22-Goal USPA Townsend Cup Arena Challenge
Saturday, March 26th, 2011 at 6:00 PM
Empire Polo Club | 81-800 Ave. 51, Indio , CA 92201 | Tel. 760-393-7298 | www.EmpirePolo.com
Townsend Cup Trophy
About The Townsend Cup
The Townsend Cup was first played in Manhattan in 1923 and featured two teams, one from England and one from the U.S. It was this historic match that spurred the growth and development of arena polo here in the United States. The Townsend Cup wasn’t played again until 2004 and then again in 2008. The Townsend Cup is named in honor of John R. Townsend, a New York City social figure who was an active advocate for arena polo in the early years of its development.
The John R. Townsend Challenge Cup:
America vs. England
1923 America, A.W. Kinney, H.B. Blackwell, R.A. Granniss
2004 America, Tony Vita, Peter Daly, Michael Zeliger
2008 America, John S. Gobin, Adair Seager, Billy Sheldon
About Arena Polo
“Arena polo has a long international tradition and it continues to grow in popularity in the United States thanks to its speed and excitement, as well as the accessibility for players who live near an arena facility.” said Peter Rizzo, executive director of the U.S. Polo Association. “This match is the highest level of competitive arena polo since the pros played at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. We are thrilled to welcome England and look forward to a great game.”
The arena game is played in an arena about one-tenth the size of an outdoor field. The arena is enclosed by walls that usually measure between four and five feet in height, and the ends are closed. Although the arena game might lack the two hundred-yard runs seen in the outdoor game, the constant turning and playing the leather inflated ball off of the sideboards as in handball give an added characteristic to the game that you wouldn’t find on the field. Compared to outdoor polo, which is played on a larger grass field with two teams of four, arena polo is played by two teams of three players in an arena with a soil footing of approximately 300 feet long by 150 feet wide, with walls all around. The four chukkers (periods of play) each last seven and a half minutes.
Event Details:
Event: USPA Townsend Cup 22-Goal Arena Tournament
Date: Saturday, March 26th at 6:00 Pm
General Admission: FREE
Location: Empire Polo Club Arena
Food and Beverage concessions on site
For more information contact
Tony Schieffer,
Tel. 76-393-7298 or
email tonyschieffer@empirepolo.com
Meet the teams …
USA
John Gobin #1 is rated 6 goals in the arena, the veteran polo instructor and club manager’s accomplishments on the field include achieving a lofty 7-goal handicap (8-goals in the arena) and playing on winning teams in the FIP World Cup, the USPA Monty Waterbury Cup, the USPA Pacific Coast Open, the USPA National Copper Cup along with the USPA Heritage Cup, and four USPA U.S. Arena Championships and the Miami Beach Polo World Cup.
He also had the distinction of being named to a total of five United States polo teams that include the Westchester Cup in 1992 (England vs. USA) where he scored the winning goal in overtime; the US team that played for the Camacho Cup (Mexico vs. USA) in 2009; two FIP national teams (1992, 2011) as well as the 2011 John Townsend International Challenge Cup team.
Shane Rice #2 is rated 7 goals in the arena, Shane is a third generation California polo player and the nephew of Team USA Coach, Billy Sheldon. Based in Houston, Texas, Shane started polo at age 4 and now plays polo professionally both on the grass and in the arena. He is a winner of the USPA U.S. Arena Championship (twice), USPA Arena Delegate’s Cup, USPA National Sherman Memorial, USPA National Arena Amateur Cup (three times), the USPA National Interscholastic Championship (twice) and was chosen as the 2002 USPA National Interscholastic Player of the Year. Shane was a member of Team USA in the 2004 FIP World Championship and currently plays professionally in Texas, Florida, California and other states. He is also an arena umpire certified by the USPA.
Tommy Biddle #3 (Team Captain) is rated at 9 goals in the arena, Biddle began playing polo at the age of 12 in Aiken, South Carolina. He played his first arena game at the age of 18 while studying at Florida Atlantic University.
