USPA WOMEN'S ARENA HANDICAP®
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Women’s arena competition has a recent history in the sport beginning with the creation of the Women’s Intercollegiate Championship in the late 1970s, followed by the Girls’ Interscholastic Championship in the early 1990s. With the exponential growth of women’s polo in recent years, the Association recognized the need for a national tournament celebrating the best of women’s arena competition. In 2017, the inaugural Women’s Arena Handicap competition was held simultaneously alongside the Women’s Arena Open.
In addition to being an important national tournament for women arena players beyond their schooling years, the playing of this tournament allows women the opportunity to connect and aspire to an even greater level of women’s arena competition.
Following back-to-back victories for Drumcliffe in 2017 and 2018, the USPA Women's Arena Handicap has awarded a new champion every year. Held exclusively in Virginia by Virginia Polo Inc. (Charlottesville, Virginia) and Twilight Polo Club (Middleburg, Virginia), 2023 marked the tournament's debut in the Lone Star State, hosted by Legends Polo Club in Kaufman, Texas. Recent titleholders include Rebellis (2020), Bad Ass Polo (2021), Marlon Farm (2022) and Elite Motion & Performance (2023).
As a national USPA arena event, the USPA Women’s Arena Open is a qualifying tournament for all amateur players -1 through 3 goals to earn points towards the National Arena Amateur Cup (NAAC). Points are based on the number of teams and team standing in each tournament. All points are awarded to each team member, not the team as a whole. Any qualifying tournaments occurring after September 29, 2024, will go towards earned points for 2025.
In 2023, Elite Motion & Performance (Stephanie Colburn, Amanda Massey, Megan Rahlfs) faced-off against 10X (Kelly Coldiron, Morgan McBride, Roxy Keyfauver). Adjusting to 10X’s early lead, Elite Motion & Performance’s flexibility was on full display in a spectacular second half comeback. Featuring offensive contributions from all three players, Elite Motion & Performance combined their balanced attack with the defensive discipline to emerge victorious 15-11. Read article here.
Featuring a dynamic field of newcomers and veterans, four teams will battle for the opportunity to engrave their name on the coveted trophy. Reigning champion Stephanie Colburn returns to the competition and will join forces with fellow Team USPA alumnae Tiamo Hudspeth for Wild Dog Polo fresh off their West Coast victory in the USPA Women's Arena Open. Defending victor Megan Rahlfs will attempt to deliver the title for Legends Polo Club, with Grand Central Polo Club and The Powerpuff Girls rounding out the talented competition.
Legends Polo Club will be taking advantage of the USPA's Tournament Support Program (TSP) for the USPA Women's Arena Handicap, which provides eligible USPA Member Clubs with waived tournament fees, trophies or trophy reimbursements up to $1,200, one professional umpire and $2,500 in prize money at no extra cost.
The USPA originally created the Tournament Stimulus Package (TSP) to help member clubs host USPA events when the United States was emerging from the first wave of the COVID-19 crisis. The USPA wanted to continue to support member clubs with TSP benefits in 2022. Therefore, it extended and expanded TSP under a new name - the Tournament Support Program. Each USPA Member Club can obtain TSP benefits for two USPA events, with the option of a third under specific circumstances.
Photo: 2023 USPA Women's Arena Handicap Champions: Elite Motion & Performance - Stephanie Colburn, Amanda Massey, Megan Rahlfs. ©David Murrell
