UMD’s New Intercollegiate Polo Team By Katherine O. Rizzo


Te University of Maryland (UMD) has long


been involved with the horse industry through their Campus Farm, off-and-on breeding pro- gram, riding club, and intercollegiate teams. Up until now, however, its collegiate teams have been in hunt seat equitation or eventing. Tis season, UMD became one of three new schools to officially join the U.S. Polo Association (USPA) Intercollegiate/Interscholastic league. Te UMD Polo Club was co-founded by junior Gabby Chiasera (club president) and freshman Tori Picha (club vice president and Maryland Horse Council member) with club’s treasurer Delaney O’Neil. “I’ve played polo since I was in third grade and really wanted to continue at college,” said Baltimore native, Chiasera.


Chiasera


reached out to Jenny Swartz and Posey Ob- recht, both Maryland- ers who have played at the top level of the sport,


on how to get a team started.


for guidance “I’m just so


grateful for them and Tori and everyone else who has helped us get going,” she added. Te UMD Polo Club


is made up of about 10 riders from all dif- ferent types of eques- trian backgrounds. Te school’s official USPA Intercollegiate/Inter- scholastic team, how- ever, is all experienced


polo players… and all women. “A lot of talented young women polo players have come out of the State, and it’s so great to be able to offer them a collegiate level team to play on right here in Maryland,” Chiasera said. “We have only one team at the mo- ment because the majority of our club are actually beginner polo players,” Picha said. “Tis season we’ve been focusing on local matches and scrimmages with the goal of traveling more next season.” Chiasera added, “everyone in the club has some sort of riding background and each is a really solid rider. We are just teaching them to play polo!”


Te club and team are based out of Garrison For- est School in Owings Mills, where both Chiasera and Picha played in their pre- collegiate years. Garrison Forest has had a USPC Interscholastic team for many years. Te UMD team practices on Garrison For- est’s horses and often scrimmages against other teams at the school. Most USPA Interscholastic teams are run out of established polo clubs


versus middle and high


One of UMD’s Intercollegiate team’s first match was against Garrison Forest’s Interscholastic team.


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schools. “We are one of only two schools in the whole country to have a team,” said Cailin Phe- bus, one of Garrison Forest’s polo coaches. Phebus, along with the other Garrison coaches, also teach- es and coaches the UMD players. Te UMD team, as well as the


Introducing UMD’s new USPA Intercollegiate Women’s Polo team, from left: Gabby Chiasera, Tori Picha and Delaney O’Neil.


other 56 teams across the country, are outfit- ted with custom logo-wear through USPA’s Collegiate Partnership Program. Te program provides collegiate teams with jerseys, player whites, polo shirts, caps, a watch, equipment gear bags, exclusive USPA Pro merchandise and a monetary donation. “We are so thank- ful for all USPA’s support and love wearing the gear they have made for us,” Picha said. “Our long-term goal is to pull together a


competitive women’s team and make it to na- tionals at some point,” Chiasera said. “It’s all a lot of fun and really exciting to be a part of.” To read more about the USPA Intercollegiate program, see page 28 of this issue.


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