Biddle has racked up wins in the USPA U.S. Open Polo Championship, the Monty Waterbury Cup (four times), East Coast Open (twice) and a host of others. Biddle captained the 2009 U.S. team in the Camacho Cup competition (Mexico vs. USA) and is captaining this year’s Townsend Cup team.
Billy Sheldon (Coach/Alternate) is rated 7 goals and a second-generation polo player who resides in Poway, California. He has won every major USPA national arena tournament including: the USPA U.S. Arena Championship (four times), USPA Arena Delegate’s Cup, USPA National Sherman Memorial (four times), USPA National Arena Amateur Cup (three times) and countless regional tournament wins. He has represented the USA as a member of Team USA in the 1998 FIP World Championships, He has
represented the USA as a member of Team USA in the 1998 FIP World Championships, was selected the USA MVP in the playing of the 2008 Townsend Cup challenge against the British and also captained Team USA in the 2009 Bryan Morrison Cup in England. Was selected the USA MVP in the playing of the 2008 Townsend Cup challenge against the British and also captained Team USA in the 2009 Bryan Morrison Cup in England. Was selected the USA MVP in the playing of the 2008 Townsend Cup challenge against the British and also captained Team USA in the 2009 Bryan Morrison Cup in England.
Ryan Pemble #1 is 31 years old, rated 6 goals in the arena. Ryan has been victorious all over the world; his UK wins include The Gold Cup, Queens Cup, The Royal Windsor and The Warwickshire Cup, to name but a few. He played four seasons with Adolfo Cambiaso in the very successful Dubai Polo Team. His arena polo successes include wins in the 2009 National Club Championships, Arena International Bryan Morrison Trophy against the USA (where he won MVP), the Arena International Trophy in South Africa and most recently the coveted 2011 Arena Gold Cup.
Chris Hyde #2 is the Captain of the Asprey Polo Team and is affectionately known as ‘The Prof’. Rated 9 goals, Chris is renowned for his big hitting and penalty taking. He is one of few players to have reached a 9-goal rating in arena polo. Chris is a great tactician on the polo field and that earned him a place on the England squad. His achievements to date include: winning the Arena Gold Cup on five occasions, captaining a team to win the 26-goal Argentine Club Cup, beating Argentina recently at the O2 Arena, winning the St. Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow twice, and winning the Barbados Open twice. These are just a few of his victories. Chris resides in Ascot with wife Maggie and 4 sons and is based at the Royal County Of Berkshire Polo Club and is also on the board of Directors at the World renowned ‘Guards Polo Club’.
Sebastian Dawnay #3 is 35 years of age and rated 7 goals. He started his polo career playing in his teens with the pony club while being taught by his father, well-known polo coach and author of Playmaker Polo and Polo Vision, Major Hugh Dawnay. Sebastian has played for numerous high goal teams winning various trophies globally, including: the legendary Gold Cup. He started his arena polo career in his early twenties and went on to win the coveted Arena Gold Cup in 1998. He has since won the Arena Gold Cup three times. In the 2006 & 2008 Arena Internationals, he captained England to victory against South Africa. In the 2010 Arena International his team won against Scotland. Sebastian recently married Louisa Crofton, Polo Manager of The Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club.
Tarquin Southwell (Coach/Alternate) is currently rated 7 in the arena, turned professional at age 21 when he joined the late Kerry Packer’s all conquering Ellerston. Tarquin captained England as a junior player and represented England in St. Moritz and Dusseldorf in the F.I.P World Championships. He has appeared in the Queens Cup final three times, most memorably scoring the winning goal for Black Bears against Ellerston White. He has also won the Princes of Wales Trophy and the Gold Cup in Deauvuille, France along with the Warwickshire Cup twice – all at 22 goal level. Tarquin runs his own company TS Polo Ltd. and is an active coach to junior players, newcomers and established players and teams.