Oct 07, 2019
The Harriman Cup celebrated its thirty-fifth year at a lovely new venue under sunny September skies. The crowds at the Myopia Polo Club (Hamilton, Massachusetts) provided a warm welcome for the Yale University and University of Virginia (UVA) alumni teams and their sponsors. The annual fundraiser and alumni polo match included a day of competitive polo, tailgating, music and dancing. Official Apparel Partner of the Harriman Cup, U.S. Polo Assn., provided team jerseys and support for both collegiate programs.
Founded in 1984, the Harriman Cup commemorates the life of W. Averell Harriman, a 1913 Yale graduate and polo player, who was the former Governor of New York, former U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain and the Soviet Union, and was the U.S. Secretary of Commerce under President Truman.
Beginning with one goal on handicap, Yale took an early two-goal lead after securing a quick goal out of the line-up in the opening minute of play. UVA rallied and answered the challenge with one of their own to make it onto the scoreboard. The four-chukker match included a well-balanced back and forth between the two teams. Tied in the final chukker, a penalty conversion from Simon Colloredo-Mansfeld secured the win for UVA with only seven seconds left in regulation time. Alumni from both schools provided the core of the teams with brothers, Simon (UVA, Class of 2019) and Seppi (Yale, Class of 2013) Colloredo-Mansfeld, representing their respective schools. Merrall Echezarreta (Class of 2018), Nick Barry (Class of 1999) and Reed Miller rounded out the UVA team. Sam Clemens (Class of 1997), Chelsea Messinger (Class of 2014), Leila Chang (Class of 2019) and Patrick Marinelli (Coach and Manager of the Yale Polo program) also represented Yale on the field.
Following the match, trophies were presented to all players. The Best Playing Pony award was presented to Reed Miller’s Mistica and Sam Clemens received Most Valuable Player. Prizes were presented for Best Tailgate, Best Hat and Best Dressed Man and Woman.
Following the trophy and prize presentations, the Harriman Cup Award was presented to Franz F. Colloredo-Mansfeld. The Harriman Cup Award honors stellar individuals who have made significant contributions to the world of polo, and who embody the leadership, public service, and staunch advocacy and support for equestrian sports that were characteristics of Averell Harriman. Franz Colloredo-Mansfeld is a longtime equestrian and polo player and serves as the current President of Myopia Polo. In addition, he has been an active supporter of the Yale, UVA and Harvard intercollegiate polo programs.
PAST HARRIMAN CUP AWARD RECIPIENTS:
2017 — Peter M. Brant
2016 — Martin Brown
2015 — Neil Hirsch
2014 — Stephen A. Orthwein
2013 — William S. Farish III and Lezlie HinerM
2012 — Nic Roldan and David Walentas
2011 — Nacho Figueras, Luis Rinaldini, Julie Rinaldini
All photos courtesy of ©Jacqueline Miller.
Effective Date: Saturday, May 16, 2020
The suspension of USPA Tournaments and Events will be lifted for USPA Member Clubs in locales where hosting polo matches and tournaments is permitted under applicable state and local laws, executive orders and similar decrees. The USPA Member Clubs in these locales are encouraged to follow all such requirements of their state and local authorities with respect to polo operations. In addition, we also encourage all USPA Member Clubs to take the precautions recommended by the CDC. We are preparing a detailed list of best practices for USPA Member Clubs as they return to hosting USPA Tournaments and Events and plan to circulate these guidelines within the next week. We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely and will notify you if we determine a different course of action is necessary.
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