Zenni Family Looks To the Future After Surprise U.S. Open Victory

Jared Zenni and his family’s polo organization have come a long way in a short time. In his first attempt, Zenni helped his Daily Racing Form foursome capture the coveted U.S. Open Polo Championship last April, upsetting tournament favorite Valiente in last season’s finale at the International Polo Club Palm Beach.

To put that feat into perspective, White Birch, the pre-eminent team of its era during the 1980s and 1990s, won its only U.S. Open title after four previous visits to the final. And Valiente, currently the top polo team in North America, lost in the U.S. Open final twice before raising the trophy in 2015 and 2017.

“There’s not really a better way to following up a U.S. Open win,” said the 23-year-old Zenni, who had his handicap raised from 5 to 6 goals for the 2019 season. “We are going to try our best in all three of the tournaments in the 22-goal series [at IPC], but we will see what happens.”

Zenni will be joined by 6-goalers Agustin Obregon and Santi Cernada, and 4-goaler Geronimo Obregon, in defense of the U.S. Open crown. A record 16 teams have entered the U.S. Open, being held at IPC for the 16th consecutive year. No team has won back-to-back U.S. Open titles since Zacara accomplished the feat in 2012 and 2013.

Zenni is confident about his team’s chances, especially because of his horse power, which is one of the major keys to any team’s success.

“We should be in a very good position,” said Zenni, who will be playing the No. 4 position, just like last season. “I have the same string I had last year, and I’m going to bring a few up from Argentina.”

Veteran player Luis Escobar, who is based in Wellington year-round, has played in the U.S. Open numerous times and was Zenni’s teammate when he was first starting out. Daily Racing Form was a team put together at the last-minute, Escobar noted.

“It was a great outcome for polo. Nobody expected them to win. They beat two of the biggest organizations in polo in Wellington — in Grand Champions and Valiente,” he said. “To go out there and beat those two organizations, it’s more than winning the U.S. Open. It’s a huge accomplishment.”

Last year, Daily Racing Form began to organize its U.S. Open team just a few months before the winter season began. Most teams begin about a year prior to the tournament. Of course, Daily Racing Form also had 10-goaler Hilario Ulloa as its linchpin. This year, they are going with a more balanced foursome.

Zenni and his father Jim are not strangers to polo in Wellington. They have played together and separately over the years. Last year, they were teammates and reached the Joe Barry Memorial Cup final while playing for Villa del Lago, the family equestrian facility in Wellington. However, they have played under different team names, usually companies owned by the elder Zenni, such as Daily Racing Form, Modere or Equine Liquid BioCell.

They have been competitive, winning the Herbie Pennell Cup and Iglehart Cup in 2017 and reaching the Joe Barry Memorial Cup final in 2018 at IPC. And the younger Zenni also won the $100,000 World Cup at the Grand Champions Polo Club.

Polo roots run deep in the Zenni family. Jim learned the sport from his father, and Jared learned from his father, often going with him to the fields. His two older sisters participated in the hunter-jumper arena when they were younger but have since stopped.

Zenni played other sports growing up, but he became more and more interested in polo until it was his primary interest.

It is certainly an interest that he has made the most of. Zenni, who was a 1-goaler at 14 years old, has put together plans to continue to improve. He is a member of Team USPA, a United States Polo Association program designed to improve and grow the sport of polo in the U.S. by identifying young, talented American players and providing training and playing opportunities.

Another improvement strategy that Zenni has employed is playing in Argentina, the worldwide mecca of the sport. He recently traveled there for his third consecutive season, but it was the first time that he qualified to compete in the Argentine Open and the Hurlingham Open, two of the three most important tournaments in South America.

Zenni played the No. 4 position for the 28-goal La Canada-Daily Racing Form in the tournaments that featured two 40-goal teams. Although they lost all eight games in the two tournaments, it did not dim Zenni’s enthusiasm for the experience. “This year has been special because we classified for Hurlingham and Palermo, which put us up against the best teams in the world,” Zenni explained. “Playing in Argentina makes you a better player in all aspects. Playing against better competition and playing at their pace and skill really makes you a better player.”

Zenni is continuing his polo career while also pursuing his degree in marketing and finance at the University of Miami. His goals include trying to win another U.S. Open and becoming more of a staple in the Argentine Triple Crown. The elder Zenni is not expected to play at IPC during the upcoming season.

“Jared is a good guy, and he works hard at it,” said Escobar, who will be competing for Santa Clara in the 22-goal season at IPC. “I think he will keep going up in handicap. He’ll get far.”