C.V. Whitney Cup

Proudly hosting the GAUNTLET OF POLO® since its debut in 2019, the United States Polo Association (USPA), USPA Global Licensing (USPAGL) and the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC) are pleased to announce the nine teams that will compete for the title of GAUNTLET champion. For the first time in GAUNTLET OF POLO® history the competition has been thrown wide open in 2022, accepting individual team entries for all three tournaments of the high-goal series. Adding another layer to the competition with additional teams joining the rosters in March and April, the 2022 U.S. Open Polo Championship® will field an astounding 20 teams for the first time in the tournament’s 118-year history!

Although conceding the 2021 C.V. Whitney Cup® in overtime to Park Place, Scone swept the remaining two trophies in their GAUNTLET debut. Both Park Place and Scone have returned with a slight change to their rosters and will compete for the GAUNTLET title which eluded them both last year. Crowned GAUNTLET OF POLO® champions during the inaugural year, Pilot remains the only team to have raised the overall trophy and will seek to add their name to the coveted trophy for the second time in 2022.

Drawing nine 10-goal players each representing different teams, the 2022 GAUNTLET OF POLO® also features seven 2021 Argentine Open finalists and three players (Polito Pieres, Jeta and Barto Castagnola) from the winning La Natividad team. Also representing women at the highest levels of the sport, Gillian Johnston and Melissa Ganzi will lead Coca-Cola and Santa Rita respectively. After conceding his record of youngest player to win the U.S. Open Polo Championship® to Poroto Cambiaso in 2021, 8-goaler Nic Roldan highlights a strong field of American professionals which also includes Juan Bollini Jr., Nico and Lucas Escobar, Jeff Hall, Keko Magrini, Geronimo Obregon, Jason Crowder, Mackenzie Weisz and Jared Zenni, among others. 

 

2022 GAUNTLET OF POLO® TEAMS
C.V. Whitney Cup®, USPA Gold Cup®, U.S. Open Polo Championship®

 

  1. Cessna (21) Will Johnston (2), Camp Campbell (2), Miguel Novillo Astrada (9), Gringo Colombres (8)
  2. Coca-Cola (22) Gillian Johnston (1), Nico Escobar (5), Nico Pieres (9), Julian de Lusarreta (7)
  3. Dutta Corp/Show+ (22) Timmy Dutta (4), Tomas Garcia del Rio (8), Iñaki Laprida (7), Joaquin Avendaño (3)
  4. La Fe (20) Louis Devaleix (0), Robi Bilbao (5), Francisco Elizalde (9), Lucas Diaz Alberdi (6)
  5. La Indiana (21/22) Stewart Armstrong (3), Jeff Hall (6), Lucas Criado Jr. (5)/Lucas Criado (6), Mariano Aguerre (7)
  6. Park Place (22) Andrey Borodin (0), Juan Britos (9), Hilario Ulloa (10), Cody Ellis (3)
  7. Pilot (22) Curtis Pilot (0), Mackenzie Weisz (5), Facundo Pieres (10), Matias Torres Zavaleta (7)
  8. Scone (22) David Paradice (0), Keko Magrini (3), Poroto Cambiaso (9), Adolfo Cambiaso (10)
  9. SD Farms (22) Sayyu Dantata (2), Lucas Escobar (4), Pelon Stirling (10), Peco Polledo (6)

2022 USPA Gold Cup® and U.S. Open Polo Championship® Teams:

  1. CK Polo – TBA
  2. La Elina (21) Bobby Gerry (0), Jared Zenni (6), Sapo Caset (10), Geronimo Obregon (5)
  3. Tamera (22) Alejandro Poma (1), Diego Cavanagh (9), Alejo Taranco (8), Segundo Saravi (4)
  4. TBD – Santino Magrini (5), Matias Magrini (7), Stevie Orthwein (4), TBA

