It was a busy weekend for finals on three continents. Here is how they finished.
US Open Women’s Championship: Victory/Eastern Hay
On Sunday 15 February, Victory/Eastern Hay beat La Dolfina 7-5 in the final at the National Polo Center in Wellington. The champions were Becky Schmeits, Aspen Tinto, Hazel Jackson and Milly Hine, rated at 22 goals. La Dolfina fielded Myla Cambiaso, Micaela Saracco, Mia Cambiaso and Mora Castagnola, also 22 goals, so the handicaps could not have been closer.
The win was Milly Hine’s third consecutive US Open Women’s title. Hazel Jackson was named most valuable player, and the best playing pony was Bancada, ridden by Hine. The tournament began on 28 January with seven teams and dates back to the 1930s, so this is a real piece of American polo history. Victory/Eastern Hay had already won the Women’s Gold Cup at Port Mayaca, which makes this a very strong winter for them.
Dubai Gold Cup: Dubai Wolves
On Saturday 14 February, Dubai Wolves beat UAE 11-8 in the Dubai Gold Cup final at the Al Habtoor Polo Resort and Club. The winners were Habtoor Al Habtoor, Cesar Crespo, Santiago Laborde and Felix Esain, with Esain named MVP and his mare Only Caravina taking best playing pony. UAE, six-time past winners, were chasing a seventh title, and their line-up included Sheikha Maitha and Lukin Monteverde.
Earlier in the day, Habtoor beat Ghantoot 11-7 in the Bentley Cup.
Milford New Zealand Polo Open: Standing Rock
At the Auckland Polo Club in Clevedon, Standing Rock beat The Brinks 16-13 in the final of the 49th Milford New Zealand Polo Open. The teams were level at 7-7 after three chukkas. Jimbo Fewster scored 12 goals for the winners, which was enough to win him MVP. Kahu, owned by Alex Richardson, was best playing pony.
That is Standing Rock’s third big title of the year, following the two Alpine snow events in January. It is a team with a global schedule, and it will be interesting to see where they appear next.
This week
- The C.V. Whitney Cup continues its pool play in Wellington, with nine teams in three brackets.
- The Ylvisaker Cup, the second NPC 16-Goal qualifier, continues in Wellington.
We will have a full update on both next week.
Sources: Polo Times (US Open Women’s), Polo Times (Dubai Gold Cup), Polo Times (Milford Open)
