U.S. Polo Assn., the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), and the Polo Club du Domaine Chantilly were proud to present the Paris Games Polo Challenge 2024, a tribute match between the USA and France on Wednesday, August 7. Defending its win from 100 years ago in 1924 Paris, the USA Team defeated France in a hard-fought game that ultimately ended in a score of 10-7.
The Paris Games Polo Challenge 2024 was a sanctioned tribute match between the USA and France, in partnership with the Federation of International Polo (FIP), the Federation Française de Polo (FFP), and the USPA. This historic match, which received unprecedented media coverage for its significance, was the centennial celebration and tribute to the last time France hosted the Olympics, exactly 100 years ago.
Fans around the world can capture the greatest moments from the memorable centennial match this Sunday, August 11, on ESPN2 at 10 a.m. ET.
The Game
On the pitch representing the United States were Quinn Evans (1), Hope Arellano (3), Nicolas “Nico” Escobar (5), and Cody Ellis (5), with USPA Polo Hall of Famer Julio Arellano as Coach and Luis Escobar as Assistant Coach. Representing France were Elena Venot (2), Dorian Bulteau (3), Julien Reynes (4), and Clément Delfosse (5), with Clément Delfosse as captain, alongside National Coach Matthieu Delfosse.
The Paris Games Polo Challenge came to a breathtaking conclusion, with the USA overtaking France in a score of 10 to 7, confirming the Team’s 100-year triumphant history. Clément Delfosse of France opened the scoring with a breakaway, and Quinn Evans of the USA quickly matched him in the first chukker. At the third chukker, the score was 5-5 before the USA took the lead in the fourth, with Nico Escobar catapulting the USA Team to win 10-7.
The USA Team received custom-designed gold medals with the Paris Games Polo Challenge logo, and the France Team received custom logo silver medals, as well as other gifts.
The MVP of the game was Escobar who scored nine goals for the USA Team, an award that was presented by J. Michael Prince, President and CEO, of USPA Global, the company that manages and oversees the global, multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand, alongside Patrick Guerrand-Hermès, founder of the Polo Club du Chantilly and descendant of the Hermès luxury brand family. The Best Playing Pony Award was won by Amapola, a 12-year-old chestnut mare played by Escobar, which was presented by Stewart Armstrong, Chairman of the USPA.
In a rare sport where men and women play on the same international teams together, the Paris Games Polo Challenge featured 21-year-old Hope Arellano for the USA Team, who is currently the only U.S. women’s 10-goal handicap player and the winner of the ‘ultimate’ women’s tournament, the Women’s Argentine Open. Playing for the France Team was 7-goal player Elena Venot, who is a two-time winner of the female Open de France, a 2023 Polo Nations Cup winner, and a 2024 Polo Nations Cup finalist.
Equestrian events at the 2024 Paris Olympics are having a ‘moment,’ generating sell-out crowds at Versailles where the competitions have taken place. The excitement has grown around the world as Germany, Denmark, and Great Britain won Team Dressage Gold, Silver, and Bronze respectively; Great Britain, United States, and France medaled in Team Jumping; and Great Britain, France, and Japan took home Gold, Silver and Bronze in Team Eventing.