2022 U.S. Open Polo Championship® Teams:

  1. Aspen Valley Polo Club – Vinny Sangaline (0), Pablo MacDonough (10), TBA, TBA
  2. Audi (22) Marc Ganzi (2), Jason Crowder (5), Barto Castagnola (9), Paco de Narvaez (6)
  3. Casablanca – Juan Bollini Jr. (4), Sugar Erskine (6), TBA, TBA
  4. Grand Champions Polo Club – Riley Ganzi (0), Gonzalito Pieres (10), Juan Bollini Sr. (4), TBA
  5. Santa Rita Polo Farm – Melissa Ganzi (0), Camilo “Jeta” Castagnola (9), Polito Pieres (10), TBA
  6. Sol de Agosto (22) Paco de Narvaez Jr. (2), Grant Ganzi (3), Juan Martin Nero (10), Torito Ruiz (7)
  7. The Polo School – Nic Roldan (8), TBA, TBA, TBA

 

“This year’s GAUNTLET OF POLO® will be the most challenging ever for the nine teams that have entered all three tournaments, considering four additional teams will be vying for the USPA Gold Cup®, and eleven additional teams will be part of the 20-team U.S. Open Polo Championship® – the most in history,” said USPA COO/In-House Counsel Chris Green. “It doesn’t get more competitive than that!”

The 2022 GAUNTLET OF POLO® will begin February 6-27, with the C.V. Whitney Cup®, followed by the USPA Gold Cup® March 1-27 and conclude with the U.S. Open Polo Championship® March 29-April 24. All Sunday featured games will be held on the prestigious U.S. Polo Assn. Stadium Field. Revising the prize money distribution for the 2022 season, the new format guarantees a total of $200,000 in prize money. $50,000 will be awarded to each of the winning teams of the C.V. Whitney Cup® and USPA Gold Cup®. Similarly, $100,000 in prize money will be presented to the winner of the U.S. Open Polo Championship® and any team that wins all three tournaments will be crowned the GAUNTLET Champion. In keeping with the spirit of philanthropy, U.S. Polo Assn. will again provide funds to the winner and runner-up teams of all three finals to be donated to a polo charity of their choice.

All three tournaments will be livestreamed on Global Polo TV’s (GPTV) OTT platform, accessible on globalpolo.com and on major apps including iOS, Android, Roku and Amazon FireTV. Also, marking a historic partnership between Global Polo Entertainment and ESPN, all three GAUNTLET OF POLO® finals will be televised live on ESPN3, ESPN LATAM and Star+ in Latin America. Increasing the exposure of the sport through top tournaments, the deal will bring millions of new audiences, sports fans and consumers in contact with polo. Also new in 2022, the Global Polo Pass annual subscription has replaced the previous pass options and will include access to all livestreamed USPA Official Events, select international events and much more. All USPA members will receive the Global Polo Pass free with a paid 2022 membership. Special offers are available at www.globalpolo.com.

For more information on the GAUNTLET OF POLO®, please visit uspolo.org/gauntlet-of-polo. For more information about spectatorship at the International Polo Club Palm Beach, please visit www.internationalpoloclub.com. 

 
Photos by David Lominska
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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (July 27, 2021) – U.S. Polo Assn., the official brand for the United States Polo Association (USPA), welcomes American polo player Matt Coppola as the multi-billion-dollar, sport-inspired brand’s newest global ambassador. Now 26, Coppola has been playing professionally since he was 14 years old and played in the semi-finals of the 2011 U.S. Open Polo Championship at the age of 16. Today, he is one of the highest handicapped American players.

The scope of Coppola’s year-long role as global brand ambassador is broad and designed to shine the spotlight on the dynamic crop of young and talented polo players coming up through the ranks. Coppola will be outfitted in U.S. Polo Assn. apparel and gear both on and off the field, will post regularly about his polo-related and other daily activities on social media, and will engage in media requests for interviews and campaigns.

“U.S. Polo Assn. is proud to welcome professional polo player Matt Coppola to our outstanding roster of global brand ambassadors for 2021,” said J. Michael Prince, President and CEO of USPA Global Licensing, which manages the multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand. “Coppola is an exceptional polo player who has come up the ranks quickly in the U.S. He is an excellent representation of what our brand is all about – sport-inspired, youthful, vibrant and fun.”

