2022 I/I Magazine

I/I MAGAZINE 2022

A supplement to POLO magazine.

A publication of the United States Polo Association®

U.S. POLO ASSN. CONGRATULATES ALL THE 2021-22 NOMINEES AND WINNERS OF USA TODAY HSSA

HOPE ARELLANO

MACKENZIE WEISZ

INDIAN MOUND POLO CLUB - SR (Winner)

SOUTHAMPTON POLO CLUB - SR (Winner)

SOPHIE

LUCAS

SOPHIE GRANT

LUCAS ESCOBAR

MARYLAND POLO CLUB - SR (Finalist)

SANTA CLARA POLO CLUB - SR (Finalist)

SUMMER KNEECE

WINSTON PAINTER

AIKEN POLO CLUB - SO (Finalist)

GARDNERTOWN POLO CLUB - SR (Finalist)

U.S. POLO ASSN. IS PROUD TO SUPPORT OUR COLLEGE POLO TEAMS* Aggie Polo Club at UC Davis Cal Poly Polo Club Colorado State University Emory University Michigan State University Montana State Morehouse College Oklahoma State University Oregon State University Point Loma Nazarene University Roger Williams University Skidmore College

Southern Methodist University St. Edwards University Stanford University Texas A&M Texas Christian University Texas Tech University of California Santa Barbara University of Connecticut University of Guelph University of Idaho University of Kentucky

University of Louisville University of Massachusetts University of Michigan University of North Texas University of Texas University of Virginia University of Wisconsin-Madison USC Aiken Virginia Tech Westmont College Yale University *LIST OF 2019-2022 TEAMS

GAMES AVAILABLE ON GLOBALPOLO.COM

#LIVEAUTHENTICALLY | @USPOLOASSN I/I MAGAZINE - 2022

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A game-altering play can happen in the time it takes to read this headline.

Umpires only get a split second to see a play.

In a fast paced game like polo, every game hinges on good umpiring. Not just anyone can wear an umpire shirt and govern the field. All USPA Umpires receive continuous training and education to ensure that even the fastest play gets the right call.

Better polo at your Club starts with a USPA Umpire.

MAGGIE MITCHELL: 941.928.4600 | mmitchell@uspolo.org CHARLIE MULDOON: 240.731.2248 | cmuldoon@uspolo.org

www.uspolo.org/association/programs/umpires 2

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Call or email today to reserve your USPA Umpire and see first-hand the difference a professional USPA Umpire can make.

INTERCOLLEGIATE/INTERSCHOLASTIC

2022 I/I MAGAZINE COVER:

EXCELLENCE: Lily Lequerica competes for the Houston Girls’ team at the 2021 USPA Girls’ National Interscholastic Championship hosted

by New Bridge Polo Club in Aiken, South Carolina. Lily is riding Ultra provided by Berube Polo.

PC: Larry Johnson

DEPARTMENTS 6 14 23 24 38 44 58

2021 I/I Tournament Winners 2021 PTF I/I Players of The Year I/I Goes International Life After I/I: Alumni From the Horse’s Mouth View From The Crow’s Nest I/I Team Rosters

FEATURES 28 34 46 50

NYTS Champs Coaches’ Corner New Kids on the Block Team USPA

PASSION. DEDICATION. EXCELLENCE. 2022 I/I Magazine A Publication of the United States Polo Association ® Editor: Amy Fraser Publication Assistant: Emily Dewey Publisher: United States Polo Association ® Prepress: Walsworth USPA I/I Program Director: Amy Fraser USPA I/I Tournament Manager: Emily Dewey USPA I/I Program Coordinator: Ali Davidge USPA I/I Chairman: Liz Brayboy United States Polo Association ® 9011 Lake Worth Road Lake Worth, FL 33467 1-800-232-USPA USPOLO.ORG facebook.com/iipolo No part of this issue may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic or electronic process without written permission of the publisher.

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Welcome to the 2022 I/I Tournament Season!

Who is ready for some polo?! I can tell you staff,

volunteers, umpires and managers are at the edge of our seats ready to hit the road and get moving with another amazing season.

2021 gave us some unique challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic forced us to rethink how students participate in polo activities. Intercollegiate clubs jumped from competing on horseback to competing online in the Virtual Tournament of Champions, where Oklahoma State Polo Club took home the crown. Polo clubs stepped up in a big way for high school teams, hosting club tournaments in the spring to help them qualify for national tournaments we were still holding out hope for. We were all relieved to be heading off to two National events late last spring where we crowned first-time National Champions in both Gardnertown Polo Club in the Open division and Aiken Polo Club in the Girls’ division. It wasn’t quite enough to curb our cravings, but it sure did feel good to be back at it!

Looking back at 2021, I think the year goes to the alumni. We have seen I/I players past and present filling tournament rosters across the board at USPA events. We ran the stats for the 2021 USPA Fall Board of Governors’ meeting and over 30% of the outdoor events are comprised of I/I participants and over 60% of the arena events. The Feldman Cup fielded six teams this year, and the USPA Women’s Arena Open ® and the U.S. Open Arena Polo Championship® were dominated by I/I alumni. Ace Sportswear, Demitra Hajimihalis (Garrison Forest/UVA), Ingrid Donnan (Cornell) and Anna Palacios (Garrison Forest/Cornell) took home the women’s honors, while Dallas Polo took home the Open trophy with Vaughn Miller Jr. (Prestonwood/UNT), Rob Payne (Fort Worth/Texas Tech) and Will Walton (Willowbend). On the international stage, Winston Painter (Gardnertown) helped bring home the win in the John R. Townsend Cup; the USA vs. England highgoal arena match. Alex Jenkins (Culver/CSU), Cindy Stephenson (USC), and Albany Mulholland (Harvard) competed in the Churchill-Roosevelt Cup; the USPA Armed Forces vs. British Armed Forces polo match. In Argentina, three alumnae competed in the FIP Women’s Nations Cup at Palermo representing USA: Hope Arellano (Palm Beach), Kylie Sheehan (Garrison Forest/UVA) and Maddie Grant (Maryland/UVA).

2022 marks 100 years of I/I polo and we are looking at more teams, more tournaments, and a fresh look to the intercollegiate season. The Division I/ Division II program will launch this year after (no exaggeration) 10 years in the making.

This will add three additional top-level tournaments to the intercollegiate season including the East Regional and the West Regional for Division I, and the Division II National Championship.

As we head into the season, we want to send a warm welcome (and welcome back) to both new and returning faces to the family: UC Davis, Trinity University, USC, the University of Texas, Western NY, Liberty Hall, Charm City, Eldorado, and Denver.

Cheers to 100 years!

Amy Fraser Director, I/I Polo 4

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Remembering the late, great Lynn Thompson-“The Grandma of I/I Polo.”

Welcome to the 2021-2022 edition of the USPA Intercollegiate and

Interscholastic (I/I) Tournament Season! We are so pleased to be back in full swing with the college programs after a year away due to the pandemic. Pent up demand and some creative changes initiated over the past year appear to be driving increased participation from programs around the country – both at the intercollegiate and interscholastic level. Last year’s letter explained that our goal for this year was to “Inspire and Infiltrate” – expanding the understanding of I/I polo throughout the USPA. We aren’t completely there, but we have definitely made great strides during this crazy year thanks to the hard work of staff, committee members, coaches, umpires, student players and parents.

While intercollegiate teams were not able to compete during the 2020-2021 school year, the I/I committee developed ways to keep the programs engaged and excited about polo and competing for their schools. The I/I program launched the Intercollegiate Virtual Tournament of Champions, which was a series of tasks and head-to-head live competition via Zoom for the teams to compete in and earn prizes.

Huge kudos to the USPA staff for organizing this creative alternative and to the sponsors and supporters of the event.

With travel restrictions and limitations on teams and youth sports at state and local levels, the interscholastic tournament season pivoted to be run as USPA I/I Circuit Level Events hosted by the clubs themselves. Clubs stepped up to organize and hold 14 I/I Circuit level events with a total of 45 teams competing at the interscholastic level. From the results of these tournaments, regular season games, and video submitted to the committee, the National Host Tournament Committee selected the top seven teams in both the Girls’ and Open divisions and invited them to the 2021 USPA Interscholastic Nationals, held at the Virginia Polo Center (Open) and Aiken Polo Club (Girls). Gardnertown Polo Club coached by Bill Dencker, and the Aiken Polo Club coached by Tiger Kneece, were crowned the Open and Girls’ National Champions respectively. Both clubs took home the honor for the first time in their program’s history.

Heading into the 2021-2022 school year, the I/I Committee worked with college coaches during the Summer Development Series to bring the Division 1 / Division 2 concept to life. Long discussed and debated, the goal is to create a more even playing field at both levels – ideally creating an opportunity for teams that avoided the tournament season for fear of getting “walloped” by a top-tier team to participate with their peers. By the time you read this magazine, teams will have competed in regular season games against a variety of schools and Division 1 and Division 2 seeding will have been completed. The concept is for Division 2 teams to play through the traditional preliminary and regional structure, with the winner of each of the four regions advancing to the USPA Division II National Intercollegiate Championship hosted at Central Coast Polo Club in March. At the Division 1 level, the Northeastern and Southeastern regions will be combined into the East Regional and the Central and Western Regions will be combined to make the West Regional. The Division 1 teams will compete in either the East or West regional, with the winner and a selection of wildcards to be chosen to compete at the USPA National Intercollegiate Championship, hosted by Virginia Polo Center in April. As the first year of this new structure, we anticipate there will be some bumps in the road, but hope we will learn from them and ultimately create a great model for years to come.

One of the best examples of the I/I “infiltration” strategy this year was that we were able to hold the USPA Fall Board of Governors’ Meeting in Charlottesville, Virginia. As part of those meetings, Governors were invited to the Virginia Polo facilities and had a chance to watch top-tier teams, UVa and University of Kentucky face off in fastpaced arena polo. In addition to watching polo, the Governors heard from a panel of current and former players during the I/I meeting. Panelists Vlad Tarashansky, Parker Pierce, Connor Deal and Grace Burgert were facilitated

by Cindy Halle to share their passion for I/I polo, their commitment to giving back and the importance of polo in their lives. Also during this week of meetings, USPA and PTF awards were given, including the first ever I/I Service Award, presented to Virginia Polo Coach, Lou Lopez for his dedication to the sport and program.

I hope this gives you a flavor for the evolution of I/I and where we are headed over the next few years.

2022 is the 100th Anniversary of I/I Polo and you will be hearing much more from us on that front throughout the year. Please join us in celebrating the past and future of I/I polo – you are all an important part of that story!

