June 2021 Polo Players' Edition - Polo Development LLC: Ready, Set, Go!

By Hayley Heatley

The summer polo season looks bright. The National Youth Tournament Series program offers young players, aged 19 and under, the opportunity to play with and against their peers in USPA circuit events. The qualifier tournaments take place beginning early in the spring and culminate in the NYTS National Championship Cecil Smith Cup and NYTS Girls National Championship held in early September. This year’s national championship is slated to be held in Chicago, Illinois, at the historic Oak Brook Polo Club and surrounding clubs.

Clubs interested in hosting a NYTS Qualifier, please email NYTS@uspolo.org or visit uspolo.org for more information.

The NYTS qualifier season got started with the following events:

Empire Polo Club (Indio, California)

The club kicked off the qualifier season, hosting five teams in the tournament, played in conjunction with its junior tournament honoring Margery Magill. Players, representing multiple clubs throughout California, participated in the two-day tournament.

A majority of the players participate in both the USPA Interscholastic program and the NYTS program.

Teams

A+ Welding: Ana Sophia Wolf, Piers Bossom, Helena Bache, Nicholas Fernandez

Empire: Tennyson Hamir, Elise Pardue, Rosie Gonzalez, Ajay Moturi

Yolo Polo: Mike Estrada, Lily Gonzalez, Taylor Olcott, Zachery Cobbs

Sutter Buttes: Morgan Manos, Matias Wolf, Kyla Douglas, Caroline Mathews

Horse Park: Rolando Llamas, Lars Neumann, Alyssa Garcia, Simone Harper

Final: Empire defeated A+ Welding, 4-2.

All-Stars: Piers Bossom, Lars Neumann, Taylor Olcott, Elise Pardue, Caroline Mathews, Ajay Moturi, Nicholas Fernandez, Lily Gonzalez Best Playing Pony: Taylor Olcott’s Rubio

Empire's Elise Pardue, Tennyson Hamir, Rosie Gonzalez and Ajay Moturi topped Empire/s NYTS.

©Hayley Heatley

Eldorado Polo Club (Indio, California)

Four teams competed in the tournament. Taylor Olcott’s gelding, Rubio, was awarded his second Best Playing Pony award within the month. Due to COVID-19 restrictions throughout 2020 and 2021, the club was unable to hold its weekly junior polo program, however, it is eager to be back to its full junior polo schedule in 2022.

Teams

Bush League: Quinn Kyle, Ulysses Escapite, Zain Hamir, Ana Sophia Wolf, Alyssa Garcia

Seattle Polo: Colby Smith, Matias Wolf/Brock Hamir, Taylor Olcott

Eldorado: Elise Pardue, Mike Estrada, Tennyson Rubin, Ajay Moturi, Morgan Manos

Yari Daimyo: Riley Jordan, Augie Spear, Simone Harper, Rosie Gonzalez

Final: Bush League defeated Eldorado, 7-3.

All-Stars: Colby Smith, Riley Jordan, Virgil Kyle, Rosie Gonzalez, Elise Pardue, Taylor Olcott, Mike Estrada Best Playing Pony: Taylor Olcott’s Rubio

Bush League's Ulysses Escapite played in Eldorado's NYTS.

©Kerri Kerley

International Polo Club Palm Beach (Wellington, Florida)

The Polo Training Foundation hosted the annual Jimmer Newman Memorial with the top three flights played as NYTS qualifiers. The talent displayed among the young players is indicative of a promising future for the next generation of players. The 2020 NYTS National Championship, played at IPC and the nearby Port Mayaca Polo Club, generated a buzz of excitement for the local players.

IPC Qualifier I Teams

Red Barn/Purina: Benjamin de la Fuente, Begonia de Narvaez, Antonio Villamil, Benjamin Obregon

Tackeria: Tomas Caro, Tomas Gouet, Indalecio Pieres, Santos Teves

Final: Red Barn/Purina defeated Tackeria, 8-4.

All-Stars: Begonia de Narvaez, Benjamin Obregon, Tomas Caro, Indalecio Pieres Best Playing Pony: Inda Pieres’ Media Sombra

IPC Qualifier II Teams

Power Group/Total Care: Cruz Bilbao, Josefina de la Fuente, Sebastian Mandelbaum, Valentina Tarazona

Grand Champions Polo School: Lion Mandelbaum, Liz Brassart, Guiliana Tarazona, Boyett Watridge

Indelacio Pieres' Media Sombra was Best Playing Pony in International Polo Club's Qualifier I

©Polo Training Foundation