Born and raised in Wellington, Florida by show jumper Jesse Coppola and professional polo player Tony Coppola, he developed a love for horses at a very young age. Today, Coppola travels the United States and Argentina to play professional polo throughout the year and works with his father to help give racehorses a second career in polo. Coppola is also a graduating member of Team USPA, a prominent program developed and managed by the USPA to develop young American polo players for the highest levels of competition.

“I could not be more excited to represent U.S. Polo Assn., with whom I have worked over the years through the brand’s sponsorship of the GAUNTLET OF POLO,” said Coppola. “As a professional polo player, it’s meaningful for me to represent a brand that’s authentically connected to polo and gives back to the sport and its players.” 

Coppola has competed in the 2019, 2020 and 2021 GAUNTLET OF POLO® competitions in Wellington and has triumphed in many of these prestigious tournaments. With a shooting accuracy of more than 70 percent, Coppola, who played for Las Monjitas, ranked second out of all the players in the 2019 GAUNTLET and first for shooting accuracy in the U.S. Open Polo Championship. In 2021, he played in the GAUNTLET with Park Place, alongside Andre Borodin, Hilario Ulloa and Juan Britos, winning the prestigious C.V. Whitney Cup and making the finals of the U.S. Open Polo Championship.

To learn more about Coppola and to see him play in these exciting events, visit globalpolo.com.

 

 

https://www.ettikonerhof.com/

Facing a rematch of the C.V. Whitney Cup® Final and well aware of their opponents’ strengths, Scone and Park Place (Andrey Borodin, Matt Coppola*, Juan Britos, Hilario Ulloa) each prepared to leave it all on the field one last time in the U.S. Open Polo Championship® Final. A formidable contender as the only team to reach all three finals, Scone (David Paradice, Adolfo Cambiaso, Poroto Cambiaso, Peke Gonzalez*) met Park Place on Sunday, April 18, both teams looking for their second trophy in the 2021 GAUNTLET OF POLO®. Ending halftime in the lead, Scone gradually took control of the game throughout the second half to cap off the season with the 14-13 win and $200,000 in prize money. Marking Cambiaso’s ninth U.S. Open Polo Championship® title overall, the first victory with his son Poroto made it the most personal of his career.

Riding the momentum of scoring the game-winning shot in the semifinal, Matt Coppola opened up the first chukker for Park Place with a powerful cutshot to goal on grey American Thoroughbred Serena. After each team added a penalty conversion, Coppola struck a second time off a well-placed pass from Hilario Ulloa. Learning after two close losses to Park Place that every goal counts, Scone quickly retaliated with Poroto Cambiaso winning the throw-in and heading straight to goal. “Our strategy today was to play as we had been playing, passing the ball, playing as a team, being in order defensively, and facing the game with a lot of confidence,” Poroto Cambiaso said.

 

 

Always looking for opportunities to set up his teammates, David Paradice courageously held off Ulloa giving Adolfo Cambiaso time to level the score 3-all at the beginning of the second. Both sides making strong offensive plays, the scoreboard remained tied as the evenly-matched teams fought to establish a lead in the third. Scoring three consecutive goals including two off the mallet of Poroto Cambiaso, Scone worked efficiently to create the largest lead yet which they would build on in the second half. Holding Park Place to one goal per chukker in the second and third, Scone entered halftime leading 7-5.

As the penalty opportunities added up in the second half, accuracy from the penalty line became a greater factor in maintaining the advantage. Scoring consecutive goals in the fourth, Peke Gonzalez raced forward to receive a beautiful pass from Adolfo Cambiaso which he carried to goal. Keeping his team in the game, Ulloa easily fired his third Penalty 2 between the posts, but Poroto Cambiaso managed to evade defenders and sneak in another goal. As the teams battled for possession in the fifth, Adolfo Cambiaso took advantage of a broken play when the ball was left sitting just in front of Park Place’s goal. Responsible for all of Park Place’s goals in the second half, Ulloa answered back on a breakaway to keep the tally within three.

