Breakaway Series Brings Captivating
Polo Stories To The General Public
By Lily Brennan in collaboration with Global Polo Entertainment
Though polo has been played around the globe for centuries to huge audiences, many people are still unfamiliar with the sport or have yet to see a match. However, as polo continues to move away from being the “sport of kings” to a sport for all, more and more new audiences are discovering the historic game for the first time.
Despite polo’s rising popularity, live games can be expensive or challenging to attend, like all live professional sports, but through the partnership of Global Polo, U.S. Polo Assn. and ESPN, experiencing the thrill of a polo match is now more accessible than ever through the Breakaway Series.
The 2024 Breakaway Series is a set of four 24-minute shows that bring a variety of inspiring narratives from the world of polo to life. These story-driven episodes, modeled closely after other popular docuseries like “Drive to Survive” and “Break Point,” provide a behind-the-scenes look into the topics at the forefront of high-goal polo.
Breakaway: Women in Polo — The popularity of women’s polo has grown exponentially, making it the strongest segment of growth in the USPA. Although there are many factors that have contributed to this continued growth, the opportunities created by the Women of Wellington (WOW) Polo Series continue to put female players on the international stage.
The WOW series strives to include female players, especially new players, into organized, prestigious tournaments to encourage the formation of teams, while gaining valuable experience. The series is an example of the growth of polo in the Wellington area.
In addition to being the focus of “Breakaway: Women in Polo,” the U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship is the most prestigious women’s polo tournament in the United States. The event spans two weeks of high-goal polo between the best women’s teams (including team La Fe with 10-goaler Hope Arellano), on the highest quality fields at both the Port Mayaca Polo Club and the National Polo Center in Wellington.
Breakaway: Polo in Palm Beach, Parts 1 & 2 — Following the release of “Breakaway: Women in Polo,” the next installment shifts the focus from the players of an individual team to the often-unsung stars of the sport: the horses.
Using breathtaking footage, “Breakaway: Polo in Palm Beach” is an opportunity to show the deep appreciation that players and fans alike have for the horses that make polo possible. The extensive amount of care, training and skill required to work with the high-caliber athletes known as polo ponies often goes unnoticed with so many exciting aspects to the game.
But through the unique lens provided by the Breakaway series, viewers will learn about the critical connection required between horse and rider to perform at the highest levels of the sport, including the Gauntlet of Polo, which is explored in part two of the installment, which takes a deep dive into the 2024 Gauntlet of Polo season through the complex relationship between two of the most iconic players in the world, Adolfo Cambiaso, and his son, Poroto Cambiaso.
The Gauntlet of Polo is known as polo’s toughest test. In a series of three high-goal tournaments — the C.V. Whitney Cup, the USPA Gold Cup and the U.S. Open Polo Championship — played across three months, the best players, teams and horses come together to compete at the National Polo Center in Wellington. The winner of all three is deemed the Gauntlet Champion. Across the tournament’s history, many iconic players have participated, including Facundo Pieres, Hilario Ulloa and Adolfo Cambiaso, who has won the U.S. Open nine times. However, in the 2024 season, Adolfo faced a Gauntlet series unlike any before when he took the field with team Valiente against his son Poroto and team La Dolfina. While many fans have grown accustomed to seeing the father-and-son duo compete, “Breakaway: Polo in Palm Beach” allows viewers to learn how the careers of these two polo icons have evolved.
Breakaway: Polo in England — In the final installment of the series, “Breakaway: Polo in England” explores the United Kingdom season of polo through the historic tournaments, team and location of the Lord Cowdray Estate. Located in Midhurst, Sussex, the original Cowdray House, built in the 1500s, is located among the picturesque landscapes of South Downs National Park. Today, the ruins of the original manor can still be seen on the grounds as an homage to the resilience and history of the estate. Although many guests travel from across the world to visit the estate for its history, therapeutic retreats and luxury lodgings, the greatest draw is the Cowdray Park Polo Club and the Cowdray Gold Cup.
Founded in 1910, the Cowdray Park Polo Club began as a small country club long before developing into one of the most prestigious polo grounds in the world. Today, the club’s facilities welcome the world’s best players to a variety of international tournaments. The Cowdray Gold Cup attracts the single largest polo audience in the United Kingdom. Due to its global notoriety, the Cowdray Estate is placed at the center of “Breakaway: Polo in England,” from which the star-studded UK polo season and its bright future are explored.
As the polo community descends on the equestrian capital of Wellington each year, the opportunity to share the great community and the sport of polo with a wider audience is the goal of the Breakaway Series. All the shows can be found on Global Polo after the initial airings on ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes and beIN Sports. The shows offer a casual fan the opportunity to peek behind the community and lifestyle of the sport of polo.
The shows are presented each year by the global apparel brand U.S. Polo Assn., which is also headquartered in Palm Beach County. To learn more about polo, consider visiting the Museum of Polo & Hall of Fame or catching the shows on ESPN.
Learn more about the series at www.globalpolo.com/breakaway.
