Ylvisaker Cup

Wellington, FL – February 7, 2021 – The 2021 Ylvisaker Cup concluded at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC) on Sunday with the fourth meeting of the season between Beverly Polo and Palm Beach Equine. Under some rainy conditions on the Home of the U.S. Polo Assn – Field 1, Hilario Figueras and Tolito Ocampo scored five goals each to lead Beverly Polo to the 15-11 victory and capture the Ylvisaker Cup title. 

Facing their third consecutive final, 16-goal Beverly Polo’s system finally paid off to capture their first title of the year. Maintaining their momentum from the semifinal victory against Tamera, Beverly Polo displayed a strong offense and defense, leaving Palm Beach Equine trailing throughout the entire game. Joaquin Panelo, who filled in for Peke Gonzalez, showcased an outstanding performance, displaying hit and run plays while adding two goals. Despite shooting 64% from the field, Palm Beach Equine committed 13 fouls that resulted in six penalty conversions for Beverly Polo. Along with the additional opportunities from the field, Beverly Polo overwhelmed Palm Beach Equine in one of their strongest games of the year to complete the four-goal victory. 

Hilario Figueras was named the Most Valuable Player of the game thanks in part to his five goals. ©Alex Pacheco

With a two-goal advantage, Beverly Polo was able to maintain that lead, withstanding an early push from Palm Beach Equine. Costi Caset opened the scoring, but two missed penalty attempts allowed Beverly Polo to stay ahead by two after Ocampo’s first goal. Reorganizing, Palm Beach Equine began to take advantage of their opportunities, converting three of their four attempts from the field, while also adding a Penalty 3 conversion. The fast-paced second chukker saw a response from Beverly Polo with two goals from Ocampo and one from newcomer Panelo. The duo of Ocampo and Figueras took over in the final stages of the first half, scoring two goals each in the third chukker, while actively defending against the Palm Beach Equine attack. Conceding zero shot attempts, Beverly Polo allowed two penalty goals, but remained in the lead, holding the 10-7 advantage at halftime.

Like teammate Figueras, Tolito Ocampo also scored five goals to help Beverly Polo win the title. ©Alex Pacheco

Bill Ballhaus scored an impressive flip tail finish to complete the 15-11 victory. ©Alex Pacheco

Wellington, FL – January 31, 2021 – The final group game in the 2021 Ylvisaker Cup provided a unique situation as Aspen needed a victory to advance straight to the semifinal or face a loss that eliminated them from the tournament. On the Home of the U.S. Polo Assn – Field 1 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC), the game came down to the final seconds with Tamera narrowly defeating Aspen 11-10 thanks to the seven-goal performance from Diego Cavanagh to book their spot in the semifinal.

A back-and-forth game featured opportunities for both Aspen and Tamera, but despite shooting just 40% from the field, Tamera produced enough scoring chances, including three second-half goals from the penalty line to capture the victory. Aspen shot an accurate 62% from the field, but foul trouble proved to be a deciding factor in the match. Entering the game averaging 4.5 goals per game, Tamera held Aspen’s Keko Magrini to zero goals, leaving Lucas James to lead the Aspen offense with seven goals, but it was not enough to overcome the strong performance from Tamera, who held off the late attack to emerge victorious.

Aspen claimed the early lead behind two goals from Lucas James, including one from the penalty line, to hold the early advantage. Tamera had their chances to match Aspen but missed two penalty conversions to trail 3-1. Tamera’s Lucas Escobar scored the first goal in the second chukker, but they fell short of taking the lead as Aspen‘s defense changed the pace of the game. Limited to just one goal over the second and third chukkers, Aspen saw their lead evaporate due to the performance of Cavanagh. Accounting for all three goals in the third chukker, Cavanagh’s impressive stretch gave Tamera their first lead of the game at 5-4 heading into halftime.

Hope Arellano played for Tamera‘s Alejandro Poma on Sunday. ©Alex Pacheco

Tamera was not able to keep their momentum into the fourth chukker with Aspen bringing the game even at 6-6 after James’ goal and assist to Stewart Armstrong tied the score. Aspen continued to work hard in the fifth chukker, but Tamera’s offense and defense proved to be effective, allowing them to retake the lead. After Cavanagh and James traded penalty goals, Tamera finished the fifth chukker strong to hold a two-goal advantage. Two quick goals from James increased the tension at the field with the game tied at 9-9 and the fate of the Ylvisaker Cup hanging in the balance for Aspen. Cavanagh’s sixth goal was quickly matched by James as the clock ticked down and the teams remained tied, but it was Tamera that found themselves on the penalty line to capture the victory. Under immense pressure, Lucas Escobar converted the Penalty 3 to seal the 11-10 victory and secure a spot in the semifinal. James was awarded Most Valuable Player, while “Zebra,” played by James and owned by Pilot Polo, won Best Playing Pony.

Aspen‘s Lucas James, pictured with Olga Hartsock of CaptiveOne Advisors, was awarded Most Valuable Player. ©Alex Pacheco

Tamera will play against Beverly Polo in the semifinal on Wednesday at IPC, with Palm Beach Equine awaiting the winner to determine the Ylvisaker Cup champion.

Polo matches at IPC are not open to the general public except for ticketed Sunday brunch. Online viewing is available with a subscription at globalpolo.com.

Click here to view the full 2021 High Goal Polo Schedule.
Click here to learn more about the International Polo Club Palm Beach.
Click here to learn more about the GAUNTLET OF POLO®.

Wellington, FL – January 30, 2021 – Palm Beach Equine bounced back from Sunday’s defeat to Aspen to capture their second victory, defeating Beverly Polo 11-9 on the Isla Carroll West field at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC). Robi Bilbao’s superb attacking skills, finishing with a season-high five goals, led Palm Beach Equine to the narrow two-goal victory as they wait for the outcome in Sunday’s game to determine their place in the semifinals or final of the 2021 Ylvisaker Cup.

Robi Bilbao’s superb attacking skills led Palm Beach Equine to the narrow two-goal victory. ©Alex Pacheco

Palm Beach Equine fought through their offensive struggles to control possession at the start of the sixth chukker. ©Alex Pacheco