Entering the sixth chukker up 11-8, Scone had to remain vigilant after witnessing Park Place’s last chukker comeback in the semifinal. Although a choppy sixth chukker with fouls on both sides, Scone was able to hold onto the lead, Adolfo Cambiaso lofted the ball out of the pack from distance to score his fourth goal of the day. As Gonzalez continued to prove deadly from the penalty line, Ulloa attempted to initiate a comeback in the final minutes as they had previously. Riding off Poroto Cambiaso, Ulloa made an impressive nearside shot to initiate the campaign, ultimately adding five goals in one chukker.

As all four matchups throughout the season were decided within one goal, Scone claimed the narrow win 14-13, allowing 15-year-old Poroto Cambiaso to join Nic Roldan as the youngest player to win the tournament.

“This win means everything to me, it’s amazing!” Gonzalez shared. “It’s what we have been working for the whole season, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. I am very thankful to the entire Scone team, Adolfito and Poroto for giving me the opportunity to play with them, and everyone involved including the grooms and all the guys who are helping the organization day after day. They did a great job throughout the whole season and we couldn’t have made it without them.”

Winning two of the three tournaments his first time competing in the GAUNTLET OF POLO®, Poroto Cambiaso has accomplished much in his career at such a young age. “It’s a pleasure to play with this team,” Poroto Cambiaso said. “I want to thank Bob Jornayvaz who rented us all the horses and it’s incredible to win with a friend like Peke, my dad and David.” Although Adolfo Cambiaso has won the U.S. Open Polo Championship® numerous times, sharing the victory with his son was especially meaningful. “Winning with my son is unbelievable,” Adolfo Cambiaso exclaimed. “Ten years ago he was only five years old so it was a dream that was kind of far away and today it came true. I never thought that I was going to be in the position that I am now, playing in the U.S. Open Polo Championship® Final with my 15-year old son and winning, so I’m really happy. I want to thank David Paradice for trusting me to play with someone who is so young.”

In addition to the title, Scone received $200,000 in prize money while Park Place was awarded $50,000 as the runners-up. In partnership with USPA Global Licensing, this year’s GAUNTLET OF POLO® embraced the spirit of giving with non-profit charities chosen by the finalists also receiving a donation. Scone chose to divide the $10,000 between Homes for Horses Coalition and Polo For Life while Park Place contributed to Polo Players Support Group (PPSG) and Replay Polo.

 

Adolfo Cambiaso was named Seymour Knox Most Valuable Player. “We tried to maintain our system throughout the tournament,” Cambiaso said. “I was playing more in the back and I think both Poroto [Cambiaso] and Peke [Gonzalez] did a great job. Peke had a great game today and I think we were pretty solid. We made some mistakes, but we ended up playing pretty well.”

10-year-old Argentine mare Gete Leonor (Machitos Libano x Lelina) received the Willis L. Hartman Trophy for the U.S. Open Polo Championship® Final, played in the second and sixth chukkers by Adolfo Cambiaso.

In addition to receiving Best Playing Pony for her performance in the U.S. Open Polo Championship® with Adolfo Cambiaso, 8-year-old Lovelocks Camusericht played in the third chukker (Open El Padrino x Dolfina Querencia) was also presented with Best Playing Pony of the GAUNTLET OF POLO® and IPC Horse of the Year. In need of another horse towards the end of the tournament, Cambiaso called on 10-goaler Pelon Stirling who flew the mare in from Argentina. “There were a couple of horses that came from Argentina at the last minute including Lovelocks Camusericht,” Cambiaso said. “I own her with Pelon Stirling and she came just to play the U.S. Open Polo Championship® and ended up winning multiple Best Playing Pony awards.”

Although Adolfo Cambiaso celebrated his forty-sixth birthday on the day of the semifinals, he remained focused on his goal. “I never thought about my birthday which was when we played the semifinal,” he said. “My mind was always on this day and I was only thinking about winning the U.S. Open Polo Championship® Final. We came to win and now that it’s happened, we really are enjoying it.”

