And the rematch was claimed by the son. On Sunday, March 24, the USPA Gold Cup was won by La Dolfina/Tonkawa, which included Poroto Cambiaso, after they defeated Valiente, which included his father, Adolfo Cambiaso, 12–9. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the USPA Gold Cup, the competition that precedes the US Open Polo Championship and was first played in 1974. It is the second leg of the prestigious Gauntlet of Polo, the most significant tournament series in the United States, and it has always been held at the USPA-owned National Polo Center in Wellington, Florida.
Furthermore, there are a few noteworthy details regarding this USPA Gold Cup that are worth mentioning:
Rufino Merlos emerged victorious from his maiden major tournament. Rufino is descended from a polo royalty; his grandfather, Cacho Merlos, was a polo great who played for the storied Santa Ana squad and won the Triple Crown in Argentina in 1973. He is the nephew of Pite and Sebastián Merlos and the son of Guillermo “Sapo” Caset, the brother of his mother Celina, and the youngest of the Merlos brothers, Agustín.
Following their victory with Scone in 2023, Poroto Cambiaso and Tomás Panelo won the USPA Gold Cup for the second time in a row in 2023.
This is the first major international victory for Adolfo Cambiaso’s team, La Dolfina. La Dolfina, who is playing in their first American high goal competition, teamed up with Tonkawa, owned by Jeff Hildebrand, to compete in the USPA Gold Cup.
In the end, La Dolfina/Tonkawa was able to hold the lead for the entirety of the six laps of play. By halftime, though, Valiente had recovered and trailed by just one goal (4-5). But, La Dolfina/Tonkawa, driven by the outstanding play of their three professionals, mounted a strong comeback in the fifth chukka and took a four goal lead (10-6). Tomás Panelo was chosen MVP for his outstanding performance as the top scorer (he scored five goals). Jeff Hildebrand and company were ahead 10–8 going into the last and sixth chukka, but they were smart enough to apply pressure on Bob Jornayvaz’s quartet, who managed to score one goal. Ultimately, Tonkawa’s and La Dolfina’s
In the meantime, Tamera won the Subsidiary Retama Cup after defeating Clearwater 14–10.
The US Open Championship, the season’s icing on the cake in Palm Beach, is the next leg of The Gauntlet of Polo and is scheduled to start on Wednesday, March 27. We wonder if the father and son would face off again. Time will tell…
