAN VERGARA

P O L O

Pinkard Properties’ Justin Pimsner, PJ Orthwein, Liv Berube and Sophie Grant won the Constitution Cup at Maryland Polo Club.

the East Coast Gold Cup. Rain continued to be an issue, delaying the start a week.

The teams, divided into two brackets, played across bracket and earned two points for every win. The top four teams, based on points, advanced to the semifinals.

Preliminary games had White Birch edging Level Select CBD, 9-8; Ellipse slipping White Birch, 12-11; Altaris defeating Level Select, 10-7; IGEA beating Faraway, 12-11; and Ellipse besting Altaris, 13-11. White Birch beat Faraway, 11-9; IGEA narrowly edged Level Select, 13-12; Altaris slipped Faraway, 12-11; and Ellipse beat IGEA, 11-8.

Ellipse, the only undefeated team, eliminated White Birch in the first semifinal, while Altaris ousted IGEA in the second semi. In the final, Altaris, determined not to let another final slip through its fingers, was down by one in the waning minutes when a young Milo Dorignac became a hero, tying the score to force overtime and giving the team another chance. In the overtime chukker, Joaquin Panelo connected with the goal to give Altaris the 12-11 win. Sixteen-year-old Milo Dorignac was named MVP and his Leona was Best Playing Pony.

IGEA edged Level Select CBD, 1211, for third place honors.

46 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

Hawkwood’s Barclay Knapp, Kathy Fowser, Leandro Berrios and Francisco Llosa won the Arby Dobb Cup at Tinicum Park Polo.

EAST

PINKARD PROPERTIES CAPTURES MD TOURNEY Pinkard Properties aced the 6-goal USPA Constitution Cup at the Maryland Polo Club in Jarrettsvile, Maryland, July 25. Three teams competed in the event.

Pinkard Properties began with a one-goal handicap and held onto it for the win. In the final, Pinkard Properties (Liv Berube, Sophie Grant, Justin Pimsner, PJ Orthwein) took on Quiet Creek Farm (Olivia Reynolds, Hanna Reynolds, Nate Berube, Herndon Radcliffe). After Pinkard Properties received a one-goal head start, neither team was able to reach the goal in the first 14 minutes of the match. Not so quiet, Nate Berube struck first early in the third and Hannah Reynolds followed with a goal, but Grant and Pimsner responded with goals of their own, leaving Pinkard Properties on top, 3-2, at the half.

Radcliffe put Quiet Creek ahead in the fourth, scoring two goals including a Penalty 2 conversion. Orthwein leveled the score early in the fifth, but Radcliffe struck again to put Quiet Creek back in the lead, 5-4. Pinkard Properties managed to control the last

seven minutes, keeping Quiet Creek away from the goal while Grant and Orthwein struck again for the 7-5 win.

In earlier games, Dovecote (Louisa Huber, Max Hempt, Tom Huber, Jake Brown) was eliminated.

Sophie Grant was named MVP and Nate Berube’s Fireball was Best Playing Pony.

HAWKWOOD SOARS IN ARBY DOBB CUP Hawkwood topped a five-team line-up to take the title in the 4-goal Arby Dobb Cup at Tinicum Park Polo Club in Erwinna, Pennsylvania, July 24.

The teams played off with Hawkwood (Barclay Knapp, Kathy Fowser, Leandro Berrios, Francisco Llosa) defeating Arby Dobb (Rhea Lowenthal, Nate Berube, Trevor Reeves, Tim Cheromcka), 7-5, in the first playoff match. Berrios led the scoring with five goals. Llosa contributed two, including a Penalty 3 conversion.

The other three teams played a round robin. Duende (Anne Oniskey, Cheryl Arnold, Gabi Maldonado, Martin Eddy) got the best of JMB (Katie Mitchum, Juan Martinez-Baez, José Cervantes, Alan Medina). Duende began with a half-goal handicap and Eddy added to it with a Penalty 4 con-

P O L O

Legends’ Nacho Estrada, Verity Cameron and Don English Jr. won the Arena Amateur Cup.

version, then a field goal. Mitchum put JMB on the board, but Maldonado answered with a goal of his own in the second. Duende won 3½-1. In the next round, JMB took on Weidel (Mark Mulligan, Juan Vidal, Richard Weidel, Joaquin Arguello). After Arquello put Weidel on the board with a Penalty 2 and a field goal, Martinez-Baez shot through a Penalty 3 for JMB. Medina scored from the field to tie the score and Martinez-Baez hit the target to give JMB the 3-2 win.

In the last round, Weidel took on Duende. Weidel needed to win by two goals to advance to the final. Rich Weidel put his team on the board, but Eddy and Maldonado shot back for Duende, adding to a half-goal handicap, ending the first 2½-1. Vidal scored early in the second and Arguello put Weidel ahead. Eddy briefly took back the lead before Vidal split the uprights to put Weidel on top. Time ran out and even though Weidel won, 4-3½, it wasn’t enough to advance to the final. The teams had 1-1 records so Duende advanced on net goals.

A consolation match was held prior to the final. Weidel faced Arby Dobb.

Mulligan put Weidel on the board in the first but that would be the only scoring in the first half. Berube ended the drought in the third with back-toback penalty conversions. Arguelo con-

R E P O R T

Greg Summers on Best Playing Pony Lolita.

The mare is owned by Summers’ daughter Tori.

verted a Penalty 2 for Weidel, then scored from the field to take a 3-2 lead. Reeves found the mark on a Penalty 3 conversion in the last chukker, but Vidal ran to goal to give Weidel the 4-3 win.

The highly-anticipated final drew a large crowd as Hawkwood and Duende took the field. Duende began with a two-goal handicap, but a field goal by Llosa and a Penalty 1 negated the advantage. Eddy gave Duende the edge in the second with a Penalty 3 conversion, which went unanswered, ending the half, 3-2. Llosa sunk a Penalty 3 in the third to knot the score and it was the only goal of the chukker.

Hawkwood wanted the win and it showed. They gave it all they had in the last seven minutes. Llosa broke the tie and Berrios scored another. With time winding down, Llosa found the goal again while the team turned back all Duende drives.

Hawkwood was the victor. Martin Eddy was MVP and Llosa’s Soul was Best Playing Pony.

GREAT PLAINS

LEGENDS SUCCEEDS IN ARENA AMATEUR CUP Legends Polo Club came away the win-

ner in the 0- to 3-goal Arena Amateur Cup final, played at Northwest Arkansas Polo Club in Gravette, Arkansas, July 11. The weekend tournament attracted five teams made up of a mix of players from across the Great Plains circuit as well as those from Legend’s Polo Club.

The club has a unique arena with a well-manicured turf surface and open ends. The club has been working with USPA umpires to combine some arena and outdoor polo rules for a fun and fast stadium polo experience for players and fans. A stadium polo ball was used in place of a traditional inflated arena ball.

In the final, Legends (Verity Cameron, Don English Jr., Nacho Estrada) took on Tulsa Polo Club (William Massart, Don Gruntmeir, Greg Summers). Tulsa began with a two-goal handicap, but Legends negated it in the first with unanswered goals

by English and Cameron. English scored again and Estrada jumped in with a field goal and two penalty conversions. Tulsa’s first goal came from a penalty conversion from Summers.

