ASSOCIATION CUP
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Established in 1980, the Association Cup is a 4- to 8-goal national tournament. Returning to South Florida for the first time since 2013, the Association Cup joins the inaugural Florida Circuit 8-Goal Super-Series Championship as a qualifying tournament. Developed from the Florida Circuit 16-Goal Super-Series, the 8-goal version will encourage even more collaboration across the Florida Circuit. The 8-goal super-series will allow participants to enjoy playing at their home club with the opportunity to experience the grandeur and prestige of competing at the National Polo Center - Wellington.
Much like the 16-Goal version, the series will be played across multiple clubs, with the Championship final hosted by the National Polo Center - Wellington on April 23, 2023. Participating clubs include The Villages Polo Club (The Villages, Florida), International Polo School (Wellington, Florida) and Port Mayaca Polo Club (Okeechobee, Florida). Learn more about the Super-Series here.
Hosted by the International Polo School (IPS) in Wellington, Florida, the Association Cup will serve as the fourth qualifying leg of four prestigious national tournaments (Regional President's Cup hosted by Port Mayaca Polo Club, Regional President's Cup hosted by International Polo School, Regional President's Cup hosted by The Villages) in the 8-Goal Super-Series, with each winning team moving on to the final event.
Should a team win more than one qualifier, that team will automatically advance to the Florida Circuit 8-Goal Super-Series Championship final. Claiming the first two tournaments in the Super-Series, Iconica and Curator Polo have advanced to the semifinals of the Championship.
To reinforce the idea that all participation is encouraged, players may compete in as many events as they would like on either the same team or on different teams. Yet, if a player triumphs in more than one event but on different teams, that player must choose which team he or she would like to compete with in the Florida Circuit 8-Goal Super-Series Championship and the other team may use a substitute. Qualifying teams must maintain at least two of their original members in order to play in the Championship.
In 2022, the culmination of the Association Cup hosted by New Bridge Polo & Country Club in Aiken, South Carolina featured Skaneateles (Marty Cregg, Vaughn Miller Jr., Igancio “Nachi” Viana, Cesar Jimenez) against Hardscrabble (Mason Lampton, Charlie Caldwell, Del Walton, Wesley Bryan). A heroic drive from Viana in the final 30 seconds of regulation play sealed the narrow victory for Skaneateles 7-6.
This year's edition of the Association Cup will feature four competitive teams including, Clearwater, Marjing Polo, Rafool Polo and Watch Out each vying for the opportunity to join Iconica and Curator Polo to advance into the inaugural Florida Circuit 8-Goal Super-Series Championship.
Photo: 2022 Association Cup Champions: Skaneateles - Marty Cregg, Vaughn Miller Jr., Ignacio "Nachi" Viana, Cesar Jimenez. ©Katie Roth
