Aug 13, 2024
Kevin Thomas Fawcett, of Fairhope, Alabama, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, June 24, just weeks shy of his 60th birthday.
Born in Enon Valley, Pennsylvania, Fawcett was introduced to polo initially by hot walking horses for Glenn Tetemanza at the Darlington Polo Club (Darlington, Pennsylvania) while in high school. He then groomed for Mark Powers in exchange for chukkers on Friday nights.
After, he moved to Oklahoma to pursue a career as a professional polo player and horseman. He honed his craft while working for some of the best in the country, including Bart Evans, Joe Casey, the Oxleys and Tommy Wayman.
By 1991, he had achieved a 5-goal rating and played all over the country. He went on to win the 1992 Regional Classic-Midwest with Laurel Motors (Dean Kleronomos, David Wigdahl, Julio Arellano); the 1999 Inter-Circuit Cup with Hidden Hills/Ivanhoe (Jack Shelton, Bryan Thomas, Horacio Onetto); the 1993 Delegate’s Cup with Outback (Tim Gannon, Claudia Schwab, Oliver Ellis) and the 1993 Mercedes Cup with Point Clear (John Flournoy, Kenny McLean, Robin Uihlein).
Fawcett formed close relationships with sponsors Kenny McLean and Gerry Spitler. He enjoyed his time playing in both Detroit, Michigan, and Fairhope, Alabama, the latter where he eventually settled.
After retiring from playing, he became a professional umpire for the United States Polo Association and was recognized by the Polo Training Foundation (PTF) as the 2008 Carlton Beal Umpire of the Year.
He was a skilled umpire and went on to mentor several up-and-coming umpires, including Kimo Huddleston and Jamie Mirikitani, something he truly enjoyed.
His camaraderie and sense of humor will be missed forever. Kevin is survived by his mother, LaVon Fawcett; brother Ken Fawcett (Lisa); sister Karen Cynkar (John); nieces Grace Fawcett and Emmy Cynkar; nephews Nathan Fawcett and Michael Cynkar; and many loving relatives and friends. He is predeceased by his father Gilbert Fawcett.
Photos courtesy of Justin Powers.
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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