Ylvisaker Cup
Tournament History
The Ylvisaker Cup is played annually as a tribute to William T. “Bill” Ylvisaker, a true pioneer who was responsible for developing the Wellington, Florida, area into the high-goal winter polo capital of the world. Ylvisaker contributed extensively to the sport’s resurgence in the 70s and 80s. Out of the unwelcoming, wild and forbidding marsh on the edge of the Florida Everglades, he created the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club. Palm Beach Polo Club flourished and the town of Wellington sprung up around it, going on to successfully host not only polo but numerous other equestrian sports.
As for Ylvisaker’s personal playing record, he began with two National Interscholastic Championships in the 40s, continuing his polo career at Yale University, ultimately reaching a 7-goal handicap at the height of his career. His notable wins include a 1972 U.S. Open Polo Championship® victory, a USPA Gold Cup® and two Coronation Cup titles (Great Britain versus United States), among many others. Ylvisaker co-founded the Polo Training Foundation (PTF) in 1967, and served as its first Vice President. He also served as Chairman of the USPA from 1970 to 1975. He was inducted into the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame in 1996.
Established in 2003, the Ylvisaker Cup has been played exclusively at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, Florida. Over the past decade the popular tournament has fielded rosters of up to 16 teams. New Bridge-La Dolfina captured back-to-back wins in 2006 and 2007, the only consecutive wins by one team in the history of the tournament. Coca-Cola is another staple of the Ylvisaker Cup with recent victories in 2015 and 2017. In last year's final, Patagones emerged as the champion in a narrow 9-8 victory over La Indiana.
This year's tournament will feature four competitive teams including Aspen, Beverly Polo, Palm Beach Equine and Tamera. Just coming off a win in the 2021 Joe Barry Memorial is active Team USPA Member Lucas Escobar for Tamera. Palm Beach Equine's Costi Caset is a Graduating Member of Team USPA.
History courtesy of the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame.
Photo: 2020 Ylvisaker Cup Champions: Patagones - Santiago Toccalino, Santiago Wulff, Benjamin Avendano, Joaquin Avendano. ©David Lominska
