The US Open Polo Championship continued on Monday April 3 and Tuesday April 4, with Pilot, Valiente and Scone victorious and unbeaten. The most prestigious polo competition in the United States and the highlight of The Gauntlet of Polo, the US Open Polo Championship is being played at the USPA-owned National Polo Center Wellington, in Wellington, Florida. The culminating contest of the polo season in the United States sees thirteen teams up to 22 goals, split in five leagues, in participation.
In the rematch of the 2022 final, on Monday April 3, Pilot defeated La Elina 13-11, in a very balanced contest that reached a 7-all by half time wasn’t said and done until the last chukka. Double action would come on Tuesday April 4. Valiente and Tamera opened fire, with Bon Jornayvaz and his boys dominating most of the match. But in an impressive comeback, Tamera managed to tie in the last chukka in order to force an extra time, when Valiente struggled to earn a hard fought 11-10 win. In the fifth chukka, Tamera’s Diego Cavanagh had to leave the field due to an injury and was subbed in by Rufino Bensadon. Later in the afternoon, a determined Scone foursome had no mercy at all, and were victorious 14-8 over Palm Beach Equine. Guillermo Caset stepped in for Tomás Panelo (who replaces the injured David Stirling in Scone), while Todd Thurston filled in for Palm Beach Equine’s Scott Swerdlin, in the fourth chukka.
US OPEN POLO CHAMPIONSHIP
- MONDAY APRIL 13
PILOT 13-11 LA ELINA
Pilot: Curtis Pilot 0, Matias Gonzalez 4, Facundo Pieres 10 (8 goals), Matias Torres Zavaleta 8 (5). Total: 22.
La Elina: Jared Zenni 6 (2 goal), Jeff Hall 6 (5), Matt Coppola 5, Nico Escobar 5 (4). Total: 22.
Score Pilot: 3-1, 5-6, 7-7, 8-9, 11-10, 13-11.
Umpires: Ronnie Hayes & Gastón Lucero. Third man: Julian Appleby.
- TUESDAY APRIL 4
VALIENTE 11-10 TAMERA (extra chukka)
Valiente: Bob Jornayvaz 0, Peke Gonzalez 6 (5 goals), Lucas Criado Jr. 6 (4), Adolfo Cambiaso 10 (2). Total: 22.
Tamera: Alejandro Poma 1, Segundo Saravi 5 (3 goals), Diego Cavanagh 9* (2), Pedrinho Zacharias 7 (2). Total: 22.
*Subbed in by Rufino Bensadon, 8 (3 goals), in the fifth chukka.
Score Valiente: 3-2, 6-2, 6-3, 8-5, 9-7, 10-10, 11-10.
Umpires: Héctor Galindo & Martín Pascual. Third man: Gastón Lucero.
SCONE 14-8 PALM BEACH EQUINE
Scone: David Paradice 0, Poroto Cambiaso 9 (8 goals), David Stirling 9*, Cody Ellis 4 (3). Total: 22.
*Subbed in by Guillermo Caset 9, 9 (3 goals)
Palm Beach Equine: Facundo Llosa 7 (2 goals), Jesse Bray 7, Raúl Colombres 8 (6), Scott Swerdlin 0*. Total: 22.
*Subbed in by Todd Thurston 0, in the fourth chukka.
Score Scone: 3-0, 6-1, 8-1, 11-5, 14-7, 14-8.
Umpires: Steve Dalton & Kimo Huddleston. Third man: Ronnie Hayes.
The US Open Polo Championship will resume on Wednesday April 5 and Thursday April 6, with the following order of play:
Wednesday April 5:
10am: MAG* vs. Dutta Corp Show+
*Formerly known as Shack Attack
4pm: Aspen vs. Park Place
Thursday April 6:
10am: Dazos vs. Pilot
The final of the US Open Polo Championship will take place on Sunday April 23.
US Open Polo Championship – Fixture & Teams
Cover photo by Agustina Fonda.