 

 

Having a successful first season in the GAUNTLET OF POLO®, David Paradice is looking forward to next season with the Cambiasos and hopefully getting to bring back Peke Gonzalez. “It’s great to win with nice people and great families, I just love it,” Paradice said. “It’s also been great to watch father and son play together and to have a young player like Peke Gonzalez. This is what it’s all about, family and playing with the right teammates who have integrity and just want to get the job done. A lot of people contributed to this win including Bob Jornayvaz, Tim Gannon, the Packer family and Pelon Stirling and I’m very fortunate for Bob Jornayvaz for making it possible for me to play on this team.”

*Peke Gonzalez is an Active Team USPA Members. Matt Coppola is a Graduating Team USPA Member. Team USPA is a USPA program designed to enhance and grow the sport of polo in the United States by identifying young, talented American players and providing mentored training and playing opportunities leading to a pool of higher rated amateur and pro players and the resultant giveback to the sport of polo.

uspoloassnglobal.com

globalpolotv.com

www.internationalpoloclub.com

 

Images: ©David Lominska
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WHAT: In preparation for the final tournament of the GAUNTLET OF POLO®, the United States Polo Association (USPA) hosted the U.S. Open Polo Championship® draw on Thursday, March 25, 2021, from the Seventh Chukker patio at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC) in Wellington, Florida. Limited to teams and staff only, one representative from each team was invited to select a numbered token in person while the draw was broadcast live to spectators on Global Polo TV. The apex of 22-goal competition, the U.S. Open Polo Championship® is considered the most prestigious tournament in American polo. Immediately following the draw, viewers were treated to interviews with past U.S. Open Polo Championship® winners Memo Gracida, Tommy Wayman and Nic Roldan. Although Park Place won the C.V. Whitney Cup®, there will not be a GAUNTLET champion crowned in 2021 as Tonkawa and Scone qualified for the USPA Gold Cup® Final on Sunday, March 28. The official draw determined the playing order for the third tournament of the GAUNTLET OF POLO®, the U.S. Open Polo Championship®, which begins Sunday, March 28, and concludes Sunday, April 18, at IPC. Spectators will have the opportunity to relive the action on Sunday, May 9, when the U.S. Open Polo Championship® Final will be aired to millions of viewers on CBS Sports.

WHO: Haley Bryan, IPC Polo Coordinator, and Jimmy Newman, IPC Polo Manager, outlined the tournament format and conducted the official draw.

WHERE: The International Polo Club Palm Beach will not be open to the general public during the 2021 polo season. IPC will offer a limited number of tickets to Sunday Brunch in the Veuve Clicquot Pavilion for spectators as well as exclusive pre-sold tailgates and boxes. There will be no day of event ticket sales. Please read the IPC Reopening Guide available on the U.S. Open Polo Championship® tournament detail page on uspolo.org, for the club’s new protocols and procedures.

 

 

 

 

Increasing the stakes in the final tournament, the winner of the U.S. Open Polo Championship® will receive $200,000 in prize money and $50,000 will be awarded to the runner-up. New to the GAUNTLET in 2021 and in partnership with USPA Global Licensing, each of the teams will select a charity of their choice from 10 non-profit polo organizations which they can support throughout all three tournaments or select every tournament. Both charities of the winner and runners-up will receive a $5,000 donation in the U.S. Open Polo Championship®.

The list of participating teams in their newly announced tournament brackets are available below:

Bracket I
1. La Indiana
2. Santa Clara
3. Pilot

Bracket II
1. Aspen/Dutta Corp
2. Cessna
3. Tonkawa

Bracket III
1. Park Place
2. Coca-Cola
3. Scone

FORMAT:

The USPA Gold Cup® finalists, Tonkawa and Scone, will be seeded in separate brackets (6 and 9). Teams will be placed into three brackets and play within their bracket.

After bracket play, all teams will be ranked 1-9 based on their win-loss record, followed by net goals, then gross goals. The teams who ranked eighth and nineth will compete in a playoff game then teams will enter the quarterfinals. Teams ranked 1-4 will draw from the remaining teams (5, 6, 7, 8) for quarterfinal pairings. Semifinal pairings will be determined by draw with the winners advancing to the final.

