USPA Youth Polo Director Amanda Hersey and USPA Youth Instructor Liz Holson teamed up with Maureen Brennan and VIPolo Club for one of the best USPA Youth Polo Events of the season on Tuesday, July 9! The day started out bright and early with a clinic for eight local youth players and pony club members instructed by Holson. With an emphasis on riding for polo, Holson executed drills to help the players develop their skills. VIPolo hosted clinic participants and NYTS spectators for a delicious lunch field-side which was followed by a very competitive USPA National Youth Tournament Series(NYTS) Qualifier.
The NYTS players travelled near and far for the chance to compete in this Zone 2 event, in hopes to be selected All-Star and be eligible to be chosen to represent their home zone in the first ever NYTS National Championships this Labor Day weekend which will also be held at VIPolo Club in Upperville, VA. NYTS players represented FIVE USPA clubs, including; Great Meadow, Ocala, IPC, Triangle, and VIPolo.
A special thanks to Maureen Brennan and VIPolo for going above and beyond with organizing such a great day of youth polo and thanks to USPA Eastern Circuit Governor Jim Burton for coming out to support this event and capturing the tournament on film! And thank you to Charlie Muldoon, Tano Vial, Juan Sanchez, Agustin Mauhum, German Noguera and all the parents for your help in making this possible.
VIPOLO NYTS RESULTS: Cowboys (Grant Braden, Dawson Brooks, Wyatt Harlow, Dylan Brooks) defeated Indians (Sofia Bignoli, Brennan Wells, Valentina Echandia, Hank Watson) in a close game with a final score of 5 to 3.
BEST PLAYING PONY: Monacha owned by Juan Carlos Gonzalez and Marissa Bianchi, played by Valentina Echandia
MVP: Wyatt Harlow
VIPOLO NYTS ZONE 2 ALL-STARS: Wyatt Harlow, Sofia Bignoli, Valentina Echandia, Dawson Brooks