Liz Brayboy Chair, I/I Polo I/I MAGAZINE - 2022

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2021 USPA NATIONAL INTERSCHOLASTIC CHAMPIONS

GIRLS’ AIKEN POLO CLUB: Sophie Grant, Summer Kneece, Robyn Leitner, and Reagan Leitner with Coach Tiger Kneece

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OPEN GARDNERTOWN POLO CLUB: Winston Painter, Vlad Tarashansky, and Jonathan Wallace with Coaches Bill Dencker and Dan Scott

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2021 USPA CIRCUIT LEVEL I/I EASTERN CIRCUIT Marlan Farm Polo Club Kyra Kepner, Kylie Beard, Izzy Brockett, Cort Resh Coach: Kelly Wells

EASTERN CIRCUIT Maryland Polo Club Sierra Blevins, Kylie Beard, Jordan Peterson Coach: Kelly Wells

EASTERN CIRCUIT GFS - RUDA Tori Picha, Lindsey Morris, Josie Dorsey, Gabby Chiasera Coach: Posey Obrecht

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CHALLENGE CUPS NORTHEASTERN CIRCUIT Myopia Polo Club Addie Politi, Ava Croce, Emma Croke Coach: Yaz Grotnik

NORTHEASTERN CIRCUIT Tinicum Park Polo Club Owen Halliday, Daniel Arnold, Abdullah Chaudhry Coach: Hesham Elezaby

NORTHEASTERN CIRCUIT Gardnertown Polo Club Mary Duncan, Saralyn Painter, Elizabeth Leudesdorff Coach: Bill Dencker and Dan Scott

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NORTHEASTERN CIRCUIT Gardnertown Polo Club Winston Painter, Jonathan Wallace, Vlad Tarashansky Coach: Bill Dencker and Dan Scott

PACIFIC COAST CIRCUIT OC Polo Club Ella Horton, Mila Slutzky, Allie Bushong Coach: Heather Perkins

PACIFIC COAST CIRCUIT Lakeside Polo Club Oliver Wheatley, Kylie Kufahl, Ethan Bankhead, Trent Wakefield, Troy Wakefield Coach: Nicole Bankhead

PACIFIC COAST CIRCUIT South Bay Polo Club Rolando Llamas, Hannah Krauskopf, Sharokina Williams, Timur Kotelnikov, Mehtaab Bath Coach: Francesca Finato

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SOUTHWESTERN CIRCUIT Houston Polo Club Joe Bob Lequerica, Lance Stefanakis, Charlie Fridge, Will Mudra, Ashwath Bhatia Coach: Mark Prinsloo

SOUTHWESTERN CIRCUIT Houston Polo Club Abby Benton, Bridget Price, Lily Lequerica, Madison Burba, Quin van der Hoeven, Mila Cocco. Not pictured Isabel Artzer Coach: Mark Prinsloo

SOUTHEASTERN CIRCUIT Aiken Polo Club Summer Kneece, Reagan Leitner, Robyn Leitner Coach: Tiger Kneece

PACIFIC COAST CIRCUIT Central Coast Polo Club Morgan Manos, Ruby Decker, Ajay Moturi, Taylor Olcott Coach: Megan Judge

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USPA MIDDLE SCHOOL LEAGUE WESTERN REGION Central Coast Polo Cub - I BLUE: Miles Jones, Hattie Ward, Tennyson Barclay Hamir

WESTERN REGION Central Coast Polo Club - II BLUE: Linnea Johnson, Tanner Ebbin, Hattie Ward, Emily Rubin

SOUTHEASTERN REGION Garrison Forest School Polo Club GARRISON FOREST: Gigi Yapsuga, Mya Quarcoopome, Sage Lax

SOUTHEASTERN REGION Marlan Farm Polo Club DRUMCLIFFE GREY: Sierra Blevins, Ana Grace Karpovich, Lahsen Benyoussef

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CENTRAL REGION Midland Polo Club CROSSHAIR: Willa Joyner, Mary Kate Wetendorf, Jack Bryant

WESTERN REGION OC Polo Club BLUE: Leigh Bertea, Josie Geiler Allen, Lanie Hurtt, Charlotte Kouba, Emery Hutton

SOUTHEASTERN REGION Liberty Hall Polo Club LIBERTY HALL RED: Maddy Addeo, Daniel Coleman Jr, Lahse Benyouseff, Mallorie Marquis

NORTHEASTERN REGION Gardnertown Polo Club RAIDERS: Alexis Palacios-Garcia, Brynn Whitten, Isabel Poniatowski

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DAVID LOMINSKA 14

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PTF MALE INTERCOLLEGIATE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Charlie Walker Colorado State University

“It wasn’t until college, though, that I realized the true love of the sport: the horses...Through the CSU polo team, I got a better appreciation for the horses we ride and the horses that I had back at home.”

I’m

Charles Walker, the 2021 recipient of the Polo Training Foundation’s Men’s Intercollegiate Player of the Year award. I was surprised to win this award because I did not know that I was being nominated for it, but now that I won the award, I can see how the people in my life guided me to this point. I started to ride when I was a young boy with my dad leading me around the track. At the age of 10, I finally grabbed a polo mallet and never put it down. Now I’m going on 11 years of playing polo.

I started playing polo with my father, he taught me everything that he could. Once I got good enough to stay on a horse and hit a ball, I started playing outdoor polo, initially in kid’s tournaments that the polo club hosted. From the age of fourteen, my father would put me in 12-goal practices to see what real polo feels like and let me play in the 8-goal league at Santa Barbara Polo Club. From there, at the age of 16, I started to play arena polo with my wonderful coach Megan Judge. I started playing up in San Luis Obispo (SLO), in 2016 with my three best friends Cory Williams, Jake Klentner and Luke Klentner. Playing up in San Luis Obispo was a blast. I was old enough to drive, so my friends and I would load up our gear in my three-seater pickup truck named “The RANGER” and make the two hour trek up to SLO. Despite all the driving, those were amazing times. Coach Megan taught me how to get my hitting down and how to take a man properly. It wasn’t until college, though, that I realized the true love of the sport: the horses.

I attended Colorado State University from 2018-2020 where I was studying construction management. At CSU polo, the coaches thought that I was good enough to walk on varsity and be vice president of the polo club.

I came into the club knowing how to play polo but not knowing how to ride. That was made clear to me when all the horse girls laughed when I said I didn’t know how to change the lead of the horse. Luckily, the woman that had the most compassion for me was Jasmine Gallegos.

She was kind enough to teach me how to change leads

by feeling the horse in the saddle. Through the CSU polo team, I got a better appreciation for the horses we ride and the horses that I had back at home. If you didn’t know when people donate horses, the horse usually has a little quirk to them. Since a lot of the members in the club were petite ladies and were somewhat questioning the integrity of the donations, I was the guinea pig that would ride the horse first and get the bucks out.

Being in a leadership role and a coach to the beginners was an eye-opening experience. Being a leader started with my attitude. Having a bad attitude really affects the rest the team’s performance. In my younger years of playing, I used to have a temper and it was very clear when I lost a game or had a poor performance. I beat myself up about it and my playing did not get better. It wasn’t until one of my good friends, Corky Linfoot, told me that when you’re upset, you’re only hurting your horses, your ability to hit, and your sense of the game. I was not going to let bad attitudes be the driving reason for the CSU polo team to go down. I also had to manage others, dividing up many tasks, like setting up games for CSU to play, setting up dates and times for exercising horses, cleaning horses and tack, and other school activities that we had to participate in. At CSU we give people the chance to learn the sport of polo. I believe that once you catch polo fever, you will get addicted to the adrenaline of the sport and will not want to stop. It starts with the first solid hit of the ball. For me it was hearing the mallet hit the ball and seeing it fly that started the addiction. What I noticed is that for a lot of the beginners that become lifelong polo members, it was the same feeling when they struck the ball.

I am grateful for what polo has done in my life. It has provided friendship, teaching opportunities, and a sense of freedom. Being on a horse is like no other experience.

Going 10 plus mph and hitting a ball while the opposing team is chasing you down is another feeling all together.

All your problems melt away and nothing in the world matters anymore except you, the horse, and the ball.

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JANELLE ROSS 16

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PTF DANIEL J. WALLACE JR. FEMALE INTERCOLLEGIATE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Molly Agee Point Loma Nazarene University “...polo stands out to me because of the relationships I have built and the people I have met.”

Since the day I could walk, my parents have had me

on a horse. I grew up riding many different disciplines including hunters, three day eventing, barrel racing, drill team, and eventually polo. Although I love every one of those disciplines, polo stands out to me because of the relationships I have built and the people I have met. I began playing interscholastic polo when I was 12 years old at Poway Polo Club. It was really intimidating as I was the youngest one playing at the time and my teammates were all in high school. Although I was the youngest, and definitely the worst on the team, what kept me going was the friendships formed from it.

My best memories growing up are of interscholastic practice and spending time with friends at tournaments.

Going into college, I knew that I wanted to share the same experience I had in interscholastic polo with other people. This led me to starting the team at Point Loma Nazarene University. Like most things, starting an intercollegiate program from the ground up was most definitely not easy. I never would have guessed that the hardest part of starting a team is getting players to join.

It took me a full year for my sales pitch to work, and to convince my teammates of why they should join.

Just before the team entry deadline my sophomore year, I got them to commit. Although they were hesitant at first, they soon realized that college polo, “isn’t so bad.” The team consisted of all new players, but they were all eager to learn and represent our university. We had a few home games that year, and we did tons of on campus advertising which developed new interest in our club. We traveled to regionals that year and although we came up short in the finals, we left feeling accomplished to have even made it that far with our brand new team.

After the strong ending that season, unfortunately our team fell apart and I was back to square one trying to find players. After all of the work it took to get players to commit in the year prior, I genuinely thought that we wouldn’t have a team. Luckily, the incoming freshman

class saw our club advertised in their new student magazine and new interest in the team developed. Right before the team entry deadline, I had Addy (Fuller), Sydney (Falk), Pricila (Villa), and Sam (Whitley) commit to the team. We became so close that season, and it was truly everything I could have asked for. We traveled to regionals that year with the mindset of winning and left that year with the trophy. I firmly believe that we won regionals that year because of the strength we had together as a team.

Unfortunately, COVID crushed our dreams of going to nationals. I think I can speak on behalf of the team and say that we feel incredibly accomplished to have even gotten as far as we did with the new team and to have represented our university so well.

Some of the best memories we have from that season are from traveling to and from practice, going to Chickfil-A, and I guess we could even say getting lost on the way to regionals was a good memory (now that it’s over).

Through the good and bad, we stood by each other and to me that’s what I/I polo is about. Winning regionals wasn’t about the win in itself, but was about the bigger picture.

We started from nothing and developed into something so great because of all of the fun things we did together, and the memories that we made.

I can not explain how grateful I am for all of the people who have supported my interscholastic and intercollegiate journey. I want to say thank you to everyone who has supported me and believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself. Without the support of my family, I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish anything that I did. Thank you to all of my amazing teammates, and to my best friends Addy and Sydney and their families for supporting us. We may have been a small team, but we had a HUGE cheering section and so much support.

Lastly, I want to say thank you to the USPA for developing such an incredible program and providing so many amazing opportunities to young players like us. Playing I/I polo has been the biggest blessing and something I will cherish forever.

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KAILE ROOS 18

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PTF RUSSELL A. SHELDON MALE INTERSCHOLASTIC PLAYER OF THE YEAR Winston Painter Gardnertown Polo Club “Looking back on the last eight years, I’ve realized that polo is not measured by the quality of the field, the price of the horses, or the handicap of the players; rather, polo is measured by the level of enjoyment it brings you.”

