Team USA and England renewed one of polo’s most storied transatlantic rivalries on Saturday, September 5, delivering six chukkers of fierce competition and dramatic momentum changes on BD Field. Presented by Turkish Airlines and held in partnership with Aston Martin Boston, the match celebrated the history connecting England, the birthplace of modern polo, with Newport, home of America’s first polo club. After battling back and forth for much of the afternoon, Team USA pulled away in the final two chukkers to secure an 11–8 victory.
Team USA took the field in navy with Dan Keating, Minnie Keating, Benji Daniels and Justin Daniels. England answered in white with Josh Dales, Garrie Renucci, Josh Cork and Jimmy Wood. Oski Monzon and Caleb Braden officiated the international contest.
Benji Daniels opened the scoring for Team USA in the first chukker, but England’s Jimmy Wood quickly answered to level the match at 1–1.
Wood struck twice more in the second chukker, giving England its first advantage of the afternoon. Justin Daniels and Benji Daniels responded for Team USA, bringing the score even once again at 3–3.
The back-and-forth battle continued in the third. Justin Daniels put Team USA ahead before Wood delivered his fourth goal for England. Benji Daniels then broke through to give the Americans a narrow 5–4 advantage heading into halftime.
When play resumed, Wood found the goal again in the fourth chukker, erasing the deficit and tying the match at 5–5. With just two periods remaining, the historic rivals were locked in a dead heat.
Team USA came alive in the fifth chukker with its most dominant stretch of the afternoon. Justin Daniels opened the scoring before Dan Keating added his first goal of the match. Benji Daniels followed, and Justin Daniels struck again to complete a four-goal run for the Americans. The unanswered surge sent Team USA into the final chukker with a commanding 9–5 lead.
England mounted one final challenge in the sixth. Wood scored twice to bring his total to seven goals, while Josh Cork added another for the visitors. Team USA answered each threat, with Benji Daniels and Justin Daniels adding the final goals of the afternoon to preserve the American advantage and seal the 11–8 victory.
The afternoon’s Bridgerton Bouquets theme transformed the polo grounds into a Regency-inspired garden party filled with romantic florals, elegant pastels and timeless sophistication. Guests arrived in flowing floral dresses, polished suits and garden-party finery, while tailgates bloomed with elaborate arrangements and tablescapes for the Stella Artois Best in Show competition.
Official Match Sponsor Highclere Castle Gin brought an authentic touch of English elegance to the afternoon. The award-winning London Dry gin is crafted with botanicals grown in the gardens of Highclere Castle, the historic English estate known around the world as the real-life setting of Downton Abbey.
The Queen Charlotte’s Cup, featuring Highclere Castle Gin, Pimm’s, Loyal 9 Lemonade, ginger liqueur, mint, strawberry and Prosecco, served as one of the afternoon’s signature cocktails at Dillon’s Patio Bar. Guests could also enjoy The Viscount Old Fashioned, made with Penelope Bourbon and topped with Veuve Clicquot Champagne.
The festivities continued throughout the grounds with sampling experiences from Penelope Bourbon and Loyal 9 Cocktails. Aston Martin Boston showcased the Aston Martin DBX and Lotus Emira, bringing another expression of British performance and craftsmanship to the international afternoon.
Guests shopped from Newport Fine Linens, Simply Chickie, Air & Anchor and The Hat Social, along with selections from the Newport Polo Pro Shop. The West Lawn featured Ben & Jerry’s, Brie & Honey Charcuterie, Newport Chowder Co., Sweet B’s Donuts, BerrySweets and Wiener Wagon.
Following the final bell, spectators gathered at center field for the Veuve Clicquot Trophy Presentation. Rachael Burns, Assistant General Manager of the Brenton Hotel, presented the trophy to Team USA before players and guests raised a celebratory champagne toast. The Brenton Hotel welcomed Team England to Newport as the weekend’s Official Lodging Partner and helped set the stage for the international rivalry with a rooftop welcome party overlooking Newport Harbor. The best playing pony of the day was Paloma owned by S. Curro.
The Newport International Polo Series returns Saturday, September 12, for the American Polo Classic, sponsored by BMW of Newport. Guests are invited to embrace the Yacht Rock theme for another afternoon of championship polo and fieldside festivities during the 150th Diamond Jubilee season.
Along with Aston Martin Boston, the Polo Series is proud to welcome partnerships with Brenton Hotel │ Turkish Airlines │ Foxwoods Resort Casino │ TD Bank │BD │ Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers │ Vanderbilt International Properties │ Hotel Viking │ Hammetts Hotel │ Newport Harbor Island Resort │ Forty 1° North │ Veuve Clicquot Champagne │Modern Luxury Boston │ Providence Business News │ Penelope Bourbon │ Clarke Cooke House │ RISE │The Macallan │ Brugal Rum │ Highclere Castle Gin │ Surfside │ Kadeema Rentals │ Spirit Water │ Absolut │ Codigo 1530 Tequila │ Gooseneck Vineyards Prosecco │ Chateau Sainte Marguerite Rosé │ Atria Senior Living │ Stella Artois │ A1 Roofing & Construction │ Grieco BMW │ Kinsella Building Co. │ ROCKSTAR Limo │ Classical 95.9 WCRI │ Cointreau │ Visit Jamaica │ Mt. Gay Silver Rum; and promotional partners including The Cocktail Guru │ Newport Jaguar Tours │ Sailing Yacht Tree of Life │ Island Adventure │ Cocoa & Co │ International Tennis Hall of Fame │ Newport Vineyards │ Elizabeth in Newport │ Newport Mansions │ Sea Newport │ Adventure Kiteboarding School │ Newport Kites │ Newport Classical | Discover Newport.