POLO NEWS

Spanning months of competition and team alterations, the Florida Circuit 8-Goal Super-Series Championship’s dynamic conclusion preceded the U.S. Open Polo Championship Final on Sunday, April 23 at the National Polo Center - Wellington (Wellington, Florida). The final saw International Polo School (IPS) Regional President’s Cup victors Curator Polo (Jake Schaufeld, Vaughn Miller Jr., Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Cabrera, Ignacio ‘Nachi’ Viana) battling The Villages Regional President’s Cup champions D’Ambrose MD (Mike D’Ambrose, Finn Secunda, Nick Johnson*, Henry Porter). D’Ambrose MD bolted to a quick lead which they maintained the entire first half. Forcing Curator Polo to diligently chip away at the lead, a phenomenal fourth chukker from Viana tied the game 7-all. Curator Polo’s newfound energy added six more goals in the last two chukkers significantly outpacing D’Ambrose MD to put Curator Polo atop the first-ever Florida Circuit 8-Goal Super-Series Championship podium.

Following in the footsteps of its 16-goal counterpart, the Florida Circuit 8-Goal Super-Series was created this season with the intention of offering more opportunity for competitive, prestigious low-goal play. Held at clubs across Southern Florida, including Port Mayaca Polo Club (Okeechobee, Florida), International Polo School (Wellington, Florida) and The Villages Polo Club (The Villages, Florida), four tournaments were played, each serving as a qualifier for the Super-Series Championship. The four tournaments included a Regional President’s Cup at each respective club as well as the Association Cup, which was held at IPS. Each winning team had the opportunity to advance to the final event.

Iconica, the winner of the first qualifier elected not to participate in the Super-Series Championship. As stated in the tournament conditions, invitations were extended to both remaining Regional President's Cup finalists, with Virginia Beach and Fross & Fross also unable to compete. Due to scheduling issues, the Association Cup did not conclude until after the Super-Series Championship, however, the two remaining finalists Curator Polo and Watch Out were granted entry into the Super-Series. In the Super-Series Championship Semifinals, D’Ambrose MD narrowly overtook Marjing Polo in a 9-8 overtime win. The second semifinal, which was supposed to pit Watch Out against Curator Polo, was canceled, as Watch Out removed themselves from the competition.

With only a month between their qualifier win and the Super-Series Championship, Curator Polo had finite time to prepare, and they unfortunately were not able to do so together. “We couldn't really prepare together, and we hadn't played together since the last final. But everyone kept on playing so we were in the rhythm,” remarked Viana.

Viana kept himself in good practice participating in the U.S. Open Polo Championship with M A G. The team advanced to the semifinals, where they then fell to 2023 U.S. Open Polo Championship winners Park Place. Miller spent the time leading up to the Super-Series Championship playing and winning the Division I Men’s National Intercollegiate Championship with the University of North Texas, marking the first time the school has ever captured the title.

Adjusting their game plan to account for the inability to prepare together, Viana noted the hallmark of their strategy. “I think the key was to keep the concentration and intensity.”

“Our communication on the field has always been our biggest asset,” added Schaufeld. “Being able to change plans quickly and with a positive attitude is something that Nachi , Nacho and Vaughn really excel at. Also, their ability to continually coach me throughout every play makes it a true team effort.”

Accelerating from the start, two goals from Johnson and a score from Porter overpowered a single goal from Viana to catapult D’Ambrose MD to a quick 3-1 lead. Matching each other in scoring, three goals from Viana kept pace with one from Johnson and two from Porter to keep D’Ambrose MD ahead 6-4 at the break.

Acknowledging his team’s difficulties in the first half, Miller noted, “It took us a while to regain our rhythm since we had all gone our separate ways since we qualified for the Super-Series. Our competition had just come off of a tournament win and a semifinal victory. They started strong as we expected, but we knew to be patient and come together when things got difficult.”

Schaufeld added, “The halftime talk was all about communication. D’Ambrose was communicating well and we were not. At half, we made sure that we would talk more on the field and help each other out. Once we made the shift to help each other claim the line more and block some players, it made a big difference.”

Emerging from halftime with a newfound fire, Viana exploded to the goal twice and nailed one from the penalty line. Johnson countered with a single penalty conversion to leave the game in a 7-all deadlock. Leaning into their synergy and teamwork, an electric fifth and sixth chukker resulted in six added scores for Curator Polo, with goals from Cabrera, Miller and Viana. Johnson tried to reinvigorate D’Ambrose MD’s spirits with a field goal and a penalty conversion in the fifth chukker, but great defense from Curator Polo kept D’Ambrose MD scoreless in the final period. As time expired, Curator Polo held a 13-9 lead, securing the inaugural Florida Circuit 8-Goal Super-Series Championship title.

Discussing the vital changes Curator made to help ensure success in the second half, Viana explained, “We played more as a team the second half. We hadn't played together for a while, so I think that was also reason that we didn't have the best start.” He continued, “The field was great, so that definitely made it easier. And we were playing better as a team, so Nacho, Vaughn and Jake would put pressure in front, and I just had to pick up the loose ball and score it.”

A relatively new participant in the sport, Curator Polo team owner Schaufeld has only been in the saddle for three years, but he still performed well at such a competitive level. “I got into the sport through the International Polo School, with Gates [Gridley] and Nacho [Cabrera] teaching me how to ride horses and play polo simultaneously. They have created an incredible experience and definitely made it possible for me to feel confident playing in tournaments at this high caliber level.”

Describing how it felt to triumph, Schaufeld continued, “Winning was awesome because it was years in the making and I started from what felt like zero. The event was a ton of fun and as long as I have Gates [Gridley] and Nacho [Cabrera] coaching in my corner, I will feel very confident competing more at both the 8-goal level and higher.”

For his outstanding nine-goal performance and relentless work to turn the game to Curator’s favor, Nachi Viana was named Most Valuable Player.

Dinamita, a 13-year-old mare owned by Nick Johnson, was presented Best Playing Pony honors. Johnson bought Dinamita from Maureen Brennan in 2016. “She has won many BPP prizes, but to win the Super-Series is amazing,” said Johnson. “I really felt she deserved it. Like all good horses, she gives you confidence and time because of her quick reactions and super light mouth.”

Hailing from England, Johnson detailed Brennan’s support, “Maureen has mounted me for pretty much my whole career in the states. In 2015, we started working together, and on Sunday, I played two full brothers and one full sister of Dinamita. The rest of my string for the final came from Frankie [Bilbao] and Paige [Boone], who helped me hugely, passing me some great horses.”

A spectacular addition to the Florida winter season, the 8-Goal Super-Series has already begun paving the way for more prestigious low-goal polo, offering a competitive atmosphere for accelerated advancement. Viana shared his thoughts on the series, “I thought it was great! A very fun tournament with many teams competing to try and make it to the Super-Series Final. I would definitely compete in it again and I think it's great for polo. I'm sure it will bring more people who want to compete in the 8-goal every year.”

Miller echoed that sentiment, concluding, “Winning the Super-Series was our goal for over a year. We formed this team last year knowing it was going to be a fantastic set of tournaments with incredible competition from around Florida. Playing new teams and meeting new people was a great opportunity. Hopefully I’m lucky enough to play every year!”

*Nick Johnson is Team USPA alumnus. 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 ©David Lominska.