Summers added another penalty conversion in the third, but English and Estrada combined for three goals to take a 9-4 lead going into the last seven minutes. Cameron struck early in the fourth and English followed with

POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 47

R E P O R T KAILE ROOS PHOTOGRAPHY

P O L O

Lonesome Wind’s Harrison Azzaro, Hunter Azzaro, Amy Azzaro and Mike Azzaro with Drea Salas, Georgia Stone and Justin Huber

two goals, including a penalty conversion. Tulsa was unable to reach the goal and Legends took the 12-4 win.

English was named MVP and Tori Summer’s Lolita, played by her father Greg, won Best Playing Pony.

To get to the final, Legends edged Legends II (Marcus Murphy, Jan Pieter Zweegers, Megan Rahlfs), 5-3, and crushed Horn and Hound (Leon Bechet, Bob Koehler, Jair De la Pena), 7-2. Tulsa advanced to the final with a 12-8 win over 10X Polo (Kelly Coldiron, Ann Heidman, Michael Scott). In other play, Legends II downed Horn and Hound, 8-1, to earn third place.

In club matches, Legends crushed NWA Polo Club, 14-2, and Little Egypt Polo Club of Northeastern Arkansas defeated NWA Polo Club, 12-8. After the matches, Ali and Charles Strickland treated players and guests to a barbecue.

PAC I F I C N O R T H W E S T

AZZAROS TAKE MASTERS CUP The Lonesome Wind Ranch team, made up of members of the Azzaro family, triumphed in the USPA 8-goal Masters Cup at Jackson Hole Polo Club in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, July

48 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

BTA’s Paige Boone, Frankie Bilbao, MVP Steve Krueger and Kelly Beal won the Oliver Wallop Cup.

18. Four teams signed up for the event, playing a semifinal round with winners advancing to the final two days later.

Lonesome Wind (Amy Azzaro, Hunter Azzaro/Alejandro Velez, Harrison Azzaro, Mike Azzaro) began with a three-goal handicap when it faced The Bird (Tim Kelly, Jennie Phipps, Peter Blake, Max Menini). Blake converted a Penalty 3 in the first to get the scoring started. Soon after, he was replaced by Charly Quincoces. Menini converted a Penalty 2 in the second to chip away at the handicap difference, but Harrison Azzaro found the goal to increase the lead. Kelly and Quincoces sandwiched goals around one from Mike Azzaro in the third to end the half with Lonesome Wind’s lead dwindling to one, 5-4.

Kelly and Quincoces gave Lonesome the one-two punch in the fourth, giving The Bird a first-time lead, 6-5.

Quincoces increased the difference to two early in the fifth, but Mike Azzaro shot through back-to-back goals to bring the game level, 7-7. Menini scored in the last period to give The Bird the lead, but Harrison Azzaro answered to knot it back up, 8-8.

Despite the tie, Lonesome Wind Ranch was awarded the victory when The Bird forfeited after a Rule 5 violation.

Harrison Azzaro was MVP, while Mike Azzaro’s Allie was Best Playing Pony. Lonesome Wind also took the $1,250 prize money, while second place took $750.

To get to the final, The Bird defeated Fair Ckats (Esther Kane, Bob Edmundson/Sarah Prinsloo, Charly Quincoces, Martin Zegers), while Lonesome Wind defeated Shootin’ Skies (Gary Roubin, Jimmy Wetter, Marcos Villanueva, Ignacio Deltour).

BTA BUTTONS UP SEASON OPENER The Flying H Polo Club in Big Horn, Wyoming, has had a full season with tournaments every week, beginning on July 10.

BTA (Paige Boone, Frankie Bilbao, Steve Krueger, Kelly Beal) won the first event, the Oliver Wallop Cup, getting the best of Parrot Heads (Pite Merlos, Roni Duke, Steven Burr, Adam Snow), 10-7. Steve Krueger was name MVP and Bilbao’s Normita was Best Playing Pony.

In the consolation Canyon Ranch Classic, Cessna (Chip Campbell, Julian De Lusarreta, Gonzalo Teves, Gillian Johnston) edged Jan Pamela (Hector Galindo, Felipe Marquez, Camp Campbell, Wayne Garrison), 11-10. Camp

R E P O R T

KAILE ROOS PHOTOGRAPHY

KAILE ROOS PHOTOGRAPHY

P O L O

Clearwater’s Will Johnston, Camp Campbell, Lucio Benedit and Felipe Marquez won the Skeeter Johnston Memorial.

KAILE ROOS PHOTOGRAPHY

KAILE ROOS PHOTOGRAPHY

Cessna’s Lance Stefanakis, Gonzalo Teves, Alfonso Pieres and Chip Campbell won the Cloud Peak Cup.

The Villages’ Julian De Lusarreta, Alfonso Pieres, Paige Boone and Wayne Garrison won the Gallatin Ranch Cup.

Campbell was MVP and Johnston’s Earwig was Best Playing Pony.

The following week, Cessna (Lance Stefanakis, Gonzalo Teves, Alfonso Pieres, Chip Campbell) won the Cloud Peak Cup, 12-10, over Coke (Hector Galindo, Julian De Lusarreta, Gillian Johnson, Wayne Garrison). Alfonso Pieres was MVP and Stefanakis’ Pocatella won Best Playing Pony.

Myopia Seagulls (Stephen Burr, Camp Campbell, Felipe Marquez, Adam Snow) topped Manderleigh (Phillip Higgins, Will Johnston, Miguel Astrada, Lucio Benedit), 8-5, in the consolation Cloud Peak Classic.

Clearwater (Will Johnston, Camp Campbell, Lucio Benedit, Felipe Marquez) won the Skeeter Johnston Memorial after defeating BTA (Lance

Parrot Heads’ Roni Duke, Julian De Lusarreta, Gillian Johnston and Pite Merlos won the Moncrieffe Cup.

Stefanakis, Alfonso Pieres, Steve Krueger, Kelly Beal), 15-10, in the final. Camp Campbell was MVP and Will Johnston’s Hello Kitty was Best Playing Pony.

In the consolation Everglades Classic, Coca Cola (Stephen Burr, Adam Snow, Julian De Lusarreta, Gillian Johnston) got the best of Jan Pamela (Wayne Garrison, Phillip Higgins, Miguel Astrada, Hector Galindo), 13-7.

Stephen Burr was MVP and Gillian Johnston’s Sugar was Best Playing Pony.

The Villages (Julian De Lusarreta, Alfonso Pieres, Paige Boone, Wayne Garrison) celebrated victory in the Gallatin Ranch Cup. The team defeated Horsegate (Craig Duke, Frankie Bilbao, Pite Merlos, Lance Stefanakis),

11-8. Craig Duke was MVP and De Lusarreta’s Hootch was Best Playing Pony.

Manderleigh (Phillip Higgins, Chip Campbell, Felipe Marquez, Steve Krueger) took the consolation Johnny Clove Classic, 11-10, over Clearwater (Jeff Blake, Adam Snow, Camp Campbell, Roni Duke). Jeff Blake was MVP and Marquez’s W was Best Playing Pony.

