THE 2021 GAUNTLET OF POLO® LAUNCHES FEBRUARY 17, LIVE ON GLOBAL POLO TV
The Pinnacle Competition with $1 Million in Prize Money Features the Most Skilled Athletes and Finest Horses in the World
PALM BEACH, Fla., January 7, 2021 (Newswire.com) - Jointly hosting the GAUNTLET OF POLO® for the third consecutive season, the United States Polo Association (USPA), USPA Global Licensing (USPAGL) and International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC) are pleased to announce the launch of the GAUNTLET OF POLO® for 2021 on Feb. 17. The GAUNTLET OF POLO® is the pinnacle of American high-goal competition, featuring the most skilled athletes and finest horses in the world. The GAUNTLET OF POLO® is sponsored by U.S. Polo Assn. and the finals of each tournament will be played on the official U.S. Polo Assn. Field.
An “invitation only” Virtual Media Day on Jan. 6 provided updates on the upcoming polo season, the safety restrictions for on-site fans, the teams that are competing, how to watch, and an overview of travel to Palm Beach County during these unprecedented times. Video from the event can be watched here: https://we.tl/t-IRo9cDxSNv
The 2021 GAUNTLET OF POLO® will begin with the C.V. Whitney Cup from Feb. 17 - March 7, continue with the USPA Gold Cup®, March 10 - 28, and conclude with the illustrious U.S. Open Polo Championship® March 31 - April 18. Reigning 2019 GAUNTLET OF POLO® Champions Pilot are among the nine teams, seeking to inscribe their name on the trophy for the second time and secure the prize money purse in 2021.
Revising the prize money distribution for the 2021 season, the new format still guarantees a total of $1 million in prize money, however, runners-up in each tournament will also receive a portion of the earnings. $100,000 will be awarded to each of the winning teams of the C.V. Whitney Cup and USPA Gold Cup® and $25,000 to each runner up. Similarly, $200,000 in prize money will be presented to the winner of the U.S. Open Polo Championship® and $50,000 awarded to the runner up. Additionally, any team who wins all three tournaments consecutively will receive a $500,000 bonus and be crowned as the GAUNTLET Champion. Another exciting change from prior years will be a donation made by USPAGL to the final two teams’ polo charity of their choice.
“I’m grateful we can bring polo back to the players, members and fans and I anticipate a highly competitive and exciting season that is not to be missed,” said Robert Puetz, CEO of the USPA. “Featuring the world’s greatest players and equine partners, the 2021 GAUNTLET OF POLO® would not be possible without the outstanding efforts from all the Team Organizations to persevere through the challenging times and return to vie for the coveted title and largest prize money purse in the sport.”
All three GAUNTLET OF POLO® tournaments will be exclusively livestreamed on Global Polo TV (GPTV), polo’s premier destination for live and on-demand polo content in the world, as well as the world’s largest polo archive. GPTV is accessible at globalpolo.com and on major apps including iOS, Android, Roku and Amazon Fire. To date, more than 130 official USPA events have aired live, 500 on-demand videos and 5,000 hours of content have been available on the platform.
“Global Polo TV is part of the long-term vision of USPA Global Licensing and U.S. Polo Assn., the official brand of the USPA and sponsor of the GAUNTLET OF POLO®,” said David Cummings, Chairman of USPA Global Licensing. “Our mission is to provide polo content and inside polo stories that are accessible anytime and anywhere. With the increasing uncertainty of the pandemic, Global Polo TV offers a safe viewing experience for all our fans and members.”
November 2020 marked the beginning of GPTV’s transition to pay-to-view live game packages for non-USPA members consisting of three package options: the Polo Pass, the GAUNTLET OF POLO® Pass and the Premium Polo Pass. The Polo Pass is the only one of the three passes which excludes the 2021 GAUNTLET OF POLO®. Special offers are available at www.globalpolo.com.
For more information on the GAUNTLET OF POLO®, visit uspolo.org/gauntlet-of-polo. For more information about spectatorship and COVID-19 protocols at the International Polo Club Palm Beach, please click here.
2021 GAUNTLET OF POLO® TEAMS:
Aspen/Dutta Corp (21) Stewart Armstrong (3), Timmy Dutta (4), Lucas Diaz Alberdi (6), Gringo Colombres (8)
Coca-Cola (22) Gillian Johnston (1), Julian de Lusarreta (8), Nico Pieres (9), Mackenzie Weisz (4)
Cessna (22) Chip Campbell (2), Mariano Obregon Jr. (7), Ezequiel “Gallego” Martinez Ferrario (7), Jared Zenni (6)
La Indiana (22) Michael Bickford (2), Jeff Hall (6), Polito Pieres (10), Nico Escobar (4)
Pilot (22) Curtis Pilot (0), Gonzalito Pieres (10), Facundo Pieres (10), Kristos “Keko” Magrini (2)
Park Place (22) Andrey Borodin (0), Hilario Ulloa (10), Juan Britos (8), Matt Coppola (4)
Santa Clara (22) Will Johnston (2), Miguel Novillo Astrada (9), Felipe Vercellino (6), Luis Escobar (5)
Scone (22) David Paradice (0), Adolfo Cambiaso (10), Adolfo “Poroto” Cambiaso Jr. (6), Mariano “Peke” Gonzalez Jr. (6)
Tonkawa (22) Jeff Hildebrand (0), Sapo Caset (10), Francisco Elizalde (9), Cody Ellis (3)
About the United States Polo Association (USPA)
Founded in 1890, the United States Polo Association (USPA) is the national non-profit governing body for the sport of polo, comprised of almost 300 member clubs and thousands of individual members. For more on the United States Polo Association, please visit www.uspolo.org.
About Global Polo EntertainmentTM and Global Polo TV™
Global Polo Entertainment™ (GPE) is a subsidiary of USPA Global Licensing Inc., charged to create, distribute and monetize content opportunities. Today, GPE is comprised of the GAUNTLET OF POLO® and Global Polo TV™, an OTT platform for mobile, web, smart TVs, and connected TVs; that features all USPA Official Events, international tournaments and special feature content. Additionally, GPE also produces global broadcasts to bring the sport of polo to millions of consumers and sports fans around the world.
About U.S. Polo Assn. and USPA Global Licensing Inc. (USPAGL)
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, the USPA is one of sports’ oldest governing bodies in the United States. With a global footprint of $1.7 billion and worldwide distribution through 1,100 U.S. Polo Assn. retail 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 180 countries worldwide. Recently ranked the 5th largest sports licensor and 38th overall in License Global magazine’s 2020 list of “Top 150 Global Licensors,” U.S. Polo Assn. now takes its place alongside such iconic sports brands as the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball. Visit uspoloassnglobal.com.
USPA Global Licensing Inc. (USPAGL) is the for-profit subsidiary of the USPA and its exclusive worldwide licensor. USPAGL manages the global, multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand and is the steward of the USPA’s intellectual properties, providing the sport with a long-term source of revenue.
For additional information, contact:
Shannon Stilson
Assistant Vice President of Marketing, USPA Global Licensing
(561) 227-6994
sstilson@uspagl.com
Source: USPAGL
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