NATIONAL ARENA CHAIRMAN'S CUP
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The National Arena Chairman's Cup, established in 1949, is a prestigious 6- to 12-goal tournament. Formerly known as the National Arena Twelve Goal and Junior Championship, it has been hosted at various USPA Member Clubs across the United States. Last played in 2021 at Charisma Polo Club (Middleburg, Virginia), back-to-back victories were previously achieved in 2003 and 2004 by Nash Tigers, with recent champions including California Polo Club (2017), Eden Polo (2019), Celebrity Cruises (2020) and Hotels At Sea (2021).
The National Arena Chairman’s Cup is also a National Arena Amateur Cup (NAAC) qualifying tournament for participating amateur players rated -1 to 3 goals. Participants earn points towards the NAAC, which will be held at Legend's Polo Club in Kaufman, Texas, in November 2024. Points are based on the number of teams and team standing in each tournament and awarded to each team member, not the team as a whole.
In 2021, a thrilling showdown unfolded between Hotels At Sea (Tareq Salahi, Marcos Bignoli, Jorge “Tolito” Fernandez Ocampo Jr.) and Liberty Hall (Daniel Coleman, Zak Coleman, John Gobin). Spurred on by the energized crowd, Bignoli scored the game-winning two-point goal, securing an 18-16 victory. Read article here.
Hosted in 2024 by Lakeside Polo Club (Lakeside, California), the National Arena Chairman's Cup joins the widely popular Pacific Coast Arena League (PCAL). PCAL host locations include Orange County Polo Club (Silverado, California), Lakeside Polo Club and California Polo Club (Los Angeles, California). The league unites arena players across the Golden State in four diverse flights: High-Goal, A-Flight, B-Flight and C-Flight. The flights range from 12- to -3 goal levels. Teams and players participating in PCAL also have the opportunity to collect points accumulated at each event to be tallied towards End-of-League awards.
Showcasing many familiar Southern California and PCAL veterans, the competition will kick-off between Can This! and Sermus on Friday, June 28 at Lakeside Polo Club. Play is scheduled to continue at Lakeside Polo Club on Friday, September 6, with the final slated at California Polo Club on Friday, September 27. Representing Team USPA is alumnus Jared Sheldon.
Photo: 2021 National Arena Chairman's Cup Champions: Hotels At Sea - Tareq Salahi, Jorge "Tolito" Fernandez Ocampo Jr., Marcos Bignoli. ©Tony Gibson