Play continued in the Moncrieffe Cup. Parrot Heads (Roni Duke, Julian De Lusarreta, Gillian Johnston, Pite Merlos) beat Myopia Seagulls (Stephen Burr, Adam Snow, Frankie Bilbao, Paige Boone), 12-10. Julian De Lusarreta was MVP and G-String’s Baby Back, played by De Lusarreta, was Best Playing Pony.

POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 49

R E P O R T ANDREW MEIER

KAILE ROOS PHOTOGRAPHY

P O L O

Teepee’s Santos Teves, Max Barnes, Stephen Burr and Quinn Evans won the Archie MacCarty Cup at Flying H Polo Club.

ANDREW MEIER

Jan Pamela (Alfonso Pieres, Carlitos Galindo, Zulu Barnes and Wayne Garrison) topped BTA (KC Krueger, Phillip Higgins, Steve Krueger, Miguel Astrada), 12-9, in the consolation Budweiser Cup. Carlitos Galindo was MVP and Steve Krueger’s Valid was Best Playing Pony.

The Archie MacCarty Cup, a junior tournament, went to Teepee (Santos Teves, Max Barnes, Stephen Burr, Quinn Evans) after it downed Flying H (Abby Benton, Carter Nix, Avery Evans, Malia Bryan), 5-2. Malia Bryan

Beaver Creek’s Lindo Novillo Corvalan gets the ball under pressure from Oak Brook’s Horacio Onetto in the Butler Challenge Cup.

50 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

Oak Brook’s Tomas Obregon, Mariano Gutierrez, Horacio Onetto and Jim Drury won the Butler Challenge at Oak Brook Polo Club.

was MVP and Orrin Connell’s Someday, played by Stephen Burr, was Best Playing Pony.

CENTRAL

OAK BROOK WINS BUTLER CHALLENGE The Oak Brook Polo Club season started off with rain, but after two cancellations, the Butler Challenge Cup was finally able to kick off the season at

the club’s historic Prince of Wales field in Oak Brook, Illinois, on July 18 in front of a large crowd.

The tournament pitted Beaver Creek (Chris Vangel, Turner Wheaton, Alfredo Guerreno, Lindo Novillo Corvalan) against Oak Brook (Jim Drury, Tomas Obregon, Horacio Onetto, Mariano Gutierrez). Beaver Creek began with a two-goal handicap. Onetto quickly negated the handicap with back-to-back goals but Corvalan scored to keep Beaver Creek ahead at the end of the first chukker, 3-2. Onetto scored two more and Gutierrez added one, while Beaver Creek was silenced. Onetto and Wheaton traded goals in the third to end the half, 6-4, in favor of Oak Brook.

Spectators took to the field during the break to stomp divots, browse the vintage and new Lamborghinis on display around the field, meet the adoptable dogs brought by PAWS Chicago and compete for best hat. Jennifer Gaeto took the Best Hat honors.

Both teams battled for control in the second half. Onetto scored to increase the lead to three, but Corvalan and Wheaton combined for three goals to knot the score, 7-7. In the fifth, Corvalan traded goals with Onetto and Obregon, ending with Oak Brook holding a slight edge, 10-9.

R E P O R T

DAVID LOMINSKA/POLOGRAPHICS

P O L O

Casa Socas’ Aquiles Ramirez Lopez, Marcial Socas, Timur Kotelnikov and Angus Harris won the Congressional Cup.

Onetto and Wheaton traded goals in the sixth, but Beaver Creek was not able to score again, leaving Oak Brook narrowly on top, 11-10.

Horacio Onetto was MVP and Corvalan’s Maria was Best Playing Pony.

PAC I F I C C OA S T

CASA SOCAS SECURES CONGRESSIONAL CUP Cerro Pampa Polo Club in Petaluma, California, held the USPA Congressional Cup, July 31-Aug. 1. Four teams competed in the event.

The tournament began with Baum Squad (Steve Baumhoff, Elizabeth Holson, Mehrdad Baghai, Katy McKegney, Juan Ussher) topping Wrightway (Erik Wright, Michael LaBlanc, Marco Esposto, Lucas Esposto, Nicole Hai, Jena Watson), 7-4. Baum Squad got off to a solid start, leading 3-0 in the second before Wrightway got on the board. Baum Squad answered every Wrightway goal, allowing the team to advance to the final.

Later, Casa Socas (Marcial Socas, Timur Kotelnikov, Aquiles Ramirez Lopez, Angus Harris) edged Tevis Ranch (Richard Mansfield, Elizabeth Mansfield, Michael Dawson, Gregory

Klentner Ranch’s Jake Klentner, Jesse Bray, Patrick Uretz and Justin Klentner celebrate their Intra-Circuit Cup victory.

LaBlanc), 6-4. Casa Socas took an early, 4-0, lead after the first seven minutes. Tevis slowly chipped away at the deficit, tying the score, 4-4, in the last chukker but Socas came through in the waning minutes with back-to-back goals to give Casa Socas the win.

In the consolation the following day, Tevis Ranch matched Wrightway in the first chukker. Tevis Ranch powered ahead in the second with four unanswered goals. Erik Wright responded with three in a row in the third while Tevis was silenced, making the difference just one, 5-4. A Penalty 1 early in the fourth increased the difference to two. but a one-two punch from the husband and wife team of Richard and Elizabeth Mansfield gave Tevis a fivegoal lead. Wright put a last goal in for Wrightway but Tevis had the win.

In the final between Casa Socas and Baum Squad, Macial Socas started the scoring, pounding in three in a row. Kotelnikov added another early in the second before Ussher put Baum Squad on the board and Baumhoff followed with one of his own. Socas finished off the chukker, giving Casa Socas a comfortable, 5-2, lead at the half. Socas increased the lead, tripling up Baum Squad, 6-2, in the third with a lone goal. Ussher fought back in the final period, hitting the mark three

times before time ran out. Casa Socas held on, narrowly winning, 6-5.

Aside from the trophies, the team went home with the $2,500 prize money, part of the USPA tournament stimulus package.

KLENTNER RANCH TOPS INTRA-CIRCUIT CUP Klentner Ranch topped seven teams to capture the 12-goal Intra-Circuit Cup at Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club, June 4-20.

The teams were divided into two brackets and played a cross-bracket format. The first day of matches saw Dundas (Sarah Siegel-Magness, Mariano Fassetta, Roberto Zedda, Lucas Escobar) defeat Dundas II (Cable Magness, Jason Crowder, Geronimo Obregon, Luke Klentner), 12-9; Bensoleimani.com (Ben Soleimani, Bayne Bossom, Iñaki Laprida, Remy Du Celliee Muller) top Farmers & Merchants Bank (Danny Walker, Ryan Kerley, Matthew Walker, Lucas Criado, Felipe Vercellino), 13-9; and Antelope (Grant Palmer, Santiago Trotz, Segundo Saravi, Jimmy Wright) beat Klentner Ranch (Jacob Klentner, Justin Klentner, Patrick Uretz, Jesse Bray, Tony Uretz), 11-9.

POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 51

R E P O R T

DAVID LOMINSKA/POLOGRAPHICS

P O L O

It was smooth sailing for MVP Patrick Uretz on his way to goal in the Intra-Circuit Cup final in Santa Barbara. Teammate Jesse Bray follows closely behind.

Two days later, Bensoleimani.com edged Antelope, 11-7; Dundas II slipped FMB Too/Folded Hills (Henry Walker, Will Busch, Santiago Von Wernich, Santiago Wulff, Lucas Criado Jr.), 12-11; and Dundas beat Farmers & Merchants Bank, 13-12.

In Round 3, Antelope beat Dundas, 13-12; Klentner Ranch edged Dundas II, 10-9; and FMB Too/Folded Hills got the best of Farmers & Merchants Bank, 12-10.

The final round of playoffs had Klentner Ranch power ahead of Farmers & Merchants Bank, 15-10; Antelope edge FMB Too/Folded Hills, 7-6; and Bensoleimani.com beat Dundas II, 11-9.

In the semifinals, Klentner Ranch

52 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

defeated Dundas, 12-10, while Bensoleimani.com beat Antelope, 12-10.

The final featured an early Klentner lead. Producing 13 of the first 14 shots of the game, Klentner Ranch gave Bensoleimani.com little opportunity to score, building a 3-0 lead in the first chukker with goals from the duo of Bray and Uretz. Continuing to keep their foot on the gas, Klentner Ranch exploded for a five-goal second chukker, led by Bray who added three goals and an assist to give Klentner Ranch a commanding 8-0 advantage.

“This was our fourth time playing Bensoleimani.com over the course of the season so we know each other well and felt there wouldn’t be too many

surprises,” Bray said. “We controlled the majority of the throw-ins in the first two chukkers, which helped us create a big lead to start the game.

After that we just tried to play smart polo without fouling too often.”

Bensoleimani.com reorganized and began to chip away at the lead by holding Klentner scoreless in the third, while Laprida put the team on the board with a Penalty 2 conversion.

Muller followed with back-to-back goals, ending the half trailing, 8-3.

Klentner was held off the scoreboard for three consecutive chukkers, allowing Bensoleimani.com to chip away at the deficit. Muller scored a lone goal in the fourth chukker and Soleimani and Laprida scored to bring the team within two, 8-6, heading into the final seven minutes.

Uretz and Bossom traded goals in the last chukker but Bensoleimani.com was unable to make up any more ground and Klenter took the 9-7 win.

After not playing with his dad for a couple years, Jake Klentner felt the win was all the more special on Father’s Day. “Being able to reunite and win together on Father’s Day is amazing!” he said. “This is the first time I’ve won this tournament and it honestly felt almost as good as winning the Pacific Coast Open because I got to do it with my dad instead of substituting for him in 2018.”

“The Pacific Coast Circuit IntraCircuit Cup is a very difficult tournament to win, but playing with my son and raising the trophy on Father’s Day was incredible,” Justin Klentner added.

Uretz was MVP and Ben Soleimani’s 10-year-old Thoroughbred Mystery, played by Remy Du Celliee Muller, was Best Playing Pony.

Dundas II won the subsidiary final over Farmers & Merchants Bank, 1110. Ryan Kerley was named MVP and Geronimo Obregon’s chestnut mare Cambalache was Best Playing Pony.

P O L O

R E P O R T

Hardscrabble’s Mason Lampton Jr., Charlie Caldwell, Alan Martinez and Dennys Santana won both USPA 9-goal tournaments at Bliss.

MID-STATES

HARDSCRABBLE EXCELS IN BLISS 9-GOAL PLAY Hardscrabble went home with two sets of trophies after winning both the USPA Congressional Cup and USPA Masters Cup at Bliss Polo Club in Northern Michigan.

Each summer for the past 11 years the club has held three competitive, fun 9-goal events during its six-week season, which runs from early July to mid-August. Just like previous years, four teams have traveled to Bliss, just south of the Mackinac Straight. The weather is just perfect for polo with temperatures in the 70s during the day and cool evenings. With 15 paddocks, the ponies do well in the cool, fresh air.

The club consists of 30 acres of sandy soil, allowing the field to be moved around to keep it fresh. Good drainage dries it quickly after rain.

The teams play three times a week and enjoy water sports, golf, tennis, fishing and sightseeing at historic Mackinac Island during the days off.

This season, Hardscrabble (Mason Hardaway Lampton, Charlie Caldwell, Alan Martinez, Dennys Santana) was

the team to beat.

Bliss (Mason Houghland LampSteve Van Andel led Orchard Hill with five goals in the consolation ton, Harry Cald- finals of both the USPA Masters Cup and the USPA Constitution Cup. well, Pelon Escapite, Polo Baez) was a close secand Hardscrabble had the 14-10 win. ond, nipping at its heels in the finals Orchard Hill (Steven Van Andel, of both USPA events.

Chris Stratemann, Geronimo ObreThe teams met in the final of the gon, Joe Wayne Barry) topped Bush Masters Cup, July 23. Mason Lampton League (Andrew Scott, Quinn Kyle, Jr. put Hardscrabble on the board in Vaughn Miller, Ulysses Escapite), 11-9, the first, but Escapite answered. Marin the consolation. Van Andel lead the tinez found the mark for Hardscrabscoring with five goals. ble to give it a 2-1 lead at the end of Hardscrabble continued its domithe first. The teams turned up the nance in the Constitution Cup. The pressure in the second with Escapite tournament was played in a cross and Baez matching goals from Marbracket format. Hardscrabble once tinez and Santana, keeping the differagain made the final after edging ence just one, 5-4. Santana and LampOrchard Hill and Bush League in preton Sr. traded goals early in the third, liminary play. It met Bliss, which had but a pair of goals by Martinez gave lost its first game before defeating Hardscrabble a comfortable 8-5 lead Orchard Hill to advance to the final going into the halftime break. on August 15.

Martinez wrapped goals around It was déjà vu as Hardscrabble one from Escapite in the fourth and took control early and held on to the Santana struck again, expanding the lead throughout the game. Bliss gave lead to 11-6. Back-to-back goals from it a good try, but it was no match for the well-oiled Hardscrabble team.

Charlie Caldwell were matched by Orchard Hill faced Bush League in Escapite in the fifth but Santana the consolation match. Again, Van added another to expand the differAndel led the scoring with five goals ence. Bliss stopped the bleeding in the to give his team the 8-7 edge. sixth, turning away all Hardscrabble A third event sponsored by drives while Harry Caldwell and Orchard Hill was also played Escapite scored, but it wasn’t enough •

POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 53

U S PA B U L L E T I N

(continued from page 13)

SMILEPEACELOVE PHOTOGRAPHY

right processes in place to operate the way it should.

I also think the USPA needs to be as nimble and flexible as possible within the constraints of good corporate governance. We as an organization have to try to alter or minimize the historical perception that some polo players have of the USPA being set in its ways and unapproachable. I think it’s important the association establishes really good relationships with its members and the members have confidence that

Chris Green is focused on enhancing experiences for all USPA members.

the USPA is looking out for them and being fair to them. Ultimately, the members are the USPA and it’s fundamental that the USPA should serve its membership.

