Park Place Wins First-Ever U.S. Open Championship Title Over Valiente with a Score of 12-11
WELLINGTON, FL / ACCESSWIRE / April 26, 2023 / The 2023 U.S. Open Polo Championship® has officially closed out the American high-goal polo season at the USPA National Polo Center (NPC) – Wellington, the sport’s premier destination, with a thrilling win by Team Park Place over Team Valiente in a score of 12-11, with more than $200,000 awarded to finalists in the 2023 tournament season.
Photo Credit: Alex Pacheco
The U.S. Open Polo Championship is recognized as being the most prestigious tournament in the United States and showcases some of the world’s best polo players and equine athletes. Played at the U.S. Polo Assn. Stadium at NPC, the U.S. Open final achieved record attendance and aired to a record global audience across multiple ESPN platforms.
In the action-packed final game, which was interrupted at half-time by heavy downpours on Sunday, April 23, and finished Monday, April 24, Valiente, led by Adolfo Cambiaso, played Park Place, led by Hilario Ulloa. The game was neck and neck, where ultimately Park Place prevailed in the closing minutes of the sixth chukker as Ulloa received a pass from teammate Juan Britos and ran the ball up the field to put his team up by one, guaranteeing the win. This amazing play gave Park Place their very first U.S. Open Polo Championship title with a final score of 12-11, taking home $100,000 in addition to the highly coveted trophy.
“Congratulations to Park Place and their Captain Hilario Ulloa for this incredible win, and their first-time U.S. Open Polo Championship title, as well as to Valiente and Adolfo Cambiaso for such a well-fought game and tournament overall,” said Stewart Armstrong, Chairman of the USPA. “The USPA is proud to have such outstanding players, teams and equine partners, and we are grateful to the partners and supporters who made this season possible.”
“With such exciting and high-profile polo events ranging from the XII Federation of International Polo (FIP) World Polo Championship and the historic Westchester Cup to the U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship and the U.S. Open Men’s Polo Championship, among many more great games, the 2023 polo season proved to be both a record-breaking and unforgettable season,” added Armstrong.
U.S. Polo Assn., the official brand of the United States Polo Association, donated to the finalists’ charities of choice, including the following: Homes for Horses Coalition, Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame, Polo for Life, Polo Players Support Group, Polo Pony Rescue, Polo Training Foundation, Replay Polo, Retired Racehorse Project, Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center, and Work to Ride Program.
“We are proud to partner with the United States Polo Association, the National Polo Center, ESPN and Palm Beach County to increase exposure and create more fans for the sport of polo, locally and around the world, where the U.S. Polo Assn. brand is available,” says J. Michael Prince, President and CEO of USPA Global Licensing Inc., which manages the multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand. “U.S. Polo Assn. is also so honored to support the U.S. Open Polo Championship and so many important and deserving polo-based charities,” Prince added.
Watch the re-broadcast of the U.S. Open Polo Championship on ESPNews on Saturday, April 29. Check your local listing for air times.
This U.S. Open final marked the end of the first full season at NPC since its landmark purchase by the USPA in the Fall of 2022. Fans can buy U.S. Open Polo Championship® official merchandise at USPAPro.
About U.S. Polo Assn.
U.S. Polo Assn. is the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), the nonprofit governing body for the sport of polo in the United States and one of the oldest sports governing bodies, having been founded in 1890. With a multi-billion-dollar global footprint and worldwide distribution through some 1,100 U.S. Polo Assn. retail stores and thousands of department stores as well as sporting goods channels, independent retailers and e-commerce, U.S. Polo Assn. offers apparel for men, women, and children, as well as accessories and footwear in more than 190 countries worldwide. U.S. Polo Assn. was named one of the top five sports licensors in 2022, according to License Global. Visit uspoloassnglobal.com and follow @uspoloassn.
USPA Global Licensing Inc. (USPAGL) is the for-profit subsidiary of the USPA and its exclusive worldwide licensor. USPAGL manages the global, multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand and is the steward of the USPA’s intellectual properties, providing the sport with a long-term source of revenue. Through its subsidiary, Global Polo Entertainment (GPE), USPAGL also manages Global Polo TV, which provides polo, sport and lifestyle content. A historic, multiyear, global arrangement has been signed by USPAGL and ESPN for the world’s leading sports content provider to air many of the top championship polo games in the U.S., allowing millions of global sports fans and consumers to enjoy the sport across ESPN’s broadcast and streaming platforms. For more sport content, visit globalpolo.com.
About the United States Polo Association® (USPA)
The United States Polo Association was organized and exists for the purposes of promoting the game of polo, coordinating the activities of its Member Clubs and Registered Players, arranging and supervising polo tournaments, competitions and games, and providing rules, handicaps, and conditions for those tournaments, competitions, and games including the safety and welfare of participants and mounts. Founded in 1890, the USPA is the national governing body for the sport of polo. The USPA is currently comprised of almost 200 member clubs with thousands of individual members and oversees 40 national tournaments. For more information, please visit uspolo.org.
Contact Information
Shannon Stilson
VP, Sports Marketing & Media
sstilson@uspagl.com
+001.561.227.6994
Stacey Kovalsky
Senior Director, Global Communications
skovalsky@uspagl.com
+001.561.790.8036
SOURCE: United States Polo Association