ELDORADO POLO CLUB NATIONAL YOUTH TOURNAMENT SERIES QUALIFIER | U.S. POLO ASSN.

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ELDORADO POLO CLUB NATIONAL YOUTH TOURNAMENT SERIES QUALIFIER

Jan 23, 2018

Image of Antelope's Grant Palmer.
Antelope's Grant Palmer.

Eldorado Polo Club in Indio, California, hosted the first National Youth Tournament Series (NYTS) Qualifier of the 2018 season. Three teams featuring players from a variety of clubs including Eldorado Polo Club (Indio, California), Empire Polo Club (Indio, California), Santa Barbara Polo Club (Carpinteria, California), Lakeside Polo Club (Lakeside, California) and Being the Change (Phoenix, Arizona) entered the two-day tournament held in conjunction with the launch of the Player Performance Analysis (PPA) Clinic. Players competed in two tournament matches and had the opportunity to participate in the PPA Clinic which included a pre-game warm-up and analysis of their swing and riding pattern.

Lakeside's Cory Williams.
Lakeside's Cory Williams.

Lakeside Polo Club took home the prize, defeating Antelope and Alegria over the course of the tournament. Cory Williams, Riley Jordan, Alonso Andrade, Grant Palmer and Garrett Bankhead were named All-Stars. Riley Jordan’s horse, Kewpie Doll, was named Best Playing Pony, the first official Best Playing Pony of the NYTS program. She is a homebred mare raised by Mickey and Graydon Britton.

Winners: Lakeside - (L to R) USPA Polo Development, LLC Chairman Charles Smith, Garrett Bankhead, Cory Williams, Riley Jordan, Thomas Phelps, Polo Development LLC Board Member David Ragland, Polo Development LLC Executive Director Kris Bowman.
Winners: Lakeside - (L to R) USPA Polo Development, LLC Chairman Charles Smith, Garrett Bankhead, Cory Williams, Riley Jordan, Thomas Phelps, Polo Development LLC Board Member and Great Plains Circuit Governor David Ragland, Polo Development LLC Executive Director Kris Bowman.

The NYTS Program was established to provide youth players the opportunity to compete against their peers in USPA sanctioned outdoor tournaments. At each qualifier, All-Stars are selected by an appointed committee. All-Stars are then eligible to be selected for one of the four open zone teams or regional teams (which include two females) to compete in the NYTS Championships and East vs. West Challenge over Labor Day weekend. The NYTS qualifier has been designed for upper-intermediate to advanced youth players, those capable of holding a minimum of a B handicap. For more information, please email NYTS@uspolo.org.

Tournament All-Stars: USPA Polo Development, LLC Chairman Charles Smith, Grant Palmer, Garrett Bankhead, Cory Williams, Riley Jordan, Polo Development Board Member David Ragland (not pictured: Alonso Andrade).
Tournament All-Stars (L to R) USPA Polo Development, LLC Chairman Charles Smith, Grant Palmer, Garrett Bankhead, Cory Williams, Riley Jordan, Polo Development Board Member and Great Plains Circuit Governor David Ragland (not pictured: Alonso Andrade).
Charles Smith, David Ragland and Riley Jordan with Kewpie Doll.
USPA Polo Development, LLC Chairman Charles Smith, Polo Development Board Member and Great Plains Circuit Governor David Ragland and Riley Jordan with Kewpie Doll.

Lakeside
Cory Williams A
Riley Jordan B
Garrett Bankhead B
Thomas Phelps B.5

Alegria
Cassidy Wood A
Hope Kerley B
Piers Bossom B
Alonso Andrade 1

Antelope
Maya Tantuwaya B
Charlie Walker A.5
Grant Palmer A
Zack Coleman B.5

Results
Winner: Lakeside defeated Antelope 4-3 and Lakeside defeated Alegria 10-2

All photos ©Kaylee Wroe