2025 United States Polo Association Women’s Polo Open
Here’s a recap of the Women’s Open Polo Championship at the National Polo Center in Wellington, Florida with Dr. Gregory Beroza, aka HorseDoc ‘Talking Horses,’ produced by WuzUpDoc Media.
The 2025 United States Polo Association Women’s Polo Open was played on Field One at the National Polo Center in Wellington, Florida on Sunday, February 9, 2025. The match pitted the top two teams that survived a round-robin competition of six 22-Goal teams consisting of the best female polo players. Last year’s 2024 Championship Team Buena Vibra defended its title against the 2023 Champion La Fe Eastern Hay. The teams were competing for $25,000 in prize money. The match was a nail-bitter, and the results were historic!
Half time divot stomping. Photo by GBeroza.
Team Buena Vibra won a semi-final elimination battle against Team Mint Eco Car Wash on Thursday, February 6th with a score of eight to six. Team Buena Vibra consisted of #1) Giuliano Tarazona, two goals; #2) Valentina Tarazona, two goals; #3) Candelaria ‘Cande’ Fernandez-Araujo, nine goals, and, #4) Milly Hine, nine goals as Captain. This was Cande’s first US Open Women’s Polo Championship.
Team La Fe Eastern Hay also previously won its semi-final elimination competition against Team North Star on Thursday, February 6th with a score of 11 to nine. Team La Fe-Eastern Hay players were #1) Naomi Tachibana Marlough, two-goals; Pamela Flanagan Devaleix, four goals; #3)Hope Arellano, 10 goals; and, Fatima Balzano, six goals.
Teams Le Fe Eastern Hay and Buena Vibra. Photo by GBeroza.
Buena Vibra started slowly while Team La Fe Eastern Hay’s Hope Arellano dominated the scoring for the first three 7.5-minute chukkers of the half. La Fe Eastern Hay led throughout all three early chukkers with scores of 4-1, 6-3, and 7-5 to end the game’s first half maintaining their lead. In the second half, Buena Vibra came back strong, scoring three consecutive goals in the fourth of six chukkers. With 2:54 minutes remaining in the fourth chukker, Milly Hine scored the team’s eighth goal, tying the game score for the first time.
With 6:45 minutes remaining in the fifth chukker, Hine scored a penalty goal allowing Buena Vibra to take the lead at 9:8 for the first time. Buena Vibra continued to outscore La Fe Eastern Hay at 3-1 goals in the final chukker, with the game’s final score being Buena Vibra 12 to La Fe Eastern Hay’s 9 goals.
Team Buena Vibra. Photo by GBeroza.
Hine finished the game with eight total goals, including several penalty conversions. Buena Vibra’s Cande Fernandez-Araujo scored twogoals and was awarded Most Valuable Player honors. Cande’s mount, Machitos Filipa ‘Drone,’ won Best Playing Pony. La Fe Eastern Hay’s Hope Arellano scored eight goals.
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The U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship was presented by Brad and Kelly Coors Foundation. It was played before the largest crowd ever assembled at the National Polo Center to watch a women’s polo championship match. Buena Vibra was awarded $17,000 in first place prize money and La Fe Eastern Hay took home $8,000 in second place prize money. Each team also received $2,500 to donate to the polo charity of their choice.
HorseDoc’s ‘Talking Horses’ 10-minute Youtube video presents the live action experienced around this historic match:
Dr. Gregory A. Beroza, DVM, DACVS, DABVP has been a practicing veterinarian and consultant for 42 years; and HorseDoc® ‘Talking Horses’® media host, author, and consultant since 2007. Dr. Beroza is a multimedia host and broadcasts his productions, including a new Podcast, via his WuzUpDoc Media website: www.WuzUpDoc.com. He can be found on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and other social media sources.
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