US Open Women’s Polo Championship | Match Report
A week of high-calibre women’s polo hosted by Port Mayaca Polo Club (Okeechobee, Florida), culminated in the illustrious U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship, presented by Eastern Hay, where two top England players went head-to-head for the title. The final, which took place Sunday, 19 March at the National Polo Center in Wellington, Florida, marked a historic moment in the elite competition. For the first time, the final was held as the featured Sunday match on the legendary U.S. Polo Assn. Field One.
Despite looming rain in the forecast, the most prestigious women’s cup in American polo pitted competition newcomer La Fe (Winifred Branscum, Pamela Flanagan, Hope Arellano, and England’s Hazel Jackson) against returning contender Dundas (Ana de la Fuente, Erica Gandomcar-Sachs, Mia Cambiaso, and England’s Nina Clarkin) with $40,000 in prize money on the line. Relying on non-stop offensive firepower, especially from 8-goal American Arellano, La Fe launched an impressive effort that ended in a dominant 12-6 first-time victory for the team in orange.
Team tactics pay off
Speaking to their team’s preparation for the tournament, Flanagan shared, “Our team has been working together since the beginning of the season. We did a 6-goal together, we have done team workouts together with Chukker Wellness before and after every game, and in-between games. We’ve been having team meetings multiple times a week with Julio Arellano. We set up penalties for each other on off-days, we work together harder, I think than any other team. So, I think that’s what made the difference for us.”
Jackson added, “I’ve been here about two months roughly—basically just for today. I’ve tried hundreds of horses and looking for them left, right and centre. I’ve been in the gym every single day; we’ve had India from Chukker Wellness. Yesterday, I played 10 chukkers and had an hour personal training with her to do reaction timing. In the evening we had a team meeting. You can imagine the amount of work and effort we’re putting into it. I’m so pleased that it paid off.”
Discussing their team’s strategy for the final, Jackson continued, “The main thing for us was ‘initiate.’ Initiate the defense first, and then attack. Our plan was supposed to be much more disciplined with the man, and then we go on attack.” “They’re all extremely well mounted,” Arellano noted, recognizing specific strengths La Fe looked out for in Dundas. “So playing against them, we knew we were going to have to get them early to cut the horse factor as much as we could.” Flanagan added, “In my opinion, they’re one of the most talented teams in the tournament. Mia and Nina are a force to be reckoned with.”
Making a mid-game comeback
Despite struggling at the beginning, La Fe had a clear plan they strived to achieve. “We really wanted to open it up,” Arellano commented. “It’s really kind of me and Hazel’s style to hit and run. So going into this game we were like, ‘let’s hit, let’s run, let’s spread the field.’ Playing on Field One, we really got to open it up—play our game. When we got our runs, the plan was for one of us to always stay back. We didn’t really do that so well in the first two but we got it together.”
Regrouping, La Fe’s Arellano and Jackson hammered in six combined goals between the third and fourth chukkers—shutting Dundas out completely. La Fe now firmly in the lead 9-4 heading into the fifth chukker, Dundas attempted to ignite a comeback effort late in the game, but two goals from Cambiaso were met by goals from Jackson, Arellano and Flanagan in the fifth and sixth. As time expired, La Fe’s unwavering efforts were rewarded with a commanding 12-6 win and first U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship title.
‘She’s the best player in the world’
Thankful that all of their hard work paid off, Jackson stated, “Today meant a lot. To be honest, it’s been a real long road to get here, and it’s been so much organization and so much work behind the scenes to get to here. So, to bring the win home today has just been phenomenal.”
For her impressive six-goal performance, Hope Arellano was named Most Valuable Player. Praising Arellano’s skill, Jackson noted, “For me right now, she’s the best player in the world. I feel like she’s got much more talent than myself. I think Nina’s incredible, but I think Hope has got some things which I haven’t seen in other young girls. It’s amazing.”
Arellano’s second chukker spare and sixth chukker horse, 9-year-old Macumba, was presented Best Playing Pony honours. “Macumba is a mare that I purchased from Matias Magrini. He actually sent her to me to play her and sell her. I ended up falling in love with her,” said Arellano. She continued, “At the moment I bought her, she wasn’t one of my best horses, and now she’s turned into one of my top five. Every time she goes onto the field, she gives me her whole heart and more. Anything I ask her, she goes into. She never second guesses me, even probably when I should be second guessed. I love her heart, she’s won me over with her heart.”
Notably, this year also marked the first time the prestigious women’s competition has been played as the featured Sunday match on U.S. Polo Assn. Field One at the National Polo Center. A momentous accomplishment and step for women’s polo, Flanagan beamed, “This is a historic moment for women’s polo,” Flanagan beamed. “This is huge for the women, and I hope it stays like this for years to come. It’s an uphill battle, but we’re here, we made it. I think we put on a great show. It means a lot for me personally, not just to play here and win here, but also for all of women’s polo. It shows how it’s growing and how people are taking it seriously, and I’m just proud to be a part of that.”
Pictures by David Lominska/US Polo.
