Franklin Polo Academy Heads to Regionals

In only their second season, Franklin Polo Academy’s Interscholastic polo team proves that hard work really does pay off by receiving a bye from preliminaries and advancing straight to Regionals. The team has worked diligently between the first two seasons and it is undoubtedly noticeable.

The US Polo Association Interscholastic Polo season starts September 1st of each year, and the teams have until mid-January to play at least two qualifying matches to seed them for prelims. Team FPA got four games under their belt before Thanksgiving, leaving time to give the polo ponies a little “vacation” before starting conditioning in the new year. With a 3-1 record, Franklin Polo Academy ranked second out of twelve in the Southeast region, granting them a bye to head straight to Virginia.

Southeast Regionals will be played at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA this coming weekend, February 22nd-24th. FPA is scheduled to play against a team from Aiken, South Carolina on Friday at 6:00PM EST. If they win, they will proceed to the finals on Sunday, however, if they lose, they will play a consolation match on Saturday. Coach and owner of the Academy, James Armstrong says, “The kids should be incredibly proud of themselves for making it this far. Between our first season and this one, they have improved tremendously and gotten further than most young teams accomplish in this short of time. Whether we advance on or not, they’ve won in my book”.

The team is comprised of four high school students; Zachary and Jacob Wallace (Gallatin High School, Gallatin, TN), Caroline Mooney (Creekview High School, Canton, GA), and Allyssa Morgan (Centennial High School, Franklin, TN), who is a new player to the team this year. They have been practicing endlessly to strengthen their skills and grow as a team. It is conclusive to say, they are all ecstatic at the opportunity to play at UVA.

The players, coaches, parents, and FPA community are extremely thankful for those who sponsor the interscholastic polo team. Tennessee Equine Hospital, Ironhorse Farms, Westlight Studios, Tennessee Orthopedic Alliance, James and Trish Munro, and Wallace Equestrian have all come together to help these kids compete in the sport they love most!