Port Mayaca Polo Club

Instagram, Polo News

U.S. OPEN WOMEN’S POLO CHAMPIONSHIP® PRESENTED BY EASTERN HAY BEGINS THIS FRIDAY, MARCH 10

7. March 2023

Together with Port Mayaca Polo Club (Okeechobee, Florida) and the National Polo Center – Wellington (Wellington, Florida), the United States Polo Association (USPA) will host the U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship® presented by Eastern Hay from Friday, March 10 through Sunday, March 19. The draw took place on Friday, March 3, to determine the schedule for the elite competition. The most prestigious women’s tournament in the United States, five competitive teams will vie for ultimate glory and $40,000 in prize money, with $30,000 going to the winning team and $10,000 going to the runner-up. In addition to the prize money, U.S. Polo Assn. will continue to encourage the spirit of philanthropy this winter season by providing $2,500 to both the winning team and the runner-up to donate to the polo charity of their choice.

The U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship, formerly titled the U.S. Women’s Open, was established in 1937 by the United States Women’s Polo Association, the first and only women’s polo association in the history of American polo. A pioneering effort, the competition and the Association unfortunately dissolved just two years later when World War II began. Women were officially welcomed into the USPA in 1972, with Sue Sally Hale becoming one of the first woman members. On the USPA’s centennial anniversary in 1990, a U.S. Women’s Open was officially sanctioned and held at Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Appropriately, Hale along with her two daughters, Sunny and Stormie, captured the title with teammate Caroline Anier. It was officially recognized as a national tournament in 2011, and was hosted at Houston Polo Club (Houston, Texas) until it found a permanent home in South Florida in 2018.

This year, bracket games and semifinals will be played at Port Mayaca Polo Club (Okeechobee, Florida) and the final will be played at the National Polo Center – Wellington on U.S. Polo Assn. Field One. Raised to the 18- to 24-goal level for the first time in the tournament’s history, the play promises to be faster and more competitive than ever before.

The 2023 edition of the U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship will feature many familiar faces spanning five talented teams. Reigning victors Pamela Flanagan and 10-goaler Hazel Jackson, the 2022 U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship’s Most Valuable Player, will team up once again under a new team name, La Fe. Their former teammate Mia Cambiaso will join Dundas alongside returning Dundas competitor, 10-goaler Nina Clarkin. Winifred Branscum, who looks to continue her steady rise following her victory in the 2022 National Youth Tournament Series (NYTS) Girls’ Championship, will make her U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship debut with La Fe. American 8-goaler Hope Arellano will round out the La Fe collective.

2022 runner-up Sophie Grant will unite with her older sister Maddie for BTA, along with KC Krueger and Sarah Wiseman, who combined forces to win the 2022 U.S. Open Women’s Handicap with QR Jets. Two U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship returning competitors, Kylie Sheehan and Izzy Parsons, will come together for San Saba, joined by 2021 competitor Dawn Jones and 6-goaler Lottie Lamacraft. Lamacraft will replace Gillian Johnston, who was originally set to compete for San Saba before sustaining an ankle injury prior to the start of the tournament.

El Cid Fitness will round-out the competition, with returning competitor Heather Souto aligning with USPA Governor-at-Large Cecelia Cochran.

Representing Team USPA are Active Members Hope Arellano and Sophie Grant and alumna Kylie Sheehan. Team USPA is a unique program that aims to develop and promote the sport of polo in the United States. The program identifies young and talented American players and provides them with guided training and playing opportunities, which eventually leads to the creation of a higher-rated pool of amateur and professional players who can contribute to the growth and success of the sport of polo.

