The rise of women's polo in Argentina

One of the great achievements of women is to have achieved greater participation and influence in the equestrian world.

Their impact on equestrian sports is so remarkable that, when we think of polo, we no longer think only of men's polo; rather, we are aware of the space gained by women in the practice of this sport.

The growth in the number of women playing polo has various origins, among which we can mention: the creation of associations, clubs and tournaments specialized in women's polo.

In the case of Argentina, it is considered one of the forerunners of women's polo.

Argentina created specific rules for women's polo. It also implemented a handicap system that eliminates comparisons between the men's and women's modalities, giving the latter its own character.

The creation of these rules gave Argentine Women's Polo status at an international level.

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Why is polo so important in Argentina?

Focusing on men's polo, we can say that the relevance of polo in Argentina is due to two significant factors for the development of the game:

• The skill of the riders
• The quality of the horses

For decades we have exported great polo players with the highest handicap, such as Adolfo Cambiasso, Juan Martín Nero, Gonzalo Pieres, Hilaro Ullora, Nicolás Pieres, David Stirling and Pablo Mac Donough.

The quality of the horses is acquired through a lot of controlled training where the speed of the thoroughbred is improved.

Currently, the Argentine Polo horse is a cross between the “mestizo” ranch horse and the Thoroughbred horse.

This breeding is carried out under strict control and careful selection, creating an incredibly valuable breed of highly qualified horses that are unique in the rest of the world.

Development of women's polo in Argentina

The first women's polo match played in Argentina was in 1927, at the Los Pingüinos club (Merlo, Buenos Aires), between the teams of Las Pingüinas and Estancia La Josefina.

But it was in 1938 when the newspaper La Razón published on its front page the news of a polo match, the one played at the Tortugas Club between the teams Las Gacelas and Las Panteras.

In 1999 the first women's final was played in Palermo. The teams of EF and Apartur faced each other.

And in 2010 the first official world women's polo tournament was played at the national level, with a total of 11 teams participating. It was organized by the Argentine Polo Association (AAP).

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Argentina: the first Women's Polo World Cup

At this point, it was clear that women's polo deserved a world cup.

And so it was. On April 9, 2022, the first edition of the Women's Polo World Championship took place in the Cathedral of Palermo (Province of Buenos Aires).

Six teams participated: Argentina, Ireland, Italy, the United States, Brazil, and England.

Of these countries, we have to highlight two of them as favorites, England and the United States, both with a great track record in women's polo.

The tournament consisted of two groups of three teams each. After the group stage, the top two teams from each group went through to the semifinals. And on Saturday, April 16, the grand final was played.

The Argentine team was made up of Agustina Imaz (4), Azucena Uranga (5), Catalina Lavinia (6) and Paulina Vasquetto (1).

After qualifying for the semifinals, Argentina managed to reach the final, which was against the United States team.

The court was packed, with around 6,000 spectators.

The Argentine players, led by Milo Fernández Araujo, played a great game from start to finish, beating the Americans by a convincing 6-2.

In this way, the Argentine women's polo team became champions of the first Women's World Cup, organized by the Polo Federation.

Players of the Argentine team

Let's get to know a little more about the protagonists of this historic match. Let's talk first about the starters:

Agustina Imaz:

She is a very dangerous and effective striker. Born in Olavarría, she currently lives in Pilar, while studying to be a vet. She is 19 years old.

Her relationship with polo began when she was a child. Her father was the one who instilled in her a love for the sport.

Cata Lavinia:

At just 16 years old, she is the youngest member of the Argentinian team. She is considered the “brain” of the team and in the final she scored 10 goals.

Born in Buenos Aires, it was also her parents who introduced her to the sport, which they also played.

Paulina Vasquetto:

Born in the town of Adelia María in the province of Córdoba, Paulina is in the fifth year of secondary education at the school in her village. She is currently 17 years old.

As there is not much polo in her locality, she travels to the nearest clubs to train. It was also her father who introduced her to the sport.

Azucena Uranga:

Born in Buenos Aires, she started playing polo with her cousins when she was just 6 years old. At the age of 20, Azucena represents the third generation of a family name closely linked to polo.

Her father, Delfín Uranga, is the current president of the Argentine Polo Association and her grandfather was the founder of the International Polo Federation.

In addition to these four players, the team also included Luisa del Carril, Fátima Balzano, Jazmín Dupont and Malena Martínez. They played against Great Britain, their toughest opponents, drawing 3-3 and losing on penalties, although they had already qualified.

The future prospects of Argentine women's polo

In Argentina, polo is part of the culture, it is a lifestyle intimately linked to the countryside and the Pampas, its traditions, its values and its folklore. There is a strong connection between the life of the gaucho and polo.

It is gaining more and more followers every day and the number of spectators attending these events is increasing. Not only for the men's tournaments, but also for the women's.

The polo season in Argentina runs from October to early December, and the most important tournaments are played in and around Buenos Aires.

The calendar of women's polo championships in Argentina is growing every year.

Currently the most important tournaments are: the Miriam Heguy Cup, the Apertura Cup and the Women's Circuit Championship.

In short, great polo championships await us and a promising future for Argentine women's polo, with a cast of players who already stand out internationally.

And if you are interested in learning more about the sport of polo, don't miss our post where we tell you in depth everything you need to know about this sport.