May 15, 2018 5:02 PM
Central Texas Polo Association hosted a National Youth Tournament Series (NYTS) Qualifier, May 12-13, in Lockhart, Texas, at Two Wishes Ranch. Three teams comprised of polo players aged 19 and under from West Texas, Austin, Houston and Dallas Fort Worth participated.
Teams
JD Polo: Anson Moore, Kaylin Bender, Taylor Morris, Cara Kennedy.
Texas Military: Clark Mayer, Max Beuck, April Galindo, Lauren Platt.
Horsegate: Chino Payan, Quique Garcia, Joanie Jackson, Lance Stefanakis.
Horsegate came away with the win defeating JD Polo 7-1 and Texas Military 5-4. Texas Military defeated JD Polo 6-3. The All-Stars, named at each tournament, are selected based on their horsemanship, sportsmanship, playing ability at current handicap and ability to play as a member of a team. The 2018 Central Texas Polo Association All-Stars were Taylor Morris, Clark Mayer, Chino Payan, April Galindo and Anson Moore. April Galindo’s mare, Carolina, was awarded Best Playing Pony.
In addition to the NYTS tournament, Central Texas Polo Association is also home to an Interscholastic Polo Program and team who compete in arena competition. Parents and youth interested in trying polo were invited to meet with current players, parents and coach Javier Insua to learn more about joining the polo school and trying out for the team. In addition to the high school program, there is also an intercollegiate team based out of the Central Texas Polo Association clubs.
About the National Youth Tournament Series
In 2013, the USPA Junior Polo Committee decided to create the National Youth Tournament Series in response to the need for organized junior polo and training opportunities. From its inception in 2013 through the 2017 season, the program saw a 68% increase in participation. 2017 was yet another record season for the program. Youth players participated on 93 teams (that’s 400 participants!) competing in 37 qualifiers; 166 All-Stars were named and then eligible to be selected to represent their home zone in the National Championship Cecil Smith Cup and the East vs. West Invitational. The 2018 season is off to a great start, with a projected 37 qualifiers to take place over the course of the summer.
Effective Date: Saturday, May 16, 2020
The suspension of USPA Tournaments and Events will be lifted for USPA Member Clubs in locales where hosting polo matches and tournaments is permitted under applicable state and local laws, executive orders and similar decrees. The USPA Member Clubs in these locales are encouraged to follow all such requirements of their state and local authorities with respect to polo operations. In addition, we also encourage all USPA Member Clubs to take the precautions recommended by the CDC. We are preparing a detailed list of best practices for USPA Member Clubs as they return to hosting USPA Tournaments and Events and plan to circulate these guidelines within the next week. We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely and will notify you if we determine a different course of action is necessary.
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