I am extremely humbled and honored to receive this

award. Over the last eight years, interscholastic polo has played a monumental role in my career as a polo player and my life in general. I played my first middle school tournament in fifth grade, at the age of ten. Hosted at Gardnertown polo club, it was one of the the first middle school tournaments in the country. Needless to say, from that point on I played in as many middle school tournaments as I could for the next three years. Once I moved on to high school, I was fortunate enough to represent Gardnertown in interscholastic competition alongside my best friends for four straight years. During that time, I travelled to Argentina, England, and all over the United States playing polo from the 2- to 28-goal level. I have been lucky enough to share the field with players such as Facundo Pieres, Gonzalito Pieres, Sapo Caset, Pelon Stirling, Francisco Elizalde, Alfredo Capella, and many more. However, I can say with confidence, that I have had more fun playing in the arena with my friends than I have with any of the players previously listed.

There is something unique about getting to learn and play polo with the same group of kids for eight consecutive years. Polo, especially at the interscholastic level, is a very generational sport. Players, teams, and horses come and go with age. Because of this, and because I was fortunate enough to have stayed with the same interscholastic program for so long, my advice to any kid in the United States looking to get into polo is to find an interscholastic or youth polo program where they will be alongside other kids similar in age and skill level. While it is more than possible for an adolescent to improve without playing alongside and against people of their own age and skill level, I believe such a path makes it much harder for kids to thoroughly enjoy the sport and remain motivated.

In Argentina, the popularity and level of youth polo is objectively higher than what we have here in the United States. This is largely due to the economic differences between the two countries, and the rich polo history that Argentina has. Large youth tournaments in Argentina,

such as the Copa de Potrillos, can field up to 100 teams of kids 14 years old or younger every year on some of Argentina’s nicest fields. This has created a competitive youth polo community where kids compete with each other for many years, learning and improving alongside one another. While I am unsure if a youth tournament like the Copa de Potrillos will ever happen in the United States, I don’t believe that following Argentina’s model is the solution to improving youth polo in the United States.

Rather, I believe that the future of American polo will rely on our ability to increase the scope, reach, popularity, and accessibility of interscholastic polo.

Polo is a team sport, and kids like to play on teams with their friends. For this reason I strongly recommend interscholastic polo to any parents looking to introduce their children to the sport. If their child ends up liking the sport, I strongly advise that they try to get them to play interscholastic polo when they are ready and that they stick with the same club/program for as long as possible.

In doing so, their child will establish lasting friendships and a level of camaraderie in the sport that cannot be found anywhere else. Interscholastic polo is also one of the most affordable ways to participate in the sport here in the United States.

Interscholastic polo matters, and it matters a lot more than many people think. Looking back on the last eight years, I’ve realized that polo is not measured by the quality of the field, the price of the horses, or the handicap of the players; rather, polo is measured by the level of enjoyment it brings you. At all levels, polo is far too expensive to be worth anything to an individual who does not enjoy it.

Since some of my most enjoyable memories in the sport of polo come from my time in the interscholastic program, I consider interscholastic polo some of the best polo I have ever played. I would like to thank my family, the Dencker family, Gardnertown Polo Club, Chris Green, Daniel Scott, Duncan Huyler, all of the Gardnertown boys, Gato, the rest of the Gardnertown family, and the interscholastic program as a whole for providing me with these past eight years, for they have been the best years of my life.

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JENNIFER LEITNER 20

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PTF LYNN THOMPSON FEMALE INTERSCHOLASTIC PLAYER OF THE YEAR Sophie Grant Aiken Polo Club

“Learning in the arena and playing in the interscholastic program has made a huge impact on the player I am today.”

I

would like to start by thanking the Polo Training Foundation and the United States Polo Association for all the work they have done to introduce young kids to the sport of polo. I was six years old when I attended my first polo game at our local club with my family. My sisters and I were very intrigued. We had all been riding since we were very young. I started riding before I could really talk, beginning in leadline and then competing in hunter/ jumper shows. I loved to ride and really enjoyed working with my pony. After seeing the polo game, my oldest sister, Maddie, decided she wanted to take lessons. Being the youngest sister who was always trying to keep up, I decided that I wanted to start taking polo lessons too.

I began in the arena with my father and sisters. One of my favorite events that I looked forward to every year was the PTF clinic at the Virginia Polo Center. Our whole family made the trip each summer. I learned so much from participating in the clinics and I got to play fun competitive arena polo and meet kids my age from across the country.

During the school year, I played in USPA middle school tournaments and, when I was old enough, I played in the interscholastic program. In 2016, when I was 12 years old, I joined the girls’ varsity team at the Maryland Polo Club. I played alongside my two sisters, Maddie and Abbie, and Catie Stueck. We won the 2016 Girls’ National Interscholastic Championship. We were fortunate enough to play with this same team for the next two years. In 2017, we lost in the finals in a shootout. In 2018, we were very determined to win back the championship since it was Maddie’s senior year. I remember getting emotional during the last chukker of the final game realizing that it was Maddie’s last chukker on the team. It was a very special moment winning the national championship that year.

In 2019, I played alongside my sister, Abbie, Catie Stueck and Olivia Reynolds. After winning the Southeastern Regionals we made our way to Houston, Texas for Nationals. We played a tough game and ended up winning the 2019 Girls’ National Interscholastic Championship.

That win was also special as it was Abbie’s senior year.

After winning those three national championships with my sisters and watching them move on to new challenges in college, I felt like I needed a new challenge too. I knew that Tiger Kneece had a young team in Aiken, South Carolina and I thought that if I relocated to Aiken, I might be able to join and lead that young team and also have the opportunity to improve my outdoor polo game and become a more well-rounded player. After further discussions with my parents, in the fall of 2019, I switched to online high school and moved to Aiken with my horses at the age of 16. I am very grateful to the Kneece family for hosting me and my horses that fall and winter.

After our fall outdoor season in Aiken ended, it was time again for arena polo! That year, I got to play alongside Summer Kneece, Robyn and Reagan Leitner for Aiken Youth Polo. AYP was a young organization with not a lot of arena experience. It was my first time being the oldest and leader of a team. Having Tiger Kneece, a former 7-goal arena player, as a coach was exciting. He was able to teach me new outdoor ideas, techniques, and strategies that I was able to bring into the arena. As a team, we worked very hard all winter preparing for our regional tournament. We won the Southeastern Girls’ Regionals in 2020 but were very disappointed when our National tournament was canceled days before we were supposed to leave with our horses to drive to Texas due to COVID. In 2021, we were excited to hear our national tournament was going to be played in Aiken in May. This presented some challenges for our team because it was scheduled to be right in the middle of our outdoor spring season.

Fortunately, our team was very committed to one another, and we were able to work our practices in between everyone’s game schedules. We used our limited time wisely to prepare well. It was a very special moment for me to win the 2021 Girls’ National Interscholastic Championship with Aiken Youth Polo as captain.

All my championships are special to me. But having the opportunity to come to Aiken and lead such a young team and the new Aiken Youth Polo organization to a national title was especially gratifying. I’m so thankful to I/I MAGAZINE - 2022

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have such supportive teammates, coach, and family to be able to finish this exciting journey of high school arena polo on top.

Learning in the arena and playing in the interscholastic program has made a huge impact on the player I am today. In the arena, plays change and move quickly. You need to be able to hit any kind of shot and be able to ride any kind of horse. Interscholastic polo has shaped me into a good rider, and a strong, smart player.

I could not end an article talking about my Interscholastic career without mentioning my partner in crime, Sydney. I rode Sydney my last few years of Interscholastic polo. She gave me confidence in the arena, and I felt like I could make any play I wanted on her. I got to play her the final chukker in the 2021 Girls’ National Interscholastic Final. I scored the last goal of the game on her. It felt like a fitting end to my interscholastic journey.

Cindy Halle Polo Clinics and Instruction • Beginners through Advanced players • IS, IC and adult players • Specializing in team instruction and coaching • Clinics structuredfor your needs USPA Certified Polo Instructor -- USPA Certified Umpire cwhalle6o@gmail.com

443-540-2062

Wishing everyone a fun, successful and safe III season!

Gardnertown Polo Club

2021 USPA National Interscholastic Champions!

Coach Dan Scott, Winston Painter, Jonathan Wallace, Coach Bill Dencker and Vlad Tarashansky 22

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I/I GOES INTERNATIONAL

John R. Townsend Cup & Churchill-Roosevelt Cup We have seen the toll the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on the I/I tournament season and, as you can imagine, the annual International Intercollegiate Challenge Cup with SUPA Britain was also effected. In 2020, the team was overseas when COVID-19 first started to make international headlines and returning through customs at that time was a bit unnerving. While staff held out hope that a 2021 event with SUPA Britain could still be held if it was postponed to the fall, international travel was a bit dodgy when final preparations had to be solidified. Stakeholders from both sides of the pond determined it wasn’t the right time to compete internationally, and decided it would be best to pause the competition until 2023. The John R. Townsend Cup, USA versus England high-goal arena match, and the ChurchillRoosevelt Cup, USPA Armed Forces versus British Armed Forces arena match, were played in October and we are proud to share I/I was very well represented!

CLOCKWISE TOP LEFT: 2021 John R. Townsend Cup Champions: Pelon Escapite, Geronimo Obregon, and I/I Alum Winston Painter (Gardnertown IS); Petty Officer Alex Jenkins (Culver IS, CSU) played for the USPA Armed Forces Team; Captain Albany Mulholland (Harvard) played for the British Armed Forces Team and was named M.V.P.; The USPA Armed Forces Team: Major Cindy Stephenson (USC), Lieutenant Junior Grade Rob DiRado, and Petty Officer Alex Jenkins (Culver IS, CSU) I/I MAGAZINE - 2022

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TIANJIN GOLDIN METROPLITIAN 24

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LIFE AFTER I/I Erich Schloss - Stanford ‘14

My path to polo started almost exactly

10 years ago. I was a sophomore at Stanford University, returning back to school after a summer working in the oil finance industry back home in Texas. I saved up $500 from my summer wages to buy myself a new pair of cowboy boots to celebrate my first “grown-up” job.

Leaving my boots in the hall of my dorm at the request of my roommate has led me down a winding path of hard work, adventure, success, disappointment, and gratitude that has been one of the best experiences of my life.

