NEWS

The final weekend of the Texas Arena League (TAL) Armadillo Division culminated in a spectacular showdown on Sunday, March 2, for the National Arena Chairman’s Cup at Brookshire Polo Club (Brookshire, Texas) between TAMU Men (Will Mudra, Zak Coleman, Aiden Meeker) and Houston-based Roxstars (Roxy Mounter, Joe Bob Lequerica, Shane Rice). Established in 1949, this year’s National Arena Chairman’s Cup fielded intense competition, featuring six teams vying for the 8- to 12-goal title. The momentum of the game shifted between the two rivals and both teams left everything in the arena, keeping spectators on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

In the first chukker, TAMU Men came out strong, with each teammate in maroon reaching the scoreboard for an early 10-3 lead. Roxstars, led by the offensive efforts of Lequerica, narrowed the gap 8-14 at the break. Continuing the momentum into the third, Roxstars brought the score to 11-16, with TAMU Men working hard to hold the lead. The final chukker brought it all to a nail-biting finish. Roxstars’ final goal from Rice brought the score within one in the final moments, but TAMU Men ultimately hung on for the 16-15 victory.

Reflecting on the win, Coleman shared, “This win means a tremendous amount to myself and the Texas A&M organization. It was a huge steppingstone in our preparation for [Inter]collegiate Nationals... I’m so proud of my teammates, Aiden Meeker and Will Mudra. I would also like to thank Billy Mudra, Will Mudra‘s dad, for subbing in for Aiden in one of our matches. […] [he] filled in remarkably, and I’m glad his name gets to be on the trophy.”

Rice, sharing his long history with arena polo stated, “My family has played arena polo my whole life. If I had a choice, I would love to play more arena polo at higher levels. I hope this sets a standard that more clubs can start doing the same thing and arena polo continues to grow and get better.”

Recognized for his performance throughout the tournament, Zak Coleman was named Galvin Agency’s Most Valuable Player, scoring an impressive 10 goals in the final. The Cavalor/Catena Sportsmanship Award was presented to Wild Dog Polo/High Goal Veterinary & Diagnostic Imaging’s Stephanie Colburn* for her continued positive attitude, fairness and support for her peers on and off the field.

Nutrena’s Best Playing Pony was awarded to Piñata, played by Shane Rice and owned by Hidden View Farm. “I got Piñata from Joi Rodriguez,” Shane said. “The first time I saw her, I knew she would be my type. I think she won BPP because she was on point and never ran out of energy, even after playing two full chukkers.”

In addition to the National Arena Chairman’s Cup, the remainder of league play games concluded with teams seeking valuable TAL points, which accumulated through each team’s win/loss ratios and count towards the End-of-League Awards. Players were also recognized for their exceptional performances during the final weekend of the Armadillo Division with awards for Most Valuable Player, Best Playing Pony and Sportsmanship.

As players and fans alike experienced the action, Traveller’s Rest’s Robert Orthwein shared his thoughts of the competition, “I think TAL not only advertises arena polo well, but gives great exposure to polo in general. Lots of fun and right in the action. The games were well-organized, fast-paced, competitive and fun.

The conclusion of the weekend marked the end of the 2025 TAL Armadillo Division. Fans can look forward to the conclusion of the TAL Classic Division from March 14 to Sunday, March 16, including the National Arena Delegate’s Cup final.

Galvin Agency Most Valuable Player
Roxy Mounter
Matt Thake
Niklaus Felhaber
Zak Coleman
Joanie Jackson x 2

Nutrena Best Playing Pony
Sarabi - Chad Bowman
Bette Davis - Shane Rice
Sunny - Matt Thake
Samantha - Audry Persano*
Piñata - Shane Rice
Chingaling - Nick Cifuni

Cavalor/Catena Sportsmanship Award
Johann Felhaber
Stephanie Colburn
Will Mudra
Alec and Cole Felhaber (Shared Award)
Juan Jo Gonzalez
Roxy Mounter

Player of the Week Award
Zak Coleman

Casablanca Defenseman of the Week Award
Will Mudra

1^st Place - TAMU Men
2^nd Place - Roxstars
3rd Place - Sullivan Group
4th Place - La Luna

Galvin Agency Most Valuable Player
Joe Bob Lequerica

Nutrena Best Playing Pony
Sunny - Robert Orthwein

Cavalor/Catena Sportsmanship Award
Stephanie Colburn

Jackrabbit Tack Horsemanship Award
Nick Cifuni

Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program Best Playing Thoroughbred
Bette Davis, played by Shane Rice, owned by Hidden View Farm.

Royal B Threads Best Team Player
Niklaus Felhaber

Best Offensive Player
Chad Bowman

Best Defensive Player
Will Mudra

U.S. Arena Polo Sharp Shooter
Tiamo Hudspeth*

Outstanding Interscholastic/Intercollegiate (I/I) Alumni
Joanie Jackson

Best String: Shane Rice

Best Playing American Homebred: Sarabi, played and owned by Chad Bowman, bred by Rocking P.

*Stephanie Colburn, Audry Persano and Tiamo Hudspeth are Team USPA alumnae. Team USPA is a USPA program designed to enhance and grow the sport of polo in the United States by identifying young, talented American players and providing mentored training and playing opportunities leading to a pool of higher rated amateur and pro players and the resultant giveback to the sport of polo.

All photos courtesy of ©Tequila Sunsets Photography.