March 31, 2022

North America, Polo News

University of Connecticut Huskies emerge Top Dogs in the inaugural Division II Women`s National Intercollegiate Championship

31. March 2022

On Sunday, March 27, the first-ever Division II Women’s National Intercollegiate Championship took place at Legends Polo Club in Kaufman, Texas. Vying for the title, the final saw the University of Connecticut Huskies (Kylie Dalton, Rylyn Koger, Elizabeth Leudesdorff, Madison Robicheau, Toni Moore) fiercely battle the Texas Tech University Red Raiders (Lexie Harlan, Brianna Wolkober, Mary Kate Ratliff, Jordyn Rizzuto, Tatijana Mirski) in a groundbreaking game for intercollegiate polo.

“We have not won a national title since 2008 and to get this opportunity to do it again was just amazing, not only for our team and players, but for our program as well.” – Kylie Dalton, UCONN

Both teams receiving a bye in the first round of play, UCONN edged out UC Davis in a narrow 8-7 semifinal win, while Texas Tech defeated Michigan State 12-9 to nab their spot in the championship final. A high scoring, back-and-forth first half, led to a Huskies takeover in the remaining two chukkers to secure the 15-11 win and the inaugural championship title for UCONN.

Leading scorer Leudesdorff shared UCONN’s game plan going into the finals, “Our strategy for the game was to stay composed and take each play as it came. Our main goal was to communicate and work together as a team. We wanted to stay collected and not let the score, whether it was in our favor or not, affect our playing.”

Making careful and conscious efforts to control the throw-ins while simultaneously igniting their offense from the start, UCONN’s Dalton, Koger and Leudesdorff combined forces for five unanswered goals in the first chukker to deny the home-turf Texans any scoring opportunities.

Dalton, who began playing five years ago at UCONN, discussed her team’s strong start, saying, “The first chukker’s success came from our team’s emphasis on having a good, strong start before the first whistle blew […] we made sure to come out aggressive in the first lineup and win that right off the bat. We knew we had the strong side of our string of horses and wanted to capitalize off of that.”

Hungry to get on the board, Texas Tech’s Mirsky and Harlan were able to re-energize the Red Raiders in the second chukker, with Mirsky scoring three from the field and Harlan scoring one from the field. Also ramping up their defensive strategy, the Red Raiders were able to keep the Huskies off the board entirely to bring Texas Tech within one goal of UCONN at halftime.

“We went into halftime with a fresh mentality, the score was 0-0, everything started from scratch.” – Kylie Dalton

Koger spoke about UCONN’s second chukker troubles, explaining, “We realized we were not working as a team and and getting frustrated with one another. We needed to talk more, play off of each other, and communicate in order to come back and stay on top. We had to remember that we came here to win, we worked hard to be the best, adn this was our chance to prove that. We could not let one scoreless chukker rattle us and keep us away from reaching our goals.” Agreeing with Koger, Dalton added, “We went into halftime with a fresh mentality, the score was 0-0, everything started from scratch.”

Clearly recognizing a need for change if they wanted to win, UCONN completely revamped their game going into the second half. With a total of seven goals from the field off of Leudesdorff’s mallet, a stunning two-pointer from Koger, and the help of a pony goal, the Huskies were able to put an impressive 10 goals on the board between the third and fourth chukkers.

The Red Raiders attempted to keep pace, with Mirsky finding the goal three times, Ratliff adding to the board with two of her own, a Penalty 1 conversion and pony goal, but ultimately it wasn’t enough to overcome UCONN’s offensive prowess. As the final horn sounded, the Huskies led 15-11 over the Red Raiders to capture the very first Division II Women’s National Intercollegiate Championship title.

“We each practice very hard, put a lot of time and effort into this sport, and this weekend, it all paid off. Every second of stress, every late night at the barn practicing, every past loss made us better and led us to this point.” – Rylyn Koger

Speaking to her seven second-half goals, Leudesdorff shed light on her mindset, saying, “My main strategy when I’m playing is to play as if the score is 0-0. No matter how much we might be winning or losing, I play to the absolute best of my ability and try not to let the score get to my head.”

