On Sunday, April 23, Park Place and Valiente will go head-to-head for the heralded U.S. Open Polo Championship title at the National Polo Center – Wellington (NPC). The crown jewel of the Florida high-goal season, the U.S. Open Polo Championship also serves as the third leg in the Gauntlet of Polo, with Valiente previously calming the first leg of the Gauntlet, the C.V. Whitney Cup. First introduced in 2019, neither team has won the U.S. Open Polo Championship under the Gauntlet series, with Park Place still aiming for their first title and Valiente seeking a return to the podium for the first time since 2017.
Playing 12 (Valiente) and 11 (Park Place) games respectively, both teams enter the U.S. Open Polo Championship final undefeated in the tournament, sweeping the competition to earn their spot in the coveted finale. Each featuring a 10-goal player in Adolfo Cambiaso (Valiente) and Hilario Ulloa (Park Place) Park Place and Valiente have accumulated explosive offensive numbers throughout the season, however, their path to success in the Gauntlet have led them to the final showdown in different ways.
Park Place is currently ranked 2nd in field goals and 4th in penalty goals, with Ulloa racking up an astonishing 84 goals to place him third in the Gauntlet. Also ranked 2nd in shooting at 46%, Park Place elects to shoot early and often, frequently crippling their opponents offensively in the first half of play. Valiente enters the final ranked 7th in field goals but 1st overall in penalty goals. Earning an average of 6 goals per game in conversions, Valiente’s 83% shooting at the line demonstrates their ability to strategically draw fouls and capitalize from the line as means to dictate the pace of the match.
Complementing the generational talent on the field, two of the sport’s most established organizations also bring elite equine athletes to the 22-goal level. Consistently outpowering the competition, Park Place’s Hilario Ulloa’s “Lavinia Irupe,” “Latia Kavaska” and “Lavinia Irupe” have all claimed Best Playing Pony awards, with “Latia Kavaska” and “Lavinia Irupe” receiving the prestigious honor twice. Prepared to match the horseflesh of Park Place, Valiente brings the experience and worldwide prestige of the La Dolfina and J5 Equestrian breeding operations. Accumulating eight Best Playing Pony awards between the two organizations, three of the honors have been earned by Adolfo Cambiaso for “Dolfina Lapa C07,” “Dolfina Nostalgia” and “J5/Dolfina Squirrel.”
Each bringing the firepower from the field and the barn, the highly anticipated match-up between Park Place and Valiente promises a thrilling battle of elite talent, strength and determination fit to crown a champion.
Photo Credit: David Lominska