REGIONAL PRESIDENT'S CUP
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Established in 1998, the Regional President’s Cup encourages participation at the 4- to 8-goal level, while restoring the relationship between Regional and National President's Cup trophies. Reformatted in 2024, regional events held nationwide serve as qualifying tournaments for the National President’s Cup. Hosted by the National Polo Center - Wellington in Wellington, Florida, the National President's Cup brings together teams from clubs across the country for a chance to compete at NPC.
Teams qualify to enter the National President's Cup by winning a Regional President's Cup. Any USPA Member Club can apply to host a Regional President's Cup, however qualifying events are only awarded to one Member Club in every circuit. The Florida Circuit, host of the National President's Cup, is the only exception, with four Regional President's Cup events awarded to host clubs Santa Clara Polo Club (Wellington, Florida), International Polo School (Loxahatchee, Florida), Port Mayaca Polo Club (Okeechobee, Florida) and The Villages Polo Club (The Villages, Florida).
Winners of the Florida Circuit qualifying events (Santa Clara/Forbes Plunkett, Organic Matters) will join Riverview (Midstates Circuit), Amaro/Jefferies (Northeastern Circuit), TNT Global/Jet Set Polo (Eastern Circuit) and Mokarow Farms (Southwestern Circuit) for National President's Cup contention.
There is no team entry fee for the National President’s Cup and teams that qualify in a circuit outside the Florida Circuit will receive a $10,000 travel stipend.
In 2024, Port Mayaca Polo Club (Juan Jose "Kako" Basualdo, Gonzalo Teves, Santos Teves, Dominic State) faced-off against South of 40 (Leo Mandelbaum, Stephen Orthwein Jr., Rob Payne, Brad Scherer). Doubling-up their opponents on the scoreboard by the break, Port Mayaca Polo Club carried its momentum throughout the second half to seal a 9-6 win.
The Regional President's Cup hosted by Port Mayaca Polo Club in Okeechobee, Florida, represents the third Florida Circuit qualifier. Fielding 11 talented teams, Riverview, winner of the Midstates Circuit qualifier, will join Ashblue, Aspen, Manderleigh, Marjing, Mint Eco Car Wash, Polo for Life, San Pedro, Skaneateles, Willow Bend and Woodmere, each battling for the title and opportunity to compete for the National President’s Cup.
Representing Team USPA are Active Members Jack Whitman (Ashblue) and Finn Secunda (Polo for Life) alongside alumni Gates Gridley (Marjing) and Costi Caset (Skaneateles).
Port Mayaca Polo Club will be taking advantage of the USPA's Tournament Support Program (TSP) for the Regional President's Cup, which provides eligible USPA Member Clubs with waived tournament fees, trophies or trophy reimbursements, one professional umpire and $2,500 in prize money at no extra cost. Tournaments with six or more teams may opt for a second no-cost professional umpire in lieu of prize money.
The USPA originally created the Tournament Stimulus Package (TSP) to help member clubs host USPA events when the United States was emerging from the first wave of the COVID-19 crisis. The USPA wanted to continue to support member clubs with TSP benefits in 2022. Therefore, it extended and expanded TSP under a new name—the Tournament Support Program. Each USPA Member Club can obtain TSP benefits for two USPA events, with the option of a third under specific circumstances.
Photo: 2024 Regional President's Cup Champions: Port Mayaca Polo - Juan Jose "Kako" Basualdo, Gonzalo Teves, Santos Teves, Dominic State. © Laura Linfoot
