Trio of Polo Players Nominated for Prestigious Equus & Co. Award
Emerging polo stars Jesse Bray, Lucas Reid and Will Tankard have been selected as the finalists for the prestigious Equus & Co. Award, which honors the Team USPA player who best exemplifies the program’s principles.
The Equus & Co. Award will be presented on Sunday (April 13) immediately following the 26-goal U.S. Open Polo Championship® quarterfinals at International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, FL.
Since 2011, Team USPA and Equus & Co. have teamed up to award $10,000 to one member of Team USPA who demonstrates outstanding leadership and commitment to growing the sport of polo.
“The three finalists are dedicated to the sport of polo and have worked hard to improve in all areas,” said Team USPA Program Director Kris Bowman in describing this year’s finalists. “Jesse, Lucas and Will are prime examples of the future of American polo. They are the true embodiment of the principles on which Jim Whisenand founded this prestigious award.”
“Their dedication to improving their sport, their horsemanship and their commitment to the polo community by giving back at the local club level is what makes this group special,” added Bowman.
The winner will also receive a unique belt buckle designed by Jim Whisenand, the Equus & Co. Chairman and CEO.
“This is one of our signature eventsLive and one of the best ways to honor our players who represent the program and the sport every day at one of the most prestigious clubs in the United States,” said Bowman.
Bray, a 4-goaler who is based in California, has won numerous tournaments around the country. Last summer in Santa Barbara, he captured top BPP honors in the 12-goal Intra-Circuit Cup with Can-Can and the 12-goal Vic Graber with Antelope, where he also earned the MVP award. He also won the Spreckles Cup in San Diego and finished it off by being selected as winner of the prestigious Willis Allen award, which recognizes the top all-around player, sportsman and horseman under 25 years-old.
The 21-year-old Bray has been on winning teams since 2010, when he was a part of the Eldorado Polo Club team that won the USPA National Interscholastic Championship. Bray is also a four-time winner of the Western Regional Interscholastic Championships.
Reid graduated from the University of Idaho, where he started the men’s polo program as a sophomore in 2005. Playing at the university, Reid won the Northwest Regional Intercollegiate tournament in 2010, and was also named a Northwest Intercollegiate All-Star in 2009, 2010 and 2011. He received his Bachelor’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering in the spring of 2011 and went on to earn a Master’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering.
Now living in Seattle, Reid has been playing and umpiring on weekends and whenever he can find the time. He won the Dix Memorial Cup in Spokane, the 4-goal Pacific Northwest Circuit Governor’s Cup and also played for Tonkawa in Houston in the 8-goal league in 2013. Reid, 23, has also been coaching the University of Idaho team and loaned them his three horses. He has been teaching clinics and learning the ins and outs of umpiring.
A resident of Aiken, SC, Tankard is a second generation polo player whose mother, Cissie, instilled the passion for the sport in him at a young age. Tankard has competed in polo tournaments in various parts of the country and was named to the USPA National Intercollegiate/Interscholastic All-Star Teams 12 times during his high school and college polo career.
He captained the Texas Tech squad that won the USPA Men’s National Intercollegiate Championship in 2006. Tankard, currently rated at 3 goals, has continued to win titles including the 12-goal National Chairman’s Cup in Myopia and the 12-goal National Copper Cup for the second consecutive year as well as the 6-goal USPA Northeastern Circuit Governor’s Cup.
But the highlight of his playing career occurred when he was a key member of the U.S.A. team that defeated England 21-17 in the prestigious Bryan Morrison Memorial Cup on March 1 at the All England Polo Club in Hickstead. The 29 year-old Tankard played a disruptive No. 2 on the first American team to win this event.
About Equus & Co.
Equus & Co. is the Private Advisor to the Global Equestrian Community, providing effective access to global Real Polo and the Polo Lifestyle with authenticity and credibility. For more info on Equus & Co., and its commitment to polo and other equestrian disciplines including dressage and jumping, please visit www.equus-co.com.