Team Greenville repeated their 2018 conquest over rivals Charlotte at Tryon International Equestrian Center with a nail-biting 9-8 win. In front of an energetic grandstand, both the teams jumped forward to score the first goal as soon as the match kicked off. An early lead for Greenville with the efforts of Felipe Viana, Jared Sheldon, and Matt Cappola was quickly retaliated by brilliant gameplay by Charlotte team members Trevor Niznik, Mike Azzaro, and Patrick Uretz. Challenging the defending champions, Charlotte went ahead with a strong offensive run to mark their territory at the Tryon Resort. The last two chukkers had fans on the edge of their seats as Greenville secured the win and defended its title, taking home the top prize of $21, 000.
Most Valuable Player of the night, Felipe Viana relayed that Team Greenville ‘clicked right away’ despite not having all played in the arena field prior to the match, “I think we all felt very comfortable playing with each other. We started with a strong defense and were able to attack pretty quickly. We already kept a positive attitude, and we had a great time out there.” Team Greenville’s Matt Coppola was also a first-time Gladiator Polo competitor and for him, the experience was ‘unbelievable’. He said. “It was my first time here, and the fans were so into the game. The venue is beyond amazing, and all around it was just a lot of fun. I’m really happy that I got the opportunity to come!”
Inspired by Mark Bellissimo, CEO of International Equestrian Group (IEG) and Managing Partner of Tryon Equestrian Partners (TEP) and Wellington Equestrian Partners (WEP), Gladiator Polo has combined elements of both Field Polo and Arena Polo. Gladiator Polo took form in Wellington during the annual high goal season in South Florida and from there, the game expanded and garnered national as well as international following. Veteran Gladiator Polo competitor, Jared Sheldon, who returned from an injury, exclaimed, “I basically ripped the tendon off my bone in January, and they surgically repaired it. So, I’ve been back in the saddle for a little over three weeks, and it’s been about seven or eight months since I’ve played. This is my first game back, but it felt amazing to get back out there!”
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About Gladiator Polo
Gladiator Polo, a professional arena Polo league presented by International Polo Club Palm Beach with Mark Bellissimo combines the world’s best Polo players with modified rules that keep the play fast. Played in a ring with all-weather footing which is 1/10th the dimensions of a typical grass Polo fied, Gladiator Polo is an innovative venture hosted at the International Polo Club Palm Beach’s newly developed outdoor arena. Previously hosted at the “Coliseum”, otherwise known as the equestrian village, the Gladiator Polo aims to bring more players, patrons, spectators and sponsors into the sport of Polo. In an effort to create an arena league for the budding players, Gladiator Polo launched Amazon Polo for women and Ninja Polo for kids. With prize money associated with the trophy, Gladiator Polo has been able to target players and sponsors from around the globe within a span of 2 years and has popularised the arena Polo which was confined to a small community before.
