November 2021 Polo Players' Edition- Working Women

Working Women

Ace and Bad Ass Earn USPA Arena Titles

Photos by Oana Moore

La Jefa’s Katie Mitcham races to catch Bad Ass Polo’s Posey Obrecht, who is riding Rosalita.

Virginia Polo, Inc. in Charlottesville, Virginia, held a competitive weekend of elite women’s arena polo, Sept. 22-26. In the end, Demitra Hajimihalis came away with a pair of titles after competing in both the USPA Women’s Arena Handicap and Women’s Arena Open.

The action began with the USPA Women’s Arena Handicap. Played at the 10- to 14-goal level, four teams vied for the title.

A competitive semifinal double-header saw La Jefa (Katie Mitcham, Emmie Golkosky, Jessica Schmitt) narrowly advance over Summerhill Farm (Victoria McGraw, Alana Benz, Marissa Wells), 14- 13; and Garrison Forest (Lindsey Morris, Zoey Bivalacqua, Anna Winslow-Palacios) fall to Bad Ass Polo (Josie Dorsey, Posey Obrecht, Demitra Hajimihalis), 18-14.

Two days later, on Saturday, Sept. 25, Bad Ass Polo and La Jefa met in the final, each laser-focused on winning the prestigious national title. Gaining a narrow lead in the first and holding it throughout the match, Bad Ass Polo fended off La Jefa’s advances with a strong fourth-chukker drive to seal the victory, 13-6.

Lou Lopez presents Zoey Bivalacqua the Sportsmanship Award.

Kicking off the final with a fast, open first chukker, both teams made strong offensive plays as they worked hard to establish an early lead.

“It took us a minute to figure each other out because we haven’t practiced prior to this,” Obrecht said. “After our first chukker, it was smooth sailing. The game was very open, and there was a lot of communication between us.”

Breaking free from a pack of defenders along the boards, Dorsey, on palomino Cash, quickly fired on goal to pick up Bad Ass Polo’s opening two-pointer, adding to its one-goal advantage on handicap. Working effectively as a team, La Jefa answered back with two consecutive field goals. Schmitt briefly leveled the scoreboard in the second to four goals apiece, but Bad Ass Polo responded with a burst of offensive power. Scoring three consecutive goals with each teammate contributing to the scoreboard, Bad Ass Polo rapidly regained the lead and ended the half up, 7-4.

Riding the offensive momentum of the second chukker into the second half, Bad Ass Polo struck first with a tail shot from Obrecht to double up La Jefa early in the third.

Jessica Schmitt played Best Playing Pony Timone.

“We all complemented each other well. Josie is a great forward player offensively, Demitra is amazing at defense, and I’m a good floater,” said Obrecht. “All three of our playing abilities really complimented each other and made us a very good match."

Working to chip away at Bad Ass Polo’s growing lead, La Jefa’s Mitcham made a nearside neck shot, which passed underneath a horse’s legs and into the goal. Golkosky followed up to narrow the gap to two. Wanting to end the tournament on a solid note, Bad Ass Polo delivered its most offensive chukker yet, and silenced La Jefa for the remainder of the game.

Hitting a perfectly placed back shot, Hajimihalis set up Obrecht to tap the ball in as she picked up her second consecutive score. Dorsey also contributed a pair of goals, and Hajimihalis claimed the final goal of the chukker to win the title by a dominant 13-6. As part of the USPA’s Tournament Stimulus Package, Bad Ass Polo received $1,500 in prize money while the runnersup took home $1,000.

Reaching the tournament final several times, Obrecht was proud to count her first win.

“I’m thrilled to finally win this tournament!” Obrecht said. “It’s especially great because I coached Josie, and I’ve known Demitra her entire life. It’s really special to all come together and earn the win with friends.”

Previously winning in 2019 with UVA, Hajimihalis knew she had a solid team in Bad Ass Polo with a strong chance of winning the trophy.

“I think we all have similar styles, so we know what to expect from each other,” she said. “We tried to stay simple and use each other; plus, we communicated a lot. Teamwork, communication, and using the team are key because you can’t do it alone. Also, being wired similarly in the arena with two really solid arena players was helpful.”

