Pilot Polo Team Becomes the First Team Ever to Compete for the Prestigious Gauntlet of Polo and $1 Million Purse
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., March 26, 2019 (Newswire.com) - Pilot secured its title as the winner of the USPA Gold Cup® on March 25 with a score of 12-11 over Aspen at the U.S. Polo Assn. Stadium Field at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC) in Wellington, Fla. With the latest win from Pilot, the stakes are higher than ever with the potential of a first-ever GAUNTLET OF POLO™ champion. The team, winning every game of the first two tournaments, is on its way to be crowned the first ever GAUNTLET Champion. The next chapter will be determined on April 21, after Pilot competes in the U.S. Open Polo Championship®, held March 27 through April 21, 2019.
The inaugural GAUNTLET OF POLO was created to develop a high-stakes polo competition that offers players and fans an exciting three months of the highest level of skilled athletes, equine partners and strategic planning that ends with $1M prize across three tournaments – C.V. Whitney Cup, USPA Gold Cup and the U.S. Open Polo Championship, contested for over 115 years.
For the first time in the sport, the tournament series will include a "Winner Take All" prize money format. Pilot has already secured $125,000 for winning the C.V. Whitney Cup plus $125,000 for winning the USPA Gold Cup. If they win the U.S. Open Polo Championship they will receive a $250,000 prize, $500,000 bonus and be crowned the GAUNTLET Champion.
“We are thrilled to see a team progress this far in the first-ever GAUNTLET OF POLO. The team is competing for more than just bragging rights, they are competing for $1M and the Gauntlet Champion, polo’s ultimate test. In addition to strategic planning and outstanding athleticism required to win this many games consecutively, the GAUNTLET offers existing and new fans a fun and exciting day of polo. Whether it’s a VIP brunch or ‘courtside’ seats on the stadium side, we have activities for everyone,” said David Cummings, President and CEO, Global Polo Entertainment.
One key differentiation in the GAUNTLET OF POLO is that for the first time in history there are 16 teams (64 players and a minimum of 640 polo horses) playing consistently across all three tournaments. The GAUNTLET also features some of the world’s finest 10 goal players, premier athletes who have a lifetime’s worth of equine and polo achievements that require a level of expertise shared by less than 1 percent of the polo population. This year’s participating 10 goalers are #2 in the world, Facundo Pieres, Polito Pieres, Sapo Caset, Hilario Ulloa, Gonzalito Pieres and Nico Pieres.
All GAUNTLET games will be livestreamed on USPA Polo Network or live-streamed on the U.S. Polo Network YouTube channel each week with the final event airing on CBS Sports, April 28 at 2 p.m. EDT. Tickets for all GAUNTLET OF POLO events will be available for purchase at www.internationalpoloclub.com.
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About the United States Polo Association®
The U.S. Polo Association was organized and exists for the purposes of promoting the game of polo, coordinating the activities of its Member Clubs and Registered Players, arranging and supervising polo tournaments, competitions and games, and providing rules, handicaps, and conditions for those tournaments, competitions, and games including the safety and welfare of participants and mounts. Founded in 1890, the United States Polo Association (USPA) is the national governing body for the sport of polo. USPA is currently comprised of almost 300 member clubs with thousands of individual members and oversees 40 national tournaments. For more information, please visit uspolo.org.
About U.S. Polo Assn. and USPA Global Licensing Inc.
U.S. Polo Assn. is the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), the nonprofit governing body for the sport of polo in the United States founded in 1890, making it one of the oldest sports governing bodies. With a global footprint of $1.7B and worldwide distribution through 1,100 U.S. Polo Assn. stores, department stores, independent retailers and e-commerce, U.S. Polo Assn. offers apparel for men, women and children, as well as accessories, footwear, travel and home goods in 166 countries worldwide. USPA is one of the major sponsors of the GAUNTLET OF POLO.
USPA Global Licensing Inc. (USPAGL) is the for-profit subsidiary of the USPA and the exclusive worldwide licensor for the USPA’s global licensing program. USPAGL is the steward of the USPA’s intellectual properties, providing the sport with a long-term source of revenue. Additionally, USPAGL also produces global broadcasts to bring the sport of polo to millions of consumers and sports fans around the world.
Global Polo Entertainment Inc. (GPE) is a for-profit, wholly owned subsidiary of USAPGL and was incorporated to build a pinnacle sport property, and manage, market and promote the tournament series, the GAUNTLET OF POLO.
About the International Polo Club Palm Beach
The International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC) is the premier polo destination in the world, hosting the largest field of high-goal teams and the most prestigious polo tournaments in the United States. Polo enthusiasts descend upon Wellington, Fla. each winter season to enjoy their love of the sport at the most prominent polo facility in the country. The 2019 Palm Beach Polo Season opens Sunday, December 30, 2018, and concludes 17 weeks later with the U.S. Open Polo Championship® Final on the weekend of April 21, 2019. Polo matches are open to the public, with a wide range of hospitality and guest seating that includes elegant grandstand viewing, field tailgating, stadium seating, field-side champagne brunch at The Pavilion, and exclusive sponsor boxes. See more at www.internationalpoloclub.com.
MEDIA CONTACTS
GAUNTLET OF POLO: Shannon Stilson, Senior Director of Marketing
561-227-6994, sstilson@uspagl.com
United States Polo Association: Matt Baran, Director of Communications 561-373-4954, mbaran@uspolo.org
International Polo Club Palm Beach: Carly Weilminster, Assistant Director of Marketing & Public Relations 828-863-1144, cweilminster@equestriansport.com
Visit our website at www.uspolo.org
Follow US @GAUNTLETOFPOLO
#USPA | @USPOLOASSN | @Internationalpoloclub
Source: Global Polo Entertainment
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