On Sunday April 20, Easter Sunday, the main field at the National Polo Center, in Wellington, Florida, United States, was ready to greet the much anticipated championship match of the most significant tournament in the United States, the US Open Polo Championship, the culminating competitionn of The Gauntlet Of Polo. Which, by the way, was the clash of the Cambiasos, father and son, for the second consecutive year – La Dolfina Tamera’s Adolfo Cambiaso and La Dolfina Catamount’s Poroto Cambiaso. The latter, alongside his team mate, Rufino Merlos, were the defending champions. It’s worth to notice that La Dolfina Tamera arrived to this final with the first tournament of the series under their belt, The CV Whitney Cup
In front of a large number of spectators, the game had two very different parts. The first half was very close, very tight, although with a slight difference in favour of La Dolfina Tamera, which La Dolfina Catamount sent to a 6-all in the third chukka. But the story would change from the fourth chukka onwards – a determined La Dolfina Tamera managed to hold their contenders back, leaving them scoreless in that fourth chukka, with a strong performance delivered by Alejandro Poma, who produced four goals and subsequently named MVP. However, and far from giving up, La Dolfina Catamount fought hard to get closer to the score. But at the end of the day, luck was on La Doltina Tamera’s side; although they had a three goal advantage (10-7) at the start of the final chukka, they scored two more goals, to claim a 12-8 win, and the coveted Silver Trophy. Another incredible achievement for the magnificient Adolfo Cambiaso, who’ve just turned 50 and still at the top of his game – this is no less than his tenth US Open victory, overcoming the unforgettable Carlos Gracida’s mark, who claimed the US Open nine times.
US OPEN POLO CHAMPIONSHIP – FINAL – SUNDAY APRIL 20
LA DOLFINA TAMERA 12-8 LA DOLFINA CATAMOUNT
La Dolfina Tamera: Adolfo Cambiaso 10 (3 goals), Alejandro Poma 1 (4), Diego Cavanagh 7 (3), Matt Coppola (2) 4. Total: 22.
La Dolfina Catamount: Jesse Bray 7 (1 goal), Poroto Cambiaso 10 (5 goles), Rufino Merlos 5 (2), Scott Devon 0. Total: 22.
Score La Dolfina Tamera: 3-2, 5-4, 6-6, 8-6, 10-7, 12-8.
Umpires: Kaina De Coite & Martín Pascual.
Third man: Kimo Huddleston.
MVP: Alejandro Poma.
BPP: Dolfina Binter, ridden by Adolfo Cambiaso.
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 – Winners: La Dolfina Tamera
March 26-April 20
Cover photo by Agustina Fonda.