USA’s Tommy Biddle named most valuable player
USA – Jared Sheldon, Kris Kampsen and Tommy Biddle.
The United States Polo Association® (USPA) today announced that the United States defeated England 17-12 in Saturday night’s historic 22-Goal USPA Townsend International Challenge Cup at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. The U.S. team included 10-goal player Tommy Biddle, who played on the United States’ Townsend Cup winning team in 2011 and is the highest-rated arena polo player in the world, seven-goal player Kris Kampsen and five-goal player Jared Sheldon. England was represented by 6 goal player Oscar Mancini, 8-goal player Jonny Good, and 5-goal player Andrew Blake-Thomas.
With 2 handicap goals given to England at the start of the game, it was a lightning fast rematch. Andrew Blake Thomas of England scored the first goal of the evening putting England on a solid foot at the end of the first chukker leading 6 to 5. In the second chukker, USA came on strong and led the score 10 to 7 at half. The second half of the match had back and forth goals but England couldn’t make up the first-half deficit
The USA’s Tommy Biddle led all scorers with eight goals, and was named Most Valuable Player. The Best Playing Pony was Zambezi, a 13 year-old mare owned by George Dill and played by Kris Kampsen.
The match is now available for on-demand viewing at www.chukker.tv.
The USPA Townsend International Challenge Cup is an arena polo competition traditionally played between teams from the U.S. and England. The inaugural Townsend Cup between England and the U.S. was played in Manhattan in 1923. This match spurred the growth and development of arena polo in the U.S., but the Townsend Cup wasn’t played again until 2004 and then again in 2008, 2011 and 2013. In 2013, England defeated the U.S. to win the Cup for the first time. The U.S. holds the series edge 5-1. The tournament 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.
England
“This historic Townsend International Challenge Cup between two great rivals couldn’t have been any better. The speed and precision of the players and horses were incredible to watch,” said George Dill, Chairman of the United States Polo Association’s International Committee. “Both teams represented their countries well and showcased the high standard of International polo as well as highlighted how American polo has grown and developed in the United States.”
In the Intercollegiate, England beat the USA 16-13
MVP was England’s Harold Hodges.
The United States Polo Association® (USPA) today announced that England defeated the United States to win Saturday’s USPA International Intercollegiate Challenge Cup at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California by a score of 16-13
The fast paced match was off and running with USA Team’s Kareem Rosser scoring a two-point goal. England matched those goals and the first chukker ended in a tie 5-5. The USA Team pulled ahead in the second chukker ending 9-6 at the half. By the third chukker England regained its footing and took the lead ending the period 12-10. In the fourth chukker, the USA came back strong immediately out of the gate and tied the score in the fourth chukker but weren’t able to gain the lead and eventually lost the match by 3 goals. Harold Hodges led England to victory with 8 goals and was named MVP. Kareem Rosser for the USA also had an impressive contribution at 7 goals.
The victorious England team consisted of Harold Hodges, Charlie Scott, Adam Dove and Lucy Bowman.
The United States team was comprised of players representing each of the USPA’s four I/I regions:
Northeastern: Drew Gale of Somers, Connecticut and the University of Connecticut polo team
Southeastern: Hunter Jelsch of China, Michigan and the Michigan State University polo team
Central: Kareem Rosser of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the Colorado State University polo team
Western: Carina Deck of San Diego, California and the Oregon State University polo team
This arena polo match is an outgrowth of a recently inaugurated tradition of international competition between two national intercollegiate polo programs, the USPA Interscholastic & Intercollegiate (I/I) Polo program and the United Kingdom’s Schools & Universities Polo Association (SUPA). The match was the third time the teams are competing for the International Intercollegiate Challenge Cup. The United States leads the series 2-1.
USA Collegiate Team.
England’s Collegiate Team.