Anders Carlton, 2019 UCONN graduate and current coach, spoke proudly about the Huskies’ win and their sheer determination to take home the title, remarking, “I think they did a really great job of playing off of each other, being positive and encouraging each other and the outcome was great!”

Parents of the UCONN girls also chimed in, praising their year-round dedication to improving. Jake Koger, Rylyn Koger’s father, shared his respect for the newly-crowned champions. “These kids have been up early in the morning working horses all year long,” Koger revealed. “Even during COVID, they were there working, training, and playing hard. They played as a team and it was really an outstanding performance.”

For many players like Texas Tech’s Harlan, this tournament, along with the creation of Division II polo, was one of the first opportunities to play at both an equally matched and competitive level. Harlan took time to note her gratitude for making it this far and being able to participate in the tournament. “I didn’t start playing until spring of 2020,” Harlan said. “I played one chukker at a prelim—This is the first time I’ve ever been able to compete! So I got to finish out my last season and it’s been amazing.”

“The UCONN polo team is my family. The girls on my team are my best friends and I am so lucky to have been their captain.” – Rylyn Koger

While many coaches and supporters of Intercollegiate/Interscholastic polo have championed the concept of the Division I/Division II, one of the idea’s largest supporters was the late Texas Tech coach Clyde Waddell. Waddell believed that a second division could not only enhance the experience for all college teams, but it could help the teams recruit within their schools and increase funding from club sports programs. When Waddell passed away in 2016, players and alumni picked up the torch of the Texas Tech Polo team and other coaches carried on with his thoughts in mind on making a second division of collegiate polo a reality.

“This was his dream,” said current Texas Tech coach and alumnus Ashley Owen about Clyde Waddell. “For Tech to play in the final of the first Division II tournament is really special. We all know he would be here yelling ‘BATTLE SPEED!’”

“I think the addition of D2 this year was an amazing decision,” said UCONN’s Koger. “Not just because we won nationals, but because it allowed other teams who are just starting out or have smaller programs to be competitive against teams with similar skill levels.” Leudesdorff echoed her sentiments, “For so many years I would see the same teams competing in the collegiate national over and over. It’s incredible to see so many more teams and people being given the opportunity to fight for a national championship win.”

All-Stars in the Division II Women’s National Intercollegiate Championship included: Elizabeth Leudesdorff (UCONN), Grace Grotnik (Southern Methodist University), Mary Kate Ratliff (Texas Tech) and Liliana Gonzalez (UC Davis). The Sportsmanship Award was presented to Jessica Liu (Michigan State), while Freida Witmer (Skidmore) was awarded the Horsemanship Award.

Best Playing String was presented to Southern Methodist University while Bil and Will Walton’s Katniss took home Best Playing Pony honors. Adding another BPP blanket to her growing collection, Katniss also recently won the award in the 2021 Southwestern Circuit Sportsmanship Cup, Texas Arena League (2021 and 2022) and competed in the 2021 U.S. Open Arena Polo Championship® for the winning team Dallas Polo. Many players were quick to praise Katniss, with Leudesdorff noting her “incredible bump” and ability to “turn on a dime.” UC Davis’ Liliana Gonzalez also appreciated Katniss’ knowledge of the sport and willingness to play, sharing, “I didn’t have to think about the horse, the horse took me everywhere.”

Celebrating a historic win in this first-of-its-kind tournament, graduating senior and UCONN captain Koger shared her appreciation and love for her team. “The UCONN polo team is my family,” said Koger. “The girls on my team are my best friends and I am so lucky to have been their captain.” Leudesdorff added, “My favorite part about being on the UCONN polo team is definitely my teammates and coach. I’m a freshman, I’ve only been playing with these girls since September, but we have incredible chemistry both on and off the field.”

With this win, UCONN brought home their eleventh national title, eight of which have now been won by the women’s team. Dalton expressed her pride in UCONN’s triumphant victory, sharing “We have not won a national title since 2008 and to get this opportunity to do it again was just amazing, not only for our team and players, but for our program as well.”

