80 SIDELINES JUNE 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
Sebastian Merlos
gives Olivia
encouragement
on the sidelines.
Julio Arellano,
a 9-goal
professional polo
player, talks to his
daughter Hope
during the WCT
Junior Invitational.
By GT Courbette
A
dolfo Cambiaso, a renowned 10-goal player from
Argentina, stood on the sidelines of a polo feld in
Wellington, Florida not long ago giving his daughter
pointers and cheering her on while she played. Ten-year-old
Mia Cambiaso, Adolfo’s daughter who started riding when she
was three, was playing with seven other girls in the frst Junior
Invitational at the Women’s Championship Tournament (WCT) in
Wellington, Florida at The Grand Champions Polo Club.
The group of renowned polo fathers standing feld-side to
support their young daughters was a sight to behold – thanks
to an idea from top female polo player Sunny Hale, founder of
the WCT. This year marked the frst offcial Junior Invitational
for young females. Hope Arellano, Malia Bryan, Mia Cambiaso
and Olivia Merlos played against Allie Azzaro, Jacqi Casey, Riley
Ganzi and Tess Pimsner. Each girl had the support of their family’s
organization to help them have a fun and exciting game.
Sebastian Merlos, a 9-goal player from Argentina said about
his daughter Olivia, “She has been dreaming about this junior
invitational for the last year now. She grew up riding horses on
the farm but only just began playing polo recently. Sunny has
provided the women and girls of our sport an organization to boast
their skills. I think it’s a good idea.”
Malia Bryan, a 12-year-old from Aiken, South Carolina, said, “I
have been around horses all my life. I started on the leadline then
I moved my way up. The WCT gives the women a good chance
to showcase how we (girls) ride and how we play polo in a mostly
male dominated sport. We can play together competitively.”
Hope Arellano, 10, also from Aiken, was pleased with her
teammates and excited to have the opportunity to play in the
tournament. “I rode my favorite horse CeCe and it’s fun to be
out there competing with the other girls.” Dad, Julio Arellano, a
professional 9-goaler said, “Hope played well and had fun. She is
a 100% horse girl. She loves to ride and loves her horses.”
Allie Azzaro, daughter of Mike and Amy Azzaro from San
Antonio, Texas, said she would like to be a professional polo
player. “I practice with my dad and his teammates. You can
always learn so much from high goal players because they know
everything!”
Sebastian Merlos agrees that polo allows high goal players to
intermingle with lower goal players so they can advance quicker.
“The very best can play with a beginner. You can share the feld
with anybody if they are ready. We have a lot more ladies and kids
playing polo now. It’s very good for the sport. In England and the
States there are many strong females who play very well.”
Jacqi Casey, 13, from Boca Raton, Florida, has been playing
tournaments since 2011. She has been riding horses all her life
like the other girls and is serious about improving her game.
“Sunny is amazing by having this tournament! It’s all girls; it’s just
for us! It’s so fun and special,” Jacqi said, adding that she thinks it
might be possible to have a 10-goal woman player one day. “It’s
possible if they want it, it will be a lot of work but it could happen.”
Riley Ganzi, from Wellington by way of Philadelphia, has been
riding all her life. “Polo is my passion! I just love it and I don’t want
to stop. My parents, Melissa and Marc Ganzi, have helped me
become the player I am today,” she said.
Teammate Tess Pimsner, 14, from Aiken, South Carolina
exemplifes the confdence of a young American girl. Her mother,
e
Polo
Adolfo Cambiaso
gives Mia some
pointers.
Polo Girls Compete in
WCT Junior Invitational