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WINTER IS COMING: 2024 NATIONAL POLO CENTER – WELLINGTON SEASON SCHEDULE RELEASED

Jul 18, 2023 4:00 AM

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The United States Polo Association (USPA) and the National Polo Center - Wellington (NPC) are eager to announce the 2024 NPC winter season schedule, highlighted by the prestigious Gauntlet of Polo, the NPC 16-Goal Championship, U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship and National President’s Cup.

On Sunday, December 31, 2023, celebrate New Year’s Eve with The Continental Cup, the opening Sunday polo match of the season. The competition will conclude the following week with the final on Sunday, January 7, 2024. Tickets for public tickets and Sunday Brunch will be available for purchase online mid-October at nationalpolocenter.com. In 2024, select tournaments will be livestreamed on uspolo.org and via USPA social media channels, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Twitch. Please visit uspolo.org for more information.

The 2024 Gauntlet of Polo will serve as the premier spectacle of the NPC season, beginning February 9-25 with the C.V. Whitney Cup, continuing with the USPA Gold Cup from February 23 - March 24, and concluding with the U.S. Open Polo Championship from March 22-April 21. The prize money distribution for the 2024 season will follow last year’s format, with $50,000 awarded to each of the winning teams of the C.V. Whitney Cup and USPA Gold Cup and $100,000 presented to the winner of the U.S. Open Polo Championship.

NPC looks forward to welcoming polo fans every Sunday afternoon from December 31, 2023, through April 28, 2024, to enjoy the prestige and thrill of spectating on U.S. Polo Assn. Field One. ©Chrissy Brahney
NPC looks forward to welcoming polo fans every Sunday afternoon from December 31, 2023, through April 28, 2024, to enjoy the prestige and thrill of spectating on U.S. Polo Assn. Field One. ©Chrissy Brahney

Also included in the schedule is the second edition of the NPC 16-Goal Championship (previously known as the Florida Circuit 16-Goal Super-Series). Qualifiers will be played across multiple clubs, with the championship hosted by NPC. The participating clubs include Port Mayaca Polo Club (Okeechobee, Florida) as well as the Wellington Polo Tour (WPT) led by Patagones Polo Club (Wellington, Florida) and a group of private fields falling under the WPT umbrella. The NPC 16-Goal Championship is comprised of four USPA tournaments including the Joe Barry Memorial, Ylvisaker Cup, Iglehart Cup and The Outback Cup. Each tournament will serve as a qualifier for the NPC 16-Goal Championship, with each winning team moving on to the final event in April.

In addition, the NPC season will offer an unparalleled polo experience for USPA members from clubs around the country. The debut of the National President’s Cup, at the NPC venue and under a new format, will unite some of the most talented 8-goal teams in the nation. The tournament will consist of up to 14 qualifying tournaments played June 2023 - April 2024, with the winning teams playing the National President’s Cup at NPC at the end of April. Regional President’s Cup qualifying tournaments will be awarded to one Member Club in each of the 11 USPA circuits. The Florida Circuit, host of the National President’s Cup, will be the only exception, with four qualifying events awarded. The winner of each qualifier will be invited to the National President’s Cup competition and teams advancing from a club outside the Florida Circuit will receive a $10,000 travel stipend.

NPC looks forward to welcoming spectators every Sunday afternoon from December 31, 2023, through April 28, 2024, to enjoy the prestige and thrill of spectating on U.S. Polo Assn. Field One. See below for the complete NPC season schedule.

The world's preeminent teams, most skilled athletes and finest horses will come together at NPC for three months to battle head-to-head in the Gauntlet of Polo. ©David Lominska
The world's preeminent teams, most skilled athletes and finest horses will come together at NPC for three months to battle head-to-head in the Gauntlet of Polo. ©David Lominska

NPC SEASON SCHEDULE

Continental Cup
12- to 16-goal Handicap
Hosted and managed by Wellington Polo Tour
Tournament Dates: December 31, 2023 - January 7, 2024
Featured Sunday Matches: December 31, 2023 & January 7, 2024 on U.S. Polo Assn. Field One
Final: Sunday, January 7, 2024, on U.S. Polo Assn. Field One
Contact Juan Olivera for entry at 561.601.9316 or Wellingtonpolotour@gmail.com

The second edition of the NPC 16-Goal Championship (previously known as the Florida Circuit 16-Goal Super-Series) will feature 4 qualifiers played across multiple clubs, with the championship hosted by NPC. ©Chrissy Brahney
The second edition of the NPC 16-Goal Championship (previously known as the Florida Circuit 16-Goal Super-Series) will feature 4 qualifiers played across multiple clubs, with the championship hosted by NPC. ©Chrissy Brahney