Photos by David Murrell

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On Sunday, March 27, the first-ever Division II Women’s National Intercollegiate Championship took place at Legends Polo Club in Kaufman, Texas. Vying for the title, the final saw the University…

North America, Polo News

Breakout star Babson College takes center stage with inaugural title

31. March 2022

Each boasting a dominant win against Texas Tech in the two earlier games of the round-robin tournament, Babson College (Beto Aguilar, Austin Hamilton, Leo Borja, Alt. Frederick Borja, Alt. John Hamilton, Alt. Diego Ante) prepared to challenge Skidmore College (Justin Hall, Finnian O’Malia, Ben Bruce) for the second time this year, in a pseudo-final for the inaugural Division II Men’s National Intercollegiate Championship.

Battling nine other men’s teams from across the country for a spot at nationals, Babson College (Boston, Massachusetts) secured their place with a decisive 20-12 win in the Northeastern Regional Final over Skidmore College (Saratoga Springs, New York), whose competitive spirit earned them the coveted wildcard. “Once we found out we were playing a rematch against Skidmore we made a decision as a team to change the lineup so we could use a strategy they wouldn’t expect,” Aguilar revealed. “During regionals we noticed that Skidmore’s best player was intercepting most of the long passes we sent to goal and converting them into goals so we had to come up with a new strategy to ensure another victory,” Hamilton added.

Traveling to compete at Legends Polo Club in Kauffman, Texas, for the first time, the playing field was completely level for both teams who were mounted by Prestonwood Polo Club for the championship. “Legends Polo Club’s arena is much larger than what we are used to since we played Skidmore at Yale Polo Club, which has a shorter and more narrow arena,” Hamilton commented. Playing to their strengths, Babson College’s tailored approach and offensive firepower ultimately gave them the advantage on Sunday, March 27, their efforts resulting in another win against Skidmore and the title 13-8.

“It feels incredible for us to be a part of this historic moment—also with my alma mater UCONN winning in the women’s division. Whether its Division II or Division I, we all put in the work to be able to get here.” – Mark Tashjian, Babson College coach

From the first bowl-in Babson’s team captain Aguilar was quick to take the ball to the offensive end and received a favorable pony goal as Skidmore attempted to clear the ball. Aguilar and Borja were quick to capitalize on the momentum, scoring a goal each to gain an early lead after the first 3-1. “We are all very different players, for example Leo is a very technical player, he’s good with small touches on the ball,” Aguilar shared. “Austin is very physical and I can hit the ball far and hard so we all bring a lot of individual strengths to the team.”

O’Malia opened up the second for Skidmore, moving quickly out of the lineup to goal just before the offensive firestorm of Aguilar and Borja erupted. Proving himself to be reliable from the penalty line, Justin Hall seized his second opportunity to convert for Skidmore just before Aguilar added two consecutive goals to the tally. Hamilton had the difficult task of defending Northeastern Regional All-Star Ben Bruce and was able to hold him off the scoreboard until the final moments of the chukker.

“Our strategy was to have me play man-to-man on Skidmore’s most talented player Ben Bruce for the entirety of the match, while Beto and Leo went up against the other two opponents,” Hamilton explained. “Beto and Leo have exceptional mallet skills, ball control and horsemanship. As a team we knew that I am not as efficient with the mallet, but we believed that if I could take their best player out of the play, then we would be victorious.” Eventually breaking away, Bruce charged end to end to keep the game within three at halftime 7-4.

“Over the course of the season we were victorious over Yale Polo Club, Harvard Polo Club, Virginia Tech, Skidmore College and Texas Tech. These clubs have been established for decades and in some cases over a century, so it means a lot to our team that such a young club, without a school-owned facility, was able to take home the national championship.” – Austin Hamilton

Babson came out firing immediately in the second half with the first two-pointer of the final off the mallet of Aguilar. Not to be outdone, Skidmore’s Ben Bruce was right on his heels, retaliating in the third with a spectacular two-point shot of his own to narrow the gap. As play continued to intensify, several penalty opportunities presented themselves on both sides, which neither team was able to capitalize on.

