HPC Newsletter: 6.8.25

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

USPA NYTS TOURNAMENT

The Houston Polo Club wrapped up the Spring Season with another double header hosted by Bill Fick Ford! The National Youth Tournament Series (NYTS) took over the weekend, playing their preliminary games on Friday and their Subsidiary Final and Final on Sunday on Farish Field. Players, ages 11 to 19, participated in the tournament, hailing from St. Louis, Dallas, and the Houston area.

Sentinel Trusts’ Judah Altic (white jersey) goes for the neck shot with Aqua Verde Stables’ Uma Villanueva going for the ride off

In the first game of the day, Aqua Verde Stables took home the Subsidiary Final win with the score of 6 to 4. Teammates Uma Villanueva and JB Long were the sole scorers for Aqua Verde Stables. Sentinel Trust’s Judah Altic converted 3 penalty shots accompanied by teammate Olivia Sellers scoring from the field to complete their 4 goals on the scoreboard.

Vintage Polo’s Joe Bob Lequerica (purple jersey) keeps the ball out of reach of C-Bar Thoroughbred’s Kelsey Bray during the NYTS Sunday final

After the Subsidiary Final teams shook hands it was time for the NYTS Final between Vintage Polo and C-Bar Thoroughbreds! Vintage Polo’s Joe Bob Lequerica took command of the game scoring 4 goals to 0 in the first two chukkers, but C-Bar Thoroughbreds regrouped in the third chukker as Jordan Fikes put her team’s first goal on the scoreboard. In the fourth and final chukker, Fikes and Kelsey Bray scored two more goals, but couldn’t gain on the Vintage Polo lead as Vintage Polo took the win with the score 7 to 3.

Winning team: Vintage Polo
Joe Bob Lequerica, Tate Seward, Alex Loftis, Christine Agrons
presented by Steven Armour, Mark Prinsloo, and Chrys Beal

BPP: Phoenix,
played by Uma Villanueva, owned by Rocking P Polo,
pictured with Marcos Villanueva and Pancho

BPP: Lightfoot,
a LA Waters quarterhorse, owned and played by Joe Bob Lequerica owned by Vintage Polo,
presented by Steven Armour and pictured with Emi Silvestre

USPA NYTS All-Stars

Kelsey Bray, Jordan Fikes, Uma Villanueva, Joe Bob Lequerica, Ripley Middleton, Judah Altic, JB Long
pictured with Chrys Beal, Mark Prinsloo, and Steven Armour

Intermediate

Winning team: Shoppa John Deere: William Sellers, Tristan Kampshoff, Bradie Kimbrough
Runners up: Bill Fick Ford: Charlotte Kampshoff, Santos Villanueva, Cash Wilshusen

MVP: Tristan Kampshoff
BPP: Speedy, played by Charlotte Kampshoff, pictured with groom Mauricio Juarez Sanchez

Walk/ Trot

Winning team: BTA: Evelyn Wroe, Shirley Krueger
Runners up: HPC: Gus Orthwein, Levi Torres

MVP: Shirley Krueger
BPP: JP, played by Levi Torres, pictured with father Miguel Torres

Leadline

Becker Equine: Olivia Wroe, Chloe Modesto, Brooke Modesto
Traveller’s Rest: Rip Weaver, Annadora Orthwein
American National: Lucas Luplow, Rex Middleton (not pictured: Carson Charanza)
For The Birds: Leeland Luplow, Russel Melnar, Landon Melnar

6 Goal: USPA CONSTITUTION CUP

To conclude the ever competitive 6 Goal League at the Houston Polo Club, the finals of the 2025 USPA Constitution Cup played on Tuesday June 3 between BTA and Piney Woods Polo. Each team had 1 tournament win under their belts, so the last final would break the tie for most 6 Goal tournament wins of the season!
The teams traded goals in the first chukker, mostly off penalty shots as BTA ended the chukker narrowly leading 2.5 to 2. Piney Woods Polo surged to the lead in the second chukker, catching BTA flat footed, with goals from Audry Persano and back to back goals from Jack Kiely. BTA’s Harrison Azzaro converted 2 quick penalty shots in the third chukker to try to close in on Piney Woods Polo’s lead, but Kiley scored his fourth goal of the game to maintain a 6 to 4.5 score going into the final chukker. Persano kept her team’s offensive pressure on as she scored her third goal of the day extending the Piney Woods Polo lead. Azzaro responded with his fifth penalty shot of the match, but Piney Woods Polo never let their guard down as Kiely responded with the last goal of the game taking home their second tournament title with the score of 8 to 5.5 over BTA.