NATIONAL PRESIDENT'S CUP
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The National President’s Cup has an illustrious 50-year history. Formally known as the Eight Goal Inter-Circuit, the tournament was first held in 1969 at the Brandywine Polo Club in Toughkenamon, Pennsylvania, with teams traveling from the Northeastern, Southeastern, Northwestern and Midstate circuits vying to win the coveted trophy. In 1974, the Eight Goal Inter-Circuit was renamed the National President’s Cup and has been played at USPA Member Clubs nationwide.
Uniting some of the most talented 8-goal teams in the nation, the National President's Cup will proudly make its debut at the National Polo Center - Wellington (NPC) in Wellington, Florida, with the final slated for Sunday, April 21, on BTG Pactual Field 2. Under a new format, Regional President’s Cup tournaments now serve as qualifying tournaments for the National President's Cup, to encourage participation at the 4- to 8-goal level and restore the relationship between the two trophies.
Teams qualify to enter the National President’s Cup by winning a Regional President’s Cup. Any USPA Member Club is eligible to host a Regional President’s Cup, however qualifying events were limited to one Member Club in every circuit. The Florida Circuit, host of the National President’s Cup, was awarded four Regional President's Cup events to host clubs International Polo School (Loxahatchee, Florida), Port Mayaca Polo Club (Okeechobee, Florida), Grand Champions Polo Club (Wellington, Florida) and The Villages Polo Club (The Villages, Florida). Four other clubs in circuits across the country participated including Beverly Polo Club (The Plains, Virginia), Nashville Polo Club (Franklin, Tennessee), NYC Polo Club (Patterson, New York) and Traveller's Rest South Texas Polo Club (Sealy, Texas).
To reinforce the idea that all participation is encouraged, players were able to compete in as many qualifying events as they would like on either the same team or on different teams. However, if a player wins more than one event but on different teams, that player must choose which team he or she would like to represent in the National President's Cup, with the other team granted a substitute.
Regional President’s Cup winners in a circuit outside the Florida Circuit that travel to NPC to compete in the National President’s Cup will receive a $10,000 travel stipend. Each team’s stipend will be distributed evenly between the four rostered players on the qualifying team, or to the designated Team Owner once at least two of the original rostered players arrive to compete in the tournament.
In 2023, LBL (Alison Patricelli, Harry Caldwell, Charlie Caldwell, Ignacio "Nachi" Viana) went head-to-head against Field One (Stacie Simpkins, Andrew Scott, Jesus Ontiveros, Pelon Escapite). Hosted by New Bridge Polo & Country Club in Aiken, South Carolina, LBL jumped out to a hot start, quickly establishing a six-goal lead at halftime. Holding Field One to just four goals in the second half, leading scorer Viana sank his seventh goal in open play to seal LBL's dominant 11-6 victory.
Fielding Regional President's Cup champions nationwide, Amaro (Northeastern Circuit), Riverview (Midstates Circuit), Royal Bank Canada (Eastern Circuit) and Traveller's Rest (Southwestern Circuit) will join the four winners of the Florida Circuit—Audi, ConcordEquityGroup.com, Fross & Fross and Port Mayaca Polo in contention for the National President's Cup.
Representing Team USPA are Active Members Lucas Escobar and Finn Secunda (ConcordEquityGroup.com) and alumni Nick Johnson (Fross & Fross) and Grant Ganzi (Port Mayaca Polo).
Learn more about the National President's Cup.
2023 National President's Cup Champions: LBL - Harry Caldwell, Alison Patricelli, Ignacio "Nachi" Viana, Charlie Caldwell. ©Katie Roth
