With only three games remaining – the semifinals and the much anticipated final of the US Open Polo Championship, the polo season in the United States is quickly coming to an end. Following the mini quarter finals that were held on Sunday April 19, Pilot and La Dolfina Tamera joined Coca Cola (3-1) and BTA (3-1) in the upcoming semifinals of one of the three Grand Slams of Polo, along the Argentine Open and the British Polo Open for the Cowdray Gold Cup. The US Open is the culminating moment of The Gauntlet Of Polo as well as the most important polo competition in the United States, is played in its entirety at the National Polo Center (NPC), located in Wellington, Florida. The contest sees eleven teams up to 22 goals, partake. Teams are split in two leagues.
It’s worth to note that both mini quarters were family affairs – the first saw the clash of the Castagnola brothers, Camilo a (Pilot) and Bartolomé Castagnola Jr. (DUS); and the second, the contenders were father and son, La Dolfina Tamera (Adolfo Cambiaso) and La Dolfina Scone (Poroto Cambiaso).
The day started with the match between Pilot (3-2), the recent winners of the USPA Gold Cup, and DUS (3-1). After a very balanced start, with Pilot and DUS claiming one chukka each, the first and the second, respectively, the former seized the reins in the third, while DUS struggled to get closer to their contenders, at least until the fifth chukka. But all was said and done in a remarkable sixth chukka, when Curtis Pilot & Co. outscored DUS by an impressive 6-1, that secured them the 13-10 win and the ticket to the semifinals.
Father and son went head-to-head in the second game – La Dolfina Tamera (Adolfo Cambiaso) vs. La Doflina Scone (Poroto Cambiaso). The latter had a stronger start, earning an early 3-1 in the first chukka. After consecutive ties in the two next chukkas (4-4 and 6-6), and following half time, La Dolfina Tamera was leading the scores, 7-6; however, the remaining of the game saw both teams presenting battle, that included a bit of a drama in the fifth chukka – a fall suffered by La Dolfina Scone’s patron, David Paradice, that left him unconscious for some minutes, delayed the game. Fortunately, Paradice was able to recover quickly, but he was taken to a nearby hospital for precaution. His place was taken by Iconica’s patron, Maureen Brennan. That difficult fifth chukka ended up with La Dolfina Scone 11-10 up. But in the last episode, Alejandro Poma’s foursome produced two crucial goals, and at the end of the day, La Dolfina Tamera won 12-11 to claim the last spot in the semifinals.
THE SEMIFINALS OF THE US OPEN POLO CHAMPIONSHIP WILL BE PLAYED ON WEDNESDAY APRIL 22, AS FOLLOWS:
11am: Coca Cola (3-1) vs. Pilot (3-2)
4pm: BTA (3-1) vs. La Dolfina Tamera (3-2)
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.