That’s the bottom line. Forget the fact that they operate no legitimate national association of their own (only a creation that would allow them to compete in the FIP) or that they rely upon the USPA for handicaps and rules. Forget that a number of Canadians have served, and continue to serve on many of our committees or host some major USPA tournaments, in the world of international polo, and in an effort to save jobs for American professionals we are considering cutting the cord with our northern neighbors.
The fact that this potential move would affect less than a half dozen professional polo players matters not at all as the USPA will work tirelessly to ferret out any non-US professionals.
Does it matter if they are residents? No. Does it matter that they are married to US citizens or pay their taxes in the USA? No.
The point being made by the USPA is, although we have been your lifeblood for decades, we’re going to cut you loose to prove a point. That point is “Canadians are foreigners”!
We’re sorry if you’re offended or that we have been happily taking your money as members of the USPA without helping you to grow into an association of your own. We’re sorry if we never prepared you for this day or are comfortable as we continue to take money from you-you’re foreigners!
We just can’t have three or four Canadians coming to America to take the jobs of our professionals. Argentina? That’s a different question. But Canada, it’s full of foreigners.
5 Comments
th000000511pm09, 12009vUTC05bUTCMon, 11 May 2009 22:26:45 +0000 11, 2007 at 08:46p05
While I’m not condoning the apparent actions of the USPA in its regard to Canadian citizen members, I will mention that Canadians who are legal residents, of at least five years, of the USA can very easily apply for citizenship.
The process takes about a year and that’s it and it’s much easier than the original process to obtain residency. I’d be surprised if some of the current Canadian ‘green card’ holders haven’t already started the process in answer to the USPA change.
th000000512am09, 22009vUTC05bUTCTue, 12 May 2009 05:46:14 +0000 11, 2007 at 08:46p05
My question is, if we have governed the Canadian players for decades, delivered handicaps to them, included their clubs in our circuits and allowed them to serve on
our committees, isn’t there a difference between them and others? Remember, this only affects a handful of players, and their exclusion would hasten the erosion of Canadian polo.
th000000512am09, 22009vUTC05bUTCTue, 12 May 2009 05:59:46 +0000 11, 2007 at 08:46p05
Canadian polo players have answered and obeyed the USPA for decades. Hell, the biggest US Polo player fundraiser is run by a Canadian! (Polo Players Support Group) Why are we now turning our backs on our Northern allies? We have governed them for years, they have supported a large majority of our events, now we are pushing them away.
P.S. Polo will never make the Olympics!!!!!!! Stop pretending. You are ruining an already fragile sport!!
th000000515am09, 52009vUTC05bUTCFri, 15 May 2009 05:47:15 +0000 11, 2007 at 08:46p05
What about our Friends from Mexico?
th000000515am09, 52009vUTC05bUTCFri, 15 May 2009 06:11:15 +0000 11, 2007 at 08:46p05
For decades Mexico has had a fully functional polo association of its own. They handicapped their own players (we handicap the Canadians); their clubs are not members of the USPA (Canadian clubs belong to the USPA); and Canadians have served in key positions within the USPA for years (i.e., Dave Offen, Cliff Sifton, Fred Mannix).