Tempus Jets Gets Title Sponsorship Rights to USPA World Snow Polo Championship

Tempus Jets will be the title sponsor for the 13th annual United States Polo Association (USPA) World Snow Polo Championship.

The Tempus Jets World Snow Polo Championship will take place December 15-16, 2012 at Marlot Park in Aspen, Colorado.

“Snow Polo has become an exciting and star studded sporting event,” explained Barry Stout, event director. “Aspen provides a wonderful setting and the level of international polo players committed, promises this event will be exceptional. The addition of Tempus Jets as our title sponsor brings a new level of prestige to the championship.”

“We are proud to be the title sponsor for the only USPA sanctioned snow polo event in the United States,” added Scott Terry, CEO of Tempus Jets. “The sport of polo and the village of Aspen exemplify the Tempus brand. We are honored to be a part of this unique sporting event and luxury holiday celebration.”

Snow Polo, a modified version of polo, was first introduced in 1985 at the resort town of St. Moritz, Switzerland. The event has grown and expanded from a curiosity to one of the premier polo events in the United States. The World Snow Polo Championship in Aspen is North America’s only snow polo tournament, and is recognized and supported by the USPA as an official event.

Snow Polo teams are comprised of three players (as opposed to four in regulation polo), and play consists of four, 7-minute “chukkers” or periods. The players change horses between chukkers. The horses used (referred to as polo ponies) are provided by Stout Ranch in New Castle, Colorado. For snow polo, the horses are equipped with special cleated shoes to provide better traction in winter conditions. The snow polo ball is large (about the size of a grapefruit), bright red and inflatable–as opposed to the small, white, hard-plastic ball used in the regulation game–making it more visible and easier to play with in the snow.

The 2012 tournament will consist of 4 teams who will compete on a snow covered field in a two-day, single elimination tournament to win the coveted USPA World Snow Polo Championship.