I have a particular focus on the rules because they determine how the game is played and ultimately, that’s what it’s all about. I’ve tried to do a good job as chairman of the Rules Committee and I want to continue to be involved and work with the Rules Committee to make sure we present a level playing field for everyone who plays polo.

What are your broader goals for the association?

From my perspective I think the USPA should concentrate on making the polo experience better for those people who are already engaged in it, as distin-

54 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

guished from trying to spend a ton of resources on getting new people to play. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to recruit new members through outreach, and I have ideas on that front. But if we create an experience people would love if they knew about it when they do learn about polo, they will necessarily want to play.

Having studied English literature, what are some of your favorite authors and books?

I love poetry and my two favorite poets are W.B. Yeats and Robert Frost. “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost is one of my favorite poems of all time because it speaks to me. I don’t think you should ever give up and you should always be willing to make a change or start something new—go down that different road and reinvent yourself, if you will. That’s what a life well-lived should be all about.

In fiction, my favorite writers are James Joyce and Ernest Hemingway, although there are many writers I really like. “Ulysses” by James Joyce is one of my favorite books, as is “A Farewell to Arms” by Hemingway. I also love “The Border Trilogy” by Cormac McCarthy. “All the Pretty Horses” is one of my top-five favorite novels.

Nobody captures the essence of horses and cowboys like McCarthy.

What would you like the membership to know as you step into this position?

I am very grateful for the confidence that the board of governors has placed in me by hiring me to be the USPA’s first COO/in-house counsel. We have a talented and hard-working staff that I am honored to join. I will work hard to execute the board’s vision for growing and improving polo in America, and I will do my best to be responsive and fair to every member of the polo community. I want what we all want—for the USPA to be an organization that all of its members and member clubs are happy and proud to be a part of.

•

ASK AN UMPIRE

Rule 16—GAMES A game shall be a maximum of 6 regular periods and an unlimited number of overtime periods with intervals of three minutes after each period, except at half time in games of four or more regular periods and before the first overtime period in the event of a tie, in which cases the intervals shall be five minutes. An additional five-minute interval shall be allowed after each completion of the same number of overtime periods as the number of periods before the first five-minute interval. In games with an upper handicap limit below 8 goals, the Umpire(s) may allow more time for the foregoing intervals between periods or the interval before a shootout.

In games consisting of an uneven number of regular periods, the half time shall come at the end of the middle period. Any game shall be played to its conclusion unless suspended and abandoned as provided in Rule 22.g.

Rule 19—GOALS UNDER PENALTIES AND BY HANDICAP a. Goals awarded under penalties and by handicap shall count as goals scored. b. The team handicap is determined by totaling the individual handicaps (as assigned by the USPA) of the team members. In events with an upper handicap limit above 6 goals, individual handicaps of 0.5 goals, 0.5 goals, or 1.5 goals shall be rounded down to -1 goal, 0 goals or 1 goal respectively when calculating the team handicap. c. The number of goals awarded by handicap is determined by taking the difference between the team handicaps on one team and the team handicaps of the other team and multiplying one-sixth of that difference times the number of periods (excluding overtime periods) in the game in question. d. Unless otherwise stated in the USPA Tournament Conditions whether or not a game shall be played on a handicap basis or on the flat shall be determined by the Host Tournament Committee before the event. e. In the event of a game played on a handicap basis, any handicap fraction shall be recorded as one-half goal. The one-half goal shall be used as a tie breaker and included in any net or gross goal calculations.

Arena Rule 5—LENGTH AND NUMBER OF PERIODS a. A regulation game shall be four periods of 7-1/2 minutes with intervals of 4 minutes after each period except the second period. There shall be a 10 minute interval after the second period …

• Only a portion of Rule 16, 19 and 5 are listed. To read the entire rules, go to uspolo.org •

(continued from page 17) playing in a women’s tournament and the games are four periods, you must use the outdoor handicap matrix to find the proper handicap award for four periods of play. It’s just that simple.

The important thing to remember is all outdoor polo is six periods and all arena polo is four periods.

If you are playing less periods than that, use the matrix. Never mix up outdoor and arena polo in any way. They are two different games with different rules and systems that govern them. Yes, I get questions related to arena and outdoor and how they overlap. They don’t! One is an apple and the other is an orange.

That wasn’t so bad, was it? Using the matrix is easy. You take the difference in the team handicaps and you move over to the number of periods you are actually playing and use that number as the free points awarded to the lesser-rated team. Don’t think, just use the matrix.

Lastly, a tournament can be played on the ‘open’.

This simply means that no free points will be given to any team, regardless of the difference in ratings. The teams must still, however, fall between the upper and lower limits of the tournament rating. Most of these tournaments have the word open in the title so you know, otherwise the Host Tournament Committee will tell you. Now, you know all you need to know about polo ratings and handicaps.

• POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 55

E Q U I N E AT H L E T E

(continued from page 19)

Lymphangitis is different than cellulitis as it is more likely to affect two legs, or even four, and is generally in the lower portion of the limbs.

cellulitis is okay, but you wouldn’t want to use it very long. Steroids are not routinely part of my treatment regime for severe cellulitis,” says Fogle. Long-term steroid use tends to hinder the immune system.

“Along with antibiotics and NSAIDs, we also use bandaging and supportive treatment to help reduce the swelling in that leg.

Cold water therapy is helpful, whether it’s one of the fancy boots that recirculates cold water, or just cold water from a hose.

Cold saltwater therapy in the form of an equine saltwater spa can be extremely beneficial in quickly reducing the limb swelling and improving venous and lymphatic fluid return from the limb. These are all important points of treatment for cellulitis,” she explains.

Aggressive, prompt treatment is important to prevent laminitis, reduce the risk of deep tissue necrosis, and reduce the risk of developing permanent damage to the circulatory system in that leg. “The longer the leg stays swollen, the more risk for complications.

Horses can develop laminitis as a secondary complication of cellulitis. It’s usually a support limb laminitis (from too much weight on the normal leg) but it can also be laminitis in the affected leg,” she says. Getting the horse comfortable quickly on the limb with cellulitis is crucial, through medication and supportive therapy to reduce the pain and swelling.

“Horses can have further problems if the bacterial infection does not stay confined to that limb and goes throughout the body. The horse can become very sick from systemic infection (sepsis, or bacteremia). Horses can also develop superficial and/or deep necrosis of the tissues, anywhere within the affected limb. Often this is in the fetlock or pastern area where massive amounts of tissue slough away. This problem may also accompany bone infection or tendon/ligament infection or joint

56 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

infection. These are all risks with severe cellulitis, but are more likely in cases with a delay in the start of therapy,” she says.

Treatment of acute cellulitis can be frustrating for both the owners and veterinarians, particularly when the symptoms are not resolving as quickly as everyone might like. “It can be hard to choose an antibiotic before we have a culture, but we don’t wait for the culture results to come back because we need to start treating quickly. Often the antibiotic we choose is something we think will work, but with cellulitis we sometimes find that our first choice may not be the right choice. We might have to change after we get the culture results back. Or, if we don’t get a positive culture for bacteria and the horse is not responding as hoped, we may end up making another educated guess, using another antibiotic in an effort try to get the swelling down as fast as possible,” she says.

