New York, NY – September 18, 2014 – The Central Park Horse Show (CPHS), presented by Rolex and produced by The Chronicle of the Horse, is pleased to announce that USPA Properties, Inc.’s North American licensee for its U.S. Polo Assn. brand, JRA Trademark Co. Ltd., will be the presenting sponsor at the first ever U.S. Polo Assn. Central Park Polo Challenge on September 21 at 3 p.m., in collaboration with The Chronicle of the Horse, United States Polo Association and Grand Champions Polo Club. The CPHS runs September 18-21, 2014, in New York City’s iconic Central Park and features an exciting schedule of show jumping, dressage, equestrian matinees, and arena polo.
“The Central Park Horse Show, presented by Rolex, is bringing multiple disciplines of equestrian sport to the city of New York,” said Katherine Bellissimo of International Equestrian Group LLC. “Arena polo is a fantastic addition to our Sunday schedule and we hope spectators will enjoy this exciting match.”
The match will be played in Trump Rink, which will be transformed into an arena polo venue as the finale of the CPHS. Arena polo is a high-energy, fast-paced version of polo played with a three-person team on a much smaller field than traditional polo that is gaining in popularity nationwide.
The U.S. Polo Assn. team will consist of three highly talented American polo players; Grant Ganzi, age 16, Juan Bollini, age 18, and Nic Roldan, age 31. Their opposing teams illustrate polo’s rich multigenerational heritage through players Melissa Ganzi, who is Grant’s mother and Juan Bollini Sr., who is Juan’s father. As part of the United States Polo Association’s ongoing program to expose sports fans nationwide to the sport of polo, the match will be telecast on the NBC Sports Network (NBC SN) on October 4 at 3:30 p.m. EST. It will be the first ever nationwide telecast of an arena polo match and will feature six U.S. Polo Assn. commercial spots.
In addition to providing uniforms for the team, U.S. Polo Assn. limited edition merchandise will be available for sale on-site. Revenue generated from the sales supports the sport of polo through United States Polo Association initiatives such as the Team USPA professional player development program, nationwide interscholastic and intercollegiate polo programs, player safety and equine welfare programs and a number of other programs that promote the growth and development of the sport through its official governing body.
“Being the official brand for the sport of polo in the United States, we are excited to see the sport return to its roots in New York City, back to where it all began,” commented Jackie Harrigan, VP Marketing. “This is a symbiotic partnership as next year marks the 125th anniversary of the United States Polo Association. U.S. Polo Assn. clothing is authentic to the sport in that it embodies the same classic American spirit that you find on the polo field. We are proud to be part of this special event, especially as it includes Juan Bollini, one of the many polo player faces of our ‘Live Authentically’ global marketing campaign.”
For more information on the U.S. Polo Assn. brand, please visit: www.uspoloassnglobal.com.
For more information, please go to www.centralparkhorseshow.com. For tickets, please go to centralparkhorseshow.tix.com.
Discounted Hotel rooms are available at the JW Marriott Essex House at the following link: http://bit.ly/1nRumC6.
“Like” the new Central Park Horse Show Facebook page and follow them on Twitter at @CPHorseShow, and on Instagram at @CPHorseShow!
About U.S. Polo Assn.
U.S. Polo Assn. brand products are authentic and officially sanctioned by the United States Polo Association (USPA), the governing body for the sport of polo in the U.S. since 1890.
USPA Properties, Inc., a wholly owned, for-profit, tax-paying subsidiary of the USPA, manages its licensing program in over 135 countries through independent retail, department, online and U.S. Polo Assn. brand stores.
Primarily featuring sportswear for men, women, and children, the product offering has expanded to include accessories, luggage, watches, shoes, home furnishings and more.
As the steward of the Association’s marks, Properties’ mission is to develop a long-term source of revenue to help underwrite numerous programs for education about and promotion of the sport of polo in the U.S., from memberships and handicaps, to clubs and tournaments; from interscholastic programs to Team USPA mentoring; with particular concern for equine welfare and player safety throughout.
About United States Polo Association
The U.S. Polo Association was organized and exists for the purposes of promoting the game of polo, coordinating the activities of its Member Clubs and Registered Players, arranging and supervising polo tournaments, competitions, and games, and providing rules, handicaps, and conditions for those tournaments, competitions, and games including the safety and welfare of participants and mounts. For more information, please visit www.uspolo.org.
ABOUT ROLEX
Leading brand of the Swiss watch industry, Rolex, headquartered in Geneva, enjoys an unrivalled reputation for quality and expertise the world over. Its Oyster watches, all certified as chronometers for their precision, are symbols of excellence, performance and prestige. A pioneer in the development of the wristwatch as early as 1905, the brand is at the origin of numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the Perpetual rotor self-winding mechanism introduced in 1931. Rolex has registered over 400 patents in the course of its history. A truly integrated and independent manufacturing company, Rolex designs, develops and produces in-house all the essential components of its watches, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly and finishing of the movement, case, dial and bracelet. Rolex is also actively involved in supporting the arts, sports, exploration, the spirit of enterprise, and the environment through a broad palette of sponsoring activities as well as philanthropic programmes.
ABOUT THE CHRONICLE OF THE HORSE
For 76 years, The Chronicle of the Horse has been the industry leader in providing news coverage of national and international sport horse competitions. Through our award-winning weekly magazine and web coverage we offer everything from competition results to compelling features and thought-provoking commentary. The Chronicle Untacked quarterly lifestyle publication launched in 2013 to rave review. Read more at www.chronofhorse.com.
Media Contact:
Shin-Jung Hong, Nicholas & Lence Communications
ShinJung@nicholaslence.com / Tel: 212.938.0005
Equestrian Media Contact:
Jennifer Wood, Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com
USPA Properties, Inc. Contact:
Lexi Miller
lmiller@uspaproperties.com / 212.994.5745 ext. 208