NEWS

The National Youth Tournament Series Program was established to provide youth players the opportunity to compete against their peers in USPA sanctioned outdoor tournaments. At each qualifier, All-Stars are selected by an appointed committee. All-Stars are then eligible to be selected for one of the four open zone teams or two female regional teams to compete in the NYTS Championships and East vs. West Invitational over Labor Day weekend. The NYTS qualifier has been designed for upper-intermediate to advanced youth players, those capable of holding a minimum of a “B” handicap. For more information, please email Amanda Snow, Director of Player Development at asnow@uspolo.org

Host Site: Bluewater Creek Polo Club, Killen, Alabama.

Bluewater Creek NYTS - A Flight

Bluewater Creek Blue
Christian Pitts
Lexie Wright
Robyn Leitner
Thomas Phelps

Avalon Medical
Jacob Wallace
Michael Bradford
Josh Escapite
Gracie Brown

Toyota of the Shoals
Caroline Mooney
Reagan Leitner
Aiden Meeker
Elizabeth Walker

Wallace Equestrian
Alea Crespo
Jack Whitman
Summer Kneece
Zack Wallace

Results
Round 1: Wallace Equestrian def. Blue Water Creek Blue 2-1.
Toyota of the Shoals def. Avalon Medical 4-1.
Consolation: Bluewater Creek Blue def. Avalon Medical 8-1.
Final: Toyota of the Shoals def. Wallace Equestrian 4-2.

All-Stars: Reagan Leitner, Robyn Leitner, Thomas Phelps, Summer Kneece, Aiden Meeker, Gracie Brown, Jack Whitman.

Best Playing Pony: Portia, played by Alea Crespo.

Bluewater Creek NYTS - B Flight

Bluewater Creek Red
Ramon Caro
Robby Mooney
Gracie Brown
Caleb Cherry

All Animal Clinic
Belle Cato
Will Cato
Faye Decker
Summer Kneece

Results
Bluewater Creek Red def. All Animal Clinic 5-3

All-Stars: Belle Cato, Faye Decker, Robby Mooney, Caleb Cherry.

Best Playing Pony: Joker, played by Will Cato.

Houston Polo Club hosted the largest single division NYTS Qualifier tournament to date with seven teams of young, eager players. Alongside NYTS, six additional teams competed in walk-trot and lead-line divisions. The first round of matches saw one round-robin and two straight matches with the winners advancing to a round-robin final. Sullivan Group, Horsegate and Texas Monthly went head-to-head, with Texas Monthly and Sullivan Group playing a virtual final in the last two chukkers of the round-robin. The score was tied as the final bell rang sending all eight players into a penalty shootout. Sullivan Group emerged from the competition as the victor of the Houston NYTS Qualifier. Team captain and NYTS All-Star Cipriano Echezarreta expressed gratitude for his teammates following the match, “we really played as a team today and used each of our players on the field. I think that is what helped us be successful in the tournament.”

Host Site: Houston Polo Club, Houston, Texas.

BCI
Lauren Platt
Cara Kennedy
Taylor Morris
Johann Felhaber

Horsegate
Anson Moore
Niklaus Felhaber
Lance Stefanakis
Lily Lequerica

Listo Polo
Vance Miller III
Quique Garcia
Grace Burgert
Isabel Artzer

Rocking P
Bridget Price
Dani Price
Carter Nix
Grayson Price

Sullivan Group
Cipriano Echezarreta
Milo Dorignac
Joanie Jackson
Christopher Owen

Texas Monthly
Vaughn Miller Jr.
April Galindo
Preston Herleth
Grace Parker

Vintage Polo
Joe Bob Lequerica
Grace Mudra
Will Mudra
Chino Payan

Results
Round Robin 1:
Texas Monthly def. Vintage Polo 2-1.
Vintage Polo def. BCI 3-2.
Texas Monthly def. BCI 5-4.

Straight Game 1: Sullivan Group def. Rocking P 6-2.

Straight Game 2: Horsegate def. Listo Polo 5-1.

Consolation:
Rocking P def. BCI 4-1.
Listo Polo def. Vintage Polo 2-1.

Final Round Robin:
Sullivan Group def. Horsegate 3-2.
Texas Monthly def. Horsegate 1-0.
Sullivan tied Texas Monthly 2-2.

Shootout: Sullivan

All-Stars: Vaughn Miller, Cipriano Echezarreta, Milo Dorignac, Grayson Price, Lance Stefanakis, Chino Payan, Anson Moore, Grace Mudra, April Galindo.

AQHA Best Playing Pony: Mike, played by Lily Lequerica.
Best Playing Pony: Layla, played by Lance Stefanakis.

Host Site: Lakeside Polo CLub, Lakeside, California.

Blue
Molly Agee*
Paige Kufahl
Ethan Bankhead
Thalia Postins

Red
Garrett Bankhead
Kylie Kufahl
Abby Purdy
Davey Kral

Black
Ian Schnoebelen
Drew Hobscheid
Martin Perez
Zoey Newton

Results
Red def. Blue 4-1.
Black def. Blue 6-1.
Black tied Red 4-4.
Shootout: Black.

All-Stars: Molly Agee, Garrett Bankhead, Ian Schnoebelen, Ethan Bankhead, Drew Hobscheid.

Best Plying Pony: Justine, played by Ethan Bankhead.

*Molly Agee is a member of Team USPA. Team USPA is a USPA program designed to enhance and grow the sport of polo in the United States by identifying young, talented American players and providing mentored training and playing opportunities leading to a pool of higher rated amateur and pro players and the resultant giveback to the sport of polo.