Youngest team wins US Open Women’s Polo Championship
WELLINGTON — Buena Vibra had to wait a week but it was worth it after winning the rain-delayed U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship Friday at the National Polo Center.
The youngest team in the tournament rallied in the sixth chukker to defeat 90210, 13-11, in front of a good crowd to win its Open debut on U.S. Polo Assn Field One. The final was rained out last Sunday and rescheduled a week later.
The foursome of 1-goaler Valentina Tarazona, 4-goaler Cory Williams and 8-goalers Clara Cassino and Milly Hine was the only team to finish the eightteam tournament, presented by Brad and Kathy Coors Foundation, undefeated (5-0), winning $17,000 in prize money.
At 13, Tarazona is the youngest player to win the Women’s U.S. Open, breaking Hope Arellano’s six-year record at age 14. Last year at 12 the Colombian was one of the youngest to compete in the Open as a sub.
“It feels amazing, I am so overjoyed and so happy to be here, I can’t believe this,” Tarazona said. “It means a lot to me to be the youngest player. When I was little, I looked up to Hope. Her being 14 and playing was incredible to me. She has been a big inspiration. I dreamed about playing the Open since I was a little girl. I played with really fun teammates. It was the best experience ever.”
Hine, the leading scorer with a teamhigh eight goals, all on penalty conversions, was Most Valuable Player. Dolfina Ceniza, played by Mia Cambiaso, oldest daughter of polo great Adolfo Cambiaso, was Best Playing Pony.
“It was so far away, I almost forgot I had to play,” Hine said about the rescheduled game. “I kept thinking it’s a week and then it was like, ‘Oh my God, it’s tomorrow.’
“We met last week for what we thought was going to be the final. We met last night again like we do before every game. It was the same plan. We have been playing well every game. We went out there and showed them what we were capable of and enjoyed it. We deserved to be here.”
The players, wearing pink jerseys, were greeted with pink smoke near the players’ tent as they rode off the field after the game.
Going into the final chukker, 90210 led 11-10. Cassino scored back-to-back goals tying the game following up a missed tail shot by Williams and scoring again to give Buena Vibra a 12-11 lead with 1:11 left. Hine then scored an insurance goal with a 30-yard penalty conversion. It was the first time all four players won a U.S. Open title.
“To win this kind of final is a dream,” Cassino said. “This is what I have been dreaming my whole life playing this kind of tournament with these teams, players and organizations. Winning is the best thing that can happen to a polo player.
“I think the most important thing are the horses. It’s not easy to play against that organization. We needed a good strategy and to know what we were going to do. We needed to be very wellprepared and what we needed to do for this final.”
Winnie Branscum of 90201, subbing for patron Sarah Siegel-Magness, 4goaler Meghan Gracida, 7-goaler Catalina Lavinia and 8-goaler Mia Cambiaso finished the tournament with a 3-2 record and won $8,000.
Buena Vibra, which means “good vibes,” knocked off defending champion La Fe (Naomi Tachibana Marlough, Hanan Fadil, Hope Arellano, Hazel Jackson), 10-9, in a penalty-riddled semifinal.
In addition to Hine’s eight goals, Cassino had four goals, including two in the final chukker. Cambiaso led 90210 with eight goals, including five penalty conversions.
Work To Ride/Grand Champions, sponsored by Grand Champions Polo Club President Melissa Ganzi, was eliminated in the semifinals by 90210, 10-7, ending Shariah Harris’ historymaking journey. The Work To Ride alum was the first Black woman to compete in the Women’s U.S. Open.
“As a team, I am extremely proud of us,” Harris said. “A month or two ago, we didn’t even know if all of us were going to be playing together.
“For us to come together so last minute and make it to the semis and to have a real shot at making it to the final I think is definitely something we should be proud of. The amount of growth we had from our very first game together to now is crazy. It was quite a ride.”