USPA WOMEN'S ARENA HANDICAP®
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Women’s arena competition has a recent history in the sport beginning with the creation of the Women’s Intercollegiate Championship in the late 1970s, followed by the Girls’ Interscholastic Championship in the early 1990s. With the exponential growth of women’s polo in recent years, the Association recognized the need for a national tournament celebrating the best of women’s arena competition. In 2017, the inaugural Women’s Arena Handicap competition was held simultaneously alongside the Women’s Arena Open®.
In addition to being an important national tournament for women arena players beyond their schooling years, the playing of this tournament allows women the opportunity to connect and aspire to an even greater level of women’s arena competition.
The 2021 edition, held at Virginia Polo Inc. (Charlottesville, Virginia), culminated in a match-up between Bad Ass Polo (Josie Dorsey, Posey Obrecht, Demitra Hajimihalis) and La Jefa (Katie Mitcham, Emmie Golkosky, Jessica Schmitt), as a laser-focused Bad Ass Polo was able to fend off La Jefa’s advances with a strong fourth-chukker to seal the victory 13-6. Read article here.
Returning to Twilight Polo Club (Middleburg, Virginia) for the first time since 2020, this year's edition will field four competitive teams vying for the chance to be named Women's Arena Handicap champions, including 2021 finalists Emmie Golkosky and Jessica Schmitt uniting once more for Parkgate Polo. 2020 champions Kasey Morris, Maggie Cooper and Anna Winslow-Palacios will compete for Rebellis Farm and will be joined alongside Five String Farm and Marlan Farm.
The 2022 USPA Women's Arena Handicap will offer $10,000 in total prize money as part of the USPA Tournament Prize Money Matching Program (PMMP). The prize will be split between first ($5,000) and second ($3,000) and third ($2,000) place teams.
As a National USPA Arena Event, the USPA Women’s Arena Handicap is a qualifying tournament for all amateur players -1 through 3 goals to earn points towards the National Arena Amateur Cup (NAAC) which will be held in November at Legend's Polo Club in Kaufman, Texas. Points are based on the number of teams and team standing in each tournament. All points are awarded to each team member, not the team as a whole.
Photo: 2021 USPA Women's Arena Handicap Champions: Bad Ass Polo - Demitra Hajimihalis, Josie Dorsey, Posey Obrecht. ©Oana Moore