With only a two-goal difference headed into the final chukker, Babson was unwilling to risk the win they had worked so hard to earn in the final minutes. Sparked to action, the fourth chukker witnessed Babson’s Hamilton come alive offensively to add three goals and hold off Skidmore’s final push. O’Malia answered back with a single goal, but ultimately Babson’s strong offensive presence once again prevailed to win the inaugural title 13-8.

Preparing his team as much as possible, Babson College coach Mark Tashjian also tapped into some strategy of his own. “I coached Skidmore’s captain Ben Bruce in high school so I knew exactly how he was going to play,” Tashjian said. “He’s a really good player so I needed to prepare our captain Beto Aguilar to utilize the team as well as Ben was going to utilize his teammates.”

“Winning the championship makes me feel like I did my part as captain in creating a good environment where my teammates could play at their best.” – Beto Aguilar

A relatively new team to intercollegiate polo, Babson College launched in 2019-2020 just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic which cancelled their first season (2020-2021). Putting in the work in the meantime and returning for their first full year of Intercollegiate/Interscholastic (I/I) polo, Babson College’s impressive showing has established them as the intercollegiate club to watch.

“I think there is a lot of significance for us being such a young team and now winning our first national tournament in the same year as I/I’s 100-year anniversary,” said Aguilar. “It is just special all the way around.” Hailing from Guatemala city, Guatemala, Aguilar played competitive polo in high school before helping to establish Babson’s team as a founding member. “I can’t wait to celebrate and tell my family back home in Guatemala!” Aguilar exclaimed.

Joining the team a year and a half ago, senior Austin Hamilton echoed just how significant the win is for the Babson program. “Over the course of the season we were victorious over Yale Polo Club, Harvard Polo Club, Virginia Tech, Skidmore College and Texas Tech,” Hamilton said. “These clubs have been established for decades and in some cases over a century, so it means a lot to our team that such a young club, without a school-owned facility, was able to take home the national championship.”

Babson College’s Leonardo Borja, Texas Tech’s Jeremiah Valles and Skidmore’s Ben Bruce and Justin Hall were selected as the Men’s National All-Stars. Valles also was the recipient of the Sportsmanship Award. “This was the last year I am eligible to play so I left it all in the arena!” Valles said. “Being named an All-Star humbles you because it shows all you’ve worked for pays off.”

Playing arena polo for the first time as a freshman, Borja brings his knowledge of outdoor polo from his homeland of El Salvador. “This win means a lot to the team and we are excited to let people know that Babson College has a national championship winning polo team to encourage others to start playing alongside us,” Borja said.

“Sangria has been a staple of the Prestonwood I/I string for many years—this unassuming bay mare packs a punch! She dominates both grass and arena polo, however, her prowess in the arena makes her an outstanding mount.” – Morgan McBride on Best Playing Pony Sangria

Skidmore College’s Finnian O’Maila received the Horsemanship Award. “It’s my first season playing polo, so for me it’s pretty exceptional to represent Skidmore in the championship,” O’Malia commented. “The horses were fabulous and made us all look good.”

Mounting both teams for the final, Prestonwood Polo Club’s veteran horses were named Best Playing String and Best Playing Pony was presented to 15-year-old Thoroughbred Sangria.

“Sangria was without a doubt my favorite horse I’ve played this entire tournament,” Aguilar said with confidence. “She turns on a dime and it was a pleasure to play her in the last chukker. Without her on our side the results might have been different.” Prestonwood Polo Club Manager Morgan McBride added, “Sangria has been a staple of the Prestonwood I/I string for many years—this unassuming bay mare packs a punch! She dominates both grass and arena polo, however, her prowess in the arena makes her an outstanding mount. Sangria is a favorite of amateurs and pros alike with an unbeatable ride-off and smooth handle.”

Although coming up short in the final, Skidmore College remained optimistic and proud of what they have achieved to make it to this point. “I’ve been playing polo for eight years and this is the first time I’ve made it to nationals!” Bruce exclaimed. “It’s an indescribable feeling to know that we are one of two teams at the top of the men’s Division II,” Bruce continued. Hall added, “This is my first season with Skidmore and it’s been wonderful just being able to see our progression from the ground up.”