The five teams competing are as follows:

El Cid Fitness (24) – Cecelia Cochran (5), Heather Souto (5), Fatima Balzano (6), Mili Sanchez (8)
BTA (23) – Sophie Grant (5), Maddie Grant (5), KC Krueger (6), Sarah Wiseman (7)
Dundas (24) – Sarah Siegel-Magness (1), Erica Gandomcar-Sachs (5), Mia Cambiaso (8), Nina Clarkin (10)
La Fe (24) – Winifred Branscum (1), Pamela Flanagan (5), Hope Arellano (8), Hazel Jackson (10)
San Saba (24) – Dawn Jones (5), Kylie Sheehan (5), Izzy Parsons (8), Lottie Lamacraft (6)

Schedule

Friday, March 10

10:00am ET: El Cid Fitness vs. Dundas

12:00pm ET: BTA vs. La Fe

Sunday, March 12

12:00pm ET: Dundas vs. San Saba

Tuesday, March 14
2:00pm ET: El Cid Fitness vs. La Fe

2:00pm ET: BTA vs. San Saba

Thursday, March 16

12:00pm ET: Semifinal #1

2:00pm ET: Semifinal #2

Sunday, March 19

3:00pm ET: Final

The tournament will use a 5-star format where each team will draw two teams to play against. Following bracket play, all teams will have played two games. Teams will be ranked 1-5 based on record. In the event of tied records, a shootout will be used as a tiebreaker. The top four ranked teams will advance to the semifinals.

For the semifinals, if possible, teams will play a team they have not yet faced in bracket play. Otherwise, semifinal pairings will be determined by a draw. Semifinal losers and the team ranked fifth will play a four chukker round-robin subsidiary. Semifinal winners will advance to the final.

Spectating from the NPC stadium, private boxes, fieldside tailgates and special hospitality tents all overlooking U.S. Polo Assn. Field One is an unparalleled experience available for the U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship Final on Sunday, March 19 at 3:00pm ET. Tickets can be purchased at nationalpolocenter.com.

All games of the U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship will also be livestreamed exclusively by USPA Polo Network and available to watch on uspolo.org as well as across USPA social media channels, including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Twitch. Additionally, the final will be available on the ESPN family of brands. Check your local listings for times and channels.

Learn more about the teams competing and the competition at the U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship Tournament Detail Page.

North America, Polo News

U.S. OPEN WOMEN’S POLO CHAMPIONSHIP™ BENEFITTING SUSAN G. KOMEN® FLORIDA RETURNS TO SOUTH FLORIDA

6. March 2020

Partnering with the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC) and Port Mayaca Polo Club in Southern Florida for the second year in a row, the United States Polo Association® (USPA) will host the U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship™ (18- to 22-goals), March 12-21. Eight teams, including the 2019 champions, Hawaii Polo Life, comprised of women players from across the nation and around the world will be taking the field to compete in the most prestigious women’s tournament in the country. The U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship™ will benefit Susan G. Komen® Florida, the leading breast cancer foundation.

“The U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship™ represents the future of women’s polo as the number of women competing at the 18- to 22-goal level continues to climb,” said Robert Puetz, CEO of the USPA. “Bringing together the best American and international players, the tournament is both a showcase and a celebration of the achievements in women’s polo on a global scale. Since relocating to South Florida during the GAUNTLET OF POLO®, the apex of high-goal competition, the U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship™ has attracted a record eight teams for the second consecutive year.”

The most celebrated cup in women’s polo in the United States, the U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship™ has a profound history dating back to the 1930s in California. The first women’s U.S. Open tournament was presented by the United States Women’s Polo Association (U.S.W.P.A.) in 1937 at the Golden Gate Field in San Francisco, California. On the centennial anniversary of the USPA in 1990, a U.S. Women’s Open was officially sanctioned and held at Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. It was officially recognized as a national tournament in 2011 and has since become America’s largest annual women’s polo event.

Winning the 2019 championship in their first year, Hawaii Polo Life will be returning for the chance to defend the trophy, competing with two members of the original championship team.

BTA/The Villages and San Saba (this year co-sponsored by Polo Gear) will also be returning for the high-profile women’s event. The remaining five teams (Cowdray Vikings, Dundas, Iconica, Mint Echo Car Wash, Rocking P) will be competing for the first time for an opportunity to capture the title.