Please visit the GAUNTLET OF POLO® tab on uspolo.org for GAUNTLET information including rosters, full tournament schedule, history, video highlights and much more. Global Polo TV is the exclusive broadcaster for USPA Official Events, tournaments and games. Only those with a Premium Polo Pass or GAUNTLET OF POLO® Pass will have access to all livestreamed games of the 2021 GAUNTLET OF POLO®. All USPA Playing and Lifetime Members receive free access to the Premium Polo Pass. Social Members receive the Polo Pass for free. Subscribe or upgrade at any time on GlobalPolo.com/products.

Images: ©David Lominska / ©United States Polo Association

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www.uspolo.org

uspoloassnglobal.com

globalpolotv.com

www.internationalpoloclub.com

 

 

For the first time ever in the sport of polo, Pilot polo team secured its place in history as the inaugural winner of the GAUNTLET OF POLO™ title with a score of 12-7 over Las Monjitas by winning the U.S. Open Polo Championship® the third leg of the GAUNTLET series which took place at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC) on the U.S. Polo Assn. stadium field in Wellington, Florida.

Over the past three months, Pilot played against the highest level of skilled athletes and ponies and managed to clinch wins in all three GAUNTLET events — the C.V. Whitney Cup, the USPA Gold Cup® and the U.S. Open Polo Championship® — as well as capture the $1 million purse, the GAUNTLET OF POLO™ trophy and the prestigious GAUNTLET Champion title. 

“It’s amazing to win, it’s like a fairy tale for all of us, the whole team. I started playing polo when I was 49 years old. It’s been an amazing three months and I have to give a shout-out to Mia Bray, a young up-and-coming female polo player, who covered the first three games so I could handle some personal issues,” said Curtis Pilot, team owner.

Pilot received the “Winner Take All” prize money of $1M along with the GAUNTLET OF POLO™ trophy. The hand-crafted, three-foot trophy features three horses representing each GAUNTLET event guarding a tower glorified with the GAUNTLET logo and an inlaid onyx polo horse head to recognize the sport’s equine partner. This trophy will remind future generations of polo competitors, fans, media and sponsors of the strategy, skill and commitment it takes to have your team name inscribed on the trophy and be crowned the GAUNTLET Champion.

“The GAUNTLET challenged the world’s top polo players and ponies to strive to achieve a new goal. We’re thrilled that Pilot earned the first-ever GAUNTLET OF POLO™ Champion title,” said David Cummings, President and CEO, Global Polo Entertainment. “We created the GAUNTLET OF POLO™ as a sports property that will grow in value through player participation, spectator attendance, viewership and sponsorship involvement. In addition, we delivered a positive economic impact to Palm Beach County by hosting thousands of fans, players and horses from around the world over a three-month period and by showcasing the competition to millions of fans on air and online.”

The final game of the U.S. Open Polo Championship® will air on CBS Sports, on Sunday, April 28 at 2:00pm EDT, and on Eurosport on April 29 at 6:30pm CET and Dsport to more than 250+ million households in more than 66 countries.

Photo: @gauntletofpolo / Global Polo Entertainment

The GAUNTLET OF POLO is the sport’s newest and most challenging tournament series with an unprecedented $1M prize purse, and pits polo’s greatest athletes and their world-class ponies against one another in a fierce competition to be crowned GAUNTLET Champion. Tomorrow at 10 AM, cheers will rise from the esteemed grounds of IPC as the GAUNTLET OF POLO officially begins with the C.V. Whitney Cup. All matches from February 14 through April 21, 2019 will take place on the U.S. Polo Assn. Field and surrounding fields at IPC. 

During each match, spectators will have the opportunity to see some the world’s top polo teams compete for the GAUNTLET, putting their skills and expertise to the ultimate test. Steeped in heritage and culture, polo is often referred to as the sport of kings due to its storied past as a game reserved for royals and nobility. It has historically drawn some of the finest athletes and the most fashionable and glamorous audiences of any sport. Modern day polo spectators acknowledge the sport’s aristocratic roots by donning their finest attire as they strike out for the fields, where they can sip champagne, stomp divots and indulge in other traditional activities. This year, GAUNTLET audiences will celebrate players and teams as they compete in what promises to be the most incredible display of athleticism in U.S. polo history, pursuing the GAUNTLET’s record-breaking $1M purse. 

