The first leg of the Argentine Triple Crown is decided, and it went to the favourites. On Saturday 4 October, La Natividad La Dolfina beat UAE Polo 12-9 in the final of the 132nd Hurlingham Open.
The road to the final
The tournament started a day late because of rain, and then moved quickly. After a 29-4 win in their opener, La Natividad La Dolfina had to work much harder in the semi-final on 30 September, where they beat Ellerstina Indios Chapaleufú 13-12. It was the match many had picked as the tournament’s best, and it went down to the wire. UAE Polo’s route was smoother. They beat La Irenita La Hache 13-9 in the other semi-final on 1 October, having scored 21 goals against La Ensenada in the opening round.
- Semi-finals: La Natividad La Dolfina 13, Ellerstina Indios Chapaleufú 12; UAE Polo 13, La Irenita La Hache 9.
- Other matches on the same days: Los Machitos El Refugio beat La Hache Cría y Polo 18-14, and Sol de Agosto beat La Ensenada 19-17.
- Final: La Natividad La Dolfina 12, UAE Polo 9.
What it means
La Natividad La Dolfina, the 40-goal team of Adolfo and Poroto Cambiaso with Camilo and Bartolomé Castagnola, are the only team in the field at the maximum handicap, and the Hurlingham result confirms their status as favourites for the Triple Crown. UAE Polo, with a team built around Polito Pieres, Lukin Monteverde, Tomás Panelo and Juan Martín Nero, reached the final in impressive style and will be a threat in the two events to come.
Because every match in an Open starts at zero, there is no handicap cushion for either side, and a three-goal winning margin over a 37-goal team is a statement. The next leg is the Tortugas Open, which is due to start on 7 October, and the Argentine Open in Palermo follows later in the autumn.
Meanwhile in Virginia
Polo fans with an interest in the arena game should look across to the United States, where the II FIP Arena Polo World Championship starts on 5 October at Roseland Polo Club in Crozet, Virginia, and runs until the final on 12 October. It is the first time the championship has been held in the US, and six nations are taking part. We will report on it next Monday.
It is an exciting autumn for polo, with Argentina, Virginia and Palermo all in action, and we will keep you up to date on all of it.
Sources: ESPN Deportes, Abierto de Hurlingham 2025, PoloHub, FIP Arena Polo World Championship
