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TA L K
P O LO BY G A R R A H A N
Neither is it necessary to hire the likes of
Adolfo Cambiaso, who is a strong supporter
of the new league and has committed to
playing in it, to have a competitive team. The
WPL has created three ‘parachute teams’,
each with a 10-goaler already committed.
Sponsors may bring their own horses and
play with that team, or rent 26-goal horses.
At least eight teams will take part and
four 10-goalers have already committed
to play. All teams will have equal access to
NO NEW RULES WI L L BE CRE ATED . THE TE AMS
AND PL AYERS WI L L A L SO REGA I N VA LUABLE
TR ADEMARK , F I LM AND B R O A D C A S T R I G H T S
– over the 2019 winter season. The All-Star
Challenge (6-17 February) is followed by
The Founders Cup (20 February–2 March),
The Palm Beach Open (6-24 March) and the
Triple Crown (27 March–14 April). The league
has 14 fields available, most of them at
Valiente Polo Farm, Grand Champions Polo
Club and Santa Rita Polo Farm.
Jornayvaz underscores that there is
‘a lot more at stake here than just playing
26. This is about team owners having a say
in how to show the sport to the world in
a different way; showing its professionalism,
athleticism, speed and danger’.
He says the WPL is not intended to
compete with the USPA 22-goal tournaments
in Wellington. ‘We are very inclusive. Anyone
is welcome to play in our tournaments, the
USPA tournaments or both.’
The concept of a club having its own
high-goal tournaments is not unprecedented.
Decades ago John Oxley started the Sunshine
League 22-goal tournament, which ran
for two months, as well as the 26-goal
International Gold Cup, at Royal Palm Beach
Polo Club. Bill Ylvisaker followed with six
high-goal tournaments at Palm Beach Polo
Club, two of which were USPA-sanctioned
and four that were not.
‘John and Bill created a different concept
of how they wanted to promote the sport,’ says
Smicklas.‘The idea was to have the highest
level of polo played in a more commercial
arena. The World Polo League is the next
generation in that thought process.’
Jornayvaz sees it as ‘a very positive
thing. Our move is benefitting all polo
players, not just those who are playing
in our league. Had we not done this, there
would not be prize money in high-goal,’ he
says, noting that other tournaments started
awarding prize money, or increased it,
after the WPL announcement last winter.
them for the first tournament: the All-Star
Challenge. The 10-goalers’ names will be
drawn from a hat at the kick-off party
on 5 February.
‘We thought it would be neat for team
owners to be able to play with a 10-goaler
[who] they have only been able to play against
before as they were all hired by other teams,’
says Dale Smicklas, WPL commissioner.
The WPL will hold four tournaments in
Wellington – with significant prize money
Previous page
: The stands at Valiente
This
page, from left:
Robert and Bob Jornayvaz
with Melissa, Marc and Grant Ganzi