Lymphangitis vs. Cellulitis “Classically we think of lymphangitis as something that has a breed predisposition, commonly affecting draft horses or cold-blood breeds. It can affect horses of other breeds.

Lymphangitis and cellulitis can both affect lymphatic drainage to the distal limb, particularly in chronic or recurrent cases. Lymphangitis is more likely to be bilateral, however, affecting both front legs, or both hind legs, or even all four limbs. Usually the hind limbs are worse, but we do also see cases in which the forelimbs are worse,” says Fogle.

The swelling is generally in the lower portion of the limbs. “It can look a little like stocking up, because the swelling is most dramatic in the lowest part of the limb, and is not an acute process like we find in cellulitis. With cellulitis you suddenly find the horse with a huge leg, but with lymphangitis it’s more insidious and gradual and is slowly progressive.

The legs may have some scabs or scratches (pastern dermatitis) on the back of the fetlocks and pasterns, as well as firm, fibrous nodules. Those crusts, ulcerations and nodules may be a sign that the lymphatic drainage is not effective. Like a horse with chronic cellulitis, a horse with lymphangitis is also unable to fight infection or mount a good response against invading bacteria in the distal limbs,” she explains.

“These horses tend to have low-grade infections in the skin in areas where the lymphangitis is affecting the distal limbs. The swelling doesn’t go completely away with exercise, like it would in a horse that is simply stocked up (distal limb edema). Horses may stock up, especially in the hind limbs, if they are

E Q U I N E AT H L E T E

accustomed to being out moving around and are then confined overnight in a stall or small pen. In the morning they may have a little edema, but as soon as you turn them out or ride them, the swelling goes away.” The increased circulation dissipates the edema.

“Lymphangitis can be responsive to exercise and improve a little when the horse is turned out, but the limbs don’t get completely back to normal. Besides the edema and skin lesions there are often some small nodules of scar tissue in the pastern and fetlock areas that you can feel with your fingers. The nodules are thought to be due to inflammation of the lymphatic system. It starts as inflammation and then ends up as scarring and impairment of the lymphatic system in the distal limbs, with secondary bacterial infection,” explains Fogle.

Management for Chronic Cellulitis “Horses that have had a bout of acute cellulitis and now have a chronically thick limb, or a limb that the owner knows is more likely to swell if anything happens to it, need to be monitored closely. One of the things that owners can do to try to prevent recurrence in that limb is to be vigilant about feeling (palpating) the skin in the fetlock and pastern area, checking daily for any scabs, scratches or abrasions.

If they notice any breaks in the skin on that limb, it’s wise to clip and clean them with a gentle soap and allow it to dry before placing a lower leg wrap. This can sometimes prevent or reduce the risk for swelling (giant limb) and lameness that can occur with minor abrasions. This is something owners can do if they have a horse that tends to develop cellulitis whenever they get a break in the skin,” she says.

“Other things I recommend for owners of horses affected by chronic cellulitis is plenty of turnout—but being aware that turnout in wet grass is not ideal.

When the skin is wet it becomes softer and more vulnerable to being nicked or scraped. It’s easier for bacteria to gain access through wet skin. Keeping the at-risk horse in until the grass is dry is best. If the horse has to be stalled, bandaging the legs while in the stall is helpful. There are several different types of bandages that can be used. A quilt and polo wrap or special bandages called short stretch bandages can be used to try to minimize the amount of edema that develops when a horse is stalled. Once these horses are turned out, they don’t need the bandaging,” says Fogle.

“I have several owners who have horses affected with chronic cellulitis. When they identify a break in the skin, they contact their veterinarian and get the

horse on a round of antibiotics to try to prevent another exacerbation of cellulitis. They have developed a very successful pro-active approach to try to manage the limb and prevent further bouts of cellulitis,” she says.

When the horse is in between bouts of cellulitis, it is usually safe to go ahead and ride/compete with that horse. “Owners with horses that have a chronic cellulitis are usually pretty careful about protecting the limb while they are riding or when trailering.

The exercise is really helpful, to improve the blood flow to the limb and improve the circulatory system and lymphatic drainage so it’s often best to continue using the horse, as long as he is sound,” she says.

“When a horse is in an acute bout of cellulitis, however, exercise is not feasible.

Getting the horse moving once the severe symptoms are starting to wane is important, and in between bouts. A regular exercise schedule is very helpful, so as long as you can protect the skin, exercise is great.”

Prognosis “For the most part, prognosis for horses with cellulitis is good, particularly if the horse responds quickly to aggressive medical therapy (within the first 24 to 48 hours). Often those horses won’t develop any of the chronic effects or complications of cellulitis. The ones we generally struggle with are the ones that don’t respond quickly to the treatment.

The things we worry about are abscesses, necrosis and sloughing of deep tissue, laminitis, and secondary involvement of joint, bone or soft tissue support structures of the limb, which can be severe complications of cellulitis,” she says.

“The majority of horses will respond to aggressive medical treatment, however, and early aggressive treatment is key to avoiding severe complications and development of chronic cellulitis.” It pays to get a diagnosis and get right on it.

•

Horses with chronic cellulitis need to be regularly monitored and put on a round of antibiotics whenever a break in the skin is found to prevent exacerbation of cellulitis.

POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 57

Y E S T E RY E A R S

Golden dreams Argentina hopes polo returns to the Olympics

By Lucas Noel

The Argentine squad that won the Olympic gold in 1936: Andres Gazzotti, Jack D. Nelson (captain), Roberto Cavanagh, Luis Duggan, Manuel Andrada, Enrique Alberdi and Diego Cavanagh.

The South American country, which has dominated the sport for many years, aspires to once again have a chance at the world’s most important global event.

A slow motion camera captures a close-up of soccer player Lionel Messi’s look of concentration before a final. Tennis player Juan Martín Del Potro raises the Davis Cup. Facundo Campazzo and Luis Scola come out dressed in light blue and white with the national basketball team to face NBA players.

The Pumas hug each other, get excited and their chests swell hearing the verse ‘or let us swear to die with glory’ (from the national anthem) before a rugby test match. All of them are elite athletes who return to the most amateur of feelings when they wear the t-shirt with the colors of their country. All

58 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

of them are the envy of Argentine polo players.

Of the five times polo was an Olympic sport, Argentina participated in two of those editions and won the gold medal in both of them. Since 1936, this discipline, in which the South American country is the world leader, has not participated in the schedule of the most important sporting event of all. And it is difficult for it to do so again under natural conditions. Its logistics are more complex than other sports due to the enormous number of horses each national team would have to transport.

And to this we must add not a minor detail: face to face and without restrictions no nation today accepts the challenge of facing Argentina.

Argentina now has eight players with 10-goal handicaps and 10 with 9. Maybe a 3 vs. 3 beach polo

©1936/ COMITÉ INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIQUE (CIO)

Y E S T E RY E A R S

Argentina defeated Mexico, 15-5, in a hard-charging game in the XI Olympic games in Berlin.