Seeing all that Babson College has had to overcome throughout their short time as a club, senior Aguilar is proud to end his intercollegiate career on top with the tournament win of the season. “I have witnessed firsthand how much the club has grown since it was started and it would not have been possible without the people helping behind the scenes,” Aguilar said with gratitude. “We are much more organized and established as a club, so one can only hope that Babson Polo will continue to achieve great things in the years to come.”

Photos by David Murrell

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Each boasting a dominant win against Texas Tech in the two earlier games of the round-robin tournament, Babson College (Beto Aguilar, Austin Hamilton, Leo Borja, Alt. Frederick Borja, Alt. John…

North America, Polo News

La Fe Tops Audi In U.S. Open; Aspen Valley, Grand Champions, Santa Rita Play Wednesday

31. March 2022

WELLINGTON, March 29, 2022—In a wild opening game, La Fe defeated Audi in the 118th edition of the U.S. Open Tuesday at International Polo Club Palm Beach.

La Fe (Louis Devaleix, 0, Robi Balbao, 5, Francisco Elizalde, 9/Poroto Cambiaso, 9, Lucas Diaz Alberdi, 6) led Audi (Marc Ganzi, 2, Jason Crowder, 5, Barto Castagnola, 9, Paco de Narvaez, 6) for most of the game for a 12-8 victory.

Audi is the first of seven Grand Champions Polo Club-based pro teams to play in the 2022 U.S. Open. On Wednesday, Aspen Valley, Grand Champions and Santa Rita will compete.

At 10 a.m., Aspen Valley (Vinny Sangaline, 0, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 8, Pablo MacDonough, 10, Tommy Collingwood, 5) plays G-String (Gillian Johnston, 1, Nico Escobar, 5, Nico Pieres, 9, Julian de Lussaretta, 7).

At 4 p.m. Grand Champions (Riley Ganzi, 0, Juan Martin Zubia, 8, Gonzalito Pieres, 10, Juan Bollini, 4) plays Santa Rita (Melissa Ganzi, 0, Jeta Castagnola, 9, Polito Pieres, 10, Hector Guerrero, 3) at Grand Champions Polo Club.

Poroto Cambiaso and Barto Castagnola.

The game got off on the wrong foot for La Fe when umpires discovered Elizalde was wearing an improper helmet. Elizalde was penalized for delay of game when he returned from the players‘ tent with a new helmet.

Less than a minute later, Alberdi was called for delay of game. Castagnola converted the first of four 60-yard penalties to give Audi a 1-0 lead. Elizalde came right back on a breakaway to tie the game at 1-1. From then on, it was all La Fe.

La Fe took advantage of Audi mistakes, missed scoring opportunities and penalties in the first half. La Fe scored three consecutive goals for a 4-1 lead with 1:51 left in the opening chukker. Castagnola scored back-to-back goals to cut the lead to one, 4-3, early in the second chukker.

Jason Crowder and Francisco Elizalde.

Audi lost its challenge early in the second chukker disputing a one-meeting-two penalty. Elizalde converted the 30-yard penalty for a 5-3 lead.

Audi tried to find its rhythm and regain momentum but missed two goals midway through the second chukker. Elizalde then took advantage of a broken knock-in for a 6-3 lead going into the third chukker.

With 5:26 left in the third chukker, Elizalde made it 7-3 after scoring on a breakaay after Bilbao bumped Castagnola out of Elizalde‘s path to goal.

Lucas Diaz Alberdi and Barto Castagnola.

With 4:36 on the clock Elizalde left the game with an injury to his midsection. Elizalde, plagued with injuries this season including shoulder and chin, was replaced by 9-goaler Poroto Cambiaso, son of 10-goaler Adolfo Cambiaso, who will be replaced by Sapo Caset on defending champion Scone, after sustaining an injury and undergoing surgery.

After the injury timeout, Castagnola won the throw-in but missed a scoring opportunity with 4:21 left. Audi was getting its share of chances but couldn‘t capitalize. Midway through the chukker, La Fe already had four knock-ins. With 3:38 remaining in the half, Castagnola converted another 60-yarder after Crowder was fouled to cut the lead to 7-4.

