The 2026 Spring Arena Amateur Cup, held this past weekend at Newport Polo, brought the spring arena season to a high note. Blessed with beautiful weather, the weekend carried a palpable sense of excitement as players returned to competition with renewed energy, mounted on a parade of fit ponies ahead of a historic season.
The tournament brought together a dynamic field—seasoned veterans alongside new members and rising interscholastic players, many showcasing impressive progress from the winter season. It made for a spirited and fitting finale to arena play, as Club chukkers now transition from the arena to the open fields of the grass season ahead.
In Semi Final Game 1, The Avery (Gold), Amy Wright, Andrea Logan, Dan Keating, and Touba Ghadessi, faced off against Newport (Blue), Danielle Diamond, Ava Richard, and Travis Soto. Newport came out strong in the opening chukker, with Danielle Diamond getting on the board early and support from Ava Richard and Travis Soto to build momentum. The Avery responded with scoring from Dan Keating and Touba Ghadessi, but Newport maintained control through each chukker, steadily adding to their lead. The consistent offensive pressure from Newport ultimately secured them the win, with a final score of Newport 16 to The Avery 7.
Semi Final Game 2 featured Mad Mouse: (Pink/Grey), Mariah Woodward, Gus Reed, and Minnie Keating, against Synergy Solutions: (Maroon), Christine Bowden, Aurelia Rus, and Anna Dwyer. Mad Mouse opened the scoring with Mariah Woodward, but Synergy quickly answered back with Christine Bowden and Aurelia Rus finding the goal. Anna Dwyer played a key role in building Synergy’s lead as the game progressed. Mad Mouse stayed competitive with contributions from Gus Reed and Minnie Keating, but Synergy’s steady scoring across all four chukkers allowed them to pull ahead and secure the win, finishing with a final score of Synergy 13 to Mad Mouse 9.
In the Consolation Game, The Avery (Gold) returned to face Mad Mouse (Pink/Grey). The Avery came out determined, with Dan Keating leading early scoring efforts and support from Amy Wright and Touba Ghadessi to build a lead. Mad Mouse responded with goals from Gus Reed and Minnie Keating, keeping the match close throughout. Despite the pressure, The Avery held their advantage and controlled the pace of play to finish strong. The match concluded with The Avery taking the win, 11 to 9.
The Final between Newport (Navy) and Synergy (Maroon) opened with goals from Travis Soto for Newport and Aurelia Rus for Synergy. Ava Richard added to Newport’s tally in the second chukker, bringing the halftime score to 9–6 in Newport’s favor. In the third chukker, Rus and Dwyer generated momentum for Synergy to close the gap, but Newport held strong, with Travis Soto delivering an impressive four goals in the final chukker to secure Newport’s 14–7 victory. MVP was Travis Soto, and Best Playing Pony was Opal, owned and ridden by Anna Dwyer.
It was a fantastic weekend of polo, marked by spirited competition, strong team chemistry, and outstanding sportsmanship. We are deeply grateful to photographer John Lincourt for capturing these moments so beautifully, as well as to our dedicated volunteers and equine crew—who remarkably turned out 40 fit, expertly trained and turned out competition ponies each day—making this level of play possible. A heartfelt thank you also goes to the enthusiastic cheering section of family, friends, and club members who bring such energy and support to the sidelines.
We are so appreciative of a successful arena season and look forward with excitement to kicking off grass polo this Sunday, May 3.