Jan 20, 2020 2:21 PM
The GAUNTLET OF POLO™, an elite three-tournament series featuring 14 of the world’s best polo teams, returns for its second year beginning February 1, 2020.
The GAUNTLET kicks off with the C.V. Whitney Cup from February 1-23, followed by the USPA Gold Cup® from February 22-March 22. The series concludes, March 21-April 19, with the prestigious U.S. Open Polo Championship®. All three tournaments will be contested at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC) on the U.S. Polo Assn. Field.
The GAUNTLET OF POLO combines these three top tournaments into a high-stakes tournament series. In addition to the three individual titles at stake, any team who wins all three events will be crowned The GAUNTLET Champion.
The GAUNTLET is hosted by International Polo Club Palm Beach, and is sanctioned by The United States Polo Association (USPA), the parent of USPA Global Licensing (USPAGL) who oversees the U.S. Polo Assn. brand. The Gauntlet offers $500,000 in prize money via the three tournaments and if one team is able to win all three GAUNTLET OF POLO events, they will walk away with a $500,000 bonus, for a grand total of $1,000,000.
“The GAUNTLET OF POLO is our sport’s ultimate competition with the best teams competing against each other over the course of the three-month competition for the largest purse in USPA history,” said David Cummings, President & CEO of Global Polo Entertainment. “Fans on site at IPC and those watching the final around the world on CBS Sports will witness the very best our sport has to offer along with the tradition, thrill and glamour of polo.”
Fans can watch all three GAUNTLET OF POLO events in many ways:
History was made during the first GAUNTLET OF POLO in 2019, when Pilot captured all three events to win the $500,000 bonus and earn $1 million over the course of the series. “The USPA looks forward to another highly competitive winter season that culminates with 14 teams vying for three of the most historic trophies in North America,” said Bob Puetz, CEO of the USPA. “Pilot is returning this year with Lucas Escobar to defend their GAUNTLET Championship against the top teams, players, and horses from around the world.”
Pilot will defend their title against a strong field of contenders, which including five 10-goal players, the highest-handicapped of all polo players. The 10-goalers competing this year include Sapo Caset, Facundo Pieres, Gonzalito Pieres, Polito Pieres and Pelon Stirling. Brothers Facundo Pieres and Gonzalito Pieres were part of Pilot’s winning team last year.
The 14 teams competing for the 2020 GAUNTLET OF POLO are listed below with the team and player handicaps:
To learn more about the GAUNTLET OF POLO please visit uspolo.org/gauntlet-of-polo for all GAUNTLET OF POLO games on the U.S. Polo Assn. Field are available at ipc.coth.com. Tickets can also be purchased on game day at the gate or by phone at 561-282-5334.
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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