Josie Dorsey receives the MVP award from Lou Lopez.

Competing in the event for the first time, Dorsey was named MVP. “This is my first MVP award in a women’s tournament!” Dorsey said. “I’m a little surprised but very thankful and glad we had a lot of fun in both games.” Ironically receiving a bridle as a prize, Dorsey is looking forward to purchasing her first horse in the future. “Hopefully, I can buy a horse to put in the bridle, but that is a process,” she said with a laugh. This November, Dorsey will also be competing in the upcoming U.S. Open Women’s Handicap (the outdoor equivalent of this tournament) at Houston Polo Club in Houston, Texas.

Garrison Forest’s Zoey Bivalacqua received the Sportsmanship Award. “This was my first nonintercollegiate/interscholastic tournament, so it was a really good experience for me, and I had a lot of fun,” she said. “I’m typically more on the quiet side, so it was really exciting when I came out of my shell and was able to earn the Sportsmanship Award.”

Playing against other women who also attended Garrison Forest on opposing teams, Bivalacqua learned a lot by participating in the tournament.

“In the semifinal, I played against people who I normally play with, so it was a really fun, intense game,” Bivalacqua shared. “My second game was more of a learning experience, and I got to see some new plays and get out of my comfort zone a little bit more.”

Best Playing Pony honors went to Timone, owned by Virginia Polo, and played by Jessica Schmitt in the first chukker. A part of the men’s intercollegiate string since 2016, Timone was donated to the program by Russ McCall.

“I like playing Timone in the first because he’s super steady and nice to hit off of when warming up,” Schmitt said. “He has a huge bump, so he wins most plays which gives me a lot of confidence. I can always count on him to get my head in the game.”

After graduating from UVA in 2020, Hajimihalis loves the opportunity to work and still enjoys playing the sport she loves. “This is my second year in the professional working world, and for me winning this tournament means I can work and continue playing polo,” she said. “It’s really important to have a balance, and polo keeps me motivated. ... I want to give a huge shout out to my boss, Andrew Baldwin, because he let me use all his horses, and UVA let me use one of their men’s string horses. I wouldn’t be able to do this without him because he also plays and understands the balance of work and polo.”

All three teammates shared a connection to Garrison Forest School in Owings Mills, Maryland, and the tournament was an excellent opportunity to compete together for a national title. “Demitra and I both went to Garrison Forest, and Josie plays there now,” Obrecht said. “There was also a complete Garrison Forest team, so it’s really special that we can all get together and compete in a tournament of this level.”

USPA Women’s Arena Open

MVP Anna Winslow- Palacios and Virginia Polo’s Lou Lopez.

The same weekend, four teams battled it out in the USPA Women’s Arena Open. Some of the players in the Women’s Arena Handicap were also on teams in the Open division.

The semifinal round saw Boothwyn Pharmacy (Katie Mitcham, Jessica Schmitt, Cindy Halle) top UVA (Maddie Grant, Grace Burgert, Elizabeth Owens), 14-11, and Ace Sportswear (Demitra Hajimihalis, Anna Winslow-Palacios, Ingrid Donnan) edge Granville Farm (Posey Obrecht, Isabella Wolf, Katie Define), 9-7.

Concluding the competitive weekend, Ace Sportswear and Boothwyn Pharmacy met in the final on Sunday, Sept. 26. Boothwyn Pharmacy made a spirited comeback on a two-point goal from Halle, however, Winslow-Palacios was the hero, scoring the game-winning goal with one minute remaining to lead Ace Sportswear to a tight 11-10 victory.

Sportsmanship Award winner Ingrid Donnan and Lou Lopez.

“We knew it was going to be a defensive battle. We’re all really seasoned arena players, so we all mark-up really effectively. We knew that we all had to be disciplined on the man, disciplined on the wall, which is tough against this team because I know they have the same strategy,” explained Winslow-Palacios.

