Though women having been playing polo since shortly after the sport was introduced in the United States, polo has long been known as a male-dominated sport. Women players were few and far between in the early days of the sport, but that is beginning to change. According to the USPA, women account for about one-third of registered players. While more women than ever have discovered polo, by and large most never play anything more than 2- or 4-goal polo, although there have been notable exceptions.

Women’s polo tournaments have helped get more women involved in playing more and better polo. Sunset “Sunny” Hale established the Women’s Championship Tournament in 2005 to help promote women’s polo. She formatted the tournament to encourage polo around the country by requiring teams playing in the final event to participate in a WCT qualifying tournament during the year. In the first year, 18 women’s teams participated for a chance to play in the tournament final at the Outback Polo Club in Wellington, Florida, played during the same time as the U.S. Open. Last year 19 teams played in tournaments in Middleburg, Virginia; Aiken, South Carolina; Houston, Texas; Midland, Texas; Wellington, Florida; and Sarasota, Florida.

In England, the International Women’s Polo Association, founded by Pippa Grace, held a tournament in August at Ascot Park Polo Club that attracted 150 women. The tournament will be played again this August as it celebrates its 20th year.

Even though more women than ever are competing, teams at the highest levels of the sport have almost entirely been made up of men. There are a few exceptions. The 2007 USPA Silver Cup, a 20-goal tournament, played this past October at 302 Polo Club in Aiken, South Carolina, remarkably broke the mold when four of the eight teams competing were led by women. Maureen Brennan’s Goose Creek team won the event.

Hale’s involvement in the sport hasn’t been limited to women’s polo. She has made a name for herself alongside the best in the sport. Rated 3 goals, matched only by England’s Nina Clarkin, she formerly held a 5-goal rating. Only one other player in the world matched that achievement, Britain’s Claire Tomlinson. Hale is one of only two women players in the world to have won the 26-goal U.S. Open. Two years ago, when 10- goal great Adolfo Cambiaso heard her handicap had been lowered to 3 goals, he immediately asked her to join his 22-goal team, and the team went on to win the Ylvisaker Cup. Cambiaso once said Hale has the mind of a 10-goal player.

Hale is an accomplished rider, known for having high-quality polo ponies, many of which she trains on her own. With a keen interest in horses, she founded the American Polo Horse Association in 2006 to collect, record and preserve pedigrees of polo horses in the United States.

The only other woman to count a victory in the U.S. Open is Gillian Johnston. Johnston is a 1-goal player who regularly competes in high-goal competition with her Bendabout team in Wellington, Florida, during the winter months and Sheridan, Wyoming, during the summer. She also competes in highgoal polo in Argentina. She is one of only two women to be competing this season in the 26-goal tournaments, including the U.S. Open, at International Polo Club Palm Beach. Watch for her Bendabout team with 10-goal Miguel Astrada, 7-goal Alejandro Astrada and 8-goal Mariano Gonzalez.

Also competing in the 26-goal tournaments this season, and hoping to add her name to the list of women who have won the U.S. Open, is A-rated Melissa Ganzi. Ganzi will be leading her Audi team alongside 9-goalers Gonzalito Pieres and Paco de Narvaez and 7-goal Juan Bollini. Ganzi has competed in every level of polo from women’s tournaments to high-goal events nationally and internationally, including in Florida, California, Canada and Argentina. Her two young children, Grant and Riley, regularly compete in junior-polo events. Ganzi and her husband, Marc, have supported numerous polo organizations, including the Polo Training Foundation and the Museum of Polo. They recently established the Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington, Florida.

Dawn Jones is another standout player among the high-goal competition. Rated 1 goal, she has competed in everything from women’s events to 26-goal polo. While she is competing with her San Saba team in the 8- and 14-goal leagues at Outback Polo Club this season, in the past she has stepped in for husband Tommy Lee Jones when he was unable to play, whether it was in 22- or 26-goal events. She is a consistent player and like the other women we’ve highlighted here, has no trouble mixing it up with the big boys in the big leagues.