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TA L K
Ganzi are partnering to build a non-USPA
affiliated 26-goal league (World Polo League)
for the 2019 winter Florida season.
On the eve of the formal announcement
of the World Polo League debut, the USPA
announced a financially incentive-laden New
Tournament Series offering a ‘Winner Takes
All’ prize money format for the Association’s
top three tournaments.The USPA announced
that they would offer $125,000 to the winner
of the CV Whitney Cup; $125,000 to the USPA
Gold Cup winner and $250,000 to the winner
of the US Open Polo Championship. As an
added incentive, they are offering an
additional $500,000 bonus if a teammanages
to win all three tournaments, totalling
$1million dollars!
All parties are confident that this
partnership platform and series format will
provide an increased number of competitive
teams, enhanced spectator interest, greater
opportunities for American players and will
lower the cost of fielding a team for owners.
Another twist to the new tournament
structure will include the ‘American Rule’,
requiring each team to have at least one
registered American USPA member, other
than the sponsor/patron on the team.
‘A driving force to lowering the handicap
of the tournaments was to increase the
number of teams competing, re-engage the
enthusiasm of the sport and afford more
opportunities to American players to
participate in these great tournaments,’ said
USPA CEO, Bob Puetz.
With nearly 20 teams voicing interest in
the 22-goal USPA tournaments, there is a
growing concern over the availability of fields
and scheduling for each of the competitions.
Russian Andrey Borodin is expected to
take the field with his Park Place entry as well
as Las Monjitas (Camilo Bautista and Hilario
Ulloa);Jeff Hildebrand’s Tonkawa line-up
that will feature Sapo Caset; Coca-Cola;
Curtis Pilot’s team that is expected to include
Facundo Pieres and Gonzalito Pieres;
Maureen Brennan’s Goose Creek team;
Postage Stamp Farm’s Annabelle Garrett will
be joined by Mariano Aguerre;Joe DiMenna is
expected to be joined by the father-son team
of Mariano and Peke Gonzalez for Equuleus;
Michael Bickford and Jeff Hall will be riding
for La Indiana; Scott Wood is rumoured to
have Polito Pieres joining him on his ERG
teamwith additional possibilities that could
stretch the field to ten teams or more.
Opposite page, from left:
The C.V. Whitney, U.S.
Open and USPA Gold
Cups
This page, from left:
Tommy Beresford and
Jared Zenni in the final
of the US Open
A couple of the concerns facing both the
USPA and the International Polo Club Palm
Beach (IPC) will be fields and umpires, but
Puetz voiced assurances that those issues
will be taken care of.
‘Jimmy Newman [IPC polo manager] and
club owner Mark Bellissimo have been
working with some of the private field owners
to secure additional fields,’ said Puetz, who
expects to have 8-10 fields available. Puetz
was also confident in the ability of the USPA
umpires to be able to handle the added
activity for the 2019 winter season.
More teams, more prize money and more
polo, what could be better?
