THE 2021 GAUNTLET OF POLO® LAUNCHES FEBRUARY 17, LIVE ON GLOBAL POLO TV
The Pinnacle Competition with $1 Million in Prize Money Features the Most Skilled Athletes and Finest Horses in the World
PALM BEACH, Fla. (January 7, 2021) Jointly hosting the GAUNTLET OF POLO® for the third consecutive season, the United States Polo Association (USPA), USPA Global Licensing (USPAGL) and International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC) are pleased to announce the launch of the GAUNTLET OF POLO® for 2021 on February 17. The GAUNTLET OF POLO® is the pinnacle of American high-goal competition, featuring the most skilled athletes and finest horses in the world. The GAUNTLET OF POLO® is sponsored by U.S. Polo Assn. and the finals of each tournament will be played on the official U.S. Polo Assn. Field.
An “invitation only” Virtual Media Day on January 6 provided updates on the upcoming polo season, the safety restrictions for on-site fans, the teams that are competing, how to watch, and an overview of travel to Palm Beach County during these unprecedented times.
The 2021 GAUNTLET OF POLO® will begin with the C.V. Whitney Cup from February 17 – March 7, continue with the USPA Gold Cup®, March 10 – 28, and conclude with the illustrious U.S. Open Polo Championship® March 31 – April 18. Reigning 2019 GAUNTLET OF POLO® Champions Pilot are among the nine teams, seeking to inscribe their name on the trophy for the second time and secure the prize money purse in 2021.
Revising the prize money distribution for the 2021 season, the new format still guarantees a total of $1 million in prize money, however runners-up in each tournament will also receive a portion of the earnings. $100,000 will be awarded to each of the winning teams of the C.V. Whitney Cup and USPA Gold Cup® and $25,000 to each runner up. Similarly, $200,000 in prize money will be presented to the winner of the U.S. Open Polo Championship® and $50,000 awarded to the runner up. Additionally, any team who wins all three tournaments consecutively will receive a $500,000 bonus and be crowned as the GAUNTLET Champion. Another exciting change from prior years will be a donation made by USPAGL to the final two teams’ polo charity of their choice.
“I’m grateful we can bring polo back to the players, members and fans and I anticipate a highly competitive and exciting season that is not to be missed,” said Robert Puetz, CEO of the USPA. “Featuring the world’s greatest players and equine partners, the 2021 GAUNTLET OF POLO® would not be possible without the outstanding efforts from all the Team Organizations to persevere through the challenging times and return to vie for the coveted title and largest prize money purse in the sport.”
All three GAUNTLET OF POLO® tournaments will be exclusively livestreamed on Global Polo TV (GPTV), polo’s premier destination for live and on-demand polo content in the world, as well as the world’s largest polo archive. GPTV is accessible at globalpolo.com and on major apps including iOS, Android, Roku and Amazon Fire. To date, more than 130 official USPA events have aired live, 500 on-demand videos and 5,000 hours of content have been available on the platform.