Pilot made it; as it happened in 2022, Curtis Pilot and Co repeated a remarkable achievement by winning two of the three tournaments of The Gauntlet Of Polo – the USPA Gold Cup and the US Open. On Sunday April 26, Pilot defeated BTA 15-10 and claimed the most important tournament of the United States in a thrilling championship match that was witnessed by packed grandstands at the National Polo Center (NPC), en Wellington, Florida.
It’s worth to remember that Pilot still remains as the only foursome who won the three competitions of the prestigious The Gauntlet Of Polo – CV Whitney Cup, USPA Gold Cup y US Open, which they did in the inaugural year of the series, 2019.
In addition what makes Pilot’s achievement even more remarkable is how they did it – while BTA stepped directly into the semifinals, through a 3-1 record in the league phase, Pilot had to go through a penalty shootout to secure a place in one of the two mini quarters, and beat no less than La Dolfina Tamera.
With regards to the final, Pilot handled it remarkably; they dominated the match and the scoreboard throughout the six chukkas of play, always remaining in the lead, although BTA battled to get closer – in the fourth chukka they shortened the gap to two goals, 8-10. But Pilot had other ideas in mind – in the two last chukkas, they held their contenders back and left them scoreless. Pilot outscored BTA 5-0, which led them to the 15-10 win to lift the coveted silver trophy.
The US Open, one of the three Grand Slams del Polo alongside the Argentine Open and the British Polo Open for the Cowdray Gold Cup, saw eleven teams up to 22 goals, partake. Teams were split in two leagues.
US OPEN – FINAL – SUNDAY APRIL 26
PILOT 15-10 BTA
Pilot: Curtis Pilot 0, Camilo Castagnola 10, Lorenzo Chavanne 6, Mackenzie Weisz 7. Total: 23.
BTA: Ignacio Viana 7, Tomás Panelo 10, KC Krueger 1, Steve Krueger 5. Total: 23.
Score Pilot: 4-1, 6-2, 8-5, 10-8, 13-10, 15-10.
Umpires: Jamie Mirikitani & Guillermo Villanueva.
Third man: Kaina Decoite.
MVP: Lorenzo Chavanne.
BPP: Texas, ridden by Lorenzo Chavanne.
US OPEN POLO CHAMPIONSHIP – Teams & Fixture
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.
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
Winners: Pilot.
Cover photo by Agustina Fonda.