USA Captures the II FIP Arena World Polo Championship in Virginia

The II FIP Arena World Polo Championship came to a close on Sunday, October 12, at Roseland Polo Club in Virginia, where the United States edged Argentina 16–14 to lift its first FIP Arena World Polo Championship title. Co-hosted by Roseland Polo Club (Crozet) and Virginia Polo Inc. (Charlottesville), the second edition of the event marked the first time the championship was staged in the United States.

In a high-tempo, back-and-forth contest, USA (Kareem Rosser, Jared Sheldon, Patrick Uretz) found key stops and conversions in the closing minutes to outlast Argentina (Damián Oscar Mondaca, Francisco Crotto, Andrés Lariguet), 16–14. Best Playing Pony (Final): Lucky, played by Jared Sheldon and owned by Omar Cepeda.

France (Elouan Badarello, Louis Jarrige, Dorian Bulteau) secured the bronze with a decisive 26–13 win over Guatemala (Jose Ignacio Beltranena, Sebastian Aycinena, Jose Miguel Aguilar). Best Playing Pony (Bronze): Dante, played by Louis Jarrige and owned by Omar Cepeda.

In a one-goal thriller, Pakistan (Maisom Baloch, Raja Jalal Arsalan, Muhammad Saqib Khakwani) defeated Italy (Alejandro Puyana Boggio, Giordano Magini, Mariano Raigal) 17–16 to finish fifth overall.

The Federation of International Polo (FIP) Arena World Polo Championship is modeled after the outdoor FIP World Polo Championship and showcases elite international arena polo. Launched in 2023 in Argentina, the Arena World Polo Championship was created to promote the growth of arena polo, a dynamic, spectator-friendly discipline that can be played year-round across a wide range of venues. 

A hallmark of the event is its horse-pool system, designed to ensure fair and competitive balance. Before competition, all mounts underwent veterinary inspection and were graded (A/B/C) for ability, then organized into evenly matched strings. Teams drew from these pooled groups and competed on the same sets of horses throughout the tournament. Charlie Muldoon served as Horsemaster, overseeing the selection, grading, and allocation process.

Roseland Polo Club is dedicated to growing Virginia’s polo community through schools, clinics, outreach, and USPA-sanctioned tournaments, while Virginia Polo Inc.—home to the University of Virginia’s nationally renowned intercollegiate program—offers year-round training with top-tier indoor and outdoor arenas and a regulation grass field.

On behalf of the Federation of International Polo, we extend our sincere thanks to the United States Polo Association for co-hosting and to U.S. Polo Assn., which—as it has for the past decade—outfitted players, umpires, and officials throughout the event. Our appreciation also goes to the national associations and players who took part, to our host sites Roseland Polo Club and Virginia Polo Inc., and to Charlie Muldoon, along with all of the horse owners, grooms, and providers whose professionalism and care made this championship possible.

PHOTO CREDIT: © Oana Moore / @oanaphoto

Teams 

• USA: Kareem Rosser, Jared Sheldon, Patrick Uretz

   

• Argentina: Damián Oscar Mondaca, Francisco Crotto, Andrés Lariguet

   

• France: Elouan Badarello, Louis Jarrige, Dorian Bulteau

   

• Guatemala: Jose Ignacio Beltranena, Sebastian Aycinena, Jose Miguel Aguilar

   

• Pakistan: Maisom Baloch, Raja Jalal Arsalan, Muhammad Saqib Khakwani

   

• Italy: Alejandro Puyana Boggio, Giordano Magini, Mariano Raigal