The C.V. Whitney Cup is one of the most prestigious high-goal polo tournaments in the United States and the world. Organized by the United States Polo Association (USPA), it traditionally inaugurates the American Triple Crown season, currently known as The Gauntlet of Polo, played in Wellington, Florida.
History The tournament was originally established in 1979 under the name "U.S. Handicap" and debuted at the Retama Polo Center in San Antonio, Texas. In 1988, the tournament was renamed in honor of Cornelius Vanderbilt "Sonny" Whitney, a pivotal figure in the development of polo in the United States, a three-time winner of the U.S. Open Polo Championship, and a member of the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame.
The competition was created to serve as the premier high-level preparatory tournament before the USPA Gold Cup and the U.S. Open Polo Championship.
Level of competition The Cup is played at a demanding 22-goal handicap level, which historically guarantees the participation of the best players and sports organizations in the international circuit. As an example of the elite level that characterizes the competition, the 2009 edition featured the following prominent teams and players:
+ Participating Teams (2009 Edition) Team Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Audi Facundo Pieres Gonzalo Pieres Frederick Mannix Marc Ganzi Las Monjitas Eduardo Novillo Astrada Ignacio Novillo Astrada Adam Snow Camilo Bautista Pony Express Matias Magrini David Stirling Nicolas Roldan Bob Daniels Lechuza Caracas Juan Martin Nero Guillermo Caset Nicolas Español Victor Vargas White Birch Mariano Aguerre Francisco Bensadon Jeff Blake Peter Brant Zacara Cristian Laprida Carlos Gracida Jeff Hall Lyndon Lea Orchard Hill Pablo Mac Donough Lucas Criado Hector Galindo Steve Van Andel
Partial champions roster Throughout its history, the tournament has been conquered by some of the most important polo organizations in the world. The following are the champion teams in notable editions, according to official USPA and press records:
Year Champion Team Ref. 1979 Tulsa 1980 Tulsa 1988 Ft. Lauderdale 1989 Ft. Lauderdale 1995 White Birch 1996 White Birch 1999 Lechuza Caracas 2000 White Birch 2001 White Birch 2002 Lechuza Caracas 2005 White Birch 2007 Lechuza Caracas 2011 Lechuza Caracas 2012 Valiente 2014 Valiente 2017 Valiente 2018 Valiente 2019 Pilot 2021 Park Place 2022 Park Place 2023 Valiente 2024 Valiente 2025 La Dolfina 2026 The Dutta Corp
See also U.S. Open Polo Championship USPA Gold Cup Argentine Open Polo Championship Santa María Polo Club
References