The Triple Crown is now one tournament away for La Natividad La Dolfina. On Thursday 30 October, in the rescheduled final of the Tortugas Open, they beat Ellerstina Indios Chapaleufú 12-11 to add the second leg to the Hurlingham Open they won four weeks earlier.
A one-goal final
The final paired the two teams who had won their zones without losing, and it did not disappoint. A margin of one goal between La Natividad La Dolfina and Ellerstina echoed the 13-12 Hurlingham semi-final between the same teams, and in both matches the Cambiaso and Castagnola side came out on top.
- Tortugas Open final: La Natividad La Dolfina 12, Ellerstina Indios Chapaleufú 11
- Hurlingham Open final: La Natividad La Dolfina 12, UAE Polo 9
It was the 85th edition of the Tortugas Open, which has been played at the Tortugas Country Club in Tortuguitas since 1930. The tournament ran from 10 October, and the final was pushed back to the 30th, which makes it a long competition by Argentine standards. All the matches were shown live on Disney+ Premium Plan.
Palermo is next
The Argentine Open in Palermo, the 132nd edition, began on Saturday 1 November, and it is the third and final leg of the Triple Crown. It uses two zones, A and B, and builds towards semi-finals and a final in early December. La Natividad La Dolfina, who won last year’s Palermo final as La Natividad against La Dolfina, are now the team everyone wants to beat.
The Palermo grounds have a long history. The tournament was first held in 1893 as the River Plate Polo Championship and became the Campeonato Argentino Abierto in 1923, so there is a century and more of tradition behind every match.
What to look for
- Whether Ellerstina can turn near-misses into a win in the Palermo final.
- How UAE Polo, beaten in the Hurlingham final, bounce back.
- Whether anyone can stop a 40-goal team from completing the Triple Crown.
We will follow Palermo closely through November. It is, as ever, the best polo in the world, and it is always worth watching.
Sources: ESPN Deportes, Abierto de Tortugas 2025, ESPN Deportes, Triple Corona 2025