NPC 16-GOAL CHAMPIONSHIP

12- to 16-goal Handicap for all four qualifiers and the championship

Joe Barry Memorial (Qualifier)
Hosted and managed by Port Mayaca Polo Club (Okeechobee, Florida)
Tournament Dates: January 11 - 28, 2024
Featured Sunday Matches: January 14, 21 & 28, 2024, on U.S. Polo Assn. Field One
Final: January 28, 2024, on U.S. Polo Assn. Field One
Contact Laura Townsend for entry at 772.228.0115 or Laura@pmpolo.com

Ylvisaker Cup (Qualifier)
Hosted and managed by Wellington Polo Tour
Tournament Dates: January 26 - February 24, 2024
Featured Sunday Matches: February 4 & 11, 2024, on U.S. Polo Assn. Field One
Final: Saturday, February 24, 2024, on NPC Field Two
Contact Juan Olivera for entry at 561.601.9316 or Wellingtonpolotour@gmail.com

Iglehart Cup (Qualifier)
Hosted and managed by Wellington Polo Tour
Tournament Dates: February 23 - March 16, 2024
Contact Juan Olivera for entry at 561.601.9316 or Wellingtonpolotour@gmail.com

Outback Cup (Qualifier)
Hosted and managed by Wellington Polo Tour
Tournament Dates: March 15 - April 6, 2024
Contact Juan Olivera for entry at 561.601.9316 or Wellingtonpolotour@gmail.com

NPC 16-Goal Championship
Hosted and managed by NPC
Entry limited to the four winners of the qualifying tournaments
Tournament Dates: April 10-14, 2024 (All games played at NPC)
Final: Sunday, April 14, 2024, on NPC Field Two

The 2024 U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship final will return for a second consecutive year to NPC's heralded U.S. Polo Assn. Field One as the featured Sunday match. ©David Lominska
The 2024 U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship final will return for a second consecutive year to NPC's heralded U.S. Polo Assn. Field One as the featured Sunday match. ©David Lominska

WOMEN’S POLO

U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship
18- to 22-goal Handicap
Hosted by Port Mayaca Polo Club (Okeechobee, Florida)
Tournament Dates: February 3-18, 2024
Final: Sunday, February 18, 2024, on U.S. Polo Assn. Field One
Contact Club Manager Laura Townsend for entry at 772.228.0115 or Laura@pmpolo.com

The 2024 Gauntlet of Polo will serve as the premier spectacle of the NPC season. ©Global Polo Entertainment
The 2024 Gauntlet of Polo will serve as the premier spectacle of the NPC season. ©Global Polo Entertainment

GAUNTLET OF POLO

Hosted by the National Polo Center - Wellington

C.V. Whitney Cup
18- to 22-Goal Handicap
Tournament Dates: February 9-25, 2024
Featured Sunday Matches: February 25, 2024, on U.S. Polo Assn. Field One
Final: Sunday, February 25, 2024, on U.S. Polo Assn. Field One

USPA Gold Cup
18- to 22-Goal Handicap
Tournament Dates: February 23 - March 24, 2024
Featured Sunday Matches: March 3, 10, 17 & 24, 2024, on U.S. Polo Assn. Field One
Final: Sunday, March 24, 2024, on U.S. Polo Assn. Field One

U.S. Open Polo Championship
All teams assume 22 Goals
Tournament Dates: March 22-April 21, 2024
Featured Sunday Matches: March 31, April 7, 14 & 21, 2024, on U.S. Polo Assn. Field One
Final: Sunday, April 21, 2024, on U.S. Polo Assn. Field One

The debut of the National President’s Cup, at the NPC venue and under a new format, will unite some of the most talented 8-goal teams in the nation. ©Chrissy Brahney
The debut of the National President’s Cup at NPC will unite some of the most talented 8-goal teams in the nation. ©Chrissy Brahney

8-GOAL POLO

National President’s Cup
Hosted and managed by NPC
Entry limited to the winners of Regional President’s Cup qualifying tournaments
Tournament Dates: April 12-21, 2024 (All games played at NPC)
Final: Sunday, April 21, 2024, on NPC Field Two

National Polo Center - Wellington  Patagones Polo Club  Port Mayaca Polo Club 

USPA COVID-19 UPDATE

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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