GJ Racing Captures Jimmer Newman Memorial In Overtime Thriller; Harrison Reicher MVP

WELLINGTON, FL., April 29, 2025---Harrison Reicher and his GJ Racing teammates ended the Polo Training Foundation winter season in style.

By Sharon Robb

Photos by Candace Ferreira

The SMU-bound Reicher, 19, scored the winning goal in overtime to lead GJ Racing (Sebastian Mandelbaum, Sailor Schwaber, Geronimo Rider, Harrison Reicher, Joseph Schwartz) to a thrilling 5-4 victory over Mayer Ranch/PTF (Weston Hasser, Graydon Weston, Faris Hanna, Finn Secunda).  

Mayer Ranch/PTF jumped out to a 2-0 lead with goals from Secunda and Weston in the opening chukker. Weston scored again in the second chukker for a 3-0 advantage.

GJ Racing bounced back in the third chukker with two unanswered goals from Rider and  Schwartz to trail, 3-2.

Schwartz tied the game 3-3 in the fourth chukker with his second goal of the game. Secunda scored again quickly to retake the lead, 4-3. Reicher then scored again to tie, 4-4, at the end of the fourth chukker.

The fifth chukker was all defense with no one able to score sending the game into overtime. After the throw-in, Reicher ran to goal and lofted the ball through the goal posts to win the game.

Reicher earned Most Valuable Player honors. The Purina/Red Barn Best Playing Pony went to Sebastian Mandelbaum's fifth chukker horse Camilla. Schwaber was awarded the  Sportsmanship Award.

The fast-paced action continued for the rest of the day.

The Johnston Cup round robin featured CTV Sports, Rich Properties and Tackeria. CTV Sports defeated Rich Properties 1-0 in a two-chukker match with a field goal from Inda Pieres. Tackeria then defeated CTV Sports 1-0 in a two-chukker match with a field goal by Florencio Merlos. Rich Properties overcame Tackeria, 5-1, in the final two chukkers. Rich Properties (Hazel Hill, Jayda Link, Antonio Villamil, William Wiseman) won the round robin on net goals earning the Johnston Cup.

Jayda Link of Rich Properties was named Most Valuable Player after scoring four goals. Antonio Villamil added one goal. James Peponis scored Tackeria's goal in the last chukker. The Purina/ Red Barn Best Playing Pony went to Florencio Merlos' Pony Sombra.  The Sportmanship award went to Antonio Villamil.

In a two-chukker matchup, Santa Rita (Sophia Ferreira, Pedro Garcia del Rio, Elijah Uys) defeated Grand Champions and Tackeria. Pedro Garcia del Rio was named Most Valuable Player after scoring four goals. Elijay Uys added one goal. Milo Vilche was the Sportsmanship recipient. Justo Obregon's Panchita was the Purina/Red Barn Best Playing Pony.  

The leadline was the fun event of the day with PTF alum Matias Gonzalez helping his nieces and nephews (Milo Retes, Kala Sprinckmoller and Luna Sprinckmoller) and PTF alum Santos Bollini helping his nephews (Tete Irale and Jacinto Irale).   

The tournament was in honor of Jimmer Newman, who died on October 8, 2004 in Santa Barbara, Calif. where he was assistant polo manager. He was an up-and-coming 2-goal, 24-year-old player, son of National Polo Center polo manager Jimmy Newman and brother of Grand Champions general manager Cale Newman.

In early season PTF tournaments:

Mayer Ranch (Valentina Villamil, Benjamin Obregon, Sacha Musy, Milo MacDonough) won the Tackeria Cup on President's Day. Obregon scored three goals and was MVP.

The Polo School (Bennett Hasser, Jayda Link, Santos Valent, Celestino Merlos) won the 44th Avendano Memorial. Celestino Merlos led scoring with five goals and was MVP.

Alex Photo (Benja de la Fuente, Alejandro Ontiveros, Antonio Villamil, Aitor Jauretche) won the Major Collin Memorial. Benja de la Fuente, 13, earned his first-ever MVP honor.

Tackeria (Sailor Schwaber, Benjamin Obregon, Harrison Reicher, Joseph Schwartz) won the Blanco TX Cup. Harrison Reicher was MVP.

Team PTF won the third annual Sunset Polo Cup with (Joaquin Vilgre la Madrid, Marek Sutherland, Amelia Massey, Joseph Schwartz). Joseph Schwartz was MVP.

The Buzz Welker Memorial trophy was won by the Hazel Hill, Alfonso Nero, Antonio Villamil and Silver Novillo Astrada. Antonio Villamil was MVP.

The well-organized PTF tournaments were under the direction of PTF Executive Director Jennifer McLeavy, tirelessly devoted to youth polo.

The nation's oldest and most successful junior youth program has been instrumental in the growth of junior and youth polo players. The PTF encourages the sport‘s development with training programs, lessons and tournaments for boys and girls.

Grand Champions Polo Club President and PTF Chairman Melissa Ganzi is a longtime supporter of grass roots polo. Several of the PTF events are hosted at Santa Rita Polo Farm.

The PTF was created in 1967 by Palm Beach Polo and Country Club founder and former 7-goal amateur Bill Ylvisaker to teach polo to youth by promoting youth clinics, interscholastic and intercollegiate competition.

The PTF offers much more than just an introduction to polo. These young athletes are learning valuable life lessons, from teamwork and sportsmanship to the responsibility of taking care of the horses, all key aspects that contribute to their development both as players and individuals.

The Polo Training Foundation is a 501(C) 3 organization and relies on tax deductible donations for financial support. The PTF has an annual budget of $600,000 of which $400,000 is funded yearly by tax-deductible donations. For more information go to www.polotraining.org or contact McLeavy at JMcLeavy@polotraining.org.