Audi missed three more scoring chances and lost possession on a great steal by Catagnola going into halftime.

In the second half, Audi could get no closer than two goals, 7-5, with 5:31 left in the fourth chukker. Cambiaso scored back-to-back goals, a 30-yard penalty conversion and one from the field for a 9-5 advantage. With 1:39 left in the chukker, Ganzi hit a great neck shot through open field to trail 9-6.

Paco de Narvaez, Lucas Diaz Alberdi, and Marc Ganzi.

La Fe shut Audi out in the fifth chukker, 1-0, with Cambiaso scoring the only goal on a 30-yarder for a 10-6 lead.

The teams played evenly, 2-2, in the final chukker, but Audi‘s scoring frustrations continued. Audi missed 10 shots from the field while La Fe missed eight. After Bilbao received a yellow card for dangerous riding Castagnola converted another 60-yarder to cut the lead to 11-8, but La Fe came right back with another goal when Alberdi‘s back shot pass reached Bilbao for the score and 12-8 final.

Castagnola scored a game-high seven goals, including four 60-yard penalty conversions. Ganzi added one. Elizalde had four goals and Bilbao and Alberdi each had three goals for La Fe. Cambiaso had two.

In the second game of the day, Old Hickory Bourbon/Airstream defeated Dutta Corp/Show, 11-9. Joaquin Panelo had five goals for Hickory Bourbon/Airstream and Tomas Garcia del Rio had five goals for Dutta Corp/Show.

Lolo Castagnola and Marc Ganzi.

Audi‘s next bracket game is Saturday at 11 a.m. against La Indiana (Stuart Armstrong, 3, Jeff Hall, 6, Lucitas Criado, 5, Mariano Aguerre, 7).

For the first time in U.S. Open history, a record 20 teams are competing. Grand Champions Polo Club‘s seven team entries that feature four 10-goalers, enabled the record-breaking accomplishment.

With the prize money doubling from the previous two tournaments, the C.V. Whitney Cup and USPA Gold Cup, the U.S. Open winner will pocket $100,000. U.S. Polo Assn will award an additional $2,500 donation to the finalist teams‘ polo charity of their choice. The U.S. Open is being livestreamed on GlobalPolo.com.

Grand Champions, the nation‘s largest polo club, celebrating its 15th anniversary, is coming off its most successful fall season. The club is hosting 23 tournaments through April.

Barto Castagnola.

Grand Champions is also hosting various levels of polo including the 26-goal World Polo League, now in its fourth season and only 26-goal polo played outside of Argentina.

The high goal club tournaments feature the Sterling Cup, $100,000 World Cup and Santa Rita Abierto. There are 16, 8 and 6-goal tournaments scheduled for April.

There is also the Polo School Grand Champions Women‘s League, co-founded by Melissa Ganzi and Alina Carta, for all ages and playing ability held Wednesdays at 10 a.m. at Santa Rita Polo Farm that will culminate with the April 2 Sunny Hale Legacy Final.

Grand Champions Polo Club and Santa Rita Polo Farm is the largest and most unique private 100-acre polo facility in Wellington with 120 stalls in several self-contained barns, exercise track, five climate-controlled tack rooms, vet room, staff quarters, guest house and polo fields with state-of-the-art underground irrigation and stick-and-ball fields.

Audi teammates Paco de Narvaez, Barto Castagnola, Jason Crowder, and Marc Ganzi.

During fall, winter and spring seasons, Grand Champions Polo Club, the nation‘s largest club and ultimate polo destination with 18 well-manicured polo fields including 13 world-class tournament grade, hosts polo tournaments ranging from six to 26-goal including the 26-goal World Polo League in addition to special events.

The Polo School, now located at the former Pony Express facility, operates in Wellington January through May and September through November. For more information on the Fall Leagues or Polo School contact Juan Bollini at 561-346-1099 or Cale Newman at 561-876-2930.

Grand Champions Polo Club caters to men, women and youth polo players at all levels. Its‘ expert staff can customize a complete playing experience including horses, pros and certified umpires in addition to lessons and practice sessions as part of its‘ Polo On Demand program, the only polo club in the U.S. to offer the unique program.