During the first week of school, a current member of the Stanford Polo team Erich Schloss with Stanford teammates in 2014. noticed my boots and asked if I knew I had something to offer the next iterations of I/I players. how to ride. I may have slightly exaggerated my previous Coaching has not always been easy and I’m sure I horse experience, but that led to an invitation to try out for haven’t always been good at it, but it has been profoundly the polo team. I took my first lesson on a horse named rewarding. I’ve seen players go from picking up a mallet for Stout, the perfect combination of indestructible tank and the first time to receiving Sportsmanship, Horsemanship, gentle babysitter that is a mainstay at nearly every I/I club. and All-Star awards at regionals. I remember giving my I quickly caught the bug for everything polo and jumped in first speech to toast our graduating seniors at the regional with both feet to learn the game. I was fortunate enough banquet, being so nervous because I knew how much to get the chance to learn under accomplished I/I alums those words mean to players who have given so much and Stanford coaches Heather Lake (Stanford Class of over their collegiate career. I’ve been able to play a small 2005) and Michael Zeliger (Cornell Class of 1992). part in keeping the club that means so much to me afloat I learned about true grass-roots polo through I/I during COVID. I’ve also been lucky enough to grow tournaments and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity relationships with people who started out as authorities to ride new horses every chance I got. I made life-long in positions like umpires, opposing coaches, and USPA friends in many new places, getting the chance to play administrators to colleagues and friends. across the country and even internationally because of I/I Believing coaching after playing was unlikely, I surely polo. Participating in college polo was the most defining thought I would not spend time umpiring polo either. As experience I had in college, outside of meeting my wife. a player I was keen to learn the rules from a strategic and My experience during those formative few years continues practical point of view, but it wasn’t until my first umpire to drive me today. clinic with Bradley Biddle that I started to really understand I was lucky to work in the Bay Area after graduation the rules from a philosophical perspective. Becoming a and stayed involved with the Stanford club. Starting as certified umpire improved my ability to see the game as a an informal mentor, scrimmage opponent, and umpire for player and learn how to explain the game as a coach. It’s the competition teams, I later made the jump to assistant allowed me to stay connected to my local clubs while I get coach. Transitioning from student athlete to coach was to know all of the new faces coming into the sport. As I’ve not something I ever considered as a player. Like many had opportunities to umpire higher level games, it’s been athletes, I didn’t think that my competitive nature would humbling to learn what it takes to be a good umpire from allow me to stand on the sidelines as a coach while other pros like Dan Healy and Robin Sanchez. Through them, people play a game I know and love. The great coaches I’ve come to appreciate umpires who prioritize fairness who guided me as a player helped me understand that and honesty across all levels of polo.

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GIVING BACK: Erich volunteers his time to coach the Stanford polo team.

Reflecting on the last 10 years of polo led me to realize that my life “after” I/I polo has really been all about I/I polo.

Maintaining a connection to this community continues to open doors for me that would not be possible otherwise.

I’d encourage all I/I alums, longstanding and recent, to seek out a local I/I team; share your experience, volunteer your time, or simply be there in the stands to support them at a competition. You’ll be reminded of how pure polo can be and you will witness effort, determination and a deep love for horses that rivals 12-goal tournaments.

I’m also energized to set new goals on where I could see myself in 10 more years. I look forward to starting my own string, playing in more local tournaments, travelling to new clubs, competing in future Feldman Cups, and watching the highest level of polo in person. But as I think about all the things I could do in polo, the only thing I am certain of is my commitment to supporting I/I polo. It’s the part of the sport that gave me my start and has enabled me to get this far; for that I will be forever grateful.

CHUKKER BREAK I/I Alumni Networking Events Launched in the summer of 2021, the I/I Alumni Engagement Subcommittee piloted the new I/I Alumni Networking Events. The first event took place at the beautiful Seneca Polo Club in Poolesville, Maryland. The event hosted I/I alumni from the surrounding area for an afternoon of ‘Back in the Game’ chukkers for those who have not picked up a mallet in ages, followed by a more competiive roundrobin tournament of seasonoed alumni. Following the games, refreshements were served and players and spectators were able to connect with old friends, teammates, and local club representatives.

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Supporting youth polo, Interscholastic, UCSB and Westmont Intercollegiate Polo Training Center Santa Barbara (PTCSB) is a charitable organization that encourages the growth of polo by operating and supporting programs for players at all levels. PTCSB will encourage the development of goodwill and sportsmanship as well as teaching the skills necessary to participate successfully in the game of polo.

Tax ID No. 27-1433058

polotrainingcenter.com I/I MAGAZINE - 2022

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KAILE ROOS 28

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NATIONAL YOUTH TOURNAMNENT SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP ® Cecil Smith Cup & Girls’ Championships Hayley Heatley Bray - Southern Methodist University ‘14

The

2021 National Youth Tournament Series Championship® featured eight teams, highlighting four open division teams and four girls’ teams for the first time in program history. Since the inception of the program in 2013, Chair Chrys Beal had her sights set on expanding and improving the level of the national championship event each year. After introducing the Invitational East vs. West Challenge in 2017, the second division of NYTS became the Invitational National Youth Tournament Series Girls’ Championship® the following year to better represent the growing demographic of female players.

Highlighting four girls’ teams at the national level in 2021 is a milestone the program proudly celebrates.

The 32 players selected to compete at the NYTS Championship hailed from 22 USPA clubs, representing a multitude of regions, riding backgrounds and polo experience. The wide variety of player backgrounds demonstrate the qualifier tournaments continue to reach a range of players and clubs, offering a fun and competitive environment for players to compete with and against their peers in USPA Circuit Events. Many of the players selected for the championship tournament had never played with their respective teammates before.

Each team from the Open division was paired with a team from the Girls’ division, sharing a coach to bridge the gap between the divisions and further encourage new friendships and a broader learning experience.

The NYTS Championship coaches enhanced the learning experience for each team by holding team meetings, video reviews and feedback. Former 7-goal player, U.S. Open Polo Championship® winner and current I/I coach Tiger Kneece, led both his Open division Eastern Region team and the Girls’ Purple team to victory. Patrick Uretz, two-time Men’s National Intercollegiate Champion with Westmont College and current 4-goal player, coached the Central Region team and Girls’ Yellow team. Both Uretz and Kneece have coached at multiple NYTS Championship events and serve as mentors for young players as they navigate high school, college polo and beyond. American 4-goal players, Marcos Alberdi and

Ulysses Escapite joined the coaching staff for the first time in 2021. Alberdi and Escapite regularly compete at the highest levels of professional polo in the United States and brought a wealth of knowledge to the players competing at Championships.

As a spring and summer tournament series, NYTS Qualifiers are just one part of the United States Polo Association’s youth polo offering. 28 of the 32 All-Stars selected to play at the 2021 NYTS Championship also participated in the USPA Intercollegiate/Interscholastic program. Providing another outlet for youth players to compete allows for year-round participation and continued growth in the sport.

Las Brisas Polo Club, Morgan Creek Polo Club, Oak Brook Polo Club, Due West Polo Club, Chicago Polo Association and the Chicago polo community provided fantastic venues and a welcoming atmosphere for the 2021 NYTS Championship.

Eastern Region overcomes Wild Card Team in NYTS Championship Cecil Smith Cup Final A decisive victory over the Central Region team’s secured the Eastern Region team’s berth in the 2021 NYTS National Championship Cecil Smith Cup against the Wild Card team. The Wild Card team narrowly defeated the Western Region team 4.5-4 in the first matchup of the tournament. In a tightly contested match, the Wild Card team doubled down on defense to control the Eastern Region team’s notorious offense. Competing with friends and guided by her former Intercollegiate/ Interscholastic (I/I) coach, Sophie Grant representing the Eastern Region team was confident that the strength of those relationships would translate onto the field. “I believe that the well-rounded ability of all four players on our team led to our success and dominance,” Grant said. “The chemistry between the four of us and our coach Tiger Kneece was great. We’re all close friends off the field so it was easy to gel together on the field.”

The Eastern Region team’s chemistry proved successful as the final bell rang 8-6 in their favor.

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Open Division Teams EASTERN REGION Sophie Grant Aiden Meeker Winston Painter Landen Eckbo Daniels COACH: Tiger Kneece WILD CARD Daniel Miranda Josh Escapite Taylor Palacios Vlad Tarashansky COACH: Marcos Alberdi CENTRAL REGION Grace Mudra Lily Lequerica Will Mudra Lance Stefanakis** COACH: Patrick Uretz WESTERN REGION Quinn Kyle Riley Jordan Piers Bossom Will Schneider COACH: Ulysses Escapite ** substituted by Summer Kneece, Reagan Leitner and Robyn Leitner

Girls’ Division Teams PURPLE Summer Kneece Caroline Mathews Saralyn Painter Elise Pardue COACH: Tiger Kneece YELLOW Gracie Brown Sunny Diller Sophia DeAngelis Brianna Jordan COACH: Patrick Uretz BLUE Robyn Leitner Taylor Olcott Maya Miller Caroline Mooney COACH: Marcos Alberdi PINK Reagan Leitner Madison Jordan Kelsey Bray Grace Fleishmann COACH: Ulysses Escapite

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2021 NYTS CHAMPIONSHIP: Above: Six teams comprised of 32 youth players took the fields in Chicago this year. Previous page top: Josh Escapite (Wildcard) takes a neck shot along the boards with Winston Painter (Eastern) on the defense. Previous Page Bottom: Eastern Region team coach Tiger Kneece and Aiden Meeker. Page 28: Blue Team’s Taylor Olcott lays a bump into Purple’s Saralyn Painter. PC: Kaile Roos

Best Playing Pony honors were presented to Soda, a seven-year-old Argentine mare owned by Mariano Obregon and played by Winston Painter in the first chukker. Painter’s skill as a rider was recognized with the Horsemanship Award. Contributing four goals to the Wild Card’s tally, Josh Escapite was named Matthew Cohen Most Valuable Player. Western Region’s Quinn Kyle received the Sportsmanship Award.

Purple Team Claims Victory in 2021 NYTS Girls’ Championship® Led by Most Valuable Player Summer Kneece, the Purple team went into the final knowing they had to keep their head down and focused the entire four chukkers of the match in order to beat a strong Pink team. After defeating the Yellow team in the semifinal with a strategy focused on offensive strength, the Pink team changed gears against Purple, maintaining a strong defensively minded strategy throughout the match. Leading by only 0.5 goals at the

beginning of the fourth chukker, the Purple team managed to find the goal twice in the final chukker of play to pull ahead 6.5 to 5.

Coaching in the NYTS Girls’ Championship for the third time, Kneece had the honor of coaching his daughter Summer to the win. “Girls’ Pink had some really good offensive players and we knew we were going to have to contain them to stay in the game. It can be challenging and fun at the same time to coach my daughter,” Tiger Kneece explained. “She does well with it and she responds well.”

Best Playing Pony (BPP) honors were presented to Sagebrush, an eight-year-old chestnut mare in Reagan Leitner’s string. Sagebrush had previously been awarded BPP at NYTS qualifiers in Aiken and Bluewater Creek. Twin Robyn Leitner, competing for Girls’ Blue, was given the Sportsmanship Award for her continued positive attitude, fairness, and support for her peers on and off the field.

Girls’ Pink’s Madison Jordan received the Horsemanship Award.

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2020 USPA NYTS CHAMPIONS

FLORIDA REGION: Landen Daniels, Hope Arellano, Jack Whitman and Fin Secunda

For more information on the 2022 NYTS Qualifier Season 32

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EASTERN REGION: Landen Daniels, Winston Painter, Aiden Meeker and Sophie Grant

2021 USPA NYTS CHAMPIONS

PURPLE: Saralyn Painter, Summer Kneece, Elise Pardue and Caroline Mathews

please visit uspolo.org or contact NYTS@uspolo.org.

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COACHES’ CORNER Montana State’s Rob Brooks Sarah Bean- Montana State University ‘22

When you picture Montana, you may envision fields of

wildflowers, snowy mountains, and of course, cowboys.

Sounds like an ideal place for polo, right? However, Montana did not have a university level polo team until 2004 when a single cowboy and a few of his closest friends formed Montana’s first intercollegiate polo team at Montana State University. Rob Brooks, an average-sized, weathered man with a definitive red circle beard, has been the head coach and founder of the Polo Club of Montana State University since its inception.

Although Brooks has spent his whole life around horses, he did not get into polo until later in life. During his youth, Brooks and his sister showed horses at local shows in and around Belgrade, a growing town with a history in agriculture and the railway industry that neighbors Bozeman, Montana, home of Montana State University.