Arguably one of the best women’s players in the world, British 10-goaler Hazel Jackson will be competing, representing Rocking P. An international event, the tournament rosters boast players from four countries including the United States, Argentina, England and Kenya. One all-American team, BTA/The Villages, will be gracing this year’s competition. The USPA is also happy to announce that the tournament will serve as a Women’s Championship Tournament (WCT) Qualifier, The Sunny Hale Legacy.

Following the Draw Party on Thursday, March 5, at the 7^th Chukker Restaurant & Lounge at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, Florida, play will begin March 12 at Port Mayaca Polo Club in Okeechobee, Florida. Co-sponsored by the official apparel brand of the USPA, U.S. Polo Assn., the official draw determines the playing order for the tournament. Additionally, U.S. Polo Assn. will giveaway custom designed Susan G. Komen® Florida t-shirts during the tournament final’s halftime divot stomp. The final will be hosted on Saturday, March 21, at the International Polo Club Palm Beach on the U.S. Polo Assn. Field with gates opening at 11:00am EDT and the match beginning at 1:00pm EDT.

Coverage of the U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship™ matches will be livestreamed on Global Polo TV. Please register for free access on GlobalPolo.com. For more information on the tournament please visit uspolo.org. Spectators are encouraged to attend the preliminary matches at Port Mayaca Polo Club and the Championship Final at International Polo Club Palm Beach on U.S. Polo Assn. Field 1. General admission is free for all events. To purchase tickets for brunch, tailgate or box seats for the final, which will feature a pink tailgating competition, please click here.

About the United States Polo Association®

The United States Polo Association (USPA) was organized and exists for the purposes of promoting the game of polo, coordinating the activities of its Member Clubs and Registered Players, arranging and supervising polo tournaments, competitions and games, and providing rules, handicaps, and conditions for those tournaments, competitions, and games including the safety and welfare of participants and mounts. Founded in 1890, the United States Polo Association is the national governing body for the sport of polo. USPA is currently comprised of almost 300 member clubs with thousands of individual members, and oversees 40 national tournaments. For more information, please visit uspolo.org.

About U.S. Polo Assn.

U.S. Polo Assn. is the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), the nonprofit governing body for the sport of polo in the United States founded in 1890, making it one of the oldest sports governing bodies. With a global footprint of $1.7B and worldwide distribution through 1,100 U.S. Polo Assn. retail stores, department stores, independent retailers and e-commerce, U.S. Polo Assn. offers apparel for men, women and children, as well as accessories, footwear, travel and home goods in 180 countries worldwide. Recently ranked the 4th largest sports licensor and 36^th overall in License Global magazine’s 2019 list of “Top 150 Global Licensors”, U.S. Polo Assn. now takes its place alongside such iconic sports brands as Major League Baseball, National Football League and National Basketball Association.

About the International Polo Club Palm Beach

The International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC) is the premier polo destination in the world, hosting the largest field of high-goal teams and the most prestigious polo tournaments in the United States. Polo enthusiasts descend upon Wellington, Florida, each winter season to enjoy their love of the sport at the most prominent polo facility in the country. The 2020 Palm Beach Polo Season opens Sunday, December 29, 2019 and concludes 17 weeks later with the U.S. Open Polo Championship® Final on Sunday, April 19, 2020. Polo matches are open to the public, with a wide range of hospitality and guest seating that includes elegant grandstand viewing, field tailgating, field-side champagne brunch at The Pavilion, and exclusive sponsor boxes. See more at www.internationalpoloclub.com.

About Port Mayaca Polo Club
Situated in South Florida, surrounded by vast sugar cane fields and the popular fishing body of Lake Okeechobee, Port Mayaca Polo Club has steadily become a destination for winter polo. Located on more than 600 sprawling acres, the club has eight regulation fields, club barns with 220 stalls, two exercise tracks, a stick-and-ball field, a clubhouse and several acres of pastures for turnout and trail riding. Quality polo is at the forefront of the club’s objectives and a tight-knit sense of community supports it.

www.uspolo.org