The Newport International Polo Series concluded its 2024 season with the much-anticipated Turkish Airlines Final on Saturday, September 28th, drawing an energized crowd to witness the Eighth Annual "Battle of the Sexes." The Women of Newport Polo were eager to even the score, as the Men held a narrow 4-3 lead in the Battle’s history since 1993. Presented by Series sponsor Turkish Airlines, the match was a perfect culmination of the 2024 season, showcasing the intense athleticism, strategic skill, and friendly rivalry that characterized matches this summer during a spectacular New England autumn afternoon.

Before the action began, AnnMarie Brisson and Ann Ewing of Providence Business News performed the ceremonial coin toss as the players lined up. For the Men’s Team, Dan Kinsella played at position 1, Leonardo Borja at 2, Chris Fragomeni at 3, and Dan Keating at 4. For the Women’s Team, Touba Ghadessi and Megan Schulz both played at 1, with Minnie Keating at 2, Ariadne Dogani at 3, and Amanda Poor at 4.

“Everyone’s got an opinion in this age-old debate, and polo delivers the perfect runway for it,” says Men's Team Captain Dan Keating. “As the only contact sport where men and women compete side by side, we’re thrilled to host a true gender showdown—an all-female squad going head-to-head with the men. It’s a firsthand look at why polo is a level playing field, no matter your gender!”

Both teams came out swinging, but the women gained a slight 2-1 lead in the first chukker with one goal each by Dogani, Poor, and Fragomeni. All three scored again in the second chukker, with Fragomeni clinching back-to-back goals for the Men and denying the Women an opportunity to extend their lead. With a burst of energy and some spectacular defense, the Men’s Team scored three times in the third chukker—with two goals from Dan Keating and one from Fragomeni—and denied the Women all of their shots on goals. After a remarkable comeback, the Men entered halftime with a 6-4 lead, putting the Women’s team in a precarious position after their early success.

During the break, fans gathered on the field to stomp divots per Newport Polo tradition and gathered at the lively Vendor Village for favorites like Java Jai Coffee, From Scratch Cakes, and the Wiener Wagon. The TD Bank Pavilion featured an international Wine & Cheese Tasting to showcase wines from around the globe to celebrate the day’s “Bucket List” theme, paired perfectly with artisanal cheeses and charcuteries from award winning cheese purveyors including WedgeRI, for the ultimate indulgence to complete the polo afternoon, stationed in the TD Pavilion to take a little gourmet elegance back to picnics, tailgates, and tables. Meanwhile, spectators flagged down the Veuve Clicquot Cart and Pony Express Cocktail Cart to enjoy champagne and specialty cocktails delivered fieldside for the last time in 2024.

The Women’s team returned from halftime with ferocity, determined to retake their lead. Poor scored once, followed by two successive goals by Minnie Keating, putting the women up by one. After a near shutout, Borja eked out a goal for the Men just before the end of the chukker to even the score at 7-7. Despite the tie, momentum was on the Women’s side. The Women denied the Men any more goals in Chukker Five, while a penalty shot from Dogani put them at a slim 8-7 lead. Both teams went all out in attempts at goal as the clock ticked down on the final game of the season, and shots after penalties on both sides brought the score to a nail-biting 9-8. As the final bell of 2024 rang, the Women emerged victorious, closing out the season with a win and tying the Battle of the Sexes Series at 4-4.

After the match, a traditional victory lap was met with cheers, followed by the Veuve Clicquot Trophy Presentation. Melika Ozcan, Sales Manager for Turkish Airlines, awarded Team Women their trophy, bringing a ceremonial close to another incredible season of polo sponsored by the airline. Fans and players toasted in the Modern Luxury Lounge, savoring the final moments of this year’s Series. Finally, the Turkish Airlines Grand Prize was awarded to one lucky spectator from Boston, sending her on her own Bucket List Trip with round-trip tickets for two to any destination where Turkish Airlines flies.

See the photo gallery, and relive the action with video highlights!

