United States Polo Association
The United States Polo Association (USPA) is the national governing body for the sport of polo in the United States.
Introduction
Established in 1890, by David Grubbs the USPA provides resources to over 4,500 individual members and 250 polo club ...
, at the founding of the USPA in 1890 so teams could be more evenly matched when using players with varying abilities.
The players are rated on a scale from minus-2 to 10. Minus-2 indicates a novice player, while a player rated at 10 goals has the highest handicap possible. It is so difficult to attain a 10-goal handicap that there are fewer than two dozen in the world, and about two-thirds of all players handicapped are rated at two goals or less. Currently, most living ten-goal players are Argentine, with few exceptions.
Handicaps of five goals and above generally belong to professional players. It is not (nor has it ever been) an estimate of the number of goals a player might score in a game, but rather of the player's worth to their team. It is the overall rating of a player's horsemanship, team play, knowledge of the game, strategy, and horses. At one time, polo was the only sport in the world that considered
sportsmanship
Sportsmanship is an aspiration or ethos that a sport, or activity will be enjoyed for its own sake. This is with proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respect, and a sense of fellowship with one's competitors. A "sore loser" refers to on ...
when rating a player.
In matches played by "handicapped" players (as opposed to open competition, where handicaps are not considered), the handicaps of all four players are totaled. If the total handicap of a team is more than that of the team against which they are playing, the difference is added to the scoreboard. For example, if the Mounties polo team has a total handicap of six goals and the Tayto team has a handicap of four goals, Tayto would begin the match with a two-goal advantage.
A player's handicap is usually assessed by a committee at the authorizing club of his country. A professional player may be assigned an equivalent rating in countries where he competes.
Though standards are similar, the ratings may be expressed differently. ''e.g.:''
Argentina: 0 to 10
USA: C (-2), B (-1), B+ (-0.5), A (0), A+ (0.5), 1.0, 1.5, 2 to 10
England: -2 to 10.
Ten-goal players, highest handicap achieved in outdoor polo
Mike Azzaro
Mike Azzaro is an American professional polo player from San Antonio, Texas. Azzaro's current handicap is 6 goals, but he held the sport's highest handicap of 10 goals for over ten years. Azzaro was awarded ''Polo Magazine's'' Polo Excellence ...
– USA
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Ulysses Hu
Ulysses is one form of the Roman name for Odysseus, a hero in ancient Greek literature.
Ulysses may also refer to:
People
* Ulysses (given name), including a list of people with this name
Places in the United States
* Ulysses, Kansas
* Ulysses, ...
Gerald Barnard Balding Sr.
Gerald Matthews Balding (1903 – 16 September 1957) was a British champion polo player.
Biography
He was born in Leicestershire, England, in 1903. He had two brothers who also played polo, Ivor Godfrey Balding and John Barnard "Barney" Balding ...
(1903–1957) - England's last 10 goal player.
* Adolfo Cambiaso (born 1975) – Argentina
* Guillermo (Sapo) Caset - Argentina
* Bartolomé Castagnola (born 1970) – Argentina Polo Players Handicap ''Federation of International Polo''. Retrieved February 27, 2012
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Carlos Gracida
Carlos Gracida (September 5, 1960 – February 25, 2014) was a Mexican-American polo player. He reached a 10-goal handicap at the age of 25.
Biography
Gracida was born in Mexico City. As a product of the Gracida polo dynasty, ...
Tommy Hitchcock, Jr
Tommy may refer to:
People
* Tommy (given name)
* Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Tommy'' (1931 film), a Soviet drama film
* ''Tommy'' (1975 fil ...
Pablo Mac Donough
Pablo Mac Donough is a professional polo player from Argentina with a 10-goal polo handicap.
Biography
Mac Donough was born in Pehuajo and began playing polo with his family at a young age.
Career
His career has included wins in the Argent ...
Lucas Monteverde
Lucas Monteverde (born December 18, 1976) is an Argentina, Argentine professional polo player with a handicap of 9 (formerly 10). He grew up near the town of Veinticinco de Mayo Partido, 25 de Mayo, Buenos Aires Province, at the estancia ''El Rin ...
Gonzalo Pieres Sr.
Gonzalo Pieres is a former 10-goal handicap polo player and one of the most successful players in the sport.
Background
Gonzalo was born and grew up in Argentina.
Career
Pieres began traveling to America to play polo in 1980, when he held a ...
David Stirling
Sir Archibald David Stirling (15 November 1915 – 4 November 1990) was a Scottish officer in the British army, a mountaineer, and the founder and creator of the Special Air Service (SAS). He saw active service during the Second World War.
...
John Arthur Edward Traill
John Arthur Edward Traill (1882–1958) was the first Irish–Argentine 10-goal polo player.
He was born in 1882. He married Henrietta Margaret, from Scotland, and they had children John and James.
Traill owned a ranch in Argentina and impor ...
Tommy Wayman
Tommy Wayman is an American polo player (retired).Alex WebbeGentleman Tommy Wayman Keeps Keeps Earning 10-Goal Status ''Palm Beach Daily News'', January 2, 1983
Wayman was a ten-goal player.
(born 1946) – USA
Nine-goal players, with a maximum 9-goal handicap achieved in outdoor polo
Diego Cavanagh
Santiago Miguel "Diego" Cavanagh y Hearne (May 16, 1905 – July 30, 1977) was an Argentine polo player at the 1936 Summer Olympics.
He was a squad member of the Argentine polo team, which won the gold medal. He did not compete in the Berlin tour ...
Francisco Elizalde
Francisco José Y. Elizalde (born October 10, 1932) is a Filipino sports official. He was a member of the International Olympic Committee representing the Philippines. He was elected by the committee in 1985, filling a post left vacant with the d ...
- Argentina
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Elbridge T. Gerry Sr.
Elbridge Thomas Gerry (November 22, 1908 – February 26, 1999), known as Ebby Gerry, was an American banker and polo player.Joseph Durso ''The New York Times'', March 06, 1999
Early life
Gerry was born in New York City on November 22, 1908. Hi ...