Brooks started rodeoing in his late teens, mainly riding bareback broncs and bulls, and opened his own business, R.O. Brooks Custom Leather, in 1997. By age 30, Brooks had started his family and could feel that his rodeo career was coming to an end. “One day, a bull rider friend of mine came into the leather shop looking to have a pair of chaps made. He told me about this new sport, cowboy polo, that they were all playing. One day I just went and tried it and I enjoyed it so much that I didn’t miss a practice or event for ten years.” Brooks says that “cowboy polo filled a nice void in my life, and it’s much safer than bull riding.”

Cowboy polo is a horseback sport played primarily in the western United States. Similar to polo, the objective of cowboy polo is to score points by hitting a ball through a goal. However, that is where the similarities end. Cowboy polo is played in a large arena and the playing area is split into five zones. There are five players on each team, and one person from each team is confined to one zone so that no more than two players can be on the ball at any given time. Other than that, the rules are very minimal: there is no line of the ball. Another key feature that sets cowboy polo apart from polo is the equipment. Cowboy polo is played in western saddles, big ole knee pads, and construction helmets with built-on cages. The mallets

are made of cattle prods with a square shoe sole cut-out stuck on the end, designed to hit a kickball.

After years of playing cowboy polo, Brooks and his friend, Joe Smith, saw an advertisement in the newspaper offering free arena polo lessons. “We thought, well, we play polo in an arena, and if there’s a new crew in town we better go meet them.” Brooks and Smith, along with a few other cowboy polo players, showed up at the lesson with their western saddles and cowboy polo gear. It was here that Brooks and Smith met their polo mentor, Patrick Eibs, alumnus of Purdue Polo Club. The two were immediately hooked on arena polo and tried to convince their cowboy polo friends to follow along, as it required less players and space and could fit in an indoor arena, meaning that they now had something to do in the winter. The transition was a little rough because they didn’t know all of the rules and didn’t have all the proper equipment. Eibs recalls that “cowboy polo was a lot rougher, and the mentality of the player was ‘why do we have to follow all these rules?’ but over time they came to appreciate the reasoning behind it.” And while cowboy polo is fun and relaxed, it is a rapidly disappearing sport and lacks the potential for growth that polo has.

In 2004, Brooks had a conversation with his friend Lance Barney, the equine instructor at Montana State Univiersity at the time, about creating an interest in polo amongst college students. Brooks said, “tell me you wouldn’t know of a hundred college kids who wouldn’t love to play polo.”

Soon they had roughly fifteen college students playing polo every Thursday night. “I was getting out of polo myself due to some old injuries, so I was glad when Rob decided to carry on with it,” says Eibs. As interest grew, Brooks helped to form Montana’s first and only college polo club.

The club became an official USPA Intercollegiate Team in 2006.

Brooks volunteers his time by hauling his ponies along with ponies from former polo coaches and alumni, to weekly practices. “He is always willing to go the extra mile to make sure that the team has horses to play on,” one player said. As head coach, Brooks has made an I/I MAGAZINE - 2022

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Rob Brooks pictured with the men’s and women’s Montana State Polo teams.

effort to make sure that any student who is interested in playing polo feels welcome on the team regardless of their background or experience level. “If someone showed up and was scared to ride English, the point was to let them play but we had to follow the rules so eventually they’ll try an English saddle.” At the same time, he also encourages more experienced players to work hard and be competitive.

Although Brooks enjoys bringing the horses to practice and being there, he has more of a stand-back approach to coaching. “Rob is more of an observer, but he will give input and advice when he sees that someone is struggling and will help them work through the problem,” says Thea Johnson. “He notices every individual player.” Johnson is a recent MSU alumna who returned to polo this past year to help coach the MSU team. She missed the polo environment and loved the game and wanted to ensure that the club remained a safe, fun place. “Fostering an inclusive environment is important to both Rob and me, and it’s part of the reason why we work so well together.”

Players recall a day this spring when they were preparing for practice, and Brooks called to say, “Thea and I couldn’t catch any of the horses, so we’re just going to have a foot mallet practice today. Make sure everyone knows.”

The players were starting to prepare for the changes when the pair pulled up with a full trailer of horses, and Brooks strolled into the arena grinning from ear-to-ear, calling “April Fools!” While Johnson plans out drills and the practice plan, Brooks is the heart and soul of the team.

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In the past 17 years, numerous MSU students have had the opportunity to learn and play polo because of Brooks’s initiative and dedication. “From where we started, we’re pretty professional now, but it was a long ugly road getting here.” Surprisingly, the vast majority of MSU Polo Club members have never played polo before college.

Throughout the years, the number of members has been rising increasingly, to more than 20 players in spring 2021.The club has competed at preliminary, regional, and national events. The Men’s team won Northwestern Preliminaries in 2016, and the club participated in the USPA “Virtual Tournament of Champions” this past year and placed third at Nationals. This spring, the polo club received three awards given out by the Montana State club sports program, including “Club of the Year Award,” the “Spirit Award,” and the club’s treasurer received “Officer of the Year Award.” Additionally, the club gained varsity status—the highest tier of club sports at MSU—which will take effect in the upcoming school year.

Brooks is always very generous with his horses throughout the school year, but the summers are reserved for Brooks to spend quality time with his horses. It became evident to Brooks shortly after the MSU team was formed that it wasn’t going to work out for him to play alongside the students due to the difference in experience and competitiveness. “I had to take a step back and say, ‘Rob this isn’t for you to play, you have to get fulfillment from helping instead,’” he recalls. Shortly after, Brooks was introduced to the sport of polocrosse, which is a

combination of polo and lacrosse, and has found it to be a great outlet for him to be competitive and work with his horses. During the summers, Brooks and his polo ponies are busy training for and playing polocrosse. Brooks also often rides with his daughter and son, Bobbi and Dawson, and other polocrosse players or polo alumni.

Brooks now works as an independent contractor in the construction industry but still finds time to do some custom leather work by appointment only. His work includes making saddles and chaps, but some of his proudest work is the leather guitar covers that he makes for guitarists that play to benefit the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation. He has made over a dozen of these covers for many well-known musicians including Stevie Nicks and Joe Walsh.

Although Brooks has mellowed out over the years, his cowboy spirit is evident in everything he does. “Rob approaches everything with a tremendous amount of gusto,” said Eibs. Perhaps that is how Brooks was able to get a community hooked on a sport that he had just been introduced to. Brooks recognized the potential that polo had in the community, and opportunities that it could bring to MSU students. He has been with the Polo Club of Montana State University since the beginning, and his commitment and enthusiasm has never ebbed.

Time will tell how many years Rob will play such a big role in the club, but it is still working its way up and there is no end in sight.

CHUKKER BREAK Virtual Tournament of Champions Part 1

In response to the Global Pandemic shutting down intercollegiate polo for over a year, the USPA I/I Program developed a virtual competition for teams to particpate in from the safety of their campuses.

The Intercollegiate Virtual Tournament of Champions was developed with regional and national competition in areas such as quiz bowls, both mounted and unmounted penalty shotouts and a horsemanship skills test. Montana State swept the competition in their Quiz Bowl knowledge and placed an overall third at Nationals!

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FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH For the Love of the Oklahoma State Polo Ponies Genna Bono - Oklahoma State ‘22 Elyse Warren - Oklahoma State ‘23 Established in 2000 from the disbandment of the

University of Oklahoma’s Polo Club, Oklahoma State University (OSU) welcomed eleven horses and established its presence in the sport of polo. 21 years later, OSU Polo Club has managed to build its facilities from the ground up and now houses twenty amazing playing ponies. Believing polo is a sport that should be shared with all, the club’s officer team strives to teach and welcome new members affiliated with the university and share knowledge of the sport throughout the community. OSU Polo Club accepts any student interested, regardless of prior horse experience. By traveling to matches, participating in clinics, and supporting other organizations, the club has become a great addition to the university.

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to love the sport equally. Learning how to communicate with others on the team and all the components behind the sport, I am planning to continue developing my skills at OSU as the atmosphere is very enjoyable!” said freshman, Abbie Holgate. The club strives to make the polo fields a comfortable place for members to interact and bond with other peers and horses while becoming deeply enriched in the sport.

The OSU Polo Club always puts horses first and gives them the best care possible. In return, the ponies always grant the team with their best effort; whether it’s time for practice or time for a tournament. The club ponies won best playing men’s string and women’s string in 2020 at Central Intercollegiate Preliminaries. In addition, a very special pony, Con Air (A.K.A Connie) was awarded best playing pony! Unfortunately, due to issues such as old age,

Cushing’s, and arthritis, several of the ponies that helped create a foundation for this club are getting a well-earned retirement, including best playing pony, Connie. These goodbyes are bittersweet for the club, but the members and officers are happy for the next stage in the ponies’ lives, relaxing and being loved in their new homes.

“I have traveled to OSU for clinics two times now and on both occasions, I was very impressed with the high level of organization and horse care that was displayed. Not only were all the horses in great flesh, but all had great coats and tell-tale signs of caretakers that truly care.

Well done OSU!” said Connor Deal, a USPA clinician and coach.

All of the ponies that are a part of the organization have been generously donated by multiple organizations and individuals. Recently, Chase Moore and Ted Runge donated three amazing additions to the string that immediately became club favorites. The OSU Polo Club can sustain and support their horses because of donors like Chase and Ted. These generous donors, numerous volunteers, and many helpful hands allow the club to survive. The club’s coach and owner of OKC Polo Club, David Ragland, has been more than helpful to the team throughout the years. Whether it’s lending a truck and trailer so the team can travel to tournaments or housing horses over the summer, David Ragland has been a constant supporter of the club. Another major contributor to the club is Big V Feeds, who not only is a sponsor but also donates one ton of feed for the ponies every month. This feed donation has increased the quality of the feed and allowed the members to focus their energy on moving the herd to their new property.

The University recently granted the polo club thirtyfive acres of campus property. The club is currently fundraising to ensure the ponies are granted the best facility possible. This new facility will have a barn to stall all the horses, five separate pastures with run-in sheds, and an arena to host practices and matches. All members and officers are looking forward to these great club additions in the future!

Through hard work and dedication, OSU Polo Club has earned great standings in the polo community.

CHUKKER BREAK Virtual Tournament of Champions Part 2 In the Virtual Tournament of Champions, teams were also challenged with various social media posts and awards and points were given based on the number of likes and creativity. All participants received a $25 gift card to U.S. Polo Assn. and prizes were awarded to the team of each individual task winner, regional winner, and national winner. Prizes included such items as polo bandages, saddles, bridles, gift cards to Tackeria and Farm Vet, and custom saddle pads. Oklahoma State was crowned the National Champions after clutching the win in the Horsemanship Skill test. Wilbur pictured on the page prior is decked out in equipment the team won over the course of the tournament.

All members and horses are extremely well-deserving.

COVID-19 led to many restrictions that ultimately banned the club’s travel for the 2020-2021 school year. However, OSU used this travel set back to hone in improving all skills, on and off the horse. As a result, OSU Polo Club was titled the Central and National USPA Intercollegiate Virtual Tournament Champions. The club can complete great accomplishments such as becoming the 2021 National Virtual Champions through all the support received from donors and sponsorships. OSU Polo has come a long way in 21 years and is excited to continue growing and expanding in the future!

