{"id":5516,"date":"2023-09-01T19:30:10","date_gmt":"2023-09-01T19:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prosfunds.com\/news\/the-elite-sport-of-polo-as-played-in-london-and-santa-barbara\/"},"modified":"2023-09-01T19:30:11","modified_gmt":"2023-09-01T19:30:11","slug":"the-elite-sport-of-polo-as-played-in-london-and-santa-barbara","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prosfunds.com\/?p=5516","title":{"rendered":"The Elite Sport Of Polo\u2014As Played In London And Santa Barbara"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

The Sport of Kings has forever been a study in contrasts. The spirited game features champion horses, their thundering hoofs vibrating flutes of Veuve Clicquot enjoyed by spectators in the field-side cabanas.<\/p>\n

Some trendsetters forget to lower their Bulgari shades to notice the match\u2015unless, of course, the players include Ignacio “Nacho” Figueras, Argentina\u2019s star competitor and the urbane face of Ralph Lauren Black Label.<\/p>\n

The rarified game of polo has become an essential summer diversion for its wealthy patrons, the charities that benefit and the hatted crowds that flock to the fields decked in gaucho-inspired fashion.<\/p>\n

Two standout locations are worth a closer look: London and Santa Barbara, Calif. They\u2019re regions that fall under the Federation of International Polo\u2019s 86 national members, which include Egypt, Malaysia, Jordan, Mongolia, Nigeria, Ukraine, Zimbabwe and, of course, Argentina, renowned for turning out the best polo players in the world.<\/p>\n

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London<\/strong><\/p>\n

The venerable Cowdray estate and its extensive grounds have been recognized as <\/strong>the \u201chome of British polo\u201d for more than a century. Set within Viscount Cowdray\u2019s 16,000-acre estate in West Sussex, the Cowdray Park Polo Club hosts 35 tournaments, including the British Open Polo Championship for the Cowdray Gold Cup.<\/p>\n

The Gold Cup draws about 15,000 enthusiasts, but more than a few skip the match and head straight to the after-parties. Favorites include Cowdray\u2019s Ibiza Night, which vibrates with trance and electro classics. Cowdray Park Polo Club sponsors include Boeing Business Jets and Aspinal of London, among others.<\/p>\n

The poshest polo event on the British calendar is the Cartier Queen\u2019s Cup, named for the late Queen Elizabeth II (Prince Charles\u2019 team won the trophy in 1986). Held at Windsor Great Park and hosted by the Guards Polo Club, the event draws a stream of fashion, entertainment and music luminaries. Best-dressed notables include Isabel Getty and, among the royals, Lady Amelia Spencer and Lady Eliza Spencer<\/p>\n

The London polo season\u2019s crowd-pleaser is Chestertons Polo in the Park, described as the world\u2019s largest three-day polo bash. It\u2019s held each June in Hurlingham Park on the north bank of the River Thames.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe event is absolutely massive, about 30,000 attend,\u201d says Rebecca Hill, a senior digital marketing executive at London-based real estate agency Chestertons. \u201cIt\u2019s vibrant and it\u2019s buzzing. Everyone\u2019s in a fantastic mood. With the elegant fashion, the DJs, the top market food and beverage, it has an Ascot feel to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chestertons has been the event\u2019s title sponsor since 2012. This year marked a first \u2013\u2013 the world\u2019s best female player, Nina Clarkin, captained the men\u2019s England Polo team to compete against Ireland for the Olympic trophy.<\/p>\n

Like the three-century-old Royal Ascot, hats are en vogue. Certainly Panama hats for men and, for women, fascinators worn by habitual scene-stealers, along with some gaucho hats <\/strong>and an oversized Jacquemus or two.<\/p>\n

And yes, you\u2019ll probably spot a few Essex Men in striped blazers who\u2019ve invaded the SW6.<\/p>\n

The event\u2019s after-parties are legendary (we recommend the White Horse, which insiders call Sloaney Pony, in Parson\u2019s Green), as is the Mahiki Tent, which pulsates with live music and dancing (steel drums get the party going). The event\u2019s Fulham Food Festival draws from London\u2019s choice restaurants. The revered brand, Champagne Lanson, which dates to 1760, is a sponsor.<\/p>\n

Between matches, the SheerLuxe Shopping Village caters to deep pockets, offering exclusive brands such as Mu Du London and Augustine Jewels.<\/p>\n

Santa Barbara<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club is the preeminent polo club in the western United States. It held its first exhibition match in 1894 and was admitted to the United States Polo Assn.<\/p>\n

Flanked by the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, the club has hosted such luminaries as Prince William and Princess Catherine, the then-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, plays regularly at the club. He lives in nearby Montecito with his wife, Meghan, Markle, and their two children.<\/p>\n

In the 1920s, American royalty played on the fields: Douglas Fairbanks, Will Rogers and Charlie Chaplin, among others. Today, commoners favor Friday happy hour matches, and on Sundays, the hats appear, some rivaling the best of British millinery.<\/p>\n

Governed by trustees (some are grandsons of prominent families who owned the club in previous eras), the club and its 87-acre grounds are well positioned in the Santa Barbara area, which has been deemed the \u201cAmerican Riviera.\u201d The historic clubhouse is joined by tennis, swimming and spa facilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn July and August, we are the mecca of polo,\u201d says club general manager David Sigman. \u201cEvery eye in the country is on us because we play at the highest level. Families from Argentina, Costa Rica, Brazil and Uruguay have been coming here for decades. It\u2019s a whole polo culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

Each October, after polo season ends, the club hosts the Montecito Motor Classic, which showcases scores of rare and vintage vehicles. Guests arrive in a blue-chip selection of autos: Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, Maserati and McLaren, among others.<\/p>\n

Sigman says Santa Barbara represents the ultimate polo lifestyle because you can practically live on the club grounds. The Spanish-style Polo Condos, with 139 units, edge the stately fields. Why drive in from Hollister Ranch when you can view the action from your balcony or walk from your patio to a reserved cabana?<\/p>\n

A rare ground-level unit has come to market with \u201coutrageous sunset views,\u201d says Realtor Jackie Walters who holds the Village Properties listing. There are ocean vistas from the living room, primary bedroom and from a 1,000-square-foot wrap-around patio. The $2.4-million three-bedroom home has a gourmet kitchen, fireplace and heated bathroom floors.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels like your own cottage,\u201d says Walters of the 1,365-square-foot home, adding that about 80% of condo owners are members of the polo club.<\/p>\n

The remodeled end unit doubles as a prime investment vehicle, leasing for $15,000 a month during polo season, Walter adds, and an average of $9,000 a month during off-season.<\/p>\n

MORE FROM FORBES GLOBAL PROPERTIES<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n

Read the full article here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Sport of Kings has forever been a study in contrasts. The spirited game features champion horses, their thundering hoofs vibrating flutes of Veuve Clicquot enjoyed by spectators in the field-side cabanas. Some trendsetters forget to lower their Bulgari shades to notice the match\u2015unless, of course, the players include Ignacio “Nacho” Figueras, Argentina\u2019s star competitor […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5517,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-5516","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news"},"yoast_head":"\nThe Elite Sport Of Polo\u2014As Played In London And Santa Barbara | Prosfunds<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Sport of Kings has forever been a study in contrasts. 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