U.S. OPEN WOMEN'S POLO CHAMPIONSHIP®
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship has a profound history dating back to the 1930s in California. The first women’s U.S. Open tournament was presented by the United States Women’s Polo Association (U.S.W.P.A) in 1937 at Golden Gate Field in San Francisco, California. Riviera (Louise Tracey, Dorothy Rodgers, Audrey Scott, Ruth Cropp) defeated Santa Barbara 9-4 to capture the inaugural title. The U.S.W.P.A., the first and only women’s polo association in the history of American polo, created a women’s handicapping system mirroring that of the men, with one 9-goal player and several 8-goal players. The U.S.W.P.A. played eight to 10 tournaments a year accumulating 300 members and 25 clubs in its 10-year tenure. At the onset of World War II however, the women focused their attention towards the war effort.
Women were officially welcomed into the United States Polo Association (USPA) in 1972 with Sue Sally Hale becoming one of the first woman members. The modern U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship competition did not resurface until the early 1990s.
On the centennial anniversary of the USPA in 1990, a U.S. Women’s Open was officially sanctioned and held at Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Appropriately, Hale along with her two daughters, Sunny and Stormie captured the title with teammate Caroline Anier. In an electrifying overtime match, Empire defeated Palmera Hanalei Bay 10-9, with Anier scoring the sudden-death goal in the seventh chukker.
After a few years of competition at Empire Polo Club, U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship competition once again lost momentum. It was officially recognized as a national tournament in 2011, and was hosted at Houston Polo Club (Houston, Texas) until it found a permanent home in South Florida in 2018. Recent champions since relocating to the Sunshine State include Hawaii Polo Life (2019, 2020, 2022), BTA/The Villages (2021) and La Fe (2023).
In 2024, 90210 Polo (Mia Cambiaso, Meghan Gracida, Catalina Lavinia, Winifred Branscum) facd-off against Buena Vibra (Milly Hine, Clara Seppe, Cory Williams, Valentina Tarazona). A game decided primarily from the penalty line, Buena Vibra’s Hine converted nine times to grant the ladies in hot pink the upper hand. Despite 90210 Polo’s Cambiaso posting two points off penalties in the fifth chukker to steal the lead, Buena Vibra proved unstoppable, with Hine and Seppe securing another three goals to defeat 90210 Polo, 13-11 and gallop away with $25,000 in prize money. Read article here.
The most prestigious tournament in women’s polo in the United States, the 2025 U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship presented by the Brad and Kathy Coors Foundation, will be hosted by Port Mayaca Polo Club (PMPC) in Okeechobee, Florida. Preliminary games will take place at PMPC, with the semifinals held at the National Polo Center - Wellington (NPC) and the final slated for Sunday, February 9, on U.S. Polo Assn. Field One at NPC. All games will be livestreamed exclusively on the USPA Polo Network. Additionally, the final will be available on the ESPN family of brands. Check your local listings for times and channels.
This year's edition will feature many familiar faces and past champions spanning six talented teams including BTA/Lazy 3, Buena Vibra, La Dolfina, La Fe Eastern Hay, Mint Eco Car Wash and North Star. Reigning champions Valentina Tarazona and Milly Hine will return to defend their tile for Buena Vibra with new additions Giuliana Tarazona and Candelaria "Cande" Fernandez-Araujo. Fielding two 10-goalers in the competition, former tournament champions Hazel Jackson (North Star) and Hope Arellano (La Fe Eastern Hay) will each attempt to return to the podium with their respective teams for the first time since 2023. 2024 finalist Mia Cambiaso will vie for her fourth (2019, 2020, 2022) U.S. Open Women's Polo Championship title with La Dolfina, as Mint Eco Car Wash's Kylie Sheehan seeks her second victory (2021) alongside former victor (2019, 2020) and 9-goaler Carina "Nina" Clarkin. Previously capturing the championship in 2021, KC Krueger will seek to lead BTA/Lazy 3 back to the top of the elite competition. Representing Team USPA is Active Member Hope Arellano (La Fe Eastern Hay) and alumna Kylie Sheehan (Mint Eco Car Wash).
The U.S. Open Women's Polo Championship prize money and breakdown will be forthcoming. U.S. Polo Assn. will continue to encourage the spirit of philanthropy this winter season by providing $2,500 to both the winning team and the runner-up to donate to the polo charity of their choice.
Photo: 2024 U.S. Open Women's Polo Championship Winners: Buena Vibra - Valentina Tarazona, Cory Williams, Clara Seppe, Milly Hine. ©David Lominska
