Pilot, Brookshire, Park Place and La Fe Eastern were victorious in the games for the US Polo Championship, that were played through Thursday March 27 and Friday March 29 at the National Polo Center, in Wellington, Florida, United States. The most significant tournament of the country, the US Open Polo Championship, sees twelve teams up to 22 goals, partake. Teams are split in four leagues.
Pilot claimed a tight 13-12 victory over newcomers, The Setai, in the single match contest on Thursday March 27. The contest was decided in extra chukka, through a penalty conversion by Facundo Pieres, and was the clash of the two Pieres brothers – Pilot’s Facundo and The Setai’s Gonzalito. Curtis Pilot’s team featured some changes within the lineup – Lucas James subbed in for Matías Torres Zavaleta and Mackenzie Weisz filled in for Cody Ellis.
Meanwhile, Friday March 28, the US Open saw a very busy matchdate, with three games. Brookshire, led by the indomitable Jeta Castagnola, who produced eleven goals, defeated Coca Cola, the recent runner up of the CV Whitney Cup and the USPA Gold Cup, by a 16-10 score. Up next, Park Place, winners of the USPA Gold Cup, earned a tight 12-11 win in extra chukka, over La Dolfina Catamount. Hilario Ulloa scored the winning goal. Gabriel Crespo and Nicolás Sivori replaced Andrey Borodin and Louis Hine, respectively, in Park Place. Last but not least, La Fe Eastern Hay beat Dutta Corp by a close 8-7.
The US Open will resume with the following schedule:
- Sunday March 30
5pm: Globalport vs. BTA
- Tuesday April 1
12pm: Clearwater vs. Park Place
2pm: La Dolfina Catamount vs. La Dolfina Tamera
4pm: Brookshire vs. The Setai
(Palm Beach times)
US Open Polo Championship – Teams & Fixture
The US Open Polo Championship, the crown jewel of polo in the United States, was played for the first time in 1904, with only two teams in competition The Wanderers and The Freeboters. They played at Van Conrtlandt Park, in the Bronx borough of New York City. Four 15-minute chukkers were played, with a seven-minute break between each chukker. There was a pause, and the tournament was resumed in 1910, when six teams played at Narragansett Pier, Rhode Island; it remained there for several years until it was relocated it what would be the tournament’s longtime home, Meadowbrook Polo Club in Old Westbury, New York. In 1954, the U.S. Open moved to Oak Brook, where it remained for 22 years, followed by an eight year-stint at the Retama Polo Center in San Antonio, Texas. In the 1980s and the 1990s, it was held in several clubs throughout the United States, until 2004. It was in the centenary year when the US Open relocated to Wellington, Florida, where it has been held ever since. The U.S. Open Polo Championship perpetual trophy was first presented in 1910. Stolen in 2002, it was recovered a few weeks later and is currently kept in the care and custody of the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame in Lake Worth, Florida.
2025 THE GAUNTLET OF POLO 2025 – TEAMS
BTA: Ignacio Viana 7, Kelly Beal 0, Steve Kruger 5, Tomás Panelo 10. Total: 22.
Brookshire: Camilo Castagnola 10, Toly Ulloa 7, Scott Wood 0, Carlos Saravi 5. Total: 22.
Catamount: Jesse Bray 7, Poroto Cambiaso 10, Rufino Merlos 5, Scott Devon 0. Total: 22.
Clearwater: Chip Campbell 1 **, Camp Campbell 2*, Gerónimo Obregón* 5, Joaquín Panelo 6 **, Paquito de Narvaez 7, Raúl Colombres 7. Total: 22.
*Only play the CV Whitney Cup //**Only play the USPA Gold Cup and theUS Open
Coca Cola: Gillian Johnston 0, Julián de Lusarreta 7, Lorenzo Chavanne 6, Polito Pieres 9. Total: 22.
Global Port: Bartolomé Castagnola Jr. 10, Santos Merlos 6, Lucas Díaz Alberdi 6, Michael Romero 0. Total: 22.
La Fe: Francisco Elizalde 9, Kristos Magrini 6, Louis Devaleix 1, Robi Bilbao 5. Total: 21.
Park Place: Andrey Borodin 0, Hilario Ulloa 10, Peke Gonzalez 7, TBA 5. Total: 22.
Pilot: Cody Ellis 5, Curtis Pilot 0, Facundo Pieres 9, Matías Torres Zavaleta 8. Total: 22.
Tamera: Adolfo Cambiaso 10, Alejandro Poma 1, Diego Cavanagh 7, TBA 4. Total: 22.
The Setai*: Melissa Ganzi 0, Nic Roldán 7, Gonzalo Pieres Jr. 8, Santiago Toccalino 7. Total: 22.
*Only play the US Open.
The Dutta Corp: Iñaki Laprida 7, Nicolás Díaz Alberdi 4, Timmy Dutta 4, Tomás García del Río 7. Total: 22.
2025 THE GAUNTLET OF POLO – CALENDAR
CV WHITNEY CUP – Winners: La Dolfina Tamera
February 8-23
USPA GOLD CUP – Winners: Park Place
February 27-March 23
US OPEN
March 26-April 20
Cover photo by Agustina Fonda.