Gaston Von Wernich.
San Diego Polo Club (SDPC) returns from summer break for the 2nd half of its 25th season on Sunday, August 14th with the Fernando Gutierrez Memorial Cup Tournament and fundraiser for TERI Therapeutic Riding Program. Gates open at 12:30 p.m. for two action-packed matches at 1 and 3 p.m.
Join in the excitement of Sunday Polo as ponies and players take to the main field at the San Diego Polo Club located at 14555 El Camino Real on the border of Del Mar and Rancho Santa Fe. Tickets are $10 per adult (children under 12 are free), with VIP tickets available for $25, reservation required. Parking is $5 per car and tailgating spots are $25 per car and include match entry.
The atmosphere at Sunday Polo is like no other, with the social scene competing for attention with the polo matches. There’s something for everyone at Sunday Polo, with 2 matches, live music, a full bar, bistro, and tented VIP seating. Spectators are welcome to bring a picnic lunch and watch from the east side of the field, facing the VIP tent. Spectators and social members (polo club members who are not polo players) come to enjoy the energy, food, music, friends and the thrilling sport of polo. Kids are welcome to enjoy the jump castle, take pictures with one of the Club’s school horses and (for a nominal fee), indulge in face-painting, and snow cones in the Children’s Area.
Highlights of upcoming matches include the USPA Rossmore Cup presented by FINE magazine and benefiting Kids Korps which will include an intermission fashion show, The White Party on September 4th, where spectators are encouraged to get one last wearing out of their white clothes before Labor Day, and the September 11th polo event, Celebrating Heroes, where the Polo Club invites all armed forces for a complimentary day at the polo fields (eligible persons please bring current ID for discounted admission).
San Diego Polo Club 2011 Schedule
Aug 14 | Fernando Gutierrez Memorial Cup benefiting TERI’s Therapeutic Riding Center
Aug 21 | Fernando Gutierrez Memorial Cup Finals, SD Polo welcomes Ivy League Alumni Group
Aug 28 | USPA Rossmore Cup presented by FINE Magazine benefiting Kids Korps
Sept 4 | USPA Rossmore Cup Finals, The White Party – a Labor Day celebration
Sept 11 | Willis Allen Memorial Cup, Celebrating Heroes
Sept 18 | Willis Allen Memorial Cup Finals presented by Giving Back Magazine, benefiting San Diego Opera & San Diego Symphony
Sept 25 | USPA Spreckels Cup, Vintage Day
Oct 2 | USPA Spreckels Cup Finals, Closing Day
The sport of polo is a high-speed, 4 on 4 game with Persian roots, originally played as a training game for cavalry. The object of the game is for team members to score goals using the agility of their horse and a wooden mallet to knock a small ball into the opposing team’s goal. The full-size field at San Diego Polo Club measures 400 by 160 yards and is equivalent in area to 9 football fields. The ball is 3 inches in diameter and made of plastic (originally wood).
Club members (called Patróns) hire professional polo player teammates from around the globe including New Zealand, Hawaii, Mexico, Peru and Argentina.
In anticipation of its 25th season, SDPC is thrilled to continue in its tradition of giving, by partnering this year with a number of community organizations including the American Red Cross, San Diego Opera, San Diego Syphony, Kids Korps, TERI Therapeutic Equestrian Program, WiLDCOAST, and Saving Horses.
What to wear to Polo
Women. Effortless sophistication. Polo is the perfect excuse to buy a new dress, and the local boutiques in La Jolla and Del Mar are the perfect places to shop. Flats and wedges are recommended to avoid sinking heels into the grass. Be ready to take part in the champagne divot stomp, the halftime tradition that helps to maintain the playing surface. Sun hats, statement jewelry, and sunglasses are staples at Sunday Polo.
Men. Button downs, blazers and (need we say it?) polo shirts. Khakis, jeans, and madras are all appropriate. Be comfortable, and ready to socialize.
History of San Diego Polo Club
San Diego’s polo roots date back to 1906 when the first California match was held in Coronado. The first John D. Spreckels match was in 1909. 70 years later, Willis Allen and Harry Collins dreamed of horses galloping by the Pacific Ocean and established the San Diego Polo Club in 1986, in an ideal location just down the road from Del Mar Fairgrounds in Rancho Santa Fe. Women entered the sport in 1916. Today, approximately 50% of the San Diego Polo Club’s players are women.
Sunday Polo Event Guide
12:30 Gates Open
1 First Match
2:30 Intermission
3 Feature Match
3:45 Champagne Divot Stomp
4:30 Trophy Presentation
5-7 Live Music
About San Diego Polo Club
The San Diego Polo Club (SDPC), established in 1986 as Rancho Santa Fe Polo Club, offers five world-class polo fields on 60 acres of land. Located in Rancho Santa Fe, California, just down the road from Del Mar and the Pacific Ocean, the club attracts professional polo players from around the globe. The club has 35 founding members and nearly 100 social members and invites the public on Sundays during their 14-week tournament season from June-October. SDPC is known for taking advantage of ideal year-round weather with facilities active during the summer season from April-November including an exercise track, riding trails, a clubhouse, outdoor lighted arena, corporate event hosting and polo school offering classes for novice riders. Follow SDPC on Facebook (facebook.com/sdpolofan), Twitter (@sdpolo), and on the web at SanDiegoPolo.com.