UNH Today

This past spring, the UNH Polo Team made it to the finals in the U.S. Polo Association (USPA) Women’s Division II National Intercollegiate Championship, an astonishing achievement for a team in their debut season.

Their success may have been foretold by their first game of the season, when they faced Cornell’s Women’s Polo Team — historically strong competitors that would go on to become the 2025 USPA Division II national champions. Though UNH lost, the four-woman team — Ariadne Dogani ’26 (captain), Brynn Roberts ’25, Catherine Ling ’26 and Rebecca LaFrance ’26 — held their own in a tied game that was finally settled in the third round of shootouts.

“Polo is different from other equestrian disciplines. In both interscholastic and intercollegiate arena polo, players don’t need to own horses or come from polo backgrounds to join in,” says Dogani. “On our UNH team, only two of us had polo experience. The other two, both skilled riders, picked up mallets for the first time this season and quickly became key contributors to our success. Each player brought something unique to the team, and by trusting in one another’s strengths and staying focused, we built real momentum. That unity and mutual respect were key to exceeding all expectations.”

Thanks to a generous donation, the team was able to partner with Kingswood Polo Club in East Kingston, New Hampshire, home to world-class polo ponies and coaching. Under the guidance of Kingswood’s General Manager and head coach Federico Wulff and polo pro Ernesto Trotz, the team trained and competed at the Kingswood Polo Arena, their new home turf. They also gained valuable experience through regular matchups with the Babson College Men’s Polo Team, who also call Kingswood home.

The team’s faculty advisor, Claira Seely, assistant professor in the department of agriculture, nutrition and food systems, couldn’t be prouder of what the new team has accomplished.

“I want to commend the team,” says Seely. “They have been self-motivated and driven and their passion for the sport really shines through — it’s made being their faculty advisor both an incredibly easy and rewarding job.”

Following their initial loss, the team won their next game against Harvard, and competed in the regionals, where they beat Skidmore but again fell to Cornell. Nonetheless, their strong performance earned them a wildcard invitation to the championship hosted by Cornell in Ithaca, New York. There, a decisive win against defending champions, Colorado State, again brought the team hoof to hoof with Cornell at the final.

Although they didn’t win the national title, the team galloped away with several impressive awards: All Star, Best String, Best Presentation, and, according to Dogani, “the jewel of them all,” the National Horsemanship Award.

“Though the National Division II Champion title eluded us this year, there is a deep sense of accomplishment and lots of school pride for a spectacular season for our newly minted team,” she says. “Our success speaks not only of our abilities, teamwork and riding skills but also of the support we received from Dean Anthony Davis, Claira Seely, Liz Johnson, and Sarah Rigg from COLSA’s faculty, and UNH AVP for Development Sue McDonough and our fellow students who cheered for us all along this amazing joyride season.”