MONTY WATERBURY®
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The Monty Waterbury® is the third oldest official USPA trophy in active competition, named in honor of 10-goal polo immortal James "Monty" Waterbury. A member of The Wanderers polo team, which won polo's first U.S. Open Polo Championship® in 1904, he is also remembered as a member of the USA team known as the “Big Four,” that won five Westchester Cups against Great Britain.
In 1922, two years after his passing, his friends and teammates played for the first Monty Waterbury, at the Meadow Brook Club, in Westbury, Long Island, where it became a perpetual challenge trophy for an impressive 28-year stretch. Originally played for on handicap by teams entered in the U.S. Open, the final game for the U.S. Open Polo Championship was also the semifinal game for the Monty Waterbury. The inaugural games in 1922 boasted crowds of up to 20,000 people, who witnessed monumental eight chukker long battles. In 1954, the U.S. Open Polo Championship changed venues to Illinois, and the tournament was integrated into the Northeastern Circuit schedule, where it slowly receded into the background until its resurgence in 1975.
Temporarily relocating to the Greenwich Polo Club (Greenwich, Connecticut) in 2019, the Monty Waterbury was won by The Island House with a final score of 12-10 over Reelay. Not played for in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament found a new home in 2021 at Port Mayaca Polo Club (Okeechobee, Florida), where Old Hickory Bourbon (Matias Magrini, Cody Ellis, Santino Magrini, Stevie Orthwein) captured the Monty Waterbury® 8-7 over Postage Stamp Farm (Annabelle Gundlach, Facundo Obregon, Mariano Aguerre, Matias Gonzalez).
In 2022, four teams will battle to inscribe their names on the prestigious trophy, including Old Hickory Bourbon's reigning champions Matias Magrini and Stevie Orthwein who will be joined by Harry Caldwell and Joaquin Panelo in their efforts to defend the title. Continuing 18-goal play in the 2022 season at Port Mayaca Polo Club, three teams (Infinit, Old Hickory Bourbon and Beverly Polo), are fresh off competing in the Butler Handicap®, where Beverly Polo defeated Old Hickory Bourbon 10-7, and will be joined by newcomer CK Shack to round out the talented competition.
Lucas Diaz Alberdi (La Fe), Joaquin Panelo, Matias Magrini, Stevie Orthwein (Old Hickory Bourbon), Henry Porter and Martin "Facha" Valent (CK Shack) can also be seen competing in the second leg of the 2022 GAUNTLET OF POLO®'s USPA Gold Cup®.
Photo: 2021 Monty Waterbury® Champions: Old Hickory Bourbon- Matias Magrini, Cody Ellis, Santino Magrini, Stevie Orthwein. ©David Lominska
