WHAT: The United States Polo Association (USPA), USPA Global Licensing and International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC) hosted the CaptiveOne U.S. Open Polo Championship® Draw Party, Wednesday, March 20, 2019, at the IPC Pavilion in Wellington, Florida, for the 64 players competing in the inaugural GAUNTLET OF POLO™. The sport’s newest and most challenging tournament series, the GAUNTLET, boasts an unprecedented 16 teams across three of the most highly-esteemed tournaments in America and a potential $1,000,000 purse. Claiming the C.V. Whitney Cup and the first $125,000 prize, Pilot has earned a place in the USPA Gold Cup® Semifinals, the only team still eligible for a chance to be crowned the inaugural GAUNTLET champion.
The winner of the final leg of competition, the CaptiveOne U.S. Open Polo Championship®, will take home a grand prize of $250,000 with the potential for a $500,000 bonus awarded to the GAUNTLET champion with a sweep of all three tournaments. The official draw determined the playing order for the final 22-goal competition of the season which begins Wednesday, March 27 at IPC. The C.V. Whitney Cup and USPA Gold Cup® have produced an unparalleled level of competition while introducing an array of talented new faces, further confirming the benefits of the GAUNTLET platform. The USPA Gold Cup® Semifinals will take place at 2:00pm ET (Aspen versus Daily Racing Form) and 4:00pm ET (Pilot versus Equuleus) on Friday, March 22.
WHERE: Tickets to GAUNTLET events and the CaptiveOne U.S. Open Polo Championship® opening weekend are now available for purchase here. During every game of the CaptiveOne U.S. Open Polo Championship® beginning on March 27, spectators will have the opportunity to watch some of the best athletes and polo ponies in the world compete for the most
prestigious cup in the United States. The GAUNTLET promises to be a fierce display of competitiveness and sheer will to win as the teams compete for the final $250,000 purse and Pilot contends for the total $1M.
The list of participating teams in their CaptiveOne U.S. Open Polo Championship® tournament brackets are available below:
About the United States Polo Association®
The U.S. Polo Association was organized and exists for the purposes of promoting the game of polo, coordinating the activities of its Member Clubs and Registered Players, arranging and supervising polo tournaments, competitions and games, and providing rules, handicaps, and conditions for those tournaments, competitions, and games including the safety and welfare of participants and mounts. Founded in 1890, the United States Polo Association (USPA) is the national governing body for the sport of polo. USPA is currently comprised of almost 300 member clubs with thousands of individual members, and oversees 40 national tournaments. For more information, please visit uspolo.org.
About U.S. Polo Assn. and USPA Global Licensing Inc.
U.S. Polo Assn. is the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), the nonprofit governing body for the sport of polo in the United States founded in 1890, making it one of the oldest sports governing bodies. With a global footprint of $1.7B and worldwide distribution through 1,070 U.S. Polo Assn. stores, department stores, independent retailers and e-commerce, U.S. Polo Assn. offers apparel for men, women and children, as well as accessories, footwear, travel and home goods in 166 countries worldwide. USPA is one of the major sponsors of the GAUNTLET OF POLO.
USPA Global Licensing Inc. (USPAGL) is the for-profit subsidiary of the USPA and the exclusive worldwide licensor for the USPA’s global licensing program. USPAGL is the steward of the USPA’s intellectual properties, providing the sport with a long-term source of revenue. Additionally, USPAGL also produces global broadcasts to bring the sport of polo to millions of consumers and sports fans around the world.
About the International Polo Club Palm Beach
The International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC) is the premier polo destination in the world, hosting the largest field of high-goal teams and the most prestigious polo tournaments in the United States. Polo enthusiasts descend upon Wellington, FL each winter season to enjoy their love of the sport at the most prominent polo facility in the country. The 2019 Palm Beach Polo Season opens Sunday, December 30, 2018 and concludes 17 weeks later with the USPA U.S. Open Polo Championship® Final on the weekend of, April 20-21, 2019. Polo matches are open to the public, with a wide range of hospitality and guest seating that includes elegant grandstand viewing, field tailgating, stadium seating, field-side champagne brunch at The Pavilion, and exclusive sponsor boxes. See more at www.internationalpoloclub.com.
MEDIA CONTACTS
USPA Global Licensing:
Shannon Stilson, Senior Director of Marketing 561-227-6994 sstilson@uspagl.com
United States Polo Association: Matt Baran, Director of Communications
561-373-4954 mbaran@uspolo.org
International Polo Club Palm Beach:
Carly Weilminster, Assistant Director of Marketing & Public Relations
(828) 863-1144 cweilminster@equestriansport.com
Visit our website at www.uspolo.org
Follow us on Instagram
@gauntletofpolo
@uspoloassociation
@internationalpoloclub
@uspoloassn
#GAUNTLETOFPOLO
#USPA
MEDIA CONTACTS
USPA Global Licensing:
Shannon Stilson, Senior Director of Marketing 561-227-6994 sstilson@uspagl.com
United States Polo Association: Matt Baran, Director of Communications
561-373-4954 mbaran@uspolo.org
International Polo Club Palm Beach:
Carly Weilminster, Assistant Director of Marketing & Public Relations
(828) 863-1144 cweilminster@equestriansport.com
Visit our website at www.uspolo.org
Follow us on Instagram
@gauntletofpolo
@uspoloassociation
@internationalpoloclub
@uspoloassn
#GAUNTLETOFPOLO
#USPA
©United States Polo Association