While polo is a thrilling experience unlike any other, that is best enjoyed on site, all matches will also be live streamed on USPA Polo Network each week with the final event airing on CBS Sports, April 28 at 2 PM EDT. The GAUNTLET OF POLO encompasses three of the United States Polo Association’s most prestigious national tournaments, beginning with the C.V. Whitney Cup that runs from February 14-24, 2019, continuing with the USPA Gold Cup® on February 24-March 24, and culminating with the U.S. Open Polo Championship® on March 27-April 21, 2019. 

Matches begin on February 14 and continue in the following order: 

Thursday, February 14 
Noon Stable Door vs. Daily Racing Form            
Noon Aspen vs. Pilot                                           
2pm Coca Cola vs. Park Place                           
4pm SD Farms vs. Tonkawa                              

Friday, February 15 
10am La Indiana vs. Santa Clara
Noon Las Monjitas vs. Iconica
2pm  Cessna vs. Postage Stamp
4pm Equuleus vs. Old Hickory Bourbon

Sunday, February 17 
10am CV Whitney Quarter final
Noon CV Whitney Quarter final
Noon CV Whitney Quarter final
3pm CV Whitney Quarter final

Wednesday, February 20 
Noon CV Whitney Semifinal 
3pm CV Whitney Semifinal 

Sunday, February 24 
3pm CV Whitney Cup Final 

*Schedule subject to change due to weather, please visit www.uspolo.org for accurate updates 

Valiente wins the C.V. Whitney Cup at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. Fresh off their recent win in the Ylvisaker Cup, defending C.V. Whitney Cup champions Valiente kept the momentum going, landing Colorado in the final Sunday, March 4, at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, Florida. Putting their new rosters to the test for the first 26-goal tournament of the season, both teams created fresh dynamics on the field, but Valiente rode away with their second consecutive tournament title 9-4.

Valiente’s unprecedented final featuring the two top 10-goalers in the world and rivals, Adolfo Cambiaso and Facundo Pieres, was a display of incredible skill and teamwork. Executing a beautiful 70-yard shot to goal quickly followed by a deep neckshot in the first chukker, Pieres unleashed a strong offensive force Colorado could not stop. Expertly setting up his forward, Adolfo Cambiaso worked the ball down field, leaving it for Rob Jornayvaz* who picked up the only goal of the second. As play progressed, Colorado experienced many missed opportunities throughout the game as players repeatedly were unable to connect and overrode, leaving the team scoreless in the first half. Taking full advantage of broken plays and costly mistakes, Cambiaso ended the half 5-0 in favor of Valiente.

Fighting to get his team in the game, Diego Cavanagh charged through the formidable blue jerseys to finally score two goals in the fourth effectively outscoring Valiente by one in the chukker. Cambiaso opened the fifth with a field goal, but was then answered by Cavanagh who hit a neckshot through traffic to goal. Completely in sync and dominating the field, Pieres and Cambiaso completed two additional plays to triple Colorado’s score 9-3 headed into the final chukker.

As precious minutes ticked by, the ball was passed back and forth across the field numerous times, finally crossing between Colorado’s goal posts and giving Magoo Laprida his first goal of the game. Despite a valiant effort in the last two chukkers, Colorado could not rival Valiente’s momentum. Valiente claimed their second consecutive 2018 C.V. Whitney Cup with a final score of 9-4. Reflecting on the tournament Tommy Beresford said, “The horses are getting fitter and I’m playing a little faster. It is becoming a bit easier as we are getting to know each other. We feel great and are looking forward to the next tournament.”

Responsible for five of Valiente’s nine goals, four from the field and one Penalty 3, Pieres was named Most Valuable Player. “Every game we are going to get a little bit better as a team,” Pieres said. “Today we were better with passing the ball between each other. Our last game was more difficult from the beginning and we had some pressure because it was our first together, but today was much better.” Best Playing Pony honors were awarded to Mentolada, owned by J5 Equestrian and ridden by Adolfo Cambiaso in the third chukker.

www.uspolo.org

Photo: David Lominska

MVP Facundo Pieres Valiente ©David Lominska

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