Legendary polo match celebrates 35th annual game in New England
This past Sunday, the oldest alumni polo match in the nation celebrated its 35th year at the oldest polo club in America. After three decades in the New York Tri-State area, the Harriman Cup moved its festivities to the Myopia Polo Club in South Hamilton, MA. The crowds at the 132-year-old venue provided a warm welcome for the Yale and University of Virginia alumni teams and their sponsors.
U.S. Polo Assn., the official apparel partner of the Harriman Cup, provided team jerseys and support for both collegiate programs. The VIP pavilion was sponsored by Visit Barbados, and featured island delicacies and cocktails prepared by a visiting Barbadian chef and mixologist. VIP tickets included an entry for a drawing for a fabulous trip to the Port Ferdinand Resort in Barbados with airfare provided by JetBlue.
The polo match started with a quick goal out of the line-up for the Yale team. With the handicap adjustment, this put Yale ahead by two goals. UVa rallied quickly and answered the challenge with a goal of their own. The four-chukker match included a well-balanced back and forth between the two teams. With 7 seconds left in the fourth chukker, the tied score was broken with a penalty shot by Simon Colloredo-Mansfeld, ending the game — UVa 5, Yale 4.
Alumni from both schools provided the core of the teams with brothers, Simon Colloredo-Mansfeld (UVa Class of 2019) and Seppi Colloredo-Mansfeld (Yale Class of 2013), representing their respective schools. Merrall Echezarreta, Nick Barry, and Reed Miller rounded out the UVa team. Sam Clemens, Chelsea Messinger, Leila Chang, and Patrick Marinelli represented Yale on the field. Trophies were presented to all players, with the Best Playing Pony Award going to Reed Miller’s Mistica, and MVP awarded to Sam Clemens.
Following the match, the Harriman Cup Board honored Franz Colloredo-Mansfeld with the 2019 Harriman Cup Award. Colloredo-Mansfeld is a longtime equestrian and polo player, and he serves as the current Captain of Myopia Polo. In addition, he has been an active supporter of the Yale, UVa and Harvard Intercollegiate Polo programs.
The Harriman Cup Award is given to stellar individuals who have made significant contributions to the world of polo and embody the leadership, public service, and staunch advocacy for equestrian sports that were characteristics of W. Averell Harriman. Harriman was a 1913 Yale graduate and polo player, who was the former Governor of New York, former U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain and the Soviet Union, and was the U.S. Secretary of Commerce under President Truman.
Prizes were also presented for Best Tailgate, Best Hat, and Best Dressed Man and Woman. Best Dressed winners will receive blazers compliments of Rowing Blazers, a multi-year supporter of the Harriman Cup.
Best Dressed Man: Steven Edward Courville Best Dressed Woman: Heather Matheson Ryus Best Hat: Patty Green
Best Tailgate: The Green Family
The Harriman Cup is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the sport of polo and supporting the collegiate polo programs at Yale and the University of Virginia.
