Snow Polo Causes Flurry in Aspen
USPA World Snow Polo Championship gearing up for December
Short-sleeve jerseys will be replaced with long underwear and ski masks as professional polo players and specially trained horses with cleats converge in a snow-packed arena for the USPA World Snow Polo Championship in Aspen, Colo., December 17-18. Celebrities, spectators as well as polo novices and enthusiasts will gather under heated tents to catch the action and enjoy this unique spectacle and a stunning Rocky Mountain backdrop at the beautiful Rio Grande Park.
The only tournament of its kind in North America, the USPA World Snow Polo Championship has attracted great players from all over the world, some who have never seen snow before. As their riding skills and polo instincts take over, competition will heat up on Aspen’s frigid grounds, and the action promises to be intense. Winter’s unique variation of the summer champagne game has become quite popular through the years, drawing numerous spectators including high-profile celebrities like Zac Efron.
Top polo standouts including Nacho Figueras and Nic Roldan are slated to play this year along with a host of other high-profile international stars as five teams compete in an elimination tournament to decide the champion. Team sponsors for this year include popular brand names such as Piaget, Ciroc, Audi and KIG along with the U.S. Polo Assn. brand, which is also sanctioned by the United States Polo Association (USPA), the sport’s national governing body since 1890.
This special tournament caps off an exciting year for polo, America’s oldest team sport. With a visit from the Royal Couple, on-screen cameos in Hollywood films and hit television series as well as a host of high-profile tournaments held coast to coast from New York to Santa Barbara, U.S. polo has been a mainstay in 2011.
The USPA also attributes much of polo’s recent progression to growing talent, helping expand and improve the sport domestically. Polo is also experiencing a new youth movement thanks to programs like Interscholastic/Intercollegiate polo, U.S. Pony Club Polo and development platforms like Team USPA.
For more information on the World Snow Polo Championship, visithttp://www.worldsnowpolo.com. If you would like to learn more about the USPA or polo in the United States, please visit www.uspolo.org.