The American winter season is picking up pace. The US Open Women’s Polo Championship began on Wednesday 28 January at Port Mayaca Polo Club, with seven teams rated up to 23 goals, and the semi-finals and final will move to the National Polo Center in Wellington.
The first results
La Dolfina opened with a 7-4 win over Las Brisas. On 29 January Buena Vibra and Victory/Eastern Hay both won, and on 30 January Las Brisas bounced back by beating Don George. La Dolfina next faced Flying H on Tuesday 3 February.
The story of the week was a debut. Fourteen-year-old Mora Castagnola played her first US Open Women’s match for La Dolfina, alongside Mia and Myla Cambiaso and Micaela Saracco. She is the daughter of Gula Castagnola and the sister of Dante, and the cousin of Barto and Jeta Castagnola. Her mother, María Chavanne, runs the La Dolfinita school where Mora learned the game. It is a very polo family tree.
Buena Vibra, the two-time consecutive champions, are back to defend their title, so this is going to be competitive from start to finish.
Also in the news
Dubai’s Al Habtoor Polo Resort hosted the 16th Silver Cup, which Habtoor Polo won. It is part of a busy winter in the Gulf that leads to the Gold Cup final in mid-February.
The 2026 Gauntlet of Polo
The National Polo Center has confirmed the 22-goal circuit. It consists of three tournaments in a row, and winning all three earns a place in history as Gauntlet champion.
- C.V. Whitney Cup: 11 February to 1 March
- USPA Gold Cup: 4 to 29 March
- U.S. Open Polo Championship: from 1 April, with the final on 26 April
Ten teams are on the confirmed list, including Pilot (Curtis Pilot, Camilo Castagnola, Lorenzo Chavanne and Mackenzie Weisz), The Dutta Corp (Pipe Miguens, Lucas Díaz Alberdi, Facundo Llosa and Tim Dutta), Scone (David Paradice, Poroto Cambiaso, Rufino Merlos and Jesse Bray) and The Dolfina Tamera, built around Adolfo Cambiaso and Alejandro Poma. Coca-Cola, Clinova, Park Place and others make up the field.
It is shaping up to be an open Gauntlet. Pilot and the Dolfina sides will be the ones to catch, but the Dutta Corp has been quietly building a young, aggressive team. We will report on every final as it happens.
Sources: Polo Times, Polo Press (Gauntlet teams), Polo Press (Mora Castagnola)
