Polo
In the summer of 1908 polo got its start in Virginia, just a few miles from The Plains, where the sport’s 100th birthday will be celebrated each Saturday night under the stars at Great Meadow’s Twilight Polo.
Polo has grown in the state to include, now a record, 15 clubs recognized by the United States Polo Association, the majority still located in Northern Virginia. Today, within an hour’s radius of Great Meadow there are no less than 31 grass polo fields and 11 arenas, many on private farms. Great Meadow is at the epicenter of all this action, where various teams and clubs meet to compete. This provides the public with a high quality venue to watch one of the oldest sports in recorded history played by nationally ranked professionals and local amateurs.
Great Meadow, host to the Virginia Gold Cup steeplechase races, has a world class international field that has been described as one of the best playing surfaces between New York and Aiken. Last year, the Polo Club had over 75 playing members, making it one of the largest in the region. During the summer more than 20,000 fans – young professionals as well as families -- gathered at Great Meadow with tailgates and picnics to watch the Twilight Polo program with two matches held every Saturday night. Many stayed after the games to enjoy moonlight dancing to the music of a DJ.
“The great thing about stadium polo is that it is an intimate and relaxed setting, and it allows us to play at night under the lights,” said Dr. Phillip Karber, president of Great Meadow Polo. “It is a unique event in that families can bring their kids, who can roam the grounds, enjoy the halftime entertainment, meet our popular ‘Polo Bear’ mascot, while at the same time the adults can enjoy summer tailgating in a beautiful setting with some exciting polo play to watch.” In 2008, Great Meadow will be hosting the US Arena Open Championships – the highest ranked US Polo Association authorized stadium tournament in America.
The Twilight Polo season at Great Meadow runs from Saturday, May 31 through Saturday, September 13 with the exception of August 9 which will host a night of bull riding by Twisted K Productions. Tickets for Twilight Polo are $20 per car or $10 a person at the gate. There are also a limited number of seasonal tailgating rail spots and boxes available by request. Gates open at 6:30pm and the first match starts at 7pm.
For more information about Twilight Polo log onto www.greatmeadow.org, call 540-253-5001, or e-mail info@greatmeadow.org.
Great Meadow, a 200-acre green space and equestrian event center, is owned and managed by the Great Meadow Foundation which is a non-profit 501c3 organization. The Foundation supports a variety of educational organizations, community and non-profit groups. Great Meadow hosts popular events including Twilight Polo, the Virginia Gold Cup, the International Gold Cup, the 4th of July Celebration and Fireworks, as well as weddings and private events.
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