Wellington residents and professional polo players Hope Arellano and Nicolas “Nico” Escobar were instrumental in Team USA’s victory over Team France in the Paris Games Polo Challenge.
Honoring the opening match of the fourth Olympic Polo Tournament at the 1924 Paris Games, Team USA (Quinn Evans, Hope Arellano, Nicolas “Nico” Escobar and Cody Ellis) met Team France (Elena Venot, Dorian Bulteau, Clément Delfosse and Julien Reynes) on Wednesday, Aug. 7, in a commemorative centennial celebration.
Presented by U.S. Polo Assn. and Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly, the international clash took place just 40 minutes from the heart of Paris in Apremont, France, following the conclusion of the equestrian events in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. Dominating the second half, a decisive fourth chukker fueled by lead scorer Escobar vaulted USA into the lead to send the stars and stripes to the top of the podium.
Following an opening goal from France’s Delfosse, Evans responded from the field to kickstart the scoring for USA. A back-and-forth battle between USA’s Escobar and France’s Bulteau and Reynes, neither team wavered, each adding four goals to the scoreboard to enter the half tied 5-5.
Seizing the moment following the break, Escobar commanded USA’s offensive efforts, displaying accuracy and confidence from both the field and penalty line, adding four goals moving into the final chukker. Responding for the first time in the second half, France added two goals in the fifth chukker, but a final drive from Escobar sealed USA’s historic 10-7 win.
As the title and apparel sponsor, U.S. Polo Assn. provided apparel for the American and French teams with performance jerseys, practice jerseys and an assortment of U.S. Polo Assn. custom designed country apparel to wear off the field. U.S. Polo Assn. also outfitted the USA team with custom USPA Pro whites, saddle pads, as well as club and team staff kits. VIP gifts for the event included limited edition Paris Games Polo Challenge caps, scarves and pocket squares, as well as branded duffle bags.
Arellano is an active Team USPA member, Escobar is a graduating Team USPA member and Cody Ellis is Team USPA alum. Team USPA is a USPA program designed to enhance and grow the sport of polo in the United States by identifying young, talented American players and providing mentored training and playing opportunities leading to a pool of higher-rated amateur and pro players, and the resultant giveback to the sport of polo.
The United States Polo Association is organized and exists for the purposes of promoting the game of polo; coordinating the activities of its member clubs and registered player members; arranging and supervising polo tournaments, competitions and games; and providing rules, handicaps and tournament conditions for those events. Its overarching goals are improving the sport and promoting the safety and welfare of its human and equine participants.
Founded in 1890, the USPA is the largest voluntary sports organization in North America for the sport of polo. The USPA is currently made up of more than 200 member clubs and more than 5,000 registered player members. It annually awards and oversees roughly 50 national tournaments hosted by its member clubs. For more information, visit www.uspolo.org.
