Friday afternoon marks the start of the 2026 U.S. Polo Association’s Pacific Coast Open Tournament held at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club. Six teams will play the fields, including high goal players Felipe ‘Pipe’ Vercellino, Jesse Bray and Ignacio ‘Nachi’ Viana, as well as veteran player Mike Azzaro who, starting in 1996, held the sport’s highest handicap of 10 goals for over ten years.
“For more than a century, this tournament has brought together remarkable players, horses and fans,” said David Sigman, General Manager of the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club. “We’re proud to carry that tradition forward here in Santa Barbara.”
First played in 1909, the tournament is one of the oldest in the world, and has been held at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club since 1952. Teams play for the five foot tall Pacific Coast Open trophy, whose silver glints in the summer sunlight and is decorated in gold and semi precious stones with a globe topping the prize, all polished to a mirror shine. The trophy has gone by a few names over the years, including the All America Trophy, but officially took the tournament name in 1929.
This year, teams playing in the 2026 tournament are Klentner Ranch (Jake Klentner, Ignacio “Nachi” Viana, Jesse Bray, Justin Klentner), Zahedi Chogan (Sy Zahedi, Juan Curbelo, Facundo Obregon, and Nicolas ‘Nico’ Escobar), Mrs. Momma Bear (Santiago Torres, Harrison Azzaro, Hunter Azzaro, and Mike Azzaro), Delta Defence (Ivan Weiss, Segundo Bocchino, Jared Zenni and Costi Caset), and 2025 Pacific Coast Open champions La Karina (Brian Boyd, Carlos ‘Carlitos’ Gracida Jr., Felipe ‘Pipe’ Vercellino, and Lucas Escobar).
There will be some stiff competition in the 2026 tournament; 2021 Pacific Coast Open Champs Klentner Ranch is looking to win their fourth title in this year’s tournament after seizing the Skene Trophy in July, defeating La Karina 10-6.
But it won’t be easy; Delta Defence have already defeated Klentner Ranch this month, winning the 2026 Whittier Trust Silver Cup in an upset with a final score of 12-9. Defending Pacific Open champs La Karina are hot off the heels of their August 9th win of the 2026 U.S. Polo Association America Cup, beating Mrs. Momma Bear 9-8.
The matches will be played on Fridays at 4 p.m. and Sundays at 3:30 p.m. from August 14th through 30th. Semifinals will be held on Friday August 28th, and the final match for the trophy will be Sunday August 30th. Fans who are not able to make it to the field can watch online on the USPA Polo Network livestream and Global Polo YouTube.
“Whether you’ve followed polo for years or are joining us for the first time, there’s nothing quite like being here and experiencing it together,” said Sigman.
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