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Live audiences can enjoy the Newport International Polo Series polo matches every Saturday as they have for 32 years to witness the timeless sport unfold on the manicured, emerald green at Glen Farm, home of the Polo Series, in a classic exhibition of horsemanship and valor, with host, the Newport Polo Club, where the home team - Newport/USA - meets challengers each season from around the world as well as teams representing major US cities and regional rivals in one of Newport's unique traditions & renowned attractions.  

The Polo Series is scheduled to continue every Saturday through September. The schedule of teams is subject to change without notice.  Stay current with the 2024 team lineup & stats, latest news, events, and more by e-scription to the Gameday Briefing (sign up) and weekly eMagazine (sign up). Both subscriptions are private and spam-free.

The Polo Grounds' favorable proximity to the shores of the island's Sakonnet east passage provides reliably cool coastal effects, moderating afternoon temperatures and providing a dependable breeze for the late afternoon polo matches all summer.  Minutes from the bustling Newport waterfront, the International Polo Grounds are located on the acreage of Glen Farm, 250 Linden Lane (off of Rte. 138) in Portsmouth, RI. This bucolic setting is the last 100 acres of a pre-colonial settlement from the 1600's that became the Town of Portsmouth's original gentlemen's farm, an 800-acre manorial estate established during a Gilded Age movement of retreat from the high life into pastoral country acres, to become the future home of polo in the next century. Its classical 19th-century stone barns and its park-like grounds were rehabilitated by Polo Series founder, Dan Keating in the early 1990’s and continue to thrive as an equestrian & community recreational property, and home of the Polo Series.  

The Newport International Polo Series is proud to name its 2024 sponsors including including Brenton Hotel, BD, TD Bank, Turkish Airlines, Modern Luxury Boston, Herb Chambers Exotics, Vanderbilt International Properties, Hotel Viking, Hammetts Hotel, Newport Harbor Island Resort, Forty 1° North, Newport Life, Veuve Clicquot Champagne, Providence Business News, Clarke Cooke House, BMW of Newport, Atria Senior Living, Tito's Vodka, US Polo Assn, Stella Artois, British American Business Council New England, The Truth About Horses, A1 Roofing & Construction, Visit Jamaica, Goslings, ROCKSTAR Limo, and Classical 95.9 WCRI; and promotional partners including Newport Helicopter Tours, The Cocktail Guru, Newport Jaguar Tours, Picnic Charters, Island Adventures, On Watch Sailing, International Tennis Hall of Fame, Newport Vineyards, Newport Mansions, Island Surf and Sport, Newport Picnic Co. and Audrain Automobile Museum. 

“Our sponsors have been with us since the beginning. Without their support, the Series would not be as extensive as it is,” explains Dan Keating, Polo Series founder.

This is the 33rd season of the Newport International Polo Series, which has hosted teams from 37 nations including, Ukraine, Colombia, Ireland, Germany, Spain, England, Argentina, France, Egypt, India, Australia, Costa Rica, Ghana, Canada, Chile, Jamaica, Nigeria, Portugal, New Zealand, Barbados, Scotland, South Africa, Hungary, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Kenya, Brazil, China, Italy, Mexico, Sweden, Singapore, Monaco, Morocco, Peru, Poland, Switzerland, Colombia, Ukraine and Pakistan.

Gilded Age Legacy.  Polo is, without a doubt, the oldest ball game in the world today. First recorded in the 6th-century b.c. when the Turkomans beat the Persians in a diplomatic tournament, the alluring game caught on with equestrian royalty and cavalry, and took off with globalization, withstanding the tests of time. Arriving on Newport’s shores during the Gilded Age, the sport had evolved for nearly 2500 years, steeped in tradition, captivating newcomers like Newport's summer sporting set who embraced the new pastime, establishing America's first polo club in 1876.  A charter member of the United States Polo Association, the club today is still a trailblazing model polo club, hosting the Newport International Polo Series public exhibition matches, supporting philanthropic causes, organizing tournaments, polo club member services, and polo instruction year-round. Experience the king of games in its American landing at Newport Polo.