Oak Brook, IL…A fundraiser for the Oak Brook Historical Society and the finals of the two oldest tournaments played at the Oak Brook Polo Club are scheduled for Sunday, August 13, at the 84-year-old Club.
Started in 1922 by Paul Butler, founder of the Village of Oak Brook, the Oak Brook Polo Club is one of the oldest clubs in the country.
At 1 p.m., the finals of the national USPA Butler Handicap will be played, and at 3 p.m., the finals of the Wyndham Drake Gold Cup are scheduled. Both tournaments are handicapped at 16 goals, making them among the highest rated tournaments currently being played in the country.
The Butler Handicap started at Oak Brook in 1954, during the 25 years the Oak Brook Polo Club hosted the U.S. Open. The tournament moved to the East Coast 17 years ago, but is now back at Oak Brook, hosted by the Chicago International Polo Club. The Butler family will be in attendance for the tournament. Michael Butler, son of Paul Butler and world producer of the 1960’s rock musical, “Hair,” ran the Oak Brook Polo Club until 1990. He will be present to present trophies.
The Wyndham Drake Gold Cup, sponsored by the Wyndham Drake Oak Brook Hotel, dates back to 1962, the year the hotel opened across York Road from Oak Brook’s original International Field. Over the years, the hotel has hosted players and dignitaries from all over the world, designating it the “Official Hotel of the International Polo Series.”
The Oak Brook Historical Society will host its third-annual fundraiser to benefit the Old Butler School Museum (located in the original Butler School – circa 1921-1961). Tickets for the fundraiser have been underwritten by Ronald McDonald House Charities, so all tickets sold by the Society will directly benefit the Museum. To support the Museum, call Al Savino, Oak Brook Historical Society President, at (630) 574-0777 for tickets.
Matches are played at 1 and 3 p.m. every Sunday through September 10. Tickets, available at the gate, are $10 adults; $5 seniors. Children 12 and under and parking are free.
Entrance to the polo grounds is at 31st Street and Polo Drive, one-half mile west of York Road in Oak Brook. Bring a lawn chair for seating. Dress is casual and everyone is welcome. Food and beverages are available for purchase, or spectators may bring picnic lunches.
For information, call Karen Martino, Director of Polo, at (630) 990-2394, e-mail polo@oak-brook.org or visit the Web site at www.oak-brook.org/polo.