Team USPA coach and former 7-goaler, Joel Baker. (Photo by Alex Pacheco)
California’s Joel Baker has been a top polo player on the American scene for years, so it was no surprise that when a team of six talented young players were selected to compete for positions on the team that will represent the United States in the International Polo Federation’s Zone A competition to quality for the World Polo Championship that he was named as the team’s coach.
A former 7-goaler, Baker has amassed a long line of impressive wins that include the United States Open Championship (1981), the USPA Gold Cup (1981), the C. V. Whitney Cup (1987), the USPA Silver Cup (1976 and 1978) and four Pacific Coast Open titles (1975, 1980, 1983 and 1987).
A former member of the U.S. Ski Team, Joel grew up around Southern California’s Will Rogers Polo Club where he worked in the polo barns to finance his skiing career. He fell in love with the horses and the game and started playing polo in the late 1960s after graduating from college and starting work as a financial planner. He bought his first polo horse in 1968 and continues to produce polo ponies on his Circle JB Ranch in Buellton, California.
“I am probably getting more press coverage my stallion Morning Star than for all of my past tournament wins combined,” laughed Baker.
Morning Star produced last year’s Horse of the Year in Argentina, Chocolate’, owned by Bob Jornayvaz and played by Adolfo Cambiaso.
Baker had been drafted to coach the US teams that have competed in the World Snow Polo Championships and the 24-goal Super Nations Cup for the past two years and is looking to bring the USA’s FIP entries back to a level of respectability.
In their last FIP World Polo Championship the US team was the only team in the competition without a victory. Baker is betting that the preparation and training that the team is going through this year will change that picture.
“The USPA has offered us unprecedented support,” offered Baker. “Bob Puetz (Executive Director) and the entire staff have gone above and beyond to offer assistance.”
Baker credits Marc and Melissa Ganzi and the Grand Champions Polo Club for the horses, fields, training facilities and competition that will better prepare this year’s FIP squad the opportunity to properly prepare for the competition next month.
“The Ganzis have gone out of their way to assist and accommodate the players and the team,” he said. “They integrated a couple of the team members who arrived in Florida early onto their tournament teams and offered the support and input of their many professional players. We couldn’t be happier with the arrangements,” he said.”
Team USPA had played together three times before Baker arrived in Wellington, Florida last week, and in spite of flashes of individual brilliance by the individual members, had not scored a win. With Baker on the sidelines last weekend Team USPA ran roughshod over a talented Palm Beach Polo team in a 13-8 win.
“I thought the team played well as a team in the first three chukkers (for an 8-3 halftime lead),” said Baker, “but I think they lost their concentration in the fourth and fell back into their old ways of individual play. They did pull it together again in the final two chukkers, however,” he added.
“We worked on drills on Saturday,” he said, “penalty hitting and positioning for knock-ins. I think it made a big difference in Sunday’s win.”
Team USPA will be splitting up for the next two tournaments as the level of play at Grand champions elevates from 14-goal polo to 20-goal polo with the USPA National 20-goal and the USPA North American Cup. Jeff Blake will play with Felipe Viana, Jesse Bray and a combination of Patrick Uretz and Jared Sheldon in the National Twenty Goal Championship scheduled to begin this week. A team is yet to be named for the ensuing USPA North American Cup.