Argentina took home the gold medal while Mexico settled for bronze.

Argentina is in inferior conditions and in 100 meters they pass you over. I say that at some point it will come. I have that illusion,” said Gonzalo Pieres Jr. when he last played the Nations Cup with Argentina in 2012. Two years later, Adolfo Cambiaso and Facundo Pieres shared a foursome in the Coronation Cup to beat England at the Guards Polo Club. Otherwise, there are few examples of the best Argentine polo players representing their country.

Polo entered the Olympic program in Paris in SMITH ARCHIVE/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

at the Summer Games or snow polo at the Winter Games could be a way back to the Olympic program.

But to summon the participants, perhaps it should be done with a limit in the handicap, as the FIP World Cup is held today, the only event where nations confront each other.

“You don’t really understand why in a World Cup we have to compete at such a low handicap or why we do not compete in the Olympic Games. We would have the gold medal for sure. In many other sports,

Action in the 1924 Olympics in Paris.

It was the first time Argentina competed in the Olympics and the team took home the gold.

POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 59

SMITH ARCHIVE/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Y E S T E RY E A R S

Argentina shut out Great Britain, 11-0, in the final in Berlin.

Chambermaids press in divots on the field at halftime in Berlin.

1900. In the first three events, competitions were organized with teams made up of players of different nationalities (mostly British and American), with club representatives instead of countries, and the

60 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

champion was The Foxhunters Hurlingham. Polo was not included in St. Louis in 1904, but it returned in London in 1908. There, three British teams took part. The gold went to Roehampton.

After another interruption, it reappeared in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1920. The British took the gold again after winning a tournament with the United States, Spain and Belgium.

Argentina won the first medal of its sports history in Paris in 1924. Polo was the benefactor and that starting team in the French capital was formed by Arturo Kenny (5), Juan Diego Nelson (7), Enrique Padilla (6) and Juan Bautista Miles (7), with a total of 25 goals. Substitutes were Guillermo Brooke Naylor and Alfredo Peña Unzué. Thirty-five Thoroughbred horses were shipped for the event.

The format was an all-play-all with Spain, United States, France and Great Britain. Argentina beat everyone with 46 goals for and 14 against. The silver went to the United States and the bronze to Great Britain. There was no final match, but the 6-5 victory over the Americans, the most difficult rival, was taken as the most important one.

It took another 12 years before polo was seen at the Olympics again, this time in Berlin in 1936. The trip to Germany cost $150,000. The Argentine Olympic Committee contributed $100,000, while the Jockey Club, the Argentine Polo Association and

The plaque placed under the majestic oak reads: Grown to honor the winner of the new competition; Olympic oak; conquered by the Argentine Polo team in the XI Olympiad Berlin 1936; Juan D. Nelson presided over the delegation.

The oak sapling, given to the Argentine team in the 1936 Olympics along with a gold medal, was planted between the back of the main stadium and Field 2 at Palermo in Buenos Aires. It grew into a mighty oak and still stands today.

SERGIO LLAMERA

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Y E S T E RY E A R S

the Ministry of Agriculture made up the remaining $50,000. Forty horses, 14 grooms and six players had to be transported. The journey to Europe took approximately one month between ship and train.

The four starters were Luis Duggan (6), Roberto Cavanagh (6), Andres Gazzotti (8, captain) and Manuel Andrada (7), for a total of 27 goals. Enrique Alberdi and Diego Cavanagh were substitutes. The competition had five participants: Great Britain, Mexico, Hungary, Germany and Argentina. The top three teams competed for the gold medal and the loser of that group played for the bronze medal against the winner of Germany vs. Hungary.

Argentina won all its matches clearly. On the day of the final, 30,000 people in Nazi Germany witnessed an 11-0 thrashing of Great Britain. Mexico took the bronze. The awards ceremony the following day was in front of 100,000 people and the winners received their medals from Joseph Goebbels. In addition to the gold, Argentina was honored with a sapling of the Olympic oak tree, which can be seen today between fields 1 and 2 at Palermo. The light blue and white hegemony resulted in the International Olympic Committee deciding to exclude polo from the program.

With the founding of the Federation of International Polo in 1987, the intentions to return polo to the Olympic calendar were reborn. However,

the IOC demands the sport has a World Cup free of restrictions and requires it to bring together a considerable number of affiliated countries.

Nevertheless, in recent years there have been great advances in this matter. On the one hand, polo was included as an exhibition at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in 2018. It took place at the Argentine polo field and consisted of a showcase in which a total of 28 young people (11 girls and 17 boys) between 14 and 18 years old from Italy, Australia, Colombia, Scotland, England, Switzerland, Pakistan, the United States and, obviously, Argentina participated.

The teams were lined up with players of different nationalities mixed together. Each foursome played a reduced five-minute chukker and then alternated until the end of the eight periods, thus managing to organize an exhibition without a final score that ended up being an example of integration.

“In 2024, it’s going to be 100 years since the first medal. We should be there. We could aim for that, to be an Olympic sport again. And after a century, win.

It is a goal we have set for ourselves. Ambitious or not, it is the goal,” Eduardo Novillo Astrada said during the Youth Olympic Games.

Time will tell if this wish can come true. For Argentina it would be great news. The flame of illusion is already lit.

• POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 61

CALENDAR

September AU G U S T 2 9 - S E P T E M B E R 5 Sportsmanship Cup (2) Roseland, Crozet, VA

SEPTEMBER 8-12 NYTS Championship (4) Oak Brook, Oak Brook, IL

SEPTEMBER 12-26 Alan Corey Cup (4) Aiken, Aiken, SC

AU G U S T 2 9 - S E P T E M B E R 6 Don King Days Big Horn, Big Horn, WY

SEPTEMBER 8-26 Fall Classic (8) Mashomack, Pine Plains, NY

S E P T E M B E R 15 - 3 0 U.S. Arena Handicap (12-14) Twilight, The Plains, VA

AU G U S T 2 9 - S E P T E M B E R 12 East Coast Open (20) Greenwich, Greenwich, CT

SEPTEMBER 9-30 Club Championship (12) Southampton, Watermill, NY

SEPTEMBER 1-12 Constitution Cup (12) Las Brisas, Elgin, IL

SEPTEMBER 9-OCTOBER 3 Fall Pro Pool Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, CA

S E P T E M B E R 1 - 15 Sportsmanship Cup (2-4) Masters Cup (2-4) Arizona, Casa Grande, AZ

S E P T E M B E R 10 - 12 USA vs British Forces Weekend Brandywine, Toughkenamon, PA

S E P T E M B E R 2 - 11 Constitution Cup Peoria/Bettendorf, Peoria, IL SEPTEMBER 3 Labor Day Cup Maryland, Jarrettsville, MD SEPTEMBER 3-5 Mixed Magical Invitational Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, CA Sportsmanship Cup (2) Fairfield, Haysville, KS Gerald Balding (8) Brandywine, Toughkenamon, PA Players Cup (0-4) Spokane, Spokane, WA SEPTEMBER 4 Belgian Waffle Cup Play Polo, Westerville, OH Sportsmanship Cup (6) Tinicum, Erwinna, PA SEPTEMBER 5 Rodney O’Connor Divot Cup Myopia, South Hamilton, MA SEPTEMBER 5-8 Amateur Cup (0-4) Hawaii, Waialua, HI SEPTEMBER 6-25 Briarcliff Cup (4) Mashomack, Pine Plains, NY