Above: Oklahoma State team members; Previous Page: Wilbur, a beloved OSU Pony donated by USPA Circuit Governor Mike Carney, is all decked out in the equipment the team won during the USPA’s Intercollegiate Virtual Tournament of Champions.

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U.S. POLO ASSN. Collegiate Brand Ambassadors

USPA Global Licensing continues to support the collegiate programs through their Global Brand Ambassador Program. For the 2021-2022 I/I season, all participating teams were supplied with U.S. Polo Assn. branded team jerseys, whites, polo shirts, hats, and gear bags, in addition to receiving a cash grant.

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OSU POLO TEAM

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TEXAS TECH

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UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

Polo Club at Virginia Tech

Good Luck

to All I/I Competitors!

Danny & Janet Scheraga I/I MAGAZINE - 2022

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VIEW FROM THE CROW’S NEST

PAT MICHAELS

Stan Feldman - USPA Certified Umpire, Cornell ‘07

This is an exciting time of year for me. Almost every fall

for the last decade, with last year the notable exception, I begin to receive the emails that will schedule my umpiring itinerary for the coming I/I season. Texts from friends, family and other umps speculating on the season’s favorite teams and up-and-coming players become more frequent and the rumor mill spins. After two mostly lost seasons, I feel an anticipation that, quite frankly, I had forgotten I was even capable of producing after spending the better part of the last eighteen months in a quarantine.

We’re going to have a full I/I season (fingers-crossed), and I can’t wait to watch it from my saddle.

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I am an unabashed arena polo fan and though I am biased, having spent little time on the grass and many years in the I/I program, I believe I/I to be the most entertaining interpretation of the sport, indoors or out. The speed and creativity of these amateurs increases every year and as an umpire, I work hard to improve my skills to keep pace. This includes umpire tests, video reviews and frequent discussions with other umpires on the mentality, strategy and philosophy of umpiring. We take it all very seriously.

When I was playing polo in college, I never considered that I would one day take up umpiring. It would have been

absurd to even suggest it; why would anyone shoulder that thankless task? The responsibility. The occasional abuse. The adherence to a rulebook. I can barely deal with authority day-to-day and even less so on the polo field. The idea of putting on a striped uniform in my free time would have been nauseating when I was 22 years old.

A brief aside: my sincere apologies to anyone who has ever umpired me in a game, especially to my current compatriots. It’s not you; it’s me.

Things change, however. At some point, I realized that my ability and my competitive spirit were incompatible; I simply wasn’t good enough to win consistently, and when I didn’t win, I didn’t have fun. I stopped playing entirely and didn’t go near a horse or mallet for a few years. It was the longest I went without riding in my life, but I kept watching and travelling to games and tournaments to cheer for my younger brother, loving every minute of that experience.

Then, finally, at an interscholastic tournament at the old Brushy Creek arena, it clicked - maybe I should try umpiring. It wouldn’t necessarily be glamorous, but I could get involved with the program again, travel a little bit and even make some extra money. I got myself to an umpire clinic at Cornell the following fall and never looked back.

This may surprise some reading this, though hopefully not too many - I really enjoy umpiring, much more than I ever did playing. This is unusual, and it should be; there would be no games if more than a few people wanted to officiate. As I reflect on this abnormal experience with the sport - and I almost exclusively officiate at this point - I have realized that umpiring relieved me of the pressure to win, allowing me to appreciate the sport in a way that I never did when I was younger. As crazy as it sounds, umpiring rescued my relationship with polo.

So, where am I going with all of this? I doubt it’s what Amy expected when she asked me to write an article and I feel a little self-indulgent taking up her space with this introspection; so give me a moment to find a way that my experience can apply to you …

I suppose the takeaway is this: leave yourself open to evolution, not just in polo but in all of your experiences.

As the world emerges from this pandemic, you may find that an old hobby isn’t bringing you the same joy that you remember. In that moment, don’t be afraid to re-examine your relationship with that pastime. If you leave yourself open to adaptation, there’s a pretty good chance that you can find happiness in an unexpected place.

Garrison Forest School Polo Program Garrison Forest School is one of only two schools and the only girls’ school in the United States to offer polo. Our polo players live, learn and excel in their sport on our 110-acre campus in Maryland.

Visit us at: gfs.org/polo

GIRLS’ DAY, K-12 / COED PRESCHOOL GIRLS’ NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL BOARDING, GRADES 8-12 300 Garrison Forest Road, Owings Mills, MD 21117

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THE (NOT SO) NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK USPA Welcomes Back UC Davis Polo Team Bonnie Magill - UC Davis ‘80 Back in the 1930’s, polo was played at UC Davis. The

polo team was first organized during the fall semester at UCD in 1934. The team had a roster of eight men and five women. Students on the team received academic credit through the Physical Education Department.

Game strategy and playing technique were instructed by blackboard work and practice drills under the guidance of Retired U.S. Cavalry General W. Bell of UCD. Student players were required to drill and scrimmage at least four days per week, for one and a half hours to receive college credit. Much of this practice time was spent at the North 46

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Sacramento stables of Mrs. F.B. Hart. Leone Hart was a nationally recognized female polo player and helped coach the players while they used her facilities. When not at the Hart Stables, the team scrimmaged and held tournaments on the southeast side of campus, which now accommodates student housing. Student polo players provided their own horses, tack and equipment, unlike today where most college programs work with donated horses and equipment. The high point of the 1930s was when UC Davis beat Stanford 8-5 in the 1936 Pacific Coast Championship Tournament with Walt Disney as

the umpire. Other schools participating in this tournament were UC Berkeley, St. Mary’s of San Francisco, Riviera Polo Club (USC students), and Fairmont Polo Club (bay area students). By 1937 most students with horses had graduated and polo declined on campus. Then the war came, followed by higher taxes, and polo disappeared at UC Davis.

Then at Picnic Day in 1971, Animal Science graduate student, John Madigan, organized an exhibition polo game with the animal science faculty against the graduate students. It was a hit, with one faculty member riding out to the lineup on a Holstein cow and another on a donkey with a croquet mallet as a joke. The professors then ambled off the field and changed from their crowdpleasing mounts to horses from the Campus Recreation Riding Program, and a “real” game was played and fun was had by all. Little did anyone know that this game would lead to the re-emergence of the polo club that would be a dynasty of intercollegiate competitions from 1975 through 1990. Since the exhibition game was so popular, Madigan decided he might as well pursue the reinstatement of a polo club on campus. He began knocking on campus doors and found support from west coast players that provided donations and advice to reintroduce a polo club on the UCD campus. After recruiting players, obtaining donations of horses and equipment, finding stabling for horses, and obtaining access to an unused agricultural field on campus, the club was revitalized with a roster of about 20 members. Members had to level a field filled with irrigation checks and take out fence posts by renting and borrowing equipment. A nearby highway was under construction and Madigan convinced some of the construction crew to come over with their equipment and level the field in exchange for polo lessons. Upon

completion, the first few years of playing was on a level, but dusty, dirt field. A few years later, the field was seeded and the club had a real grass field to utilize in the spring and fall. Club members played in tournaments at Carmel Valley, Santa Rosa, Modesto, and Wild Horse Valley Ranch. They participated in polo clinics given by Dr. Bill Linfoot. The USPA officially recognized the club in 1974 and there were more women members at UCD than any other American polo club at that time. University of California at Davis became the first USPA collegiate polo club in California.

The student run club was finally legitimate and ready to send a men’s team to the 1975 National Intercollegiate Championships in Connecticut. It was a “Seabiscuit” scenario. “Do they play in western saddles in California?”

“Who was this team coming from UC Davis?” “Where is Davis?” The team was rated 6 goals and had been working together for over three months to get ready for the competition by doing drills, playing in scrimmages, foot polo, and working out in the weight room. Team members Mike Conant (4), Bil Walton (2), Dan Harrison (0), and Gary Dempsey (0) stunned the East Coast by winning the finals, beating Yale 15-12. Their method of playing down the middle of the arena in an outdoor style was a key factor to their win. It was the first time a school from the west coast had not only entered the tournament, but won the championship too! A motion picture was made after this thrilling upset, titled “Leave Yesterday Behind,” starring John Ritter. Davis women attended the National Intercollegiate Championship for the first time in 1978 and they won! The team consisted of Susan Walton, Kim Kelly, and Maggie Mitchell. Since the men’s team also won in 1978, it was the first time in USPA history that both the men’s team and the women’s team

Previous Page: Polo was played on campus during the 70’s. Above: Dr. Linfoot Clinic with team members.

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The current UC Davis Coach and alum Bonnie (McIntosh) Magill, right, pictured with teammates Kim Kelly and Cindy (Wilson) Halle in 1979.

2003 Western Regional Champions: Coach Mike O Ferrall, Danika Rice Melnar, Alexandra Dove, Lindsey Joseph Moors, Erin Cronin-Prather Maurer, and Ariel Spitze with Sherry Sheldon Gibson presenting.

Introducing the 2021-2022 team: Maya Tantuwaya, Marisa Carelli, Liliana Gonzalez, and Francesca Johannsen.

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from the same university had won the National Championships in the same year. With that accolade, UC Davis men’s and women’s championship teams were invited to ride in the 1979 Rose Bowl Parade, ironically when the parade theme was “World of Sport.”

University of California, Davis men have won the National Championship in 1975, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, and 1989. Davis men came in second in 1977, 1980 and 1990.

Davis women have won the National Championship in 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, and 1983. Davis women came in second in 1979, 1985, and 1988.

In the mid 1970’s through the 1980’s, UC Davis dominated a sport that was usually reserved for eastern schools.

The student run club relied on university facilities, donations from supporters, fund raising efforts, lessons and student dues to operate and be self-supporting.

Students maintained the horses and took care of the field which meant that all members had water pipe moving duties (sometimes in the middle of the night) and maintained all of the equipment. It was desire, guts, and determination that kept the program going. There was never very much monetary support from the university and a paid coach was unheard of. Coaches were, and still are today, alumni giving back to the program.

The club goal was to promote the interest and development of polo on the UCD campus and spread an appreciation of polo beyond the college years. The club also wanted to introduce people to polo by offering lessons in horsemanship and polo skills. The club planned to provide benefit exhibition games and attend both open and intercollegiate competitions. Because the club was student run, members really had to step it up in the area of leadership. There have been four recipients of the PTF Collegiate Foundation Award between 1986 and 2001.

If it takes a village to raise a child, then it is definitely taking a village to reform The Aggie Polo Club at UC Davis. We had not seen polo at UC Davis for 12 years. Fast forward to the fall of 2021 where this year’s president, senior Maya Tantuwaya, freshmen Liliana Gonzalez and Marisa Carelli, and sophomore alternate Francesca Johannsen have

done a huge amount of legwork to get the student run program back on its feet. Fortunately, all four girls have had interscholastic experience, so they know what drive and determination is needed here to be successful. Completing all the paperwork for both the USPA and the University of California at Davis has not been an easy task.

