Jun 26, 2018 4:29 PM
The Gladiator Polo™ $50,000 "Battle for the Carolinas" Series, presented by Coca-Cola®, concluded on Saturday night, June 23, at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) in Mill Spring, North Carolina. Team Greenville, presented by Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP), conquered the arena and rode away with the ultimate win at the end of a hard-fought battle versus Team Charlotte, presented by North Carolina Education Lottery (NCEL), topping the evening 13-11.
The electric atmosphere surrounding the George H. Morris Arena at Tryon Stadium was evident as Team Greenville representing South Carolina's major upstate city, featuring Jared "The Fuego from San Diego" Sheldon*, Pelon "Bam Bam" Escapite, and Jared "Soco" Zenni*, faced-off against their prominent North Carolina counterparts representing the city of Charlotte. Team Charlotte was comprised of three top players: Mariano "Nino" Obregon, Tommy "The Great White Shark" Collingwood, and Kris "Colorado" Kampsen, a three-time winner of the U.S. Arena Polo Open Championship®.
The match started out fast as both teams scored multiple goals in the first chukker, immediately setting the tone of the match. The play was aggressive and strong as both teams settled into the game, resulting in one of the best head-to-head games the league has seen. In only his second ever Gladiator Polo™ match, Sheldon played a significant role in his team's win, scoring a total of three goals throughout the evening. "Our team worked really well together today. When one person went down, someone else picked it up and it was a really good group,” Sheldon said. “The crowd was amazing! It was so fun to feed off of them and everyone was loud which makes it so much more fun for us."
After taking some time to adjust to the intense arena set-up during the "Battle for South Carolina" hosted two weeks ago, Sheldon admitted that he felt more confident his second time around. "It felt so good to win tonight. I was definitely more comfortable in there than a few weeks ago. It's a different arena and different rules, and it all clicked today."
The Most Valuable Player of the game was awarded to Pelon Escapite, a veteran of the Gladiator Polo™ sport, and the only member of Team Greenville to play in not one, but two, Gladiator Polo™ Final matches. Last year, the competitor rode against Team Asheville in a duel that ended in a loss for the South Carolina team. Returning to take his revenge and stake his claim in the title match, Escapite assured a fast and furious fight down to the very last chukker. "It feels great to win," noted Escapite, who scored a total of four goals for his team. "Today was a great turnout with a lot of people and an even better atmosphere. Every chukker we went out there and people were cheering for us, against us, I mean it was a special atmosphere today."
Zenni admitted his team lacked momentum two weeks ago, but regained their chemistry in tonight's match, which ultimately resulted in victory. "It feels great to win. It always feels good to win. Two weeks ago we started out a little slower, but tonight we all knew each other, we knew each other's strengths and the game started fast." Scoring a total of four goals for Team Greenville, Zenni was fueled by the enthusiasm of the crowd. "I love the crowd. I love the intensity; them yelling at us, booing at us; they're so into it," Zenni remarked. “I love it all, but winning is my favorite."
All photos ©TIEC.
*Jared Zenni is a member of Team USPA. Jared Sheldon is a Team USPA Alumni. 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.
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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