62 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N

S E P T E M B E R 10 - 13 Congressional Cup (0-4) Congressional, Poolesville, MD S E P T E M B E R 1 0 - 19 USPA Northrup Knox Cup (12) New Bridge, Aiken, SC H. Ben Taub Memorial Houston, Houston, TX S E P T E M B E R 11 Karen Carra Memorial Women’s Arena Mountain View, Charles Town, WV Chukkers for Charity Riverview Farm, Franklin, Tennessee S E P T E M B E R 11 - 1 2 19th Hector Sustaita Memorial (1) Will Rogers, Pacific Palisades, CA Masters Cup (0-4) South Bay, Gilroy, CA

Governors Cup Midland, Midland, TX S E P T E M B E R 15 - O C T O B E R 3 Copa de Plata (8) New Bridge, Aiken, SC S E P T E M B E R 16 - O C T O B E R 4 National Presidents Cup (8) New Bridge, Aiken, SC S E P T E M B E R 17 - 19 Amateur Cup (2) Fairfield, Haysville, KS S E P T E M B E R 18 Season Opener Prestonwood, Oak Point, TX S E P T E M B E R 1 8 - 21 U.S. Open Arena Championship (20) California, Los Angeles, CA S E P T E M B E R 19 Harvard Invitational Cup Myopia, South Hamilton, MA Ronald McDonald House benefit Will Rogers, Pacific Palisades, CA Orthopedic Foundation Cup Play Polo, Westerville, OH S E P T E M B E R 19 - 2 6 Butler International Cup (8-12) Oak Brook, Oak Brook, IL

S E P T E M B E R 11 - 19 USPA President’s Cup (8) Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, CA

SEPTEMBER 20-OCTOBER 1 New Bridge Ladies Invitational (10-14) New Bridge, Aiken, SC

SEPTEMBER 12 Cohiba Cup Myopia, South Hamilton, MA

SEPTEMBER 22-26 National Arena Delegates Cup (6-9) Commonwealth, Paris, KY

Granville Investment Cup Play Polo, Westerville, OH

Women’s Arena Open & Handicap Virginia, Charlottesville, VA

NYTS Championships Oak Brook, Oak Brook, IL

S E P T E M B E R 2 2 - O C T O B E R 10 USPA National Copper Cup (12) New Bridge, Aiken, SC

CALENDAR

October SEPTEMBER 23-OCTOBER 9 Masters Cup (2-6) Houston, Houston, TX

O C T O B E R 1 - 31 Sportsmanship Cup (4) ATX, Manor, TX

SEPTEMBER 24-OCTOBER 3 Presidents Cup Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, CA

O C T O B E R 1 - NOV E M B E R 1 Women’s Challenge (8) Two Wishes, Lockhart, TX

SEPTEMBER 25 FPC Town Cup Farmington, Farmington, CT

OCTOBER 2 Buckeye Cup Play Polo, Westerville, OH

Challenge Cup Prestonwood, Oak Point, TX SEPTEMBER 25-26 53nd Will Rogers Memorial (1) Will Rogers, Pacific Palisades, CA Mardi Gras Cup (0-4) New Orleans, Folsom, LA SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 3 JHHE USPA Wickenden Cup (8) Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, CA SEPTEMBER 26 Richie Jones Memorial Brandywine, Toughkenamon, PA Harriman Cup Myopia, South Hamilton, MA Survivor’s Cup Denver, Sedonia, CO S E P T E M B E R 2 6 - O C T O B E R 10 USPA Governors Cup (6) Aiken, Aiken, SC SEPTEMBER 29-OCTOBER 3 Arena Women’s Challenge Commonwealth, Paris, KY OCTOBER 1 Nat’l Arena Commander-In-Chief (8) Virginia, Charlottesville, VA OCTOBER 1-3 Smithfield/Shekomeko Open Mashomack, Pine Plains, NY Ladies Invitational (12) Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, CA OCTOBER 1-20 National Copper Cup (12) New Bridge, Aiken, SC

OCTOBER 2-3 Sportsmanship Cup (2) CTPA, ATX, Manor, TX Sportsmanship Cup (0-4) South Bay, Gilroy, CA

Constitution Cup (0-2) San Antonio, San Antonio, TX O C T O B E R 10 17th Annual Skull Valley Tourney Van Dickson Ranch, Skull Valley, AZ O C T O B E R 1 0 - 17 Arena Championship (12) Denver, Littleton, CO O C T O B E R 14 - 2 4 Masters Cup (0-6) Midland, Midland, TX O C T O B E R 1 5 - 17 Arena Sportsmanship Cup (3) Seneca, Poolesville, MD

O C T O B E R 2 - 31 Arena Challenge Cup (0-3) Twighlight, The Plains, VA

O C T O B E R 15 - 2 4 Women’s Challenge (0-10) Yale, Bethany, CT

OCTOBER 3 Last Chukker Cup Myopia, South Hamilton, MA

O C T O B E R 16 - 17 Women’s Challenge (8) CTPA, Two Wishes, Lockhart, TX

Charles Hart Cup Columbus, Granville, OH USPA Paigahs Seahorse Cup (2) Mountain View, Charles Town, WV

Arena Sportsmanship Cup Barrington Hills, Wacounda, IL O C T O B E R 2 0 - 31 Masters Cup (6) Wagener, Wagener, SC

OCTOBER 3-4 USPA Women’s Arena Handicap (15) USPA Women’s Arena Open (18) Virginia, Charlottesville, VA

OCTOBER 23 Polo Scare & Pumpkin Carve (3) Dallas, Red Oak, TX

OCTOBER 6-24 National Presidents Cup (4-8) New Bridge, Aiken, SC

OCTOBER 23-24 Players Cup (0-4) River Bend, Wellborn, TX

OCTOBER 7-25 Association Cup (8) New Bridge, Aiken, SC

O C T O B E R 2 5 - N O V E M B E R 14 Continental Cup (12-16) Grand Champions, Wellington, FL

O C T O B E R 7 - NOV E M B E R 5 Bronze Trophy (8-12) New Bridge, Aiken, SC

O C T O B E R 2 9 - 31 Constitution Cup (0-6) Prestonwood, Oak Point, TX

O C T O B E R 8 - 10 Last Chance Tournament (1) Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, CA

OCTOBER 30 Alqimi Halloween Cup Congressional, Poolesville, MD

National Sherman Memorial (6) Boston, Georgetown, MA O C T O B E R 9 - 10 Gen. George S. Patton Jr. Cup (0-4) New Orleans, Folsom, LA

Note: All dates are subject to change.

“USPA” refers to tournaments sponsored or sanctioned by the United States Polo Association.

Signifies prize money available.

POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N 63

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