BTA and Pilot are through the final of the US Open Polo Championship, following their respective wins against La Dolfina Tamera and Coca Cola, in the semifinals that were played on Wednesday April 22, at the National Polo Center (NPC), in Wellington, Florida, United States. The US Open, one of the Grand Slams del Polo alongside the Argentine Open and the British Polo Open for the Cowdray Gold Cup, is the most significant tournament of the United States and the peak of The Gauntlet Of Polo. The 2026 edition of the competition saw eleven teams up to 22 goals, partake.
BTA and La Dolfina Tamera opened fire. Kelly Beal’s lineup had a stronger start, with an impressive 4-0 in the first chukka. However, La Dolfina Tamera bounced back through the second and fourth chukka, and managed to level the scores, shortening the gap to just one goal. But in the fifth chukka, BTA was back again – they outscored La Dolfina Tamera 4-0 to claim a 14-9 advantage, with only one chukka left. At the end of the day, BTA produced a couple of goals in the last chukka, enough to win 16-10, to secure the first ticket to their first ever final of the US Open.
A completely unexpected match came up next. Pilot, the recent winners of the USPA Gold Cup and the only team up-to-date who claimed The Gauntlet Of Polo in its entirety, in the opening year of the series (2019), overwhelmed Coca Cola. Pilot earned a quick 2-0 lead in the first chukka, but from the second chukka onwards, they were completely merciless – they swept their contenders and by half time they had a remarkable 9-1 advantage. Following another impressive lead by the end of the fourth chukka (11-2), they scored three more goals in the fifth, to leave the deal said and done. Although Coca Cola struggled to produce a handful of goals in the last chukka, there’s nothing else to do; the damage has been done, and Curtis Pilot and his boys did their job, that led them to their second consecutive final of the 2026 Gauntlet Of Polo.
BTA AND PILOT ARE DUE TO PLAY THE MUCH ANTICIPATED CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH OF THE US OPEN POLO CHAMPIONSHIP ON SUNDAY APRIL 26, AT 5pm.
The US Open Polo Championship is indeed the crown jewel of polo in the United States. The tournament was played for the first time in 1904, at Van Conrtlandt Park, in the Bronx borough of New York City, and showcased only two teams partake, The Wanderers and The Freeboters. Four 15-minute chukkers were played, with a seven-minute break between each chukker. After a pause, the US Open 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 US 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, which marked the centenary of the US Open. By then, the contest was 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.
THE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH OF THE US OPEN IS SET TO BE PLAYED ON SUNDAY APRIL 26.
US OPEN POLO CHAMPIONSHIP – Teams & Fixture
2026 GAUNTLET OF POLO – FULL CALENDAR
CV WHITNEY CUP
February 13-March 1
Winners: The Dutta Corp.
USPA GOLD CUP
March 4-April 5
Winners: Pilot.
US OPEN
April 1-26
Cover photo by Agustina Fonda.