The club is now recognized by both organizations and the girls will be playing in the upcoming I/I season. There has been the work to schedule beginner polo lessons for students, participating in drills and scrimmages, and sending out correspondence to the polo community for horses, tack, and personal gear. So far, the team has competed at Mustang Madness in October at Central Coast Polo Club and completed two seeding games with Cal Poly and Stanford. The girls just completed an excellent USPA I/I players’ clinic with Cindy Halle (UCD alumni, winner of three national championships) at their home club, Sutter Buttes Polo Club in Yuba City. They participate in scrimmages on Saturdays at the Oakdale Polo Club. The UCD club does have a few care-lease horses to ride right now for practice and they have received two horse donations. They have received saddles, bridles, mallets and other tack from the polo community, along with some monetary donations. Current members are currently looking for UCD polo alumni to connect with, additional horse donations and tack, and any monetary donations to help with horse expenses and upcoming tournament costs. They will need to lease a string for western regionals, as they do not have a sufficient number of horses or transportation yet. Contact Maya (President) at mayatantuwaya@gmail.com or Bonnie Magill bonniemagill57@ gmail.com if you would like to help. But, my friend, that is how a village works! Have patience girls as you start to work toward another national title.

Welcome back, Aggies!

Good luck to all teams in the 2022 Interscholastic Season! ocpolo.com | #PoloattheRanchom

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For Exclusive U.S. Polo Discount Pricing Contact Nick Tedeschi tel: (781) 762-5739 or email: nickt@prizepossessions.com www.prizepossessions.com I/I MAGAZINE - 2022

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TEAM USPA Connor Deal Hayley Heatley Bray - Southern Methodist University ‘14

The USPA Intercollegiate/Interscholastic (I/I) Program

provides an accessible entry point for many young players to the sport of polo. Whether it be players from a polo or horse background or someone looking to start a new sport, the program is equipped to accommodate a wide range of experience. The dynamic game captures the attention of many participants who look to continue participating throughout their life and integrate the sport into their professional life. While a professional playing career may be in the cards for some, many career avenues exist within the sport. Team USPA Alumni, Connor Deal, was introduced to polo through the I/I program and quickly fell in love with the sport. Deal capitalized on his accounting training and knowledge of polo management to artfully create a successful career for himself.

A small horse sticker stuck to the back of the Deal’s family car caught the eye of his high school tennis teammate, Kamran Pirasteh, one afternoon at pickup after practice. Pirasteh had recently decided to start an Interscholastic Polo team at Natania Polo Club and was on the hunt for players to join to be eligible to compete. As Deal was an accomplished rider and fox hunter, Pirasteh was in luck, or perhaps they both were. After many years in an English saddle, the magic of riding had begun to wane for Deal and he began to pursue other sports. His teammate’s invitation to try polo turned out to be just the spark needed to get Deal back into the saddle, this time swinging a mallet.

Four years of hard work, practice and dedication to learning polo paid off for Deal. He took home the Interscholastic National Championship title his senior year of high school along with his diploma. Polo had quickly become his passion during his high school years and the Intercollegiate polo team at University of Connecticut was his next destination. After a year of playing college polo at UCONN, Deal moved south to Aiken, South Carolina, and was quickly immersed in one of the polo meccas of

the United States. He transferred to University of South Carolina Aiken and began working with Owen Rinehart and Beth Skolnik at Isinya Farm. Former 10-goal American player Rinehart is known throughout the industry for his breeding and training operation and began mentoring Deal during his transition to South Carolina.

During his mentorship with Rinehart, Deal was asked to join the Team USPA training program where he began to focus on developing as an industry professional while also improving as a professional player. Being based in Aiken allowed Deal to continue to learn the ins and outs of the polo industry while completing his degree in accounting.

During the summer, he returned home to Culpeper, Virginia, and played with David King, a connection made through his mentor Rinehart. Deal began to develop a relationship with the King family over the next several years. “I knew I wanted to be a polo player when I graduated, but at the same time I knew my knowledge of management and developing club level polo combined with my degree would get me a lot further in my career.”

Deal’s relationship with the King family and his training in accounting landed him a full-time job at King Family Vineyard in Crozet, Virginia. King Family Vineyard ran polo as a passion project alongside their vineyard but saw the possibility of growing the polo side into a business. Deal’s drive to develop a long-term sustainable club and polo school coupled with the support of the vineyard led him to focus the next several years on strategizing the Roseland Polo Club’s position in the area.

Aside from his work at King Family Vineyard and Roseland Polo Club, Deal now travels to I/I clubs across the country teaching I/I clinics and offering I/I club consults. “Many [clubs] do not have much outside help or instruction,” explained Deal. “I use what I have learned from the backend of running a club, the finances and business decisions that have to be made to help I/I clubs develop sustainable plans for the future while also providing quality horse I/I MAGAZINE - 2022

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care.” Giving back to the I/I community has been a motivating factor in teaching clinics. During Deal’s tenure with Team USPA, he spent many hours picking Justin Power, USPA Polo Development, LLC’s Executive Director’s, brain on how to create long-term plans for polo clubs to keep them active and further ensure their existence into the future.

Teaching, another tool is his arsenal, felt like a natural progression for Deal as he grew in his role at King Family Vineyard, Roseland Polo Club and in the industry.

“My mom taught riding lessons growing up so I had a solid background in equitation, but it was my time with Beth [Skolnik] and Team USPA that taught me the difference between riding and riding for polo,” said Deal. He uses the Team USPA riding pattern created by Adam Snow, Charles Smith and Rinehart as one of the cornerstones for teaching riding to players during his clinics. “I am able to pass along much of what I learned to the members of the clubs I teach at.”

Deal’s multifaceted approach illustrates Above: Connor Deal spends most of his weekends during the fall season traveling to various how a little creativity, a passion for polo I/I clubs teaching clinics and doing club consults. Previous page, Deal competing in the 2020 and dedication to developing a variety National Arena Chairman’s Cup. of skills can translate into a successful career within the polo industry. As for those looking to are always opportunities. I didn’t come from a polo family, follow in his footsteps, Deal has several pieces of advice but I worked hard and made it happen. Use learning for I/I players looking to forge their own path. “Find good opportunities to transition to career opportunities,” and mentors and listen to them. Put in the hard work and finally, “Take opportunities as they come, you never know time. Make sure you are passionate about your path, the where they will come from. The right opportunity will come horses, working at a club, or playing,” says Deal. “There when you least expect it.”

CHUKKER BREAK I/I Ask the Expert In the summer of 2020 the I/I Program launched the I/I Ask the Expert series, an online virtual learning platform.

Guest speakers for from in and out of the polo world were invited to present on a variety of topics and entertain a question and answer session. It was designed to offer an educational opportunity for the I/I community to stay engaged throughout the summer months. Topics in this year’s series included FUNdraising, Beat the Heat, Conditioning Your Polo String, How to Balance a Split String, Alumni Engagement & Outreach and Hook Your Audience - a guide to social media posting.

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LAKESIDE POLO CLUB WISHES ALL TEAMS AN O UT S TA ND ING 2021-22 SEASON! Club Founded in 1956 Our Motto: Promote great memories, lifelong friendships and fantastic polo!

Lakesidepolo.com 619.787.8333

Since its formation, by Eugene “Doc” Hering, the Lakeside Polo Club has been a place of great memories, lifelong friendships and fantastic polo! Now, 60 years later, the Lakeside Polo Club is proud to continue supporting its youth program, the Lakeside Polo Youth Foundation, founded in 2016. Students in the program receive a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn to play this unique, prestigious sport in an edifying and encouraging manner.

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THEN....

Can you match these throw-back photos to the ‘Now’ photos on the following page?

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B

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D

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1/F. Jack Whitman, left, won the 2017 USPA Aiken I/I Middle School tournament 2/B. Summer Kneece competing in the 2016 Aiken Middle School Tournament PC: Larry Johnson 3/I. Winston Painter at the first USPA Middle School Tournament in 2014 4/A. Jesse Bray, right, won the 2010 USPA Open National Interscholastic Championship with Eldorado 5/C. Brennan Wells and Jack McLean, center, won the SE Open Prelim with Maryland in 2014 & E. Connor Deal, right, won the 2013 USPA Open Nationial Interscholastic Championship with Natania PC: Mina Pirasteh 6/D. Demitra Hajimihalis won the SE Girls’ Regional with Garrison Forest in 2014 7/G. Vaughn Miller, Jr., center, won the Central Open Interscholastic regional with Prestonwood in 2014 & H. Rob Payne, second left, competed at the 2010 USPA National Intercollegiate Championships with Texas Tech.

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and NOW.

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1. Jack Whitman (Gardnertown) started off in the Middle School League traversing the continental U.S. to all the Middle School polo he could find.

2021 saw him as the C.V. Whitney Cup® winner and Most Valuable Player (the first leg of the GAUNTLET OF POLO®); 8-goal wins at New Bridge Polo & Country Club, and at publication is currently competing in Argentina. PC: David Lominska 2. Summer Kneece (Aiken) had a winning year, taking home the USPA Girls’ National Interscholastic Championship, the Girls’ National Youth Tournament Series Championship®, and the U.S. Open Women’s Handicap® (where she played with Houston Interscholastic player Bridget Price). She was also named Girls’ National All Star, Girls’ National Horsemanship Award winner, and Girls’ NYTS Most Valuable Player. PC: David Murrell 3. Winston Painter (Gardnertown), capped off his senior year with the USPA Open National Interscholastic Championship, National Youth Tournament Series Championship®, and won the John R. Townsend Cup with the USA team defeating England. He was also named Open National All Star and the NYTS Horsemanship Award winner. PC: Shelly Marshall Schmidt 4. Jesse Bray (Eldorado) recently obtained a 7-goal outdoor handicap after capping off his Pacific Coast Open win. PC: David Lominska 5. Connor Deal (Natania/UCONN), Brennan Wells (Maryland/UVA) and Jack McLean (Maryland/UVA) won the $20,000 2019 USPA Congressional Cup. PC: Mike Ryan 6. Ingrid Donnan (Cornell), Demitra Hajimihalis (Garrison Forest / UVA) and Anna Winslow (Garrison Forest/Cornell) won the 2021 USPA Women’s Arena Open®. PC: Oana Moore 7. Rob Payne (Fort Worth/Texas Tech), Will Walton (Willowbend), and Vaughn Miller, Jr. (Prestonwood/UNT) won the 2021 U.S. Open Arena Polo Championship®. PC: Kerri Kerley I/I MAGAZINE - 2022

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STOP THE PRESSES This was too good to leave out...!

I/I alumnae Kylie Sheehan (Garrison Forest/UVA), Maddie Grant (Maryland/UVA) and Hope Arellano (Palm Beach) competed with I/I supporter Dawn Jones in the FIP Women’s Nations Cup, featuring teams from the U.S., England and Argentina. The event was hosted at Campo Aregentino de Polo Palermo in Buenos Aires, Argentina. PC: Matias Callejo

Maddie Grant is a senior at the University of Virginia and competes on their women’s team.

Palermo, Field 2: Kylie Sheehan, Hope Arellano, Maddie Grant and Dawn Jones.

