La Dolfina Tamera and BTA secured wins in the opening day of the most significant tournament of both The Gauntlet of Polo and the United States, the US Open Polo Championship. The contest started on Wednesday March 26, at the National Polo Center, in Wellington, Florida United States, and sees twelve teams up to 22 goals, compete. Teams are split in four leagues.
In the first match, La Dolfina Tamera bounced back after trailing in the two first chukkas, to claim a 9-7 win over Globalport. Up next, BTA defeated Clearwater 13-9. The second clash saw changes within their lineups – Clearwater’s Raúl Colombres, was replaced by Felipe Vercelino while Max Torokvel subbed in for Kelly Beal, in BTA.
The US Open will resume with the following schedule:
- Thursday March 27
12pm: Pilot vs. The Setai
- Friday March 28
12pm: Brookshire vs. Coca Cola
2pm: La Dolfina Catamount vs. Park Place
4pm: La Fe Eastern Hay vs. Dutta Corp
(Palm Beach times)
US Open Polo Championship – Teams & Fixture
The US Open Polo Championship, the crown jewel of polo in the United States, was played for the first time in 1904, with only two teams in competition The Wanderers and The Freeboters. They played at Van Conrtlandt Park, in the Bronx borough of New York City. Four 15-minute chukkers were played, with a seven-minute break between each chukker. There was a pause, and the tournament was 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 U.S. 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. It was in the centenary year when the US Open 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.
2025 THE GAUNTLET OF POLO 2025 – TEAMS
BTA: Ignacio Viana 7, Kelly Beal 0, Steve Kruger 5, Tomás Panelo 10. Total: 22.
Brookshire: Camilo Castagnola 10, Toly Ulloa 7, Scott Wood 0, Carlos Saravi 5. Total: 22.
Catamount: Jesse Bray 7, Poroto Cambiaso 10, Rufino Merlos 5, Scott Devon 0. Total: 22.
Clearwater: Chip Campbell 1 **, Camp Campbell 2*, Gerónimo Obregón* 5, Joaquín Panelo 6 **, Paquito de Narvaez 7, Raúl Colombres 7. Total: 22.
*Only play the CV Whitney Cup //**Only play the USPA Gold Cup and theUS Open
Coca Cola: Gillian Johnston 0, Julián de Lusarreta 7, Lorenzo Chavanne 6, Polito Pieres 9. Total: 22.
Global Port: Bartolomé Castagnola Jr. 10, Santos Merlos 6, Lucas Díaz Alberdi 6, Michael Romero 0. Total: 22.
La Fe: Francisco Elizalde 9, Kristos Magrini 6, Louis Devaleix 1, Robi Bilbao 5. Total: 21.
Park Place: Andrey Borodin 0, Hilario Ulloa 10, Peke Gonzalez 7, TBA 5. Total: 22.
Pilot: Cody Ellis 5, Curtis Pilot 0, Facundo Pieres 9, Matías Torres Zavaleta 8. Total: 22.
Tamera: Adolfo Cambiaso 10, Alejandro Poma 1, Diego Cavanagh 7, TBA 4. Total: 22.
The Setai*: Melissa Ganzi 0, Nic Roldán 7, Gonzalo Pieres Jr. 8, Santiago Toccalino 7. Total: 22.
*Only play the US Open.
The Dutta Corp: Iñaki Laprida 7, Nicolás Díaz Alberdi 4, Timmy Dutta 4, Tomás García del Río 7. Total: 22.
2025 THE GAUNTLET OF POLO – CALENDAR
CV WHITNEY CUP – Winners: La Dolfina Tamera
February 8-23
USPA GOLD CUP – Winners: Park Place
February 27-March 23
US OPEN
March 26-April 20
Cover photo by Agustina Fonda.