C.V. WHITNEY CUP®

C.V. WHITNEY CUP®

TOURNAMENT HISTORY

Originally known as the U.S. Handicap, the C.V. Whitney Cup was established in 1979 and first competed for on handicap and played in conjunction with the U.S. Open Polo Championship. Debuting at Retama Polo Center in San Antonio, Texas, it was won the first two years by Tulsa.

Nine years later, in 1988, the tournament was renamed for C.V. (Cornelius Vanderbilt “Sonny”) Whitney, an avid polo player and three-time winner of the U.S. Open (1928, 1937, 1938) and son of 10-goal Hall of Famer Harry Payne Whitney. Inducted into the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame in 2022, Whitney left a lasting mark in polo. Rising to a 6-goal handicap during his playing career that spanned the "golden era" of polo, Whitney was a formidable factor in all major USPA tournaments. After his playing days, Whitney raised outstanding racehorses, with 15 that competed in the Kentucky Derby. In its inaugural years in 1988 and 1989, Mr. Whitney was on hand in Lexington, Kentucky, to make the first presentations of the C.V. Whitney Cup. The winner those first two years was awarded to the Ft. Lauderdale team of Jack Oxley, Joey Casey, Ernesto Trotz and Bart Evans.

Now played as a stand-alone tournament, the C.V. Whitney Cup is the first in a series of three prestigious 22-goal tournaments hosted by the National Polo Center - Wellington (NPC) in Wellington, Florida, followed by the USPA Gold Cup and the U.S. Open Polo Championship. Notable contemporary C.V. Whitney Cup winners include Valiente (2012, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2023), Lechuza Caracas (1999, 2002, 2011), White Birch (1995, 1996, 2000, 2001 and 2005) and Park Place (2021, 2022).

History was made during the inaugural Gauntlet of Polo in 2019, when Pilot won the C.V. Whitney Cup—starting a run to capture all three events, winning $500,000 prize money, then earning $1 million over the course of the series and becoming the only team to do so.

In 2023, reigning USPA Gold Cup and U.S. Open Polo Championship victors Pilot (Curtis Pilot, Lucas Escobar, Matias Torres Zavaleta, Facundo Pieres) were pitted against four-time C.V. Whitney Cup winners Valiente (Robert “Bob” Jornayvaz, Lucas “Luckitas” Criado Jr., Mariano “Peke” Gonzalez Jr., Adolfo Cambiaso). A match decided primarily from the penalty line, a breakout second chukker for Valiente combined with a successful late drive from Gonzalez provided the edge for a narrow 10-9 victory over Pilot and $50,000 in prize money. Read article here.

This year's elite competition will field eight exceptional teams including Coca-Cola, La Dolfina, La Fe, Pilot, Park Place, Tamera, The Dutta Corp and Valiente. Back to defend their title, Valiente will strive to earn the organization's sixth championship and will once again be led by the legendary Adolfo Cambiaso hoping to secure his ninth C.V. Whitney Cup victory. 2023 finalists Pilot will re-unite with the addition of 6-goaler Santos Merlos, attempting to secure their first C.V. Whitney Cup win since 2019. Last claiming the trophy in 2022, Park Place hopes to pick-up exactly where they ended last year's Gauntlet season following an exhilarating U.S. Open Polo Championship triumph.

Coca-Cola's Gillian Johnston, the only woman set to compete in the series joins La Dolfina, La Fe, Tamera and The Dutta Corp all battling for their first C.V. Whitney Cup title, with La Fe and The Dutta Corp boasting a unique advantage fielding identical rosters to last year's competition.

10-goalers competing this year include current U.S. Open Polo Championship victor Hilario Ulloa (Park Place), reigning USPA Gold Cup champion Poroto Cambiaso (La Dolfina) competing in his first Gauntlet of Polo since reaching the 10-goal milestone, six-time C.V. Whitney Cup winner (2008, 2009, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019) Facundo Pieres (Pilot), and eight-time C.V. Whitney Cup champion (1991, 1995, 1996, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2023) Adolfo Cambiaso (Valiente).

The winner of the C.V. Whitney Cup will receive $50,000. In partnership with USPA Global Licensing, each of the teams will select a charity of their choice from 10 non-profits and both charities of the winner and runners-up will receive a $2,500 donation.

The George Miller Memorial will serve as the subsidiary to the C.V. Whitney Cup. Miller is credited for his contributions to developing the sport throughout Texas and received the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame's Iglehart Award in 2017. Founder of the Austin Polo Club, he is remembered as a renowned horse trainer while simultaneously mentoring countless players in the early stages of their careers, including Cecil Smith and Rube Williams. The winner of the George Miller Memorial will receive $25,000 in prize money.

Representing Team USPA is Active Member Kristos "Keko" Magrini (Coca-Cola) and alumni Santiago Torres (Pilot) and Timmy Dutta (The Dutta Corp).

Learn more about the Gauntlet of Polo.

Photo: 2023 C.V. Whitney Cup Champions: Valiente - Bob Jornayvaz, Mariano 'Peke' Gonzalez, Lucas "Luckitas" Criado Jr., Adolfo Cambiaso, presented by Whitney Miller Douglass and Royal Douglass III. ©David Lominska