PALM BEACH, Fla. – In the packed U.S. Polo Assn. Stadium at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC), Las Monjitas defeated La Indiana, 11-10 to win the C.V. Whitney Cup, the first event of the 2020 GAUNTLET OF POLO. With the victory, Las Monjitas earned the $100,000 first-place prize. La Indiana earned $25,000 for the second-place prize totaling $125,000 in prize money for the first leg of the GAUNTLET OF POLO.
Now in their second year playing in the GAUNTLET OF POLO, team Las Monjitas went to the C.V. Whitney finals last year against 2019 GAUNTLET winner. This year, the team features returning players Camilo Bautista, team owner, and Francisco Elizalde as well as new team members Pelon Stirling and Mackenzie Weisz.
“The competition is always tough, but the horses are getting better with each game and they will be perfect for the final,” noted Elizalde after his team’s semi-final win.
“The last two weeks have been tough. We are going to have fun and start thinking about the USPA Gold Cup tomorrow.” said Team Owner Camilo Bautista
Also in their second year participating in the GAUNTLET OF POLO, team La Indiana changed the trajectory of the Gauntlet series by defeating Team Pilot in the semi-finals of this year’s C.V. Whitney Cup. This was vindication for the team who lost in the semi-finals to GAUNTLET winner Team Pilot in 2019. La Indiana’s 2020 team consists of returning players Jeff Hall and team owner Michael Bickford, as well as new players Polito Pieres and Santiago Gomez Romero.
“It’s going to be a great competition going forward and we will do our best!” said Romero after finishing the semi-final match.
In addition to the C.V. Whitney Cup, which commemorated its 40th year of competition and was presented by C.V. Whitney’s Great Niece Whitney Munn Miller and, her son, Royal Douglas III, the USPA Gold Cup® follows February 22-March 22, and the GAUNTLET concludes March 21-April 19 with the U.S. Open Polo Championship®. All three tournaments, which are owned and sanctioned by the United States Polo Association (USPA), will be contested at the International Polo Club Palm Beach on the U.S. Polo Assn. Stadium Field with live game coverage on globalpolo.com.
“This tournament series encapsulates the very best of polo competition in the United States,” said Robert Puetz, CEO of the United States Polo Association. “The eyes of the polo world are on the International Polo Club Palm Beach watching some of the world’s best players and teams battling to win the prize purse and be named the GAUNTLET Champion.”
The GAUNTLET OF POLO is an elite three-tournament series, and this year features 14 of the world’s best polo teams and five 10-Goal Players, the top level for polo players. The 10-Goal players competing this year include Sapo Caset, Facundo Pieres, Gonzalo Pieres, Pelon Stirling and Polito Pieres. Facundo Pieres and Gonzalo Pieres were part of Team Pilot’s 2019 GAUNTLET Championship team.
David Cummings, President and CEO of Global Polo Entertainment said, “With the launch of the GAUNTLET OF POLO just last year, the sport of polo is gaining more momentum every day on site in Wellington, online at globalpolo.com and in the hearts of polo fans all over the world. Now polo fans everywhere can live stream the game and even relive the action online whenever and wherever they want.”