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2021 I/I TEAM ROSTERS INTERSCHOLASTIC GIRLS AIKEN Summer Kneece Sophie Grant Robyn Leitner Reagan Leitner BATTLEFIELD Elyssa Geissler Stacey Geissler Jade Del Rosario Emma Thacker Sophia Doble BATTLEFIELD II Elizabeth Hahn Kaile Wine Anika Saracevic Ariana Saracevic BOSTON Ariadne Dogani Julia Schaefer Yingyi “Yiyi” Wang BOSTON – DANA HALL Adelaide Grave Amelia Thames Emma Houston Sadie Saarony Bentley Bassick CORNELL Christina Beebe Lara Chong Chloe Chong Susanna Manns Alyssa Manns CULVER Kendall Brandeburg Carly Chandler Cassandra Kaplan Alexandria Taylor Celeste Tinsley Angela Zhang GARDNERTOWN Elizabeth Leudesdorff Saralyn Painter Mary Duncan Sammi Iahn 58

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HILLSIDE Grace Beck Sofia Ward Olivia Schmidt Kylie Lieven Makayla Brandenburg Kendall Nackers HOUSTON Bridget Price Lillian Lequerica Abigail Benton Isabel Artzer Madison Burba Quin van der Hoeven Mila Cocco LAKESIDE Jordyn Griffith Emerson Bond Maia Schnoebelen Nia Soliz Juliet Whitehead Kylie Matthews

POWAY Remi Glasgow Marisa Carelli Jasmine Lu Sydney Morris

SUTTER BUTTES Simone Harper Liliana Gonzalez Caroline Mathews Elise Pardue

SAN ANTONIO Faye Bettis Zoe Rosenthal Ella Yedlicka Gracie Callaway Tatum Spriester

YALE Sage Dobson Ale Andrade Ana Veitch Naomi Marlough

ST. LOUIS Winifred Branscum Hanna Saurenman Holly Goen

Wishing all I/I players a fun, safe & memorable season!

MARYLAND Kylie Beard Sierra Blevins Madison Jordan Jordan Peterson MAUI Laura Coflin Sunny Diller Emily Coflin Elizabeth Miranda Nophia Pintor Leah Melzer Jayci Jay Magalianes MOUNTAIN VIEW Willow Longerbeam Amelia Shaw Sierra Goff NEWPORT Catherine Reed Hannah Stowe Ryan McNeilly Kaya Brownell Hunter Erickson

Best of Luck to the Yale Open Interscholastic Team!

Good Luck Connelly, Luke, Malachi & Gaston!!

GO NEWPORT! VARSITY GIRLS & JUNIOR VARSITY OPEN WESTCHESTER POLO CLUB, NEWPORT, RI

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Be a part of the magic at Chamounix/Work to Ride Support the New State-of-the-Art 125 x 250 Polo and All-Purpose Indoor Arena and Barn Renovation in the Heart of Philadelphia Visit worktoridecapitalcampaign.net for more information

Work to Ride has kicked off the public phase of our capital campaign to insure the future of Work to Ride programs and raise awareness of the equestrian community in the greater Philadelphia metropolitan area.

To date, we have raised 65% of our $8 million goal—all from private individuals. We thank our donors and look forward to future support from our friends in the polo community and beyond so we can continue this Philadelphia tradition and expand the sport we love.

Good Luck to our I/I players this tournament season!

Mo, Yash, Marisol, Marc, Josie, Alanna, Sage, Gigi, Alyssa, Shane, Kai & Reid Work to Ride is a registered non profit in the state of Pennsylvania EIN 23-2717148 60

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INTERSCHOLASTIC OPEN AIKEN Josh Escapite Virginia Gwinn Shona Adams Tori Rodman

GFS – RUDA A Lindsey Morris Gabriella Chiasera Josephine Dorsey Victoria Picha

MARYLAND Cort Resh Isabelle Brockett Brianna Jordan Kyra Kepner

BATTLEFIELD Harrison Thomas David Miller Aleem Siddiqui Anika Spaid

GFS – RUDA B Lucinda Steele William Driscoll Josephine Smith Kymberly Pugh

MORGAN CREEK Estella Mazzie Luke Misukanis Hayden Boeh Bella Vangel

BOSTON Lily Wachtel Emerson Bruce Maria Piper

HOUSTON Charlie Fridge Lance Stefanakis Christian Fridge Ashvath Bhatia Will Mudra Joe Bob Lequerica

MYOPIA Landen Daniels Shane Metternick James Grayken Augustus Grotnik Rehan Kumble

LAKESIDE Trent Wakefield Troy Wakefield Ethan Bankhead Kylie Kufahl Oliver Wheatley

MYOPIA JV Ava Croce Dominic Irvine Adlai Politi Estani Puch Thomas Grieser Emma Croke

LAKESIDE JV Luca Abboud Gerard Blake Christian Munteanu Cameron Munteanu

OC POLO Mila Slutzky Faris Hanna Allie Bushong Ella Horton

LANCASTER – WTR Esteban Penados Mosiah Gravesande Marisol Jimenez

POWAY Jordan Pearson Sebastian Lopez Zachery Cobbs Lukas Cobbs

CENTRAL COAST Morgan Manos Ajay Moturi Taylor Olcott Ruby Decker CENTRAL COAST JV Hunter Jones Linnea Johnson Juliana Kong CULVER Diego Cortes Zecheng “Roy” Zhao Dean Hickman Woods Kemmler Yuquan “Larry” Li FRANKLIN WHITE Jacob Wallace Caroline Mooney Zachary Wallace FRANKLIN GREEN Allyssa Morgan Gracie Brown Kelsey Bray GARDNERTOWN Winston Painter Vlad Tarashansky Jonathan Wallace

LANCASTER - WTR JV Arti Chhugani Yash Chhugani Josie Goldstein Marc Harley MARLAN FARM Kevin Horton Catherine Stueck Rory Knox Grace Fleischmann

PRESTONWOOD Trenton Werntz James “JB” Long Robby Mooney

ROSE CITY Jenna Cretsinger Brooke Glascock Chris Pusztai Rachel Brown Henry Johnson SANTA BARBARA Sydney Shaw Charlie Brand Erik Schou Linnea Harris SOUTH BAY Helena Bach Rolando Llamas Hannah Krauskopf Sharokina Williams Timur Kotelnikov Mehtaab Bath TINICUM Owen Halliday Daniel Arnold Abdulla Chaudhry Jawed BenMoussa Brooke Burke YALE Oliver Wieser Sophia DeAngelis Malachi Light YALE POLO RANCH Chris Veitch Luke Howe Connelly Cashen YPEC Dan Coyle Michael Joseph Sebastian Komaritsky

RANCHO NARANJO Alec Joseph Felhaber Cole Aaron Felhaber Francesca Felhaber Julian Martinez

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MIDDLE SCHOOL Central Coast Polo Club I

Marlan Farm

OC Polo Culb

TEAM 1 Emma Paternotte Inaya Jones Grace Santarelli

CCPC WHITE Tanner Ebbin Linnea Johnson Emery Worhunsky

GREY Sierra Blevins Ana Grace Karpovich Lahsen Benyoussef

TEAM 2 Isabela Solter Annie Cate Bissonnette Parker Bivalacqua

CCPC BLUE Miles Jones Tennyson Barclay Hamir Hattie Ward

WHITE Mya Quarcoopome Lila Falcon Becca Steele Bella Dowling

BLUE Charlotte Kouba Emery Hutton Josie Geiler-Allen Lanie Hurtt

TEAM 3 Isabelle Brocket Shane Woodson Olivia Leighton

Central Coast Polo Club II

Garrison Forest

TEAM 4 Bella Dowling Josie Allen PJ DeAngelis TEAM 5 Sage Lax Mya Quarcoopome Gigi Yapsuga

Gardnertown Polo Club TEAM 1 Brynn Whitten Isabel Poniatowski Alexis Palacios-Garcia TEAM 2 PJ DeAngelis Zeke Roseman Brooke Henehan TEAM 3 Michael Joseph McKenzie Ronk Finley Guenther Hannah Elliot

Midland Polo Club CROSSHAIR Jack Bryant Mary Kate Wetendorf Willa Joyner MIDLAND Emrey Owen Ashlyn Whiteley Fay Joyner

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CCPC BLUE Tanner Ebbin Linnea Johnson Hattie Ward Emily Ruben CCPC WHITE Kate Soderin Matthew Werner Miles Jones Emery Worhunsky

GREEN Russell Calkins Jonathan Dingus Daniel Coleman Jr. BLACK Izzy Brocket Jolie Zepp Mallorie Marquis

GRAY Nil Celik Penny Steffens Sage Slack Sophia Macleod Wyatt Kouba

Liberty Hall LH – WAKEFIELD Maddy Addeo Lahsen Benyoussef Daniel Coleman Jr. Mallorie Marquis ROSELAND Lofton Graves James Nolde Liam Baldwin

Introducing

Denver Polo Club’s 2021-22 Interscholastic Polo Team

Varsi ty Playe rs Left to right: Lauren Patoile, Brian Salmon, and Will Kinsman

Junior Players

Ryder Schneider

Tess Van Heusen

Max Blodgett

denverpoloclub.com I/I MAGAZINE - 2022

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EQUINE

DISCOUNTS

A percentage of every sale through Equ ine Discounts is returned to the equine industry!

John Deere offers substantial discounts on everything from mowers and tractors to GatorsTM, hay and construction equipment.

• The MSRP Program – Professional operations can save up to 28% on select equipment • The Cash Bonus Program – All members can save up to $2,700 with vouchers that are stackable with special financing • Construction Equipment – All members can save up to 26% on select equipment

BAF is committed to Energy Efficient Air movement and providing comfort to the equine industry. Equine members will receive up to a 25% discount on qualifying purchases for all Equine Facilities and Personal Residences.

Save up to 40% discount on Sherwin Williams paints, in-store products and wall coverings.

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Office Depot outfits offices with everything from office and computer supplies to paper and office furniture.

From farm office to home office, you are eligible for up to a 70% discount!

You want great coverage at a great price. Farmers Insurance® has coverage options that you can customize and lots of ways to save with discounts and Policy PerksSM. Farmers offers a broad range of product offerings including Home, Auto, Business, Life and Recreational insurance. Save an average of $730 with your equine discount at Farmers Insurance today!

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USPA Members!

call 866-6�8-��8� or visit

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@myequinediscounts

EquineDiscounts.com to start saving!

© Katie Roth

Stop Dreaming...Start Living Your New Bridge Life World-Class Polo Club and Gated Community Multi-Discipline, Full-Service Stables with All-Weather GGT Jumping and Dressage Arenas Residential and Estate Lots Available Offering Interscholastic Arena Polo to 12 Goal Grass Polo Site of the Townsend Cup, Home of Aiken Youth Polo, and the USPA Girls’ 2021 National Interscholastic Champions!

888-4NB-POLO Inquiries: Raza Kazmi newbridgepolo.com #newbridgelife

Aiken, South Carolina

Port Mayaca Polo Club The Port Mayaca Community was founded in the mindset of bringing polo players together to share in the enjoyment and camaraderie of the polo lifestyle.

Traditionally polo players came to the polo clubs of Florida to play on great fields and collaborate with other like-minded polo enthusiasts. In many ways, we feel this concept has been lost over the years, but at Port Mayaca we take this idea to heart and keep it in mind with everything we do. In our club, we strive to promote competition without animosity, quality without pretense, comfort without extravagance, and sportsmanship above all else.

We welcome all polo enthusiasts to join us in the community we have built to share in the sport we love.

www.PMPolo.com