Withstanding an opening run from Boothwyn Pharmacy, Winslow-Palacios picked up the ball at midfield with a burst of speed to open the scoring for Ace Sportswear. Fighting her way along the wall on consecutive plays, back-to-back goals from Hajimihalis gave Ace Sportswear the early 3-2 lead in the first chukker.

Boothwyn Pharmacy’s Jessica Schmitt leans on Ace Sportswear’s Anna Winslow- Palacios.

A resilient Boothwyn Pharmacy pulled even in the opening stages of the second chukker until a booming penalty from the centerline for Winslow- Palacios found the goal for a two-point conversion, pushing Ace Sportswear’s lead to two. After exchanging goals, Ace Sportswear resorted to its long-distance shooting again, this time with Donnan scoring the two-pointer to send her team into halftime with an 8-5 advantage.

Determined to extend its lead further, Ace Sportswear raced out of the gate in the second half, leaving Boothwyn Pharmacy pinned in front of its own goal. After three missed attempts from Ace Sportswear, Hajimihalis found the goal for her third score of the day. Regrouping, Boothwyn Pharmacy found its footing in open play, finishing the third chukker with goals from Mitcham and Schmitt to decrease the gap to just two.

With the game just out of reach the majority of the time, Boothwyn Pharmacy made the most of the final chukker. Trailing by two, Halle jumped on the loose ball and sent a two-point shot into the goal, tying the score and leaving spectators on the edge of their seats entering the final minutes. Blocking a clearing attempt, Winslow-Palacios turned the corner and hit the ball in, giving Ace Sportswear the one-goal lead with one minute remaining. Despite the best efforts of Boothwyn Pharmacy, Ace Sportswear held on to claim the prestigious title with an 11-10 victory.

Cindy Halle with Best Playing Pony Estrella.

Ace Sportswear inscribed its name on the trophy for the second time after winning in 2017. Members of that winning team, Winslow-Palacios and Hajimihalis reunited, while adding newcomer Donnan to emerge victoriously.

“I’ve lucked out in playing a few times with Anna, and we’ve gained a lot of great chemistry. It was really fun, competitive polo, and it translates onto the field really well,” shared Donnan.

As part of the USPA’s Tournament Stimulus Package, Ace Sportswear received $1,500 in prize money while Boothwyn Pharmacy took home $1,000.

Capturing her second title in as many days after winning the Arena Handicap on Saturday, Hajimihalis reflected on the memorable weekend.

“It feels incredible. I really have to thank my teammates in both flights. They made it really fun, and I think it’s just the attitude of no matter what, we knew we were going to have fun.”

Hajimihalis deployed five horses that rotated over four days of play to capture the two titles. “I’m very exhausted and so are the horses today. They all played amazing,” she said.

Winslow-Palacios said, “We feed off each other’s energy, which is awesome. I would play for this team over and over again.”

Ace Sportswear’s Ingrid Donnan, Anna Winslow-Palacios and Demitra Hajimihalis.

The MVP award went to Winslow-Palacios, whose six-goal performance, including the game-winning goal, helped lead Ace Sportswear to the win.

“I actually switched my horse order around quite a bit from the semifinals,” Winslow-Palacios explained. “I put my second-half horses in the first half today, which I think helped a lot. I started really strong with my big run-and-gun horses and ended on my steady horse.”

Counted on in the first and fourth chukkers, Cindy Halle’s Estrella, a 15-year-old Argentine roan mare, was awarded Best Playing Pony.

“She got hurt before the season started, but I’m so happy to have her back” explained Halle. “She’s got a huge bump and moved over a lot of big horses. Anyone could play her, but I really love playing her. She worked really hard out there.”

Building on the chemistry from the team’s 2017 title, Ace Sportswear gained valuable experience on the grass this past summer, by competing in a women’s tournament together in a lead-up to the Arena Open.

Donnan drew on her experience from playing with the heralded Cornell program.

“I learned to play at Cornell, started freshman year, and worked my way up to starting on varsity,” Donnan explained. “In my senior year, I was starting for the National Intercollegiate Championship, but it was canceled. I never got my opportunity to shine. This is a pseudo-nationals for me to finally show all the years of hard work.”