The Ylvisaker Cup, the second stage of the prestigious NPC 16-Goal Championship , began on Sunday January 25. The tournament, that sees sixteen teams up to 16 goals, partake, will be played through Patagones Polo Club and the National Polo Center (NPC), in Wellington, Florida, United States. Among the participant teams are current title holders, Bientina as well as the recent winners of the Joe Barry Memorial Cup, Las Brisas. It’s worth to remember that the Ylvisaker Cup will serve as one of the four qualifiers of four tournaments; the Joe Barry Memorial Cup, already done; the Ylvisaker Cup, currently underway; and the remaining contests are the Iglehart Cup. Qualifiers are set to be played across several clubs and the championship final will take place on Sunday April 12, at the NPC. with the championship final hosted on Sunday, April 12, at the NPC, in Wellington.
One very interesting issue regarding the 2026 Ylvisaker Cup is that many teams lineups feature fathers playing with their children; among those are Matías Magrini and his son, Santino (Cielo Tequila); Mike Azzaro and his son, Harrison (Mrs. Momma Bear /LC Ranch); Miguel Novillo Astrada and his son, Miguel Jr (Flying H); and Adolfo Cambiaso and his daughter, Mía (Catamount).
The Ylvisaker Cup was established in 2003, as a tribute to William T. “Bill” Ylvisaker, a true pioneer of the development of polo in the Wellington, Florida area, whose contributions allowed the growth of the sport in the 70s and 80s. Among others, Bill Ylvisaker founded the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club; Palm Beach Polo Club flourished and the town of Wellington sprung up around it, going on to successfully host not only, polo but numerous other equestrian sports. Bill Ylvisaker, who started playing interscholastic tournaments in the 40s, reached a handicap of 7, and he is the winner of the US Open and the USPA Gold Cup, and also claimed the Coronation Cup, in England, twice. Mr. Ylvisaker also founded the Polo Training Foundation, in 1967, and served as Chairman of the USPA through 1970-1975, and was inducted in the Polo Hall of Fame, in 1996.
The first results of the 2026 Ylvisaker Cup are as follows:
Sunday January 25
Lost Creek Ranch 11-5 Mrs. Momma Bear Ranch
Monday January 26
Xapican BMW 10-6 Cielo Tequila
Kaia 9-8 BTA
Tuesday January 27
Clearwater 13- 7 SD Farms
Catmount 9-8 Dracarys
Action for the Ylvisaker Cup will resume through Thursday January 29 and Friday January 30. .
THE FINAL OF THE YLVISAKER CUP IS SET TO BE PLAYED ON SUNDAY FEBRUARY 22.
YLVISAKER CUP – Teams & Fixture
Cover photo by Agustina Fonda.