Cheateau D’esclans wins Sunny Hale’s Legacy title
WELLINGTON — With three talented teenagers, Chateau D’esclans won the Sunny Hale’s Legacy WCT Final Tournament with a 7-3 victory over CrossFit El Cid Sunday at Grand Champions Polo Club.
Ten-goaler Nina Clarkin of Great Britain and teammates Mia Cambiaso, 16, Mia Novillo Astrada, 17, and Riley Ganzi, 18, a senior at St. Andrew’s School, dominated the game from startto-finish.
After three chukkers, Chateau D’esclans led CrossFit El Cid (Paige McCabe, Cecelia Cochran, Tiffany Busch, Sarah Wiseman), 7-1, after three chukkers.
“The girls just were fantastic,Iam so proud ofthem,” Clarkin said. “It’s exciting to see such talent coming through and that I can be here to help them along the way. They are young, talented players with big futures.
“I think Sunny would be really pleased how far the polo here has come and what sort of talent is here.”
Chateau D’esclans, the lowest handicap team rated at 21 goals, advanced into the final with impressive roundrobin qualifying wins over CrossFit El Cid, 8-5, and San Saba, 11-2.
“I think Sunny would be so happy especially because we have all been playing at her junior levels and now we are playing in the open,” Ganzi said. “It’s crazy that we have gone this far. I wish she could be here to watch us today. I think she would be really proud.”
Clarkin earned the tournament’s Most Valuable Player and Captain awards. Cambiaso, winner of the inaugural Women’s Argentine Open with Clarkin, and daughter of 10-goal great Adolfo Cambiaso, was named the game MVP.
Clarkin and Cambiaso each scored three goals. Astrada added one. Tiffany Busch scored all three goals for CrossFit El Cid.
The tournament is named in honor of legendary Hall of Famer Sunset “Sunny” Hale. Hale,the first woman in U.S. history to win the U.S. Open in 2000 with Outback and a part-time Wellington resident who died February 26, 2017 in Norman, Oklahoma, due to complications from cancer. She was 48.
“Sunny was my idol and inspiration,” Clarkin said. “I remember one of the first ladies tournaments I played I was 16 or 17 and thinking, ‘Wow, she’s a dream and I want to play and go like her.’ As we went around the circuit, we became friends and I was constantly inspired by her — her talent, dedication and drive and also what a great person she was.”
The WCT Final, the only women’s polo event of its kind, is the largest women’s polo league in the world. Women’s polo remains the fastest-growing sector in polo.
After a year’s hiatus, the WCT Final attracted a Who’s Who of women players, with 28 women competing at three levels of play.
“This was Sunny’s mission, to create a women’s polo venue where the girls could bring their polo up,” said WCT Ambassador Joanne Smicklas. “She remains an inspiration to other women who are determined to achieve their goals with grace and dignity.
“The players were so excited to play in the WCT for Sunny’s legacy. They loved her and want to support everything she did for them getting to play this level of polo.”
In the 8-goal championship, Grand Champions, led by MVP Malia Bryan, defeated Catena, 5.5-0, and in the 16-goal title game, G-String/Amista Polo, led by MVP Hope Arellano, defeated Hawaii Polo Life, 3.5-3.